Yawn generator, its main feature

Again hugging a tree that draws attention because "my mom said." Again talking about photography. Again, agreeing on whether to let the two strange boys into the house when they are left without a hotel reservation. Once again imposing rules of coexistence. Again speaking badly about a person without realizing that they are listening to us. Once again the overwhelming fatigue of everyday life. Again the same formulas seen in… so many other times. But we have already seen this, in other scenarios and with other actors. Where did the magic and surprise travel? Where did they hide? Or are they scarce and exhausted goods?
I am not given to expressing opinions, much less in the form of a review, when it comes to a series, film or short film that does not catch my attention, but with 'Kiseki Chapter 2', the BL drama from 9NAA, a romantic comedy between four handsome men set in Tokyo, the Japanese capital, made me break with self-imposed things.
With this premise, to which is added the fact that it is a series with the protagonist of P Ekkapop Tata (P), Nanthakorn Sringenthap (Beboy), Jirachot Chotticomporn (Pan) and Chattrin Chotticomporn (Plai), the last three protagonists of 'Beyond the Star', I was curious.
I like the idea of ​​a romantic story (I prefer this term to the usual gay love or homosexual love or simply BL) that takes place "far from home" for the protagonists. But I immediately objected to being from the same company that produced 'Check Out' and 'My Blessing', so I was suspicious from the first moment.
And since I learned about the synopsis about a romance between Thai boys visiting Japan, it reminded me of that classic film that is 'Present Perfect (แค่นี้ก็ดีแล้ว / Khae ni k dilaew), from 2012 and its sequel , 'Present Still Perfect' (แค่นี้ก็ดีแล้ว Part 2 / Khae ni k dilaew Part 2), 2020.
As in the aforementioned films, the boys meet, accidentally, during a trip to Japan. And they will only have the few days (in this case 6) that their stay in the Land of the Rising Sun lasts for P and Beboy to meet and fall in love with the twins Pan and Plai, in that same order.
As they get closer and learn a lot about the meaning of life, their time in the country they visit runs out. Furthermore, one of them, P, has lived there for some years. What will happen then when they have to separate? Will they stay together? Will their feelings survive or will they only be content to store beautiful memories in their hearts?
I said to myself: "If it can be 1 percent as good as the films of Thai director Aaam Soisa-ngim, the series is worth watching. If the four protagonists can be 1 percent as good in their roles as they were Kritsana Maroukasonti as Oat and Tonawanik Adisorn as Toey in the aforementioned films, it would be worth seeing."
But soon my cry of euphoria was drowned in discouragement and dissatisfaction. Yes, we are faced with a BL audiovisual that escapes from those stories focused on teenage or school romance, which is not bad at all, but they can get tiring.
So far, and I doubt it will happen, there is no emotional and visual pleasure. I also don't think I managed to awaken other kinds of deeper feelings and emotions in the audience, despite being able to touch on topics such as self-acceptance, discovery, liberation and the way of seeing life. I don't think I'll find these and other themes mixed with deep messages in the plot.
Contrary to 'Present Perfect' and its sequel, it will not touch the human sensibilities of the spectators, nor will it transport us to a confusing journey full of questions about the essence of oneself, despite having, I do not doubt it either. , a very sweet ending. How I would like to be wrong!
Of course, 'Kiseki Chapter 2' will amaze us with the choice of landscapes, especially monuments, temples and sculptures in parks and streets, that we can enjoy in each scene. Hopefully these will contribute scenarios to the story in accordance with the moment of the series, the message or the emotions transmitted by its characters.
One more story of "strangers to friends" and... yes, I would like romance to break out between the characters, but with a solid script and good performances.
Neither the story nor the characters capture me. Between a lot of boredom and little fun, both in the characters and visually, I would like it, why not? May the instant friendship of the four boys become ever deeper into love.
Something positive is that so far nothing indicates to us that the boys are homosexual. So, it could be a good time for them to discover each other and get to know their sexualities. This could be a strong point of the series. Also, being able to enjoy the atmosphere of Tokyo, especially in the fall season.
The series is a slow story and on many occasions very boring. Everything is told without any emotion. The dialogues sometimes turn out to be absurd and unreal conversations where the thread of who is saying what is often lost. The four characters become unbearable and you cannot empathize with any of them.
No, on this occasion it is not boredom and daily problems that are the worst enemies for the couple's subsistence, as in other dramatized ones, but rather it is the couple's own subsistence, actually two, that promotes boredom without reaching solve everyday problems.
Giving a good rating to 'Kiseki Chapter 2' seems to me to be underestimating many very superior romantic dramas that have been ignored for years.

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Two young heterosexuals, a kiss that has the power to change lives and a rooftop

When we try to answer the question "what is the reason to love?", we will always be surprised to realize that there really is no reason at all. Through images, music, words and silences, 'Heart... Not a Reason', the 2020 Thai short film, describes this situation, while immersing us in the passionate and secret love relationship between two young heterosexuals, who fall in love after kissing as part of a card game in which they participate.
Toey and Puth, which is the name of our narrative heroes, are two strangers who meet for the first time after their respective girlfriends, May and Ploy, meet again after some time, and decide to introduce their current partners and go on dates double.
During the course of the evening, between plates of food and drinks of alcohol, the four young people agree to participate in a card game, in which the losers must comply with the punishment imposed by the winner.
With the chemical universe behind a kiss, Toey, played by Scott Pannachai Keatkaew, an actor we know for his role as Pent in the LGBT+ themed romantic series 'What the Duck' and 'What the Duck Season 2: Final Call ', and Puth, played by Book Sikaphat, an actor and singer known for appearing in the drama 'Risk Lust Love', also experienced a very deep exchange of sensations and emotions that gave way to love. In other words: knowing each other allowed them to know themselves.
The character played by Scott conveys the image of a person with a confused heart and no confidence. In truth, Toey searches for true love, and what he has searched for so long he finally finds in Puth. He likes how Puth cares about him, pays attention to him, with specific actions such as preparing dinner for him or surprising him on his birthday with a cake. And all this causes Toey to fall in love with him even more.
For his part, Puth is one of the people who gives himself over to love completely. He can't help but fall in love with Toey. While your brain asks you to get away from him, your heart takes you once again to meet him. Puth doesn't want to hurt Ploy, and that's why he hesitates whether or not to continue his secret relationship with Toey, but he can't resist the feeling that has arisen in the center of his chest. It will be very difficult for you to end the relationship with the person you love. While your mouth says one thing, your feelings say the opposite.
However, Puth's girlfriend has also fallen in love with her friend's boyfriend.
Both actors well convey anxiety, restlessness, nervousness, euphoria... all those common and frequent symptoms in people who feel in love. While I see the characters looking at their cell phones, confident that the message is from the other, or how, shyly, they avoid each other's gaze when they meet in public at the shopping center or at the door of one of their houses, I seem to see fluttering the famous butterflies in the stomach, feeling the sweat soak their hands or listening to the beating of their hearts.
The rooftop scene is memorable, as both characters are able to express their feelings and show the incredible chemistry between the two.
The viewer will be able to see how the power of an unexpected and involuntary kiss provokes in the two young people not only that desire to kiss that has a scientific name: filemamania.
The story will surprise us by discovering that nothing is what it seems: while one thinks that they have just started a flirtation, that they feel nervous being close to each other, suddenly we will understand that between the two there is already a deep loving relationship and both they have reached the point where they debate whether it would be right to continue the romance or break up.
The good production, beautiful images, delicate editing, structured script, and a credible well-told story would only be missing a tender and melancholic song. And we have that too, because the short film, in addition to provoking reflection on how no one should be blamed when you fall in love, since no one can control your feelings and your heart, seeks to convey the real story that happened and allowed Book Sikaphat to compose the song "Hua Jai", from the Sikpat Book, which tells the story of two friends who fall in love and how the feeling that arises between them causes the change of their friendly relationship into a romantic one.

