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  • Last Online: Aug 26, 2024
  • Gender: Male
  • Location: Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
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  • Join Date: January 7, 2020

Bayamon_Hill

Chicago, Illinois, United States of America

Bayamon_Hill

Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
Completed
Triage
16 people found this review helpful
Apr 25, 2020
Completed 2
Overall 9.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 10
If you saw the show "2Moons" you know that the characters of Forth and Beam (played be Tae and Tee) barely even spoke, as their story was going to continue in the second season. The characters have gotten their chance, but the actors did not. In a shocking move, the entire cast of "2Moons" was replaced and Tae and Tee lost their chance to show what they can do together on screen. This short film, more a premise for a full series, gives you a clue as to what it would have been like. The idea for "Triage" is that Tae plays Tin, a doctor, who is the boyfriend of Tol, who has a medical condition. The film suggests supernatural elements and a good deal of drama. It would have been interesting to see these two flex their acting muscles. I for one would like to see the series come to reality, as a way of giving all the actors of the first cast of "2Moons" a way of getting revenge for being cast aside. If "Triage" is done super well, and has all six actors in it, that would be a great conclusion for them - redemption. Hopefully, the people who make decisions on these things are watching the numbers of views and comments, as well as this review. MAKE THE SERIES! If there's room for 20 series about engineering students, then there's room for "Triage".

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Completed
Romantic Station
5 people found this review helpful
Jun 28, 2020
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 7.5
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 10

Love, Again, on the Tracks

Jim is a location scout for a film production company, and he finds himself at a train station. He knows it is a complete cliche to set a love story there, and yet, when Toy rests his head on Jim's shoulder, he comes to understand why train stations work so well. There is a lot to like in this short movie - the location is appealing, the cinematography is pretty good and the actors are cute and look good together. These actors are so new, Ohm Pasawit's Instagram (he played Jim) was set to private. He's so new he isn't even in MDL! I liked the forwardness of Toy and the playful exchange between them. These aren't confused characters - they're gay, and they're going to hook up. If that isn't romance for the modern age, then I don't know what is.

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Completed
Bad Romance
7 people found this review helpful
Mar 8, 2020
13 of 13 episodes seen
Completed 1
Overall 2.5
Story 1.0
Acting/Cast 6.0
Music 2.0
Rewatch Value 1.0
This review may contain spoilers
I have watched over 30 BL dramas/Lakorns so far and this show is the worst. I don't know what the rating of the show was, but it had to be for a general audience. For a show about romance, there was no physical affection at all - the closest you got was drunken mistakes and almost-sexual assaults. The main character Yihwa is not an independent woman, but a prude, who refuses the advances of others, even when she likes them. Cho goes from being nice to acting like he is going to rape Yihwa over and over. Korn and Knock are the most poorly written gay couple of any series outside of What the Duck!. They argue and fight physically as a way to avoid having to kiss on screen. The series had ghosts and a woman with super powers, and why would four separate characters all be fighting over Cho? He is cute, but there were so many other cute guys in the show, including Tanguy.
The credits on this site don't even mention the actors who played Being and Martin, but they were a nice couple on the show. The episodes were too long, nothing happened and the music was bad. The ONLY reason to watch this thing is because everyone is very attractive. The women are beautiful (especially Beauty) and the men are hot. Maybe it's better to forget this show exists.

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Completed
Oxygen
4 people found this review helpful
Jan 18, 2021
13 of 13 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.5
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10

One of the Best of 2020

If you have looked through the reviews, this show is very polarizing. Some like it a lot and some don't like it at all. I liked it a lot. I liked that the story provided me with likable characters who each had back stories that informed their actions. Guitar's background explains why he is so mature and goal-oriented - an old soul with sore spots. Solo's background helps you understand why he is an injured boy looking for someone to love him completely. Even Phu's background can help explain why he is so robotic in his expressions (it's a pretty extreme story). Those stories are also explained in the show to one another, like people do when they're trying to get to know each other. I also liked that the story had enough details that weren't in the stereotypical mold. They were college students, but were barely in class, Guitar was an engineering student, but you couldn't tell. There are work scenarios, but none of them take over the show. Some might hate that it can't seem to decide what it is, but I enjoyed its obsessed focus on the love of the couple at the center. Whether school, work, internships, family, friends, it all comes second to the love of Solo and his Guitar.

