My Favourite Film of 2020 So Far...

I've been waiting for this film ever since it was first announced to be coming to Netflix worldwide on December 24th. Being a gay Asian male, this film was one of my most anticipated of the season, alongside Wonder Woman 2 and Soul. And I was not disappointed! My heart was full by the end of this touching story of two teenagerso fall in love and then, reunite as adults several decades later. Though there were some structural issues, such as the unnecessary flashback scenes, and some head-scratching plot points, such as the random inclusion of a French Canadian priest or the way-too-convenient reunion at the end, I still LOVED this film!

On a side note, as a Canadian, it was weird seeing Ji-an visit Niagara Falls as if it was located in Montreal lol.

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Surprisingly Good!

When this BL was first announced as one of the three BL series that weTV will be producing, I wasn't that interested (being far more interested in Manner of Death, one of the other BL series). The trailer wasn't particularly interesting either. I found the first episode to be quite a nonsensical, dull mess and dropped this series. After a few weeks when I was reviewing the BL series that are currently airing, I decided to give this one another chance and I am glad that I did. Episode 2 was quite good as the story began to focus on its two BL couples, the series immediately became much better, even touching at times.

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Meh...

I was excited when I first heard about this series as it was from the company as Where Your Eyes Linger. Unfortunately, I was let down. It was very different from the grounded, serious Where Your Eyes Linger, and felt more like a typical K-drama with its cuteness, editing and music. The story though was a mess with plot points and character actions that didn't make any sense.

I don't get Sangha's reasoning for not wanting to sign the contract at all! It literally didn't make any sense. Because getting paid would take away from his love for running? What?! He can pay off his mother's debt and run alongside his crush. That's literally the perfect deal. And why do the debtors want Sangha to finish the marathon? Yes, he can win a lot of money, but wasn't his debt just $10,000 (which was what his pacemaker contract would have given him). And all of a sudden, Sangha was able to run long-distance (something that he was never able to do before) just because of the debtors. Yeah... okay. Makes perfect sense. And why would Sangha backstab Won Jin by beating him in the marathon? And if Sangha did need to win to pay off his mother's debt, couldn't he have told Won Jin beforehand? He at least owes him that.

In addition, it was quite jarring seeing debt collectors assaulting a kid in a series that is supposedly light-hearted and fun. And the love between Sangha and Won Jin at the end was random, unearned and rushed. Hopefully, we get better K-drama BL's soon as even Where Your Eyes Linger (which was very good) had some logic flaws...

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Touching Gay Stories...

A compilation of short films focusing on gay love, whether it be coming out, first love, etc. from Blued, the popular gay social network. I was surprised when I first heard about this series. The fact that a social network was producing a BL series was quite different though smart marketing. I have used Blued before but wasn't impressed with it so I deleted my account. This series made me think about possibly giving Blued another go. Anywho, each episode was like a short film, with a self-contained story about gay love. Out of the first four episodes that were released on Blued's YouTube channel, my favourite so far was Episode 2 (Secret Crush) which was just so adorable and cute! Episode 4 was also quite touching as it depicted love lost. I'm excited for when the other episodes get released!

On a side note, I love that Chinese BL is getting produced by releasing it online rather than through TV channels and networks! Hopefully, more Chinese BL's will be produced like this!

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Ugh...

This series caught my attention due to Royce Cabrera, who was one of the leads along with Gameboys’ Kokoy in Fuccbois, a Filipino BL film. Though the story does deal with the covid crisis, it’s nice to see actual human interaction rather than video calling. Story-wise, it’s alright though I bit forced, such as Rocky randomly offering to massage Judah. Not sure how massage was going to help keep Judah awake and not sure why Rocky just ended up caressing Judah’s hair and only barely massaging his temples. Nothing particularly exciting but nothing boring either. Still have to wait to give my verdict as it’s too early. Royce is hot though and it was nice seeing his several shirtless scenes in the first episode. ;) On a side note, I do like how Judah is confidently gay and knows what he likes though I do find him a bit irritating though. Interested in seeing where the story goes from here.

After watching Episode 3, I've decided to drop this series as I have found the last few episodes to be quite boring and dull. The story is quite predictable with its straight-roommate-turns-gay storyline, which has been done better and more interestingly by other BL series. I may revisit this series later on, but most likely not...

Revising the series, I actually kinda enjoyed the latest episodes. Yes, Judah is still annoying but his actions and feelings made sense (excluding posting Rocky's photos online, that was just plain stupid). And yes, he did come onto Rocky too hard, but Rocky did reciprocate though.

