Taboo and controversial topics in a piece of goldsmithing that every lover of good cinema should see

The Korean director Leesong Hee-il writes and directs 'Suddenly Last Summer' ('Jinanyeoreum, gapjagi'), from 2012, a 37-minute medium-length film, second part of the trilogy known as '' One Night and Two Days' (백야) that include the feature film 'Baekya' ('White Night') and the short film 'Namjjokeuro Ganda' ('Going South'), three unconnected stories that began as shorts but later expanded, in the case of the first, to a 75-minute film.
His vast work, like a piece of goldsmithing, armed with the finest craftsmanship, shows a filmmaker always attentive to the details, to the subtle articulations of the adventures, with which he won the applause of critics and spectators who, even after more than one decade since its release, they still look for in it the keys to unusual, totally original cinematography, which make Leesong Hee-il one of the most distinguished exponents of Korean auteur cinema in general, and gay-themed cinema in particular. both from his country and, I would dare to say, from all of Asia and much of the world.
Without forcing anything, the director of 'Suddenly Last Summer' plays with reality, stretches it as moldable material, and we end up accepting, without questioning, his invitation to accompany the protagonists on a journey about their sexuality, their relationship and their place. in society. The viewer must be attentive, since the medium-length film begins right in the middle of the story, so the beginning may seem confusing to some.
In that art of telling small things, small memories, small pleasures, small sensations..., which are not so much because, ultimately, together rejoicing, they give meaning to life itself, Leesong Hee-il, considered "one of the most interesting contemporary gay Asian directors", is a skilled filmmaker capable of captivating the most diverse audiences with the power of words and images, involving the audience, in a charming way, in his films, which are all about his favorite subject , gay stories in one form or another.
Leesong Hee-il once again touches on taboo and controversial topics in any modern society, such as homosexuality, the complexity of human relationships, the problematic situation of one lover who is a minor and the other an adult, or the teacher-student role. , and the feelings between people, which on many occasions can be inappropriate, immoral or even prohibited. However, in its subconscious development, it is not something for which individuals can be directly condemned, but those feelings must be acted upon when they are negative.
Another of the values ​​of 'Suddenly Last Summer' and the other two films that make up the trilogy is that its director places the protagonists at some intermediate point in the story, that is, their characters have begun to realize what what they feel, and now they must decide how to act. In the most difficult moment for those involved, when some will triumph while others will falter, it is the ideal moment for Leesong Hee-il to put on the camera lens and begin to tell the story, achieving, through his raw honesty, commendable and unforgettable stories. .
In the medium-length film, its director once again exposes a constant dichotomy in the relationships of his protagonists: one of his characters hides or completely denies his homosexuality, and the other is not afraid to recognize it and even enjoys shouting to the world about his gay status.
In just 37 minutes, the medium-length film raises several controversial points. It is not only the sexuality of the characters that focuses the attention of the audiovisual. Kyung-hoon hides his sexuality from everyone around him, especially the managers and teachers and students at the school where he works. Keeping his homosexuality a secret, his sexual preferences are discovered by Sang-woo, a student of his, when they both meet in a gay bar some time ago.
In a kind of obsession with his teacher, Sang-woo threatens him to reveal everything if he does not agree to his demands, and shows him some photographs captured clandestinely during the meeting held by the two at the gay club.
Fearing that he will lose his job, Kyung-Hoo agrees to spend the day with him. However, the tension between the characters doesn't seem to be related only to Sang-woo's blackmail tactics. While it is evident that Sang-woo is not motivated by a sexual impulse, since he loves his teacher, the entire film suggests that the teacher has feelings for his student.
Sincere about his sexual orientation and love for his teacher, he will claim that he had revealed to his mother that he liked boys, as well as his love for an older man, but Kyung-Hoo's reactions are ambiguous and not transparent.
There is an uncomfortable polarity within the two characters. Due to his youth, Sang-woo is innocent and love and the freedom to be happy lead him to lose himself in a delirious frenzy that drives him to shout, excited, at the fish from the boat, or to act spontaneously and make Kyung-woo listen. Hoon his favorite music after placing the headphones over his ears. He feels transported to another world in which there is no control from society or discriminatory laws and family censorship and disapproval of their children's homosexuality.
The student believes he is invulnerable to what people will say, precisely in a country as conservative as Korea, with strong patriarchal and heteronormative traditions, where homosexuals have difficulty fitting into society and even in the 21st century, sexual diversity continues to be seen as a perversion and considered taboo. But despite his plenitude, Sang-woo is also immature and seemingly unaware of the implications of what he asks of his master.
This one, for his part, is wiser thanks to his age and experience. Kyuung-Hoon is caught between desire and responsibility, between longing and ethics, between good and evil. He is aware that a relationship of this type is not an option, but the hopelessness and unhappiness that surrounds him is evident. His face reveals deep loneliness. Drinking until you get drunk shows that you have found an escape from your sadness in alcohol. He understands that a romance like the one Sang-woo asks for, and he would like to reciprocate, would not have a good result for him. That's why you make the decision to not just deny your feelings to the person you like. She must hurt him again and again with the intention of taking him away from her forever. But the boy persists in his desire to maintain a loving relationship, not just a sexual one, with the teacher. This dilemma that Hyung-Hoon is struggling with causes him great anguish and regret. Sang-woo will not be able to understand why this man who is not afraid to give him furtive glances with a clear sexual connotation in the middle of the class, surrounded by other students, rejects him. He doesn't understand why that person with whom he spent pleasant moments in a gay club and who, like him, doesn't have a boyfriend that prevents him from formalizing a relationship, seems elusive to him.
The essence of 'Suddenly Last Summer' also lies in the fact that Sang-woo could be precisely the kind of person that Kyung-hoon needs in his life, just as Won-gyu himself needs Tae-jun in 'White Night'.
Although the fact that one is a minor and the other an adult, as well as the teacher/student relationship are socially and ethically problematic, the first problem would be irrelevant (at least if the parties involved considered it so) and would have a solution in a short term, taking into account that Sang-woo has less than twelve months left to reach 19 years of age, and with this, the legal age of sexual consent in South Korea. Leesong Hee-il voluntarily introduces this problem to play subtly and skillfully with the viewer by addressing such a complex issue, while pointing out that it can be overcome. No matter how difficult or incomprehensible their reality may be for others, the terrain where the two protagonists move is not perpetual: within a short time the young man would reach the age of adulthood and with this the hope for what each of them currently wants, but they can't specify.
Regarding his roles as a teacher-student, this problem also has an immediate solution, as we know that, through a phone call to a friend, Kyung-Hoon is desperately trying to find a job at another school.
Within the trilogy, 'Suddenly Last Summer' is the most successful film among the three. Its value also lies in the deeply uncomfortable and highly problematic questions it raises about homosexual relationships and society.
But its reach goes much further. Unlike another 'No Regret' (2006), another film by Leesong Hee-il, the focus of the medium-length film, as well as the other segments of 'One Night and Two Days', focuses exclusively on the characters' feelings, using simple narratives and many fewer twists than Leesong Hee-il's first feature film.

Note: The reviews of the remaining pieces of the trilogy, in MDL, can be found on the page dedicated by the virtual platform to each of them.

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The opportunity to correct the mistakes we have made in our lives

Without a doubt, 'Soon of Macho Dancer', 2021, (Original title 'Anak Ng Macho Dancer'), can be considered the legitimate heir to the film series started by 'Macho Dancer' (1988), in which rentboys confront to the sordid realities of poverty in the Philippines. In fact, its director, multi-award-winning filmmaker Joel C. Lamangan, stated that his film was the first authentic sequel to Lino Brocka's greatest global success.
This last film was followed by other films with high-voltage homosexual themes such as 'Midnight Dancers' (1994), 'Burlesk King' (1999), 'Twilight Dancers' (2006), all directed by the late Mel Chionglo, interested in continue exploring the world of dancers who pose in scanty clothing for the homosexual clientele of Filipino venues.
Let us not forget that Brocka first attempted to depict the underworld of male prostitution through a largely improvised sequence in 'Maynila: Sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag' (1975), most of which was removed after the author of the original novel opposed the invention.
Considering the defiance and frustration that Brocka expressed just before his unexpected sudden death, 'Soon of Macho Dancer' could very well be the film he would have made had he survived to the present and the current discontents in the Filipino population, not very different from those of his time. No greater award can be given to a Filipino filmmaker who claims to have made a work worthy of the highest aspirations of the director of 'Macho Dancer', and Lamangan's film turns out to be one of those rare cases.
Most of the characters in these films have in common that they are overwhelmed, defeated by the sad political and socioeconomic reality of the Philippines, which is why they will be forced to practice prostitution as a means of escape from misery, in addition to being driven to claim freedom. lost dignity, without ignoring the insularity of the situation of sex workers.
'Macho Dancer' paved the way to investigate the degeneration induced in the Filipino population in general, and the male population in particular, by the presence of US military bases that curtail national sovereignty while exercising a not-so-hidden political and economic power. but they abandoned those concerns once the main character leaves for Manila or another major city in the country.
Lamangan, who played the role of a rebellious queer lady in 'Macho Dancer', 33 years after its controversial premiere, gives 'Soon of Macho Dancer' the same perspective of a hellish underworld. In this film, the director continues the story through Pol's son, the protagonist of that film, also forced to enter the sordid world of prostitution, when the coronavirus begins to reveal itself as a pandemic.
This pessimistic vision of today, which, however, is not as dark, sordid and sensual as the original, revolves around the coming of age of Inno, a 19-year-old boy who, together with Karla (Elora Españo), his girlfriend, sells clothes online offering sensual dances in front of her mobile camera with the aim of motivating the client, she has to help her father Pol (Allan Paule), a retired stripper addicted to drugs. His dancing skill will be shown later in another gloomy and dark setting.
To get out of debt and pay bail for his father, who is frequently imprisoned for public scandals associated with drugs, Tere (Rosanna Roces), Inno's mother, forces him to work in a male strip club. Like any merchandise, he sells it to Mama Jimmy (Jim Pebanco), the owner of the establishment and retired macho dancer: "He dances well and has a good penis." Faced with Inno's resistance, he assures him: "Your penis will be very successful here." In another scene he instructs him: “Use your head. If you are offered the opportunity to choose between being supported by a gay pimp or a woman, be sure to choose the richer one.”
But just when Inno starts working, Tere, who had turned to prostitution to support the family after Pol's car accident, abandons her son and her husband. At the same time, the club's premises close due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Circumstances put pressure on Inno's life, and he finds himself in need of money like never before. The family dynamic has changed drastically, as the father demands cash to pay for the drugs. Faced with this reality, he breaks up with Karla, whom he considers a hindrance, and delves into the exercise of selling his body in order to survive.
In Club Mankind, Inno will meet Bambi (Jaclyn Jose), a former prostitute who organizes private parties to sexually satisfy the rich. Inno, as "fresh meat" placed on the sales platform, is invited by Bambi to join those parties, but at the first opportunity he fails to be chosen by Kyle (Ricky Guimera), the attractive 19-year-old boy in charge of choose the young man with whom you will have sex.
Although initially nauseated by the abject nature of his new sex work (as opposed to the dancing for the audience, male or female, or escorting that he used to do at Mankind), Inno manages to find some professional equanimity in selling his body, motivated by his father's deteriorating health, increasing financial pressures, and buoyed by the camaraderie of his fellow dancers.
"This place is a pit stop for you. But it's a happy stopover for those kids looking for a better life. I know it's what you want. But don't let your heart guide you. Reject anger. Use your head. That's it the only thing that will help you." With the advice of Mama Jimmy who transmits her experiences as a veteran macho dancer, very similar to those of Tere, Inno turns out to be more skillful than expected. He understands that it was not Kyle, who he would have to conquer in his quest for a better life, but Jun Mallari, the wealthy gay businessman hidden in the next room, who masturbates while watching his favorite sex toy on the cameras with the boy on duty.
In this way, the main character of this film that combines drama, thriller, prostitution and homosexuality, seduces Jun, attracted by the life full of comforts that it offers him, becoming his new sexual puppet and abandoning his father, without to know what awaits him in that world that has opened its terrifying doors to him. Feeling like owner and lord of the mansion he shares with Jun, he will soon want to escape from it and get away from hell.
It turns out that the additional challenges that await the narrative hero increase from this point, quickly and terrifyingly, without giving us time to catch our breath. The turning point occurs in a chain of events that begins with Pol's arrival at Jun's house to look for his son, and the plunge that the protagonist suffers into an underworld of drugs, violence, crimes and parties to which his Millionaire lover invites prostitute boys.
From the get-go, Kyle warns Inno to stay away from Jun before it's too late. But Inno, mistakenly believing that he is acting out of jealousy, turns a deaf ear and ends up entering a world even more violent than the one he was escaping from.
Throughout these dramatic changes, Lamangan ensures that we are aware of Inno's plight by maintaining unconditional empathy with the character he seeks to save at all costs.
The film shows a sordid and violent world, in which the main character will see his self-esteem gradually diminish, especially when a client asks a male dancer to do something he doesn't like. It is natural. The loss of dignity and virility due to the money he needs to survive marks his path. "My father was a whore. My mother was a prostitute on the streets. And I, another whore. We are a family of whores!", Inno confesses to Bambi, who has recognized in Pol the macho dancer with whom he interacted in last.
The film aims to open the viewer's eyes to the unbearable facts and circumstances of life. The protagonist himself makes it clear in an interview: "Not all of us are lucky enough to have the opportunities that are presented to us, so we do not have the right to fire or judge someone for their choices (…) I am not saying that these macho dancers They may be saints but they all fight for their lives and the lives of their loved ones. They all have a story that we must understand and respect. When you hear their stories, if people take the time to really listen to them, it will impact you a lot. Others have already arrived to the conclusion that your choice is easy."
"Soon the Macho Dancer" fully fulfills its purpose of making the public reflect and inviting them to controversy.
'Anak ng Macho Dancer' leaves me with some life lessons. Among these, the way in which Inno overcomes the consequences of his actions and choices that lead him to live a true hell stands out. He's not just fighting for his life. What Inno believes is right for the people he loves, he does it head-on. He knew that his choices are not good, and in the face of the consequences of the choice, there is a lesson to be learned. Mistakes and struggles, also triumphs, are an integral part of human life.
The viewer should keep in mind the film's message, summarized in Pol's words to Bamby: "We still have the opportunity to correct the mistakes we have made in our lives."
Even with less than ideal material, Lamangan is able to guarantee stellar performances. The filmmaker resorts to exposing, very accurately, a decidedly negative queer image seen before in his other films, such as Lockdown, in which the higher the position of the gay character rich in money, the more malevolent he turns out to be. However, this disturbing state of affairs should be seen as post-queer, rather than homophobic.
The rich characters possess what the citizens who live in poverty need, which allows the macho dancers to carry out pecuniary transactions with wealthy clients that they could never find outside this world of prostitution and lust.
The greatness of Inno's character lies in his status as a redeeming hero who, by saving himself, saves.

