Let's appreciate this series more

It seems that this is a series with very short episodes, but I watched a version with all the parts stitched together.

The series is made up of several interconnected stories. The initial premise is that, in a modern-day tavern, the guests consume drinks that give them visions of ancient times. As they are transported to another world through these visions, healing takes place. Soon, however, it becomes unclear which is the real world and which is the world of the dreams or hallucinations. It is possible that both worlds are real, but the characters of the ancient world have reincarnated and finish their unfinished businesses through the tavern. It could also be that the characters resolve their modern-world problems through their access to the ancient world. Ultimately, the friendships forged are real.

My favorite stories are the first and last stories, which feature bromance done really well. The friendship between the two main characters is the thread weaving the different stories, and it is executed beautifully too. I do wish the series were longer although, as it is, it has a satisfying ending.

What we have here is a feel-good series that is also moving and never frivolous. It doesn't go thin on emotional density. Yet, like the guests of the tavern, the audience can leave with a sense of hope. This is a series that deserves more appreciation.

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What happened VS What could have happened

The concept is quite brilliant, but the execution could certainly have been better.

The "explanation" for the bewildering scenes for many of the episode is basically that, for people whose brains are oxygen-deprived and they are on the brink of death or in a coma, they hallucinate about what their lives could have been had they done something different.

At the start of the series, Great sees himself knocking a woman down with his car and driving off. When the vision ends, he drives and knocks someone down without driving off irresponsibly, changing the course of events. Eventually, however, it turns out that Great does not see 4 minutes into the future at all. The series of events happening following the hit-and-run is the reality whereas the other series of events is just something that goes on in his mind when he is in danger of dying.

Some find it highly unsatisfactory that so much of the series feature the "hallucinations" rather than the reality. To me, it is fine as the hallucinations reveal their most deep-seated desires and make the reality especially poignant when it is revealed. Nonetheless, I think there are issues. Since what we are seeing isn't premised on traveling back in time to fix the past or predicting the future to change something for the better, what we are seeing is what *could* have happened rather than what *would* have happened. In other words, the alternative story just a story spun by the dying brains of the characters rather than a definite course of events. This does compromise the emotive quality of the series.

It also seems to me that the "explanation" doesn't really explain things. At one point, we are led to think that Tonkla senses the presence of his brother, who has been killed. But, based on the explanation, this makes no sense whether we are watching the reality or Great's imagined series of events. The two do not mix unless Great's imagination can invade the reality that Tonkla experiences. Furthermore, it is quite confusing that when Great supposedly sees four minutes into the future, there are glances of himself being intimate with Time that happen way after the four minutes. The visions seem to be simply planted there to intrigue viewers and perhaps titillate them with glimpses of sex scenes. I also feel that, in the "hallucinated" series of events, there are scenes that Great wouldn't be imagining simply because they do not involve him (e.g. Time at the hospital overhearing what his colleagues say about his relationship with another doctor) and are not quite relevant to the alternative reality that his dying brain so badly wants.

When it comes to the BL, the relationship between Great and Time in the real version of events isn't developed well. We do not see enough of how Time's feelings for Great develop and see more of him being obsessed with avenging his parents who were killed. As for the other BL couple (three characters, actually), Tonkla/Korn or Tonkla/Win, there are just many sex scenes without emotional intensity. The story seems to vacillate between showing Korn as someone who deeply loves Tonkla and showing him as someone who does not truly care about him. Tonkla's apparent preoccupation with wanting to have unprotected sex seems nonsensical and added in just for dirty talk even though one might come up with some labored explanation for it. Win is interesting but lacks development--the final episode is a little too rushed for a series that seems to take its time to reveal things to us.

Ultimately, the freshness of the concept and the way the series pushes boundaries in depicting sex and nudity in BLs may garner this series a lot of attention, but it is unlikely remembered as a classic that is executed with finesse in every way.

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Interesting but lacks development

The story is pretty interesting but there is a lack of development particularly towards the end.

The key characters (Lan, Lady Hong and Wu Ren Ai) are fleshed out pretty well with their individual back stories unraveling as the story progresses. These characters are relatable, and I did find myself caring about them quite early on, which kept me hooked early on.

