BL Compilations

enjoyed the movie version more than the series version

Overall: this is a condensed version of the series which was 12 episodes about 40 minutes each = 480 minutes. The movie version is 125 minutes long and I liked it more than the series version because it cut out boring side couple stuff and stuck with the focus of Ai and Nhai. You can read my full review of the series here https://mydramalist.com/profile/blcompilations/reviews/233757/ I'm going to point out some differences.

What I Liked
- left out the cute rooftop/coupon scene and there might have been other cute scenes they left out as well
- better ending with the stargazing instead of that random store/shoe tying scene
- had transitions between scenes to help make it feel more cohesive/time had passed (though it can feel a bit choppy)

Room For Improvement: if I had edited this I would have changed a few additional things and then I would have rated it an 8.5
- in the flashback (which I would have shortened) cut out the dads being awful to Ai, the dads lied to him and he has a right to be angry/confused
- added back some of their cute scenes

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Overall: this could have been a 9 or higher if they had made things more clear.

What I Liked
- the sci fi/future aesthetics
- the actors did a good job
- making viewers think about differences between gender, sex and sexual orientation, I find this graphic useful https://au.reachout.com/articles/the-difference-between-gender-sex-and-sexuality

Room For Improvement
- things were just a little too open/not clearly stated, for example, Yi An asks Zhou Yang Kai if he'd like Yi An to be a woman but Zhou Yang Kai doesn't actually respond clearly either way. The ending is fairly open as well, I guess we can infer Yi An's choice but showing Yi An making the selection would have been good so viewers were clear about the decision.

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short and sweet

Overall: this is a cute food based series (and I would categorize it as BL/slice of life, I also have a more broad definition of what BL is). Watched on Youtube, here is the playlist https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOHd2AnMfkDHd7XAEZKFt7iZ00IsC9uNl The videos have English subs.

Content Warnings: none? maybe spying on another person?

What I Liked
- the premise was cute
- enjoyed the baking/cooking (and they even include recipes at the end, but they are in Japanese)
- those dream moments and the sister interrupting were hilarious
- color grading and overall production value
- good outro/credits and the song (by Imase)

Room For Improvement
- wish it had been even 1 episode longer or that they would do a second season
- the subs frequently miss spaces between words, but I could still understand them pretty well

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It was rocky

Overall/FYI: I was hoping for a bit of fluff (at least in the beginning) but it starts off angsty and we have poor communication and lack of character growth with the cliche ex girlfriend causing problems. I'm torn between 6.5 & 7. I paid $7 USD to watch on Upstream.

Content Warnings: side character death off screen

What I Liked:
- nice to see Beshie again and the BL references (pillow, his shirt at the end, posters on his wall)
- it was good that Beshie had some public service announcements/education things but it felt preachy at times
- good throwback to the massage scene in season 1 and they had a cute moment
- I was glad they communicated in episode 1 but how long did they go before having that conversation? Too long I bet.
- there were some good scenes such as when they have honest conversations and the winter scene

Room For Improvement:
- this was basically a re-do of season 1 but much less enjoyable and a worse ending
- they should have put a condensed version of season 1's ending at the very beginning to remind the viewer how things ended. Then at a minimum shown some fluffy montage moments at Lolly's house so we get a sense that time has passed (ideally I would have liked 1 or 2 mostly fluffy episodes at Lolly's house. I could also see some friction/drama happen at Lolly's house too). The way they started this season was so confusing, there's an angsty scene and then who knows how much time has passed until the next scene. The conversation with Beshie was just telling the plot instead of showing what all happened.
- that odd love triangle, they could have made it a poly relationship but didn't
- many non logical/odd things, I don't have the energy to list them all
- I really disliked some of the camerawork, especially the 360 shot towards the beginning
- they did not act like two people who love one another. What an odd greeting (covid is not an excuse). Who doesn't look at the other person at all when having a serious conversation?
- did not appreciate the two minute horror movie trailer at the start and how the episodes don't start until around 6 minutes
- the episode 1 ending was probably supposed to be a cliffhanger but I had no idea what was happening so it had zero effect on me
- I had to contact Upstream because it said the last 2 episodes were expired even though I never watched either of them, luckily Upstream fixed it in a couple of days

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Overall: The story takes place in the present with flashbacks. The viewer really has to work to put the story together (which isn't a good thing). Purchased on Vimeo. The premium one has extras including a director's cut that has a slightly longer NSFW scene but it's shorter overall, it's combined with the commentary. Later available on GagaOOLala https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/6791/queer-movie-20-2013

Content Warnings: bullying, non con touching (when asleep)

What I Liked
- I thought the acting was decent
- good music
- I liked the cinematography with the mirror in the bathtub scene

