Enjoyable.

This was a nice watch for me. Here are my pros and cons:

PROS

STORY. I found it interesting and sometimes compelling, especially all the drama of Tae Hyun's back story. Da Yeol struck me as cold at first, but I appreciated his character development as the series progressed.

BREVITY. Especially now, with so many BLs being produced (including a lot of weak ones), I do appreciate a series that can get the story told without resorting to 12+ looooong episodes. Kudos to the producers.

CONS

DEVELOPMENT. There were some "huh?" moments for me: the "villain" (the guy with long hair who was bullying Da Yeol) confused me. I would have liked more from him, as I was never quite sure why he was as much of a jerk as he was. Maybe he was just a homophobe. Or maybe he himself liked one of them. Who knows? And the character of Tae Hyun's aunt (who blamed him for his sister's death!) could have been explored in deeper detail.

ENDING. The last episode was disappointing for me, but not because of a lack of a kiss (ear peck aside). What was up with "two years later," and what happened during those two years? Then we get a reconnection as a day-long date which was cute, but never developed in any meaningful way. The ending baffled me: was this another two years later? We suddenly -- with no explanation -- see Da Yeol in a military uniform, with Tae Hyun extending flowers to him from a distance. Huh?

At certain points during this series I thought I might be giving a rare 10 as a rating, because I really liked a lot of it and enjoyed the chemistry between the leads. At the end of the day, I'm giving it an 8.5.

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What did I just watch?

Filipino BLs tend to range from excellent/high quality (Gameboys) to really bad/low budget (Stranger's Kiss). Watching Episode 1 of He's Mine made it pretty clear that it was low budget, but it seemed interesting enough that I decided to stick with it. Here are my pros and cons:

PROS:

EYE CANDY. Yep, I'm that shallow. But the boys were indeed pretty, especially Cairo and Juanmig.

THEME SONG. I really enjoyed the theme song and looked forward to it each episode.

SOME OF THE ACTING. The cast was a mixed bag of really talented actors and... really not talented actors.

CONS:

THE STORY. What exactly WAS the story? What I saw -- mostly -- was two groups of "friends" who spent the entire time yelling and acting really bitchy toward each other. Other than Cairo/Juanmig, I wasn't getting how any of the other "relationships" actually developed. Calix's mom gets the award for Worst Mother in the World. And the finale was such a mess I have NO idea what story they were trying to tell. I suppose I could try rewatching it but... I don't wanna.

NO KISS. Okay, there was kind of one at the very end. But what's the point of creating a BL without kissing between the guys? We don't need simulated sex scenes or long make out sessions, but we do need some affection between the main leads.

PIANO MUSIC. The piano music played over and over and over throughout the entire finale practically made me want to remove my own appendix with a knife and fork.

COLLEEN. The character was awful (how could she have a BFF?), the actress was weak, and every time she said "Watch and learn," I just wanted to smack the girl.

I'm giving it a 5.0.

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Almost perfect, but no

Papa and Daddy was a short, LGBTQ+ series about two gay men with a son conceived through surrogacy. Here are my pros and cons:

PROS

THE STORY. This is a story that needs to be told, and the writers did a great job with this one.

ACTING. No complaints!

REAL LIFE SITUATIONS. I liked the pride parade, the circle of supportive gay friends, the hiding, the coming out... all realistic issues for gay couples with children.

CONS

SLOW PACING. Some of the scenes were a bit draggy and boring.

THE ENDING, THE ENDING, THE ENDING. It's a stupid idea for any series to end a season with a cliffhanger, but especially for a BL/LGBTQ+ series, as Season 2 often has a way of not happening. Turns out Damian has a teenage son and Jerry is just finding out. And the producers have announced that Season 2 will likely not be happening. SHAME ON THEM.

It's the reason my score is as low as it is. Even if they do have a Season 2, ending with a cliffhanger isn't cool. Cliffhangers suck.

What would have been 9.0 from me is now 7.0.

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Wow! I watched James in Great Men Academy, where he played Love, and he was very cute and sweet in that role. But nothing could have prepared me for his brilliant performance here as Boo. This was acting of the highest level... compelling, convincing, believable. As an actor, James is the real deal.

Along with that, I was impressed by the entire cast... not one weak link among them.

This was a no-nonsense depiction of teenage depression. I was particularly impressed that the writers kept it real, without resorting to the typical "and they all lived happily ever after" ending. While the ending was not sad, it was clear that Boo was not "cured," but was improving and remained hopeful.

My only complaint with the story is that I could have done without the Boo/Fern "relationship." I had no problem with Fern as a character, but to have the two of them enter into a pseudo-romantic relationship seemed not only unrealistic, but unnecessary. Along with that, making the Boo the cause of Mon's career-ending injury was overkill. For me, the first 4 episodes were incredibly powerful. After that, the direction the writers took gave the story less impact.