There are some drawbacks to this show. Some of the music, especially the harp music, is pretty bad, but cheap. The secondary storylines are not as good, especially the bizarre love square featuring the doctors. There might be at least a ten-year age difference between some members of that love game. The saddest part is that the second couple of Phu and Kao doesn't develop as much as it should. For me, Kao is a wonderful character and he deserved more. He stole the show for me, which isn't hard to do when everyone else is acting in such an understated way. That may also put people off, but there was enough sincere crying to go around at the right moments, and importantly, there is a lot of physical touch, like hugs and head leaning (love it!), that go a long way to making the connections between characters clear even when their actions are lowkey.

So, it isn't a perfect show, but it is a lot better than most of the recent BL shows coming out of Thailand. It's better than Tonhon Chonlatee, it's better than My Gear & Your Gown, and it's better than 2gether, so that's saying something. And the show gave me what I needed during this depressing COVID-19 pandemic - a beautiful, happy ending where all is resolved. I can't really ask for more from a 13 episode series.

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Completed
Together with Me: The Next Chapter
6 people found this review helpful
Mar 22, 2020
13 of 13 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 9.5
This review may contain spoilers
When you watch a lot of BL dramas, the tensions in gay couples come from the same issues. Coming out to friends, coming out to co-workers, and coming out to parents. I don't think I have ever seen a show so far where there was an actual sexual affair being part of the drama. The reason why I think it was a great place to go for Korn and Knock is because their personalities were clashing and there were real issues in the relationship that would lead Korn to stray. They didn't even have to make Pete the bad guy to make what happened believable. Knock has always been immature, self-centered and dismissive of Korn's feelings. Anyone would feel exasperated by that situation, and cheating happened. What it did was clarify their feelings for each other, and even though it might seem late in the game, I think there was enough time taken to give Knock space to be angry and sad. The real problem is that the writers don't know how to write about deep emotions - there is never any real deep talking between any of the couples, and they all need to talk more. I am glad they resolved their issues without having to have a dramatic hospital scene, but rather just a realization that their legendary love is greater than the mistake that was made. People forgive people for cheating in real life too you know. I thought the show was great - it made me laugh (the parents were hilarious), cry and worry. That's what any show would want to be able to do. And now I'm sad it's over because Korn/Knock and Max/Tul is one of the best couples in ALL BL. I'll miss them.

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Completed
En of Love: This Is Love Story
3 people found this review helpful
Jul 5, 2020
3 of 3 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 4.5
Story 5.0
Acting/Cast 6.0
Music 3.0
Rewatch Value 3.0

A Story Made From Whoever is Left in En of Love

To be clear, En of Love, as a whole, was not good. There are good moments of acting or some funny dialogue, but overall, just bad. "This is Love Story" is the worst of the three. Neua is a character who is defined by others throughout the series in very negative ways, and he does almost nothing to contradict what is being said. All of his closest friends mock him and try to derail what he is trying to do with Praram. There is no need for twins, so that is just bad writing, and Praram seems to have no opinion about what is happening with being courted by a college guy. The result is that the age difference seems even larger than what it is, which makes for a cringe effect of an old man preying on a sweet, young boy (the scene in Neua's bedroom). The character choices were played wrong. Praram can be sweet and naive without having to act like he is 9 years old, and just because Neua is older doesn't mean he has to "take care" of Praram like he is a child. Realistically, the age difference is probably around 4 years, but it is made much bigger in the portrayal. Tossakan, again, is a let-down as a big brother who supposedly has an opinion about the whole courtship, but ends up disappearing. There was too much reliance on social media posting instead of actual acting to tell the story, and there was very little character development for previous characters, like Vee and Mark, who seem to physically hit each other now, which is disappointing. Benz, who played the twins, is really cute and should get some more acting jobs right away, while the other guy should go back to university. It was great seeing Karn from "Grey Rainbow" as Em, but it just made me realize how he would've been a much better Neua. These 3 episodes didn't deliver at all. The behind-the-scenes "Diary" episode was more interesting.

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Completed
The Judgement
5 people found this review helpful
Aug 12, 2020
13 of 13 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 5.0
Story 4.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 6.0
Rewatch Value 4.0
This review may contain spoilers

