Unpopularopinionbydemand

Unreal How Much I liked This

Seeing the overall rating and some of the comments I've read about this had me really worried about this series, but after watching, I'm Ever 9 and Yi-Ping's biggest supporter. Anti-reset was exactly the series I needed to get out of my BL-slump, and now I'm back in (I think, ask me in another 2 days), and I severely love this series.

Let's Dive In.

I desperately needed something new, something that wasn't a bunch of uniforms or office jargon, and this series was just perfect. It's the first in the BL genre (to my knowledge) that takes on the robot/human trope and I ate every single second of this series up. The first episode had me hooked, mostly because Li Feng (Ever 9) was gorgeous in all of his shots, especially the ones with Yi-Ping touching him and seeing how he looked so real but was just a robot. But more importantly, I think the overall feel of the series had me seated and so excited. Before their second kiss, the tension between them is so strong that you yearn for them to do literally anything.

Now the story isn't perfect. I think they could've gone into more depth about how Ever 9 worked in general outside of being a caretaker for Yi-Ping. I think it's interesting that he can eat, but does that mean he can use the restroom? And there were times when his emotions were so human-like that I wondered if he was just some half-human-half-robot person. I think as well they could've made the plot a lot more interesting by having maybe added a couple of twists, like Yi-Ping maybe finding out Ever 9 was a cyborg which is why he loved him, or at the end, they did reset him, and we have to see him rebuild all of these memories again with Ever 9 -- I don't know, something to spice up the plot a bit. Also, they never go into any depth about the weird connection that the series kept making to Ever 9 and Yi-Ping's dog who died. Was his dog's spirit in the robot (weird)? Did Ever 9 remind him of his dog which was like him finally having a companion again? I'm not sure, it wasn't thoroughly looked into, and I think it could've just been scrapped completely cause it was a little suspicious on the moral spectrum (but then again, he is falling in love with a robot so...)

But again, I loved this, the tension, their outings, the small moments of Yi-Ping falling in love with something he knew he shouldn't. When you look a little deeper into it, of course it's weird and a bit creepy to fall for something nonhuman, especially something that's programmed to do just that, And if you think even deeper than that, it's sad that Yi-Ping's uncle had to program a robot for Yi-Ping, and he that he won't ever be able to just make that same connection to a human person. He technically has nobody except something that could shut off on him at any time.

Their intimate scenes were handled really well. Lots of great kissing, and I liked that they focused more on the love part of the NC than the actual NC part. The series didn't have to make the women so insufferable like his assistant who couldn't take a hint or his student. I also hated that they made Ever 9's lips the color of his skin any time he was shutting off or in the lab, it just looked a little funny. Just some nit-picky stuff, but overall, I loved the story.

Ratings

Story: 8.5/10 - Some hiccups, but overall I enjoyed it. I love the lab stuff the most and watching Ever 9's facial expressions as they programmed him. Their domestic life was so cute, it's literally one of my favorite tropes.

Acting: 9/10 - They did excellent! Especially Li Feng. I think they both had some difficulties in being able to cry (in some scenes, not all), but overall everyone did a great job.

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

Recommendation Value: 8/10 - I really think this one is a good one to watch! It's different from the plethora of BLs that we have at our disposals, and it helped me get out of my BL-block, so that's a big reason too (lol).

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Wasn't a Huge Fan

I guess I'll have to act as the anomaly here and say I wasn't a huge fan of this one. Not because I think it was bad, but just because I felt like I was constantly confused and had to look at comments to kind of get a sense of what was going on, or just to give a guest-ment and hope I was right. Nonetheless, the acting was stellar in this, including the overall concept that's unique to the genre and one that I can appreciate.

Let's Dive In.

This concept is absolutely genius. Myungha is stuck in a virtual reality game with stakes, and objectives, and missions in order to get Yeowoon, a stoic track athlete out of his slumps and make him happy. I loved the little pop-ups, the errors, the objectives, the countdowns, and whatnot. It's a very neat idea, drawing in on video game tropes, leaving Myungha with very high stakes, sometimes some that I myself was finding hard to choose. The conclusion that I've drawn up since the end of this series is that the male that Myungha kept talking to in the bar was some type of god or guardian angel, and by that time, Myungha had already died. When he wakes in this virtual world, he has a mission to achieve, but so does everybody else. From my observation, it seems that everyone in this universe has died in the real world and this entity has placed them in this virtual one to give them a sense of peace, which is why Myungha sees his grandmother who already died in the real world; the entity gave her another chance to be with her grandson that she missed dearly in this new world. Again, this is why this series is so creatively good, you can draw on so many ideas and analyses and none or all of them are necessarily wrong or right.

Now, this is why this series still kind of didn't hit the nail for me. It was very slow. It took me longer than I'm willing to admit to finish this 8-ep series, and that's because some episodes felt draggy and slow with nothing high-stake happening. By the end, it definitely picks up more, but first, you have to go through lots of filler and it's boring. Another reason is because I kept staying confused as to what was going on. Multiple times I'd have to pause to come here to remember names, read in the comments what was happening and how we'd somehow gotten to this conclusion. On top of that, the editing was extremely choppy at times. Like one moment Myungha was crying and looking devastated and in a split second he's in a different location looking completely fine in some car with some lady. It was whiplashing to say the least. Some of the character arcs aren't so clear. Like especially Sangwon who just became besties with them after bullying them?? I feel like I definitely missed something. Kyunghoon should've ended up with his online dude, or maybe even gotten with Sangwon, but whatever.

The acting in this is stellar! I'm not a fan of Myungha and Yeowoon's relationship, but that doesn't mean they didn't act their asses off. Individually, these two were so complex in every aspect, in backstory, and then their overall development. Myungha's story is tragic, and it might seem beautiful that he's in this new world, but to me, that also seems tragic and will always have that underlying "this is kind of sad" energy. Yeowoon smiles and I'm like, "Yes". What a gorgeous actor, who I hate comparing looks to other Korean entertainers, but my lord, did he look like TXT's Soobin at some angles. When it comes to their relationship, there was a lot about it that just didn't a hundred percent work with me. The chemistry was weak, perhaps not as bad in the beginning, but for sure once Yeowoon starts being fond of him. They really did look more like good friends than two people together -- I liked that Myungha got comfortable around Yeowoon, but it didn't look like it was much more than that. The kisses weren't as bad as I was expecting, but still pretty bad.

