vanwarren

Honestly, this series should be rated higher than it is. This is without question the best Taiwanese BL that's come out in 2025 (granted the bar was EXTREMELY low considering the fact that many Taiwanese BLs in 2025 have been flat out terrible). While this story was relatively simplistic, the writing, acting, and pacing was all solid; so it made for an enjoyable watch. I'd be inclined to recommend this series to anyone who's looking for an "introductory BL." The plot is easy to understand, and the series overall doesn't have anything that may overwhelm a new BL enthusiast.

*SIDE NOTE*

Jyun Hao seemingly confirmed that he and Chance are actually dating. I'm glad to see that this series was able to bring them together.

Honestly, even if that "storyline" wasn't a topic of contention, the writing for this series overall is abysmal; so I wouldn't necessarily blame anyone for dropping it.

I've said this before, and I'll say it again; Kan and Per should've been the main couple. Their chemistry is the strongest, their love story is the strongest and LEAST cringy, and overall, their acting is stronger (which isn't necessarily saying much since the acting of the majority of the cast isn't the strongest [to put it nicely]). I had a feeling that Mayo would be the one who stabbed Per after Natcha served as the "red herring" since she was the character who was loudest about her jealousy of Kan and Per's relationship. I actually felt bad for Mayo throughout the series since it was heavily implied that he'd been getting physically and sexually abused by seniors at the university (and I kinda still do in that regard because no one deserves to be abused), but that doesn't give him a pass to try to kill someone he views to be a "love rival;" especially since Per actually saved him from the senior that was abusing him in the previous episode. If this series were written better, I feel as though this episode (episode 9) would've actually served as the "redemption arc" for Natcha's character in the way that I feel they were trying to have it land. Although she helped find and capture Mayo, it was hard to feel bad for her even after Kan apologized to her for blindly snapping at her thinking she was the one who stabbed Per. Lastly, it's rather disappointing that the "relationship" between Tum and Klah hasn't progressed throughout the entire series. This was the second to last episode, and not so much as a hug, a snuggle, or a pat on the back (SOMETHING) to make their story feel as though it's progressing, and at this point, I'm over it. Either get together or don't.

*SIDE NOTE*

I have to ask... What is up with Kan's milkshake? Because something about him seems to bring the boys AND the girls to the yard.

Soooooooooooooooo... I don't mind a "slow burn" romance in a series IF there are other things of substance to hold my interest until the official start of the romance, but if I'm being honest, this episode in particular was a bit boring. We're halfway through the series now, so I feel as though it would've been a bit more intriguing to actually have Khem at least ATTEMPT to take some initiative and attempt to do more research on Ramphueng and get closer to discovering why she's so hellbent on torturing Khem in every lifetime. This episode honestly felt like a filler episode that didn't do much to progress Khem's story in regard to his family curse. I'm curious to know exactly how Charn's ability to locate people came to be. I know that Peem explained that it was because Charn had a strong bond with Khem, but I find it strange that Charn would have a stronger bond with Khem than Jet to the point that he'd be able to hone-in on Khem's spirit when he went missing in the previous episodes. I'm actually slightly more interested in the progression of Jet and Charn's relationship since it seems as though they get more screentime together than Khem and Peem. Hopefully, this series picks up some steam in the upcoming episodes.

*SIDE NOTE*

Peem openly cock-blocking Khem after flat out rejecting him in the beginning of the episode is crazy work. Hopefully Phong isn't as shady as his grandfather.

Skimming through some of the comments, I'm trying to figure out why so many people questioned Tuo's feelings for Junxi when Tuo has loved Junxi literally since the moment they met as children. When his mother abandoned him as a child, JUNXI was there to comfort him. When his father neglected him, JUNXI was there to make him feel a part of his family. I always got a strange vibe from Tuo's boss. I was hoping to be wrong about him being the character that's seemingly attempting to groom his intern (yes, although Tuo is technically an adult, it's very possible for an adult to be groomed, especially by a person in a position of authority), but based on the preview for the next episode (which almost feels like a finale episode despite the fact that MDL says that this series has 12 episodes), it seems as though that's the direction the series is going with that character. Judging from how Tuo's character is written, I highly doubt that he would ever think of cheating on Junxi; especially now that his life-long fantasy of being with Junxi romantically is now a reality.

