Earth

A very satisfying tearjerker...has strong queer characters, but not really a BL

This is not a BL, but so damn good...the story is more about self-love, saying no to your bullies, and finding a home and safe space that you belong to, rather than a romance in the strictest sense.....the direction, acting, music, and production values are all top notch, even though the script does get a tad overtly dramatic and preachy at times.Even though I rarely watch anything other than BLs, I continued to watch this and don't regret it at all. Should you watch it? Yes

BL-needle score: 7. Moderate BL-ness

NGL, I do borderline resent that the girl gets the guy, and it has more of a cis-het romance that becomes the sort of the mainstay than a queer romance....but the story is frankly more about self-discovery, friendships, and bonds rather than romance....As opposed to a lot of people who said this was queerbaiting , I would disagree...I agree that it did raise expectations for it to be a BL, and I also started watching it with the hopes that we will get an Uno-Jared endgame which did not happen. Nevertheless, I loved how the storytelling progressed and ended on a very satisfactory note.

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Dark tale, with stellar acting, cinematography, and lots of unresolved angst...only if....

This is one beautiful movie....but if you are planning to watch this, be warned that the story will not let you sit easy even for a moment and there is very little in way of redemption, if at all....its dark, painful and bleak all through...if that's not your thing, don't start on it...Do I recommend it? YES

BL-needle score: Not applicable. This is not really a BL, even though gay men are some of the main protagonists.

Even though the storytelling could feel a tad overtly dramatic in places, it rings true on so many levels about the dark and stark reality of same-sex love and relationships....the insecurities given no social or legal sanctions, how easy it is to cheat and betray and yet, get away to live just as you wish, the lurking fear that the person never loved you at all, and was just after what you had to 'supply' to them, the trauma and helplessness when law helps greed and hatred win, the feeling that there is no justice ever, and you just need to suck it up and go on...or give up and perish.....the dreaded and numbing insecurities and triggers of a queer life....it has it ALL....

It made me feel livid, clench my fists and want to punch almost all of the characters ...yes, including even Thongkam at times, but leaving out Jingna, who seemed like about the only saving grace in all this madness......it was a difficult feat to sit through the manipulative and intensely infuriating behaviour of these hyper real characters...made me fret, fume and curse constantly.... and during rare occasions, desperately hope that may be, just may be.....only to end up feeling devastated and drained.....in the end, it hurt like hell....but could relate to a lot of it....in other words, just my thing

It has some really stellar performances, particularly by the actors who play Mo and Saeng (Sek's mother)...Jeff and Keng are good too, but the women plain steal the show....the direction, screenplay and cinematography are stellar too...and that song by Jeff - Rain Wedding...it's plain mesmerising....do check it out on YT!!

But even though all the darkness sits right with me, I wish they would have left some glimmer of hope, maybe at least let Jingna live ....so that Thongkam and Jingna could leave the orchard together for whatever the future had in store for them.....only if.......

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The adorably daft Hee Su - A heart-tugging tale of high school love

I loved the cute and delicious entanglement that this show was, while still managing to be deep and meaningful. I started watching this with really low expectations but ended up enjoying quite a bit....It could have been very well wrapped up in 8 episodes, but I guess the languid pace didn't really hurt this sweet tale after all. The plot focuses equally on the het-couple alongside the gay couple, even though the narration was done from Hee Su's perspective and in his voice. Though that didn't really make me as angry or disappointed as some others, I would have ideally liked to have more back story/screen time for Seung and his two moms.

Bl-needle score: 8.5 High BL-ness

Hee Su is in love with his best buddy and popular guy, Chan Young.....the class nerd, Seung Won is in love with him, and manages the school counselling club (along with Hee Su now), posting anonymously about his crush for Hee Su, probably in the hope that he will find out...Hee Su gives great love advice to everyone and always tells people to confess, while mortally scared of confessing himself and completely oblivious of Seung Won's crush on him....

Even with a feel-good setting and script, the show managed to retain a touch of real-life truths and philosophies. It portrayed the teenage state of mind really well, albeit through a rose-tinted glass...nevertheless, it all felt quite real, like how teenagers would behave ...Chan Young's strong desire to tell his best friend about the new love in his life while being clueless all the time that that friend is crushing on him, Ji Yu's excitement about being with Chan, and yet suppressing all of it for the time-being to help Seung Won buy some more time with Hee Su, Hee Su's over-preparations and excitement for the trip, though a lot of it for misplaced reasons, Seung Won's cold feet with confessing to Hee Su about unrequited crush, the epic fails in their plans for the trip, and the secret starting to finally unravel when each one of them were unprepared in their own ways......later when Chan just took-off on learning that He Su had a crush on him all this while, the awkwardness between them, even though short-lived, all of that teen confusion, misadventure, and heartache, was portrayed really well...

