How to do everything wrong in BL

This was an example of just about everything I hate in BL. They did a few things right, but very little and definitely not enough to get me to watch 2 more seasons of this SH**.

The writing is HORRIBLE. So many times I would anticipate the great come-back a character SHOULD have said but didn't. Instead of truly exploring the characters' inner feelings, we are left with long, slo-mo shots of them staring into the distance. That might have worked if the actors could actually act and their faces displayed real emotions. But this cast (at least the 2 leads) cannot pull that off. The characters just kept repeating themselves, sometimes 3 or 4 times in the same scene. If you're not going to progress the story or characters, then just cut to the next scene. Because of that, I think 4 of the 12 episodes could have been eliminated entirely. Maybe even more.

The direction is MISERABLE. The pacing is sooooooo sloooooooow. Those long, slo-mo reaction shots. Moments where characters ask a question and no one answers EVER, they just cut back and forth and back again and forth again and back again and forth again to blank stares from the actors. Entirely unnecessary scenes, shots, sequences. Do we really need to see the judges of the Moon/Stars contest get up on stage and watch them applaud for 30 seconds? When they have no interaction with the main cast, the answer is NO.

The acting is WOODEN (at least the 2 leads). Nothing but blank faces, even during the most important and emotional scenes. Poor Yo is forced to play petrified throughout the entire series. He never looks comfortable at all. Even when he's won the popularity vote, runner-up Moon and has a boyfriend he still looks miserable. I did enjoy most of the secondary actors. Kim as Ming was very natural. He had charm, comedy, camaraderie. I also enjoyed Copter as Kit. His friendship with Tee as Beam seemed genuine. Naturally, all the actors I liked have been replaced in the sequels.

More BOOs for the music. The overly sentimental piano music that played over those long slo-mo shots was cloying. They really tried to wring out your emotions - especially when they weren't warranted.

Failed on so many levels. Can't believe how popular this one is. It's gonna take years before I'll watch the 2 sequels.

Read More

Only for the appeal of the popular stars

Aside from the general appeal of the actors, this was a total fail for me.

Khai is one of the most unlikeable characters I've ever come across. He's not just oblivious, he's incredibly selfish. Clean my apartment, make my food, do my homework. I don't know why anyone would ever want to be friends with this guy, let alone be romantically interested. Plus, he's totally straight. I don't believe for one second that he could change to being head over heels in love with Third. It wasn't properly motivated, his transformation was too sudden and the manner in which he "questions" himself felt like trite cliches from someone who has never experienced love - let alone gay love - let alone discovered their sexuality was something other than what they had thought at first (trust me, I've been through it. It wasn't a day or two of "Huh? Maybe I'm..."). So with all that, I could never believe the love story.

Third is rather pathetic. I get it. That's his character. But the writers and director did very little to try to make me root for him beyond the lovesick/pining over his best friend set-up.

ZERO romantic chemistry between these two. Do they seem like buddies... absolutely. But there is never that look in their eyes that says, I love you. Watch Perth just GLANCE at Saint in "Love by Chance". That boy is IN LOVE. Or Gulf looking at Mew. Love, lust, desire and even more. Those guys can ACT. These guys are eye candy (and not the bext eye candy either)

So, you've got one straight guy who inexplicably falls for a gay guy. Why do we need the EXACT SAME STORY for Un and Two? Even worse. After Two SUPPOSEDLY starts to feel something for Un, he lusts after the very next hot girl with "big boobs" to walk by. Hello, Screenwriter! Have you forgotten your characters motivations? Oh, that's right. You were never really paying attention to them anyway. It was all in service of the ridiculous plot.

I really like Off. He's charming. But he's not a real actor. It's all surface level. A lot of times he was just spitting out dialogue rapid-fire without emoting. Gun is better, but with a character that has this much internal struggle going on, I didn't think he truly rose to the occasion either.

This was one of White's better performances. I don't typically like him very much. He had more going on here, and he did an okay job. Likewise, Earth's best performance to date. I finally saw potential for him to be a leading man (since he certainly has the leading man looks). Mike was strong, yet again.

Best thing about the series is the comedy. I chuckled a few times.

