Unpopularopinionbydemand

Super Fun Watch

I really enjoyed Our Skyy. getting to see the continued stories of these beloved characters was just so much fun.

In order of my favorite episodes: Kongpob and Arthit, Tee and Mork, Pete and Kao, In and Sun, and last but not least Rome and Pick.

Kongpob and Arthit: 9/10

I fell in love with their episode. Krist did an amazing job in this episode. He did such a good job at portraying that hidden emotion behind his eyes when he heard the news. Overall, their story made me actually feel something. Their relationship is so natural and so free that I just can't help but love them so much. My favorite part was the montage of their past series, and when Arthit showed up at the airport. I can't explain how amazing their chemistry is, and I would love to see them in future series.

Tee and Mork: 8/10

I loved the chemistry between them. The small kisses on the head, the hugs; it was just really the small moments that made me loved their relationship the best. We got to see Morn and Gord! Yay! I loved them so much, their friendship is the cutest, and I was happy to see them again. The only downside to this couple is the entire plot. As much as they have the best chemistry, they have the worst communication. Gord was the one that was messaging Tee as a female, in which he thought Mork was cheating on him. If he had just done a bit of communicating, then the whole solution could've been resolved sooner. The band playing for Tee was the cutest thing ever. It was so perfect for the two of them, and the public kiss made it even better.

Pete and Kao: 8/10

The concept of their episode was clever. it was different, and it was a fun watch. It was probably the most comedic episode out of all of them, the fake death was hilarious, but my favorite part had to be them going out and buying a plant. My only problem was that Pete was so mean to Kao. it's like he had this grudge against him, which I guess is part of his personality, but in this episode, it felt to be a bit much. They have been dating for some time now, so it felt off for him to be so grudgey against Kao.

In and Sun: 6/10
I mostly just liked this episode because Mike was in it. I'm always used to seeing Mike as the comedic relief, but in this one, he was so serious, and I couldn't believe it was him for a second. I liked that he was kind of the wingman that was helping Sun try to get back with In. My favorite scene had to be the one in the bed. it was adorable and cute, and I loved it. The only reason I scored this episode so low is that I didn't watch In and Sun, which I think they were in My Dear Loser. I put it on my on-hold list, just because it was a side BL, and I didn't feel like watching the main story.

Rome and Pick: 7/10
As much as I love Off and Gun in literally any series, this episode was my least favorite. First off, I never watched Puppy Honey for the same reason I didn't watch My Dear Loser; I wasn't interested in the main story plot. But this episode was the first, so I thought that it had set the concept for the rest of the episodes to follow, but I was wrong. it was completely different from the rest, and I didn't enjoy it all too much. Them switching bodies was fun, but it became pretty boring. There's just didn't make me feel anything, I didn't care too much for them.

Overall, this was a cute sequel to their stories. I recommend this to anyone that wants to see more of these couples, but also to anyone wanting to watch something that is pretty fun and lighthearted.

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"WE'RE IN LOVE!" *high fives*

This is a very popular series, and for honestly, good reasons. I get it, Both Bright and Win are very attractive men. Their looks alone had to rack up at least half of the views they got because, in my opinion, this show doesn't scream, "best series out of all BLs" to me.

I was actually quite shocked that this was the BL that everyone kept raving about. After finishing it, I still couldn't understand what the hype was. I don't want to come off as rude or a "typical hater" because I genuinely liked 2gether. It was funny, it was lighthearted; it was an honest fun watch. This was one of those series in which you watched for pleasure and simply just that, nothing more and nothing less. The only argument I make to people is that if this was their favorite series, then they haven't seen literally anything else. I wouldn't blame someone for having this at number 4 on their top 10 list, but if it's number one, then you have NOT seen any other BL ever. While this is a fun and happy-go-lucky series, it still doesn't compare to some of the other series that deserved just as many views, and fans, and love.

Ahh yes, have the feminine gay guy go chasing after the "straight" dude on campus. The use of BLs making feminine gay guys the punch of the joke or the perverted, annoying freak is getting annoying. At least by the end, Green is given a partner, but still, it was just aggravating to watch Green act like a fool over Tine. I'm not much of a fan of fake dating, but quite honestly I liked it a lot better when Sarawat and Tine were fake dating rather than actually dating. In some parts, especially when they were dating, it felt stiff and off. I heard people call them the "straightest gay couple ever" and while I wouldn't go that far, I will say that their chemistry felt very "bros" sometimes. But, they were also some really cute moments between them that felt right. I think it took Bright and Win a minute to get close to one another, and it becomes apparent when you see the shift in confidence with the choices they make. While I don't really believe in the whole, "I loved you this entire time" bull, it was still cute, and I enjoyed watching them on screen.

By far, Man and Type were the best thing about this series. While I won't applaud the stalkerish behavior of Man, I really did love his humor and how comedic he was. The search for Type was cute (until it became a bit much), but for the most part, it was fun and a happy ending. Also, Toptap is the cutest human being ever and Mike is one of the funniest BL actors I've ever watched. I much rather preferred Frank and Drake's character's in My Tee than in here. Mii was a straight-up player and a bad guy. I just wanted Phukong to move on to someone else so many times. Also, we didn't get to see enough of them for me to even really like them. Most of what we saw of them was Mii breaking Phukong's heart. Gunsmile added a literal cherry on top. He was perfect, and I loved him so much. We got to see AJ and Khaotung again, and what looked like a hint of something going on between them. Not anything too spectacular or noticeable, but I still enjoyed them either way.

As I said, 2gether is a cute series and I would definitely recommend it to any first-time watchers. Like I've also already stated, you haven't seen any amazing BLs yet if this one is still your number one pick. I recommend I Told Sunset About You, A Tale of A Thousand Stars, or Gameboys. Those were just a few mentions, but there are plenty that were beautiful and depict real gay relationships with earnestness and love.

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OG Sequel Series

Even though I actually really enjoyed this series, I still would've rather preferred that it wasn't made. I enjoyed Sotus way more than the sequel, and that's just because some of the decided plots for this series were boring and pointless. Arthit's entire job plot was so slow and tedious. I didn't care about his coworkers, or his boss, or anyone in that facility. Wish they would've shown more KongArt and less Arthit at work.

