4
10
1
1
coming of age story set in the 90s
Overall: though parts of this were difficult to watch, it did hit on some realistic aspects of growing up in the 90s (and still today). 8 episodes about 25 minutes each. No official international platform. See my spoiler comment for the ending.Content Warnings: past death, bullying, held against will, homophobia, sexual harassment, manhandling/non-con touching, vomiting, peeping, grooming, child abuse/violence, sexual assault, kidnapping/held against will, punch
What I Liked
- the two supportive moms
- characters weren't what they first seemed
- one of the few redemption arcs that worked for me
- non cliched female classmate (wish they had a bit more closure for her though)
- I couldn't tell how the story would end which is different from most of what I watch
- production value
Room For Improvement
- the comedy didn't mesh well at times with the realism
- was not needed to have a second scene with a group peeping for a 2nd time on the couple in the truck, could have spent that time elsewhere
- the awful scene with the teacher in the car was too cartoony villain
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deliciously sweet (please watch so we get the sequel :)
Overall: this is a gentle slice of life food-themed movie. Runtime is 90 minutes with a funny post credit scene. Aired on GagaOOLala.Notes: see my comment with a spoiler as to a tag that I think this series/description is missing.
They have already filmed the sequel https://natalie.mu/eiga/news/527213
What I Liked
- delicious looking food
- cute/sweet moments
- funny moments
- cleared up problems that cropped up relatively quickly/easily
Room For Improvement
- how Aki didn't know that about Haru (around 46 minutes)
- I think this relationship/what they don't do would be pretty unrealistic in real life but I didn't deduct points because it's fiction
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enjoyable KBL
Overall: this is a nice KBL, though I would have rated it significantly higher if they had done 1 plot tweak in episode 5. 8 episodes about 25 minutes each. Aired on iQIYI.Content Warnings: manhandling, blackmail, harassment
What I Liked
- cute and sweet moments
- I enjoyed a rarely seen plot thread of dealing with/getting over a certain something
- ongoing physical affection
- production value
Room For Improvement
- how I wish in episode 5 Ba Ram had only talked about his feelings regarding the teacher, because the lack of a certain response (I'm keeping this spoiler free) made zero sense to me and created cliche drama for the next episode+
- related to the previous point, in episode 7 Han Tae is unrealistically dense, he doesn't know why Ba Ram took back something he said...it's extremely obvious
- dead fish lip press (the dream one was much better but it was a dream)
- cliche near kiss in episode 8 when he was sober enough to carry him mere seconds before
- lack of plot resolution, the anti fans went where??? is there going to be a season 2?
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it lost me
Overall: though the man m/m dynamic was not my favorite*, the first few episodes were set up and done well, but then the plot deteriorated and by the end I was angry. Note that there is an extra scene after initial credits. Aired on Gagaoolala and Viki.Content Warnings: physical abuse/physical assault off screen but wounds shown, punches, non con kiss, mental health struggles, manhandling, manipulation, dentist/patient, age gap (10? years), if you have anxiety about dental visits then there are some scenes that might make it worse
What I Liked
- the sweet moments
- a few funny moments
- acting
- good kissing/continued physical affection
- dance scene at the end
- production value
Room For Improvement
- *the cold dentist and the vulnerable/traumatized (continuous) patient was not a favorite dynamic, I didn't like the side immature high schooler and reluctant bar manager either
- too many couples (4) most of which did not have enough development and 1 of which was extremely rushed
- the sister punching Jin Xun An twice and trying to punch him in the face was awful, you can care about your sibling but Bai Lang is a fully grown adult and you don't physically assault people, speaking of
- WTH was that with the dad, he's a total abuser but then on screen shown as a little grumpy and basically has no consequences (i.e. he should go to JAIL!!!!) This being glossed over was awful and it was totally unnecessary to the plot. He could have been the standard homophobe like the majority of BL parents.
