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Cute Mini Series

21 Days Theory is a very simplistic story that played out a lot better than I thought it would. I was expecting it to be pretty boring, maybe some bad acting, and a very unsatisfying series, however, it was the complete opposite. 21 Days Theory has a way of connecting their story into one that seems incredibly dull, yet it captures you in the best way possible.

Let's Dive In.

High school loves stories can sometimes get old, and sure, seeing the button-down and blue shorts brings back special memories of tired acting and a terrible script, but this was not that, thankfully. The only thing I really appreciate about high school love stories is seeing how fragile and awkward first loves can be. We definitely got it here. With Q and X, they were discovering something between themselves, and with that, came the awkward stares and shyness. What really did it for me though was when X was telling Q he had something on his cheek, but Q took that as him asking for a kiss on the cheek and did it, and I think that was the cutest shit ever. I think the chemistry between them was as good as it was going to get. Nothing like over the moon about it, but it was simple and slow, something I didn't mind.

On the other hand, I was very meh about Q's friends' love stories. I actually really liked Toy, and I even think Mook was pretty cute, but I didn't care much for them. same with Q's other friend.

Ratings:

Story: 6.5/10 - Simplistic, and cute. They spent a lot of time on the side couples, which I wasn't all that much of a fan of. Outside of that, I enjoyed the main couple's story. The first episode was a little rough to get through, but after that, it's better.

Acting: 8.5/10 - Good! I was surprised to see that Q's actor was from The Cupid Coach. His acting has gotten a lot better (so has production), so good for him. everyone else did a decent job.

Music: 5/10 - I didn't pay attention to it, I'm sure it was good. at least it wasn't distracting or memorable because it was bad.

Rewatch Value: 4/10 - most likely not, but that kiss on the cheek was cute, so I might travel to YT for a video edit of Q and X every now and again.

I recommend it. It's very short, yet it is very cute. Young love always gets to me because it is the first time you've felt such a feeling as to be in love. Incredible little series, I hope to see these actors again.

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Entertaining K-BL

I'll keep this pretty precise because I watched this a while ago and forgot to review it, but my mind is clogged with other stuff now, so I don't remember concrete details about Blueming, but I'll give it a try. For one, I think the cinematography was different from what I'm used to with Korea. It was beautiful and felt very indie/short film-like, And I really appreciated that. The BL part of this wasn't my favorite aspect. I think it was a little rushed in certain parts, and for some reason, I wasn't really feeling the chemistry between the two. However, I think the beach scene where they kiss and Siwon is teaching Daun how to kiss slowly was very sensual and perfectly shot. the use of silhouettes for their heat scene was something I'd never seen before, but I loved it. It created a very different type of sensuality that I will appreciate (more silhouette heat scenes!). I think the part of Blueming I like best was Daun's situation with wanting to be perfect and looking perfect. He had issues with his self-esteem and body, with his mom being the enabler and the main reason why. It opened an entire door to a situation that is rarely talked about, especially in Korea and especially with men. I've never felt so overwhelmed in a scene before but watching his mom yell at him and they both just break down together -- whew.

Ratings:

Story: 7.5 - Wasn't a huge fan of the BL aspect of it all (besides a few parts), but the characterization and development of the main lead was perfect. I also liked the story of his sister and her very subtle yet large crush on Jeong (Daun's friend).

Acting: 9 - Great acting, especially from the main lead. He really could pull off each emotion he had to portray. The side characters were nice as well. Overall, I think the acting was this series' strong suit.

Music: 5 - Didn't really pay attention to it but it wasn't distracting so it was fine.

Rewatch value: 3 - Probably not.

I think this series works in many ways, but I don't think the BL part of it was one of them. It wasn't endearing enough, I didn't really yearn for them to be together, and wouldn't have cared if they broke up cause I felt nothing towards them. I semi-recommend this one, especially if you want to watch something cinematically pretty, or to watch an important topic be told, but for the BL part of it all -- I could probably recommend something better.

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Cute

The hype for this series was LOUD. I knew I needed to watch this as soon as I could, and I think it lives up to its hype maybe halfway. This is not me saying the series was terrible -- because it was really good, except, not very memorable for me. Old Fashion Cupcake is a mini little office series about two workers falling in love and finding it at their, "old ages".

Let's Dive In.

I only put "Old Ages" in quotation marks cause I don't consider either of them too old for love, especially Togawa. But one thing I appreciate about this series is that we do get to see an older love story, which is very rare to receive in a BL. And they did it beautifully. I loved that Nozue got to discover new things he liked and enjoyed since before meeting Togawa he was stuck in his I-have-to-act-my-age bubble. It was a delight to watch him eat pancakes and drink milkshakes and just look so excited and giddy.

More on Nozue, I appreciate the very accurate understanding of a man going through a life crisis of turning 40 and still not understanding his life or knowing what he wants or loves. It's something that can be easily reliable and I'm sure a lot did. I also just loved watching him be such an old man and accidentally taking videos instead of photos. God, I loved him.

I also really liked Togawa, and it's not only because he's gorgeous, but it's also just because I can't pinpoint my exact admiration for him -- maybe because he can take a man like Nozue and show him that age is literally just a number -- but I really enjoyed watching them grow on screen and we slowly watch them fall for one another.

I think the chemistry was great, and so was their connection. The only thing that really threw me off was Togawa's unexpected and forceful actions towards Nozue in the 4th episode. It was so uncalled for, especially if he just would've gone about things calmer and in a manner that didn't seem so erratic. And I also wish they would've gotten an ending kiss, but that's just me being picky.

Rating:

Story: 8 - Good. Enjoyable enough. I usually am not the person to enjoy office-type romances, but this series did a good job of not dwelling too much on the actual work part of it all. The story is short but still entertaining.

Acting: 9 - They did really well. Even though I disliked their first kiss scene, I appreciated Kimura's acting afterward. Beautifully done.

Music: 7 - Didn't really pay much attention. But it wasn't distracting so that's good.

