Eliot_Rulez

This series does not work...

I have hopes for all JBLs, but this one was a big disappointment. I don't care if the actors are straight, bi, gay, pan or whatever, but if you have intense material, you have to make sure they deliver. They did not. There are only dead-fish kisses, the nc-scenes are between akward and ridiculous. I doubt there was one queer person on the set. And of course they did have neither a workshop nor an intimacy coordinator.

We are lucky to have a direct comparision with "Fake Fact Lips". When actors really get into their roles, they can deliver even without any workshop. For sure "Fake Fact Lips" has the better script, the bigger budget but for sure also the much better actors. It does not mean that the actors in Fukami are bad, it's just they can't handle the intimacy this script and their roles require and so this series is a fail.

All good intensions, all good acting inbetween can't make up for the lack of intimacy and emotions. The story itself is not bad per se, everyone will easily understand it, but it should be a BL and there is no vibe of it at all. Of course 13 minute episodes do not help either to form a emotional connection, but this productions lacks even that. So for a japanese production this was utterly disappointing and you should not waste your time with it.

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Boring as hell ...

How can such a short series be so boring? Strongberry is not back with a solid BL. The finale was split in two parts, just a cash grab because it added only 7 Minutes more to episode 12/1... What a waste of money. They even did not complete the story of the side couple. So this series has only 12 episodes where the second one is extended to around 23 minutes.

So overall, while the actors are cute to handsome, they were as good as the script let them. The story started with a nice premise but it got boring fast, because there was not much character development for a long time. The also added the kinda "bad" woman for too long imho. I don't like people medling in other peoples affair. Especially bad for the side couple, they are "floating" in the air and we don't know if they did get together or not. At a positive note, they did really kiss :)

So this is a medicore show which did not kept me interested past the 6th episode. For a KBL it's quite disappointing, but after "The Idol" it's an slight improvment.

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I am glad it ended.

What can you say about a show which does start with sexual harrasment and mentally abuse?
It's a trope nobody needs, a trope nobody asks for and a trope which was lame 10 years ago.

Besides the cinematography and the title song this shows has nothing really likable. The characters are plain, the story is awful and everything is so full of clichés. If you want to know more other reviewers will detail all the points which are bad, but I have no time to waste on this show anymore.

It's one of the dissapointments of 2024. Nice production quality meets aweful script, boring acting, some fan-service and nothing more. You should avoid it, if you haven't watched it yet.

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It's raw, it's dark, it's light, it's depressive, it's happy, it's sad - it's the full spectrum.

As usual I went into this "blind" - I did not watch trailers or read about it, I just knew it's playing in a tumult time for Thailand. Of course this is a drama and it does not represent historical accuracy, but it depicted quite accurate what the gist was. There were protests, there was political killings and there was a revolution (a bit later). Thailands military still has more power over it's goverment than any democracy should have.

This series is partly hard to watch. Not because it's bad, because it's so acurate, because the acting is so good and of course because it's so sad - in a good way. The company said this is not a BL, it's a gay story - and it mostly is. They did not disappoint in their description. There is only some fluff but mostly it felt really realistic.

Tanwa (played by Mile) is a typical end of 1960ties free spirit (they would have said hippie at the time), but without a direction. Trin (played by Apo) is more or less the opposite, he knows what he wants and he knows what he stands for. This two worlds clashes and after the traumatic events where Victor (played by Peter Deriy) died, Tanwa find the courage to move on by his mothers unreleased book (given by his father he was at odds). Then we have a second couple, the colonel and the journalist - a poetic love which could not be fullfilled, because the colonel decided to protect his love and sacrifices himself for it. I have read comments that say Dhevi is the villain, but of course she is not. The colonel used her (and her family) to advance his career and he had to pay the price for his decision. This also saved the live of his love the journalist. Is it nice? Of course not, but such were and are (sometimes) the realities we live in. It was quid quo pro - he gained social status which made him go through the ranks of the military into a powerful position and she gained just the man she loved even knowing he has no feelings for her. And in contrast to most BLs: She got not furious and made no scene. It's just realistic.