Ratings:

Story: 8/10 - Great creativity! Loved the inclusion of lots of aspects in this. I think at times it was confusing and a little slow, but nonetheless, really entertaining.

Acting: 9/10: Great! Taevin (Myungha) did amazing, with everyone else falling immediately after.

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

Recommendation Value: 7.5/10: I think the concept is really cool, but the BL part of this is lacking for me, so it's not the first K-BL I'd recommend, but it's not the last either. But both actors are beautiful, so I actually might recommend this to you earlier.

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Wow, What a Ride

I cannot believe Secret Crush On You is already over when I feel like it just began. What once was a cringe series I was sure I would hate to now being my favorite of 2022, I will forever and always be grateful for what this series did, brought, established, allowed, and created. Yes, this was nothing but tropes and giggles and cringe and foolishness, but it brought me utter joy just to experience it and get to love in its moment. While it might not seem at the beginning to be such a heartfelt series with a message to tell, by the end, you're swept away by the development of the characters, the lessons they learn, and the goals they achieve. I will miss seeing my children every Friday.

Let's Dive In.

Secret Crush On You was a silly little BL that at first, I wasn't taking seriously, and really only enjoyed it for what it was; a crack series with the stupidest situations, and with every corner came some character doing the most out-of-the-ordinary shit. One of the most extraordinary characters is Toh who has a massive crush on the popular guy Nuea and keeps a shrine of him at his home. Through some coincidences, Toh and Nuea get closer, and inevitably date, with Toh's gang of friends also going through their own stories. In the beginning, this is total insanity, with nothing the characters doing at all very normal or even the slightest thing that could happen in real life, but you fall in love with them anyway, and you can't help but laugh at their stupidity and their nerdiness. The reason this show just works so perfectly is that it is that slice of life mixed with utter fiction and it's the perfect blend.

The number one thing that has shocked my world to its core is the actors in this show. This series wouldn't be anything without them, and not nearly as enjoyable as it is. They are remarkable actors that played up to their roles perfectly. The thing that worked was that they all acted over-the-top and dramatic. Had one person been off, this entire show would've gone down the drain. But luckily, the director knew what he wanted and saw it in these actors. On top of that, they were the best of friends which just made their chemistry on the screen 10 times better. Not a day goes by where I don't think about how mesmerizing they are and how much I will miss them.

Each couple, while some more noticed than others, were pretty much everything I wanted. Toh and Nuea's story was none like any I've seen. They take an overused trope and turn it into a gold mine. Yes, some situations are idiotic, crossing the line of what-the-fuck, but it just makes sense for the world they live in. While Toh at the beginning was an annoying obsessive freak, they throw in some character development that spices up his story and he becomes someone who believes in himself enough to know that Nuea isn't going away and he's really his boyfriend. His problem was that he didn't think he was good enough to be anything more than someone Nuea never noticed, and it took him a while to realize that he is important, and he needed to recognize that. He understands that keeping the little things isn't important when you have the real thing, while Nuea went through his own struggles of not feeling perfect and sometimes worried that he wasn't enough for Toh. I'm telling you, this show has a way of telling these characters' stories, and this couple had plenty of moments to go off of.

With that also came Jao and Sky, their story being one of loving oneself and learning to let others love them too, and then there was Daisy and Touch's story that was criminally half-assed, and was given the very bottom of the barrel. Really my only problem with this show is that they have set up so many different characters with their own stories, but have no time to tell them, with Nuea and Toh taking up the time we could be using on developing these other plots. Daisy's story was the most mesmerizing to me. Even overwhelmed me to the point of tears when she comes out as trans. Her story with Touch is not much, some hints here and there that they both have feelings for one another, and a very half-assed ending for the both of them, but Touch's smile was enough for me not to be too mad. I wouldn't mind at all for these two to get their own series. Som and the other dude weren't given much of anything but some teasing remarks from the others, and the same goes for Kongwhan and Fon. With fewer filler moments (like them throwing in a Toh 2.0 character plot), I have no doubt that these couples couldn't have gotten the story they deserved.

Not let's talk about the moments that really meant the world to me; The gang. I can't tell you enough how much fun I've had watching them all together. I've laughed, I've cried, I've pretty much done all of the above, and I never want them to go away. The best support team there is, and I can only wish that I had my own gang of friends.

I will comment though that this show does an exceptional job at kiss and heat scenes. I liked that there was a difference between Toh and Nuea versus Jao and Sky where the latter took their time, and voiced open communication and clear understandings with Sky taking his time with Jao until he was ready to expose himself in a new light. It was slow, it was intimate and it was sensual. On the other hand, Toh and Nuea's was a lot more rough, passionate, exciting, and fast-paced. The cast has excellent chemistry, nothing ever veered off, and I do hope I see them again.

I can't believe Saint was able to produce such a heartfelt show! I'm so astonishingly proud of him, and can't wait to see what he has in store for the future! Producer Saint is the new way to go!

Ratings:

Story: 8.5 - Overall, the character development was everything. While the story could sway sometimes by being maybe too filler or maybe too repetitive in certain circumstances, I was still able to hold on and enjoy every minute of it. However, I will take a star off for that, and another half star for their poor execution of DaisyTouch, KongwhonFon, and SomWhat's-his-face.

Actings 9.5 - No complaints here! The actors knew what they were given and played them to a T! Everything was supposed to be exaggerated and maybe they were even supposed to sprout about cringe, who knows?! But all I know is that these actors did a superb job and I will miss them dearly. I will take a half star off cause there were times I wasn't paying attention to Toh and only the profuse amount of sweat that was dripping off of Seng (someone get this man some air conditioning ASAP)

OST: 8 - Weirdly addicting. I noticed myself singing it the other day and don't usually even take the time to really pay attention to stuff like that.

Rewatch value: 4.5 - I plan on watching this whenever I feel the need to. I can't go without them for too long.