Rewatch Value: 2 - Most likely not.

Out of all the BLs we're getting handed now, there's only room to watch the good ones, and this one is one of those. I recommend it -- it's short and cute. Not the best J-BL I've seen, but it's definitely up there.

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Good!

Once again, Absolute BL was a refreshment to catch, and continuing on into the story of Mob is a fun one. I would say this season deals with some more sentimental topics, but it can never stay serious since 2 seconds later we're panning to show Mob just peaking from behind. I loved watching this series, I'm upset that it only had three episodes, but I'm hopeful that a third season will happen.

For anybody just curious about Absolute Bl in general, I would say to watch seasons 1 and 2 together, as if they were one. Not that season 2 was confusing or anything, but it would probably feel like a full-length series if you do so. In season 2, we're back on focusing on Mob, how he finds himself dealing with all these other BL tropes, and his everlasting love quarrel with Kikuchi.

What I liked: Pretty much what I loved about season one. The bright light anytime the pretty BL love interest came on screen, the caring relationship between Mob and his bother, the tropes that are over-exaggerated to a point that it's too funny, even this season, I thought the romance been Mob and Kikuchi wasn't all that bad, they just needed an ounce more of development for me to feel bad that he's studying abroad, but again, this is a series that is trying to show us how fast these lovers go and overexaggerate it to a point of no return. This was a very neat series, everything followed n the right path, and nothing felt filtered or unnecessary, something this series never sways upon, and that I can appreciate.

What I didn't lIke: Again, just these chaste ass kisses from Ayato and Toujou. I don't ask for much, but I do ask that they don't kiss like they're making contact with a dead fish. I also would've appreciated it if this season was longer, as it was even shorter than season 1. Now I'm scared season 3 will only be a two-parter and then were inevitably have to sit and wait for a season 4.

Ratings:

Story: 8.5 - Enjoyable. I think the last season was a teensy bit more enjoyable, but there was nothing wrong with this series. The character development that Mob is going through is definitely the best of them all.

Acting: 9 - Reall good just like last season. Mob does a fantastic job. Ayato is a fucking cutie, and the rest are manageable, nothing amazing, but good enough for me not to cringe.

Music: 8.5 - This has to be one of the most addicting intro songs ever. It's stuck in my head permanently. It's not even something I would listen to, but this series will make sure it never leaves your head.

Rewatch Value: 2 - I would probably rewatch the first season more than I would this season. However, I'm always going to come back to watch the incredible 90's biker title sequence.

Can't wait for season 3, I'm hopeful that we'll see some other tropes and a funny Mob. This is just such a refreshment and much more enjoyable than I could've ever imagined it would be.

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Busted my Ass Laughing

A Man Who Defies the World of BL is such a gem, I almost want to punish myself for waiting so long to watch it. It takes you out of the stereotypical way of watching a BL and dives you into the depth of specific tropes and cliches while Mob looks with disgust on his face. I didn't think I was going to enjoy this nearly as much as I did. I'm only sad I'm just now seeing it.

Let's Dive In.

The concept is what really piqued my interest. A dude is stuck in a BL world and he tries to fight off falling for any cliche tropes or the pretty men in order to continue only being the "mob" aka background character. With this, our main character avoids every little thing at any cost, and it's just by far one of the funniest BLs I've ever seen.

What I didn't like: This kiss between Ayato and Toujou burnt my soul. I would've rather they had just faded to black after their hug. Cause honestly, what the f**K was that..?

What I liked. I loved pretty much everything else. I loved Mob's voice-over, and even when we switched to hear the others narrate their story. It really added a lot more richness to the story, and just made it 10x more hilarious than it would've been without it. I loved when the attractive love interest had roses or flowers behind them and the way it was over-exaggeratingly bright. There were just so many gems to its series, it's too much to explain.

Ratings:

Story: 9.5 - A great story. Just watching Mob being a crazy person for the way he tried to avoid the men, and trying to help his brother stay out of it. Everything flowed perfectly, even the comedy part of the series never faltered, it was all great.

Acting: 8.5 - Superb acting. Some hiccups here and there, but everyone really did a fair job.

Music: 9 - You saw the title sequence too right? While it's not something I would listen to on the regular, it was hilarious and indeed increased my usual music rating.

Rewatch Value: 3 - It was really funny and I will take anything funny to always rewatch.

In the end, I highly recommend this series. I watched in parts, so it didn't feel like I was watching for very long. However, a 2-hour movie sounds a bit tough to sit through, so I'd say watch it in parts. Believe me, you will leave with your cheeks burning. This shit was hilarious.

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"I Am Destined to Fall In Love With You.."

After trying to find a way to watch this movie forever and a day, it's finally happened. I got to see Kokoy and Elijah once again, put on an amazing performance, and give us the movie we deserved. Gameboys: The Movie was an incredible watch with endearing significance and harsh reality. If anything, this movie made me 10x times more excited for season 2 coming in May!

Let's Dive In.

Gameboys The Movie is the continuation story of Gav and Cai from the original tv series, Gameboys. Here, we get to see them be boyfriends in a domestic sense, giving us some really cute and tropey goodness. Their friends eventually come along for the ride, and the movie goes on exploring their different options while executing the good and the struggles of Gav and Cai.

Starting off with what needed some work: I'm going to expect we got a somewhat open-ended circumstance because we'll get an actual conclusion in season 2. I'm not sure if the series will continue right where we left off, or will time have passed, and that's where we begin their story? I know that season 2 is supposed to showcase some parts (if not all) of the movie, including some things we didn't see, but I for sure hope that it won't just be the movie cut up in parts (the reverse version of the K-BL industry) and we actually get a lot of new content. I didn't necessarily mind the open-ending, but I'm curious if Gav does end up going to New York, or if Cai goes with or stays behind. I'd rather have a conclusion altogether (even if sad) than an ambiguous ending (however, this is just me being nit-picky, and until season 2 comes out, I'll suspect we do get our conclusion if the series is more than just the movie).