I understand that sometimes it’s hard to be publicly out about a same-sex relationship, but I still had some problems. By this point in the story, Kong and Arthit have been together for 2-3 years, and Arthit is still not comfortable with Kong. Kong would make small gestures, and Arthit would reject it. This was solved by the end of the series, but I just think it’s ridiculous that it took him 2-3 years into the relationship to actually treat his boyfriend as his boyfriend.

I CRIED WHEN ARTHIT CONFESSED TO EVERYONE THAT HE LOVED KONG. There are only two things that I cry at: coming-out scenes and emotional confession scenes. I didn't realize the tears that were falling out of my eyes after it was over. Finally, Arthit accepted his boyfriend after so many years, but also, the music and everything was just so perfect.

I feel like there were a lot of side couples in this series, but maybe that was just me. Few and Day were cute, but we didn’t get to see enough of them. Overall, I did enjoy it.

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The OG series

I LOVED THIS. The connection between Kong and Archit was so strong. Anytime they were on screen with each other, it just felt completely natural. This was my first series where the engineering study was super plot-heavy, so I wasn't annoyed with the uni student dynamic (yet). This series is the best character development-wise. Both of them grew into being better people for each other, and I completely approve. The small meaning behind the gear necklace is what kind of made this series for me. I adore tangible objects that hold large meanings. This trope will become overplayed soon enough with every engineer BL series, but this one is where it felt really good. This was one of those shows that didn’t have to have a lot of physical moments just to tell a good love story. Off was in this and that just made it twenty times better. I genuinely enjoyed M and May’s story. I was quite shocked at how invested I was. Prem and Wad gave us nothing. Loved that.

The only thing that bothered me was how haze-heavy it was. Obviously, hazing isn't right, nor is it healthy, but there were sometimes when the hazing plot became too much and took over entire episodes. I wish Kong and Arthit got together a little sooner instead of them taking so long. As much as I love them, their first kiss was cringe like hell. I still haven't been able to go back and watch because it just looks super awkward and stiff. However, I love Kong and Arthit because the actors did amazing together, and corresponded with each other's emotions. Hopefully, we can see them in future dramas (obviously Sotus S, but something different).

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MY EVERYTHING

This drama was done so beautifully and so poetically. I can't help but get so excited to write this review for TOL, since it is one of my favorite BLs of all time. My all-time favorite tropes and themes in romances are unrequited love and friends to lovers; TOL is literally a mix, and I can't help but pour all of my love into this amazing drama.

Let's dive in

Production: Production was spectacular. The lighting was my favorite part. It matched the mood of the current situation happening and added so much to the story. I think the best example is the scene when Two ask Thrid if he likes Khai, and we see the soft tones that cascade over Thrid. Urgh, I will never get over the amazing cinematography in this series. The music played a nice part in the production as well.

Story: Yes. YEs, YES!! I absolutely LOVED the story. Once again, I'm a sucker for friends to lovers and unrequited love, and this series did just such a beautiful job at balancing the two. I think I loved this story even more for not having it be a reciprocated love, and instead, we see the build-up to them understanding each other's feelings, and the whole story that takes place. Yes, it was frustrating that Khai could be a little oblivious and that Thrid was a little hard-headed, but it created real people instead of just characters. The concept of them going through different themes in movies was just literally the cherry on top. I couldn't get enough of the mix between the two, and it really drew you in, and that's what made it different from other BL uni stories. On top of that, I absolutely loved all the other side stories, especially Two and Un. As much as I loved Bone, I would say that I paid the least attention to his story since I'm not a huge fan of teacher/student romances, so it was a definite turn-off.

Acting: YES!! All acting was perfect. Off and Gun have such good partner acting that just works for the both of them. You can see when it's words from the script and when it's just them being them. This series wouldn't have worked the same had it been anyone else. Mike and Nawat added so much to the story and were magnificent supporting roles.

COUPLES

Thrid and Khai: 8.5/10

I will continue to boast about how realistic and perfect this couple was. Yes, they had their flaws (many of them), but they were just so human, and I really do appreciate that. At times, Khai being oblivious of Third's feelings was hard to continue sitting through, but Thrid was just as annoying not seeing that Khai had finally found out and couldn't connect the pieces. Plenty of people have dived deeper into the meaning of their relationship, but genuinely they had great chemistry and worked out well in the end.

FIRST KISS RATING: 2/10 - Is there much that needs to be said? There was a point for it being so weird and off, but still, I hate it and still haven't watched it since the first time. of course, the kisses since then have been spectacular and perfect.

Un and Two: 6/10

I can't say too much about this couple since we didn't see really anything much with them, at all. It felt really slow with them, but also really quick. I think we needed way more screen time with this couple to actually get a feel for them. The only scene I can really remember is the scene when they both get stuck in the auditorium. Also, I love Earth so the 6 just might be me being biased, but oh well.

RECOMMEND? YES, thousand times yes. For first-time BLers, I would most definitely recommend that they watch this one first. It's fun, wholehearted, light, and happy for the most part.

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I Wanna Put Taishin in My Back-Pocket

How can one be so perfectly handsome and incredibly endearing simultaneously? I'll tell you who, Eito, the mastermind behind the character Taishin who's an all-around cutey that I want to put in my back pocket. But besides how adorable he is, I thoroughly enjoyed this JBL. It balanced out the actual story plus romance very well, and I watched this without being bored or skipping through or wanting to scream at my laptop.

Let's Dive In.

Now, going into this, I think the first thing I want to point out is a major flaw within a smaller subplot of this series. Taishin ends up being too nice to this older gentleman to the point where this man does everything to "accidentally" bump into Taishin, even going so far as to stay by Taishin's door until nighttime waiting for him to answer. Now, this is, without a doubt, creepy as hell, However, considering the fact that Taishin went so far as to follow Takara to Tokyo to go to his exact university just to be with him isn't much of a difference. This is why I see it as a flaw considering that Taishin himself, although not stated ever in the series, also was pretty much "stalking" Takara. He even buys him his favorite marbles, says really -out-of-pocket things in the beginning, and even states that he moved just to be closer to Takara. Weird? 100%. Again, the show never combats his actions, but it's very clear that in any real-world situation, what Taishin did would not be okay. Even with this, it didn't deter my overall score because everything else was just too good.

