Unpopularopinionbydemand

Japan Does iI Again!

Another pleasant surprise that I can add to my long reasons why Japanese BLs have been the best out of everything this year. Once again, the title-that-I-will-not-spell-out came through, delivered, and left. And while there were some hiccups here and there, this series did what it came to do, and I appreciate any short subtleties that come in, do their job, leave a lasting impression, and become only memories from there on out - good memories though.

Let's Dive In.

The only reason I will not give this series a 10/10 is that we received no kiss. At one point in my BL endeavor, I was okay with that (Keita Hatsukoi, Cherry Magic, etc). But now, BL has gone way further than I ever thought possible, with profound and rich storylines, amazing emotional and physical chemistry, and heartfelt moments. So no kisses in BL now feels like an utter crime. And there wasn't a single reason why these two MCs shouldn't have kissed. It's getting old Japan!

Other than that, I freaking loved the plot. An erotic manga writer has a fat crush on his idol friend who also has a very open crush on him. and these actors played their part perfectly. I don't think the story would've worked without them. Issei's deep smile, warm aura, and generous eyes mixed with Mamoru's stale demeanor, and cold attitude, yet such a hopeless romantic was *chef's kiss*. They had such good chemistry, even with Koudai being cold for more than half the series. The way my stomach would bubble when Issei would go out of his way to make it to Mamoru events or do anything just to see him. Also, the character development was out of the park. One thing that will drive me over the edge of being in love with a couple is if that slow burn comes with character development, and these two had that.

I'm not the one to really enjoy anything outside of the BL couple's story, but Tsubasa's story had me on the edge of my seat. I really wish that he and one of the other band members (preferably Kyou) would've been a secondary couple, but whatever. He also had great character development (or more so we saw why he was so brooding) and it warmed something in me. Koharu was also a great addition to the team. She brought a light that was desperately needed and became a companion like no other.

Overall, this was a very peaceful and enjoyable watch. No need for a second season, but I do wish we could've seen an endearing kiss between the leads. But oh well.

Ratings:

Story: 9/10: The best part out of everything. It brought some pretty unique plots to the table. It came and went with a bang. I don't think there was any point in the series when I was watching and I was bored. It flowed so naturally and at a steady pace. It was exactly my cup of tea. I'll only take off a star for no kiss scene.

Acting: 9.5/10: as close to perfect as it could get. The story wouldn't have worked if it wasn't for this cast. Amazing job.

Music: 7.5/10: I liked it more than I usually like OSTs.

Recommendation Value: 9/10: I recommend it highly. It's a quick watch, which is a downside, but it's a really nice series, with some really nice characters.

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One of the Better Korean Drama of This Year

Even with this series' very short time lived, it has been able to do what some K-BLs this year haven't -- actually be memorable. And whether that's because of the story or the fact that their animals -- welp, I'll never know. Choco Milk Shake is an endearing mini-series with an irritating filter, but some much-appreciated good-looking men.

Let's Dive In.

I've said this before with Meow Ears Up, and while animal metamorphosis isn't really my thing, I'm able to look past it if the story itself is at least decent. This series teeters on that line, but I think it was good for what the length was. it suffers from its in's plot a little, but it's obviously because of the time frame they had.

Most scenes were entertaining, except when they were at the cafe doing presumably nothing but wiping tables that nobody sat at and talking. I don't know if anyone else had this problem, but there was this very irritating filter that made everybody as smooth as possible and pale as shit. Other than that, I have no other problems with the production. Obviously, this was a low budget since we only had maybe 2-3 different settings, but it's good where it is.

Onto to the characters. Milk was probably the only one with some depth to his character. Everyone else was a bit one-dimensional, but again, it's not a bad thing considering everything else about the series. I didn't see Milk and the cafe owner thing happening, but I'm not disappointed. They are more so just really good actors, but I wouldn't say their chemistry was jaw-dropping or anything of the sort (although, they know how to kiss, geez-la-wheeze). Jung Woo and Choco I would say are in the same category, but maybe just an ounce of better chemistry, or at least that's what my heart thought when I couldn't stop smiling at Choco's laugh when Jung Woo was tickling him. Also, the height difference is amazing, along with Jung Woo's smile.

Overall, it was a good watch. Somewhere halfway through I forgot about them being animals, but nevertheless, they'll eventually leave again to -- animal heaven...? I like to forget this aspect of the show, ngl.

Ratings:

Story: 6.5/10 - Animals thing is weird but it works. The story is simple but it works for this series. it's memorable because of its plot, and it's endearing because of the characters.

Acting: 8.5/10 - I really liked it. Few hiccups here and there, but it's good. Milk really stands out the most.

Music: 5/10 - too enthusiastic for my taste.

Recommendation Value: (I don't rewatch so I change it to recommendation value): 7.5/10 - It's good, One of the better watches from Korea this year.

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Idk what I just Watched..

I think a lot of people might've liked this cause of the Japanese version, or maybe they're big fans of the Love Stage Manga. Maybe it's because the show stayed pretty authentic to the book, or maybe because they are deeply connected down to the roots of these characters after following them for so long. But for me, someone who hasn't done any of the former, this was chaos thrown into a blender to create a cohesive series, but they left out the most important part of the drink, and now we're left with a terrible aftertaste that we can't get rid of.

Let's Dive In.

