News 
4
10
1
2
set up to be spicy but then not spicy (watch suggestions)
Overall: something didn't quite work for me, but I'd love to see the actors in a new series. This is based on a manga which I read though I tried to review it on its own merits (the manga has a lot of NSFW scenes). 8 episodes about 24 minutes each. Aired on GagaOOLala https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/4647/cosmetic-playlover-2024Content Warnings: (there were a few, check this review's comments for them)
Watch Suggestions (removes work drama, love triangles)
- watch episode 1
- watch episode 2 beginning to 8 minutes and then 21:30-the end
- skip episode 3
- watch all of episode 4 or 4-5:10, 7:40-10:40, 15:20-the end
- watch episode 5 beginning to 4:17 and then 17:20-the end
- stop episode 6 at 20:45
- watch episode 7 11:50-13:25, 20:15 to the end
- watch episode 8 beginning to 5 minutes and then 18:15 to the end
What I Liked
- a character was honest in episode 1
- clear premise
- several characters introduced but I wasn't confused
- sweet moments
- supportive family & coworker
- had some good communication
Room For Improvement
- a tsundere character tells the other guy to "prepare himself" and then basically does nothing, they eat spaghetti, there's a hug, the intensity is missing in their relationship and then we have a blushing virgin trope
- work drama was uninteresting
- why did multiple characters find another character so irresistible?
- episode 5 was too late to give the other character's perspective/explain his motivation
- the voice overs
- that Natsume trusted a total stranger over his boyfriend and repeatedly ignored boundaries
- that stupid contest in episode 8 with a no physical affection clause
- I ended up being worried about Natsume's low self esteem and didn't have faith that they would stay together
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
how a painful past affects relationships
Overall: I was very impressed with the first two episodes that had a slice of life/serious vibe; however, many plot elements, the shifting characterization and editing has brought my initial 9.5 rating down. 8 episodes about 35 minutes each. Aired on GagaOOLala for Southeast Asia and most of Europe (not UK or Spain) https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/4854/let-free-the-curse-of-taekwondo-2024 and iQIYI for I'd assume the countries not covered by GagaOOLala https://www.iq.com/play/1713h09ez2k?lang=en_us&sh_pltf=4 Watch after the initial credits of episode 1 for an extra scene.Content Warnings: child abuse, violence, beaten up, death, trauma, dub con kiss, fraud
Watch Suggestions (to get rid of angst between the leads and the love rival)
- watch episodes 1 & 2
- watch episode 3 up to 25 min
- skip episode 4
- watch episode 5 21-23
- watch episode 6 11-14:35 and 32:45-end
- watch episode 7 beginning to 4:45 and 27 to the end
- watch episode 8 6:12-8:10, 19-19:45 and 21-36:45
What I Liked
- chemistry
- caring/sweet moments especially in episode 3
- realistic nervousness/awkwardness
- good kissing
- production value (except the confusing editing)
Room For Improvement
- ominous voice overs
- wish they had established the year in episode 1 (was established as 2004 at the beginning of episode 2)
- the cut to black after a certain moment/not showing the reaction
- plot elements were not well explained, there would be a brief flash or 1 sentence about major events that the viewers didn't get to see
- the plot element at the end of ep 3/beg of 4 was too long and not seeing something very important was cliche
- flashbacks/flash forwards made things unnecessarily confusing
- love rival and other side plots (student, drawing) instead of fully developing the main storyline
- I didn't ship the 2 characters romantically, felt like the cliche 'love heals all trauma'
- the very ending of episode 8 was anticlimactic
Was this review helpful to you?
I was entertained...
Overall: this was what I'd call standard Thai BL with an enemies to lovers plot. Though it had some flaws, I was entertained. Watched on YouTube.Content Warnings: voyeurism, manhandling, fight, non con touch (sleeping), manipulation
What I Liked
- the sweet brother relationship
- the food looked delicious
- the cute moments
- the funny moments
- the dynamic of an aggressive flirt and a feisty guy
- how Poon made Athip see how Athip's niece was feeling
- Athip's assistant (can we get a series with her and the assistant from Cutie Pie?)
