Really slow start, but totally worth it

Like others might say about DNA Says Love you, the beginning of the series is extremely slow and honestly the first episode, if not the first two episodes are completely skippable. Since they mostly drag on and add no real substance to the plot or characters aside from establishing the childhood friend Wen Wen and that the main character is essentially a YouTuber. The only other flaw I could really say about this show was that the side couple felt both rushed and forced with their mini arch within the series.

However, its after the slow beginning that the series really starts to pick it up. Not only is the "twist" behind who Amber really is and why they've been away for so long extremely unique, but it helps to add real depth and heavy stakes with how they interact with their old childhood friends. It's not just Amber themselves who shine in this BL. All of the characters each have their own moment in the spotlight. Their relationships with one another seeming only the most of genuine and heartfelt, and only the most endearing. Even Yu He as a female character has a small arch of growth when she gets over her feelings for Le. Something I feel lacks in many BL shows as these female characters tend to fall into the mad with jealousy trope.

DNA Says Love You is not only strong with its characters but its plot and directing as well. With what has to be one of my favorite scenes in any form of media being the park scene. Where both Le and Yu He, now grown adults, ask a ten years older and now male Wen Wen/Amber to take their picture on a see-saw not recognizing them. The way Amber begins to break down after, confirming that it would be basically impossible for them to have the friendship they once did with their old friends will always pull at my heartstrings when I think about it. The music in the scene as well is absolutely phenomenal and did not help to stop the waterworks.

Overall, I would most definitely recommend DNA Says Love You to anyone who values a slow burn and is willing to wait out the boring parts at the beginning for an exceptional story to begin around midway through. And especially for those who enjoy the childhood friends trope but are looking for something new/different and an added twist.

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Nothing Really Happens

It was cute for a moment, but only a moment. The entire series felt padded and fluffed out for no real good reason. Every scene with the side couple was of just them crying over the same thing again and again. And even Pop and Oat not really developing their relationship past Pop realizing he MIGHT have feelings for Oat was so infuriating. Overall it felt as if all of the storylines could have been solved/finished well within the 20 episodes given. Instead, to see said plotlines conclude we have to watch the sequel series Final Call. Don't get me wrong I enjoyed the dramatic elements of the show while I was watching but ended up totally skipping through the side couples plot and wanting Pop and Oat's to rush along already. I most definitely won't be rewatching this again, or the second season/series for that matter. So unless you're REALLY in the mood for a goofy/light-hearted toned BL series, I'd skip. Seeing as there's way more BL that do far greater and better with far less time than this series.

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Simple and Clean

This is pretty much your cookie cutter separated childhood friends to reunited lovers trope. Youthful misunderstandings and all. Now with that being said I truly really did like this series, and not because I'm such a sucker for this specific trope itself. But the chemistry and cinematography of the show are excellent in my opinion and while the story isn't groundbreaking its still done with a coherent plot progression that many similar BL struggle to maintain. The eight episode runtime especially helps this show go at a comfortable pace without feeling too rushed or long. My only complaint with progression in the series is how the side couple isn't really that developed. But just a small gripe since its truly the main couple that grabs your attention throughout the series, so perhaps it truly is for the betterment of the viewer it turned out that way. My favorite scene is the one where both the leads have their first intimate moment with each other. Extremely romantic and tasteful with My Beautiful Man Eternal vibes. Solid 8/10 for me.

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A BL fans dream come true

Ok for real though imagine getting to fall in love with your favorite BL actor? Ahh, one can wish... BUT I GUESS WE CAN'T ALL BE AS LUCKY AS PUNN.
Ok so I won't lie I remember watching this a couple years back when I wasn't really into BL as much and dropping it IMMEDIATLEY. But now that I've seen more than my fair share of BLs and still crave for more, I decided to give this one another chance and it honestly didn't disappoint. The story of an obsessive fan falling in love with his idol is a pretty interesting premise and honestly really cute. I like how realistic it was, with Punn not really being noticed in the beginning with his efforts, but eventually with hard work and determination, and a handful of luck. Punn was able to win Ashi's heart. Which boy, does he win his heart alright. The chemistry between Punn an Ashi is probably my favorite part of the series with such adorable demeanors with each other and super romantic love scenes. That and Sompriao being the best BL villain, honesty I loved their campy performance as the opposing media star agent, and how she was always trying to get at the main characters one way or another.

Sadly the same can't be said for the side couple. Mingmueang and the doctor were kind of boring to me, and I didn't really care for their spicy scenes the same way I did for Punn and Ashi's. They genuinely felt like an afterthought when compared to the other couple. My one MAJOR gripe with this BL however, is the cliche, we have to breakup and get back together last minute trope. It's what ruined The Last Twilight for me and it definitely didn't do Be Mine Superstar any favors. Especially with how slow the last two episodes felt because of it. Felt so tired and redundant. At least here the reasoning behind it is a bit more understandable but it did feel like the writers were just filling in the BL Bingo card. I also wanted to mention that throughout the show there is a certain sense of, something just being off.

