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Duang Without Me
My review of this series will certainly not fit into the vast and I do mean vast majority of viewers of this series. For me, I simply did not get its appeal, outside of the obvious. However, how far can gorgeous, and I do mean stunningly handsome, young men take this story? I hate to make the contrast but if this series was composed of not so stunningly Adonizes, would there be such a mad flow to rate this series so high? Or perhaps even if one of them had even been marginally defective in some capacity. I think not, for if you honestly assessed it, the story itself is rather mundane and primarily relied on the God-given obvious assets inherent in the actors’ physical appearances. So, I want to take a step back from the apparent and appraise this series on how it emended me. And to be quite honest, I found this series to be woefully limited. While I know I am probably not in the typical demographics of those watching this particular type of BL, as my perspective of this series is going to be vastly skewed. Plus, I also know the vast majority of viewers are quite positive about this series. I simply cannot agree with that assessment. What I am disturbed about and find most disconcerting is the image that somehow this is representative of gay relationships, which all BLs are. In their world, nearly everyone is gay and everyone seemingly accepts gay unions as ‘normal’. That is NOT the case and Qin and Duang should have been made to, at the very least, have some obstacles to their relationship so that others who think ‘it is a walk in the park’ for us, realize it is not. I would also like to see some sense of maturity also develop in these BL relationships especially Thai ones, so that there is not this emphasis on Pollyanna endings and development of sugar-coated connections so that all one has to do is flitter one’s eyelids, act like a dog, and prostrate yourself before someone and pledge your devotion entirely to your loved one and you will then live in nirvana for the rest of your life. That is just not the case.Unquestionably, this is an entertaining BL; just not for me, however. I could not overcome the story’s flaws but found the portrayal of Marvis and Jamie so much more real and erotic than the connection between Duang and Qin. There are a few surprises but for me not enough to carry me over the finish line into thinking this was a great or even good series.
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Too polished & Not Logical
Although this series seemed to capture the hearts and minds of many, I found it lacking in story in terms of empathy and logic. Not acting, however. It is exceptionally well acted. And yet, that is also what bothered me. It seemed too polished, slick, and flawless. I honestly do not look to review the actors or actresses who are performing in series. I take everything at ‘face value’. This series, with acting not the problem, still lacked a Gestalt for me to connect to, in what seemed like a flawless acting exercise. I simply could not warm up to either of the protagonists at all. Something felt absent. Even though it had all the right elements and great screen chemistry, it felt too polished to be believable. It looks and feels off. The angst, rawness, realness, silliness, immaturity, and pain of teenagers was missing. It got too wrapped up in telling a cute story.Was this review helpful to you?
Never Reached A Pinnacle; Awful Ending
This is a series that got so close to the mountain top but just fell short of reaching its summit. That is too bad as the story itself was original and creative and very likeable. But it all crumbled at its denouement. My own suspect was that they did not want to make it too gay for reasons that elude me. This series had so much potential. The relationship between the disabled and ‘normal’ worlds was captured with good accuracy. You had a protagonist that found his calling from this experience in wanting to devote his professional life to helping others. We see that individuals with a disability can and often do use their disability for the wrong reasons or use it as an excuse for inappropriate behavior. This series would have been an outstanding one if it had taken it to a greater intense level in which we were shown that an actual and genuine real love relationship could occur.Was this review helpful to you?
Simply Not Funny
To call this short series quirky would not quite do it justice. It is odd and almost appeared to be a story of a man with a multi-personality disorder. Labeled as a comedy, I frankly just did not get it and subsequently did not find it funny. But I have a difficult time with what is funny in different cultures as humor can be a very culture-centric concept. Another distracting aspect of this series is also a flaw (at least to me) reflective of Japanese BL and that is this constant use of ‘talking to oneself’ to explain actions. Several Japanese BLs use the technique of talking out loud as if they are having conversations with themselves. This is getting overused and tends to 'lead' the audience into what they should be feeling rather than what is.Was this review helpful to you?
Mixed bad as in any reality show
I must warn you that my perspective of this series is not all moonbeams and unicorns. I am not going to praise this series merely for the sake of praising it. Perhaps it is ground-breaking in the sense that it is a gay dating show in the Philippines and for that it deserves applause, unquestionably. As an outsider looking in, I did not understand its concept. I also had a serious issue as to how these 10 were chosen and more importantly vetted. I do not think it was random and my sense was that most were chosen based on social media connections and status in life. And some seemed relatively new to the whole concept of being gay or even if they were gay. I am not trying to negate in any way those who were chosen but with a country of nearly 114 million souls, there are not 10 out and proud unhesitatingly GAY guys from all walks of life, rich and poor, that are willing to be on a ‘reality’ show about finding a guy to ‘spark’ with? With no complications? And I cringe when I see the cavalier way we ogle and view people who share deeply personal secrets and vulnerabilities publicly. While it might be entertaining and, to some extent, hard not to watch, it is deeply personal and maybe cathartic but not necessarily therapeutic or healthy or always good to so freely share. Sometimes the whole world does not need to know or see our deepest vulnerabilities. I both liked and disliked this series, but mostly lean towards the latter. know the ‘good feeling’ we get from initially watching this series and for those participating in this series. But I am apprehensive it will be short-lived, unfortunately. For a whole lot of reasons.You can read my full review at BLBliss.com.