This was...something. I went into this pretty exciting cause I had seen some pretty good reviews and comments, again, could be that those were the ones that just love Love Stage for what it is, but anyway, I went into this with some pretty high expectations. All of them besides a few were let down. Love Stage is the story of Anda who was forced to play a girl at a young age for a commercial and meets Ryou, his castmate. Years passed, and for whatever reason, Ryou just can't get that "girl" out of his head. Until he finds out that little girl was actually a dude, and goes through a mid-life crisis. Some shit happens and then it's happily ever, bonus is the brother and his secret love with their family manager.

Now we'll skip the authenticity sake of this series cause I've never read the mangas and I have no plans to. This was just a wild manga to adapt into a series if they were staying true to the original story. It could've one-hundred percent worked for the book, but here, it's just insane. The fact that Ryou, a now-grown adult who has been through the hoops of fame and fortune, is still hung up on a one-time encounter when he was a child is ridiculous. I can't even name to you the kids in my elementary school, much less the people I had crushes on at that age (and I'm only 19). The entire main plot is foolish, and once I was able to look past that, I shrugged and moved on. Then some more idiotic things occur, some of them cute, and others just plain boring, and I pretty much just wanted to skip to see the brother and the manager, the saving grace of this series.

Anda and Ryou felt stupidly rushed. one minute Ryou hates that Anda's a man and hates the fact that he has feelings for him, and then with the flick of the wrist, he's flirting and pretending like he didn't just assault Anda in a bathroom that left his tooth chipped and manhood exposed (that scene...?? was incomprehensible..?? Definitely had to be from the manga cause there's no way they put that into the series and thought, "Oh yeah, this is it!"). Then they had no time to really develop (the one thing that was getting me through the series. I love watching the build-up to the relationship), but then they go and rush for them to be in a relationship, and after their sufficient in that, they just become insufferable and the plot becomes too predictable, and I mean tooooo predictable. To the point that I skipped episode 9 and just went straight to the ending, and look at that! Exactly what I thought would happen happened!

The acting is just not all that great besides Turbo and the brother, everyone else could use some work. Kaownah was okay at times, and then it just wasn't clicking anymore. The friends were straight trash and the fake laugh that Bank give somewhere in the first episodes completely turned me off, and I actually wanted to like him. The manager was okay too, nothing great, but at least he was more appealing to look at. The parents were fine, Lala was bearable, and I skipped that lady manager cause she was perverted and screeched each second she had the time to.

I absolutely loved the brother's and the manager's story. I think the way they implemented it to where the viewer starved for more, and for just a second when we thought we weren't going to get a canon, boom, they reveal their secret relationship. I love a good secret, especially when it comes in six-packs and tattoos. I loved Thee's charismatic side and the way he played the protective older brother. While trying to secure his brother's happiness, he also had to go looking for his own, which he found in his manager. Man, I really liked this duo, they fell flat a few times, but their trip on the beach was the best part.

Great bed scenes, great kisses, something I will always applaud to. But even that got a little stale after a while, and Anda having the body of a 12-year-old didn't help much either. I'm tired of touching on non-con in BL, so it is what it is, and I'm moving on for the sake of my own sanity.

Ratings:

Story: 6.5: The beginning was a bit fun, I could play into the laughable plot for a bit, and then I wasn't really feeling it. Once they get together (which is heavily rushed) things get boring and predictable, and then I doze off and forget I'm even watching. I skipped an entire episode cause I could care less about the main couple and it just got so boring that I thought I would drop this at one point. The brother's story was cute. Anda makes for a beautiful bride, and evil Bank honestly counts as a highlight.

Acting: 7: Ehh, Turbo was their best bet, everyone else needed more workshops. The parents were okay I guess, and the brother and manager had a cute enough story that I wasn't all that much bothered with their acting, although the brother was actually good. Anda's friends were talking robots the entire time, and tried too hard to be funny, it came off forced and unwatchable.

Music: 7.5 - there was one song that played during their sequence at the beach that I absolutely loved. I watched this on YT where for some reason, during a few episodes, the music is cut out, so after that, I didn't bother remembering to listen. It was decent I guess, the brother couldn't sing to save his life, but whatever.

Rewatch value: 1 - highly unlikely unless I want to watch Thee pop out of the pool in slow motion again on a loop.

Watch this if you want, I wouldn't recommend it, but at least if you watch, the actors weren't afraid to touch one another and weren't afraid to get down and dirty. The story is a mess and not one that I'm particularly a fan of. Another BL that will be long forgetful in like 6 months.

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Cute Korean BL

Out of the recent Korean BL's I've tried to sit through (Peach of Time, My Sweet Dear), which caused me extreme boredom, and slight chronic insomnia, you couldn't imagine my reaction when this series popped up next on my watch list. it's the mix of Korean BL's being hysterically short, and disrespectfully rushed that draws me out of their stories, but finally, a BL that I can give at least some type of credit to. Not for being anything different than a regular K-BL, but at least for keeping me entertained. The Tasty Florida was a simplistic plot with beautiful-looking characters and chemistry that I can support.

Let's Dive In.