Unfortunately, there seem to be invisible boundaries limiting the development of character relationships. The relationship between Lan and Lady Hong border on GL, but anyone who knows anything about China's censorship will know that it is impossible to portray directly. Yet, there is hardly enough innuendo. The closest suggestion comes towards the end with Lan losing her memory and yet is instinctively waiting for someone--a sort of plot device usually reserved for romantic relationships.

Then there is Ren Fan Sheng and Wu Ren Ai's relationship, which has very faint hints of a one-sided BL. In one scene, the usually nonchalant Ren secretly goes after a drunkard who has injured Wu. (And it is suggested that his punishment for the assailant is waaay worse than what the latter did to Ren). Then in another scene, Lan tells Wu that he has a special place in Ren's heart. But then again, the suggestions of romantic love are few and far between.

The lack of clear development for the character relationships are not a major issue though. What hurts the story more is the lack of clarification regarding the central conflict and premise: Lady Hong has the grant people's wishes but, in exchange, they have to give her their flower of lust. Lady Hong herself does not remember how she becomes someone like that until quite late in the series. All she knows is that she sustains herself by plucking the flower of lust in people and she cannot do so indefinitely--she has to pluck a white flower of lust from someone who is willing to give it up so that she can survive and make the person the next Lady Hong.

Even with the revelations that come a little too late in the story, there is a lack of resolution: an immortal who feeds on the flower of lust is the one who has given Lady Hong her power. It is said that the immortal feeds on people's desires (hence gaining energy from the flower of lust), but why on earth does she need a Lady Hong to be the proxy? The immortal appears to be the personification of cruel Fate, but it does not make the ending particularly satisfying.

There are also some major plot holes. Lan is the one with the white flower of lust, but because of her desire to save Lady Hong, her flower turns pink. Thus, the immortal offers her a potion that will erase her emotions. Yet, if she manages to erase her emotions, why would she willingly give up her flower for Lady Hong? The story is interesting, but it is unfortunate that it has not been developed fully. Perhaps there is room for a sequel, but in itself, the ending of the series isn't very satisfying.

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Pretty good, but doesn't hit the highs it could have

This Sino-Thai collaboration is the closest we would get to a BL from Mainland China. It is a bona fide BL series with a romance between the male leads that is overtly depicted. This probably already scores it some points in the eyes of many BL fans since we have not had an actual BL series from China for years due to the censorship laws.

To be honest though, Meet You at the Blossom isn't as good as it could have been. Perhaps because of budgeting or other constraints, the story is lacking development in many ways. The main characters' back stories, particularly Huai En's, could have been more fully fleshed out. Although we are technically informed of Huai En's experiences as a child, there does not seem to be enough material to make us feel strongly for the character. To me, this is something important given the character's cold demeanor.

The supporting characters are also under-developed. I was personally a little confused by the behavior of the man Huai En called his father. He could have been a fascinating villain or an equally engaging ambiguous character, but he turns out to be neither here nor there. He is also defeated too easily and suddenly, indicating a rush to complete the story. After having watched a censored-BL period drama like The Untamed, I can't help but wonder how great it would be if the Untamed had taken the route of Meet You at the Blossom and circumvented censorship laws.

The unfortunate thing is that, because the massive China market is essentially taken out of the equation, we might not see better productions than Meet You at the Blossom simply because of financing issues. What we have is a commendable work that, to be fair, is as good as it can get given all the limitations.

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Implied BL with a puzzling title

I stumbled upon this mini series by chance. It's gratifying to see that implied BL series from China can still exist despite the pervasive censorship. However, I'm not sure if BL series in which the romantic elements are at best heavily implied will continue to be released. Without publicity, even viewers who do not mind the fact that the romance is implied may not get to even hear about them. Yet, publicity will likely draw unwanted attention to such series, causing them to be cancelled.

Another problem with the current censorship rules is the fact that it will almost certainly affect the production budget, particularly for shows that are low-budget to begin with. After all, not many would risk investing in productions that most likely will not be commercially successful. The form that My Sweet Professor takes reflects this problem. It looks quite clearly like a condensed version of a story with much more substantial development. The story does get told, but the depth of character development, which can help viewers immerse themselves in the story and empathize with the characters, is gone. Additionally, the creators of the series have to resort to rather choppy editing to tell the story in such a condensed manner. The scenes quite haphazardly switch from the time when Gao Yuan and Huo Shang are high schoolers to eight years after, when they are adults. Furthermore, the reason behind Huo Shang's disappearance (critical to the story) is done through the speech of another character rather than through actual flashbacks. (And the revelation isn't even quite complete or convincing.)

