A story of healing, love and the fusion of two opposite worlds

No one can resist the charm and cuteness of pets; Regardless of whether it is a parrot, rabbit, dog or kitten, they win your heart and little by little they end up being part of the family. Most human beings enjoy spending time with their pet, which is not surprising since while you indulge in the moment, your brain feels happy and secretes "the happiness hormone."
'Love is Like a Cat' (사랑은 고양이처럼), also known as 'Sarangeun Goyang Icheoleom', the romantic comedy from South Korean director Kwon Nam Ki ((권남기), revolves around Piuno (Mew Suppasit - 'What The Duck ', 'TharnType' and 'TharnType2: 7 Years Of Love'), a well-known Thai star who doesn't like animals, and her romance with Lee Dae Byeol (Chu Jimin, known as JM, from the South Korean idol group JUST B), the director of a pet daycare.
Every time he crosses paths with an animal, Piuno remembers a traumatic episode he experienced in his childhood that makes him not want them around. Pets do not awaken that feeling of love or tenderness in him. He suffers from zoophobia. He is aware that this phobia is considered an irrational act of human beings, but he cannot help it.
It has been suggested to him that his "illness" can be treated with professional help, since he can find the necessary support to overcome the trauma and gradually manage to coexist with the animals. But he has not paid interest to the matter, thinking that it would not be of much use to him, and he has moved on with his life.
However, when he finds himself threatened by those who wish to see him brought down, there is only one thing he can do to save his reputation and his career: work at a pet daycare in South Korea.
Putting aside his severe dislike for animals, Piuno begins working alongside Dae Byeol, who will help him find ways to overcome the trauma that first inspired his hatred of animals. This is how he will end up appearing in a reality show set in a pet cafe in Seoul.
But these will not be the only surprises that the protagonist encounters: as his heart begins to soften, unexpected feelings begin to arise for the young owner of the daycare center. What will happen between the cold and enigmatic actor who doesn't believe in love, and the outgoing and romantic pet daycare owner when their lives intersect?
Lovers of the BL genre in general, and of Mew Suppasit, in particular, will be pleased with the reappearance of the renowned Thai actor, singer and producer in a romance drama between two boys of the same sex. On the other hand, JM, his co-star, shows his youthful charms and the dreamy aura of the idol, as well as his talent as an actor, in this, his first appearance in a drama.
In addition to the aforementioned actors, on screen we will see GeonU, also a member of JUST B, also in his acting debut, playing Gi Min, one of the pet daycare workers; and Kim Kyoung Seok ('Hot And Sweet' and 'Someday Office'), as Jun Hyuk, a friend of Dae Byeol and one of his biggest followers. These secondary characters play a very important role and contribute intensity and complexity to the conflicts.
With a seductive cast, in addition to wonderful chemistry, the direction, cinematography, writing, music and staging transport the viewer to a dream and fairy tale universe in which everyone involved, including the Animals, especially dogs, contribute their own, to achieve a series capable of marking a milestone within the genre, as it escapes stereotypes, and shows human beings with their nuances and in various circumstances. The narrative maintains a good rhythm that enhances the emotional closure of each episode and the series in general.
All these details give an idea of ​​the story told to those who still do not know it, a narrative firmly based on the love stories between two young men of different personalities, countries, professions, languages ​​and cultures, but determined to sustain their idyll against all obstacles. , prejudices and cultural, linguistic or temperament divergences. One looks like a dog, while the other looks like a cat.
What an actor lacks because he is new to these issues, the other provides, due to his extensive experience. It's fascinating to watch the couple navigate their uncertain feelings. One of the main reasons audiences will admire the series is the simplicity and relatability of the story, as well as the good visuals.
Once the romance escalates, 'Love is Like a Cat' shows one of its greatest strengths. The series has the ability to create many tender moments between the two young people. We will see them flirting in the garden of the animal nursery and kissing in the sunny corner of the clinic room, under the knowing gaze of their friends, including the four-legged ones.
Every affectionate interaction is like a treat for BL fans, making these scenes even better thanks to the beautifully polished visuals. The public will witness the generous abundance of romantic images. The cinematographer captures every intimate look and every loving gesture with pinpoint precision.
Dae Byeol is a well-defined protagonist. He knows his work and loves animals. He is sincere, responsible and faithful to his friends, both those who bark and the others who accompany him on this journey of taking care of pets and falling in love with a famous television star. His qualities create a memorable character with nuances. His charm emerges once the performer gains confidence in the role he plays. Just then the couple's chemistry strengthens, going from being a little embarrassing at first to building a more comfortable and deeper relationship.
In comparison, Piuno's backstory will also draw the viewer's sympathy with high marks. He likes it more and more, especially when he overcomes the somewhat mysterious, reserved, fearful attitude when encountering the animals for which he has always felt rejection, when leaving behind the weight of the circumstances that forced him to move away from his comfort zone, and when you begin to adapt to the people, the language, the customs, the culture of a foreign country.
The series explores the couple's bond physically, emotionally and spiritually. When I think about how Piuno and Lee Dae Byeol started the story of "strangers to friends and friends to lovers", both of them, side by side, went on an eventful journey. They overcame personality clashes, misunderstandings, and even cultural and language differences. Best of all, there's a lot of cute BL content.
One of the strong and striking points of the series is the fusion of two worlds. Piuno and Dae Byeol come from two different countries and cultures. Their universes will collide when their paths cross. Everything that separates them will not be an impediment for the two main characters to get closer, fall in love and begin a journey in search of happiness.
Each episode aims to ensure that the viewer is not disappointed, that they remain hooked, that they have a closure that lives up to expectations. The technical and artistic teams worked to achieve it. The arc of the characters, their development, as well as the events and conflicts, are very coherent.
The script, the depth of the themes addressed, and the aesthetics with which they are presented, the attention to detail to be as realistic as possible, the convincing performances, with a cast made up of established and young actors and actresses, determine, among others , the elements that mark the success of 'Love is Like a Cat'.
'Love is Like a Cat' is a story of healing and love. In addition to the entertainment factor and the fun and tender interactions between Piuno and Lee Dae Byeol, the series tells a story about overcoming trauma, opening your heart, and falling in love.
The inclusion of the adorable animals will provoke a positive reaction from pet lovers and the general public.
This is one of the four joint Thai-Korean BL projects from Hanyang Studio, from the same WeTV Original production, 'Peach Of Time'. The remaining dramas are 'Eccentric Romance', 'Wuju Bakery' and 'The First Love Manual', scheduled to premiere in 2024.
This collaboration between the two countries demonstrates once again that BL series defend the correct formula to sustain and consolidate the genre with the aim of satisfying an audience that craves authentic and moving love stories.
Personally, I liked the way the plot was executed, subtly exploring the characters' personal stories.
This romantic comedy is designed and taken from the script to the images with the potential audience being fans of the romantic genre in general, since love is universal and knows no genres, as well as fans of romances between boys in particular, and makes it clear that its objective is to portray love, acceptance, self-discovery, sexual diversity, the search for happiness, the influence of reality shows on viewers, the perception of the image of actors and idols by the public. , the pressures of the entertainment industry on artists, the challenges that come with being a queer person in today's world, themes explored through the dynamics of the characters.
Conceived to move people and involve audiences, through the main story and secondary plots, the series proposes to generate controversy about other dominant, current and universal elements, such as the tumultuous relationship between father and son, the love of animals and how they influence children's behavior, workplace camaraderie, sexual exploration, positivity, self-validation, and maturation issues. There are cultural debates and topics related to veterinary medicine and animal adoption, which helps make all the stories relatable.