Taishin and Takara's relationship is my cup of tea. The stoic seme and the bubbly uke, urgh, they were perfect. I do wish that we could've seen a much more vulnerable side to Takara, like a crying scene, or one where he's emotionally distraught and just letting it all out. There is one scene where he gets vulnerable, but it's not as heavy-hitting as I'd like it to be. I liked the comparison of his liking marbles to then Taishin being his life-size marble and comparing his "shining eyes" to the glass marbles. While it seems incredibly niche to me to like something like looking at regular-degular glass marbles, I think it was a neat add-on for Takara's personality in terms of his upbringing and in the present with Taishin. Taishin is just a ball of sunshine and can do no wrong, which is also the ultimate flaw of his character. It's not so bad to the point where he's unwatchable, but at times, it's hard to tell what the writers were trying to play at with his character. Their relationship is incredibly endearing, and while I won't go so far as to say they had the best chemistry in JBL, I will just say that I enjoyed it enough that it catches me in my feels at certain points, plus there's a delightful height difference that steals my attention immediately. They had some pretty dead fish kiss, not so "dead" per se, but they definitely could've done better.

Another nit-picky thing, but there's this characteristic about Taishin that I'm not sure if it should be read further into or that's just how his character is, but there's a part where he's trying to figure out his feelings for Takara and they play into him not realizing that "gay" was a thing, or that his feelings for Takara were the same as loving an idol. Either he's been super shelter all his life, which could be the case since he's from rural parts of Japan, (even though his mom and entire family seem very open and accepting of Takara, yes only knowing that he's a friend, but still), or he was showing sure signs of being on the spectrum, like wondering what his feelings were, being so blunt about trying to figure it out, being confused with his emotions, growing such an oddly close relationship with his bird that he still talk to him even though he's died. Okay, I'm probably thinking about it way too much, but that's just my look into Taishin's character further.

The special episode is cute, however, it's annoying that they turned their one girl friend into a manic BL-lover who follows Taishi and Takara around and writes them. Other than that though, the special episode is pretty cute.

Ratings:

Story: 8/10 - Rather nice. Flowed well, had some bumps, but it was mostly all smooth sailing. Their romance is also pretty slow-burn which can be a nuance to some, but it was my favorite part.

Acting: 9/10 - Eito is the prettiest, cutest, most handsome man I've seen in BL in a while, and he can also act! Great expressions cried when needed to, and acted so well with his eyes. Same with Yoji (Takara) on the beautiful scale, but I think the writers gave him a pretty one-dimensional character that most actors could've played, just not as devilishly adorable as Yoji. Everyone else did a good job as well.

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

Recommendation Value: 9/10 - it's s cutesy while still holding together a nice and complex plot, the actors are all beautiful, and I definitely think this should be your next watch if you haven't seen it already.

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Best in the Business

I can not scream enough how amazing (and that's just an understatement) that IPYTM is. Usually I don't like sequels cause they always go in and mess up a perfectly good plot, but this knocked my socks off. Dare I say, I loved it more that ITSAY.

let's Dive In.

I think one of the reason I loved it way more than ITSAY is because that part of their story was more of them trying to understand their feelings towards each other and themselves, so most of it was gloomy and sad and heartbreaking. Yes, this series had some heartbreak, but it wasn't about one's identity, which personally for me I feel is sadder than anything else. IPYTM was about change and how to deal with it. It was about the impact of choices made and their consequences, it was about learning who you wanted to be instead of who you were, and I loved it.

Production gets a 10 for itself. If I could give production a higher rating I WOULD. I forget that this is a Thai BL every time I watch it. It is so out-of-the-ordinary that it gives that statement a whole new meaning. The cinematography was perfect, and I mean that to the T. It was the symbolism behind the specific color pallet they went with, it was about the subtleness of these underlying meaning behind their clothes, setting, props, daytime, subjects, etc. Everything mixed so perfectly that it was scary. This series will always remain the best cinematography that I have ever seen in any BL. A huge round of applauds to the crew and specifically the cinematographers.. (has this show been nominated for any awards? Please let me know if so, I'm really curious about it!).

Onto the plot. Another thing done so beautifully. I see IPYTM getting a lot of hate for how the plot was handled and executed, but for me it was just so authentic and so true to life that that's what made it right on point. People grow, people change, people discover new friends, hobbies, activities, interests; the list goes on. So that disconnect that we see and feel between Teh and Oh-Aew is real, it's something that can and will happen quite often. The situation that happen between the two of them, their growing change in interests, the contrast of their lives and what they do is all apart of a realistic relationship. The plot is what drove me to the edge of my seat and had me clinging on to the edge for dear life.

Onto the characters. There's no need to even comment on our main actors' performances, cause they were top-notch, enough said. I felt for Oh-Aew, especially in the first two episodes. I was more mad at Teh than anything, not taking his time to spend with Oh, not understanding his new desire in doing advertising, just so many different aspects that Teh pissed me off about. But then you start to feel for him when you see that he didn't want to be pursuing his dream alone, or that he didn't like the change, or that he was played by Jai. Let's talk about that for a second. Jai used Teh's emotions so that he could get what he wanted out of his final project. It hurt so bad to hear him even speaking to Teh like that, and the hurt and realization in his eyes BROKE me. You want to console him, but you also what to hit him upside the head and tell him, "well, this wouldn't have happened had you just not cheated." It was a very conflicted feeling that actually aggravated me quite a bit. Another thing that went so nicely with their story were the time jumps. Without them, I don't think this story would've been made justice. It would've seemed too rushed and jumbled for just a short few months or year, but instead it spans from 4-5 years, and it makes you feel for them even more. The ending was BEAUTIFUL. I have never wanted to have created a dialogue so bad in my life like I did this one. Their conversation is beautiful. The way Oh-Aew talks about how he wants their future relationship to be, how he wants for their to be a change, but a good one. It brought me to tears, it was so magical.

I was so happy to see Bas again! I wasn't always sold on Teh and Oh-Aew's relationship, especially in the first part, and I wanted Bas to be an actual option and of course he wasn't, but in IPYTM I see Teh and Oh-Aew's relationship better. I loved their individual friend groups, Oh-Aew's specifically. I feel for Q, cause you can tell that he was developing feelings for Oh, so seeing his post with Teh was rough. They were a nice touch, they added comfort and stability for Oh and it made me happy to see him happy without Teh for once. The wedding was handled nicely, the ending shots with everyone seeing Teh's post was beautifully directed, and the very end when they walked away was brilliant.

