Unpopularopinionbydemand

So Trippy, So Sickly, and I Liked it!

I swear I have never heard anything about this BL until recently. It must've been swept under the rug, cause as soon as I got to this, I was more then shell-shocked at how well this was produced and executed. It is one of Beyond Cloud's most underrated series, that's for sure. But, I can understand it's low audience, just cause it is a step outside the boundaries of what normal Thai BL watchers might be use to, and that's that this is extremely gory, thrown in with some horror and thriller elements that make it even worse (better). Dead Friend Forever is a lot less BL than it it is gore and horror, and I really liked it!

Let's Dive In.

I think the trickiest thing to keep up with is the abundance of characters, all with their own story and own conflicts. It gets little better to differentiate them after a few episodes, but it takes a second, for sure. But, the main focus is on the mysterious disappearance/death of Barcode's character, Non. Within that plot comes a bunch of other sub plots and lots of complex twist and turns that make the story so intricate. I think my favorite story to learn about was Tee's, what an interesting character, and his actor did such a good job.

This has its moments of draggy-ness, I think the worst was the beginning during their time at the cabin, and trying to figure out what was going on and and all the odd things happening. Once Barcode's character enters, the story definitely gets more interesting.

This was much more than just a BL, and I say that because this is a genuine thriller/horror series that happens to have gay characters. Never is their sexualities touched on, or any of the normal stuff most BLs go through. There was fear, and deaths, and mysteries along with the occasional kiss/NC scene. And while we're on the topic, wow, I was not expecting much, mostly cause they were high schoolers, but geez, they delivered. I wasn't ready to see my baby Barcode's character get groomed in this, nor was I even ready to see him have a kiss scene. but I guess we're here.

Overall, I like this, the production was gorgeous, I loved how naturally tan and pretty everyone was. The horror and fear factor is definitely there, and this served its purpose of trying to deliver that perfectly. I think you have to be particularly interested in the spooky aspects to even want to watch this, but I promise, it's definitely worth it.

Ratings:

Story: 9/10 - spectacular story. So many twist and turns you don't see coming, and it's excellent. The ending is a little predictable, but other than that, I really liked this.

Acting: 9/10 - Everyone knocked it out the park. Actors were very versatile in their performance, going from sweet, to mean, to sad, to an absolute lunatic. I think for me, Ta, JJay, Barcode, and Jet put on the best performances.

Music: 7/10 - I didn't pay attention to it, but Jeff is there, so it's a lil higher than normal.

Recommendation Value: 7.5/10 - I don't think I'd just recommend this to anyone, but I think it's different in terms of what we're use to, so go for it! And also, while Mr. Keng is a discussing pig that grooms Non, he does look beautiful shirtless (I'm shallow, sorry).

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Best Earth/Mix Acting, Mid Earth/Mix Show

I remember when Ossan's Love was announced, and I remember thinking "damn, am I gonna like this?" I'm here to say that I actually decently liked this. I think there were a lot of tough points to get through, I think you have to look at this through a completely different lens then what we're use to with these two, but nonetheless, they had another successful series and I can't wait to see them in the next one.

Let's Dive In.

This is coming from the perspective of someone who has not seen the original Ossan's Love (and probably won't), so I won't comment on what was changed or what difference the series' had, as I believe they were both most likely good in their own way. So, starting off, Heng is this young dude whose pretty bad at his job, but accidentally finds out his boss is in love with him. Through a couple of crazy mishaps and lucky guesses, Heng's co-worker Mo, moves in with him and then falls for him too. In the battle of "who gets Hengney?" Mo inevitably wins.

This series is incredibly silly and makes fun of itself numerous times throughout. You really have to throw away what you're use to from Earth and Mix. Usually we get dark, and brooding, and lust, and tragedy, but in this, it is the complete opposite. It was hard to make that transition within the first two episode, but once you get use to the acting (especially Earth's acting) you realize that this is some of Earth and Mix's best performances yet. Acting is hard, being funny and sad is hard, and they master that so well, especially Earth. It just goes to show how versatile these vet actors are, and they nailed this out the park. None of it was cringey, none of it seemed too much or too little, it was just perfect.

Which is why I feel bad also saying that the plot falls short in so many ways. In terms of their best series...TOTS all the way, and honestly, probably forever. But this series plays too many cat and mouse games, and honestly, it gets pretty old. Mo was very indecisive, and because of that, caused a lot of hurt for him and Heng. And some of his reasoning for why he does what he does is just really bad writing. It was like the writers couldn't come up with an authentic reason for Mo to leave or break up with Heng so they made Mo out to act out like a child would in these scenarios. But, nonetheless, Earth and Mix brought the chemistry, and I loved that Mix got to play the initiator in their relationship, the "top" if you will.

