Save the best for last

2023 has given us a huge number of BL series and movies – Thailand alone has produced over 50 series. Unfortunately, quantity doesn't necessarily mean quality, although there have been some outstanding series (see the list of my 15 favourites, with synopses, short reviews, and links here: https://www.wattpad.com/1408052397-my-bl-lists-favourite-series-favourite-movies).

But as they saying goes, (one of) the best has been saved for the last. MindTrio, the Thai company that always produces high quality series like ”On Cloud Nine” and the wonderful ”Once in Memory” movies, have waited until the last two days of the year to give us a precious little gem of a short film entitled ”You And My Stars”.

The short film, which aired in two parts on Dec 30 and 31, tells the story of three boys – Win (Poom Jittipat Suwannaluck) has a secret crush on Time (BM Chanatip Aumpu), who has fallen for Win's best friend Hunter (Photo Patawee Klamudom). Win has low self-esteem and thus doesn't dare to confess his love to Time, whereas Time asks Win to help him confess to Hunter by giving him 999 paper stars he has folded. Win does help Time, and he is heartbroken as he sees Time and Hunter together.

Hunter, however, later rejects Time in a brutal way, because he knows about Win's secret crush, and he doesn't want to hurt him. The way Hunter speaks of Time earns him a beating from Win. As Win and Hunter reconcile later, Hunter offers Win his support for his flirt with Time. Finally, Win gives Time 999 paper stars, and the two boys have a very frank conversation about their feelings. Time not only accepts Win's proposal, but tells him that he wants him to be next to him forever.

The plot of this movie doesn't sound too unique – after all, it's just the story most young people experience when they fall in love for the first time. There are, however, several elements that make this short film so heartwarming and lovely.

First and foremost, it is the sensitive way the author makes us see what's going on through Win's eyes. His inner monologues, but also his shy actions make the viewer feel his fears and inhibitions, and his comparisons of himself and his two friends with the stars are pure poetry. And the movie does without any of the annoying BL tropes like accidental kisses, artificial drama based on misunderstanding, or evil exes, to name just a few. So kudos to the scriptwriter!

The next element is the focus on the three main characters. There are no unnecessary side couples or yaoi fangirls. This allows for a profound characterization of the three boys which some long series don't accomplish. For example, Hunter appears as a superficial casanova at first, but turns out to be a thoughtful and selfless best friend. Time comes across quite dominant and disrespectful at first, but then is a nice guy who is shy, too, when he sends Win to Hunter for his confession.

And then there are the actors! MindTrio has once again succeeded in casting three boys who aren't only very handsome, but at the same time have huge acting talent. Whereas Poom has already had a main role in the beautiful ”Move to Heaven” movie, BM (who I find breathtakingly beautiful) and Photo are obviously rookies, but I bet we'll see all the three of them more often in future.

As we have seen time and again in BL series, actors can only act as good as the director makes them act, and Keereeboon Siridol, who also directed ”Move to Heaven”, appears to know how to make young actors shine.

The cinematography is nice, especially the scenes with the night sky and at the pier, and the background music is never intrusive and matches the story. There are some minor flaws of the sound, especially toward the end of part two, but they aren't so bad that they disturb the overall wonderful atmosphere of the movie.

What I love about MindTrio's short films is that they are able to tell a story and make the characters come to life in half an hour. So I say thank you to cast and crew of this wonderful movie for saving (almost) the best of this BL year for the last.


You find all my BL reviews, including those of series from countries not covered by mydramalist like Vietnam, Singapur, Myanmar, and Cambodia, here:
https://www.wattpad.com/user/DominicKebre

Read More

A worthy sequel

Second seasons of popular series sometimes disappoint because high expectations aren't fulfilled, but ”Papa, What is Love Season 2” is a worthy sequel of a series that earned international recognition when it premiered.

Like season 1, this isn't a BL, but a gay series, so it comes without all the annoying tropes of the BL genre. Season 2 tells the story of the young couple Tupe (Rex Lantano) and Greg (Anthony Flores) and of Greg's father Rich's (Arnold Reyes) efforts to find a same sex partner.

In season 1, Tupe worked as a helper in Rich's house, became his lover, but ended up as the boyfriend of Rich's son Greg. Now Tupe and Greg have been living together for some time in Greg's house, and the everyday problems of any relationship begin. Greg is a successful businessman who spends a lot of time and energy on his job, so that Tupe, who stays at home all day, feels neglected. Tupe wants to start a business of his own, selling food online, but he doesn't find an opportunity to discuss his plan with Greg.

