Unpopularopinionbydemand

Nostalgia of TOTS is Why This Series Means Everything And More to Me

If anyone knows me, you'll know my incredible love for TOTS (A Tale of Thousand Stars) which aired back in 2021. Even still to this day, TOTS is my favorite BL of all time, and nothing has surpassed it. Some series have come close, some even teetering over the line, but at the end of the day, TOTS came first. It drove something in me so hard that I still had never felt what I felt when I watched that series. And boy oh boy, has Love Tractor rekindled some of those feelings.

Let's Dive In.

Now, Love Tractor was amazing times 10, but still, TOTS comes in first, only because TOTS had more detail and just a tad bit more story to tell than LT did. And if my comparisons of the two series haven't made sense yet, then let me clarify. Both TOTS and LT involve my all-time favorite trope -- city boy meets country boy. We don't often get these kinds of tropes, so when we do get them, I'm all over that shit like butter. And what makes it better is when they take place in the very rural countryside where the wifi half works and motherfuckers are feeding cows and shit. Both shows even had similar characters (Tian's dad/Yul's dad, Yod/the-white-dude-who's-name-I-can't-remember-and-he's-not-listed-on-MDL), similar plot moments (Leads helping with the children, playing in a river stream, fainting, playing music at night hoping to serenade the other, etc), and similar settings (Countryside, city boy learning to adapt to a rural lifestyle, fruit/vegetable harvesting, the nice villagers that welcome the newcomer). My love for this trope will never die, and I think it's actually impossible for me to ever rate a series like these ones lower than a 9.

Anyways (and I'll try to stop comparing things to TOTS because both series are still very opposite of one another as well) Love Tractor immediately grabbed my heart in the first episode. I was actually here for the mildly terrifying setup of Yul embarking on a dark and stormy night in the middle of nowhere (Cause sadly I've been there), and as a viewer, it drew me in immediately. But what drew me in more is getting to really meet Yechan for the first time and learning that he's a big ass teddy bear stuck in a macho man's body. No seriously, I want more Yechan's in my life and in my series. I can't describe to you how much love I have for him. This quirky, kind, loving, nurturing, perfect man who is down to do anything for anyone with the fattest smile on his face, whilst walking around with a God-like figure. And bravo to Dojin (Yechan) who blew his performance clean out of the water. The best I've ever seen an actor perform a character. His facial expressions, his postures, the emotions in his words -- like literally magnificent.

This series doesn't have much more time than the usual K-BL (about 20 minutes each 8 eps) but still, everything was well set up, from the beginning to the end. No plot holes, no bad pacing, and the best slow-burn money could buy you. I know lots of people hate a slow burn, but I, for one, am never going to turn my head away from amazing yearning, longing stares, simple touches, and underlying dialogue of confessions. And Love Tractor gave all that to me wrapped up in a pretty bow.

I also appreciated how this series gives us very minimal conflict given that we don't have all the time in the world, because again, the series is a bit longer than most K-BLs, but it's still not long enough to have a fully flesh-out conflict. The conflict that we did have was resolved rather quickly, and without deterring the connection between the two characters. Yul's ex-boyfriend's plot made sense (a little out of the blue), however, I wish we would've seen the flashback to him and his boyfriend before we see Inseo visit. Honestly, that's my only critique. Also, they had some colorism going on there between Yechan and his mom, which was *an image of finger guns to my head*, but this is Korea, so I'll give it a scoff, and just walk away.

One more thing, the series does an amazing job of not paying too much attention to Yechan discovering that he likes a man, or is queer, and it's literally just a cute little series with him having gay panic, but make it fluffy.

Ratings:

Story - 8.5/10 - flowed like a perfect wave. The only argument I have is the ex-boyfriend setup.

Acting: 9.5/10 - spectacular! I think Dojin outshines Won who's like our main main character, but he still did a good job too.

Music: 8/10 - paid attention this time. Really good! Especially Yul's song!

Recommendation Value: 10/10 - I would recommend this in a heartbeat. It's going on my potential of being my favorite for the year, already being placed as my favorite K-BL of all time. Beautiful storytelling, gorgeous actors, and a light-hearted romance. What more could I ask for?

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So Good, But Too Short

Too bad this series is so short and to the point because it stands out tremendously in many aspects. It's the reason I can't give this series higher than an 8, because out of all the good things that happened, its brevity and lack of details withdraw it from being, in my opinion, one of the best.

Let's Dive In.

Our Dating Sim is an office romance that for once didn't have me falling asleep with futile office jargon, or too much time spent watching them work. It was a nice balance of story, romance, and the very slice of video game language that we do get. Ki-Tae is wrapped around the finger of Wan, who confessed his love in high school but then out of embarrassment (and a misunderstanding) runs away and can't be found for the next seven years. Through his online webcomic, Ki-Tae is able to find him again and gain him entry into his game development job, as they try over again. I think the story was beautiful. The way Ki-Tae is so heartbroken about Wan's disappearance, the way we see it again in the later episodes. The consistency of it was faultless, but with the show's little timing, I'd hope they'd be on top of it.

