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Get ready to cry, scream, love - a rollercoaster ride of emotions that'll make you want more
Do you know of that feeling where you scream all through the show at the electric chemistry between the lead pair and desperately want them to confess their love to each other? Yes, this is that kind.BL-needle Score: 10++. Needle broke !! Extremely high BL-ness.....yeah yeah, they insist it is (B)romance, but we know better
This show is the best thing since TharnType in terms of the intense romantic/sexual tensions between the lead pair.
Saint and Shin are childhood best buddies (my interpretation - more like boys in deep love, but clueless about it, like how only teenagers can be), who fall out due to an act of juvenile immaturity and violence, that halts Shin's soccer dreams...Saint initially runs away after the incident, unable to face the hurt he has caused to his best friend, and when he returns later, Shin's mom forbids him to see Shin ever again.....fast forward a few years, they meet since their school campuses are merged and they end up in the same Class 2 of their now merged campus, infamous for the violence and troubled lot of students....Shin apparently hates Saint, and no amount of apologies, convincing, and efforts from Saint are able to move him...or so he pretends.....but its all too plain that their love and all that pent-up hurt is just waiting to burst forth....the story then follows the meandering and frequently violent path of reconciliation between Saint and Shin, and also several of their troubled friends....with some of the friends and teachers acting as key enablers to that journey towards healing and hope
A special mention here for the character Chadjen, played by Mark...Chadjen is plain love ... he is an autistic friend of Saint and Shin, and, in my opinion, is the main thread of love and compassion that pulls everyone together towards the healing that we see at the end
Sky (Saint) and Nani (Shin) are outstanding as estranged childhood friends-turned-enemies, with Saint determined to get back to being the inseparable duo that they used to be...he refuses to give up and for a substantial part of the show, its an endless game of wooing and refusal between Saint and Shin, with a lot of help from Shin's adorable little (step)sister Chingching, who shares a special bond with both, and also from Chadjen, and the two teachers, Jan and Sung....Saint is almost like an adorable puppy who follows his master around to be forgiven for his mistakes, knowing full well that his life is pointless without Shin...the intense stares, electric chemistry, hurt-eyes and unmistakable yearning between Saint and Shin tells of a love that is undoubtedly beyond just best friends..
But the script will keep the bromance mask on, all through.....I think this is done deliberately, with the intent of keeping us salivating and yearning for that what almost everyone who has watched this show will want - Saint and Shin confessing their love to each other...and YES, even if for a fleeting moment, it does happen....so yes, it is going to make you very happy at the end.
Should you watch it? YES, YES, and YES :D
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The heart wants what it wants...a tale of unconditional love that loses out, or does it?
This was such a hidden gem!!! I don't know why it is rated so low here on MDL.BL needle score: 7 - Moderate BL-ness with a lot of heartbreak
To say that I was stunned by how real it felt, will still be an understatement.....and yes, it is intensely heartbreaking...but you'll probably love it exactly because of that..
Please be forewarned that it can be very triggering for those who have experienced third party situations....and I guess its quite common these days..and definitely so in the gay dating scene...to always look for more, and pursue momentary temptations to complicate a wonderful relationship that has nothing lacking really....but then the heart wants what it wants, and so it must be......as they say, c'est la vie!!
Ping Jun was all that one can want, hot, caring, hard-working, always shows up for his lover, the entire package.....and yet, Hai Qing wanted Yan Fei, the entitled but rich and privileged guy........that one random encounter and kissing had them both hooked, and they had to consummate it..and they did....and that's probably how it happens in real life too, or at least most of the time anyway
The storytelling and screenplay is fantastic. Even though it does drag a bit for the first 2 episodes, once it picks up, you are sure to be hooked ...the acting is also quite convincing I would say...the fact that the leads are all such eye-candies, definitely helps too....
It almost felt like I was part of their story at the end of it...and was desperately hoping that each one of them, Yan Fei, Hai Qing and most importantly, Ping Jun, finds their happiness and can look forward to a life of hope....
I think that is the message that the makers wanted to leave us with, because they tried to lessen the blow by keeping the ending slightly open-ended....possibly to offer some redemption to all three leads....and to us viewers as well.