*SIDE NOTE*

If this series does indeed have 12 episodes, I think it would've made more sense for Junxi's dream/"nightmare" to have been a scenario that actually played out in real life since that would've given the story a deep enough subplot to effectively stretch it to 12 episodes.

Honestly, whoever wrote for this series needs to be blacklisted from writing for any series ever again. I'm trying to figure out why this series just decided to gloss over the junior that was clearly being physically AND sexually abused by a senior to the point that he felt the need to seek out Kan for help. The fact that there was no real resolution or assistance for the junior to AT LEAST get him away from his abuser is rather jarring for me. Also, while I think that Per and Kan are the strongest pairing in this series (which isn't saying much since the main couple doesn't really give the viewers much to work with), Per annoyed me with his jealousy over the junior that Kan was taking care of; especially since it was clear that the junior was under duress, and needed help to get away from his abuser (I'm not understanding why it was so difficult for Per to show a modicum of empathy). In regard to Per and Kan's relationship, I know that everyone is different, but Kan is too old to be acting shy and embarrassed to show public affection to his boyfriend (a guy that he's missed for weeks). He's a SIXTH-YEAR medical student, so I would appreciate it if he (and the characters in this series in general) would start acting like the adult that he technically is as opposed to a sophomore in high school. I don't have much to say about Knight and Mild because they're just not giving what they need to give as a main couple (which could be chalked up to this being Arm's debut series, so I can extend some grace to him in that regard). Lastly, EVERY SINGLE FEMALE IN THIS SERIES IS INSUFFERABLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is going to sound harsh, but Natcha is pathetic, full stop. Kan told her 525,600 times that he has a boyfriend AND that he doesn't have romantic feelings for her. What exactly does he have to do to drive it through her thick skull? Fern is too busy antagonizing Mild because he's dating her former f*ck buddy, and she's too immature to let him go. Knight himself admits that he's not a good person, so it makes no sense why Fern is so hung up on him (this may sound crass, but I know there are other guys she can hook up with on campus if that's what she really wants). Last but not least, Pat is just a terrible human being all around with no redeeming qualities. The way this series and the characters are written overall is abysmal.

First of all, how did Junxi's brother even know where he lived? Second, why would he just pop up unannounced and expect Junxi to drop everything in his life (because Junxi has both school AND an internship to balance along with his relationship with Tuo)? Tuo being jealous of Junxi's nephew makes sense for his character since he literally dated every woman who had romantic feelings for Junxi JUST so they wouldn't be with Junxi because he was secretly in love with him and couldn't bear to see him with anyone who wasn't him (which is a bit diabolical if you really think about it). So far, this has been the best Taiwanese BL of 2025 (which isn't saying much since Taiwanese BL has been down BAD in 2025 [no shade, but shade]). Without spoiling anything, I'm curious to see what happens in the next episode with Tuo and his boss.

Before I start, I'm going to let the people who may read this know that I'm not putting a spoiler tag on my comment because you need to know what TF you're getting into if you decide to watch this series...

Per and Kan should've been the main couple since their story is more interesting and FAR less cringe than Knight and Mild's. One thing that annoyed me about Kan in this episode (episode 7) is that his emotional wounds in regard to his relationship with Per were self-inflicted. All he had to do was talk to Per like an adult (especially since he's apparently a SIXTH-YEAR medical student, which would mean that he's at least in his mid-20s) as opposed to shutting him out completely without a valid explanation. Speaking of explanations, while Knight may not have r*ped Mild in his sleep as previously suggested, the fact that he drunkenly broke into his bedroom and straddled him in an attempt to kiss him in his sleep is STILL creepy AF. I wouldn't be entertaining anyone like that if I were Mild, but that's just me. All Knight had to do was deny the r*pe allegation flat-out instead of this BS about Mild "not knowing the whole story" and wasting two and a half episodes dragging this series out with an alleged SA/r*pe storyline. The writing for the main couple is abysmal.