I highly recommend this series, and while there are some incredible stories, really good morals, and astounding character development, I wouldn't look past that this series IS weird, so maybe take it with a grain of salt, and really just enjoy yourself.

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Mid as F**k

So Wedding Plan isn't the worst Mame's series that she's created (cough couch Tharntype), but because she's the screenwriter AND director, I can see why this still doesn't work for me. One of the many problems I have with this series is the overwhelming amount of miscommunication; it's so bad that if you told me a 10-year-old girl wrote the plot, I'd believe you.

Let's Dive In.

So Wedding Plan is about a wedding coordinator falling for one of his clients even though that client is supposedly getting married. But of course, and just like Mame, the client is secretly in love with the coordinator after one measly little encounter (actually, did they even talk to one another at Sky and Prapai's wedding?).

You can tell from the get-go that Lom and Yiwa's "wedding" seems pretty fake, and then we get that confirmation sometime soon after that. Okay great, Lom and Yiwa are only getting married to please their families and instead are delving into their own relationships outside of the fake one they've created. Good. But why the fuck did we wait until nearly the last episode to notify Nuea of the plan? Here he is having these internal battles with thinking that he's fallen in love with an about-to-be-married man, crying and going through a depressive period when all Lom had to do was open his mouth and tell him it was fake. This plot aggravated me to a point of no return. And then when Lom does tell Nuea, there's simply no repercussions of the whirlwind he's created. He's damaged the relationship between Yiwa and her girlfriend, he's caused Nuea a multitude of sadness and misery that he didn't have to go through, along with the countless other characters that had to reap what he sowed. It's so tiring and so dull to watch that I can't wrap myself around the fact that there are people out there who would rate this a 10 out of 10.

Out first Mame GL couple! Not bad, but not good. Mame has a tendency to make female characters the worst possible people in the entire world, so this was definitely an upgrade. But then she goes and makes Yiwa look like a terrible person for ditching her own wedding, but you know, a female can't always be good. Of course, you go throughout the series feeling absolutely terrible for Marine whose having to put up with this dreadful scheme. If I were Yiwa and I saw how depressive my actions were making the love of my life feel, then I would've cut that shit off immediately. But I wouldn't have gone with the plan in the first place, so *shrugs*. Overall, I thought they were pretty cute. I like that in the end they run off to London to get married. I'll be honest though, the kissing was really cringey to watch. It was like Yiwa was giving it her all and Marine was just there.

Another reason I'm not a huge fan is because of the chemistry between our main leads. It gets to a point where it building and building and I'm enjoying the ride, until it's just ruined by a non-consensual kiss. Not that it wasn't lowkey ruined before that when you think about the fact that a soon-to-be-married man is hardcore flirting with somebody who's not his soon-to-be-wife. But there's a certain point in the series, and I'm not sure at which point, but somewhere in the mix of it, you can feel their chemistry just deteriorate. The only scene between them that I really liked (disregarding the beginning when they meet cause I also liked that) was the bed scene when Lom is crying in Nuea's arms because he loves him that much. I really did like that. And of course, they had no problem in the kissing and NC department, which is one of Mame's only benefits, so I'll give them that.

By the end of the series, it feels like we did a whole 360 to where we began. There wasn't a feeling of a true ending, and so many things went unsaid and undone. Like Lom needs to sit down with his mother and actually tell her about Nuea and not her just accept that he'll find somebody else. Definitely a sit down with Yiwa and her mother. Just so many things. I know there's a special episode, but there's no way I have the patience to even sit through it.

Ratings:

Story: 5.5/10 - Elongated the telling of Nuea for no reason. Difficulty in finding the reason why. The main leads are okay, but they won't be memorable after this review. For most of my watch, I was speeding through -- so.

Acting: 8.5/10 - Good. Pak (Nuea) did the best, Sunny (Lom) ehh, not so much besides that one scene I really liked (and he looks incredible with his shirt off, so I'll raise the score a little). Everyone else was decent.

Music: 6/10 - I don't remember it so that is also good. Not distracting.

Recommendation Value: 4/10 - SO many better BL series out. So many better ones that I can't even count them all. But for a pretty lighthearted watch and some, I'll be honest, great NC scenes, sure, knock yourself out.

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Easily One of the Best Asian LGBTQ+ Series of 2022

This one knocked my socks off for sure cause I expected nothing and came out so overwhelmed that I sat in silence for a good half hour mesmerized by what I just watched. I decided to go into this one straight out the gate, no reviews, no comments, I read a snippet of the synopsis but went in with a clear mind so that I can enjoy this series for what it would bring. And damn, did it come through. DNA Says Love You is not just a gem, it's a treasure chest full of them. It was everything I needed and more.

Let's Dive In.

I call DNA Say Love You an Asian LGBTQ+ series instead of a BL (Which it still is but on a way more important scale) because instead of being entirely about two guys following in love, it covers topics that most series have zero guts to do. Being the only country with legalized same-sex marriage, maybe they're the only one with the courage to pursue such a story. Le and Yu He work at a local cafe where they've grown up their entire lives. Every day they are waiting on their childhood best friend, Wen-Wen to come back from studying abroad. However, a mysterious guy named Amber shows up and dives into their lives while also exploring the long-term gay relationship of Li and Gwan.

One thing that makes this series so mesmerizing and perfect, yet such a shocker when you come to the realization of it, is that Amber use to be Wen-Wen. I was not expecting it at all, but then when episode 4 came around, it hit me like a truck and I stayed up another 2-3 hours to finish the rest, I couldn't stop watching. It was so thrilling and interesting, and they handled it with the utmost delicate and tactical care. They were able to tell the story of a gay intersex/trans-male like nothing else I've ever seen. His story was so heartbreaking that it was hard not to want to reach through the screen and give him a hug. But he's strong enough to be his true self and go back to the place that made him feel that way. But what I appreciate the most is that Le's crush on Wen-Wen was different from his crush on Amber. We see him fall for Amber in every interaction between the two of them, and he even explains in the end he didn't fall in love with Wen-Wen, he fell in love with Amber. And I was a wreck after that. Their chemistry was off the fucking charts. I was getting butterflies by episode two. They were able to keep such endearing contact with one another, physically and emotionally, that it tears you apart inside. By the end, you're screaming with joy because they're happy and in love, and it's the sweetest thing you'll ever see.