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What Was Its Point?
This is a prime example of how to turn a bad series into an even worse one by not knowing what your direction is. And we can see it slipping away because of the lack of perspective. If this series had some sort of direction, it could have been good. If they were going for comedy, they failed miserably. If they were going for some sort of mystery, it also bombed. However, in my opinion and why I think this series worked a little is that they (I think, or I hope) were going for a ‘tongue-and-cheek’ approach to humor. But never went far enough with what they were doing to make that work.Was this review helpful to you?
This Series is a Example of Effrontery
This series is very confusing and a bit incomprehensible. Frankly that is due to the awful behaviors of all three of the main characters. No one acts with any kind of honestly or reality. How can you possibly fall in love with an individual who just stole your job knowingly? Everyone is plotting and scheming behind everyone else's back and how does this make for solid relationships? I did like how the title comes into play which you find out at the very end. Wish that the rest of the series was as relatable as that. Kind of a disappointment for me.Was this review helpful to you?
Kinky But Intensely Loving
I loved this gem of a BL that had so many viewers clutching their pearls and being disgusted by its content. That I found odd and a bit disingenuous. For most BL watchers, there are seemingly no issues with quite popular BLs that have blatant sexual abuse, often paired with strong emotional and physical abuse as well. Oh, sometimes it is subtly committed by stunningly handsome characters to make it palpable, or they are produced humorously, or even sweetly displayed, and yet somehow, all of that passes muster. In fact, there is a whole subgenre of Bl literally devoted to abuse with hardly a peep and is called ‘innovative’. Where this series fell is in its production value. The script was generally weak and the editing in place was atrocious. Sound was inconsistent in many places. Although I honestly thought the two actors had good screen chemistry, the direction on what to do and how to do it was graceless and appeared fumbly. If you are going to do a series related to a specific genre like BDSM, then study the subject matter and make it look like these guys like it, or hate it, or one was into or and the other was not, or were uncomfortable – anything that gave us more emotional reaction so we know how they are actually feeling. It seemed quixotic.Was this review helpful to you?
The Same Game
Honestly, what can one say about a series that has so little going for it? The plot is dizzyingly twisted. Frankly, it has no socially redeeming values about it at all and there is no point pretending it does. The principal characters are all sycophantic, disreputable, and unprincipled. There is essentially no love story to speak of and what little effort that was put into a love connection, was feigned, contrived, and absolutely based on insincerity. Frankly, I am not sure how I sat through this trashy soap opera. We have seen this theme so many times before. These Bls with their cookie-cutter, cliché-driven, insincere, (poorly done) overdramatic action plots have simply got to stop. Along with the egregious, initially inauthentic love connection – one with not a shred of chemistry or sincerity about it. Honestly, you must have a brain filled with rocks to believe that the main protagonists were in love let alone believe they were in an impassioned sexual relationship. If you do not believe me, then rewatch the last episode with your eyes wide open and tell me that I am wrong. For sure, everyone looks ‘good’ but that is not enough to carry the story across the finish line.Was this review helpful to you?
This Series Has No Life To It!
Perhaps with a little more oomph, this series might have been great. As presented, I rather enjoyed some, but not all of it. This is another vampire series in what has now become a redundancy of them. Each, I am guessing, trying to be unique but none honestly supplanting the original concept. This one also tried but was only partially successful. It all still felt so ‘tired’ to me. While there were some parts to this vampire tale that were unique, there is not enough to make it outstanding and the holes-in-logic throughout are just ginormous. The story begins with a rather interesting nucleus despite the intricacies to its subplot tending to get a bit wonky for me. Nevertheless, I kind of enjoyed the development; I just wish they would put some ‘life’ into the characters.Was this review helpful to you?
Breaks The Cliche Mold!
There is something seriously wrong with you if you do not find this series entertaining at the very least. I thoroughly enjoyed this silly series from the beginning to its end. It is cute, funny, enchanting, and so tongue-in-cheek. It is satirical and yet at times so sincerely poignant. And, to a surprising extent, shatters the stereotypical BL world in a f-a-b-u-l-o-u-s way! It introduces a no-holds-barred flamboyant, over-the-top, out and proud LGBTQIA+ character with an extra emphasis on the plus. A first that I can recall where the protagonist is truly not afraid, ashamed, or inhibited in what he wants to be. Or should I say, ‘she’ wants to be! Does this production have issues? Of course it does! The story itself is ridiculously corny and sanitized. The ending is so saccharine sweet one could die of diabetes. The villains were about as believable as the munchkins from the Wizard of Oz. And the fight scenes were laughable. Yet none of that mattered. I did not care. The whole series is just so funny and entertaining. And I laughed.You can read my full review of this funny gem at BLBliss.com.
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Magnum Opus & A Masterpiece!
