better as it went on (watch suggestions)

Overall: unless you enjoy over the top humor with a ton of comedy sound effects follow my watch suggestions. I wanted to rate the uncut version higher since it had more intimate scenes and included Gus/Tong scenes, but the story dragged even more in the uncut version. 8 episodes about 1 hour each. Aired on Mandee Channel's YouTube (cut), GagaOOLala (cut), iQIYI (uncut) and Viki (I assume cut). Mandee Channel/Domundi also produced Naughty Babe, Bed Friend, Cutie Pie and Why R U.

Watch Suggestion (watch the cut version & play at a faster speed unless noted)
- skip episodes 1, 2 & 3 (though shirtless Mai in ep 3 is nice)
- watch ep 4
- watch ep 5 to 48min/standing on the podium
- watch the uncut version of ep 6 15-18 minutes which includes a brief kiss with the side couple (this scene was totally removed from the cut versions for some bizarre reason)
- watch the uncut version of ep 7, can start at 27 minutes with Gus/Tong or to skip over something sad that happened in the past and start at 37 minutes and end at 43 minutes, then you can watch thru to the end with Mai/Jade or skip to 1hr 4min to see their final scene
- watch the uncut version of ep 8 which has a lot of sweet moments and NSFW scenes with Mai & Jade

Content Warnings: hits played as comedy, vomiting (in uncut ep 2), molestation off screen, past death/grief

What I Liked
- enjoyed some of Uea/King's moments (like in episode 5)
- Mai's flirting (wished they had shown why he liked Jade earlier than ep 5)
- Jade's and Mai's supportive family
- cute moments
- how Jade did have agency in episode 8 and initiated things
- good consent/communication in episode 8
- that it has a wide release on 4 different platforms

Room For Improvement
- the three minutes of cringey animation didn't hook me
- Jade's exaggerated/yelling was irritating especially in the beginning episodes
- cringey editing, voice overs and comedy sound effects that didn't make anything funny
- the side couple was oddly hot and cold (note, apparently the cut version removed several of their scenes which is contributing to their confusing interactions with each other)
- not happy with the Uea/King reluctant/violent dynamic, how King was jealous/retaliatory at Uea in ep 6 for just talking to another guy
- slow pacing/repetitive, in episode 6 as an example Mai had almost a duplicate conversation with his mom
- bad decisions with what they cut, I was happy they cut the vomiting scene in episode 2 but why on earth cut an entire scene including a kiss with the side couple in episode 6??? I normally would expect a cut version to reduce a NSFW scene but there wasn't anything to cut up to episode 7 (and then they did cut the NSFW scenes in ep 7 and 8)
- the NSFW scenes were kind of choppy, one of them oddly stopped and then re-started

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baby, baby, baby (times infinity)

Overall: this series was filmed and released during the covid19 pandemic, it also has a main plot point that directly ties into covid19. I enjoyed the series when it was released though season 1 is on Netflix in some countries and on YouTube without all of the many language subtitles that it had when it first aired. 13 episodes that vary quite a bit in length, average is around 20 minutes. There is also a season 2 and a movie (the movie is a shortened season 2)

Content Warnings: there is a major one, I'll put all of them in a comment with a spoiler

What I Liked
- sweet moments
- funny moments
- Gav was flirty/forthright*
- Pearl as a supportive friend
- music
- production value considering it was an indie production during covid19

Room For Improvement
- *Gave was too aggressive/ignored boundaries
- Cairo was too reluctant for too much of the runtime
- cliche plot points with the friend/ex and poor communication although it felt more realistic than most

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a well done m/m reality dating show (ep 7 was the best)

Overall: I believe this was the Philippines first m/m reality dating show and I think they did a good job with it. 8 episodes at about 30 minutes each. Aired on Black Sheep YouTube Channel.

Reality Series Note: with any "reality" series I keep in mind that what the audience sees doesn't necessarily reflect what actually happened. There can be guidelines the audience doesn't know about, parts are edited out or ordered in different ways to show a certain narrative. I read in the YouTube comments that the director said it wasn't scripted, but I always take that with a grain of salt. My goal for reality dating series is for people to have a good time and maybe make a new friend. Any actual pairings at the end of the show are icing on the cake.

