PPBongi
California, USA
A Rather Deep Series
This series is exceptional, surprisingly. I was not expecting it to affect me as deeply as it did, but one had to frankly get through a lot of cacophony to get to the story. But once you did, and evaluated that, it was much deeper than most viewers, I think, realized. It honestly left me emotionally drained. This series, I felt. What brought this series down and unfortunately way down was the awful peripheral (I guess) GL portion. I am not sure the reason to throw that into the mix as it added nothing to the story. If I were doing this story, I would have begun with the last episode as the first and then told the story of how they got there. Only them, with then the essential figures influencing the story. We could undoubtedly have understood what made both ‘tick’. These two are fascinating individuals and I wanted to know who they were. All we saw were glimpses and shadows of who they were. I did not want to find that out only in the end. The two of them fascinated me as a couple.You can read my full review of this rather well done series (minus the GL portion) at BLBliss.com
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Twisted logic in the story but fun!
If you spend more than a nanosecond of time analyzing this series, you will find it so logically implausible and with the story so full of holes that literally make no sense, it will make your head spin. But if you watch it merely for its pure entertainment and put yourself on the couch with ‘Grandma’ and watch it as a Soap Opera, you will love it. I loved it, so I guess I sat next to Grandma. (You will get the reference if you watch the series. I do wish she had a bigger role. She was so entertaining). In general, there are two main characters, two more or less minor characters, and a slew of supporting characters, one of whom really steals the series, while others should have been written out of the series or actually never written in.You can read the rest of my review at BLBliss.com.
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An Agatha Christie sense about it
Perhaps because I am older, I love the sense of an Agatha Christie novel coming to life. And I for one thoroughly enjoyed this series and am willing to gloss over its many faults to give it a good rating. And it has a lot of faults to be sure. This series starts out so beautifully with an ensemble cast to ogle and fantasize about. Beautiful boys, and girls. Stunning clothes. A luxurious mansion to live in and a story told I am sure is not too far from the kernels of reality. It presents the world of movie/TV making under what I am assuming is similar to the old contract system in Hollywood. A house filled with prima donnas and/or wanabe actors/actress under the management and direction of a company. Be warned that there are a lot of characters in this series with a lot of unequal time among them and frankly disproportionate importance. Initially, somewhat confusing, they later simply blurred into one unit.I thoroughly enjoyed this series and felt that I was watching an Agatha Christie novel if she had written one about the BL world.
Pure escapism.
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Fell Apart At The End
Undoubtedly no one is going to like my review. I LOVED 95% of this series. It was charming, witty, and magical. But then they ended it on such a ridiculous note to simply please the audience. As a gay man, I found the ending insulting, degrading, and yet again forces gay relationships to fit into the mold of straight relationships. All I can say, since I do NOT want to reveal any of the story lines, is I quite literally cried. Here was what could have been a BL fantasy masterpiece that simply became a logical farce. It forced the story into societal norms rather than personal norms. If you want to see why this series so upset me, you can read my entire review of this what-could-have-been masterpiece at ppbongi.medium.com. I am sure that there will not be a lot of people who will necessarily agree with me and perhaps I analyzed it to its extreme, but this series just missed it for me. I was deeply saddened.Was this review helpful to you?
Quirky, Odd, But Viscerally Intriguing
This series left me in a complete conundrum. I honestly do not know what to think or make of this series. It left me exceedingly flummoxed. To be sure, it is a series about vampires but not in any traditional sense of how I understood vampires. This particular vampire was likeable; good even. In addition, to being heavenly handsome. He tells everyone he is a vampire but literally begs them for secrecy. It is one of the many ironies in this series. In fact, everything about this series is quirky. All I know is that I viscerally enjoyed the quiet fortitude that this series gave me. I am sure it is just me.Was this review helpful to you?
It Is What It Is! Nothing More! I LOVED it!
Frankly, I am astonished this series has gotten such poor to mediocre reviews. I loved it. I loved it for two reasons. First, it tells a full story, albeit short and sweet but to the point. Sure, its brevity is both a hinderance and an asset. I wish there would have been greater character development. Nonetheless, this mini-BL accomplished more in a short period of time than most droning on-and-on BLs characteristically do. It had a beginning, middle, and a fine end. Secondly, we saw flawed characters. These are not individuals who are straight from the trope play book. In some sense, they are not at all likeable individuals, yet they are so relatable to who we are as people. In other words, they are untruthful, blemished, and maybe disingenuous. Traits, I am afraid, we all share at one time or another in our lives.Was this review helpful to you?
An Astonishingly Touching Series!
This is a monumentally touching series that intensely affects you in ways long after you have finished the series. When you watch it, you know you are being moved but its extent does not fully grasp your inner thoughts until you have had a chance to contemplate what the story is fully about. In essence, you keep rewinding the series over-and-over in your head until its full meaning grabs you. And then, perhaps just with me, I suddenly burst into tears over its power and significance. There is something haunting about the lives of the two men that become intertwined, partly by design and partly serendipitously. This is a great series. Although the series is short in duration, it does have some very intense momentsWas this review helpful to you?
The Story Shattered
Watching this series is like wrapping yourself up in a warm cozy blanket on a cold winter’s night as you are reading a romantic allegory. While the sensation is comforting, the fable still provides you with enough stimulation to keep you awake. But you suddenly realize that you reach a part in the story where one of two possible endings can happen. Either a fairytale one or a tragic one. While I certainly love a fairytale ending (and these two guys deserved one), I was preparing myself for a tragic one as the series did seem a bit dark overall. Unfortunately, I got neither one. And I threw off my warm blanket and started to cry with disappointment. While the story is strikingly enthralling for three-fourths of the way, it suddenly crashes literally and figuratively. It could have had either a fairytale ending or a tragic one. Instead, it went very weird in an odd way, and I felt in a cringeworthy way.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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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?