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A double switch to brighten our lives

This 2013 Filipino screwball satirical comedy film, starring Zanjoe Marudo and Cristine Reyes, tells the story of twins Brando and Brandy. Despite the physical similarity, both are very different from each other. While the first is heterosexual and has no ambitions in life, the other is a friendly gay who has a career plan.
Brandon is attracted to Erika, Brandy's best friend, but she breaks up with him after realizing that Brandon has no plans for the future.
The homophobic Brando cannot accept that his brother is gay, so he decides to distance himself from him and make his own life independently. To do this, he will plan to start a car repair business and become a mechanic. Brandy, for her part, sets out on her own path to try to make her dream come true.
Eight years later we see Brandy become a successful interior designer, while Brandon still struggles to make ends meet.
Based on real events, the plot delves into each person's journey along their respective paths. Everything seems to indicate that they will never unite again, until one day, their mother begs them to put aside their differences and reconcile. Moved by her mother's plea, Brandy goes out to find her brother to make peace, but suffers an unfortunate accident that leaves him in a coma.
While Brandy remains in the hospital, Brando learns that just before the accident occurred, his brother was putting the finishing touches on negotiating a multimillion-dollar design deal with a client.
Fearing that Brandy will lose the multimillion-dollar business, Brandy's two close friends convince Brando to pull a double switch and pose as his gay brother. Then he will make the second most important decision of his life: So Brando, the straight, homophobic, tough and sexist, becomes the gay Brandy!
This is where the fun begins with Brando juggling Brando and Brandy.
By usurping his gay brother's identity he will not only allow Brando to solve all of his financial problems. It comes with another surprise: It will also give him the chance to patch things up with Erika (Cristine Reyes), Brandy's good friend, who he's always been in love with!
But it doesn't all end here: pretending to be the gay twin will mean that while he tries to prevent a multimillion-dollar business from failing and, in the process, get the love of a girl, he will look at the person he has always hated with different eyes, and acquire a new appreciation for him. by living your life.
In this world gone crazy, with Brando taking on Brandy's cheerful personality, what real chance is there of life returning to normal for the twins? Will Brandy wake up in time, discover the switch her twin flipped, and save the situation?
With a script by Olivia M. Lamasan, Joel Mercado, Enrico C. Santos, Danno Kristoper Mariquit, Kriz G. Gazmen, Kathy Despa and Ays De Guzman, and direction by Wenn V. Deramas, the film features the now Filipino star Kokoy DeSantos will play the twins as teenagers, while Maliksi Morales will play the young Brando and Brandy, and finally Zanjoe Marudo will play the twins as adults.
Filled with comedic moments, 'Bromance: My Brother's Romance' is Skylight Films' first foray into the comedy genre. Even in serious situations, they look for hilarious and over-the-top reactions, which makes it fun to watch.
Zanjoe Marudo achieves a brilliant and natural performance by playing, interchangeably, Brando and Brandy in three different roles: gay man, straight man and straight man who pretends to be gay.

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The harsh reality of Thailand without makeup

This audiovisual product represents the harsh social, economic and political reality experienced by the Thai population. It talks about its problems and contexts, generally adverse, and becomes a reflection of that Asian country.
The film shows topics such as illegal immigration for political, religious, ethnic or sexual orientation reasons; political, administrative and police corruption; police violence and crime, physical elimination of activists and members of the LGBT+ community, border militarization, dysfunctional families, bisexuality, racism, racial discrimination, politically motivated murders, homosexuality, economic problems, prostitution, political activism, stripper , violation of Human Rights, phenomena all reflections of Thai society. I highly doubt that for one reason or another any member of Thai society escapes seeing themselves reflected on the screen.
And facing all these problems there is Sorn (Ud Awat Ratanapintha), a Burmese refugee who, with the hope of a better life, seeks refuge and forges a new identity as a sex worker in Thailand. The protagonist will end up involved in a client's risky plan that endangers his life and that of other people. The diversity of conflicts he faces, his psychological complexity and emotional evolution, add layers to the narrative and weave an intriguing web that keeps the viewer in suspense during its hour and 36 minutes of duration.
The artistic maturity of its main performer protects a remarkable wisdom forged through the experiences lived on the film set. His ability to convey emotions, in a genuine way, cements his position as a leading actor in the Thai film and television scene. Far from seeking grandiloquence, you immerse yourself in your characters with the simplicity that characterizes those who understand that true art lies in authenticity.
From her first appearance on the big screen with the feature film 'Mary Is Happy, Mary Is Happy' (2013) or as a girl with dramas such as 'Hormones 1' (2013) and 'Hormones 2', in 2014, to her participation in television productions such as 'Cat Radio TV Season 1 and 2', '#HATETAG' (2021), 'Bad Genius' (2022), 'Quarantine Stories' (2020), of which in addition to being an actor he is the director and screenwriter; or in the 2022 documentary JMJ: Lesson 25, in which you participate as an actor and director, you have shown how versatile and capable you are of connecting with the public.
With 'Doi Boy' it is not the first time that he has faced the challenge of playing a leading character. Also in the drama ThirTEEN Terrors (2014), and the special Project S Let's Say Goodbye, from 2018, he had already been placed in front of the responsibility of leading plots. However, taking on the lead role in a film like this involved new challenges, and for the actor, it was a crucial step in his career.
Pae Arak Amornsupasiri as Ji, and Aelm Bhumibhat Thavornsiri, who plays Wuth, are the other two main characters.
The way in which social criticism, border problems and issues related to sexual orientation and male prostitution are represented in the film is not coincidental. In his first work, the documentary 'Boundary' (2013), its director, Nontawat Numbenchapol, already addressed the reality of the local population on the border between Thailand and Cambodia never before recognized in Thai cinematography.
Interested in social issues, in his second documentary, 'By The River', he visualized the situation of the villagers of Klity affected by lead water contamination. With this documentary, for the first time a film of that nationality won the Special Mention at the Locarno International Film Festival.
'Doi Boy' is not the first film with which the filmmaker analyzes issues related to sexual or gender identity. With the hybrid docu-fiction #BKKY, from 2016, this renowned documentary filmmaker and cinematographer visualizes stories of 100 teenagers interviewed in Bangkok about their loves, their dreams, and their coming of age just after graduating from high school. With it, he won the Jury Prize for best feature film at Lesbisch Schwule Filmtage Hamburg, Germany.
Despite a solid premise and good performances and general direction, the film does not reach perfection because it is based on an underdeveloped script, with aspects that deserved further exploration.
Beyond its positive aspects, Doi Boy can be perfected, like any artistic creation. The absence of unique characters like Sorn, Ji and Wuth and the practically non-existent presence of stories like this in Thai and Asian cinematography in general could work in its favor. However, these same positive qualities cause the film to be undervalued by followers of the BL genre, but as a thriller and drama it works well.
'Doi Boy' is a forceful justification to talk about Thailand far beyond the false and illusory representation, both in cinema, television and other national media, of a country as a sexual paradise and freedoms for members of the LGBT+ community and the rest of its population, equally discriminated against for political, ethnic and racial reasons. The film is a reflection of what hurts millions of human beings both in that nation and in the world. That is why I am grateful that it does not have a made-up ending and shows reality as it is until its ultimate consequences: those gray areas of the existence of the Thais shown in 'Doi Boy' are not really reflected in the BL dramas from that region of the planet.