Krit, besides being the hottest man over 40, did an amazing job in his role. It was a little hard to feel sympathetic towards a man that basically coerced and used his power as a boss to enter into a relationship with one of his employees, but at times, I did feel for him. I have no idea why they didn't have him and Ten get together, but they would've made an incredible endgame.

I loved all the cameos we got, First and Khaotung, Drake, Fluke, just to name a few. Even one of the original actors from the Ossan's Love made a cameo, which was pretty cool.

Overall, I think this series did best with what it could do, with quite a lot of bumps and hurdle, but for what we got, I'm not upset.

Ratings:

Story: 7.5/10 - worked well in the beginning, not so much towards the end.

Acting: 9.5/10 - Like I said, some of Earth and Mix's best acting performances. I also really loved Meow's character and Cheraim. Krit as a vet actor also did really well.

Music: 8/10 - Okay, so I actually loved the theme song. It was so out-of-the-box to what I'm use to hearing, but I actually really enjoyed it.

Recommendation Value: 7/10 - I don't think I would recommend this series outside of an EarthMix lover. It's not something I think would garner a need to watch, but if you like comedy, and more so a few scenes with a shirtless Earth, then here you go!

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DoauOffroad Gem

I hadn't heard of this series until I was introduced to the lovely Daou and Offroad and just had to watch. I'm glad to announce that I really liked it! Love in Translation brings us the lovely pairing of Daou and Offroad in this simplistic yet vibrant love story full of laughs, great characters, and handsome leads.

Let's Dive In.

I really won't be saying anything differently than what has already been said, but of course, I want to say something about this. First off, I loved that this was just 8 episodes, like the people over this knew not to try and make this longer than need be, and we got a slow-burn, nice flowing love story.

The chemistry, of course, was the best part. Also, led to a really nice in-store NC scene that I didn't know I needed in my life. The side couple was also adorable, and I liked that we had an established couple going through their own problems, but I would've liked a little more physical chemistry between them. I liked that Tammy didn't come in as some conniving ex and instead helped both of them in the end. The other side couples were also very nicely placed, and made the story stand out a little more.

My only gripe is that we go from "this is an adorable little love story" to "main character getting kidnapped and one of them turning into the capturer's slave for three months" It just felt like such a left field move, and I skipped pretty much all of that extra-ness.

Ratings:

Story: 7/10 - Entertaining. Some parts a little boring and some plot decisions made no sense, but overall it was good.

Acting: 9/10 - The acting is good! Even the side characters did really well!

Music: 8/10 - Was not ready t hear the beautiful vocals on Daou, but omg, I'm obsessed.

Recommendation Value: 8.5/10 - really nice, down-to-earth series with good NC scenes and a decent plot. Would recommend!!

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Little K-BL Gem

Wow, was not expecting to like this one as much as I did. A little gem in the pool of BLs we've seen, and I'm glad I finally crossed it off my list. It also helped me get out of a little case of "BL-Block" which I get very often, and I'm grateful to any series that can dig me out of the hole I'm in.

Let's Dive In.

There's nothing particularly unique or unordinary about this series, but i think what made it so good for me was the acting. Top-notch talent, for sure. Especially the two playing the main leads, I loved them dearly. In a weird way, this felt very Thai BL-esque. That might've been just a me thing, but i felt like at some points, the story followed the same kind of plot and tropey-like scenarios that most generic Thai BLs have, whilst still feeling true to itself. The plot never swayed and it didn't feel messy or too complex, but stuck to the main plot line including the side couple.

Talking about the side couple, that had so much depth, and even though their relationship had a conclusion, it was a little anti-climatic with the New Year's hug instead of kiss at the end. Like... just kiss??

The main couple were super cute. I like Kisub's character development, and I really enjoyed their story. They were pretty slow burn, and I enjoy me a slow-burn, so they were everything I could ask for. Also, some relatively nice kissing scenes for a K-BL.

Ratings:

Story: 9/10: enjoyed it throughout, didn't find anything boring or tedious. Side couple could've had a better ending

Acting: 9/10: Really good! It's what made this series so likeable.

Music: 7/10: The songs they played in this were actually really good. Helped fit the vibe really well.

Recommendation Value: 8/10: 100% would recommend. Not the best K-BL series I've seen, but if someone wants lighthearted and fluffy, I'd give them this. Also, Kisub looks way too hot with straightened hair (just thought I throw that in here).

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A Little Unrealistic, but Good!

I have tons of thoughts when it comes to my feelings about this series. When I initially tried watching this series, it was really hard for me to get through. I ended up putting it on hold for a few months, and now I've decided to give it another chance. It's easy to see why this series is so loved, but I cannot fathom the idea of this unrealistic lifestyle receiving little to zero backlash from the other characters about their relationship.

Let's Dive In.