Overall, This series was a masterpiece. I'm not sure if they're going to have a season 3 or not, but in my honest opinion, I say they don't do one. Another one might add too much conflict onto their relationship that will make it feel repetitive and irrelevant. Let this be their ending! I'm crossing my fingers! I'll continue to say this and continue to be mad about it, but this series does not have enough recognition AT ALL. Yes, it has a platform, yes, it has gained popularity, but not enough. If this series could switch with 2gether, I think I would cry. Just look at how much popularity that cheesy and simplistic story got, how come this one can't? Not to bring another series down or anything, but that's just my personal thoughts. Anyways, A highly recommended series!!!!!

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Are We Serious?

Without a doubt, Secret Relationships is probably the best production that we've seen come out of Korea this year, in addition to 8 episodes with a decent runtime. But I cannot deny that this didn't resonate with me in the slightest bit (okay, maybe a bit, but not entirely). Secret Relationship? More like Brutal (Murderous) Love.

Let's Dive In.

This story attracts you immediately with its beautiful cinematography and four incredibly good-looking men to appease the eyes. At first glance, this seems like it'll be an adorable love square; who can win over Daon's heart? Will it be his longtime crush, Jaemin? The darling coworker from work? The aggressive "ex" of Jaemin from the past? It's makes you wonder, it keeps you on your toes, and them BAM! someone is trying to kill him.

The whiplash I got from this series, holy fuck. Everyone just needs therapy and anger management. Other's need just the death penalty, my goodness. At no point was Daon like, "Yeah, I think I should talk to someone about my maniac friend/crush who destroyed the lives of the people around me for his own benefits, and the fact that he tried to kill me." Like.... are we serious?

I know not all series are going to be bubbly and cutesy and have these characters waving green flags, but this was just not my cup of tea. Lots of people love toxic and I hate it. Maybe cause I'm too much of a realistic person. Daon and Seonghyeon won't last unless they go to couple's therapy. I'm being so deadass.

Everyone frustrated me, but no one ticked every nerve in my body like Daon did. I was hoping by the end, he would've grown a backbone and stood up for himself, but instead, he was the constant damsel in distress and never thought to just scream his head off when Suhyeon was being aggressive and gross, or when Jaemin was trying to molest/kill him. Then, instead of cursing him out like he should've, he just... apologizes? Jaemin reading his note in the hospital had me seeing red. What kind of message is that? Why not instead say, "Hey, once you get out of the hospital, you fucking lunatic, the police will be waiting for you. I hope you burn in hell." Like, how come that was never said?!

There's just so many other non-sensical tropes/devices that happen. Daon waited how long to tell Jaemin he liked him? And then coincidentally, Suhyeon shows up? What? And then you learn that Jaemin is a nutcase, and you think about it, and you're like, "You really committed to a no-dating contract that hard that in the time of Suhyeon leaving to go abroad and now, you never thought to finally make your move?" Like...what? Then you have Seonghyeon who is determined not to leave Daon's side even when Daon is telling him it'll never work out, but suddenly he sees a hickey, and he's done? The same Seonghyeon that has been willing to listen and observe this entire time doesn't wanna hear Daon's side anymore? Are we serious?

The only thing I can applaud about this series is the plot twist of Jaemin being absolutely crazy. I genuinely had no idea that was where the plot was headed. Suhyeon might've been fucked over by Jaemin, but he was no saint either. If anything, I still believe that he was the pure villain of this series, with an abominable redemption arc. "Oh Suhyeon, it's okay that you tried ruining my life and were propelling me into walls. At least you weren't trying to kill me!" Again, are we serious?

Soft, cutesy BL is my bread and butter, I cannot lie. If you loved this series, then I love that for you, but this was just a no-no. Then at the end they try and fix everything by throwing in a time-jump and the worst ending kiss I've ever seen, ever.

Ratings:

Story: 8/10 - Won't deny that I was curious during each episode to see what the fuck was going on. Seonghyeon, my rainbow in the sky. Please run, I promise you Daon's not out of the clear, those men are crazy.

Acting: 9/10 - Stellar!

Music: 5/10 - Distracted me once, but otherwise, fine.

Recommendation Value: 6/10 - this is... brutal. I wouldn't recommend this to someone if they weren't ready for its contents. But, these actors are good, and it's a great Korean BL production, so... maybe?

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Standing Ovation and I'm So Mad I'm Just Now Seeing This

It's so hard for me to voice just how much I loved this series that, out of all the reviews I've written, this has been the most difficult to really express just how much genuine love I have for this series. Never, and I mean never, did I think any other series would be capable of replicating the way I felt while watching ATOTS, and this series has proven that false. I cannot believe I'm saying this, But: Gelboys is officially my number one series of all time.

Let's Dive In.

This is a quick turnaround, and I thought that maybe I needed a second to really analyze if this really beat A Tale of Thousands Stars out of being my number one series of all time, but, without a doubt, it does. To anyone out there that is potentially paying attention to my account, you'll know that I've loved ATOTS since it aired, and nothing has beaten since in 4 years. Things have come close, things have definitely teetered the line, but when it came to going down the checklist, most series didn't have what I had with ATOTS; pure excitement and pure realistic emotions. Until Gelboys.

I realized that this series was going to mean a lot to me the minute episode one ended. I began to have dreams about it (haven't done that since ATOTS), I began to think about the series all day and night until I could get home to watch another episode, I CRIED (I quite literally never cry watching series, and even if I say I have, I'm exaggerating), like literal tears coming out of my eyes (also hasn't happened since Our Skyy 2 ATOTS episodes). I debated on waiting longer to finish the episodes cause there are only seven (the only time I wished for a longer Thai series, how crazy is that), and the craziest of all, I'm actually looking forward to season 2 (although it feels unnecessary, I don't care, I will be there, and I will be seated).

And on top of that, on top of all the crazy and wild emotions that I experienced while watching, this show is just so astonishing. And wonderful. And incredible. And phenomenal. And astounding. And remarkable. And breathtaking. And sensational, And staggering. And wondrous. And magnificent. And any other word that means the best BL I've ever seen.

