BL Compilations

wish it was told in chronological order

Overall: I was intrigued with the set up, but felt disconnected from the romance because it was not told in chronological order and the plot dragged at times. 11 episodes about 45 min each. Aired on iQIYI https://www.iq.com/play/interminable-episode-1-15snedolols?lang=en_us (spoiler for the ending under a spoiler comment)

Content Warnings: past (murders, suicides, violence, blood, held against will, unwanted public outing, slap, manipulation); current (attempted murder, near suicide, manipulation, sexual harassment/assault, drugging, near murder, beaten up, death)

Watch Suggestions (to focus on the romance, in approximate chronological order)
- episode 1 watch 15:45-19:40
- episode 2 watch 7:30-9:35
- episode 3 watch 23-25:40
- episode 4 watch 25-28
- episode 6 watch 37-45:10
- episode 7 watch the beginning to 11:25, 12:45-15:15, 16:20-18:45, 22-29:48, 32-35:55
- episode 8 watch 34-42:30 and 46-49:20
- episode 9 watch 28:40-31
- episode 10 watch 13,15-14.45
- episode 11 watch 36-40:30
- episode 12 watch 4-11:25
- episode 12 watch 23-24:30

1947
- start episode 3 at 30 minutes and end at 51
- episode 4 watch 17:30-20, 43-49:15
- episode 5 watch 36-40
- episode 12 watch 59-1hr 1min 20 (or can watch until the very end for another time jump but I think it's better before the time jump)

What I Liked
- historical eras (1912 past, 1947 present)
- styling
- mystery element
- a supportive female character

Room For Improvement
- the biggest difficulty for me was I couldn't connect to the romance because we just kept seeing small little snippets of their relationship in the past instead of the full development of their past relationship. Then we spent such a long time in the past that I couldn't connect to the present 1947)
- had a slow start and dragged, then the finale went really fast
- the odd grunting in ep 5
- multiple love triangles
- wannabe evil wife cliche
- a character in the past was way too pushy and ignored boundaries multiple times
- a character almost always wore shorts and suspenders so he looked child-like in 1947
- in 1947 they made an odd choice but at least the couple talked about things
- side couple went nowhere
- the political drama was resolved off screen

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intimacy done right, a very enjoyable BL

Overall: all the feelings (hurt, hope, shyness, giddiness, happiness) feel natural in this series. 8 episodes about 15 minutes each. Aired on Viki and GagaOOLala.

Content Warnings: workplace bullying

What I Liked
- what happened at the end of episode 5 was well done and included some of the original sounds!
- ongoing affection/playfulness (hand holding, hugs, quick kisses, etc)
- that communication issues didn't drag on in the present and were addressed fairly quickly
- integration of computer/gaming animation, including the ending sequences
- according to my expert, the computer stuff was mostly realistic, especially the stuff in episode 5
- end of episode 4 was very well done
- workplace dynamics and that they were actually working/busy
- production value

Room For Improvement
- I struggled with this premise but things took a turn for the better the end of episode 4 once I understood that a character was hurt/upset
- strange that the beginning of episode 5 didn't start at where the story was at the end of episode 4
- wanted a bit more transparency but I'll pretend they had a serious conversation about the decision off screen
- was really happy at the end of episode 8 but it was awkward their hands were both at their sides instead of on back of neck, back, arms or chest and also the distance between their bodies was strange

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abusive and cringey relationship dynamics

Overall: I don't understand why they didn't focus on a romance between two students...8 episodes about 10 minutes each. Aired on YouTube https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZ__edMZliXtEdkx1zhKwx0tL0jSzV1qT&si=gc2JzxCkosSIn7Rp

Content Warnings: intimate partner abuse, punch, minor/non minor relationship, teacher/student relationship, non con recording/sharing/outing, non con touching, manipulation, grooming

What I Liked
- visuals

Room For Improvement
- why would I want to root for multiple abusive characters, there is no relationship development just abuse and the met him as a child added even more yuck to their relationship
- love triangle/3 guys all in love with 1 guy who...is smart academically...
- ghost story at the start of episode 5

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how another person can change self-perception

Overall: this is a grittier story, but there is still hope. The series was based on a manga which I have read part of, however I tried to review the series on its own merits. 8 episodes about 25 minutes each. Aired on GagaOOLala https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/4708/happy-of-the-end-2024

Content Warnings: almost every single content warning, it has very serious themes (episode 4 was pretty brutal, could skip to 21:30, also the first half of episode 6 was difficult for me to watch)

What I Liked
- a grittier story we rarely see
- flawed characters
- the cooking subverted trope
- acted like grown adults who went thru some terrible things
- caring moments
- that a character didn't believe what another character told him in ep 7