- good production value
Room For Improvement
- cliche wannabe girlfriend although it wasn't the worst example that I've seen of this trope
- trans woman used as comedy
- continuity error in ep 3 with stains that magically vanished
- the drama in episode 6 was stupid and Athip was dumb
- brother and niece weren't in the finale
- kiss partially blocked
- the blur filter is pretty high with everyone's faces
- the subtitles said "partner" a few times which is confusing because they could be talking abou business partners however I think they meant "boyfriend"
- odd title isn't explained until episode 4
Was this review helpful to you?
too many characters/couples and an unfinished finale (watch the 1 couple cut)
Overall: there were 9 actors listed as main roles and 14 listed as support roles, they needed to cut the characters by half and then focus on the fewer characters/couples. I took a full point off for that finale which was one of the worst finales I have ever seen in anything, they dropped several plot threads/had no resolution for several characters/couples. 8 episodes about 40 minutes each. Aired on iQIYI and MFlow Entertainment's YouTube Channel (not in the U.S.). Produced by MFlow Entertainment which also made Tin Tem Jai, Ai Long Nhai, Coffee Melody Second Chance and With Love.After airing they made a special cut of just the established couple which I'd suggest watching instead of the series https://www.iq.com/play/beyond-the-star-nnkh0lxm1c?lang=en_us Just wish they would have had a better ending for them than a pinky promise promising not to cheat...
What Suggestions if you watch the whole thing (prioritizing the established couple and intimate scenes)
episode 1 - 14 minutes established couple sniff kisses
episode 2 - 32 minutes established couple in a window seat having fun
episode 3 - 5 minutes established couple in a tub having fun
episode 4 - 4 minutes glasses & friend dream kissing, 22 minutes established couple flirting & 33 minutes shopping
episode 5 - 16 minutes established couple on a couch having fun, 33 minutes established couple brief kisses
episode 6 - 36 minutes foot injured couple confession, sniff kiss and bed scene
episode 7 - 24 minutes (NSFW with foot injured couple) to 33 minutes and just pretend that's the end (episode 8 does have a meh NSFW scene with that guy wearing glasses 31-37 minutes)
Content Warnings: non con video recording/sharing, slap, manhandling, attempted suicide
What I Liked
- an established couple, they had some nice kisses/scenes
- cafe worker's dimples (though not sure why he lied about his part time job when the other character specifically said he didn't have to lie about it???)
- some decently done NSFW scenes (the established couple)
- (neutral) there were a few comedy sound effects, they weren't overwhelming
Room For Improvement
- there were a ton of characters introduced in episode 1 and I didn't care about any of them, I did eventually figure most of them out but then characters would vanish for an episode or more
- nonsense writing, a character said that they were waiting for another character to practice when we clearly saw them all practicing...
- slow pacing, I watched at 3x speed, didn't care about the rival company stuff or dance practices
- slap was not needed and not funny
- kind of hinted at a love triangle was annoying
- that final episode was absolutely terrible, barely anything was resolved, they also threw in a very serious thing in episode 8 with no discussion of counseling/medication/help
Was this review helpful to you?
good start, lackluster ending
Overall: I liked it overall but will add a half point to this review if they do a season 2 as there were several plot threads hanging. 8 episodes about 7 minutes each. Aired on Sukfilm's YouTube channel https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYfaogVGCvwR6JKy1hl4Jq93_HjCqSLgc&si=dKNaW9aTzGwFqFUg - SUKFILM made these BLs: Seoul Blues, Blue Boys and Bad GuyContent Warnings: dub/non con kiss, unwanted outing
What I Liked
- a character's actions show that he's romantically interested without an exposition dump or voice over
- visuals
- cheeky with the drink
- good kissing
Room For Improvement
- they needed to focus on the main leads and get rid of the queer panic if it was going to be resolved in a second
- the music with lyrics needs to be quieter when the characters are speaking
- in episode 4, one character's reactions
- in episode 4 if he had said that with the wallet privately then it would have been fine but I think in front of the line it went into mean/cruel territory
- one character gave me whiplash with hot & cold
- the dub/non con kiss (when someone is sleeping)
- episode 8 was not a good way to end a series
Was this review helpful to you?