Okay, so let me actually get into the review now. What makes this the best BL or me? Literally everything. I cannot tell you just one thing that captured my attention and kept it, because it was quite literally everything. The aesthetic, the settings, the vibes, the story, the acting, the cinematography, the modernism, the maximalism, the accurate depictions of teen-hood, the expressionism, the artisty, the music, even down to one of my biggest pet peeves, which is filming in public and watching the people in the background trying to avoid the camera or watching what's going on. All of it. And I mean ALL of it.

Never has a series made me want to just quit at everything and hop on the next flight out to Thailand. I wanted to experience so badly what these characters were experiencing, the city life, riding the train, shopping, making Tiktok videos, dancing in the street, getting my nails done, laughing with friends and basically disturbing everyone around, but it wouldn't matter cause we're young and dumb and having fun.

What a dedicated piece of art to characterize the life of youth in a big city. I was aghast to see that the actors themselves are much older than the characters they're depicting. I don't know how that managed to portray realistic teenagers, even down to the mannerism so fucking well, but they had me fooled.

Which moves me onto my next point: how well depictions of teenager was presented in this. This felt like it was written and directed by a teenager. This felt like a genuine teen experience, where everything you go through seems to be the end all and be all of your life. The silent looks, the awkward pauses, the moments trying to hold in tears, the moments you couldn't hold them in anymore. Ugh, they did such, SUCH a wonderful job when it comes to the acting, I literally have zero notes. And the dialogue, THE DIALOGUE, was so organic and so completely accurate to how actual teenagers speak to one another. It felt like the director gave them room to improvise and just go with how they felt, and it worked so well. The real teen experience is packed into this beautiful 7-eps series, really.

Social media plays an extremely big role in this, and they don't fake its realness, they don't create fake social media. No, they show how social media impacts teenagers more than it ever has, ever. Just the overall meaning of creating a Spotify playlist and how it effected Chian and Fou4mod so deeply was so important to the plot. Chian with his close friends on instagram, Bua with his Tiktok, Baa with his Line. They even use Zoom and ChatGPT, and it's just so astounding to see the real world played in a series so realistically.

Onto the characters. Fou4mod is probably the most complex character in this, because I can't pinpoint his reasoning for anything, or even who he truly is. Which is so very human for a teenager. He ends up latching onto certain hobbies or subjects based on his relationship with someone, like getting his nails done because of Chian, excitement to go to a Blackpink concert cause of Baa, etc. We don't see his true personality outside of playing the guitar and singing. His relationship with everyone is so, so fragile, and extremely complex. There are moments with Chian that I yearn for them, and others that I want to tell him to run away. There are things he does as a stupid teenager in love and then as a teenager hurting that makes me want to slap him across the face. By the end, I think he has more of a grasp on who and what it is that he wants, but it takes the entire series to get there.

Then we have Chian. Oh my gosh, I love and hate Chian. I loved him more in the beginning, and then he's so wishy-washy with his emotions and how he goes about his feelings that I literally couldn't stand him at times. But when he's sweet, he's sweet, when he's confused, he's confused, when he's hurting, he's hurting. It's very easy to read and understand him, just like an open book. His relationship with both Chian and Bua is so extremely pitiful, that I feel so sorry for him, in every which way. In season two, I hope they address this.

Bua, what an annoying and yet relatable character. He seeks validation not only in his real life, but also on social media. He bounds Chian to the ropes of tiktok popularity because it's what Bua seeks the most, and he wasn't even able to realize the effect it had on their relationship. I truly believe Bua had no clue what falling in love was like, and I think he experienced it with Chian without even realizing it. Everything was platonic until it wasn't and until he makes it entirely worse. His relationship with Baa is everything. Two hurting people from failed relationships seek solemn in each other. Beautiful. The only thing I wish that they did differently with him was show his difficulties growing up in a country where he doesn't look like everyone else. It's slightly mentioned, but never given a proper story, and I'd love to see it.

Baa. My sweet Baa. My favorite out of everyone. Baa is pitiful. He is literally the definition of sad boy. I cried like someone had died in episode 4 when he literally skipped out on the concert he had been looking forward to just to try and confess his feelings to Fou4mod. when he pulled out that phone and sent all of those voice messages....gone. Couldn't see the screen, that's how hard I was crying. Then when Fou4mod opens his phone and he had already delated the messages... more tears. His introvertedness has completely halted him from honesty and openness, and it so so SO relatable. So when he meets Bua and is finally able to express himself, through actions, words, physical touch, facial expressions... more tears. His relationship with Fou4mod is real and it's so toxic. Fou4mod acted as a bad friend on many occasions and it's never addressed because this is just how Baa is, okay with what's happening. Even when he finally expresses his feelings, it's not all accurate, and it's surface level. Crazy. I love him so much.

I was just telling my friend the other day how I'm so sick of BL series going from "let's kiss for the first time" to in the next scene "we're going to have full blown sex". Where's the second bases, the groping, the subtle touching of intimate parts, innocent touches that become turn ons, intense make outs, sexual activities outside of sex like blowjobs, handjobs, grinding, etc.? How come we never see that in BL, why is it straight to sex? and then I watched this. It. Was. All. So. Perfect. Chian and Fou4mod in the photo booth, Bua and Baa while Bua is doing skincare. THAT scene where they talk about hooking up and mimic sex positions. Clothes on. Beautiful. Brilliant. Glorious. The best non-sex-sex scene I've ever watched. I loved it. Also, the kisses were just perfect between each couple, and THANK GOD they didn't cover the sounds made with music. Let us hear them being in love, thank you!!

At one point I go: "Why do I love this series so much?" and realize Boss was the director (I told sunset about you, paradise of thorns), including Junior (You're My Sky). Cased closed. I will never, EVER skip a Boss/Junior series, I can promise you that. The cinematography in this was so similar to their brilliant work in the others. I can't believe that the majority of this series was shot on an iPhone, but it all just makes so much sense that it was.

And then the nails. the nails, the nails, the nails. The fonts, the stickers, the y2k early 200s vibes. Immaculate. Ate it all up. Even down to their bedrooms. Ate. No crumbs.