I must add that Ahn Ji Ho, who played Hee Su, was so damn good.....his funny faces, comic timing, and expressions were absolutely bang on

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What a fantastic live-action adaptaion!! And NO, you don't feel like comapring with the anime

This has to be one of the best live action adaptation I have seen in a long time...I'm so in love with Jin's cute angel wings that pop up when he's paying special attention to Akin :D

BL-needle Score: 9. Very High BL-ness

I'm loving it....Smart and Boom are both so good looking and damn cute together....as the leads, they are putting the screen on fire, and also doing a fantastic job in terms of the acting...

The usual compulsion to compare it with the anime was not really too high....but NGL, I did compare nonetheless, and didn't feel like I have to love this series any less than the anime...given how much I liked Dakaichi (the anime series), that is a big nod to how well they have adapted the story and made it their own...

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A stinking fluff-bomb of a show that you'll enjoy as a one-time watch if you love Jimmy-Sea

I couldn't have asked for a better show for one of my favourite pairs ever, Jimmy-Sea. This has got everything right so far, great looking cast, believable acting, intriguing story and great production values. What are you waiting for - go watch!!

BL-needle Score: 8.5. Very High BL-ness

I loved the first episode. The intriguing story with a hint of esoteric and occult, an engaging script, good support cast, Jimmy who looks he has actually grown younger and more handsome, and Sea who is as pretty as always, I couldn't have asked for more. Also being a tarot junkie adds to the fun.

In the end, though this was not good as the Last Twilight, it was very enjoyable as a one time watch. I would call this a stinking fluff bomb that you are bound to enjoy if you are a Jimmy-Sea fan.

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Aren't they the cutest vamp-gang ever....the best lighthearted KBL in a long time!!

I must say that I have become a tad weary of white-washed, no-plot, only cuteness, only diffused-light, perfect-skin KBLs, off late now...but this one, even though it does tick many of these boxes, appealed to me...I would say go watch, if you want a mood-lifter

BL-needle Score: 8.5 Very High BL-ness

All of the caste, and particularly the blood-sucking aspirant side characters, are way too adorable...also Jo Won's attraction to Dong Ha in the garb of a touch act is also adorable, even if cliched...also Kang Seon so reminds me of Jun from ThamePo..he's sharp, go getter, good looking and charming...but def seems headed to give up on the man he fancies....the two other vamps, Gyu Min and Yun Ho are just too cute with their 'please let us suck his blood', and 'we've never ever sucked any human blood ever in our lives'- imploring acts

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Intense and breathtakingly beautiful

What do you do if fate takes you back to the path you were always running from?

BL needle score: 6.5 - Moderate BL-ness, interspersed with serious themes

This intense, heartbreaking, and yet breathtakingly beautiful series, raises many difficult questions, and gives us hope that love ultimately finds us the courage to live as our authentic selves.

This is the story of Wang, his mother Sasiwimol and Wang's father's best friend Inthawut or In...as it opens, Sasiwimol comes across as a successful career woman and a darling mother who is trying her best to be there for her son Wang, who misses his dead father dearly...despite the fact that there were some unresolved challenges between her dead husband and her, apparently mostly owing to his alcoholism. By sheer coincidence Wang and Sasiwimol lands up at In's place in the middle of nowhere after having lost their way while trying to scope for locations of Sasiwimol's next Lakorn.....Sasiwimol is both surprised and delighted it seems to have finally found an old friend In, who suddenly went missing from her late husband's and her life...while Wang feels this intense desire to know someone that he knows was very close to his father, courtesy photos that he had of his late father and In.

As they spend time in In's stunning home, Wang starts to fall for In despite the age difference, part driven by his intense desire to know why In was so close to his father, and part because the sheer chemistry between them is undeniable....In tries to avoid it for obvious reasons, but the sexual tension between them is palpable as Wang tries everything to break through the walls that In has put all around him....Wang's efforts seem to work when Sasiwimol has to go out for 2 days leaving two of them at In's house, and In starts to open up to Wang ....but once Sasiwimol is back and Wang confesses his love for In, all hell break loose....the pent-up tensions and feigned camaraderie between In and Sasiwimol crumbles....as the trio struggle through their own and collective secrets and guilt, painful truth from the past starts resurfacing......the two adults want to recede back to their make-believe comfort zones, but Wang refuses....he bulldozes through the walls of secrets and raises difficult questions, so that everyone can face the long-repressed truth.....a truth that Sasiwimol wanted to deny at all costs, a truth that made In withdraw from the world and live in self-imposed seclusion, guilt and pain....but, a truth that Wang could see all too clearly!