Content Warnings: discussion of mental health struggles, suicidal thoughts, homophobia

What I Liked
- the intros of the 10 guys to the audience and that they had name tags on most of the series (as someone who has trouble with remembering names, this is very useful and I'm guessing was useful for the participants as well), although it could have been something like a necklace with their name
- that they started with a game and there were two 1 on 1 dates (not really a fan of the twist though but it was okay)
- diverse personalities in the group
- the emcee was great, she was caring and empathetic
- defined pansexuality and emcee said she loved how they were being sex positive
- episode 7 at the pool party was my favorite episode
- excellent that they included a mental health hotline at the end of episode 7

Room For Improvement
- group games: the oil was unnecessary, the guys just met each other and they could have played the game without the oil part, should have had less physical games and maybe some where they pair up, go on a scavenger hunt or something? or maybe group get to know you games like "never have I ever"
- too much group sharing times, it bogged things down, although I think 1 group share is a good idea, I personally don't think it's great to discuss past exes, leave the past in the past
- would only have 1 secret spark exchange or have it more like a phone call or letter where they could write their name, but it's painful to see some guys not receive a spark multiple times
- background noise during the pool party

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Overall: this is a 22 minute short available on Mind Trio's YouTube channel (they did On Cloud Nine and Calculating Love)

Content Warnings: teasing/bullying?, gaslighting

What I Liked
- the actors did a decent job
- a few cute moments

Room For Improvement
- the plot was confusing, they started with a flash forward/flashback and then I wasn't sure what their relationships were to each other (long-time friends, acquaintances, classmates, etc)
- not a fan of the central premise and then how it's an open ending
- maybe I missed something but the reactions didn't make sense, the one guy smiled but he didn't return his feelings, why did he smile and then complain later about the teasing if he enjoyed it???
- the two tropes in the very beginning should have been reversed which would have been more realistic
- the character gaslighting and saying he doesn't have those feelings

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messy, semi-realistic series

Overall: age gaps and employer/employee aren't my favorite plot points in the romance genre, but the acting was good and production value decent (for what I assume is a low budget production). Aired on YouTube and GagaOOLala

Content Warnings: grief, employer/employee, age gap, manhandling

What I Liked
- the OST is very catchy
- the acting at the beginning of episode 1 was excellent and true to life, I've done something similar when crying but trying to not look like I was crying
- the grand entrance at the end of episode 1 was funny
- pansexual rep (bad - dig at millennials); good conversation about bi and pan
- realistic kissing and intimate scenes

Room For Improvement
- I did not laugh very much with the applicants or that sign at the end
- continuity error/mistake, it said he had interviewed 8 but it was only 7 at that point
- the 2nd episode timeline is very confusing, at first I thought it was a series of continuity errors because their outfits kept changing. I think it would have been better to not do this in flashback but rather do a flash forward towards the end (so put the opening scene at the end, explain to his son that it's been 3 weeks, then show the scenes that happen after that conversation without any flashbacks)
- some scenes were too dim
- in episode 4 the dad just stood next to the pool when a person would have started moving almost immediately
- towards the end felt rushed

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super adorable

Overall: this is a micro series/long ad from a perfume company about a college freshmen and a senior. Watched on YouTube.

Content Warnings: none

What I Liked
- a lead used his brain to figure something out (even though perhaps a bit unrealistic, but I didn't care)
- the ending was really cute
- good production value*
- nice music

Room For Improvement
- they should have cut the female character out and used that screen time with the two leads
- *the blur filter was too heavy and the subs were very difficult to read with the white font and no outline or background

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BL With A Cherry On Top (Ehhhh???!!!)

Overall: a fantastical realistic BL showcasing a healthy relationship. This is in my top tier of BL shows.

What I Liked (mild spoilers)
- the ability to read someone's mind without them knowing is a major violation of privacy, but Adachi does not abuse this power, many times he actively tries to avoid using it. He likes it and wants to keep it because he wants to know how he can help others. 
- the way Kurosawa handled the King's game. Even though it's likely what Kurosawa wanted to do, once he saw that Adachi was uncomfortable, he changed it to a forehead kiss and said 'sorry' in his mind.
- the fact that Adachi doesn't have an identity crisis or internalized homophobia when he knows Kurosawa is romantically attracted to him. The reason that he thinks he can't be with Kurosawa is that "I'm afraid of getting more deeply involved and disappointing him" (episode 4), basically it's Adachi's low self-esteem that makes him think he's not worthy of being with Kurosawa. 
- the cinematography/color scheme
- the humor, like that bad poetry on the bus

Room For Improvement
- why did Kurosawa wait 5 years before making any moves? Just because they bumped into each other in the elevator he thought it was fate or something? I think he likely continued because Adachi was being more reciprocal, I just wish there had been a bit more of a reason at the start of the series. 
- the side couple. The 30 year old comes across as a creeper to me. I wish they had made his character not be exaggerated and more calm.
- Adachi's over acting is not my thing. It appears to be common in many live action adaptations from manga, but I wish it was toned down a bit more. 