I really enjoyed Li and Gwan's story. The only thing that's not believable is how fast Li gives up on their 4-year long relationship after a simple misunderstanding. He didn't give Gwan time to respond and instead runs away and gets everybody involved in finding him. Of course, a beautiful moment on the rocks at night, but with anything being a misunderstanding or miscommunication, it becomes annoying. However, they do touch on the topic of being open and communicative and most series tend to skip over it, so I will give them that. But overall, I enjoyed watching them. They were sweet and fun and domestic. Lin Wei Jie also is just a fascinating actor and I hope to see him again.

Yu He is a darling character. I loved her to death. I also love the fact that she didn't let her ignored feelings from Le overtake what she knew him and Amber had. Instead, she becomes a supportive best friend of both of them and I adore her for that. The only thing I would've liked to be a bit more clear was that Le and Yu He weren't siblings. It might've just been me, or maybe I wasn't paying great attention to that part, but I believed up until the last few episodes that they were brother and sister. She gave looks every now and then, but I thought she might've been curious about Amber. Also, it might be an honorific thing I didn't quite understand because she called his mom mom too. Either way, it wasn't too much of a bothersome, just a better clarification.

Everyone deserves a mom like Le's mom. He was so worried about disappointing her, but she came out supportive and bright and I was a mess for that one too.

Rating:

Story: 9.5 - I loved it so much. It was perfect to the T and kept me engaged the entire time. It never once fell off track or became filler, everything that we see was important to the plot and to the characters. it all moved steadily and I like that we see a lot of Amber and Le together and that they handled such an important topic with grace.

Acting; 9 - Everyone did a fantastic job. Erek (Amber) stood out the most, with Li's actor right behind. But everyone did amazing, even the kids.

Music - 8 - Went well with the scenes. I mostly noticed it during Li and Gwan's story, and it was good.

Rewatch value: 5 - as much as I loved this, with everything in me, I could probably never gain the nerves to watch it again. I was a mess, and a mess for a while while the sun started coming up.

I highly recommend this series. It has now become my favorite BL from Taiwan and I'm still debating if this is my number one of all BLs or if ATOTS still holds that position. if anything, this one will be on my top list for sure.

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I Tried

I really tried with this series, like really tried. Of course, I was excited to start this knowing that Eui Soo would get to shine again. I had seen some comments and it seemed that everyone had mixed opinions. I went into this anyways with high expectations cause it's Eui Soo, and of course, I trust to trust him. (I've got to stop doing that). But, sadly, and for the umpteenth time in BL, I was let down. My Sweet Dear was a beautiful setting with the most uninteresting plot and gorgeous leads.

Let's Dive In.

I was so conflicted on whether I should state that I completed this series or dropped it. But, it's a little bit of both? I'll go ahead and say I completed it, but I'm just putting it out there that I only made it to episode 6, and did some skipping and watch like the first 5 minutes of episode 8. I'm being so literal when I say that I fell asleep every single episode. Crap moved at such a slow pace that it felt like we were stuck in molasses or something. For the first 4 episodes, nothing goes anywhere, literally, nothing happens. I usually give the first episode a chance, since I usually don't like first episodes, but even after that, I'm just mouth-drooling bored.

I'm not even gonna lie, I really don't remember anything. I was so uninterested that my pet peeve of missing dialogue flew out of the window. I could care less what they were saying or what they were trying to accomplish. I got bits and pieces out of the slits of my eyelids while they began to close. From what I can remember, Eui Soo's character is some new guy in town that is trying to run the other lead out of business, but through something, they end up working together and falling in love? I'm sorry, I really didn't have the mental capacity to keep up with (or even care at that matter) with the plot. Eui Soo's good looks could only go so far (and man, what that dude is just so beautiful).

If this were a girl/guy story, I think it could've worked better. In my honest opinion, I don't believe this was the right role for Chan Hyung. His supposed "in-love" with Jung Woo is so unbelievable and pretty non-existent. He just doesn't pass that vibe. He tries, but it doesn't work, which isn't his fault, this was just not the role for him.

Overall, There's not much I can say because I was either half asleep or just started not caring. I can't believe I'm giving this series such a low rating, but I truly could not get into this series for the life of me. If I'm 6 episodes into the 8 that it has and still can not find any appeal, there's a problem. I feel so bad for not liking this more than I feel like I should've, but god, it was just so boring. there was no chemistry, and to be completely honest, I didn't love Eui Soo's character (besides his ridiculously beautiful stature and windswept hair).

Ratings:

Story: 6 (I feel like this is pushing it. I want to go for more of a 5, and maybe slightly less since I don't remember much of anything at all, but I'm giving 3 stars alone for just me not paying attention all the way, and the three others go towards the slight cheesy tropes that I can't help but love).

Acting: 7.5 (This feels kind of low, but I kind of was too bored to really pay attention to the acting. I didn't like Chan Hyung all that much, but Eui Soo was decent. I'm giving the majority of the stars to the supporting characters cause I thought they were good, and kind of gave me some sense of relief. Another star goes to Eui Soo's smile alone).

Music: 3.5 (Wasn't distracting, but wasn't noticeably good either).

Rewatch Value: 1 (I set all my RV to 1 cause I need to keep watching, not rewatching, but there isn't a slight chance that I'll ever even come back to this series. Maybe if I feel bad for not actually finishing it, but honestly, I won't).

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The Potential This Series Had...

Another BL that used the chef/cooking plot, and was honestly executed very well. I was so ecstatic to see that Mark was going to be in this -- a series that was finally going to show off his acting abilities (in which it did! Phenemonally!) This series had so much potential to be up there with the Greats, but unfortunately, it turns for the worst by episode 8. Bite Me is a cinematically beautiful series that was following along with a perfect storyline until it decided to ruin itself.

Let's Dive In.

