Unpopularopinionbydemand

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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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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Not my Cup of tea

Bad on my part, but this is serving as my first Taiwanese BL of this year that I'm seeing, and luckily, I thought this was good. Not great, personally, because these types of series are just not my cup of tea, but, the men are beautiful, they know how to do physical well, and the acting isn't all that bad either.

Let's Dive In.

I had heard so much hype about this series that I knew I had to hop on the train and see what this was all about. Now, I think generally, a lot of series that portray on a scale of mild to super toxic relationships outshine series that portray healthier ones (for reasons being above my understanding), and I would label the same thing with these characters as well. Homeboy definitely has the case of Stockholm's syndrome -- falling for the person who turned his life into a living hell, This is fictional, so I'll look past the, 'he-needs-therapy-to-get-over-this' mumbo jumbo, Yes, his captor turns out to be a good person, just some ill intentions in the first half. The only thing I think needed a little more time was Zong Yi'a falling for Ze Rui. It feels very out of the blue. One day he hates him, the next he's trying to bake him a cake and confess his undying love, on top of being a minor (geez-la-wheez). it just felt rushed in my opinion, even if Zong Yi needed that companionship or someone to care for him, what we get before he falls just isn't enough. Now moving on to their actual relationship, cute! But again, something about them doesn't work for me, maybe it's because of the age difference, but I'm usually a fan of that, so I don't know what it is about this couple that just doesn't sell me all the way. After about episode 10, I started skipping over their scenes cause I just really could care less.

Moving onto the secondary couple -- again cute, we have a little bit more fun with their dynamic, but again, and this is just for me, I just don't see it working out. One, their brothers, albeit not blood-related, but still they grew up together as siblings. Two, both of them seem too hot-headed and too quick to want to throw a punch or force each other into something. Again, just a very toxic couple that works for other viewers cause they're hot and can kiss (I'll give them that).

As individual characters, I really liked them all. Especially Zong Yi's family dynamic and the things he goes through to save his dad. Along with the cunning friendship between him and Ai Di. The cameos were nice, Wayne does a great job at being a bad guy, and looks great doing it. As I said before, I just don't think this was the series for me because I think too hard about relationships and don't see how they come about or how they'll last, especially when they're built on a rough/toxic path.

Sadly, my favorite part about this series was during the last episode, we see the behind the scenes of the cast and crew, and it just puts a smile on your face regardless of how you feel about the series because it just goes to show all the hard work everyone put behind this series. End credits get me all the time (sigh).

Ratings:

Story: 7.5/10 - Lots of it I skipped through by Episode 10 cause I wasn't really invested in any of the couples and just wanted to see their outcome and quickly. The beginning is nice though, a very intriguing starting point, and then it just kind of wanes for me. Not bad, but not the best.

Acting: 9.5/10 - They could all cry when need be! Great! Zong Yi's actor did the best for sure.

Music: 4/5/10 - Again, not my usual taste in music, so it's kind of loud and a bit hectic sounding. It distracted me so much that I actually paid attention to it.

Recommndation Value: 6.5/10 - I can see the appeal in the series and the reason why it was so hyped around. Great acting and a great story if you're into tropes/plots like this one. Not the first Tawinese BL I'd recommend, maybe the 8th, but these men are beautiful so there's that.

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Filler KBL

I didn't love it, I didn't hate it -- it'll inevitably be one of those filler series I forget about after this review and move on to the next. Now even with saying this, Jun and Jun still proved itself to be a decent series with a decent plot, beautiful actors, and some petty nice chemistry.

Let's Dive In.

Jun and Jun are friends who end up separating as kids and become close again when Lee Jun is hired at Choi Jun's company. The premise is fun, and so are the first couple of episodes. It just starts to drag by episode 5, with way too much office jargon and a bunch of characters that I just could care less about. I skipped through the majority of the end, only stopping to see the lead's resolution, including his smexy hyung and the idol guy. All in all, the leads had okay chemistry, nothing crazy. Individually, they played their characters very well so the connection just works out because these were good actors. Also, some very well-done physical chemistry, which is what really drew me into their relationship.

This is me being nit-picky but some continuity errors were glaringly obvious, and for whatever reason, it bothered me more than it usually does. One example is Lee Jun holding an empty milk carton that's open but then offering it to Choi Jun later on, closed. Same with my problem with characters picking up drinks (mostly coffee cups) that have nothing in them and it's obvious.

Ratings:

Story: 7/10 - Was pretty funny and had some comedic gold moments. It's good until it becomes boring with too many scenes taking place in the meeting room going over blah blah blah that none of us care about. Romance is okay, but the physical chemistry is good.

Acting: 8.5/10 - Great! Each character played their role individually very well. Hyunwoo is gorgeous, has nothing to do with his acting, but thought I'd throw that in there. Also off-topic, but Hyeongseop's (Simeon) filler teeth bothered the fuck out of me.

