PPBongi
California, USA
Be Prepared
Wow! It is NOT what I expected. I expected this series to be light fluff with a comedic twist. But it has amazing twists and turns that will blow you mind. It is NOT what you think it will be. The screenplay is excellent and should be commended. Some of the dialogue is top notch and incredibly moving. The acting, without doubt, is first rate. With the story twists, this could have ended up more cartoonish, but it never goes there. That in no small part is due to the acting and directing. Kudos!Was this review helpful to you?
Not as Intense
Simple, sentimental, but slow. This is sort of, kind of a continuation of SOTUS. This series simply left me empty and wanting more and just felt that there was such a missed opportunity to intensify their relationship and make it so beautiful. However, there was a saving lifeline. They did make a follow-up series called ‘OUR SKYY”. This is a stunningly beautiful one-hour addition occurring sometime after they have been a couple. There are parts of this series that should have showed greater character development but did not. That was a bit disappointing.Was this review helpful to you?
Sets the Tone
In a very real sense, I think this set the tone for many of the following BL series. It is an intensely character driven with superb acting and a great story line. What I enjoyed about this series is as the characters grow, so does the intensity of the relationship. You see it develop through a sense of caring. It is not overwhelmed with gay overtones but still manages to make it its central point. You can honestly feel for these characters as they ebb and flow from anger to frustration to affection to intense love. It helps also explains many of the rituals of college life and how they really do impact the growth and development of character. It deals rather effectively with bullying and those who are experience the bullying. It is good solid storytelling and is a window into the world of freshman and upper-class students. This one is in the must column for watching.Was this review helpful to you?
Warm, Soft, Gentle, Tender.
There are a lot of flaws in this series. It is choppy, feels rushed, and perhaps their individual actions seem contrived. The main characters and supporting roles are gifted with the perfection of beauty. It all worked for me because I know how irrational we are as humans. We do things that sometimes make no sense and realize that what we have right in front of us is what is really best for us. This series showed that and these characters, even with all their vulnerabilities, did not succumb to the past but had the strength to see things as they are; not what might have been, or was. Maybe I made this too complex or read too much into this series, but this is what I got from it. I have been there with them. Of course, I wanted more from this series, but it did tackle the difficulty of making a commitment to another person and do so with the idea you are doing it for the rest of your life. If you want to review my full review of this adorable series, go to my free blog site and let me know what you think. It is ppbongi.medium.com. Thanks!Was this review helpful to you?
Hands Down, the BEST BL
There are not enough accolades or positive comments on this earth that could begin to even describe this series. It is phenomenal. It is profound. It is the best acted BL series I have ever seen. Honestly, my words do no describe the emotional impact of this series. This was so beautifully done that it is a work of art. It is flawless. I have never been so moved or felt such emotions as I have watching this. I have not cried this hard since I lost my father. It was that emotional. It has to be one of the finest TV productions ever ANYWHERE. I am not Thai so I had to watch it in English translation so I can only imagine the impact it would have in its native language. Suffice to say, that this for me is the BEST program I have EVER watched and would rank this as my favorite of any series ever anywhere. The actors gave it their all and without exception, they are all superb. Perhaps this is hyperbole, but if this had been an American production, I am sure it would have walked away with every Emmy in every category that it would have been nominated for. This is, frankly, superb. I am honored to have watched it and shall remember this for a long, long time. This series is memorable. Thank you for making it!! Please watch! You can read my full review of this incredibly beautiful series at ppbongi.medium.com.Was this review helpful to you?
Awful, Banal, Monochromatic
Where to begin with this tedious series that went nowhere and said nothing. If this was supposed to be a BL, then the L was missing. Watching this series was like watching paint dry - slow, boring, tedious, I have never seen such portrayals of characters so wooden and stilted that it was hard to see them even as 2-dimenshilanal people, Yes, the cuisine looked good but the endless food preparations got to be too much. The ending made no sense at all. Honestly, this was awful and a waste of time to watch. Or perhaps, I just did not get it. And I honestly do not care if I did or not.Was this review helpful to you?
A Sad Story
While the story itself is as old as time, the way it is presented is different. This is an exceptionally well-acted series that pretended to go deep but for me did not. What you have are essentially three flawed people who by circumstance become intertwined with each seeking something that ironically, they cannot give themselves. They each want to think ‘outside the box’ in terms of what is a ‘normal’ behavioral pattern for a relationship, but struggle to define for themselves what is normal. I found this series empty, soul-destroying, and profoundly sad. Confused by its message yet compelled to watch it in a very voyeuristic fashion. This is one series that I quite literally want to forget.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?