The Tasty Florida was another extremely short Korean BL, that follows a similar path of My Sweet Dear, but less dull, and characters that I can actually enjoy. It starts off with the new dude falling in the arms of another dude, giving us the perfect love at first sight trope, and from there were introduced to new people, a very weak love triangle, and a rushed ending. However, this series was super laid-back and beautiful -- starting from the restaurant, to the actors themselves. But again, this series suffers from the same matters that other Korean BLs do -- which is sad to say, cause this one had such great potential to be one of the best K-BLs, but instead it falls right under being just good enough.

The things I enjoyed about TTF: Let's give credit where credit is due -- all of the actors are gorgeous. Yoohwan and Kanghyuk have sharp features and blinding smiles, not to mention their incredible build. Seungjun has such an entertaining hairstyle, that fits perfectly with his lean stature, and mesmerizing facial structure. Woomin is adorable, with a childlike aspect in his face, and windswept hair, but Zeze hits different. he's like a God. He looks so ethereal and majestic that he can't be true. so unbelievable that I had to pause the screen for a moment and just gawk at his beauty. And to add on, they all put on a really nice performance. I liked Yoohwan's the most, with Kanghyuk playing a close second. But either way, they all did a really good job. I'd say the lowest acting-wise was Zeze, but even then, he's done better than others I've watched.

I also really did enjoy the chemistry between Seo Hae Won and Baek Eun Kyu. I'm a sucker for the "realizing-I'm-falling-in-love" trope, and just watching two people gain connection and build up chemistry until it reaches its peak and it has to climax. and these two are great examples of that. I wish that it could've been developed a little longer, but then again, that would mean we'd need a longer series, but for what we got, I was satisfied. I think these two did an amazing job at showing their chemistry through eye contact and simple gestures. I absolutely loved them.

I'd have to add on that the production was really nice. I loved the scenery of the restaurant. The colorful vibes and the cool warm pastels accentuated the mood of the series. I liked the overall cinematography of it all.

Some things that needed improving: Cha Ji Soo was treated horribly. I was actually very much interested in this character and very much so rooting for him and Seo Hae Won for half a second. But sadly, the love triangle this show tries to have is so weak that it's barely even there. Of course, we already know who the lead will end up with in the beginning, but if they're going to go for a love triangle then I think they should've gone full force. Have Seo Hae Won also develop feelings for Ji Soo. Have them maybe end up kissing, or have a conversation about it. Love triangles are because the lead is in love with both choices, not just one. Also, how Ji Soo decided that he would be okay with watching the guy he likes and his best friend dating every single day at work is beyond me.

The dojo thing was very pointless. It didn't drive any plot, it didn't raise any conflicts -- it was just there. Sure, the scene with them rustling and rolling around on the mat was cute, but what other justice did it serve? Nothing! That time could've been used to add more plot, to build more connections. I would rather see more Zeze being godly than a dojo.

The ending was rushed, and the year time jump through me completely off guard. Not to mention, that there wasn't any type of character change in regards to features or just relationships over a period of time. I hate time jumps when they don't show a change of growth in characters. Them crying in each other's arms was cute, but I think just 5 or 6 months with him away would've been fine.

Ratings:

Story: 9 - From what we got in this short series, the story was good. I'll take off a star for the weird time jump, and the rushed ending.

Acting: 8.5 - Everyone did a really good job. There were some hiccups here and there, and some acting choices should've been different, but overall, it was good.

OST: 5 - I don't remember it which means it wasn't a distraction but was also not anything to recollect.

Rewatch Value: 1 - I might actually go back to watch certain parts of this series, like Sao Hae Won cuddling a drunk Eun Kyu.

I recommend this series for anyone wanting a quick and pretty lighthearted watch.

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Oh Lord

I feel bad for being just another review that skips the main story and jumps straight into the BL. But, sadly, I m another reviewer that is skipping the main story and jumping straight into the BL part of this series. don't get me wrong, I tried watching the actual series in hopes that I would turn out to like it more than I thought I would, but I couldn't get past the first episode. So I just skipped for Pete and Kao's parts. Ooops.

Let's dive in.

Production: I can't remember too much ( I watched this a while ago) but I do remember that there were a lot of ads stuck in the middle of the stories. It takes away so much of the characterization when half of their scenes is them promoting a company. Other than that, just your usual production.

Story: Obviously, I didn't watch the majority of the series, but from Pete and Kao's story, it was okay. Not a fan of enemies to lovers, and they had a lot to do with that. Not that I despise it, but the thought of your enemy falling in love with you never felt quite realistic to me.

Acting: Tay and New are incredible actors and I once again enjoyed them very much in this series.

COUPLES

Pete and Kao: 7/10

Like I said, not a fan of enemies to lovers, so Pete and Kao weren't my favorites, But I did enjoy watching them. Some of their scenes did come off as being super cringe, and at times I really felt like I should just turn it off completely, but I'm glad I didn't since their story carries over in DBK. Their relationship felt a little rushed, and they got together so fast. There was just such a weird switch in them hating each other and then loving each other.

FIRST KISS RATING: 1/10 - cringe-fest. No, accidental kisses are the death of me. I only accept Ae and Pete's.

RECOMMEND? No. Absolutely not. You can watch DBK without the need of watching this one, which is what I should've done, but oh well.

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Lost

I must've been half asleep for this episode because I'm having a hard time remembering anything good I liked from this episode besides them being attractive.

Let's Dive In,

The guy was in love with his famous step-brother. Yay, we are once again romanticizing incest. God, I love BL.

