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Winter Is Not the Death of Summer but the Birth of Spring
7 people found this review helpful
meandering plot and incomplete feel
Overall: I was intrigued in the beginning, but it lost my interest with the large amount of staring and lack of meaningful dialogue. Began airing on YouTube November 20th https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0Njz75725bXKH1h92Yn-RCgu5EZb_SW-&si=P7Jx-VCWqEIUqr_b, then moved uncut episodes to a different platform and then moved an uncut version to WeTV in January https://wetv.vip/en/album/dd8g63nmfpkqdwgContent Warning: sexual assault, non con touching, death off screen, self harm
What I Liked
- unique premise
- caring moments
- steamy scene in ep 4 uncut version was well done but it seemed to go on for too long
- production value for what I assumed was a very indie production
Room For Improvement
- voice over exposition
- too much staring/flashbacks, they needed to talk/learn about each other more
- I'm not familiar with the Thai prison system but it seemed odd they had a fully stocked music room and library based on the other facilities and the whole music video/the voice thing, how some characters had those numbered shirts and others wore regular clothes, also they were packed like sardines for sleeping but then magically at the water area there was no one around
- showing a character defecating was not needed
- the ending was a non-ending, apparently there was supposed to be a special but months later and there's no special, the series feels extremely incomplete
- made viewers wait a month for the last 4 episodes, the release platform/schedule felt like they figured it out as they went instead of it being preplanned
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The Boy and I Who Will Break Up in 100 Days
4 people found this review helpful
This review may contain spoilers
living for ourselves or others
Overall: I liked how it touched on several topics we rarely see in fictional media, but it felt overall incomplete. 6 episodes about 24 minutes each. Aired on GagaOOLala https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/7585/the-boy-and-i-who-will-break-up-in-100-days-2026 (not in Japan or Korea).Content Warnings: sexism, sexual harassment, homophobia, discrimination, postpartum depression, micro aggressions, vomiting, punches, past severe child abuse mentioned
What I Liked
- the documentary/mockumentary style in episode 1
- touched on postpartum depression which is rarely shown in fictional media as well as other topics
- character growth of not putting up with bs from other people
Room For Improvement
- wish we had had their backgrounds earlier
- I was happy with the ending because Itsuki is too selfish to be in a romantic relationship, the gall to do what he did instead of having 1 mature conversation
- ending felt a bit too open ended
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could have been total campy fun (watch suggestions)
Overall: with a few changes this could have been a super entertaining comedy. I deducted a full point for the atrocious lack of consent (mainly in episode 7). 8 episodes about 50 minutes each. Aired on WeTV https://wetv.vip/en/play/m9ytee03pftoltl-OMG%20Vampire%20(Uncut%20Ver.) There was sometimes an additional product placement scene at the end and this review was of the uncut version (which was the only listing originally on MDL), not sure there even is a cut version. Very Great also made Physical Therapy and Crazy Handsome RichContent Warnings: deaths, rape, non con maybe turned consensual, non con kissing, blood, manipulation, vomiting, harassment, non con touching, stalking, breaking & entering, held against will, beaten up/fights, manhandling
Watch Suggestions (takes out most of the love triangles, focuses on cute moments & skinship)
- watch episodes 1 & 2 (or read the synopsis and watch the beginning of episode 1)
- watch episode 3 from the beginning to 17:30
- watch episode 4, 9:40 to 10:40, 25:30-26:15, 36:45-39:50, 43-51:50
- watch episode 5, 7:10-16:30, 32-36:20, 42 to the end
- watch episode 6, beginning to 45 seconds, 6:30-11, 13:10-16:15, 20:20-26:50, 28:30-33:30, 34:45 to the end
- watch episode 7, beginning to 1 min, 11:30-12:20, 14:20-17:10, 32:30-41:06, 42:24-49
- watch all of episode 8 but I'd suggest ending at 59:40
What I Liked
- the over the top campy humor made me chuckle a few times (Thaiwilight City)
- beginning scene got my attention
- good kissing
- sweet moments
- lack of voice dubbing
- supportive friends and parents
Room For Improvement
- the non con in episode 7 was horrendous, being in a relationship does not mean you get to do whatever you want when a person is sleeping (although this was fictional because no way would a person sleep through that), I think with 1 couple they were going for a bodice ripper vibe but it came across as more uncomfortable than steamy, they even had non con right at the end of episode 8
- many world building exposition dumps
- juggled too many plots/relationships for 8 episodes
- nonsense/'because the writer said so'/convenient world building stuff i.e. problem is population increase but then same sex relationships are worse somehow???, why wouldn't he just sleep for 200 years? I guess he was nervous about something happening in 6 years but given his age seemed unlikely, super improbable that would happen to the 4 of them at the exact same time and a ton more
- Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy music, same music from their past series
- the music 'na na na na na na naaaaa' over steamy scenes
- episode 2 when characters argued about who would be the groom
- not a fan of 2 men fighting over a woman in het series and definitely not in BL series
- odd that Patrick went from intrigued to very reluctant to head over heels
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basically commercials with some cute moments
Overall: I don't mind product placement, but in this case there was more product placement than plot. Three episodes about 12 minutes each. Aired on DFJ Entertainment's YouTube channel https://youtu.be/16s4HBeSKUE?si=5wguaKQ0sgnG6oclWhat I Liked
- lap sit and walking fingers up his arm
- the cat
- having subtitles in multiple languages
Room For Improvement
- mostly product placement
- think they should have left the boyfriend out of the series, did the main character learn/grow so a future relationship would even be successful?
