Unpopularopinionbydemand

Cuteness Overload

I was immersed in this wonderfully wholehearted and hysterical J-BL that was just a marvel to watch. After finishing My Beautiful Man, I thought -- why not watch the other one on my list? And man, was I impressed. Now, this series is far from a cinematic masterpiece, or anything to ponder deeply about, but I always give credit to the small BLs that lift my spirit and make me wish to be engrossed in their reality. Kieta Hatsukoi is a refreshing BL, full of fun experiences, funny circumstances, surprising plot twists, a leading romance that I can approve of, and a het couple I didn't hate!

Let's Dive In!

Kieta Hatsukoi was an endearing melodramatic BL that tells the story of Aoki and an incident with an eraser that gets him in some "troubles" with the handsome and brooding Ida. Through their story, we meet other characters that help to give our leads a happily ever after. This was very wholesome and just simply cute. In each episode, you are fully into the story, falling in love with each attribute and the way the characters carry the plot along. Everything on-screen looks like it's dowsed in a dream, and yet it still holds to be realistic in such an exaggerated way. This series held up great, with noticeable character development, an easy-going plot that flowed perfectly, and one that I will treasure for a while.

Let's start with what I loved: I genuinely did not dislike a single character. Not even the ones that had the very itty-bitty amount of screen time. There was something to adore about all of them, whether it was their charm, their personality, or their small storyline, I just really enjoyed them all.

I enjoyed that the side het couple had a decent plot, and weren't there to, at any point, take down the leads. There were actually some parts where I was really interested in Aida and Hashimoto's little romance. While I think some parts were lacking, it was overall cute, very bubbly, and a nice side story.

I think I loved Fukumoto more than I think I was supposed to. I absolutely loved her performance as Hashimoto, she's so adorable, her role fit her to the T, and I hope to see her in future series. I enjoyed the leads, some things were a bit iffy, but for the most part, they both did a good job. One thing I love the most about J-dramas, in general, is the exaggerated way they profess themselves. There are plenty of moments in KH where their movements, their motions, their bodies just contrive to create this really unique work of expression. They do such an extraordinary job, each and every one of them.

The love between Ida and Aoki, while not the most intricate, is still very enjoyable to watch. We see the build-up, we watch the execution and all the beautiful moments in-between, to end with the perfectly imperfect pair that still has a lot of learning and growing to do individually. But I enjoyed that we already see that growth at the end. Aoki's problem was that he was insecure about himself, he was frightened if the outside knew who he was or who he liked, and through his own personal journey, he learns to accept his truth and that others eventually will too. Ida's problem was that in the beginning, he was a bit selfish while also being too selfless. He said yes to everything, and because of that, he was hurting the one who cared for him the most. He was comparing feelings as one, when "having fun" and "being in love" are two completing different feelings that he had to understand. It took him time, but eventually, he realized the feeling he felt when around Aoki, and was able to confess it by the end. This is the type of character development I love, the one I strive to see.

Their date out and about town was the absolute thing to die for. I loved everything about it.

Some things that could've used work: Aoki getting upset with Ida after he teases him is very odd. Nothing about the teasing even was bad, or considerably rude. They needed something to cause a bit of turf between them, but it's frivolous and throws you off on how out-of-the-blue it is. It wasn't needed, it was honestly kind of upsetting, and I just know there was a better way to handle it.

The situation between the coach and their rival team helper was kind of weird. While he never acted on her pursuits for him, the entire story was just not needed. it was to show Aoki's jealousy, which I can understand, but there was, again, a better way to handle it.

Some parts of the series were kind of slow, The first few episodes were a bit of a doozy to try to get through. I had to kind of push my way through, but eventually, at about episode 3 or 4, I started piquing my interest.

While the romance is really sweet, I think there should be some form of a kiss at the end. Instead, we get nothing, even though, in the episode before, Aoki stresses about taking the next step which is kissing Ida, and in one circumstance they almost do. I don't think intimacy is needed in a series if the actors are able to put on a great romance, however, I think a kiss is what was needed to really tie up the ending. They were having the perfect moment for it, so I do wish that was something that happened.

Rating:

Story: 8 - I'll take two stars off for the very interesting beginning. I think the setup was nice, but it still didn't take away how boring it was. The rest is really good. I also liked the plot twist of Hashimoto not liking Ida and actually liking Aida.

Acting: 9 - Again, I really appreciated the acting, probably one of the best parts of this series. I'll take one star off for some iffy things throughout.

Music: 8 - To my surprise, I really enjoyed the music, and it was noticeably good. Meguro Ren whole sang one of the songs sounded like an angel. Very good.

Rewatch value: 1 - This was cute, but very less likely to come back and watch. Maybe some parts.

Overall, a very nice and enjoyable watch. The episodes are only about 30 minutes long, so it only took me a few days to get through. I highly recommend, as it has become one of my favorite J-BLs.

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Wow, just Wow

I decided that I would go head first into this series without other people's judgments, and wow, was I pleasantly surprised. I wasn't Love Mechanics' biggest fan, (for many reasons) so I went into this with little to no expectations, but, again, I was shocked at how many emotions this itty-bitty series brought out of me. The Best Story was a tragically magical astonishment with its way of telling this sympathetic first love story, and all the shit that comes with it.

Let's Dive In.