Room For Improvement
- I wish we heard Cheolsoo speak more about his thoughts/feelings
- the ending was too open as to what exactly happened, I thought one thing happened but then reading the comments on Vimeo someone from the movie responded and it was something else
- and the last sentence "it's all in the past now" doesn't really give closure
- it would have been cool if the runtime had been 20 minutes to match the title since it was only 1 minute away in the non director's cut

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Had potential and then a poor ending (minor spoilers)

Overall: I thought this low budget production was doing a pretty good job but I was disappointed in the last episode (perhaps there will be a 2nd season but ???) It's a quick watch though so you could give it a try especially if you are into tattoos :P

Content Warnings: a slap, non con/dub con*

What I Liked
- I thought the acting/chemistry was pretty good between the two leads
- though the production value is lower, there was a few nice surprises like the scene when it cuts from one location to another with the same action in episode 4
- nice music
- some really sweet scenes like the car wash scene

Room For Improvement
- *non con/dub con, similar to Check Out: Special Episode there is a situation where the pursuee is extremely drunk and the pursuer is either sober or only a little drunk. There are also a few words that are unsubbed and I'd really like to know what was said at that point. But yeah, someone who is very drunk cannot give consent and he was definitely showing resistance...
- what was with the personality transplant in the final episode? And I'm not a fan of cliffhanger endings.
- no matter how angry you are, slapping/punching someone is not okay unless in self defense (which this was not)
- production things like a few blurry shots, too loud background noise, some of the night scenes don't have enough lighting
- fyi vegan brownies don't have eggs lol

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mesmerizing, need a sequel movie and/or a full series

Overall: kudos to everyone involved in this because, wow, just wow. Aired on Netflix https://www.netflix.com/watch/81759550

Content Warnings: past PTSD, non/dub con kissing/touching, internalized homophobia

What I Liked
- tension, chemistry, kissing
- acting
- I can't even imagine how challenging the dance training was, they all looked great (not a pro, I had dance training)
- how supportive the women were (I'd love to see a future movie/series with the characters training and dancing m/m and f/f as well as m/f and m/f, it's my head cannon at least)

Room For Improvement
- started with the present then went to a one-year flashback
- the 2 guys that gave exposition dumps multiple times
- several scenes were too dark and more light was needed on faces
- the voice saying 10Dance at the beginning and end
- the ending was abrupt, definitely need a second movie or a series to flesh things out

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thinking about an ideal self

Overall: intriguing to think of how we treat others changes how they treat us and vice versa as well how this changes our view of the world. Based on "If no Sekai de Koi ga Hajimaru" by Umino Sachi which I didn't read and I reviewed the series based on its own merits. 6 episodes about 25 minutes each. Aired on GagaOOLala https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/6042/love-begins-in-the-world-of-if-2025-e01 (everywhere except Japan and Korea) and Viki https://www.viki.com/tv/41300c-love-begins-in-the-world-of-if

What I Liked
- thinking about how changes to oneself affect others,
- production value (use of color to denote the mood and location)
- a character had realizations and communications was sought after

Room For Improvement
- I was just about to note good consent but then a character said stop and the other character said they couldn't wait any longer and went ahead anyway
- a dead fish lip press
- didn't actually show the chocolate sharing
- that very end part was odd, were they hinting at a sequel
- needed more relationship development

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The Pain (Almost) Never Ends (watch suggestions)

Overall: note that this series and my review may have triggering content. 13 episodes about 1 hour each. Aired on iQIYI https://www.iq.com/play/the-love-never-sets-episode-1-2edr2dc2xxw?lang=en_us

Content Warnings: past (rape shown 27-30 ep 1 and 29-34 episode 2 , grooming, drugging, non con video taking/sharing, miscarriage, blood, manipulation, intimate partner abuse/violence, near suicide, child abuse/violence), current (beaten up/fight, held against will, slaps/punches, grooming, trauma/PTSD, intimate partner abuse, manipulation, sexual assault multiple times, drugging, multiple past suicides mentioned)

Watch Suggestions (to focus on sweet/happy)
- episode 2 watch 16:15-26:20 for cute backstory, 37:30-46:05 GL
- episode 3 watch 21-27:35 cute backstory
- episode 4 watch 23:10-26:10 maybe side couple, 32-38:20 GL, 55-58:45
- episode 5 watch 21:45-24:30 and 44:30-46:15
- episode 6 watch 19:30-25:20
- episode 7 watch 22:30-39and 58:45-59:05
- episode 8 watch 9:30-12:30 and 50:25-52:20
- episode 9 watch beginning to 36:30 and 38:40-40:10
- episode 10 watch 18-19:15 and 34-end
- episode 11 watch beginning-2:30, 5:30-10:05, 13:30-20:25
- episode 12 watch 29-end
- episode 13 watch beginning-18:30, 34:30-39 (or continue if you enjoy singing), 45:20-end