Don’t ask me what happened in this episode cause I have zero knowledge. Meng Meng was a BL fan and was trying to deliberately get her best friend and his step-brother together. With her whole chest, she thought there was nothing wrong with shipping a brother and his step sibling. I just gave it a four cause I don’t know where my head was at during this episode, and I would go back to re-watch it, but I’m really not interested.

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Fun Concept, Executed Almost Perfectly

Look at that. Finally, a PondPhuwin series I actually enjoyed, specifically because of them and not any outside factors. More specifically, this is the best performance I've seen out of Pond in quite literally anything. Insane!

Let's Dive In.

With a genuinely unique concept and a strong ensemble cast balancing humor, heartbreak, and chaos, I ended up really enjoying this dramatized tale of a love-struck billionaire falling for his company’s mundane photographer. As most GMMTV formulas go, the first half is the strongest. The final 3-4 episodes are draggy, with Pond’s character, the theatrical and wildly dramatic Thee, doing most of the heavy lifting when it comes to comedy. Outside of that, it settles into something fairly routine.

This role feels tailor-made for Pond. Historically, I haven’t been a fan of his acting or line delivery, but this is the series where it finally clicks. That’s both a good and bad thing. Unless they continue casting him in over-the-top, dramatic roles, this may very well be the peak of his acting career. It’s still not perfect, but it’s a massive improvement over We Are, and especially Fish Upon the Sky.

Phuwin, on the other hand, was surprisingly underwhelming for me. I don’t think this is Pond’s overacting overshadowing him so much as Phuwin struggling to fully deliver. There's scenes where he's suppose to be crying, but not even a tear slips. Unless he's rolling his eyes at Thee's antics, or teasing his sister, his acting in this doesn't really work for me (Phuwin took his shirt off and I almost had a seizure, when did he become so perfectly fit, the literal definition of sleeper build).

The series itself is fun, fast, and sharp, with an excellent script and a budget that’s used wisely. It perfectly delivers Thee’s exaggerated quirks and warped perception of love, shaped by the soap operas he grew up watching. I'm still not completely sold on their romance (I know, sue me), one side obviously feels a lot more intensified than the other, but it's not distracting or irritable enough to bother me. I also don't think this show is primarily about the romance between Thee and Peach, which might sound insane (once again). Without Pond’s performance and Thee’s possessive, overprotective version of love, the series simply wouldn’t work.

William and Est absolutely stole the show for me. Even with limited screen time, their dynamic as Mok and Rome was the most compelling romance in the series, even when it wasn’t explicitly romantic. I love yearning. I love forbidden feelings. And I loved them. Rome being a less magnified, emotionally transparent version of Thee was a great parallel, while Mok’s stubbornness paired with subtle care made their interactions incredibly satisfying. Est’s ability to look shy and conflicted at exactly the right moments deserves special praise. I'm not even a giant Williamest fan, but their characters as Mok and Rome worked exceedingly well, where I wanted to see more of them than the leads at one point. A spin-off would be so fun, though I’m not holding my breath.

Aran and Tawan were probably the biggest tank in this. Their conflict is introduced early but barely explored until the very end, at which point I no longer cared. Because this is GMMTV, they’re handed a tidy, happy ending to what should’ve been the most raw and realistic storyline in the show. Aran should have moved on. Tawan’s jealousy disguised as love doesn’t justify the chaos he caused. And yet, suddenly, all is forgiven. Sigh. Perth, when will they hand you a role where you're not playing the stoic snippy partner? That said, I’m still very excited for Love You Teacher, where we may get to experience his range in a a way we haven't seen yet.

Can someone point me to the contract in which it's written that AJ and JJ are only allow to play the comedic best friend, usual in part with being chronically alone? Who do I have to beg to to let the chains off of them? Seriously, both these dudes are stellar performers, but GMMTV typecast them so commonly that I almost feel disrespected. Unless the twins like these quaint little roles, then proceed, I guess...

I did have a lot of fun during the final episode, though not because of the wedding where Peach apparently thought a sweater was appropriate attire. I loved how the series leaned into its reception outside the narrative, with cameos from other actors and even the CEO, which added a fun meta layer. I will be nitpicky and say it’s odd that Emi didn’t make a cameo at the end.

Ratings:

Story: 8.5/10: The strongest aspect of the series. It’s fun, ridiculous, and fully aware of what it is.

Acting: 8/10 - Pond is the standout, with Est close behind. Bonnie and Santa were also delightful. Even the smaller roles worked. Phuwin didn’t quite resonate for me here.

Music: 6/10 - Didn’t register much. I skipped Thee’s singing at the end, but I did enjoy the random musical number mid-series.

Recommendation Value: 9/10 - Go for it. This is a fun series, you'll laugh a lot, and you get to see Phuwin shirtless (although not enough). This is an easy recommendation, especially for anyone getting into BL.

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Stellar Story, Mediocre Acting

I cannot lie, this was probably one of the best storylines we've gotten out of 2025. The setup, the twists, the outcomes, literally everything. A horror BL done right cause it doesn't center the BL and it works so perfectly for this. Khemjira is stellar, I was kept engaged despite my dismay of the runtime, and I was thoroughly impressed. Unfortunately, the acting is where this takes a large stumble for me.

Let's Dive In.