Let's start with production. I have to cut at least one star for how unstable the subtitles were. The grammar was sometimes really hard to comprehend or just worded very incorrectly, along with scenes passing by with no subtitles (thankfully someone was nice enough to sub them in the comments). Again, I realize this series wasn't intended for an English audience in the first place, but knowing that BL is big internationally, it's something to for sure look out for. Other than that, the production was decent, along with the OST (I really enjoyed Best's song).

My initial thought during episode 1, that this was going to be a cheesy high school story. Technically, yes it was, but with some good screenwriting, and a perfect performance by the actors, this turn into something more than that. War again stole the show. His acting is so subpar that it scares me. Even Yin did better this time around. At first, I was cringing at the thought of this series, but by the second episode, I don't understand how they did it, but a switch went off in me. Best being just so giddy and anxious and nervous around Dew was just so natural and expected from someone in high school. The best part was his friends. They really created such a healthy dynamic of boys just being boys, but supportive and caring, I couldn't contain the tears when Best cried on their shoulders.

I could see Yern outing Best from a mile away. It's overplayed, it's hurtful, and it sucks; but it happens, and I applaud this series for teaching the audience about how dangerous outing can be, and how it can really cause big changes if the outcome is severe. Yern outing best to Dew's homophobic mother caused her to up and move Dew to another town, hoping that it would somehow fix her son's gayness, or stop it before it happened. It was incredibly difficult to watch, to just see how hurt Best is to see how conflicted Dew was. I wanted Best to say something, to confess his feelings, but that is honestly not an easy thing, especially being in high school. They're still so young, and feelings can be scary, so I completely understand Best keeping his crush a secret (well, not really cause Dew knew, but you get my point) the ending is just HEARTBREAKING. Be warned, it might say Best, but this is far from a happy ending. Dew finally reading the notebook and crying broke me, Best seeing him post the notebook broke me even more. Again, an amazing performance from these brilliant actors. I'm really hopeful for a season two after Dew comes back from his studies, it just makes sense for the perfect ending to their story.

Overall, I highly recommend this series. No, there's no physical intimacy, but the way these actors were able to portray their characters' feelings for one another through expressions and emotions will tear you to pieces. A lovely watch, a sad one albeit, but a good one.

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Too Short and Too Choppy

This saddens me to even say that I didn't enjoy this series as much as I would've loved to. You had one of my all-time favorite Korean actor (Lee Se Jin) and a plot not similar to that of the usual BLs, so I was stoked, but this series lacked in many parts. Nobleman Ryu's Wedding was a heap of disconnection with the main characters and plot.

Let's Dive In.

I'm keeping this short cause there's not much to say other than this series felt choppy and full of holes. For one, the main characters didn't have much chemistry, if any at all. There was no point in the story that we see them slowly falling in love or developing feelings. It felt so out-of-place when Ryu was asking Ki Wan about what was between them. Nothing, cause nothing was set up anywhere in the plot for there to be any development, which is a huge thing missing considering this is a love story. Eui Soo's (WYEL) character felt so unnecessary. I wasn't even really able to understand why he was there. He fell in love with Wa Jin? Why? What was so special about "her" that made him fall in the matter of half a day? Very Irrelevant. By the end, there were a lot of questions that weren't answered. What did Ryu's mom do when he found out that he was with "Wa Jin"? what did she do when she found out she was a man? Did she ever find out? How about the sister? Does she know? and how does she feel?

The only thing I truly loved about this series was the fact that they were able to have a BL love story take place during traditional times and in traditional clothing. It was even nice to see how the culture was and how there way of living worked. Again, seeing Se Jin never hurts, and if anything, this series just showed that he is beautiful, male or female. The acting was decent, but there wasn't much to work with to show off anything phenomenal.

Overall, there are way better Korean BLs out there. I liked what this one was trying to do, but it didn't really pass the vibe check. One, because it was way too short. They might've well just made this a movie. Two, some of the characters weren't very mesmerizing to watch, like the sister. I would recommend this series, just because it was a cute watch and there is a kiss (a stale one but it still counts) and I don't think this would be wasting anyones time.

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A 5 for 1 Deal!

This series was definitely something different! I don't think I've seen a BL with this many couples in a fat minute (The last I can recall is Why R U?). But, one thing that I didn't hate about this series is the plot flood surprisingly well with the amount of characters we were introduced to. Top Secret Together (only having 2 (maybe 3..?) out of 5 couples actually get together..) has been a really good collaboration of old and new BL actors, and creates something that is great and not at the same time!

Let's Dive In.

Let's start with production. I think this series get one star for just the behind the scenes. Not many Bl series do this, and I really enjoyed watching those parts more than the actual episodes. You got to see how close the crew and the actors were and it put you in this comfort zone that I never wanted to leave. I actually loved this group so much that I'm sad that it ended. Maybe they'll be ale to see them in future projects. On with actual production, it was decent, same old same really. The wardrobe was really nice, especially for Lukmo and Simai. Ad placements weren't bad either, quick and simple. Plot flowed really nicely, Surprisingly, with 5 couples, the story didn't feel jumbled up and screen time felt very well proportioned out. I really loved how they managed time, they definitely deserve a pat on the back for that. There was only this one really annoying part where there was this constant clicking sound that I thought that was my headphones at first, but no, it was just the series. Other than that, production gets a thumbs up from me.