- ending was disappointing with them cutting away like that
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some cute parts (watch suggestions)
Overall: cliched conflicts weighed down the otherwise cute plot. 10 episodes about 25 minutes each. Aired on GagaOOLala & Viki. The production company also made: Stay By My Side, You Are Mine and Anti Reset (airing in 2024).Watch Suggestions (unless you enjoy slow pacing and cliched drama)
- watch ep 1 & 2
- skip ep 3
- watch ep 4
- skip ep 5
- could skip ep 6, there is a cameo from the You Are Mine leads and a cute sick/caring scene around 12 minutes but stop at 16 minutes to avoid useless family drama
- skip ep 7 & 8
- watch ep 9 (can also start at 8 minutes and watch thru to the end) and episode 10
Content Warnings: homophobic remark, dub/non con kissing, vomiting
What I Liked
- cute moments
- facial hair (and it looks really good) on a lead
- supportive/wingman friend
- two side characters (though zero screen time in episode 5-8 and only a little bit before then)
- cameo of You Are Mine actors in ep 6 and 10
- that Liu Li stood up to the mom
Room For Improvement
- the whole drunk cliche
- the waiter's rude comment would have made more sense if there were a bunch of people in the restaurant and some were leaving because they couldn't find a place to sit, also the animal sanctuary could have used a few extras as well
- in episode 5 the dub/non con kissing was uncomfortable to watch as was the freeze kiss in ep 4
- instead of introducing that character in ep 6 they could have developed the sassy waiter and the upbeat friend (who basically vanished from the series)
- camerawork sometimes moved too much/had odd angles
- slow pacing
- two grown men fought like middle schoolers over another man as if he was property and not a person, tried to be comedic but failed
- noble idiocy
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(Kind Of) Innocent
Overall: I'm reviewing this 5 minute short as separate from the original short & the series. Watched on Gagaoolala.Content Warnings: strobe/flash lighting
What I Liked
- the music, editing, color grading made it feel like a music video/art film which I think it what they were going for
- that the voice over had some decent communication in it
- the bdsm & costume aspects of it
Room For Improvement
- pretty sure the couple times I laughed out loud was not the effect they were going for
- it was surprisingly PG-13, thought it was going to be a bit steamier (because nothing says sexy like a teddy bear sitting at that table, I realize it was supposed to represent the 1 personality...but still...)
- they could have done whipped cream and licking/sucking it off, blown out a massage candle and dripped hot wax on a guys back or abs, many ways to make this less innocent
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This review may contain spoilers
A Slooooowwww Realistic(ish) Drama
Content warnings: none I can think ofOverall: A slower paced (too slow in my opinion) series dealing with a realistic problem.
What I Liked
- A more realistic reason for the drama
- Supportive siblings
- Lack of evil girlfriend/ex-girlfriend/stalker "fan"
- Focused on 1 couple* instead of a billion (slight exaggeration) couples
Room For Improvement
- 4 year gap: I really dislike time gaps where 1 person makes a unilateral decision and the other person is miserable for years and years supposedly for their own good, ugh.
- Number of flashbacks/flashforwards: it takes me out of the story and this had quite a few of time hops especially via flashbacks. The whole 7th episode was a flashback, it felt like filler.
- Lack of doctor/patient confidentiality: I think the sister could have talked to Nut about Phob instead of his doctor
- *Not being clear about the brother & Tar's relationship until episode 6: just a few romantic moments would have made this clear earlier. I would have liked their relationship to be more developed.
- Pacing felt too slow to me: I watched this on at least 1.5 (or more) speed and I think it would have been better as 6 episodes, maybe even 5.
- The ending: was okay, I generally don't like cliffhangers and I don't think it had the impact it should have had because of the lack of a developed romantic relationship. I would watch a 2nd season though.
I skipped ahead from ep 5 to the end because I was worried and fyi it is not a tragic ending.
Watch past the credits of each episode as there are side stories/interviews with the cast/director.
I think I'm being a bit generous with 7.5 as I really had to push myself to finish all 8 episodes.
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wish it was longer
Overall: not sure how everything will resolve in the last episode (update, it didn't really resolve). Aired on the Secret of Us YouTube channel Summer You https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7BSona1dmx5OuDn4WOXKkZgl-Mb0MSWD&si=hvRgUW5dIeZtFNZOContent Warning: non con touching
What I Liked
- visuals/chemistry
- cheeky protagonist
- focused on the two characters
Room For Improvement
- gay for you trope
- open-ish ending, they didn't resolve how he originally needed to go back and now he doesn't???
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vertical series with great visuals
Overall: the actors did a good job, but the plot circled a bit too much for me. Aired on Vigloo, here's an invite link www.vigloo.com/en/redirect/app/invite?code=c33Vjb4P50 episodes a couple minutes each. Episodes 1-10 are free, can watch about 7 episodes per day for free by watching ads so it takes a few days to finish watching the series.
