Feardorcha

The fact that Sand's anger and vengeance was directed at Top rather than Boeing was a whole essay in Sand's protracted emotional battle about his and Boeing's failed relationship. Top was a jerkass piece of trash for what he did, sure, but Top wasn't the one obligated to respect the relationship between Sand and Boeing; loyalty and commitment to Sand was Boeing's responsibility, and he chose to break it. Sand's pain and anger has long been misdirected, and I do believe he needs to have a final showdown with Boeing to exorcise it all.

We all have the right to feel however we do about our past and the people in it, but we also have the responsibility to reconcile our past with our future, and I feel like this episode pushed Sand in a position to do that, just as Sand pushed Ray to do the same.

Am I a bit frustrated with Sand? Sure. But I am frustrated with him in the exact way he has been frustrated with Ray: wanting someone you care about to wake the fuck up and become the person you see in them.

I understand your viewpoint but I, personally, utterly adore the tension of this comments section. The analyses, discussions and, yes, heated arguments, happening here about this series are among the most nuanced, layered, and engaging that I have ever encountered in the world of BL. What I find so refreshing is that the disagreements here are so often connected to how lived experiences are influencing individual interpretation and judgement of the characters and their stories, and most everyone is making absolutely valid points even when their views are in opposition.

This type of discourse, I believe, is how we, as fans, encourage more content like "Only Friends", and balance out the cutesy fluff of the genre with more multifaceted portrayals of homoerotic relationships without completely jettisoning the framework of yaoi by adopting, wholesale, or colonizing, indirectly, the identity of LGBTQ+ media. (Note: I am Queer and differentiate between BL/GL and LGBTQ+ media but I absolutely recognize that is neither a universal nor empirical assessment.)

I wish more series in the BL genre elicited the response we see in this comments section.

I am actually not perturbed by Sand's behaviour toward Boeing. Sand stole from his roommate, blew up the friendship group the man he loves belonged to, and destroyed a relationship that was none of his business—all of it in obvious violation of his conscience and sense of self—simply to get back at the guy his then-boyfriend dumped him over. Sand, whatever his feelings for Ray, obviously hasn't completely processed or let go of the Boeing/Top thing, yet he's running around giving everyone (including literally his own Mother) advice about their lives? No.

Sand needs to have a reckoning with his own past in order to move on and move forward, and I appreciate that the script didn't let Sand off the hook. There are no angels here, and Sand fully deserves to have his demons both validated and vanquished, just like all the other conflicted and complex characters who are struggling toward a better version of themselves.

Frankly, I still don't want any of these main characters to end up together, not even SandRay, but what I like most about this series is that everyone is unequivocally Human, warts and all. They are all being forced, in one way or another, to come to terms with themselves and their own shite, and it would've been a disservice to the character, in my opinion, if Sand was exempted from the harrowing ordeal of confronting one's self just because he's (arguably) the least bad of the bunch.

I freely admit I've paid so little attention to the plot of this series that I haven't the foggiest what was going on in the final episode, but I would like to personally extend my gratitude to every single member of the production crew even tangentially responsible for putting Max's perfect butt into those khaki trousers and providing gratuitous low-angle shots of it. Thank you, you fine people.

Oh thank you!

It really was just a nothing of a series. Baffling why anyone bothered. Even if I view it as purely a promotional vehicle for the group, I'm not convinced it did that well either.

Indeed. This series was just not for me.

iQIYI released all episodes for VIP. I watched the whole series this morning, to my everlasting regret.

Cheap BL cash-in targeted, I suppose, at fans of the K-Pop group who make up the cast. It walks itself through the formula—pretty boys, bubblegum soundtrack, feints at guys loving guys—but it's a tepid enterprise, slathered in glitter and lip gloss and devoid of sincerity. The leads hug perhaps twice, absolutely no one kisses (not even a camera-angle peck), and the characters, conflicts, and story are too shallow to manage so weighty a concept as emotional intimacy. This is, very much, a real-life Business Gay Performance, and one might pretend it a satirical take on the whole industry except the series is simply not smart enough for that.

It's an essentially fluffy, forgettable bit of nostalgia, really, a throwback to the very early days of BL where anything so gauche as conspicious gay sexuality was proscripted. I neither liked nor disliked it, as it's too empty to inspire much more than resigned disappointment, as we know K-BLs can do so much better, and K-Pop group members can deliver spectacularly in these vehicles, if given the right material and unfettered by concerns over appearances.

I will say, though, I quite liked the aggressive, deceitful ex-boyfriend. He really did make you want to kick him in the teeth, the sociopathic little gremlin.

In conclusion: there are a dozen far better K-BLs out there. Go watch those.

First and Khao. Just wow.

One day, Perth will get the ship partner that he deserves. Chimon is not it. I like Chimon well-enough as an actor but I don't think he's suitable for or suited to BLs. Honestly, he doesn't seem comfortable with romantic intimacy on screen, full stop. During that bed scene, I had to pretend I was watching Perth & Saint because otherwise it was like watching incest, there's such a heavy "bros" vibe to this series. These characters are decently written as friends but I just do not buy them as boyfriends.

Glad to see Name is back! Looking forward to whatever is happening next week with Saifah. (Also, I swear there was more sensual tension in that 10 seconds of Saifah re-buttoning Name's shirt than we've had from the main couple since they started dating.)

Well, the curry was decidedly less crunchy this time, so perhaps Yoh's cooking is actually improving.

The memory loss is not a spoiler; it's the crux of the story's third act, & arguably the most significant element of the plot. Bai Zong Yi has mild cognitive impairment, his prevailing symptom being short-term memory loss; Fan Ze Rui has retrogade amnesia.

THIS is a spoiler:





Fan Ze Rui is faking it.

You can't solve all your problems with sex & sorry but I appreciate the effort.

I love Perth. I like Chimon. I feel zero chemistry between them. Their characters' friendship is wonderful but I just don't buy these two being in a romantic relationship. This doesn't even rise to the level of bromance.

That was an alarmingly crunchy curry.

Every scene with Makorn and Yi is like whiplash and I love it. Their relationship is both heartwarming and hilarious. Makorn sets me laughing every time.

Wish we were spending more time with Kla and Tong. They have an actual story with real conflict.

I have never before seen a plaid shirt plaid that hard. It was ALL the plaid.

That is not Lian's fault. All he told Kuea was that Yi and what's-her-name were close. Kuea took that and leapt to his own conclusions based on zero actual evidence, just like Diao, and then those two idiots got together and worked themselves into a frenzy over a scenario they made up in their own heads.

Lian apologized for the misunderstanding but he certainly didn't do anything warranting a "send expensive wine" apology.