What I can appreciate about the series, though, is how the leads' attraction to each other is quite obvious despite being implied rather than directly portrayed. It is clear from the start that Gao Yuan's resentment towards Huo Shang for disappearing eight years before is that of a lover who is coping with his boyfriend's unexplained disappearance. The way Huo Shang tries to approach Gao Yuan again is also clearly the behavior of someone trying to patch things up with his lover.

Unfortunately, there are many loose ends in the series. There is no real explanation of why Huo Shang does not try to look for Gao Yuan earlier. The corporate power struggle that Huo Shang is facing at work is also barely explained (it feels as though the truly censored parts of the story are not even the BL elements.) In the end, My Sweet Professor is a series that would have been much better if it had even been an eight-episode series with standard-length episodes. As a sign of how underdeveloped the story is, we do not even know why the series is entitled "My Sweet Professor".

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Quite funny and entertaining at times

The premise is quite nonsensical. A woman viewing a series is suddenly transported into the series--there is no explanation of any sort. I do, however, like how the protagonist has some "superpowers" as her remote control can do certain things like pausing the scenes without pausing herself.

I'm not sure why, but there seems to quite a number of mini series involving characters who are transported to a fictional world. This one isn't the best, but it is entertaining enough. One of the merits of the series is that it does not take itself seriously. Yet, this is also the Archilles heel of the series as the last couple of episodes descend into incoherent chaos. And since the series is so nonsensical anyway, I don't understand why the series ends with the protagonist being transported out of the fictional world. It would have been better to just let it end more happily, especially since a Season 2 seems unlikely.

It is best not to take this series seriously and watch it for whatever mindless entertainment it offers.

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Time-Travel BL Done Right

This is one of those series that does things right for better or for worse, but mostly better.

(Wait, what could possibly be worse about doing things right? Well, it just feels so safe and doesn't take risks that some other series might take. I am reminded of series like Bad Buddy here.)

The time travel premise is used well and fully exploited, and with the nature of the time travel being supernatural rather than scientific, it avoids having to be too logical. It's a wise move that Kawi manages to get his father to go for a heart surgery when he travels to the past but doesn't get to prevent his father from dying, As one of the scenes seems to suggest, there are some things that cannot be avoided or brought about (such as winning the lottery) but there are also many things that can be shaped by personal effort.

Kawi and Pisaeng are an adorable couple, but the cutesiness isn't overdone. There is a good balance of serious moments and light-hearted ones throughout. I don't know how deliberate it is, but I somehow don't get the sense that Krist and Fluke are going to be the sort of pairing that will stoke the fantasy of fans, the way many BL actors are meant to. (Perhaps this often does not end well, and it is just as well.) Krist and Fluke have played their roles well, and in my opinion, Krist's performance in Be My Favourite has exceeded that in SOTUS. His acting may seem to some a little exaggerated at times, but I feel that it is according to the demands of the role.

What this series excels in is the side characters, who are interesting without being distracting. I like the portrayal of Kawi's friendship with Max, for instance. Although they are really good friends, the portrayal doesn't get too idealistic because of the time travel premise. Max, who is gay, falls out with Kawi at one point due to a misunderstanding that Kawi doesn't like others to think that he is Max's boyfriend. In the original timeline, their friendship is not mended, but in other modified timelines, they become close friends again. Another interesting character is Pisaeng's mother. In many BL series, a parent who can accept that their child is gay is idealised, but not here. Despite her acceptance of Pisaeng's homosexuality, the mother and son still have issues to sort out. Then there is also Not (classmate of Kawi and Pisaeng), a talented writer who is also an asshole. Not does not turn out to be the villain of the series (there isn't any), and he also doesn't really suffer for his assholery. (Quite realistic, I guess.)

If I must have complaints about the series, perhaps it would be that a lot of the positive points that I have mentioned feel a little calculated. Yet, even then, the series must be given credited for being able to handle everything skillfully. There is a scene towards the end when Kawi is hospitalised and the doctor asks if Kawi has any relatives to be contacted despite being told that Kawi lives with Pisaeng, who is his lover. While other series with less skillful scripting may have the characters directly discuss the issue of marriage equality and remark on how unfair it is, the finesse with which the issue is handled here is commendable. We can feel a sense of the how the lack of marriage equality affects gay couples without the characters commenting on it directly, and this is the way to go even though the series as a whole does not really seem to be focused on such issues.