This is not a lighthearted story, but I highly recommend it.

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I just finished binge watching this, and I'm really glad I did.

At the beginning, I wasn't so sure I was going to like it. The girl Love character came off as really whiny and annoying (at least to me). Then there was the wish with the unicorn. Sure, I realized it was a fantasy but--seriously--if you had one wish, for anything you want, wouldn't you choose something like a long, healthy life, or great wealth... something really lasting? Okay, I get it, she was a young girl and crazy about Vier, but still... (I also found it weird that another girl, Rose, would have made the exact same wish just to get with Vier.)

But, of course, if girl Love had made a really sensible choice, we wouldn't have had a story, lol. Anyway, on to the characters:

Boy Love: I thought he was great, especially for not having all that much acting experience. His dance in the dress, in front of Vier and Tangmo, had me smiling a lot!

Tangmo: loved him. For me, the best and most convincing actor in the cast.

Vier: no question, the guy is smoking HOT. I thought he did a good job with the character and played some of the emotional scenes very well. He started off as this perfect, cool guy, but then turned into a villain of sorts. But we got his backstory and found out why he was such a jerk at times.

Girl Love: wasn't crazy about her at first, but I liked her more as the story continued.

Good: he was absolutely adorable. The scene where he discovers that boy Love is his sister (with a spontaneous hug) is so heartwarming.

Sean: he was okay. I've liked Captain in other things and, while he was fine here, there wasn't all that much to his role.

Rose: it was a small part, but the actress played it well.

Nuclear: mostly a smiley and cute supporting actor, but he really stepped it up when he confronted Vier toward the end.

Menn: no complaints, he was fine in his supporting role.

I liked a lot of the bit part actors, including Aunty, Vier's father, the teachers and the twin girls.

What I didn't like so much was the first part of "The Greatest" challenge, with the kidnapped girl. It seemed to drag on and on, and I found it extremely boring.

But I loved the final challenge and the last episode! The story brought forth a number of important emotional topics, which was great. And, except for Sean/Rose (poor thing), I'm really glad that everyone ended happy and staying friends.

Will I rewatch? Maybe (I've already rewatched a few parts). Do I recommend it? Definitely.

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One of the better Summer 2021 offerings

The summer of 2021 has been pretty bleak in terms of BL. I watched about 6 series, most of them major disappointments. Light On Me has been a nice surprise, and so was Golden Blood, although it began better than it ended. Here are my pros and cons:

PROS

BOAT (SUN). Dang. The boy is gorgeous, sexy, can sing and is a decent actor. Some people really do have it all.

PITCH/BANK. A welcome second couple. Adorable.

UNUSUAL STORY. I wasn't always crazy about the direction the writers took with the story, but the action scenes -- while unbelievable -- did bring an element of uniqueness to the series.

CONS

GUN (SKY). Sorry honey, you just don't have the range of skills to play a dramatic character. The constant teeth-gnashing was annoying at first, then aggrevating, then coma-inducing. He's better in comedic moments.

"YOUNG MASTER." So Sun, as Sky's bodyguard, is at school posing as Sky's cousin. Fine. So why does Sun call Sky "Young Master" in front of all the other schoolkids? And not one of them questions it?? Yeah right... we totally believe that.

SKY'S DAD. A member of the Mafia, and yet we're supposed to think of Sky's dad as the "good guy." Umm... he's a murderer, folks. But hey, we like him! Next...

FINAL EPISODE. Six years apart? Sure, it could happen, but how did the directors expect the characters to pull off the maturity factor? Two or three years would have been reasonable. And Sky is now working for his dad... as a gangster? His father must be so proud.

I'm giving it a 7.0, mainly because there were some good moments interspersed throughout the craziness.

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Low budget, great quality

The Day I Loved You is, in my opinion, the best BL to come out of the Philippines since Gameboys. Here are my pros and cons:

PROS

UNUSUAL STORY. Kudos to the writers and producers for tackling the story of a devastating illness with respect, along with warmth and just the right amount of humor. To my knowledge, ALS has not been the subject of a BL before. Bravo!

TOMMY, TOMMY, TOMMY. He gave a tour-de-force portrayal as the ailing Nikko. The guy is very talented. Raynold Tan as Eli held his own pretty well, especially with such a strong acting partner.

BREVITY. I love how this series packed so much into such short episodes. Other BLs (many with dragged out, looooong episodes that seem never ending) should take note. This is how it's done, folks.

CONS

JUSTIN AND NIKKO'S MOM. The actor who plays Justin has about as much charisma and acting chops as a wooden spoon, and the actress who played Nikko's mom wasn't much better.

PROM. Not a deal breaker, but I would have preferred to see Nikko attend the REAL prom.