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Whirlwind of love and revenge on a tourist island

He works for a dolphin and sea lion show at Fantastic Ocean. He works at a karaoke bar on a beach on the Chinese island of Hainan, where they both live. He is a talented trainer of aquatic mammals. He succeeds in his traveling business, in part because he bears a striking resemblance to the late Chinese actor and singer Leslie Cheung. He waits for him with dinner ready and both of their underwear clean. He is a daring and handsome boy who also has sexual relations with women and walks around the beach, the streets and the house half-naked. He, in silence, awaits your return. He, drunk, comes home late after playing with other men. Both help in an illicit business, while committing petty robberies and other mischief, such as recovering their assets seized by the police.
Li Qi (Shen Shiyu) and Ren Yu (Zhao Bingrui) are two young men who live a wonderfully simple life as a couple. Happy, between the two of them they have built their own earthly paradise.
However, things change when an attractive young woman, Bai Ling (Yue Yue), comes into their lives and drastically shakes their reality. When the daughter of the illegal beach food vendor joins the two men, a three-way relationship seems possible. Li Qi shines around him. She shines around Ren Yu ('Marriage Proposal Say Yes!', 2013 and 'Love in Late Autumn, 2016'). In this classic love triangle, does the girl know about Qi and Ren Yu? Does he know they are a couple? The truth is that the three of them intend to test the limitations of their own sexuality.
The lovers now face difficult decisions because they want to explore their sexuality further and include Bai Ling ('A Woman', 2022; 'Mother in the Mist', 2021), in their relationship. At times, the loving trio disappears to become a secret couple again, but now between Bai Ling and Ren Yu. But the latter will not accept his proposal to be her boyfriend and live in a distant city. Could love for Li Qi be the reason for his rejection? Don't you want to enter an uncertain, but promising future? Why then does he kiss her and while they are living their idyll, the tragedy occurs that will shake the three of them to the depths of their being?
The film, which begins at the end, initially tells us how one of the main characters commits a heinous crime motivated by revenge and then goes to the roots of the conflict to expose the reasons that motivated the revenge.
Also skillful is the location of the plot in one of the tropical and paradisiacal beach areas of Hainan (in Chinese, 海南; pinyin, Hǎinán; literally, 'South Sea'), the smallest and southern province of the People's Republic of China. The site surprises by becoming another protagonist, the fourth, of the film. Its streets and shops show the wounds of the passage of successive typhoons that hit what is now the largest Special Economic Zone of the Asian giant.
Like an island from which you can only leave by air or sea, our protagonists will also find themselves unable to escape their own destiny. This is marked from the very title of the film. The main reason to chew Asian betel nut or areca nut is for its stimulating and slightly euphoric effects. The person who consumes it obtains a greater feeling of alertness, a sensation of heat throughout the body.
Subtle and masterful use of metaphor to mark the destruction of the paradise in which Li Qi and Ren Yu have lived with the interweaving of the Chinese tradition of consuming betel nuts with the risks to human health associated with the prolonged use of these seeds. , since this practice has led thousands of people to an early death.
Released in April 2017, the film, by Chinese director and screenwriter Hu Jia, won the China Stard Best Film Award 2018. It was also presented at the Berlin International Film Festival, Seattle International Film Festival and Hong Kong International Film Festival, in its 2017 editions.
The yaoi genre romantic drama 'The Taste of Betel Nut' (槟榔血) depicts a story of revenge and young love, a story about the growing desire for intimacy between two men and a woman.
Very cleverly, Hu Jia makes unique decisions in writing the script and developing the plot of the film. The choice to include few dialogues does not discourage the viewer. On the contrary, it awakens in us an interest in discovering where the film story will take us. This way, the audience will be able to appreciate the images and focus more on the characters' actions.
The writer and director creates a fractured storyboard that unfolds like a puzzle: fundamental pieces are missing to finish the work. Together, he and the viewer, we will have the task of, as the footage rolls, compare the fragments we have with those intentionally omitted, in order to advance through the incomplete scenes that have kept us in the dark until we reach the light. and with this the understanding of the narrated events.
The ending is open. The viewer, once again behind the cameras, has several pieces of the puzzle in their hands. According to his wishes, only one of them may be the right one to complete the puzzle: on the terrace of his house, between sheets swinging in the air, Ren Yu, with obvious scars on his shaved head and with a slow, hesitant step, has been able come out of the coma and now turns his face and smiles at someone who approaches. Is it Li Qi who has been able to escape the fury of the bullies? Has Ren Yu waited for him during his years in prison for the crime committed? Is it just Ren Yu's imagination? Like Ren Yu, Li Qi has also died at the hands of the gang and they both meet again in another paradise, but this time heavenly?

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We are faced with a filmic gem:
Song Young Jun, 30 (Song Jae Ha) and Seo Joon Suk, 23 (Jo Hye Hoon) are a very happy gay couple despite living their love in secret. Both actors, who play their roles perfectly, are not afraid to show their naked torsos during the 65 minutes of the film and have explicit sex scenes, all achieved in an artistic way.
The young people decide to create a memory they never had in celebrating their 5th anniversary. They rent a room in a motel in Jongno (Seoul's popular gay neighborhood) to record their precious memory on a video camera.
Between a celebration cake, confidences, naked baths, sex and complicities, all in front of the camera in which they record themselves, the room is filled with the memories that unite them, like the day on the beach to which they promise. go back. Likewise, they vow to never change their love for each other.
However, there is a feeling in the air that today is going to be their last day.
On the one hand, the excellent performances, the control of the body and voice of the two actors to interpret the emotions, the direction, script and other technical elements of the film and, on the other, the viewer's refusal to accept the obvious, but All the signs of what will happen are cleverly shown: Joon Suk is reluctant to allow himself to be filmed from the first scene, the bathroom scene. He claims to be nervous, then worries that the video could be taken as pornography. Only your boyfriend's insistence will lead him to agree to participate in everything that will happen inside the room.
As Young Jun prepares to leave, Joon Suk is awake, but he pretends to sleep and doesn't want to say goodbye. It is evident that he knew in advance that the relationship would end, and of the existence of a prior agreement between the two that it would end in this way.
Young Jun will also ask “When did you hate me the most?”, to which Joon Suk will respond: “When you tell me 'we don't have a future', 'we should marry women' or 'the gay community in Korea hasn't changed'.” Young Jun will also confess that “there is a fantastic recording ready for you,” referring to the recorded video that he leaves for her to watch after he leaves.
In my opinion, not knowing how to appreciate the true emotions and feelings that the characters convey is the reason for the negative reviews and low ratings. The characters themselves, very subtly, are responsible for answering the reason why the film does not have an ending like the one we would like. The film makes a very intelligent, very subtle criticism of the discrimination that exists in South Korea against members of the LGBT+ community.
South Korea is a conservative country, with strong patriarchal and heteronormative traditions, where homosexuals have difficulty fitting into society. Coming out is still not welcomed in most conservative Korean families, who consider their children's homosexuality as something close to a crime.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in South Korea face legal challenges and discrimination not experienced by non-LGBT+ South Koreans. Same-sex sexual activity is legal, but Gay Marriage, Equal Marriage or Same-sex Marriage or other forms of legal partnership are not available to same-sex couples.
It's true: we would like a happy ending for the two young people, but reality prevailed. Young Jun leaves an envelope on the nightstand containing an invitation to his wedding to a woman. His destiny is decided by his family. Your destiny is determined by society. He doesn't have the strength to fight this and accepts not being happy and also making his boyfriend unhappy.
An ending, which would only be syrupy, melodramatic and unrealistic, perhaps bordering on the worst film productions, would have been for Young Jun to have rebelled against his family and society and not have abandoned his boyfriend. For a moment, before the end credits, I thought that they were not a couple, that Joon Suk was a prostitute (because of the envelope on the table I even speculated that it could be money) and they both pretended to be boyfriend and girlfriend for some reason. A happy ending, in this case, could be that the connection created between the two turns them into a couple. Young Jun would return to the room to confess to loving him and Joon Suk would claim that he also developed feelings for him during the hours they shared in the motel room.

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Being a virgin at 30 has rewards: the fairy tale with magical gay romance that will steal your heart

