BL stage play, a musical

Yes, this is a recording of a production of a live stage performance of this musical. It's done well, and professionally. I've been to plays, musicals, and opera, but I much prefer them live amd in person than watching a recording on TV. Just don't go into this thinking it will turn into a regular drama at some point. It is a musical stage performance with a live audience.

STORY: A standard BL story though it had an interesting sub plot about an older generation couple worrying about what the newer generation BL couples must suffer. I really felt for them amd what they went through, more than the young couple.

ACTING: All were good stage actors. I hope they have long and vibrant careers. Sam is HOT.

MUSIC: This is a musical, after all. I thought it was good. Some songs were hits and some were misses. It's a Tiawanese production in Mandarin, so thankful for the subtitles.

REWATCH VALUE: I gave it a go, but the format isn't my cup of tea.

OVERALL: It's much different than a regular BL. Maybe you'll dig it, maybe not. The older BL couple's storyline was more interesting than the younger. Tip: if you made it through part 1, the payoff in part 2 is worth it.

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Amnesiac looking for a lost love

STORY: An accident caused Mu Ran to forget Su Chen, so he goes on a journey of self-discovery and to search for Su Chen, piecing together fragments of memories from old photos on his phone, meeting people who knew Su Chen, and each stop along the way, learning more about who he was and is, as well as about Su Chen.

The story is quite uneven. Much of it is told in random flashbacks through the fog of Mu Ran's memory. Through some acts of sheer and unbelievable luck, he meets these random people who just happened to know Su Chen. While the Country says China, bet it was actually Taiwanese as it was filmed in Taiwan, along with the many Pride references in the movie props, and gay and lesbian couples shown along the way.

ACTING/CAST: Well, they did a fine job though nothing really stood out.

MUSIC: Untranslated but seemed OK.

REWATCH VALUE: There's not enough here to want me to see it again. They showed the relationship, by bits and pieces along the way, but the presentation was just lacking. And once you know the ending, there is nothing left of the mystery.

OVERALL: An uneven story where the writer/director was not afraid to show many other happy gay and lesbian people and couples as side characters, but when it came to the main couple, it could have been so much more. The views of Taiwan were very nice. IF you want to know if it had a happy or sad ending, read my spoiler in the comments section.

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Supernatural, Nothing More...

STORY: It's quite an interesting premise, one guy sees dead people and gets tangled up with another guy who can exercise ghosts, all tied together by a mysterious girl who can curse people to death. The guys develop a bond, but this wasn't even a light bromance. Absolutely nothing to see here. I thought I read somewhere that the manga had some BL elements, but NONE of that made it onto the big screen if there ever was any.

ACTING/CAST: Basically only 4 characters dominate the entire screen time, and they did a fine job. I couldn't get past how much Hiyakawa reminded me of the Grim Reaper from Goblin... maybe it was the hair...?

MUSIC: I didn't really find the music interesting or even fit this movie well... seemed out of place for such a dark movie.

REWATCH VALUE: Nah, not now that I know the ending and there is no cuteness between the guys to bring me back. Typical supernatural thriller, nothing more. Good once though.

OVERALL: Was hoping for BL, or even some bromance, but none of that was here. Moving on...

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Not a sequel to Ghost Boyfriend or Ghost Boyfriend 2

Not a sequel...

STORY: This is NOT a sequel to the first Ghost Boyfriend or Ghost Boyfriend 2. Completely unrelated, again. OK, so this time it seemed they tried to do some kind of horror movie, for 20 minutes, then the next 15 minutes was a quirky comedy, snooze through a few more minutes back to horror, then barely stay awake for more comedy, to end the whole thing in a very confusing plot twist with more horror... if you managed to stay awake long enough to see the ending. This was pretty boring, also they used being "gay" as a means to deceive each other when neither guy is gay. There is no "boyfriend" in this at all, bromance, or otherwise.

ACTIING/CAST: Nothing stood out, in fact, most of it was very amateurish.

MUSIC: Well, there was a song at the end but I basically skipped the credits cause I didn't care about this movie.

Rewatch Value: No.

Overall: Queer baiting, and not even good at that. After 2 "sequels", I suppose I should give up on the hope of ever a true sequel to the first movie.