A Brilliant Series with repulsive scenes
Perhaps I am the only one who saw this BL as an allegory and a beautiful story. Of course it has some repugnant scenes in it but if you look at it as an allegory, perhaps it makes a bit more sense. This is painful no question but should not be dismissed because of the prism in which we view this series. We are NOT these guys. What happened between the two of them can not be undone but in this case ONLY they can decide and call it what they want. Does that make it right? NO! But it explains a lot. They have little time to explore their feelings and no avenues to do so. Can you imagine leaving your soulmate without ever knowing his touch, his warmth, his intensity. I can not judge their actions but only accept it. Life does not always follow the yellow brick road to happiness.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?
Brilliantly Redefines the Meaning of Love
Overall, this is a raw, gritty series that presents itself more like a documentary movie than a BL series. It is dark, brooding, and exceedingly realistic. The characters are real people with real problems in real life actualities. I felt drained after watching this series. And categorically it is one of the most intelligently thought-out and refined BLs I have ever seen. It started out dark and remained dark even though its essence is not dark. The presentation of this series is very dark and certainly contemplative. It feels perilous and is filmed in a rather hazy dim fashion. Perhaps reflective of life for many people whose lives are more represented by this series. Pedestrian. Overlooked. Where life is difficult. Full of struggles. Lots of pain. Many unfulfilled dreams and desires. Yet, the foundation for continuing is still family, love, and commitment.Was this review helpful to you?
Pretty to look at but Illogical
The universality of this series being praised as a ‘masterpiece’ or ‘the best so far’, makes me reticent to be critical of this series. As indeed, I had so looked forward with great anticipation to watching this series, thinking my reaction would be the same. I understand that it is a fantasy and I love fantasies, specifically time travel, as you have to suspect your beliefs and embrace your disbeliefs. And I could easily do that but not with this series. It left me feeling empty for some reason. I hate to admit this, but I felt nothing for the main couple whereas everyone else seemed to see their love destiny. All I saw was cute acting to deliberately set-up scenarios to pull at heartstrings, mostly at an agonizingly slow pace then filled in between with a density of immaturity defined by a constant sense of deference that made no sense. The only ones having the courage to fight that mindset were the ‘servants’ who were nothing more than slaves, and the women, who had the courage to stand up for themselves but paid a very heavy price for their convictions. The men, including our main characters, cowered, and are ‘waiting for destiny’ to save them.Was this review helpful to you?
One of the Best!
This I would not call a ‘BL’. Perhaps it should be labeled more of an elegy about a deep personal connection. It is a story of two men smitten with each other but calling it love may be on a higher plane than actually exists for either of them. If anything, this is a toxic love story. Not pretty and not meant to be. Criticisms of this series are all valid but that does not take away from its validity. Nor its brilliance. This series is real, honest, brutal, and contemporary. It is a middle-class love story about two rather baneful individuals who found each other at the wrong time in the right place. There is great sadness in this series but also hope. Despite everything, this is a story of human tenacity and fortitude. It is not splashy, cute, or pretty but oh God it is real. Especially living in the City of Angels. Therefore, one of the best series, hesitatingly calling it a BL, for this year of 2023.Was this review helpful to you?
No Emotional Connections
This is noteworthy in the sense that it is not your typical BL involving college boys. It is esoteric and creative but is so lacking in emotional connections. The irony of it is, is that this whole series is one big continuous emotional journey, mostly about death. If you have a series like this, you have to make it relatable to the audience to make it believable. If not, then it lacks a connection to the audience. I simply never felt a connection to any of the characters in this series. It is not bad acting as much as it lacks a coherent and flowing screenplay.Was this review helpful to you?
Yawn
This is a very disappointing BL series, surprisingly form Japan. Normally, Japanese BL are edgy and provocative and interesting. This is flat, boring and completely lifeless. They acted more like children in love than adults in love. I get that there are cultural and societal differences about how to express love, but honestly at some point, someone has to be grown-up enough to at least hint that the love the other person. It also seemed obvious to me that the actors were either given poor directions or simply were not going to give any hint of a connection with the other. If you are going to play a gay part, then try and pretend at least that you are.Was this review helpful to you?