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The rowdy Dino finally has his own apartment, a safe space to embrace his sexuality. So closeted that he doesn't even tell his parents or almost anyone about his sexual orientation: only his sister knows.
Look for safe sex and a decent chat. Through a gay dating app, he has scheduled to meet Vince, the attractive and discreet neighbor, but the sexual encounter is interrupted by the unexpected arrival of his parents, and before them he will once again restrain his deepest but most difficult desire: "come out of the closet."
However, Dino cannot prevent the brand new dildo from being seen by his mother.
Vince is willing to wait. The wait is worth it: a friendly relationship begins to emerge between the two that may very well lead to something more.
With solid performances, a beautiful script, magnificent camera work and charming surroundings, the short film 'This Is Not A Coming Out Story' (2022), by Filipino filmmaker Mark Felix Ebreo, brings us fun moments and an irresistible visual chemistry of its two protagonists: Dino, played by AJ Sison, known for his role in 'U-Turn (2020)', 'Dito at doon' (2021) and 'Love in the Ungodly Hour' (2021) and Vince, a character assumed by Jel Tarun, actor known for his role in 'Silent Cries' (2023).
The short film also tells us about homophobia.
The soundtrack fits perfectly with the film story.
With a script by Mark Felix Ebreo himself, the cast closes with the performances of Jun Nayra, known for his performance in 'Bonifacio: Ang unang pangulo' (2014), 'Darna' (2022) and 'Sandwich' (2023), and Gigi Hernandez, known for her role in 'Sandwich' (2023), 'Ikigai: Life Is a Beautiful Ride' (2023) and 'Alapaap' (2022), playing Jerome and Liz, Dino's father and mother, respectively.
Committed to bringing queer narratives to spaces to increase the visibility of the stories of people who have not yet discovered their true identity, Mark Felix Ebreo won with this short film the Best Director award at the 1st Pelikulaya LGBTQIA+ International Film Festival, as well as a Honorable Mention in the Short Fiction category at the 34th CCP Gawad Alternatibo.
Additionally, 'This Is Not A Coming Out Story' won the Cardinal Gold Award with the highest honor, as well as the award for best screenplay at the 20th CineMapua International Student Film Festival.

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The fear and insecurity that homosexuals suffer in an intolerant and homophobic country

The third short film by Kim-Jho Gwang-Soo (김조광수) takes up Min Soo, the character created by him and first introduced in 'Boy Meets Boy', in 2008, and later in 'Just Friend?', the following year, for tell us about the most recurrent film themes and objectives of this renowned South Korean film director and screenwriter: sexual awakening, coming of age, sexuality, gender identity, being queer in a heteronormative and homophobic society.
But in this film, the filmmaker introduces other topics, such as sexual desire, bullying, the problems of homosexuals facing a homophobic society, the fear of homophobia. The final scene is quite devastating with the Irish song Danny Boy.
Peter Kim, nickname by which this filmmaker is also known, seeks to illustrate in 'Love 100° C' (사랑은 100℃ / Sarangeun 100℃), the desires and dangers that homosexuals face in South Korean society through a hearing-impaired gay teenager named Min Soo. From the first scene we are introduced to the teenager, while he masturbates with photographs of his classmate Ji Seok, a supposedly heterosexual, homophobic person, of course, whom he secretly loves.
Despite his deafness, Min Soo is a self-aware young man. He suffers from bullying from his classmates not because he is gay but because of his hearing problem, since the other high school students confuse the condition with an impairment in his brain. For the same reason, his brother, a year younger, also bothers him. Min Soo needs a hearing aid, but he can read people's lips if they talk to him correctly.
It is probably not difficult to imagine that he would also suffer homophobic attacks if his sexual orientation were discovered.
Min Soo's life changes when one day a young and attractive masseuse from a bathhouse he frequently visits begins to flirt with our protagonist. For the first time in his short existence, Min Soo receives kind and respectful treatment from a person who is not his mother, the only one who thinks he does not have a mental deficiency.
The handsome bathhouse worker treats him as an equal and offers him a free massage. Next comes a beautiful scene between the two boys communicating through whistles and applause to the beat of the background music of the short film itself.
The shot of Min Soo swinging his legs between the masseuse's crotch, one sitting on the bed where he will receive the massage and the other standing before him, is moving.
Kim Jho films the next sequence, that of the massage or rubbing, slowly moving the camera and stopping it on her soft skin, like that of any child. There is nothing obscene or disturbing in the scene and there is a lot of poetry and art. Finally, in the sauna, the masseuse performs oral sex on Min Soo, who writhes in a state of sweaty enjoyment and ecstasy.
Afterwards he is jubilant at home. His mother notices that something has changed in her son's life, as he is now happy and communicative. The experience with the man has given him a new confidence, a unique power. The steam room becomes his refuge, a place where he can experience sexual pleasure with someone who respects him despite his youth and disability. He is a free young man.
Feeling confident and valued, he is able not only to confront his annoying brother, but also to tear up the photo of Ji Seok, the boy he was in love with, thus, in the past, the boy he was in love with, when he bullies him again.
But his life is turned upside down again when one day he enters the bathhouse looking not so much for the warm waters and steam at 100 degrees Celsius, but for love at that same temperature, just when the masseuse suffers a homophobic beating. No one present dares to intervene while the young man is attacked by another while receiving kicks, expletives and homophobic phrases. Min Soo can only react by running away and hiding in a nearby alley, where he cries inconsolably.
Back in the bathhouse, but this time alone, Min Soo comes to understand, as well as transmit, the message that the film carries: the fear and insecurity that homosexuals suffer in an intolerant and homophobic country like Korea South.
Although Kim Jho's work has mainly bordered on the territory of Boy's Love, which is why he is able to attract a female audience, with this film, released in September 2011, the film producer and LGBT+ rights activist also pursues conquer gay men with a story perfect for these people, especially when contextualized.
This endeavor will not be difficult for him to achieve, thanks to the adorable Do Jin Kim, the first hearing-impaired film actor in South Korea. This young man, 20 years old at the time of filming, conquers us from the beginning with his silly, sweet and effeminate smile. Although the director manages to establish the conflicts in each scene with the good script and excellent work behind the cameras, the actor carries the film on his thin shoulders, showing us what drives Min Soo's decision-making process.
We will find the character created by Kim-Jho Gwang-Soo in his next film. In 'Two Weddings and a Funeral' Min Soo also does not react to a homophobic attack against one of his friends. The difference is that Min Soo from 'Love, 100°C' is not an adult over 20 years old, but a teenager already separated from the world due to his hearing disability, but both, each in their respective films, fear facing a intolerant and violent society.
In his two previous short films, the filmmaker explores the terrain from fairy tales and fantastical dreams, but 'Love, 100°C' demonstrates that it is honest realism that best adapts to the world vision of its director and screenwriter.

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In the things that pass, for those that stay

Kim Dong Ah is a teenager who seems to have been born frozen in the cold winter, and becomes obsessed with things that have not changed and are static, as if frozen, after his parents' divorce. His mother's love, which he thought would last forever, changed, and that change had a great impact not only on Dong Ah's family but also on his own life. With his mother gone, his father, wounded, became violent.
In order not to hurt himself and to avoid hurting others, Dong Ah thought that it was best not to change and not let anyone into his life, for fear that one day this person would decide, like his mother, to abandon him.
With his large round eyes, poorly defined face and dark, bushy eyebrows, he has a deep voice and a dry expression and humor. He has had to leave school.
But suddenly, Song Yeon Woo comes into his life, a young man, also 18 years old, with a very warm character, who finds it natural to smile and is friendly towards others. Yeon Woo always approaches Dong Ah with a smile, and little by little he breaks the wall of sadness and coldness that he has built around him. Who is this person who seems to show everything about himself without hiding anything, but whose true feelings Dong Ah is unaware of? How is it possible that this boy, so different from him and as warm as spring, can make him feel unknown emotions? Is Yeon Woo a figment of Dong Ah's imagination?
With this interesting and intensely powerful story, Kim Yeo-rim, the writer and director of the short film 'The Winter Child', exposes how people, emotions and relationships pass over time. Time melts the frozen and freezes the melted. But there are things that human beings need to hold on to so that they do not escape.
In the director's own words, the film sends a message of comfort to those who are suffering in the midst of numerous changes, to those who hold on to something that may be painful: it is okay to let go and move on. It is necessary that painful things pass by, so that those that give us happiness and warmth remain forever, like the fire at the end of the short, in contrast to the ice/winter motifs that are maintained in most of the audiovisual.
Starring Hyun Woo Ahn and Woo Joo Hwang in the leading roles, and the cinematography by Gyu-ri Lee and Park Jeong-hyeon, the short film captivates the viewer.
The image of Yeon Woo melting Dong Ah's icy exterior and her ironclad belief that she can't change anything in her life will haunt me forever. Yeon Woo is the person who came into his life to help him come out of his shell.
However, the ending leaves me with more questions than answers: Is returning to the same beginning a good change? What is preferable: staying in one place or seeking changes that allow us to free ourselves from what causes us pain?
Waiting for the continuation…