Also, the music/OST is so stunning
Do I recommend it? Definitely YES...but be warned of the possible triggers and having an achy heavy heart as it ends.... <3
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Adorably cute
Can a boy and a ghost be lovers and be happy with it...HELL YEAH!! He's coming to Me makes you believe that, and more :DBL needle score: 8.5 - Very strong BL-ness
This is an adorably cute tearjerker, and an extremely fulfilling series. A very special mention of Aof's screenplay and direction, which I believe, is the key ingredient that makes it so enjoyable. Also, fantastic acting by Ohm and Singto and such enchanting chemistry! I so want to see Ohm and Singto together again after this!!!
One of the other things that I really liked about this series are the meaningful side stories, unlike many other Thai BLs, where the side characters don't have any plausible stories and do little beyond supporting the leads. The script was well thought through and the idea is quite novel....they make you believe in this ghost-human romance, and how!!
Without giving out any tale-tell spoilers for those who may not have watched it so far (like me, I watched this after 5 years of its release) I would have loved it if the makers had left out that...err, shall we say, gratuitously happy part at the very end where they reunite, and instead dropped a hint of them possibly reuniting again in the future for a second season (okay, so yes, I so wanted a second season of this, which off course is not happening).....but then, I'm not complaining...I was very happy at the end. :D
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Beautiful and deep
If love, unblemished with ego, jealousy, and attachment, was to come alive as a person, they would be like Tofu I guess ....<3BL needle score: 7.5 - Reasonably strong BL-ness, interspersed with serious themes
What an absolutely beautiful and deep series this is...while many other Thail BL series have hinged on magic realism, this seems to have taken it to another level altogether. 16 episodes with an average duration of 1.5 hours, that is a whole day/24 hours, and yet, I binge-watched it.
Should you watch it? The short answer is YES. It has avoided many usual tropes and pitfalls of Thai BLs. Hats off to the team that they stuck to their guts to keep the episodes at 1.5 hours length and refused to cut corners, which helped with a layered and nuanced portrayal of sensitive and difficult issues such as mental health, childhood trauma, toxic social-cultural traps that many parents forced their children through, and so on....
It also beautifully captures how we get caught up in our own lies, even with the best intentions, how jealousy, attachments and inner insecurities stop us from being our authentic selves and hurt everyone in the process.....and how love (Tofu personifies love to me in this series) is the only force that can ultimately brings us towards closure and peace, so that we can look towards the future with some hope and happiness.....
Off course I also have my axe to grind with the ending, not because how it ended, but more for the pace of it. It felt completely rushed at the end without giving the characters and viewers some time to grieve and adjust to Tofu's storyline, and also find some closure before being able to 'move on' and look to the future with hope....I just don't get why the team, after making such long episodes without cutting corners, had to rush through the ending...I'm wondering if they faced the same pressures as Nut's boss in the series, Juea.
It would have been much better to show a break in the storyline like '2 years later' or '3 years later' before showing how the characters moved on with their lives....that would have given Nut, Na and all others a reasonably acceptable time to grieve Tofu (yes, the Teddy's presence notwithstanding) ...without that closure curve, it seems like all the people who were so deeply touched by Tofu and his love, just quickly went past him and went on with their lives...which is plain disrespectful and insensitive to a character who was as important as Tofu.... and that is why it seems so painful and unacceptable for most of us, I believe...it would have been also good to spare 5-6 minutes for the Saen-Jan storyline to show what happened to them afterwards....If not for these gaps, this series would have figured in my list of Top 5 Thai BLs so far, but because of this issue it will only do so in the top 10.
Nevertheless, I maintain that this is an absolutely beautifully crafted series ...the only other Thai BL series that I think comes close to talking sensibly about such difficult issues is probably '180 degrees longitude passes through us', and 'Khun Chai', though both of them only scratched at the surface, while this series goes deep and is thus a cathartic experience. It somehow reminded me of the series '13 reasons why' which also dealt with difficult subjects of mental health, jealousy, suicide, guilt, trauma, power and the likes, though it was way more triggering and raw...