Music; 7/10 - It wasn't distracting.

Recommendation Value: 5/10 - Recommend because Hyunwoo is seriously beautiful, but other than that, you're not missing much.

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Really Good in the Beginning, eh by the End

Force and Book are back on our screen after the disastrous Enchante that graced our screen in 2022. I'd like to start off with the fact that I saw growth, and that's the most important thing. But I would also like to state that for whatever reason, Force and Book still don't do it for me. It's like they would give me an inch, and then 10 minutes later, we fell five steps back. I'll explain that one more later, but for now, A Boss and A Babe was the somewhat redeeming series that this up-and-coming GMMTV couple needed.

Let's Dive In.

So A Boss and A Babe is a story about a CEO and an intern falling in love with a few more, low-key not important details. This series really is just a cutesy, no-real-problems-are-happening series. We get a little bit of back-stabbing, poor communication, and the very little stakes of them being together, but nothing in the story gives, "Oh wow, this is getting good." Which is why I said I loved it in the beginning since the set up of the characters was nice, but it all comes tumbling down after maybe the 5-6th episode and things get boring.

But I do want to talk about some of the conflicts we see in the series, with one of the main ones being the situation with Drake's character and Boss. The stakes are there, but overall, it's a simple resolution and nothing serious happens besides a silly little punch. Then moving onto Tian's storyline and the troubles Cher had with his brother Troop, which is not given enough space to flourish. they delve into it a little, but it's so little that it doesn't feel fleshed out enough. They scraped the surface and that was it. I wish we had a whole episode dedicated to this storyline and dedicated to the story that they gave Tian. The same goes for Boss' mother popping up at the end to complain that Cher was a terrible choice for him. Felt like very cheap writing to throw in a last-minute problem that's given no real resolution, just Cher shows up to Boss' office and asks him to be his boyfriend and then it's all better. Okay.

Again with Book and Force's connection. Them being friends shows through their acting, and it's a good and a bad thing. In some scenes, it's perfect. They look comfortable, their dialogue feels organic, and their chemistry feels great. and then in other scenes, I feel that tenseness again, with the slither of awkwardness, and it gets even worse for some of the intimate scenes they have. Again, I judge harder on GMMTV series because I know they have the funds and means to do better, so I expect better, and that's why I'm going to go on a limb here and say that the kisses and intimate moment in this series gets a big ole thumbs down. Some weren't as bad as others, but boy oh boy, let them have a scene where they have to kiss just once, and I'm cringing. The dead fish kiss, the standing ten feet apart, Cher's eyes open doing their last kiss, all of it, just..bad.

Like I stated earlier, I see the growth in their acting which is why this series kind of worked for me. I see that they've tried their best with these new roles they've received, and yes, a lot of it could've used more work, but overall, it's good. The only thing unbelievable is Boss having the label as being mean and super demanding with his employees, when throughout the series he just felt like he didn't care about his job are the things his employees did other than getting him his coffee. But with Book, I think he did a fantastic job. Loved loved loved his character and the choice he made for him. came off as believable, and we see that immaturity mixed with his extroverted energy and his slight shyness around Boss. He did a really excellent job.

Onto the side characters, Mike is back and he was looking better than ever. He's always given the funny best friend roles, and just like in the other series, he did a great job. I would like to see Mike playing a character outside of the norms he's given because I really believe he has more to show. The side couple was very lackluster. Some random fainting, and a bunch of sweet nothings, but those two characters felt like a really odd pairing, and that never changed for me even by the end. Their skinship felt a bit forced, but at least Thi would be labeled the best boyfriend ever. The other characters, Tubtab, Porsche, and the office workers drove the story in a good direction but didn't really add anything (other than the fact that Thor's eye had me in a chokehold). What I really loved though was when their friend group was all together. It added in some great comedy moments and that was probably one of my favorite parts of the series.

Ratings:

Story: 7.5/10 - None of the stakes felt very stake-y, and this really was just some cutesy moments given to both Book and Force to execute which they kind of did. I'll give most of the stars to the Tian storyline that I was most interested in but wasn't given enough of. I also loved the friend group which felt very natural and organic on screen.

Acting: 8.5/10 - I saw so much growth in Book, and he did an excellent job. Force did well too, but I still see the parts in which he can work on those improvements. Maybe it wasn't him and more of the director's choice for his character, but I feel like he could've given us more. All side characters were good too, but the side couple felt way too forced.

Music: 6/10 - It wasn't distracting so good.

Recommendation Value: 6.5/10 - I would recommend this series over the other series they had, but I still wouldn't recommend this if someone wanted to watch a GMMTV series (that spot is still given to ATOTS, which is still GMMTV's best BL series). But Book and Force are two very beautiful humans to look at, so this series is at least not on the bottom of shows to recommend, I'll just say that.