Again, I'll reiterate that it took me a while to get through the series. During my initial watch, I realized the kind of relationship Qian and Yuan had and were going to end up having. This is also coming from someone who enjoys forbidden romances and age gaps, btw, but still, something about this steered me the wrong way. But, I went back to watch it, and I ended up really liking it.

The only reason this relationship can make sense is because of the delicacy and intricateness that the writers had for Yuan's character. His development is probably some of the best I've seen in a BL this year. He goes from being this overly-obsessive, slightly conniving, extremely immature high schooler to then becoming more firm and direct and evolved after college (still has some weird habits, but still better than before). I think had Qian been okay with Yuan's feelings before Yuan's growth, this series wouldn't have nearly received as much love and attention as it did. But I think Qian at that time, sat in his grief about Yuan being gone and realized that he meant something more, although not quite ready to rip the bandaid off. I was 100 percent against their getting together during the first half of this cause it was too much of a power imbalance, and the writers did a fantastic job of waiting until we saw that growth and development in Yuan before even allowing Qian to contemplate his feelings.

Now, the only part that is disbelieving is the people around them being okay with their new relationship. You're telling me that they were completely okay with Qian calling Yuan his "brother" to one day calling him his "boyfriend"...? Yeah, no. I wanted a lot more backlash and repercussions from those around them, and we simply don't get that. If anything, San Pang is against it in the beginning, but starts to understand in the end, which is okay considering he's also seeing Yuan's growth and has been there with the family since forever. However, the writers completely disregard this ginormous, glaring problem, and it's way too unrealistic.

In the end, their relationship is a little more justifiable, but still, I kind of wished they didn't end up together. It's a sticky type of relationship, one that I hate people are justifying because they aren't "blood-related" even though a familial relationship like theirs is a lot more complicated than that. I think Qian being there to help Yuan get over his crush would've been better than him just allowing it to happen.

On the other hand, I liked the other characters a lot, especially the sister, she was adorable. I like her relationship with Qian and Yuan, and I like that she had her own story on the side.

Ratings:

Story: 8/10 - Complex, flowed easily, super engaging. However, some of it is unrealistic, but it does so well at character development that I'm (almost) okay with giving the score a high rating.

Acting: 8.5/10 - Acting was good! But Yuan stayed in most of a stoic type of behavior (other than one or two scenes), but. Qian does great as the stubborn yet caring older brother. All the supporting actors did well too.

Music: 6/10 - Didn't pay it any attention.

Recommendation Value: 7/10 - Not necessarily for everyone, and I mostly liked the storytelling than the actual BL aspect. But both leads have abs and big arms that you see throughout the series, so honestly, go for it!

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Wonderfully Entertaining

I'm so happy that I decided against my better judgment and decided to watch this series because in the end, I actually really liked it. Some parts give you a run for your money, and others I'm not so sure about, but overall, this series has more ups than downs, and tells a story interesting enough to keep me engaged.

Let's Dive In.

So the premise is basically that Kram loses the love of his life in his own world, and accidentally falls into some mystic pond that takes him to another alternative world. In this other world, he tries to save Phupha, the person he used to love but ends up falling for Tai, another male in this world that in Kram's world, was actually a monster. I'll be honest, the synopsis on MDL made this sound incredibly confusing, so I was worried going into this that I would be lost, but you won't. The story is told in great detail and in such complexity that it's easy to keep up. However, there are some parts that feel like something's been left out, or perhaps the story wasn't put together as best as it could be to be told accurately for a complete understanding. Some of the scenes cut weirdly, so sometimes I wasn't sure if we were seeing our Kram or Kram 2.0, same with a couple of continuity errors that draw you out from the series. But, even with that, I still think they handled it as best as they could, and did a wonderful job at showing us a good story.

The production budget must've been out the roof, because it had some amazing locations, some of the best makeup work I've seen in a Thai BL, and a great, high-skilled list of actors. I think that's what makes this series so great. I loved how they made Kram look while he was sick, the bruises and scars and blood. All of it was so good.

Now, moving on to the relationships in this series. I love pining, it's one of my favorite tropes, and we see it a lot here with Tai from the alternative world. They throw in great hints that lead the audience to come to the understanding that Tai loved Kram from his world before he passed away. Then, once Kram realizes this, he gains other Kram's memories, and starts to fall for Tai as well. While we do have a love triangle here, it's not much of a love triangle since you know who Kram will end up with, but I still like the effort they put behind Phupha realizing that he actually really likes Kram. The only real nitpick I had with this couple is that there's something missing between Tai and Kram in their initial getting-together. I wish there was a scene or two more of us seeing Kram falling for Tai, or Tai hinting that he has feelings, something more than just Kram gaining back these memories that aren't his. But like always, I'm shallow when it comes to height differences, and boy, do Nat and Max do it for me each time. Also, some of the best NC scenes in BL, and I don't say that because they were naked and we saw everything (and I mean everything), but because there was so much love poured into the way it was acted out, and you can tell it was genuine and organic. Great job to those two.

