Unpopularopinionbydemand

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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Bad Buddy Shows That GMMTV Can Do Better

From the beginning of my watch to now, I think there is a completely different view on this series than I originally had. In the beginning, when this was first announced at the GMMTV 2021 lineup, this was on the very bottom of my list. It looked like a typical Uni BL that, of course, I was going to watch, but I wasn't going to think anything of it. But from then to now, I feel like that has changed for sure. Bad Buddy was again, a very successful and pleasing BL that a lot of people can find entertainment in. However, Bad Buddy did have its little slice of irreverence and irksome characters.

Let's Dive In.

Production was decent, just the same old it always is. The rooftop was very nice though, and probably the best to come out of production. I did like the montages of them going to each other's door and hanging items. Pat sneaking in with his blanket was by far my favorite. Way too many ad placements. Usual for GMMTV, but I've seen smaller companies do way less at advertising (Have you ever watched Arm Share? or Earth-Mix Space? I can't remember the exact variety show, but they literally spent 15 minutes talking about KFC... I don't recommend any of their variety shows unless you want to sit through them speaking forever on an ad you could care less about). I know this is how they get their money, but damn, there has to be something else than this. It's literally GMMTV, one of the biggest companies for BL, they have to be making enough bank to cut at least a few ads, geez. Other than that everything was decent.

Onto the plot. Nothing special. which is why I give this show a lot of credit. While the series was nothing new, original, or impressive, it made its way to being something great because of the actors and their amazing performances. This show wouldn't have worked had it been with any other actors, especially Ohm and Nanon. The plot was as basic as it could get, but with these two, they turned it into something more than that.

Anyways, back onto the actual plot. I give it a 50/50. In terms of Pat and Pran, I loved it. In terms of some of the scenes presented, they were irrelevant and dumb. for instance, the shooting and police situation. Dumb. Very dumb. And so out-of-the-ordinary for the series. it was a serious "what-the-f**k" moment for sure. There were plenty of different ways they could've had Pran run into Pat's parents. Many. I'm not a fan of filler, but with this series, it worked really well, especially for when Ohm and Nanon were kind of doing their own thing and just making the series feel more realistic.

The situation with the parents was okay until it just became annoying. Pran's mom was upset with Pat's dad about the scholarship thing, but they both live in the exact same style of house, in the same neighborhood, in the same town, so it wasn't like he was doing much better than her family. Again, that part made sense until it didn't. I also would've liked it if, by the end, Pat and Pran's parents would've eventually gotten over the feud entirely and allowed their children to be happy. For them to be grown adults and still have to hide their relationship has to be aggravating (especially after 5 years).

Moving onto the characters. I loved Pran and Pat. Ohm and Nanon did a phenomenal job at playing these characters. Their chemistry was through the roof, which is so surprising for me, cause at the beginning I was on the bandwagon that it wasn't going to be good at all. But Ohm could make chemistry with a tree if he wanted to, so I shouldn't have thought for a second it wouldn't be good. They both brought about some awesome performances, and Pran and Pat were pretty much perfect in this series, with enough flaws for me to enjoy them even more. Although, the last few episodes were feeling very much fanservice-y and not telling a story at all. A little less of that, and I think I would've enjoyed them even more.

Ink and Pa were just the cherries on top. I don't think this series did enough with the two of them. Granted, we did get a GL couple, but they were barely on screen. Had they been treated like the other side BL couples, we would've gotten a much more drawn-out indication of their relationship. I'm satisfied with what we got, but I wish we would've gotten more.

With the few times we did get to see Drake's character, I enjoyed him (when he wasn't being a bully). Korn was really silly and extroverted, and Drake played that character wonderfully. He had barely any screentime on this show, with the exception of the last few episodes. I will continue to advocate for Drake and the reason why he deserves another series of his own (but that's for another discussion). Wai was by far my least favorite character. Maybe not because of him personally, but maybe how the writer's disregarded how he outed Pat and Pran to the entire school. A huge situation that was just dusted off (I don't even think it was brought up at all). I think this series did a good job at being progressive (making fun of the 'I'm only gay for you' trope), but in a situation like this, it was serious and deserved to at least be discussed. Then Wai just bothered me with the entirety of the episodes that he was mad at Pran. Mad because Pat didn't tell him? A really weird excuse for him to have a surge of rage. It took Pat getting almost shot for him to be like, "Okay, I'm fine with your guy's relationship"..? They tried to redeem him in the end, but by then, I was just not feeling it. Jimmy is adorable and did a really good job, but his character is a nuisance. The rest of the cast did really well. I also want to give kudos to Pran's mom and her amazing scene with Pat's dad. Beautiful.