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Eh

Nothing special, nothing new, nothing awe-ing, but it's cute, it's kind of funny, and the leads are very handsome. All The Liquors revolves around single men and their alcohol. The end.

Let's Dive In.

I agree with most of the reviews and comments about this series. There's nothing about it to differentiate it from the plethora of KBLs we're receiving, but it's a quick watch and a fun one at that.

I enjoyed the chemistry of the main leads. I enjoyed Kihoon a lot more because he makes the best facial expression ever and really showed some decent character development for the timing that they had. They ruin that connection a lot with the dead fish kisses, but if you take that away, this was pretty solid.

Jiha needs his own series, I absolutely loved him. He stole the show in my opinion.

Ratings:

Story: 7/10 - It's an okay story, nothing we haven't seen done before, but the good thing is that the boring parts (office, work, etc) aren't shown for too long. The few last episodes are really just the leads growing closer and closer and enjoying each other's company.

Acting: 8.5/10 - The better aspect of this series. Everyone did a job well done, I enjoyed Kihoon and Jiha the best.

Music: 6/10 - Wasn't distracting, good.

Recommendation Value: 5.5/10 - Eh. I'd say watch it because you have time and want something lighthearted and sweet.

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Cutesy w/ a Slice of Angst

Another cute K-BL that was able to fill my void of boredom before I begin school again. Classic office romance, perfect bubbly seme and stern uke trope (even though that stereotype isn't as visible with these two), and super soft domestic shit. Love Mate has all the right components and then some.

Let's Dive In.

I think what I liked most about this series is that it stepped out of the realms of a traditional Korean drama while also being exactly that. It gives a sort of Thailand-esce with its humorous background music and overall tropes that I would compare to Thailand and only Thailand. However, it's still that classic Korean feel, with the photo booth, the ramyeon joke, and the busy bus scenes.

They had me eating their lovey-dovey shit out of the palm of my hands. I fell for it each time. The bus, the date, the office, the house -- anywhere they were, I was also their giving out heart fingers. They had great chemistry, the actors took their characters and meshed them well together.

I few hiccups here and there, I didn't like how wishy-washy Jun was, and Haram was a bit too excessive in pursuing Jun, but all in all, I think this series was really cute. It could've been a bit more fleshed out had they had a longer run time, but overall, I enjoyed it, I had fun with it, and it made me giggle in yearn and because it was decently funny (Also, some really good kissing which is always a bonus with Korea).

Ratings:

Story: 7.5/10 - It's a classic office story! Cute, a little angsty at the end, and then it's happily ever after. I think with the run time they had, everything ran really smoothly. I wasn't a huge fan of the "Ex-returning" trope, felt a bit rushedly added in like they needed a reason for Jun and Haram to have beef. Otherwise, I would've liked it had the ex always worked at the office or maybe was the boss' younger brother, something that's more of a wow factor.

Acting: 8.5/10 - Good! Both the actors did well in understanding their characters and played off of each other well. Not the best acting that I've ever seen, but they sold me on being in love, and isn't that really what matters at the end of the day?

Music: 6/10 - Didn't distract me so it was good!

Recommendation Value: 7.5/10 - Super cute! it's a fast watch so it can be done within a few hours, and most of it is them being super adorable and in love and I love watching love.

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The Potential Was There

Okay look, this series took the cake on the shortest length ever. I thought K-BLs had bad running time, but this one was just bad *italicizes*. Totaling up all the episodes doesn't even get it to an hour, and that's just quite literally insane to me. This production is small, the cast consists of maybe 5-6 people, and the story is all over the place, but the silver lining is that I can see the potential that this could've had had it been thoroughly planned out and much much longer.

Let's Dive In.

It's short, it's rushed, and I don't remember any of the characters' names. But with a run time of 8 minutes for 5 episodes, it can easily happen. Although, what I do remember is that it had a great love triangle, and I mean great. You truly couldn't tell who the lead was going to choose, and it was exciting.

The open ending isn't frustrating just because of the material we got in the first place, and they were probably setting up for a season two, which I have know clue if it'll happen or not.

Ratings:

Story: 3.5/10 - The time jump was hilarious to me because this isn't long enough to literally skip time?? It's rushed, we don't get enough time to learn more about the characters, and I think had this budget been a bit bigger, we could've gotten some really cool things. The love triangle does feel very authentic, so I'll give it at least three stars.

Acting: 8/10 - I actually think these guys could act. I just think they weren't given enough to show their full possibilties. But for what we did get, their potentials' there and I hope to see them again.

Music: 5/10 - I don't remember it.

Recommndation Value: 4/10 - Sadly this is a miss. But it's super short and you would be benefitting a small company by watching, so maybe if you have less than an hour to spear, then go ahead and watch.

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