niel

painfully straight

it is i, the niel.

can we first acknowledge the fact that the entire basis for the two characters getting together is because of green going after tine? it is a flat-out problematic representation of a flamboyant gay man and is a weird portrayal of queerness in general. not to be a party pooper, but it perpetuates the stereotype of queer men being predatory, which is not the vibe guys.

with that out of the way, my real problem comes in the form of every other thing this show has going on. it was rated a 2 (generous) since 2 is in the title. i'm giving it 1 star for each straight man in the main couple. the chemistry between these two guys was like if you smashed two ken dolls together and pretended they were kissing. sarawat was kind of just there the entire time. he's supposedly interested in tine well before they start "fake" dating, but the whole nonchalant approach feels like a cop-out for bad acting.

these two business bros aren't into men. i'm sorry. you can't just put two actors on screen and justify it by them both being "attractive" when they literally cannot act or pretend that they are interested in each other. even if you argued that this is tine figuring out his sexuality, the whole timid, shy approach does not work for tine when he is clearly seen actively pursuing his female love interest. it just doesn't make sense for his character.

the acting...as i've already said... is questionable. win certainly does a better job than bright. if he hadn't been acting with bright, win could've sold this a little bit better. also, i cringe every time i think of bright's singing because of his performance of heather by conan gray. this is unrelated, but if you haven't seen it, i do recommend checking it out (it's hilariously bad). aside from that, bright just plays into being attractive without putting forth any real skills to interact with the other characters in the scenes. i know that's part of his character and the writing, but also, he's the epitome of "go girl, give us nothing". it makes the entire show feel central to him, when frankly, i just don't care.

it's not like any of these actors were working with the most incredible, groundbreaking story, but this could've been a cute little thing if some adjustments were made. as it is, you're done. watched the whole thing. in essence, it was dropped. no wonder why it was a covid hit. if you had literally nothing else going on in 2020, sure. even then...no.

thanks guys!

best,

the niel.

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sugoi

it is i, the niel.

this is free on youtube dot com. wow, it's just good. first of all, the acting was incredibly solid. for it being wiliam's first time in an acting role (a lead, at that), he delivered. the chemistry between the main couple was palpable. the show only focuses on one couple, but they do also focus on the supporting characters enough for us to care about their well-beings. audiences were able to uncover why the group was initially in shambles like a scooby-doo mystery. instead of splitting time between two or three couples, we got one couple and then actual time devoted to having solid secondary character development, which makes all of these characters likable and human.

in a lot of ways, there are two relationships that we, as an audience, are focusing on. there are thame and po as well as the group as a whole. it is rare that a bl gives time and care to non-romantic relationships, which made the show a comforting and easy watch, generally building a more complete story. by the end of the show, i wasn't just rooting for thame and po, i was rooting for all of the characters to do well and to achieve their dreams. the message behind the story was simple, yet necessary for a lot of bl/idol music fans in an industry that treats people as if they are accessible to the general public, commodifying artists and performers. i think that that was especially well-translated with pepper's relationship.

i also thought it was refreshing that this was an original story and you can clearly tell that this was written with these actors in mind to play to their strong suits, which really helped sell the show to me. i also appreciate that in all of the romantic relationships present, any of the characters could have continued on with their lives without their designated partner. this was especially evident when there was conflict in the relationship, displaying resiliency and growth by both thame and po. additionally, there wasn't unhealthy codependency that is oftentimes seen in bls (just the cutesy early relationship butterflies that appears slightly obsessive).

i think it is important to note that this isn't just good for a bl. thamepo is good as a show in general and could stand alone by itself outside of the bl "genre". part of what really appealed about the whole thing to me was that there was no real "playing it cool" or acting coy. both thame and po were upfront with how they felt about one another (once those feelings were realized). i think a lot of shows pad out the run-time with really unnecessary "ooh are they going to get together" storylines fueled by a lack of communication. thamepo did not do that because they had enough actual plot that they did not need to drag out unnecessary relationship drama. it was refreshing to watch a bl where, in many ways, the romance is central, but not the main driving plot of the story.

for gmmtv, the production value was there. it wasn't just a run-of-the-mill mid type show that gmmtv oftentimes puts out to fans for the sake of making a quick buck. the budget was present and they used it well. the lighting was pleasant, the audio was normal, the sets were high quality, and the styling suited each character. the dialogue was never cringey, and it was individualized to a point where you could distinctly tell which character was delivering their lines. it seems like every year, gmmtv picks a couple of shows to actually give resources to be a high-quality production. this was one of those shows and i'm glad it was.

woohoo!!! :D

best,

the niel.