The series beautifully and expertly explores difficult themes of homophobia, childhood trauma, grief, narcissism (to me Sasiwimol is a clear case of at least borderline narcissism), and how denial/repressing our truths lead us towards an endless pit of pain and loneliness. But even though the series is heartbreaking and triggering in many ways, it gives us hope that love ultimately finds us the courage to live as our authentic selves!

With stellar performances from all three leads, excellent storytelling, beautiful cinematography, and clever use of sets and props (walls, iron-grills, bridges, etc.) all through the episodes symbolising the nuances of the characters and their stories, this is one stunning series that you can not miss. I have been a fan of Pond ever since I watched this, and I bet that you will be one too, once you watch this. Would I watch it again? Absolutely YES, but it is very intense and can be quite triggering, so go prepared and fall in love!

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Spectacular!

Wow! What a spectacular journey this was!

BL needle score: 5 - Low and hidden BL-ness, with an unforgettable and endearing bond between MLs

If you have come here as a BL fan, let me tell you that this is in a different league altogether....nothing that I watched so far (and I have watched a lot, trust me), compares to the scale, depth and spectacle that The Untamed is....and be prepared that you will dearly miss it when you are done.....

Make no mistake that this is a BL, albeit with no overt show of that relationship given the censorship challenges from the origin country. But I absolutely loved how the love and romance was portrayed nonetheless....the tenderness, the concern and the unwavering commitment that we get to experience between Wei Wuxian and Lang Wangji, is other worldly...Kudos to the actors that they could convey the deep love without needing a lot of obvious show of it...I love me a tale that leaves room for imagination, and this one, though not by choice, does just that in terms of the romance and boy, do i love it!!

But beyond just the romance, the series has so much more to offer....the rich storyline, including all the sub-plots that contribute to the central theme, the incredible plot-twists, the wonderful character development, the nuanced politics and power struggles, the beautiful locales, the music, the cinematography, and above everything else, the epic cast that delivers spectacularly...it's a must watch.

At the end I miss them all...and particularly the beautiful and tender bond between Wei Wuxian and Lan Zhan, and the adorable, cute, and loyal-to-a-fault Wen Ning...:(

When I finished this, I desperately searched for news/updates for another season or a proper spin-off... but as an afterthought, I realised that maybe its best this way...this bitter-sweet feeling of reminiscence and missing it dearly, is like a lovely ache that you come to cherish... it's so like the spirit of the series itself.

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Ok, this is trigerring, very triggering and gets really dark....but damn good despite all that!!!!

Be prepared to be very angry, livid, in fact, fuming and cursing a lot.....but don't you dare miss this!! Great story, acting, script...and wait till episode 5-6, when things get really good. I mean bad...really BAD and gets you hooked!!

As the story progressed, with each episode this just gets better and better....but if you have been through homophobia, family opposition and blatant arm-twisting by parents and family, be warned that this will trigger you...BIG TIME.....the bottom line is -these parents, they needed to have died much earlier....BEFORE they ruined everyone's life...and queer people need to find their spine and STOP ruining their own and other people's lives just so that they can be the 'good child' to their monstrous parents, and play the victim of being the martyr. Ok, rant done, this is good...damn good...don't miss it

BL-needle Score: 6. It has a lot of men loving men, but not really BL-ishq, if you know what I mean

Started out uber cute, the ML looking super handsome, doting on the MC, and bordering on obsessive-possessive.. the super red-flag-ey, won't listen to no -kind ...just when they find each other, their love story quickly veers towards a complete mess and heartbreak, with families, money, reputation and homophobia ruining everything....separating them, across oceans, and timelines...and just when you think the bish parents, and entitled, opportunistic, younger bro can't be any worse...SURPRISE....the protagonist himself sabotages everything by walking away, getting married and completely blindsiding the one person who loved him against everything, and through everything.

At Episode 8 right now when things have just started to turn good, the wronged lover is finally seeming to have his time...though I get a feeling that Lu Feng will eventually melt and succumb to this undying love for Cheng Yi...I wish he takes till the very last moment to do so though...because if I was Lu Feng, I would rub it in harder...much harder

Ep 9 DAMN!!! This has gone absolutely pitch dark now.....beyond toxic....the devil in Lu Feng is unleashed...all that anger, jealousy, repression, sense of betrayal, has made him into another person altogether :(

There was a movie on the same book in 2016, which has rave reviews. While I haven't watched that one, I am definitely glued on with this show. As I already said, Damn Good!!