Another problem is that Greg feels guilty towards his ex-fiancée Alex (Karina Bautista), whom he left for Tupe shortly before their wedding. He meets her to reconcile, which Tupe finds out, who becomes jealous, while Greg feels hurt because Tupe doesn't trust him. This situation would be a drama in a BL series, because the ex-girlfriend would be evil, and misunderstandings among the main couple would take a lot of time to be resolved, but in this series, the ex isn't evil at all, and Tupe and Greg find a way to discuss things, leading to a happy ending with Greg proposing to Tupe.

Rich, who is visiting his son's house, helps the young men with more or less helpful advice. He is still in moarning for his late wife's death, and at the same time trying desperately to find a new – male – partner. After a hookup with a sexy young man (Nick John Tuppil) he decides to rather look for someone older for a long-term relationship. He finds the restaurant owner Dominic (ZK Nakaoka), and the two men fall head over heels in love, travel to Japan together and get married in Taiwan. So we witness happy endings for everyone – even Alex lives her dream of attending an arts school in the USA.

The series is worth watching because it displays typical everyday problems of young gay couples as well as older gay men, but also shows how to solve them. It has dramatic moments, e.g. when Greg finds Tupe allegedly lifeless in the pool, it has elements of comedy, e.g. when Rich elaborates in Tupe's presence on Greg's happy life with his fiancée, and it shows something that BL series often do not show, but which is definitely part of a young gay couple's life – sex.

Unfortunately, the censored Youtube version has some brutal cuts where the original, uncut series (to be watched on Gagaoolala.com and Ticket2me.net) gets steamy, but all in all the technical quality of this series is good.

I was sceptical that the brilliant director of the first season, the late Shandii Bacolod, who tragically died when season was airing, would be appropriately replaced, but Aika Rapay, who was the assistant director in season 1, does as great job as the director of season 2.

Again, Rex Lantano displays all the facets of his huge acting talent, and again Anthony Flores proves that he isn't just extremely handsome, but a good actor, too. It's hard to understand why he isn't casted as an actor more often. Arnold Reyes is good in scenes when Rich bemoans his late wife, or when he is insecure before his meeting with Dominic, but sometimes he is overacting a little. The support actors, ZK Nakaoka, Karina Bautista, and Nick John Tuppil are all good in their respective roles.

All in all, I'm glad that Rex Lantano has been able to produce the sequel of ”Papa, What is Love”, after Youtube had terminated his channel because of alleged nudity in season 1, the censored version of which is still available on BL Pictures' Youtube channel, while the uncut series can be watched on Gagaoolala.com. Season 2, like its prequel, is a gay series which is definitely worth watching.

You find all my reviews, including those on productions from countries not covered by MDL, like Vietnam, Myanmar, or Singapore, plus a book with BL related lists and a few BL stories here:
https://www.wattpad.com/user/DominicKebre

Read More

The beautiful pains of unrequited love

This is the fourth short film that the Thai production company MindTrio have released under the series title ”Once in Memory”, and all these short films deal with the coming of age and coming out of young men. Apart from the topic, there are some other characteristics these films have in common, such as the sensitive way of displaying the young men's state of mind, the careful selection of the cast, good writing, directing, and editing. ”Let me be yours” is no exception.

The short film deals with a love triangle and heaps of unrequited love. X (Pun Napatt) loves Max (Phum Phathai), and he shows him his love by following him, teasing him, and even bullying him. Max, however, loves TK (Bom Thunpisit), but when he confesses to him, TK makes it clear to him that he can't be anything but his friend or older brother. Adding to this mess of a love triangle, TK loves X, and when he gathers all his courage to tell X about his feelings, he is gently, but firmly rejected, with X offering him to remain friends.

The climax of this tricky constellation is reached when Max spends a nice day with X, giving him false hope. At the end of the day, after X has said good bye to Max, Max confesses to TK, and starts crying when he is rejected. Just as TK hugs Max to comfort him, X returns and misunderstands what he sees.

It is the typical mess young people experience when they fall in love with someone who loves someone else, and I am glad that I am old enough to have grown out of this kind of shenanigans. Unrequited love hurts so badly, and being hugged by a good friend can ease the pain, but not conquer it completely.

As I said before, this short film is again written and directed in a very sensitive way, so that the viewer can relate to the characters, their hopes, fears, and problems. There were moments when I wanted to hug each of them, because they were all suffering from the same kind of pain.

Another reason why I liked this short film is the actors. Although I think that they are all rookies (at least I haven't seen them before), they proved very talented, and this wouldn't be the first time that a MindTrio short film was the starting point of a promising acting career. I wouldn't think it fair to praise one of them more than the others, but I must admit that Phum Phathai had a smirk in a few scenes that was just too lovely.