Kudos and a BIG THANK YOU to the entire cast, crew and team for making this series. Definitely recommended!
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Kawaii ne...and oh! those mesmerising eyes!
This is cute and quirky...and the actor playing AE is plain ravishing with the most beautiful pair of eyes ever!!BL-needle Score: 8. High BL-ness
I binge-watched all three episodes of this drama and liked it a lot....Even though I find Chiaki's nervous-fanboi character to be a tad to OTT and affected at times, but that's true for almost all JBLs that have such characters.....in other words, that is not stopping me from really enjoying this drama.
Both the actors are doing a great job I feel...and they really do make AE look very different in his two avataars....which is really commendable..its not just the wig, or the piercings, or the attire...its like the entire persona undergoes a change...just like how he tells Chiaki about clothes giving courage to people.
This promises to be entertaining and mostly feel good.. and with such a gorgeous man strutting around, I am definitely gonna turn up for the next episodes 😍
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This is plain beautiful.....hilarious, and heart tugging, slice of life drama
This will make you laugh, cry, and end up feeling like 'pickled-in bliss' 💖BL-needle score: This does not feel like a BL really, though the main male leads are gay
I started this with zero expectation, mainly because I was intrigued by the synopsis and the fact that this is a drama from Japan which has episodes that are 45 minutes long...I thought, what's the deal here...and boy, am I glad that I started it!!! This low-key reminded me of Forest Gump, the same dumb hope, goodness of heart, and those 'you-want-to-believe-utopia' feels
Clumsy, a tad naive, kind, and an old gay man -that is one of our leads...the other, in his 30s, is more practical, if not cynical, mostly open gay man...and the other key character is a girl, sharp, a tad eccentric, and seemingly bordering on rebellious, high school student, who feels abandoned by her parents and doesn't want anyone to know anything about her family.....these odd trio comes together by fate's stroke and share an icecream tub...which promises to change their lives...🥰
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A beautiful story of love, loss, and redemption, with a dash of magic realism
This is so deep and beautifully portrayed. While the story appears to revolve around two sweet love stories at the surface, its soul runs deep and brings out several philosophical life questions around love, loss, regrets and redemption.BL-Needle Score: 7.5 Reasonable BL-ness
He Xiang Yong and Chen Hao Wei were school-day friends with a promise of becoming more, but a misunderstanding around Chen Hao's behaviour, intentionally complicated by a girl in their class, leads them to fall apart. He Xiang Yong leaves behing the friendship and also their island home to work in the bigger main island and they no longer remain in touch. Cut to the present, He Xiang Yong comes back home after complications at his workplace and is afraid to share the truth with his father, who he sees as overtly critical of him. But he comes back and finds that Chen Hao is working with his father at their guesthouse. Chen Hao seems to be looking for his old friend, among other things. But He Xiang Yong and his childhood friend Le Wang Zhe, both seem frustrated with their lives and in a state of drunken frustration wish for what's troubling them most to go away - He Xiang Yong wanting to no longer live as himself with all the problems of his life and Le Wang Zhe wanting someone to love him truly. They wake up the next day to find their wish fulfilled and all hell break loose!
From hereon the story takes us through an unique experience for both these people who had their wishes fulfilled to realise that their lives may not have been that bad and all the ideas that they had about people in their lives were not correct after all...as they struggle with the changed reality and the absurdity of it all, they find their own wishes backfiring on them...and realise that the price to pay for a fulfilled wish is too high....He Xiang Yong struggles to convince Chen Hao he is He Xiang Yong and the love Chen Hao is waiting for and Le Wang Zhe is afraid that the love from Hama-chan will vanish somehow.
What transpires after this is a beautiful journey of them trying to find their selves back, their memories, families, love...people that love them instinctively feel that they know something , can remember memories that feel more like dreams than actual lived realities...He Xiang Yong understand his father's love and concern for him, Le Wang Zhe gets past his cowardice and tendency to run away everytime something goes wrong, and Che Hao realises that that He Xiang Yong is the same He Xiang Yong that he is pining for, even though he can't seem to remember anything - as if his heart and soul-memory is helping his cognitive senses to reconstruct a reality that didn't exist
The story is portrayed really beautifully.... the doubts, regrets, and frustrations of having lost one's own self and all memories, and emotions connected with that self....the wish to forget and run away, made them realise how much they loved and wanted the life that they were running from and yet, the same life seems unreachable because of their own doing...
