The premise is interesting: Using an old phone, Min receives social media notifications from the future. The notifications reveal what would happen to Min in the future, so Min and her friend Sonia are excited about it.

What sets the story back is that the future based on the notifications seem unimaginably ideal to Min, so she shouldn't do doing anything except to let things happen, notifications or not. However, Min and Sonia embark on a mission to make the future come true, which is pretty odd. Needless to say, by trying to make the future come true, they are changing the past (their present) and therefore threatening to make the wonderful future fail to come true.

Logically speaking, Min should have ignored the notifications (though, understandably, it is hard to do so). There is also this idea that the notifications are meant as a sort of message from the future. But Min does not find out till the very end of the story, so she spends most of her time trying to make the future come true (which is rather bizarre if you ask me).

Having said that, the story does turn out to be rather interesting. Min meets the handsome junior, Napat, and they fall in love. There is a love triangle though, because Min's friend, Tong, is also in love with her. Sometimes Min seems to really be happy with Tong, but she also seems averse to the idea of being romantically involved with Tong. Often enough, she accidentally changes the future and the notifications from the future show her ending up with Tong instead of Napat, and she tries hard not to let that happen.

Spoiler:
There is a twist in the story later on that doesn't please many viewers: Min breaks up with Napat and ends up with Tong in the future. Tong is actually a really lovable character and his ending up with Min shouldn't be a problem. Except that the series spends too much time focusing on what a nice couple Min and Napat are. Even by the end, I wonder if Min thinks she doesn't love Napat or if she merely finds it too difficult to change herself to be with him. (Also, Napat loves Min as herself before she changes for him, so it doesn't seem that the two are not really in love).

As for Min and Tong, the chemistry between them as good friends is wonderful, and it is a bit harder to imagine them as lovers, though this is perhaps more a matter of casting and direction rather than a flaw with the story.

The story is quite enjoyable, but I don't find myself entirely satisfied with the ending. Admittedly, it's hard to end the story well. If Min and Napat have a happily-ever-after ending, then he notifications would seem to have no meaning at all, and would seem to be a fantastical element added in for no reason. On the other hand, the Min and Tong pairing (done via a changing of the past that undoes the Min-Napat pairing and involves some strange paradoxes that are best left unconsidered) is not very satisfactory. The Min that we know over seven episodes or so isn't someone who would suddenly realize that Tong is the one for her just because she finds out that he is in love with her. After all, it is not as though she doesn't already know. In fact, she is resistant towards the idea until suddenly* ... Still, it is a very watchable and lighthearted series.

*We are left wondering how many pasts and futures there are. I think there are 3:
1. The past and future without the notifications (Min breaks up with Napat, and Tong dies)
2. Modified past and future 1 (Min who has received the notifications ends up breaking up with Napat, and Tong dies)
3. Modified past and future 2 (Min who has received the notifications realizes how much Tong loves her and that she loves Tong too, and she doesn't start a relationship with Napat).
The last one is the happy ending of the story. But with this sort of stories, there is a paradox. The story has it that, if Tong doesn't die, the notifications to the past will not be sent. And if they aren't sent, then Min can't possibly end up with Tong because of the notifications.

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This is a mini series with about 20 minutes per episode, so we can't expect a very complex story. The series starts with Time shooting Night by accident and then trying to make amends for it. It's a BL series of sorts, so not unexpectedly, they fall in love. The part about the shooting is ignored until the very end of the series.

There are quite a number of inexplicable moments in the story: what on earth is Time doing with a gun? Why doesn't Time seem scared of being caught by the police at any point in the story? Why does Time suddenly leave Night and asks his girlfriend/ex-girlfriend to meet him?

Then just after I have managed to suspend my disbelief about how Time can get away with possessing a gun and shooting someone and embrace the happy ending, Time is suddenly caught by the police in the ending sequence, almost as if the scriptwriters suddenly thought, "Hey, we forgot to follow up on the shooting incident. Let's use it to create an unhappy ending because we hate the viewers!"