What are you waiting for...Go Watch!!

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A poignant and cathartic tale of flawed people, with some stellar acting

Why does no one ever have the courage untill it is too late! This is a heartbreaking and yet, beautiful tale of flawed people. Also, a stunning gay-themed show from Korea after a rather long time.

BL needle score: 7.5 - Reasonably strong BL-ness, interspersed with serious themes

The story meanders through Ko Yeong's life and struggles as he goes from one love interest to other, failing the first one, love-hating the second, and loosing the last one, which ultimately makes him find himself in ways....

If you are a gay man (or even a woman) growing up or living in a big city in Asia, you'd find so many characters that will seem familiar...the story, while depending on some of the usual cliches of gay-besties gang (girl gang) and that hallowed chosen family support, does deliver a rather realistic and relatable story of a sort-of-closeted gay man from a conservative family, weighed down by the pressures of being the good son, the fabulous gay man, and also living that 'I dont give a shit bitch-will have fun' big city life, while pining for love that feels like home....all at the same time.

Yeong abandons the first one that loves him dearly, Kim, the most dedicated and stable one, because he isn't cool enough...(haven't we seen that happen like every other day in the gay dating scene!!).....fast forward the next one he falls for, No Yeong is, no surprises, the emotionally unavailable one, deep into the closet, with several unresolved issues and baggage...which expectedly, can only end in a traumatic way, and it does (again, a story that we see happen all around)....fast forward.....Yeong grows some....and then comes Gyu Ho, the real deal, the one he loves and the one who loves him back, the way he is...and I thought Yeong's confession about his being HIV+ to Gyu Ho was plain beautiful....the vulnerability, emotions, and desperation is portrayed so beautifully....but off course feeling loved as your authentic self is the most difficult and scary thing there is, right? The fear of losing makes us leave them before they do....but here the story is slightly less predictable, Yeong and Gyu really understand how strong their love is, and really try to work things out...but the fear.....THE FEAR...never goes away.....and that makes Yeong almost force separate from Gyu Ho.....in other words, he runs away from that one love that made him feel like he's safe and home.

The story, delves deep into the layers and nuances of a queer life...there is the obvious references to homophobia, struggles of living with HIV, the trauma of enforced closets and dual lives, the lack of love, care, safety and often betrayal by family, the contempt from society, and how religious dogma can turn people into monsters,...and then the beauty of finding support and love from your chosen family and finding a space that you can belong to.....it takes you through many a familiar feeling that is validating in ways.....at the same time it flags the lack of courage to accept ourselves and all others around us, as their everyday, non-glamorous, non-thrilling selves that is ...it definitely touches upon the all-too-familiar pressures of having that perfect and fabulous relationship, reaching the pinnacles of unrealistic standards of 'romance-that stuns and outdoes everyone'......and how the everyday mundane comfort around each other, the snoring, the stains that stay, and the 'don't have mind-blowing sex most of the time' familiarity, end up being no match for that....that is, until you find the courage to be just yourself, warts and all, and find beauty and comfort in it....find the courage to allow yourself to love and be loved with all your flaws, failing, and shadows........but, by that time, it is usually too late...or is it??

The series has a bit of an open ending, which one can interpret the way they want ...with a passing allusion to the possibility of Gyu Ho coming back to Seoul, hope floats.....just may be, Yeong moves out of his old apartment and moves into a new one...it ends as fireworks light up the sky, with Yeong and his gay-gang, seemingly happy celebrating their own selves....

But the question lingers, why does no one ever have the courage until it is too late!

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The first and last episodes have most of the story, the rest is just Phrae tourism promotion

I liked the first episode and the potential of the story, but it just got increasingly annoying after that. It's like they put a good part of the story into Ep 1, and then the rest of the episodes were 'Top attractions and merchandise of Phrae', and then again came back at the end to somehow try to save the story again. It failed miserably

It's a pity because both the story and the actors, particularly Tontae and Best, had good potential, which was plain wasted. You can watch to drool at Nankrai (Best), who is plain yummy, otherwise safe to give it a miss.

BL-needle score- 8. Reasonably high BL-ness

I hope Best gets noticed and get caste in good lead roles, because I would definitely want to see 'more' of him :D

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A fresh storyline, good acting, and cinematography, with a happy but slightly abrupt ending

Ok, first things first, I love Hayakawa's pout, he has such kissable lips....and Konno is a dreamboat...if that doesn't convince you to watch this show already, it gets all the other things just right- script, cinematography, music, and acting. The ednding, even though very satisfying, feels just a tiny-winy abrupt. But nevertheless, a good show and safe to watch.