- way too much time spent on flashback and showing an entire past relationship that I cared nothing about
- cliche ex enters the picture which leads to
- terrible communication skills for adults in their 20s/30s
- a straight wedding in the only Asian country where same sex marriage is legal complete with a bait and switch proposal had me fuming
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violent underworld
Overall: appreciate that this was a grittier/less frequently told story, felt a bit Romeo and Juliet with warring families/factions. 12 episodes about 55 minutes each. Aired on GagaOOLala worldwide (except Thailand) https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/5273/the-bangkok-boy-2025-e01 and WeTV - uncut https://wetv.vip/en/play/4ckwvmilrazmpan/w410108n8as-EP01%3A_The_Bangkok_boy_Series_(Uncut_Ver.) and cut version (free to watch) https://wetv.vip/en/play/eu6iplbsnlhyh0u/d4101iaz1gu-EP01A%3A_The_Bangkok_boy_Series Later aired on Munwork Mediafilm YouTube channel https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0Sl68FYmlrNeeUVKcRnJtZ8MUWFRMb1W&si=UwDa3MCYpQyx2jBUContent Warnings: past and current murders/death, gang rape, sexual assault, suicidal thoughts/near suicide attempt, blood, violence, beaten up, torture, child abuse, police brutality, drugging, kidnapping/held against will, con con picture taking/sharing, manipulation, blackmail, non con kissing turned consensual
Watch Suggestions (to remove most content warnings and focus on romance but you will miss a lot of plot, uncut timings)
- episode 3 watch 22-24:45
- episode 4 24:45-28:15, 47:45-53:45
- episode 5 watch 43:30-45 (start of GL)
- episode 6 watch 14:40-22:20, 43:15-44:30
- episode 7 watch 6:40-7:15 and 40:50-44:05
- episode 8 watch 14-15:15, 16-17:50, 24:30-25:45, 25:20-34:20 GL, 39-45, 48:50-54:10
- episode 9 watch 5-7:05 and 9:10-14 for GL; watch 20-24:30, 35-37:50 and 41:50-42:40
- episode 10 watch 15-18:20
- episode 11 watch 7:55-22
- episode 12 watch 57:45-1hr 1min
What I Liked
- different plot/aesthetics
- fight scenes seemed well done
- visuals
- showed how things changed in episode 3
- Mei's character felt realistic
- in episode 7 a character quickly resolved a misunderstanding
- twisty*
Room For Improvement
- started in the present and then moved into a flashback which wasn't super clear at first
- what sounded like AI English dubbing in early episodes
- a lot of characters, they could have removed a few/some side plots
- coffee shop guy was smiling while saying it's a shame in episode 3
- two accidental falls in episode 4
- nonsense stuff including the cliche 'you wouldn't understand if I told you', nonsense lighting and zero security cameras
- *though it at times felt too twisty
- in the finale, a character death had zero weight, they didn't show reactions to it at all
- (neutral) wished a character had been out of the hospital before a relationship started
- (neutral) cliffhanger ending, if they end up doing a season 2 I may bump up my rating to a 9
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4 different stories with different vibes
Overall: the production value is good for what I assume is a very indie series (it got a .5 indie bump). Aired on GND Studio's YouTube channel https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-UjFgW8TJEf0j62oTEJudvgjvIT1uTqc&si=VJ9NKGmGyWH6mMs2 GND also made My Damn Business and Fake Buddies.Content Warning: see my spoiler comment for a large one for episode 6
1st Story (Riding a Bicycle eps 1/2) - friends faced shifting feelings. Enjoyed the sweet/caring moments. The bike/trip may have been symbolism for things going differently from how you initially envisioned. Very much a slice of life story with an open ending.
2nd Story (Friendship Bracelet eps 3/4) - quirky vibe with a supernatural element. Wish they had let it play out sooner/had fewer times.
3rd Story (The Last Diary eps 5/6) - back to a somber/slice of life vibe with two strangers that start off on the wrong foot. Suggest stopping at episode 6, 7m25s
4th Story (Sunset Boulevard eps 7/8) - two guys reconnect at work after they knew each other in university. Wasn't a fan of the non con kiss in the past or non con touch at work, but I was happy with how it ended.