On top of the sudden turn that ends the series, the cinematography is rather strange. The arrest of Time is filmed from a distance without any dialogue. We can guess the emotions of the characters, but why film it from so far away? (Incidentally, there were some scenes where the close-ups were not very helpful.) One wonders if it is because of a lack of faith in the actors' acting. Oak, who plays Night, delivers his role competently enough. The shyness he exudes as Night is endearing if somewhat exaggerated, and it would have been interesting to see how he would act in the final scene.

I think the strongest flaw in the series is the failure to make the shooting incident something that lingers in the background. Time's friends could have mentioned that the police are looking for him, and Night could have at least shown some concern about whether Time would be arrested. Alternatively, the writers could simply have opted for an alternative story and happy ending that renders the shooting incident unnecessary. An alternative story could have Time injuring Night by accident: the rest of the story can still make sense with minor tweaks and the story can end with a happy ending after Night gives Time a watch. This alternative story may have nothing interesting, but the actual story isn't actually any better and at least the alternative story would have more coherence and a crowd-pleasing happy ending.

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It is tempting to give this drama a really high rating, and it certainly has immense potential. The stories are interesting if you do no think too much about plausibility and the roles of Lu Yao and Qiao Chusheng are really well performed.

The individual detective cases are fast-paced (largely) in a good way as a detective drama. Many of the cases get solved within 1-2 episodes. It is not the sort of whodunnit that is suspenseful in a way that invites the viewer to join in the guessing because some of the ways the murders/crimes are committed are so convoluted that the viewer is unlikely to predict them. The forensics and scientific explanations seem somewhat anachronistic for 1920s Shanghai, but I might be wrong. However, there are certainly anachronisms in the language used by the characters and in some references (e.g. the reference to Stockholm Syndrome) made by the characters. Nevertheless, if you don't expect really solid detective stories, the series is fairly good as drama. Another plus point is that there turns out to be a sort of link between the cases that is developed from the start.

The ending and final story seems overly rushed, with the murderer behaving so suspiciously from the start that viewers may assume that she can't possibly be the killer. I can't decide whether this is a stroke of genius or a poorly told story.

The performances of the male leads are really good and make up for a lot of the flaws of the series. In particular, Hu Yitian brings out the subtle changes in the character of the detective, Lu Yao, very well while giving an overall coherent portrayal of the character. Leon Zhang's character has less development but is nevertheless performed with nuance: his confidence and toughness, his sense of justice, his loyalty, his hidden vulnerability and world-weariness are conveyed, often without the need for dialogue to make these obvious.

The chemistry between the leads is good, but the series suffers from schizophrenic tendencies in the representation of the relationship between the main male characters. At its worst, the relationship between them can be construed as needless baiting of BL fans. This is because interactions, which would usually pave the way for the development of a romantic relationship, amount to nothing in particular. There are plenty of examples: when Qiao misunderstands Lu's request and gives him a hug, when Qiao puts his arms around Lu Yao when the latter is seated on a chair, when Lu comically jumps onto Qiao's back when he spots a chihuahua (a very frightening creature in his eyes), when Qiao gently wipes something off Lu's face, when Qiao looks almost forlornly at Lu in the last episode when Lu is leaving Shanghai with his wife. In the last episode, Qiao gives Lu a hug but does not hug his childhood friend (Lu's wife) even though she opens her arms to hug him.

We can probably be understanding and see that China's censorship laws do not allow BL. The homosexual desire could also be taken to be repressed and one-sided as Qiao has a greater tendency to behave tenderly towards Lu. However, is there really a need for such teasing when Qiao is ALSO portrayed as a someone who actually falls quite seriously in love with a woman in one of the cases? I do not mean to say that a series in which the two leading male characters are a romantic couple would necessarily be better. It's all a matter of execution. The straight relationship seems to pale in comparison to the suggestive bonds between the male characters, and if censorship rules must be followed, maybe the BL element should have been written out altogether (though to be fair, I heard that the series was conceived a few years ago, and at that time the censorship of BL had not really kicked in and there were popular BL series like Addicted from China, so maybe.) I also wouldn't really mind if the male-male romantic desire had simply been hinted at, but the inconsistency can be frustrating.