When the story, script, characters and acting are this lame, good cinematography and music can't save it. I will NEVER watch this again. I don't recommend you watch it at all.

Read More

Wasted potential

I found this part of the trilogy frustrating. So much wasted time on text messages most of which just tear down Nuea. If this is what passes for friends remind me never to go to Thailand again. Everyone is horrible. Even if it’s joking it’s mean spirited and none of them support their friend. The texts and many conversations go round and round, repeating the same thoughts endlessly. We get it. You only have 3 eps to tell the story. Why are you wasting so much time on things that don’t matter.

There is a creepy element throughout. Nuea keeps pursuing an underage boy, even though the boy tells him repeatedly to stop. Of course, this being BL the boy actually likes the attention but no means no. Writer: please pay attention to what you have your characters say and realize the implications.

Other aspects made no sense. Nuea offers to tutor the boys, then doesn’t. High school boys and college kids all study together.... at the same university. What?

Of the 3 installments this sits firmly in the middle for me. Nowhere near as bad as Tossara. I even got one moment of horrifying flashback when Gun reminds Bar that he has gotten into his heart and Bar looks at him like, “Bitch please. You ain’t got nothing”. Those two have zero chemistry.

I know this is a sample of what might come, but I have no interest inn12 eps of this.

Read More

JUST A COMMERCIAL

This is an ad for a dermatologist's office, masquerading as a mini-series. The main conflicts are rashes, allergies and psoriasis.

DON'T BOTHER

xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xx xx xxx xx x xx x x x x x x x x x x x. x x x x x x x x x x x. x x x x. x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x. x x x x x x x x. x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x. x x x x x x x x x x. x x x x x x x x x. x x x x x x x. x x x x x x. x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x. x x x

Read More

INTRIGUING MESS

I am very torn by this series. I applaud a lot of what they TRIED to do, but have to bash them for how it was all executed.

As with the first season, I love this premise, that a simple game can create so much havoc and lead to revelations for a group of characters. And, as in the first season, they really let that play out over the course of the series. That's interesting, unusual (even though they play a version of this game in almost every BL ever) - but unusual to wrap an entire series around this game, and a fascinating experiment to see how far it can go and how much chaos it can create.

But there are so many inconsistencies here. The writing is a real amateur job. Characters say things like, I don't drink... and then drink. Underage characters are not allowed to drink... unless you're the main character... who says he doesn't drink but does... Homophobes suddenly start kissing boys. Brothers argue because... I'm not sure. But then work together, but then get fired, but then... Sib "owns" a cafe, but never really works there. Tar manages the cafe, but somehow solely makes the decision to close the cafe. In ep 10 they tell us Pan is part owner of the cafe??? The cafe closes, but 3 years later it's open again. Hello... writers... did you read your last draft? How about you try to track the events a bit better.

Oh, I loved the idea that the cafe had to close down because their teenage barista quit. Must have been a REAL stable business. And Sib has been in a relationship with Pan for YEARS, but when he sleeps with Pun he says it's his first time. Really? She should have figured out he was gay years ago. Who comes up with this stuff? Fire them!

Also, I know that companies pay to be advertised in the show and I'm fine with product placement, but I do not need to see 10 scenes of coffee making that do absolutely nothing to further the plot or character development. We get it. The cafe is a sponsor. Isn't showing their logo 4 times in every episode enough?

After that, maybe you can track the characters emotional journeys... so we understand who is feeling what for whom and when. I was so confused. Why is Sib with Pan? Because he doesn't want to quarrel? There's a surefire way to avoid arguments, leave her alone. You're not interested in her anyway. But then he kisses Pun, flirts with Pun, SLEEPS with Pun and still he's with Pan. Then his best friend confesses (a second time!) that he loves him... but he's okay just being friends? Em starts of homophobic then makes a quick U-turn and becomes obsessed with Pun. Pun likes Sib, but then seems to like Em, but still likes Sib, but can't be around them, but then returns... I couldn't follow it at all. This could have been done so much better. These complex relationships and emotions are perfect for a good drama, but they need to be handled (written!) with some artistry.