The side couple, well, I didn't really care much for them. I'm not an enemies-to-lovers kind of person, so initially, this didn't draw me as it might've for others. But I do love these small moments we get when we see both of them breaking down the walls they built to be vulnerable and open. Again, such a good NC scene, and so out of the blue too. I just can't believe the amount of detail this series goes into to show us this amount of depth, in these scenes and in others.

Ratings:

Story: 8.5/10 - Some parts are harder to understand than others, but overall, the story was complex and deep, and lots of character development happened, and I loved it.

Acting: 9/10 - I think Nat's acting has improved greatly, and this series is a testimony to that, however, there are still certain scenes that his acting just doesn't reach all the way for me. Max does a good job, and so does the rest of the supporting cast.

Music: 8/10 - Okay, I don't usually pay attention to the music, but the instrumentals to this series are quite literally stuck in my head.

Recommendation Value: 7/10 - Abolsute jaw-dropping series that I had low expectations of, but it seriously surprised me in all departments. It is quite heavy in plot, but the men are beautiful, the NC scenes are breathtaking, and it's a series worth watching.

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Went from Amazing to Great to Just Good

In the first couple of episodes, I was immediately hooked on the story. Toki, a delinquent falls for his PE teacher who is everything opposite, and it starts the tale of a wild, hilarious, and rather touching romance story. I loved this until I didn't, and for a minute there, I was assuming this might be my top J-BL of the year, but that has now been debunked.

Let's Dive In.

Starting off, I was a little thrown off by the topic of the plot. A high schooler falls for his PE teacher. I had to remember that, one, this is fiction, and two, morals of what's wrong and right are different everywhere, so having that mindset made my watch a little more bearable (but also my fave JBL of all time is Minato's Coin Laundry, and that's exactly what this series is in its own way). But the first episode until maybe the episode where we learn more about Todo and Takuya story is where everything was peaches and plums for me. And then it kind of all goes downhill from there.

I wanted to absolutely adore Toki and Sahara's relationship, but I realized that in the end, I didn't necessarily care for the "development" that we received. They make it seem like Toki helped Sahara discover himself, but that's not at all what I got from the series. If anything, Toki is extremely immature and Sahara falls for him because he's the complete opposite and gives him that breath-of-fresh-air feeling that he needs. Toki, on the other hand, is just so head over heels for this dude that he doesn't stop what he's doing for the better, but only because Sahara wants him to. This is why in the end, their relationship feels too unreasonable, even after Toki graduates.

There are some parts that hit the nail on the comedy, and while this series is heavily overexaggerated, that is probably my favorite part. Rinataro as Toki plays up the dramatics so perfectly in this, it's insane. From his facial expressions to the way he talks, to his body language, I loved all of it. But weirdly, what I think I really enjoyed most out of all the characters were the three girls that kind of followed all the guys around. Super over the top, so annoying, and in a way, I really liked it.

Ratings;

Story: 7/10 - Great until about halfway through. I honestly enjoyed Todo's and Nekoto's storylines, it added some dramatic moments, and it was honestly needed.

Acting: 9.5/10 - fantastic acting, I loved all of it. Takumi is a beautiful man and I need more of him in my life.

Music: 6/10 - didn't pay much attention to it.

Recommendation value: 7.5/10 - I feel like this series still has so much to offer, but at the same time, there's something lacking that I can't quite put my foot on. But nonetheless, Sahara is fine as fuck, so go for it.

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Literally a Hidden Gem — I Loved This !!

Okay, I love it when I find series like this that are hidden beneath the other pile of oversaturated BLs and it becomes something of its own that completely makes me fall for it. I was 100% ready to drop this series after the first episode, especially after looking at the rating and comments, but I was pleasantly surprised in the beginning and it carried out until the very last episode. I'm only upset I'm just now seeing it as it's been released since May 2023. I wish I was on that train when it was airing tbh.

Let's Dive In.

So The Promise is essentially a series about two childhood best friends who find their way back to one another after 10 years. The plot itself is pretty simple, but the execution, along with the production budget, makes this series spectacular. And if you don't know, friends to lovers is my favorite trope of all time, and if you mix a slow burn with that, it's damn near impossible for me not to love it. And oh, how I loved this series. It executed their relationship (friend-wise) so perfectly; showing those fleeting stares, those one-off comments, the small gestures. And it makes sense with everything that happens between them, with Phupha leaving and returning and not knowing how to tell his friend about his whereabouts or why he left. They did great at keeping that ambiguity from the audience as well until it's revealed, which I liked that we also didn't know until Nan knew as well. Same with Khunkhao, who was Phu's secret brother, which felt too coincidental, but I didn't hate it. Overall, they perfectly mapped out their friendship into a relationship so perfectly, and it's above all, my favorite aspect of the series.

