PPBongi
California, USA
A Good Ending
This series in my opinion has been mischaracterized. It is no more than what you see. It is contrived in parts and perhaps the story is a bit implausible, but it has character and a rather profound message. What appears to be a one night stand is not. Sure, the characters are flawed and the outcome is no shock. But to pretend that it is a one night stand is simply wrong. I know the ending got a lot of criticism but not from me. I thought the ending was creative and somehow fit the character of this short series. I liked the ending a lot and for me it seemed, well , a natural outcome.To read my full review, please go to BLBliss.com. Thanks.
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Cute story That Derails Itself
It is an enchanting story between two young students. Both guys are so adorable and cute and exude such charm on the screen that they could probably just recite a telephone book and I would watch them. But the story itself takes strange twists that are just not realistic or believable. But then it goes south for me very fast. I simply have a hard time at one point in the story where physical abuse is used to convey anger and frustration. While I understood the anger, I did not and will not accept that as a reason to resort to hitting to convey one's level of hurt feelings. It seemed incongruous and unnecessary and degraded the story. It is a beautiful love story to be ruined by physical abuse? I understand anger issues and even hurt feelings but to resort to hitting just seems so wrong to me and sends a bad and unhealthy message. . I loved the two main actors and the first part of the story. Just make the story about their relationship. It does not have to be complicated and you do not have to cheapen it by abuse in any form.Was this review helpful to you?
Magically Beautiful!
I surprised myself on how much I loved this story. (This series is also known as COME TO ME). It is way more complex than it first appears. It starts out as perhaps just another ‘ghost’ story, but it twists and turns into this beautiful and magical tale of friendship, love, trust but ultimate corruption and death. There are so many twists and turns to this series that I simply did not know how it was going to end. It is a story of friendships, of beautiful commitments to each other, to the realization of love, and to growing up and facing death. While this is a BL series (and it is), it is so much more than that. It is a beautiful tale of friendships, companionships, unrequited love, and real love. There is not a lot of overt romance but the subtleties of it are throughout this series. My full review of this beautifully acted and beautifully revealed series can be read at ppbongi.medium.com. Enjoy this series!Was this review helpful to you?
Roller Coaster of a Series
It starts out beautifully filmed with quite nice settings and realistic environments, for the most part. It begins as a ‘comedy’ and some parts are funny, but I just was not sure where it was going to go. The story starts out familiar and predicable and if it were not for curiosity and my addiction to BL, I am not sure I would have finished it. The biggest issue is, without doubt, the many unnecessary overly gay characters are in this who are characterized way over the top. This series gets SO much better towards the end. It loses the silliness and gets into some real heart wrenching situations that will leave you emotionally drained and feeling what they feel. I could not believe how deeply moved I was by those last 3 or 4 episodes. They are worth the wait and go beyond being effective.Was this review helpful to you?
Think Back to When You Were Young.....
I am reticent to call them BL but they do involve the blossoming of very young feelings of romance between juvenile boys. I am not sure what the reason for their production except for simply giving these young actors an opportunity to hone in on their acting talents. They are simple stories of bromances, or maybe simple connections of friendship between boys, or even ‘puppy love’. There is nothing elaborate here nor is there is there any deep hidden meanings. It is just what happens sometimes with young boys when they realize that they may be ‘different’ or they now think differently about some of their friends or guys in their age group.Sure, these small vignettes are not very long and are not particularly well acted (they tended to be very wooden) and do look more like a training rehearsal for more roles for them, but that is not what made these stories very entertaining and effective. While they are raw, there are some spurts of genuine emotions able to break through and shine in each of them. They are soooooo young and I can imagine that roles like this would make them perhaps uncomfortable. However, they did a pretty good job of showing that in subtle ways they are attracted to another guy. We know it is ‘puppy love’. The production value of these tiny snippets is surprisingly good and so is the camera work. If you like, you can read my full review of this charming series at ppbongi.medium.com.
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Felt Manipulated and Empty
I am perhaps in a minority here. While I liked the series, I do not think it is great nor a masterpiece of any sorts. Sure, it is well-acted but the story itself was so convoluted and contrived. This series simply tried too hard to get us to like it. It certainly tugged at our heartstrings. It had all the right elements - children, poverty, bad-guys, redemption, guilt, and a stab at romance. And many, many people certainly liked this series. But it all felt so empty to me, and I felt manipulated. I know that is what stories are supposed to do but I wanted and needed to feel something - a strong connection, something relatable, an emotional link. I simply just did not get it. What bothered me the most was yet again a BL story refusing to consummate its relationship with any kind of romantic gesture (i.e. kiss). Dear God, when is this going to stop. If you love one (or even like someone a lot), a simple kiss on the lips is not a commitment to enteral love or even marriage, Kissing one's forehead is an insult to everyone who is in a real relationship.Was this review helpful to you?
This series had no purpose except to shock
I hated this series but not because of any acting weakness or story. The acting is exceptional and the story is interesting but told so negatively that it became an ugly mess. It is exploitive, demanding, and seemingly a very ugly way to make a living. Yet we know its addictive qualities. The editing is simply awful. There are four stories but only tangentially connected to different aspects of the BL world. All of them very ugly and almost amoral. One cannot help but to feel sympathy for these characters whether they are gay or straight and contempt for their managers and production companies. while I am not sure everything is always black or white, this series certainly presents a darker side of this industry.Was this review helpful to you?
So Much Fun!