All the cast were really amazing. When you know that Tencent in the form of WeTV financed this project it's absolutly stunning that they did all that what they can't do in China with such a controversial story. Of course this is a hurtful story, this is not the typical BL fluff you may expect. This is raw, brutal, repulsive, sad but also poetic, happy and beautiful.

For me this is a 10, because besides the realistic approach, a good story and the production quality, it's the right step for Thai's entertainment industry to not just cater to the fangirls. The story is the star of this show and not just some fan-favorite actors. So, if you have not seen it, it's a must watch for me!

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The same old, same old...

When you think you get something like "To My Shore" - no, you don't. It started interesting but then degraded rapidly. We have the same 2D villain fathers and the brother Ken as in many other shows. While not as over the top like in "Wicked Game", it's still not satisfying at all. There is no sophistication in either the script or the villains. It's all very stereotypical. And of course the finale is quite ridicilous as it's typical with thai shows.

At least the MLs got to play something different and in most parts they succeeded with the acting. Nobody can deny their chemistry. The NC scenes are the same old, so nothing new or interesting there. I guess that is the second time we got a GL side-couple, this time not stupid or silly as in "Love Sea". Also the action scenes were not as amateurish as in many other shows, so that got them on my good side 🤣. Production value was high. The timejumps made the story not easy to comprehend.

It's an "ok" show for me, it's watchable but of course can't come close to "To My Shore" which had a much more refined script and even more tensions between the MLs. As usual the viewer gets an happy end and the end scene may be a hint of a coming show in the same universe or a special. But beware that some scenes might be very disturbing (psychical abuse, selfharm) and mentally unstable people should not watch it.

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A show nobody needed....

With WeTV nowadays you have a chance to get a gem or in this case step into a big pile of crap.

I have no idea what the writers/director/producer smoked to put a) so many clichés b) so many couples c) rape into such a short story. Especially c) is repulsive because it does not have any consequences and the character who got raped acts like as nothing ever happend. WTF?

It's a waste to write anything more about this pile of crap. I'm really sorry for the actors who had to act out this shit. But at least it did not drag for twelve episodes 🤣. The money could have been used for other things!

Verdict: Avoid it like the pest, it matched the absolute low like "Flirt Milk", both shows are equally terrible.

Edit; Meanwhile the actors are suing the production company for not paying them the agreed sum which is paltry in comparision to other productions. So now we know where the money went... not into this productions, not to the actors.

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The best thing I can say: I'm happy it ended...

The biggest problem with this show it the main cast called "Win". He has the charisma of a wallpaper. He speaks more robotic then most and his facical expression was mostly not existent. Of course nobody told him, that his orangeblonde hair does not fit his type, but that's only my opinion. 🤣

As usual this series has a ridicilous story, but it can't reach Khemjira or Goddess Bless You from Death. It has nothing interesting in it. The ordinary BL stuff is there, yes, but it makes this series not interesting. Also the naked ghost with his rabbit mask was an eyesore, because when he took of his mask we know how handsome he really is. But at least he got an nonsense happy end.

The only interesting character of the show was Tong imho. He had emotional scenes and he was the best written. The rest of the script is trash, the direction was weak and overall this show is mostly boring af. The other characters did not make me feel anything, I couldn't have cared less. The finale did not resolve anything, because the writers had no clue what they wrote about. There is something positive: I don't hate it like others in this rating bracket. It's just bad, but it does not get my riled up of it's stupidity. So, if you have not watched yet, skip it, it's not worth your time.

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oh sooooo boring....

While not really a bad show, man was it boring.
The writing was predictable, there were no real challenges and if you do food, why is the "super monster chef" just the jury verdicts?

At least one fresh face with Aungpao who did a good job but most were acting like highschool kids and not like grown up humans. I am also not a fan of the weird sounds used in Thai romcons, but at least they did not overdo it.

The kissing scenes with OffGun looked strange for me. I mean they kissed really well in other shows but here it feels shallow without the feeling of love or desire.

This show is a good downer if you have seen something like "Not Me", to calm you down and turn your brain off, because the story does nothing to challenge it.

