4
10
1
2
This review may contain spoilers
Had Potential and Then Took a Nosedive
Content Warnings: noneOverall: small budget production with a realistic story that had promise but ruined the ending
What I Liked
- the 2 main guys say what their sexual orientations are and their preferred pronouns (Sam is gay and Andrea is bisexual with an ex-girlfriend who is a trans woman)
- Sam and his ex actually have a mature conversation/resolution
- the beachy vibe/location
- for being low budget, the production value was decent, subs had some errors but very understandable with 1 exception at the end
Room For Improvement
- the pacing was a bit slow
- Sam's ex's stupid "plan" to get Sam back
- episode 7 doesn't make much sense since Andrei seemed very romantically interested in Sam, but then did a 180.
- the final episode (6 minutes and a large chunk of flashbacks) was very confusing. It says "1 year ago" but I think they meant "1 year later." We see Andrei driving and talking about going to a wedding of someone he loved so I assumed it's Sam's wedding, but maybe it's his ex-girlfriend's wedding??? Then Sam has flashbacks about how it was the wrong time then and he concludes by saying it's the right time now and the visuals are Sam & Andrei getting married? Then Andre has the happiness jar in the car and says 'maybe.' Finally, there is a scene where Andrei gives Sam the jar and they hug. WTH???? They should have gotten together in episode 7 and then done a 1 year flash forward with a nice wedding in episode 8.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Break Up While You Can
Content Warnings: tragedyOverall: I absolutely hated the "moral" of the story which is to stay in a non-working relationship and hope that magically one day it gets better (spoiler alert, that very rarely happens in real life)
What I Liked
- I think basically everything was well done like production, acting, etc. I recognized one actor from In Between.
Room For Improvement
- I really disliked the terrible "moral". This couple had a huge deal breaker in their relationship which was shown to be a problem that they both acknowledged. They should have broken up, not spent 5 years being unhappy with the other person. Breaking up isn't necessarily bad, it can be the best thing for one or all people involved...
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Be Loved in House: I Do... want the plot to progress faster
(minor spoilers)Content Warnings: none that I can think of...
Episode 12 bumped up my score to 7.5/10 overall. If you want super slow pacing and breathtaking visuals, then this is the show for you. Otherwise watch the 1st two episodes, imagine in your mind every single romance/bl trope multiple times (accidental falls, getting out of the shower, healing time, etc) then skip to ep 11 to watch most of those happen in flashbacks and then episode 12 for the ending.
What I Liked
- amazing visuals
- acting
- the cat
- production
- the cameo
- the love triangle (I think the only 1 I've ever liked)
- the coworker/friend stopping the other coworker/friend from taking a picture of an intimate moment without the participants' knowledge
- the 12th episode
- the intro song*
Room For Improvement
The pace is sooooooooo slow. I watched it on 1.5-2x speed and it still felt slow. There is so little progression with either couple. I can like a slow burn done well, but this was not it. There is also little sense of time. Is this taking place over days, weeks, months? Why does the 2nd couple go soooo slow and then rocket ahead???
The plot - I'm used to plot holes and non logical things but this drives me nuts. So basically the new boss (Jin Yu Zhen) puts up a rule that no employees can be in a romantic relationship with anyone (even outside the office, is that even legal??) A m/f are about to get engaged so they want him to get rid of the rule. Logical response by the other employee/manager (Shi Lei) should be to get the boss to fall in love with him and then he has to remove the rule, right? Nope, I honestly can't even say what their plan was. Get more intel on the boss???
Boss - is attracted to Shi Lei. Logical thing, don't put up that rule and instead try to win him over. Actual response - move in with him, make some moves, then reverse your moves over and over again. Basically a ton of mixed signals. Also disappear off to places with no follow up explanations. Things are kind of explained in the last episode, but it still didn't do it for me.
Poor characterization of the boss - he started out super cold, then he went to really awkward/nervous, then he went to a pursuer, whaaaatt, I got whiplash.
Music - there is legit one and only song that plays over and over again. It's a nice song but it's like "This Is The Song That Never Ends..." song.