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An unusual love triangle

Sukitomo (I Like Tomo – スキトモ), the LGBT+-themed romantic drama and shounen-ai film by Japanese filmmaker Mitshuhiro Mihara, portrays that confusing time of youth in which relationships become imprecise and the balance between love becomes precarious. , friendship and family are broken.
The film, from 2007, proposes an unusual love triangle between the serious and responsible young man Aoi Tomokazu, a member of a boxing team and who is in his third year of university, Yoshiko Saitō, his best friend and two years younger, whom he sees as a little brother - although he feels something more for him than a simple friendship - and Tomokazu's sister, Aoi Misao (Komatsu Airi), who is also romantically attracted to Tomokazu and is jealous of his relationship with Yoshiki.
After his performance in 'Boys Love', of the same film genre, Takumi Saitō, star of the 'Prince of Tennis' musicals, now in the role of Aoi Tomokazu, continues in this film challenging perceptions of love, friendship and the sexuality. As in 'Boys Love', Saito acts alongside Aiba Hiroki, one of the co-stars of 'Prince of Tennis', the latter playing Yoshiko Saitō.
Released on January 13, 2007, the film was screened for the first time at the 16th Rainbow Reel Tokyo, an LGBT-themed film festival held annually in the Japanese capital, 'Sukimoto' tells us the evolution of relationship, from childhood to early youth, between the future boxer and the boy Yoshiki, who was hit by a truck while playing with Tomokazu and suffered an injury to his right leg.
This injury never fully heals and consequently he limps when he walks, a fact for which he believes Tomokazu feels guilty and treats him well for it. Yoshiki must deal not only with Misao's attempts to keep him away from his brother, but also with his own conflicting feelings.
The role played by Takumi Saitō is coherent in embodying the role of the young man so busy in boxing that he has not realized the attraction that Yoshiki and Misao feel towards him. I like his performance in this movie. I've seen some of his other work, but I really admire his art after watching 'Sukimoto'.
Hiroki Aiba also achieves naturalness playing the disabled friend in love with his best friend and neighbor, and Airi Komatsu as the 14-year-old sister who is jealous of her brother's relationship with Yoshiki, since she also has loving feelings for him.
Also convincing is the performance of Mizuki Tsuruoka in the role of Arisa Andō, Misao's best friend, who, despite her young age, has been able to understand not only Misao's loving attraction towards her brother, something she considers unhealthy, but also Yoshiki's love for Tomokazu.
The title of the film, which addresses themes such as friendship, love, family and fraternal relationships, is a play on words; «suki» (スキ), which translated from the Japanese language means "to like", and «tomo» (トモ), which refers to the name of the main character. Therefore, the name of the work could be literally translated as "I like Tomo."
With the production of Kawashiro Kazumi and Kataoka Masahiro, the director called on the award-winning Japanese photographer and director of photography Ashizawa Akiko to translate the script written by Kanasugi Hiroko into images.

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With a personal look, the Thai actor, director, screenwriter and assistant director Aum Natthaphong Aroonnet, known for the BL dramas 'Triage' (2022) and 'Manner of Death' (2021), the film 'Dew' (2019) or His role in 'The Love of Siam (207), among many other dramatized ones, gives us the romantic drama 'Beating Again', in which, in addition to addressing the boys' passion for dance, he portrays several stories of characters belonging to the LGBT+ community, its coming out and the challenges that come with being queer in today's world.
With great camera skill, sequential games and visual seduction, the director explores, among other topics, the search for one's own identity and the realization of dreams as the core of a drama that explores, as if that were not enough, many other issues such as family relationships, sexuality, love, pain, living with fear of being judged, past traumas, loss, acceptance, overcoming obstacles, the need for physical and emotional connection with other human beings, gender identity, discovery or passion for art.
Since before the first episode was broadcast, the audiovisual has awakened different emotions, especially on social networks, by inviting the audience to reflect on ourselves and on current societies, in addition to the topics represented, confront stereotypes and show human beings with their nuances and in various circumstances.
«I have been a lucky director. Since we published the trailer for 'Beating Again' and the actors and others involved in the project began to give statements to the press or through writings on social networks, there are those who say that the series is going to be liked and will positively attract the public's attention. ; Other people say that there are topics that they do not like. It is still early to predict if it will work or not. I think it is a series that is very well written. My staging, and that of the actors, was constantly trying to live up to the scripts,” said Aum Natthaphong Aroonnet.
«After editing, I liked how the chapters turned out. I have no doubt that they will move people and involve audiences. Let's let the series progress a little, to make conclusive judgments. Our goal is that the audience is not disappointed, that they remain hooked, that they have a closing that lives up to their expectations. We work for that, whether we achieve it or not. The arc of the characters is very coherent, as well as the development of the characters and the conflicts,” adds the director.
At first glance it might be easy to understand that the desire of young men to dance was not hindered by any reason, or at least human. However, 'Beating Again' reflects the incessant struggle of several boys to achieve a dream and thus fulfill a vocation regardless of the discrepancies to which they may be subjected during the process of achieving it, including the homophobic gazes of several of them. the secondary characters.
And even if your environment does not understand you, you cannot give up your passion, your talent and your vocation. The internal talent of each person must be firmly exploited regardless of the consequences that may arise for it.
Of the work, it is worth highlighting its transgressive capacity to break clichés and prejudices for a single but consistent reason: the firm attitude of young people to pursue their dream and illusion, that of being dancers and dedicating their lives to underground dance. In this way, a small group of people can have the power to create great change for the entire world through the love and passion for dance. The series is an example and a tribute to the triumph of perseverance, dedication and conviction.
In addition, it seeks to send other messages, such as respect and acceptance of sexual diversities, the spirit of coexistence between people who are initially strangers or unknown to each other, and honesty and sincerity as human values.
The attention to detail to be as realistic as possible, the convincing performances of a cast made up of established and young actors and actresses, some with experience in the BL genre, the depth of the themes it addresses, and the aesthetics with which it presents them , determine, among other elements, the quality of the series.
Scripted by Visuttchai Boonyakarnjawa ('The Iron Ladies', 2000), the Thai drama, in four episodes, presents its protagonists immersed in the world of dance in a sincere, lyrical and emotional way. While Dindaen (Oh Anuchit Sapunpohng) long ago achieved glory by becoming a dance champion, the young dancer Nai (Kang Korn Sirisorn) has a paradigm to follow in the now volunteer teacher. The character must face a conflict from 10 years ago that still haunts him.
For her part, Focus (Sophie Marguerite Indracusin), the self-confident young woman who loves dancing, after much effort, has managed to materialize her dreams of being an idol, but now she has been involved in a professional scandal and has had to return to his hometown where he will be part of a dance group with Tawan, Fae, Kai and Jidrid. To move forward, Focus will have to face his past.
If dance united Focus, Nai and Dindaen since they were children, love, friendship and passion for dance today continue to be the strong ties that unite them. The characters, like so many other young people in real life, have as their highest aspiration to be able to manage their own talents, believe in and become owners of their virtues and manage each of their potentials to achieve the goals set.
In addition to the conflicts of the three main characters, other problems will add complexity to the plot. I am specifically referring to the story of a girl trapped in a male body who, despite being overweight, likes to dance, the story of the teenager who juggles her life to balance high school studies and her passion for dancing. , and the love between two boys: Kai (Kaownah Kittipat Kaewcharoen) and Famous (Earth Katsamonnat Namwirote).
Love and dance will unite Kai and Fae, young people who also like to dance alternative dance (also known as indie dance or underground dance, the musical genre that fuses elements of alternative and indie rock with those of electronic dance music.
The public will enjoy young people while they dance to music that fuses new wave, "eurosynth" and postmodern technopop, as well as those arising from the indietronica or indie electronic movement, which is nothing more than a subgenre of alternative dance but more oriented towards indie. with great synth pop influences.
Among former member of boy group KLIMAXX and best known for his role as Long in the hit BL drama 'TharnType', Turbo Chanokchon in the Thai adaptation of 'Love Stage!!' and Talay in 'My Universe: The Camp Fire', in the latter two as the protagonist, and the actor identified for his roles as Tar in 'Love By Chance', Intouch in 'Until We Meet Again' and Seeiw in 'My Only 12' %', also in main roles, a passionate romance will emerge.
How I enjoyed, in episode 3, the scene in which Tawan, Fae, Kai and Jidrid have lunch in temple areas. At one point, Kai (Kaownah) and Famous (Earth) exchange pieces of the fish they eat and Tawan says, "So sweet!" And they try the fish and answer: "It's not sweet. It's salty," and she laughs mischievously because she was not referring to the food, but to the budding relationship between the two boys.
Jidrid suffers rejection from homophobes for being transsexual. These two are one of the topics addressed in the series, that is, homophobia and transsexuality.
I like the dynamics of the group, how the seven protagonists integrate into the community that they themselves have created, how setbacks are turned into victories, like when Famous accidentally spills a container of paint on the floor and the others, instead After reproaching him for the destruction, they pour other containers with paint and turn the place into a stage to practice dancing.
Does the theme of the series revolve around homosexual characters and their relationships with others, or LGBTI characters in secondary roles and whose sexuality does not influence the plot of the audiovisual? To know this and other conflicts we will have to watch the series until the end.