The Top 3 Things Needed to Overcome Any Obstacle

If you think this show is about rape, you're wrong. If rape was seen as bad, then why does every perpetrator of rape in the show get away with it? The closest to punishment is Aud, who gets to willingly transfer to an university in another country. He even gets a regular goodbye scene with his basketball mates. Only his servant Uncle Wit is punished for his dedication. If not rape, what is this show about? It's about how being beautiful, straight and rich help you overcome obstacles and people's judgments. Som was beautiful and straight, but she was poor, so she was violently raped, had to endure the cruel judgments of her ignorant parents and ended up working for a man who is paying to possess her in installments by making her his personal secretary. As a poor girl with irresponsible parents, that's all she can hope for. She doesn't overcome so much as learn to endure. Namnhao is beautiful and rich, but he isn't straight, so is he violently raped, had to be subjected to rejection by his own parents and was never able to fall in love, like every other person his age would do. He doesn't overcome, he is too weak because he is gay, and kills himself instead. Then there's Lookaew, who possesses beauty, wealth and heterosexuality in abundance. Everyone wants her or wants to be her. Not even the death of both her parents can stop her from pretending to kill herself to teach all of us lower forms of life a lesson. What is that lesson? That she is better than the rest of us because she has the resources (wealth, beauty, heterosexual privilege) to overcome any obstacle, including being date raped. At one point, Aud asks Pretchpaew why she is helping him. She answers truthfully that Lookaew has enough people looking after her. Why would they? Because she's Lookaew. Not even Archa is rewarded for his steadfast commitment to her. This show isn't about all of us, it's about teaching us that we should leave people like Lookwaew, rich and beautiful and straight, alone because they will overcome in the end anyway. You know who else had all three? Aud. Didn't he overcome too?

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Completed
I Told Sunset about You
3 people found this review helpful
Dec 27, 2021
5 of 5 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 10
Rewatch Value 7.0
This review may contain spoilers

A Coming-Out Story Isn't Necessarily a BL

There are some things to say right away - the story is beautiful in its way, the settings and acting are great. BUT....

If this were a BL series, the story would revolve around Teh and Oh-Aew coming to realize that they like each other and then kissing at the end. The journey is MUTUAL in that both are finding their way toward each other.

This is a more of a coming-out movie, where the story obsessively focuses on Teh's realization of his homosexual attractions and Oh-Aew just so happens to be the person who awakens those feelings in him. In fact, this would make a better film than a series.

By the end of this, I was really dissatisfied with the absolute torture Teh put everyone through to come to his self-realizations. I found him to be selfish and self-obsessed. I think it's episode 5 when Teh's wonderful brother Hoon, calls him a crybaby, and that definitely applies to Teh. I just don't have much patience for crybabies who seem to always be saddest about their own predicament and barely moved by others. In fact, I don't know if I can even describe Teh as a good person because he always has motives for what he's doing. You can understand why a movie focused on Teh wouldn't be much to my liking.

Besides, if you think Teh has it bad, what would this story be like from Oh-Aew's point of view? He decides to go into acting as a child, only after getting permission from Teh, then once he likes it, Teh drops him for betraying him. Can you imagine the hurt Oh went through? Oh is a single child without the benefit of a comforting brother to give him the go-ahead to explore his gay feelings. He had to come to those realizations and experience all the pain and hesitation ON HIS OWN. Imagine how hard that would have been. And still, he was willing to put himself out there - first by accepting Teh's friendship again after being hurt so badly by him and then by repeatedly showing affection toward Teh only to be swatted away. Oh-Aew even is willing to treat Bas poorly on his way to get Teh to accept his feelings. Teh is CRUEL to Oh-Aew and to Tarn, for that matter, and isn't worth all the screen time.

In the end, I would have liked Oh to have run that journey on his own, because the show should have allowed him to come to his own realizations too - that he doesn't need anyone in this world to support him who is not ready to accept him as he is, bra and all.

This series might look beautiful and might take itself very seriously, but it doesn't succeed at telling a BL story. If this is BL, then so is "Brokeback Mountain" and we can agree there is a difference.

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Completed
Until We Meet Again
2 people found this review helpful
Apr 5, 2020
17 of 17 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.5
Story 10
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 9.5
Rewatch Value 9.0
Most BL stories don't try to accomplish too much during their time on screen. Usually, there is a guy who likes another guy, but one has a girlfriend or he can't accept falling for a guy, but eventually he does, and then the show ends. Until We Meet Again is unique in how ambitious the storytelling is. The story itself spans generations, requires a lot of committed actors, and demands a lot of us as the audience. For all those things, this series will go down as one of the best BL series of all time. Some shows are great for the actors(Mew/Gulf), others might be great for the characters even if the story isn't that good (Korn/Knock) but this show has a wonderful and supremely romantic storyline. I don't think it is possible to surpass its story in terms of romance, whether gay or straight. That is what makes it great.
I truly admire the work done in this series and Wabi Sabi Studios is really showing they know how to make winning shows. The director truly knows what he is doing now, and so we are in for many years of enjoyment as series made by him get better and better. Until We Meet Again will be hard to top though. When watching this, sit back, relax, cry when you feel like it (that was often for me) and just let it in.