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Boring but Interesting...

I first came across You Who Came from the Stars from seeing the 'Most Popular Shows' list on MDL. The premise intrigued me so I had to watch it. While being on my watchlist, I watched It's Okay to Not be Okay and fell in love with Kim Soo Hyun, who starred in You Who Came from the Stars! Another reason to watch this K-drama!

This series was entertaining though a bit fluffy, cliched and drags at times. There wasn't much substance but that is alright as it works for what it is, a form of romantic escapism. However, it quickly becomes stale as it drags a lot to the point where I am bored watching the drama. However, it is also able to keep me interested with its cliffhangers. It's a weird dichotomy of being both boring and interesting at the same time. I know that if I was watching this drama as it was airing like one or two episodes weekly, I would definitely be able to finish it. However, since I am binging, I am unsure if I want to even finish it when I could be spending my time watching something that I like better.

The story is a bit messy with a lot of plot point that didn't make much sense. Characters hold back knowledge that could easily save them or help find the culprit, but they don't divulge for the sake of prolonging the story, which is bad writing in my opinion. Like why is Song Yi so dumb? She knows that Han Yoo Ra didn't commit suicide so it must have been murder. And who could have killed her? Uh... how about the person who was arguing with her before her death? An argument that Song Yi eavesdropped. But that never came into her mind. She even revealed to Jae Kyung that she heard their argument. This is bad writing. There's no way that she would be that dumb. In addition, Min Joon knew that Jae Kyung killed Yoo Ra but didn't tell anyone for some reason, not even Song Yi whose career is being affected by Yoo Ra's death.

On a side note, It's pretty cool seeing how Kim Soo Hyun changed in the 7 years between YWCFTS and IOTNBO though he was still beautiful then and still is beautiful now. It's interesting to note that both of his roles in both dramas are quite similar as he plays the stoic ML opposite an over-the-top FL.

It's nice seeing that Kim Chang Wan and Kim Soo Hyun acted alongside one another in this drama 7 years before IOTNBO. I love their dynamic!

On another side note, why does Min Joon shower with a towel on? Lol. Couldn't they just show the waist up if they wanted to show him showering?

On a somewhat related note, Is the Korean entertainment industry this ruthless when it comes to rumours and portraying the perfect image? I know that the Kpop industry is ruthless, not wanting their idols to be in relationships and whatnot, but can something like what happened to Song Yi actually occur? Can a top celebrity be blacklisted for 'causing' the suicide of a fellow celebrity?

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Soft and Endearing...

Oxygen was probably the most anticipated BL series of 2020 based on all the hype and buzz that I've seen on social media. I've read so many people stating that Oxygen was the BL that they were most excited for so my expectation for the series was quite high.

The premiere episode was cute and charming though a bit disappointing considering its massive hype. It was great to see multiple BL couples being formed. As others have noted, it was also refreshing to see characters be comfortable with their feelings for another guy, instead of struggling with them (though there is nothing wrong with that either). So far, I'm liking Solo and Gui the best, which is perfect as they are the lead BL couple. Though I don't like Khim, the annoying fujoshi character, I'm still excited to see more!

This series is slow, but the interactions between Solo and Gui are so cute as Solo becomes more forward while the scenes between Kao and Phu are quite endearing as Kao begins to break down Phu's walls. Upon watching Episode 3, I have become hooked and can see this series start to live up to its hype! I am really liking how this series takes its time showing the blossoming relationships between its main couples. I don't care for Dr. Perth and Khim's budding relationship though.

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Overrated...

Seeing how Goblin is considered to be one of the most popular K-dramas of all time, being the most popular drama on MDL, I had to watch it. I wonder why it's so popular since though it is good, it isn't that good. There's plenty of K-dramas that are much better than Goblin with mainstream appeal like Crash Landing On You. I think its popularity can be attributed to the age and social class difference between its ML and FL. A wealthy older man with a poor, young student. Since its a bit taboo, the drama gets controversy which gets eyeballs to this drama. It also helps serve as wish fulfillment for older men who lust after young women and young women who dream of an older man taking care of them, akin to Lolita.

Anyhow, I thought that this Kdrama was addicting and engaging though I wouldn't say that it grabbed me like Crash Landing On You. The story didn't make much sense at times and there are moments that made me scratch my head, but it's an interesting melodrama that kept my attention nevertheless. That is until the last several episodes, which were melodramatic, nonsensical and boring unfortunately.