I think my only argument is that because of how short it was, the romance is rushed. even though both actors give off exuberant chemistry, their getting together felt hurried, with nothing but a simple (but fucking awesome) kiss being their reason to get back together. And lost time and all that, I get it, but still, less than a week of reconciling doesn't mean getting together immediately.

Other than that, everything was good. The friendships in the office, the flashbacks to high school, their domestic home life, their connection, the natural chemistry between them, how they look at one another, touch one another, kiss one another. I even really appreciated the mini-dating sim game at the end of each episode, I think it was a perfect touch.

Ratings:

Story: 8.5/10 - Too short, so things were a bit rushed, but they still gave more story than other series. Because everything else was pretty perfect, The score is still very decently high.

Acting: 9/10 - Great! Especially Seungyu (Ki-Tea or Eddy) who carried emotions very well.

Music: 6/10 - I can't keep forgetting to listen to music like this every time, but again, I literally don't remember.

Recommendation value: 8.5/10 - It's a super cute watch, and if people do enjoy watching short series, then this is a good one because you can finish it in less than 3 hours.

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Unintentionally in Love with this K-BL

I've seen a few comments from people explaining how this series didn't feel just stuck in the "K-BL" category for once, but that it branches out into the "K-Drama" field as well. It has everything that a basic K-drama would have, and more. We also get a good amount of episodes that are at least 30 minutes, which didn't only take me 2 hours and a daiquiri to finish.

Let's Dive In.

Since I've freed up some of my hectic space (living in Korea for 4 months lol) I've decided to come back and hop onto the K-BL genre first. I'm glad I started with this once or else I could've very easily fallen back into a "BL-Block" hole. Unintentional Love Story was surprisingly so well put together. Down to the very budget of this series, it provided a perfect amount of drama, comedy, and romance. The story is a pretty basic setup, but throw in some cute actors, a decent budget, as well as pottery, and you have yourself a success story.

I think its weakest aspect was, of course without surprise, the kiss scenes. They would completely sell me with their chemistry and then ruin it with a dead fish kiss. I'd rather they'd not kiss cause the two leads actually had a great connection. Even their hugs and little longing stares were nice. I just wish they would've taken that extra step to really sell me on it, or had just not committed to it at all. But this is a little complaint, and the kissing didn't necessarily ruin the series for me, but with the BL industry somewhat booming right now, it's the small details like this that will bring them further down than the rest.

The secondary couple was doing so great, with their storytelling and intricate plot, but then it falls a little at the end. I wish they would've gone more in-depth with their romance, but I'm not upset with what we got. I like that we're seeing the second couple in K-BLs now, it's a really nice touch.

Rating:

Story: 8.5/10 - The plot was the best part. The script is well done, the actors commit to their roles and pull them off perfectly. Some parts were a bit draggy, mostly the office jargon that I usually yawn at. I wish they would've done some more with the secondary couple, but it wasn't a total bust.

Acting: 9/10 - Great! Wonyoung stood out the best, Taejoon not too far behind. The rest of the actors were good, they truly did a great job. Some hiccups, but overall, it's good.

Music - 6.5/10 - I didn't pay attention to the music (like I usually don't) but I couldn't help but think that some of the background music felt like I was watching a Hallmark movie. Just made me giggle a bit.

Recommendation value: 7.5/10 - Would really recommend this one, a perfect dose of good story and good romance.

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Not that Bad

TDWBMD was pretty decent. It had its moments, but for the most part, I was fucking with it. I think its only problem is that it's too short so the plot kind of falls on itself and doesn't correlate a hundred percent with what it's trying to be. But nonetheless, it was an okay watch, not very memorable, but I was entertained for the moment and that's all that matters.

Let's Dive In.

The series is pretty short, so the story is rushed perse, but something's kind of off. I really started to enjoy the series the closer we got to the end because it packed in a lot more than the beginning did. The romance feels a little dead between the MLs, it picks up in some parts, but it's not the best. I really stayed for the plot cause that's what intrigued me the most -- especially Denis. The only thing about denis is that we don't get a proper explanation as to who he was, or who he was being controlled by. We can connect the dots to see, but I'm not entirely sure if we're correct. They might've set that up on purpose for a season 2, which, in my rare cases, I'd be happy to see.

The ending was left ambiguous, so it works out if there's to be a second season. I want to see what happens to Denis since some of the people who read the manhwa said he plays a major part in why Dongbeak doesn't die.

Rating:

Story: 7/10 - Decent The plot is intriguing which is why I was kept entertained. Some holes here and there, and I'm not all that interested in the romance part of this.

Acting; 8.5/10 - Youngwoon is hot, but his acting is only okay. It might've been cause he has to play this stoic boss person, but his acting doesn't connect for me. On the other hand, Jeongwoo did an excellent job.

Music: 6/10 - I wasn't paying attention to it.