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The classic relationship: one of the members of the couple dominates and the other is dominated

Produced by Lu Po Wen and Li Yun Ming, the director and producer of the three parts of 'Ghost Boyfriend', 'River Knows Fish Heart' revolves around the romance of two high school students Situ Xiao Yu (Chinese name that translates such as "Little Fish"), a rich young man who runs away from home and pursues his dream of being a musician, and An He (literally "River"), a musical genius who is experiencing composer's block.
Written and directed by Lv Bowen, the romantic, musical and youth drama with an LGBT+ theme addresses topics such as campus life, coexistence, coming of age, obsession and the power difference in a relationship in which one of one member of the couple dominates and the other is dominated.
The two enthusiastic music lovers with parental problems, played by Zhen Jia Jian and Meng Yue Chen, respectively, decide to live together after meeting at the school to which Xiao Yu has transferred after leaving his parents' home.
As they organize their lives to participate in the musical competition, a subtle and elusive feeling arises between the two of them. However, the day before the event, Xiao Yu disappears, leaving An He in an embarrassing situation, not knowing how to deal with this situation.
Despite their different personalities, between the athletic Xiao Yu with a cold smile, mysterious eyes and bad boy vibe, and the bright student with a tender, innocent and childish look An He, love arises. When Xiao Yu sees their relationship threatened, he explains his actions as follows: "I'm just a little fish in the river. It's just my human nature to protect my habitat from being invaded."
Needing to move after disagreements with his father, Xiao Yi enters the house and, above all, An He's life. Soon the visitor will leave the living room couch and take up space on the shy teenager's bed, despite the fact that he repeatedly rejects his seductive but dominant roommate.
Using old school kinky and problematic tropes such as dominant boy and dominated boy, 'River Knows Fish Heart' touches on themes of communication, consent and self-acceptance.
The film enters 'Addicted' territory, only this time with the muscular, seme athlete who falls madly in love with the tender, nerdy uke and decides to take charge of his life and protect him even from his mother, who has never heard his son sing or play. the piano or the guitar.
The character of Zheng Jia Jian is not innocent at all: with his 185 centimeters of height, an athletic and slightly bossy body, on the other hand he has plenty of inspiring vibes that find resonance in a contemporary youth who feels identified by making them dream. Furthermore, his dominant traits and the way he penetrates An He's life until he breaks him really makes the viewer want to be in the position of the dominated boy.
Lovers of the genre will enjoy the most daring scene in 'River Knows Fish Heart', in which we can see how Xiao Yu forces his roommate to kiss him in the bathroom, erotically whispering: "I want to possess every inch of your skin." Even more sensual is that the film offers us scenes of hot kisses and tender and very well-done sexual interactions.
An He's cold, reserved, and even hostile demeanor soon transforms into that of someone warm, sensitive, and friendly. He is a tsundere in all the rules. For his part, the seme Xiao Yu is very aggressive; so the dynamic between the two directly enters another territory, dubcon or "dubious consent", since consent on An He's part is not completely absent, but the situation has certain elements that in real life could be interpreted as a rape.
The relationship between An He and Xiao Yu is the classic blouse and pants combination. Or put another way, it exposes the nature of 'yin and yang' style. When the two energies complement and balance each other is when they achieve a harmonious and happy relationship.
In order to bring to life this cliché story of a bad boy who overpowers the innocent high school student, the director summons two idols admired by the younger generation in China: Meng Yue Chen and Zhen Jia Jian.
Both actors were born to play this type of cute young men who make up the ideal couple for fans who enjoy gay romance.
The first is a musician, Dai dance dancer and actor who in the world of acting became known precisely with this film, but has subsequently participated in the dramas 'Capture Love', 'In Your Heart', the documentary ' Capture Love Special', always playing queer characters, and the film 'Yin Yuan', among other works.
'River Knows Fish Heart' is a film in which Men Yue Chen can, in addition to demonstrating his histrionic qualities, expose his skills as a singer and musician: he plays the acoustic guitar and lets us hear his beautiful and well-pitched voice.
After the premiere of 'River Knows Fish Heart', Meng Yue Chen becomes an Internet phenomenon and is considered by the public to be China's new (gay) girlfriend for his tender look, his fair skin and his beautiful features.
The passionate and moving acting skills of Zhen Jia Jian, who among the youth audience of his country has earned the title of being the personification of attractive and sexy, allows us to remember him for playing Cheng Yue in 'Love Is Not Easy to Have' or Xiao Jie in the drama 'French Love', both with LGBT+ themes.
Audiences will find it difficult to forget two other lines said by his character: "I feel like my dream is not important because I found someone more important than my dream," referring to having left behind his passion for music after finding the love of his life in Little An He, or "This river doesn't need that fish, but without it there isn't much fun."
At the same time, the film also marks the debut of Han Jing Cheng in the role of Wang Zheng. The viewer will remember him for being the protagonist of the films 'Ghost Boyfriend 2' and 'Love Is Not Easy to Have', and the drama series 'Capture Lover', all with LGBT+ themes.
Due to the success of the film, after playing Xiao Yi, Zheng Jia Jian then manages to play another homosexual character in 'Love is not Easy to Have', another famous Chinese film, in which these last two actors will join. Along with Han Jing Cheng, Zheng Jia Jian plays another gay couple with a lot of chemistry and visual beauty that steals sighs from Chinese and international audiences.
According to the director, to represent this story much more clearly, he tried to demonstrate the connection between love and dreams by making the protagonists experience the contradictory mentality of their characters, expecting them to carry out the shyness of teenage romance.