I didn't care for the main couple (Goblin and Ji Eun Tak) to be honest. Not because of the age/class difference but rather because their story was quite boring. I prefer the relationship of the second leads (Reaper and Sunny), which was charming. Whenever there are scenes with the first leads, I would get restless and anxious for them to be over so that I could get Goblin and Grim Reaper scenes or Grim Reaper and Sunny scenes. I love the bromance between Grim Reaper and Goblin! To be honest, I ship them. I would have preferred that they got together instead. That would have made a better, far more interesting drama in my opinion.

On a side note, it's impressive that Gong Yoo starred in the one of the most popular K-drama, Goblin, and also one of the most popular Korean films, Train to Busan.

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Too Slow For Me...

A quieter, smaller zombie film which harkens to today's COVID quarantine climate which although technically good was a bit too slow and sparse for my taste. For much of the running time, my mind drifted and I was slightly bored, but this film was only 1.5 hours so I stuck it out. Of course, comparison will be made with Train to Busan, which I found to be much better in terms of story, emotion and payoff. #Alive was a bit too anticlimatic for me. There were a few plot points that I wasn't sure about like why the FL would risk her life to join the ML or why they both want to reach the 'empty' 8th floor. If you really like zombie films, I would give this a try, but if not, you can skip it...

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Though Not Particularly Good, I Still Really Liked It...

I was really excited to watch this K-drama due to the hype that this series has been receiving on social media (especially the K-Drama subreddit thread). I've also heard a lot about Park Bo Gum and about how this is his last drama before his military draft. I was excited to see my first K-drama starring him. It's also pretty cool to see Park So Dam, from the Oscar-winning 'Parasite' as the FL. Though the episode was a bit slow, by the end, I was hooked! I am really liking this series so far! It is nice to see a K-drama focus on people struggling to achieve their dreams against their family's wishes or mean superiors which is definitely relatable for millions of people around the world. I also liked the cinematography, which was clean and soft.

On a side note, why is Hye-jun struggling to make money, working as a bodyguard, at Subway and as a busboy if he is a top model whose looks customers, other models and a top fashion designer fawn over? Also, why is Jung Ha's boss so b*tchy? Like she even interrupted Hye-jun who was trying to defend her? Like what?! I'm quite sure that she is allowed to do that since she is technically working for the models. I'm so ready to see her pummeled into the ground by Jung Ha's imminent success!

Watching the second episode, the pacing of the series seems to have established itself. This drama is slow. It's more like a slice-of-life drama but I'm really liking it! Park Bo Gum's character has immediately become my favourite and I found myself waiting for him to appear onscreen. I cannot wait to see him achieve success and make his naysayers, including his family, gape in disbelief!

On a side note, I love that there is LGBT representation in these newer K-dramas, first Itaewon Class and now, Record of Youth! Although the character in this drama is a fashion designer who lusts after and wants to exploit Hye-jun, it is nice seeing more people like me represented. Hopefully, they will be able to humanize him like Itaewon Class's Hyeon-yi though it doesn't seem like they will...

Episode 3 wasn't as strong as the previous episodes as not much actually happened. I do continue to find Park Bo Gum captivating and absolutely LOVE his scenes. I really feel like the drama hits its stride when it focuses on Hye-jun and his burgeoning career. I don't really care for the other characters to be honest, even the FL who I'm not really feeling the romance between the two leads. Probably because of how rushed, unrealistic and cheesy it is. The snappy dialogue between them feels unnatural too (as others have pointed out) (or at least the translation seems awkward) (not sure if it flows better in Korean though). Anyways, I'm getting the feeling that Hae Hyo is gonna backstab Hye-jun in the future. I feel like Hae Hyo is kind to Hye-jun specifically because he feels bad for him. He pities him. Having him around makes Hae Hyo feel more successful. However, when Hye-jun gets more famous and successful, Hae Hyo will try to backstab out of jealousy. He's already trying to see An Jeong behind Hye-jun's back. It seems like he likes her just because she doesn't like him, which makes him feel more attracted to her. The fact that An Jeong is a fan of Hye-jun and not him clearly irks Hae Hyo, so he wants to make her his fan. He sees her as a challenge. That's my thoughts on Hae Hyo so far. Hopefully, I'm wrong...