I liked that Khem and Paran are a slow burn. Not because it's my cup of tea, but because it works so well into the scheme of things with Paran being a shaman and not allowed to really fall in love, and then we steadily see him fall for Khem more and more. I'll be honestly, I was not impressed with that last NC scene. I think there's a certain point when things are dragged too long, and that was just tooooo long. I also kind of don't really see why Paran fell for Khem. I understand for Khem because, Paran is a fucking greek god, but outside of their past soul's love lives, I just don't see what about Khem is to fall for. The fact that he's making your life harder...?

I enjoyed Jet and Charn a lot more than the leads. I liked that Jet realizes how beautiful Charn is after he gets wet and looses his glasses, and I just love Charn altogether. The topics that are brought up amongst them as they progress into a relationship are spectacular, give me more of that.

The plot was just splendid. The village, the people, the workings of the shines and the magic, the two little kids, Ramphueng. Like, wow, just so good. Obviously the CGI is a bit shit, but it's not so bad that I can't stay intrigued in the plot. We learn a lot of Thai culture which I appreciate, and I love that the longer I watch Thai BL, the more I pick up on the lingo, the honorifics, and I realized a lot of how that stuff worked in this. Bravo.

I won't lie though, this was entirely too long. There was no way I could watch this in regular speed, so each episode was watched in 1.5-2x speed, and it honestly felt like it was going a normal pace. There are moments, like always, that just aren't needed.

The acting...sigh. It's not so bad in certain part, but our main guy cannot cry for shit. You know those moment you can tell when someone is crying (real tears, red rimmed eyes, puffy cheeks, etc.) and then when someone put water drops in their eyes? Yeah... But it wasn't just Namping, I wasn't really impressed with anyone's acting outside of Firstone's acting. These guys are pretty new to this (Not Keng though, he worked with Jeff??? Jaw on the floor), so I'll give them slightly the benefit of the doubt.

Ratings:

Story: 9/10 - good and strong! Flowed nicely, some parts dragged a bit, but otherwise it was good. NAMMON.

Acting: 7.5/10 - Namping could be so good with just a little more practice, I wasn't impressed really at all with anyone's acting.

Music: 5/10 - didn't pay attention to it.

Recommendation Value: 7.5/10 - This might not be everyone's bread and butter. It's a little on the scary side, kind of traumatic, and lots of jump scares. But everyone needs to see Keng in a wet white long sleeve with a back tattoo, so go for it!

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Can't Get Into It

It's been about a month since the series ended and I still can't get myself to watch the last two episodes, and I think I'm done trying. I really sat my ass through this series because I really do hate dropping, but also forcing myself to watch something I don't like rather than to sit and watch something I do like is torture to myself. Never Let Me Go fails in a lot of spots for me, except for how gorgeous these actors are.

Let's Dive In.

One reason that the series was so hard for me to get into was that the initial plot just doesn't make sense. Why hire a fisherman who's amateur at being a bodyguard to protect a highly important person? Especially after the fisherman's father failed to protect the important boy's dad? Just why? I think this would've worked out better had Palm just been on a scholarship to attend the same school as Nuengdiao and they became friends to then become lovers. Maybe then I could've finished this. But I can't because nothing about this situation adds up. Either that or Palm should've been an older gentleman who was a bodyguard in his past coming back into the job to help out his dad.

I've said this in FUTS, and I'm saying it here too: something about Pond's acting never settles right with me. I will say he was at least slightly better here than in FUTS, but I can never believe his acting. It sounds like he's reading the lines off the paper instead of acting them. Someone on Reddit said his acting reminds them of a last-minute put-together high school play and I couldn't have said it better myself. And I'll probably get crap for this too, but for some reason, I can't play into Pond's chemistry with Phuwin. It's just not there, at all. They do being physical very well, but besides that, I don't feel the chemistry between them in their acting. Pond gives off "I'm straight" vibes like crazy, and while I'm not trying to assume his sexuality or anything, that's just how it comes off.

I would've stayed for Chimon and Perth, cause I was decently enjoying their side story, but it's still not enough. I'll just wait to see them in their series once it airs. The fighting sequences made me squeal with laughter, because what in the everloving fuck was that. The make-up department at least did the bruising and cuts well.

Ratings;

Story: 5/10 - Chimon and Perth's story is entertaining. Some parts of Neungdiao's story is intriguing (like his uncle trying to kill him), but I can't get over that his mother thought it was a good idea to hire a fisherman with no bodyguard experience to protect her highly targeted child, which is why this series will never do it for me. I think they even teased it in one episode, which I'm glad they acknowledged that it was dumb, but still.

Acting: 7.5/10 - I'm mostly giving this score to Perth, Chimon, and Phuwin. I think there are some parts Phuwin lacked a bit for me, but it still wasn't bad. Pond's acting is once again, mediocre if not worse than that.

Music: 5/10 - Didn't pay attention to it. So it wasn't distracting. Good.

Recommendation value: 4/10 - As I said, it might've just been me that felt this way, but there are much better stories out there to watch than this one.

Just a little bit of a rant, but I don't think Pond and Phuwin were the right pair for this series in general. I think having switched up some important plot points would've made it better, but in order to have made this series as good as it could've been with just the original story, they should've found a pairing that was older, or at least a person a lot older to play Palm's role. Someone like Joss or Earth or White or Pod or Gawin or Tul (even though he's not with GMMTV, just trying to throw out some actors that would've done this role well), anyone who seems a lot more mature than Pond was able to portray. Phuwin is fine in Nuengdiao's role, but I'm thinking Khaotung or Pawin, someone who might've been able to handle a more dramatic role.