The cinematography underscores the sensitive way this story is being told, as does the background music. Technically the movie is good – nothing to complain about really, so all in all I can only say that I liked this short film a lot. It is good entertainment, to say the least, and it is another proof that if MindTrio is printed on something, you can be sure that the contents will be good.

You can find all my reviews, including those on series and movies from countries not covered by mydramalist, like Myanmar, Singapore, and Vietnam, a book with lists of my favourite BL series, movies, and actors, and some BL storiesf here: https://www.wattpad.com/user/DominicKebre

Read More

A must for fans of PP Krit

I must admit that I was sad when it looked like PP Krit - after the sensational success of his collaboration with Billkin in ”My Ambulance”, ”I Told Sunset About You”, which is my favourite BL series of all times, and ”I Promised You the Moon” - was going to focus on his career as a singer. When I heard that he would be starring in the short film ”Rerun”, I was so happy, and I wasn't disappointed.

PP Krit plays Kit, the curator of arts exhibitions, who falls for Chou (Napat Siangsomboon), an artist. They find out that they have a lot in common, and Chou promises to have Kit curate his first solo exhibition. However, when he actually has his first exhibition, he has someone else curate it, and subsequently he breaks up with Kit. When they meet again, Kit pretends that he is okay, whereas Chou says that he isn't okay without Kit. This is where the movie ends, so we don't know whether the two of them get back together or not.

The entire movie breathes a mood of angst and sadness, and somehow the viewer senses that this relationship isn't going to last. The cinematography – semi-darkness in many scenes, with an indistinct sound - underlines the fragility of the leads' relationship. The production quality of this short film is very good, without even minor flaws. The movie was produced by PP Krit's company, "PP Krit Entertainment".

As a fan of PP Krit, who is my favourite BL actor, and who I would always want to protect, because he appears to be so vulnerable, I was tempted to hate Chou for dumping Kit, prioritizing his career over his love, but then Kit doesn't even try to fight for his love, and so it would seem unfair to blame everything on Chou.

Napat Siangsomboon is an experienced actor, and he displays Chou's attraction to Kit, but also his ambition as an artist, and finally his yearning for his ex-lover convincingly. PP Krit avoids being over-dramatic which the plot may have tempted a lesser talented actor to do. Whereas in the break-up scene Kit seems to be more hurt than Chou, PP Krit manages to convey in the final scene that Kit in fact is stronger than Chou. I always found it hard to imagine PP Krit being paired with another actor than Billkin, but he has obviously matured enough to move on.

This movie isn't a feelgood comedy – in fact, it's sad and angsty as I mentioned before, but it's a beautiful little piece of art that no one should miss, and of course it's a must for everyone who loves PP Krit as much as I do. The fact that the short film was watched on youtube by 200,000 viewers within 24 hours proves that it was not only me who was longing to see PP Krit again.

You find all my reviews, including those of series from countries not covered by mydramalist like Vietnam, Singapore, and Myanmar, here: https://www.wattpad.com/user/DominicKebre

Read More

A beautifully sad tragedy

When we look at internationally acclaimed Filipino movies that have been released since 2019, we stumble across a bunch of young actors who I would call a ”golden generation”, because they all prove an outstanding talent as well as acting skills you simply wouldn't expect from actors below or in their early 20s. It all started in 2019 with ”Fuccbois” starring Kokoy de Santos, Royce Cabrera and Migs Villasis, ”Kalel,15” that was the foundation of Elijah Canlas' international career, and ”Metamorphosis” with a stunning performance by Gold Aceron.

Then think of some of the most beautiful BL series, like ”Gameboys”, where Elijah and Kokoy helped people around the world endure the pains of Covid lockdowns, ”Gaya sa Pelikula” which made Paolo and Ian Pangilinan international stars, ”Meet My Angel 1 and 2” with wonderful acting by Kaleb Ong and Enzo Santiago, gay series like ”Love at the End of the World”, ”Daddy Love” and ”Papa, What is Love?” starring Rex Lantano, plus lots of short films with the actors mentioned above, and you'll understand why I'm talking about a ”golden generation” of Filipino actors.

Today, I'm reviewing another example of a high quality movie, ”May December January”, which makes Kych Minemoto join this exclusive club of Filipino ”golden generation actors”, and I'm soon going to review the next highlight, ”About Us But Not About Us”, again with Elijah Canlas.