Since Jean Cocteau put on the screen the load of imagination, surrealism and magic, bringing romance even to the gothicism of horror films with the premiere of 'Beauty and the Beast' (La belle et la bête), based on the 1757 story de Beaumont, the film productions in which fantasy and love come together continue to amaze.
If in that 1946 film a portrait of the Beast was achieved as a terrifying, erotic and sensitive creature, capable of making Beauty fall in love, since then the cinematographic narrative has diversified, making fantasy, magic and romance go hand in hand. hand.
On that path we have films like 'Somewhere in Time', from 1980; 'Starman' (1984), by John Carpenter; 'Ladyhawke,1985; 'The Purple Rose of the Cairo', 1985), by Woody Allen; 'The Princess Bride', 1987; 'Edward Scissorhands', 1990, by Tim Burton; 'Ghost,' (1990; 'Groundhog Day', 1993; 'Ghostbusters', 1984; 'Mortal Zombie' (Return of the living dead 3, 1993; 'What Dreams May Come', 1998.
Spells to attract love, spells to captivate the perfect lover, witches on their broom throwing magic dust into the air, frogs transforming themselves into princes, mysteries, rituals, spells and magic potions capable of transforming love lives have been used in audiovisual productions whose thread Common among all of them is the imagination in their plot, unaware of limits, an exploration of the impossible that helps - and a lot - to entertain.
BL series also show stories where magical powers are mixed with interdimensional love, musical crystal balls, candies with special powers, travel through time, zombies and ghosts, mutant beings, cats and dogs that become humans and vice versa. In this way, magical visions of love have managed to cross the boundaries of genre to talk about the only thing that truly matters.
'Be My Favorite', 'My Lucky Cat', 'Absolute Zero', '30-sai made Dotei Da to Mahotsukai ni Nareru rashii', 'First Love for the Third Time'; 'I Feel You Linger In The Air', 'Tinted With You', 'Love between fairy and devil', 'Cang lan jue', 'Sound candy', 'See you in my 19th life', 'Revenant', and Heartbeat are some of them.
Based on a 2020 Japanese drama, in turn adapted from a 2018 manga series written by Yuu Toyota, 'Cherry Magic' is a tender and fun Thai BL that tells an office romance with a quirky fantasy touch, starring New Thitipoom Techa-apaikhun, as Achi and Tay Tawan Vihokratana, as Karam. The actors bring a natural warmth and authentic ease to their performances. With a relentlessly positive tone, the series achieves the perfect fusion of sensitive humor and touching sentimentality.
It has numerous truly funny moments. Contrary to the opinion of detractors of the genre, there is nothing wrong with a romantic comedy with a hit of solid and sincere fantasy, which is exactly what this series is.
Its director, X Nuttapong Mongkolsawas (who has dramas such as Our Skyy 2, Viceversa and Theory of Love, among many others), achieves one of the best series of the genre. Featuring a charismatic couple, you'll smile every episode as their fairytale romance unfolds. This fun BL drama has a lot of charm, humor, positivity and imagination within it.
This romantic comedy with a creative story, a cute couple and a joyful love relationship dynamic, tells how Achi, a shy and modest man with an office job, acquires a special power that makes him know love.
The protagonist has never had sex. In fact, he is not looking to establish a romantic relationship because he is afraid of love. He, who lived an ordinary existence and on the eve of turning 30, never thought that his life would become magical, nor that an unexpected love would be closer than he imagined.
Our hero admires Karam (Tay Tawan Vihokratana), the handsome, cool and talented office colleague at the Toyokawa company, the epitome of a being who exudes kindness and beauty at every step. In his eyes, Karam is a demigod while he is an inferior being next to him. Considered the company's best salesperson for 7 consecutive years, Karam exudes the image of being popular among women and a successful man both at work and in his personal life due to his immaculate perfection in dressing and his gentleness.
While surfing the Internet with Rock (Sing Harit Cheewagaroon), his new office colleague, he reads that there is a belief that arriving a virgin in his thirties can obtain "magical power." He doesn't think this is possible... but if it's true, how would this kind of magic choose him?
Achi will discover to her amazement that she has suddenly developed a magical power that allows her to read other people's minds every time they touch each other. This new skill completely changes your life and will bring you fun and exciting surprises. Although at first he refuses to have that ability, everything becomes complicated when she reveals to him that Karam is in love with him!
In world cinematography, possessing the ability to read minds is pursued by evil forces to take over and cause evil. Achi, who rarely exploits his powers, only uses them to help others when they have a work problem and they don't know what is happening or how to act in that case, especially Karam, and to read the thoughts of his friends. co-workers and the man she loves. Most of the time you will know what others think accidentally. He is easily afraid of having these powers.
His powers will also bring him misunderstandings, such as initially believing that Pai (Jan Ployshompoo Supasap), his co-worker, is in love with him, only to later discover that she has actually realized the secret and budding love bond between Achi and Karam and supports that relationship.
As in a fairy tale, you develop a magical ability that helps you read the minds of others, only to discover that the most attractive young man in the company, whom you always secretly admired, also has a secret that concerns you: he is crazy in love with you.
The demigod who always seemed unattainable to you because he was light years away from you, is a prince charming who dreams of spending his life by your side. It is you who are truly the prince charming of her dreams. In reality, it is you who have been unattainable for him, since he has wanted to confess his love to you for years and has not dared, and if you know it, it is all thanks to the newly acquired skills. This is the definition of a self-gratifying fantasy like perhaps none other before it.
The fairy tale is not over yet. Imagine that you are a person who undervalues ​​yourself and is full of insecurities and fears in all aspects of life, including love, but by knowing you are loved you will begin an empowering journey of self-discovery and personal growth. Imagine that you will help your loved one to let down his guard, to calm him down without the constant need to be perfect. This is what Achi will experience. On this journey, Karam takes him by the hand and they travel together.
And from the point of view of the person you love, he is willing to be for you the perfect lover, gentle and chivalrous, faithful companion, friend for life. He has silently wanted it since he met you at the company when they started working on the same day, 7 years ago. He will see in you how good you are, even when you don't trust yourself.
In every fairy tale there is a perfect couple. This is because they are kind, empathetic, sensitive and positive with each other. The two complement each other, motivate, encourage and support each other. They are the example of a happy and healthy BL couple.
As a viewer, Achi and Karam immerse me in their pure and tender romance. Perfectly, I visualize how their relationship develops from co-workers to boyfriends.
Although at first glance Karam seems superficial and distant, thanks to the power of Achi we will soon learn that he is in love with his co-worker and has the noblest feelings towards him.
Manow Waneepan Ounphoklang, PingPong Suwanun Pohgudsai and Mook Jarinee Thanomyat are in charge of writing a drama that every BL fan must see, representing characters who are not afraid to express their feelings and for moments full of innocent romantic interactions. On the other hand, it has an extremely fun secondary couple and something that is not seen much in series of this theme: there is no toxicity.
Achi confides in Jinta, her friend from college, that she has magical powers. Jinta, a romance writer with an eccentric personality, doesn't believe Achi at first, but ends up developing the same ability when he reaches his thirties, weeks later. In this way, she will be able to read the mind of Min, a young courier who makes deliveries to her apartment, and begins to fall in love with him.
For complete understanding, I like to divide the series into two parts. The first half focuses on Achi discovering his magical powers, learning with surprise that he is loved, and the rapprochement between him and Karam as she develops feelings for him. Achi will find the self-confidence to open himself to love.
The second half follows Achi and Karam as a couple, how they get along and are happy with each other. Only towards the end will some tension arise that will test the love of the two, when Achi's magical powers become a burden on their relationship and may end it.
You can appreciate his unlimited imagination in 'Cherry Magic'. The original, unique premise allows many fun scenarios to develop. Every time the two protagonists touch each other, Achi can hear Karam's thoughts about his secret crush. These scenes are handled delicately, making them fun rather than invasive.
You will run the risk of ending up liking Karam more because his inner thoughts are so pure and innocent.
In the original Japanese series, the main couple never kisses on the lips. Will they kiss in the Thai version? Will the couple's physical intimacy be left to the imagination? Like in the country of the Rising Sun, in this drama we will only have kisses on the forehead? I confess something: kisses like the ones given by Karam to Achi on the forehead will have a new meaning in our lives after watching this drama. We will long for them. We will dream of them. We will want to receive a kiss with that passion from our loved one. What's more, kisses on the lips will not be necessary as a sign of pure and true love.
Since I read the premise of 'Cherry Magic', several questions arise: Will the shy Achi be able to demonstrate his love to Karam confidently and openly? Will they be able to resolve the conflict that is already occurring in the final moments? Will they be able to reconcile their differences and have a happy ending? Will Achi know how to say goodbye to his magical powers after losing his virginity or will he cling to them so they don't abandon him? Is possessing magical power or love more important? Even though she no longer has the magical ability, will she still love Karam? Will she be able to know what her boyfriend is thinking, even without the magic power?

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Boy meets robot

Boy meets robot
Technology has entered the world of cinema and television for many years now with the presence of artificial intelligence (AI), defined as the ability of a machine or a computer program to think, learn and act like a human being. Although she has sometimes played villainous roles and sometimes played heroine roles, there is no doubt that she has always, or almost always, played a leading role.
Examples of the above are: 'Her' (2014), 'Ex Machina' (2015), '2001: A Space Odyssey' (1970), 'Ghost in the Shell' (1996), 'Minority Report' (2002) , 'Blade Runner' (1982), 'War Games' (1983), 'The Perfect Man' (2021), The Ultimate Boyfriend (2008), The Bicentennial Man (1999), among other films.
The human being and the machines... the machines and the human being. From the moment I read the synopsis I asked myself questions that I had already asked myself before and to which I have no answers: Will machines replace us one day? Will we end up 'humanizing' artificial intelligence? Will we have to live in fear of being subjugated in the future? Will humans be vulnerable in a context of total dependence on technology? Do robots have wants, dreams and needs?
The premise of the man-robot relationship is the impetus for directors and scriptwriters of BL series to take advantage of the opportunity to give their followers, for the first time, a drama that portrays a romance between a human being and an android.
From the Taiwanese production company Vidol, Anti Reset will not present us with AI on this occasion as villainous and alien robots determined to control and destroy humanity, as T-800 from 'Terminator' (Arnold Schwarzenegger) tried to achieve. Nor will it bring us wonderful C3PO and R2D2 or the endearing WALL-E to delight us.
It will show us a total antithesis of the "robots are coming to destroy us" thinking, as it will move away from the basic concept of AI to bring us closer to a more conventional narrative associated with another genre, romance. This interesting story portrays one of the many perspectives that exist on the relationship between a human and an android.
The creators of BL series have decided to up the ante. Only in this way is the production of a drama that will not be the classic 'boy meets boy' romance but 'boy meets robot' explainable.
One of the protagonists is a substitute for the human being. The robot and the person it cares for and with whom it will fall in love, will take us into a multitude of moral arguments that surround the series, while we see a futuristic narrative arc that, without a doubt, will end up conquering us.
The drama tells the story of Chu Yi Ping (Wu Ping Chen), a man without emotions and few social skills who, after dislocating his hand in an accident at school, accepts his uncle's proposal to be taken care of by Ever 9 (Huang Li Feng). While the experimental intelligent robot is being secretly evaluated to decide whether or not it is suitable for coexistence with humans for the purpose of curing the emotionally disabled, it keeps company with a reluctant Yi Ping, who will soon discover that Ever 9 complements its deficiencies.
At first, Yi Ping has a hard time interacting with the robot. Although at times he is almost convinced of his humanity, he always ends up remembering that he is nothing more than a programmed machine. Interacting with Ever 9 will allow you to break your prejudices about robots and at the same time better understand human needs.
While the robot's capabilities are being evaluated, the relationship between the two young people goes beyond “normal” and Ever 9's apparent humanity begins to attract Yi Ping. Thus, he will look for a way to help the android go out into the real world with him, to live a life together.
To pass the time, Yi Ping asks Ever 9 to make a wish and complete the wish list together, but before completing it, Ever 9 breaks down. The repair only takes a week. But when he returns, his attitude towards Yi-Ping has completely changed. After the reboot, Ever 9 rushes to complete the wishlist and pretends to be bored with Yi Ping and actively asks for a return. Yi Ping doesn't know what's wrong with Ever 9, because he has learned from him how to be human and experience love. Can't you learn to be together all your life? Is the promise to never separate void?
'Anti Reset' is a romantic perspective on the love between robots and humans, it is an incredible reflection on the scope of the growing robot and artificial intelligence industry. While man wonders what the dangers that technological advances represent, this BL arrives to make us think about the emotions and the relationship that robots will have with humans in the future beyond their practical usefulness.
This series is set in a world that could easily be our future reality. So, we must open our minds, since together with the two protagonists we will delve into what love really is and what it means, through an atypical relationship.
The script, while not perfect, benefits from the performances of Huang Li Feng (Stay by My Side, The Ambiguous Focus, Kinematics Theory, The End of Our Youth (2016) and Wu Ping Chen (Stay by My Side, One Afternoon, Komorebi), giving a subtle and different twist to the characters of a plot that, otherwise, would seem too familiar or trite.
The two main characters will go through the different phases of a relationship that, although it is not a typical romance, covers universal themes, but the biggest dilemma that Yi Ping will have to face is whether we are prepared to fulfill our most intimate desires. and fantasies or if, on the contrary, we prefer that a love that was born platonic remains that way.
I remember an Asian film close to this one for the introduction of artificial intelligence, 'Customized companion' (订制男友, Dingzhi nanyou), the Chinese BL and science fiction romantic drama directed by Kuo-Liang Fu in 2017, in which he talks about love between two boys, who use a phone app and summon a personalized virtual companion in the hopes of finding what they have lost in each other.
'My Heartless Boy', one of four stories in the 2023 Thai BL 'Moments of Love', starring Fort Thitipong Sangngey, as Fort, and Pie Saranvut Nittayasuthi, as Pie, addresses a love relationship between a human and a machine which must also be discontinued.
'Anti Reset' is undoubtedly a proposal that brings originality and freshness to the futuristic analysis of the relationships between human beings and artificial intelligence.