Was this review helpful to you?
too many characters
Overall: I wanted to give this indie (aka low budget) production a chance but there are just too many characters/confusing/non existent plot and I don't want to watch the remaining 7 episodes. 12 episodes about 16 minutes each cutting out the credits. Aired on KMD Studios YouTube Channel.Content Warnings: fight, (possibly more)
What I Liked
- OST
- the school nerd and the guy who wants to make money seemed promising (not much movement by ep 5)
- consent, asking for a kiss
Room For Improvement
- there were way too many characters, who are they, who do they like, what is their relationship with one another? I wish they had focused on just 2 characters and made it shorter instead of having so many characters/relationships
- music was too loud and it drowned out the dialogue, though in ep 5 it seemed not as bad
- intros/outros too long
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
enjoyed the unique premise
Overall: I was impressed with the horror/supernatural elements in the first episode, but several plot elements/pacing were disappointing. This series was based off of a book which I haven't read and I reviewed the series on its own merits. 12 episodes about 1 hour each. Aired on iQIYI https://www.iq.com/play/khemjira-episode-1-wraawu50u8?lang=en_us Later aired on WeTV https://wetv.vip/en/play/4enpn88aboslcbo/n4101eq14v2 and Netflix Thailand.Content Warnings: jump scares, attempted murders, blood, intimate partner abuse and violence, punch, suicide (it's complicated); (past: infanticide, torture, suicide, blood, manipulation, death on and off screen, grief, kidnapping)
Watch Suggestions (to focus on sweet/steamy parts)
- read the synopsis
- skip episodes 1-4
- episode 5 watch 8-end
- skip episode 6
- episode 7 watch 7:45-20:40 and 49:20-end
- episode 8 watch 37:30-end
- skip episode 9 (many major content warnings in this)
- episode 10 watch 21-23 and 57:30-end
- episode 11 watch 7-13:20 and 52-53:10 (watch all of episode 11 and 12 to get the whole plot resolution)
- episode 12 watch 38:30-end
What I Liked
- Jet as a supportive friend
- mystery of what happened in the past, how things came to be the way they are
- that Khemjira helped someone (or rather 2) in episode 1
- good consent and intimacy with the side couple
- the Thai culture and spirituality (not sure if that's the right word) aspects
- the finale
- production value
Room For Improvement
- the second domestic violence was handled very poorly, why didn't Khem tell him right away, it seemed like they only stepped in to help her because the guy was possessed and then how everything seemed fine and dandy at the end
- there is a difference between a slow burn and one character constantly rebuffing/hurting a sweet character, it was not enjoyable to watch for several episodes
- the horror aspect kind of vanished during some episodes
- love rivals
- a few writing tweaks would have made a character's actions much more understandable (specifically with ep 9 flashback of who did what/was at the most fault in that scenario then not being the ones punished forever)
Was this review helpful to you?
A cheesy musical that was almost so bad it was good
Overall: I wish they had really leaned into the "so bad it's good" but it didn't quite make it. Watched on YouTube.Content Warnings: a slap, non con touching/sponge bath (guy was unconscious), kidnapping
What I Liked
- the orchestral music was great, some of the musical numbers were okay
- a flirty protagonist who is clear about his intentions*
- made me laugh in several parts
- I liked Mikey's friends and they weren't just played for comedic relief
Room For Improvement
- the remarks about other people's weight
- there was some rough acting which I found hilarious but I don't think it was intentional
- invasive sponge bath while someone is unconscious
- *Mikey's reluctance was dragging on for too long
- too many characters
Was this review helpful to you?
I've checked out of this series
Overall: I'm sad because they took everything I liked about episode 0 (fast paced, likeable characters, great music) and wrecked it. The series should be called "Boring Cheaters." Watched on iQIYI.Content Warnings: non con kissing that turned consensual, dub con kissing and non con kissing that did not turn consensual, stalking, manhandling, harassment, drunk driving?, slap, manipulation, possible past suicide attempt/s
What I Liked
- the outro song
- I think the actors are trying their best with a terrible script
Room For Improvement
- very confusing, we start with a scene at the end of the first episode, then jump back and forth several times between present day and flashbacks (also too many flashbacks in later episodes)
- meh intro
- boring/slow paced, I watched at 3x speed. The cut episodes were slightly less boring (around 40 min vs 1hr 10) but still boring
- unlikeable main characters, I don't mind flawed characters but I especially don't understand Nine at all
- switching back and forth from a steamy scene where both people are cheating to a scene where a boyfriend is setting up a nice dinner was not appealing at all
- I don't normally notice the music unless it's really good or really bad and this was the later, sometimes the music really didn't fit the vibe of the scene
- the toilet humor (twice in the first 4 episodes!!!)