Rating:

Story: 8.5 - Nothing new, nothing special. But because of the acting, the plot/story felt fresh and enjoyable. Some irrelevant plots, and annoying circumstances, but other than that, I was entertained.

Acting: 9.5 - Phenomenal. Everyone did an amazing job. Ohm and Nanon made this series work for a plethora of reasons, but their performances were one of the larger ones.

OST: 6 - I don't remember much of the music, and quite honestly, I skipped over the parts of them singing, cause I just wasn't feeling it. But since it wasn't anything noticeably annoying or distracting, I'll give it a 6.

Rewatch Value: 1 - I have more series to watch. This series was nice, but I have no need to rewatch anything. Maybe come back for certain parts, but probably not even then.

I'm nit-picky with GMMTV series because I expect more from them than anything. They have the money, the actors, the resources, and the power to do so. While Bad Buddy was indeed one of GMMTV's best BL series, I know we can still reach further, and do better. I want to see something different than the typical uni BL. Sadly, it seems like the only series to gain popularity out of GMMTV are the uni BLs, so they're never going away, but I'm on the side of wanting something more than this. More than a bunch of engineer dudes falling in love. Especially, again, from GMMTV. Of course, I recommend this show, especially for viewers just getting into BL.

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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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Disneyifed

My overall thought...you saw the title. But outside of that, I think there is such a disconnect for me when it comes to this series, and I was seriously excited about this one. Memoir or Rati showed us a beautiful take on love in a Thai historical setting, but the overall presence of everything: characters, plot, romances, political upheaval, etc., unfortunately did not meet the mark for me.

Let's Dive In.

I want to dive into my statement about this being Disneyifed. Because that's exactly what it feels like. When I was first introduced to the premise of Memoir of Rati, I had so much hope that this was going to be less fluff more grit. Unfortunately, that was the complete opposite. I wanted to see fight, I wanted to see tragedy, especially in an historical piece like this. But, everything, even the more tragic scenes, had this veil of fluff that followed. I didn't hate the comedic parts of this, I think it worked, but it just completely threw me off of what was at stake here. Too many times, when I wanted to feel something for a scene, it cuts into a moment where it's trying to make me laugh. Urgh. And then by the end, everything worked perfectly for everybody, which is completely unrealistic for a setting taking place in 1915 CE. But GMMTV just had to make this happy-go-lucky, just had to make everyone's scenarios so perfect. Personally, I wanted more. A lot more tears and less comedic background music. On top of that, I really disliked the cinematography. I try not to compare every Thai historical BL to one another, but this was so white-washed and dreamy-looking, I hated it.

In my humble opinion, I think this series was rushed, as in, they made this too quickly, and because of that, the plot and the characters fall short. I really think they had an idea what they wanted to happen, and then, because of whatever obstacles or challenges, it just didn't end up being what it was suppose to be. And to also add to my point, some scenes felt like they were oddly cut, or the music would start and then randomly cut, not fade out, or have a smooth transition. I think in all aspects, this was rushed, the editing, the performances from the actors, and the overall plot.

Now, moving onto the plot. I was confused. I won't lie, I have zero idea who anyone was, what their roles played, or how historical Thailand worked. That might've been a me-thing, but I couldn't keep up. Also, with what little time Inn had to learn how to speak French, I personally didn't find it to be just god-awful, but I also don't speak french, so this is coming from a person that could obviously hear the struggle in his voice when speaking french, but I think to learn a language in a short amount of time, he did good. This also goes back to my point of, why not a hire somebody that is Thai who speaks fluent French (i'm sure they're out there somewhere) to play the part. Because GMMTV priorities the actors before the piece of work they're trying to create.