I was never a big fan of Wesely and Terrence in the series, and that didn't change in the movie. There was too much back and forth that the story didn't develop well enough for me to care. Now granted, I didn't watch their side series (again, cause I wasn't interested), but I don't think I needed to watch to understand what was happening. It's was weird for him to be upset in then in the blink of an eye, holding Wesley up against the wall, about to pounce on him. Sure, the actors are cute, and their characters have a brief engaging moment, but their chemistry is very lacking. While Achilles felt artificial, I think I would've rather him and Terrence end up together, otherwise, he added nothing more to the plot for me.

Another knit-picky moment. As much as I love when Gav and Cai call each other baby, they over-exerted the word in this movie. Every sentence ended or started with baby. Sometimes Gav just needed to drag the word on for longer than needed, or Cai would repeat it several times in a row. At a certain point, you start to roll your eyes at how incredibly ridiculous it was. Not the biggest problem, but one of the more annoying ones.

Moving on to what I love: A lot of the time, what BL tends to do (which isn't bad, but it's not always realistic) is skip over the homophobia that the main leads' family, friends, or outsiders could, and some of the times, do have. I appreciate that the series makes it one of the more important topics. It doesn't end the way we would've liked it too, but sadly, not everyone in a gay person's life is off-the-bat accepting or understanding. The approach this movie takes is one I rarely see in BL, with being gay being compared to religion. Tita Susan weighs religion heavily on sexuality, and we can see that fear in Gav's eyes when she does. It doesn't end well, We don't see Tita Susan again after Gav comes out to her, we don't see her respecting or accepting Gav's reality, and we probably never will. It's a sad circumstance for sure, but I can always appreciate an honest movie.

Kokoy and Eljiah have no problem in the chemisty department. I loved watching them be all domestic together. We got to see some really nice scenes with them, not all good moments, but by them just being together, you can see how much they care. I loved how they didn't rush into sex and took their time. Pearl teases a bit, and it becomes awkward, but Gav shows that he wants to wait until Cai was a hundred percent ready. After some very sappy singing, they roam off to their room and make love. I say make love cause it was executed just as that, and brilliantly. We get to see how soft and gentle Gav was being, and just them being in ecstasy and in love. we also see them switch which was a nice surprise. Another good thing about them is that there aren't those distinct top/bottom tropes or traits and they are just who they are. The actors always do an excellent job in this category, and I'm never left disappointed.

Pearl was the best side-woman a gay man could have. She looked as beautiful as ever, and I can't help but fall in love with her bubbly personality.

The production was really nice, the set was so beautiful with the water fountain. I was obsessed with the music here, just cause it added that little oomph to make the series magical. I never really rewatch, but I've already seen this movie twice, so I'll definitely come back.

Ratings:

Story: 9 - For the most part, I loved the story. I'll take a star off for the poor execution of Terrence and Wesley, but other than them I loved it.

Acting: 8.5 - Everyone did a really good job, especially our main leads. The only person I wasn't much of a fan of was probably Wesley's actor. It was flat at times, and he didn't make many expressions. Terrence is okay, and Achilles is decent.

Music: 7 - Loved the OST, and can't help but be obsessed with the "Iyong Iyo" song by Zack Tabudio. It's so beautiful, please go take a listen if you haven't.

Rewatch Value: 2.5 - I wouldn't be surprised if I did go back to watch this after some time. I'm definitely going back occasionally to see Gav and Cai be domestic boyfriends.

I highly recommend this movie if you can find it, but it's worthwhile. I promise you, if you've waited this long to see it, don't give up on trying to find it. It was so magical, and I want everyone who wants to watch it to do so.

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Was Not Expecting to Like This As Much As I Do

Yeah, I'm surprised too, but I genuinely loved this series. For it to be a mediocre production, it gave what it needed to give. Was it perfect? No, very far from it, but it had a very impressive plot, with surprising turnouts that I rarely ever see in BL. The Cupid Coach demonstrated that little production can do it too.

Let's Dive In.

The Cupid Coach is a fantasy setting of a dude named Latte (or Tae) that has a crush on his college senior and with the help of his friend (sister? Aunt? Cousin? Relative? I honestly don't know who she is to him, so we'll call her his friend), Namwhan, he gets a lucky stone, wishes upon it, and a cupid appears to help with finding his love. Of course, the rest of the plot is pretty evident, except in some cases, it's actually quite unexpected how things turn out. But I love that this series does that, gives us something so unanticipated that by then, we're hooked cause the plot isn't what we were thinking it would be. Now was it because of COVID? Perhaps, since they did film during the beginning of it all, but it luckily led to a really pleasurable ending.

What I liked: Again, the plot. While seemingly basic at the beginning, it gets a lot better a few episodes on. You watch and think you know how things are going to turn out, but then get whiplash when you see that it's not like anything you were expecting. In the midst of the series, Nite (cupid) ends up disappearing after sharing a kiss with Tae. While Tae is in desperation to get him back, he takes time for himself and goes on a trip (the one that he and Nite were supposed to go on together) While there, he meets another guy named Nite, who has all the same attributes as the original, expect, he's human. While their one-nightstand wasn't the best way to go, they end up getting closer due to Nite 2.0's charisma and Tae slowly getting over Nite #1. You're thinking the entire time, "okay when is the original NIte coming back?" but he doesn't! And in a BL, it's very rare that the original love interest for the main lead doesn't end up being his LI in the end. So for me, it was a game-changer, especially since I liked Pak (Kaitoon in Love Area) a lot better as Nite rather than Peace who's acting was very bleak, and the only thing going for him was his smile and biceps. Granted, most of the cast was brand new, and their acting wasn't much better than moderately sufferable, but Pak came in and definitely gave the acting skills needed. I loved his overall personality and his charm. He really opened Tae's eyes into understanding that he was the realistic love he's been looking for. The ending was the best part of the entire series. Tae's too scared to kiss Nite 2.0 cause he's scared he'll disappear like the first one. But NIte 2.0 shows that he's there to stay as long as Tae needed him, and I loved that. The only things that weren't my favorite were 1, the drunk one-night stand, (I was kind of hoping NIte 2.0 would be like "no I didn't do anything, you took off your clothes in the middle of the night" but oh well), 2, their intimate scenes afterward weren't as bad as some others I've seen, but they were just so aggressive that it was a bit cringey to watch. and 3, they did fall in love with each other in a span of a few days, with Nite 2.0 giving off love-at-first-sight vibes. But who doesn't want a cute little vacation sweetheart?