Room For Improvement
- not a fan of exposition dumps but I realized they were trying to cover a lot in not much screentime
- were there no brakes on the truck in episode 5?
- in episode 7 a character was pretty stupid to rile up another character
- seemed pretty nonsense that a character was walking free after there was video evidence, also I don't think victims need to press charges, I think law enforcement can proceed with charges themselves
- one character had not enough consequences (and the lame last minute attempt at trying to make that character sympathetic), and then another character had too many consequences
- I'm not a fan of episode 8 overall, it didn't seem to fit the characters

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a slapstick comedy that ended abruptly

Overall: this has the slapstick comedy feel of YYY along with the enemies dynamic of TharnType (but waayyy less kissing/steaminess, it's a slow burn). Unfortunately the series was cancelled and the ending is pretty abrupt (watch past the credits of episode 15). Watched on One31's YouTube channel.

Content Warnings: manipulation

What I Liked
- I'd like to see the two lead actors in something else, either together or apart
- overall production value is good
- I liked the mirror and the bubbles at the end of the first episode, it was neat
- ep 8 and onward there is more sexual tension which I enjoyed
- I did laugh a few times

Room For Improvement
- I think some jokes didn't translate well, but this isn't my style of humor and I didn't laugh that much. I really disliked the laugh track (it also has A LOT of comedy sound effects)
- the main character Diao is super immature and it annoys me instead of making me laugh, he is the immature/prickly character while Rak is the calm/patient character
- wasn't a fan of Rak's manipulation with Diao and the probation thing in episode 10
- (neutral), there is a trans woman (not sure how they identify)/effeminate male character but I wouldn't say that the comedy is making fun of that person. The other colleague character is a woman and she is also comedic.

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could have been a 10/10

Overall: although I enjoyed the beginning, things unraveled for me. 8 episodes about 1 hour each. Aired on GagaOOLala uncut: https://gagaoolala.com/en/videos/4688/4minutes-2024 (except Thailand, Japan, Korea); iQIYI uncut https://www.iq.com/album/4minutes-sultrier-version-2024-1zc6sune8fl?lang=en_us and cut version https://www.iq.com/album/4minutes-2024-1h7yndte6zx?lang=en_us (Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Spain, United Kingdom and United States); Viu with some countries having the cut version (Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Macau, Myanmar, Singapore); Rakuten TV in Japan and Heavenly in South Korea. The cut version has NSFW shortened/cut and also cuts out some plot as well.

Content Warnings: most content warnings, it has some very dark/graphic parts in it

What I Liked
- mystery element
- grey characters
- use of the number 4 or things adding up to 4
- production value* (includes cinematography, use of color as symbolism, props to represent things)

Room For Improvement
- not a fan of a flash forward (or back) as a hook for a series
- there were too many characters/plot to fully develop them all, also pacing
- misleading trailer, it felt that a different character is the main lead instead of a character people were led to believe
- tricking the audience, not a fan of how that was done
- sweet moments that didn't actually happen
- cliched plot stuff
- no reason why a character had a girlfriend, I couldn't support a romance because it was built to not be a romance
- cringey guitar playing/serenading
- the intimate scenes were needed but they did not need to be that explicit/I didn't need to glimpse an actor's body part when walking around
- *many scenes were too dark to see the actors' faces or even what was happening, even for scenes at night they need to put light on their faces
- nonsense stuff: I can't comment on all of the medical things and their realism, but I highly doubt any surgeon would spin his medical implements before/during a surgery, that seemed to be a ton of papers for a small clipboard in ep 1, an investigator who didn't wear gloves at a crime scene, in ep 4 a character oddly didn't wear a mask when he should have
- Be On Cloud decided to sell it to a company where it is only airing in 8 countries (and perhaps 2 more) and then had the gall to not respond anywhere to questions about the remaining 180+ countries but instead posted about how to only watch it via official channels, I don't mind companies needing money to get things made but they should have been clear about where and the why (update: after 5 weeks they had an actual international release and the reason was likely money/maybe they couldn't say their whole release plan due to a contract but it still was bad to not have an official platform for 180+ countries for 5 weeks)

Note About an Actor's Age (I didn't take off points for this but as an fyi 1 actor was likely 17 when he filmed several very explicit scenes, age of majority in Thailand is 20)
- it's valid to feel uncomfortable with a 17 year old actor doing explicit scenes and to not watch this series
- it's valid to feel fine with a 17 year old actor who voluntarily agreed to do explicit scenes (and had his parents' permission) and watch/enjoy this series
- everyone gets to make that decision for themselves, I hold no judgement either way for this example, personally I am watching the series but I'm not re-watching that actor's NC scenes