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good soup

it is i, the niel.

this is one of the few times where i genuinely agree with the rating on here, lol. this was a very short series, but they were able to effectively make it seem worthwhile. it's a very simple story, and i largely enjoyed all of the characters/the dynamic between the main couple.

i honestly think that the acting was the best part of this show. there genuinely weren't any moments while watching when i felt as if an actor was too stiff or not comfortable in their role. the writers/producers/directors did a great job building up the supporting characters so that we, as an audience, came to like them individually. i really do appreciate when characters in bls are given actual time dedicated to them, so that the main couple's interactions don't feel suffocated/forced. additionally, the cast wasn't too complex. i didn't feel the need for there to be any other people involved, though they could've explored their personal backgrounds a little more. the random characters thrown in at the end were sort of goofy, but in a good way.

would i rewatch it? sure. i can see this being someone's comfort show because of how simple the plot is, and the conflict generally gets resolved for the most part. i'm a sucker for these character archetypes, so i really enjoyed seeing the leads on screen. i don't think it's super unique, but it's well-done, the dialogue is solid, and overall, it's something pleasant to get through. there were definitely some cheesy moments, but they were cute. the development was casual and subtle, but not to the point where i'd question "why do they even like each other?" it was natural. bye-bye!!

best,

the niel.

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go. check. it. out.

it is i, the niel.

i honestly had no idea what i was getting into when i started watching this show, but i'm so glad i gave it a chance! i only skimmed the reviews beforehand, and if you're gonna watch it, i'd recommend keeping an eye on the symbolism used throughout. pay attention to colors (red and blue in particular), parallels, art, objects, music, and sound cues. it's not too difficult to pick up on what's being referenced in a lot of the scenes.

this show isn't necessarily groundbreaking or overly elaborate, but the cinematography is absolutely beautiful! the actors did an amazing job portraying their characters. at first, the development of feelings between the couple was a bit confusing, but eventually, you realize "oh, that's kind of the entire point". the story leaves a trail of small clues in nearly every scene. it's a subtle coming-of-age story, filled with uncertain emotions, hesitant communication, and novel experiences. i think it's very intentional that the audience can't really clue in on their relationship until about halfway through the show; this mirrors how the characters are experiencing it themselves.

this is one of those shows that you should watch in one sitting. there were some elements thrown in that were central to chen li's character that i sort of didn't understand. it felt like they were resolved without any questions asked or much explanation. furthermore, the latter part of the show felt slightly rushed and the dialogue didn't really elevate the story. xiao zhi's brother, xiao long, was sort of a confounding character, and i didn't see much growth from him, even after time had clearly passed. still, i do appreciate how simple they kept the cast of characters, for the most part. a part of me wishes there had been more verbal communication, but since symbolism and unspoken words are so crucial to this show, i'm not too bothered by it.

one thing worth mentioning: the english subtitles are incredibly small throughout the show. i couldn't read the overlaid english translations during the opening for each episode, which was disappointing because i think they were central to the storytelling. at times, some moments were left without captions, such as random dialogue and text messages, but those were less essential.

i really liked the art style and the overall aesthetic. i might be wrong, but during the intro and credits, i'm pretty sure that some of the art was ai-generated(?). that felt kind of weird, given that art is a core detail throughout. the whole show is super well-done, but that strangely seems like a cop-out. i dunno. just a slightly frustrating thought.

largely impressive! seriously give it a watch if you've got a few hours to spare. shazam!

best,

the niel.

