Typical Japanese BL

STORY:
I wanted to like this to be honest I really did. Japanese BL is what got me into the BL industry to begin with. The problem is I feel like Japan has not kept up with the current BL trends. I know that most of the BL produced in Japan are based off manga but something needs to change.

The entire premise of this show is about two people who are forced to work together and develop feelings along the way. Good concept that I have seen executed well in the past. This show did not. Both of the male leads were emotionally constipated. If they had opened their mouths and said what they thought and felt things would have been better. Further if Kaburagi had taken the time to get to know Onoe's previous work then he wouldn't have had such a freak out near the end of the show.
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ACTING/CAST:
Kimura Keito as Onoe Satoshi - I think Kimura did a good job at his portrayal of Onoe. Like most leads of Japanese dramas he was over the top and loud. That didn't bother me. What bothered me is that they left most of his character development to the last 3 episodes of the show. I would have liked to see what he went through before he was assigned to work with Kaburagi. I felt like the audience would have understood his motivations better that way.

Yamanaka Jyutaro as Kaburagi Motoharu - Yamanaka played his role well too. He is your typical stoic Japanese man who shows no emotion and keeps his thoughts to himself. While it can be entertaining to watch it is frustrating for the common audience. Unlike other shows with this type of lead he didn't really have any micro expression or backstory alone that we saw where he struggled with his feelings.
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RELATIONSHIPS

Kaburagi x Onoe - This relationship was dull. It reminded me a lot of the relationship in SOTUS. Where we are struggling for half the show on a do they don't they have feelings train. If they had been honest with each other then we could have developed into an amazing show of them working and loving each other as they uncovered these scandals. To be honest half the time I felt like I should fast forward through their interactions because it was so slow.
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REWATCH VALUE

I may rewatch again if I am bored on a Saturday and want something in the background.
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Trigger Warnings Everywhere!

Please be aware this show and review contain trigger warnings about sexual assault, abuse, and homophobia.
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STORY:
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When talking to most BL fans who have been around for a while they will praise TharnType as a BL classic. To most it is. Why? I have no idea.

The basic premise of the story is Type is a college freshmen in the Sports department and he finds out that his new roommate Tharn is gay. Type then lets us know he hates all gay people because he was kidnapped and molested as a child. Okay logical. Should he hate an entire population of people because of one person who was evil? Of course not, but one can't choose their trauma responses so I give him the benefit of the doubt. He then proceeds to make Tharn's life a living hell to get him to leave the dorm. To be honest the first few episodes are terrible. Type is not a good person. He is so homophobic that as someone who is LGBTQ I wanted to go into the screen and smack him so hard for the things he did and said.

As the show progresses it seems that out of nowhere about half way through the show Type throws his entire homophobic agenda out the window and falls for Tharn. Yay this is good the show should be better? Wrong! Now instead of dealing with his homophobic attitude we are left with a man child who whines and complains until he gets his way. He manipulates Tharn so many times into doing what he wants and how he wants it that I almost and I mean almost feel bad for Tharn. I will get more into my problems with Tharn in the next section.

Overall the show is a horrible representation of the BL genre. It promotes unhealthy mindsets towards people in the community. Romanticizes sexual assault and bullying and wraps it up in this package of because the men are hot and have chemistry it's okay.

If you want a better representation of what it looks like to be a sexual assault survivor and enter a relationship go watch Love In The Air starting at episode 8 for Pai and Sky story.
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ACTING/CAST
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Mew as Tharn - Overall I thought Mew did a good job at playing Tharn. Other than the blaringly obvious fact he was in his mid-twenties playing a teenager his performance was spot on. I did feel heartbroken for him near the end of the series as Lhong's plans started to unfold and he found out the truth about what his "friend" had been doing behind his back.

However, the character of Tharn is one I can't wrap my head around. Why is this extremely handsome, insanely rich, music major so tied up on his roommate Type? In 12 episodes he never once tells the audience what it is that attracted him to Type in the first place. Why did he put up with Type's homophobic, controlling, manipulative, and honestly abusive self when he could have had so much more as a character? Furthermore, why did he come to Type's defense in front of the school after Type went viral for making homophobic remarks?

Now while it may seem like Tharn is a victim of the story he is nowhere near the good guy people make him out to be. On more than one occasion he forced himself upon Type by kissing him, giving him a blowjob, and trying to have sex with him in public against Type's wishes. How is this the foundation a happy relationship is built on. To be honest if he wasn't an adamant top I would have shipped him with his brother's best friend. At least he loved and cared for Tharn.