For me, Be My Favourite ranks up among the best Thai BL series from late 2022 to 2023, together with My School President. While My School President really excels in telling a compelling and lovable story about innocent high schoolers, Be My Favourite its its more mature counterpart. They are both signs that the Thai BL industry can really up its game if it bothers putting in the effort.

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Gay-themed short film, not BL

Warning: not a happy ending

It is easy to tell what is happening in this short film, but it is much more difficult to say why everything is happening.

We know it is practically love at first sight for Soon-ho, the delivery boy who frequently delivers Yu-jin's meals to him. In contrast to how transparent Soon-ho is as a character, Yu-jin is very much opaque to the end. Perhaps it is meant to be this way--the intention could be to show the struggles of a gay man who won't know the attitudes of other people towards him when they find out he is gay. There can be a 180-degree change in attitude.

Yet the film is can be rather baffling. The simplest reading is probably that Yu-jin is homophobic and turns nasty when he realises that Soon-ho is gay. But it is anyone's guess when Yu-jin discovers it--does he assume that Soon-ho is gay when he sees Soon-ho sniffing his (Yu-jin's) shirt? If so, why does he have no apparent immediate reaction to Soon-ho (whose action actually is admittedly inappropriate)? In fact, he proceeds to start eating his meal without seeming affected until he picks up a piece of friend pork and pauses . . .

Perhaps Yu-jin is put off by Soon-ho's action (not necessarily because he is homophobic but because he finds it disturbing). Or perhaps he is actually homophobic. Or perhaps he is trying to repress his own sexuality and emphasize his supposed heterosexuality by getting a woman to go to his apartment at the time when he knew Soon-ho would turn up, acting intimate with this woman AND even telling her about the delivery boy who is gay. Things would be easier to grasp if we can see malice or cruelty in Yu-jin as the woman taunts Soon-ho, but he keeps quiet and appears quite expressionless (perhaps even coldly hesitant). After closing the door at Soon-ho, he says something sexual to the woman (despite not even showing any interest in her while Soon-ho is looking at them), but is he deliberately saying it loudly enough for Soon-ho to hear?

It is easy to focus on Soon-ho's heartbreak and his friendship with his employer. However, Yu-jin is ultimately the truly intriguing character. I do wish there were more in the film to nudge us towards a more concrete interpretation of Yu-jin's character. He is either a really poorly written and acted flat character or an unsuccessful attempt at creating a truly interesting character within the span of 20 minutes.

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Few BL series give me such a feel for the characters

This series seems to be rather under-appreciated. In terms of plot, it is not the very best, but it is pretty good. In the last two episodes, there could perhaps be more scenes showing how Da Yeol and Tae Hyun become a couple. However, I think there feelings towards each other are pretty clear even if not spelt out directly. Da Yeol is the one who is quite frank (to himself) about his own feelings for Tae Hyun, from the early episodes where he finds himself paying attention to Tae Hyun. Tae Hyun, on the other hand, is confused--not so much (I believe) because of gay panic like in some series but really because he has psychological issues related from the time he was a child. He is afraid of being loved as the adoptive mother who loved him came to harm, and he does not dare to love others out of fear that what he treasures will be lost.

Tae Hyun's feelings for Da Yeol are shown fairly early when he looks somewhat jealous when he sees Da Yeol walking with a female classmate.. While some viewers wish to know how Tae Hyun comes to realise that he is really in love with Da Yeol, the answer seems quite clear to me: almost immediately after he tells Da Yeol to stop liking him. He wants to make up with Da Yeol but is unsuccessful even on Da Yeol's last day of school because he still needs time to overcome his issues. With Da Yeol gone, he realises how much he really wants to be with Da Yeol. Tae Hyun misses Da Yeol, but it is only two years later that he gets a chance to see Da Yeol again when Da Yeol gets drunk with a mutual friend.

The first time jump of two years occurs near the end of Episode 6. The second one occurs at the start of Episode 7, and we can infer that the two guys have been in a relationship since their last meeting. Episode 7 adds practically nothing to the story, but it is so full of sweetness that I can overlook it.