I'll keep the summary of ”May December January” short because I don't want to spoil all the wonderfully written and acted scenes of this tragedy – and a tragedy it is! It is the story of Pol (Gold Aceron), who is terminally ill with a heart disease, and who lives with his mother Claire (Andrea del Rosario) in a beautiful house in a remote part of the mountains. Pol's best friend Migoy (Kych Minemoto) spends a lot of time in this house, and he falls in love with Claire. Their affair turns into mutual affection and love, which they hide from Pol first. But Pol, who is gay and has a secret crush on Migoy, finds out about his mother's relationship with his best friend Migoy. His reaction reveals deep sadness and at the same time a deep love of his mother.

When Pol's health deteriorates, with the prospect of a sudden death, Claire asks Migoy to have sex with Pol so that Pol can experience this feeling before he dies. Pol and Migoy's sex scene is the climax of the movie, the more so as the viewer senses that Pol will die very soon after. It's heartbreaking when he actually does, and Migoy and Claire's wedding at the end of the movie may be the saddest wedding ever seen in a movie.

The story may sound like the plot of a cheap porn movie, and it could have been something like that if it hadn't been written so sensitively so that the backstories and motivations of all three characters become completely understandable. Even the sex scenes aren't voyeuristic, but they rather illustrate the steps of the evolution of the protagonists' relationships.

The fantastic acting adds to the impression that we aren't watching a movie targeting the viewers' inferior curiosity, but a beautiful character study that makes the obscure situation in the secluded house in the hills an interesting story of love, yearning, and fulfillment, albeit with the most tragic ending thinkable. We believe that Claire is overwhelmed by Migoy's love confession, and we understand that she struggles with herself before she accepts her own feelings towards the young man. We also believe that Migoy isn't aiming at a quick conquest, and we suffer with Pol when he accidentally discovers what's going on in his mother's bedroom.

After Kych's convincing acting as effeminate Achilles in ”Gameboys 2”, I was sceptical about him playing a seductive, obviously straight young man, but it is an indication of his acting skills that he masters both, somewhat opposing roles convincingly. Gold personifies Pol's character equally credibly – he has a talent of intruding viewers' minds so that they fall in love with the character he plays (sorry, Gold's amazing presence as an actor carries me away sometimes).

Kych and Gold have beautiful scenes together which prove that their respective characters really love and care of each other. There is a scene when Pol tries to steal a kiss from Migoy when they sleep in the same bed, and Migoy's reaction on Pol's confession of his secret crush is just beautiful acting from both Kych and Gold.

When it comes to the cinematography, I think it matches the sensitive approach of the script, as it is very cautious about disturbing the characters' privacy, which may sound contradictive since there are very intimate scenes indeed, but the camera always keeps a distance, or the scenery is a semi-dark room.

The setting is beautiful, although I must admit that this may be my personal prejudice. I simply love a rural setting, and in this movie not only the seclusion of Claire and Pol's house, but also scenes in the forest are very much my taste.

All in all, this movie approaches a sensitive subject very cautiously, and script, directing, and acting make it a piece of art. If you prefer light entertainment, I would advise you to avoid this movie, but if you can cope with a beautifully sad tragedy, this will be one for you.

Read More

A mysterious, charming short film

This mysterious, charming Thai short film is another proof that Youtube's suggestions aren't completely useless sometimes. I had never heard of this movie when it popped up on my screen, and as it's quite short I thought that watching it wouldn't waste too much of my time, and alas, not only didn't I waste any time, but I really enjoyed watching the movie.

It tells the story of Than (Jittipat Suwannaluck) who can talk to ghosts, and Phop (Manutsawin Mokthong), a wandering spirit who is trying to find his ex-girlfriend Kongkwan to find his peace. Than is reluctant at first, but then helps Phop, and during the search the two boys get closer and at two different stages even confess their love to each other. Finally, Than finds out that Kongkwan died 40 years ago, obviously about at the same time as Phop died, and when Phop and Than find Kongkwan's grave, Phop finally disappears.

The abstract of the plot sounds quite sad, and the ending is not exactly a happy one, but the movie isn't all that sad because there are some comedic moments when Than has to explain what a mobile phone is, or when Phop is surprised that ”a TV can paint”.

Although the movie has a few minor technical flaws, e.g. a few sound issues and one or two editorial bumps, the overall quality is good, with a reasonable cinematography and a beautiful soundtrack that relies very much on classical music which creates a calm atmosphere.

What I liked in particular is the acting of the two leads. Although they are apparently rookies, and very young, their acting is really nice, and both guys are very handsome, too.

The movie is not promoted as a ”BL movie”, and if you define ”BL” as a series of typical tropes, then this is not BL. On the other hand, what can you call it when two handsome, young, male protagonists say ”I love you” to each other? They don't kiss, but is a kiss really necessary to prove that two boys love each other? I guess not, and that's why I would say that this is a BL movie indeed.