Gulf as Type - I hate Type as a character so much! What he does at the beginning of the show is horrible. I get it he was sexually assaulted as a child by a gay man so he holds certain prejudices. However, at some point you have to learn to let them go. I only say this as a victim of sexual assault myself. For the longest time I couldn't be alone in a room with a guy without having a panic attack but I worked through it and now I'm okay. Also I am ashamed of his parents for not getting him help at a younger age.

Putting aside his homophobic rhetoric, I would love to say he redeems himself but he doesn't. He all the sudden is okay with Tharn being gay and the show turns into this whole thing about "I'm not gay but my boyfriend is." I'm so sick of BL shows showing the "straight" guy who is only gay for one man. That is not how the LGBTQ community is.

Type is also extremely abusive towards Tharn emotionally and verbally. He is constantly telling him that he hates him and while some find it endearing I couldn't be with someone who is constantly telling me I'm worthless. He also is incredibly jealous to the point of violence. He does what he wants when he wants to and if Tharn has a problem with it then he can honestly get over it. If I met someone like that in real life I would have run the other way.

Kokliang as Tar - What can I say about Tar other than I feel so bad for him. So many people talk about how annoying Tar is and how horrible he is for what he did to Tharn. However, I look at things from his perspective. He was happily in love with Tharn and then was sexually assaulted by a group of men. Of course he shut down. Of course he broke up with Tharn. Who can blame him. The depressive obsession he has with Tharn is natural to me. He still loves Tharn but is stuck in this constant loop of what happened to him. The show doesn't dictate how much time is passed but based on context clues I think it's been less than a year since he and Tharn broke up. If that is true of course he is still navigating through his trauma. If we were to have met him 3 years or more after the breakup then I could see maybe people's point of view.

Mild as Techno - This was the saving grace of the show for me. Techno was the character that gave us some much needed comic relief. He tried his best to be a supportive best friend to Type but wasn't afraid to call him out on his bullshit either.

Kaownah as Lhong - To say I hate a character is really strong for me. But, I hate Lhong! How the hell did he not end up in jail by the end of the show. Not only did he try to kill Type....but he also hired the men who assaulted Tar. How could Tharn and Type let Lhong go with him simply dropping out of school? You are letting a sociopath free to roam the streets. You know he's going to latch onto someone else soon and so the same thing again. The last couple of episodes were hard to watch for me as his evil deeds were revealed.
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RELATIONSHIPS
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Tharn x Type - Oh lord I could go on for hours about these two. Their chemistry while amazing was the only thing about this couple. Unlike many early BL's (which is strange to say since this was released in 2019) the couple actually kissed each other. For many this was the KinnPorshe of early BL. I digress though....I wrote a lot about their relationship above so I'm not going to rehash it out. If you want to watch two hot men make out for six episodes you will enjoy it. If you are looking for a good, healthy, representation of a relationship please move on.
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REWATCH VALUE
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I would love to say I haven't rewatched this show but I have a few times. I kept thinking if I watch it again it won't be so bad! However, each time it only gets worse. For those of you who rank this in your top 10 I appreciate your candor. For me this is a hard pass now. I doubt I will rewatch this again.

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I Really Want To Like This....

STORY:
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The concept of this show was so promising but what happened? The overall idea of two people who had feelings for each other but due to misunderstandings ended up parting only to meet years later was interesting. Especially when add in the idea they met due to one writing about their love story. The only issue is...they took too long to get to the point of the story. For an 8 episode drama we don't get to the root cause of the show until episode 6. Which normally I'd be okay with but since the show is only 15 minute episodes everything at the end feels rushed while the beginning drags on forever.

ACTING/CAST
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Jun.Q as Seong Woo Jae - Woo Jae's character made me depressed honestly. It felt like he was stuck in his college days unable to let go of his past. So instead he became a successful web novelist writing about his first love. Overall his character didn't inspire me but made me frustrated. Instead of tackling his issues head on he chose to run away for 6 episodes.

Han Jung Wan as Ha Yeon Woo - Yeon Woo is very honest to himself as an adult. When he was in college he kept his feelings to himself and realized that caused misunderstandings that lead to his first love leaving him. When he got the chance to meet up with his first love again he did everything in his power to show his true feelings.

