Pinoy BL Series
Thailand
Sadly, Episode 2: Find the Value of X didn't improve from last week's episode. Not much progress was made to advance Swap Test's plot/storyline. This episode only reiterated the character backgrounds Gabriel and Giorgio that were already established during the pilot episode. The contentious encounters between Gabriel and Giorgio continued. Both characters were not likeable enough. Aside from the arrival of Gabriel's ex-girlfriend that served as the cliffhanger for the next episode, nothing new moved the plot/storyline forward. Screenplay was still cringy at times which affected the actors' performance. Acting wasn't natural. It felt scripted. The two comic relief characters who weren't funny were annoying. Honestly, I don't see their purpose on this series. Also, no improvements on the production technicals. Overall, this series needs something to keep audience interested because so far, it's been quite dull.
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Episode 1 didn't disappoint. At the onset, the plot/storyline was well established. It's about rekindling childhood friendship, confronting daddy issues, and discovering oneself as a vlogger, chef, and maybe even as a lover. Script was natural and realistic. For newbies, Benedix and Chesther were fine in terms of acting. They appeal differently but both of them are cute. And they seemed to complement each other. It's too early to judge their chemistry but their connection looked promising. Audio-visuals were mostly ok. It's a well-made pilot episode. I especially liked the presentation of Filipino cuisines and how they're cooked (I miss Filipino food!). I don't know if this series has an OST but I hope it has. Given all these, I'm definitely looking forward to next week's episode.
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Like in the Movies Episode 6
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Episode 6 was a perfect 10/10! Plot/storyline progressed on this episode. There were character backgrounds for both Karl and Vlad. There were character developments not only for Karl and Vlad but also for Judit -- she's flawed but her character development and redemption were handled perfectly. And most importantly, there was relationship development between Karl and Vlad. Karl dancing was just beautiful. You can feel how liberating it was for him. Vlad joining him, was joyous. And the kiss was unexpected! But if I had to choose between the kissing after the dancing and the cuddling inside the bedroom, I'll choose the latter. That scene was especially romantic. Screenplay was consistently relatable. Acting was good. Adrienne shined. Audio-visuals were ok. OSTs were really nice. So, what's Karl and Vlad's relationship status now? Are they a couple now? Is there a label? Last two episodes! I'm expecting this series to finish strong!
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Quaranthings Episode 8
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Episode 8: Quarantine Pass (Part 2) was a perfect finale for this series. All throughout its run, this series never lost track of what it's all about. It's about two boys from different and often opposing class, economic, and educational backgrounds who developed love for each other while on community quarantine because of the COVID-19 pandemic. After all the emotional rollercoasters on this episode, yes, all the major issues were resolved and we got our happy ending! Screenplay was at its best. Acting was impeccable. Audio wasn't too good (I'm referring to the loud sounds) and there were visuals that remained unexplained (I'm alluding to those phallus-depicting paintings in the living room, lol) but all these were negligible because this finale was really excellent -- a perfect 10/10!
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I enjoyed Episode 3: Getting Close and I'm really starting to like the characters of Ben and Jim. I appreciated that both Ben and Jim were self-aware of their flaws. On Jim's part for example, he said "I am not as woke as you." Ben and Jim haven't seen each other for a long time but listening to their conversations with each other and seeing their glances to each other, one just know that they have a powerful bond rooted in a strong friendship. The way shirtless Jim looked at shirtless Ben (both guys looked hot by the way, lol), you'd wonder if there's something there that's more than friendship. Teejay and Jerome have chemistry together. They shared heartfelt and hilarious lines. But Teejay and Ron also looked good together. Ben and Olan's exchanges were funny and naughty. I don't mind if in the end, Ben and Olan end up together. We don't always get the happy ending we want. Sometimes, we get the happy ending we need. There were no awkward dialogues. Screenplay was even able to seamlessly incorporate the characteristics of Filipino (Pinoy) superheroes Captain Barbel and Darna and the struggles of Pinoy modern-day heroes like our frontliners (small business owners, essential workers, couriers, etc.). Acting was consistently good. Audio-visuals were mostly satisfactory. Overall, this was quite a good episode.
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Oh My Sexual Episode 11
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Surprise, surprise, there are zombies on this series after all! This much was revealed on Episode 11: Oh My Fantastic! The plot/storyline progressed on this episode. It's a good set-up for next week's finale which is likely to end in tragedy. I don't know yet how I would feel if this series ends with no hope in sight but at least the audience will finally get a conclusion. Frankly, it's been exhausting watching this series. Similar to last week, screenplay and acting were better than previous episodes. Audio-visuals remained the same. Finale next week, yehey!