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had me until episode 4

Overall: with a few tweaks this could have been a 9.5 series but I actively do not want the main leads together especially when there is a really nice love rival in the picture. Very similar aesthetics to KinnPorsche which makes sense because it shares a director and screenwriter. It was adapted from the novel "Professional Body Double" by Shui Qiang Cheng which I haven't read and I'll base the series on its own merits. 12 episodes about an hour each. Airing uncut on iQIYI. First episode link: https://www.iq.com/play/my-stand-in-uncut-episode-1-1iwuiu9rlww?lang=en_us The production company also produced I Feel You Linger In The Air.

Content Warnings: a major one that is complicated but I'm keeping this spoiler free, non con kissing, punch/violence, intimate partner abuse, held against will, gaslighting, manipulation

What I Liked
- the premise
- showed a condom and discussed sexual position preferences
- had a good conversation at the beginning of episode 2
- wanting/ongoing physical affection
- sweet moments
- supportive sister
- production value (some really nice camera shots, use of mirrors, switching focus on foreground to background etc.)

Room For Improvement
- I can't root for their relationship as explained below
- voice overs with exposition dumps
- felt choppy at times, a lot of time jumps in episode 1 though they were clear
- some of the music didn't seem to fit the tone (that fight in episode 4 was made comical instead of dramatic)
- wish a character hadn't been shown as extremely drunk at the end of episode 1
- love triangle
- extended flashback (episodes 1-4) with ominous voice overs
- nonsense stuff, that Ming didn't realize who he was looking at in the movie poster, he would know that that actor didn't do his own stunt scenes (including fencing), he just happened to have something at his house in episode 4??? Joe didn't have any bruises/blood on his face/head in episode 4?

Thoughts on Grey Characters/Their Romantic Relationships
Sometimes these characters and their dynamic work for me and other times they don't. Here are the factors that I think about:
1. was there a realistic reason why the character/s acted the way they did in the past (sort of, but not to the level that Ming was at)
2. how bad was/is the treatment (extremely abusive and violent, Ming could have accidentally killed Joe in episode 4)
3. were both characters grey or was one squeaky clean (Joe was squeaky clean and Ming was a football field of red flags)
4. was there some kind of apology/amend making (TBD)
5. was there character growth (TBD)
6. do I believe that the characters will stay together in a happy romantic relationship (right now no, TBD)
verdict after episode 4: I don't want them in a relationship together

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could have been amazing

Overall: after almost 6 months and no official international release, I was beyond excited to finally be able to watch this (see the MDL comments). Unfortunately, the characters changed and the plot let me down. About 1 hour long.

What I Liked
- some sweet moments
- flashbacks to the series (except for the rap because that was still extremely cringey)

Room For Improvement
- if you had a few minutes or a few hours with the love of your life for perhaps one final time, what would you do? Play a virtual reality game? Check your phone and ignore them over lunch? Do a dance and post it to social media? I was extremely disappointed in the plot of this special. In the first few minutes we should have gotten how much they loved/missed each other and a minimum of a passionate kiss.
- cliche interrupted kiss
- dead fish lip press
- nonsense stuff, ie. why would Jom try to wake himself up from something so amazing, why would he turn something on he should know would scare Yai, where was Yai (also by himself) while Jom was preparing that surprise
- the tonal shift around 40 minutes didn't make sense when Jom seemed so glib up to that point
- still no official international release (I'll add .5 if they ever get one), they could have put this on Vimeo to buy or rent, sold it to a streaming service/s etc

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messy characters (watch suggestions for BL)

Overall: although I think they did a good job telling the story they wanted to tell, that story was not interesting to me with the amount of cheating and terrible decision-making. Note that every 4 episodes the story re-sets from other characters' perspectives (the middle 4 were my favorite episodes and I did like some plot lines in the ending 4). 12 episodes about 40 minutes each. Aired on Viu.

Content Warnings: near rape, sexual assault, minor?/non-minor, pregnancy loss, blood, manipulation, blackmail, addiction, vomiting, gaslighting

Watch Suggestions for BL Scenes
- episode 5, 24:40-25:40 & 32-33:40
- episode 6, 22:15-22:30 & 38:55-41
- episode 7, 28:10-33:05

What I Liked
- a trans character that felt like a real person instead of a stereotype
- diversity in sexual orientation
- I hated the beginning of episode 8 but I did like that they showed a 'freeze' response because most people just think of 'fight' or 'flight'
- showcased complicated emotions around pregnancy and pregnancy loss
- touched on struggles of being trans and also being in a relationship with a trans person
- production value (music, start was in gray scale, ending credits changed)

