Best BL out there this year!

Not only one of the best BL of this year but one of the SWEETEST! Don't let reviews on this page here discourage you to watch this because of prejudices and wrong expectations, you would miss out.
If you love BL meant as shounen ai this is a story you will fall in love with because there's exactly everything that makes the genres what it is: fluffiness, a bit of angst, the one person destined to you concept, the overcoming of diffcuties to be together and so on and on.
It's all about the classical tropes, but well done, with great chemistry, good acting, and have i mentioned the sweetness? because really it's very very sweet and sometimes a bit cheesy, but hey that's what BL romancess are for.
This is not a realistic portray of love a relationship (unless you're cinderella in real life) but whomever truly knows and loves BL does not expect an imitation of reality in this genres, BL is for out-of-reality love stories, even exagerations and stereotypes and a flood of emotions that rarely belong to real everyday life, and Close to you delivers on all apects.

WATCH THIS IF YOU:
1 love BL tropes
2 love to laugh and cry with romance of the cheesy adorable type
3 love watching goodlooking guys being cute
4 love the sweetest candies (Teng Muren and Li Cheng in episode 13-14 are unparalleled, and Xing Si and Jong Jie are simply adorable in 19-20)
5 know the difference between gay stories and BL stories
6 know the difference between fantasy and reality
7 know that not everything happening on screen can be done in real life or is acceptable in real situations and you have no problem understanding this concept

Also i have to mention the amazing music! Some of the songs in this drama are AMAZING. and I am so hoping the production finally reveals the title and the artist singing the song played during most of the romantic scenes.

DON'T WATCH THIS
1 if you have no idea of what BL stories are and mistake them for LGBT+ stories (it's really not the same thing and you can start educating yourself on the difference between the two by reading what BL is https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yaoi#Before_1970:_The_origins_of_sh%C5%8Dnen-ai). If you expect realistic LGBT+ portrayal in BL you are going to be mostly disappointed.
2 If you are extremely bothered by 'rape' fantasies. And I use the world rape because in one of the situation depicted what happens would certainly fall under statutory rape in real life (but here is depicted under the law of BL which means it's real love on both sides so it's consensual anyway), while the other one is clearly an assault attempt with the malicious intent on rape (it's done by a third party not one of the couples)
3 If you do not like quite cheesy romances or a plot where every action and narrative device are subsidiary to the growth of the emotional attachment of the two couples
4 if you are looking for a heavy plot story with much more meaning than entertaining you throught the exploitation of easy emotions

Production 8.5 (camera work, photography, directing, make up are all good and costume department has done a great job epecially with Teng Muren)
Story 8.5 (the beginning could have been written better and the plot it's pretty standard)
Acting 9 (Chen Li An is amazing especially for someone with almost no acting experience)
Visual 10
Ost 10
Rewatch value 9

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I feel sorry for the actors....

The actors do their best and they are the rediming part of the drama especially Jang Eui So, they are cute and obviusly trying their best for the story, but how Korean can manage to make such short episodes repetetive and boring with flashback is beyond me. The story is passable and mostly coherent, if you completely ignore the fact that the background of a michelin star restaurant and its personel is utterly unbelievable from start to end which at least for me is a turn off, especially when the story is centered on said restaurant and dynamics. All in all this is a sloppy producition that counts more on alluring us BL fans with handsome guys and a bit of cheesy romance than trying to create a honest drama that has something to tell.
But it's mostly my fault for giving a chance to every new short Korean BL hoping they are better than the prevuous ones and getting disappointed everytime.

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Execution is not perfect but the drama is perfect nonetheless!

One of the most amazing story with characters that are so vivid amd understandable it's imposible not to feel for them. The Untamed has been graced with a cast perfect for the amazing chemistry they all have. And the script is so well done that the deveopment of the story can be considered even more cohesive than the original material of the novel. A must watch not only for the BL undertone between the two main lead but for the comment on our society that is one of the most interesting aspects of this drama.
This is a drama that proves how a well done script and a good casting can always overshadow techincal problems of the production.

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Discovering love amidst all the insecurities of teen years.