RELATIONSHIPS
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Yeon Woo/Woo Jae - This relationship could have been amazing but because of the lack of communication they became annoying instead. Honestly, if they had sat down and hashed out their communication issues in the first 3 episodes I feel like the rest of the show could have been stronger.

REWATCH VALUE
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I probably won't rewatch this mini series. While there is nothing innately wrong with the show the pacing and frustration I had with the plot will probably keep me from watching it again.

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Saved By Second Couples

STORY:
After the disaster that was TharnType I was hesitant to watch season 2 due to the toxic nature of Tharn and Type's relationship. The saving grace of the story are the two secondary couples Leo/Fiat and Champ/Dr. Khunpol.

The story is pretty basic it takes place 7 years after TharnType where Tharn is now working as a producer and Type is doing is medical residency at a hospital. The only difference is this time instead of Tharn's ex coming into play we get Fiat who is a college kid who falls in love with Type and tries to steal him away from Tharn. I will get more into that below when I talk about Leo/Fiat's relationship.
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ACTING/CAST
Mew as Tharn - Oh Tharn how in 7 years have you shown no interest in growing as a person. Tharn is still a horny adult who constantly wants to have sex with Type. I feel like this show would have made more sense if it was directly after college but to move on 7 years and you are still acting like a 19 year old made me cringe.

Gulf as Type - Thank goodness Type showed a bit of growth from the first season. He's no longer as homophobic as he was before but he's still an idiot with a God Complex. He is selfish and only thinks about himself and his needs throwing what Tharn wants out the window. I wonder sometimes if Type really loves Tharn or if he's with him becuase Tharn is rich.

First as Fiat - This was the first show I saw First in and I have to say he has a great future ahead of him. I am writing this with a bit of a biased opinion because I've already seen Don't Say No and while you are supposed to hate Fiat in this show I urge you to keep and open mind and watch Don't Say No before you form an opinion on him. His backstory is tragic and I'm so happy it is fully explained in their own drama.

Ja Phachara as Leo - Leo on the other hand is more of a side character in this show. He's there more as a friend than lover for half the show but trust me when I say once he and Fiat get their shit together it's so worth it.

Boat as Champ - Our dumb jock from season 1 got his own story line finally. I wish it was more flushed out though. I was more invested in Champ as the show went on because you watched as someone who only cared about themselves learned to see others as well.

Jame as Dr. Khunpol - At first I was confused about this one...I wasn't sure what his purpose was. I think if had been introduced in season 1 with his crush on Champ his character would have made more sense in season 2.
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RELATIONSHIPS
Tharn x Type - A toxic relationship is still a toxic relationship. These two need some therapy. Tharn is all about getting married not understanding or appreciating his partners opinions on the matter. Not everyone wants to get married. Type on the other hand is still so far in the closet that he can't find his way out. He treats Tharn like someone who is disposable to him.

Leo x Fiat - The relationship between these two is magic. They have everything, chemistry, tragic backstory, love and drama. Leo is supportive of Fiat (to a point) but helps to guide his best friend in the right direction. Many people complain that there relationship progression seems sudden in this show and that is because it is. To get their full story please watch Don't Say No its well wroth it.

Champ x Doc - They were a cute couple. I wish they had more scenes and that Doc had been in season 1 so we could have seen some character growth between these two.
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REWATCH VALUE

To be honest before I found Don't Say No I would watch this a few times only for Leo and Fiat's relationships. However, now I avoid this like the plague.
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BEST LGBTQ REPRESENTAIONS I'VE EVER SEEN!

STORY:
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SCOY is one of my Top 10 favorite BL's. Of all of the BL's I've watched which is a lot. This show has the most diverse LGBTQ representation around. Every letter of the alphabet soup has been marked off!

This show gets a lot of criticism in saying the characters are over the top and annoying. However, when you look at the context of the show the characters are written perfectly. SCOY isn't an extravagant story but rather a simple one about a group of popular kids who fall for a group of "nerds."

What I find most endearing about this show is the message that you can be who you are and the right person will accept you no matter what. While the show is cute and fluffy it isn't without it's flaws.

There were times I wish some of the secondary couples had more development and screen time but that is my own personal opinion. I had hoped we would get a spin off or second season but with the departure of one of the main actors from the agency that is unlikely to happen.