Firstly production. Had the plot been half as decent as the food shots, then this series would be the best BL to date. I mean, it's food p*rn on steroids. Mesmerizing shots, gorgeous colors, and left my mouth watering each and every time. Along with that, the cinematography was absolutely remarkable. The colors, the scenery, the framing, the lighting; it was wonderful. I would place this series in the same bubble as ATOTS and ITSAY in terms of production, it was just that good. The only thing I care to complain about is the excessive ad placements. In episode 2 or 3 alone, there's at least 3-4 ad placement in the span of 5 minutes. It's ludicrous. Even the delivery service is an ad placement, it's just way too much.

Onto the plot. I know a lot of people had a problem with the ridiculously slow pace of this series, but I think that was the best part for me. Sure, some scenes ran on too long, and there were a bunch of filler shots, but the slow burn of Aek and Aue built up so much chemistry between the two. I'm a sucker for slow-burn relationships. To see the small things like longing stares, and developing feelings, and the tiny moments when you see a character falling in love is the part that makes a series for me, and boy did they have a bunch. I think what they did best at was building up that tension. at some point in the series, the tensity becomes so much that you start to see that sexual tension between them. Too bad the execution was terrible. Kind of like Sun and Sky from Golden Blood, the screenwriters do such a good job at constructing these relationships, only for them to ruin them in the execution.

We all sit at the edge of our seats for something to finally happen between Aek and Aue, only for it to turn sour. It was so out of character for Aue to kiss Aek without consent. It was out of character for Aek to act so defensively the way he did. It was a cheap route for the screenwriters to take. Of course we needed Aek running in the rain and tripping and hurting his arm, for him to then go to the ER with a stranger he met days ago. So unbelievably out of character that it took me out of the story. I was upset from that point on. Instead of what did happen, I would've made Aek more nervous than defensive. I would've built upon that feeling of him being unsure of where things were headed but in a more calming manner so that when Aue does admit how he feels, they could've kissed consensually, and maybe Aek would've just left cause he's more confused and not sure how to handle his newfound feelings. I don't know, anything else than what did happen. From that point on, their relationship feels like a joke. They don't talk about what happened, kind of just pretend like it didn't, and then get a cutesy ending with a sorry kiss. Actually, the little use of physical intimacy usually doesn't bother me, but for this series, in particular, it was needed. So the final kiss is so underwhelming that I wanted to throw my phone. At least in ATOTS, we get an incredible finale kiss and see their relationship grow. In my personal opinion. this series shouldn't have been named "Bite Me", it insinuates that it was going to be high heat, but there's none to be found. Instead, it should've had a name like ITSAY to be somewhat aesthetic.

Onto the supporting characters. Aek's friend group had no chemistry. It was kind of awkward and like they were trying too hard at convincing us they were friends and not a bunch of actors (although Gameplay did good, even with his one-dimensional character). The employees at the restaurant were decent. I didn't care for Chompoo or her relationship with Lek. I was okay with Nuna, and her story was okay. Prem and Vich had zero chemistry. their relationship was so left-field that it was laughable. The only cute scene was the couple of moments in the last episode and that's it. The only supporting character that I loved was Nuan. Their scenes were enjoyable. Her conversation with Aek left me feeling somber, especially when he admits his feelings for Aue and she supports it.

The acting was pretty well done. The only actor I really had a problem with was Vich's actor. He was bland and awkward. Prem's wasn't that good either. Mark's acting felt so much more authentic here than in LBC. I think he did a really good job, some moments could've been better but overall, I loved watching him (other than the fact that he sometimes talked really freaking slow, but that could've been a character choice). Zung was good as well, I liked the longing look he gave and his mature presence. Allegedly, he didn't want to be in a BL but gave in. Why give a role to someone that doesn't want it? There are plenty of other people out there that would've happily accepted the role. Don't give it to someone who obviously has a problem with BL and playing a gay character. Most noticeably why we probably didn't get that physical intimacy that was needed.

Overall, this series was so good until it wasn't. I'm so sad that this wasn't the series that I so wanted it to be. I want to see Mark in more projects, I love him so much. Zung can stay very far away from any other BLs series as he pleases, we have no room for actors only wanting to grab attention and money from this industry.

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babe, wtf..

This series has to be one of the oddest ones in quite a while. After Trapped and MODC, my expectations were through the roof, but sadly, I was left heartbroken and disappointed. Close to You was full of odd subjects, distasteful relationships, and terrible concepts.

Let's Dive In.

Let's start off with the decent pairing: Teng Teng and Li cheng. I wasn't at all pleased with how they had to use an overly-obsessive bl fangirl as the benefactor in their relationship. Mei Fang and her friend(s) left me uncomfortable the entire time. Imagine you just trying to live your life, and some girl won't stop thirsting over you and your co-worker. But I wasn't very happy with Li cheng's behavior either; pretending to be gay and harassing a fellow friend is not in the slightest bit okay. Instead, he could've just tried starting off as a good friend to Mei fang and gaining her trust in the future. Teng Teng was just used as bait the entire time, and most of it was without his consent. It's also a bit weird how in a time of vulnerability, Li cheng was able to fall for Teng Teng. I just couldn't understand how he wasn't able to fall for him at any other time until then. The use of the cliche bl saying, "I don't like men, I only like him" was used again, and quite frankly, it left a sour taste in my mouth. bisexuality and pansexuality exist, do the creators and screenwriters not know this? It was agitating and disappointing. But moving forward, when they were together, they did bring about many cute moments. What I did like about them was their relationship in the beginning and towards the end, and how comfortable they were together. There were times when they each had me laughing cause their comedy was golden. I also really liked how they styled Teng Teng. He was always in something that was such a statement, and I loved it. As much as I didn't even appreciate them that much, they were at least 10 times more decent than Yong Jie and Xing Si and were the saving grace of this series. Speaking of them, let's touch on their relationship next.

Let's talk about Xing Si. He was my favorite character, and for good reasons too. He was a great friend to Teng Teng and Li Cheng, he had such a bright and bubbly personality, and was openly gay and dealing with the conflict of telling his father. He was the only character that had a very detailed personality. I thought that it was beautiful the way his character was going until they introduced us to the toxic stepbrother. Now, there have been many stepcest/incest series that I've seen, but I think this one has been the most disgusting and hardest to watch. I wasn't even mad about the whole step-brothers situation (even though it was rightfully wrong), it was just the portrayal of the step-brother that left me feeling uneasy.