The Thai title is a pun which is not reflected by the English translation – depending on the spelling it can mean ”happiness” or ”rest in peace”. Like in many Thai productions, the English subtitles are not always correct, but at least they are there.

To sum up – if you have a quarter of an hour to spare and would like to watch a short film that's not all happiness, but charming and a little mysterious, this is one for you. I actually like it a lot.

Read More

I have no words

I'm afraid I have no words to say how much I love this series, but I'll try my best. Saying that this is the most beautiful BL series I've ever watched is true, but still sounds like it isn't enough. So in this review I won't even try to be objective, because you can't be objective about someone or something you're head over heels with.

I wonder if the series can be categorized as ”BL” at all, as the main characters are 23 years old, so not really ”boys”, and in this series you won't find even a single of the numerous ”BL-tropes”. What does make it ”BL” is the fact that the main characters experience – as far as we learn in the series - their first love, and especially their first gay love.

I won't elaborate on the plot here – just so much: ”Our Dining Table” tells the story of two 23-year-old men who are utterly unhappy. Yutaka (Inukai Atsuhiro) is an outsider and isn't able to enjoy a meal with other persons as he suffers from a childhood trauma which was caused by his misconception that he wasn't welcomed in the family who adopted him after his parents' death. Minoru (Iijima Hiroki) stopped attending college after his mother's death and took up a part time job at a ramen restaurant to be there for his little brother Tane (Maeyama Kuuga) as their father doesn't have enough time for the little boy.

The series displays the way how Yutaka and Minoru help each other overcome their loneliness and sadness. The script must have been written by authors who experienced similar situations, because it is so sensitive and at the same time so true-to-life that the actions of the main characters are completely understandable, however awkward and clumsy they may appear.

Little Tane is the katalyst of Yutaka and Minoru's relationship. He's the one who asks Yutaka for his riceball, thus initiating Yutaka and Minoru's alleged first contact (although they had met before, but Yutaka forgot about it), and later it is again Tane who encourages Yutaka and Minoru to get closer.

There is a scene that made me cry like a baby, because it is so heartwarming: Tane notices that Yutaka has been crying, and he pats Yutaka's hair to console him. In another beautiful scene, Tane notices that Minoru is very sad. He asks him whether he had a fight with Yutaka, and again he made me cry when he hugs Minoru and says: ”I will go with you to apologize to him.”

The authors have found many subtle ways of making the viewer notice how Yutaka and Minoru cautiously, in tiny steps, get closer to each other, opening up to each other very slowly as not to destroy the little progress they have achieved. When Yutaka tells Minoru the sad story of his childhood, he hides his face behind a drawing of himself that Tane has made. In another scene, Yutaka instinctively pats Minoru's head which shocks both of them because the gesture reveals Yutaka's feelings for Minoru way too frankly and early.

The finale is another emotional highlight of the series. When Yutaka realizes how much he loves Minoru he is scared that they may separate one day. It is Minoru's father who reassures him, and it is no surprise, but a most beautiful moment, when Tane – asked by his classmate who Yutaka is – declares ”He is my family”. Yutaka finally overcomes his fear and asks Minoru to stay together forever. In every BL series, there should be a kiss in the final scene, but here the final minutes are so full of emotions and love that a kiss isn't needed.

The unique and beautiful script requires first class actors, and they all deliver perfectly. Inukai has proven that he is a great actor as he has been able to shine in many different roles, e.g. in the gorgeous comedy ”The Man Who Defies the World of BL” or as a Yakuza boss in ”Kei x Yaku”, so it's no surprise that he is able to show Yutaka's pain and panic, but also his cautious – and, given his trauma, brave - way of opening up to Minoru and to his own family.

I hadn't seen Iijima before ”Our Dining Table”, but he is a very experienced actor, too. It is amazing how he is able to express Minoru's inhibitions, fears, and the love of his little brother. Iijima is easily one of the best actors I've ever seen in a BL series. The supporting actors are on the same level, especially Harada Riuji, who plays Minoru and Tane's father, and Ichikawa Tomohiro (Yutaka's stepbrother).

But the actor who stole everybody's heart is Maeyama Kuuga. I am sure that one or all of the directors must have spent all their skills, patience, and love to make the little boy act the way he does, but he must also be a huge talent. The same can be said about the child actors who play young Minoru (Arata Hinata), Yutaka (Kobayashi Ikuma), and Hozumi (Nagano Sora).

The cinematography matches the beauty of the script and the brilliance of the acting, and the soundtrack is as sensitive as the series as a whole – it never intrudes the characters' intimacy.