BL-needle score: 6 Moderate BL-ness so far

I am quite surprised by how much I am liking this show, since I had started on this majorly because there were not many JBLs in a long time. I love the nuanced portrayal by both the leads...Hayakawa with his troubled, repressed youth and Konno with his handsome, easy-going, I-can-take-anything in my stride attitude.....the awkwardness of youth, the peer pressure to be liked, using sex to feel validated...all of it has a strong stamp of reality of the growing up years...so the script is done quite well...and so is the cinematography and music...in other words, this is a great package.

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Come....Fall in Love....

If you thought you are immune to fluff and cuteness, think again, Gameboys will bring out that school girl in you, without fail. What is even more surprising is that with all that fluff and rainbow hues, it doesn't shy away from addressing serious issues that queer people face. This is a wholesome, adorably melting, and blissfully romantic story with a strong message.

BL-needle Score:9. Very High BL-ness

The dimply-charm of Gav, the awkward, self-doubting adorableness of Cai, and the darling shipper Pearl...the protagonists of this story will completely make you fall in love with them. Given the backdrop of the pandemic, it has very little action beyond through screens, but that does nothing to deter the appeal of this story, and neither you rooting for their puppy love, with a very satisfying ending, even though the impending separation between Gav and Cai looms ahead. With how adorable they are, they will make you want to live in this moment.

But I must mention that beyond the appeal of a all-through fluffy love story are deeper issues of the queer life - Cai's fear of judgment, inability to come to terms with being gay, Gav's endless strings of smart-sweet endearments and love-punchlines hiding the insecurities and the fear deep down of people leaving him the moment he is not able to please them, the intense and often irrational jealousy they both feel, part being teenagers and part since it comes with being queer and having a lot of self-loathing and inability to see themselves are worthy, and in turn, always afraid of being abandoned or rejected....the script weaves in all of these nuances of a queer life, albeit avoiding the pitfall of making it darker than is needed for a story like this. I would they did a great job of that - including serious issue and yet keeping it light and fluffy enough for everyone to watch it without feeling too heavy.

I am late to the Gameboys party, but boy am I hooked!!! Followed this up with the second season, and loved it even more.

As someone who grew up on 90s Bollywood, Gav's love punchlines so reminds me of SRK as a cocky lover boi in his early movies, and I want to use that famous catchline from one his most popular rom-coms to describe Gameboys -
Come... Fall in Love <3

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Uber cute, trope-y and yet, surprisingly enjoyable, like a fluffy dessert!!

Yet another trope-y Thai High School BL, right? umm......Yes, and No

BL-needle score: 8.5. Very high BL-ness

This turned out to be a hidden gem of fluff and feel-good, the tropes notwithstanding. I started watching this series for two reasons - I was bored, and, I love the OST by Jeff Satur . Was expecting yet another Thai High School romance and all its tropes...it IS that, but much beyond...I mean even though this had all the tropes and expected hooks, it just didn't feel stale, or give me that 'oh! no not again' feeling....the leads are quite good and somehow manage to make this 'no-surprise element'-script enjoyable....and I did not cringe at all, which was kinda unexpected :P

It has all the expected tropes - enemies-to-lovers, truant vs uptight good student, clueless about love until the competitor comes in, the short separation in between, one lead 'sacrificing the relationship for the good of the other, because they love them so much' (arrgh), the 'roll-your-eyes'- product placements (yes, including the 'always takes the cake for the most-annoying' - Refreshing Drinks)...you get it all...but somehow the script and the cast still make it work...and make you want to root for them and their cute, innocent love...

If you are free, or say, a tad blue, and up for some fluff, this is definitely recommended from me....and oh, do not forget to listen to the OST by Jeff, its so cute and soothing....will lift your mood instantly :D

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Had promise, but turned out to be striclty timepass fluff

This had an unique setting with soccer players and actors coming together....I was intrigued...but it ends there...if you want to watch just for the fluff and good looking actors, you can.

BL-needle score: 7.5. Reasonably high BL-ness

This one had a lot of promise with an unique setting and premise- hot soccer players meet charming actors and icons...trying to jack up the fortunes of a fallen soccer team/club....but 2-3 episodes in, I realised that they had absolutely no plans to have any story whatsoever.... I did complete this, but with loooong gaps and a lot of skipping-through, and almost because I had already invested too much time into it...lol...the only thing I liked somewhat was the OST

Not recommended. But if you like looking at cute faces doing cute nothings, this could end up entertaining you.

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