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First step in a career in favor of LGBT people

'Boy Meets Boy' is a South Korean short film of romantic, musical, youth and LGBT+ themes, premiered at the 13th Pusan ​​International Film Festival in 2008, and since then it has given a lot to talk about for several reasons: it was the first film work by Kim Jho Kwang-soo, the first collaboration between this filmmaker and the screenwriter Min Yong Keun, and presented for the first time Min Soo and Seok Yi, two characters that he would return to the following year to form the wedding couple of the short 'Just Friend?', also following up Min Soo in Love 100°, another short of his authorship, from 2010.
Since then, the South Korean filmmaker showed signs of taking his time to weave the story with the thoroughness that has always characterized him, working like a craftsman in his eagerness to recreate every detail.
The director of 'The New Employee: The Movie' (2023) has spent almost two decades building an authorial block of unusual quality in the history of South Korean cinema, full of triumphs and very few mistakes. Throughout his work he has not only made important films, series and short films, but through them he has known how to rewrite the history of his country anchored to its most recurrent film themes and objectives: such as sexual awakening, most of age, sexuality, gender identity, being queer in a heteronormative and discriminatory society towards LGBT+ people and activism in favor of the rights of this group to which he himself has acknowledged belonging since 2006.
To film the short, he based it on Min Yong Keun's script of the same name about a love crush, in a festive and magical way. The film, without spoken dialogue, describes the relationship between Min Soo (Kim Hye Sung), a boy who loves photography and is gay, and Seok-Yi (Lee Hyun-jin), who seems a little tough but still manages groom to show your soft side. It also tells us about the indecision when it comes to expressing feelings and the need to be brave and go in search of love when it has arrived at your door.
Despite its short duration and the incorporation of music, dance and a magical fantasy, the viewer manages to maintain the common thread of the story in that elegant background of love at first sight.
At one point in the film, Kim Jho Kwang-soo, wang-soo, who collaborated with director Lee Song Hee Il to produce 2006's 'No Regret,' considered "the first real Korean gay film," and has shot others gay-themed works such as 'Two Weddings and a Funeral' (2012), 'One Night Only' (2014) or 'Made on the Rooftop', and the BL series 'The New Employee', introduces a fantastic character in the form of a fairy which comes to represent Min Soo's thoughts as someone who falls in love for the first time.
Despite not having dialogues, the filmmaker manages to make the audience identify with his characters, in addition to clearly establishing the relationships between them, through looks, gestures, expressions, body language and useful inclusion of the fairy (Yeh Ji-won).
The fairy symbolically represents the thoughts and feelings of the boy who has just discovered love for the first time in his short life: the nascent passion, the sexual awakening, the discovery, the acceptance, the insecurities, the fears, the worries, the fears, excitement, enthusiasm, innocence, naivety, and expectation, all in a mixture that explodes in unison.
With a palette of bright, festive colors, and corny and strident music to identify the fairy, but restrained and romantic to enhance the mood of the characters and set the tone of the film, the director guides us towards the discovery of love and sexuality in a new and unique experience for the character.
Of an autobiographical nature, the director himself stated that he based the story told in 'Boy Meets Boy' on his first love experience.
I liked the chemistry of the two protagonists, palpable from their first meeting on the bus. They are both adorably acting actors whose performances are enough to recommend watching the film.
Also highlight the use of Min Su's film reel as a symbol of love and life, by first representing the union of the two protagonist boys, and then serving as an invisible and conductive thread that, in constant movement, like life itself, unites all the characters.

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Brief and deep analysis of oppressed sexual minorities

Is it worth sacrificing the person you love and yourself to accept a lie? Can you be happy and make the woman you married happy, forced by family and society, since you have to hide your homosexuality? Can one decide who to love in a conservative society that considers romantic relationships between people of the same gender illegal and taboo?

'Life of Silence'(The Life of Silence, Xi Sheng Zhi Lu - 犧牲之旅), Taiwanese director and screenwriter Ying Cheng-Ru's 2014 short film, explores sexuality through the story of three gay men entangled in two marriages doomed to failure.
At just over 26 minutes, the compelling and heartbreaking film explores the tensions between society's expectations and true happiness.
In the director's own words, silence usually comes with a backdrop, waiting to be shaken. A fiction and a reality. Three gay men and two marriages. When love and marriage cannot go hand in hand, how can marital happiness be achieved?
Interested in addressing social issues and sexuality, the filmmaker, with a master's degree in Fine Arts from the Department of Radio, Television and Film at Shih-Hsin University, brings us in this romantic drama a fiction woven into reality.
When there is a contradiction between erotic life and parental expectations, a difficult decision would have to be made. To rethink marriage, 'Life of Silence', a sequel to 'Body at Large', looks at oppressed sexual minorities. What is the Happy Family? Is there only one way to achieve happiness? Or should one be able to hug oneself freely?
The short film aims to show that human beings deserve happiness without barriers.
I recommend paying attention to the meaning of water, present throughout much of the footage, as a metaphor for the purgatory of an unfulfilled love, as well as the old man washing his long white hair in the final scene. This older man, whose face cannot even be seen, represents the spirit of previous generations who were never allowed to love and who died alone.
As the director himself expressed: "The old man is another reason to inspire me to film this film. He was born at a conservative age, sexually repressed, he did not have sexual relations for life, I left him as a reflection of the actor, if love is repressed, and is finally left alone and desolate.
The lead roles fall to Jason Lai as Chen Kai Cheng, Hsueh Yu Ting as Chin Yung Sheng, Lu Yi Ching, Chiu Min Chia and Liau You Ching
With touching and at the same time nostalgic background music, it manages to validate the characters' feelings of loneliness and melancholy.
With the use of a dark color palette, especially blue and ocher, and mostly black and white images seeking cinematic perfection to emphasize the contrast between light and shadows, and surprising professionalism in the use of lighting, 'Life of Silence' conveys the suffocating, overwhelming atmosphere, and an atmosphere of sadness, melancholy and tension.