More on the plot, I liked the fantasy aspect. While the CGI of the magic, and whatever godly world Nite went to were absolute trash, it still doesn't take away the excitement of it all. I just wish they actually would've done more with it. They utilize it so much at the beginning, but in the midst of the series, they stop entirely. I would've liked to see Nite causing more catastrophe with the use of his magic, more predictions, more transportation, maybe even others finding ut about who he is.

I liked that Tae was an already out and proud gay man. There wasn't that typical aspect of the BL story in which we have to see the realization of the main lead, the coming out, and all the extra that comes with it. Don't get me wrong, that part of a BL is one of my favorites, but here, it was nice to see that the main lead knew what he liked and wasn't ashamed of it.

Onto what needed some for-sure improving: Production was as mediocre as it gets, but the last few episodes, It gets way better, like weirdly better, as if they updated the crew and cameras and everything. Even them being at a very luxurious hotel was a bit off-putting (no bad, obviously, but weird) since their budget beforehand was noticeable from the sets they used. Anyways, before those last few episodes, the production was rough. The camera would be still, then all of a sudden there would be a jolt like someone accidentally hit it, or when they did move with the camera, it was super unstable. The subtitles were on drugs. If I were someone who needed perfect subtitles, I would've dropped by episode 3, and they sadly just get worse going on. Again, I'm not the target audience, but damn, they were just really bad, like have to pause to read again and try to understand what they're trying to say bad. There were some other nit-picky things, but this was obviously not top-tier work, so no use complaining. I did like the title sequence and the music though.

I know Nite was supposed to be a cupid (or god?) and so he didn't know all the mannerisms and things about modern humans, but he was still just too flat. Yes, play a quiet and reserved cupid, but still, there is a role there that needs decent acting. I won't blame it all on Peace since the script didn't give him much to work with either. I think the chemistry between Tae and Nite 1.0 wasn't very convincing. Besides Nite being cute and dainty, he didn't do much else. Sure, they had some cute moments, but the chemistry fell flat in most places. I think a better connection between the actors would've been a stronger point, but oh well. I believe they were supposed to be endgame, but because of COVID (even though we see Nite 1.0 at the end but whatever) something went haywire, and we ended up with what we got.

The fan-girls were aggravating. I skipped most of the scenes with them in it since I knew they wouldn't play an important role or move the plot along in any way. They are a nuisance and just annoying. Who wants a bunch of screaming and hollering and touching all the time? Which is a sad thing that they use these feminine men or trans women to even do this. They can also play main leads! Important roles! Not just be a group of obsessive and screaming fans.

One nit-picky thing. When the barista asked for a picture with Nite, we can't see him in the photo (which was a terrible technique they used, but that's a different story), but then later, when he, Tae, and Namwhan go to a field of flowers, she takes a picture with NIte with seemingly no problems, even looking at the photo and smiling. Again, nit-picky, but it's a consistency issue that bothered me just a bit.

Rating:

Story: 7.5 - Enjoyable at the least. I liked it way more towards the ending, which is where most of this score comes from. I don't really speak on Bhu and Que, but their relationship was just okay. Bhu got on my nerves half the time with wanting Tae to gain weight. Weird.

Acting: 5 - not the show's strongest aspect. Probably it's weakest. Pak added 2 stars automatically from just being the best out of all the cast. The weakest was Peace and Seua. At times Tee and Noey weren't all that great either. Everyone else was mediocre. The other 3 stars come from mostly me just feeling bad, and having hope that the cast will have more chances to grow and really showcase their acting abilities.

Music: 6 - I actually quite liked the OST. The rest of the music was the usual soundtracks we always hear.

Rewatch Value: 1 - Probably less than one if it could be. No chance I'm coming back.


I know I kind of go off, but, really, this series was decent. I enjoyed it way more than I thought I would, and I think there are others out there that can agree with me. I recommend this, just 'cause it's pretty sweet, and only took me a day to finish.

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Sequels Failure....?

This was nothing near perfection, however, this sequel dangled severely close over the failure edge. What saved this series for me was the acting, where it loses its touch is how they handle mental health and admitted suicide. Call It Want You Want 2 is the sequel to the story that was to bring down the brutal BL industry, except it does nothing merely more than make a fool of itself.

Let's Dive In.

The story of CIWYW2 starts where it ended, with all leads entirely in the same situation that we've seen them in already. Through some trials and tribulations, all their situations are neatly wrapped in a hideous bow, with a happily ever after that I wasn't satisfied with at all. This series could've been IT. It had all the material there, it had everything that it wanted to be, except, instead of "exposing" anything, they sadly crumble under the terrible writing and corrupted plot.

Getting into what wasn't good: Let's start off with some of the bullshit that was James and Ait. Their entire relationship in season one was something that I came to terms with liking, after a few forgiven plot devices and tropes -- but this season, they serve to be an even bigger nuisance. They must've hired a middle schooler to write the script, cause that's what James and ait's situation was giving. Ait getting upset -- no, change that -- fuming because he finds out that Marco has a crush on James is irritably laughable. And why get mad at James? How was James supposed to know that? Or why even for a chance get mad at him for a lousy crush? They try to make it a moment, but it can't be, because any real person would've slapped Ait silly for getting as mad as he did for something so frivolous. Apart from that, there was just no build-up of their relationship or chemistry. It felt stale, it felt dormant, it felt like it was going nowhere, even though they were trying to convince us that they were in love, to have this huge moment during their press conference (which lasted WAY too long), and instead, I found myself zoned out, having to go back and rewatch. it's sad to see this, especially knowing that these actors have so much potential, it's just they have nothing to show for it.