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a coming of age ensemble series (not a BL series)

Overall: I re-watched the trailer to see if my expectations were way off but the trailer was narrated by Ryan and showed mostly Ryan/Jane moments. While I enjoyed the quirky humor, the misleading trailer and writing was disappointing. Aired on GMMTVs YouTube Channel, playlist link: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLszepnkojZI7b0q-zvdbbziNCv5VNDufI&si=t5Xhss_rfPl3ybkE

Content Warning: sexual harassment

Watch Suggestions (I don't have the energy to go back thru the first 8 episodes, here are timings to focus on Jane & Ryan's romance)
- watch episode 9 part 4 7:45-end
- watch episode 10 part 1 beginning to the credits then 8-end
- watch episode 10 part 2 5:20-end
- watch episode 10 part 3 beginning to 1m 10s
- watch episode 10 part 4 8:30-end
- watch episode 11 part 2 beginning to 2:30
- watch episode 11 part 3 4:45-end
- watch episode 11 part 4 2:30-3:45 and 6:30-end
- watch episode 12 part 2
- watch episode 12 part 4 1min to 2:55 and 15:30-the end

What I Liked
- relatable main character (not knowing what he wanted to do in life)
- editing style, not sure how describe it, really vibrant colors
- laughed a few times
- informational bonus scenes at the end
- good that they touched on sexual harassment and I think this series passed the Bechdel test
- characters apologized

Room For Improvement
- misleading trailer
- pacing could have been tighter
- disappointed with a character/pair arc
- not all of the humor worked for me
- a character said "never ask me anything" and later said "if you don't know something ask me"
- Ryan was too incompetent such as not knowing how to silence or turn off his cell phone
- underwhelming/camera blocked kisses
- in episode 12 the time jump was totally not needed, technology exists, they didn't need to write a pair's relationship in that way

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controlling writer and his doe eyed prey

Overall: I did not enjoy the dynamic with the leads and they once again inserted a useless love triangle. Aired on Sukfilm's YouTube channel https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYfaogVGCvwTLtMP5RnShUW6BHVbJmk9R&si=ydgeYlQSObe6tvN4

Content Warning: non/dub con kissing turned consensual

What I Liked
- visuals
- production value was good for an indie series (though the music should be quieter when they were talking)

Room For Improvement
- how the writer was controlling (told him to come home earlier) and made the other guy feel bad for the sticky note, he apologized and said he wouldn't do it again but was again controlling (gave him a curfew)
- love triangle with a much better candidate for a boyfriend
- the naive guy voiced his inner thoughts
- the drunk kissing trope

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a strict CEO and a freewheeling guy

Overall: I enjoyed their dynamic but I needed less of the scheming woman cliche. 30 episodes less than 2 minutes each. Aired on Swipedrama app (also has I'm Your Pet). It took me 3 days to watch the series for free, which is really good for these vertical series. Note - episode 1 starts out as a preview and then goes into the episode. App information below.

Content Warnings: non con video recording, manipulation, mention of past intimate partner violence

What I Liked
- opposites attract dynamic
- laughed when he agreed to keep something a secret and revealed that secret a minute later
- sweet/caring moments (under the table footsie was fun)
- the 'say please' part in ep 17

Room For Improvement
- cliche wannabe girlfriend character and failed redemption arc
- wanted something at the very end that would have wrapped up the story nicely


How to Watch For Free
Day 1: check in, ad after check in = 7 coins, 3 ads = 9 coins, watched episodes 1-12 (free to watch), 13-15 used coins, 16 & 17 (when I ran out of coins I touched outside of the coin packages and then I could watch an ad to watch 2 more episodes 18 & 19). I then got the 6 coins for watching 5, 10 and 15 minutes but something glitched so I only watched up to episode 19 for free on Day 1. There are other ways to get coins (ie sign in, social media, get notifications) so you could watch more. Leftover coins day 1: 2

Day 2: check in, ad after check in, 3 ads (17 coins plus 2 from day 1) - watched episodes 20-22, then watched 23 & 24 daily ad, checked in 5, 10 & 15 min and watched 25 & 26

Day 3: watched a few ads to finish the series

App Notes: unused bonus coins seem to last for a year, episodes don't re-lock, you can't skip to different episodes (must watch them in order), no wait time between watching ads is nice

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aimless guys looking for something to hold onto

Overall: it was decent for a vertical series, but I've seen better. 44 episodes less than 2 minutes each Aired on Swipedrama app (also has Can a Freeloader Make it as a Secretary). It took me 5 days to watch the series for free which is pretty good (the worst took 13 days for Please Teach Me on TopReel). Note - episode 1 starts out as a preview and then goes into the episode. App information below.