Were there some areas to pick at? Sure. So why am I giving it a 10? (Especially when I rarely give them.)

Because this is one of the very few BLs I've seen in the last couple of years where I found myself counting the days/hours to see the next episode. And, for me, that counts for a lot.

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Liked it!

A good series doesn't always need multiple episodes. This one got the job done well in just three. Here are my pros and cons:

PROS

WAR AS BEST. Despite him being the most gorgeous guy in the cast (by far), War played the insecure Best really well. And, unlike some other actors, he cried real tears!

FERN. Even though I hated her character (outing someone to their parents is a no-no), I thought the actress played her really effectively.

ENDING. The sad ending didn't bother me because, as this story was told, it was totally realistic.

MUSIC. It was good and War is a decent singer.

CONS

STORY. Overused and outdated. It's 2021, folks. Does homphobia still exist? Yes. Do some parents still freak out when discovering they have a gay child? Of course. But times are changing and evolving. This story was simply: Despite Best and Dew liking each other, Dew's mom finds out and sends him away to break them up. The End. We've heard this story for years, and it's time to stop giving it credence. The world needs to see acceptance from parents.

Still, this was presented decently. I'm giving it an 8.0.

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Well, this was a wild ride!

PROS:
1) MIKO'S EXCELLENT ACTING. Inaki a close second.

2) BEST SEX/KISS SCENES EVER SEEN IN A BL. Enough said.

3) ACTUAL GAY CHARACTERS. At first, I thought Sky and Ace were going the way of "I'm straight, I'm just gay for you." But no... a pleasant surprise! And kudos for introducing a lesbian couple, with Ace's mom and Amanda. Happy that the series served as an advocate for the LGBTQ community.

4) TRANS CHARACTERS GIVEN MORE THAN CAMEOS. It was nice to see the trans characters given actual storylines, rather than the usual few lines that add up to nothing but buffoonery.

5) MUSIC. The music was great... especially hearing a full orchestral soundtrack!

CONS:
1) THE STORY. There were just too many "WTF?" moments. For what? The good moments in My Day made up for a lot of the bad... but this series went from lighthearted to ridiculously silly to telenovela melodrama to serious to musical revue to portraying important messages to suspense mystery... it didn't know what it was. Whatever it was, it was way too much variety for one series.

MOIRA. Moira was such a nasty bitch to Sky and his parents, it makes us wonder how he could have put up with her for even one second. And then her revenge... stealing the dog? Her putting peanuts into Sky's pasta was practically attempted murder... what did she expect to get out of it? Moira should have faced time in jail or, at the very least, she should have been kicked to the curb by everyone. Pisses me off that she got a free pass at the end.

2) THE ACE TIMELINE. So Ace was an ass to everyone, including Sky. Suddenly, and without warning, Ace turns in to the kindest, sweetest, most loving guy in the world. There was no in between.

3) THE DOGS. Okay, I get it... Ace was lonely and lacking love from his parents, so Chukchuk was his special friend. So why did they need to show eight dogs, especially when Chukchuk appeared to be the only one Ace cared about?

My Day was pretty much a trainwreck, but one that was hard to stop watching... kind of like watching a Jerry Springer show and, once you've started, you somehow have to watch to the end. It was fun.

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Interesting concept, but...

War of Y is a story of behind the scenes drama in the BL industry, following in the line of Lovely Writer, Call it What You Want and Call it What You Want 2. Here are my pros and cons:

PROS

WELL KNOWN ACTORS. This series featured some longtime BL favorites: Talay, Billy, Seng... and more.

INTERESTING PLOT TWISTS. I appreciated that the series wasn't entirely predictable, and liked that some of the "victim" characters turned out to be the most devious of all!

CONS

MOTIVE. So it's a series, based on real-life incidents, exposing much of the crap that goes on the BL set. Well, this too is a BL. So what are we supposed to learn here? Should we stop watching BL because it is, in actuality, a completely toxic industry? What was behind the scenes like on the War of Y set itself? Squeaky clean? Or more of what they are claiming to "expose?" I will say this: if War of Y serves to help eliminate fanservice once and for all, I'm all for it. It's soooooo creepy. But War of Y's couples are currently indulging in fanservice of their own... so what's the point, really?

TOO LONG. Four stories was too much. By the fourth one I was bored, and Achi was just a giant turd. I would have liked to see him suffer more, I think he got off pretty much unscathed. At least he and Most didn't ride off into the sunset together, the way Pan and Nott did in the first episode (puh-leeze... I give that relationship about three months at best).

A lot of viewers think this was pretty great, and everyone is entitled to an opinion. For me it was kind of medium. Interesting some of the time, but I never found myself eagerly awaiting each week's episode, the way I do my favorites.

It's a 6.5 from me.

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This was GREAT!