I love the way the series is moving without being sappy. As a coming-of-age series, it portrays the young people's lives without exaggeration. Whether it is Da Yeol's archery rival, Tae Hyun's ambiguously jealous friend or the female classmate who is carrying a torch for Da Yeol, Some may find issue with how Tae Hyun sets Da Yeol up, claiming that Da Yeol is sexually harassing him. The relative lack of action on the part of the school in response to such a serious allegation may also be questionable (although it might well be a veiled critique of society). the emotions and relationships are interestingly nuanced.

The series may not be every BL fan's cup of tea, but if I can judge it by how much it manages to make me care about whether the main characters end up together, it ranks quite high.

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Nothing new, but sweet and cute

I enjoyed this series, but to be honest, the story isn't exactly full of surprises.

The main reason I started watching this series is Shi Cheng Xuan, whom I noticed playing a minor supporting character in the History series. I remember thinking he was really cute and wished he would be the lead in a BL series. So this series is like a wish come true.

There are two couples in this story, and they are both likable. However, I wish there had been more nuances in the portrayal of Zheng Ze Shou. Prior to finding out about Fu Li Gong's crush on him, he seems to have some feelings for Fu too, but he also seems unable to accept what he has found out. It would actually make more sense for him to have been harboring some romantic feelings towards Fu, and the transition from his initial reaction to his acceptance of Fu's love could have been more natural.

As for the other couple, the development of their relationship is a little sudden (or did I watch a censored version?) as they duo are drinking one moment and then waking up beside each other the next moment. Again, they are a likable couple, but the development in their relationship is somewhat haphazard. At least there is a back story for Fu and Zheng, which makes them easier to relate to.

Perhaps focusing on the story of just one couple is enough (though I might melt if I see more scenes of the ridiculously cute Shi Cheng Xuan).

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How to do a BL series set in a high school

This ought to be a model of sorts for how schoolboy BL series should be made. It is lighthearted and cute without being frivolous. It doesn't resort to representing toxic behaviors to "entertain". It may seem like an enemies-to-lovers story at the start, but it soon becomes obvious that there is no real enmity between them.

The charm of many BL series featuring characters of high school age lies in the innocence of the characters, but that's also where it is all too easy to go wrong. Sometimes the characters are too immature, but not here. To be sure, there is a lot of comedy and even silly behavior. However, what Tinn does for Gun is sweet and touching. It's also a good thing that this is revealed in bits throughout the series and not dropped like a bomb at the end of the story because it helps us appreciate the goodness of the character.

But for a BL series to be done right, it is not just the love story or the main characters that counts. The secondary characters matter too. I appreciate the portrayal of Tinn's group of friends as well as Gun's bandmates. In particular, Tinn's endlessly supportive friend, Thiu, is a delight. I also love the contrast between Tinn's and Gun's mothers. Tinn's mother (the school principal) seems strict and cold while Gun's mother is casual, and it's clear which parent may pose an obstacle to the leads' relationship later.

If I have to fault the series for anything, perhaps it would be in the couple of instances where it tries a tad too hard to be more serious, such as with Gun's mother becoming very ill, Tinn's mother suspecting something about their relationship and the homophobia some members of the school community exhibit when Tinn and Gun's relationship is exposed. These parts of the series, which come quite late, are double-edged swords. On the one hand, they present great opportunities to showcase the characters' development. On the other hand, given the predominant lightheartedness of the series, we more or less know how things will turn out so the seriousness doesn't really get that serious. Towards the end of the series, the series does the equivalent of someone blowing a balloon and letting the air out before it gets really big and then repeating the process a few times.

Despite the slight flaws, My School President is probably amongst the very best high school BLs ever made. It has the lighthearted charm of a series like 2gether but without so many of the flaws. It may make one miss one's high school days but it also portrays youthful insecurities quite sensitively--I particularly love the scene where Tinn's mother is about to ask him about his relationship with Gunn and, despite his love for Gun, he is so tense and frightened that his mother feels bad for him decides to change the topic. (Well, she has the answer without him saying it).

I love Gemini and Fourth and wish that they will not turn out just be a one-BL-series pairing.

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The BL part was great but not the story related to the title

The title refers to a supposed curse in a school that misfortune would befall students who break the school's strict rules. The effects of the curse are rumored to be especially powerful during a solar eclipse. Is there a supernatural element here or is there a sinister human hand behind the scenes? This premise is so intriguing, but it ends up being the weakest part of the story. I would have appreciated a nice story about some sinister person controlling the mysterious events behind the scenes, perhaps in the fashion of The Gifted. In fact, the series did give me The Gifted vibes at the start--imagine how nice it would be to have something like The Gifted with a BL plot.