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rocket paced BL with tennis window dressing
Overall: they needed to eliminate some side plots and/or characters and focus on the relationship development between the leads. 10 episodes about 9 minutes each. Aired on iQIYI https://www.iq.com/album/a-perfect-match-2025-1n53v7boirx?lang=en_usContent Warnings: past child abuse, past death, non con touching, slap
Watch Suggestions (to remove an episode 11 (in this case ep 9) curse)
- watch episodes 1-7
- can skip episode 8 unless you enjoy watching tennis
- skip episode 9 (super annoying plot cliche)
- start episode 10 at 2 minutes
What I Liked
- visuals
- intimacy
- supportive friend and grandma
- how grandma pushed back on the thin and beautiful comment
Room For Improvement
- so many tropes and not done in a new/fresh way, I originally was going to rate this as 8.5 but the ep 11 (happened in ep 9) cliche dragged my rating down, so if there hadn't been proof then that would have been the end???
- choppy/rushed, it's daytime then suddenly nighttime, characters rush off somewhere and then we see them talking about what happened, they needed to cut some side plots/characters to spend more time on the leads and their relationship progression
- that actress looked to be 10 which was much too old to act how she was acting, needed to have cast a child around age 5 (and also why wasn't she in school during the daytime/work week???)
- that a character said "I'm a person, not a bargaining chip" (was going to give points for "love isn't something you can hand over" but then that character agreed to something in the next scene which annoyed me
- (neutral) I didn't take off points but the tennis is window dressing, there is barely any shown in the 10 episodes with most in episode 8
- (neutral) there are a ton of product placements but they got the series made so they were fine
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enjoyable romcom
Overall: it was a fun watch and I hope we get a sequel/see these actors in more series. 8 episodes about 45 minutes each. Aired on iQIYI and YouTube (not in the U.S.) here is the first episode link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s27LxcQeg_0Content Warnings: kidnapping/held against will, manipulation, coercion
What I Liked
- the supporting characters
- I did laugh several times, the comedy sound effects weren't excessive (I loved that security guard just watching them go at it like that wasn't part of his job lol), though the comedy did give way to angst at some points
- sweet and supportive moments (though Yang should have apologized verbally in episode 3)
- Tammy wasn't a cliche female character
- ep 6 NSFW scene was very well done
Room For Improvement
- plot holes/continuity errors/nonsense stuff (i.e. pretty sure that isn't how you find investors/partners, why didn't he just ask his wealthy parents???)
- Phojai's plan/timeline made no sense and that was a weak apology
- they lived in the same building, but this was not shown/explained and then sometimes Phumjai was at a different bedroom/house (his parents?)
- cliche plot point in ep 5 and other cliches (sick after being in the rain, accidental fall/catch, etc)
- ending was rushed, too much of the debt stuff (could have cut that whole plot out)
- several interrupted kisses in the final episode
- I didn't deduct points for the blatant product placement because it funded the series
Note: I am blown away that Offroad's character here is so different from Saint in Our Days, I have to keep looking to make sure it's the same actor
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infuriating writing, hope to see the actors with a better plot (watch suggestions)
Overall: the refusal of a character to communicate with the other character was infuriating and I cannot believe what they did in episode 8. 10 episodes about 50 minutes each. Aired on iQIYI https://www.iq.com/play/reloved-episode-1-1p5zs0832d8?lang=en_usContent Warnings: vomiting (ep 2 around 47 min), non con kissing turned consensual, blackmail/coercion, manipulation, non con kiss, death, grief
Watch Suggestions (to focus on sweet relationship parts)
- episode 1 watch 4:25-7, 25:45-27, 42:25-45:10
- episode 2 watch beginning-5:20, 18:15-24, 28:15-30:30, 39:35-42, 48-50:45
- episode 3 watch 4:15-9, 14-17:20, 50-51:20
- episode 4 watch 24-40
- episode 5 watch beginning-10:50
- episode 6 watch 9:30-13:05, 15-19, 28:40-34:15, 38:30-52
- episode 7 is skippable
- episode 8 watch beginning-3:30 and 48:50-end
- episode 9 watch beginning-6:15, 12-16:05, 37:30-53
- episode 10 watch beginning-3:30, 17:30-end
What I Liked
- adults who were taking care of kids
- past intimacy and sweet moments
- visuals
- supportive parents
Room For Improvement
- terrible communication in the past (a 5 min conversation would have fixed everything) as well as the present, the other guy repeatedly ignored boundaries/looked so desperate/had no self respect
- the blackmail/coercion with the side couple was not appealing though they grew on me, but then episode 7 made no sense since their relationship was casual up to that point and then 8 came out of absolutely nowhere and was awful
- nonsense, who goes to the scene of an accident instead of a hospital???!!!!