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Completed
My Bromance
1 people found this review helpful
Jun 6, 2020
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 4
Overall 9.0
Story 10
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 8.0
The picture for this show depicts a big group of friends, which is confusing given the summary's focus on the main BL couple of Golf and Bank. It's true the show couldn't exist without their drama, but it also isn't the main focus of the show either. Because of the unique character of their relationship (they are step-brothers), the show dedicates itself to legitimizing their choice to be together by demonstrating the diversity of family structures and who people choose to love. Essentially, if we can accept families with a kid living with a grandparent, another kid who is adopted by a wealthy couple, a kid who has to moms, or two boys brought together by the marriage of parents, why can't we accept that two guys who love each other want to be a family too? I can't leave out the kid who becomes family with a teacher through the care of a sick mother. What impresses me is that the show took the story from the film, but focused more on advocating for inclusiveness instead of gawking at the taboo couple at the center of the story.

That doesn't mean the show is perfect. The way it was filmed was a disaster, and the actor who played Bank could have been a little better. But Cooper, the actor who played Golf, put in a good effort and he is instantly likable because of the character's tragic past. The whole friend group is treated as real people, with backstories and dramas of their own, something you don't see too often. It's a shame we don't get as much resolution as we would like, and it's a shame there was no second season to see what happens with Tom, the closeted kid, and Jackson, the boyfriend who is going to be left at the altar. A real shame.

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Completed
TharnType Season 2: 7 Years of Love
2 people found this review helpful
Feb 21, 2021
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.5
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10

Type Grows Into a Man Everyone Can Love, Not Just Tharn!

I don't know if there can ever be a series that is perfection, and I am not going to suggest that this show is perfect, but what we get is Golden anyway. This show was always about how Type develops into a person that we can accept as Tharn's love. Back in Series 1, Type was rough and rude and the only person worse was Lhong. But, seven years later, Type is a changed man because of his love for Tharn. Are they perfect? No. Are they realistic in their challenges and decisions (even if bad ones)? Yes. We should never forget that the whole point of BL is to provide a wonderful love story, and in that, TharnType 2 provides plenty.

Let's start from the obvious point - we rarely get to see a story about a couple AFTER they have gotten together. In that respect, there isn't a lot to compare it to (I can only think of SOTUS 2 and Together With Me 2). But from what we can see, there are going to be issues with work, family, communication and trust. That is completely accurate, so to those who would want Tharn and Type to magically mature beyond what you see is next to impossible. Tharn does have issues with jealousy and Type does have problems communicating openly with Tharn, especially about work. But, let's remember that they are around 26 years old, so they learn and try to do better. They are especially lucky because they have a great support system too.

Techno was especially hilarious this season, and Champ and Thanya were great additions to their team who stepped up. Dr. Khunpol was a cutie who showed us that romance can move at the pace of an iceberg but can still work out. And lastly, Phu and Cir were a fun couple with a completely different relationship to Tharn and Type, so they add more than just being the neighbors. I hope that any young relationship could have as many supporters as Tharn and Type had - success is all but guaranteed. Even Fiat ended up being a villain with wounds that we could understand and pity (unlike Lhong), and I was happy for him in the end.

The acting, especially by Gulf, is so much better, and all the proof you need is Type's scene on the beach. All I can say is WOW. There is also no denying the chemistry between Mew and Gulf, and when you see them together on screen, you can feel their love for each other. The looks, the way their bodies respond - it's almost like they are completely relaxed, like a couple that has been together for seven years would.

Could things be better in the story? Sure. Am I happy with what I got? Absolutely. If you are rooting for Tharn and Type, and are willing to go through their ups and downs with them, then this show will pay off for you. I liked it a lot, and I will miss Tharn and Type, but especially Mew and Gulf together immensely.

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Completed
I Am Your King Season 2
0 people found this review helpful
Aug 3, 2020
10 of 10 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 5.0
Story 6.0
Acting/Cast 6.0
Music 4.0
Rewatch Value 4.5

The King of Broken Hearts

Have you ever seen a show that was a little messy, but all the ingredients were there to make it end well, but then they ruin it? That's this show. It's like the creators of the show didn't really understand where the emotional heart was - the story they should be telling. Sib's fascination with Pun is definitely not it, even though the show thought it was. The emotional center was all the feelings of love put on hold because of Sib's denial of his homosexuality. If they played that angle through, and just let Pun fall for someone his own age, this show could have pulled off a miracle of tension & release. Instead, they provide a piece of crap ending that shows that nothing was learned in the process, and that the one who was true to his feelings from the beginning, Sib's brother Em, gets no reward for being such at all. So, the show could have been tremendously good as a portrayal of what the closet can do to countless people, but instead, we got a mess, with pretty bad acting in Sib and Pun, the two main characters!

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