Moving onto the romances: I think they were fine. I think both couples do well, with Aou and Boom coming first. I think there was a giant disconnect for me when it came to Inn and Great's romance. It felt... awkward almost? Aou and Boom performed great, and, even though I wasn't a huge fan of the comedy, it was nice to see them play these funny dudes. I think should've seen more from them, but oh well.

But, don't worry, there was some stuff I liked! Again, I really liked Aou and Boom's characters, and their romance. I did enjoy seeing the wardrobes, especially Thee's outfits, which were immaculate. There are also some scenes that I did find beautifully told, or just beautifully shot. The plot with Rati's aunt is whatI found as the most interesting, especially as we learn that his real mom died and his aunt was the one that raised him.

Rating:

Story: 6.5/10 - Eh. Okay. kinda boring, won't lie. Thee and Rati's romance felt stale and stiff most of the time, also seemed extremely awkward in some cases.

Acting: 8.5/10 I think everyone did well. Nothing spectacular, but good.

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

Recommendation Value: 5/10 - I'd recommend only if you just love AouBoom or GreatInn, but otherwise, this historical BL can be skipped. Not even Great's abs could help save this for me.

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Sensual in the Most Non-Sexual Way Ever, OMG

I'm so glad I waited to binge this because this was everything and more to me. Punk's Triangle, the tale of a punk fashion student's love for AE the model, is strong in it's plot, and even stronger in it's tension.

Let's Dive In.

The series kept me entertained in the best way possible. Not once was I watching and just utterly annoyed with anything. Each episode brought something new or carried another important step in our leads' connection and it's brilliant.

Sensuality. Look it up in the dictionary and this series will be its definition. I feel like it's very rare for me to come across a series that is pretty low-heat but the most non-sexual sensual tension I have ever witness. I probably watched that bathroom scene from episode 3 more times that I'm willing to admit. Enaga's way of instructing Chiaki is the hottest thing on the plant. The bathroom scene, the belly-button piercing scene, their first kiss. I mean just the way in which he looks at him, his soothing voice, his calm demeanor. Fucking sensational.

Yasunari (Enaga/AE) as an actor is just so freaking brilliant. If you told me that Enaga and AE were played by two different actors, I would believe you. I know hair and makeup and clothes play a huge role in changing someone's appearance (along with facial piercings), but it's so much more than that with this character. As AE, he's confident, he's bold with his posture, he's gorgeous and he knows it. As Enaga, he's more closed-in on himself, shy, quiet, completely opposite to his stage presence, even down to the way in which he walk. I know some people harp on the fact that Chiaki couldn't tell Enaga was AE, but to be fair, outside of their height, I deadass wouldn't be able to tell either. The costume department did not have to eat so hard, oh my god.

I don't usually hope for second seasons, but if the creators of this could give me more Enaga/Chiaki I will forever be grateful.

Ratings:

Story: 9/10 - It's short, but it's good. kept me engaged in all eight episodes (I literally finished this in a day). Loved the leads, loved the story.

Acting: 9.5/10 - Bravo, Fujibayashi Yasunari. Ryota (Chiaki) doesn't stand out as much only because of the brilliant work of his co-star, but he did good as well.

Music: 6/10 - didn't pay much attention to it, but I thought the theme song was nice.

Recommendation Value: 9/10 - I had originally thought this was going to be a darker series for some reason (idk why) but this is so cute and lighthearted with low-heat, so I hundred percent think everyone should watch. And don't think I'm not going to rave about how fucking ethereal Yasunari looks. Gave me fucking butterflies and shit like I'm some little school girl, holy fuck. Watch for him.

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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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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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Great Until it Wasn't

Only Friends has a great beginning, but I can't lie that the incline to it being great crashed somewhere and just started getting rather tedious to watch. And don't get me wrong -- the plot, the acting, the romances -- everything worked like it was supposed to, except, still something just didn't work towards the end of this for me.

Let's Dive In.

Jojo knew what he was doing with this series, specifically with these pairings too. Putting a bunch of hot people in one frame and having them get into some heated mess -- okay yes, of course, I'm seated. I absolutely adore the concept of this BL, which I don't even know if I would label it a BL. This felt more like a genuine queer messy-gay series with no specific yes on a pairing and everybody was just kissing and sucking and fucking one another. It was about friendship and love and betrayal and hatred and loss and it worked perfectly with these actors. They put on a brilliant performance, and I can't wait to see what's lined up for them in the future from here on out.