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A film that tells us about unrequited love

Jhih Wei and Yi De are two best friends who dream of always being close to each other. While the first studies at the university, the second plans to follow in his footsteps and enter the same house of higher education the following year to become his junior.
One weekend night, Jhih Wei sleeps in Yi De's bed. The next morning, as Yi De prepares to go out to meet his girlfriend, Jhih Wei thinks that he would really like not to go home yet. .
And everything could be as young people dream, but a secret comes between the two: Jhih Wei is in love with his friend who is not only heterosexual, but also has a girlfriend named Yu Wen (Andrey Fong) whom he loves madly. , causing him to choose to hide his feelings.
Starring Mike Lee as Jhih Wei and Li-Hsin Chien as Yi De, 'Not Going Home Yet' (晚歸), also known as 'WAn Gui, Wan Kuei' (晚归), is a drama romantic Taiwanese LGBT+ theme that tells us about unrequited love.
Here the trick is played by our heads... In love, Jhih Wei's brain instinctively looks for any sign of reciprocity in the other person to keep the flame alive... and he is able to see authentic declarations of love where there is only companionship, kindness and politeness, such as giving you a body massage, asking you to give you the towel you forgot to take with you to the bathroom, or inviting you to spend a night out in your company.
Produced, edited, written and directed by Alan Chen, the film, which is only 15 minutes long, exposes Jhih Wei's suffering over his unrequited crush. Sharing time and doing things with Yi De is making Jhih Wei suffer. Have you finally accepted the situation that your friend is straight and he is gay and nothing will ever happen between the two? Have you understood that it makes no sense to continue feeding and fantasizing about that impossible love?
Alan Chen also manages with his work as a set designer to convey to the viewer the sadness and pessimism that surrounds the main protagonist towards the end of the short film. After Jhih Wei accepts his friend's invitation to go to dinner at a restaurant after meeting his girlfriend, Jhih Wei will reject the dinner when he finds out that Yu Wen will join them, and alone, on his scooter, he will travel the streets. streets of Taipei on the way home. Belle Cheng, the director of photography, delivers beautiful interior and exterior images, both day and night.
The film does not reveal to us if Jhih Wei wants to maintain the friendship or, as happens with breakups, he needs some time to manage to be able to see Yi De as a friend again.

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An exploration of the growing drag culture within Taiwan's queer landscape

The 2021 short film 'Best Sisters Forever' revolves around the elegant Xue Rong / "Snow" (Heng-Chi Kuo) and the fun and frivolous A Du / "Cavon" (Soda Voyu), two gay "sisters" best friends, who after having a heated discussion about issues of promiscuity, end up distancing themselves from each other.
A tragic event allows the reunion of the two "sisters" a decade later. Knowing that their days together are numbered, the couple embarks on an adventure in hopes of recapturing lost opportunities and creating happy memories. Along the way, they make important discoveries about life, love, friendship, and family. Promises are kept and a long lost dream comes true.
The year after releasing 'Your Name Engraved Herein', a film shortlisted for four awards at the 57th Golden Horse Awards 2020, Liu Kuang Hui (Patrick Liu) offers in 'Best Sisters Forever' an authentic vision of the drag sisterhood in that Asian island.
Associated with GagaOOLala, the Taiwanese director explores the growing drag culture within Taiwan's queer landscape, and reflects on questions of identity, empowerment, bonds and brotherhood within the flamboyant Taiwanese community.
To this end, the film features original performances by some of Taiwan's most famous drag queens at Taipei's most iconic LGBT venue, the historic Red House in Ximending District.
"What has always fascinated me is this special sense of bond or brotherhood that exists between members of the gay community but is rarely talked about or discussed in the mainstream. "So, this is where I wanted to play with this idea of ​​'sisterhood' and create a story around it specifically in the context of drag," Liu says when premiering the work.
With the intention of visualizing 'drag' and brotherhood within the community, Liu calls on two of the most important actors in the Taiwanese entertainment industry: Heng-Chi Kuo and Soda Voyu.
The first is a singer, director and composer who makes his official screen debut as an actor in this film. In addition to acting, Heng-Chi Kuo performs the main theme of the film: "Don't Rub Salt on the Wound", a song composed in 1999 for A-Mei, the singer considered a gay icon and defender of Taiwanese indigenous and LGBT+ rights throughout the Mandarin-speaking world.
For his part, Soda Voyu is an outstanding actor, winner of the Golden Bell Award, with an extensive filmography, which includes the film 'Tale of the Lost Boys', from 2017, the drama 'Magic Showdown', from that same year, 'iHero 2' and 'Your Name Engraved Herein'.
Thanks to 'Best Friends Forever', both actors play drag characters in a film for the first time, an experience that both together describe as "very entertaining but challenging, a special project that was worth pursuing, especially for its deep cause and the "so necessary drag defense."
Best Sisters Forever is the third installment of GagaOOLala's 2021 anthology 'Queer Up The Volume', a collection of original queer stories, each with their own title track and music video, aiming to portray the different facets of the community. contemporary queer.
The Queer Up The Volume project also includes other titles, such as the second season of GagaOOLala's successful Thai-Taiwanese BL co-production series, 'Call It What You Want 2', by Anusorn Soisa-ngim (Aam); 'Light', from director Adiamond Lee and starring Jed Chung, Max Liu and Ding Ning; the Taiwanese BL drama 'Dark Blue and Moonlight', and 'Fragrance of the First Flower', the lesbian miniseries by director Angel Teng (Bao Bao), winner of the first prize of the GagaOOLala Pitching Sessions 2020.

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The transformative power of cinema to improve society

Taiwanese screenwriter, director and producer Angel I-Han Teng believes in the transformative power of cinema to improve society. In this way, he writes the script for 'Bao Bao' (親愛的卵男日記), an LGBT+ themed drama co-produced between Taiwan and the United Kingdom, which focuses on the struggles of same-sex couples to form families in that Asian island.
Presented at Outfest, the Asia-Pacific Film Festival, in Los Angeles, United States, in 2018, and released in theaters in Taiwan and Japan that same year, the film, directed by Shie Guang Cheng, revolves around two homosexual couples: Joanne and Cindy, and Charles and Tim. The four young people live in London and plan to have children, but then they have to return to Taiwan, where challenges await them.
'Bao Bao' was written and made while Teng was residing in the United States, but it tells an exclusively Taiwanese story, but universal due to the impossibility of homosexual couples to adopt children and marry in countries where people of the same sex do not have the possibility of getting married.
For the filmmaker, the best result is to be able to make Taiwanese stories with Taiwanese actors and then let an international audience see and appreciate them.
Her training in Psychology allows the writer to develop complex characters in her work faced with complex dilemmas, such as homosexuality and the adoption of newborn children.
In her marriage to Joanne/Xu Jie An (Christine Ke), Cindy/Fang Rong Xin (Ries Emmie), is a young woman who is expecting two babies, but loses one. Having also lost trust in her partner, Cindy doesn't know where to go, who to believe, or whether it's her baby or not. So, he decides to return to Taiwan from London, where he has lived for some time. In her hometown, she will find care in Yang Tai / Ah Tai, (Yankee Yang), her childhood best friend, who promises to raise the baby with her.
Confused about what a family should be like, Cindy finally works up the courage to confront Joanne and the gay couple of Charles Watanabe/Du Bian Zhi Jiu (Yukihiko Kageyama) and Tim/Li Hao Ting (Daniel Tsai). At the time the film was filmed, equal marriage or homosexual marriage was not yet legalized in Taiwan. Even today, after this right has been legal since 2019, the existence of same-sex parents is still not acceptable for that society. And our protagonist trusts that that day will come.
With this, her first narrative feature film as a writer, the also sound specialist and with extensive experience working as a recording engineer and sound mixer, begins a filmography in which she addresses issues related to identity, gender, feminism and rights. humans with a subtle sensitivity, as can be seen in 'Rose Skirt' (玫瑰色的裙), 'The Fragrance of the First Flower', winner of the Gold Award for an investment fund at the GagaOOLala Pitching Sessions, or 'A Balloon's Landing'(我在這裡等你), 2024.
'Bao Bao', a film that allowed Angel I-Han Teng to obtain the Excellent Screenplay Award from the Taiwanese government, is also an example of his interest in the musicality of cinematographic components that go beyond the conventional limits between sound and music in cinema.
Teng's fascination with highlighting gender issues begins in his Family Psychology classes at the University: "Not only was I not familiar with same-sex parent households, but I noticed that all the examples the professor gave were from abroad. Those from Taiwan either didn't stand out or weren't seen. A creative light bulb went off in my head," he says. He adds: "I appreciate the beauty of individual differences although we share many similarities. The complexities of the human mind open my imagination to create works of art. I wrote many scripts and entered competitions, some of which completely changed the course of my career my life…".