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Declaration of love in times of pandemic

Cinema has always managed to create wonderful worlds, fantastic scenes and perfect dialogues where feelings and words combine in an ideal way to express the very essence of love.
Each couple in their personal history has a movie, a scene or a soundtrack that is part of their memory, moves them or makes them exchange knowing glances because it evokes special and unique memories.
There is nothing more powerful than a good love story brought to film or television, and a script full of witty and emotional phrases that support it. Whether they are spontaneous gestures, proposals for a hand, or cathartic moments that change everything, declarations of love are the best way to consolidate a romance on the big or small screen, and to bring the audience to the brink of tears.
Written and directed by Jose Jeffrey Camañag, the Filipino short film 'Taguan, A Quickie Musical' presents us with a declaration of love between two boys in the midst of the pandemic caused by Covid-19.
Also known as 'Taguan, Secrets Kept' and released on May 30, 2020, the audiovisual, of the Romance, Yaoi, Comedy and Musical genre, shows us the telephone communication between the two best friends Tristan (Jayson Santos) and Chris ( Vince Conrad) who, forced into social isolation or home quarantine, are locked in the confines of their homes.
Between drinks of alcohol and tears, Tristan calls his best friend by video call to confess a secret that he has kept deep in his being for years. This is how the musical narrates that very special online video chat of two teenagers who, during quarantine, realized that they wanted to end their friendship... to be more than just friends.
The protagonists perform three songs in the almost 15 minutes of their magical transition from friendship to something deeper. The songs are "Ganito Pala", "Munting Ala-ala" and the title song of the short film: "Taguan".
With spoken lines and Filipino music in the voices of the two protagonists, 'Taguan, A Quickie Musical' was created through a novel program from the Artist Playground company, called Artist Playground Theatrix, a new form of visual and auditory performance art that uses the latest in technology that combines musical theater and film in its final production.
The team behind the audiovisual is made up of award-winning creatives and entertainment industry experts. The narrative, script and lyrics of the songs were created by José Jeffrey Camañag, filmmaker who won the Live Entertainment Awards and festivals as Best Director.
The music is by multi-award-winning maestro Jesse Lucas, while the editing is by Carl Santos, the artistic direction is by Roeder Camañag and the project director is Paul Jake Paule.
In the midst of such a long pause that led to the cancellation of premieres and filming and the confinement of actors and film production experts to preserve their lives, short films like this came to experience new concepts and executions never before made.
Challenging themselves to do something new, they managed to create and produce virtually so that the cast and crew could stay healthy and safe amid the pandemic. The writer and director never physically met the rest of the creators and artists during the filming process. Camañag managed the talent remotely. The two protagonists not only act, but are also filmed at home.
In this way, the project is one of the highest-profile cases of a filmmaker seeking to adapt production to the demands of the global health crisis. While hundreds, perhaps thousands of films and television shows in the Philippines and around the world saw production halted to protect actors and crew during the pandemic, Camañag produced and gave us 'Taguan, A Quickie Musical', a play simple, but with an intelligent and timely dialogue, marked by the circumstances that humanity was experiencing at that time.
Jayson Santos and Vince Conrad are a revelation, two incredible actors and singers that I hope to see again on other shows.

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A series that leaves more questions than answers

'Bro and Me' (家教哥哥來我家) is a Taiwanese BL and LGBT+ themed miniseries of 8 episodes each lasting about 5 minutes on average. Starring in its main roles JN Yu as Jie En and Xie Yi Hong as Ye Hong, the plot shows the romantic relationship that arises between two heterosexual boys, one a high school student and the other, his tutor, whose lives will be altered once begin to live together under the same roof and in the same bed, after the second is hired by the first's mother. Filmed in 2019, in locations in Taipei, the series, of the comedy, romance and yaoi genre, was broadcast between September and December 2019 on Vidol TV, obtaining a notable commercial impact.
Argument
This sweet story of love and friendship introduces us to Jie En, who since he was a child dreamed of being as cool as Ye Hong, the boy 5 years older who lives next door. Immersed in his own routine, Ye Hong pays attention to Jie En just to have fun by teasing him from time to time.
As he grows up, the innocent and sweet-tempered Jie En sees in the cheeky and daring young man everything he has always wanted to be and secretly admires his neighbor as if he were his older brother.
In this romantic drama directed by Chen Mengwei we see how after Ye Hong leaves to study abroad, Jie En is devastated. He has lost the person who served as a reference in his life. However, you will soon have other reasons to occupy your thoughts: the pressure of getting into a good university forces you to focus solely on your studies.
Wanting only for her son to be able to study for a career, Jie En's mother, now 17 years old, announces that she has hired a tutor who, after graduating abroad, has returned and will move in with him to dedicate all his time. time and effort to ensure that his disciple obtains a good result in the exams.
If at first Jie En was insecure and even upset at having to share his house with a stranger, he will soon be furious when he realizes that the tutor is none other than the boy who has always made fun of him. However, both will live pleasant and happy moments under the same roof.
Living with Ye Hong brings joy to Jie En, at least until he discovers that Jing Han, the girl he has befriended in Ye Hong's absence, is actually Ye Hong's first love.
When Ye Hong's bed breaks, Jie En is forced to share his own with his tutor. One night, while the student is dreaming about Jing Han, he caresses Ye Hong's face, who, confused, believes that the boy has feelings for him. From this moment on, he changes his attitude towards Jie En and instead of mocking him, he will show unexpected affection.
This is how, suddenly, Jie En's life is altered again, now involved in a tangle of complicated relationships, misunderstandings and confusing emotions. Will the world make sense to him again?
Jing Han, who has understood the feelings between the two boys, acts like a fujoshi determined to match friends, and, to top it all off, adds a third to the already hectic dynamic between Jie En and Ye Hong, after proposing that they receive each other. his handsome friend, Xu Shaoyu, who has nowhere to sleep as his apartment is being renovated.
Will he come with the intention of breaking up the relationship in the event that Jie En falls in love with him?
From Jie En's perspective, will the unexpected visit be used to make Ye Hong jealous so that he decides to declare his love for her? Why does she accept the new guy's flirtation? Doesn't he seem to be very happy in Xu Shaoyu's presence?
That night the three boys must share the same bed. Waking up in the early morning, He Yong pulls back the covers and sees Jie En hugging Xu Shaoyu. Has he dreamed about Jing Han again and that's why he hugs him like he caressed him some time ago? Has he lost the affection of the young student? Have you ever loved him? Has it all been a product of your imagination?
The next day, after the visitor leaves, He Yong tries to talk to Jie En, but at the last minute he stops the impulse and remains silent. In the morning, Jie En discovers that the tutor has abandoned him.
In a series that leaves more questions than answers, it concludes as it begins, with the arrival of someone at Jie En's house and he, on the threshold, smiles and asks with disbelief, but marked surprise and undeniable joy: "So... you're the new tutor my mom mentioned?"
Although it is true that it is not shown who the tutor is, everything seems to indicate that it is none other than Ye Hong, who returns after abandoning Jie En. The long, thin, bony fingers are the same ones that ring the doorbell in the first episode. Furthermore, the newcomer drags the suitcase, as Ye Hong did upon his arrival, and not the backpack hanging on his back in which Xu Shaoyu usually carries his belongings.
The story is solid and the protagonists play their roles well and have the potential to act in BL series, as can be verified in their respective filmographies. With well-developed characters and events, a good boy love series could be achieved.