Now, onto specific characters/pairings: I'll be honest, I would've loved a RayMew endgame. Of course, Ray and Sand worked well together too, but I'm a sucker for friends to lovers and we can't pretend like the moments that we did get between them weren't so fucking cute. Anyways, passed my wrecked ship, I'll start with Top and Mew. I absolutely hate that they ended up together. I really wish that Mew would've moved on, which might be my own bias because I can't imagine staying with someone that cheated on me, and even worse, cheated on me with my best friend. Also, yes, Boston is like a terrible human being, but if Mew can't find it in himself to forgive his friend but forgive his partner when they were both in the wrong, then Mew is being a bit of a hypocrite -- is he not? But skipping past before Top cheated with Boston, I was all aboard the Top Mew train. But initially Top only got with Mew to fill Boston's bet that he couldn't be the person Mew loses his virginity to, so now that I'm remembering that, I actually still didn't really like this pairing much. And I get it, he realized he actually did have feelings for Mew, but the intentions were still there. In reality, I give their relationship 5 months until they end for good.

Onto Sand and Ray, the only couple that I'm okay with. I liked Ray's character development a lot, which is why I can actually see this relationship lasting. They had a lot of ups and downs and honestly, the only real one I can recall is Ray still having feelings for Mew. I think they also complement each other so well that it just works. The rich with the poor, the spontaneous with the calculated, the party animal with the quiet musician, the boy who yearns for someone to love them with the boy who yearns to be loved. It was all so good. Again, I think Ray and Mew would've worked better for me, but I can see why this pairing does too, so I'm not mad about it at all.

Moving onto Nick and Boston -- thank god they didn't end up together. I hated seeing Nick just up and give Boston chance after chance, especially after they actually get together and Boston screws up again. He's just an all-around terrible person, who needed no redemption arc but was still given one (slightly). But again, Neo is so charming, so handsome, so perfect, so I can see why Nick would *shrugs in understanding*. But Nick deciding to work on himself to find the key to loving himself was a perfect ending for his character. Poor dude passed up Gumpa, so he really must've been hurting.

Mond being in this was so random and yet everything I needed and more. Dude is so pretty, so perfect, so everything. I couldn't even be mad that he was put in to add conflict at the last minute, because gosh, I mean just look at him. And the glasses too?? I'm no better than any of these characters tbh.

So what I think went wrong with this series: For me, there were a few times in which this just dragged on. Seeing Mark be hurt over and over again, Ray and Sand going back and forth, Top and Mew playing a game of cat and mouse -- and then it goes on for episodes and episodes. By the end, I was watching this at 2 times the speed. This is me being completely nit-picky and everyone else can disagree with me and that's fine, but how come we never see Ray/Sand and Top/Mew NC scenes as intensely as we saw Boston/any-boy-within-a-two-feet-radius-and-Mark? Maybe because they wanted to put an emphasis on Boston being sex crazy, but it felt weird to incorporate something for one character but not the others.

Ratings:

Story: 8/10 - Overall, it was good. Kind of repetitive and a little bit draggy, but it still worked well and was on theme throughout.

Acting: 9/10 - I got to see Mond and Force shirtless (which has nothing to do with their acting, but they sure did show me a good performance so..). Anyways though, and for real, everyone did a phenomenal job. Again, I'll have to give most of the kudos to Khaotung who just hits it out of the park each and every time. But Mark also stood out and so did Neo too.

Music: 8.5/10: Like usual, I didn't pay much attention, but I would like the sudden shock on my face when I heard an English song playing. I don't know, it just shocks me sometimes. Also, the theme song is so very good.

Recommendation Value: 7.5/10: Watch this because the actors are gorgeous and they are kissing at least 1/2 of each episode -- and the plot is wonderful. I give it a low score because I think this would've actually worked out better had I binge-watched it. I just saw all the hype and had to watch, but having seen what I've seen, I could've definitely waited to binge-watch it.