I loved the twists, the portrayals, and the deep life questions this brings up. The love stories are cute too, but they are just the surface for this deeper tale. A BL from Taiwan after a long time didn't disappoint. Definitely recommended.
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This is still great, but not really EPIC as I had hoped for
It started off WOW! This had all the ingredients to become a Spectacular show, which it didn't really achieve, but I would say it still is a great show!!! I guess The Untamed just set the bar waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay high for wuxia BLs and to accept anything less as top notch is going to be near to impossible for us!!BL-needle Score: 7. Moderate BL-ness
To say that I was hooked after the first two episodes will be understatement. We had three Chinese BL releases this week and this is the last one that I got to, and it is, without any shred of doubt, THE BEST of all three!! The conspiracy theories are so delish and so is the understated chemistry of the leads!!
The script is script-ing, the cinematography is splendid, and the performances are fantastic!! The production values are also really really good..while it did not turn out to really epic, it still is a great show
Verdict: Yes Watch
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Turns out this is quite good actually
I love myself a time-travel story, and that was the ONLY reason that I started this. NGL that I was half expecting the off-repeated tropes and cringe-fest from this, looking at the (same-old) poster, but was pleasantly surprised. The storytelling and performances are quite good...with a story about a school band where the members can actually sing, a lot less of OTT cringe, and also a tolerably good story to boot. I would say yes, watch.BL-needle Score: 7.5 Reasonably high BL-ness
The story of a mid-40s under-performing, desperate guy Win, getting a second chance at life and possible love with his school crush Nut, is nothing new and I was half expecting to drop this after the first episode. But the show convinced me otherwise. While it is not a stunner or incisive, I would say it still works better than some of the formulaic Thai shows that have had in the recent times. The substantial gap for the time-travel didn't feel realistic given how hung up Win and Lin still are about Nut's death (after 27 Years!!). A 10-15 years at most, would have been more believable.
Win and Nut's characters are mostly believable, and so are their friends. I must mention that Win's dad is such a sweetheart. I love the fact that for once a BL-father is shown to be fun and caring. It also gives us a the stark contrast with Nut's father who is your usual shitty-controlling-abusive douchebag of a father that we have had for many a past dramas. The difference so clearly shows up in how Win and Nut are as teenagers, which I think, could turn out to be an important message, going forward. Also, so glad that the leads can actually play the guitar and sing, which is so very apparent on screen. That itself brings more authenticity to their story. But I must say, that I didn't really like their music much, but that didn't interfere with me liking their story.
My only bone of contention was how the final episode felt a tad rushed, like everything got resolved and came to be as desired, within what seemed like a rather short time span...they could have left a few things open-ended, to make it seem more realistic, particularly since the show was, for most parts, very believable all through.
To sum it up, I really enjoyed watching this and I think, you will too.
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One of the best BL dramas out there - I'm in love, will always be..Untill the End
To say that I loved this will be an understatement. Blissful fluff, adorable and yet realistic jealousy, coming of age, friendship, slice of real life homophobia, queer-positivity, it has it all....delivered in a neat package of fantastic acting, great production values, and a script that almost never feels awkward. It is one of the best boy love stories that I have watched so far, and trust me, I have watched a lot.BL-needle Score: 10. Extremely High BL-ness
The season 2 takes off right from where season 1 ended and we get to see the lovey-dovey two-some time between Gav and Cai when Cai's mother (the kind of mother most queer person would like to have) tells him that he can stay back some more time with Gav given the situation in Bukidnon, where their family has shifted after his father's death. So they realise with almost-euphoria that they get to spend almost a month's time together. Their blissful times however are cut short with the arrival of Gav's ext Terrence who was driven out of his home by his father once he came out and came drunk-knocking at Gav's for a safe space, as a last, desperate way. Starting from that, the story does a wonderful job in portraying how Cai and Gav worked around the sensitive issue of hosting an ex who is in need, the jealousy, then the double jeopardy o f Wes, Cai's childhood friend also arriving to pursue Terrence (we get the backstory in the last extended episode of season 1 and some of it later in season 2), also Terrence's less-than-authentic and gratuitous entanglement with Achilles and its expected fallouts, Peral's never-wavering mothering and support to all of them, and finally breaking through the childhood trauma of being outed and hated as a queer person aunt Susan who arrives and spews a lot of very realistic homophobia.