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Darling HS Series

I had to watch this after seeing all the hype, and thankfully, it didn’t disappoint. School Trip is packed with fluff and delivers nearly everything you’d want from a first-love high school story. That said, while it gave me most of what I was looking for, it didn’t quite hit the mark when it came to the romance itself.

Let’s dive in.

The plot is simple: a lonely guy ends up being invited to join four incredibly hot and incredibly sweet popular kids on a school field trip. Cue every fluffy trope imaginable. And honestly? It works. The series does exactly what you expect it to do, and because the story flows naturally and the characters behave consistently, it never feels misleading or disappointing. It’s cute. That’s the point.

I think where it fell a little short for me is that I wanted more. Across the 11 episodes, nothing really moves all that quickly, and there are virtually no stakes beyond the characters’ own internal struggles. Watarai is also a bit too coddly for my taste. While it leads to some endearing moments, it often veers into irritating rather than charming.

Hioki, on the other hand, completely won me over. He’s cute, shy, emotionally unaware, and yes, he cries, which immediately earns points. I wish the series had done more with the other three boys. I loved the bromance and the refreshingly non-toxic energy between the group, but I would have liked to see them given their own romantic arcs too, whether hetero or not.

The chemistry between our leads is a little lacking. Now, any height difference will usually have me locked in immediately, but there’s something oddly bland about these two. I can’t quite pinpoint what’s missing, only that something definitely is. There are plenty of moments that scream “this is absolutely adorable,” but once their feelings are fully realized, the dynamic starts to falter. The kissing isn’t terrible, but Hioki mostly just stands there while Watarai does all the work. That could be a character choice, but after a couple of months of dating, you’d think he’d at least learn how to participate in a kiss.

Ratings:

Story: 8/10 - It’s good. It has that perfectly Japanese mix of overdramatic and zany, and because it fully commits to being a fluff-forward story, it works. Something doesn’t completely click for me, but this series never aimed to be more than what it is, and that’s fine.

Acting: 8/10 - Solid performances all around. The characters are fairly straightforward, so I wouldn’t call this the strongest acting I’ve ever seen, but everyone fits their roles well and sells the story.

Music: 6/10 - Catchy, honestly.

Recommendation Value: 9/10 - This is fluffy, fun, and a very quick watch. So yes, absolutely go for it.

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Beautiful Men, Weak Story

I want a series that introduces a love triangle/square where I genuinely have no idea who the lead will end up with. Pretty please and thank you. Peach Trap doesn’t work for me in a lot of ways, the main one being how predictable the final choice is for the protagonist and how early on we see it. Another issue is the sheer lack of logic. At times, you just have to laugh at how ridiculous everything becomes. Still, the men are beautiful, Subin has an excellent whiny voice, and we get to see Sejin shirtless not once, but twice :)

Let's Dive In.

Peach Trap is essentially a heap of discombobulated characters doing absolutely everything for Doha, while Doha himself could not give two fucks. Let’s start with Gyeon, the jujitsu best friend. He’s hot-headed, oddly overprotective, and blessed with the cutest dimple in the world. He repeatedly goes out of his way to commit the most heinous acts in the name of “protecting” Doha, even when Doha very clearly does not need protecting. I’m still trying to figure out what “code red” was supposed to mean when there was, in fact, no code red.

Then we have Mr. Jeon, who Doha should have ended up with. The stoic yet quietly caring office worker who spent his own money, time, and physical labor trying to fix a mistake his company made that led to Doha’s demise. He is genuinely lovely. Friends to lovers is my biggest trope, and even here, I was rooting hard for Doha and Jeon. Crazy, right?

And lastly, the most negligible candidate of them all: Haram, the hot coffee shop owner. Most of his history with Doha is talked about rather than shown, and we’re just supposed to believe they spent significant time together in the past. Then it comes to light that Haram has an unhealthy obsession with Doha and deliberately puts him in a situation where he can’t contact Gyeon or Mr. Jeon. Even so, it’s painfully clear from the beginning that there’s no meaningful buildup to suggest Doha and the coffee shop owner could ever realistically be endgame. Bummer, too. I thought he was the hottest out of all of them.

As for the relationship between Gyeon and Doha, I actually think it’s cute. Was Gyeon my choice for Doha? No. I think he harbored just as unhealthy an obsession as Haram, if not worse, considering the ten-year crush he kept hidden. Still, by the end, they are cute together. They even got a surprisingly good kiss scene that I wasn’t expecting at all, and I was pleasantly caught off guard.

That said, there are also plenty of moments that are just outright nonsensical. Doha gets so drunk that he remembers a kiss but not who it was with. Everyone wants to be around him at the same time while collectively acting unhinged. Gyeon slaps Haram. And honestly, there’s much more that I’ve probably already blocked out for my own peace.

To their credit, they wrapped up all the endings pretty nicely and even teased something between Haram and Gyeon’s jujitsu partner. A spinoff, maybe?