I see people's argument about the reason they didn't like this series being that the characters are annoying and do stupid stuff, and which case, at surface level, yes I can see that, but no, these characters acted HUMAN. Everyone involved on this project made sure that these characters acted like human teenagers that would do the exact same thing. And that, that is why this literally means so much to me.

Ratings:

Story: 9.5/10 - Hiccups here and there, mostly for me with Bua's storyline, but otherwise, perfect.

Acting: 10/10 - Perfect No notes. Even the supporting characters, even the regular civilians trying to get out of the shot in the background.

Music: 8.5/10 - They used REAL music. From REAL groups. Yes. Yes. YES. I got to hear my favorite NewJeans and Riize song, never thought I would hear that in a BL series. Crazy. Fou4mod's singing is absolute bullshit, but that's not the point of this series like others where it's just bad on accident.

Recommendation Value: 10/10 - If I could store this series higher, I would. Messy, Complicated, but beautiful please watch!!!!

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BTS Was more Fun than the Series...

Me and one of my close friends literally dedicated two whole days to get through this, that's how much excitement we had behind this. Except, the problem was that it didn't deliver like I was anticipating, which might be entirely my own fault.

Let's Dive In.

My entire Instagram Reel was full of BTS of this series, which is what initially got both me and my friend excited. Immediately, me and her made plans to get together and binge the series. Now, what I did not know was that this was 24 episodes for 40 minutes each. Ouch. Honestly, if I could go back, I would've rather watched this while it was airing. 24 episodes is a lot to get through, and our binge day ended up being a two-day binge (a sleepover with my amazing, hilarious, and great friend, so I really didn't mind.)

Before this, I have never watched a Chinese BL or drama in general (technically Addicted, but I remember quite literally nothing besides kidnapping...yeah), so the language, traditional Chinese style editing, cinematography, and overall cheesiness was something I wasn't prepared for at all. Again, a "my fault' thing. The initial set up of the story is fun, if not entirely idiotic to get revenge on a man for a woman that literally hates your guts, but okay! Again, I had to kind of put myself in a "this is not serious, don't take this seriously" mood. It kind of felt like I was watching one of those little mini series they advertise on TikTok where you have to pay to watch each part and it's like a crazy set up... yeah, that's what it felt like.

It wasn't that this series had some crazy, "that can't happen fr" moments, but some stuff was just so good vs evil, wrong vs right coded that I couldn't help but snicker every few minutes. You know who is evil, you know who is good, and there is no in-between. This reminded me of Thai BL in mid/late 2010s: Evil woman, lead is only gay for other lead, top is toxic, every obstacle ever to break up the leads. But, even with saying that, I still kinda enjoyed it. I think you watch, you laugh, you say "huh?" a couple of times, and then you move on. I also learned a lot about snakes, how fun!

The editing is what really took me out. So many fade to black moments for no reason, and too many times it felt like they had cut entire scenes. I know this series was very censored after it's initial release, so maybe lots of stuff was cut due to it, but you can't expect me to think Cheng is going around saying the thing he's saying, smacking/jiggling Ba Dao's ass and they wouldn't show them actually getting it on. Whatever.

Which is my next point: the BTS was so much more thrilling than the actual series. So insanely crazy to say. After episode 14 (after already watching the series on 1.75x speed), me and my friend generously skimmed through the rest of this series. Lots of this and that, exes, snakes, fade to blacks, blah, blah, blah. I have a feeling this could've definitely been wrapped in 12 to 15 episodes if they threw out every single new obstacle that the leads and side leads had to go through for whatever reason.

Lastly, I think the side leads are adorable, but then they kiss and... again, "Huh?" It was like they were moving their heads, but their lips weren't moving...? Odd.

Okay, enough crapping on this. I didn't hate it, seriously I didn't, but I don't know if Chinese BLs are going to be my cup of tea. I'm willing to give others a try, and I'm always open for suggestions. Just maybe not one that's so..... comically cheesy?

Ratings:

Story: 7.5/10 - The initial conflict and setup isn't bad, but it's all the other conflicts that come after and just the overall trashy vibes. The leads had good chemistry, I won't get too deep into "omg, Chi Cheng is the worse and is so hyper toxic that I would need another separate review just to talk about it." so I'll just say, I wasn't his biggest fan. Honestly, everyone was pretty toxic, but oh well.

Acting: 8/10 - Good. Nothing crazy, again I was getting use to the acting in Chinese dramas, so it's not the crazy best (imo), but I think Ba Dao handled his more emotional scenes to the T.

Music: 6/10 - Some random english song would start to play and throw me completely off. I did like whatever song was playing during Cheng Fu and Xiao Shuai's NC scene when the power went out.

Recommendation Value: 4/10 - Eh. Watch it cause I think the hype around the series is fun. I also think this is opening more doors for Chinese BLs to happen, and that makes a lot of people happy which makes me really happy. But, honestly, I could've done without watching this series. By next week, I'll have forgotten everything besides snakes, Xu Ning shirtless, and a shot in the ass (LOVED that scene, lol).

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Japan Does it Best

Japan puts their spin to a Thai BL classic, Love in The Air, and with no surprise, do it much, much better.

Let's Dive in.

When I first heard of this, I was worried. How were they going to be able to intricately make such an already-odd series and put their own taste to it? Well, they did it, and they did it pretty decently.

This series basically took everything I hated about the original and completely squashed it. They were about to tell the same story with the same characters and conflicts, without the need to add in unnecessary characters, or random scenes, or a bunch of tropey stuff. They told the exact same story, concisely and beautifully in just 10 episodes, and I loved it.

Now, with that, I did somewhat-sort of trash watched this with a friend, so I wasn't as observant as I usually am with series, but that's okay. I still think it was great, the character's had more depth, Rei and Kai felt more like friends than Payu and Sky, and the NC scene were hitting in all the right spots.

Overall, I think this was better than the original, but still not the best J-BL. It's okay for what it is, and I appreciate that it was given us.

Ratings:

Story: 7.5/10 - Still the same old plot, still not my favorite, but Japan told the story way better. I loved the chemistry between the leads, and they did a job well done.

Acting: 8.5/10 - LOVE Reo (Kai) he did SUCH a good job. Everyone else did good too, and fortunately, Shoma is just so hot that he get an extra point out of me.