heartwarming slice of life series
Overall: this series really gets you in the feels. Aired on GagaOOLala, 10 episodes total about 20 minutes per episode. Has a 1 episode spin off. It is based on a manga which I purchased on Amazon and read (and it stayed pretty close to the source material).Content Warnings: past bullying, trauma
What I Liked
- the intro/outro songs
- sweet moments
- the cooking
- slice of life vibe
- that kid is adorable and the dad is super supportive
- Minoru seeking out communication
- production value
Room For Improvement
- not a fan of some of the exaggerated expressions, many series based on manga have a character like this but it doesn't feel right in the live action adaptation
- too many flashbacks
- wish we got some/more romantic attraction signals from Yutaka
- went too quickly from daytime to nighttime in episode 8 during a short story
Was this review helpful to you?
cute but rushed
Overall: this was cute but they tried to cover too much plot and it felt jumpy/rushed. 8 episodes total, about 20 minutes per episode. Aired on GagaOOLala and Viki.Content Warnings: none
What I Liked
- that opening scene isn't super common in fiction (but very common in real life)
- funny moments
- the characterizations/opposite personalities
- the friendships especially Han Ji Yu and Ji Hoon, that's the friend who tells you honestly that you got a bad haircut lol
- need a spin off with the friend and the new character introduced at the end
Room For Improvement
- they needed to narrow the plot because scenes would quickly jump from 1 to another and it felt rushed overall, they didn't clearly explain some parts
- I thought that scene at the end of episode 1 was a preview for next week but it was actually an extra scene in the first episode. The second episode had it as well with an extended scene before the next week's preview. This was a bit confusing.
- having a conversation while someone is on the toilet
- too many falls
- the dead fish lip presses
Was this review helpful to you?
rocket paced BL with tennis window dressing
Overall: they needed to eliminate some side plots and/or characters and focus on the relationship development between the leads. 10 episodes about 9 minutes each. Aired on iQIYI https://www.iq.com/album/a-perfect-match-2025-1n53v7boirx?lang=en_usContent Warnings: past child abuse, past death, non con touching, slap
Watch Suggestions (to remove an episode 11 (in this case ep 9) curse)
- watch episodes 1-7
- can skip episode 8 unless you enjoy watching tennis
- skip episode 9 (super annoying plot cliche)
- start episode 10 at 2 minutes
What I Liked
- visuals
- intimacy
- supportive friend and grandma
- how grandma pushed back on the thin and beautiful comment
Room For Improvement
- so many tropes and not done in a new/fresh way, I originally was going to rate this as 8.5 but the ep 11 (happened in ep 9) cliche dragged my rating down, so if there hadn't been proof then that would have been the end???
- choppy/rushed, it's daytime then suddenly nighttime, characters rush off somewhere and then we see them talking about what happened, they needed to cut some side plots/characters to spend more time on the leads and their relationship progression
- that actress looked to be 10 which was much too old to act how she was acting, needed to have cast a child around age 5 (and also why wasn't she in school during the daytime/work week???)
- that a character said "I'm a person, not a bargaining chip" (was going to give points for "love isn't something you can hand over" but then that character agreed to something in the next scene which annoyed me
- (neutral) I didn't take off points but the tennis is window dressing, there is barely any shown in the 10 episodes with most in episode 8
- (neutral) there are a ton of product placements but they got the series made so they were fine
Was this review helpful to you?
aggressive pursuer/reluctant pursuee
Overall: although the writers tried to make the aggressive pursuer/reluctant pursuee a comedy, it did not work for me.. Aired 2 episodes per week on GagaOOLala and Viki. Same production company as Our Dating Sim and My Sweet Dear (you can see a poster of the series in the office).Content Warnings: harassment, non con picture taking, kick, non con touching, punch, manhandling
What I Liked
- laughed a few times ("my love for you isn't unconditional, I care about your looks" great line/writing!)
