NIke_v

I cannot with Jimmy's mustache - either have it (please no!) or don't. It looks like he has dirt above his lips 🫣 😉

HE for all, I would say.
There are sad parts though. Gaipa has the saddest storyline, I think (but it is more to the end - have tissues ready when he sings). Alan's is not happy for most of the story but he gets better.

I think so - it was never exactly explained. Perhaps he did some minor thing and then stayed in by protecting him (we all know how he acts, so that could add to his sentence enough for them to stay the same amount of time)

Flirty ML? World of Honor (how this passed censorship, I will never know 🤭).

Wataru is such a brat 🤣 (and his goatee(?) is so weird - is this new trend in JP? Like no longer weird hairdos are in style - now weird beards are in! 🤔).

Every episode is a "contained" story but still I am hooked and eagerly await next one like it ended on a cliffhanger 🤭.
So far my favourite was perhaps the one when Shiro was reminiscing about his ex (what a 🤬) and showing us that what we think we want is not always what we need, what makes us happy and who we ultimately love.

Exactly! Just because something is based on real-life experience doesn't make it automatically interesting. Besides this plot point is just one of the issues from 1st couple's storyline.
2nd couple had powerty, deafness, finding their place in the world.
3rd couple: being an ex and not being able to let go, unrequited love, family drama (not in the infighting but mostly wholesome and heartbreaking).
I am not claiming that 1st couple had no substance or was super boring but they were overshadowed by the other storylines, I think. Their wasn't just so impactful. The other storylines happen regardless of gender and age, so perhaps they are more relatable?

Isn't this also true for 2nd couple? Liming was spending time with Heart, communicating with him when nobody else was, was standing up for him, helped expand his world (not only by regular excursions but the Church and University as well) and was encouraging him to be more self-reliant. Eyes gazing was there as well 😉

For me the supposed age gap between 1st couple was not believable (they should have +10 or +15 years between them).
You can make mature relationship interesting without constant NC (or any 😉) - like in What Did You Eat Yesterday?
I liked them much more in A Tale of 1000 Stars - here they were the least interesting couple/storyline for me but we all have our own preferences 😀.

I agree + the whole funeral (including singing) "arc" - just wow.

Let me give you spoiler: they don't actually get together (more like there might be something starting between them at the end of the series). However their storylines are great. One is playing Mix's ex and the other is being in love in Earth + his bond with his mother. Really beautiful and they both did great job with their characters, so one just have to root for them to be happy (especially together).
The couple that stole the show (2nd couple) were boys from MSP - one of them plays deaf highschooler from rather wealthy family and the other highschooler is rather poor.
1st couple (Earth/Mix) was for me the least interesting (and the age gap was not convincing - Earth's character was supposedly in his 40's and Mix's in his 20's, I think).

Yes, 2nd guy deserves his own happy ending!

I'm on beginning of EP4 and I am quite sure that the boy with disability had the rap sheet due to being scapegoat for each and every offence (including the last one). Maybe he was an accomplice but he did not do it all alone.

I think a lot more. I am stockpiling tissues just in case.

I really liked how they always showed him like "he is going to blow up and start throwing punches" but he was able to swallow his pride. Or was it just him feeling defeated? Like nothing good can happen, nobody would give him a chance/break? It was so heartbreaking when he was talking about Rung's car.
I really like his relationship with ex (and the story how he hit on her 🤭 - yeah, he is doing the same now with Day).

I feel you. I usually try to stockpile EPs but I was so waiting for it since the 1st trailer that my willpower "lasted" till 2nd EP.
I cannot stockpile EPs od this show but I have to tissues...
P'Aof got me again!

What I meant is that only Sand had any shown or implied interest in not only people of their same sex from MLs (and GL). I don't think there was anybody else who even showed bi interest (except "Freddie Mercury" and Atom).

Yes, the "lip gloss" in Stay with Me was the definitive proof 🤭
To your CH list, I would add: "Healer and Killer". There were ~2 BL couples (spoiler: one is more one-sided). There were 2 FL that tried to get both guys from 1st couple (=ML1 & MC1). Let me tell you that ML1 was very clear (gave FL2's present - in front of FL2! - to MC1 😏) that he is not interested in FL2 (so she she had to go revenge route 🙄). MC1 was clearly ignoring FL1 feelings but with ML1 he was totally different (quite domestic, to be honest).

Have you seen Devil's Judge? How would you judge this one? On one hand MC had actual love interest (and he even eventually got browbeaten to say that he loves her) but when it comes to chemistry and actual actions - it was BL to me (his reactions after "death notification" was so vastly different). I really liked how MC was the glue of ML's family (niece and housekeeper were hilarious). I am not going to say a lot about FL2 (that was chasing ML) because he was clearly disgusted with her, so there was no chance for any romance there.

Try "What have you eaten yesterday?" (JP) - MLs are mostly in their 40+ and you see like everyday struggles (right now there is 2nd Season being released; it also has 2 movies - all on Gagaoolala).

"To My Star" (KR) is also quite mature.

TH: "Not Me" is mainly about the social issues so I would recommend it.
"Midnight Chicken" tried to be mature but 1st couple is meh for me - 2nd couple (one of the teenage boys is deaf for about 3 years at the start) is everyone's favorite and 3rd is played by First and Khao but barely shows them together (though their storylines are really good).
"Manner of Death" + "Triage" - criminal storyline.
"Laws of Attraction" - budget could be better (facepalm for explosion).
"To Sir with Love" - larkom set at the beginning of XX, I think.

In TW: "Be Loved in House", "Because of You", History 3 (but be aware that "Make our days count" has BE), "We Best Love".

If you are ok with BE and to cry a lot (+likable FL1 and FL3 at some point) then "Healer and Killer" is just great (ist's Chinese, so you know... censorship).

I haven't tried it yet, as I like to stockpile but it's soooo tempting!

I think only Sand fits this. No other ML showed interest in any girl as far as I remember.

Have you tried Last Twillight?