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The end of the trilogy: reasons for debate and controversy

The trilogy by Korean director Leesong Hee-il, known as 'One Night, Two Days', (백야), began with the short film 'One Night, later expanded to a 75-minute film entitled 'Baekya' ('지난여름, 갑자기 '/'White Night' and followed by the short 'Suddenly Last Summer' (지난 여름, 갑자기/'Jinanyeoreum, gapjagi'), concludes with the medium-length film 'Namjjokeuro Ganda' ('Going South' /남쪽으로 간다), all from 2012, and narrating three unconnected gay-themed stories together.
The strength of Leesong Hee-Il's cinematography, by itself, and continually, finds an audience for his works. Not only because of the naturalness and simplicity, at the same time as the complex way of exposing homosexuality and human relationships and conflicts, which allows us to reinterpret the essence of the South Korean LGBT+ collective (equally global), from the perspective of some of its representatives, but also in the elegance of the language, the cinematographic resources, the intelligence of the film narrative and the intellectual and human wisdom that flows with astonishing clarity and directness.
It is, furthermore, and above all, the director's ability to build powerful stories due to their humanism, which penetrate the personal imagination, especially of the members of said community, never to abandon it again.
Who who has seen the trilogy does not suffer as their own the desperation and anguish of a gay person who drags, like a heavy burden, the emotional and spiritual suffering, more than physical, caused by a homophobic attack and today, after years , returns to the scene of the events to continue judging the society that did nothing to condemn barbarism, only for the fact that the victim is a homosexual? Who has not wanted to be the companion of said person in the search not only for love, but also, and above all, for the necessary spiritual peace and answers that give meaning to their life, during a long, cold night in Seoul?
Who was not on the cruise ship that crosses the Han River while a boy, a minor, blackmails his teacher, 17 years older, whom he threatens to get out of the closet if he does not give in to his demands to spend a few hours on a hot day in his side? Who has not understood the dilemma in which the teacher struggles, caught between desire and responsibility, between desire and ethics, between good and evil? Who has not forgiven the student for blackmailing the teacher, after seeing him suffer and at the same time shout his love and happiness, while, excited, he talks to the fish or makes the teacher listen to his favorite music after placing the headphones over his ears? ears? Who has not made their own the suffering, pain and anguish, but also the joy and the touch of happiness, of each and every one of the characters that inhabit their stories?
'Going South' follows two men on a journey that, despite the short's title, has no defined direction or destination. Gi-Tae (Kim Jae-Heung) and Jun-Young (Chun Shin-Hwan) met during their mandatory two-year stint in the Korean army. From the first seconds, the existence of a secret to be revealed around these two people and their respective internal struggles becomes evident.
Its director once again exposes a constant dichotomy in the relationships of its protagonists, but now elevates it to a higher plane by placing its narrative heroes involved in the South Korean army. Shocking are the deeply subtle, uncomfortable, and highly problematic questions it raises about homosexual relationships, military service in particular, and that nation's society as a whole.
While Jun-Young, now demobilized, hides or completely denies his homosexuality, Gi-Tae, who still has some time left to graduate, is not afraid to acknowledge it and even enjoys celebrating it, despite completing his military service in a nation where, according to article 92 of its Military Penal Code, it considers sexual relations between members of the same sex as "sexual harassment", punishable by a maximum of one year in prison.
Jun-Young is taking Gi-Tae back to base after his last leave. The atmosphere around them is overloaded by the demands of one and the refusal of the other to give in. Jun-Young is quite harsh on his friend during the ride.
The characters in the medium-length film inhabit a space where they meet somewhere in the middle. It is at this moment that the director uses the camera lens to "steal" the characters' emotions and show human complexities.
One having realized that he does not want to continue the sexual relationship with his friend and asks him not to contact him again, the other is not willing to let him go, and clings to him. Inadvertently, the soldier takes the opportunity to put sleeping pills in Jun-Young's coffee. As soon as the drugs take effect, he takes the wheel and heads south, or nowhere in particular.
When Jun-Young finally wakes up, he is furious, but also furious is Gi-Tae, who confronts his former lover/friend about his broken promises.
The fight, both emotional and physical, reveals two aspects to consider: on the one hand, Jun-Young completely denies not only his former feelings for Gi-Tae, but also his homosexuality. Jun-Young dismisses his previous relationship, alleging that he had sexual encounters with his friend out of the need to fill the void of soldier's loneliness, something common for soldiers while doing military service.
And secondly, Gi-Tae is clearly losing control and has crossed the line. His erratic, illegal behavior is not justifiable, and yet we sympathize with him more than with Jun-Young, because his pain is so tangible.
Initially calm and serene, Gi-Tae's feelings are increasingly expressed through physical things, such as photographing Jun-Young in the middle of making love for the last time, not to blackmail him but to materially record the feelings that his lover does not want to admit with words. He subsequently gets into a wild mud fight with Jun-Young that nearly ends in blood and he drinks bottle of beer after bottle. His state of increasing intoxication leads him to dance alone like a lunatic in a dark highway tunnel, while music blares from the car speakers.
You can't blame Jun-Young for wanting to distance himself from Gi-Tae, who has major emotional issues that may run deeper than this particular rejection. And yet, one must ask: how desperate must one be to go AWOL from one's military base and nearly kidnap another person, acts that can only have serious repercussions?
Open-ended like all parts of Leesong Hee-ill's trilogy, 'Going South' feels more gloomy and suffocating than the two previous films, denying the viewer a journey towards the spiritual peace and happiness they dreamed of, at least from one of the characters.
As in the rest of the three pieces, the film tells a story of great visual and auditory beauty, but perhaps the most important thing is the emotional depth. The raw honesty of the film's narrative – centered on the often deeply problematic feelings of its characters, all asking difficult but very real questions – is commendable.
The finished compositional gear, the composition between musical form and film text brought to the screen, the treatment of time and changes in point of view, are formal innovations that demonstrate the filmmaker's vocation to always renew himself, supporting the three pieces that make up the trilogy, which reflect on the human condition, the complexities of the human being, the responsibilities and ethics of the gay man of our days, the homophobic ambushes that stalk him at every step, the feeling of emptiness caused by the so-called epidemic of loneliness gay, the emotional and mood disorders of homosexual men, the constant search for happiness, which implies, in turn, the fight for their human rights, and the encounters between the individual and the collective.

Note: The reviews of the remaining pieces of the trilogy, in MDL, can be found on the page dedicated by the virtual platform to each of them.

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Speaking in baseball terms... this is not your thing