- there are tropes but they are done well
- sweet moments
- the last restaurant scene in episode 8
- some good kissing/actual mouth movement
- turning bedroom lights on and off at appropriate times
- Lee Jun was able to separate his work life from his personal feelings
- Lee Jun did end up having some agency instead of just an object others fight over
Room For Improvement
- dislike this type of dynamic where someone won't take no for an answer, the harassment lasted way too long and was too much
- this couple's relationship is doomed, where is the trust, where is the communication, where is the respect?
- never any explanation for why Ha Ram was so aggressive/smitten
- a scene was during the day and then suddenly it was night time
- the ignoring thing was stupid
- what Ha Ram told to their coworker in episode 7 without first consulting Lee Jun
- I don't mind people who are just looking for the short term but that should be clearly stated before going on a date (that guy needs a spin off series)
- voiceovers
Was this review helpful to you?
Me, My Husband, and My Husband's Boyfriend
27 people found this review helpful
challenging the idea of normal and does it matter
Overall: This series has realistically flawed characters who are trying to figure out how to make each other and themselves happy. They are challenging the idea of normal and does normal even matter to them and their happiness. If you're looking for a steamy poly relationship or a fluffy romcom, then look elsewhere. 10 episodes, 24 minutes each. Aired on GagaOOLala.Content Warnings: non con photo taking, harassment, homophobia, sexism, non con kissing/touching maybe turned consensual, teacher/former student, and there is something and I've put it on a comment
What I Liked
- challenging norms/ideas such as monogamy, how putting others' happiness before your own can actually be a burden to that person, addressing that just because someone wants to be in a poly relationship (and also that they are bi/pan) does not mean that they are attracted to every person
- diversity (polyamory, gay, bi/pan, lesbian)
- Misaki and Yuuki standing up for one another and against the father
- Misaki was smart and figured out who was taking the pictures
- Misaki seeking communication and carefully thinking/changing
- sweet moments
- production value
Room For Improvement
- sub par kissing, 1 kissing partner did not move his lips and it looked strange
- some plot conveniences/wish they had more time to delve into some parts more deeply
- Yuuki's "plan" was terrible in episode 8
- reinforced negative stereotypes about poly relationships (we see so few representations in media, so I was hoping this would play out a bit differently)
- the open ending, it really could go in a number of different directions
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
KinnPorsche, close but not quite
Overall: I rated the first episode a 9.5. Unfortunately the series kind of fell apart for me, but there were some really good aspects. Although there's crack comedy (and some stupid comedy) parts, I would label KP as a mature series with major content warnings. Make sure to watch past the credits for the final episode. Watched on iQIYI (watched the uncut La Forte and also several episodes of the cut TV version)Content Warnings: murders/deaths, attempted murder, suicide, threatened suicide, non con kissing and sex (drugged), dub/non con kiss (drunk), torture, manipulation, violence, fight scenes, blood and gore, kidnapping, pet death, breaking & entering, trauma/past trauma, physical abuse, self harm, drunk driving? 17/18 year old with 22? year old (this personally didn't bother me the way it was presented)
What I Liked
- intro song and the music fit the scenes well
- acting, especially Apo and his microexpressions
- some of the funny moments like that light shining on Porsche in the bar as if he's sent from heaven in ep 1
- really lovely cinematography such as the bathroom scene in episode 7
- beautiful and well thought out lighting
- Porsche and Porschay brother relationship was super sweet
- that Kinn and Porsche were realistically horny after they got together
- a more unique premise (we don't have many BL mafia series)
- fun product placements like that bread in the bed
- the free, shorter TV versions are cut really well and it doesn't ruin the series, they toned down/cut some of the violence and sex/nudity in the shorter versions as well as other parts (like cutting the toilet humor from ep 1 which I appreciated)
Room For Improvement
- disappointed with Porsche's character. In the first episode he's shown as a good fighter and intelligent but then it all goes downhill. He does some of the stupidest things, speaking of...
- really stupid decisions from multiple characters (somehow Tankhun is the smartest brother...), Kinn saying he forgot something - really???
- back to Porsche. It's so odd how the character felt about the mafia in episode 1 to where he ends up in the finale with apparently no internal struggle.