Moving onto the couples, I'm going in order of my favorite to least favorite (plot wise since not all of them ended up together):

1. Simai and Lukmo

Surprisingly, I actually really enjoyed the main main couple. I liked how their personalities bounced off each others, but most importantly, I loved Simai. He was so bubbly and willingly to be there for Lukmo even when he was acting brooding and lonely. Most of there interaction was the best for me, i just wanted them to get together so bad -- until they're revealed to be brothers. Why are they first then? I literally can't stand incest in BL, but the dad thankfully tell Lukmo the truth (but not Simai? which will inevitably hurt him more in the future but ok), that they aren't blood related, so that let the stress off of me a little bit. I don't understand the ending? I'm guessing they end up together since Simai comes back, but it was left ambiguous so idk. The actors did a fantabulous job. All emotional scenes were done so well and they actually cried real tears and looked sad; I loved it so much (Lukmo breaking down at his mom's grave hurt tho). I really hope that we continue to see these actors in future projects, and seeing as this is their first series, they did an absolute terrific job.

2. Both and NewYear

I mean, this couple had to be next. Them being together in real life obviously helped with creating this really nice and natural feeling when they were on screen, but they acted as the fairy gayfathers to all the couples, and I loved it. They get into some turmoil with a new employee, which was really nicely plotted out, but other than that, this couple was just perfect. They owned a cafe, they gave healthy advice to the others, and their engagement was beyond cute. Again, them being a couple in real life helped, (especially those kisses -- damn) but I just loved them so much. another thing I sort of like was when they addressed something as if they knew that we were watching. It threw me off a little, but at least they didn't break 4th wall, that's all I'm happy about. This wasn't NewYear's first BL, but this was Both's so for that, I give him a big round of applauds.

3. Phob and MaiEak

Granted, this pairing had the most drama, but I really pined for them to get together, so I'm most sad that we don't see them actually end up together. The only thing this series did wrong was not have them end up together. MaiEak finally realizes his feelings for Phob when it's too late. His little turmoil with Namo was honestly nice, seeing him have some competition. The only thing I guess I will give them acknowledgement for is not following most BLs. In others, they would always choose the first option, but instead Phob (ambiguously?) ends up with Namo. But good for him though, what was he suppose to do, wait until MaiEak was ready? Love his last moment though when he's writing on his diary thing, hopefully in the near future, things get better. I was so excited to see Aof again, especially since we hadn't seen him since Make It Right. it was nice to see him, I hope we continue to. Sunny also did a superb job, he really just reminded me of Ohm Pawat, and I absolutely love Ohm.

4. Nampu and Copy

Not going to lie, I jumped on their boat a bit late. I was immediately turned off when I saw that Copy was an engineering student. But also, Nampu was just kind of creepy and a bit annoying. I didn't really start liking them until their date at the cafe. There one of the only couples to actually get together, but both actors had really good chemistry. Copy's conversation with his dad also did it for me, I love it so much. They were just all around cute when they finally got together.

5. Plawaan and Suea

why oh why were they even a part of the series? They aren't even introduced until maybe episode 4 or 5, and they just don't play any important role at all. They do do a but of flirting, but there's no connection and no chemistry. I think the only thing I can appreciate about this couple is that they actually played basketball hows its suppose to be played. Also, Plawaan's hair at Both and NewYear's party was a crime against humanity. Was it a wig? Did they just not part his hair well enough? I don't know, but it distracted me the entire time. Their relationship felt pretty irrelevant. If they were cut form the script, there would be no change in plot. These actors are pretty brand new, but their acting was probably the worst. I'm sure with more screen time, they'll get better.

Overall, this series wasn't that bad at all, I got through it pretty quick (seeing as they have 15 episodes that run about 30-40 minutes each). It was a comfort watch more than anything, it wasn't the most progressive BL or unique, but sometimes that's just what BL needs to be, a bunch of cliches and cute fluff.

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Beautiful Depiction of the BL Industry

Right off the bat, Lovely Writer did an incredible job at drawing light into the toxic world of BL. I loved how I was able to enjoy this series while also able to learn and grow in my knowledge of what these actors have to go through, Kao and Up created a magical on-screen chemistry accompanied by an awesome supporting cast and an amazing production team.

Let's Dive In.

Let's talk about the complexity that is the characters. The writers' room was filled with geniuses, I swear to god. The character development that EACH person has was brilliant. Up's personality was the most noticeable, along with Beu's. I liked that these weren't just one-dimensional characters, or that they were set up to have no story whatsoever. A huge pat on the back to the writers of this series. Next to the wardrobe. Perfection. Each character had such a set style and it was a beautiful mix of colors designs, and patterns. By far Hin was dressed the best. Onto the plot. It was beautiful. It depicts such a truthful story to what it's like for BL actors when it comes to real-life relationships and fans. I just hope that this was enough to teach the overzealous BL fangirls that what is on screen is for entertainment and entertainment only. Nothing is for real, and no BL actor should have to put their love life on hold to please their fans.