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Not a sequel to Ghost Boyfriend

STORY: This is NOT a sequel to the first Ghost Boyfriend. Completely unrelated. Much to my sadness. Well, it seems this time they wanted to focus on the supernatural "ghost" part. It had a real interesting premise in that the two guys knew each other for thousands of years, and one was trying to find a way to lift the curse off the other. There seemed to be a hint of an enduring fondness or friendship, but SADLY, the plot and execution was a mess and the potential of a great story was wasted.

ACTIING/CAST: Not great, suffering from some production value problems, some weird audio and lip syncing issues. But, I think Han Jing Cheng is hot, and like to see him in all the roles he plays.

MUSIC: No idea. Remember none of it.

Rewatch Value: Nah. Just not worth a second shot.

Overall: Not a sequel, not as good as the original, a wasted plot which is tragic, took a long while to even get somewhat interesting, and also barely a BROMANCE. At least the first movie had some kissing.

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STORY: I really liked the cute, little moments that made up their lives, and that they were added throughout the film. It definitely conveyed the love they had for each other, that even in the middle of a crisis, they took time to reaffirm their love for one another. That's just so nice, something a lot of other BL dramas get wrong or miss out on.

ACTING/CAST: The fact that the kisses were cute and not two-straight-actors-making-kissing-look-awkward. It's something other series could learn from. It came across that they had been together for some time and weren't afraid to be intimate. (my big gripe against other shows that still make the boys all coy when it comes to intimacy)

MUSIC: There's a theme, but frankly I forgot it already.

REWATCH VALUE: I will watch it again, now that I know the ending was happy.

OVERALL: My only fault with the story is that it's so short. The ending is a bit abrupt and rushed. I would have liked to see a bit more of the brother's motives and coming around, instead of just the phone call. As always, please support the studio and watch their other stuff so they keep making the best Korean BL!

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STORY: Based off the NOIR version of the film, which is supposed to be the true, intended ending. This is about what happens when things go terribly wrong and a guy resorts to selling his body in the underground of Japan. There are so many sex scenes, kissing scenes, it might as well be pornographic. I'd describe this movie as: very dark, disturbing, horrific, sweet, happy, sad, hilarious, freaky, creepy, crazy, insane, erotic, and so much more.

ACTING: These actors made it look real, the sex, the kissing, even if no private parts were shown. They were not squeamish in the slightest when it came to the many scenes. I spend half the time marveling at what the actors must have been feeling during these make-out scenes. For Riku Mukai, he virtually had sex with the entire cast onscreen--I mean this must have been HOURS and HOURS of takes, getting everything right, all the kissing, rubbing, touching, wow.

MUSIC: I liked the main piano piece, the main theme, but really either there wasn't much or it was so much in the background I didn't hear it.

REWATCH VALUE: I will probably watch the BLANC version next time when I'm in the mood to revisit this, to see how the last 15 minutes differs.

OVERALL: I liked the movie, but it's not a sweet BL by ANY stretch of the imagination. It's much darker, insane WTF movie with a lot of sinister people in it. Not usually my taste, but worth the ride.

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STORY: An art student misreads cues from the teacher and believes that the teacher is interested in him, all the while he questions his sexuality and his ongoing relationship with a female classmate. Nothing really stood out here in this short, unrequited love story.

ACTING/CAST: This really had a bare, bland story that left little for the actors to actually do. Not really any emotions to express.

MUSIC: I liked the credits.

REWATCH VALUE: Not enough here to give it a second go.

OVERALL: Completely forgettable and a bit boring. Only a couple events happened, like the coming out scene, but they are treated rather indifferently, or at least I felt indifferent about it.

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STORY: A theater student in a gay relationship tries to use theater to come out to his intolerant mom in a round-about way. Frankly, I would never suggest someone do this, because it can leave the other person feeling like they've been played, tricked, lied to, or even manipulated. Sure, the son didn't know quite how to tell his mom, but she's intolerant, not stupid. I really wish the story was fleshed out more because so much is left unsaid. Did the boys break up? End up together? Did she accept her son, simply by the fact she attends the play? Who knows?

ACTING/CAST: They all did a good job. I think the costume/set design was quite good.

MUSIC: I liked the piano bit at the beginning, and this did have some interesting culturally relevant music.

REWATCH VALUE: Nah, simply because it feels at the end like nothing really happened, or was accomplished with an open ending.

