PPBongi
California, USA
A story that is uneven
This BL series is all over the map, literally. It centered yet again around soul-swapping which is close to becoming a trope. It is also filled with a bunch of down-right awful people. Some even malicious and bordering on murderous. There is also a saint or two and at least one abuser who then sees the errors of his ways. The story is quiet but uneven and becomes a bit cliché. It has some good moments of self-discovery though. The one other thing that was exacerbating was the unnecessary need to make communication so obtuse. Why can't you say what you mean? Entertaining enough overall though.Was this review helpful to you?
Exceptional and Phenomenal
Sometimes, something comes along that completely moves you to rethink your life. And this is one of these programs that gets you to do that. It is an exceptional BL series that has a cast of characters that make you want to believe in love again. It is almost Shakespearean in design and forces you to think about your own mortality. Not all of the cast of characters are good but this series forces you to redefine how you might see 'bad' people. The story seems mundane in the beginning but it goes to new heights and its journey to the end is so real. Yet, it ends in love.Read my full review of this marvelous series at BLBliss.com.
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Great Screenplay; Not So Great Execution
If you are merely listening to this series, it is really good. The screenplay is good and the dialogue between the various couples is spot-on and relevant. Unfortunately, they added acting to this. I cannot say it was bad acting, as I do think they were told to be this laid back and have such a flat affect. With that in mind, there is zero chemistry between any of the major couples and I did not for one second believe they were in love. Also, the music is absolutely atrocious. It is painful to listen to it. Off key, drumming too loud, not in sync with the singing and the singing felt unrehearsed.Was this review helpful to you?
A Solid and Well Acted Series
Undoubtedly, this is a solid and well acted series of a longitudinal love story. It is the screenplay that let this story fall apart a bit. Some of the finest 'parting' scenes from any BL is in this series. Also some of the most intense emotional scenes are in this series as well. But they got a bit over used, however. This was a good series but I wanted it to be great. It just never got there? Why? Well, for me it was the lack of maturity in the development of their relationship as well as the lack of a series intensity to it. These guys were soulmates; I wanted to feel that, sense that, and see that. It got close but never reached a pinnacle for me. However, it is still a very enjoyable series.You can read my full review of this series at BLBliss.com.
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A Great Series with an Unnecessary Scene
Overall, this is an astonishingly well-acted series with a strong ensemble cast and perfect rhythm and timing that makes the dialogue feel natural and original. I know perhaps this is my pet-peeve and I also know that the characters are young and lack boundaries but I simply cannot take physicality as a way to solve your frustrations, jealousies, or anger towards another. .Especially in BL series that are supposed to be enhancing and trying to gain acceptance, tolerance, and understanding from people who do not embrace and 'see' us. Production companies need to be more cognizant of the message they are sending out there. We have to be different and we have to lead.Honestly, this really is one of the better BLs for the year 2022 but fell in stature from just that one scene. So unfortunate.
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Romantic, Sweet, with Underlying Pain
This indeed is a sweet, romantic series with an underlying and underpinning story of a great deal of pain. It was not fully addressed with then leaves the story incomplete. I know it is a romcom but it screamed out the underlying issues with all couples. Regret.The overall story is good and it will give you a certain sense of joy and satisfaction to watch. Yet, for me, I could see that not all was well. I just wish they had addressed those issues more effectively and intensely.
You can read my full review at BLBliss.com.
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Simply a Masterpiece
I really hate using the term masterpiece as it is so overused but in this case, it is complete warranted. It is a phenomenal and breathtaking view of the ugly underbelly of the sex trade industry. There is some brilliant and breathtaking acting in this series that had me weeping at times uncontrollable. If you are expecting some banal BL, then move on. This is not it. It is presented as a docudrama and it is so creative. It is scripted but seems so real. This is not for the faint of heart and if you are sensitive, this will be difficult. Another warning: bring lots of tissues. You will need them. I sure did.You can read my full review of this brilliant series at BLBliss.com
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Missed the mark
This series with its beautiful title completely missed the mark. It was sophomoric, full of sophisms, and just an awful screenplay. If the characters had only talked to each other and shared with each other (even a little), this series could have ended with five less episodes and perhaps a better plot and no doubt more memorable. This series end up with no depth or range to the characters. What you saw was what you got - superficiality. It relied on physicality I am guessing for comic relief that was cringeworthy and unnecessary and inappropriate. For me, not a good series at all. I just did not care about the characters at all and no one really shined. Too bad. Good actors; very poor script.Was this review helpful to you?