This series is so well written, brilliantly acted, and heartwarming that I can only recommend you to watch it in case you haven't already done that. ”Our Dining Table” reminded me a little of the Taiwanese series ”Papa and Daddy” which had a season 2, and I'd love to see Yutaka, Minoru, and Tane in a season 2 as well.

Read More

Out of nowhere, a gem !

It's been quite some time since the Philippines gave the world of BL ground-breaking series like ”Gameboys” or ”Gaya sa pelikula”. There were actually some good series like ”Daddy Love”, ”Love at the End of the World,” and ”Papa, What is Love?”, although I wouldn't call these ”BL”, but rather ”gay” series. And now, all of a sudden, out of nowhere comes a BL gem entitled ”The Day I Loved You”.

What seems to be quite a conventional enemy-to-lovers and love-triangle high school BL series in the first episodes, suddenly turns into a heartbreaking drama, so viewers should be warned not to start watching this with false expectations.

The main characters are Nikko (Tommy Alejandrino), a nerdy boy, president of the school's book and bible clubs as well as the dance troupe, his best friend Justine (Rabin Angeles), who's had a crush on Nikko for a long time, and troublemaker Eli (Raynold Tan), who is being adored by all the girls and who bullies Nikko at first. When Eli is caught breaking into the school, the director punishes him by forcing him to join the dance troupe, with Nikko teaching him to dance.

Step by step, Eli gets closer to Nikko, with Justine enviously trying to obstruct their evolving relationship. Shortly before the school's prom, both Eli and Justine ask Nikko to be their partner at the prom, and at that very moment, Nikko breaks down whose health deteriorates rapidly. He suffers from ALS and knows that he won't have much time left to enjoy a ”normal” life, but he stays positive.

Nikko falls for Eli, the ”bad guy”, and under his influence Eli drops his bad behaviour, and finally even reconciles with his mum who lives abroad and had sent him back to the Philippines because of his permanent shenanigans. Eli tries his best to make Nikko happy by fulfilling some of the wishes on his bucket list. Justine finally accepts that he won't be Nikko's lover, and he gives up in a heartbreaking scene. He proves that he is Nikko's best friend when he teams up with Eli trying to support Nikko.

Things become even more dramatic when shortly before the prom Nikko can't move his legs any more. He is desperate and about to give up, and it is Eli who persuades him to return to his joyful, positive self. I don't want to spoil too much about the final episode here, but what I can say is that it's an emotional rollercoaster like the entire second half of the series, and although the ending is more bittersweet than happy, there is even a slight chance that there may be a season 2.

The story is well written (by Easy Ferrer), with a good blend of comedic, joyful, sad, tragic, and emotional scenes. Some viewers were obviously not prepared for the serious story in the second half of the series as they expected a lighthearted rom com, but life isn't a bed of roses for everybody, so this series is more true-to-life than most high school BL series which only revolve around the love affairs of guys trying to find out whether they're straight, gay, or whatever. Integrating a character with a disease as serious as ALS into a BL series is courageous and requires sensitive writing, but it works in this show.

Apart from the unique plot, it is the actors who make this series worth watching. Tommy Alejandrino, who was awarded ”best actor” for his main role in the 2022 movie ”The Baseball Player”, is a very good actor who brilliantly manages to bear the main burden of this show. Raynold Tan has been reduced to his good looks by some viewers, and he may have some room for improvement as an actor, but he does a good job as does Rabin Angeles, who is a newbie like Raynold. I would love to see these three in a season 2 or in a completely new series together again. Most of the side characters are good in their respective roles, too. As a dedicated fan of Kaleb Ong, I would have wished to see more of him in this series, but you can't always get what you want...

The directing (Easy Ferrer) is good and the production is technically better than many Filipino series, which doesn't come as a surprise as it was made by Regal Entertainment who have given us (among many other, non-BL productions) the Ben X Jim and B X J Forever series which were harshly criticised by some viewers, but I'm probably one of the few who actually liked those series very much for their colourful stories, very good acting, and the inclusion of all the colours of the rainbow, and clear political statements about the pending SOGIE bill.

All in all, ”The Day I Loved You” is a beautiful BL series with a unique plot and good actors who I am sure we'll see more often in the future. Viewers should be warned, however, that the series' second half is dramatic, if not sad, so if you expect nothing but shallow entertainment, this isn't a series for you. But if you're keen to watch good entertainment with a serious message, you'll love it.

You will find all my reviews of BL series and movies, including those on productions from countries not covered by mydramalist, like Myanmar, Singapore, or Vietnam, here:
https://www.wattpad.com/user/DominicKebre

Country: Philippines (2023)

Episodes: 10 à 20 mins.

