PPBongi
California, USA
Adult AND Smart
This is a surprisingly and shockingly smart, articulate, and very well-done BL with loads of moral precepts that I was not expecting. In other words, I loved this series through and through. It is very adult-like and tackles some sensitive issues in a vailed way that you have to peel away like an onion. The screenplay is very impressive. Sure, it has its weak moments, but they are few and far between and do not deflect from its core message. I cannot say that the characters were all happy in this series, but they made their circumstances work. In other words, they took lemons and made lemonade out of it. This is indeed a very adult series and not your typical BL Pablum fed premise. It presents its story squarely to you. Still a bit sanitized but nonetheless more realistic and honest than a lot of other BLs out there.Was this review helpful to you?
Apotheosis!
Constancy, consistency, and comedic. The three best words to describe this triumvirate of OSSAN’S LOVE, which is one of the best, if not the best BL series and franchises out there. It classically defines and shapes what this genre is all about. Perhaps not to a core of current fans who are zealots of the plethora of BLs with gorgeous young men in stories, that, for the most part, are forgettable and whose ‘love for one another’ is defined by the amount of ‘shipping performances’ they do together. This season and the ones before it are the true pioneers of what BL storytelling is all about and how to carry on with a narrative that remains as fresh and original as the first one. And as poignant.I laughed and I cried. A lot in this season. But most of the time I simply sat there and watched as if I was reading a good book. It gives you that kind of a feeling.
I shall be devastated if this is the last season. I want and need more. They are family. Their last words were, “We are family.” Nothing can be more earnest as this defines and expresses and shows every form of a family imaginable. This franchise is exemplary and, dare I say, an apotheosis in every sense of that word. You will find no better defining example of what a BL is or ought to be than in any of these series and especially in this latest season. Humor, poignancy, charm, affinity, love, and most of all human warmth. What a ride it has been. Please tell me it is not over yet!
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Cinematic Magic!
In a sense, this story is deeper than in season one. While still about Haruta, the story circumvents him to encompass more individuals around him and does so in a deeply, introspective, and immensely emotional fashion. To be sure, the keystone remains parallel to season one. The Captain, an older distinguished-looking man, falls in love with Haruta, a much younger and energetic man. Yet, in the end there is such a surprising twist that it caught me off guard. I honestly did not know what to make of it. Was it real or a profound cry out of a desperately lonely man? I cried at either prospect as Haruta, for the first time, truly seemed adrift. This is effulgent and, along with the previous “Ossan’s Love” productions, are worthy of our reverence. This is a jewel of virtuosity and therefore I would consider it a ‘Masterpiece’. They may be archival but should not be forgotten. Treat yourself to pure joy!Was this review helpful to you?
Distastefully Cringy and Creepy
There is something distastefully creepy and cringy about this series and I frankly did not find it even a bit romantic in any way. In fact, I found it rather sad and pathetic. This series says more about a disconnect from reality than about the advancement of AI. The acting in this series is flat and stilted and monotone, not just by the robot but by the human. At times, it was hard to tell who really was the robot. In a real sense, I wish I had not watched this series. It made me feel uncomfortable and apprehensive about the future.You can read my full review of this series at BLBliss.com
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Magnificent! A real gem
Magnificent! This was the first word that came into my mind after watching this short charming and beautifully done BL. It is obviously patterned off the South Korean model and it works! I simply do not understand the negative criticisms of this series. It is well acted, storytelling is engaging, and it is such a delicate love story that I think people mistook that delicacy for lameness. To be brutally honest, the only people who see it that way are not gay or those who have forgotten what it was like to struggle with acceptance. The intensity of its credence for each of us who had to face that is wildly different individually. Each persons’ journey is unique and soulful. This is a classic BL with such soft, gentle whispers that it almost glides under the radar unnoticed. But this is a beautifully done and very touching series that because of its delicacy, is mischaracterized. There is some fine acting here capturing all the various emotions of coming out, of being jilted, and suffering from an unrequited love. You can read my full review of this wonderful series at BLBliss.com.Was this review helpful to you?
Awesome Love Story But......
This is a stunningly beautiful production with a love story that is so entrancingly told that I honestly did not see two men in love but simply two individuals in love. It really was a love story that transcends genders and epochs. This is a romance that begins between two mythical Hindu/Buddhist deities named Garuda and Naga long ago. Throughout the ages, each continue to be drawn to each other in a way we would call destiny. Had the saga simply stayed with the journey of Phaya and Tharn, this would have been an apotheosis. But unfortunately, it became unwieldy and got so lost in the development of subplots, specifically involving a troupe of them becoming police officers, and solving a crime, that the love story almost took a back seat. And frankly all of that was so superficial and unnecessary to really what was in essence an alluring love rhapsody. The story of who they were is so much more important than what they were but unfortunately the production got so bogged down in the storytelling that the love came in sporadic waves, thus in a sense diminishing the emotional impact of their bond considerably.Was this review helpful to you?
What a Ride!