- I wanted to throw my computer with the writing in episode 8, one "I'm sorry" and everything was fine, 5 YEARS!!!!
- tonal shift in episode 8 from grief to fun gym photo shoot
- love rival (and I felt bad for him, they should have given him a love interest)
- the sound effects didn't make things funny
- they dragged the bad communication way too long and then rushed the finale with an alternate timeline and a ton of time skips
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a BL with a soccer backdrop
Overall: it was entertaining. I wish they had reduced the number of characters/side plots to have more time for relationship progression. 8 episodes about 25 minutes each. Aired on iQIYI (U.S. for sure, not sure which other countries) https://www.iq.com/play/sqxdf59e7s?lang=en_us&sh_pltf=4Content Warnings: past non con picture taking/sharing, unwanted public outing
What I Liked
- visuals
- CEO was a decent antagonist (I really disliked him in episode 1)
- laughed a few times like when he hugged a standee and the difference between interview questions vs. real life
- caring moments
- really liked the captain and the idol
- nice dreams
- good kissing (ie no dead fish lip presses with blocked angles)
Room For Improvement
- the back and forth timeline in the beginning of episode 1
- one short flashback wasn't clear in episode 4
- too many couples, the third couple vanished
- introduced more antagonists, should have focused on the main characters
- nonsense: the plan/approach, how he didn't remember him from high school, did not appear to be enough players for their match
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a unique premise with a slow burn
Overall: I was torn between a 7.5 and 8 for this series - one aspect in the finale made me rate it 7.5. I have not read the book this is based on and I reviewed the series on its own merits. 12 episodes about 45 minutes each. Aired on GagaOOLala (except: Thailand, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, Vietnam, Philippines) https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/4579/i-saw-you-in-my-dream-2024-e01 and WeTV https://wetv.vip/en/play/w52tycxawaajel4-I%20Saw%20You%20In%20My%20Dream/w4100e6rju9-EP0A%3A%20I%20Saw%20You%20In%20My%20DreamContent Warnings: attempted murder, violence, blood, past death/grief, vomiting, groping/non con touching/sexual assault, stalking, non con picture taking, trespassing
Watch Suggestions (to skip some of the love rival stuff and slow pacing)
- watch episodes 1-5
- watch episode 6 14:30-14:45, then 22:45-40min
- watch episode 7 13:30-end
- watch episodes 8-10
- watch episode 11 beginning to 15 or could even skip and watch 44-47
- watch episode 12
What I Liked
- good that a character apologized and promised to tone it down
- supportive friends
- supportive family
- sweet/caring moments
- intimacy/kissing done well
- consent
- showed how abusers can and do play the victim
- actual consequences instead of the "oh he learned his lesson" bs we normally see
Room For Improvement
- the character exposition dump to start the series
- comedy sound effects that detracted from the comedy
- Yu continued to prank Ai after what happened and Ai not telling Yu why he was really afraid of the dark for years, Yu didn't clarify his relationship in episode 10 which caused unneeded distress and then Yu still tried to prank Ai at the end of the series, Yu overall feels a bit too immature which is why I knocked it down to 7.5
- cringey guitar playing, time jump in the finale