Director: Easy Ferrer

Cast: Tommy Alejandrino, Raynold Tan, Rabin Angeles, Kaleb Ong et al.

Read More

Breathtaking in the literal sense of the word

When I compiled the list of my 15 favourite BL series of 2022, I was astonished that only one Japanese show had made it into that list (”Eien no kinou / Eternal Yesterday”). So when I wrote my review of the fantastic season 2 of ”Utsukushii Kare / My Beautiful Man” a few weeks ago, I didn't expect there would soon come another Japanese BL series that could compete with it, but I was wrong. Today is the last day of the first quarter of 2023, and there have already been two more great Japanese series, ”The End of the World with You”, and now ”Jack O'Frost” which in my subjective opinion may be the best BL series I have seen so far.

I won't spoil too much of the plot here, because for those who have already watched it, that won't be necessary, and to all those who haven't watched it, I would advise them to find out themselves, and I promise you that you won't be disappointed.

This is basically an ”amnesia story”, and by mere coincidence there are two series revolving around this topic airing at the same time - ”Jack O'Frost” and the Thai series ”Love Syndrome III”. Whereas the Thai series has bad writing, directing, and acting, and the only thing everybody is waiting for is Lee Long Shi taking off his shirt, the only thing I have to complain about when it comes to ”Jack O'Frost” is the fact that we had to wait two long weeks for the final episode to air.

”Jack O'Frost” is the love story of two attracting opposite characters, creative and talented artist Ritsu (Honda Kyoya) and salesman Fumiya (Suzuki Kosuke). When Fumiya feels left behind in his relationship with Ritsu, he breaks up with him, and Ritsu has an accident the very same day which makes him lose his memory of Fumiya. Fumiya tries to help Ritsu regain his memory by taking him to familiar places, but he doesn't tell him about their relationship and break-up. So when they fall for each other again, their new love is based upon a lie which of course must go wrong. I'll only reveal one more thing about the plot here – there's a happy ending, but the way to that point is rocky and full of pain.

When I said that this may be the best BL series I've ever watched, it must be perfection or at least near perfection in any respect, and I think it really is. The writing is brilliant, because it cautiously displays the way these two very different characters become lovers. I usually don't like flashbacks, because all too often they are just there to fill some more minutes of screentime without taking the story ahead, but here it is different. There are many flashbacks which show the viewer bit by bit how Ritsu and Fumiya's relationship developed, and as the series is about Ritsu trying to regain his memory, it's logical not to tell the story chronologically, but showing glimpses of the past that finally make up the complete story.

The next perfect element is the acting which is closely connected to the directing of the show. I have rarely seen two actors who are able to express their characters' deep love of each other so naturally – sometimes there is so much love in Honda's eyes that they could make the arctic ice melt. But their quarrels appear equally realistic, actually so realistic that it hurts watching them. The scene that leads up to Fumiya's breaking up with Ritsu is maybe the most natural lovers' argument ever shown in a BL series.

There were scenes where I found myself holding my breath because I felt it would reveal to Ritsu and Fumiya that someone was watching them, and it would disturb them if I did breathe. Honda and Suzuki (I know this sounds funny, but, sorry, these are their names) succeeded in drawing the viewer into their story, so it felt like I was being part of what was going on on the screen.

Then there is the cinematography that makes this series a masterpiece. Many scenes are set in semi-darkness, or the vision even seems to be blurred, mirroring Ritsu's limited memory of the past. The most beautiful and at the same time most expressive scene comes towards the end of the final episode, when Ritsu is sitting in their favourite café after he has moved out of Fumiya's flat, and the window is iced over. Then the ice slowly melts, and we see Fumiya standing outside the café looking at Ritsu.

Even the title of this show is a brilliant choice. Jack O'Frost (or simply Jack Frost) is a personification of cold weather in ancient Scandinavian mythology, and is often seen as a bad character whose negative influence disappears in Spring when the weather gets warmer. The main plot of this show is set in winter, and the scene with the frost on the café's window mentioned above symbolizes the end of the cold period, and thus the new beginning of Ritsu and Fumiya's love.

The background music completes the perfection of this series, because it sensitively accompanies the action without ever being obtrusive.

All in all, Japan has given us another beautiful series which is proof once again that it doesn't need 13 episodes of 60 minutes to tell a complex story and make the viewer impatiently wait 7 long days for another short episode of 25 minutes to air.