Unfortunately, the story about the curse fizzles out. First, you sense something amiss when there is barely any real development with regard to the curse for many episodes despite the frequent allusions to it. It quickly becomes clear that this isn't a supernatural drama (which is fine) and that there are human forces behind the misfortunes that befall misbehaving students (which is also fine). Unfortunately, the writers seem hesitant about developing the plot with regard to the curse.

Ultimately, the rumors about the curse are merely an excuse for the BL story. Yet, do we need an excuse for the BL story? The story of the main couple, the head prefect of the school and a seemingly rebellious student who defies the rules of the school, is fine. The part about the curse makes the story seem original at first, but it fails to deliver. The writers have done a pretty good job developing the main characters, and the effort spent on the virtually meaningless part about the curse could have been spent on the characters' backgrounds and personal struggles instead. For instance, Thuaphu (one half of the second BL couple) is an interesting character who is unfortunately underdeveloped. His relationship with his stepfather seems interesting and could have been given more attention. Really, we don't need a premise like a curse. The students' struggles with the school authorities could simply be there without some reference to a curse.

To make matters worse, it is rather laughable that the school, despite being supposedly an institution with archaic, oppressive rules that are strictly enforced, frequently has a few students protesting about its rules. And the protestors do not get into serious trouble with the school authorities. So much for being an oppressive environment that emphasizes discipline in a way that is out of sync with the contemporary world.

As a mystery, the story does come with at least one red herring and a couple of twists. But it is a little too late and too ineffectively delivered. In fact, I wish that the red herring had not been a red herring. It involves a student who aspires to be a prefect--the story could have been more interesting if he had been the one behind the apparent fulfillment of the curse.

Despite the disappointing plot about the curse, the BL parts are nicely done. They may not be really original, but they are better than the average set-in-a-high-school BL. The personalities of five of the main characters (the two couples and one of their friends who is interested in film) are nicely developed and distinguished. If only there had been a stronger story holding everything together.

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Inter-universe body swap done quite well

I love this series in so many ways, but I also can't help feeling that it can be better.

The series starts off pretty impressively with a twist to the body swap concept as the main characters swap bodies with people in a parallel universe. There are a lot of cute references to other BL series like 2gether and intelligently self-reflexive moments that refer to BLs and film production, teasing us on whether the main couple would have a happy ending.

The main actors (Sea and Jimmy) have done a rather good job, but the decision to have Nanon and Ohm make brief appearances in the early episodes has its pros and cons. Of course, it draws in viewers because of the star power. But Nanon and Ohm have such a presence , despite the few scenes they appear in, that they not only give the same characters different vibes but also cause the viewer to have difficulty getting used to Sea and Jimmy when they basically disappear from the show.

Still, the story is good enough to get viewers to continue watching. I like the way the characters, Talay and Puen, develop as they get used to being in a parallel universe. Some ethical questions are raised about living in the bodies that belong to other souls, but I wonder why no one has an issue with making out with people whilst in other people's bodies. Perhaps this would take the story into a terrain that gets too uncomfortable and undermine the body swap concept.

While the main characters develop rather nicely, there seem to be some back-and-forth changes to their relationship. Sometimes they seem to have progressed further in their romance but soon the "progress" seems to be reversed. At some point, the story starts to fizzle out a little because the elements that make it interesting are not fully exploited. There is, for instance, more than a hint that the parallel universe that doesn't belong to the main characters, may well be better in many ways than their original universe (at least gay marriage is legalized in the parallel universe). Yet, the sense of helplessness that the characters would face (they can't really choose to return to their own world or stay) as they develop close friendships and work hard for their achievements isn't really worked on. Neither is Talay's longing for his friends and family in his original universe. There is a slight sense of sadness in the final episode that the protagonists will no longer be able to interact with the people they have come to genuinely care about in the other universe, but perhaps the struggle could have been emphasized earlier.