ACTING/CAST
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Billy Patchanon Ounsa-ard as Nuea - Nuea is your stereotypical hot guy on campus. Star basketball player and the one people flock to. He runs around campus with his group of other popular kids and at first seems like this too good to be true playboy. Which couldn't be further from the truth. While Nuea did play around once he realized he had a crush on Toh he was fully devoted to him even before they had spoken officially. My biggest pet peeve with his character was that he knew Toh had feelings for him but dragged on confessing for way to long. If he had simply been honest with his feelings he would have been happier longer. I do like that once Nuea did get in a relationship with Toh he kept his playful side and accepted Toh for who he was.

Seng Wichai Saefant as Toh - While one of the main characters of the story Toh is probably one of the most difficult characters for most people to understand. His actions are not logical by any means. He is portrayed as a glorified stalker who collects random objects that his obsession Nuea has touched. If you can overlook that part of his character then you find a simple boy who doesn't know how to properly express himself. Being a nerd having a crush on someone so far above his league he is often depressed in the beginning. However, once he confesses his feelings for Nuea he develops a new confidence that was refreshing. I enjoyed the fact that they left his collection habits in even after the relationship started and that Nuea was able to accept him for who he was.

Surprise Pittikorn Siripornsawan as Khaojao (Jao) - Of all the character in this show which there are many Jao was the one I could relate to the most. His lack of confidence and boy image issues are something personally I have struggled with my entire life. I watched as he grew up right before our eyes. He went from this shy and introverted boy to someone who learned to love and respect others as his relationship grew.

Heng Asavarid Pinitkanjanapun as Sky - Sky is the character I saw have the most growth through the show. He went from being the stereotypical playboy to one of the most devoted, supportive and caring boyfriends I have seen in a BL. He not only cared deeply about his friends but also deeply for her partner.

Opp Weerapong Odhoeng as Intouch - This is one of the characters I wish we would have gotten to know more about. His story line could have been developed so much better as well as his relationship with Daisy. Overall, he's a sweet guy who is respectful and kind.

Nutt Witsarut Khakham as Daisy - Daisy is one of my favorite characters. I was so happy to see a BL discussing transgender topics. My only issue was that while Daisy identified as a female they did not let the character truly flourish with their gender expression. Often in the show Daisy is referred to with male pronouns by her own friends. To be honest, it isn't until about half way through the show that we even find out that Daisy is trans. Which isn't a bad thing but some hints earlier on would have been nicer.

Looknam Orntara Poolsak as Som - Som is the best friend everyone wishes they could have. She was not afraid to call her friends out when they were being idiots. Of everyone I felt like she was the backbone of the friend group.

Dew Nitikorn Pankram as Tor - This character confused me so much. What was his purpose? At first it seemed like he was this dumb jock but then he disappears for a bunch of episodes only to come back and say he's perusing Som. I needed more from him.

Freen Sarocha Chankimha as Kongkwan - Kongkwan is so cute. She is supportive of her friends and she added a bit of comic relief in a few instances when the show got heavy.

Becky Armstrong as Fon - Another character I wish I knew more about. There isn't much to say other than she is a part of the main popular group.

Ging Areeya Pholphutrakul as Prao - The bad guy if you can call her that. Prao is your typical Regina George type character. She is in love with Nuea even though he has expressed multiple times he's in love with someone else. She apparently has the inability to get that from her head. Thankfully they didn't write her to bully the nerds severely and while she overstayed her welcome she didn't do anything that made me hate her character. In fact, you can kind of feel bad for her as Nuea did lead her on in the beginning.


RELATIONSHIPS
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Nuea/Toh - The show's main couple. They had a very interesting story line in which they both had mutual crushes on each other for a long time. Nuea called Toh Van Gouh since for a while he didn't know Toh's name. Toh with his friends called Nuea Red. I liked how pure their relationship was. Neither of them were dating the other because they were trying to get something out of the relationship. They simply liked each other. What surprised me the most was how dedicated Nuea was to Toh. Whenever Toh would question their relationship Nuea would be right there to reassure him that he wasn't going anywhere.

Sky/Jao - What can I say about this relationship? Sky and Jao warm my heart to the core. Many people I know who watched this show say they kept through it for this couple. Sky treats Jao like a king. He not only accepts Jao's insecurity and apprehension but is patient with him as well. He moves at Jao's pace and respects the limits his partner has set in place. I know many fans were hoping for a season of these two so we can see their whole story but I don't think that will happen.