I think a lot of us queer people can identify with each of these characters, their stories and traumas. The struggle with one's self to accept our own queerness, the refusal to acknowledge, constant emotional blackmail and even abandonment, from our natal families, the self-loathing it results in, finding a safe space with our chosen family, the phobia and othering even within the LGBTQ+ community, the all-season female friend who is almost always the best refuge, the insecurities of losing the loved one to anything and everything, the suffocation if being unable to stand up for yourself in the face of hatred and phobia from elders and the society in general, the toll it takes on our mental health, all of that....it has captured so many nuances and aspects of a queer life so well. A lot of these portrayals follow stereotypes, yes, but they are true nonetheless.
In short, the show has tried its best to include layers and layers of queer experiences in this show while still managing to keep it fluffy, overall happy, and adorably cute, which is no mean feat. I'm so surprised that this has only 14 reviews as compared to the original Gameboys which has 135...and also has a lower rating overall...while I absolutely loved season 1, I would definitely say season 2 was an improvement on that, in all sense.
Kokoy (Gav), and Elijah (Cai) are fantastic with their portrayals, the struggles, vulnerability, self-doubts, jealousy, first-love awkwardness, all-consuming teenage love...all of it is almost perfect. Also, Adrianna as Pearl, is very convincing. The other actors who play Achilles, Terrence and Wes are also quite good. Even with a slightly overdoes of fluff and OTT emotions, it is their portrayals and the script that makes it very believable and enjoyable.
I am so looking forward to the next season which is expected to be in NYC, where Gav has moved to take care on aunt Myra.
I'm in love...and will always be....Until the End. Strongly Recommended.
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This is gonna hurt bad...all the way, but it will be oh so beautiful
So here it is, after this looooooooooong wait......and it has started to deliver right from the start. I am telling you this is going to be one of the best dramas of 2026BL-Needle Score: 6.5 Moderate BL-ness so far, but expected to go up soon
I have been waiting forever for this one. This is a subject very close to my heart because the theme of this show deals with an extremely important and relevant subject - that of homophobia from one's closest people, loved ones and family. The pain of rejection from one's own family and loved ones is THE most damaging thing to ever go through for young queer people. It has been pretty common, and unfortunately still is, in many parts of the world, to see parents sending off their queer children to be 'converted', 'cured of the sin' of homosexuality. And more often than not, religion plays a big role in perpetuating such harm, violence and damage. I have seen catholic gay men up close, going around in a loop of self-loathing, suffering and struggle, just to reconcile their selves to their faith, and in turn, fail miserably at any form of meaningful human connection. More importantly, their parents and immediate support systems, the people who should have loved and protected them, have pushed them towards a life of guilt, shame, and misery, all in the name of God. We need to have more conversations around this and we need parents and families of queer people to be a part of these conversations.
I know this is going to make us cry loads, get angry, scream and sink into desperation in the days ahead, but we need stories like these, we need them to be told, seen, heard, and repeated, so that no one is ever made to go through shit just because of who they are, and who they love...God, if he exists, is not sitting with a magnifying glass to judge your 'sins', its just us humans playing the power games using God's name ...
Other than that, this was also the next intense act for Fourth-Gemini after absolutely flooring me in Moonlight Chicken, followed by a big disappointment in My Love Mix-up. To top it, this is Aof's direction. It can't get better than that I guess.
I am hoping this show will help people become at least a little more aware and kinder.....and that this absolutely stellar combination of actors, director, and storytellers will help this show be a narrative changing act.