Another huge problem with CIWYW2 is that they do such a good job at showcasing Bas' trauma. His trauma with the assaults from the director, the trauma with his unsupportive family, the trauma of his eating disorder, and literally everything else he had going on. A great setup, a great performance from the actor, perfect emotional punctuation and act, so then why was its execution so bad? Mental health is not solved with the words "I love you", mental health is not solved with a quick hook up. Mental health is something that takes longer than a few hours to get over, and this show implemented all of that. Bas, after only maybe a few hours, is cleared of all of his worries and problems by Marco speaking sweet nothings, and sex. It was so inappropriate to do that, it was so invalid to show that within a few hours of trying to commit suicide, it would be a-okay if you can find somebody to say "I love You". No matter how mad I wanted Bas and Marco to get together, I don't think their relationship will ever be justifiable for me, ever. It's sad, really, cause I loved the dynamic they had, I loved that Marco was there for Bas, he was the one that found Bas -- and in the matter, he only needed to be there to take care of him, not to take advantage of his vulnerability. I wish so badly that something different could've happened.

Another small problem I had was with Bas' brother. Seconds after his brother is being SA'ed in the living room, he's telling him to "man up", "Stop crying", are you serious? It's the toxic masculinity that for real got me. I skipped the rest of his scenes, I just couldn't do it.

What I liked: Not much. I liked that the man running the show got called out for the things he's done. I enjoyed watching Kaprao and Bas teaming together to get back at him. But, most of all, I did really like the acting. These people have talent, and some really good ones too. Sadly, this show just didn't do them justice. I can't wait to see them in other projects,

Ratings:

Story: 7 - Sad really. I can say that I enjoyed some of it. Most of Bas's scenes because the actor did a phenomenal job.

Acting: 9 - Again, the acting was brilliant. They did a fantastic job, and I can't wait to see them in other things.

Music: 4 - I don't remember it, so that's good and bad. Their singing was atrocious, which gets an extra three stars off of the already 7 stars I was going to give them originally.

Rewatch Value: 1 - no way I'm going to watch this again. One, cause it's pretty heavy and sad -- two, cause it's just not handled well.

Overall, this just shows that some series are better off ending than trying to do sequels or season 2s. Was I in love with the first CIWYWW? No, but I liked it much more than I did this one. I don't recommend this unless you want to see some really talented actors.

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Okay, I'm Not That Mad

This one popped up in my YouTube recommendations, and I thought, "Why not?", completely forgetting that I put this on my Not Interested list, but oh well, can't go back now. To be quite honest, I'm not that disappointed, yet, had I logged onto MDL and looked at it first, I would've never tuned in -- again, oh well. I could've stopped and dropped this, but I was quite intrigued with the BL couple (Oh, and BTW, this is a side BL, which I also didn't realize) Which is why I kept watching. Skinship is the complete opposite of what you're thinking. Instead of the meaning physical intimacy, or touching or anything else you would think Skinship means, it's actually the literal term for the number of times that the skin treatment spa was the entire plot of the series.

Let's Dive In.

Production wasn't bad, nor was it anything spectacular. This series was just pretty much a very long commercial. They only had three episodes, and out of those, they spent most of their time at the spa, the brand that was sponsoring them. Very annoying, especially when minutes are spent speaking on a topic that nobody could give two craps about. To add on, the translations weren't all that good either, especially in the first episode. I think someone just got lazy, cause it seemed like they just summarized what the actors were saying instead of giving it to us word for word. it gets a bit better as you go on, but it's still a bit bothersome. Other than that, everything else was decent.

The acting was actually really good. I think it was the better part of this series. had the acting been bad, I would've dropped, but honestly, these actors understand how to perform. I already liked Best, but I think had Shino and Chahub been given some better material to work with, they could've really shown us some incredible acting. I think they did good, but there wasn't anything to really show that they did amazing. Aumain did a good job too, so did Fame. I think she was a bit over-the-top, but it's better to give too much than to give nothing at all. Overall, the acting in this was adequate and I wouldn't mind seeing them in another BL.

I usually harped on the het couple, but in this series, I didn't really mind them. They were actually pretty cute. Them baking together was the best part. Nothing about them was annoying, or too much, or just irrelevant, I think they were a decent couple. I really enjoyed Teenoi and the doctor, except we get pretty much nothing. I love Teenoi's subtle flirtatious vibe, and I like that the doctor was more assertive (Also, Chahub is a very beautiful man, so that doesn't hurt either). They had built up this really nice connection until nothing happens. The het couple gets most (actually all) of the last episode to themselves, so we get no execution for the BL couple except at the end they drop a bomb and say that they've been dating for four months, and by then, they completely lost me. I don't know if I missed a time jump or the foreshadowing, or maybe a translation error, but I am lost with no navigation. Had this couple been given some more time to connect, they would've been more delightful to watch.

Ratings:

Story: 3.5 - Nothing. It's pretty much non-existent. (No, cause seriously, I'm racking my brain to remember the story and all I'm getting is literal brain fart).

Acting: 8.5 - Again, it was the better part of this series. everyone did a pretty good job. I can't complain. I've seen worst acting in GMMTV series (*cough, cough* Pond in FUTS), so compared to that, I'm average.

OST: 5 - Was surprised to hear some decent songs -- and they were in English..? Not anything bad, expect, I rarely ever hear English songs in Thai series, so it took me by surprise.

Rewatch value: 1 - I got more shiz to watch, but there's a less than 1% chance I'll ever come back to watch this.

Overall, I don't recommend this unless you have nothing else to do all day and have watched every other BL you can. Again, it's not the worst I've seen, but it's far from the best. It's pretty much a commercial with 75% het couple and 25% BL couple with very little build-up. I might tune into Skinship season 2, I might not. We'll cross that bridge when we get there.

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Beautiful Philippines Series !