Thankfully (I suppose), I binge watched the episodes because I couldn't bring myself to watch weekly. Going into episode 5, I assumed that the reason Mud and Knight hated each other was because they had previously dated, and Mud didn't want Knight dating his brother; but to find out that Knight seemingly r*ped Mild and Mud kept it from him for this long is just f*cked up on so many levels. The minimalization (and often romanticizing) of same-sex r*pe and s*xual assault in Thai BL in particular is one thing that I despise (especially since it happens quite often). Also, I'm not a fan of how other characters were trying to gaslight Mild into being in the vicinity of his r*pist as if finding out he was r*ped in his sleep isn't a big deal. Lastly, Mud ain't sh*t for knowing what happened to his brother, not reporting Knight to the authorities, AND hiding what happened to Mild for such a long period of time. Even if it's revealed that Knight didn't r*pe Mild (since he's insisting that Mild doesn't know "the whole story"), it makes no sense why Knight wouldn't just come out and deny r*ping Mild as opposed to trying to tell "the whole story." All he had to do is say "no I didn't" IF he really didn't do it. I'm kinda flabbergasted that someone actually read this script and greenlit this for production.

Soooooooooooooooooooooooooooo... Even if the kid is related to Junxi, why would someone just drop a child off at someone's apartment unattended? Also, who else would've known that Junxi and Tuo moved in together? Initially, I was a bit worried about how this series could possibly be stretched out for 12 episodes, but honestly, I'm interested in how Junxi and Tuo's story will progress.

Tuo stated that Junxi was the only child his parents had at home since his brother left for college/work. There wasn't much emphasis on it, but technically, it was stated that Junxi had an older sibling.

Yes, they did (I didn't stutter). Clearly you don't recall the terrible writing for "Dead Friend Forever." Ta, Barcode, and Mio were the only good actors in that series and carried that series from start to finish. Barcode's role in "KinnPorshe" (which btw is an insanely overrated BL for people who like watching romanticized r*pe scenes and characters with Stockholm Syndrome) was essentially overshadowed by the two other "couples" in the series. There's a reason why he and Ta are no longer managed by Be On Cloud.

I'm kinda here for Barcode as a villain. Be On Cloud did him so dirty, and I'm glad he was able to break away from that terrible company.; especially since he can ACTUALLY act. Since this is a GMMTV series, I expect the comedic/campy moments, and surprisingly, it's nothing too jarring as of yet, but since this is Barcode's GMMTV debut so to speak, I'm hoping that GMMTV doesn't screw this series up. Since this series only has 10 episodes as opposed to their typical 12-episode quota, it gives me a glimmer of hope that this series will be relatively solid (hopefully).

So, do the pheromones obscure the vision and the hearing? How is it that Shao You didn't realize that Hua Yong was the one who attacked him when he was looking dead at his face AND Hua Yong didn't really disguise his voice? Even if people want to reach and say that the room was pitch-black in the novel, but the series brightened the room so the viewers could see everything that was happening, Hua Yong still didn't disguise his voice OR his scent. Being around him for so long, Shao You should've at least been able to notice Hua Yong's voice and/or scent. The same question(s) can be applied to Shen Wen Lang as well. How is it that he didn't remember sleeping with Gao Tu when he stopped him from leaving the room prior to them sleeping together? Also, why was Hua Yong's door left open for the attempted kidnappers to be able to enter if Hua Yong was placed in that specific room because of his rut? Isn't the point of placing him in a specialized room to isolate him during his rut so he doesn't harm anyone? There was A LOT in this episode that didn't make an iota of sense even for an Omegaverse BL (before the Omegaverse defenders jump in the replies, I said what I said). I do find it a bit strange that some people will do mental/verbal gymnastics to excuse the way some series romanticize r*pe and/or s*xual assault (because that IS what happened to Shao You in this episode since he didn't consent) when I didn't see nearly as many people excusing Way using his powers to paralyze and nearly r*pe Babe in Season 1 of "Pit Babe" despite that also being an "Omegaverse" BL.