Overall this BL is a 6/10. I would suggest it for someone looking for a BL with a unique plot and charismatic main couple, even if the quality/writing isn't the best. And if they don't mind a subpar side couple.

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It Gives, But at What Cost?

Honestly I found myself being annoyed more than anything. Like I understand that this is a BL and all of them are kind of camp, but if Kiyoi treated me the same way he treats Hira? Absolutely not. It gets to the point where Hira straight up felt like a masochist for the entirety of the show. Even leaving the second love interest, who seemed like a much better healthier option for him, for Kiyoi. Who he wasn't sure like/loved him enough to be in a relationship with him. It was also annoying with how long it took Kiyoi to realize his true feelings for Hira, even when they had been graduated from high school and he had more than enough time to process his feelings. Like, I love me a good toxic relationship as much as the next BL fujoshi, but this BL just felt straight up mean-spirited at points. But I mean, if they like it I love it, more power to the two of them. Either way, if you find yourself struggling to get into this BL because of the weird relationship between the two male leads, I would suggest straying away/dropping it. As their relationship doesn't really get better until late season 2/the movie.

There are a lot of positives to the BL though. One being the very unique set up. Despite being a school BL and mostly set during school hours. A lot of the show feels different and never seen before. The cinematography and music was also pretty nice and I started listening to the OST on my own time. Not something I do with just any BL music. The other positives of this BL are how Hira and Kiyoi both have a clear goal/hobby that will be developed later in the second season and movie. The writers clearly knew how and when they would develop these character traits and skills. A nice payoff when you come back to season one and see how far they've come not only in their relationship, but careers as well.

Overall, I give it a 6/10. This is most definitely a personal problem though, as I just don't really find myself caring for Hira and Kiyoi to fall in love. I just never experience that butterflies in my stomach sensation within the first season and that's pretty much all I ask for within a BL. However I do appreciate everything this BL has to offer and suggest that anyone interested in it gives it an earnest watch with an open mind.

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Nothing beats that ending scene

This is a rare 10/10 for me. It may be because Kiyoi and Hira are already in a established relationship that I find myself caring for the two more than I did within the two seasons of the show. But even in just presentation I feel as if the movie outclasses the series exponentially. I like the addition of Kiyoi having a friend besides Hira who he truly cares for, being Anna, and having the movie exclusive villain being her crazed stalker fan. It's a really nice contrast between obsession and love for the characters of Anna's stalker and Hira. I also like how the movie, while still focusing on the relationship between the two male leads, shows that they are indeed separate people, with their own goals and aspirations in life. None of which felt rushed or stumbled to get through, as it was all well-paced and natural. When we were reaching the last thirty minutes of the film and I started to question how Hira would solve his main dilemma of the film of not feeling like taking pictures of anything. But as soon as the idea had popped into my mind the film was able to solve it surprisingly well with less time than it took me to write this review.

The cinematography is also absolutely STUNNING in this film. The last twenty minutes or so will forever be engraved within my mind. As it calls back to their school days within the series while still reminding us about how far they've come within the present. Playfighting with the school water hose and running around classroom desk. And despite the amount of cherry blossom petals being absolute ridiculous, it just made the scene even more incredibly beautiful. The cherry on top being the fantastic music playing throughout. All in all, an exceptional scene that felt fulfilling and in my opinion, perfectly concluded the series. This probably goes without saying but I would suggest watching the first two seasons of the show before watching this film, as I feel like the experience would be a lot more rewarding. Even if you may have dropped the series. Its far beyond worth it.

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Now why did I have to watch a confession scene on YouTube?

Just to get it out of the way. Having to look for the confession scene on YouTube because it was edited out of the actual show itself is absolutely insane. This would actually have to be my biggest gripe of the show. How awkward and flat out dumb some of the editing choices are. Sometimes a scene lingers too long at the end or it feels like a small chunk of a conversation was missing in the middle of a scene. Or the whole situation with who was The Frog Prince. The whole situation made absolutely no sense to me. Since there was no way The Frog Prince would know about Chol and his issues without it being his step-brother Prab. Not that the equally as awkward acting really helped the editing either.

But besides the questionable editing, I would say that I did somewhat enjoy and find entertainment out of this BL. Sure it dragged on a little too long and at the end of the day there weren't as many cute moments between the main leads as I would've hoped. But what we did get was serviceable enough. I would honestly say this is the most mid of BLs one could watch, as the step-brother trope doesn't really come into play until the very last episode when it finally creates drama within the family. And even then it's solved within liked, twenty minutes. So yeah, the most mid of mid BLs. Cannot even hold a candle to other Step-Brother BLs like Stay With Me. I would only watch this if you're a big fan of the trope.

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Best Step-Brothers BL I''ve seen

As a fan of the forbidden step-brothers trope, I feel like Unknown is both the best and most realistic BL that tackles this situation. When compared to other BLs like Brothers and Cherry Blossoms After Winter, the character development, specifically the two main character's pasts are well developed compared to the aforementioned BLs. Which makes the viewer much more invested into the lives of Qian and Zhi. The stakes are higher after witnessing and knowing just how close as siblings they are through their shared experiences. Which is why the response of Qian sending Zhi away abroad after having been confessed to is justified and understandable. We see just how hard he has brought up his siblings all on his own and doesn't want to ruin that relationship for a romantic one. Sure, its not the first and only step=brothers BL to do this, its the only one that has shown me why instead of simply saying its because they're step brothers and its wrong.