Ratings:

Story: 7/10 - It's entertaining because it's stupid. I also wish they would've heightened the importance of the fortune teller, but instead, she felt way too minimal for what she is trying to explain to Doha about his fate. Also, why did she turn into a little girl...? The endgame pairing is too predictable, justice for Mr. Jeon, and if Haram was going to be as trivial as he was in this, they could've at least let him be shirtless once.

Acting: 8.5/10 - Good! Subin does a nice job playing the damsel-in-distress. Obsessed with his whiny voice. All the actors can cry which is also good. I think they're all a little too one-dimensional, which isn't their fault, but it plays a significant part in their acting.

Music: 5/10 - didn't pay attention to it.

Recommendation Value: 5/10 - It's an easy watch, so sure.

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When marimbas start to play....

I never watch movies, but as soon I saw even the tiniest snippet of this, I knew I had to watch. This is sexy, dangerous, and full of yearning almost too much to bare. 10Dance, what a beautiful story you are.

Let's Dive In.

A stunningly produced movie. It was great to see Machida Keita on my screen again and the lovely Takeuchi Ryoma. These two together created absolute MAGIC on the screen. Through dance, they were about to breed sexual tension like none other. It's the biggest highlight of the movie.

Suzuki is an interesting character. A free-spirited dancer troubled with the idea of being compared to Sugiki. When approached by the latter with the invitation to learn 10 Dance, he is initially disinterested until pure anger and distaste leads him to agreeing. It's another hour thirty minutes of complete angst, yearning, tension, and suspense. The only part lacking is the romance.

This story is about two straight men opening up doors they have yet to explore. Sugiki does it out of his own greed of needing to be number one while Suzuki has harboring selfishness until it turns into something else completely. This movie is not romantic. It is lustful. And that's okay too. I don't believe the movie aims to show that these men have love for one another that is anything but dance. They are trapped by the desire to be like the other, and because of it, it turns libidinous. Even with the passion between them, it is dwindled by Sugiki and later completely eliminated until a time jump shows that in six months, that same sensual affection is there.

This is left slightly ambiguous, but as the audience, it's our job to interpret that ending as we see fit. Personally, I think nothing comes out of it. They both know the kind of person they are and the kind of lives they live, and that's enough. They'll dance, they might kiss, and then move on until it recycles all over again.

Obsessed with the women in this series. While given the back burner, they outshine with their own conflict perfectly accomplished by the incredible acting of Doi Shiori and Ishii Anna. In some odd way, I felt their characters together had more underlying romance than the leads.

Ratings:

Story: 7.5/10 - It's less plot, more dance. Isn't a bad thing, but I wish they would sharpened some of the dialogue and story between the characters. A beautifully shot train kiss, probably one of the best climax kisses I've seen. Odd editing decisions that take you out of the story.

Acting: 9.5/10 - Incredible acting. Everyone is brilliant. My only gripe is that with most non-native english speakers, some of the english dialogue doesn't come off as poignant as it could've.

Music: 8.5/10 - Lots of great music. I forgot Sway by Michael Bublé existed, so thank you for that.

Recommendation Value: 9/10 - it's a great movie regardless of my critiques. Watch it! Plus, Ryoma is an ethereal being when shirtless, and I am hear to testify that his hips seriously don't lie.

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The NC Scenes Makes You Enjoy This More

I have been holding off on this series for no particular reason other than the fact that I had heard so many mixed review. I have told myself time and time again to just start things without commentary from others, but look, I'm trying my best. The Boy Next World started pretty slow than picked up in the middle. Lots of holes, lots of unanswered questions, but Boss an Nouel as a duo are so enamoring that it's kinda okay.

Let's Dive In.

The premise of this series is that Cir wakes up from a head injury presuming his life of being Phu's boyfriend, until he realizes that it was just him dreaming and fabricating their relationship. Instead of telling Phu that, he lies and says he's from another parallel universe where he and Phu were together. Now, get this, the real kicker is.... he wasn't lying? There are actual parallel universes, and he, at one point, switches lives again with another Cir that wants nothing to Phu. Instead of announcing this to Phu once he makes his way back to him (the real Cir), he tells the truth about his lie that's not a lie but is technically, in some way, a lie. They explain perfectly what these parallel lives are like, but they never explain why it happens or when it happens.

I was going to be so disappointed if the twist ended up being 'Ha! it was all a dream and I was lying!" and then that's exactly what happened (Kind of..?). I'm still a little lost on the exact ending of this and would've loved some more solidness on this. Also, does Phu ever realize that there are actual parallel universes, or does he just only believes that Cir had lied to him?

Without a doubt, this couple does physical like physical has never been done before. I have been ranting for a while how BL tends to go from "let's have our first kiss" to "let's fuck in the next episode" without any of the in-betweens. The touching, the grinding, the sex that isn't actual sex, but things to get each other off. This series did that to a T. I enjoy that we get to see stages in their physical relationship before they get straight to sex. I like that Cir teased Phu, I liked that Phu is shy until we see him build more confidence and eventually chooses to do an act on Cir. It was all so perfect, on top of the sounds. THE SOUNDS. Gorgeous.

I kinda liked the second couple? I didn't hate them like I feel lately I've been doing with second couples, but I wasn't in love with them like I'd like to be. I mostly just liked their individual personalities, and mixed, it was okay, but I liked it enough to smile during some scenes. I don't the think the chemistry was all the way there, but they weren't too far off. I think with a little more time and effort, they could seriously give a great performance together. Besides their romance, I'm not sure what the point of giving Jin mind reading powers was if they weren't going to utilize them in a more important way. He just... had them. I thought this was going to play a more important part of the story later on, except it goes no where. He's just a random character with the ability to read minds. Okay.