The acting was immaculate. This was Up's first main leading role, and he did an amazing job. Episode 9 and 10 was by-far the best episode of this series, and that's all due to him. I literally cannot wait to see him in future series. Kao was so precious here. He played a completely different character here than on UWMA, so it was a great way to see how versatile he is in his acting. Him and Up had great on-screen chemistry, the Viagra plot was hilarious (also kind of bad, but good thing it was just a joke) and led to a beautiful intimate scene that was so sensual and romantic ( also super consentual. CONSENT IS SEXY). Aoey, Tum, and Tiffy were excellent supporting roles. I found myself drawn to Tum and Tiffy's story more than I ever had on any other straight couple in BL. I genuinely loved their relationship, and yearned to see them more. Bruce (Aoey) did an incredible job. While his character needed some serious therapy, Bruce was able to bring about these emotions that I've only ever seen a few BL actors be able to pull off. I expect to see some much more from him in the future, and hopefully soon. With that being said, my favorite character was Hin. He was adorable, he was charismatic, and I loved that the series gave him his own little mini plot and we get to seem more of him in the end. His actor's performance was perfection, and I want to so badly see more of him.

While I did love Sib, he felt a bit clingy at times. I just wanted him to give Gene some space, especially at the beginning of the series when he was acting strange and obsessed with Gene, even when they weren't that close. I think it was a poor desision to have Gene forget who Sib was. In the flashbacks, Gene looked way old enough to remember, unless he went through some traumatic head trauma and forgot. Talking about the flashback, just how old is Gene compared to Sib? While the actors playing them young did a good job, the age difference was a bit startling. Sib was literally no older than 7 while Gene looked like he was about to start high school. While I can understand the age gap as an adult, it looked strange and off when they were kids. I would've loved it had they changed Sib to be a bit older or for Gene to be a bit younger. Episode 12 felt really off, as in, it didn't feel like it belonged in the series. While it wasn't bad persay, it still just didn't fit in my opinion. Them breaking the 4th wall was definitely the worst part of it all. Could have done without that awkward look my way for sure. Whatever happens to Aoey? Whatever happens to Mork? What was the underlying relationship between Gene and Sib's brothers? What when on with Gene and Sib's dads? Where does Tum and Tiffy's relationship stand? So many plot holes left open, so hopefully those go away in the special episode, or maybe even a second season.

Overall, I loved this series. The way they called out so many problematic subjects in BL was legendary. This series needs to be watched by every single person just for the sake of keeping the humanity of the actors and the fans. A definte recommend.

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Captivating

This series steals your attention right off the bat. They got into it before we could even learn their names. While I'm not a big intimacy fan, I can see why Max and Tul are so heavily loved in this industry. They are not afraid to really get into their roles. they are so comfortable around each other, and because of that, they create a beautiful love story. I LOVE friends to lovers, so it wasn't hard to start enjoying their plot at all. They had amazing chemistry and their story was so well-thought-out and executed. I didn't love the vengeful girlfriend bit, but I usually fog that part out of my brain anyways. Yihwa was an amazing sidekick and acted like such a loyal friend. I was actually rooting for her and Fai the entire time, but whatever.

Can't believe the story added in some nasty ass doctor that preyed over Farm instead of having him get with Phu. He was RIGHT THERE, it could've been so easy. I hated their storyline, right off the bat. I had a bad feeling about the doctor and I was right, He was dirty and perverted and try to trick Farm into doing things even when he didn't want to. He was a terrible person and an even worse boyfriend. I was always so uncomfortable each time they came up on the screen.

What was the point of a Phu and the teacher? Another plotline that was purposeless and not enjoyable to watch. I skipped most of their scenes. One, because it was uninteresting, and two, because a teacher should NEVER have a relationship with a student, it's just too taboo for me, I really can't help but hate it with a passion. That's why the overall score is at an 8. Scratch the teacher and doctor plot. throw Phu and Farm together, and you have yourself an amazing series.

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What a joyride.

Love By Chance serves as the third BL I had ever seen, right behind Tharntype and History 3: Trapped. When those are the only BLs you've ever watched, for sure Love By chance would be in my corner. Having had seen this BL many many months ago before finding actual masterpieces, I would tell you that I had fallen in LOVE with this show... not so much now. But, I want to stay true to my original rating in which I gave it a 9 out of 10, but if I were to do back and watch, (which I NEVER do) I would give this a PHAT 6.

Let's dive in.

Production: 5/10 - I will always and forever be bothered by the way BLs (Thailand productions in general ig) think we need 85 different camera angels when we only need ONE. We seriously don't need them showing us a kiss and then changing angles and show us them re-kissing and then do another angle and have them re-re-kissing again. Other than that, everything else looked normal.

Story: 6/10 - Not too much to say about this one, this was really just another very generic Uni BL. this was only my second BL that had been set in Uni, so I wasn’t too bothered, but looking back now, it wasn’t all that special like it had felt when I first watched.

Acting: 6/10 - Nothing too amazing, but nothing too poor either. I loved Perth's acting and Plan has always had me in awe about how good he is. Everyone else did their part of giving us "good enough".

Other: I had watched this series well after the situation that happened with Saint and Perth, and honestly, it was quite saddening, especially since I heard about there being a second season that Saint wouldn't be in. Tragic. But, from what I heard, I'm glad he left when he had the chance. Also on top of that, I have seen the situation in which the actors would make fun of and pick at Earth who is the only openly gay actor on LBC. Really turned me off to this series VERY quickly. I can't tolerate bullies, especially bullies that work in an industry that put their names on the map. dis-cuss-teng!