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

Recommendation Value: 7/10 - Ehh. Shoma looks good with his shirt off though.

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How Can You Not Love This?

Oh, this was like the bread and butter on BL. I can't imagine someone watching this and not falling in love with this adorable makeshift family. I don't know why I haven't watched this before now, but oh boy, am I glad I came around to this wonderfully happy little BL.

Let's Dive In.

Wow, so this was the cutest little J-BL I've seen in a while. The stacks are pretty low, but the feels are incredibly high. Yutaka who has always eaten by himself due to past trauma finds a little dude and his incredibly hot brother to spend his long-awaited time with. It's so nice just to see people connect over food and feel warm and loved. I can't even say anything different than what others have said because it's all true: this was a really special BL.

Ratings:

Story: 9/10 - Such a lovely story. We see so much domesticness go on between the three of them and it's the best thing ever. I also liked how we see Yutaka at work but it's not overbearing or with tedious office jargon. Their relationship is so precious while not having to be too physical, and it's perfect.

Acting: 9.5/10 - That kid stole the show. The way he was able to keep up with these adult actors was insane. I don't think I've seen a kid act that good in a while, and he's so incredibly young to be acting so good!! The leads did great as well.

Music: 6/10: It wasn't directing but not very memorable.

Recommendation Value: 8/10: this was just so precious, I highly recommend it if you're wanting a heartfelt watch. it does have some tough stuff about grief and death which could be a doozy, but for real, please watch this!

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What a Gem of a Show

With only 3 episodes, each about 45 minutes long, IBTLIABLD hits hard in all aspects, specifically making me laugh my ass off, but also hitting you in the heart where it hurts. Both funny and a little tragic, this series has hit the nail on what's to come this year from Japan, and I'm so freaking excited!

Let's Dive In.

Right off the bat, I knew something was up with Yuichiro when we're first introduced to his character. Very charming yet something slightly off, avoiding even looking at Hajime, the adorable other lead cast in his childhood shadow as always been known as the Orange Juice Boy. we find out later on that Yuichiro was actually a giant stan of his, having memorabilia on top of memorabilia, and leading to some fantastically hilarious moments between the two of them. Overall, their story was beautiful. You can see so easily how fond Yuichiro is of Hajime, and exactly when that switches to liking him. It took a lot longer for Hajime to realize it, but once he does, it's just a guessing game on when they'll eventually announce (not in secrecy) to each other on their feelings. This dynamic is so heartwarming to me. The perfect height difference, the perfect balance of cheeky and cute, portraying moments that made me pause so I could laugh, or moments when I had to pause so that I could regain my composure and not cry. A truly lovely pairing, played by some really fantastic actors.

The side romance was a surprise to me, but not a bad one. Both managers of the boys end up together, trying to be secretive about it until it's noticeable, and then on top of that, trying to keep their talents at bay with their antics and worries. All other side characters did a job well done too, being the driving force of our leads to get together while not having much of a story of their own, but I'm really not too mad at it.

A couple of negatives I had about this series: I absolutely hate that they threw in a misunderstanding in the very last episode, considering that we only had 3. And then Yuichiro not explaining that it was a misunderstanding to Hajime was even more aggravating. It's cheap writing for a moment that was resolved in like the next 5 minutes. Another would be that we don't get to see them kiss outside of their "characters". A lot of people complained that the kiss was super bland, and while it was, if you're considering that they were practicing for their roles, I doubt they would've gone all in, especially if it was their first kiss. I would've rather seen them kiss again once they were together; in fact, on the bridge would've been a perfect moment for it to happen. And then we get a cut-off kiss in the very last scene which is urgh, but overall, even with my negatives, this series really did it for me, and I loved it.

Ratings:

Story: 9/10 - super funny, super relatable, super good. Flowed well for the 3 episodes it got, and honestly, I don't really think it needed more time. If you know how to structure a plot perfectly, then you have a good story to tell, regardless of the time.

Acting: 9.5/10 - Fantastic! these actors really know how to play their characters. Alan (Yuirchiro) played his character to a T, with some fantastic moments portraying the usual over-the-top Japanese intricacy that I've come to love. Also, is it just me or does he look a lot like Johnny from NCT?!

Music: 6/10 - I don't remember any of the music, but it wasn't distracting so there's that.

Recommendation Value: 10/10 - very rare I give 10s out, but this was seriously so good. It's pretty short so it doesn't take forever to watch, and it keeps you entertained through it all. The romance is great, the characters are adoring, and you should definitely give this gem of a series a watch!

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Brillant Story

Triage wins the "best Plot" award of 2022, and I'm already writing that down for when I do my "Best and Worst of 2022" list later this year. Wow, what a freaking ride. From beginning to end, the audience is thrown into the life and loops of Dr. Tin, who fights to save the life of a man he deems irresponsible when they first meet. Triage is a deep and tear-jerking drama that deals with a complicated plot in the best way I think I've ever seen done in a BL series.

Let's Dive In.

Triage was directed and screen written by the same amazing man that make "Manner of Death" in 2020, with us even getting a few cameos with the leads from MOD's themselves (which at the end, it may imply a season 2 or a spinoff of both series combined). He did the same thing he did over there, which is to focus more on the storytelling and the overall appeal of the storyline than the actual BL of it all. And I think it works pretty well in this, except for the fact that Tin and Tol's romance isn't as strong as it could be. But no wonder why Triage is as heart-wrenching and as thrill-packed as was in MOD.

There is just no plot like this one. Tin has to continue going through loops until he can save Tol's life, on top of trying to see if he can save the other's lives around him. It's magnificent. At first, I was scared that with so many different conflicts going on in the series, it would leave plot holes or forget key details, but it never wavers. We get the complete story of Rit, Mai's mom, Dr. Sak, Dr. Doi, Fang, etc. And nothing felt rushed or last-minute, it was all told with very keen detail and in a timely manner. I think the best part is when you, as the audience, finally got enough detail to put two and two together and you can figure it out as Dr. Tin does. I also like that they switched things up and made Tol fight to save Tin's life. Everything was crisp and clean, fun and entertaining, and as perfect as it could be.