Ratings:

Story: 8/10 - I liked what they tried to do, but I don't think it quite reached where it should've. Romances were pretty good.

Acting: 8.5/10 - Nouel struggled to cry in some scenes. Same with Boss, but maybe not as bad. I think outside of that, they both did a good enough job.

Music: 5/10 - absolutely hated the random ass english music playing during the NC scenes. Like what....

Recommendation Value: 5/10 - eh. You can skip this. unless you want to see the most mind-boggling, ushy-gushy NC scenes of your life. Otherwise, this can be a skip.

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Meh..

This series lost me before it could even grasp me. Depth of Field was a lot and not enough at the same time, but with enough strength, I was able to get through this. Recommendation: don't get through this.

Let's Dive In.

After episode 2, I fast forwarded through this. Mind you, this series is six episodes for about 25 minutes. Not good, not good at all. I feel like this show tries to gain your attention quickly in the first episode: Chiro getting a blowjob while thinking of Ryohei, taking a picture of him whilst sleeping, amongst other cute little moments, but this series fails to draw me into the actual story. Chiro struggles with his mental health due to a past situation with a former friend that has led him to be brooding and lonely. Okay look, I'm not trying to diminish anyone's problem but you're telling me, you've completely stop music cause of one mishap in like, middle school? ...okay.

Not every series has to be this fluffy, happy-go-lucky feel, but this series loses me completely around the time Chiro forces himself on Ryohei. He's going through it, I get it, but I hate that there's no further discussion of what happened afterwards. Chiro kind of apologizes, but the Ryohei is standing there trying to help him and figure out what's wrong with him without acknowledging what has happened to him... !!!!!!! Then he kisses him twice unconsensually, and think Ryohei is suppose to like magically be okay with it. NO!

Then a time jump. Sigh. Fast forwarding turned to skimming rather quickly.

But, what I liked out of everything was the scene with both of them having a conversation in the living room and Chiro is beautifully crying. I can't help it, that man is pretty.

Overall, this wasn't the series for me. I found nothing of value to it, but even with saying that, I feel bad giving it too low of a score, cause, in the end, it wasn't the worse thing I've watched.

Ratings:

Story: 5/10 - Boring. Backstory of Chiro was sad, but personally, I don't think it should've been the reason he becomes so stoic and lonely. A little anticlimactic if you will.

Acting: 8.5/10 - Good!

Music: 6/10 - Don't remember!

Recommendation Value: 2/10. No. But Chiro does look beautiful when he cries.

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Fan-Tastics

I liked this! I think the story is adorable, I believe that with the timeframe this company and to work for the story, worked well, and overall, I loved our main characters. Was is brilliant? No, but it was catchy, and I really enjoyed its more natural, fluffy side.

Let's Dive In.

I'm not immediately obsessed with our leads, actually it takes me more than a while to really get into them, but when I do, I'm in love. Thank you the BL gods for not putting in music over their kiss scenes (sounds were immaculate) Other than that weird-ass music during their NC scenes, there was no problems in the physical department. Actually, out of any K-BL I've seen, I think this one takes the cake in terms of physicalness. So well done. Also, whatta height difference, you've got to love it.

My only real problem with this plot is the problem I have with most plots trying to be lazy. It's the whole "oh no, the world know we're dating" and in the next episode it's, "I suddenly don't care anymore what the world says!" It's just such lazy writing to hurry and come to a happy conclusion. It was all Jiwon cared about the entire series, and then suddenly, with a magical wand, he doesn't care anymore. Sigh, okay. I would've love some more play into this, something I haven't seen yet would've been nice, but whatever.

Moving onto my favorite underlying story, the best friends. I think it's so unique how unexpecting their story is, and them BAM, we're given all these hints by Euno about his little crush on Seungjin. I don't know if they're gearing up for their own story, but I'd love to watch it. It'd be so silly, and soft, and somehow deep, and I really think I'd love it.

The only other nit-picky, not-that-big-of-a-deal thing I had was gymnast are typically extremely built and large, and Jiwon is the exact opposite. It was hard to play into the whole "I'm a gold-medalist olympian" thing, but again, just something super-duper minor, but I still noticed it.

Overall, this is a very fell-good series with a decent runtime and an incredible cast. Most scenes where friends get together I skip cause I get bored easily, but this friend group was incredibly endearing to watch. I don't know if I'll remember this series in like a year, but me now really enjoyed this.

Ratings;

Story: 8/10 - Entertaining enough. Flowed naturally and didn't have too much filler or anything unnecessary. Really stuck to the story of the main couple which I liked. More time would've meant more room to grow in other aspects, but this was as good as it could've been.

Acting: 9/20 - Good! I especially loved Rakyeong's acting.

Music: 4/10 - They thought, "Why don't we put these EDM beats behind a moment that is suppose to be super lovely dovey and sensual?" SO annoying.

Recommendation Value: 7/10 - Yeah why not. Lighthearted, fun, and some great couple scenes. Unfortunately, there's no moment we get to see Jeongu take his shirt off besides the NC scene, but no pecs. Sigh.

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