Phukan (Akarawat Prathumthong), Paper (Natthaphak Witsiri) and Bell (Sasikarn Singsi) are students at the Faculty of Architecture, Art and Design. To complete an assigned task, they must join a team of three people to develop a school project together as part of the final evaluation of a subject.
Phukan will confess to his friend Bell that he is attracted to Paper, but is not sure whether or not he should declare his love, but he will soon discover that the boy has also developed feelings for him.
The first question one must ask is why there are few students in a classroom at one of the Thai Colleges of Architecture, Art and Design. And from this question, others arise: how in this short, which has no great pretensions, are the two main boys, especially Paper, much more handsome and attractive than his study partner, not perceived as attractive people by their colleagues? feminine? Why aren't they popular with girls? How is it possible that there isn't a fight between the few females in the classroom to have them on their respective teams? Only Paper's table neighbor will invite him, very timidly, to join him, but most likely it will be for the comfort of sharing nearby seats. While Bell, obviously, is already a duo with his friend Phukan, so the only thing missing is the incorporation of another person to make up the required shortlist.
If they are already assigning tasks, it is assumed that the course, even if it is the first year of the degree, has already made some progress. Anyway, by now the students should know each other, at least by their names. How is it possible that they have to resort to text messages in a digital chat to know how to call each other and also serve as an introduction to the viewer?
While they visit museums, exhibitions and art galleries and write the assignment, without the viewer realizing it, which demonstrates the little connection achieved between him and the characters, Phukan's love for Paper blossoms, only to discover that the latter has been loving him for some time. secret.
The actors in 'As Always', a short film by Thai filmmaker Patcharaporn Thiangsantia, do not achieve the necessary control of their bodies and voices to convey the emotions of their characters. Theirs are not empathetic characters, capable of allowing viewers to connect with them and their experiences. The audience does not feel and understand the emotions of the characters, so the emotional connection is null and void. This is where the failure of the audiovisual lies, in addition to its poor script.
Positive emotions such as joy at discovering love (another emotion), humor and happiness (as ways Bell reacts when learning about his friend's sexuality, or when the two boys mutually declare their love for each other), are not transmitted; nor negative emotions such as anxiety, sadness, insecurity, fear of rejection. Likewise, ambiguous emotions, such as surprise at being reciprocated, and hope, are not externalized.
In this minor work of the BL universe, repeated clichés, boring scenes, a non-existent chemistry between the lovers, and childish actions, are its main characteristics in a romance with little to prove to fans of the genre.
The short lacks a convincing plot and shows little imagination, contributing little to the genre, which has come a long way in recent years; If anything, the discovery of two new and potential talents within the BL, but with a lot to polish, as well as demonstrating the rich architectural and plastic arts culture of Thailand.
If what you are looking for is a declaration of love of fireworks and butterflies fluttering in the stomach, of those that are born under the influence of emotions, intoxicated with the nectar of the first months, those in which the loved one seems to be a perfect being and hormones awaken the most lively and intense passions... I repeat, if that is what you are looking for, speaking in baseball terms, pick up the bats and balls and turn off the television, this is not your thing.

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In defense of bromance

The two protagonists of the Chinese short 'A Little Romance', from 2022, by filmmaker Mao De Shu, do not establish a bond like that of Chandler and Joey in 'Friend', Batman and Robin in the 'Batman' saga, Ben Affleck and Matt Damon in films like 'Air'; Riggs and Murtaugh in the four 'Lethal Weapon' films, or Jack and Danny in the British comedy 'Big Boys'.
Chinese filmmakers, great specialists in telling stories in which their protagonists move in that social space for emotional openness, beyond other traditional male relationships, achieve films characterized by the absence of barriers and judgments, providing the characters with high stability. emotional, social fulfillment and better conflict resolution than a traditional romance. Chinese creators strip the bromance of all the prejudices inherited from toxic masculinity, especially that which suggests that you are no less of a man for having great trust and intimacy with your best friend.
There are those who say that a bromance is better than a couple. Well, this is a question for everyone. Let's leave it at that they are different relationships, very different from each other. The truth is that Chinese filmmakers know the public's tastes perfectly. That is why they have plenty of stories in which the protagonist takes great care of his friend, and in this way the friendship becomes longer and unconditional.
It is not that they turn their backs on the classic romantic relationships, homosexual or heterosexual, but that they leave it to others to bring to the screen everything related to the "game of conquest and seduction", knowing that there are other encounters and disagreements. This has influenced the mentality of many viewers who go so far as to affirm that a bromance is more beneficial than a relationship, and add that it is nothing out of this world either: friendship over love is something that is quite internalized in the human being.
The Asian giant's filmmakers have made it their own, like few others, to reflect stories whose main characteristic is that of two people, usually of the same sex, who can share personal problems or secrets that you would not share with others. Mutual respect and trust built over years allow them to express their emotions and feelings more openly, while reaching out to physical displays of affection, such as hugs and kisses, even in countries where these are not the common norm.
A good friend will point out without mincing words all those habits that seem normal to you but are quite toxic. He will listen to you when it comes to coping with your failures whether in study, work or love failures. Nor will you have to ask him for comfort or advice. Just by looking at you, he will know what you need and he will lend his shoulder to cry, and he will cry with you. The good friend will fail you in your least inspired moments with your partner. Should I give you more reasons? If you already have a bromance, surely not.
Mao De Shu is known for filming bromances since he became known with his first short films in 2015, through the dramas 'Long For You' and 'I Cannot Hug You', in 2017 and 'I Cannot Hug You 2' , 2018, among others.
But, as I said before, the two protagonists of 'A Little Romance' do not stop at the level of outlining male friendship in the era of new masculinities. They are not only the best confidant friend with whom you can talk about what worries you most, your family and romantic relationships, the mental illness of a family member, the chaos of the world we live in, the last soccer game, the precariousness work, lifestyle expectations, our role in gender equality or in the fight against sexist violence, homophobia and for the rights of LGBT+ people.
Liu Wen and Song Xian's relationship involves, above all, sexual attraction. Therefore, it's not bromance. Although in recent years the magic of a good television couple has been lost, possibly due to the compulsive consumption format, it has been absolutely perfect to see these young people how, little by little, and shown in a suggestive way, they are giving themselves realize that they like each other. This is the great beauty of bromance.
The greatest success of the film is the casting. It features two actors who couldn't fit better in their respective roles. From the first moment, Liu Yao Wen and Song Ya Xuan show that they are Liu Wen and Song Xuan. While the former exudes charisma from all sides and stands out in the most comical aspect of the character, which is quite present in the film, Song Xuan is a dramatic revelation, adding emotional weight to the story.
Both actors are perfect for their roles. At their most strategic and professional, they have the ability to trust each other and support each other, to reflect a symbiotic relationship between them.
The director of the short is aware that anything that did not contribute to understanding what the two young people are experiencing and their journey together of self-discovery and acceptance, did not make sense to be in the final cut. The important thing is them, and nothing else. His screen time is the entire movie. It's the movie itself.
In general terms, the plot leads its characters to reasoning such as "You may look better when you smile", or even its own plot, which revolves around the need to look for company and someone who gives warmth and joy to our lives, especially if they are people who for different reasons live alone.
The film adheres to a theme that love story fans really like, 'enemies to lovers', to narrate the relationship between two young people who have a lot in common, but have not gotten off to the right start, until a One day one comes to the other's defense when some bullies try to harass him. The friendship that suddenly arises between the two will become more and more real, evolving into a romantic relationship without becoming sexual.
The chemistry between the protagonists is shown naturally, palpable, tangible, in their looks, in their body language, the small winks, the flirtatious smiles, in the moments of tenderness that bring them closer and reproduce that sensation so recognizable by queer people of the secret love.
The spark is lit from their first scene together in the store when Liu Wen understands that the customer is from out of town and speaks to him in his dialect to communicate, and they frolic playfully in the next encounter when Liu Wen runs into the classroom right after be introduced Song Xuan as the new transfer student. The close bond between the two artists in real life jumps onto the screens and takes shape to allow us to appreciate it.
The film moderately addresses the sexuality of its protagonists, but manages to convey their playful passion and does not omit the main characteristics of the two boys as they build their relationship, first friendly and then loving, reflected in an insinuating way.
The little more than 15 minutes of footage will be enough to see how the relationship between Song Xuan and Liu Wen develops very quickly, barely giving the story room to breathe... for us to breathe.
Beyond how hopeful it is and the sighs that its protagonists will provoke, the most valuable contribution of 'A Little Romance' is its inspiring message about coming out of the closet in a process of self-discovery and falling in love without hardly showing the internal conflict of the characters. .
There is no doubt that Song Xuan and Liu Wen will continue to make thousands of people around the world fall in love, especially lovers of yaoi and romantic drama.
In a new type of fairy tale, Song Xuan, who plays the good, studious and neat boy who always respects the rules, especially the one that prescribes not skipping classes, thus earning the jealousy and envy of some , and Liu Wen, an out-of-control human whirlwind, willing to pick a fight with anyone in his "gangster mode," and suddenly he appears and turns everything upside down, changing both of their worlds forever.
In the film, its director gives complete freedom to the actors in front of the camera. It doesn't make cuts in between. Overlay one image with the other. He points the camera at them and lets them play. And in that game, magic happens. Thus, the public is able to understand, without words or physical manifestations, such as the theft of a kiss or holding a hand, what is happening with these two young people on a physical level and, at the same time, communicate what is going through their hearts. heads and what they experience emotionally.
The quick images tell, along with Liu Wen's voice, how the relationship deepens as he takes Song Xuan, on foot or by bicycle, to the places where he went to play as a child. This is how he shows him the tallest tree, the longest road, the restaurant with the most delicious stew, the fireworks, the sun, the moon and the stars on the seashore.
Liu Wen will give Song Xuan courage to face the bullies she once feared, as well as reasons to laugh. He won't mind losing the Student of Merit award. His intuition tells him that he should be there, for Liu Wen, even if he has to miss the exam.
Although the story only covers the phase of consolidation of friendship and the beginning of the construction of romance, the final words and images testify to the romantic interest of the two boys.
Both will be able to see the sun at night. And in the future they will leave Chongqing and go to Beijing, Shanghai or anywhere to look at the bigger world, but the deal only imposes one condition: they will take the trip together… holding hands, always together.
Will Song Xuan's wish to stay longer in one place come true? The only thing I can be sure of is that I close my eyes and see how every morning, before sunrise, under that endless tree at the foot of the long, winding staircase, Song Xuan standing there, in the favorite place of the people. two, with a smile on their lips, waiting for their lover.