C-O-U-P-L-E-S

Ae and Pete: 9/10

Their story arc was pretty precious. From even the beginning, I honestly liked the connection that Ae and Pete had. The way that Ae helped him feel comfortable with his sexuality, Ae saving Pete, Them giving each other bracelets and the extra lovey-dovey shit on top of that. Overall, their dynamics were just really fun to watch. I will always shout this from the rooftop; I LOVE me some friends to lovers trope. Even with the good shit, there was undoubtedly the bad too. Ae at times overshadowed Pete and wouldn't let the dude make decisions for himself. On top of that, Ae's weird reasoning for throwing himself at Pete was very problematic and NOT okay. "You talked to another human being??? guess I'll have to punish you for it" *smirk emoji here*. Yeah, it was weird and them being a couple is not an excuse, especially since Pete was noticeably uncomfortable.

FIRST KISS: Okay, accidental kisses aren't everything to me, but, you know what, I'm not mad. Their kiss was so fresh and so innocent, I could really feel the anxiousness and the excitement of it happening, and Ae announcing that it was his first kiss added the cherry on top.

FIRST TIME: Yes, bye. Yes. This was everything, I LOVED that Pete was the one that explained that he wanted to have sex. Especially when he's the one negotiating and he opening up about what he wants. We love consent AND communication !!

Can and Tin: 8/10

Even though I’m not a huge fan of enemies to lovers, I give them a pass cause I enjoyed this one. The date episode was when I had gotten sold with this couple, and on top of Plan's amazing acting, it all really worked well. I really like how they ended things with this couple, it wasn't happy ever after, it was heartbreaking and sorrowful. Tin just needed someone and was taken aback when Can didn't feel like he could be that person. Although I liked this couple, I hated their development. There were many ways Tin could’ve gotten Can to like him back, there was no need for the whole “I’m going to force you to kiss me” thingy going on. very weird and very awkward,

FIRST KISS: No, Is there anything more I need to add to this? Just no. I wish to say that literally all other kisses were better, but all of them were just BAD. Not only bad but the worse I’ve ever seen in a BL. Like I don’t even know if I would call it kissing, I would more call it, Lip Touching. I truly believe the director said to them, “alright, you put your lip on the side of his mouth and then just pretend that you’re kissing.”

TW: R*PE

Techno and Kengkla: -2/10

There are plenty of reviews that speak on this topic, so I'll keep it brief. NO. Like No. Instead of formulating a whole ass heist, maybe next time we can try just, idk, having a freaking conversation? Maybe some flirting? Something along the lines of consensual perhaps? I feel bad for the actors though, they both seem decent, but this series shine a really bright and negative light for them both. Hope to see them in something better next time.

Not rating their "intimate" moments. It's all below hell.

TW: R*PE and IN*EST
Tum and Tar: 3/10

Someone's going to have to explain to me BL's obsession with In*est, cause from here on out, it's like nonstop. Although I adore Earth (He's right behind Fluke as one of my favorite BL actors), I still can't get behind this couple. Also, Tar tells Tum about something so traumatic that he's been through, and Tum was like "cool idc" and s*xually assaults him???? and it's not talked about ever again and is instead ignored and moved past????????? um, no?????? The only thing I truly enjoyed about these characters was their brotherly dynamic, (you know; when it didn't turn illegal). Also, Earth takes like two points out of the three, absolutely adore him.

RECOMMEND? If someone were to ask me what to watch as their first Bl, Love By Chance would be the 48th suggestion. Does that answer the question?

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Short and Cute

As soon as I played episode one, I could tell that this series felt completely different than other Thai BLs, and not necessarily in a bad way, but not good either. This series was obviously not given a big budget (or even a freaking budget at that), so all of the camera work looks like it was taken off of an iPhone (which was how Gameboys was, but it was like a 13 year old filmed it and forgot to bring their selfie stick). By the end, I couldn't tell if I'd gotten used to it, or if it had gotten better, but either way, I gave this series a shot, and I actually enjoyed it. While the production value takes it down by a lot, the acting and story help to bring it back up.

Let's Dive In.

This is a friends-to-lovers trope which just automatically makes me love it even more. While there were some very apparent problems in their relationship, for the most part, I really loved it. Both actors are attractive, which helps. Tan was my favorite character by far. He was super eccentric and vivacious that carried over to Sine and helped to take him out of his introverted and shy personality. Their ending was precious and cute. I didn't pay much attention to the other characters in the show, seeing as they were pretty small.

Overall, it was a quick and fun watch, and I really enjoyed it. If you're wanted to see it, I would say to not take it too seriously, and just really watch for the benefit of watching a BL.

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Slow Burn at It's Core, Boring at It's Surface

I had anticipated Lost in The Woods since it was announced Nammon would be in it (one of my favorite Thai actors) so, when this started airing, I immediately started watching. What I got was half of what I had anticipated, and the rest was ehh, but with how short this series was, including the very few actors in this, I think it worked.

Let's Dive In.

What I had predicted before watching LITW was that it would remind me a lot of ATOTS. I know now, I have to stop expecting and comparing series, or otherwise, I'll end up disappointed. They had their similarities: city boy meets country boy, rural country side, slow burn, but it doesn't quite hit the nail on the head as ATOTS does, which is fine, and my own fault for hoping it would.

LITW is not bad by any means, but it is extremely tedious to get through. Lots of beautiful scenery/nature shots, but I kid you not when I say that that's what half of the episodes are: shots of the gorgeous setting they were in. Which isn't bad, but it gets to a point where it's entirely too repetitive.