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Created to be featured on the variety show "Gozen 0ji no Mori"

'Nekutai magatteru yo', which in English would be translated as "Your necktie is crooked", by Japanese director Ikeda Ayano, is a Thai-Japanese BL short film starring Perth Nakhun Screaigh as Rokko, and Lay Talay Sanguandikul as Ratanapol.
The film marks the return after four years of two of the actors who first participated as a couple in the 2020 Thai BL drama 'My Engineer', playing Ram and King, respectively.
The short film, just 7 minutes long, was created with the purpose of being presented in the variety program "Gozen 0ji no Mori" (Midnight Forest). It is a one-hour Japanese television interview program in which participants talk about a wide variety of topics that have recently happened in Japan during the Reiwa era, the current era of Japan that began in May 2019.
As assistant director of the program "Gozen 0ji no Mori", Ayano Ikeda conceived the idea of ​​interviewing the two actors visiting Japan under the legend "Reunited in Tokyo", while a short dramatized film aired, without great claims, in which both participated, and which also served as a letter of introduction to the public.
Due to the popularity of BL in Japan, the television space has invited Perth on several occasions to talk about Thai dramas of this genre. Taking advantage of the coincidence of Talay being in that nation, he was also invited to present himself.
The short film also pays a kind of tribute to the culture of the two countries, since the story revolves around two young Thais, one of them an actor (Talay) and the other a translator of the Thai-Japanese languages ​​(Perth). , who separated after having had a romance, because each one took a different path to build a future, and now, six years later, for work reasons, they meet again in Japanese lands and, as they are still in love, they have the opportunity to continue their love relationship.

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Excellent family psychological drama

Twenty-one minutes are enough for South Korean screenwriter and film director Jang Young Seon to present and develop the conflicts of this family psychological drama that revolves around a dysfunctional family that has been trying for more than a decade to compensate for the loss of a child by adopting young people to replace it.
With an intriguing plot, well-developed characters, music consistent with the conflicts raised, and a dark color palette, the short film 'My Eleventh Brother' (형이 돌아왔다), from 2016, begins when the family of high school student An Sung Woo (Kim Myung Kyu) arrives with the newly adopted An Sung Kyu (Lim Ji Hoon), a young man who also comes from a broken world, having spent his life in foster homes.
While Sung Kyu, who recognizes himself as a "nobody", searches for the family he longs for, Sung Woo searches for his place in the world. Both young people have a secret that they have preferred to hide from others: they are homosexuals.
The first thing that catches my attention is that the title of the short film refers not to the eleventh child of the family, but to the eleventh brother of the main protagonist. This tells us that what is intended to be highlighted is more than the relationship of the adopted young person with the family, it is the relationship of the newcomer with the son of the family, that is, with his brother.
The film tells how Sung Woo rejects Sung Kyu, as he surely could have despised others before him, until he discovers, in the midst of a premature antagonism, that between the two there are more reasons that unite them than those that can separate them.
This is how they eventually end up finding refuge in each other. But not only that, Sung Kyu will also manage to bring peace to the family, especially to the mother (Jung Soo Young). The scene of the mother and adopted son sharing games and laughter, which shows a change in the woman's depressive and sad personality, also demonstrates that Sung Kuy is the ideal missing member of the home.
Premiered at the Seoul Pride Film Festival 2016, 'My Eleventh Brother' is a short film with moving scenes, clear development and growth of the characters, which addresses themes such as coming of age, the search for love and happiness, psychological traumas and family relationships.
Despite its disturbing, at times suffocating atmosphere, 'My Eleventh Brother' leaves me with that momentum that makes you want more and more of the show. It's not boring at all, and every scene is suspenseful and will keep you on edge worrying about what will happen next to keep you completely pleased.

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How much and in what way will our own decisions and those of others affect us?

