In a Relationship (2022)

A nice suprise

There is an inevitable comparison with Gameboys, but the similarities are only superficial - this is a totally different story with different themes.

This is well-done for what it is - and a rare examination of the disconnect between who we seem to be online and who we really are. I can't say too much about the story without spoiling, but the buildup of the plot and the main theme of the story is quite well-done.

However, the resolution was too easy and simplistic and let down the series overall by being unearned. It really needed 2-4 more episodes so that what happens can be processed - in a way that makes sense for teens.

The simple fact is that there is an element to attraction that is physical. There is nothing wrong with that. It can be problemmatic if ALL your criteria are physical, but there are just certain looks that appeal to us more than others. For example, I have a little trouble finding really tall men attractive, and I find Asian men more attractive than any others. That doesn't mean I'm never attracted to men of other races, and I'm sure there are cultural elements involved in my associations, and there's much more to any attractions I have than just physical.

The other thing that was a little off-putting was that there was a large personality difference between fantasy and reality as well. There is a power element to love relationships, and that is also OK and natural. In this case, Boss has an easy, cocky confidence and a sexual confidence that Tono doesn't have - I would find that exciting, and if that balance were suddenly reversed, it would be an issue. Also, there are limits to how different a person can look from what you expected - for example if they're 40 years older or a different gender. Small superficial differences are much easier to integrate than major, categorical ones (e.g. he's really a woman instead of a man vs. his hair is dark brown, not light brown or he looks a little heavier or lighter in person than on camera, etc.)

What I would have liked is some processing on the part of Tono - like his initial reaction is a bit shallow and he needs a little time to think about how that makes him feel and how important it is or isn't to how he feels about Boss, maybe talks it through with his friend, rather than the isntantaneous shrugging it off.

Anyway, I still liked it and it's worth watching. The pacing is good (except at the end), the actors work well togther even in the videochat format, and both are charming and have wll-drawn characters given the short length of the series. I hope we get a chance to see more of them both.

Read More

Short and thoroughly Innocent

Starts like Gameboys, but ends much more teenagery than young adult. However, for the first 6 episodes or so, Boss did come off as very pushy and more than a little creepy. Somehow the dream sequence where he was extra creepy actually made him less so from then on out.

Boss and all the supporting actors were great. The guy playing Tono, on the other hand, looked like he was about to fall asleep at any moment, even while delivering his lines. Other people seemed to enjoy his portrayal of the character, so I'll chalk this up to personal preference.

I'll agree with the other reviewer that the ending needed a few more episodes. It was incredibly abrupt. Also, very anticlimactic, lol! Otherwise, the pacing was pretty good and the lack of length really cut out a lot of unnecessary drama with which the longer shows usually get bogged down. Very refreshing!

My ratings tend to err on the side of harsh, but a 6.0 falls into the range of "I don't fully regret watching this" and "The elements of what I liked and what I disliked balanced out." I probably won't rewatch. Some others won't agree with that opinion, so give the show a shot! You never know when you'll find your diamond in the rough.

P.S. I rarely register background music, so please disregard the rating for that.

Read More

Short Story about Two Relatable Guys

This series aired in 3 short chapters per episode. At first glance, it looked like it was going to be a story that is a copy of Gameboys, but ended up being a story with its own message. Like in GB, Tono gets insultue by Boss for being carried by the team, so they do a one one one challenge, and yes, Boss win. Boss and Tono develop an online friendship, and Tono finds himself excluded by his gaming buddies, including a close friend Jade , because they think he is gaming for content, instead of seriously gaming.. Feeling left out and on his own, Boss, encourages Tono to develop his own content and style on his own, and their relationship grows. A major problem is, Boss always uses a filter when he video chats with Tono. This becomes a make or break moment between them. Will Boss come clean? Will Tono forgive Boss?