I love slow burn, and this series gave me just that. When I say slow, I will now be referring to Fifa and Hem's relationship, cause it's exactly the kind of thing I yearn for. Which is what kept me to watch, but it's hard with a lot of the episodes dragging and giving us, at times, pointless scenes. Ton and Arm do a good job at building the tension between them. I loved the longing stares, the nights spent together, adventures taken. They did leave it very open-ended/ambiguous, which is another reason this series doesn't get much of a reaction out of me. Also, their one and only kiss is sorta non-consensual, and that really kinda sucks. I think with a better ending, and a mutual yearning kiss, this could've been everything.

Nammon's character has some kind of relation with Padme, which felt a little weird, but I can't complain too much since Hem's and Fifa's relationship had some maturity difference, but between Prod and Padme, it felt just really off.

I think what could've made this work better is a bigger cast. I would've loved maybe a few side characters, maybe another solid side couple, and a plot that differentiated from Fifa and Hem's story. Then, I feel like this wouldn't have been so draggy and felt so forceful to get trough.

Ratings:

Story: 6.5/10 - Beautiful shots of their rural country side, but it got to a point where it was too repetitive. Some really boring scenes, like anything to do with Padme or Fifa working and sitting around looking pitiful. Skipped the whole "Hem in the forest looking for bad men" part. Lots of this can be skipped so that you can reach the point faster. Loved LOVED the slow burn, which is where most of this score comes from.

Acting: 8,5/10 - Ton does a great job as the lead. Lots of character development by the end. Arm is good, but he had one facial expression, which kind of diminished his role a little bit. Everyone else did good.

Music: 7/10 - I liked the nature sounds, Not really the music, but I'll count it.

Recommendation Value: 5/10 - I don't see myself really ever recommending this to anyone. It felt like another generic BL in the sea of BLs we've gotten and will get this year. I would recommend it for a slow burn, but the tedious plot leaves me a little iffy.

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We Are... Bored After the 11th Episode

I actually really enjoyed this a lot, initially. The set up of the characters, their dynamics, the start of their relationships, I really really enjoyed it. However, once you get past the 11th episode, with some little hidden gems in the latter, this series falls completely on its face. We Are is a fantastic, extremely long romcom about everyone on campus being gay.

Let's Dive In.

Again, the build-up of all the relationships was definitely my favorite part. Once they all get together (besides one couple) they just kind of fall off completely for me. But before I get into each couple, I'll talk about some other production things. One, the filter on this is actually ridiculous. They all looked so pasty, and not a, "we want to look pale," more like a, "We are the color of white paint." Oh gosh, it was so bad. At times, I had to lower my brightest so that they looked somewhat of a natural skin tone. We get these hidden shots sometimes of their natural, gorgeous skin, and I needed more of that.

This is 16 episodes long, and it just didn't need to be 16 episodes long. The last two episodes are of them going on trips back to back, and had Tan and Fang not had what they've been serving this entire series, I would've skipped it. There's so much dead space that the characters are quite literally doing nothing besides kissing and teasing one another. This could've easily concluded in episode 12 or 13.

Anyways, onto the couples, and I'll start with my favorite, Tan and Fang. They were everything to me. The stoic uke and bubbly seme, literally my favorite trope ever, I absolutely loved it down to pieces. Aou, hand down, played the best out of all the characters. His personality doesn't waver, he continues being supportive and protective and clingy, and I loved him. Their kiss scenes and everything in between were perfect. There wasn't even a second when I didn't want to see them on my screen. Moving onto Q and Toey, Their initial build-up is the best part of their relationship, especially Q coming to terms with his feelings for Toey, and how they navigate those feelings together They don't necessarily lose me, they just get a little stagnant after a while, and then I'm not so obsessed with them anymore. However, they also have that same bubble seme, stoic uke trope, so I did enjoy them enough.

Okay, and to no one's surprise, if you've seen my reviews for another PondPhuwin series, they were my least favorite established couple. First, they take way too long to get together, and this is coming from somebody who absolutely adores slow burns. I think they get together in episode 12? Maybe 13? It takes a minute, and it's an absolute horror. They kiss at least a bajillion times before then. and at some point, I was screaming at my computer every time Peem looked so surprised and appalled when Phum kissed him. Like, dude, this is your like 15th kiss, please stop playing with me. Again, the thing about Pond and Phuwin is that they have no problem with the physical aspect of their romance, but when they're not kissing, they just don't click. I don't know what's not clicking about this couple for me, but quite literally, I still, after every series I've seen them in, can't get into them. They still look like best friends told to kiss. But either way, Peem kissing Phum when he does for the first time felt completely out of place, and I'm still not sure why or what about Peem makes Phum just fall head over heels. At least with the other couples, there's a backstory to their connections, with them, there's nothing but a small, frivolous tussle in the beginning.

Anyway, they slightly tease another couple, but they get a pretty sorrowful ending. Then, the twin and some other guy have a moment, and then that's it. overall, a lot of this goes well, and a lot of this goes not-so-good. But, I think I enjoyed watching this series more than I didn't like watching it, so it's getting a 7 out of me.

Ratings;

Story: 7.5/10: At some point, it gets pretty boring and draggy, but for the most part, I didn't mind it.