OVERALL: Worth a watch one time, but soon forgotten.

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STORY: One guy is married and has a kid and decides to break off the relationship with the other, who seems not to have had a clue about this, or ignored it up until now.

ACTING/CAST: For such a short show, they did a fine job. Their little physical interactions and closeness was quite nice and very organic, something major productions don't seem to capture. I enjoyed watching the simple things all real life couples do: where they place their hands, casually rubbing the other's knee, basic intimacy stuff that mainstream BL couples lack, or make a super big deal about--specifically where the one boy put his hands on the other's hips when they were on the motorcycle, which would be a silly, major plot point in a mainstream show, LOL.

MUSIC: Typical, nothing memorable.

REWATCH VALUE: Nah, cause I'd have to pay for it again.

OVERALL: Well, it was worth the watch once.

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Poor Self and Body Image at a Gentleman's Spa

STORY: A worker at a Gentleman's Spa has issues with his body but befriends an attractive client who shows him kindness. He takes swimming lessons from his new friend and attempts to modify his habits to change for the better, but is dismayed that his new friend sought out the services of the other masseurs at the spa, and not he himself.

ABOUT THE STORY: I always enjoy a fresh take on a different subject, and I was really hoping that one about a guy who has body image issues, and the obvious self-esteem issues to go along with, would be something with a super positive message, but I found mostly that it was a cringe to watch. At the end, the guy does learn a lesson but still, very cringey.

ACTING/CAST: The cast did a fine job, and if it was the actor did a good job getting across the feelings of the character, even though I found the character a bit creepy.

MUSIC: Typical, nothing memorable.

REWATCH VALUE: I wish this could have been better, but the story was just a miss for me. So, no.

OVERALL: Cringeworthy.

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STORY: Bum-soo is an aspiring and struggling musician who becomes really close with his biggest fan, Hyun-woo. A friendship develops and eventually more.

ACTING/CAST: All of the actors did a great job. It was nice that the actors had good voices and could play an instrument without needing a hand double.

MUSIC: By far the best part of this production. The song, "As If You Whisper," is great. I really like the simplicity of the lyrics.

REWATCH VALUE: I will watch it again. The visuals showing off the beauty of Korea and the nice music makes it worth it.

Overall: Would have been nice for more focus on the "romance" part of the plot . The ending was happy!

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STORY: Hyun-woo is stuck in the past, still in love with his ex-boyfriend after a breakup. The problem is that he is having a hard time moving on. His inability to let go is affecting his work and his attempts to date other guys. There are a number of scenes with long moments of silence and no dialog as we watch the main character deal with his obvious internal struggles; he looks so lost. The end is simply a thought-provoker. It's not happy or sad, just open-ended.

ACTING: Yo-han Kim did a great job at relaying the character's inner emotional turmoil. I could relate easily to the character. Also, the kiss with his roommate was quite sweet.

MUSIC: It's a short film so there were only a couple of pieces that lent to the main character's struggling emotions.

REWATCH VALUE: I will someday when I have a Korean BL binge.

OVERALL: This was all about the pain of living in the past and the emotional baggage that goes with it.

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STORY: The story was a good one that ran the gamut: sweet, sappy, sexy shower scene, sad in parts, and ended happily. Now that I know how it ended, I'm going to have see it again and watch for all of the little things along the way. I really liked the friendship displayed as it was already a part of the story instead of wasting a ton of time showing how they met.

ACTING/CAST: There were only three main characters but all were good actors and the two boys were not afraid to show some skin or kiss.

MUSIC: I liked it, some good beats.

REWATCH VALUE: I'll watch it again later when I go on a Strongberry/Matchbox binge again.

OVERALL: I love K-dramas and add gay to the mix and it's a hit! Please support these guys!

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STORY: This is a fantastic and funny buddy comedy. Some parts were downright hilarious. There's also a big sex scene in it, no doubt the reason why it's rated MATURE, though there's no frontal nudity. I liked that it had a very realistic ending and yet was still a happy one.

ACTING/CAST: I'm always amazed at how actors can bare it all for their parts, and this is especially brave of them in the LGBT Korean climate. Bravi!

MUSIC: Good

Rewatch Value: Sure, I'll watch it again. It's fun.

OVERALL: I loved that this was a fun view into the lives of a group of gay friends in Korea.

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