So far the cinematography, script, acting and music has been great and it can only get better in the days ahead. The only sad part is that this is just 6 episodes...I definitely wanted more. Anyway, while it lasts, DO NOT MISS IT
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Perfect Weekend Dope of Mush...Watch it for the Comfort
I paused it after Episode 16, planning to restart, but then never went back to it...may be the feel good only felt good for so long...🤷🏽♂️Original review: Steeped in adorable moments, sizzling chemistry for all the pairs so far, great screenplay, and production values and a story that lets you feel good unapologetically without having to tax your brain too much, and yet retains a refreshing quality.....this show never disappoints in delivering the goodies so far... I have come to call it my 'Weekend Dope of Mush'
BL needle score: 9 . Very high BL-ness
When this series started I was wondering, if they will be able to keep us glued for all 24 episodes and more than 6 months!!! After the first 10 episodes, I am finding myself wishing that they had more than 24.
While I will write more detailed review later, for now, if you are not watching this and love feel-good, romantic stories that tug at your heart, go watch it now!
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This promises to be a fun riot and super cute!!! Reminds me of Bad Buddy!
The starting of this drama instantly reminded me of the big daddy of enemies-to-lovers series - Bad Buddy....and my Pookies Sea-Keen made me fall in love with it, as always!!BL-needle Score: 8 High BL-ness
What's not to like!!... Sea-Keen with their delish chemistry, the endless banters, steeped in every known cute-trope possible, and a rest of the cast that is sooo easy on the eye....we definitely seem to have got a winner on our hands...
Sea-Keen are my favourite pair among the new ones from GMMTV...other than their bang-on chemistry, both have reasonably good acting skills that is improving with every drama, and they have also chosen diverse types of characters even when they have only done the same cutesy-tropey romance genre, which is quite commendable!
And the way Ep 1 ended...that's exactly what was prescribed - a car crash injury for J just serious enough to break his arm so that he has to be nursed, undressed, washed (wink wink), cared for, and melted to the exact temperature needed 😍 by the 'Boy of his dreams'
This looks all set to become my go to drama for tropey-comfort ...I knew my Pookies will not disappoint 🥰
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Started okayish, and then got better and better...Keng will just take your breath away!
I'm beyond floored by Keng in this - he's plain divine...watch this, even if you like nothing else in this drama, though there are lots to love actually...it's worth watching just for him!BL-needle score- 7.5 Reasonably high BL-ness
I had been waiting for Khemjira since the time I watched Keng in POaradise of Thorns...loved his portrayal there and have also been loving his singing...and then this dropped...NGL, I was and am still not convinced by Keng-Namping chemistry and this drama started slow on me, despite Keng...but it just got better and better and gave me enough reasons to watch it beyond just Keng....All the actors are doing a great job and the characters are all quite relatable (other than the fantasy elements off course)...and the entire caste is doing a fantastic job in making this fantasy-horror tale believable and enjoyable. The costumes, make-up, set design, cinematography, and art direction has been really good too, so is the coloring.
I loved Jet-Charn's pair....Tle and First are doing such a wonderful job with their act ...also love Jet and Khem's friendship....Green as the chief villain Ramphueng is also doing a great job...also all the other characters, immaterial to how much screen time they got, have been really good..grandma, the villagers, all of them....
But the best thing about this show is without doubt 'Por Kru' - Keng Harit!!...whether it is his acting, or his singing and how scorching he looks all through...he has you eating out of his hands!! Even if you watch this drama just to gawk at him, it's worth it!!
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Underwhelming
Why on earth would one want to make a series with not even a half-cooked script...beats me.....It seems like they just put together some trope scenes and thought it will suffice....maybe this could just work as a comic strip/manhwa, but as a live action show- NO.BL-needle score: 8. Reasonably high BL-ness
Nothing much to write, the casting, the dialogues, the script, everything seems half-hearted and pointless. Even with a 8 minute length, or 13 minute (episode 3) it's a drag. Why waste so much effort and money...I wonder!!! My verdict - Nah, don't waste your time.
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