What I Liked
- visuals
- sweet moments in the past/present
- the past miscommunication was a bit more realistic than similar situations in other series
- that Ice at times stood up for himself like when he told Saint that he was two-faced
- the GL escalated very quickly, but I enjoyed them quite a bit
- someone went to jail in episode 8

Room For Improvement
- exposition dump in ep 1
- it seemed that Saint knew what happened to Ice before reading the diary so him restraining Ice like that in episode 1 was awful (and then a later conversation about not needing consent was terrible too, I don't think the production talked to any survivors)
- the bullies felt very cookie cutter
- multiple poorly done redemption arcs
- the friend knew what happened to Ice yet put him in a situation she should have known would be triggering
- cheating
- stupid drinking duel in episode 7
- kissing someone when they were drugged
- in episode 8 a character could have easily had a mutual friend explain what was going on
- bunch of nonsense stuff: staff didn't notice higher rates sooner/had a student access data, instant pepper spray recovery, police took forever to get somewhere, deleted evidence, into a coma from being stabbed, singing woke a person from a coma

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Funny and sweet (we need season 2)

Overall: This high school BL has a mixture of realistic, sweet, cringey and funny moments. I have not read the manga so I can't comment on similarities/differences there. Watched on Viki (My Love Mix-Up)

Content Warnings: two slaps not between m/m, homophobia

What I Liked
- subverted tropes, surprising moments (I won't go into details and ruin things but I rarely get pleasantly surprised watching BL and I was when watching this)
- Ida being honest and considerate, thinking about things seriously
- the look on the high schoolers faces when the military guy talks to them is priceless and universal
- supportive friends on both Ida's and Aoki's side, also that Ida's friends weren't stupid
- communication (yes there was also miscommunication, but there were several instances of good communication)
- characters apologizing for mistakes made
- I'm totally fine with the ending but we need a season 2 to see the continuation
- even some really minor side characters were fun to watch

Room For Improvement
- (neutral) Aoki is very energetic/exaggerated which I've noticed in quite a few manga adaptations, luckily the other protagonist is chill so it balances it out. Aoki does have some pretty funny moments.
- the slaps were not needed
- "gay for you" adjacent
- that first volleyball teacher side plot, though I was happy how he handled it
- I almost vomited when that tutor/student teacher asked things those invasive personal questions, no teacher is asking their student those questions

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peak Thai comedy

Overall: this was a wild ride and I enjoyed myself immensely. 8 episodes about 25 minutes each. Aired internationally on GagaOOLala https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/6712/wooju-bakery-2026-e01 (not in Japan, Thailand or S. Korea which has it on Wavve streaming platform)

Content Warning: held against will, past murders, attempted murder

What I Liked
- unique premise
- visuals
- styling (especially the sequins, iridescence, deep v necks, semi see thru shirts and large earrings)
- some touching moments between the leads
- adored Princess

Room For Improvement
- the comedy did not work all of the time
- AI in episode 1
- choppy at times though it kind of fed into its chaotic charm
- unanswered questions

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good intimacy with draggy poor communication/mopping ep 7 and after (watch suggestions)

Overall: I rated this much higher before episodes 7 and after. 10 episodes about 45 minutes each. Aired on iQIYI https://www.iq.com/play/magic-move-episode-1-1akg1uvb3g4?lang=en_us and Moonlight Glow YouTube channel https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEhCS-4vUKl-Dbe6cHsOnTLjDVWWNkKmC&si=tEQJiU6q7Mqvpzco

Content Warnings: manipulation, blackmail, held against will, violence, self harm, blood, death, grief

Watch Suggestions:
- watch episodes 1-6
- episode 8 watch 26-38:20
- skip episode 9
- episode 10 watch 12:55-16:20 and 36:20-end (including the extra scene after the initial end credits)

What I Liked
- it was funny how he got into fortune telling (though he's going to need to slow down lol)
- the dream in episode 1
- intimacy

Room For Improvement
- what the writers did to a character in episode 9
- multiple main characters annoyed me. Who needs enemies with "friends" like those (bartender dude was fine turning his best friend into an alcoholic). Itt knew he was hurting Rit by not saying he knew also did the "I can explain" and never explained. Rit also lied and then somehow thought all the actions/feelings they experienced were false? And I cannot believe he did that AT A FUNERAL
- the finale a character apologized for manipulation by more manipulation lmao and they reconciled at 39 minutes...of a 46 minute episode!
- constant comedy sound effects

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