Let me just say this; Yong Jie is not okay in the slightest. I don't want to self-diagnose anybody, but I am. I'm almost positive that Yong Jie suffers from a high-functioning borderline personality disorder or some type of high-functioning autism. One, he grows an unhealthy obsession with his older brother. Mostly due to the trauma he faced as a child, Xing Si showed that he cared, and because of that Yong Jie took that and clung to it. Two, he is openly honest and truthful about everything. He tells his mom about his plans without showing signs of feeling bad about it, the same goes for when he told Xing Si and his father afterward. He's open about how he feels for Xing Si and the way he feels about others. As I said, this is not me trying to label him, but Yong Jie didn't need a boyfriend, he needed some help. He is obviously not mentally stable, nor is he emotionally okay. I wish that his mental illness could've been spoken about instead of never being brought up cause it's so clear that there is some turmoil within himself. The entire plan he had undermined was absolutely sickening, and it was even worst that the mother knew and did nothing about it. His behavior is so unforgiving, but because Yong Jie is so good at manipulating people (psychopath maybe?), his brother and the ones around him forgive him. Xing Si I believe is suffering from Stockholm syndrome, cause it seemed to be that he would actually let his brother down, but instead, he feels empathetic and that takes over his feelings in which he then makes himself believe that he loves his step-brother back. The dad's reaction is so understanding, and I completely agreed with him. I actually was hoping that he wouldn't end up being okay with their relationship, but of course, this is BL, so everything has to end happily anyways.

Overall, this was a very disappointing series, especially since it was a part of the HIStory franchise. All the actors did a fantabulous job, Teng Teng and Xing Si being my favorite portrayals. The production was all decent and the music was okay too. The only thing I wished more than anything was that Yong Jie's mental illness was looked at, the BL fangirls were non-existent, and for the HIStory franchise to stop romanticizing r*pe, incest, and toxic relationships. I wouldn't recommend this series at all. I'd only say to watch it in order to continue watching the franchise cause at least they have produced other content that is WAY better (MODC and CTL (but crossing the line has an incest relationship too, so at the end of the day, everything has its problems.))

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Big and Park, My Loves !

Anything with Big and Park in it, I will watch, regardless of quite literally anything. I was hyped when I saw they were coming back to me in this silly little rom-com turned mystery, and while my excitement was nothing compared to Monster Next Door, I still really enjoyed this.

Let's Dive In.

Big and Park bring us a fun story about universe traveling and mind-reading. Phopthorn gets hit by a car and wakes up in the hospital in the body of his universe- equivalent self, Apo, who is completely the opposite of him. There, he meets Suryia, the man he is meant to marry and the man that will ultimately help him in his journey of becoming Apo and getting their families to believe it is really him. This is a really silly, fun story. The beginning episodes are all setups to getting Phopthorn to becoming Apo, and it's gold.

Unfortunately, some way through, this becomes pretty dull for me. Once they start trying to dive into who hit Apo and what exactly happened, I'm less intrigued. I also would've loved this to be slightly more slow-burn, but I'm not too mad at what we got. Same with Suryia's family dynamic, it's good until it's not. His mom is comically evil and then we're meant to feel bad for her in the end, but I don't. The dad becomes evil along the way after he excuses Apo of changing his son. Either way, I don't care for either of them at all.

This was probably the best utilization of mind-reading that I've seen in a BL. I like that there's a tangible object that can intervene into their mind-reading and how essential it is to the plot. It's not just there as a cool thing the men in Suryia's family can do, but it's actually there for a reason.

Big and Park strike out of the park again with their chemistry. I think I felt it more in Monster Next Door, but these two play complete opposite to their characters in this, and it's noticeable. There's no one doing it like them right now, dynamic-wise, size-wise. They are the perfect combo, and I love them so very much.

I'm not entirely sold on the side couple. I don't hate them, I grow on them eventually, but they're okay.

There are some scenes were they blackout and then put the spotlight on the character that Suryia is reading the mind of. They only do it a couple of times, but it's really unique, I wish they did it more often.

There is something that is missing from this series. I can't pinpoint it, but there was something that didn't click with me, especially the closer we get to the end. However, I think this still was decent, and I got to see Big top Park like a dog with a bone, I am satisfied!

Ratings:

Story: 8/10 - Beginning was stellar. Fell off a little at the end. BigPark are great in this. Side couple is meh.

Acting: 9/10 - Big's had mostly just one facial expression which was kind of annoying, but it's not so bad. Park did good playing both roles.

Music: 6/10 - I don't remember so it wasn't distracting. Good.

Recommendation Value: 8/10 - This is cute, go for it. It's also a very fun plot that we haven't really seen this year, and it's told decently. Plus, Big is shirtless just the right amount of times.

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It's Fine

It's a fine series. Lots of beautiful men that are shirtless half the time fucking around and being beautiful, so, this series works perfectly.

Let's Dive In.

Knock Out comes from the same company as I Feel You Linger in The Air, so I automatically knew that the budget would be budgeting. And I wasn't wrong. The production value of this series is number one on the charts for me. Also along with the cinematography which I appreciated changed moods depending on the setting. Bravo!

As for the rest of the series: eh. I'm a slow-burn girlie to the core, and this was so good up until episode 5 and then everything just happens in a flash between both couples. Then the yearning stopped and it was just a bunch of kissing and fucking for no reason, but of course they had to add it. I don't care for either couple much, but I do love seeing Guide shirtless and in heat, my goodness, that man is gorgeous.

Didn't care about the stakes of the series. Basically skipped all the shit with Thun's dad and the bad people and blah, blah, blah. The fighting was good though, even the boxing, everything was believable.

Overall, just an okay series. I think this is more for people that like action-packed series, but lots of stuff was going on that I didn't really care about, so a lot of skimming and skipping was happening too.

Ratings:

Story: 5/10 - eh. it was okay. Romance were okay. Story was okay. Guide was Perfect.

Acting: 8.5/10 - Good. Nothing overly amazing, but good.

Music: 5/10 - didn't pay attention to it.

Recommendation Value: 6.6/10 - Shirtless men, so yeah, of course I will recommend this, Story-wise, probably not.