The finale was an all around happy end, all the parents are soooo nice and so understanding especially Fire's mother. Of course grandma was always cool and always supportive but for the rest I would have wished a more rocky ending or more episodes to see them come to terms and less of the earlier meaningless stuff.

All in all this show was a disappointment.

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not a BL, thank you!

What a powerful story. While it may be confusing at times, everything will get clear the closer to the finale you get.
The acting and cinematography was top notch, the story could be a bit more clear for the viewers even when you will understand it at the end.

This is not a BL, it's a drama, with gay characters. One who denies his past and his pain and the other one who is trying to help his love even when that not always works out as intended. They deliver an emotinal rollercoaster which makes you shed some tears but also depicts how hard a relationsship can be because of all the baggage you have collected in your past and how to communicate to clear the air, to solve misunderstandings, to overcome your faults and your past and make it so you will truly understand each other.

After "Love in the Big City" and "Gray Shelter" we have the third Korean series not fitting in the BL catagory. While BLs can be fun, I personally like realistic, complicated, sometimes painful gay dramas a lot more because they also educate the viewers, that nothing is black and white but shades of gray and that relationsships are complicated and not easy to do especially when your emotional baggage is huge and the world was never kind to you.

This is a must watch for everyone who can cope with painful stories and is willing to give a real drama a chance.

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highly overrated

First, I don't like that every couple in a BL has to be BL couple... How stupid is that?
Second, the last two episodes are extremly rushed. While 8-parters are nice to binch-watch, they do nothing if the story does not fit.
I did not read the webtoon, so I can only review what I saw.
And the story is a mess and unbelievable. Only Ji Ho Geun and Kim Jung Ha made me believe in their characters. From bully to lover was unblievable as well in just one episode and to cast an idol for a main role was just a financial decision.
The last two episodes where rushed as f, for a better understanding at least four episodes have been needed,.

While the premise of the show started strong, the story falls of a cliff. The kisses shown were mostly just touching lips which is lame. "Song Joo Ha" could have kissed on the cheek to convey his feelings. A kiss on the lips would have not been needed, but maybe the director/writers thought the do need fan-service.. Also Han Tae Yi forcing himself was a stupid thing to do, especially when he does have feelings for Seo Do Yoon. While the first six episodes are ok, the last two are a total mess. Song Han Gyeom looks "gay" -(but which idol doesn't?), he does not fit his role at all. Sometimes you can feel he tries but his own personality is in stark contrast to his role and he does not manage to do it. With all the 10 ratings of several people I think they are fans of eyecandy but not thinking about the story which is maybe because our world gets more and more superficial. And to make all couples gay in a BL, is not what a good story needs. If they had only focused on only one couple the eight episodes might have fit. For me this series is disappointing especially because the first two episodes are the best and the last two are the worst.

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I do not like trashy soap opera style BLs....

This series has the same problem as "Love in the Moonlight", with the exception that it was not painful to watch, just cringe. The overdramatized bad guys/gals and the excessive pathos was still the same. And what also obvious, they can't do action right. While it looks nicely coreographed especially in the beginning, you see that the punches do not connect in the slightest. I won't write about the shooting scenes which were just embarrassing.

The only positive I have to say is that DaouOffroad are very good when they act alone or in a serious setting, their chemistry just works. Also the other actors were not bad, but I don't like the overacting and over-dramatization. They could have done this in a serious more thriller-like setting and then the story would have had much more impact, But no, they went the thai way which in this case is bad way.

Spoiler:
The finale was also bad: Pheen has a plan and of course he does not tell his husband. We all know, he can't die, because a BL has to have a happy end (very few exeptions), so he left for a long time, hurting Than again (and again). The reason: Because he needed to change his name, so he can disappear. WTF? Is that, because he don't want to face the consequences of his actions? And he was already married, so he could have taken the name of his husband. And of course everyone dies, so there are no real consquences, no court session to exploit all the bad things the characters did. It's a lazy and cheap way of story-telling.
Edit: Of course the whole inheritance arc did not make any sense, because: if Pheem was decleared dead Than would have inherited the whole company with all the hospitals. Because he was the last legal heir before any uncles and cousins. So Pheem changing his name would not let him get away from his family background because his man would own EVERYTHING. And would be richer than he alone was. And because Than would then be famous Pheem could not be with him. So the writers had no clue what they wrote about and this makes no sense whatsoever.
End of Spoiler

So considering everything, this is not even a medicore show and I know many will hate me because I think so. But that's what I felt when I watched this and sadly this is also one of the shows I will never watch again, because it's a waste of my time.