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village head mark

it is i, the niel.

the 40-year-old himbo who is 'supposedly' 20, irritated me the entire time. it went beyond himbo to just "too stupid to function". i know that this was based on a webtoon, but the vibes of the webtoon didn't translate on-screen properly and it made the show quite a bummer to get through. one thing that genuinely confounds me is the attraction between the couple. where is it? the normal one doesn't seem to ever like the himbo, and the himbo himself doesn't seem aware of the world enough to have real human emotions. he's almost like a dog, like a puppy, but not cute.

that being said: village head mark. shout-out to the actor who played mark. he was the most entertaining aspect of this show. i started off having one-sided beef with the fellow but ended up falling in love with him and searching up his past voice acting roles on youtube. him speaking korean was really funny. it was almost incomprehensible, and yet i understood everything if i just had the mindset of an italian. whenever village head mark opened his mouth, it brought me so much joy that i started crying tears of laughter and had to pause the show for about an hour to calm myself down. he speaks to me in the way that borat speaks to other people as far as comedy goes. it's the same comedic energy of "silly man with goofy accent, haha funny".

would i recommend this? i honestly don't know why the ratings are so high on this show. it's not deeply offensive to my sensibilities, but it isn't good. i was bored. i'm really, really sorry. i think if you can find a compilation of village head mark scenes on youtube, that's all you need. also check out him voice acting train engines for a korean children's show.

on a positive note, it was refreshing to see the korean countryside in terms of scenery. the rural side of korea is oftentimes not shown in many bls, so it kind of alluded to typical kdramas in that sense.

aish, this boy!!!

best,

the niel.

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con"gay"tulations, it was a show

it is i, the niel.

this show had warm, feel-good vibes. it was a chill watch. unfortunately, it was nothing. there was nothing stand-out bad about it but there was also nothing stand-out good about it...because it was nothing. if this is your favorite bl, i can respect that. i can truly understand why people would like this and find it comforting.

i, on the other hand, want a more robust plot. i need a little more than will they won't they will they kiss? also, i need the mc to stop being useless and stand his ground instead of being such a pushover. it is frustrating when haebom starts off so much more independent than he is after the relationship with taeseong is established. there is only one instance where haebom stands up for himself, and that's simply when he screams "stop!" at the school bully. even in that moment, taeseong still steps in.

i also appreciate that they try and address some amount of prejudice that queer couples face, but it's a pretty brief conflict and ultimately unnecessarily extends the storyline without really addressing the reality of bias against the queer community. i don't think all shows *need* to live in a reality where homophobia exists, but if the show is establishing the presence of homophobia, including it so briefly undermines/minimizes the reality of it. it almost felt like generic filler.

it's not outright bad, but it's not for me. hooray!!

best,

the niel.

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it's certainly on the internet

it is i, the niel.

first of all, this was watched on 2x speed because the amount of awkward pauses and time wasted on weak dialogue was unbearable. the best part about this series was ice getting punched in the stomach and frame almost giving him a concussion trying to kiss him afterwards. the background of their relationship? unknown. the plot? not there. why they're attracted to each other? unsure.

the audio was what was expected from a thai production (sorry). shout-out to the random child (uncredited) yelling in the background of the opening scene. the actors delivered...not much. i would not waste your time watching this, even though it was short. the only reason this was finished was because i was excited about leaving a review. they certainly tried to stretch their $20 budget, so props to them!!

overall, not camp. just bad. better luck next time!

best,

the niel.

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i'd drive off a bridge too

it is i, the niel.

uhm...it was actually really good, but it honestly took me a long time to finish. it felt more like an actual show than a bl, which made it difficult to binge watch in the same way you can with a lot of (plot-lacking) bls. the acting is the real stand-out of the show. some of the best acting i've encountered. also, in a pleasant turn of events, there were female characters that were a real, substantive, and complex part of the story (thank you). it's a rarity to have likable female characters that are essential and relevant to the plot. because the acting was so good, the villainous characters oftentimes irritated me so much that i had to take a break. i'm still pissed off by that one evil guy's face (sorry to that actor).

the main couple's relationship was one of the most intimate relationships i've watched in a bl. they were not toxic, which is what i like to see in these shows. the issues and questionable choices were influenced by external factors, and didn't manifest in harmful behavior towards their partner. in fact, there were many points where both characters tried to put their partner first, but not at the expense of their own well-being. genuinely one of the few bl relationships where i could understand why they were together and were obsessed with each other (positive).

this was one of the few bls that was intentional about their music, which did not feel suffocating. it was tonally correct, and it added to the atmosphere of scenes. the sets were gorgeous, the lighting was beautiful (heavenly), the shots were well-done, and the costumes seemed period-accurate and looked great.