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I'm not going to say anything differently that hasn't already been said about this beautiful, brilliant little masterpiece out of South Korea, but like always, I will be adding in my two cents. Let Free the Curse of Taekwondo was so much more than that of a BL genre. Instead, it taught us a valuable lesson of persevering, standing up for one's self, it's okay not to be perfect, letting go of the past, and moving on towards a better future. It taught a lot of others things as well, but I feel like that was what the majority of the series wanted us to learn.

Let's Dive In.

I have pretty good experience with Hwang Da Seul's series in the past, and which she is great at doing hurt and love and lust and any other feeling that'll make you emotional. She handled this BL with grace and care and love, and it's very noticeable throughout. The first thing that I can point out that I loved is the cinematography. The colors, the gradient, the lights and the darks. So stinking pretty, right off the bat. Then we're introducing to Dohoe, brooding and miserable, compared to the bright light and ball of energy that is Juyeong. Opposites attract trope? Yeah. I'm seated. They both had their own version of trauma, one that Juyeong was immediately trying to protect Dohoe from, with his of trauma taking the back burner. Once they grow older, it's so evident how much hurt Dohoe experienced from that place growing up. You can feel so much anger and regret when he has to go back to the house, it's insane actually.

I think one aspect that annoyed me quite a lot was the back and forth between the leads as grown ups. They broke up and got back together like two times within a span of just an episode. Also, there's some disconnect to them as adults, mostly because of Juyeong still being the same and Dohoe having this like "I'm a grown up" act. But even after all of that is resolved, I still didn't feel much for them. They remind me of the couple that will enviably break up again, but for good. I also like the subtle shift of their lives compared to when they were children. Dohoe driving expensive cars and living in an upscale apartment with a good job while Juyeong is a taekwondo instructor, living in a small apartment who has to drive around in a van. I also don't really understand why Juyeong becomes close to Dohoe's dad and even is heartbroken when he dies. I think maybe because that was still a piece of Dohoe, and by being with his dad, he felt that he could be close to Dohoe; maybe also he was a sorry old man that didn't know how to take care of himself in anyway. Either way, that kind of threw me off too.

This series had so many plot twist, and with each one, my jaw was on the floor. Dohoe lying about going to college, Juyeong finding out about it and feeling guilty, Dohoe being the one to call the police, Hyeonho knowing the truth but still keeping his secret. Crazy, crazy stuff.

Rating:

Story: 8.5/10 - very intriguing. The romance was just the cherry on top, but the story was so interesting and just got better and better.

Acting: 9/10 - so, so, so good!

Music: 7/10 - didn't pay attention to it, but I did realize that most of the songs were in english!

Recommendation Value: 8/10 - definitely recommend! It's kind of sad, so I don't think this is the series for everybody, but the romance is adorable, and also Lee Sun looks great shirtless.

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Eh....

Not one of my favorites that I've seen from Japan, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy this series even a tinsy little bit. My Personal Weatherman brings about a toxic tale of poorly executed love and its downfalls.

Let's Dive In.

One reason this series doesn't do it for me is because the leads kept going in a circle and achieved no real resolution, nor did they ever give themselves time to be open and honest with one another. I saw another comment where someone said this couple doesn't do talking and instead they're the masters at paying attention to each other's subtle messages, and once seeing it from that view, I understood them a bit better, but I'm the type of person that's always second guessing what someone is thinking or saying or feeling about me, so I would've loved it if at some point in the series they had a sit-down and open conversation on their feelings towards one another.

And circling back to the no real resolution -- Well, they don't. They'll continue to go in a cycle of Yoh feeling like his life means nothing and Mizsuki will continue being jealous any time Yoh hangs out with his friends and will continue being shut off about his feelings. This also goes for Yoh who wants Mizuki to show some sign of want and need, except he only ever communicated this when drunk. And the way Mizuki manhandled Yoh just wasn't my cup of tea. But besides that, the actors had great chemistry and great intimacy.

I liked the best friend of Yoh, I think she was a great addition to the story and I liked all the added Manga effects whenever we saw her or whenever she was around Mizuki.

Ratings:

Story: 7.5/10 - It's very intriguing to see their dynamic, and I kept wondering how they're going to inevitably fix it, but nothing is fixed, and they're still obviously going to have problems in the future. but nonetheless, this was a short and easy watch with me finishing in one sitting. I liked the best friend and her husband a lot.

Ating: 9/10 - Good! Nothing inherently bad or inherently good, but it works for this series. Kouhei's (Mizuki) acting stood out the best with having the fake persona around others and his real one around only Yoh.

Music: 7/10 - Didn't pay it much mind, but I liked how the music wasn't overbearing during their intimate scenes and we really got to see and hear everything going on.

Recommendation Value: 5/10 - Not something I'd recommend to the regular ole' BL fan. It's very twisted and very dark, reminding me of my hatred of My Beautiful Man, but at least this one isn't as bad. But I have a plethora of other JBLs that hit the mark, so sadly, this one is a no-go.

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Decent Enough

There's nothing wrong with this really down-to-earth, happy-go-lucky series about love life and laughter. I think in general it did its job, kept me entertained and for the most part not bored, but it also had a lot of just nothing to it.

Let's Dive In.

Bon Appetit is the romance story of the overworked office employee and his old college mate who happens to move into the apartment beside his -- and cooks. I thought it to be pretty weird that he moved into the room beside his old crush purposefully, but for fictional purposes, I'll look over this. Anyway, most of the story takes place with Doyoon and his very annoying co-workers so I skipped all the scenes with them in it after like episode 1. And since they take up most of the screen time, I will say that I can't give this the most proper score, but also know that it was just a bunch of office jargon and going back and forth about nothing that was going to move the plot along.

Onto the romance: I thought it was pretty cute. I like that we didn't dwell much on the fact that Yoonsoo was gay or that Doyoon suddenly just started liking guys. It just happened and there wasn't any sad backstory or dark plot to pair with it. They were just gay and in love. Perfect. I honestly could've done without Sangwoo's character cause it just felt like a large waste of time.

Loved Seobin's guest role! It was so nice to see him again!