After reading comments and reviews I wasn't so sure if Utsukushii Kare was worth watching or not, luckily I gave it a try and i fell in love with this story and the way it is told.
Hira is awkward and easily bullied, but despite appearances and his own idea about himself he is absolutely not week and has an innate pride in wanting to stay in his role of servant for Kiyoi. Based on what is socially succesful he has a low opinion of his personality and ability to deal with others, yet he pursues his passion for Kiyoi relentlessly, blind to anything else beside his wish to be around the other boy. When Hira first meet Kiyoi, the boy incarnates an ideal perfection that is so beyond Hira he doesn't even see him not a real person. Hira is so set in his way that despite loving Kiyio and thinking the world of him he fails to notice the other boy feelings and keep misinterpreting his actions.
Kiyoi on the other hand, has the perfect life apparently. He is gorgeous, he is popular and admired by all schoolmates, he sits on top of the school hierarchy and yet he is obviously drawned by Hira. Without even knowing, Hira brings forth Kiyoi's vulnerability, his need of being truly seen and cherished for who he is beyond the perfect picture appearance. His emotions towards Hira confuses him and hurts him, especially when Hira seems to only be interested in admaring him form afar while never really wanting him.
Like most teenagers overwhelmed by emotions they hurt each others because they don't know how to communicate and watch past the maelstrom of personal insecurities. The process of seeing them grown up throught their struggles is what makes this story very sweet and tender.
As for technical aspects Japan never let down when it come to quality in BL productions: directing, cast, acting, writing are all top notch creating a real gem of a drama.

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This is NOT for everyone, but if you try it do so with an open mind and a strong heart.

I am not here to say that everyone criticizing this series is wrong, but that everyone should form their opinion on this drama by watching it and not by reading reviews, either positive or negative.
Personally just today I've said 'this drama is not for everyone' to a friend of mine that asked me if she should watch it or skip it when i told her i had binged watched it. I did say that exactly because this drama is NOT entertainment, it's not easy and it will make you feel uneasy. It's frustrating, it has a desperate edge and heavy meaning with almost no hope, characters are not lovable and many moments will definitely make you cringe while watching.
So no, it's not for everyone or not for every moment, or for every kind of mood you are in. I would totally say to not watch it to someone who doesn't like heavy depressing content, i would say not to watch this to anyone looking for some relax and light content, and so on and on.
If someone who is looking for entertainment watch this and is disappointed based on the development of the plotline hence gives a low rating because of that it's not an objective or fair judgement. I don't like splatter at all, most of the time i find it gross and cheep but if i watch a story whose plot requires lots of splatter and i don't like it i don't immediately assume that's the drama's fault, but that maybe my personal dislike makes me a less objective judge on the value of the product in general and of the value and enjoyment it helds for the audience it's been specifically created for. So everyone has the right to leave any comment or review or rating, and everyone is entiteld to their own opinion on this. Personally though, when i read some reviews before deciding if i wanted to give it a try or not, I imagined this drama to be completely different and very poorly done. I almost gave it up without trying it amd i would have if Netflix did not have the autoplay for new series.
The first minute of hellbound starte automatically for me and it made me curious again so i left it running, still thinking i would be bored or find this ridiculous. Instead the more i watched the more i was disturbed by the deeper thems this drama presents. It's not the 'angels or demons' thing that's interesting, those are mere plot devices to present the truly scary monsters of this story: HUMANS. The supernatural creatures that appears from the start have no other role than being literally the deus ex machina to explain the story.
What dragged me into this drama unwillingly and by the hair, is its bleak commentary on our society and culture through a religious metaphor. I have not found enjoyable one single second of the 6 episodes, yet it made me think about aspects of human nature that i generally prefer to not dwell on too much because they are hard and unpleasant.
So if you are looking at ratings and review of Hellboud before starting the drama itself i'd say it's safe to assume that all the votes in this page are not exactly left to comment on the value of cinematography, writing, directing, and acting of this drama, but more of an expression of what this drama has meant to the viewer in terms of meaning of the plot and it's development or the social commentary that reside in the deeper level of the story. Personally i did not enjoy it, actually i quite hated it, yet i watched it all because to me every episode left behind welts of hurt and a hunger of thoughts that dramas i've loved and enjoy deeply rarely have.

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Simply adorable.

The 2 leads have carried this show so perfectly that i don't even mind the lack of actual plot and the inconsistent writing. Parker Mao and Xiao Hong are one of the best couple i've seen onscreen in recent days. They are just so great together and their chemistry is so incredible that i would not mind watching another 10 or 20 episodes of sweet delightful nothing, just to see them interact and their build up of sexual tension without even having to do anything special. The looks, the small touches, the laughs just drag you into the world they are creating.
I truly hope to see them work together soon again.

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Another great mystery from The Guest authors!

