Editorials 
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When Oranges Fall — A First Love That Feels Safe
I really loved this BL.When Oranges Fall is a gentle coming-of-age story set in the late 90s, when LGBTQ+ identities were far less openly discussed. However, instead of using constant homophobia or cruelty to create drama, the series gives its characters a reassuring world in which they can slowly understand their feelings. That choice makes it incredibly easy to watch. The fears surrounding their relationship still feel real, especially because neither boy is comfortable talking openly about what he wants. However, the series never becomes emotionally exhausting. It allows them to be confused, hesitant and afraid without punishing them for falling in love.
The whole cast is also extremely cute. The friendships make the school setting feel alive, and the supporting characters create a warm environment around the central romance. They aren't simply there to fill the episodes. They make this feel like a genuine group of teenagers approaching the end of one part of their lives without fully understanding what adulthood will bring.
Progress and Almond, however, were something else. After already playing Noh and Phun together in Love Sick 2024, they return here with a very different kind of relationship. Their familiarity as acting partners helps the emotional scenes feel natural, but there is still a visible awkwardness between their characters that suits this story perfectly. Neither boy is completely comfortable with what is happening between them. Normally, that hesitation could weaken the chemistry. Here, it strengthens it. This is a first love developing during a period when two boys couldn't easily name their feelings, much less discuss them openly. Their uncertain looks, restrained movements and difficulty approaching each other feel appropriate rather than frustrating. Progress and Almond don't need exaggerated romantic scenes to make the relationship believable. The affection appears through small gestures, the time they spend together and everything they struggle to say directly. Their chemistry feels soft and slightly uncomfortable in exactly the way this romance needs. The acting is excellent because they make that uncertainty feel like part of the characters rather than a limitation in their performances.
The only part that stopped the series from being perfect for me was the transition into adulthood. The story spends so much time showing two boys who are afraid to communicate that I expected growing up to challenge them more. Instead, several problems are resolved very quickly and without the arguments or emotional confrontation I expected. Love cannot always be that easy, especially between two people who have so much difficulty speaking honestly. I didn't need unnecessary toxicity or a dramatic separation created only to extend the story. However, I wanted a little more resistance. Even one meaningful disagreement could have shown how their relationship changed once the innocence of school ended and adult choices became real. Perhaps this also comes from my own perspective. As an adult, I naturally compare coming-of-age stories with reality and with my own experiences. That sometimes makes me notice emotional steps that younger viewers may not feel are missing. The simplicity of the resolution may be exactly what makes the series comforting for other people. It didn't prevent me from loving it.
Final Thought
When Oranges Fall succeeds because it understands that a story about LGBTQ+ youth doesn't always need suffering to feel meaningful. It offers a warm and reassuring first love carried by an adorable cast and two leads who understand how to make hesitation feel romantic. I still wish the growing-up part had been explored more deeply. The relationship needed one final challenge to show that Ko One and Ko Two could communicate as adults, not only love each other as teenagers. Even without that, this remains a perfectly watchable and lovable BL that I will happily return to.
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Top Form — When a BL Reaches Its Peak
Sometimes a BL comes out and you enjoy it. Sometimes one comes out and you binge it in a few days. And then once in a while, a series appears that reminds you why you love this genre in the first place. Top Form is exactly that kind of drama.From the beginning, the story feels fresh even if the premise is simple. The setting inside the acting industry gives the drama a different kind of tension. Fame, rivalry, pressure from producers, expectations from fans… all of that surrounds the relationship between Akin and Jin. At first it looks like a classic competition story: the veteran actor who has been “the sexiest man of the year” for years suddenly challenged by a younger rising star. But what makes the story interesting is how that rivalry slowly transforms into admiration, attraction, and eventually something much deeper.