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Pheem, the Penelope of Thai BL?

Although the series begins on a somewhat dramatic note, with two university students involved in a fight that leads to the inevitable hospital medical attention of one of them after receiving a blow, the story, in a fast, colorful and fun way, shows us, in tone of a youthful romantic comedy, one of the love plots between boys, set in a university, like the ones we are used to in BL series.
After the painting that is ready to be sent to an exhibition after sleepless nights becomes useless when it is hit by a soccer ball, Pheem will confront Phum, the extroverted and popular, but arrogant university soccer player, guilty of the mess, and in a burst of anger hits him.
Phum then demands compensation from him. But since the mischievous and playful second-year Fine Arts student, who dreams of one day having an art gallery in which to exhibit his own works, cannot pay the medical bills, they will ask him to be at their service and attend to all their needs. whims. Or will it be an excuse to get closer to Pheem?
But there will be a "gentleman's" style agreement: "No one will ever know that one is a slave and the other is a master."
Do you remember the first time you fell in love? Was it not a crush, nor a crush, but a love with capital letters, pulsating, with all the nerves in the body tingling? Whether you've forgotten that feeling, are feeling it now, or even if you've never felt it before, you'll feel that raw emotion in almost every frame of 'We Are' (คือ เรารักกัน'), an adaptation of Parawi's novel of the same name (ภารวี).
When the future civil engineer, embarrassed by having been beaten in front of others, begins a plan of revenge against Pheem, at the same time as his demands as a master increase, his feelings begin to slowly grow.
But Pheem will also demand that the "punishment" not last two months, but until he finishes repainting the damaged painting.
For some strange reason, while I was surprised by Phum accepting the proposal, I remembered Penelope, the Homeric character from "The Odyssey", but with some variations: she is not a woman, but a boy; It was not to avoid her suitors after the absence of her husband that she devised the plan of weaving a tapestry by day to undo it at night, confident that Ulysses was alive and would soon return, and thus prolong having to accept a new spouse. , otherwise he would delay finishing redoing the painting to continue close to Phum. Nor would it be four years until the return of the absent person to complete the two decades, but perhaps the same number of weeks until hearing the confession of love from the young man with whom he has fallen in love at that time.
The world is small and a university is even smaller. Being students at the same university, faced every day in their status as master-slave, leads the two young people to clash with each other again and again until Phum declares his love for Pheem and begins to court him. Or maybe Pheem has a confession to make too?
Phum's affectionate and tender behavior, the constant emission of "doubtful" vibrations, the sexual tensions created around the two, have not gone unnoticed by Pheem, who feels attracted to his "master" from the moment he meets him. known.
In that daily struggle of who dominates who, underneath it all, the two have begun, perhaps without realizing it, as an involuntary act, to take care of each other.
Through the eyes of Pheem, the main narrator, the viewer will be able to enjoy the birth and evolution of the romance between two a priori incompatible people who, however, enter into a love relationship that, like all relationships, has a lot of imperfections, but this It will not discourage them in their efforts to find happiness side by side.
The main arc of the series begins in the usual youth romantic comedy style, with the boys' characteristic pranks; studies, which we are sometimes terrible at; falling in love, which in many cases is the first in life; coming of age, the transition from adolescence to early youth, the joys and difficulties that young people had to face, friends who ignore us or, on the contrary, annoy us to no end, but are always present with his wise advice; the song that seems to save us time and time again from "sinking", the parents who do not understand us, the work that will come (or not) in the future, the differences in social classes... all these themes used mainly in function to provoke laughter, but also to make you reflect.
With a very basic and unoriginal plot having been seen many times, predictable twists, uninspiring characters and trite situations, among other characteristics, the series works for the viewer, if they are one of those looking for an easy romantic comedy.
Starring PondPhuwin, a ship formed by actors Naravit Lertratkosum, who plays Phum, and Phuwin Tangsakyuen, in the role of Pheem, whom we have already seen together in 'Fish Upon The Sky', 'Never Let Me Go' and more recently In 'Our Skyy 2', the drama brings us characters with the classic cliché of "strangers to friends and friends to lovers." Phum and Pheem are two beings who are finding themselves and discovering their most intimate desires.
But theirs will not be the only romance. In addition to Phum and Pheem, as a bonus, we have the expected secondary romance between SatangWimmy, a couple made up of Kittipop Sereevichayasawat (Satang), as Toey, the apprentice, and Thanawin Pholcharoenrat (Winny), as Q, the mentor, who in 'My School President' left us wanting more.
Q, Pheem's best friend and who likes to sing in a night bar, has been Toey's inspiration to decide to study Fine Arts. Secretly, he has been in love with the final year student of that major for some time. Admiring his talent and personality has led him to love him, but Q is unable to see the signs that are constantly coming to him. Will Toey have the chance to confess his love? Has Q really been so blind? These two will also have an agreement: Q will demand from Toey: "Don't tell anyone that you are my apprentice."
And also a third BL romance, that of AouBoom, a duo made up of Thanaboon Kiatniran (Aou), as Tan, the cheerful Engineering student, and Tharatorn Jantharaworakarn (Boom), as Khaofang, a sensitive and shy young man from the Faculty of architecture. In this relationship, Tan will ask Phum to help him flirt with his brother in exchange for the location where he can find Pheem. And Phum, despite initially telling him that he is not the ideal boyfriend for his brother, will give in to his friend's proposal in order to take revenge for the humiliation received.
And…did someone say a fourth romance? Someone…? Yes, a fourth too: that of MarcPoon, the duo made up of Natarit Worakornlertsith (Marc), as Shane, and Poon Mitpakdee, as Pun. This relationship begins when the two friends get closer and get to know each other even more while trying to find another person to flirt with Toey and thus get him to forget Q. Although these three couples are secondary, they manage to win the hearts of the viewers.
In a tone of light-hearted, biting and agile comedy, the series tells the adventures of this group of university friends who, as the official synopsis highlights, "navigate through the complexities of life, love and personal relationships, while balancing their academic responsibilities. , giving rise to chaotic and unpredictable situations.
The series highlights the different side of each of the four couples, their journey of discovery and acceptance. The eight young people will not fail to make you fall in love. As you get to know the four couples and see how the relationship between them evolves, you will be able to decide which one has stolen your heart the most and why.
With a vast body of work within the genre, with titles such as 'Absolute Zero', 'Love by Chance', 'Love by Chance 2', 'Until We Meet Again The Series', 'Make It Right: The Series 2 and 'Make It Right: The Series', among many others, the director, screenwriter and actor Siwaj Sawatmaneekul (New), gives us one of those romantic series that have the stigma that, despite their multiple flaws, they are products that are devoured easily and that seduce all audiences, due to their light, insubstantial and addictive packaging.
Modern, real, entertaining and, above all, addictive, this series joins others with themes of first youth and first love, with the university as its setting, which has always had a negative connotation, since many ( (not to say all of us) it is difficult for us to admit that we have become hooked on some of these dramas, due to their ability to entertain the viewer from beginning to end.
And it turns out that it couldn't be any other way. All human beings have lived, are living or will soon live that stage of our lives that is youth. And to this is added the university experience that not only refers to the academic part, but also a large percentage of it includes personal search, character development, discovering what you are suited for professionally and the diversification of social circles.
It is at university age, whether or not you enter the classrooms of one of these houses of higher education, that a person defines his character more accurately and, in the process, that is where relationships are created that last longer into the future - it is said that the friendships that are forged in college are those that last a lifetime. And love does not escape this axiom.
The series also manages to deny the rumor that 'Never Let Me Go' had been a failure and that GMMTV intended to undo this ship. Although it is very likely that this will be the last series that both film together as the main couple, since in 'Summer Night', to be released sometime in 2024, Phuwin will move away from his usual characters, while Pond does not have any performance planned in the immediate horizon.

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Relatable teenagers discovering sexuality in a fairy tale with LGBT+ characters