Now, the chemistry is good, not great, but it's good. It's enough for me to be convinced that Phu really does have feelings for Nan, but I will say that once they get together, that tension between them dies and it's not as punctuated as it was before they got together. Not all of the kisses were bad, but there were some dead ones. The NC scene at the end is actually very sensual and very beautiful. Also, seeing them both topless doesn't hurt either.

The relationship between Phu and his grandmother had me in shackles. Oh, I loved it so much, the openness they both were able to have with one another without it being a deal that he likes a guy, which I'm pretty sure they innuendo that his grandmother was a lesbian/bi since she hung out with other older lgbtq people. I think her death is justified (?) enough in the series that when she does die, it doesn't feel like an irrelevant death, but something that for Phu's character specifically, needed in order for them to get across that Nan would be there for him and help guide him through it. Onto more of the smaller roles, Party was okay, I think it was irrelevant to make his character in love with Nan, but it is what it is. Giegie was super fun, I liked the comedic aspect of the series with her astrological antics and whatnot.

Now, onto some things I wasn't appreciative of. There were plenty of office scenes that could've been cut down. They drag for far too long in some episodes, and I just skip right over it because *Snooze Fest*. Same with Jo, I know he's the comedic boss who's bad at his job that everyone somehow puts up with, but I kind of wanted to see him fired, won't lie. Episode 10 was the only episode that I really didn't like. Before then, I honestly loved each episode, but the last one was the one that took down my 10/10 score. There were so many unnecessary, irrelevant conflicts that the writers dropped for no reason. Like how Nan is upset that Phu tells him to go move to his new job only for him to be okay in the next scene. Same with the bewildering, "Nan's plane disappeared" plot that was literally, like, what the fuck? And then again, resolved in the next 5 seconds. Also, I don't recall Phu explaining to Nan why he left, even after they got together, which was pretty anticlimactic.

I think this was supposed to have a season 2 (which it really doesn't need one) to go into further depth about the couple they throw in at the last minute (khunkhao and some rando getting beat up on the street), but it didn't get enough popularity within the fandom, which is kind of upsetting, cause besides all the negative stuff, this series really ate down, in my opinion.

Ratings:

Story: 8/5/10: some boring office jargon, and some really left-field writing decisions, but overall, the execution of the main leads is brilliant.

Acting: 9/10: Really good! This was Kun's (Phupha) first acting gig, and I could definitely see the minor mistakes, but he did an excellent job (also, that man is too fine). Kiak also did good, and everyone along the road did just as well.

Music: 7/10 - I actually loved the OST! it gave nostalgic vibes, so I was here for it.

Recommendation Value: 9/10 - I would highly recommend this series, especially to anybody looking for a good friends-to-lovers plot. It did such a good job, and I'm so upset this didn't get the hype it deserved, but oh well.

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City of Pure Enjyoment

Oh, I'm so surprised how much I absolutely loved this series. It's been hard for me to enjoy any Thai series outside of GMMTV, so I'm elated that I actually enjoyed this series. City of Stars was definitely not perfect, but it was such a genuine delight to watch and sit back and enjoy the series for what it was.

Let's Dive In.

City of Stars starts off with a trope that I absolutely love, a famous guy falls for a regular ole dude, and then it takes off from there. I'll admit, it takes a minute to really get into this series, just cause the first couple of episodes are only okay, while it doesn't start to get really good until the closer Fueng and Krom get. The last few episodes were ultimately the best for me. I think the structure of this keeps itself in balance with everything that it needs, while connecting you to these characters so that you actually start to enjoy them and their journey on screen.

For our main couple, I really enjoyed them more than I anticipated. They work so well, except there were a few times where I don't a hundred percent believe their relationship on screen (there are some rather awkward moments when they're looking at each other, or sometimes when they kissed they stood a mile apart lol) but for the most part, I really liked it. They had some great NC scenes and they know how to kiss, so I can't be too upset.

Oh, I loved Kor and Namsom. They didn't hook me in the beginning, but by the end, I was rooting for them so hard. The way Kor spoke to her and made her feel worthy had me in tears. Their relationship is so fragile, but in such a beautiful way that it took me by surprise how much I really enjoyed them.

On to some more nit-picky things, I kind of don't see the appeal with Fueng having fallen in love with Krom. Because his parents talked about him? And not to be mean, but there's nothing out of the ordinary about Krom, so it's a bit of a weird concept. I think it would've just worked out better if they met when Krom got back and fell in love then.

We were also teased with another side couple, but then it never advances anywhere, so that's pretty annoying. IDK if they were setting up for another BL, but we got practically no screen time between them, not even a canon.