Before starting to watch I was uncertian because of some negative review, but as i loved The Guest so much and i was amazed by ability of the writers i decided to give Bulgasal a try and i have not regretted one minute of it!
Once more I am impressed by how well written the story is, how all details come to fit together like a puzzle by the end of the drama. The characters are interesting and very human, with their flaws and their unique quirks that make you love them even when you do not expect you would. Eul Tae as sociophatic and tormented as he is still manages to make you feel sorry for him. Do Yoon and Shi Ho are so vulnerable yet strong that you want to protect them and see them happy. Go Bun grows on you until you cannot imagine their little found family without her. Detective Kwon ambiguity gets you to both love him and resent him. And then there's Hwal and Sang Un that at times you love and at times you resent but always understand even when they make mistakes or behave cruelly.
Actors do an amazing job with their characters echalting the human sides that will make you feel for them.
Bulgasl is an impressive mix of emotions and mystery that by the end you will miss.
The music of the series merits its own comment because it's very very good and appealing, i was hooked with the main theme after hearing it in first episode. Same goes for cinematography and photogragy both extremely good.
All in all even if I still consider The Guest a superior product but Bulgasal comes in a very high second place.

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4 because I am feeling generous and it's from China

gosh i wanted to like this bl a lot coming from china and knowing the culture there i appreciated the effort, but seriously no, don't bother if it's done like this.
The story per se is simple and could be passable, but seriosuly i am not watching bl to get an annoying fake realisting ending that is a cover for prejudice in real life.
Also, really 20 minutes and making them boring is a feat for the director, to push trough it i've had to watch the series double speed. and the puppy love between the main couple could be cute if quality was not so abysmally poor that it made even the lowest thai bl look classy in comparison.
I want to save the acting because i appreciate the actors for doing this, and acting is probably the best part of this drama (not to say it's stellar, but not so terribly different drom other dramas) but no matter the amount of acting this drama is just a total no under every other aspect, and not even the kissing and love making scenes (that i was kind of surprised to see) could redeem this.

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Poor writing ruin pretty much everything.

Actors are really cute and put an effort in it, so i hate to give such a low vote, but alas, the script is so poorly done and totally ridiculous in various part that i kept cringing while watching. I understand that for such a production they probably thought that the environment in which the plot develops is not that important but seriously there is a limit to what can be credible and what is so off mark that makes it impossible to even try to be captured by the story itself.
The plot itself is simple and could have been enjoyable if it was half dcently written but like this is a total miss.

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Exaltation of constant tragedy and misfortune

I know Chinese dramas often like to show uber dramatic stories to create a sense of epic in their narration, but there is, or there should be a limit to that. If every single episodes is only about how unfortunate the hero and heroine are,, the tragedies that befall them and everyone they care about it becomes an exercise in patience to keep watching.
And i did, persevering through every failed attempt they made to move on and shed their impending doom like that was the only foregone conclusion.
By the end of the story i no longer felt any pathos i was just waiting for the next tragedy which of course kept coming.
This is a story that should make you think of great ideals and moral greatness but only succeed in being predictable most of the time, annoying and unsatisfying the rest of it.
Killing off Shi Ying (in a completely gratuitous way that could have been done in a thousand better ways) at the end after he had already died once (yeah i'm rolling my eyes here) to leave Zhu Yan alone because she is the cursed lady in Shi Ying life after everything else that happened before is such a cheap way of solving the story that i still can't believe it's what they did.
I haven't read the book but i hope it's written better than how the drama has been executed.
Aside for the plot the CGI is kind of terrible and too too much, but if you are familiar with Chinese dramas you already know what to expect. Music is good and so are costume.
But the only major positive point of the drama is the acting. All the cast has done an amazing job and i finished watching the drama only because of their efforts. I did not know Ren Min before and at the beginning i was doubtful but she is very very good and it becomes obvious during the long painful episodes where her character is tested and tried countless time. I can't imagine anyone else as Zhu Yan. Fang Yi Lun is again perfect for the role of Zhi Yuan and he portrays the struggles of his character with perfect emotions. But it is not only them, seriously all the actors from old to young have performed admirably. And Xiao Zhan on top of them all, he has given dept to a character that was wooden and rigid most of the story, he has managed to portray Shi Ying and the repressed priest that faces all his struggles alone, and than suddenly the more cheerful youth that he would have been if his life had been different. There are countless moments that comes to my mind when i was impressed by his performance.
So in the end i started watching The Longest Promise for Xiao Zhan and with high expectations, his performance surpassed any idea or hope i had, while the drama was a let down i never imagined and i remained till the end only for him.
If you are a fan of Xiao Zhan The Longest Promise is worth watching despite every fault, you will be amazed by his performance and all the fan service provided by the director, if you are not a fan of Xiao Zhan and are here just for the story skip this, there are better written drama and more satisfying stories out there.

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The best written thriller show I've seen in a lot of time!