Episode 4 was quite slow as once again, not much happened and there were a lot of filler scenes which padded out the running time of the drama. There was a lot of Hye-jun and An Jeong moments which I didn't care for to be honest. Their relationship is way too rushed and to be frank, I'm tired of seeing straight couples. I actually ship Hye-jun with Hae Hyo lol. I did love the ending (which although a bit too rushed was satisfying) where Hye-jun gets to upstage the actor who was mean to him in the first episode though. On a side note, the fact that Hye-jun got the villain role in the film was quite big! I thought that he would just be like a friend. I don't get why Jin Joo hasn't been reported by any of the employees. There's no way that An Jeong was the first co-worker she bullied.

Watching Episode 5, my fears for this drama are starting to manifest. There was once again way too much filler scenes that focused on side characters who I still didn't care for. The family melodrama about the brother moving out was unnecessary and served no purpose. The snappy banter between the main couple still feels forced and unnatural. Still don't see any chemistry between Hye-Jun and Jeong An. That confession at the end was random and way too rushed. I still ship Hye-Jun with Hae-Hyo to be honest. The only part of the episode that shined was when it focused on Hye-Jun's career in the last 20 minutes where Hye-Jun's acting talent was displayed as he delved deep into his villain character. Hopefully, the drama focuses more on his career though I doubt that it will...

Episode 6 was much better than the previous episode though there are a number of plot points that didn't make sense. Like why is the old manager angry that Hye-jun left him when he was literally not paying him? Da fuq? How was he even able to get a high-paying job at a good company representing a top actor when his old agency was barely getting by, not being able to pay its clients? And why is Hye-jun's new manager not going to bat for him? Shouldn't she be tracking down that director and explain why Hye-jun left his old manager? And why would a director drop an actor just because he changed representation?

Family scenes continue to bore. I didn't care for the main romance, just Hye-jun and his career.
A gay relationship is scandalous while a straight relationship would have been praised. After the ground-breaking portrayal of a transgender character in Itaewon Class, this handling of an LGBT topic is just disappointing. What a horrible reporter! She doesn't even check her sources! It's so obvious that Lee Tae-su will try to slander Hye-jun for leaving the agency.

Though this drama wasn't particularly good, I still did enjoy it a lot and will greatly miss looking forward to watching it every Monday and Tuesday night when I get home from work :'( Record of Youth kind of exemplifies the charm and appeal of K-dramas for me. There's just this innocence, this purity and optimism that is just perfect for escapism, especially for someone like me who goes to school everyday studying something he hates, something that his parents pushed him to do. After long, exhausting days of school, and dreading the start of every week, it was a blessing to have something to look forward to every Monday and Tuesday night. Watching K-dramas, such as Record of Youth, calms me and gives me hope. Hope that I will be happy someday. And what more can we ask for...

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Dropped After Watching 2.5 Episodes...

Seeing the new episode of The Gifted Graduation being released on GMMTV's YouTube channel, I was reminded about its prequel, The Gifted, which has received a lot of praise from viewers, but I never was interested due to it not being a BL. However, I decided to give it a chance because I wanted to see what all the hype and praise was about and I wanted a new series to follow while it airs. After watching 1.5 episodes, I was a bit disappointed. Though the performances and production were okay, the writing wasn't particularly good as the story had a lot of illogical plot points and felt a bit too simple in a way, as if was the writer was glossing over the story rather than digging deep into it. I decided to drop the series after watching 2.5 episodes. I found the series to be boring and I didn't enjoy the story. It just wasn't my cup of tea persay.

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Watching This K-Drama Felt Like Coming Home...

Reply 1988 was one of the K-drama that has received the most praise on the K-Drama subreddit thread along with the fantastic My Mister, so I had to watch it. The fact that this drama was from the people behind my favourite K-drama thus far, the excellent Hospital Playlist, only further piqued my interest in this series. After watching its first two episodes, I must say that I was disappointed. Although the series is technically good, it just didn't grip him like Hospital Playlist did. There is a possibility that the series will grip me at a later episode, but it is only 20 episodes and I am unsure if it will ever hook me if I continue to watch. I found the story so far to be a bit pedantic and melodramatic. Unlike the profound realism and bright optimism of Hospital Playlist, Reply 1988 opts for forced life moments with cheesy life lesson narration and slight comic relief through irritating family squabbles (where the wife is always yelling at and nagging the pathetic husband), shrill sister fights and weird husband antics. Though I do admit that the friendship between the 5 teenagers was quite touching.

On a side note, what is up with that annoying goat-bleating sound? I get that it's for comedic effect like a laugh track for sitcoms, but it really gets on your nerves.

I've finished Episode 5 and I'm still not interested enough to keep watching. I'm still not hooked. I find it to be a bit too slow and aimless for my taste. I guess that unfortunately, this highly-accalimed K-drama just doesn't mesh with me. This will be the first K-drama that I drop (unfortunately)...