The character development in this is so good. Literally the best part. Tin is this very stoic man who hates drunk drivers after his accident with his sister, and he doesn't appreciate his life as he use to until he's put into this predicament where he has to learn the value of living and surviving and we see such growth in him that it's very obvious by the end. Tol is almost the same way, with him being very brooding and harsh, but through all of this he learns to be kinder. Growth is evident in each character, Mai, Heart, Rit, Gap, Sing, Fang, literally everyone. And even some not-so-good growth that we see with Dr. Doi when he goes crazy.

Moving on to the romances in the series, let's start with Tin and Tol. Now Tin has to continuously see Tol die in every loop that he goes through, and the only way to get Tol to not drive or "drink" is to get closer to him, and even come up with the conclusion that Tol needed to fall for Tin so that Tin could get him to not drive, or not do too much to his heart. It's the perfect setup for a deep romance - imagine falling for someone and having to have them fall in love with you all over again and again -- seems pretty harsh, but the premise of it all is genius. But I think it was probably the weakest in terms of plot. Their first kiss seemed a bit off-putting since we only see Tin trying to stop the incident from happening and not so much trying to get Tol to fall for him. I feel like there was only one real moment in which I could really feel the connection and the yearning to be with one another, other than that, it kind of fell flat for me. The ending is satisfying though, and I loved seeing Tae and Tee as a paring again.

Moving onto our other side couple, Gap and Sing. Due to the loops, Gap and Sing end up together during the last loop, so we get to see them being pretty cute and domestic. Before then, Gap just had a very minor crush on the doctor, and Sing was pretty much just a straight-up asshole who didn't know how to go about his feeling for Gap. In fact, I think it was a bit too harsh for me to wish for them to be together. If anything, I was rooting for Gap and Rit for a while since it seemed that Gap brought down his stern walls to really open himself up to Rit. But in the last loop, they were pretty cute, so I'll give them that.

All the supporting characters did so well, even down to the ones with very few lines. I loved Toi and his supportive and energetic aura, Jinta was by far one of my favorite characters, and he pulled the cynical, yet helpful angel role off perfectly. Dr. Doi is so evil that I practically loved him. He falls so much into his schemes with Dr. Sak that he goes insane. Perfect. Art was the cutest, and I really wish that they would girl Mild another leading role. For the characters that I didn't really care for, would maybe have to be Heart and Mai, or really Mai's story in general. Of course, without her, there wouldn't be any plot, but I couldn't understand why Tin was interested in saving her mother when it wasn't necessarily his responsibility. Save Tol and move on. I could say the same for Win and Lookprae.

Ratings:

Story: 9 - Very crisp and very detailed. Nothing was left out, everything was covered, and it moved in perfectly formatted waves. I think the romance of Tin and Tol (even Gap and Sing) could've been better, so I'll take a star off.

Acting - 8.5 - Everyone did great, but Morris (Jinta) and Tae (Tin) stood out the most. I think Gap's actor was a little weak at times, and so was Mai's. But overall, acting was one of the better parts of Triage.

Music: 7 - I didn't really pay attention to it, so it was there.

Rewatch Value: 3 - definitely something I could rewatch if a season 2 is to happen.

Overall, a very entertaining watch, and I look forward to a hopeful season 2. I definitely recommend this to anyone wanting a complex plot or something action-packed.

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Tedious

I could barely get through this (and I barely did). When it came down to the last few episodes, I skipped bits and pieces and just watched what I wanted to. This series isn't "bad" per se, just hella boring. Unless basketball games heightened your excitement, then Our Days might not be the series for you.

Let's Dive In.

The concept of this series was something we've seen before, it gave me a lot of "You're My Sky" vibes, with the basketball and the beautiful cinematography. Mon goes to school in the city and meets So who ends up kissing him on a drunken night and stirs feelings between the both of them for the rest of the series. Some more basketball bs and an old friend and then it's happily ever after (kind of?).

For me, this was just really boring. Most parts dragged on for too long, discussing things I was just highly not interested in. This series was able to grab my attention for like two seconds and then it disappeared. This is a sports BL, which I don't usually mind, but this was entirely too much basketball. Basketball this, basketball that, and I skipped pretty much every single game/practice sequence. Mon comes off to me as a sore loser who got his feelings hurt because he sits on the bench, sad sure, but not sad enough for them to play somber ballads in the back and for me to be sympathetic to.

Talking about Mon, I wasn't really feeling it with his relationship with So. To me, they look like two completely straight actors trying to play gay characters and it doesn't work at all. That's what most BLs are, but these two had no chemistry and looked like they'd rather be anywhere else than be stuck together and have to act in love. Most of the time I got "bro" vibes. Towards the end when they're banging on the kitchen counter, it's so sloppy and messy that it also doesn't work for me. These are rookie actors, so I'll give them the benefit of the doubt, but I would've liked to see something better.

I was really intrigued with Mickey and Q but we don't go very far with them, which I can appreciate to some extent. Mickey is Mon's little brother and Q meets him through Mon. They end up becoming really close and hanging out. Mickey runs away and goes to Q where we get an awful kiss, and then something able "not having responsibilities" and then nothing else. I think I'm okay with that just because Mickey is young, so sure, he's still learning, but I would've liked a conversation to at least happen between the two of them (and not about the running away).

Pond was by far the best character and Poon was the best actor, I sure hope we see him again. Saint felt like a nuisance. He was weird to So in the beginning and because of that, I could never come around to liking him. I didn't care for his flashback story with Mon and I didn't care that he had feelings for him either.

The cinematography and the sets were beautiful; it's what really had me holding on (and Pond cause I loved him). I was so close to dropping this, but I held on. And again it wasn't bad, like plot or acting-wise, just boring.

Ratings:

Story: 6.5 - Didn't really intrigue me. It might be for someone else, but I was more bored than anything. The romance also didn't do it for me. I'll give three stars to Pond and 3 and a half stars to Mickey and Q.

Acting: 8.5 - Good enough. The main leads weren't the best, but it wasn't so bad either. Poon was the best out of everyone, I hope to see him again.

Music: 5.5 - Decent,

Rewatch value: 1 - No. Just no. I couldn't sit myself through this again,

This will be very forgotten about soon. I don't recommend it unless it's something that catches your eye. I tried watching this a few months back and put it on hold because it was so tedious, but I picked it back up and just pushed myself through it. I probably skipped over some important parts, but I simply just don't care. Watch if you want or don't.

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