Perhaps the inconsistent BL-suggestive moments would not be so serious if the strength of the series had not relied so much on the portrayal of the two male characters. To make matters worse, the main female character seems to be a joke: she is a tabloid journalist who creates sensationalist headlines and misreports from time to time; her poor writing ability is also harped on again and again, but we are supposed to believe that she is a passionate journalist with principles and is somehow a respectable journalist too. There is an attempt to show the depth of her love for Lu (particularly in a scene when she tells Lu's ex that she does not know how to appreciate Lu), but such moments are few and far between.

In the end, the series is enjoyable but it also seems to be held back from being a classic. I have the nagging suspicion that the story would really shine had it been made in a more ideal world.

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Three brothers with different mothers but the same wealthy father find out that there might be a fourth brother by a fourth woman. The three brothers' father order them to look for the last brother (actually supposedly the eldest one), but that's really important because a DNA test reveals that the "new brother" isn't their father's biological son.

What's important is that the eldest of the three brothers falls in love with the "new brother" who's thankfully not his brother. The story isn't as confusing as it may sound here, and that's a good thing. But there isn't really much of a story because what is really meant to be shown is each brother's BL romance, except that the romantic relationships aren't that fully developed either.

Despite the flaws, the BL aspects are rather cute. Strangely enough, although Brother 2 and 3 (the younger ones of the three brothers) behave as though they have boyfriends from the start, it is later revealed that their boyfriends are actually their best friends, and it is only towards the end of the series that they and their boyfriends confess their love for each other. Nevertheless, their interactions are sweet, and it's hard to dislike the show too much.

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Cute couple who deserve a better story

The BL couple is cute and likable, but you might sense that something is lacking when the side characters like Tanaka and Katori prove to be more interesting as characters.

The two main characters like each other and start dating. But Takara's cool demeanor leads to some misunderstandings. The couple is cute, but it's hard to fathom why Takara would so doggedly act as though he is nonchalant about things when there seems nothing motivating or compelling him to (he doesn't even really care about what others think, so it's not like he is putting on a façade to maintain an image or something). There are some subtle changes in the way he behaves in the last couple of episodes, but it seems to come a little late and pointless.

The weakest part of this series is the storyline. Most of the episodes begin with some sort of problem in the relationship, often because there is some misunderstanding going on. The somewhat confusing editing in the early and final episodes don't really help much either.

There is so much potential for characters like Tanaka and Katori to play a more important role in the story and the couple's relationship. The potential is wasted especially with Tanaka. In the end, it feels like what happens in the last episode could well be in the second episode and real complications can be thrown in subsequently.

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So bad but I'm asking for more

Gen Y offers us what 2Moons 2 could have been if the same actors playing Ming and Kit in 2Moons 1 had acted in it. We have the same actors of Ming and Kit (2 Moons 1) playing the characters, Mark and Kit. (Yes, even the names are a bit of a rip-off.)

The Mark and Kit part of Gen Y is actually fairly decent where BL is concerned -- nothing really exceptional, but it is cute and sweet nonetheless. What I find myself liking even more is Kim and Bas acting as the best friends, Mark and Wayu (the parallels of Ming and Wayo in 2Moons). Kim and Bas work really well as BFFs.

Wayu, if it's not obvious enough by now, is the parallel of Wayo in 2Moons. And his boyfriend at the start of the series is Pha, just like in 2Moons. (The full names differ though the shortened versions of these names are the same or very similar.)

But Gen Y is not merely a ripoff or unofficial sequel to 2Moons 1. It's like 2Moons with a few twists, which are sometimes interesting and sometimes downright bizarre (and perhaps both at times).

For a rather light-hearted series, a couple of characters take a rather sinister turn. Sandee, for instance, seems like a really nice person at first but is given an unnecessarily dark turn later on. The motivations for his actions are vague. The same goes for Pha, who breaks up with Wayu for unknown reasons. There may be extenuating factors in his break-up, but his behavior is either weird or creepy (or perhaps simply badly written): he breaks up with Wayu, but wants to secretly see him and even secretly "spies" on Wayu after Wayu has gotten over the break-up and in the end appears again as though he has the right to ask Wayu to reconcile with him. (Seriously, wtf, dude?)