Ratings:

Story: 8/5/10 - really good! Their build-up to dating is done so nicely and then they execute it perfectly. I also loved how they nag on some of the bigger problems in the BL industry, like the actors not being able to date outside their pairing, or when they come out and then lose brand deals, or when the entire community harps on someone for something minuscule or irrelevant. I love the portrayal of all of that, including how it can end up working out in the end.

Acting: 8.5/10 - This was Porsche's (Krom) first time acting ever and I think for what it's worth, he did an excellent job. I don't know why he went from being a dental student to an actor, but he did good. It explains now why some of his scenes can feel a bit awkward, but for the most part, he did an excellent job. Job (Fueng) did well too, and I loved seeing him shirtless, So I'll add a half point for that. Kimmon!! I missed him so much, it was so nice to see him play a somewhat serious character for once, and his partner was delightful. Everyone else also did an excellent job.

Music: 7/10 - I didn't pay much attention to it, but it wasn't distracting so that's good.

Recommendation Value: 8/10 - I really liked this! Not the first I'd recommend, but out of the Thai BLs I've seen so far in 2024, this is at the top of my list. It was so well done!

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Sups Cute !

Stay By My Side had me with its delicate charm, heartwarming sweetness, and subtle humor, all woven into a pleasantly paced Taiwanese BL. However, while the experience was good, it fell just shy of greatness, meaning that it'll mostly likely fade from my memory sooner rather than later. Nevertheless, it had good qualities that made for a genuinely delightful watch.

Let's Dive In.

Stay By My Side is about a silly little college kid who plays on the basketball team and ends up being haunted by ghosts after his sister accidentally burns his talisman. He finds a guy, super suave and stoic, who helps him stop hearing the ghosts when they're together -- given the ironic title, Stay By My Side.

I liked this more for the romance than anything, but one of the bigger qualities of this was its pacing. It's 10 episodes for about 22 minutes, and it never sways from the bigger story or has any irrelevant side plots. All of it is centered on the main pairing and their relationship builds at such a nice pace, and all of their kissing looks natural and real and I really liked it.

The story is unique while also being simplistic enough with a college setting, and it sets a tone for the entire series that it's going to be fun and cute and lighthearted.

Ratings:

Story: 8/10 - A unique spin on a rather simple college love story. The chemistry between the leads is good; not the best I've seen out of a Tawinese BL, but it's good. All the side characters help drive the main couple together but don't have much of a story themselves.

Acting: 8.5/10 - I think they did great, but this story is rather lighthearted, so not much complex acting was needed.

Music: 6/10: didn't pay much attention to it, but it wasn't distracting.

Recommendation Value: 6/10: Ehh, I like it, but it's not the first I'd recommend. But it's a super lighthearted watch, and the kissing scenes are good, so go for it!

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Not Worth it

I only gave this series a chance cause I love Fluke and I love even more his beautiful lead partner, Judo from TMOTB who I've always found insanely attractive. However, this series was not my cup of tea, with its overly tries at being funny and just way too many side characters that could've easily been cut. I also have made multiple attempts to find english subtitles for episode 3 and beyond, but failed, so please take this review with a grain of salt seeing as I skimmed through the last four episodes.

Let's Dive In.

The first episode is probably the worst, and that's coming from somebody who had to watch most of the series without english subtitles. I almost dropped this series then, the only reason I didn't is because I haven't watched Fluke in a while and I really wanted to stay for him. The second episodes is a little better cause it introduces the actual plot of the series, and some higher actions happen, but still, lots of unnecessary characters and a whole bunch of irrelevant conversations. Then you get to episodes 3 which starts my journey of watching with no subtitles, so now I'm bored and confused. I skimmed through the last four episodes; nothing looked appealing or worth watching except a couple of decent kisses and an NC scene from the leads. all in all, save your time, watch something else. I doubt my review would've been much different even if I understood what they were saying.

Ratings:

Story: 4/10: Judo and Fluke look nice together, and from the little bit of the story I got, it wasn't terrible, but not good either.

Acting: 8/10: best aspect about the series. Fluke acts comedic instead of sad for once, so that was nice to see.

Music: 6/10: didn't pay attention to it.

Recommendation Value: 1/10 - Watch literally anything else.

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Adorable

Had this series on my watch list and finally got around to watching it, and I'm glad I did! It's been a minute since I've watched a Korean BL, and this has just hyped up my want to dip back into them. A Breeze of Love was an incredibly short but incredibly delightful little series.

Let's Dive In.

This series was only 8 episodes about 20 or fewer minutes long. It is about a guy who has chronic insomnia who happens to be able to fall asleep around another guy and they fall in love. Great creative concept, and it leaves you intrigued to see how the series will turn out. While this was short, this was the perfect length for me. It was a quick watch, took me less than half the day to finish, and I really enjoyed it.