Despite the messy beginnings of their love with Zhi's confession, when their relationship actually begins its very cute. A sweet and rewarding 12th episode showing the two happily together while still keeping their family a loving and caring one was the sweetest of cherries on top. Especially after how dramatic and messy (in a good way) the first 11 were. Overall, if you are not a fan of the step brother's trope, I don't think this BL will convince you. But if you don't mind it and are in the mood for a dramatic BL with strong messaging of family, heartfelt and interesting story, and well thought out characters. Then I would suggest Unknown for you.

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Charn's chest is all I want in life

A very dramatic and soap operay BL with a lot of sweet and cute moments near the end. Not really gonna get into details since I think this is worth a watch for any BL fan, as long as you don't mind a couple of slightly awkward drama scenes. But overall I thought the emotional scenes hit extremely well and that the enemies to lovers transition in this BL was done perfectly. For anyone who has seen and enjoyed To Sir, With Love but was disappointed with the lack of actual BL in it. This is definitely gonna catch your fancy. Its also a very digestible eight episodes in length compared to To Sir, With Love's 17.

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Uh- What just hapenned?

Honestly, I think both this version and the Thai version have their own merits and their own problems. With that being said I will review this show based on nothing else. And I honestly feel like it was a little too quick for my taste. The two couples don't even become couples until the last minute being the last episode. I genuinely thought the series was going to end on a cliffhanger with a will they? Won't they? Type of situation. Thankfully though, the series does end with things wrapped in a slightly messy bow. But with only eight episodes, I honestly can't blame it too much for this fault. As the drama uses its time wisely, always progressing the feelings both couples have towards each other.

When it comes to the actual characters themselves, I found the main couple extremely interesting and entertaining to watch. I thought their dynamic was super cute and even though their enemies to lovers trope does a complete 180, I'm willing to forgive it just this once due to it being so short. The side couple though I found pretty lacking. Just the usual miscommunication drama between them. But even just as characters I couldn't really empathize or care about them as much as the main couple.

Overall I'd suggest this for someone looking for something quick and easy to digest. Without really expecting anything new or groundbreaking.

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Hallow and Empty like Yoon Oh's body

Honestly this show falls completely flat for me. It had me hooked in the first couple of episodes when we realize that the MC Peach's friend had passed shortly before he came to visit said friend. It was completely unexpected and had the potential to develop a really unique and heartfelt story. But unlike Ghost House, Ghost House, this show really tries to come for the gut way too early. If I remember correctly it's not even the third episode and we already have a scene of the mother crying and somber music starts to play. In universe, I understand that we are viewing a grieving mother whose just recently lost her child. But as a viewer it felt as if the show was trying so hard to make us cry alongside her ourselves. Which for me at least, was basically impossible since we had only know Yoon Oh for ten to twenty minutes at least. And half of his scenes were of him fighting with his mother.

Which he was somehow able to do despite being dead and his mother being unable to see him? Which brings me to my next point. Jimmy's character, Peach despite being the only character to be able to see and interact with Yoon Oh directly. Has absolutely no chemistry with him. Just another aspect of the show that falls flat on its face.

I honestly wanted to drop this show so bad because of its boring story and uninteresting romance, but because I try to complete every BL I see I struggled through it. And now that I have I could honestly say I wouldn't recommend this show to anyone. The only real positive I can say about this show is its production value. So if your in the mood to look at something cinematic and pretty, and completely turn off your brain so that way you have zero expectations walking in, then yeah. You might like Peach of Time.

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THE GIRLS ARE FIGHTING

This BL is an absolute MESS. And not the good drama kind, the story is everywhere, the acting is so awkward, and the ships are sinking. All of the three ships in this show get basically no progression whatsoever. Burger and King felt like an absolute afterthought, not getting any truly dedicated scenes/parts for the two, episodes at a time. And the weird sexual tones of the show gave me the absolute ick. I would've liked the BDSM plot if it wasn't for the actors/characters they're portraying being so young, real HBO Euphoria vibes that just rub me the wrong way. I'll forgive the actors for the awkwardness in their dialogue since they're all relatively young and getting the hang of things. The only reason I finished this BL was because I was enjoying the messiness of it to an extent. The cliffhanger ending being the absolute cherry on top. I hope this BL never gets a second season because I know I would waste my time watching that through to the end as well. And I hope you avoid it at all costs, unless you're feeling masochistic.

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Cute, yeah cute

I was able to binge watch this BL in one sitting. Not because it was really good or anything like that, but because I could. A shoulder to cry on had me hooked straight from the beginning. The chemistry between the leads is intoxicating and the cute moments littered throughout the show always put a smile on my face. The last couple of episodes felt really rushed though and I'm extremely disappointed that there wasn't even a single kiss scene within the series. But overall it was still really cute, especially in the last episode where the main leads are finally in a loving relationship together.

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