Wayu, on the other hand, despite his apparent love for Pha, actually gets over him quite easily. It seems that, in this series, that kissing a hot guy would help one get over a sudden breakup with someone one totally loves. Anyway, this is why Wayu shifts his affection to Thanu instead.

Thanu is another fascinating disaster of a character. Perhaps you won't be able to take your eyes off him because the actor playing Thanu looks really good. But, more importantly, you will find it difficult to look away because of incredulity. Have you ever encountered a character who is portrayed as a really nice person and yet inexplicably do things that assholes do?

And perhaps you can't even blame Thanu--just blame his creator, the scriptwriter. Because his creator has decided to endow him with some mystical experiences. He sees a guy once and basically falls in love (ok, this is common in BL, but more is coming). Then one day, he touches the hands of the same guy, and they both have visions of the future, with this guy being hurt (heartbroken) very badly because of him. Wow, magic! But wait a minute. Thanu is also falling in love with Wayu at the same time. He vacillates between the two guys. Surely the destined one should be the one with whom the magical visions take place, you say? No, when he touches Wayu's hand, both of them have flashbacks of the past, which reveal something they don't know. I guess if I have to sum it up, Thanu is basically this good person who inadvertently ends up being an asshole because his creator has overdosed on hallucinogens.

There are also too many characters in this series. I thought Thai BLs of late have started avoiding this, but apparently not. By the end of the series, the series does not even bother to address some of the issues that it has given considerable attention to, such as the problem between Thanu and his ex-good friend, Padbok. (I thought that was an interesting part of the plot, but obviously Thanu's creator had a different idea of what makes a good story.)

Watching Gen Y is like listening to your next-door neighbors quarreling loudly. It can be rather annoying, but you may well find your attention progressively grabbed by what they are shouting about. Then when they suddenly stop, you might find yourself anticipating a continuation.

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Mostly lives up to the hype

Whether you want an engaging story, good cinematography, a good looking cast or plenty of skinship, you get it in KinnPorsche. It is a series that has something that will appeal to BL fans, and it can even be one of those series that will appeal to an audience that isn't all that into BL but doesn't mind it.

The first trailer for KinnPorsche was really slick, and the production problems that occurred after that had people worrying about whether the series would even be made. But I guess the biggest challenge for the series is that the expectations have gone over the roof because of the original trailer and all the buzz it generated, and it is very easy to fall short even if the series is actually much better than the average Thai BL in 2022.

In most ways, the series doesn't disappoint. Featuring Thai mafia in a BL series may not be as original as when the first trailer came out (we've since had wannabe mafia-themed series like Golden Blood). Nevertheless, the story is engaging. The suspense regarding the forces who are trying to assassinate Porsche is nicely maintained. And subsequently, the suspense behind the death of Porsche's parents when he was a child makes the story more intriguing.

Perhaps the people behind the production sensed that things can get a little too tense for some, and there are clear attempts to insert lighter scenes and comic relief into the series. But this may also be where the series doesn't fare so well. Some of the scenes featuring Tankhun (Kinn's elder brother) are hilarious, but they don't always fit that well in the story. They are skillfully added though, and that helps a lot.

One of the bodyguards in Kinn's household, Pete, is nicely distinguished from the other bodyguards from the start. However, there could have been a bit more attention on him. His relationship with Vegas comes in fairly late in the story, but the sexual tension between him and Vegas could have gotten more attention than Vegas' clearly feigned interest in Porsche. The conflicting feelings of Pete (like his attraction to Vegas vs his loyalty to his boss) could also have been portrayed earlier in the series. (After all, someone working for Kinn seems to be working for Vegas, and this could have been exploited more.)