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A slow burn with a happy but unfinished finale...

While this is a short series, it started extremly slow to pick up pace in episode three. Then in culminated in drama, miscommunication, non-communication, angst and fear. The Finale is slow as well. For reasons unknown, the obvious side-couple don't get an happy end - would it have hurt to add an episode more or extend the finale by ten minutes? So, I'm a bit disappointed that they left that open even when everyone knows what is obvious...

In typical KBL tradition, this was filmed really well, the actors did a superb job and made this an excellent series. They even have a quite long NC scene which is untypical for KBLs. Of course many of you will get frustrated with Jiwon who suffers from a traumatic past, which we only get to know about in passing. He does not talk to anyone about this and that makes him so hesistant to form a relationsship for three episodes that some may have questioned his motives. But being a "star" in Korea with a "scandal" about his harsh training and mental/verbal abuse by his trainer and the public itself, did leave a deep scar. So I get it why it's so hard for him, why he thinks about Jeongu and his carrer and why some of the viewers will not be that happy about the storyline. For me all that makes sense even when it slows down the progression.

Overall, it was a nice series with great acting, trying to be more realistic and not in fairytale land. If you have not watched this yet, you should, because it's one of the best this year had to offer.

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Not a BL

The most positive thing I can say is, it does speak about LBGQT issues but only very superficial without much depth. The show was not a BL nor does it include much of any romance. While the struggling of Idol trainees included some entertainment, overall it was very bland.

This show only makes the point that excessive alcohol abuse is a bad thing, but nobody needs a show to know this. And maybe that friends do things for their friends even if they don't like to? I am a bit confused about that. If someone is forced to do something he doesn't want and has an emotinal outbreak about it, but then decides to do it anyways because of his friends, I don't get it. Yes friends are important, but to self-sacrifice himself for his friends is not a good solution either and does not lead to his happyness overall.

As a BL fan u can skip this show for sure and for anyone else it does not offer much besides light entertaiment, but you won't miss a thing if you have skipped it.

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Typical chinese BL production but devoid of emotions...

As typical with chinese BLs, all the voices are lip-synced which is off-putting. If you notice they did it, it takes away immersion. While both leads are nice to look at, both acctors could not deliver. I did not see any sparks and of course the kisses were also lackluster and not really happening.

The topic of the show was not a bad one, but it was badly executed which jumps in the episodes because they had not enough time to tell the story properly. For a low budget production they have outdone themselves with locations and the size of the cast. Also cinematography was good, music decent but the acting did not drive the story as it should.

I have not much more to say, because it's one of the series to easily forget. It's not good and it's not bad, it's a "so, so". It would have been so much better if they had invested the time for more episodes, a more sophisticated script and especially if the actors would have really liked to play a gay man, but both didn't. I have no clue why they take on such roles when they are not into it. And I also have no clue why MDL calls it "taiwanese", when this is clearly a chinese production.

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Better than expected but still so predictable...

After "Love in the Moonlight" I did not expect much... but at least it was not painful to watch. It's still sooooooooooooo predictable, sooooooooo black/white characters and sooooo much forced drama. At least the pictures are pretty, even prettier compared to "Love in the Moonlight".

And because it is as it is, I have not much to say about it. To have a relationsship with the a man whos uncle killed his mom, seems a bit too ridicilous for me especially when his first move was to "steal" his scent and burned his village. For me, this whole story did not make much sense. Most of the time I felt bored out of my mind, because after episode 2 you can predict excactly what will happen.

Overall a medicore show framed in beautiful pictures but very shallow and very trashy. So if you want to watch it, be my guest, it's one of the better shows in the (two) month(s) of crap thai BL.

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