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At the beginning of Episode 10: Finding Cure, Dave was trying to avoid Terrence in order to hide his feelings. But towards the end of this episode, it seemed as though Dave and Terrence were really enjoying talking to each other. I'm not sure if Terrence was just faking it but he looked genuinely happy. Pace is still slow but at least script and acting were tolerable. There were minor improvements related to audio-visuals but not enough to move this series to the next level. Let's see what's in store for next episode.
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Based on Episode 1: Takasang Tagpo (Chance Meeting)/Itinakdang Tagpo (Fated Meeting), Lakan's plot/storyline looked promising with two guys (one from the city and another one from an ethnic group) escaping their worlds to find themselves and in the process found each other. Although promising, one can argue that it suffered from essentialist and nativist tendencies. While the ethnic group Libulan was fictitious, it would have been better if Libulan's representation was closer to contemporary indigenous groups in the Philippines. None of the indigenous groups in the country look like Libulan. All indigenous groups in the Philippines have appropriated modern ways albeit in different degrees. It would have been best if Lakan had an anthropological or cultural studies consultant that could have guided them on how to properly represent an indigenous group in the country. These essentialist and nativist tendencies were also reflected on this series' use of awkward old Tagalog language that no one uses anymore. Screenplay could have been made more contemporary and natural. Acting needs a lot of improvement. The leads, real-life partners John Kennedy and Paul, who are both good-looking and sexy, were acting as if they're performing on stage for a traditional play. Stage acting's different from screen acting and I hope they make the necessary adjustments. Set designs were also crippled by these essentialist and nativist tendencies. Bulan's homeland doesn't look like any of the communities of indigenous groups in the Philippines at present. The rural area where Caloy and John were staying was realistic though. While cinematography was quite good, lighting for the first part was just too dark. The second part was a bit better. Sound engineering and musical scoring were largely ok even with a few issues. And the OST "Magkaibang Mundo" (Different Worlds) by Spencer Geronimo was good. Overall, while plot/storyline was promising, acting performance was inappropriate and production value was uneven. I hope this series improves in succeeding episodes
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It was finally revealed to Axel that Greg doesn't love him in a romantic way. In front of Greg's friends, Greg admitted that he still loves Patrick. Episode 5: Truth Hurts was a sad episode. One cannot help but symphatize with Axel. While the script was generally tolerable, the acting was still a bit off. The supporting cast members need improvement on their performance. Both Aejhay and Brian can act but they've been monotonous as of late -- same emotional expression, same facial reaction, and same vocal delivery. There's just no range. Audio-visuals didn't improve. And I'm still bothered by the makeup of the cast members. Halfway through its season and this series hasn't quite found its footing yet in terms of what it really wants to say. I'm hoping for better episodes in the coming weeks.
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Boys' Lockdown Episode 2
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On Episode 2: Contact Tracing, Boys' Lockdown continued to endear itself with its audience; primarily because it's cute, it's happy, and it's light. This series isn't pretentious. It's made to provide joy and romantic excitement by depicting two innocent and good-looking leads falling in love. Ali and Alec are so cute. The supporting cast are also gorgeous. While there wasn't any logical explanation why Whilce kept taking off his clothes one by one (with Key not really caring much about it), I have no complaints, lol! On this episode, we found out that Chen has seen Key before ("Bump me once, shame on you, but bump me twice, it's a sign!"). Realistic obstacles abound (quarantine safety measures, poor internet connectivity, etc.) and viewers were left wondering if KeyChen will meet again. I guess that's for next week's episode to answer, lol! All in all, this episode was truly enjoyable.
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Although the explanation wasn't that convincing, I still appreciate that Amore tried to clarify why up to now, Madam Tusha and Wil haven't found out about Princess and her baby in JoJimmy's room. Joey and Pretty were making up stories to explain the sounds coming from a crying baby. Similar to last week, Episode 11 was a good episode. Pace was still slow and there were still scenes that were dragging but it was definitely better than the Chapter 1 episodes. The true characters of Jimmy (as caring) and Wil (as conniving) were even more exposed for the audience on this episode. Nuan also made an appearance. I just hope he's given more screen time in succeeding episodes. There were still tedious lines but dialogues were generally tolerable. Acting was also largely fine. There weren't much improvements in terms of production technicals. Regardless, this was still a good episode.