The story, while very strong overall, also seems to lose focus for a while after Vegas' plot against Kinn is exposed. It's the calm before the storm, but it is also where the story becomes becomes borderline smut. I'm not complaining about the sex scenes (including a brief hint of a blowjob taking place on a plane) even if they may be somewhat gratuitous. I would even commend the series for daring to court controversy by portraying Vegas and Pete's relationship with a touch of sadomasochism. (The scenes are nicely shot and the mediocre series, Unforgotten Night, which I have been watching can learn a few lessons here.) Yet, for a while, the story does not seem to be going anywhere. But of course, things do pick up again, so this is not a major problem.

The third couple, probably the most conventional Thai BL couple in the series, is Porchay and Kim. They are likable, and Barcode does a pretty good job portraying Porchay's innocent shyness. However, I don't quite understand Kim's coldness towards Porchay after the latter finds out that he is the younger brother of Kinn.

Despite the flaws that one might find with KinnPorsche, it is hard to dislike the series. They story is pretty good, the main characters are well developed, and anyone who wants even more skinship will probably have to visit p*rnhub.



There is also a good chance for a Season 2. I'm glad that KinnPorsche does not end with one of those annoying cliffhangers, but it drops more than enough hints to suggest that the full truth about the past is yet to be revealed: Korn (Kinn's father) shoots his brother just as he seems to be about to reveal something and later he says to himself that history is written by the victors, Porsche doesn't seem to have regained all the crucial memories of his childhood, while the mental state of Porsche's mother may also improve to the point she is able to reveal something about the past, and Kim seems to have been suspecting his father of something all along. The actor playing Kinn's father has really done a fine job, subtly looking dangerous while maintaining a calm and benevolent facade.

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Take it as a better way to end Season 1

This is rather hard to review. If I see Still 2gether as a separate season, it has little to offer. The plot in Season 1 wasn't strikingly original, but there was a rather fine story. The plot is much thinner in Season 2. Depending on how much of a cynic you are, you can either say that it is to reward fans of 2gether or it is to milk fans. Whatever you think it is, Still 2gether is largely for fans of Season 1 and is unlikely to win over more fans or the rather harsh haters of Season 1.

However, I can't say I'm disappointed. Season 2 actually makes up for some of the missteps in Season 1, with the first Episode filling in some gaps and clarifying the plot in Season 1 (such as by revealing that Sarawat actually stayed by Tine's side in the hospital, but Tine wasn't aware of it). Having watched on 4 episodes out of 5 so far, I believe it also ends the 2gether story more solidly than Season 1. What this means for me is that Season 1 and 2 should actually be taken as one season. (Ok, I know I'm the one who keeps calling them Season 1 and 2 in the first place, but I suspect it's what people may be expecting.) In fact, if Season 1 had continued and ended with Episode 4 of Season 2, it would have been a great ending compared to the original ending of Season 1.

[Edit: In fact, after watching Episode 5 of Season 2, which is the final episode, I still find Episode 4 a better ending. Episode 5 is really more for the other couples and for the Sarawat/Tine kiss right at the end, something which some viewers seem to see as really important. I kind of guessed that the kiss has been deliberately left to the very end thanks to all the teasing, but it didn't do wonders for me. I like the way Episode 4 ends more. Also, somehow, whereas Episode 4 is brimming with sweetness without giving a sense of finality, Episode 5 gives such a proper ending that it seems to be telling me, "That's all. There won't be any more seasons." This saddens me because there's actually more potential for the story to be developed.]

Still 2gether is a nice addition that tries tor improve on (or salvage, some might say) 2gether, and it kind of succeeds in that regard. But this also means that Still 2gether perhaps does not need to have 5 episodes, perhaps not even 4. (I'm not complaining though. Sarawat and Tine are amongst my favorite BL couples and I don't mind just watching them being loving. lol)

Because of the rather weak story, the way Sarawat and Tine miss each other borders on absurdity despite being sweet. It would have been more convincing if one of them had to go overseas for a semester due to an exchange program or something, but Sarawat merely goes away (somewhere in Thailand that' maybe an hour's trip away) for a few days, and Tine is crying.