I know that some viewers have criticized the performance of Nine, who plays Tono. I disagree because in my opinion, Tono is one of the few characters I've watched who resembles like regular a guy in his late teens. He admits that he is not sexually experienced, although he functions in this area. He also acts a little awkward, compared to the more polished Boss. Yet, Tono is more mature in the aspects of forgiveness and encouraging the person he cares for to be himself. I recommend this series even if the plot isn't exactly ground breaking, nor will leave the viewer crying in their pillow from the angst. It was about two guys I could related to, Hope there will be a continuation of their story in the future.

Read More

bingeable BL series

Overall: this is a small production that uses video calls/tech and is reminiscent of Gameboys in the premise. Watched on YouTube.

Content Warnings: manipulation

What I Liked
- the cute moments
- I adored the information that was brought up in the final episode as this is something commonplace that is almost never discussed in series/movies
- closing credits

Room For Improvement
- (similar to Gameboys), I'm not a fan of a really aggressive pursuit of a very reluctant stranger, it comes across as harassment instead of romantic (for me at least)
- the cliche 'agree to anything'
- there was something that I didn't like throughout but if I talk about it then it will be a spoiler, things made sense in the end
- the ending was rather abrupt, I could see them doing a second season

Read More

It's similar to the first to third episode but it's different from the next episodes I like the fact that the story is not too matured it tackles the issue of a typical teenager specially how they expressing their love and how they handle the misunderstanding and not looking to the physical looks just for saying the true love, overall it's good. Congratulations to the cast and crew. I hope you make a new series with the two casts because they both have good chemistry. Hope you made it face to face to make it more realistic and fun to watch. Hope you make much interesting stories and plot so that the viewers gain interest to watch for. And the cast must do more acting workshops to be good in acting.

Read More

Não gostei.

Apesar dessa série ser de 2022, parece muito com as séries do início da pandemia, possivelmente foi gravada antes, durante a quarentena. Os personagens só se falam pelo computador. Nesse caso, eles se conheceram através de um jogo, onde um deles comentou algo que o outro não gostou e isso iniciou uma discussão, e o outro já se mostrou apaixonado desde então. Achei isso bemmmm forçado, mas enfim, se trata de uma minissérie, com eps bem curtos, então vamos dar um desconto sobre a velocidade dessa paixão, que por sinal não foi unilateral, já que o outro se interessou em pouco tempo. Ou seja, o desenvolvimento foi com Deus!
Os meninos são bonitos, achei estranho que durante todo o tempo Boss usava aquele filtro de gatinho, mas depois isso foi explicado...uma explicação meia-boca, o problema era apenas as espinhas, mas fora elas o filtro não escondia nada de seu rosto né? O assunto em questão é bem pertinente, me parece um transtorno de imagem, de alguém que vê a beleza exorbitante que as pessoas mostram na internet, e acabam se achando feias, se diminuindo. Mas não achei que o tema foi bem trabalhado, poderiam ter colocado muito mais profundidade no tema .

Achei estranho, o fato de que a partir do momento em que começaram a se conhecer, nenhum dos dois jogava mais on-line, mas teciam conversas com o intuito de
se conhecerem melhor, seus gostos, história de vida etc. E as declarações de amor no final também foram muito forçadas.

Gostei muito da ost... A cena em que o Tono está doente e recebe as comidas e remédios que Boss mandou, e em seguida vê o vídeo com a música é bem fofinha. E fica mais fofa quando ele retribui o presente, quase morri de amores, a do violão então, sem se fala. ❤️ Uma coisa boa é que tudo é regado a doses de humor, mas são doses razoáveis. Podemos perceber os sentimentos, as inquietações, mas de forma divertida. Sobre o final, achei péssimo não terem mostrado o encontro, mas ao menos o final foi feliz.

Não existem cenários além dos quartos deles, assim como não tem uma fotografia empolgante, mas a filmografia é razoável. A atuação dos meninos é mais ou menos, mas a série é um baixa produção, então minhas expectativas quanto a isso não eram altas.

Sinceramente, não pretendo rever a série. Já vi duas vezes e não mudei minha opinião sobre ela. Não desencorajo quem quer ver, aliás, o canal oficial tem legendas em PT/BR, mas não espere uma grande produção.

Read More