I give it a 10 because I can't give it more, but I would if I could! This is one amazingly written drama where the writers gives you all the hints of who the bad guy (does it count as a bad guy when we are talking about a demon?) really is but they are so good at telling the story that they distract you with other different clues so you keep going round thinking about some possibilities when they are there as the perfect smokescreen. As a fan of mystery, thriller and crime stories this one has been PERFECT for me as for once i have been fooled till the last episode and when the explanation came it was logical and well prepared.
So if you like a very very good mystery and you do not sppok when it's about demons, possesions and religion this will totally captivate you.
On top of the story the directing is well paced and brings you in the story with the characters, which are another great point of The Guest. It's impossible to watch and not feel affection for the trio of mismatched heroes and the plethora of other characters presetented in all the episodes. All the actors have done an incredible job, the ones playing possessed people were so unbelievably good! My only regret is that now when I will rewatch it I will already know how it ends.

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The best story of the History series

Among all the BL out there this series is indubitaby one of the best, both for the writing, the acting and the directing. The chemistry among the cast members is top notch and the story very interesting even outside the romance part of it.
As for the 2 couples they are equally lovable, the main one is wonderful and the evolution of their relationship is so good to watch. Shaofei with is perseverance and kindness manages to melt Tang Yi walls and defences and it's wonderfull to watch.
The second couple is just plain adorable Zhao Li An is so endearing and sweet that Jack is ensnared by him almost without realizing,
watch it it:
you love angsty stories with perfect ending
if you are looking for a enemys to lover romance
if you are simply looking for a good story with good acting and a bunch of very interesting characters

don't watch it:
well if you do not like mm relationship (but why should you be here then?) or if you really do not like crime stories or if you are looking for cruel vicious gangster and hero police forces.

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Compelling and incridibly moving

It is very rare that a 'second season' is better than the original one, but Mood Indigo manages to be on a whole new level compared to Pornographer (and Pornographer already was a very very good drama) because of the depth of the characters and their path to growth.
It can be a painful story to watch, and it is not your typical BL drama, it is way too real to be confined in the genre, but at the same time it's so perfectly done and so compelling that even melancholia will make you happy you are watching it.
It is a story about love, but also fear.
It's about the weight of being normal and the loneliness of being diffferent,
It talks about dreams and life choices that fight against them.
It is about being who you really are and letting society dictate who you must be and the pain that both brings to the soul.
From the start we know that Kijima and Kido are not together in the present but they still have a strange entangled realationship, and Mood Indigo masterfully shows us why, portraying two amazingly complex characters that are so deeply human and can only resonate with anyone watching.
It is not only the characters that make this drama so great, every aspect is spectacularly well done.
The plot is intriguing, and well written, the directing is evocative and with the perfect rythm, the photography is a work of art, the acting is SUPERB, the music is hauntingly beautiful.
An absolute must watch.
Of course Pornographer should be watched first to give the right perspective on the characters, but if the choice is between watching only this or not watching it at all, go for it and start watching anyway, it will still be more than good enough to captivate.

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Enjoyable but not great.

This drama is enjoable and if i judge all the different aspects separately they are good, but the whole is somewhat lacking.
Acting is great, characters on paper are compelling, production is appealing, music is engaging, the story intriguing, yet it seems to lack in passion.
To me it seems pretty obvious that this production has been trying to replicate the success of the Untamed, and failing to do so because no matter how much you try to hide it, there's a difference between wanting to tell a story and telling it because it seems an easy way to grab the public's attention.
Technically speaking this drama is better than The Untamed but personally I cannot feel the heart of this production just an endless ruse to say 'look, look, we are great in telling a BL story despite censorship so root for us'. It's true that there are much more explicit dialoges and lot of small pieces that makes it interesting to watch the details put into the picture, yet all them seems like mannerism and they land flat emotionally at least for me. In my perception they seems mechanics and not really felt, as if this drama is much more about appearance than real substance.
Personally the most compelling characters are the support ones such as the Scorpion King, Gu Xiang or Glamorous ghost and Tragicomic ghost.

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Classic high school BL

This is a very well done typical high school BL stories.
The plot is entirely predictable but it's done in such a way that it's never boring and the characters emotions hit the mark making it vey enjoyable and incredibly sweet.
Acting is very good and the chemistry between the CPs is perfect.
Zach an Fandy especially makes their highs schooler characters so very vivid and believable that I would hae never imagined that in real life they both are quite a bit older than their on screen versions.
If you are a fan of classical BL stories this drama is perfect and you are going to enjoy it immensely, and it's for sure one of the best done stories in the History series.
Cute, sweet and 4 episodes only it's a story for everyone.

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