I love Sarawat and Tine, and I want a real Season 2 (call it Season 3 if you want). Still 2gether is like a nice cake to wrap up the main course of 2gether--the cake is sweet enough even though it could have done away with some excess cream. If I had to choose between the dessert and waiting a longer time before another satisfying meal, I would choose the latter. (Though if I could have both, why not? Just don't tell me that the cake is actually my next meal, please.)

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Largely pointless but somewhat likable

(Reviewed together with the Special Episode)

The Special Episode is really more like an Episode 5 and final episode because Episode 4 is in no way an ending even for a story with a plot so thin it could break into pieces at so many places.

This series isn't so bad that you won't be able to stand watching it. The main actors, especially Golf (who plays Sky), are surprisingly natural though their roles aren't demanding. Some random parts are funny in rather random and pointless ways--this series probably deserves an award: The Most Ridiculous Costume Ever Designed and Worn for No Reason Whatsoever. You have to see what the woman from the clinic (Jum Pook) wears to believe it, though it is rather pointless, like many happenings in this series.

It is as though the scriptwriters have made a bizarre decision to give only a glimpse of most things that can be developed or turn out to be interesting and opted for trivia. Maybe someone just thought, "F**k it! What can I do with 5 short episodes?" As it turns out, the series is a demonstration of how much one can do with 5 episodes, simply by not doing it. James' growing attraction to Sky deserves more focus while the extent of Sky's affection for James should also get more focus.

It seems quite likely that the production team consists of quite a number of inexperienced people, so various elements like the editing and cinematography are inconsistent in quality. Or perhaps it is simply a matter of a low budget coupled with tight deadlines. I do think, however, that there is some promise shown. The effort may be inconsistent, but many people involved in the production seem to be doing what they can with fairly weak material. The story is inexplicably weak, and it's a pity--catch the right moments and use their comic energies well, and you can have something much better. If I get to rewrite the story for the series to be remade with the same cast and crew, I would start with the part where James and Sky, two roommates, pretend to be a couple to get the free treatment promotion at the skin clinic; thereafter, a series of attempts to keep up the pretense to Jum Pook (underused in the series) can cause them to develop affections for each other.

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Competently made though unexceptional

This BL follows a tried-and-tested formula in many ways: one-sided love on the part of an awkward unpopular guy for a popular guy, that is until it turns out to be anything but one-sided. The production values are, nevertheless, rather high. The scenes are beautifully shot, and there are no scenes that feel unnecessary or digressive.

Hira, being the awkward, stuttering guy who is bullied by others, is the character one sympathizes with first. Yet, it may be hard to understand his obsession with Kiyoi, who is one of those who order him about in school even if he is somewhat more reasonable than others. Is this some sort of Stockholm-Syndrome romance? He supposedly falls in love with Kiyoi because Kiyoi saves him from embarrassment, but Kiyoi does not even do so intentionally--he saves Hira simply by walking into the class and grabbing everyone's attention.

Kiyoi isn't the worst bully for sure, but his behavior towards Hira can be regarded as abusive too. But this is BL in which some borderline perverse sorts of relationships are par for the course. Even though we finally see things from his perspective in Episode 5, his behavior towards Hira isn't exactly very nice. Could he blame Hira for having no inkling that his love is not one-sided? In contrast, Hira's friend in college, Koyama, is such a sweetheart that one either wishes Hira would end up with him or that he would be able to find happiness. But I guess the equivalent of the second-male-lead syndrome in BLs is the third-male-lead syndrome.

The issue of romanticizing a somewhat abusive relationship aside, the series is nicely made. There are only six short episodes, but the storytelling does not feel rushed or inadequate. The young actors are surprisingly good in their roles too. It is worth a watch.

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Enjoyed it though some parts are unintentionally hilarious

There is a lot to love about this series.

First of all, I was surprised by how prominently the gay theme is foregrounded from the start. The story isn't entirely focused on the gay romance, the issue of homosexuality is central to the plot. I was thinking that the subject would be a minor issue, but it seems that the production has decided to take a risk by focusing on it throughout even when the story isn't dwelling on the romance. For a show that doesn't pander much to a BL fanbase, this is quite amazing.