- love rival aspect went on too long/the pacing was too slow
- too much blur filter
- nonsense stuff: a character didn't like the dark but then was cooking in a very dark kitchen, a character should have told another character about their experience at age 20, I don't think there would have been that many/severe injuries from that in ep 12
- episode 11 was so slow that it blunted the suspense aspect
- should have put the beginning of ep 12 in chronological order in ep 11
- the worldbuilding/supernatural aspect was kind of meh, could have been done better
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it was a fun ride
Overall: I enjoyed this series, though I watched most scenes at a faster speed. 13 episodes about 45 minutes each. Aired on iQIYI uncut & YouTube cut which reduced NSFW scenes. Note: this was based on an omegaverse novel which I read but reviewed the series on its own.Content Warnings: murders, sexual assault, blood, kidnapping, parental abuse, punch/slap, beaten up, stalking, manipulation, stalking, non con recording/sharing, violence, child trafficking
What I Liked
- supportive friends
- sweet moments
- Jeff & Alan
- excellent truth about how family isn't always the best
- pretty good NSFW scenes
- visuals
Room For Improvement
- quite a few characters were introduced at once and it took awhile to figure out who was who, there ended up being too many characters and not enough time to fully develop the relationships
- I realized they wanted mystery but it made it difficult to really support the Charlie/Babe relationship and the fact that they changed that plan from Jeff's idea to Charlie's was a mistake
- total nonsense/huge plot holes, many characters shared 1 brain cell
- cliche ghosting trope, Babe also shoved Charlie a bit too much/frequently
- the NSFW needed to be a longer (even in the uncut version) and were choppy at times
- cartoonish villains (and stupid)
- I wish they had either leaned into the omegaverse and explained it more or just omitted it entirely
- not sure how I feel about a certain character's redemption arc
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promising premise and beginning, disappointed with the execution
Overall: I enjoyed the unique premise but had major issues with the plot. Aired on GagaOOLala & Viki.Content Warnings: violence/blood (in the first scene), murder, trauma, grief, attempted kidnapping, non con kiss (sleeping)
What I Liked
- the premise was unique and rarely seen in BL
- production value
- retelling of the first episode from a different perspective
Room For Improvement
- I wish that Jae Woo and Ji Woon's parents were friends and Jae Woo had just moved into the same city, because... it felt odd befriending a kid like that/having a 10 year old sleep over in a dorm room, it was a bit squicky to me and speaking of...
- Jae Woo was very childlike and stupid for a 25 year old, it made the relationship dynamic even more strange
- their total lack of communication about something suuuppppppeeeerrrr important, like come on
- nonsense things besides the initial premise, a 10 year old regularly walks around at night alone when there is violence in the area? money? ID? same outfit every day?
- why do they like each other, love at first sight? but it was initially an uncle/nephew like relationship, when/why did it change?
- the non con kiss and also this line "I'm going to do something I know you don't like" (and he kisses him, wth?)
- what in the sisyphean hell was that ending?