- lack of character growth with KinnPorsche, they are terrible at communicating and trusting one another. I wanted to see them work thru this and grow together. Kinn continued to seek his father's approval and I wanted him to start breaking away.
- stark tonal changes. At the end of episode 10 there was no time to grieve, just farting in the bed. I think humor can go well with a darker tone (like Our Flag Means Death) but going from torture to silly scenes did not work for me.
- non logic: owning an expensive motorcycle and having no money, going clubbing with only 3 bodyguards when someone wants you dead, knowing how to spearfish but not that a small knife won't cut through bone, clean shaven after 3 days in the wilderness, lack of police, no one wears bullet proof vests ever
- the dub/non con with KinnPorsche although I appreciate that it wasn't immediately glossed over, there was apologizing and some selfless acts
- Vegas and Pete needed more screen time. I really wish we had seen Pete have a wet dream with Vegas and Pete as a masochist earlier. Also that he purposefully got caught because he was attracted to Vegas. Their relationship felt Stockholm Syndromey and was very rushed. The sex scene needed less music and more actual sounds from them, a steadier camera and some research on BDSM.
- Kim/Porschay, they needed more screentime as well. I was confused by Porschay's intensity as it seemed they were together for a short time but in a later episode Kim looks back at a bunch of pictures of them together and it made me think they dated for longer than I thought.
- camerawork was a little too shaky during action scenes
- replacing swear words with things like "fudge" WTF? We see multiple murders but using swear words is too much (I didn't take off points for this though as maybe the production couldn't control the subs)
- it felt like maybe too many twists at the end, definitely felt like a set up for season 2
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
infuriating writing, hope to see the actors with a better plot (watch suggestions)
Overall: the refusal of a character to communicate with the other character was infuriating and I cannot believe what they did in episode 8. 10 episodes about 50 minutes each. Aired on iQIYI https://www.iq.com/play/reloved-episode-1-1p5zs0832d8?lang=en_usContent Warnings: vomiting (ep 2 around 47 min), non con kissing turned consensual, blackmail/coercion, manipulation, non con kiss, death, grief
Watch Suggestions (to focus on sweet relationship parts)
- episode 1 watch 4:25-7, 25:45-27, 42:25-45:10
- episode 2 watch beginning-5:20, 18:15-24, 28:15-30:30, 39:35-42, 48-50:45
- episode 3 watch 4:15-9, 14-17:20, 50-51:20
- episode 4 watch 24-40
- episode 5 watch beginning-10:50
- episode 6 watch 9:30-13:05, 15-19, 28:40-34:15, 38:30-52
- episode 7 is skippable
- episode 8 watch beginning-3:30 and 48:50-end
- episode 9 watch beginning-6:15, 12-16:05, 37:30-53
- episode 10 watch beginning-3:30, 17:30-end
What I Liked
- adults who were taking care of kids
- past intimacy and sweet moments
- visuals
- supportive parents
Room For Improvement
- terrible communication in the past (a 5 min conversation would have fixed everything) as well as the present, the other guy repeatedly ignored boundaries/looked so desperate/had no self respect
- the blackmail/coercion with the side couple was not appealing though they grew on me, but then episode 7 made no sense since their relationship was casual up to that point and then 8 came out of absolutely nowhere and was awful
- nonsense, who goes to the scene of an accident instead of a hospital???!!!!
- I wanted to throw my computer with the writing in episode 8, one "I'm sorry" and everything was fine, 5 YEARS!!!!