There is very little real character development. Sib does get a decent arc - although we are left frustrated by how wishy washy he is for most of the show. Em too has a bit of growth, but you just don't understand his motivation. Pun is the same from start to finish. He's the lead character! He needs to grow and learn. Screenwriting 101. Ugh!

Acting-wise, I'm probably the only person who didn't think Sib was horrible. True, he's not the best actor. But I found him charming and charismatic, especially in the montages where he and Pun grow closer (but of course there's not a lot of acting in a montage). His most notable fail was in the last episode when he and Em are consoling each other over losing Pun. Em is crying rivers. Tears are literally streaming down his face, wetting his shirt and Sib looks... constipated.
Pun was such a cutie, but there was very little going on behind those chubby cheeks. He seemed to force so many of his emotions. I also don't know how many times they had to show him shrug his shoulders in a "I don't know what's happening" fashion. Every time he had to kiss Sib it was as if he was being tortured. He looked so pained and uncomfortable. Even in the director's cut, we get to see a very long pre-sex scene (why it had to be so long when it goes nowhere is beyond me)... and it just made it worse because Pun looked so awkward. He didn't seem to mind kissing Em as much. Maybe that actor had better breath? Em was good. He cried a lot for such a tough guy. The rest were all just place fillers.

I'm not sure if Tar's friends were supposed to get their own story or not. They sure seemed to like making out with each other in the King game and in the flashback they are seen cuddling together in bed. Would have liked to seen their ship sail.

All in all, a sub-par series. Not horrible, but not really worth this much time. Wish this was as short as the first season, then maybe I would re-watch it. But don't think it's worth the effort. Only watch if you've watched everything else... like me. Haha.

Read More

NOTHING BAD, JUST SAD

This is a short film, so a quick watch. But only watch it if you want to be heartbroken and cry. This does NOT have a happy ending.

All well done, decent scripting, good acting (Fluke is always very strong), a very interesting story and one that is rarely told. Nice to see trans characters handled with a modicum of respect. The first BL part of the series is very typical. Bullied gay boy and his straight secret crush. Their friendship is warm and tender, respectful.

But I have to say, this film personifies one of my greatest fears for the trans community - that they might make a "change" for someone else, not because it's truly a reflection of their authentic selves. This decision must be one of the hardest in life. I do believe that many people are born into the wrong bodies. But you get no sense that Champ wants to be Charm for any reason other than one off-handed statement. It's a huge change to go through based on one remark.

And because of that "mistake" this film ends in tragedy. Probably not realistic. Easily solved with just a few questions, but painful nonetheless.

A well-made film but one I will not watch again due to its tragic ending.

Read More

SO MUCH FUN

A definite BROMANCE storyline. A small BL side story, but this is really about 2 straight guys becoming friends. And it is so freaking adorable. The comedy is absolutely great. I laughed in every episode. The acting is way over the top, to play up the ridiculous comedy elements, but all the actors perform so well that it feels perfectly done. Playing off and playing up all the BL tropes, this makes you laugh at other BL series for taking themselves so seriously. Direction is equally strong, with tongue in cheek throughout. So well done. And it's very short, so you can rewatch the whole thing in one sitting (this was my 2nd viewing). Jang Ki Yong is so cute. And Choi Woo Shik is adorable and a terrific comic actor. I love this one.

Read More

WHAT THE ??? AND HOW DID I STILL ENJOY MYSELF?

Like everyone has said, this is a train wreck. And yet, I still enjoyed watching it. Well, I enjoyed PARTS of it. If I ever were to watch again (I won't), I'd definitely fast forward through everything but the MCs together and the family scenes.

I had a LOT of trouble getting through the first few episodes. The acting was so wooden and clunky, the direction uninspired, and the script almost non-existent with scenes that were entirely unnecessary, and felt as if they were from an different series altogether (that doggie party lasted waaaaaaaaay too long). It improves (slightly) over time, but through to the end I don't think the writer/director/producer knew what they wanted to make. Comedy, romance, LGBTQ+ issue oriented??? They either forgot, or changed direction or just never paid attention and crammed everything in they could possibly think of.