Content Warnings: past child or intimate partner abuse, manipulation, sexual harassment, dub con turned consensual, non con picture taking, blackmail, drugging
What I Liked
- visuals/dynamic
- supportive coworker
Room For Improvement
- started with the cliche drunk sex
- impersonated a doctor and then did something when he knew they should wait a few days for health reasons
- plot went in circles
- business drama was uninteresting
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super sweet vertical series
Overall: I enjoyed how it focused on the leads. 30 short episodes available on GagaOOLala app and iQIYI app (iQIYI has 5 interview bts episodes).What I Liked
- focused on the 2 leads
- the taller guy wanted to be a puppy/pet
- sweet/caring moments
Room For Improvement
- guy with glasses had that overacting thing, but it wasn't too bad
- didn't show the head pat after he first asked for it
- wanted another couple episodes of them as a couple
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communication struggles
Overall: I think they should have cut the love rival and focused on the low self esteem aspect. 4 episodes about 8 minutes each. Aired on True Film YouTube channel https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkQFxcEhORR2azTx4-IgLsMz-Sb7rYnx1&si=RaMzJuLSTKzR2rp8Content Warning: non con touching/hugging
If you want to cut out the love rival, watch episode 1 until 4:25, episode 2 6:30-end and episode 4 6-end
What I Liked
- visuals
- good kissing
- established couple
- supportive brother
Room For Improvement
- unrealistic not answering who was on the phone in episode 1
- 2 love rivals (actually it was 1 I think, the voice over referred to his boyfriend and not the brother)
- cliche got drunk and forgot and then saw the beginning of something but didn't talk about it
- a protagonist came across as creepy with lines like "I'll keep you by my side and never let you go" (when the other character was sleeping) and "I'll never let you go, you'll get used to it as time goes on"
- I have zero faith this couple will stay together, the one guy's low self esteem will torpedo their relationship, in my optimistic mind he gets therapy and couples therapy and the relationship works out
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cute vertical series where they started as friends
Overall: this was a well done vertical series with the friends to boyfriends dynamic. 30 episodes about 2 minutes each. Aired on iQIYI app (title is Beyond Childhood Friends, episodes 1-5 are free); GagaOOLala (title is Beyond Childhood Friends) and episodes 1-10 are on mov Short drama YouTube channel https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIBpX20YnmIgyy14zTJZfe3_whB8ECq4o&si=iCNmZXDDz24NUUyOWhat I Liked
- supportive friend
- I chuckled a few times
- a character was forthright
Room For Improvement
- similar to a 'gay for you' trope
- voiced inner thoughts/forecasting upcoming scenes
- refused to communicate and the other guy could have easily guessed what he was upset about
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a m/m reality dating series with a goal/message
Overall: I think this improved on the first season (which was spread out over a few months). 20 episodes about 25 minutes each. Aired (free to watch) on GagaOOLala https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/4786/boyscation-too-2024-e01 and YouTube https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdXIknoSRTzuXCiH2eohX0CKbhki0h9Of&si=5uf86CF1tLF2qAxFNote: When watching "reality" series, I always keep in mind that producers might tell the guys what to do/say and that editing can be extremely misleading (not showing things, change the order, etc). This production/emcee appears more involved in Boyscation but that doesn't mean the other dating series productions weren't involved/manipulated things. My goals were that the guys have some fun and being on the show helped (or at least doesn't hurt them) in their personal and professional lives.
What I Liked
- the family/friends and message of the final episode
- that they followed the pairs that matched when they were back in Hong Kong (though it dragged on a bit too long)
- highlighted non profit organizations at the end of some episodes
- that on the first vote they could vote for up to 3 people & they showed a graphic of the vote givers/getters
- nametags in the beginning
- questions about their habits game was likely useful for the guys to think about compatibility
- released 5 episodes each week
Room For Improvement
- that the first game was touching people while being blindfolded
- the roommate choosing should not have been totally random
- that the mutual matches ate breakfast right in front of everyone
- some of the announcements of matches/who people liked/didn't like was a little too brutal
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solid special episode
Overall: 24 minutes filled with sweetness and a solid conclusion to their story. Available on GagaOOLala & Viki (country dependent)What I Liked
- sweet/fluff moments
- ongoing physical affection
- continuation of their story
- cameo from Stay By My Side couple
Room For Improvement
- the voice over
- a few camera shots felt low budget
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enjoyed it more than the series
Overall: it was a decent special, although I wanted a few changes. 26 minute special aired on GagaOOLala https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/4252/vip-only-2023-e11 and Viki https://www.viki.com/tv/40086c-vip-only My review of the series is here: https://mydramalist.com/profile/blcompilations/reviews/318961What I Liked
- sweet moments
- that they explained why the beard was gone in a realistic way
- the characters from You Are Mine
Room For Improvement
- the one lead felt childish/petulant
- one piggyback is fine but 2 was too many
- talking/being concerned about who is the husband and who is the wife
- lip press for an established couple (and then the montage showed more lip presses
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