- tonal shift in episode 8 from grief to fun gym photo shoot
- love rival (and I felt bad for him, they should have given him a love interest)
- the sound effects didn't make things funny
- they dragged the bad communication way too long and then rushed the finale with an alternate timeline and a ton of time skips
Was this review helpful to you?
a BL with a soccer backdrop
Overall: it was entertaining. I wish they had reduced the number of characters/side plots to have more time for relationship progression. 8 episodes about 25 minutes each. Aired on iQIYI (U.S. for sure, not sure which other countries) https://www.iq.com/play/sqxdf59e7s?lang=en_us&sh_pltf=4Content Warnings: past non con picture taking/sharing, unwanted public outing
What I Liked
- visuals
- CEO was a decent antagonist (I really disliked him in episode 1)
- laughed a few times like when he hugged a standee and the difference between interview questions vs. real life
- caring moments
- really liked the captain and the idol
- nice dreams
- good kissing (ie no dead fish lip presses with blocked angles)
Room For Improvement
- the back and forth timeline in the beginning of episode 1
- one short flashback wasn't clear in episode 4
- too many couples, the third couple vanished
- introduced more antagonists, should have focused on the main characters
- nonsense: the plan/approach, how he didn't remember him from high school, did not appear to be enough players for their match
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
excellent premise and actors let down by bad writing (minor spoilers in content warnings)
Overall: the trailer totally hooked me but the writing just wasn't there. This is basically a classic Thai BL romance with window dressing. Aired on YouTube.Content Warnings: death, suicide, mental health struggles, grief, manipulation, non/dub con kiss (fake sleeping), non con touching (sleeping), punches, fight, homophobia, non con photo/video taking and posting, unwanted outings, blackmail
What I Liked
- acting and chemistry, especially First and Khaotung (hope to see them as leads again either together or separately)
- promising premise with mystery elements
- flirt and cute moments
- Akk's parents
- good OST and opening credits
Room For Improvement
- that a main drama was private school students being angry about wearing uniforms, this fell flat and would have been better if it focused on bullying/homophobia as many private school students everywhere have to wear uniforms
- too few plot twists and too late
- the writing was a let down, was Ayan even investigating most of the time? A teacher wearing louboutin shoes? Why weren't the 3 students just expelled? Random bonfire on a beach? Why on Ayan tell Akk that at the end of episode 10 at probably the worst possible time? I still don't really understand a character's motivation in episode 11
- Akk was reluctant and Ayan was aggressive for too long, Ayan consistently violated Akk's boundaries, he was being disrespectful not supportive
- two slow burns, would have been better with a fast burn and a slow burn
- what two characters did in episode 11 is close to unforgivable but they have no consequences and all of a sudden everything is totally fine
- hugging and thanking that character in episode 12 part 1 was bizarre
- very angry/sad about what Ayan told Akk's parents in episode 12 part 2, that's not his place to say especially without first discussing it beforehand with Akk
Was this review helpful to you?
Your Dear Tea Farm that went off the tracks episode 5 (watch suggestions)
Overall: from the trailer I thought this would be spicy, from episodes 1-4 I thought this was a slice of life but then in episodes 5 and 6 it became a soap opera. Based on a book which I haven't read and I reviewed the series on its own merits. 8 episodes about 45 minutes each. Aired on iQIYI https://www.iq.com/play/your-dear-daddy-episode-1-v94mtn7i5g?lang=en_usContent Warning: non con picture taking/sharing, past (intimate partner abuse, suicide), mental health struggles, attempted murder, blood, beaten up, manipulation, emotional abuse
Watch Suggestions (to focus more on the m/m couple and less on tea farm life, also takes out several content warnings)
- watch episode 1
- episode 2 skip 20:20-24, skip 40:10-46
- episode 3 watch 18:15 to 20:40 and 40:15-45
- episode 4 watch beginning-1:25, 11:30-17:50, 22-35, 37:15-45
- skip episodes 5 and 6
- episode 7 watch 8-28 and 37:45-end
- episode 8 watch 8:10-11:45 and 32:10-end
What I Liked
- Saitharn knew what he liked in the first episode (though with information we learned later, I wonder if it was more of a trauma response thing...)
- easy to understand premise
- get to see Fluke & Gap again!
Room For Improvement
- comedy sound effects did not make things funny
- this was sold as a romance but the leads didn't talk until 18 minutes in of episode 3 and only had a few minutes together for the entire episode, suddenly it veered into lakorn territory in episode 5
- there was zero steamy time in the finale?!!! wtf?! the cutie young guys had barely any screen time and a whole bunch of trauma just magically healed?
Was this review helpful to you?