Ratings:

Story: 6/10 - the office jargon was so fucking boring that I skipped literally all of it. And since more than half of the story takes place at the office, this is the best score I can give. Other than that, I liked the romance and Seobin's role.

Acting: 8/10 - Good! Pretty mediocre, but nothing bad about that, it just doesn't really stand out like the acting in other series.

Music: 6/10 - Wasn't distracting.

Recommendation value: 7/10 - Sure, if you want another k-BL to watch, and both actors do get shirtless eventually and that's nice too. Otherwise, this might be okay to skip seeing as I'll probably forget I watched it in like a week.

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So freaking Cute

I went into this not knowing the plot, not knowing the characters' names, and not even understanding at all absolutely anything about the series. And boy, was I pleasantly surprised. An original story, one I've never heard of, played by two beautiful men and told in the best way. I loved it!

Let's Dive In.

So, I for one have never seen are watched anything dealing with an amnesia storyline. I think it's an interesting syndrome and personally, one that I've always feared. Imagine just one day waking up and not remembering the most important parts of your life. Scary. So off the bat, I'm very intrigued with everything going on.

I'm glad they showed us their past relationship interloping with their in-present experience. Watching Fumiya hold back and not love on Ritsu like he would've liked to was hard, but he's the reason for that, so I guess I don't feel too bad. Fumiya definitely shouldn't have kept such a big secret from Ritsu when he was trying his hardest to remember the most important parts of his life, which was definitely Fumiya. I wished he would've told him as soon as he got out of the hospital, and tried to somewhat rebuild what they used to have until Ritsu got his memories back and then it could've been happily ever after. But then again, where's the conflict in that?

Their romance was cute but I think their connection was better before they became a couple. After that, It loses some of its spark, but it's still good, just not the best. Decent kiss scenes, very soft and sensual NC scenes, it was all nicely done.

Ratings:

Story: 9/10 - Such a fun story! So original and so new, so super fun to watch. I loved the main characters, even though their relationship wasn't as strong as I would've liked it to be.

Acting: 9.5/10 - Great! The emotions out of the leads were amazing. I hope to see them again for sure.

Music: 6/10 - I don't remember it so, it wasn't distracting.

Recommendation value: 7.5/10 - A high recommendation! Super fun to watch, the story flows pretty nicely (especially for a series with only 6 episodes) and I really enjoyed myself. So definitely give this one a watch.

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More Cohesive Than Season 1

Going into this, I was a little taken back that they only decided to continue the story of 2 out of the 6 couples they told in season 1. But by doing so, the plot was held together nicely, and they developed a decent story that followed along an easier path. Close Friend Season 2 has definitely outshone its prior season, and I'm quite pleased to say I'm looking forward to season 3.

Let's Dive In.

They took the story of Piece/Typhoon and Jedi/Ray and combined the two, where both of their stories overlap with one another. Phoon and Ray have been friends for a while, with Phoon helping Ray with his obsession with Jedi and being a good friend that gives him great advice. And Pierce is the songwriter who writes music for Jedi. So throughout, they all have interactions with one another while simultaneously dealing with their own conflicts. In the end, it all gets better.

Their choice of only continuing the lives of only two of their couples was a great idea. It worked because the storyline isn't jumbled up, and theirs no time for filler or unnecessary situations, and it all flows steadily on a thoroughly planned out plot. Even though I would LOVE to see more of Jimmy and Tommy's story (the 1990s couple) I was still please with what we did get. Max and Nat's story wasn't all that memorable, so it probably would be difficult to fit them in somehow. Lay and Yoon's story was decent, but nothing I craved to see more of. And of course, the cat story HAD to go. Anyways, the choices in this department worked out perfectly, and I enjoyed what I got to watch.

I remembered not liking Peirce and Typhoon's story all that much last season, but they redeemed themselves here. Pierce has that incredible fear of coming out to his parents, and Phoon is patient, but since they've been dating for so long, it's getting old for him. Phoon also gets a job at the same company as Pierce which causes some office turmoil, but I like that this part of their conflict was resolved pretty quickly and didn't linger on much more than needed. Eventually, Peirce comes out to his parents, and everything is wonderful and rainbows. I'm satisfied with what we got, but their story could've definitely been a lot stronger.

Jedi and Ray were why this works so well for me. I'm not usually a big fan of the idol/normal person stories that follow the same plot: the public finds out about idol's boyfriend, idol is told to break up with boyfriend but he refuses, idol then goes public with his boyfriend, it all works out because they both gain more fame from it. It's very much so blah blah blah, but, because it was Kimmon and Copter, it just worked. Copter is fucking adorable in this with his little pouts, panics, and whatnot. Once again, their dynamic is spot on. Chemistry is strong, and I can't wait to watch their other projects together.

Something I don't normally speak on, but I liked that the actors had on barely-there makeup, and we actually see their skin and they look imperfect because that's how everyone looks. It's a very different change in the usually caked-on, filter-heavy shit that's usually plastered onto the faces of these actors. Good job!

I sometimes take time to watch the BTS of series, but this show gave us the honor to watch it by putting it into the outro of each episode, and it was a delight to watch. It shows you that these actors are close in real life and just had fun playing their roles. It makes the story feel more real in a sense.

Ratings:

Story: 8.5 - Decent. A lot better than their stories in season 1. It follows a straight path from point A to point B and doesn't have anything unnecessary happen. Jedi and Ray's story is a lot more endearing than Peirce and Phoons's, but still, a very good job.

Acting: 9 - Good! Everyone did decently, and nothing was off! Some hiccups here and there, but overall, it was fine.

Music: 8 - I enjoyed the intro song a lot. Also, the songs Jedi sings weren't that bad either.

Rewatch value: 4.5 - Ehh, probably not. Not because it was bad, but just because it wasn't so good that I just need to rewatch it.

In the last few minutes, they bring in the adorable Bas and his partner Dun (from Gen Y) and show us that they've been living in Korea as Bas' character lives out his dream until they find out about Jedi and Ray and decide to move back to Thailand. I'm kind of excited to see how season 3 will take place, knowing these two will be added into the chaos. Overall, a decent watch, I recommend it, and you don't have to watch season 1 to be able to watch this.

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