However, I gave the drama another chance and I became quickly hooked. Watching this drama felt like coming home. Watching it was relaxing and the perfect way to unwind after a stressful day of school. Though the drama can be a bit slow and cheesy at times (like when Sun-woo talked to his dead father), it is always engaging and touching. Just like Hospital Playlist, this K-drama displayed the beauty of everyday life, in a specific neighborhood during a specific time period. I loved how the drama explored the issues and laws that were prevalent in that time period which piques my curiosity and made me do some research, such as why the same-name marriage law and the two-in-laws-from-the-same-family taboo existed.

I do have to say that I was surprised that Deok-sun ended up with Taek and not Jung-hwan. I was rooting for Jung-hwan the entire time. The writers wanted us to root for Jung-hwan because he held a flame for Deok-sun for much longer than Taek and was more earnest and persistent in his actions. Taek was just luckier. Deok-sun's husband also looked and acted like Jung-hwan too! What a bait-and-switch if I ever say one! Kudos to the writers though for not giving in to convention and giving the audience what we expect. However, I did quickly fall for Deok-sun and Taek's relationship, I must admit.

I also got quite emotional at times when the drama made me reflect on my own life; about whether or not I would actually practice as a dentist after I finish dental school or pursue something that I actually enjoy or whether I will ever get married (which I fear will not ever happen). I do love whenever a story makes me think about my own life, reminding me to live a life that I would be proud of - those are the best kinds of stories...

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A Riveting Indictment of Tiger Parenting...

As someone who was forced to go to dental school by his doctor and dentist parents, the plotline and trailer for this K-drama immediately captured my attention. Melodramatic and manipulative though also exciting and engaging, I can see why this drama is the second-highest-rated drama in Korean cable television history. Topical and relatable, this series showcases the detrimental effects of strict tiger parenting. 'Sky Castle' should be seen by all parents who push their dreams on their children, viewing him as trophies to brag about rather than as human beings with their own dreams and goals.

On a side note, it's hilarious how the parents were so obsessed with their children getting into medical school, but not finishing it. I absolutely ADORED Professor Cha's and Soo Han's families! They were easily my favourites out of all of the families at Sky Castle.

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Dropped

Descendants of the Sun was the first Korean drama that I've heard of and wanted to watch, but never got the chance due to accessibility issues. After reading the reviews for the drama about how this series is overrated, my expectations were tempered. However, this remains as one of the most popular K-dramas so I had to watch it. And.... I was disappointed. Upon watching the first episode, the story didn't make much sense. Characters made decisions that didn't seem logical. The mixture of military action, rom-com and hospital drama didn't mesh either. And the story was quite cheesy and awkward. At least the ML is cute and hot though, providing some eye candy in an otherwise dull premiere episode. The next few episodes were cheesy but entertaining however, Episode 4 was quite boring, even with the finale of the two leads kissing. I've decided to drop this K-drama as I don't see the story getting any better. On to the next K-drama...

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Watching for TinCan Only...

I was so excited to watch this sequel as I LOVED TinCan's relationship from Love By Chance. Unfortunately, along with many other fans, I was massively disappointed watching the first episode of Love By Chance 2. Why did the writer choose to retell Tin and Can's story? That made absolutely no sense at all! Not only does it make it confusing, but it also lets down the fans who have waiting for the continuation of Tin and Can's relationship after the upsetting rejection at the end of Love By Chance. Not only is the story a mess, but the characters of Tin and Can were flat. Tin was boring (instead of smoldering) and Can was whiney (instead of cute). The cinematography and editing was also quite lacking. It's as if this sequel series has a lower budget than the predecessor, which doesn't make any sense. Should the sequel have a better budget because of the success of the first series? So far, I am not impressed at all. I don't think that this series will get better unfortunately. I can only see it getting worse. Hopefully, my prediction rings false though...

Second episode is better though Ae being all moppy and sad is starting to get on my nerves. TinCan's chemistry is improving though and I'm starting to get a semblance of what they had in LBC so that's a good sign.

TinCan's dynamic isn't as electric as it was in the first season, but it's still quite good. I could care less for the other couples though. It's still to see TinCan's relationship actually progress from the heart-breaking finale of season 1 in Episode 7 of this season. Still don't understand the reasoning why the writer decided to tell their story from the start again (unless she didn't have enough material for an entire season focused on TinCan). Anyways, this has become one of my favourite BL's that I'm watching at the moment! Cannot wait to see the next episodes!

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