Secondly, the bromance is wonderful. The close bond between Tian and his brother, Yang, was what made the series, which involves a lot of characters scheming and plotting against one another, more palatable. And while a lot of series featuring "bromance" make it borderline romance, in this case, the Tian and Yang are biological brothers, and there is no hint of possible romance at all. The sibling bond between them is pure and moving. I really love the scene in which Yang realises that Tian is gay and runs to him to hug him, half chiding himself for not understanding what Tian has been going through, half wanting to comfort Tian without revealing that he knows his secret.

As a bonus, the straight couple, Yang and Pin, is also cute.

Yet, some of the scenes and turns in the plot may leave one incredulous. A case in point is the scene in which Jiu was attacked by a group of people sent by Tian's father. The attackers (some of them anyway) had guns, but nonetheless fought with knives until they were about to lose. So far it is simply not very logical, but the next part is truly absurd. Another group of people do not want Jiu to be killed but do not want to clash with the attackers. So guess what? They spotted a couple of birds on a tree and somehow manage to catch the birds and send them flying into the hut to create chaos, so Jiu has a chance to escape.

Then in a plot twist that isn't exactly unexpected, a man who has been "killed" by poison turns up alive . . . because he has the antidote. Okaaaaay, but he was rendered unconscious by the poison and couldn't have taken the antidote--especially when the one who wants him dead dumps him in a body of water to drown him. No proper explanation is given for how he manages to stay alive apart from the fact that he has the antidote.

And the main villain in the show is ridiculously hard to kill. It's perhaps another soap opera thing, but it's quite funny how he could survive having a couple of fingers cut off, having a sharp object stabbed into his eye, being hit viciously with a stick several times (including on the head, I think) and getting knocked about by some drug that caused him to lose consciousness--all at the same time! I thought that the loss of blood while he's unconscious would kill him. But not. Not only does he survive the attack that takes place in the wilderness, but he also soon turns up at Tian's house (with his injuries already bandaged) with a few soldiers and go on a rampage despite all the injuries he has sustained.

Additionally, the portrayal of homosexuality may be somewhat controversial. It seems ridiculously easy for characters to guess that Tian is gay. Yang sees Tian helping Jiu, whose sleeve is stuck somewhere, by cutting Jiu's sleeve, and Yang can suddenly, with a few recollections of events in the past (like Tian pretending to be a female protagonist of the opera, Madam White Snake), surmise that Tian is gay. Is anyone suggesting that it's a sign of homosexuality if a kid who is into opera and pretends to be the female protagonist in an opera? By all appearances, Tian merely loves opera and isn't into crossdressing.

Although the series is flawed, I did find myself quite invested in the bromance and romance. Tian, Yang, Jiu and Pin are characters that one will care about enough to keep watching. However, do make sure that you can take soap opera plots and their levels of exaggeration.

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Cute, sweet and sometimes funny

There's nothing really exceptional here. The characters are lovable and cute even if often more like anime featuring human actors. There are a lot of exaggerated expressions, but I think this is the style of the production--it's not necessarily a flaw in itself, but whether one likes it or not is another matter.

There is some supposed crisis about Yanase's career that I don't entirely get. I think it is written in just for the sake of having a stumbling block to Yanase and Kaneda's relationship. In the last couple of episodes, the couple meets again after parting for one year because Yanase goes overseas for work, but it seems strange that they don't even seem to have contacted each other in the course of the year and become awkward with each other. It seems as though the writer knows how absurd this is given how easy it is to communicate without meeting nowadays, and they have one character commenting that the two of them have been so busy improving themselves that they haven't contacted each other. (Really?)

While the plot is far from perfect, I find myself liking this BL production a lot. The characters are cute and the love between them is so pure, and in a way, that's what I happen to want to see from time to time for a dose of escapism.

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Compelling plot, but the characters could have been more interesting

The Long Night is a sequel (or sorts) to Burning Ice--it features the policeman Yan Liang solving a different case. The story of The Long Night is set a few years after the story of Burning Ice. Nevertheless, Yan Liang is a much more charismatic character in Burning Ice. While Liao Fan does a decent job of portraying Yan Liang, there isn't really any depth or nuance to the character. The character who is the most interesting in The Long Night turns out to be Jiang Yang, and Johnny's Bai's performance is impressive in this series. (It's not the first time I've watched a series with Johnny Bai, but I could hardly recognize him in this one at first.)