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A poorly “parked” relationship on the race track

Cinema and television, like all art that reflects the society in which they develop, have shown the trafficking of children through notable films, documentaries and television series. Numerous films and television programs expose this illegal practice and many of them are based and inspired by real-life cases.
Asian dramas are committed to bringing all genres to the public, including those in which their protagonists have a romantic bond combined with supernatural powers.
Has the fact that Thailand is a point of origin, destination and transit of human trafficking aroused the interest of Nopachai Jayanama (Peter), as director, and Kanokphan Ornrattanasakul and Issaraporn Kuntisuk, as scriptwriters, to tell us in 'Pit Babe' a story that mixes homosexual romance, sport, intrigue, action, human trafficking, fantasy and supernatural powers?
This drama, an adaptation of the web novel by _alittlebitch, winks at Thai reality: the value of child victims of human trafficking does not lie in using them as sexual slaves, in forced labor or to extract their organs for commercialization, but in possessing special powers.
Are we facing a social drama of denunciation of human commerce? I would like this to be its purpose, but consistent with its BL condition, 'Pit Babe' will enhance the romance. This arises between Babe (Naret Promphaophan-Pavel), the king of the racetrack, and Charlie (Krittin Kitjaruwannakul-Pooh), his supporter.
Will the series have a hidden message? How many of Tony's “sons” among the superpowered children are gay men today? Babe, Charlie, Jeff, Kenta, Pete, Way...? That is, the main characters with powers who were raised-educated by the person dedicated to human trafficking ended up being homosexuals. Is there a hidden message in this, simple coincidence or something of “destiny”?
Babe is a very popular racing driver and admired by everyone. His achievements in the sport have led him to be considered number one. Among his followers is Charlie, a young man who wants to be a racing driver like him. However, he does not have the money or the contacts necessary to achieve it. Therefore, he looks for an opportunity to get closer to the leader of X Hunter. When he succeeds, he asks for your help and to lend him a car so he can materialize his aspirations. The only solution he can think of is to reach a strange agreement with Babe. Against logic, he agrees to help Charlie realize his dream.
On this journey, will Babe be able to win Charlie's heart? Will he lose the race he most wants to win this time? Will Charlie be the one interested in captivating the racing driver? Will the relationship that began as a game triumphantly cross the finish line to become a real romance?
The most notable thing about the series is its exciting scenes and the attractiveness of the actors.
There is a secondary couple, made up of Alan and Jeff.
The cast also includes Supanut Lourhaphanich (Nut), as Way; Obrnithi Leelavetchabutr (Ping), as Pete; Natthapong Pathong (Benz), as Kim; Asre Wattanayakul (Lee), as Dean; Hemmawich Khwanamphaiphan (Sailub), as Alan; Thanapon Aiemkumchai (Pon), as Jeff; Michael Kiettisak (Michael), as North; Pataraphol Wanlopsiri (Pop), as Winner; Pantach Kankham (Garfield), as Kenta; Supakorn Saokhor (TopTen), as Sonic; and Vorarit Vaijairanai (S), as Tony
The chemistry between the protagonists and the bed scenes fail to lift a series whose characters are unrealistic and undeveloped. Pavel and Pooh have charisma and are attractive, but the script does not help their relationship connect with the viewer.
I must clarify that it is not that I find being 'passive' degrading. It's not that I assume that, in a relationship between two men, there is a "superiority" on the part of the one who is 'active' compared to the other who is 'passive', but the abrupt change in Babe's personality seems inconceivable to me. . This transformation comes at the same time as the loss of his powers, at the hands of Charlie.
Babe abandons his well-crafted playboy image for years. In all his previous relationships he played the role of seme or asset. In the words of the BL series themselves, he was, of the two, “the one on top.” He began his relationship with Charle by assuming this role in bed. Suddenly, without a convincing explanation, Babe becomes Charlie's uke. Babe swaps to play the role of the “bottom.” So, you would have to ask yourself: Did the loss of his precious powers lead him to be the passive one in their relationship? Didn't this move cause a loss in his character's potential?
Despite being in front of the cameras practically all the time, the actor who plays Charlie fails to connect with me emotionally. They are not facilitating emotions, but hindering emotions that are transmitted to me by a character who fails to sensitize me. By not feeling or understanding Charlie's emotions and feelings, I cannot essentially grasp whether it is love or just sex that drives him. Only his acting stands out in the sex scenes. Note that I do not say “when making love.”
The transformation of the character played by Nut, already in the final moments, is not logical either. About an obvious thing, the incurable remorse that must have accompanied Way throughout much of his life for betraying Babe for years, causing the rift between him and the man he loves, as well as many, if not all, of the problems that have hit to the positive characters by being infiltrated into their ranks, Way's evolution from evil to purity, from darkness to light is narratively constructed, sustained by the effort to achieve the viewer's identification with the traitor. It is necessary to save it, the creators thought.
Way drinks with Pete because “he wants to make the situation better.” He doesn't know “what to do next.” He does not know if “what I have always believed is the right thing.” He asks Pete why he decided to leave Dad, and Pete tells him, “Because the truth is not what I thought… I decided to leave to end the vicious cycle that Dad had created.” And he tells her that she still has the chance to choose what she wants to do. Way has been asked to show the despondency caused by guilt. Way has had the option all his life to choose the right path, but he has decided to be by Tony's side, even knowing what this means. But suddenly, some words from Pete whispered in his ear between sips of liquor and a few pats on the back invite him to “do the right thing.” And this would not be a problem if they had gotten rid of the rampant schematism in the character design and the all-too-evident desire to redeem him.
A story that fails to convince, clumsily designed characters, characters lacking development and therefore generating empathy, limitations in the explanation of the characters' decision making, poverty in the development of events and irregularities regarding changes of personality, are several of the main characteristics of the drama.
Peter throws together a few tropes and too many clichés. With fewer ambitions and fewer plot holes, perhaps the series would have become a full-throttle, full-speed car swallowing up the race track.

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The young man is not forced to invent the boy of his dreams (the film does not, therefore, resort to fantastical elements), but suddenly the dream boy comes true in the form of an irresistible neighbor who has just moved into the next room, and whom he just met in the building's elevator while returning home from the market with purchases.
This film starts with a certain feeling of "déjà vu", since the young protagonist seems to be experiencing over and over again the new situation of meeting the other boy upon returning from the market, but which in reality has never happened.
In its 22 minutes divided into two parts, 'Me and Us' manages to stand on the presentation of its protagonist and his neighbor, who to make matters worse will make him feel uncomfortable in his own home, but he will not mind losing the freedom and solitude he longs for. because he does not regret having the person he loves by his side.

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