etoks21

My comment is 100% satirical/parody of Knetz and other judgmental Korean psycho fans.

It's a little scary that you and so many others here read that insane, over-the-top rant and took it as real.

Thai BLs...ugh.
All of the original BLs I stumbled across six years ago were Thai classics such as
Lovesick
Make It Right
Together With Me
Tharntype
Love By Chance
Etc.

The first two I watched were SOTUS and SOTUS S, which I now know are crap, but I didn't know that at the time, having nothing to compare them to. Nevertheless, I was obsessed with the portrayal of romance among teenage boys, something I missed out on as a closeted kid in the American Midwest, god help us.

But, I noticed the quality and subject matter rapidly went to shit over the years after about 2017 and I began to drop Thai BLs after I started them. The last one I watched all the way through was "Moonlight Chicken." (2023)

You are so smart to wait to binge after all eps have dropped. Sometimes I do that, sometimes I don't, depending. I had been so starved for decent BL material, that I caved and started watching the ones above on a weekly basis. Depending on how good or not they are, I often rewatch as a binge later on.

And you are SO right about MDL ratings. Truly, the higher the MDL rating, the worse the show, that is a generally good rule of thumb. Sixty percent of MDL membership is Western little girls with bad taste. They also swarm and down-rate BLs that dare to have subject matter they consider "offensive." I won't even begin to get into that.

You might be interested in some of my custom lists:
https://mydramalist.com/profile/etoks21/lists

When he smiles, they show up, but the one on his left side is more pronounced. Cute/sexy.
Factoid: Dimples are caused by a defect in the structure of the facial muscles below the cheeks. There is a split down the center, so when people smile, the outer tissue pulls back into the split and presto! Dimple! :D
About 1 in 5 have them.

U R 100% correct! :D

I've dealt with my own MH issues, primarily depression, all my life, so I relate to what you said. And the Korean celeb suicide issue is a cause of mine on this site, not that it changes anything among the Knetz among us who enjoy torturing celebrities to death. I put together a custom list of Korean celeb suicides (of which I know) since about 2008:

https://mydramalist.com/list/1drDvBV3

:)
You're one of the few who picked up on it.
In case you haven't read through the responses above yours, most of these individuals thought I was totally serious, and shared with me their outrage.
I don't think I could have been any more over-the-top with it, do you? :D

Episodes 1-9:
I was going to watch just the first episode, assuming it would suck, but ended up binging through nine, lol.

There's a lot to like here, and all on a micro-budget, I'm sure.
Acting is quite good, across the board, but the lead actor, whose name I don't know yet, pulled me in right away and kept me invested in what was happening to him and how he acted/reacted, all the way.
His character is one of the most distinctive, original, believable I've seen in BL or a lot of other places. When I first heard his voice answering the phone, I laughed. It's so high pitched and honestly, sounds like a woman. But I got used to that fast because he's so relatable and likable and I was kind of fascinated by his looks, his voice, his manner. Then, I realized what was especially adorable about him...his sleepy, beautiful eyes that droop to the outside, which is rare among Asians, of course. :)

The writing is good, too. I sat and listened to his brother yammer at him thru an entire episode as they ate in a restaurant and believed everything he said and how he said it. The settings and background activity/acting was is excellent, so much so that I never noticed a lot of it because it felt authentic, so I forgot about it. :D Usually, I'm picking out how deserted a BL campus is, or how there is nothing on the walls of a BL apartment someone supposedly lives in.

I'm going on and on, but this is really, really good. It's a shame more people won't see it. :(

Episode 4:

Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy are all these men prostrating themselves in front of this boring, slow-witted little bottom, begging him to stay by their sides? He is lame.

Yoo Jin Seok is increasingly a good actor.
Here, he is sufficiently creepy without overdoing it, and his line delivery is natural and restrained. No histrionics or overacting.

They deliver their lines like, as a friend of mine used to say, molasses in January. Think sloooooooow.

5.5/10

During the time in-between when the boy and the writer were exchanging letters and when they met face-to-face, why did the boy age but the writer did not?

Why was Leslie Cheung alive and doing concerts in 2023? We talking multiverses here?

I have a number of other questions, but I'll start with these two. :)

ohhhh...I misunderstood your comment as a complaint.
There are multiple aspects I do not understand, even after seeing it twice. I like fantasy as much as anyone else, but I need a film to be consistent in following its own rules, assuming there are any, and about this I'm not sure. But, hey, I'll give it a shot:

I'm curious as to what you're referring to.
I have my own issues with the plot, which is why I ask.

Why not?
And did you not see the ending on the train?

This.

LOL
Did you know that gay people have romantic feelings, too? We don't just f**k.
How did you miss all the extended gazes, longing smiles, and other cues between the MLs?
Did you think the "accidental" kiss on the beach and their reaction to it were included just for yucks and had no other significance?
You didn't notice how Fandy checked himself over, smoothing his shirt, and primping, preparing to approach the author after seeing him from behind at the fireworks festival? Is that how straight guys act when they meet a straight friend out at night?

Unbelievable.

Why didn't the author age the same number of years that the orphan boy did in the time between exchanging letters and when they met?

Why was Leslie Cheung alive and giving concerts in 2023?

Fandy Fan is one of the most beautiful men in the world.

I watched this a second time tonight, with trepidation, because I remember how wonderful but also insanely confusing the plot left me the first time. I love fantasy and complicated plots, but if a power point presentation is required to understand a film's plot and timelines, that's a problem.

Or, perhaps I am dense.

This time, I resolved to just ride with it and see if a second watch would set off some neurons in my brain that didn't connect the first time. I think some did, and I certainly love the ambience and vibe of the film, but I still have major questions, two of which are behind the spoiler button below:

My thanks to anyone who has an answer.

I like the way you phrased that...I think you're right.

I'm thinking the writing was bad in this section.
I didn't feel that transition at all. If he felt unworthy of Kanata, why did he go running to the soccer match as if life depended on it after being told his presence was more important to Kanata than anyone else's?
Ten minutes later, he's like "bro, let's just be friends." lol

Feels like intentional, clunky misdirection.
Who knows? Maybe the subs aren't great there.

I can't imagine trying to be "friends" with someone I'm in love with. It would be torture.

Consider that "it's a happy ending" is a huge spoiler and should be behind a spoiler button. Thanks.

I don't care how old he is.
He was/is a friend and more to Akira when he had NO ONE to turn to.

A voice of reason and facts. How refreshing.