A Nice Continuation From Season 1
There is so much to unpack in this series. Perhaps too much. It became overwhelming and at times sounded like sermons on the mount and preaching from the pulpit. The acting in this series is exceptional. A bit surprising, this series touched me deeply and profoundly. Its message of forgiveness and love is evident and overriding. It went with its message to forgive to places that almost bordered on being unforgiveable, but it makes you realize that if you want to be saved (however you want to define that term), you must learn to pardon not just with empty words but with complete sincerity that reaches to your deepest core. In other words, to your soul.My full review of this very good series is at BLBliss.com.
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An Astonishing and Poignant Series One of the Best
I have read many of the negative reviews of this series but I could not more vehemently disagree with their analysis of this series. Sure, Season 1 was not powerful and frankly I thought it was banal and full of tropes. I had no intention of watching Season 2 but for reasons unknown to me, I became drawn to it. To say I was thunderstruck would be limiting. From the immediate opening, I realized I had misunderstood Season 1 at its inception. I did not fully grasp the intensity of Ben and Jim's relationship. While their love was foreordained, it never became inborn. It was only imagined and hungered for, lending itself to profound regrets and painful reflections. The depth of despair and pain both of these guys went through is brought forward with complete conviction to each of their characters. . It shows so profoundly how individuals respond to that loss uniquely, sometimes stupidly, almost always irrationally, and for those of us looking in, wrongly. I was profoundly moved by their performances and this story of pain. It really is a Must See. I know each of us has different takes on what we view, but this one hit home when it comes to the portrayal of love that has been lost. Do not skip this one.If you are interested in reading more on my thought about this brilliant series, please go to BLBliss.com.
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Just Did Not Work
This was a genuine miss. On a whole host of levels. While the main actors were there, the minor roles were miss caste. The story could have been a good one but there was not character development. I knew from the moment the series started what the problem was. Rather than deal with that as a story line, they decide to try and 'ship' them. My major issue however is the awful use of what I call dress-up characters. That whole concept is demeaning, degrading, and a direct slap in the face to the transgender community. Stop doing that! These are not comic figures! In addition to the over sexual harassments by several of the minor characters I guess because someone thought that is a funny premise? It is not and that just has to go away. It is not appropriate in the straight world and it is not appropriate in the gay world.Was this review helpful to you?
A Confusing Story of Unrequited Love, Part 2
This is a prime example of a sociopathic view of the world of love. Perhaps I am reading too much into this rather short series and it may not be as complex as I think it is. But my life’s experiences tell me otherwise as I have seen this scenario with others play out over and over many times. I know how it will end. Perhaps this will be different, but my instincts tell me otherwise. While there are a lot of problems with this series, I am looking forward to future seasons because the actors have believability, gravitas, and sincerity. It seems obvious that they are all relatively new to acting and it is also a low-budget production. But their efforts to give the audience a real story was palpable. That is certainly applaudable and noteworthy.Was this review helpful to you?
Wasted Talent on a Scattered Story
Let me sum up this series by saying this. Avoid it. Frankly, it is awful. It is not a BL which does not make it bad. I have watched several non-BL series that have such strong male friendships and bromances (I’M TEE, ME TOO; HOTEL STARS, YOU NEVER EAT ALONE) that are excellent. These in particularly are strong series. This one, however, is not. But interestingly, it has some very good acting and some very bad acting. It has some excellent story lines, and it also has some very, very bad ones. Although it has some very poignant moments, it is also peppered with too many cringeworthy ones as well. In other words, this series is all over the map with no clear focus, direction, or story plot. It tries to cover too much and subsequently gets lost in convoluted details.Was this review helpful to you?
Trope-filled short BL series
This is a low-budget series with a lot of production issues. But that is not the reason why this series is so mediocre. It is just a badly written series with every known trope for BL series thrown into 45 minutes. The heavy reliance on standard story lines is getting old and trite. In addition, the constant taunting and victimizing someone because he is good looking IS sexual harassment and these behaviors are simply unacceptable. It is no longer funny, or entertaining and needs to stop. Ironically, the two main actors give this boring series some life. They ought to be 'shipped' for other series since they do have good screen chemistry and they did try and make this work. If only they had more to work with. Too bad.Was this review helpful to you?
Astonishingly Good BL Series
This is an astonishingly series that went in a completely different direction than I expected it to. I was convinced that I would perhaps get through one episode and then go, “Eh”. But I was so very wrong. The dynamics of this series is quite profound. This series ends so remarkably that I was deeply and profoundly moved by it. While it is only three episodes, they managed to capture the angst, trauma, and reality of two high school boys floundering trying to figure out what they felt and how to act on that. . It is one of the best coming of age stories I have seen in a long time and frankly brilliantly acted.You can read my full review at BLBliss.com.
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