The plot doesn't stray away at all from the leads which is why you're constantly enthralled with the story. I'm mostly so in love with the leads' connection because I'm a sucker for first love and going through all the little things about liking someone and finally executing those feelings. So I loved their flashbacks to them in high school when they first met and started liking each other. Their relationship as adults feels very authentic and I really liked watching their plot unfold.

You can't not fall head over heels for the actors, specifically Jeongyou who I was only slightly offended never took his shirt off. The only nit-picky thing I have about this was when they were playing basketball and traveling like idiots. Overall though, this was an adorable series, albeit not going to be very memorable after a while, but it's worth the watch.

Rating:

Story: 7/10 - the insomnia storyline is super fun and creative. The leads do chemistry pretty well and their kisses looked natural and organic so I'm not mad. Would love to see whatever was going on between Dohyun's best friend and the guy's-face-we-never-see (season 2 perhaps??). Still a pretty simplistic plot, but it's good!

Acting: 8.5/10 - Jihan did the best out of everyone with his very staller performance. Everyone else did well, but the acting is just okay in this, nothing jaw-dropping.

Music: 7/10 - really liked the OST! For once paid attention to it and wasn't disappointed.

Recommendation Value: 8/10 - It's too short and too cute not to try and at least give it a watch. Dongwook is also wet a good majority of the time if that helps any.

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How Beautifully Sad

I decided not to read the synopsis when going into this one, and oh boy, was I in for a ride. What I thought looked like a really cute love story ended up being somewhat of a tragic yet heartfelt series.

Let's Dive In.

Koki is this sad guy who is depressed and wants to die until that day comes and instead of dying he meets an angel who in his past life committed suicide. This angel can make a miserable human see the good in life while subsequently making him go through grief and despair.

I think the last two episodes are the best out of all of them. While incredibly sad to see Angel's story, I felt like I was so intrigued the entire time, and everything that happened I didn't see coming a mile away. The last episode is so tragic yet in a while so magnificent to see how Koki was from the beginning to the end, smiling, seizing the day, even wearing white. I'm assuming the ending is for us to imagine, but in reality, I'd like to think that Koki is able to move on happily and find someone else (human perhaps). If anything, that's what I was hoping for in the end was that we'd see him move on and happy again.

If you think closely, it's sad to imagine a guy walking around talking and eating by himself which is why he and Angel just would've never worked out. Honestly, had the ending been one of those, "We end up happily ever after" I would've given this a lower rating, cause it's unrealistic (so is the guardian angel thing but still).

Koki and Angel's relationship was beautiful without having to be physical, and I loved that. Some moments felt very oddly sensual (like Koki rubbing his entire face into Angel's wing), but that added so much flavor to the chemistry of the characters. They had a great connection, but honestly, their relationship was mediocre. It wasn't fantastic, it wasn't terrible, just okay. I'm shallow and would've loved a kiss, but again, I loved their relationship without one, so I'm not that upset.

My only argument is that we don't see Koki fix his relationship with his brother, which would've been nice to see. Also, it's weird to me that an angel who can't be seen by others is able to carry things and eat. So would the object just float? Would they magically disappear? Was there a mist that made it look like Koki was carrying and eating all these things?

Ratings:

Story: 8.5/10: I think it was beautiful. Some parts dragged just a tinsy bit, but for the most part, I was very entertained by what we got.

Acting: 9/10: Shuhei (Koki) did an excellent job! Takuya (Angel) also played his part nicely, except in some scenes, his expression was a little stale. That might've been a directive choice instead of the actor's.

Music: 6/10: Didn't pay attention to it and it wasn't distracting so good.

Recommendation Value: 7.5/10: I highly recommend this cause it was a quick watch and a good one at that, but it's also pretty sad and somewhat of an energy-drainer. There's also something so un-BL about it, like yes they happened to be two dudes, but this story truly revolves around a man attempting to find his way through an incredibly sorrowful world.

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Good Until it Wasn't

I'm not proud to announce how long it took me to watch this 6 episode series (approximately a week), but for my sake, this got incredibly dull after episode three. I was excited about this one, while a little unsure of all that it was going to entail, but I was super stoked to see Guide in a lead role since his minor one in I Feel You Linger in The Air, and of course, Ohm is a sight for sore eyes so I'm seated. But initially what had started out as a really good story with some interesting characters has ended with the weirdest and most rushed character redemption and a very sappy happily ever after.

Let's Dive In.