We are also left wondering what happens to the people in the alternative universe, particularly Nanon and Ohm's characters. (It's kind of sad that Ohm's character seems very much like the irresponsible troublemaker he was at the start. There could have been a better wrap-up for their story, but perhaps there isn't enough budget to pay Nanon and Ohm for more scenes.) Perhaps this is to bring across the point that Talay and Puen will forever be cut off from the parallel universe, but there is also a hint that when Talay dreams of the people in the other universe, it's really what is happening to them (so there's a sort of happy ending for everyone).

In the end, I think the series has a message to convey: we do not have all the power to decide what the world we live in is like, but we can try to live our lives in the best ways possible in the areas we have some control over.

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Short, sweet, full of fluff yet realistic

To have a BL series featuring characters who are older than the typical characters in BL may be a risk, but it also offers opportunities for something realistic and moving. The fact that the leads are colleagues, that the older one is 39, that there's a ten-year age gap between them, are not just glossed over but nicely used to highlight realistic concerns in a sweet love story.

The love story itself does take some time to develop. While the two leads are attractive men in the story, it is not really the main focus (unlike some series that spend too much time on how attractive one of the male leads is) or even necessarily the main cause of their attraction to each other. Some flashbacks effectively highlight the development of the feelings between the two men.

Despite the sweetness, the series also features genuine concerns like ageing (though neither of the leads is really old) and social isolation. The issue of masculinity and what society expects of men and of people at different ages is also brought up. When the two leads agree to pretend to be girls, it's more like they are pretending to pretend--I think they genuinely want to be expressive and share their emotions with someone rather than to behave the way society expects grown up men to.

The obstacles that are in the way of their relationship are also quite genuine. When the older guy thinks about their relationship, he thinks, "He's a man, and I'm a man". I don't think he's unable to come to terms with a same-sex relationship but is worried about people's reactions and how it may affect the both of them. Even when they are about to kiss at the end of the series, they stop upon hearing people nearby.

While we have a sweet love story in Old Fashion Cupcake, the realistic treatment of the problems that can come in the way of the romance enhance the story. An awareness of these problems makes one appreciate the love the two leads show each other more.

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One of the sweetest BL series ever if you can ignore its flaws

There is plenty to like about this BL series. The BL parts are done in a way I love. The main characters, Ram and Lukchub, are lovable, and I didn’t quite mind the relatively slow development. (This is one of those BL series in which I don't find myself partial to one half of the main couple. Both the characters who form the main couple are attractive and lovable.) Each of them also has good friends who are wonderful people. Yet, perhaps the series is a little too bland because of this. I like it that Ram is characterized as a popular guy who is kind and friendly, a departure from a more typical portrayal of a cold, bossy male lead who is loved despite behaving like a jerk. However, for a few episodes, it’s not clear where the series is heading.

The main source of tension eventually comes from this jealous woman who is in love with Ram. But her villainy, together with the acting, is over-the-top. (It may not be the fault of the actress. I think she has been instructed to act like some deranged villain, and the script doesn’t really allow for much nuance.) This woman is basically the one character that allows La Cuisine to have a story and yet, she is also a little out of place in the series.

There is some foreshadowing in the earlier episodes, but it is not very well done. It’s not clear why Ram’s friends and even his sister keep warning him not to hurt Lukchub intentionally or unintentionally. It’s not like Ram is the type of person who toys with other people’s feelings. He doesn’t flirt with all the women who are interested in him, and we only see him having a soft spot for Lukchub–he even tells Lukchub’s grandmother that he does not have an ex. Their warnings do foreshadow some events later, but there seems to be no good reason for them.

When Lukchub gets bullied after becoming Ram’s boyfriend, I’m not sure why some characters blame Ram or expect him to be able to prevent it from happening again. It’s not as though it is within his control that some jealous person tries to hurt his boyfriend. The scenes occasionally also don’t flow well, such as when Lukchub’s brother looks like he is about to confront Ram but in the next scene, he’s merely visiting Lukchub. (I’m guessing his manager stopped him from being impulsive, but it’s not directly shown.

In the end, the BL keeps me going. It’s so sweet but never to the extent of being sickening or cringy (at least for me). Despite the lack of an impressive plot, I find myself wanting more of Ram and Lukchub. I’m sad that La Cuisine has ended and that not many people seem to like it. It’s one of those BL series that gives me the feel that I love, never mind the only okayish plot. I'm also sad because, while I may watch technically better BLs, it will probably be a long time before another couple leaves me with the sweetness Ram and Lukchub have left me.

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