One of the most complex and uncomfortable topics in human relationships is infidelity, but our worst qualities, decisions and actions are a great tool for cinema, which can turn even the most twisted relationship into an emotional, deep, complex story. and explosive, which divides opinions and leads us to explore what we do not dare to see in ourselves.
Infidelity is ugly and painful, and can be traumatic for many people, but it becomes interesting and arouses curiosity when it is a "tragedy of others", the kind that movies show us, and it is also a good way to learn about more about the subject, the reasons that lead us to betray our partner and the way we deal with all that.
'Spring Like a Lover', by director, screenwriter and editor Daisuke Shigaya, is a 2017 Japanese film that proposes an unusual love triangle between three homosexual men whose lives fatefully intertwine.
Kazu (Konosuke Furuya) distrusts her current boyfriend, Shin (Tact Igarashi), a moody photographer, because she believes he is unfaithful. After an argument, Kazu revisits her ex-boyfriend, Takashi (Kazuki Kawakami), but discovers that he is now married to a woman and is unaware that this man is the one Shin has been having sex with behind his back. After the reunion, Takashi rekindles his feelings for the person who once shared his bed.
In this story about sex, betrayal, obsession and toxic relationships, the lives of these three men become complicated after the infidelity of one of them towards his partner. Of course, no one deliberately wants to harm others, but that is exactly what they end up doing.
One night, Takashi tries to have sex with Kazu, but Kazu immediately rejects him, not wanting to be involved in a relationship with a married man, and returns to Shin's house.
In Kazu's absence, Shin goes out to the terrace where her boyfriend has a beautiful caged songbird and deliberately tries to make the bird fly out of the cage. When he doesn't succeed, he leaves the door open.
In this short film that explores the universality of human emotions and poses a question: How much and in what way will our own decisions and those of others affect us? When reality breaks through, this complicated love triangle leads to tears, confrontations , breakups and violence.
After returning home, Kazu and Shin's reunion allows them to reconcile and strengthen their relationship. However, Takashi has not been able to forget Kazu, so he confesses to his wife about his sexuality, and she breaks up with him, but not before accusing him of betrayal for not having been honest with her.
Kazu is the most empathetic character of the three. Because he cares about Shin, he is able to activate a protective instinct in him. She loves her boyfriend, so she will seek to prevent him from suffering the consequences of her own actions and decisions, even if the price is high. He has seen how the photographer is heading towards a precipice and since there is nothing he can do to stop him, he appears frustrated and helpless. The image in the bathtub is, in addition to being heartbreaking, symbolic in this sense.
Shin is not a good man who messes up and makes a mistake. Both the script and the film are responsible for emphasizing that she is deliberately unfaithful to her boyfriend, and this fact will unleash all the subsequent conflicts. In addition, he violates people's privacy by taking photos of them in the streets without their consent, so he has to flee when he is caught in the act, because although in Japan it is not a criminal offense to photograph people's faces in public, it can be a crime. a civil offense if the person who has been photographed finds or fears that their image may be published anywhere.
On the other hand, Shin shows a cruel and violent face, not only for hitting Takashi, but for retaliating against Kazu in the bird for abandoning him and leaving the house. Even so, the strong emotional control she has over her boyfriend is evident.
Between arguments, crying, beatings, nude scenes and explicit sex, the 33-minute duration of the footage passes, which should not be analyzed, evaluated, labeled and classified as BL. There is a tendency among lovers of the so-called "Boys Love" to classify as such any love relationship between boys on the screen, and when they discover that the audiovisual shows a more complex dynamic, with characters with diverse nuances, circumstances and conflicts that surpass those of the genre of their preference, they accuse that this is not what they want to see, that they do not understand the film or television proposal, and they advise others not to see the artistic product, but not before giving low ratings on platforms where they are discussed. and analyze these dramatizations.
'Spring Like a Lover' is not a BL genre film, but an LGBT+ themed drama. The viewer should not expect to find here a tender and light romance between boys of those in which the audience is more interested in knowing the height of the step from which one of the protagonists will fall into the arms of the other to be happily ever after, in instead of living an experience closer to real life.
That is why 'Sprint Like a Lover' does not shy away from presenting damaged, broken, unfaithful, lying and miserable beings, as well as betrayal, infidelity, dysfunctional relationships, violence in the couple, breakups, pain. It does not shy away from showing romantic lives that are flawed and in complete anarchy.
If Shin's infidelity has an impact on the couple and on Takashi, the latter is the living reflection of human misery, selfishness, hypocrisy and limitless cruelty in demanding sex from Kazu in exchange for Shin's freedom, in addition to accept money from Kazu to drop the charges against her boyfriend.
The three men carry the entire weight of the film, without ignoring the brief presence of Takashi's wife, and are capable of transmitting emotions with gestures, silences, screams and looks in a performance as subtle as it is extraordinary, closing an intense, heartbreaking film. and very emotional.
The ending does not surprise fans of dramas that explore relationships with all their contradictions, conflicts and realities. Shin's infidelity causes his own ruin and that of the other two men.
"No one is an island, complete in himself," the poet John Donne wrote centuries ago. That is why Shin's actions influence both his own life and that of the other two characters, and end up affecting them directly. By being forced to assume the consequences of their own decisions and those of others, they see their worlds destabilized and condemned to a spiral of many other equally erroneous and destabilizing acts and decisions.
It is then that the viewer can understand the message of the film: the importance of becoming aware that every decision we make and every act we perform has natural and social consequences. We are all responsible for every decision we make and every act we perform, in such a way that we can say that our life is the result of our choices and not of circumstances. While it is true that circumstances influence our reality in life, it is also important to accept the fact that what is truly determining is the way in which we choose to react to each situation that is presented to us.
Perhaps somewhat underrated at the time, with the passage of time it has gained public understanding, but it must be seen because Daisuke Shigaya knew what he was doing with this film of rebellious and explosive emotions. We are rational beings, which adds one more element to the mere instinctive aspect that characterizes us. The fact of being rational beings implies that we can choose the way we react to the different circumstances in life, hence the statement that our life is the result of our decisions, not the circumstances.

Observation: MDL and other platforms make a mistake by labeling Tact Igarashi as Kazu. The character of Kazu is played by Konosuke Furuya, while Tact Igarashi plays Shinji Matsumoto or simply Shin, Kazu's photographer boyfriend. The character of Takashi is played by actor Kazuki Kawakami.
The director, screenwriter and editor of the film is Daisuke Shigaya.
Please, if someone could help verify and correct the error I would appreciate it. Thank you.

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A one-sided love of a boy for a boy

Dong Young (Kim Dong Young) has been secretly in love with Jung Min (Lee Jung Min), his best friend, since he met him 10 years ago, and he has come up with an idea to finally declare his love.
Romantic dramas, no matter how short in duration, achieve immortality when in a single scene they manage to convey the spirit of the central bond.
'What To Say' (뭔말 Mwonmal), by South Korean filmmaker Kang I Deun, has a sequence of overwhelming subtlety, in which we witness how a young man assures his best friend that he will make a film, and to the astonishment of This will reveal the scenario written in the script to be captured in moving images, which is none other than the same story of the friendly relationship that has existed between the two friends and how the main protagonist of the film to be produced would like to carry that bond on another level, even knowing that it is "a cliché story where Woo Joo's first love (the name he gives himself in the future film) ends unsuccessfully."
With a precise, contained and melancholic narrative, Dong Young will know the answer, which will leave him devastated by heartbreak.
I am not issuing a spoiler: the same trailer for the short film on the AYDENSTORY channel assumes that we are in the presence of a unilateral love of a boy for a boy, and how this secret love follows them until one declares, with subtlety, naivety and creativity, their feelings for the other.
That statement highlights the purest love that Dong Young feels for this man who will never want (or be able) to live up to such a naive and immaculate confession.
The main reason why I recommend the film and give it a perfect score is that the director conceived flesh and blood, complex and human characters, who go beyond stereotypes. In this way, the young man who resorts to fantastic narrative to declare his feelings is not superficial by any means: he is simply a man who fell in love with another man. Following this line, the character played by Kim Dong Young is endearing because he has finally had the courage to take that step that has cost him a large part of his existence, although this presupposes the risk of not only losing the love of his life but also to the childhood friend.
The director himself has stated that the objective of the film is to expose "the long hesitations and great worries, brief confessions and small consolations. I hope that all the universes of this world are happy."