Again, I was super excited to see that Guide was given a lead role after IFYLITA because he was one of my favorite characters from that series. And with his counterpart Ohm, I was hooked to see how this quaint little BL would turn out. Turns out this BL could've done with a lot more work. In the beginning episodes, I was hooked on the plot, I was hooked on how Peach was going to get Shin out of his little stoic bubble, and I was hooked on all the side characters of the bakery. It wasn't until after episode three that this series just fell straight on its face. Shin is the most manipulative walking red flag I've ever seen, who's also narcissistic in thinking that he's the only one who can bake a good cake, while also being over-possessive of Peach and his life. Yes he was all these things in the beginning, but I thought Peach would "change" him and he'd have this amazing character development, but nope, he's the same stoic character that he was in the beginning at the end, just add on that he smiles and gives frequent kisses. The series is also just incredibly boring, There are very low stakes and nothing to look forward to after Shin and Peach get together. Because after that, it was a bunch of miscommunication and misunderstandings. The reason why it took me a week to watch this? Kept falling asleep. Honestly, this series could've ended at episode three and I would've given it a better overall score.

Moving onto Guy's incredibly ridiculous redemption arc; I only have two words -- terrible writing. I don't know what the writers were doing when it came to coming up with that ending, but it's the most rushed shit I've ever seen. Guy wasn't the worst character (Shin was actually) but he still didn't deserve the redemption arc he received, especially within a 30-minute time frame of the last episode. One minute Shin hates him, the next Guy's back working in the bakery and they're all besties again. The ending on top of that was just so overly-sappy to me, but then again the entire series felt the need to do flashbacks every 5 minutes, so I guess that's just how the feel of the series was supposed to go.

Onto Peach and Shin's relationship: yeah, no thank you. I was stretching to try and find the chemistry, and I think some parts worked, but most didn't. The beginning was better than the end, but Guide and Ohm just make zero sense to me. I feel like in a way they cancel each other out, and they just don't connect very well at all. They're both beautiful men, but together, I get nothing. The intimate scenes weren't bad, but I think Guide and Ohm should've done more workshops to work well together. Otherwise, their romance on screen was mediocre.

And to the character I love the most -- to Atom -- I'm sorry they didn't give you more screen time or even a potential partner.

Ratings;

Story: 5.5/10 - Not terrible in the beginning, but the ending is less than satisfactory. Characters are entertaining, others not so much. Chemistry between the leads was lacking, but they're both hot so it's not so bad.

Acting: 8/10 - Guide did okay, but to be fair, I think he played better as Ming but that might be more on the writing and less on him. Ohm was how Ohm has always played his characters + hot. I think I liked Atom (omg that's also his real name) a lot because of his character's personality, and I think he did a really great job. Everyone else was fine too.

Music: 6/10 - Didn't give it much attention, but it wasn't distracting.

Recommendation Value: 3.5/10 - Nah, skip this, really not worth it. I mean unless there's an actor you really want to see, but otherwise, this BL belongs in the land of the "what-if" which is really just a list of BLs I'll eventually forget about.

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Really Cute !

Out of my BL block just in time to watch this little gem of a series, Perfect Propose. While not one of my favorites, this series was seriously so authentic in its storytelling, keeping me truly entertained and intrigued throughout it all -- and it doesn't hurt either that the actors are absolutely beautiful.

Let's Dive In.

Loved the pacing of this 6 episode series. It had a perfect rhythm of timing and plot that I was never bored or ready to skip something. I get bored very quickly with office scenes if they're not significant. This series had its times, but for the most part, it never dragged on too long, and I really appreciate that. Lately, I've been loving series that are short and to-the-point rather than long and drawn out, so I loved that I sat for a couple of hours and finished this with no problems.

I'm a sucker for friends to lovers, especially a long distance friends to lovers. The only thing that took me by surprise was their age gap as kids. I think it was fine since Hiro saw it more as just a kid he wanted to talk to and Kai was the one with the genuine crush, but that morality line is a little blurry when Hiro says something along the lines of having thought that Kai was cute as a kid, and then followed by Kai kissing him afterward. Anyway, I'll focus more on them as adults, which I think was super cute. I'll be honest, I wasn't totally sold on their chemistry in the end, but I think both actors can act their asses off. I really enjoyed watching Hiro turn into this man with an endless work life who was falling victim to its harshness, then to meet his friend from long ago and start genuinely taking care of himself -- of course with the help of Kai.

I have nothing really negative to say about this series, I think it was good, just not the best I've seen come out of Japan.

Ratings:

Story: 8/10 - Good! Great flow, an amazing beginning, and a decent ending. Probably my favorite aspect of the show.

Acting: 9/10 - Shunya (Hiro) did his big one! Extremely great at emotional scenes and just an overall great actor. Kota (Kai), other than being a sight to behold, also did a great job. All the other actors played their roles well too.

Music: 7/10 - The intro song was cute!

Recommendation Value: 8/10 - It's pretty good and a quit watch, so yes, definitely go for it!

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