*SIDE NOTE*

I'm just convinced that Shen Wen Lang is a moron. Gao Tu's doctor literally outed him as an Omega, yet for whatever reason, he still believes that Gao Tu is a Beta with a sage scented Omega partner despite the fact that he KNOWS that Gao Tu lives alone (meaning withOUT a partner). Common sense should've kicked in by now that Gao Tu is an Omega cosplaying as a Beta; especially since he ALWAYS smells like an Omega AND he's extremely sensitive to S-Tier Alpha pheromones (which to my understanding, TRUE Betas are impervious to Alpha pheromones).

I don't think they're going to top "Trapped In Osaka," but this wasn't entirely unwatchable unlike some BLs that have come out in 2025. Had the last episode been written better (without spoiling anything in case some people haven't watched it yet), it wouldn't have gotten the criticism that it's been getting despite the fact that it's a short series.

I'm not gonna hold you, I really thought this series was going to give "My Golden Blood" vibes (which isn't necessarily a good thing because in my opinion, "My Golden Blood" was NOT it), but not only does this seem more interesting based on the first two episodes, but unlike "My Golden Blood," there's a second couple that seems like they can pique my interest in the event that the main couple's story begins to fall a bit flat throughout the series. Overall, this series is starting off okay.

Hua Yong is a DEMON!!!!! That's it, that's the comment.

This has to be said. I know he was desperate to help his grandmother get better treatment for her cancer, but Lin Yan Rui is a moron for doing work for someone without AT LEAST a 50% deposit of the payment. A real businessman/woman knows not to start work until a deposit has been made; so I don't feel bad that he got scammed by Wang Zhen Long because as a person who worked as an accountant, he should've made sure he got his money first no matter how "desperate" he was supposed to be. Suo Wei is better than me, because there's no way I'd let a guy who framed my boyfriend of tax evasion shake me down for 5 million yuan; especially when I'm offering him help with his ailing grandmother. Honestly, Lin Yan Rui is lucky that Suo Wei even entertained the thought of paying him anything. If it were me, I would've just rescinded my offer to help his grandmother, copied the evidence from his phone, and turned him and Wang Zhen Long in to the police. Since he initially lied about working for Wang Zhen Long, Lin Yan Rui's word in regard to testifying against Wang Zhen Long in exchange for money means nothing. In regard to the scene where Suo Wei is finally allowed to visit Chi Cheng, I honestly believe that Chi Cheng left because he didn't want Suo Wei to see him cry. His tears felt like they were triggered by the idea that he blames himself for Suo Wei "losing" everything. I hope that the final episode is around an hour long just to give the series enough time to tie up any possible loose ends in a timely manner. This series has been virtually flawless thus far (especially for a CHINESE BL), so I'm hoping that the final episode doesn't feel rushed.

I've yet to watch "I Feel You Linger In the Air," so I can't really speak on that. I've heard mixed reviews about it, so I'm a bit hesitant to watch.

I actually enjoy Great and Inn's chemistry (even in "Wandee Goodday" as campy as it was, but to me, their chemistry is more enjoyable in this series). What interests me the most about "Memoir of Rati" is that it has me wondering how GMMTV is going to give this series the typical "happy ending" that the average GMMTV series tends to have given the time period that this particular series is supposed to be set in. So far, if I had to explain it in layman's terms, it's almost like a same sex "Romeo & Juliet," but the pacing so far isn't terrible in my opinion. If you're looking for a quality Thai BL, I'd highly recommend "Reset." The story, acting, and pacing of the series is impeccable (assuming you haven't already watched it). In regard to Taiwanese BLs in 2025, "Secret Lover" is better than the vast majority of series that have been released this year (granted the bar for Taiwanese BLs in 2025 isn't particularly high, so do with that what you will), but with the releases of CHINESE BLs like "Revenged Love," "ABO Desire," and "Trapped In Osaka," the most recent Taiwanese BLs simply can't compare.