This is a lakorn of Biblical proportions but honestly so much fun to watch. It has such family drama that soap operas fans will cherish and others will admire. Its love story is gentle but is the driving force for this entire series. It also has a deep, strong, and abiding connection between two brothers than can also not be broken. It is just fun to watch and before you know it, you are invested into what happens. And its message is clear and precise. Respect. Acceptance. And love.See my full review of this awesome series at BLBliss.com.
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NOT a Dating Series
Contrary to popular opinion, this is NOT a gay dating show. It is a 'reality' show that allows individuals to explore feelings for others. It was established to see if two people after exploring and getting to know one another could date, especially away from the limelight and lure of the cameras. I think it was a stunningly creative and beautiful concept that permitted guys to see others and check out compatibilities. Then date - away from the limelight and into reality. There was no 'rose' here; only a chance for one.It took courage to expose yourself and to show the world that you are gay and proud, especially in a country that sees you differently. For that they deserve kudos.
But remember, this is a 'reality' show full of rules, regulations, and contrived situations that in essence is not real. Therefore, the chances of successful relationships developing are slim to none. That does not take away from its impact nor beauty. It was a breath of fresh air for the whole world to see that gay men, like their straight counterparts, act, do, feel, behave, and pain all in the same way.
But remember, always take these kinds of 'reality' shows with a 'grain of salt'. Life when the cameras are turned off is actually the real world.
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There Is Really Nothing to Say About This Series
Even if I wanted to summarize this series, I could not as it is incomprehensible and ridiculous. It drifts some some sort of a BL to ending up being a series of jumbled random thoughts of someone's bad dream. This could never be labeled as a Spoiler as there simply no coherent story here at all. If you are looking for a romantic BL, move on. This ain't it. If you are seeking a story of one-dimensional, wooden, characters, then this is your story. There is no plat, no coherent story, and worse than all of that, no romance. Frankly I do not know what this series is. One this is for sure. You will need physical therapy after watching this because your mind and undoubtedly your body will be twisted in unnatural positions trying to figure out what their message and story is.Was this review helpful to you?
Soft but very endearing
There is something so endearing about this series. It is short, sweet, and entertaining. I think others are turned off by its non-dynamic story of love. It is simply not an in your face saga but one with a slow burn and a flash of inevitability about it. I like it a lot and lets face it, it has some of the most beautiful ensemble of men starring in it on the planet. That is really not the story but it certainly enhances it. The message at the end is composed of true friendship over a possible momentary lustful encounter.You can read my full review of this quiet soft-spoken BL series at BLBliss.com.
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Painful to Watch
This is a story of opposites falling in love. It is an uncomfortable series as it does involve a relationship between step-brothers. For some strange reason, there seems to be a lot of stories evolving around step-brothers that baffle me. It isn't prudishness; just not understandable. Anyway, it is a good solid story that is extremely well acted by the main actors who are adorable and play their roles with complete conviction. But I hated this story. Not the acting nor the actors. Just the story. It contains a Fujoshi (a woman who is a fan of gay relationships) of the worst kind. She does something that is so astonishingly despicable . I absolutely hated this story because of disgusting manipulation of someone trying to force something that was not quite ready to fully develop yet. I detest people who think they know more than they do or think that gay relationship are cute, romantic, or a fantasy of some sort. Perhaps from an outsider looking it, that might be but for the individuals who are experiencing them, it can be givers of pain and delight. And these are the individuals who must work through all of that; not the fantasizers.Was this review helpful to you?
A Masterpiece
Soulful, emotional, and brilliant. This is absolutely one of the best BL series I have seen. It is an epic love story more than a BL series. The acting is perfection and captured the essence of each of their characters flawlessly. For me, this is a masterpiece and is a cinematic gem. The screenplay of this series is nothing short of brilliant. This series left me emotionally drained and in a real sense feeling heartbroken. This series presented characters that are flawed, victims of others AND themselves, but also willing to sacrifice. Getting to love and giving love is not always straightforward or a series of rom-com events. The way this series presented love was imaginative, real, and profoundly moving. If you want to read my full review of this brilliant series, please go to my free blog site at ppbongi.medium.com.Was this review helpful to you?
One of the Best in 21
This is an astonishing BL series full of angst, pain, and heartache. It is hard to watch because love here is not a storybook fantasy but an obsession. Well, more like possession. It is raw, gritty, and unhealthy. Yet compelling. This is not romance; its abuse. Told astonishingly and acted brilliantly. One of the best for the year 2021. This kind of story needs to be told.It is a toxic love story that should not be romanticized. It does not make it less brilliant, but we should not try to fit a ‘square peg into a round hole’. It is haunting and will leave you feeling something. You must decide what to feel.
If you want to read my full review, go to my website at BLBliss.com/
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What's cooking? In this series, Nothing
This story is your standard Thai rom-com droll series, treating gay relationships like infantile, immature, puppy-love versions of Pollyanna tales. Not that it is not cute; it is. Not that it is not entertaining; some of it is. Not that it does not have good messages and themes; it does. But it is tedious, boring, and unchallenging with not a shred of originality to the story or plot, although the food looked awesome. And the actors all (save one) could have done this series sleepwalking. In other words, it is standard stuff, cliché-driven, with lots and lots of triteness thrown in for good measure. This series gives new meaning to the term ‘light-fluff’. Again, there is no point summarizing the story. Take parts from a slew of Thai BLs and you got it. Their love story weaves and bobs through many what seem like endless banal episodes. Both acting as if they are in grade school rather than in college. The acting in this series by the main performers is standard. It is cute and some parts of it were entertaining, and they delivered their lines well. In terms of intensity of a relationship, there just was not any.You can read the rest of my review of this series at BLBliss.com.
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