I must admit that this series is an astonishingly sophisticated and complex story to navigate. This story may also be the beginning for the creation of fictionalized BL worlds blending video gaming with reality, an interesting new format to say the least. Since I do not play ‘video games’ and had no idea of the lingo or the rules for computer gaming, this was a challenge for me to traverse. I had to stop and find definitions to terms I am unfamiliar with, admittedly. Additionally, this series uses a combination of allegory, fantasy, and twists to realities in an almost Avante-Garde fashion. And the story itself is oblique and sometimes enigmatic. This is not your standard BL series by any means.Was this review helpful to you?
Continuing Saga
It is a worthy way to spend your time as you will see two imperfect older men come to grips with getting older, slowly grow to love one another more deeply, and enjoy each other’s company mainly around the dinning room table. They would and I would conclude that their lives are content. Perhaps there is nothing better than that!This is a story not about food but about the companionship of them and others. Along the way is the food! It would seem that food is their center of attention. And this series does a masterful job of almost making it feel like you are watching a cooking show, what with its almost step-by-step instructions on how to cook many meals. But it is the finished product that is really the aim and goal. It is their sitting down, eating and being together that is reinforcing, not the food.
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One of the Best Light-Hearted BLs
It has been a long time since I sang the praises for a light-hearted Thai BL, but this one richly deserves it. Except for a few weak spots (which I am choosing to ignore), this is one of the best, if not the best BL of this genre from Thailand in a long, long time. Although the story is nothing new, and it does have its ineffective moments, overall, it simply works because of the strength of its two leading men. And overall it was all done with grace, dignity, with a sense of beauty and quiet devotion. And one of the only times I can remember when we see an actual gay couple committing themselves wholly and fully to be together. Not just romantically but in every way. For this, this series deserves a special distinction. Kudos!Was this review helpful to you?
The Best Off-Beat BL!
This series is phenomenally unique and truly a work of art. It is really Avant-Garde and told through the eyes of a straight couple as they themselves struggle with their own demons. The saga parallels three couples seemingly unrelated but, in truth are all grappling in their own way wanting to become accepted and to move forward as lovers. My thinking is people will either love this series or not and ‘see’ it in toto. I loved it because it felt like a mind-bending journey.If you want to read my full review of this rather astonishing series, go to BLBliss.com.
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I Loved This!
What a joy ride this is. It is a simple basic story of ‘first times’. This is an astonishing and brilliant look at how serendipitous, random, and interesting life can be with the possibility of a total stranger completely enveloping your world with more than perhaps you were expecting. All of it is so subtle yet profoundly directional. An exceptional and brilliant short. A stunning and beautiful slice of life story where two people by sheer randomness comes into each other’s lives, influences them, and maybe, just maybe, connects them in ways neither one dreamt would or could happen when they woke up that morning.Was this review helpful to you?
Just Light Fluff Splattered With Cuteness
Sometimes stories that are told on a quiet level are soulful and impactful. This story, while told softly and quietly, is not. It is told so quietly that you barely hear it above a whisper. What I mean by that is, the love that connects the two main characters is only visible for fleeting moments and mostly hidden away. There are no high-highs or low-lows in this series. We honestly never get to know what makes these two truly adorably enchanting guys tick. This series showed no signs of strong emotions throughout thus giving it more of a feel of acting out parts rather than feeling the parts.Was this review helpful to you?
180 Degree Longitude Passes Through Us
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A MASTERPIECE! JUST BRILLIANT!
Let me call this series what it is. A complete and total masterpiece. It is brilliant from beginning to end. Riveting, soul-searching, and a classical intellectual metaphorical representation of life. It displays truth, obsession, pain, illusion, weakness, strength, and heaps of sadness.It is the best BL drama certainly this year and perhaps ever. Brilliantly acted with a sharp, crisp screenplay. Outstanding.
Thailand's version of "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?"
This is not your formulaic BL series at all. It is, in all honestly, one of the finest acting series I have EVER watched. I was riveted, absorbed, and found it so utterly unique and one of a kind.
This is worth your time. I would rate this higher than 10 if I could.
You can read my full review of this series at BLBliss.com.
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Absolutely Entertaining and enchanting
This BL series paid homage to the old 'sitcom' series with laugh tracks and colorful sets and stunning outfits. Plus the main actors are two of the handsomest men on the planet. It is fun to watch and the story is a good old fashioned one done so many times before but they created characters we can relate to and see ourselves in them. Sure, the laugh track is awful but it became like an old friend after awhile. The strength of this series is the awesome chemistry between the leads and the amazing support roles. One of my favorites for this year. It is so enjoyable.You can read my full review of this great series at BLBliss.com.
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Unquestionably, one of the finest BLs
Captivating. Mesmerizing. These are just some of the adjectives I would use to describe this astonishing and exceptional Bl series that uses the standard formulaic idea for most Thai BL series. So why did this one so capture my attention and frankly my heart deeply? Unquestionably because of the connection and chemistry between its two main stars. I believed their story from the beginning to the end. It is one of the best acted BL series to come along in a very long time. I thoroughly enjoyed this series for its depthless of its main characters.Was this review helpful to you?