Unfortunately, the characters in The Long Night are generally not portrayed with much complexity or nuance, and I think this isn't really because of the acting but because of the writing. At times, the series even feels almost like a sort of propaganda for the police force and legal system of China, with barely disguised motherhood statements about them. (Perhaps this is obligatory, given that there is at least one corrupt policeman in the series?)

This series really stands out in terms of its compelling story, with twists that are interesting without being over-the-top. What seems to be a simple case of murder at first turns out to be an elaborate last-ditch attempt to expose crimes committed by powerful individuals who have managed to cover up their crimes by silencing those investigating them and destroying practically every bit of evidence that is found against them.

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A decent follow-up that perhaps tries too hard in some ways

This sequel to Tientsin Mystic isn't as good as the first season despite an obvious attempt to rev things up.

I found the casting change a little hard to get used to: the most important character in the series, Guo De You, is played by a different actor in Season 2. To be fair, Kingscar Jin who plays the character in Tientsin Mystic 2, has done quite a competent job. However, he gives rather different vibes compared to Li Xian who plays the character in Season 1. Whether it is intentional or not, the roguish side of Guo De You is amplified a little too much by Jin. In contrast, Li Xian's interpretation of the character in Season 1 juggles the playful, righteous and sentimental sides of the character with more nuance.

I must say, however, that the actors who play the villains (some better hidden than others) in Season 2 are very compelling. They steal the show from the main characters in many ways. The actor who plays the governor (not really a key villain) is particularly good with the part, exuding a subtly sinister aura even when he is at his most harmless.

The storytelling in Tientsin Mystic 2, however, is not as good as in Season 1. The story itself is actually quite interesting, but it seems to have been worked into a climax early on without any denouement in sight. (It's like bringing water to a boil only to leave it boiling for the long time before finally using the water for its intended purpose.) I also found the tensions between Guo De You and Ding Mao that crops up in some parts rather unnecessary. The same goes for the tensions between Ding Mao and Xiao Lan Lan, his girlfriend. At times, it feels like the writers are clumsily creating tension for the same of doing so.

Another flaw of Season 2 is how it emphasizes the "scientific" explanations of all the occurrences even if the explanations seem rather labored (such as the explanations for Guo De You's ability to use smoke to trigger visions that help him investigate crimes and for how he loses this ability). Season 1 has a more touch-and-go approach to this, making it easy to ignore "explanations" that stretch the limits of credulity. Season 2, on the other hand, takes itself too curious.

Tientsin Mystic 2 is bound to alienate some fans of the first season. It is watchable, but it does lose some of the charms of the first season.

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This is the best part of the three EN of Love series despite having the thinnest plot, but it has only 3 episodes instead of the usual 4. It was apparently shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The cast for the main characters and the couple dynamics are the cutest amongst the three parts, but there is no chance to really develop it into a better story. If you watch BL simply for couple cuteness and sweet boy-boy flirting moments, this is good enough. Both the actors and the characters are cute, and the acting is reasonably good even if the actors aren't really challenged.

There are potential points of tension in the story such as the objections of Param's brother to the relationship that aren't really developed further. I'm actually not sure if the span of one episode would have been enough to develop This is Love Story into something better, so I won't solely blame the pandemic for it. Overall, it feels like there is barely any plot development (let alone climax), and we just see: 1. boy meets boy, 2. boys fall in love. It feels like the story has just started and then it ends.

I think the series could have been really good if someone could continue the story and make Episodes 4-8 or even 4-12. (The EN of Love trilogy is based on a novel which I haven't read, so I'm not sure how much more of a story there is in the book.) It is theoretically possible to continue with another 5-10 episodes and turn This is Love Story into a nice story without changing the first three episodes at all. It is such a pity because Param and Nuea make a very likable couple. (I wouldn't mind seeing the same actors in more BLs too.)

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