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KinnPorsche, close but not quite
Overall: I rated the first episode a 9.5. Unfortunately the series kind of fell apart for me, but there were some really good aspects. Although there's crack comedy (and some stupid comedy) parts, I would label KP as a mature series with major content warnings. Make sure to watch past the credits for the final episode. Watched on iQIYI (watched the uncut La Forte and also several episodes of the cut TV version)Content Warnings: murders/deaths, attempted murder, suicide, threatened suicide, non con kissing and sex (drugged), dub/non con kiss (drunk), torture, manipulation, violence, fight scenes, blood and gore, kidnapping, pet death, breaking & entering, trauma/past trauma, physical abuse, self harm, drunk driving? 17/18 year old with 22? year old (this personally didn't bother me the way it was presented)
What I Liked
- intro song and the music fit the scenes well
- acting, especially Apo and his microexpressions
- some of the funny moments like that light shining on Porsche in the bar as if he's sent from heaven in ep 1
- really lovely cinematography such as the bathroom scene in episode 7
- beautiful and well thought out lighting
- Porsche and Porschay brother relationship was super sweet
- that Kinn and Porsche were realistically horny after they got together
- a more unique premise (we don't have many BL mafia series)
- fun product placements like that bread in the bed
- the free, shorter TV versions are cut really well and it doesn't ruin the series, they toned down/cut some of the violence and sex/nudity in the shorter versions as well as other parts (like cutting the toilet humor from ep 1 which I appreciated)
Room For Improvement
- disappointed with Porsche's character. In the first episode he's shown as a good fighter and intelligent but then it all goes downhill. He does some of the stupidest things, speaking of...
- really stupid decisions from multiple characters (somehow Tankhun is the smartest brother...), Kinn saying he forgot something - really???
- back to Porsche. It's so odd how the character felt about the mafia in episode 1 to where he ends up in the finale with apparently no internal struggle.
- lack of character growth with KinnPorsche, they are terrible at communicating and trusting one another. I wanted to see them work thru this and grow together. Kinn continued to seek his father's approval and I wanted him to start breaking away.
- stark tonal changes. At the end of episode 10 there was no time to grieve, just farting in the bed. I think humor can go well with a darker tone (like Our Flag Means Death) but going from torture to silly scenes did not work for me.
- non logic: owning an expensive motorcycle and having no money, going clubbing with only 3 bodyguards when someone wants you dead, knowing how to spearfish but not that a small knife won't cut through bone, clean shaven after 3 days in the wilderness, lack of police, no one wears bullet proof vests ever
- the dub/non con with KinnPorsche although I appreciate that it wasn't immediately glossed over, there was apologizing and some selfless acts
- Vegas and Pete needed more screen time. I really wish we had seen Pete have a wet dream with Vegas and Pete as a masochist earlier. Also that he purposefully got caught because he was attracted to Vegas. Their relationship felt Stockholm Syndromey and was very rushed. The sex scene needed less music and more actual sounds from them, a steadier camera and some research on BDSM.
- Kim/Porschay, they needed more screentime as well. I was confused by Porschay's intensity as it seemed they were together for a short time but in a later episode Kim looks back at a bunch of pictures of them together and it made me think they dated for longer than I thought.
- camerawork was a little too shaky during action scenes
- replacing swear words with things like "fudge" WTF? We see multiple murders but using swear words is too much (I didn't take off points for this though as maybe the production couldn't control the subs)
- it felt like maybe too many twists at the end, definitely felt like a set up for season 2
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not what I was hoping for
Overall: I was hoping for a fun mess like the first one, but even setting the first season aside I had struggles with the characters/plot. Viewers do not need to have watched the first season. 12 episodes about 45 minutes each. Aired on GagaOOLala https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/6274/only-friends-dream-on-2026Content Warning: vomiting around 43 min of episode 1, non con recording/sharing, punches, blood, past alcoholism, intimate partner abuse/violence, victim blaming, non con touching that turned consensual
What I Liked
- so many GMMTV actors in one series
- different dynamics (exes, hookup, secret crush)
- sweet moments
- Raffy and Rome
Room For Improvement
- Jack should have apologized multiple times and Dean shouldn't have apologized multiple times, you can't have boyfriend expectations when the label has not been agreed upon (and even vehemently rejected)
- intimate partner abuse response was terribly handled. She said she was repeatedly physically abused and Jack's response was "Whoa that's not okay Dao. How did you put up with a cheater like that?"
- made no sense to set this during/at university, could have been a play production post-university age
- the non con hugging with Arnold and Tua was awkward to watch and not romantic
- the interviews/tried to be edgy like Real World but shied away from being edgy
- I don't normally take off for production value but GMMTV has money and years of experience, the slower background music clashed with another beat on top of it
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