Wow, I'm blown away by the amount of excitement and enjoyment I had while watching this. This took me FOREVER to watch because it's pretty much non-existent where I live, but an angel from the heavens sent me a link (you can message me if you want the link too, forewarning, the ads are all p**n and pretty extreme) and I was finally able to sit and binge-watch. Oh, Mando is a comedic drama that handles very important and heavy topics while the main leads look beautiful and tell a compelling story.

Let's Dive In.

The production was so nice. We get to see inside the beautiful scenery of The Philippines, and I think this series has been the best so far in letting the audience experience its refined surroundings, countryside, and cityscape. The rides on the bike were absolutely breathtaking, the end where they're dancing on the bridge is magical, and I loved every second of it. I have nothing bad to say when it comes to production, however, I understand the whole "fairytale" of the story was needed to advance the plot, except, there were times it was just real cringe and I couldn't keep a serious face (maybe that was the goal..?). Overall, production gets a big pat on the back from me!

Moving onto the plot. I LOVED every single second of it from episodes 1-4 until they kind of just lost a bit of my respect until the end of episode 5. Cheating is something that happens every single day and it's a realistic story, so I wasn't necessarily mad about the cheating aspect, but I don't think it was executed as well as it could've been. Barry is so protective of his sister and says constantly that he doesn't want her to get hurt, and that she's the only one who truly understands him, except, you then go and have a secret relationship with her boyfriend? With no guilt? No remorse? He knows how it feels to be cheated on, and yet, he just doesn't feel that for his own sister? It felt like the writers had taken that side of the story and threw it in the trash. It made me a bit sick to see them flirting while Krisha stood 10 feet away. And Krisha is just the sweetest human being ever. She outright supports her brother's sexuality, fights for the LGBTQ+ community, and just so much more. I honestly haven't enjoyed a female character in BL in a while, but she was everything and more. Finally, Mando starts to feel some guilt and comes out to his father (beautiful, done so well) and finally lets it out to Krisha about his secret affair with her brother. It was a hard scene to watch, but again, the actors executed it so well. by the end, the show gained my respect. Again, however, I do think they rushed Krisha's pain and hurt. I loved how we actually get to see her go through the suffering and agony of the situation, but it just kind of dropped at the end. Most noticeable due to her brother's suicide attempt, but still, that pain doesn't just subside after just a while. I'm happy she ended up with another guy, so I can't complain too much.

I do want to praise this series, however, for doing a fabulous job at handling suicide and harming oneself. Barry's story is hard-hitting. This series might've been pretty funny, but it truly shows pain better than I could've imagined. It's hard to watch Barry's scene in the bathroom, but it really is something incredible. I applaud this series for being able to handle a storyline like this and do it well. Another great subject that I've seen no other series ever in BL do is have a fully-fleshed out transexual storyline that was probably the cherry on top. Mr. Siwa comes out as a transwoman and everyone is supportive except the school. They all held a protest for her that showed the school she belonged there. It was such a nice transition from the beginning to the end. I loved it, I loved it more than anything. For a BL to handle a trans story without making it comedic or making the transwoman overly flirty or just downright creepy is astonishing. Another round-of-applauds to the production team.

Overall, I really enjoyed this show. The first episode captured my attention in a snap. It does a wonderful job at sharing Mando's story and his giddy and lovely personality. It also doesn't hurt that Alex is a very beautiful man, and I rewatched the scene with him coming out of the pool in his speedos like five times. Wow, just wow. Mando's mother's storyline was really nice too. I'm glad how that was operated and executed. I HIGHLY recommend this series. It's one of the best-produced Philippines BL's I've ever seen. The story, while it could use some tweaking, is pretty darn good.

Rating:

Story: 8.5 - Again, the story wasn't the best it could've been, but I still really enjoyed it. The trans storyline, the lesbian mothers, the handle meant of suicide -- it was all really well. I'll take 1.5 stars off for the no-remorse cheating during like all of episode 4, but other than that, it was pretty perfect.

Acting: 9 - Kokoy shows us a groundbreaking performance that's almost a 360 from his character in Gameboys. It just shows how versatile and how skilled he is. I loved him so much. Alex did a really good job too, some scenes he could've done better, but I think it was still really good. Barbie did really well, the lesbian couple was good. Mando's friends did a decent job, and all the other supporting characters were okay.

Music: 8 - My favorite was the song on the bridge. It gets the majority of the stars. I really liked the music, it went almost perfectly with this series.

Rewatch value: 1 - Again, I don't rewatch, cause I have more shows to finish, but I will for sure be coming back to watch Barry walk in slow-mo. damn, that boy is beautiful.

Overall: 9 - Suggested was 6.5, but I enjoyed this series so much more than that. Yes, some changes should've been made, and the script could've been better, but those things can be overlooked for just how really good the series is. I'll take a star off for some of the aspects of the cheating plot, and the cringe fairytale dream sequences.

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Not Too Disappointed

Again, I checked the comments to see if the show was worth watching or not, but I was met with some mixed emotions so I went in with some pretty low expectations, but wasn't too disappointed at all. Craving you is for one, extremely short in which I finished in about 2-3 hours. It's a pretty low heat series with some cliche Bl tropes, and a weird main couple connection, but besides that, I actually really enjoyed myself.

Let's Dive In.

Firstly, production. Pretty much the ordinary BL Tawainese production. It reminded me a lot of the same filming aspects of the HIStory franchise. I didn't really pay attention to the music much, so if I didn't notice it, it means it wasn't too distracting, but it probably wasn't all that good. Overall, everything was decent and I didn't hate it. I don't remember any ad placements or annoying ad placements, so that's good too.

Onto the plot. The main couple felt so bland and boring. I don't really understand how they fell in love. Their interactions were short and thin, I felt no connection at all, and when they do finally get together, it feels meaningless and unimportant, and I could've cared less (the kiss was nice tho). I liked the situation between Soda and his fiance way more than Kane and Baker Boy (Can't remember his name). Soda and Kane were remembering the past and their romance. It was intriguing for sure, and I sympathized with Noah more than anything. Him sitting in the restaurant by himself hurt me for real. I loved their ending, I'm glad that stayed together and eventually got married.