when the ending of the show was approaching, i wondered how they were going to 'resolve' everything. the answer is: they kind of didn't. i had a lot of new, unanswered questions after the show ended. even though it's been so long, i hope that they do a season 2 (they said they were going to). as much as the ending was confusing, it did fit with the logic of the universe and the larger tone of their story and relationship. i'm not mad at it.

because the show is quite long and dense, the rewatch value would have to be slightly lower for me. i could still see myself revisiting it after a longer rest period (maybe). (๑ᵔ⤙ᵔ๑)!

best,

the niel.

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deranged!!!

it is i, the niel.

i don't really know where to start, but i was gripped the entire time. one of the most convoluted bls i've ever watched, but the plot was plotting. i was more invested in the plot than the romance, given how much focus was directed towards storylines and characters outside of the main couple's direct romance. the plot drove the romance, rather than the romance driving the plot (rare in bls).

every character was given the right amount of screen time and development. the pacing of the show very good. there were no moments where i thought to myself "let's wrap it up and move on". i didn't feel exhausted by the intensity of the plot, even though there were times when i felt worried for the characters' outcomes. it was a little messy in the final 2 episodes, but sure. amazeballs.

the music was crazy, but so was the entire show...so it fit perfectly. the overall audio was better than most thai bls. the writer of this show threw so much at us, but somehow, everything worked. the glow of jinta, perfect. the sad violin music, incredible. the 50,000 characters introduced all throughout the show...i knew personally by the end. the characters' personal headshots used in the transition slides, sublime. it granted!

best,

the niel.

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pleasantly simple

it is i, the niel.

i'm writing this review after my second time watching this show. overall, i really enjoyed watching this series and thought the cinematography was beautiful. i think while watching, you need to keep in mind that the conflict/themes shouldn't be thought too deeply about. just follow the story and enjoy the characters' dynamics. the actors had great chemistry, and everyone involved was super talented!

but...i'm here to share more than just that. i think a lot of viewers can find relatability in these characters, but at times, i wanted both of the main characters to go about their decisions differently. i really disliked how a huge part of the plot revolves around white lies. this particularly annoyed me about daun's character, because he was very likable and charismatic otherwise. this particular conflict does seem rushed, which is why i think the length of the drama is more comparable to a movie. on the other hand, siwon oftentimes confused me.

in bls, i largely think that stories push for relationships that would seem to "fix" all of these characters' issues as individuals without really acknowledging the problems once they get together. in some ways, i like the comfort and found daun's acceptance of siwon to be natural and fulfilling, but i almost think that siwon is the type of character that needed to focus on himself so that he could truly love himself. at times, i just felt sad for siwon because of how desperately he wanted to be liked by everyone. in these shows, i just always wish characters could find fulfillment within themselves in addition to their partners.

i did really like how "mundane" a lot of the issues were. the dynamic both siwon and daun had with their parents was both straightforward yet complex. the show highlighted their lives at home in a way that clearly showed their differences, yet how similar their struggles were. the development of their romance was very subtle, which is what i enjoy! the music was pleasant, and the acting was nice. would i rewatch this? yes! i had honestly come back to it again because i was thinking about it months afterwards, even though it hasn't been the most incredible thing i've watched. it's very comforting and easy. boom!

best,

the niel.

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one's short, one's goofy

it is i, the niel.

the actors did a good enough job with the material present. really hard to say if they're actually any good because the script was not substantial. the short one is kind of grumpy, but he's a good cook, which is fine. his best friend is another college student his age, but i think it might be his mother in costume with the way he acts towards the short one. they have another friend who is always watching gaming livestreams? i dunno, ipad kid. with the cop, they were trying to give "golden retriever bf", but it was giving "how do you do your job?" because he was only good for minor misdemeanors. very little conflict in the show. it's as pleasant as it can be with no real script, no real plot, and no real chemistry.

i watched the whole thing, it was nothing. i've already forgotten it. it filled the time. pip pip!

best,

the niel.