Content Warnings: manipulation, suicidal thoughts, child abuse, slap, non con kiss

What I Liked
- realistic characters trying to figure things out
- sweet/caring moments
- non cliche female character
- intimacy

Room For Improvement
- started with a flash forward and then returned to a month before
- O Christmas Tree music
- although a character apologized I think he should have had more consequences for his actions
- noble idiot trope


How to Watch For Free
Day 1: check in, ad after check in = 7 coins, 3 ads = 9 coins, watched episodes 1-14 (free to watch), 15-17 used coins, 18 & 19 (when I ran out of coins I touched outside of the coin packages and then I could watch an ad to watch 2 more episodes 20 & 21). I then got the 6 coins for watching 5, 10 and 15 minutes and watched ep 22. There are other ways to get coins (ie sign in, social media, get notifications) so you could watch more. Leftover coins day 1: 2

Day 2: check in, ad after check in, 3 ads (17 coins plus 2 from day 1) - watched episodes 23-25, then watched 26 & 27 daily ad, checked in 5, 10 & 15 min and watched 28 & 29

Day 3, 4, 5 (same as above, about 7 episodes watched per day)

App Notes: unused bonus coins might last for a year (so this is a good app to do daily check ins to accumulate coins), episodes don't re-lock, you can't skip to different episodes (must watch them in order), no wait time between watching ads is nice

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decent pink film

Overall: this is a 70 minute pink film (has several pretty explicit scenes). Aired on GagaOOLala https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/4764/heavens-candy-2023 There is an extra scene after the end credits.

Content Warnings: peeping, past grooming, past pedophilia/non con

What I Liked
- dynamic with the leads
- the age gap relationship with the dad and the other guy was interesting.
- NSFW scenes were pretty well done

Room For Improvement
- voice over with a flash forward to start the movie
- wish they had taken out 1 character to really focus more on the leads and their relationship
- rushed ending

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glad we got our follow up

Overall: Stay By My Side ended on a cliffhanger so I'm glad we had this special but I did want a few changes. Aired on Viki & GagaOOLala.

What I Liked
- chemistry/kisses
- sweet moments
- gave us a conclusion we needed
- callbacks to the series

Room For Improvement
- disappointed that they used the same plot device as the series instead of direct communication shortly after the thing that happened at the end of the series
- some wonky camerawork
- added in additional characters and tried to do too much, would have liked to see them narrow the focus more

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a sweet commercial

Overall: this is basically a 7 minute commercial, but it's cute and a nice way to spend 7 minutes. Aired on Thai Mini Series YouTube Channel and their Tik Tok channel.

Content Warning: non con picture taking

What I Liked
- sweet/flirty moments
- that there was a decent "plan"

Room For Improvement
- wish they had released this as one 7 minute video on YouTube
- episode 6 had a Korean subtitle instead of English, apparently it was "hope we're on the same page"
- the ending felt incomplete
- wish they added all episodes to their YouTube playlist and/or added cards for the next episode (after it was available) to make it easier to watch them all (or combined them into 1 video as I mentioned)

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cute micro series, just too short

Overall: this is a micro micro series at 1-3 minutes per episode. Recommend watching on the GagaOOLala YouTube channel as a few episodes on Artop Media Hit Drama channel were missing subtitles.

Content Warnings: non con photo taking, not sure if I would label that as non con at the end of the 1st episode as there was no indication of interest prior to it

What I Liked
- the general premise as shown after the 1st episode
- cute moments
- a f/f couple

Room For Improvement
- the run time was just too short with 3 separate couples, they should have just had the focus be 1 couple
- choppy, we'd end up somewhere and start somewhere totally different in the next episode
- that the f/f couple didn't get a kiss
- several of the kisses were camera blocked
- music was too loud over dialogue at times

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confusing with cliche plot points

Overall: this is a lower budget production that once again would have benefited from a narrower plot (i.e. no love triangle) due to its short runtime. Watched on YouTube.

Content Warnings: smack on the head, blackmail

What I Liked
- the intro animation sequence that went into the live action
- I like the original focus on Judo (but that vanished unfortunately)

Room For Improvement
- confusing/choppy, especially in the first episode scenes just cut to something else and I was confused who the characters were
- too broad of a plot, they should have just focused on two judo players
- cliche things that I hate: love triangle, miscommunication/lack of communication, long time gap (6 years!), open ending, gay for you trope
- camera trick to not show the kiss well

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