- I don't know why they are going to OnlyFans, have they seen some of the stuff on Gagaoolala? Also it seems like the actors had to act in the 18+ scenes totally naked when previously they were told they'd have socks... I hope the actors find something with a better plot, editing, really better everything
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
darker premise, but too much circling
Overall: 50 short episodes, vertical style. Aired on Lezhin Snack app (5 episodes per day for free by watching ads, except the last 5 which was super annoying)Content Warnings: rapes (off screen, not between the MLs), manipulation, drugging, kidnapping, beaten up
What I Liked
- different premise
- visuals
- acting
Room For Improvement
- the journalist could have easily video or audio recorded something really early???, the plot circled a lot
- they needed more time spent in the past, I was confused why 1 character allegedly disliked the other character so much
- several scenes were too dark
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
wrong characters get redemption arcs/don't have consequences
Overall: it's obvious from the title of the series and the trailers that this isn't going to be a fluffy romance series (which is fine). Unfortunately the wrong characters are receiving consequences and the wrong characters are receiving redemption arcs. The 20 episodes are broken up into 4 stories, each one has 5 episodes. Aired on Gagaoolala and on AIS Play's paid Youtube channel.Content Warnings: attempted suicide, manipulation, non con touching and kissing, homophobia, mental health struggles, fight scenes/violence, non con video recording/posting, sex trafficking, blackmail, cyberbullying, homophobia, drugging, kind of attempted murder
What I Liked
- intro/OST
- kissing/steamy scenes from Pan/Nott
- acting from Seng/Billy
- the sweet moments
- shout out to marriage equality
Room For Improvement
- it really bothered me that the wrong characters were receiving redemption arcs, I wanted to see jail! maybe this is supposed to be realistic but it's not my thing
- the kissing from the side couple was not good
- there are quite a lot of characters
- how would the manager not know what NC stands for?
Was this review helpful to you?
confusing with some dark and sweet parts
Overall: 10 episodes about 45 minutes each. Aired on GMMTV's YouTube channel https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLszepnkojZI6XS68TbMnSxkKingYfxiXv&si=f3hz9MktxKrIILB- (not available in Thailand)Content Warning: episode 1 part 1 has a jump scare around 16:30, multiples murders shown, kidnapping, manipulation, near murder, trauma; past (murders, suicide, child abuse, near suicide shown)
What I Liked
- mystery
- sweet moments
- the setting, countryside vistas
Room For Improvement
- confusing start with multiple time jumps/memories
- love rival
- a lot of nonsense things
- the wrong character apologized in episode 10
Was this review helpful to you?
joyful, emotional & drama-filled (reality m/m dating series)
Overall: Sparks Camp contestants bare their souls, get hurt, heal, laugh, cry and love. 10 episodes 45 minutes each. Aired on Black Sheep YouTube channel. https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL87uyU6xM7Lft-Lpwbv5G3ZQJZDvxC9_p&si=gVVHvglgds-tTvix Here is my review of season 1 https://mydramalist.com/profile/blcompilations/review/278749Content Warnings: past death, grief, trauma, past coercion
Reality Series Note: with any "reality" series I keep in mind that what the audience sees doesn't necessarily reflect what actually happened. There can be guidelines the audience doesn't know about, parts are edited out or ordered in different ways to show a certain narrative. I read in the YouTube comments of season 1 that the director said it wasn't scripted, but I always take that with a grain of salt. My goal for reality dating series is for people to have a good time and maybe make a new friend. Any actual pairings at the end of the show are icing on the cake.
What I Liked
- really good diversity with the cast, it wasn't all actors/models/influencers
- that the guys had name tags on which was helpful to remember who was who
- the initial game of guessing who the items belonged to was much better than the oil game from season 1, they made items easy enough they were guaranteed to get a few correct but not super easy so there was a bit of a challenge
- the deepest darkest secret game was fine, I'm assuming the guys knew it would be recorded/aired publicly
- Mother Mela is a good emcee*
- the trivia game
Room For Improvement
- the platinum gay thing was cringey
- having them repeatedly draw the sparks publicly was really sad and they should figure out another way to accomplish this (like write letters and the production crew see who has matches and then sends them on 1 on 1 dates)
- a contestant asked to sit something out and the emcee* said no, people should have the right to pass in situations like that
- putting 1 person on the spot to answer all questions was definitely to make things messy/drama-filled
Comparison to other m/m dating shows
1. The Boyfriend (Japan) on Netflix. Guys run a coffee van and live together for 1 month.
2. His Man (South Korea) on iQIYI, currently on season 3. Anyone can date anyone. Beautiful production and conventionally attractive guys.
3. Boys Like Boys (Taiwan) on GagaOOLala, had a very similar aesthetic/vibe to His Man
4. Love House seasons 1 & 2 (Vietnam) on YouTube (most have English subs, this is ep 1 of season 2 no subs though https://youtu.be/TKzT_nHfVTA ). I liked this set up more than Bromance because the guys could all pursue one another. I didn't like the "secret couple" aspect and dividing them up based on sexual position seemed odd (can't they discuss that in private???) Season 1 was also the most brutal "rose ceremony" I've ever seen in any dating reality show. Season 2 was better.