The series was wayyy too short and I believe that that is their downfall. Had this been a bit longer, a better put-out plot, and some actual chemistry with the main couple, then this series really could've been it. I also really loved Cora since she wasn't a BL-obsessed woman or some weird shipper, and was a good friend. The desserts also looked really good, and I can always appreciate a mouth-water appeal.

Overall, I liked this series, I think it was pretty decent. It'll for sure be pretty forgetful, but it's worth watching. A happy ending, some cute kisses, and lighthearted situations go for a good watch. I recommend this to anyone who needs a cheery watch.

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Incredible Plot Twist !

The absolute shock I had when watching this series. I had first looked at some of the comments to see if this was worth spending my time on, and most if not all comments were positive. So, I spent my time wisely by watching this fantastic Philippines BL that brought on an aspect that I had never seen before. Cheat brings about a mesmerizing plot with a dramatic twist, involving love, lust, madness, and witchcraft.

Let's Dive In.

This has to be the very first BL I've seen dealing with something as supernatural as this. Yes, there have been some fantastical BLs (He's Coming To Me and The Shipper just to name a couple), but nothing like close to what Cheat brought us. Dark magic is something that I know nothing of, so just being able to see them cast spells and do chants was a fun experience. This was a very dark, evil, brooding, and erotic series. So surprising that it's a Phillipino Bl and low budget. Yes, this film was not on the amazing side of things speaking in terms of production, but they did the best they could with the funds available. You're immediately drawn out to the low quality as soon as the heat of the series starts. Even episode one is enough to get you sitting on the edge of your seat.

But let's move on to the plot. I genuinely didn't see that plot twist happening. I was actually getting quite irritated at Vee for continuing to trust Jennifer and Jay after the assaults and things they did to him, but after the plot twist, you understand that it was a part of his plan all along. It's crazy that all three siblings were able to fall for him, but it's even crazier that two of them were crazy enough to do whatever it took to make Vee fall in love with them. Vee says at the end that he doesn't love any of them, but a part of me believe that he might've actually started falling for Dong but is trying to rid himself of those feelings. The only argument that I can really give here is that story sometimes became too much and too overwhelming where I was confused on why the siblings were doing what they were doing, and how these events even began. It definitely became fuzzier during the last episode, where I had to strain my neck to understand what all was happening. Some parts could have been more cohesive, but other than that, a big pat on the back for how detailed and connected it was.

The acting was honestly pretty good. There were sometimes where it got to be a bit cringe, but for the most part, all of it was decent. Daryll was by far my favorite, with Tuesday and Allora in the next place.

Another great attribute that deserves its own paragraph is the raunchy, erotic, hot, but kind of poetic sex scenes. I don't even usually talk about the heat scenes much in BL, but boy were these one something different. Especially in a Philippines series in which I haven't seen many erotic stuff like this. A huge applaud on the actors for making them natural and not like they were uncomfortable.

Overall, this Phillipino BL was pretty fantastic. I don't have much to complain about (surprisingly) But I think it's just because I like the fact that this is a low-budget series, but it still was able to come out and be amazing for what it's worth. I highly recommend this for a watch. It's only 7 (episode 6 is a two-part) series that runs for about 20ish minutes. a beautiful cast and crew, an exciting and adventurous plot, and a season 2 that I'm very much looking forward to.

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As Good as It could've Been

This wasn't necessarily what I was thinking when I first heard that we were getting this show. I will say, I kind of spoiled myself by looking at the comments, but I was curious about how others felt. Sadly, most of it wasn't good, but I still tried not to go into this with bad intuition, except, I think I made it worse. 7 Project came with some really beautiful lighting and set, except, some stories fell short and bland.

Let's Dive In.

Firstly, I think the production was beautiful, one of the reasons why I don't hate this series all that much. Lighting was one of the best aspects of all, including the cinematography. It felt a lot different than New's (The director) other shows like Love by chance and Make It Right. A nice difference that I really loved. The music was decent, it was mostly the overplayed songs we always hear, but for some reason, I wasn't annoyed by it, I actually quite appreciated it. Everything else was pretty basic as well (I didn't see any ad placements, or at least it wasn't too repetitive to remember).

Onto the episodes

1. This was my first time seeing Santa and Earth in a series since all of their fan edits, and videos, and lovey-dovey shiz on social media. Although I think they had nice chemistry, their age gap is a bit disturbing. Santa just turned 18 a few days ago, and Earth is 23. I know legal age is completely different in Thailand, but it's still a bit of a stomach-churner. Anyways, I felt for Ozone since his parents had sent him off, and I hated that he was getting bullied. The only thing that was pretty annoying was how he would continue to trust the bullies even after the first incident with them. I just wanted Ozone to defend himself without needing Sun's help. Their best moment was watching the moon and falling asleep together. The kiss was nice, except, they could've done without Sun being drunk. I don't know why Ozone was mad at Sun after Sun choose NOT to kick him with a ball, that part was really confusing, Overall, this episode was okay, I liked it, but it wasn't all that memorable. I give it a 6/10.

Now, hate me if you want, but I didn't watch any of the hetero couples. I tried watching the GL couple, but after part 3, I could see how they were going to go, so I just continued on to Prem and Boun's episode.

4. This episode was probably handled the best out of all of them. I liked the story behind Balloon and his hardships with coming out. What I loved more was his relationship with Ozone. He was there to comfort Ozone and vice-versa. Mek's feelings were 100% understandable as well, as it can be hard to have to hide a relationship that you want to tell others about. Especially since they had been dating for a while. Their break-up was sad, but it led to some really great acting from both of them. I'm glad their ending was a happily ever after and would love if we could get a follow-up episode or series really only focusing on them. I give them a 9/10.