I'm not a big fan of "camp". It has to be very well done and the comedy has to be very high for me to enjoy it. Unfortunately, this does not meet that criteria. So, for me, the camp elements were unsuccessful and detracted from what could have been a typical queer rom-com. There are a LOT of trans and cross-dressing characters. A LOT. Some are handled well. Some are regretfully used as the butt of jokes. Another example of more is less, where less would have been more.

The story has its moments. Like many BL series, things happen quickly, with little explanation. People change from arrogant, selfish a**holes to sweet, tender caring BF's or from delusional sociopath to penitent friend in one scene. Ace's transformation from horrible boss comes from out of nowhere. They try to explain it in the next episode, but it's too little too late. The Moira/dog-napping etc is just ridiculous. But it does fit with the zany ride they've taken us on. If you can put aside all logic you can get past most of what they attempt here. I'm not saying it's good, but you just have to go along for the ride.

But then we suddenly get an issue-oriented "gay is okay", "love has no gender", "I'm coming out to the world" ending that felt like it was from a third (or forth) series. To end on "I'm a proud gay" was baffling to me. The series did not seem to be leading there at all, so the last few episodes were very jarring. Why is Sky's gay-ness even an issue? His brother cross-dresses in every scene, but Sky is afraid his parents won't accept him being gay???

Was there a script? Many times, even up to the final episodes, it felt like the actors were improvising. They repeat the same lines of dialogue multiple times in the same scene. Was there ANY rehearsal? Actors continually interrupt each other, flub their lines, stand around awkwardly as if they don't know what they're staging should be. Was there a director? Often I felt like they just turned the cameras on and said go. Unidentified Background people are in intimate scenes that should be focusing on the MC.

Miko is okay. I personally think he has a lot of charisma. I forgave his amateur acting because he was just so darn likeable. Aki is very handsome (maybe too handsome? is that possible? but MAN is he an ugly-crier) and there are moments when he surprised me with a good performance, but overall both actors felt like they were in over their heads. I think they'll both improve with time (they did improve over the course of the series). But Sky's MOM. Wow. She was amazing. At times I forgot I was watching a series and felt like I was eavesdropping on a real mom having a tender moment with her real son. Incredible. For the most part, brother Ken is too shallow to really display any real acting chops, but in the one scene where he comforts his heart-broken brother he showed promise. Moira did a fine job. Jelai, Miss Becky, Ace's parents were all just ok.

Kissing and skin. Yup, everyone has mentioned it. I'm a fan, so I was happy to see as much as we did. But even moreso, I was happy to see a MM couple holding hands or just caressing each other affectionately. I did feel like they embraced real gay intimacy more than most. Thanks for that.

Like I said, I won't watch again. Not sure I can stomach S2. I'll probably wait a while and when I need a fix I'll check it out. But I'll go in expecting very little and hopefully will be satisfied.

Read More

Nearly Perfect

I watched this because it was on someone’s list of Best BL series. This is NOT a BL series. Despite one character indicating they could fall in love with men or women, there are no other BL elements. Might Puen be in love with Singha? Potentially. Might he have feelings for Than? Maybe. But all of that is left to the imagination of the viewer. Did I want BL storylines here? Yes, and I was hoping for multiple stories. I wanted ALL the boys to fall in love. Since I came in under false assumptions I spent the first 2 episodes wondering who the couple was going to be. Never happened. And guess what? I loved this series anyway.

I guess you could call this bromance, but even thst seems to go too far. This is about friendship, family, friends AS family, teamwork, believing in yourself and pursuing your dreams. It ranks up there with the best sports movies ever.

Started crying in Episode 3. The family dynamics were so well established. When Than breaks down, you see his hopes crushed. You feel his desperation for approval and acceptance. It was heartbreaking. I cried repeatedly throughout after that. This script, the acting, the direction, the music... were all near perfect.

Big props to Bank as Than. Great acting here for such a young kid. Plus... gorgeous. I can see why he has had such a strong career. But truthfully, ever actor even in the smallest role does a Remarkable job. The director brought out the best in the entire cast. Well done.