5. Bromance (Thailand) is also on Gagaoolala. This is the typical Bachelor/Bachelorette set up with a bunch of people competing against one another to be with the 1 bachelor. I didn't like this because they could have all been hitting on each other and we have multiple couples! I got kind of bored and skipped a bunch.
Was this review helpful to you?
sweet dance themed short movie
Overall: a lovely 20 minute university romance/slice of life short movie. Watch on GagaOOLala https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/1215/step-for-you-2018 Vimeo https://vimeo.com/ondemand/step/312886165 or as a Strongberry YouTube Member.What I Liked
- clear premise
- the friends
- realistic and sweet moments
- production value
Room For Improvement
- a character had time to respond but was silent
- the very ending scene I think was after the events but they could have made it a bit more clear where it was in the timeline
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
mixed feelings
Overall: there were parts that I really liked and one aspect in particular that I really didn't. I initially watched for the side m/m couple (they meet in episode 2 and have a few minutes every episode). At times, this series has a bit of a soap opera feel. Watching on Viu with VPN set to Thailand. This is the episode 1 part 1 link https://www.viu.com/ott/th/th/vod/439286/My-Coach Watch past the credits of the final episode for wrap ups of the characters (Plueng and Yu are at the very very end).Content Warnings: past bullying, sexism, punches, manipulation, harassment, drugging, attempted sexual assault, non con kiss, past trauma, homophobia, transphobia, unwanted outing, blackmail, held against will, high school student/coach relationship, bribery
What I Liked
- discussion of issues: i.e. challenges of being a woman in a male dominated career, importance of having safe sex and carrying around condoms, sexual harassment, pursuing your dreams, about being your true self and deserving love and happiness
- the end of episode 14 brought tears to my eyes
- Plueng and Yu, I wish they had had more screen time
- nice to see a darker skinned character and I really liked their conversations with Yu
- the intro song
Room For Improvement
- how both the coach and assistant coach were ogling the bodies of their students (high schoolers) and the things that followed, this just reinforces negative stereotypes of women in male dominated careers
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
In Your Heart?
Overall: choppy BL with a bad ending. Watched on Gagaoolala (also on Viki).Content Warnings: rape (portrayed as romantic), non con kissing/trying to kiss, punches, beaten up (off screen)
What I Liked
- the OST and intro sequence was well done
- there were a few funny moments like the music when they were sitting on the wall, broom fighting
- good production value
Room For Improvement
- the non con was totally unnecessary and the ending was stupid, it didn't make me throw my computer in rage but I was disappointed
- the female love interest part was confusing and unneeded
- that mom looked the exact same age as the high school student (actor is 29 apparently, the mom should have been an older actress)
- choppy editing/plot
- the side characters needed more development
- continuity error, after being beaten up with visible injuries, they are injury free in the next scene
- the scene in the principal's office/that money thing were too long
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
darker vibe that needed to narrow the focus
Overall: the writers needed to narrow the focus (like leave out the whole shipping port part) to better explain motivations/plot. 8 episodes about 13 minutes (with 4 minute credits) each. Aired on GagaOOLala https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/8026/unfold-2026-e01 (not available in Japan or Korea)Content Warnings: murders, past suicides, blood/gore, manipulation, torture, organ trafficking, kidnapping/child trafficking?, sex trafficking, slap, choking
Watch Suggestions (to take out seeing content warnings)
- episode 1 watch 3-6:30 and 8:15-end
- watch episode 2
- episode 3 skip 9:10-12:35 (there is a spicy scene here but a character has something on his shirt and you can guess what he just did)
- episode 4 skip 5:10-5:30
- episode 5 skip 5:20-6:40 and 9:50-10:10
- start episode 6 at 7 minutes
- episode 7 skip 7:30-8:15 and end at episode 8
- don't watch episode 8
What I Liked
- unique premise
- mystery
- visuals
Room For Improvement
- there were 4 main characters and they didn't devote enough screen time or clear up enough of the confusion
- neutral on having sex after a character was traumatized (i.e. not in his right mind)
- a lot of things didn't make sense/weren't explained. Examples in the finale: if all they needed was a thumbprint, why not threaten him at his workplace or knock him unconscious to get the thumbprint, why kill him after they got the thumbprint, why didn't the guy investigating ever involve the police along the way or at the end, how did he know what abandoned warehouse the other guy was at, etc.
- left at to be continued, where most series never get a sequel
Was this review helpful to you?