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A small student work with immense power

The first thing that catches the viewer's attention is seeing a boy in a school uniform shaving his head with a cut that is too deep, almost releasing blood, while crying inconsolably. This is what Juan Pablo Pineda III, the director and screenwriter of the LGBT+-themed romantic short film 'Coming Out' (Pua Iyam, for its title in Tagalog), wanted to convey, since it is the true essence of the film.
Ken, a Chinese-Filipino teenager, has known his true identity for a long time, but has not dared to reveal it out of fear. However, reading a book titled "Pua Iyam" gives him the courage to confess his love to Miko, his best friend since childhood.
Going back to my opening words and the first scene of the film, Ken cries and shaves his head because he has been rejected. And Miko, although she also loves Ken, knows that her family and society will not understand them and "I am not prepared to admit what I am", referring, of course, to his homosexual condition.
If I say this it is not to issue spoilers, but to express in words what the short film subtly lets us see: the fear that the two boys suffer of discrimination and rejection by society due to their sexual orientation, which is why They feel insecure about their identity and avoid revealing it to others and to themselves. They prefer to suffer and make the person they love suffer before recognizing and loving themselves.
The objective of the short is to make a complaint against homophobia, that is, the aversion towards homosexuality or against homosexual people, and its eternal companion, internalized homophobia.
In the final scene, while Ken and Miko are playing after reconciling as friends, they both stare at the camera. Could this be a sign of hope? Will Philippine society ever come to respect all its members equally, regardless of their gender identity or sexual orientation?
Starring Rowi Du as Ken (who also produces, edits and sounds) and Raphael Cruz as Miko, the film had its world premiere at the Far Eastern University (FEU) SinePiyu Film Festival - Manila, in which it won the Awards for Best Film, Best Performance for Du, Best Direction and Best Poster in the Black Reel category.
The film follows his journey through different Philippine film events, such as the 7th. CineSB: Indie Un-Film Festival of the University De LaSalle College of Saint Benilde, in Manila, and the University of the Philippines-Diliman, and wins in the categories Best Direction for Pineda and the Gold Award for Best Film for the team of production by IndieGo Pictures, and the Awards for Best Production Design and Technical Excellence in the Sibol Category of CineSB 7: The Main Installation of DLS-CSB.
The film takes home the award for Best Cinematography and another special mention from UP Cinema's Piling Obrang Vidyo jury's decision, and obtained the Cardenal Bronze Film Award, Best Editing and Best Photography in the intercollegiate category of CineMapúa 2018.
The film is also selected as part of the 2017 CineMakulay Film Festival, the 29th Gawad CCP for Alternative Film and Video of the Cultural Center of the Philippines. It is also exhibited as part of Eksena 2017 organized by Dalubhasaan ng mga Umuusbong na Mag-aaral ng Araling Pilipino (DANUM) DLSU.
After winning the awards for Best Screenplay and Best Actor in a Leading Role at the 9th Largabista Film Festival in Tacloban City, Leyte, and a special mention for gender sensitivity at the First Palawan International Film Festival, the short film 'Pua Iyam' continues its journey beyond the Philippine borders and reaches the United States and China.
On North American soil, 'Pua Iyam' is screening as part of the "Queer Stories" section of Diwa Filipino Film Showcase, the film festival held in cooperation with the annual Pagdiriwang Filipino Festival, celebrating the Filipino spirit wherever it resides by sharing Filipino and Filipino-American stories with the community of Seattle, United States.
And then it competes for international recognition at the PRIDE Film Festival in Shanghai, China, and the Beijing Queer Filmfest, in the capital of the Asian giant.
If I list so many awards and achievements it is not to waste words, but to highlight how this small work, carried out by a Communication student from the Far Eastern University (FEU), in Manila, has immense power to make audiences reflect on the need to advance against heteropatriarchal discourse.

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Motorcycle, love triangle, sexual awakening, indie cinema and for LGBT+ visibility

Who doesn't like movies that portray young loves? It is a cinematographic subgenre that has a special charm, because it is very easy to identify with the characters who experience those first tickles in the stomach and an unknown sexual attraction towards another person.
Who doesn't like movies that have the motorcycle as another protagonist, being one of those in which the good guy is better, the bad guy worse, to save the world, to chase evildoers, to escape from the abyss, and also, of course to fall in love?
Who doesn't like movies in which a guy lets the co-pilot hug his body to avoid falling off the motorcycle?
Who doesn't like movies in which the boy claims he's never hugged anyone before, and the other admits that it's also the first time he's allowed himself to be hugged by another person?
Who doesn't like movies in which from the action on the road to the connection between two people, embraced side by side, they transport us to worlds full of adrenaline, adventure and a deep love on two wheels?
But what will happen if we add a third love interest to all this? What will happen if instead of two guys on a motorcycle, there are three people on two wheels who end up involved in a love triangle?
Starring Fongfong Pathomporn Panfa ('My Star' and 'My Star: Uncut Version', both 2024), as Gentle, and Jo Ronaporn Vipataputi ('My Streamer', 2023 and 'Boy Scouts', 2022, 'My Star' and My Star: Uncut Version', 2024), like Motor, the film 'My Biker' talks about the discovery of sexuality in adolescence, sexual awakening and, more specifically, what it means to accept one's own homosexuality. It is, in essence, a story that supports diversity and also LGBTIQ visibility. Gentle discovers his sexual orientation in a heteronormative world by spending time with his best friend, with whom he establishes an emotional and sexual connection.
'เราและนาย My Biker' is an original short film by Wayufilm Production, in association with Pigeon Pictures, following 'The Internship', 'Monochrome' and their first sapphic short, 'HER'.
Set in Chiang Mai, Thailand, and written and directed by Nitchapoom Chaianun (Nicchi), the short tells us how Gentle and Motor share a vacation before the restart of the new school year, and plan to use their free days to tour the region by motorcycle. and take photos of the landscapes of the places they visit.
But suddenly Gentle's motorcycle breaks down, forcing him to ride behind Motor's big motorcycle, meaning they may be closer to each other than they've ever been before.
After a first outing, Gentle spends a night at the house of the neighborhood boy who, riding his motorcycle, goes through life at full speed, except in the moments when he carries his friend on his back, because he fears he will fall.
There is something universal in the story of Gentle and Motor, and it could not be otherwise, this being a romance like all the others.
The next morning, the handsome young man who seems insensitive to love, meets outside the house with Namwan, his girlfriend, with whom he has made an appointment, and Gentle, from the door, watches them play between laughter and mutual loving interactions. When getting on the motorcycle to go for a ride, the young woman hugs Motor's torso, and Gentle remembers how he did not dare to put his arm around her body the day before.
By silently observing them before being left alone, it is enough for Gentle to discover that he is in love with his friend. Those unique and inexplicable feelings, those jealousy that he feels for the first time in his short life, cannot be anything other than that the attraction he feels for Motor goes beyond friendship. "I want to be close to you always. I want to see your face every day," he will assure her when they meet again.
Gentle will discover that travel and big motorcycles are not the most important things in the world. How will Motor deal with Gentle's sudden confession? Will their friendship go beyond love?
When he has confessed his feelings, both will understand that from that moment on not everything will be as it has been until now.
A textbook 'coming of age' that, however, goes further in this slow-paced film that begins to gain momentum at times, until it shows that its director, the Thai filmmaker Nitchapoom Chaianun, is committed to the need to uncover a a topic that still carries many taboos, such as homosexuality, especially in a country that refuses to recognize equal marriage and, therefore, homosexual relationships.
I like the performance of the two young actors, as I am equally fascinated by the tangible chemistry and the growing discomfort, which feels real, organic, between the two as they make another journey, not on a motorcycle, of discovery and acceptance of sexuality. The new actors especially caught my attention because of their facial expressions and body language.
I have stated it on other occasions: I highly value the works of Wayufilm Production for their good execution, level of acting, filming and production, despite their low budget, for their simple stories that are much closer to real life, actors and a truly passionate production team in each installment, and a firm determination not to kneel before the giants of the entertainment world with their very common mediocre stories interested only in making money, and whose proposals frequently fail, among other reasons, for not taking into account seriously to his fans.
Furthermore, the editing team chose exceptional music to accompany the miniseries.
I also appreciate the tenacity of the creators to not succumb to the dictates and whims of commercial companies, eager to contribute funds to the production of many BL audiovisuals in exchange for advertising their products, something that we frequently criticize in other series of the genre, thus respecting Wayufilm Production its ethics and principle of being a production company that is committed to indie cinema.
'My Biker' joins other dramas authored by Nicchi with which he addresses issues related to sexuality and gender identity, as he has done since he debuted with his first short film 'Fresh' (เฟรชเฉิ่ม), in 2006, which was followed by 'Fresh Cool Story 2' (เรื่องเฟรชเฉิ่ม 2).
Committed to portraying the diversity of human relationships with sensitivity, dismantling prevailing stereotypes regarding what is "normal", and contributing to the struggle of Thai LGBT people, Nicchi, as he likes to call himself, has obtained popular recognition with his films and series BL-themed, such as the feature film 'My Bromance' (พี่ชาย, RTGS: Phi Chai), 'My Bromance 2: 5 Year Later: The Series', 'My Bromance: Reunion', 'Key Love', 'NightTime', 'The Rain Stories', 'Yantra' (อาถรรพ์ยันต์มหาเสน่ห์), among other shorts and series.
I owed my readers a review. He owed me a review. Learning about the upcoming release of 'My Bike 2' encouraged me to watch the short film once again and write it.