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My Extraordinary Episode 5
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I had my suspicion that someone will die ever since it was revealed that Sandee can see ghosts/spirits. But even with all the theories floating around Twitter on who could possibly die, I never voiced out my opinion, mainly because I didn’t want anyone to die. I want ShaKen to have a happy ending. So it was very difficult to process Episode 5: All-Boys Weekend. It was the happiest episode and yet, it was also the saddest. It was also My Extraordinary’s best. Screenplay was really good. The cheesy lines were also cute. Socially conscious dialogues about housing problems were even incorporated on this episode. Acting was on point. Darwin and especially Enzo looked so natural in their performance. Yayo, Karissa, Keijee, John, and Z portrayed their roles well. When Monica was lamenting that Ken’s gay, Z’s Lawrence had an appropriate response: “So what if he is? What’s wrong with that?” I can’t wait to watch Z on A Kiss To Remember! He's so handsome. I digress a bit, lol, back to My Extraordinary. Production design, cinematography, musical scoring, sound engineering, and editing were at its finest. The OST “Suspended in Midair” by Vincent DeJesus featuring Kenji Exaltacion was also nice. Overall, I’m very satisfied with this episode and I’m really curious what will happen on the last three episodes.
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Episode 11 is one of the best if not the best My Day episode. It still suffered from the usual issues of this series but there were noticeable improvements. The plot/storyline progressed significantly. Ace and Sky's intensifying intimacy was depicted in the love/sex scene, which is arguably wilder than what we've seen in Thai BL series like Together With Me, TharnType, Why R U?, etc. The peak of Moira's criminal activities was shown when aside from secretly taking a video of Ace and Sky having sex, she and her friend Celyn tried to kill Sky with peanuts. They then released Ace and Sky's sex video. Aside from attempted murder, they committed crimes under the Anti-Wiretapping Act of 1965, Anti-Photo and Video Voyeurism Act of 2009, Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, etc. I hope they go to prison for their crimes! But Moira did all these because Sky dumped her? It still doesn't make much sense because there's just no proper character background for Moira. She's just too one-dimensional. Of course, the most intense part of the episode was Ace's confrontation with his parents. While there were improvements in acting for Aki, and even Yul, the confrontation scene was still cringy with all the repetitive lines, all the shouting, and all the ugly crying. It was overdramatic especially with the entrance of Ace's mother with possibly her lover. The final scene with Ace in Sky's bedside wasn't perfect but it was definitely better in terms of acting. I'm still left wondering why Ace had to leave Sky like that after what they've been through but maybe the answers are in succeeding episodes. Even the production design and cinematography improved on this episode. Techniques were still simple but at least there were good camera shots. With all the progress on this episode, I'm really looking forward to how this season will end.
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While Episode 1: Problem Solving was ok, it didn't really wow me. The plot/storyline didn't quite stand out. Nevertheless, I did appreciate Gabriel and Giorgio's character backgrounds that highlighted their experiences with heartbreaks and losses but I felt that the series needs to be more interesting in the coming episodes. Screenplay was cringy at times because there were overdramatic and poetic lines. Dialogues need to be more conversational and natural. Gerome and especially Ely's acting requires refinement. The supporting cast members that served as comic relief made me a bit uncomfortable. Their portrayals were caricaturist and corny. They weren't funny at all. Hopefully, they'll be given more depth in succeeding episodes. In terms of quality, production design, cinematography, and editing were average. The OST "Halik sa Ulan" (Kiss in the Rain) featuring Kiko Verzosa was at least fine. All in all, the premier episode was ok but there are definitely areas for improvement for this series.
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Like in the Movies Episode 5
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Episode 5 was a cute and romantic episode. On this episode, we saw how Karl and Vlad continued to develop deeper feelings for each other. The fantasy sequence of the two of them dancing was really beautiful. We also got to know more about Anna on this episode. We may agree or disagree with her views and life decisions but at least she's relatable. She seemed like a real person. Like Boys' Lockdown, screenplay, with its English and Taglish sentences, was generally natural -- at least for middle to upper class Filipinos (Pinoys). Admittedly, most Pinoys don't talk like Vlad but there are Pinoys who talk like him. So while I can understand that there are Pinoys who can't relate to him, there are also Pinoys who can. What I'm trying to say is that he's a realistic representation of a Pinoy -- so leave Vlad alone, lol! And besides, he's really gorgeous, that matters too... a lot, lol! Acting was also on point on this episode. Audio-visuals was mostly ok except the lighting. I know electricity was out but some of scenes were just too dark and too unclear. Still, overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this episode. I just hope this series gets to the main conflict soon since there are only three episodes left -- or why not just extend the series for a few more episodes? That's a happier thought, lol!
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