Room For Improvement
- there were 22 characters and it was impossible to remember who was married to who, exes with who, cheating with who, related to who, etc.
- I had no interest in a whole bunch of characters/their plots

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the one that started it all

Overall: there are parts that I liked more and parts that I liked less from the Ossan's Love 2018 series. 47 minute special/pilot. Watched on GagaOOLala https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/3892/ossans-love-2016

Content Warning: non con touching

What I Liked
- his female friend was more supportive and less of a love rival in the pilot
- that a character was already divorced
- some funny parts like outside the shower scene

Room For Improvement
- the fight scene wasn't as epic/hilarious as some of the other ones
- that confession left a lot to be desired
- the almost non con kiss and the non con touching
- missed Maki's sass

Ossan's Love Franchise
Ossan's Love special/pilot, Japan, 2016 - don't really need to watch as the 2018 series is the same story
Ossan's Love, Japan, 2018 - full series
Ossan's Love, Hong Kong, 2021 - a remake of the 2018 series
Ossan's Love: In The Sky, Japan, 2019 - this has some of the same characters and kind of a similar overall plot, an alternate setting
Ossan's Love: In The Sky special, Japan, 2019 - goes along with In The Sky series
Ossan's Love: Love or Dead movie, Japan, 2019 - follows the 2018 Japanese series
Ossan's Love Return's, Japan, 2024 - follows the movie
Ossan's Love Returns Telasa Spin Off: Forbidden Gout/Temps Nouveau, Japan, 2024 - these are additional scenes that go along with the 2024 series
Ossan's Love Returns Spin-off Drama: Haruta to Maki no Shinkon Shoya, Japan, 2024 - this is a scene that goes along with the 2024 series
Ossan's Love, Thailand, 2024 - a remake of the 2018 series

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delightful characters but not delightful plot

Overall: we've seen this plot device in numerous specials but I enjoyed seeing the characters again. Aired on GagaOOLala https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/3342/our-dining-table-spin-off-2023 My review of the series https://mydramalist.com/profile/blcompilations/reviews/268835

What I Liked
- the supportive dad and that he gave them space in the hot spring
- Tane
- a couple sweet moments

Room For Improvement
- the premise/poor communication is a tired cliche in special episodes, wanted to see them growing more as a couple and a bunch of fluff

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too much of an unlikable character

Overall: I'm generally more lenient on indie productions; however, Wayufilm has been making short movies for several years and they have had some that I enjoyed so I know what they are capable of. However, in this "The Star" they spent the first 20 minutes with a character who was such a jerk to another character that was a complete doormat. Then in the second part, there was a very fast mostly off screen redemption arc. We didn't get to really see their relationship develop/sweet moments. I did appreciate their frank conversation and the condom in the second part. And I understand why the NSFW scenes needed to be cut on YouTube though it made the second part feel choppy.

Aired in 2 parts for a total of about 45 minutes on Wayufilm's YouTube channel https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOA6_oQmuXGBm-k0qjRmKX3mZLev2M7do&si=ldSLP6IMp8PTcYJf

Content Warnings: bullying, manhandling, threats

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an enjoyable special

Overall: if you liked the series, then you'll enjoy this 40 minute special episode as well. Aired on iQIYI https://www.iq.com/play/city-of-stars-dehsu9gh8g?lang=en_us Here is my review of the series https://mydramalist.com/profile/blcompilations/reviews/336795/

What I Liked
- ongoing physical affection
- cute/sweet moments
- supportive friends
- laughed a couple of times (like when a character hid behind another character/pillar)

Room For Improvement
- again with the excessive comedy sound effects that often made things less funny for me
- voice over
- a main plot point is one we've seen countless times in specials and it annoys me every time, wish they had done something different
- (neutral), I enjoy GL rep but the way they explained it wasn't great

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shorter movie that focuses on bullying and discrimnation

Overall: although it's very low budget, I gave them points for trying to address serious real world problems in about 43 minutes. Aired on YouTube https://youtu.be/p3vl7la7-oA?si=OVtJfstzAUw1aF55

Content Warnings: near suicide, sexual assault, bullying including physical bullying, cyberbullying, non con picture taking/sharing, unwanted public outing, held against will, manipulation, violence/punch, homophobia

What I Liked
- the scene of them eating ice cream
- addressing issues like homophobia, marriage inequality, bullying
- friend called out the teacher and the bullies
- supportive parents

Room For Improvement
- they shouldn't have had the friend do that if they wanted the viewer to want two characters together
- bleeping the Thai swear words was distracting, they likely would have been fine with not bleeping them on YouTube
- not translating text messages
- subtitles, though I didn't really take off points for this because at least they added something
- an open ending with the m/m romance aspect

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