I believe this is a series that might be flying under the radar which is unfortunate. Rarely do I ‘binge-watch’ dramas, but this is one that I simply could not break away from. Without sounding flippant or disingenuous, this is THE best Thai series that has graced us this year and perhaps for a very long time indeed. Simply put, it is a preeminent and impassioned diary of human drama and emotions. It is original. One cannot watch this series passively. It will not allow you to do so. In toto, it is an experience. One could write volumes about this series and still not be able to adequately describe its effect or impression on you. It is that powerful. Maybe the best way to define this saga is to tell you what it is not. With great effort and prudence, it keeps clear from being your typical, tropey, cliché-driven BL. Yet there is a love story. Several romances, actually. Fervent. Intense. Erotic. Freeing. Fleeting. All deeply moving. Done in the moment – only for and in the here and now. Yet, will remain with each paramour for the remainder of their days. You will understand their extent once the full depth of this series is felt by you.The real, unfeigned story - the whole story - is about the era known as the 60’s. A point of history where the attitudes and way of life clashed and conflicted proactively with the customary social norms. This story is reflective of the kinds of individuals who were present during that counter-culture revolution. Take the story at its face value and watch it from the perspective of the individuals who were participating in the human experiment of wanting to change ‘the system’. All the characters are deeply rooted in the times.
You must watch this series at all costs. It is unmistakenly on my Apotheosis List and is a very serious contender for Top Series for this year. This is a Magnum Opus. A masterpiece! You can read the full review of this fantastic series at BLBliss.com.
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Cinematically Wonderful But .....
Pretty quickly, however, we realize that this story is stilted and becomes astonishingly boring. I mean REALLY boring. Frankly, it is bland and exceedingly predicable; one could easily write the next dialogue long before it was going to happen. That is how predictable and trite this narrative unfolded. Nothing and I mean nothing surprised me. I almost fell asleep watching this series. With few exceptions, almost everyone is wooden, ostensibly and unfortunately, also cliché. This is a cinematic triumph. The cinematography transports you back to the early 20th century indeed. The costumes were some of the finest I have ever seen and are presented in exceptional detail. The sets were wonderfully detailed, and we were transported to a different era. It is so unfortunate that the action in the story did not match everything else. I kept waiting for something to happen and nothing ever did. Even the kissing scenes and love scenes were muted and sanitized and almost presented like two schoolboys on a camping trip. Certain aspects were not serious in nature. It was indeed so soft that if forgot to do something to my heart. Watching paint dry would have been more emotionally satisfying. Even the secondary couple, while better in terms of emotional fulfilment, was only slightly more engaging in relatability and depth. Neither couple honestly made my heart pitter-patter in any way, shape, or form. This series was flatly dull from an emotional fulfillment.Was this review helpful to you?
A Winnie The Pooh Story
Watching this series will no doubt put you into a diabetic coma from sugar shock. It is so overly sweet that it becomes a travesty. Enough with the prepubescent silliness of what an ideal image of young gay relationships are. These are NOT them. I am not trying to convince anyone that my assessment is correct, but it is time now for some serious reflections on how and what is presented as young gay men in love that is actually authentic. And this ain’t it! And you are doing a gross injustice to young gay, lesbian, trans, and questioning individuals by constantly portraying this nonsense where relationships between adolescent gay boys are so easy to develop, maintain, and be accepted and worst of all so nauseatingly sweet and sanitized. They are not. And every one of their problems and issues has easy solutions; they do not.Summarily, this series is passe, outdated, disparaging, and most of all does not have a modicum of connection to reality or candor. This is a Pollyanna world; not Earth 1.
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Closed The Closet Door Again!
While I have not read the manhwa this is based off, this series failed to deliver as a BL. It did not tell a story; only presented circumstances. Ironically, we got the full picture of the straight couple(s), including a superfluous musical interlude and a tennis match. This is a straight story with two gay guys thrown in to try and make it be a BL. However, there was no intrinsic development of a gay relationship or even a foundation of a strong connection between them until the absolute end. What little we did see about their evevolment, was shown to be dark leading to uncertainty with misunderstanding assumptions and presented mostly despondently. Frankly, this series was a bitter disappointment . Oh, it is well acted, and the cinematography is breathtaking and perhaps that is what hides its flaws so masterfully. But its poor content is couched and guised in pretty words at times and nice surroundings. Take that away, and what you are exposed to is anxiety, fear, guilt, and the shame of queerness that is so prevalent in Korean culture and thinking. This series merely highlights their disquietudes about someone being gay in the worst possible way, I might add. Gayness became shameful, something that you could not share even with friends or family and would in essence be deadly if anyone found out about it. Only talked about it in the dead of night and in whispers. They did everything to put gay people back into the closet except not put a lock on the closet door. This did NOTHING to enhance, enlighten, or encourage acceptance of individuals who are gay. If anything, it merely showed how sad, pathetic, weak, unaccepting, shameful, scared, frightened, intimidating, and unaccepting it all is. Know your place. How much agony it will cause you. Meanwhile, the straight couple gets to foster a warm cozy relationship with everyone accepting of that as being normal. And they get to have a happy ending or live out a dreamWas this review helpful to you?