Also, Mix coming in at the end almost felt like they were building up to a potential 2nd season?? I mean, just imagine it. And you know if Mix is there I'm also there. We shall see once the final GMMTV 2024 line-up comes out!

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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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Eh

I think someone said it already, but yes, the highlight of this series was the height difference, and yes, I am that shallow. I'm not going to harp on this series too much because it obviously didn't have a big budget, nor did it have credible actors. But for what it's worth, I think it actually wasn't that bad for the budget it was given.

Let's Dive In.

The premise of the show is decent. It's actually pretty well thought out and somewhat original. It takes itself off coarse many times due to the lack of a coherent script and actors who can dish it out. But again, for what it's worth, it's not that bad.

The romance is eh. Their height difference carried me to the end for sure. I did enjoy their little face-painting thing, and the interview at the end was cute. Outside of those moments, everything else was okay. Pete's acting is stale and Tonliew's is mediocre. They have zero connection, and only a pinch of chemistry at the end.

Ratings:

Story: 6/10 - Okay. Good in some parts and bad in others.

Acting: 7/10 - Eh. They were new actors so I'll give them some leeway, but I've seen better. Tonliew was probably their strongest actor.

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

Rewatch Value: 2/10 - Maybe any time Putter is looming over Yoshi like a tower. Other than that, probably not.

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Not My Cup of Tea

I've never been the type to enjoy ghost love stories, but I feel like this one isn't necessarily the same thing, however, it still wasn't my cup of tea. I think the romance side of the story was way too fast-paced. The building-up was going well, and then they just went straight to it, and once you've passed the intimate stage, I usually lose interest because there's nothing else to be excited about. And that's exactly what happen and I just had no interest at all. I pretty much skipped a few episodes after episodes 4-5 and watched the last one fully. I think the ghost plot itself was nice, but as I said, it doesn't intrigue me very much. Seenam and Prim's story was very tragic, yet beautiful, but still wasn't enough to keep me interested. There were a few nice plot twists, and I think Seefoon is the cutest.

Ratings:

Story: 6.5/10 - the ghost story is nice, but the romance happened too quickly for me. Nothing was enough to keep me very inspired though.

Acting: 8/10 - Good! The cast all did a good job. A few "eh"s here and there but it was decent.

Music: 5/10 - don't remember but it wasn't distracting so that's good.

Rewatch value: 1/10 - No.

I can see why a lot of people enjoyed this. The main leads had very good chemistry, I just think it happened too quickly for me to be interested in the entire series. I wouldn't mind seeing them again. I personally don't recommend it, but if supernatural plots intrigue you, go for it.

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Better than the Original

I did like Make it Right, but there was something that shifted in Make It Right 2 that made me fall more in love with the characters than the first one ever did for me.

I want to love Book and Frame so badly, but the way they had gotten together in MIT was disgusting. Although, I liked their pairing a lot more this season since they were given an actual plot. The situation between Book and his former partner was so devastating, and Toey did an amazing job at portraying this depressed character. I broke down so hard when Frame found Book and the pills on the floor. Both actors did an incredible job and definitely deserved a pat on the back (especially for making me cry since I NEVER cry). As much as I loved them this season, I can't forget how poorly the writers treated them last season, and I still can't get behind their toxic relationship.

Mo and Yok had to be my favorite couple this season. They had such a fun comedic feel that made the series feel so much lighter. CONSENT IS SEXY. I'll never stop saying it. Yok and Mo did an incredible job at showing what actual consent before and during sex looks like. I appreciate these actors and hope to see them in future dramas.

Fuse and Tee were okay this season, nothing bad, but nothing amazing either. Fuse finally broke up with his girlfriend, so his relationship with Tee actually felt real. The confession at the beach was pure magic. I only cry during two occasions: one, coming-out scenes, and two, emotional confession scenes. I was entirely balling my eyes out again. It was impeccable, and Peak's did an awesome performance.

Overall the series was good. The situation between Wit and Yok's mom was not it. I skipped it all. Rodtang and Nine were finally given a story, but it still felt incomplete. Not that I cared, because I'm still not a fan of Beam's acting. It was a fun watch, and it kept me entertained, so I'm not disappointed at all.

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