I will say, for the BL FANS, plenty of cute guys all over the place. Enjoy the shower scenes.

Read More

ONLY FINISHED CUZ ITS SO SHORT

One of the worst series I've ever seen, BL or otherwise.

Gun's character is horrible. As others have stated, he does not understand personal boundaries, is far too clingy and possessive, rude to people for no reason, never listens to his love interest or takes his feelings into account and comes off as potentially the worst BF in history. Ugh. Even if he was truly goodlooking, which everyone claims but... NO, this behavior would not be acceptable. And it's certainly no way to win over someone who claims to be straight.

The script is just the worst. In one scene, the characters repeat themselves 10 times. "I like you." Well, I like you", :That's good cuz I like you." "Well you better cuz I like you". WHAT? From Episode 1 Gun is clear in his intentions and feelings and it does not change throughout. There is ZERO tension, zero growth.

There is no motivation for Bar to suddenly flip teams and give into Gun. It's not like he's been treating him well. And it happens in an instant. If all it takes to win this guy's affections and turn him from women to men is attention, then you've got a shallow character. Put some effort into it, guys.

The acting is wooden, stiff, amateurish at best. Gun has zero appeal. Bar is cute and has one nice moment where he almost tears up, talking about how scared he is - but other than that they don't ask him to dig deep enough into this conflicted character. I think he may have more potential if he had a better script and director. Short is my favorite body type, so I was all in! Chemistry? Not from Gun. I believed that Folk/Bar was enamored when he looked at Gun. But together they did not make any sparks fly.

I did like the friends. And all were better actors than the leads.

Okay, so for some reason you hire this guy to play Gun - and he's a bit flabby with sagging pecs and little tummy. Don't have people talk about how muscular he is. Just cut those lines. What do they add anyway? I'm not saying the actor is bad looking. He's just not what they say he is. People fall in love with average looking dudes every day, so since you cast this guy just let him be an average looking guy. You don't even have to write ANY dialogue about his looks. Maybe try to create a personality for him. That's what people REALLY fall in love with.

Episode 4 has no purpose at all. And there's this great exchange, "I will tell them at the assembly tomorrow. Can you come?" "Stop teasing me. When I'm brave enough I will kiss him in front of you." I'm sure there's a translation problem otherwise I will have to assume brain hemmorage. And then it just ends. Thankfully.

DO NOT BOTHER.

Read More

Nothing here

So little happens here, aside from the one key scene that I can’t recommend this unless you’re desperate. Two boys have lots of sex (I’m guessing there’s no intercourse, since it all takes place behind a closed bathroom door). We don’t learn either of their motivations until the one pivotal scene, so we don’t get a sense of their characters nor can we truly root for them as a couple. The reveal is not explored at all. We don’t know if Jack is trans or just dressing up to entice Bank, since he “knows he’s straight”. The casual handling of the suicide is almost negligent. These are serious issues that demand exploration. Banks reversal does little to lessen the poor handling of the issues.

Decent acting, especially strong by Bank.

A mediocre student film feel at best. I’d skip it.

Read More

Don't bother

This was a total waste of time, but thankfully it was only two episodes, so not that much time. Absolutely nothing happens. There is one minor misunderstanding that is blown out of proportion and resolved in one scene. There are far too many scenes where absolutely nothing happens. I didn't feel any love or even chemistry between the two leads. This may be my favorite Mean performance to date. He's more natural here than when he must pretend to be brooding, but at times he goes a bit over the top. I really enjoy Plan as Can, but here he has zero charm or charisma. He looks great blonde, but that's about it. I don't think he's a very good actor. I think Can is probably easy for him to play, but here he's lifeless.

Don't waste your time.

Read More

RIDICULOUS AND YET SO ADORABLE

The premise is just laughable, but once you buy into it and go with the story it becomes much deeper and more complex than at first. Unlike many body-swap stories, this one has a slightly different approach. Typically, the "new" soul wouldn't understand what was happening ("Why am I attracted to him?"), or there would be some tug back and forth between the two personalities, but here the soul of the dead female lover is the only one conscious of the switch throughout. Gu Si Ren is there in body only. He actually doesn't have any memories of what is happening to him until he "wakes up" in the last scene. It creates a strange dynamic. You want her ex boyfriend to fall in love with HER, but you also want him to fall in love with HIM, but if he falls in love with HIM then does he actually love HER. Even at the end, I'm happy but sad. Giddy and heartbroken all at once. That's tough to pull off, but they do it well here.