I was expecting to be disappointed with the supernatural story line (especially after the trainwreck of "My Dream"), but boy, was I pleasantly surprised. This is up there in the 3 favorite Asian series I've seen.

As someone who never bought into the SingtoKrist thing in either of the SOTUS series (although I did like them in Our Skyy), as well as not particularly liking FrameBook in Make it Right 1 & 2, my expectations were low. But I LOVED both Singto and Ohm in this. Their chemistry was undeniable, the acting from the entire cast was on point for the whole series and the storyline was really compelling... I couldn't wait to see what would happen next, from week to week!

My only complaint was in the last episode, where the grandfather admitted to everyone that he intentionally premeditated--and carried out--Mes's murder, for his own selfish reasons of wanting Mes's money... and everyone quickly just forgives him, with no questions asked. I mean, come on! He MURDERED someone and gets away with "sorry I murdered Mes, but since I feel really bad about that, I'll start a charity in his name." ...well, I guess that makes it all okay then! That was my only problem with anything in the entire series, which is why I rated the Story as a 9.0 instead of a 10.

Fantastic series, which I highly recommend!

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Okay... the series started out kind of interesting but, for me, ended up being a big disappointment. The guys were cute: Guide is handsome, Tanai has a killer body, Yim is adorable, Dream has a great smile... but the characters were really boring, the storyline makes very little sense and we get no answers during the entire season. Runway, the lead character, is kind of a sweet, dorky kid but says almost nothing--ever--so we don't really get any idea of who he is or what he wants. He shows no real personality and it's a stretch to think of him as having any kind of romantic or sexual feelings at all.

More than that, there is just too much wasted time. For example, the season finale begins with four or five minutes of Dr. Good alone in his apartment, looking wistful. Cut to three more minutes of Tanai sitting by himself, playing the guitar. After that, more than half of the episode shows Runway, Guide and Yim on their first day at the university, sitting through an introductory meeting where nothing of interest happens. These kind of moments occur far too often throughout the series.

All in all, if you're just looking for something pleasant to watch to kill time, it's okay. Just don't get too invested in the plot, as it doesn't go anywhere.

I did like the theme song, a lot!

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Our Skyy is a gem! It especially appeals to anyone who is a fan of these couples from their previous series, but works just as well for newcomers. This short series--only five episodes--features a different couple in each story.

Because each episode is different, it is tempting to rank them in order of favorites. But I'm not going to do that, as each couple was terrific and, in my opinion, there wasn't a weak link in the whole set. I will say that I was particularly impressed with TeeMork (FrankDrake). Their chemistry is so perfect, their acting so natural, their romance believable. The storyline was great and I felt like was watching a real couple. If they are given another series, I would watch it, definitely.

If you're looking for a feel-good series, this might just be the one for you.

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Okay, I was all ready to give Season 2 an 8 rating, but I've dropped it down to 6.5 overall.

Why? Well... the cliffhanger at the end was pretty bad. I'm okay with cliffhangers, but this one was just kind of lame for me. I really didn't buy into the whole "Yo was absolutely scandalized by the pic of him with a hickey." I've read that, apparently, Park broke into sleeping Yo's room, drugged him and then raped him.

Please. I'm just not buying it. It's so unrealistic, I just don't care. Sorry.

But there were a lot of good things about this series! Loved Forth especially (total hottie and a good actor). ForthBeam were so good together. MingKit as well. I give the actor who played Pha a lot of credit... he didn't really look the part, but he pulled it off well enough. Wayo was very cute, his acting was just okay... the scene where he broke down crying was unconvincing... there were definitely no real tears.

I mostly liked it better than Season 1, but the writing was disappointing, in my opinion. Let's get the ridiculous "rape storylines" out of these BLs, unless they're going to make it into a major drama, bringing to light how horrible it really is, and sending the perpetrators to jail.

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Meh.

So this is a story of a guy who joins his comatose twin brother's thug gang members who take the law into their own hands and get hurt... a lot. Oh, and two gay couples emerge from it because, you know, that's what always happens within dangerous gangs. The End.

Here are my pros and cons:

PROS

FLUKE (Dan). For me, he was the best actor in the show. And... he's GORGEOUS. He can pose naked for me any day.

CONCEPT. It was interesting, especially in the first half of the series.

OST. I liked the theme song.

CONS

GUN AS A GANG MEMBER. I'm sorry, but are we seriously supposed to believe that Gun is a dangerous gang member that could actually hurt anyone? Sure, he's a decent actor, but he's built like a fem twink and has no arm muscles whatsoever. Yeah... I'm sure everyone is REAL scared of him...

STORY. What started out as an interesting concept got tired very quickly. The characters were mostly unlikeable, the whole Tawi thing got boring and, in the end, I couldn't have cared less who got together.

I'm giving it a 6.0.

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