Boom Raveewit as Akin completely owns the screen. He plays the confident, experienced actor perfectly, but what makes his performance special is the vulnerability hidden behind that image. You can feel the pressure of fame on his shoulders. On the other side, Smart Chisanupong brings an almost innocent energy to Jin. His character starts as someone a bit lost in the industry, trying to find his place, and watching him grow emotionally through the series is one of the most satisfying parts of the story. And then there is their chemistry. Honestly, this is where Top Form becomes unforgettable. Some BL couples look good together, some feel natural, but Boom and Smart create something that feels electric on screen. Their interactions feel playful, tense, romantic, sometimes even a little dangerous. There are scenes where you barely have dialogue, just eye contact or a small gesture, and yet the emotions are completely clear.
Another thing that impressed me is how cinematic the series feels. The lighting, the framing of the scenes, even the way the actors move in certain moments makes the whole drama feel bigger than a typical BL production. It almost feels like watching a film about actors rather than just a romance story. The music also deserves praise because it actually supports the emotions of the scenes instead of overpowering them. What I loved the most is that the romance never feels forced. It develops naturally from admiration to attraction and then to love. It doesn’t try to shock the audience with unnecessary drama or exaggerated conflicts. Instead, it focuses on two characters learning to understand each other while navigating the complicated world of fame and expectations.
Final Thought
Top Form is the kind of series that shows how strong a BL can be when everything is done right: writing, acting, chemistry, and production. It feels mature, emotional, and visually polished, and the connection between the leads carries the entire story. For me, it’s one of those dramas that reminds you that BL can be more than a genre — it can simply be great storytelling. A perfect score feels completely deserved.
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Eternal Butler — When Sci-Fi Asks the Questions Love Already Knows
What made me truly happy with Eternal Butler is that it does not feel like a random spin-off. It feels like a natural continuation of the world introduced in Anti Reset. Seeing the same cast return in roles that still make sense inside this expanding universe gave me the feeling that this is not just another BL, but a connected sci-fi narrative — one that now includes ghosts, technology, and artificial life. It is playful, emotional, and quietly thought-provoking.Sci-Fi, But Make It Queer
Most science-fiction romances are heterosexual by default. Eternal Butler breaks that reflex — not by forcing it, but by making it feel logical. If a robot is not designed to reproduce, what does “male” or “female” even mean? If love is emotional and not biological, why should gender matter at all? This drama uses sci-fi to ask questions society still avoids. And that is what makes it meaningful beyond its cute surface.
A World That Keeps Growing
From Stay By My Side (with its ghosts) to Anti Reset (with identity and memory) and now Eternal Butler (with artificial beings), this universe keeps layering themes of:
- What defines a person
- What survives beyond the body
- What love recognizes when everything else disappears
It is not new, but it is rare; especially in BL.
What I Wanted More Of
The only thing I truly missed was more action. The father figure feels like someone dangerous, almost criminal, and I expected the story to lean harder into that tension. More physical conflict could have added urgency. But that would also have shifted the tone too far from Anti Reset’s emotional core, so I understand the choice.
Final Thought
Eternal Butler is soft sci-fi with a brave heart. It doesn’t shout. It questions. And maybe one day, this universe will finally give us the full action sci-fi BL it’s quietly preparing us for.
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Another view on Jimin, Jeong Kook and even V was fantastic to watch!
Seeing members of BTS be relax and themselves and being kids again before the army was refreshing.I have no idea why people (or anti fans) could be cruel to them. And I have no idea why people would seen them as "gay"...
Of course, I refer to the all scandal from people before the show was on air, and even during those last few weeks. I'll tell you, from a gay person, that are 3 very straight guys who are also entertainers and best friends. They are certainly very attractive, but definitely NOT gay. Jimin is very much like Taemin from Shinee, the same vibe. But being a cute guy instead of a hot guy doesn't make people gay. Anyway, those 8 episodes were fantastic. Seing V was also very good. He was certainly the more mature of the 3, but could still act like a kid sometime. The vibe reminded me a bit of Youth Over Flower with Seventeen in Italy rom earlier this year. They didn't have chalenges but were able to entertain for each 1h15 episodes. Korean in shows like this are always obsessed with food.