With a police investigation for the possible murder of a "Rose Garden College" student, 'Hit Bite Love' introduces the viewer to a story that follows six teenagers who decide to break all the taboos and learn the real truth about love, pain and growth.
Directed by Jakkaphong Pachara (Yuan), the daring series adorned with sexual scenes revolves around three couples with Shokun (Woraphon Charoensuk - Bigboss) as the protagonist and main narrator.
The plot of the Thai romantic school drama comedy could be described as a modern, youthful fairy tale with LGBT+ characters, although in this case, the prince has been replaced by an attractive student council president of a high society high school named Matteo (Alan Campana), who likes to enjoy the pleasures and dangers of BDSM, and Cinderella is played by a music-loving boy who has just broken up with his partner, because he wants to have a romantic relationship that is not secret, like the one you have experienced until now.
After experiencing a tumultuous romance with Ken (Napolpong Sooksombut – Pure), a star player on the basketball team, Shokun decides to put an end to the toxic relationship because he does not feel satisfied: Ken is afraid to publicly acknowledge his sexuality and has condemned him to only having sex secret and hot in the locker room, while appearing to be heterosexual.
Shokun will be captivated by the attractive, seductive and also very intimidating Matteo, a young man with a strong narcissistic personality, who will take advantage of Shokun's innocence, candor, broken heart and desire to be part of the music club, to force him to participate. with him in his erotic games or else he would expose his sexual encounters in the showers.
The scriptwriter Orachat Brahmasreni (Poy) has created a narrative text that, in addition to faithfully portraying the concerns of adolescents in any current society, with their fears, their dreams and their lack of experience with life, also represents some of the elements of the usual love fables, but with an impressive change: it proposes a world that is more than a story, but a nightmare, with regard to the affectivity and sexuality of its protagonists.
The image of the attractive and lucky prince will soon crack when we learn, at the same time as Shokun, about Matteo's sexual tendencies, dominated by sadism, submission and violence (controlled, of course) and his inability to maintain a "normal" relationship with other people. All of this is enhanced by Shokun's doubts and insecurities, who has not yet maintained a full loving relationship, despite having had sex with another boy, which makes the difference between the two more extreme.
Obviously there is attraction between the two, but Matteo has a secret that Shokun is not prepared for: he wants Shokun to be his submissive, while he would be his dominant.
Shokun's innocent and infatuated world will be shattered when he discovers that he is blackmailed by someone who hides a dark and shadowy face, sexual inclinations dominated by sadism and submission. Matteo will try to introduce Shokun to his sexual and emotional reality, while Shokun, surprised by Matteo's peculiar erotic practices, will seek to find out the reason for his tastes and his way of being. But what they both don't know is that the descent into hell that involves immersing themselves in rough and sadistic sex will make love emerge.
The story of Shokun and Matteo could be considered a "sui generis" homosexual urban fable in which some of its most sordid elements are enhanced. But don't be scared..., in addition to whips, handcuffs and other instruments of domination-submission typical of BDSM, 'Hit Bite Love' demonstrates how love can change people by making them grow spiritually.
As he develops feelings for Shokun, Matteo will not hesitate to stop being dominant and become submissive, fearing that Shokun is not ready. And Shokun agrees to be subdued by Matteo because he prefers pain and even humiliation before leaving his world. Until finally, Matteo chooses to give up BDSM, because all he wants is to be Shokun's boyfriend and have him forever by his side. Don't you think this is a beautiful declaration of love?
The series also manages to narrate some scenes that undoubtedly trigger the lividity of the person who watches its six episodes.
That the script is not perfect, that the performances are not perfect. It is true, but the series aims to explore various concepts associated with teenage dramas, such as sexual diversity, sex, the power of friendship, forgiveness, understanding, personal growth and the transition to the adult world.
And not from the perspective of millionaires and heterosexual college girls in liberal and cold Manhattan, as 'Fifty Shades of Grey' proposes, but from the perspective of homosexual teenagers from a country where homosexuality is considered taboo and the marriage between people of the same sex.
With a plot thread similar to that of the Spanish series Élite, created by Carlos Montero Castiñeira and Darío Madrona, 'Hit Bite Love' shows other important elements, such as betrayals, revenge, double standards, family violence, gender violence, homophobia, internalized homophobia, toxic relationships, teenage sex, feelings of guilt, attempted suicide, seeking refuge in social networks or the interest in exposing people's privacy to public ridicule, among others. Is any of this foreign to today's teenagers?
The other couple is King, Shogun's friend and president of the drama club, and Burger (Vasin Traiprakhong – Jur), a transfer student at the school, who will find themselves immersed in a tender and fun relationship based on a misunderstanding.
And finally, we have the couple made up of Saint (Natthapat Meesuk - Tae), Matteo's friend and vice president of the student council, and Hida (Vittawin Panichtamrong - Vic), who have become brothers not related by blood, when the former's mother gets married. with the second's father. They will both be united by a relationship that goes beyond these family ties.
The breakup of Shokun and Ken, the arrival at Burger's school as a transfer student or the strengthening of the bond between the stepbrothers Hida and Saint will end up causing a series of events that, with a police investigation as a backdrop, will shake everyone's lives those involved.
Another element to highlight is the music. The cast itself is the one who sings the songs that make up the soundtrack of the series. In this way, we will enjoy Jur, Tae, Newyear, Pure, Bigboss, Vic and Alan, who perform "Hit Me Bite Me", a song composed by Alan Campana, and Vic and Tae singing "Oxigen", a song written and scored by Vic Vittawin Panichtamrong.
The photography, by Suchart Makhawimarn, helps make the three romantic stories believable. For its part, Suriya Kaewkrong's editing achieves a fast and quite adequate narrative.
Sympathizing with Shogun is easy. Wanting to protect and love him would be anyone's wish. I found Matteo attractive and the most interesting character. He is a seducer and that is transmitted beyond the series itself. There are many points in your way of thinking that I do not share. but that has not been an obstacle for me to identify with him. Alan Campana manages to show two faces with his character, a more tender and romantic one that manages to win our affection, and another more cynical one, in which his dark secret is revealed, but he achieves a sincere and complete transformation when he falls in love.
The rest of the secondary characters appear poorly developed, their only function is to help the development of the plot but they are not important and in that sense I would also have liked them to be given a little more relevance or to delve deeper into the parallel stories, especially in the case of the three girls in love, one with Ken, one with Burger and one with Saint.
It is regrettable that, seeking to visualize diversity on screens, the series portrays queer characters in a stereotypical way, due to their continuous shouting, arrogant and uneducational acts, and mood swings. I am referring, obviously, to the character played by Bookko Thanatchaphan. At https://mydramalist.com/756465-firstly-like-you I publish a review of 'Firstly Like You', a film that addresses the romance of Burger and King, and in which I expand on the topic discussed in this paragraph.
I suppose this is a matter of taste, but from my point of view the erotic scenes are treated very well, they are explicit and descriptive, and they leave little to the public's imagination, but the creators do it in a wise and restrained way, and They do not use indiscreet, foul-mouthed or ordinary gestures, actions or words that may be unpleasant and annoying.
The limits to which Shokun accesses in Matteo's sexual games are at a low level and this results in the scenes not being very strong within what they could have been, which on the other hand the viewer can appreciate if he does not share this point of view.
This is a series that you either love or hate. In my case, I love it, because I consider that 'Hit Bite Love' is an addictive fiction, full of life, rhythm and color, that fulfills its central objective: to entertain in a big way while making us reflect. The Thai drama neither has nor understands taboos. Novel and transgressive, in its frames you can find sex, nudity, very crazy scenes, a truly explosive level, but nothing is gratuitous or obscene.

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A deep connection that transcends the social differences and prejudices of an era

'Suunjapbang', whose official title is 'KBS Drama Special 2023: TV Cinema: Suunjapbang / Joseon Chefs (KBS 드라마 스페셜 2023 - TV시네마 - 수운잡방 | KBS Deurama Seupesyeol 2023 - TV Sinema - Suunjapbang)' tells the story of the noble Kim Yoo (Yoon San Ha), a scholar belonging to the nobility who during the Joseon Dynasty writes the ancient manuscript of traditional recipes "Suunjapbang", a text passed down as a family heirloom by the noble and exalted family of the Andong Gwangsan Kim clan, which contains culinary secrets ranging from exquisite liquors to gastronomic delights.
Known for directing 'Drama Special Season 12: Between' and 'Drama Special Season 12: Oddinary Goods', as well as the series 'Into the Ring' and 'Bad Prosecutor', filmmaker Choi Yeon Soo brings us a story that recreates how it comes about. This legendary recipe book, which with 121 types of foods and drinks is not only a culinary gem, but also a Korean national treasure that has stood the test of centuries.
To bring the story to life in images, the South Korean director has a script written by Jo Soo Yeong ('Drama Special Season 3: My Wife Natree's First Love') and Kim Ik Hyun in his debut as a screenwriter.
In this way, we will follow in the footsteps of the noble Kim Yoo, whose only ambition is to keep alive the family tradition of passing the national civil service examination. However, his path takes an unexpected turn when he crosses paths with those of Gye Am (Kim Kang Min), a passionate chef who calls himself the best cook in all of Joseon. This charismatic and energetic character will challenge the deepest convictions of Kim Yoo, who at the risk of his own life will not be afraid to confront his brother or the emperor himself when he has to protect his Master in the kitchen.
Initially surprised to learn that the cook at the memorial service at Amchungsa Temple where he arrives to concentrate on his studies is none other than Gye Am, soon Kim Yoo begins to search for the life he truly wants as he immerses himself in the world of gastronomy.
'Suunjapbang' (by its romanized name) explores how the passion for culinary art can transform lives and awaken forgotten dreams. The bond that develops between the noble family's second son and the wandering food enthusiast in charge of the Buddhist temple kitchen unfolds amid the culinary intrigue and challenges of a traditional society.
As the two young people immerse themselves in the search for exquisite flavors and innovative dishes, they also discover a deep connection that transcends social differences and the prejudices of an era.
Set in the majestic Joseon dynasty, this historical drama transports audiences to a world where gastronomy and love are surprisingly intertwined.
'Suunjapbang', which adds ingenious imagination to historical events, wins the Best Film award at the 13th Gyeongsangbuk-do Video Content Scenario Competition. The film is also intended to mark the grand finale of KBS' film project 'Drama Special 2023-TV Cinema'.
Kim Kang Min, who I absolutely admire after meeting him in both seasons of the LGBT+-themed romantic drama 'To My Star' and their respective films, adds dramatic fun to the film as a lower-class person with a passion for cooking.
For his part, thanks to the special appearance as Kim Yeon, Kim Yoo's older brother, actor Baek Sung Hyun, with a soft but strong charisma, brings depth to the team of actors while unleashing a series of events that will test the family ties.
I like how the film hints at a possible romantic relationship between Kim Yoo and Gye Am. From the very beginning of the film, the viewer is able to understand that the character played by San Ha is different from the others. Since childhood, Kim Yoo prefers to enter the kitchen of her parents' home before engaging in age-appropriate games.
Likewise, the discussions with his father and, above all, with his older brother, give the audience room to perceive how homosexuality in the young man can be very real. Kim Yoo has always been seen as "the weak link", the "fragile child" who had to "accept your defects", reproducing many of the stereotypes and prejudices wrongly assigned to homosexuals throughout the history of Humanity.
On the other hand, the relationship between the two protagonists, their meetings in the temple kitchen late at night, their night walks near the river, their tender and suspicious interactions, give rise to comments among the other young people residing in the temple. buddhist. For everyone else, Kim Yoo "is in love with a man."
I understand the alarm and concern among the other characters, if we take into account that the Goryeo Dynasty, of Buddhist tradition, focused more on the glorification of the individual, and there are many records that recognize that members of Buddhist orders, nobility and even royalty expressed their attraction to people of the same sex.
An example of the above can be found in King Mokjong (980-1009) and King Gongmin (1325-1374), who had male lovers called chajewhi at their service. The latter, after the death of his wife, created a state body dedicated to recruiting young boys from all over the country to serve in his court.
However, with the establishment of the Joseon Dynasty, the situation of homosexuality changes. This dynasty adopted Neo-Confucianism, a much more conservative tradition, which exalted the importance of family and community, so homosexuality, as today, was considered taboo, especially among the nobility. In the historical aspect, it is worth highlighting the fundamental ideological points of Confucianism in terms of gender, which still has an important weight in Korean society. These are gender hierarchy, marked sexual roles and sex segregation.
It would be healthy to point out that during the Joseon era in rural areas homosexuality existed. This is recognized by historical documents that record, for example, how popular music and show companies, known by the word namsadang, were made up exclusively of young men, even minors, who toured the towns, markets and special festivals to put on shows. full of acrobatics, juggling, tightrope walking, masked dance theater, music and other circus games.
Because artists such as singers or actors were often looked down upon at that time, namsadang troupes recruited their members from orphans, children of poor farmers, and sometimes even through kidnapping. Since they were not well paid and were often offered only food and lodging, and a small amount of money, these boys and young men, on many occasions, had to earn a living through male prostitution.
In short, the troupe of young actors, musicians and puppeteers could have functioned as a homosexual community, with each member taking the role of Sutdongmo, "tomboy", or Yodongmo, "queen", as Stephen O. Murray recognizes in "Homosexualities" , published in 2000 by the University of Chicago Press.
Although with other objectives, 'The King and the Clown', by Lee Joon Ik and filmed in 2005, portrays the relationship between two popular street clowns: the boisterous and manly Jang Seng (Kam Woo-sung) and the calm and feminine Gong Gil (Lee Joon-gi), and how jealousy and anger well up in the king's mistress, the palace ministers, and Jang Seng himself when the famously hedonistic emperor of the Joseon dynasty turns his full attention to Gong Gil.