Recommendation Value: 5.5/10 - Personally, there are better K-BLs to recommend, so this wouldn't be first on my list. But it's pretty good, just really short which is its downfall.

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Nice BTS of the BL Industry

Thank god I (somewhat) kept up with this series or else it probably would've gotten dropped cause I can't see myself sitting through 20 episodes, all ranging from an hour long. But I finally finished this, and boy wasn't it a journey. War of Y takes us through the ups and downs of the BL industry by telling us the different stories of 4 BL pairings, all dealing with their own, individual problems. From a broader observance, this series was pretty good, but it had its many problems, and one of those is being too long and having quite a few underdeveloped characters.

Let's Dive In.

I'll be honest now, I really half watch (more so skimmed through) the last two stories, cause while being different, they were still pretty repetitive in some of the circumstances. So I'll put in order which stories were my favorite:

1. War of Managers
2. New Ship
3. Wife
4. Y-Idol

War of Managers was a deeper behind-the-scenes of how messy the crew to these projects can be, and I was living for it. Also, I loved Gung and Korn from Y-Destiny, so I was pretty excited to get to their part. The characters were all well-developed, and the plot was very twisty and complex so it kept you on your toes. I didn't expect anything that happened to happen, so it was fun to observe the unknown. The moral was, "Watch your back! -- and that goes for everyone!" 9/10

New Ship was good too, but it was slightly more tedious to get through. Seng's character was very complex with a deeper meaning while BIlly's character was just kind of -- there. What really pulled me was the acting, which was the best out of all the 4 parts. It explored more about how far actors will go for fame, and it did it excellently. 8/10

Wife was one that I skimmed through cause by this point, the story was over for me. But the pairing has really good chemistry, even when they're just acting like good friends. It speaks about what most of us say about BL actors and their personal life -- none of our business. Mostly why I skimmed through it because the outcome was what I was already expecting. 8/10

Y-Idol was just not my cup of tea at all. Mostly because the main actor was stale and just -- not a good actor. Their kissing scenes were hell to watch, especially when this was supposed to be a more erotic-type series. Maybe with some better acting, I could've enjoyed it but -- it was a no for me. Also the singing and dancing -- just no. 5/10

Rating:

Story: 7.5/10 - some stories were good, others okay, a few 'eh's. Y-Idol is what really pushes this score down, it just didn't do it for me.

Acting: 8/10 - Again Y-Idol takes down my score a bit. The acting was pretty stale. Outside of that, everyone else did a really good job.

Music: 9/10 - The Parkinsons return! I love them, they make beautiful music. I recommend listening to them!!

Recommendation Value: 6.5/10 - not really, but maybe so? There are a few cool cameos (Max, nat, nunew, etc), the NC scenes are done nicely, and there's some story there. so sure! Would it be my first recommendation for 2022? No, that would be DNA Say Love You (watch it if you haven't, it's brilliant!)

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Decent

It's been a while since Taiwan BLs disappointed me. It's just something about these dramas that even when it's not usually to your taste, you're still going to enjoy it. and while this wasn't really much of anything special, I still was entirely wrapped around these characters' lives. About Youth is a simple high school love story full of these conventional tropes and cliches, mixed with some really adorable characters that took my heart by storm.

Let's Dive In,

For the most part, I enjoyed the story. I feel like they left a few plot holes that would've been nice to see filled, but for the most part, it was a fine story. I liked how they didn't rush the main couple's relationship, seeing as they were only in high school.

Speaking of the main couple, I enjoyed watching their dynamics and characterization throughout the episode. Ye Guang had the best development of everybody. Finding someone that defines everything you had been missing in your life is a whole different type of relief. I could even feel it when he sent that video to his parents. Their chemistry was really good. I enjoyed more than ever their build-up and when it finally got to its execution it played out perfectly.

The side couple was nice as well. I either wasn't paying attention or they didn't explain very well why Ray was dressed as a woman to see his ex-boyfriend. At first, I was thinking he was going through a transition, but that wasn't it. I don't know if he was hiding his real identity as a female, or if his ex-boyfriend made him dress like that. I have zero ideas. Anyways though, they were cute. Ray's height gets to me, and the hair, AND the dangling earrings. Geez.

Ratings:

Story: 7.5/10: Enjoyable. Kind of simplistic and nothing too too interesting, but what we got was still good., The romances were nice and I enjoyed watching Ye Guang's character development.

Acting: 8.5/10: decent for actors that I haven't seen before. I think Ye Guang' acting was iffy. good sometimes and not as good the next. everyone else was decent.

Music: 8.5/10: Different than I usually feel, but the main lead had a beautiful voice. I didn't pass when he sang, which is VERY new for me.

Rewatch value: 3/10: Like usual, I rarely rewatch, but this seemed like it would be something I could potentially go back to see certain parts of.

There's not much else I feel that I need to say, The series was really cute and kept me entertained for the most part. It didn't stand out as this overwhelming amazing drama, but it did its job and I'm left satisfied.

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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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