The only point I would make is I didn't really understand why they spent so much on traveling. We barely saw the US (under the rain), Jeju Island (very sunny) or even Japan (snowy). We knew the location, but it was pretty much it. >everything could have been done in Korea and it would have felt the same from my point of view. But hey, Disney has a lot of money to spent, so at least the cast and crew had a very good time traveling while shooting!
Hope we'll get another series when they're back from the military in June 2025!!! So maybe for 2026???
Let's push Disney about it!!!!
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Will Knock You — A Quirky BL That Grows Into Its Heart
When I first watched I Will Knock You, I worried about the large age gap between the leads (Thi is a college student and Noey a high school boy), especially with Tar Atiwat Saengtien being 17 when filming began. That contrast immediately shapes how the romance reads on screen, and it’s something the show never quite fully reconciles. But what this series becomes by the end surprised many viewers, even if it’s not great.A Story That Finds Its Feet Slowly
The premise feels intentionally chaotic: Thi, a gentle tutor, defends a student and immediately clashes with Noey, the retro-styled teen gangster who dresses like he’s from another era. At first, the humor is broad and slapstick: Noey insists on finding a lost lotus flower, barges into unasked flirting, and makes outrageous demands to Thi. The early episodes lean heavily on comedy, but this makes their budding connection feel unearned at the start. It’s not until later episodes that the show softens, letting the characters grow rather than just react. Online fan discussions note that the dynamic between Noey and Thi deepens into something touching by the finale, and the ending, while a bit rushed, is widely described as sweet and satisfying.
What Works: Charm, Growth, and the Finale
Despite a shaky beginning and a sillier tone than many BL series:
- The characters evolve. Noey’s brash attitude softens into vulnerability, and he comes to understand the consequences of his actions; not through melodrama, but through simple moments that are quietly earned. Fans online found this road-trip and reconciliation heartfelt and charming.
- Their reunion feels earned. Many viewers online praised the final episode for how the characters come back together, with emotional callbacks to earlier scenes. The finale’s proposal and graduation time-skips gave closure in a way that did feel genuinely happy for many — even if the journey to get there was uneven.
- Noey becomes memorable. Across social responses, the character of Noey is frequently cited as a highlight; funny, intense, awkward, and oddly sincere. His transformation from a comedic antagonist to someone with real emotional weight is the reason many fans stayed to the end.
What Doesn’t Work: Story, Tone, and Depth
Even with those improvements, the series still has fundamental problems:
- The romance is uneven. Thi spends much of the show scared and flustered without true interior development, and this makes their chemistry feel superficial at times. Some reviews even argue that Thi never fully grows emotionally, stealing sweetness from Noey’s earnestness instead of building it together.
- The plot takes detours. The gang scenes, temple visits, and retro stylings are fun — but they are not tightly connected to the characters’ emotional arcs. At times it feels like I Will Knock You is two shows in one: a boisterous comedy and a tender romance that aren’t always in sync.
- Handling of age difference. Online viewers often mention that the early hesitation around physical intimacy seems influenced by Noey’s young age in real life, and this awareness affects how the relationship is written, making it feel cautious or artificial at moments.
Reception & Fan Feelings
Across community reactions, opinions diverge:
Some fans ended up praising the ending as one of the sweetest BL finales, celebrating the emotional reunion and the characters’ growth. Others acknowledge that the early episodes are patchy, with humor that feels childish and characters that lean into cartoonish behavior before grounding themselves later. This split mirrors my own reaction: the show improves but not enough to elevate it above its structural weaknesses.
Final Thought
I Will Knock You is a mixed experience. It is not a strong BL right from the start, but it becomes unexpectedly sweet as it goes on. The romantic arc isn’t perfect, and the story sometimes feels scattered. Yet by the end, many find genuine warmth and closure in the relationship between Thi and Noey. You watch it for the characters and their growth, not for the plot.
It’s the kind of show whose ending can leave you smiling, even if the journey there leaves you wishing it had been more coherent.
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