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The profound loneliness that homosexuals experience in heteronormative societies

'Sad Temptation' (슬픈 유혹 / Seulpeun Yuhok) reflects on the deep loneliness that homosexuals experience in conservative and heteronormative societies, through the extreme disconnection with another society, the homosexual one, and seeks to find a way to communicate beyond that disconnection. Likewise, it explores the breakdown of communication.
Its plot takes us to South Korea in 1999 and follows a middle-aged man named Jung Moon Gi (Kim Gab Soo), who has distanced himself from Suh Jung Hye (Kim Mi Sook), his wife, and meets a young man. homosexual employee, Shin Joon Young (Joo Jin Mo), with whom he falls in love. Both are victims of the lack of understanding of their families and the violent and discriminatory society that excludes homosexuals. Although the two men try to take refuge in their own world, They inevitably end up falling in love with each other.
Aware that film and television content reproduces the socially and culturally idealized sexual and gender approach and that these are aimed at the consumption of the heterosexual community, Pyo Min Soo, the director, seeks with 'Sad Temptation' to make a society in need reflect. to advance against heteropatriarchal logic.
To film the first South Korean public television drama that profoundly depicted love between men, the filmmaker relied on the script by Noh Hee Kyung, a television scriptwriter and essayist, who has earned a solid reputation for his realistic, visceral portraits. and profound insights into the lives and relationships of ordinary people, captured in many family dramas and urban melodramas that have received critical acclaim and won many awards for Best Screenplay and Best Drama Writer, such as the Baeksang Arts Awards, Korean Drama Awards, MBC and KBS Drama Awards.
From the KBS network, and the third time in which the director and screenwriter work together, the audiovisual breaks with the patriarchal approach of society that still today permeates the scripts of the majority of films, series and television programs, aimed at the consumption of the heterosexual community and, in which LGBT+ people remain in the background, and are generally stigmatized and stereotyped.
Its protagonists are three people who live in solitude. The loneliness of Jung Moon Gi, a precarious man in his 40s who worked to achieve success all his life but has now been expelled from the company's management, comes from the fact that he will never be able to tell his family that he is homosexual and has to carry this burden alone.
Shin Joon Young, a man in his 20s who seems confident and ambitious in the eyes of everyone, feels the loneliness that comes with living as a homosexual in a society dominated by heterosexuals and suffering from the lack of understanding from everyone, even his family. Joon Young was hurt by all the men he loved, but they didn't love him just because he was a man.
His loneliness is contained in these heartbreaking words, addressed to Jung Moon Gi: "Coward! Men like you have no right to love or be comforted! Do you know what love is? If you feel alone, say that you are alone , and if you are going through a difficult time, say that you are having a hard time! Love is trusting and hugging each other! Like you, like my brother, suffering alone, not talking, separating from everything is not love. I wanted to touch you! I didn't ask you to have sex! I just wanted to love you! To comfort each other when we feel alone! I wanted to comfort you. If I could, I wanted to help you. live in this difficult world?"
For her part, Suh Jung Hye is the wife who, despite being a professional and with a university degree, which would give her economic independence, has been forced to spend 20 years of her life in a failed marriage watching her husband's back. . That is why he will ask you: "We are one as a couple. Isn't it true that we are separated as husband and wife?"
Why is the connection established between the man who little by little is losing his place in the world after a business failure and estrangement from his wife, and the young man who dances and drinks in bars, and in the street shouts without paying attention? pay attention to the glances of passers-by? What are the reasons for the connection between the somewhat elderly manager whom Jung Yong calls frustrated, and the free-spirited worker?
Moon Gi can see himself in his youth while looking at Jung Young, and Jung Young discovers in Moon Gi the lonely support of his older brother who, like Moon Gi, is selfish and only thinks of himself, even in the moment. of his death, or of Moon Gi's dismissal after his failure at work, which in this case would be the same, since he does not tell his wife what happened.
Jun Yuong, who enters Moon Gi's empty, routine and disconnected life with an irresistible attraction, and whether out of love or pity, falls in love with him. Moon Gi also has feelings that he cannot admit to himself, but one day he discovers himself when he sees Jun Yuong's naked torso, drunk, on his bed, and reacts by fleeing from his presence. But he is surprised when, without stopping thinking about the young man, he finds himself, the next day, wandering in front of his house.
And how does Jeong Hye come into this equation? She is curious about the worker who frequently, in her presence, names her husband, who is not interested in anything but the company. When Jun Yuong visits the couple's house and drinks tea with her, in the absence of Moon Gi, the wife discovers in the handsome young man an image of her husband of two decades.
The simple writing, but with a strong and direct tone, and the delicate and calm direction, are a perfect combination to tell the internal struggle that the two men are experiencing and the relationship between them.
In the one-act play, Moon Gi asks Jun Young, "Why did you become homosexual?" and Jun Young responds, "Why did you become heterosexual?" He then explains, "It's a question I can't answer, any more than you can answer it."
In a society that at the end of the 20th century was as homophobic and intolerant as it continues to be today, the phrase that contains the essence of the film is: "Did you marry your wife because she was a woman? It's not that I loved a man. It's just that the person I loved was a man."
With a photograph marked with dark tones that tries to demonstrate the state of mind of young homosexual love in times of so many conflicts and denials, a pertinent use of the camera and movements that accompany its intensity, make this drama a must-see for story lovers. deep and heartbreaking.
For years before, the idea of ​​filming 'Sad Temptation' had been in the minds of Noh Hee-kyung and Pyo Min-soo. After finishing 'Lies', putting the project into action gained momentum, but they encountered numerous obstacles in translating the text on such a transgressive and unconventional topic into images. From homophobic attacks with hate speech in digital chats and messaging groups, mostly directed at the two male protagonists; Calls for censorship and non-commercialization of the audiovisual product by conservative elements of the South Korean Catholic Church, refusals by cultural institutions to grant monetary funds for the process of writing, filming, post-production and exhibition, marked the work from its beginning.
It was even difficult for the casting, as it was not easy for the actors to accept the emotions of the script, which includes a kiss between Moon Gi and Jun Young.
Pyo Min-soo later acknowledged that in particular, "the entire staff had to take a short break before filming the kiss scene. However, the actors, who were worried before filming, thinking: "Can't the kiss be given a little on the forehead or cheeks?", when the signal was given, they were caught up in the emotion and acted naturally. . Furthermore, the effort put into preparing in a short period of time is evident throughout the work.
The pressures and obstacles could not prevent the viewer from enjoying one of the most tormented passions between two men, nor could they prevent the yellow ginkgo leaves from decorating the path of the Seosamneung stud farm, where Moon Gi and Jun Young, while they walk hand in hand, they give us, at the end of the film, one of the most beautiful romantic breakups in the history of film and television.
In addition to the bittersweet taste, 'Sad Temptation' leaves us with hope, as the creators emphasize throughout the entire film that instead of suffering alone, human beings must work together to overcome loneliness, sweeping away everything that promotes it, thus denouncing to heteronormative, patriarchal and conservative societies. Not turning our backs and fleeing by withdrawing into ourselves, but defending the right to live in accordance with our dreams and passions, the sexual and loving among them, as long as they do not harm others.

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Loss and acceptance of it, themes of the series

Imagine that you have a dog and a cat as pets that have accompanied you since you were a child. Suppose that one day they return to the world of the living, in human forms, after having died, along with your parents, in an accident, with the purpose of giving you company and making you happy. Imagine that you only have a hundred days to spend with them before they must leave again. Suppose that during that period you fall in love with your human-dog. Represent yourself that you will surely have to wait two years for a new reunion, due to the difficulty of traveling between the afterlife and the world of the living.
From this premise, Ahn Ji Hee, the South Korean film director, creates, in 'Choco Milk Shake', the miniseries of 11 episodes of about 15 minutes each, a magical story with a dreamlike aura that creates a moving and pleasant visual experience.
It all begins when a cat and a dog cross the Rainbow Bridge and return to the world of the living in human forms. They go in search of Jung Woo (Go Ho Jung), their owner, a young bachelor who lives alone. When he was twenty years old, a fatal accident took away everything he loved: he lost not only his parents, but also his dog and cat, Choco (Lee Jae Bin) and Milk (Kim Seong Hyuk), respectively.
One night, after returning home from a long day of work at her uncle's (Park Seung Bin) cafe, two handsome strangers knock on her door. To your disbelief, they claim to be Choco and Milk! He doesn't believe them, but Choco and Milk prove their identities by sharing memories that only Jung Woo can know as the pets' owner. This is how Jung Woo realizes that the strange visitors are indeed his two beloved companions from childhood and youth, reincarnated in human form.
A question arises in the viewer from the moment they understand what the series is about: Will Choco and Milk manage to develop human feelings and emotions?
With the cute and clingy dog-human Choco and the more restrained cat-human Milk settled comfortably in Jung Woo's house, the three will once again enjoy the warmth and affection that united them in the past. However, the clash between these four beings will bring new dimensions to the resumption of their life together and surprising discoveries in the areas of friendship and love.
Despite his surprise and confusion, Jung Woo quickly and easily adapts to a warm and cozy lifestyle with his inseparable friends. They bond, create memories and happy moments, and in the process develop feelings that go beyond friendship.
I will answer the question: The story will take legitimately dramatic turns when love and friendship take center stage. The series makes the most of the affection and affection established from the beginning, to legitimize the emotional and romantic twists that appear later.
Choco will be for Jung Woo and Milk for Uncle, the perfect couples, achieving vibrant chemistry between them. Don't forget: The adorable characters and their endearing personalities are the strong points of Choco Milk Shake.
Although the events, romances and stories (for example, how pets become humans or Jung Woo's past), are not developed in depth, this fantasy drama surprises because it is much more than it appears. What begins as a light, fun and adorable story becomes an emotional love letter to pets, their role in our lives and, above all, the importance of saying goodbye in order to continue.
Had the details been developed, 'Choco Milk Shake' would be a more finished, polished series, with a more convincing story.
Rather than focusing on the romantic aspect, 'Choco Milk Shake' deals with the topic of loss and acceptance of the same in a warm way.
With a cast possessing individual charms and wonderful chemistry, the direction, cinematography and writing transport the viewer to a dream and fairy tale universe. The narrative, hinting at the continuation of the series in the future, maintains a good rhythm that enhances the emotionally bittersweet closure, due to the new separation, but the hope of a new reunion.
Jung Woo, the sensitive, soft-spoken boy with a kind heart, who after the tragedy has lost the joy of living, regains his joy and happiness after his reunion with Choco and Milk. But soon his heart will tremble again when he discovers that they both have a limited time on earth. But this will only serve as an excuse for a second season.
And it is there, in the moments of transition from happiness to sadness in the face of the imminent new loss due to the inevitable separation, piercing the most sensitive fiber, when 'Choco Milk Shake' shows its strength and the beauty of the work, thanks to the performances.
STRONGBERRY's first fantasy romance web drama series BL web drama won several awards at the first K-Web Drama Award (KWDA) in Dangjin. At the event, which seeks to celebrate the excellence of Korean web dramas and highlight the unique storytelling and creativity of each creator, director Ann Ji Hee won the Culture of Odyssey award, and production company Matchbox was selected as a of the 12 best winners of the Spotlight selection. For their part, the lead actors also won an acting award.