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A film that contributes to the fight for LGTBIQ+ rights

Over the last 15 years, LGTBIQ+ rights have made a significant leap and we owe a small part of it to cinema and television, increasingly committed to representing more and better gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans people. or non-binary identities. Although this drastic advance (at least, in the audiovisual field) is undoubtedly worth celebrating, it should not make us forget the struggles and sufferings of so many generations that preceded us.
After this preamble, let's get into the matter:
If love is complicated between two people, imagine what it must be like when there are three of them. Imagine also when homophobia, internalized homophobia, harassment and forced coming out of the closet are added to the love triangle.
We have all this in equal parts in Rebel Heart, the 2023 Thai short film, youth romantic genre and LGBTIQ+ theme, written and directed by Zee, which also addresses themes such as love, friendship, personal growth, honesty and the trust.
It strikes me that the three main characters have their names in English and not the typical Thai names that seem very curious because they are strange or out of the ordinary to the Western viewer.
The film, from Iamzee Studios, begins when Lucas, the main character, breaks the fourth wall and comes into direct contact with the audience, looking and speaking directly to the camera, to introduce us to the story. From that moment on, the play hooks us and we feel part of an emotional roller coaster, a challenging journey in which we will find connection and meaning with the two young protagonists: Ben, played by Burdy, and Lucas, played by Bug, while They navigate the ups and downs of their relationship. Throughout the 25 minutes of footage, the characters explore different challenges and emotions.
Lucas has secretly loved Ben for three years, but he has not dared to express his feelings, because he considers that his best friend is heterosexual, in addition to fearing breaking the bond between them. They are both university students and have known each other since the first days of entering university. And now, in the last year of their studies, they will end the beginning of an adventure that will determine their destinies.
At first glance it seems like a very common story, but the dynamic between the two friends changes when Emma (Ami) appears, a college student girl who frequently surrounds Ben with attention, causing internal conflicts between the three young people, such as jealousy, pain and drama, especially in Lucas's character, when he discovers that Ben and Emma are in a relationship. Then external conflicts will arise, which I will explain later.
But this will not be a love triangle motivated as a way to escape, give life to a dying relationship, discover something new, take risks and get out of the comfort zone or other reasons that we have seen previously. Here an element rarely used in BL is introduced that will mark the relationship of three people now: internalized homophobia. However, like any love triangle, it will teach us something important.
At one point, we will discover that Emma, ​​motivated by homophobia, has hired a bully, played by Pomp, to harass and beat Lucas, since she has understood his interest in Ben and suspects the closeness of the two young people. Realizing this, Ben breaks up with Emma and blocks her on the internet.
And it is here that the viewer discovers that Ben was the first to fall in love with Lucas and if they have been friends and shared a bedroom and time together it is because he has encouraged it by approaching Lucas from the first moment. I mean, Ben is not straight. Ben is not bisexual. Ben is a gay boy, a victim of internalized homophobia who chooses to hide his homosexuality by getting involved in romantic relationships with girls. In this way, the viewer can explain why Ben distances himself from Lucas and is dating Emma.
Upon discovering that Emma has planned to harm Lucas, Ben finally accepts himself and, in return, admits his love for the boy with whom he has also been in love for more than three years. It is then that, in addition to facing Emma's betrayal between them, they are ready for a life together, but not before seeking parental approval, something very common in heteronormative and patriarchal societies.
And it is here that the external conflict that the couple experiences is incorporated into the film: the rejection of their son's homosexual relationship by Lucas's father. Thanks to the intervention of the mother (Ajarn Jiab), in charge of pointing out the truth, she made the father realize what is important. With a strong message to watch and resonate in our lives, for the love of his son, Mr. Evans overcomes his prejudices and ends up accepting the two boys, first as lovers and then as his children.
Likewise, we will learn that the reason for the father's rejection of his son's homosexuality is motivated by his personal experience, having had a suicidal brother who fought against the pain and suffering of also being a gay person, and how this experience could be reflected in the life of his own son and not wanting him to suffer the same fate as his brother.
While the way Ben breaks up with Emma is wrong, the way Emma outing Lucas to her father is disgusting and totally despicable. I can't explain how he came to receive the loving images of the two boys on his phone (this must have been what the father saw, since it is not shown and is not necessary for its full understanding by the viewer) but rather as an act of retaliation against Ben by Emma.
The film, while I was watching it, made me feel that it had an autobiographical nature. Perhaps the director lived a similar story firsthand, or learned about it from third parties, and captured it in images.
Despite the low budget, a cast made up of amateur actors, a weak script and a short plot, poorly developed characters and events, which affects the general quality of the product, it is surprising for having a Thai acting and technical team. American, the integration of an interracial marriage, the use of the Thai and English languages, all of this unusual in BL productions from this Southeast Asian country, and above all for contributing to equality, visibility, acceptance, recognition and Most importantly, the legality of LGBT+ people, in a nation that still does not recognize same-sex marriage. Likewise, because the short film addresses the topic outside of stereotypes, caricatures or exaggerated dramas. For this alone the short is worth watching.