Acting: 8/10: Aou plays the best of all the characters, with Santang coming in second place. Everyone did a pretty good job, but again, and like always, Pond has this way of acting that I'm still not a fan of.

Music: 6/10: Didn't pay it much attention, to be honest. Also, so much singing...why?

Recommendation Value: 7/10: It's good, I liked it, then I didn't like it as much. Tan and Fang are why I'd recommend this to anyone, the other couples, ehh.

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Two cuties Falling in Love and They just Might Kiss...

Another one of the JBLs that just does it for me. Nothing jaw-dropping, nothing fresh and new, just a quaint little love story that put me at ease and in a good mood. Even If I Try to Fall in Love With You exemplifies the true meaning of catching feelings and going for it even when it might scare you.

Let's Dive In.

Oh, such a wonder little love story. Amane, who used to hooking up with older men due to his past trauma of coming out finds himself falling for the walking green flag that is Ryuji, his school classmate who works at his late father's restaurant. And eventually, through trial and error, through some awkwardness and being truthful, they end up happily ever after. This JBL is everything that I love about Japanese series: The plot, the dialogue, the inner monologue, the way they go about confessing -- it's put into such a perfect order that it's really hard not to enjoy it, even if the series isn't long.

The chemistry was off the charts. It detailed perfectly the awkwardness of dating for the first time and going about having a crush and someone you like at such a young age. Ryuji saw through Amane's mechanism of smiling and laughing as a way to shield himself from getting hurt, along with Amane noticing the hurt and exhaustion that Ryuji was experiencing because of the loss of his dad, and keeping up with a restaurant he has no passion for. I think what makes or breaks a couple for me is when they can notice details, they're usually very subtle, yet when it's noticed/called out, I get all gooey on the inside cause -- omg you're paying attention. But most importantly, I just loved them as they were. Amane, although being afraid of his past experiences, is right off the bat open about his sexuality and not afraid to be blunt and honest about what he's feeling, only afraid of the aftermath of his truthfulness. And of course, Ryuji is just a sweetheart, letting it be known that it's okay to feel what he's feeling, there to listen and to tease, and to care. They were just such a delight to watch and such a joy seeing them start off their relationship all giddy and clumsy-like. I only wish that I could see their relationship develop even more (omg when Ryuji asked to kiss him again?? Hello that was so stinking adorable??).

With how short this series was, I'm glad we didn't have any secondary plots or otherwise, this would've been messy and felt rushed. But with saying that, I do wish this had maybe 3-4 more episodes so we could have a more fully fleshed-out series, go more in-depth into their past lives, and maybe see them build that connection even more.

Ratings:

Story: 8.5/10 - Just pure fluff filling my screen. I would've liked it to be more fleshed out, but what we did get was still really good.

Acting: 9/10 - Both leads did a job well done! I loved how expressional Takato (Amane) was with this character.

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

Recommendation Value: 10/10 - It's just pure fluff so I don't know anyone who wouldn't want to not watch this. So good, so pure, so lovely, and I'm going to miss them.

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J-BL Gem of 2023

Oh yeah, this was the shit. This was everything and more to me. This is the kind of story I crave more in BL -- simplistic first love stories that can tug at every heartstring until you're desperately crying out for more once it ends. I Can't Reach You was a spectacular J-BL that I'm so glad I found cause this was exactly what my little soul needed.

Let's Dive In.

Friends to lovers will always be my cup of tea, but add on childhood friends to lovers and you've basically sold me. And then on top of that, it's a first love story where we get to go through them experiencing their firsts with each other. And then on top of THAT, you throw in a plot without evil scheming characters or a third wheel -- just pure fluff, and feelings. I loved this, but I think that's obvious at this point.

Oh gosh, how I loved Yamato and Kakeru. They were flawed individuals with traits and odd perspectives like that of any hormonal teenager. Seeing Yamato so head over heels was nice, but getting to go through the story and finding these little moments when you can tell Kakeru is starting to feel something too -- the longing stares, keeping little memorabilia, laying his head on his shoulder, holding hands, the sparkling eyes while he smiles -- urgh, fuck, I love that shit so much.

Everything was so perfect, it was the right mix of awkward first encounters with figuring out feelings and how to go about them. The leads had great chemistry and great connection. Off-topic, but Kentaro (Yamato) is the prettiest J-actor I've ever seen and I could write an entire essay on his essence and soft masculine power. And yes I mean the prettiest (aka hottest) sorry I don't make the rule.

I just loved the plot too. I spoke a little bit about this, but there's nobody getting in the way of the main characters but themselves. No conniving jealous person, no evil parents or siblings, no troubling third wheel. Truly just feelings and a bit of miscommunication (which they fix by the end! Gosh, I love them). And yes, there were the girls practically throwing themselves at Yamato, but they were there as a jealousy mechanism for Kakeru and vice-versa, not an actual third wheel that you would have to worry about.

I love the other characters. I loved Yamato's sister, I loved the blonde-haired dude who was pretty much their love advisor and helped move their relationship. I loved that we didn't spend any time on them coming out or Kakeru having some deep contemplation on the fact that he liked a guy or the fact that others didn't react to it either. It was just a regular-smegular love story between friends and it's perfect. This was just such a gem of a series, seriously, it was so great.

My only little negative thing to say was that I hated when the sparkles would pass by their faces, it looked like some really cheap editing, but that might just be me. Also, the subtitles weren't it for a couple of the episodes, but again, just slight nit-picking.