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Between fiction and reality

Seung Woo Park (played by Jeon Yu Bin) is dragged by Sangyoon Park (played by Minjin Kim) to a corner of the room and, cornered, listens, annoyed, as he is accused of having had sex with someone else.
Sangyoon attacks him and hurts him with his words. Both young people argue heatedly. At any moment they could come to blows. They are not a couple. They are just two friends who…
The victim cannot understand why he is treated that way. That's why he asks her insistently: "What does that have to do with you? Why do you keep interfering in my life? Are we lovers? Are you jealous of other people? Do you like me?" The response he receives from Sangyoon is a kiss on the lips. But when he realizes his act, he nervously turns away and asks for forgiveness.
Thoughtful, Seung Woo Park lowers his head and sighs. He feels a shudder run through his entire body. The question still hangs in the air: "Do you like me?" He looks at him again, and understands that he was not wrong: his partner loves him, most likely with the same strength that he loves him.
Looking up, Seung Woo Park meets his eyes and holds his gaze. Only then, for the first time, he sees Sangyoon Park. He sees it not only with his eyes, but with that inner gaze, through which one is able to see what is deep inside each person, and understands that both are drawn to each other like an abyss to the suicidal person. Yes, he loves the person who has been standing in front of him for months, when they met at the beginning of filming. But the most happy thing he is to discover is... that it is reciprocated.
What intoxicating delight to feel for the first time in one's life the pulsation of the blood in the veins and the pulsation of all the fibers of the body. I was learning what it is to love and be loved.
The order: "Cut!" brings Seung Woo Park back to reality.
It may be that, carried away by emotions, he has strayed from the script. That's why he looks, surreptitiously, at the director of the romantic drama in which both he and Sangyoon Park are protagonists. But she, a few centimeters away from them, camera in hand, does not correct them and has let them do it, understanding that improvisation could allow the characters to flow freely, resulting in genuine, organic, authentic performances.
By then, they were no longer two actors performing a love scene in a romantic drama while being filmed. They have become two people who, through gestures, silence and words, many of them coming from a written text to be interpreted by them, have expressed their true feelings during filming... without anyone on the crew noticing. of it.
And Jui Kim, the director of 'Actor: eal' ('Act or Real'), the two-episode South Korean miniseries from 2024, is aware that love can surprise us anywhere. The same on an ocean liner about to sink, on a desolate mountain where two cowboys discover their sexuality... or on a film set.
The direction and cinematography contribute to the artistic and visually attractive quality of the audiovisual. This work, whose centrality is its love plot, grows around love and the evident desire between its characters.
As it progresses, the miniseries captures the tender moments of their interaction. Through silence, abstract soundscapes and textured cuts, the discovery, acceptance of sexuality and the birth of love between the two young people are conveyed in a visually striking way.
Jeon Yu Bin, the actor who plays Seung Woo Park, and previously known for his leading roles in the series 'Blue of Winter', and the short film 'His, Ice Cream', both from 2022, manages, together with his co-star, to infect us that sexual tension, palpable during the almost 9 minutes of footage.
It's nice to see how in such a short time, the love between the two characters develops honestly, authentic and tender. And together they discover their own homosexuality and give themselves over to it freely, although with obvious shyness, perhaps because other people are present... or perhaps because of the obvious: they are two boys, and South Korean society would not accept them. But they take risks. Love is much stronger.
Music makes everything much more romantic.
Both the director and Jihye Woo, the screenwriter, are aware that one of the most important aspects of an audiovisual is to ensure that the trust and connection between the characters—especially those in love—is very good. That is why they selected two very convincing actors as a couple who acted together in several intense scenes..., like the one with the fast-paced kiss almost at the end, and it surprises us, not because it was not expected by the viewer, but because of its unusual nature. to see the passion represented in it in Asian BL series.
The chemistry between the actors is palpable, allowing the depth of their relationship to shine on screen.
Full of emotions, 'Actor: eal' is a work with love as the central theme, with a kiss and a happy ending. Another added value is that the heteronormative nuclear family (boy-girl) is also questioned on this occasion.
And the creators are also consistent with the logic that few feelings are more universal than love. Any human being could have their own definition and all of them would be valid, even more so if we understand that there are many types of love. The fraternal one, the one you consider a friend, the one you profess to your family... But of course, few things are equal to romantic love, whether between a boy and a girl, between a girl and a girl or a boy and a boy.
They also understand that if there is something that comes close to the authentic perception of romance, it is its representation in literature, theater and, of course, in film and television.
Both one and the other, since their invention, have been much more than simple entertainment. They have been a window to the world, a door to the imagination and an inexhaustible source of emotions. Movies, television series and short films are not only a way to escape from reality, but a way to connect with the stories, characters and emotions that touch our hearts.

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A couple that conquers and falls in love

Food, pranks, love play, sexual tension, music and love are the ingredients of 'Ingredients', the Thai BL series starring Jeff Satur as Marwin (Win) and Gameplay Garnpaphon Laolerkiat as Tops, two college students who are also roommates. From the first moment, we see them already living together under the same roof. And yes, you may think at the beginning that there is already a romance between them, but no... this one is on the way. And you will witness it firsthand.
Win is a charming and confident young man, romantic and playful. He loves music and dreams of becoming a world-class musician. Away from his family and immersed in the world of concerts and tours, but suspended for the moment due to the Covid-19 pandemic, he has not taken good care of himself until he comes to live with Tops.
Gentle and sensitive, Tops has been fascinated by cooking since he was little. An aspiring chef, he finds happiness in cooking delicious, tasty food and giving it to Win to try. When the difference between the two becomes the perfect match, chaos ensues, and the two find themselves deciding between their dreams and each other.
While Marwin writes and sings his own songs and plays the guitar beautifully, Tops, the Food Science student, dreams of opening his own restaurant one day and creates many dishes that have Win as his taster par excellence. He, amazed, will help him with the ingredients and in the kitchen itself, in addition to creating a vlog for Tops to promote his elaborate recipes.
There's no drama. There is no complex and elaborate language. There are no dramatic twists. And is this a problem? In another series, I would surely demand it... and I would even complain about the tropes and the toxicity and the jealous boyfriend and the homewrecker that I have questioned on other occasions, but no, it will not be necessary..., the same with the guys from 'Ingredients' and what happens before your eyes, they will steal your heart and conquer you, well shhhh, total silence, you haven't realized yet that you will only need two people who are happy to be in each other's presence.
Other of its peculiarities lie in the fact that the series has as its background the cruel stage of Covid-19, and with only two or three outdoor scenes, all the action takes place inside the home shared by the protagonists. It is therefore striking how they promote health and safety in times of pandemic, as well as the interest in raising awareness about the necessary hygiene habits.
This drama, which highlights the many cute interactions between the couple as they go about their daily lives, doesn't have a big budget or a complex narrative. With two charismatic protagonists, a cozy atmosphere, simple but honest dialogues, and a romance that is based on the platonic and the playful, 'Ingredients' shows that a love story can be created, even between two people with different personalities, but They have a close relationship and complement each other well.
In a kind of sitcom, although its objective is not to provoke laughter itself, with independent episodes that address a given situation that finds its conclusion in it, but slightly connected by brief references to previous chapters, Win and Tops invite the viewer to penetrate in the privacy of your home so that we can discover your daily life. Between songs, plates of food, jokes, games, looks, silences and small everyday actions, such as calling each other to dinner, playing with a cat, insisting to each other that they stink and have to go take a shower, or decorating the Christmas tree, The friends look at each other and are silent about the love they have for each other.
It is evident that the characters are in their own world and it is the audience, an accomplice, who, already inside the home, bursts into the lives of Win and Tops to witness how one character will take a small step to get closer to the other, and how the other will be happy to take his step forward as well.
The director masterfully directs a visually striking and emotionally charged series that captures the essence of the complexities of human connection, self-discovery, acceptance and personal, spiritual and professional improvement, and challenges conventional notions of love and intimacy, thanks to meticulous attention to every detail.
The camera does not leave the faces of the two young people, and scans the attractive surroundings, especially the living room, the kitchen and the bedroom, now from one, now from the other, as if it wanted to appropriate it. This is how the house becomes another character in the work. In this way, the viewer is guided by the creators through the always beautiful, emotional and at the same time complicated process of falling in love.
As the 21 episodes of an average length of 10-15 minutes progress, the series captures the intimate moments of the two characters. Through conversation, games, music, the preparation of food dishes or their tasting, but without forgetting the silence, abstract soundscapes and textured cuts, the intimacy between Win and Tops is transmitted in a visually shocking.
The absence, at times, of a traditional script, letting the character act, allowing the character to flow freely and spontaneously, allows for improvisation, which results in genuine and authentic performances that resonate with the audience.
The series explores the idea that true intimacy can be found in the simplicity of sleeping next to someone, sitting at the table or on the couch to share one of the delicious but easy-to-make dishes, or being a part of the friendly chat while strumming the guitar, transcending the physical act of sex.
With its unique narrative approach and powerful performances, we can't forget the chemistry between Jeff Satur and Gameplay. Simply put, one feels very comfortable with the other. Since 'He She It', both shared leading roles and this allows them to establish very good vibes. The looks they give each other, especially the first to the second, convey happiness and affection. They are both happy, and excited to be in the other person's presence.
For most of the series, Marwin and Tops play the role of a cute couple of platonic friends, but their relationship almost feels like that of a couple of lovers. In those moments, a solid foundation for their future love relationship is built, while Jeff's voice lets us hear his song 'Moment', which will accompany us throughout the series.
Already at the end, the drama introduces more romance and, if it were not for the kisses, although there are not many, in truth, the viewer practically does not perceive that a natural transition from friends to lovers has occurred.
In addition to the moments in which they already act as boyfriend and girlfriend, it attracts moments such as the tension when Win's family comes to visit to ask him to abandon his dreams and dedicate himself to the family business, the way in which Tops will calm him down in this and in others occasions, the obvious jealousy in Jeff when the neighbor interacts with Tops, the aspiring musician's concern about the thesis that the chef must present to graduate...
Don't turn off the television thinking that it is a simple story, that its episodes are short, that it serves as an advertisement for a supermarket chain (hence the name of one of the characters) or that it will not keep your interest. Don't make the same mistake when for the first, second and even third time I tried to view 'Ingredient' and left it thinking it wasn't worth it. Precisely, there is the hook to seduce you, to conquer you. Don't underestimate the series for these or other reasons.
Tops and Marwin have the power to conquer you as a couple. Jeff and Gameplay are two charismatic actors who make you want to share the fate of their characters. The initial dynamic of the relationship will stop being cordial, brotherly, with large doses of sexual tension here and hints of affection there, until it becomes a true romance in which, as I said, you are an accomplice par excellence.
And yes... why won't I tell you about the ending? Do you want him happy? Do you want the couple to live locked in that house, as if the new coronavirus lurked forever on the outskirts? No, at some point, the doors will open, the masks will be forgotten, those who are no longer with us will be remembered, but life goes on.
At those times, Tops and Win will continue with their careers. The two couples will leave to restart their professional lives where they were stranded after the arrival of the deadly disease. One will invite the other to follow him, but... why do long-distance relationships exist? Can't they stay connected by video calls? Is it not possible to succeed in your respective fields while waiting to meet again? They are not boyfriends? Don't you love each other? Who says that all is lost, that love has an expiration date?
As the final credits roll, I am convinced that always, always, Tops will hear Win's voice, and Win will continue trying Tops' delicious dishes, because love persists, and the hope of reunion also beats.

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