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A story to forget

Directed by Rafael D. Duterte and produced by Take One Studio, 'A Story to Remember' revolves around Raver and Ford, two childhood best friends who were separated by fate, but whose lives will definitely intersect again through music.
The youth romantic drama begins by telling the childhood of two friends, Raver, played by RJ Buena, and Ford, a role assumed by ZK Nakaoka, who, together, dream of managing and owning a restaurant. Then, the story jumps in time to take us, about 15 years later, to a new scenario in which the first is an unemployed musician looking for work, and the second is the owner of a bar on the verge of bankruptcy.
Needing to improve the situation, someone recommends Ford hire a musician who can sing live and attract more customers. This is how the two childhood friends will meet again, after having taken different paths when they were just children.
The leading couple will be joined by another boys, that of Andrei and Jayson, played by Garry Herrera and Aerone Mendoza, in that order, while the GL side will show a romantic story between Sofía (Dianne Santillán) and Jazmine (Jerica Dagohoy) .
The growing fascination with Pinoy Boy's Love (BL) series, such as 'Gameboys', 'Hello Stranger', 'Boys' Lockdown', 'Gaya Sa Pelikula', 'Hello, stranger', 'Boys' Lockdown' and 'Quaranthings' , among others, can be interpreted as part of the LGBT+ community's long struggle for greater inclusion.
However, 'A Story to Remember', with multiple queer characters and stories, despite exploring many relevant themes with the aim of educating and raising awareness among viewers, shows conflicts that, in addition to perpetuating stereotypes, barely touch the surface. rather than highlighting complex experiences.
A series with a simple story, with predictable twists, a very basic and unoriginal plot, uninspiring and poorly developed characters, an erratic staging and weak performances cannot be saved even with the presence of beautiful boys; the views of beautiful locations, such as the paradisiacal Philippine beaches where the search for the mother of one of the two protagonists will take us in the audiovisual, or the representation of three romances, two between boys and one lesbian.
'A Story to Remember' is an accumulation of whims, provocations and excesses without much meaning. Neither separately nor as a whole, none of the six characters will be able to make the viewer fall in love. They will not make us identify with them or their stories and destinies, since their characterizations seem like cardboard formulas that will not obtain the viewer's empathy. Nice actors and actresses? Just that, because there is no connection between them. Therefore, there can be no difference between them and the viewer.
Despite setting out to deal with themes such as love, acceptance, discovery, as well as the challenges that come with being queer in today's world, the series becomes repetitive and is not even able to leave the feeling that it could have given more, since its Creators chose to resort to the cliché of gay cinema with its stereotyped characters.
Unfortunately, this is not the first failure of the team behind it in its efforts to produce a BL series. The current production company Take One Studios began its journey under the name of YTteamcavite. With this brand he produced his first boy love drama titled 'The Unexpected', which disappeared after only three episodes on the air. Later, he took up the story and differentiated it from the original by retitling it 'Unexpected: The Remake', of which only the first episode could be seen.
The company reappeared some time later under the name Cosmix Films, announcing a new BL project, this time called 'Bed Weather'. After proposing its premiere four times, the production company finally canceled the series, of which not even the pilot episode was broadcast.

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The fear of commitment and the secrecy of a clandestine homosexual relationship

'Daybreak' (Tagalog: Bukang-liwayway) is a Filipino independent film of romantic genre and LGBT theme, directed by Adolfo Borinaga Alix, Jr., director of films such as '4 Days', 'Imoral', 'The Affair' and ' Porno', and series like 'Unlocked', among others.
Released in 2008, the cast has only two actors: Coco Martin as JP, a handsome young man in his twenties, with a girlfriend, a boatman and tourist guide in Taal, Batangas, and Paolo Rivero as William, a married doctor, father of a family. , in a supposedly happy heterosexual marriage, who play a couple of men who have had a secret romantic bond for a year. After some time apart, they meet at a family vacation home in Tagaytay, Cavite, to maintain an intense sexual and loving relationship for one night before one of them goes abroad.
Almost two decades after its premiere, and after producing important works of the genre, the film shows fissures in its staging, like a preamble that is too long for a medium-length film, not so solid performances and filling the short time with shots of palm trees and clouds that show a poor resource due to the lack of ideas.
However, it is worth highlighting the use of lighting, especially interior lighting, where chiaroscuro underlines the state of mind of two men confronting their realities.
Personally, I liked the way the lights and cameras were directed towards the bodies of the two protagonists. By highlighting its sensuality, the viewer comes to fully understand that he is witnessing two people who love each other and are suffering from the imminent breakup.
And if on the one hand it may seem somewhat out of tune that it tries to claim a visible, touristy place beyond that, and not marginal, underground, so to speak, for gay relationships, adopting precisely the same forms as an independent romantic melodrama between heterosexuals On the other hand, it can be useful in helping to bring this reality closer to a conservative society, such as the Philippines, which considers homosexual relationships taboo, and which perhaps would otherwise be much more inclined to not accept the image of two men sharing bed, affections, kisses and confidences.
Supported by a script written by Charliebebs Gohetia, the film explores homosexuality and failed relationships, through a relationship with an expiration date.
This is not a work solely aimed at the gay public, as it addresses something as universal as love. But, it also speaks of the emotional undercurrents around the secrecy of an illegal homosexual relationship in the eyes of the family and the heteronormative and patriarchal society. Homosexuality and its representation are not a taboo to overcome, but the film ends up subtly revealing its vindictive nature by pointing the finger at the assumed homophobia in our behavioral protocols.
Always based on the margins of the independent Filipino homosexual film movement, the director, in his third film, shows interest in also investigating with images a frequent theme in homosexual relationships: he is married but in love with the other. The other wants it just for himself.
Both will live their last night as lovers, since William plans to leave for Australia. William wants to let it all go, but he doesn't know how to break the news to JP, who is already emotionally attached to him, even though they didn't actually have an agreement that they are actually a couple.
Various scenes and dialogues lead to the climax when JP is reluctant to accept the breakup. In the midst of conversations about their past, including evoking their happy and unforgettable moments, the evening passes, while they examine the photographs as the only witness of what they have experienced.
With a beautiful night as a backdrop, when their desire for each other dominates their minds and the conversations revolve around truisms and commonplaces, passion explodes and the two men make love as pleasant as ever. At dawn, William remains firm in his decision, leaving for Manila where he will take a plane to Australia, thus ending his relationship with JP.
In a single narrative time, with the intention of voyeurism, the film allows viewers to discover what happens when two men spend the night contemplating whether to break up or continue their relationship.
The essence of 'Daybreak' is not so much in the description of a romance with an expiration date but in the subtlety with which the director makes it emerge from the ellipses. The way it avoids or shows the sex scenes is exemplary. Intimacy begins to boil in the heat of confessions, memories, the risk of being surprised, the clandestine date in a secluded place of two people who face their loneliness, even though they are accompanied in the life that they have allowed others to know, hiding his true desires and passions from everyone.
Compared to the usual clichés of romantic cinema, be it drama or comedy, 'Daybreak' holds some appreciable surprises. Adolfo Borinaga Alix, Jr sculpts without artifice the ephemeral relationship of a love relationship between two young men. There are several sequences between the actors where a credible and deep intimacy is built, which serves to prepare the viewer for the ending announced from the first scenes and leave us, in the process, with a bitter taste in our mouths.
The narrative ellipsis that integrates the film and the ending with the characters, one driving his car on the road, and the other feeling alone, helpless in the middle of the house, still remembering the last night of love lived with the person he loves, puts The end of many homosexual relationships is evident: the fear of one of the two involved of commitment and a society that still discriminates against homosexuals.

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