Intouch/Daisy - Intouch is the only person in the show who properly showed respect to Daisy and her gender identity. From the first time they interacted until the end Intouch used Daisy's preferred pronouns and treated her well. During the middle of the show where Daisy decided to act more masculine and be "Day" Intouch didn't push her on the why but supported her along the way. When he noticed that Daisy was struggling with being Day he opened up to her and told her that she can be whoever she wants and he will still love her.

Tor/Som - The couple that never really was? Som and Tor's relationship was never really flushed out. It was more like since they were the last two left in their respective friends groups they were thrust together and that was it. Tor hinted a few times he was interested in Som but the next episode he would be flirting with another girl.

Kongkwan/Fon - These two are adorable and through the show you stop to wonder are they friends or more. Their relationship is never spelled out in black and white but we can assume they are lovers of some kind.

MUSIC
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The music in this show is good. I will say the theme song SCOY was a bit overused. For those who are fans of Kdramas you will understand what I mean when I say it was almost like Descendents of the Sun where something happens and you hear "You are my destiny..." Outside of that nothing was really memorable about the music or sound design for this show.

REWATCH VALUE
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To be honest this is one of the shows I rewatch often. Not because it has an amazing plot but because it is something I don't have to think about to watch. I can turn it on and let it play in the background while working and pick up and be entertained.

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Let's Go Together!

STORY:
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If you are looking for a straightforward quick watch this is not the show for you. On Cloud Nine does not follow the standard linear format that most conventional shows stick to. In fact, if you aren't paying attention it is very easy to get lost in the time jumps and plot holes that seem to riddle this show. However, if you take your time and watch to the end I promise everything will make sense.

While the series is relatively short with 6 thirty minute or so episodes I did not feel the story was rushed at all. In fact, the episodes felt like they were an hour and a half each but in the best way possible. The pacing of this show was amazing. The only part of the plot that bothered me was the twin swapping plot point. I felt this was really unnecessary and added mostly unnecessary confusion to an already robustly complicated plot.

ACTING/CAST
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Rossi as Mork/Mon - Rossi was fantastic playing both Mork and Mon. While it may have been difficult at first to discern who was who I felt Rossi did a good job with adding slight differences in the two portrayals. Rossi held me captive by the heartstrings through his acting. I felt his pain and anguish as he worked to navigate through the complex narrate of feelings in these roles. It was in his minute facial expressions and eyes that let the audience know what he was feeling.

Meen as Tiew - Meen does a good job at playing Tiew. He starts off as this character who you aren't quite sure what he's up to but you watch as he slowly lets his feelings show for Mork. When he broke down in tears after being rejected I had to pause the show to get some tissues. I look forward to seeing what else he works on in the future.

New as Wise - This character confused me for quite a while. I couldn't place my finger on what was going on with him until the creepy nature documentary narration explained it half way through the show. He wasn't anything special to write home about mostly the facilitator to help progress the second half of the plot along.

RELATIONSHIPS
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Tiew/Mork - Their relationship was filled with some cute moments but also heartbreaking. They have an amazing slow burn filled with sexual tension. Once they do finally admit their feelings for each other the resulting kiss was everything I could have wanted and more!

MUSIC
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To be honest the music sounded like it was stock lo-fi and piano beats purchased from an open source website. Not to say the music wasn't beautiful it was. The Sound Design team did a good job at matching the instrumental tracks to the scenes while still leaving moments of silence to accentuate important moments.

REWATCH VALUE
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To be honest, I probably won't watch this one again even though I'm giving it a high score. To me, these mystery plot shows are amazing the first time around but after that you lose the initial thrill that drew you to the characters.

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I was excited to begin this drama. GMMTV has a good track record with dramas; some of my favorites come from this network. Unfortunately, I am disappointed with this drama.

The storyline is dull, with significant plot holes. I don't mind a show that leaves things open to the imagination, but this show felt like the writer simply gave up halfway through.

The casting/acting of this show wasn't the worst I've ever seen, but it wasn't the best. You could tell that both the actors did not have much experience, and unlike other BL couples, I didn't feel that spark between them.

The music of the show wasn't bad but also not that good. This is not a show where I will be rushing to listen to the OST anytime soon.

This is a decent show if you are trying to kill a Saturday with nothing to do. But I wouldn't recommend it to any new BL drama viewers.

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