6. AhH! I loved seeing Boom and Peak after so long, except, their story wasn't BL at all? We get a confirmation that Tonnam likes guys and a hint that he likes Phupha, but that's it. Their friend Peam teased them a bit, but no actual confirmation was made that they liked each other. Other than that key missing part, the story itself was still pretty entertaining. Phupha kind of being a bully and Tonnam convinced to find the good in him led to really wonderful enemies to friends story. Boom's acting was really good, and it stood out to me the most. Peak as always was fine as hell. This one gets 7/10.


Overall, this series is pretty forgettable. I know this was some type of promotion for a song or video or something, so not a lot of thought into the actual show was probably made, but just imagined if they had? I also think it would've been more efficient for this to have been kind of like En of Love and each couple was given 2-3 episodes. I wish I could've appreciated Yacht, Plan, Perth, and Sammy, except, their stories didn't appeal to me at all (and I tried watching, I really did!). I do hope to see Boom and Peak in another, well-developed-plot series, and wouldn't mind seeing Santa and Earth again either. I recommend this as a fast watch, but there are other better BL anthology series out there. (Our Skyy and Y-Destiny are my best picks!)

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It was Meh. . .

Be Love In House: I Do was one of those series that I watched because it was so highly talked about and praised on, so I had to give it a try. Unfortunately, I went in with way too many expectations and was left rather disappointed. The pacing of the main couple was way too slow, especially since they don't even get together until the very last few minutes of the 12th episode. This series brought about very good-looking actors, another cameo of the dude from History 3: MODC, and an okay plot.

Let's Dive In.

The production was good. The wardrobe was good, the lighting was good, the setting was good, music was great. A decent production for sure.

The plot was okay, except some parts ran on too long. The setups were good, like why Yu Zhen had the singlehood rule, why the Little Prince story meant so much to him, the scar on his stomach (which is actually real; now that's the story I want to hear). But the plot ran super slow between our main couple; so slow, that I could only watch an episode a day cause it made me super sleepy to stay up and try watching more. Their moments were cute but meant nothing if they were going to wake up the next morning and pretend as if nothing happened. Their chemistry was okay, it wasn't as strong as it should've been, but it was at least there. It more felt like two hot guys trying to f**k than it did two guys having a genuine love story and falling in love. The ex was an interesting way to end the last half of the series, not someone or something that I could care about (and if anything, it dragged on the already boring plot more), but for sure interesting. Their kiss was nice, their heat scene was nice, and we aren't going to lie to ourselves and say that they aren't fine as hell.

Onto the side couple, which is really why I watched, and why this show isn't rated lower than it is. As soon as they came up on the screen, I yearned for them. Actually, in some parts of the series, it felt like they were the main couple with how well their storyline was being handled. sadly, they get together in like the first 3-4 episodes, so then they start to wane down a bit with it just being some cutesy-dutesy stuff (although, my favorite being when Zhao Gang tickles Si Qi and his very tiny "this" that had me blushing like a crazy person). They were very well done, had a nice and quick get-together, and some very funny circumstances like Shi Lei finding out that they kissed. The only thing that caught me off guard was their whole marriage thing. They had only been dating for maybe 2 weeks by then, why were we moving so fast??

The other supporting characters were decent, except I didn't care much for the hetero couple. Actually, sometimes they felt like they were in the way. Shi Lei's mom was a good fit too, she brought about some nice and comforting moments.

Overall, this isn't the first Tawinese BL I would recommend, but, it was far from the worst (cough, cough, all of HIStory 1 episodes). Dude from History 3: MODC cameo was nice, I kind of wished he would've said something like "make it count" when speaking to Yu Zhen about wanting Shi Lei, but whatever.

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Taiwan does it again!

We Best Love was way more entertaining than I ever believe it would be. I'm not a fan of enemies to lovers (but it lowkey wasn't?) so my first thought was that I wasn't going to enjoy it, but I was wrong. We Best Love brought on beautiful actors to portray these love-sick puppies and their glorious stories.

Let's Dive In

The production was really nice. The use of lighting and colors was big in this series. The music went perfectly with the overall mood of the series and the flow of the plot was magnificent. There wasn't anything they showed that felt irrelevant to the story; everything was where it needed to be. With a good flowing plot, it was easy to understand the characters and their conflicts.

I really enjoyed our two leads' performances. They felt very authentic and realistic, which with some pairings in BL you just don't get. All intimate scenes were done well, and I could really feel how much they enjoyed each other's company. The only thing that I found kind of hard to believe was how fast Zhou Shu Yi fell for Gao Shi de after he had overheard him confessing his love. He was pretty oblivious, as well as not showing any signs of liking Gao before then so I would've liked for that to have been given some more time. Their relationship felt pretty rushed, but they were cute, so I'm not too upset. We don't see much of Bing Wei and Zhe Yu in a relationship, only that it was subtly hinted at at the very end, so hopefully, we'll see more of them. They seem like they'll be our comedic pairing next season. I liked how helpful Shou Yi was with getting our leads together. The bartender seemed to might have some hidden feelings for him, so let's see where that goes next season. Yu Xin or Zheng Wen's relationship was nice I guess, but sadly I didn't care much for them (Although, Zack Fan is a gorgeous man).

I'm glad that everyone was already so accepting of Zhou Shu and Gao Shi's relationship without having to go through that period of acceptance. Even the mom was super accepting, so it made the watch much lighter. During Zhou Shu's confession, he somewhat uses the forbidden BL term, "I don't like men, I only like you." But in a more passionate way. It pretty much carried me out of the story completely and I was about ready to hang it up. Had that part not existed, this show would have a perfect score.

Overall, I really enjoyed my watch with this show. The first few episodes were a bit difficult for me to watch (like this show took me two weeks to finish when it consisted of 6, 30-minute episodes), but the last three caught onto the plot better and I was in full force afterward. Even though I'm not the biggest fan of enemies to lovers, I still really enjoyed this. As of now, season 2 is on my to-watch list, so hopefully, I will get to that sooner or later.

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