This review may contain spoilers
The BL Lack of Communication Trope Pushed to its Limits.
I'll start by saying - The show is watchable, just very disappointing.At it's core this show is like Not Me ( stripped down, just a better version of this show) and wanted the energy of KinnPorsche - Without earning anything those shows did.
The show is confused energetically hopping quickly between a mystery, thriller, romance, softcore simulated p*rn, while attempts at "comedy".
There were too many characters for the plotline once things fell into place. The story tries so hard to involve everyone in the central plot that it makes everything make LESS sense.
I'll just list out some spoiler thoughts instead of getting to lengthy.
- Porche, First and Captain were all written terribly. The spoiled child into cold emotionally stunted adult thing is writable, these all are just the spoiled child refused any accountability. The moments we're meant to feel bad for them are BEYOND unearned, in fact, the story goes out of its way to NOT justify their motivations for just screwing with people or the things around them. Even more importantly, gives us no motivation for the group to even be friends. Zouey for as self-righteous as they try to make him late in the show for red herring reasons, has 0 reason to associate with any of these guys given to us.
- After episode maybe 3 or 4, the next 8 to 9 episodes are ALL characters lying without any HINT of motivations for their lies to be found in the series. It spreads from character to character to the point that instead of twists, the story gets predictable. Their lies make less sense in context of the surrounding plots. Aob and Prom had little reason to lie in the time frames they did that would have provided any benefit to them, or protection.
- The "daddy" is unearned. He's the big bad sure whatever. No character ever has motivation to protect him, every single character seems to know exactly who he is, but forgets who he is and what he is behind when it is convenient to the plot. In earlier episodes no one knows who their boss was, in the last 3 episodes they all acknowledge random bits of history with him, working with him, or working directly for him.
- The locker room had the lighting of a dramatic indie film, including messages projected onto characters, intimate light shows, shaped mirrors in locker rooms refracting dramatic lights. Did they start here and run out of budget or something?
- Nont being painted as the bad guy for plot reasons after everything the friends did was so eyeroll inducing. They all basically got spun into horrible situations, knowing who Porche's boyfriend was, due to their actions and their actions alone. I understand after the unfortunate last episode, it was a red herring but ugh.
I don't like to just compare shows, but this is flat out a worse version of Not Me.
It had an intriguing start but bogged itself down with an endless cast and then contrived writing trying to link it all together and then an insulting ending assuming the show will be enough of a success for a season 2.
The cast were all most very attractive at least.
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A flawed but fun camp experience
Not a long review. Some of the reviews are very... weird so I felt like I needed to add my own two sense.Overall worth a watch especially if you have watched BL shows. it has some of the same flaws and subverts some others.
The usual BL suspension of reality needs to be used to start.
The shows casting is fun, it's refreshing to have adult men be sexually active and not just allude to it and act like demure and nearly prudish at the thought. I understand these shows are primarily made for women and not usually gay men, but the characters here avoided that a bit.
It's also incredibly refreshing to dodge high school/ college being the main setting.
The main flaw of the series is that some plot and pacing. There are absolutely some plots and subplots that are dropped, or underdeveloped. At times it can come off as a bit soap opera-ish. Id say the series would feel more solid with some minor early episode plots reduced in time and some character motives looked at.
The show has a great run and fumbles a little bit on the ending and feels like it could have done with an episode more to give some plot threads more time to resonate.
I'd absolutely recommend watching it if you're on the fence. It's a strong show.
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