Ratings:

Story: 9/10 - So so good! The pacing was perfect the storytelling was perfect and we went straight into the plot as soon as the series started.

Acting: 9/10 - great! They all did really good! I won't say their acting was the best I've seen, but still did really well! I liked Haru (Kakeru)'s acting the most!

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

Recommendation value: 10/10 - I rarely give something a 10 out of 10, but gosh lee, this really was so good and I highly recommend it. It's good for wanting something simple and fluffy and happy. I know I'm happy!

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Suenghyun and Jongchan serve as one of 2022's most poorly executed couples of 2022. They had so much potential to work with, so many different routes and twists and turns to take, and yet, none were taken. New Employee is a mess if not a tad bit boring, but I will say that Kwon Hyuk (Jongchan) makes up for that because he's gorgeous, but it's not enough for this to be entertaining though.

Let's Dive In.

So for one, this is too damn short. So short that it's shorter than the usual KBL lengths. So of course we come to the problem of things not being sorted out like they should be, and it's a jumble of mess, miscommunication, and conflict that's not real conflict. Seunghyun upset because Jongchan dated his ex-crush years ago? Okay, And why not throw in a tornado and shark attacks while you're at it. Such a dumb conflict that at this point I was skipping.

The romance, in the beginning, was super cute, Seunghyun's admiration, and the little things that would happen between them were cute. I feel like their getting together was really quickly done (since I'm more of a slow-burner) but it was fine how it was (ig). After they get together their romance is a bit off. Some uncomfortable staring, some awkward laughs. They had potential but it's just all rushed and a little tacky.

Ratings:

Story: 5/10 - Outside of the problems I have with it, it's also just really boring. I'm not a huge fan of office romances because they come with office jargon which is tedious to sit through.

Acting: 8.5/10 - It was okay. Nothing jaw-dropping and nothing terrible, but it was okay. Both leads did a really good job.

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

Recommendation Value: 6/10 - Some parts good, some parts bad. Both leads are handsome so that's a bonus. Watch if you want or don't watch. It wouldn't be my first recommendation of KBLs, but it wasn't the worst thing either.

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Wowza

I kind of knew going into this, it was going to be way below mediocre, but Hotdog, was this a trash fire of bad acting, an even worse script, and a god-awful theme song (I mean seriously who in production allowed that??) Hit Bite Love is terrible, which is the main reason why I watched it cause sometimes I need to not think and just watch.

Let's Dive In.

There's not much to say. This series is horrible in all aspects, and if you're wanting to watch, watch it specifically because you want to watch garbage, because you want to have a good laugh, because you need background sound while doing homework, etc. Anything but actually take this series seriously.

I didn't realize how young some of the actors are. Especially with the subject of BDSM which plays a part in all relationships. Talking about BDSM, it's so laughable in this, but quite honestly, it utilizes BDSM more than I've seen other series involving BDSM do. It's cringey, it's very awkwardly quiet (even the music doesn't help), and I skipped most of it by the end.

The only couple I decently liked was King and Burger. I think they could've had a really cute series had it just been the two of them, a proper plot, and a longer runtime. They were giving me MSP vibes that I was kind of digging, but whoever was behind the script completely obliterates their cute little rom-com romance.

Ratings:

Story; 3/10 - the plot is cheap writing and even worse storytelling. Everything's a bit rushed, and there's so much happening (murder mystery..?) that it hurts my brain. I'll give the only two stars I feel like giving to King and Burger's plot. The other star is because it's so bad that it's almost entertaining.

Acting: 5/10 - The acting is bad, but it's not the worse aspect of this series, so it's not unwatchable. Jur (Burger) and Vic (Hida) actually seem to have some potential, they just need a better crew to back them up.

Music: 1/10 - Who the fuck green-lighted that theme song? They sound so excruciatingly terrible that I kind of wanted to cry for the boys that sang it. Cause now it's out for the world to hear and years later, if any of these actors are to grow in popularity, they will be made fun of for it until they die. I know they're already probably regretting it.

Recommendation Value: 1/10 - Again, watch for fun, turn your brain off, and have a good laugh. But don't watch for any reason other than that.

I think they teased a season 2??? Really??

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Wow.

Wow.

If MDL allowed only one-word reviews, then wow would be the only thing I'd have to say.

I pretty much skimmed through this epic crisis of a series. What was promised to be this very raunchy, BDSM, mafia series quickly turned into a mafia and cut to the morning after series. I only kept watching for Baiboon and Kom cause I liked their dynamic, but their development just suddenly stops, so we don't ever get a proper ending with the two of them.

Ratings:

Story: 4/10 - I really just skimmed through this series, so I won't even begin to say I understood what was happening. Some mafia stuff? It's crazy that this all starts though because of a one-night stand.

Acting: 6.5/10 - most of the cast was mediocre. With as many series as Yoon has been in, you'd think he'd have improved by now, but no. No one's acting was good, everyone stayed on the same plain as just being ok enough for me to get through the series.

Music: 5/10 didn't pay attention to it which means it wasn't distracting.

Recommendation value: 1/10 - I don't have the strongest say in whether or not to watch this just because I really didn't 100% pay much attention to it, but from what I can remember, it's not worth it. Watch for some comedic relief, but do yourself a favor and watch any other series besides this one.

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