And they don't overplay it. While the girl's soul is in Gu Si Ren's body they don't do too much to oversell the comedy. Yes, there is the bathroom scene, and the erection scene and the face mask scene - but Yun Lin Jiang plays them all without too much affectation. So the comedy is a bit more natural, which I really liked.

There is great chemistry between all 3 leads. Very strong acting. Subtle looks that don't require much dialogue to convey the emotions. Excellent job from everyone. "Death" (as I will call him) is probably the weakest and the most overplayed, but it is intentional and a very minor role, so no points off there.

While I did not see the twist coming (I suppose I should have), it worked very well and they had laid all the groundwork for this reversal without tipping their hands too much. Strong writing!

Great production values, as always in this series. This is how BL should be done everywhere. Strong concept, strong characters, strong acting, solid productions. Well done.

I'll watch this one again and again. Even though I may cry a little each time.

Read More

UNUSUAL AND THANKFULLY SHORT

I enjoyed this, though I have no idea why. Interesting story at first. I'm not a big fan of older man/teenage boy relationships. That sends a creepy message. Even though Ritsu truly cares for Sho, he is his tutor and surrogate caretaker. But I guess for where this story ends up, that's the least of your worries. Once you get over that, figuring out what's troubling Sho takes longer than it should. It's a simple misunderstanding that gets cleared up with one conversation (and the flash of a chest). All the sales calls were unnecessary. Not sure what they added.

The movie lulls you into thinking it's a fairly straightforward BL story. But little by little you learn more about the relationships and then it's got a few surprises. But it's just slightly bizarre, slightly kinky, slightly taboo. So you never really know what to expect and that's what makes the choices so unsettling.

As most people have said, there's no real character development, so you're not as invested as you might be. This could have been a tear-jerker, but without fleshed out characters you wind up just going through the motions until you get to the end. The actor and director do a nice job handling the Ryou character and story, however.

I guess I applaud the film for making unusual choices. They convert familiar BL tropes into their own here so I enjoyed the novelty of it. But this could have been so much better with just a little character work. I won't watch again, but it's a quick and painless viewing if you're looking for something off-beat.

Read More

NICE, THOUGH PREDICTABLE

I enjoyed this series. I watched for Royce Cabrera who amazed me with his star turn in Fu*&Bois. He and the other hot Pinoy BL star Kokoy De Santos were great in that movie (especially the climactic scene... wow!) So I had to check this one out.

I like these Covid-based storylines. Sweet, simple with some real life drama thrown in. It's actually the perfect reason for 2 disparate characters to be thrown together. And it's perfect for short-form series. I'm a huge fan of HELLO STRANGER - and GAMEBOIS is also quite strong (thanks primarily to Kokoy). This pandemic may have a positive impact on storytelling.

This series is very predictable. Lots of familiar tropes. I'm getting a little tired of "Truth or Dare" episodes and this series uses it more than once. Many things don't make complete sense, especially "straight" Rocky's willingness to go along with his flamboyantly gay roommate on so many occasions. Massage me, let me court you, let's have sex (filmed beautifully). It was a bit convenient and contrived. - The big revelation that comes in Episode 8 was quite a surprise. I didn't see it coming at all. So on that front, I wasn't sure if it was properly set-up. But it did make those contrived moments feel more understandable. So why didn't they set them up better?

Royce was fantastic! This guy is such a strong actor, such incredible charisma. SO HOT. Kyo Aquino, unfortunately, is much MUCH weaker. It felt a bit more forced, deer-in-the-headlight moments. He gets better as the series progresses, but still wish for Royce's equal beside him. The grandmother was not good at all. Beshie was a fun character and the actor played it naturally. And Glenn, the ex, was only mediocre.

Since it's a quick, light piece of familiar fluff, I would watch this again. Check it out.

Read More