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it does smell nice: an ode to apo

it is i, the niel.

it took me a looooong time to finish this show. literal months. at first, the storyline was intriguing, but, like most bls, just started adding in random elements to pad the runtime. it certainly is a high-quality production. gotta give it its flowers, because it was the bl that caused the genre to shift in a more mature direction away from high school/college fluff. the actors did a good job, the scenes were shot well (lots of variety in set locations), music was great, and overall, it was well-made.

however, there were issues with the tone of the story at times. within seconds of certain scenes, the tone went from serious to goofing around in a very jarring way. this can work in certain shows, but i was caught off-guard every single time. after having watched the show, i can go back to the goofy scenes and laugh at them, but as i was watching, i just sighed every time. the product placements were giving unforgotten night, which works great in a show like that, but not this one.

porsche, as a character, was generally a likable guy. but, i think that apo plays porsche in such a way that makes viewers look past his inherent flaws, because apo is just a charismatic dude. porsche's motivations are slightly contradictory at times. for example, he claims to be doing this job to protect and provide for his younger brother. however, by doing so, he essentially abandons chay (a minor) in the process, which then leads to him getting groomed (well, yes). at times during the story, he had opportunities to leave, but he chooses to actively stay with kinn as a bodyguard, which is not in the best interest of his brother. i'm not saying all of his decisions should be based around chay, but bro is in high school. porsche is literally his legal guardian (uncle gone). i don't think that porsche starts off as a selfish character, but he slowly becomes a selfish character, and that honestly isn't acknowledged.

every single relationship in this show has a basis that makes it impossible for me as a viewer to turn a blind eye to their relationship dynamics. there are factors in all 3 couples, at least at times, that make it legally/morally impossible for one person in the couple to give informed consent. vegas and pete, foul. kim and chay, deceitful. kinn and porsche, hr violation.

way too many scenes of SA or nonconsensual interactions. in all of them, the show tends to justify the sexual violence in some fashion, or fails to make the couples acknowledge/address it. woof.

on a positive note, i think back on the bread product placement scenes fondly. like i said, apo is a chill dude. the actors did a great job with what they were given. it's not their fault that the script was sus at times. overall, it's a refreshing change of pace from what we had seen from prior thai bls. it's worth watching, if you're okay with darker themes mixed with nonsense. also, a lot is left unresolved by the end, which might be frustrating for some viewers. i don't think i'd rewatch the entire thing, but some scenes were good enough for me to go back to. kachow!!

best,

the niel.

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so bad, it's laughable

it is i, the niel.

i have a lot of questions. nothing happened. haewon acted like a literal child. worst thing i've had the displeasure of watching in a while.

there were two and a half actors in this show who actually wanted to be involved in their roles. the rest seemed to take it as a joke, which honestly was the most entertaining aspect of this drama.

how was this restaurant even functioning in the first place? they supposedly had loads of customers, but only one cook. i'm certain that that kitchen wasn't up to code. at the same time, too many employees but they were hiring? you're done. didn't want to hire high school students, but would hire this random college freshman? you're done. haewon's inability to tie his own apron? you're done. jisoo getting pissed that eungyu burned himself and needed assistance? you're done. random time skip at the end with 3 minutes left of the show? you're done. will haewon ever go to school? i guess we'll never know.

these characters made no sense, but that doesn't compare to the fact that genuinely nothing happened in the story. it wouldn't be a bl without random trauma followed up with no character development. also, none of these characters seemed to have lives outside of this restaurant. even then, they barely did anything while they were and weren't working. whenever i watch these shows, i often wonder why they get so torn up over the smallest things, especially when they do not know each other!!! cringe. why do the characters keep appearing in random unrelated places at the same time? the interactions that the leads had with each other were cringeworthy. haewon was written almost as if he were a child, which was unsettling. why are you guys into each other??? because he's cute??? get out. my favorite part about watching this was seeing eungyu and jisoo sprint their hearts out in episode 8, like it was gym class.

the audio was questionable, which is rare for a kbl. usually the production quality is great with korean shows, but there were so many points where the audio was borderline inaudible and there was random foley that didn't match up with the actions in the scenes. how were there so many background characters/actors? why were people involved in this? the supporting characters seemed like they didn't want to be there half the time.

would i recommend this? absolutely not. would i rewatch this? absolutely not. would i listen to the ost? absolutely not. peace!

best,

the niel.

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