You will find the list of my favourite BL series of 2022 and more reviews of BL series and short films, including some from countries not covered by mydramalist.com, such as Myanmar, Vietnam, or Singapore, here : https://www.wattpad.com/user/DominicKebre

Read More

The definition of cuteness

This won't be an ordinary review, because ”Our Winter” is no ordinary series – no need to summarize the plot, because there is none, no need to analyze character development either. I'll rather define some terms that are frequently used when it comes to BL series, and which do have some relevance here.

First of all, you may have heard about the ”second couple syndrome”, or the SCS, as experts call it, and you may even have had it. The SCS occurs when you and all the other BL series addicts like the second couple of a series more than the first couple. Some examples: ”Until we meet again” - everybody more or less liked Ohm and Fluke, but everybody loved Boun and Prem who became a BL dream couple. ”Oh! My Sunshine Night” involves Ohm and Fluke as the first couple again, and again people loved Noh and Peterpan more.

Then there is also a TCS, or ”third couple syndrome”, which is less frequent than SCS, simply because there aren't too many series with three couples. The most prominent example of TCS is the ”Cutie Pie” series – again, people liked Zee Pruk and Nunew, the first couple, and Max and Nat, the second couple, but everybody was talking about how cute the third couple were, Yim and Tutor.

I cannot count the comments any more that asked for Yim and Tutor to have their own series as lead actors, and they will actually get it. It's called ”Middleman's Love” and will air some time later this 2023. But the gods of BL were merciful enough to give us another series while we're all waiting for ”Middleman's Love” - ”Our Winter”, which brings us to the third defintion of this review – the definition of ”cuteness”.

Because that is what ”Our Winter” is – the definition of cuteness. This series, which was aired on tiktok and youtube, consists of 14 episodes of 1 minute each, and – apart from some product placement for a Korean water brand – it is just 14 minutes of Yim and Tutor being cute in the snow of the Korean winter.

What really surprised me is the fact that I was patiently waiting 5 or 2 days respectively for that single minute every Friday and Sunday at 12 o'clock noon (which was when ”Our Winter” was airing on tiktok where I live), and I wasn't disappointed even once, because, as I said, Yim and Tutor gave the BL world 14 minutes of pure cuteness. My only complaint is this: I wished the final episode had been a little longer – you'll know what I mean when you watch it.

So if you still don't know what cuteness is, I would advise you to watch ”Our Winter”. Binge-watching won't take longer than 14 minutes, and even if you miss intellectual depth or a sophisticated plot (although there are some unexpected twists that will make you smile), you'll only have wasted 14 minutes of your precious lifetime.

You will find more reviews of BL series and short films, including some from countries not covered by MDL, such as Myanmar, Vietnam, or Singapore, here : https://www.wattpad.com/user/DominicKebre

Read More

When ”gross” and ”disgusting” mean ”I love you”

I was thrilled when season 2 of ”Utsukushii Kare” ("My Beautiful Man") was announced, because in my opinion season 1 was one of the best BL series of 2021. After the four short episodes of season 2 I can only say that this is probably going to be one of the best series of 2023.

On the surface, the relationship of Hira (Hagiwara Riku) and Kiyoi (Yagi Yusai) still looks like a typical unrequited love, with Hira worshipping his ”beautiful man” Kiyoi like a god, and Kiyoi ”insulting” Hira time and again by calling him ”gross” or ”disgusting” (which is his way of saying ”I love you”) although they have been living together for quite some time. Their relationship has been called toxic or asymmetric by some viewers, but it isn't. In fact, both characters are scared to be left behind by their lovers, and although Hira obviously has a mental problem, i.e. the complete lack of self-confidence, and thus seems to be the weaker of the two, Kiyoi is just as scared as Hira that their relationship won't last.

The seemingly asymmetric relationship is not only based on Hira's feeling of inferiority, but it is reinforced by the fact that Kiyoi is a talented, aspiring actor on his way to becoming a celebrity, whereas Hira, a talented photographer, doesn't find a job after graduation. So it makes perfect sense that their relationship becomes more equal when Hira finally gets a job as the assistant of a famous photographer, and Hira and Kiyoi's kiss in the final episode is a relief to everybody who wishes these two lovely characters well.

”Utsukushii Kare 2” underscores once again that often a short series with short episodes can be so much more satisfying than 14 episodes of 60 minutes that keep dragging on and on. If a series is written as well as this one, and if directing, editing, locations, and cinematography are so good, and if it focuses on the main protagonists and doesn't create artificial drama, it can succeed in displaying the main characters and their development in a depth that is often missed in long Thai series.

The cherry on top of this beautiful series is Hagiwara Riku and Yagi Yusai's acting. Hira's stuttering, a symbol of his lack of self confidence, and Kiyoi's arrogance and rudeness are just brilliant acting, and their shy and secret smiles indicate what's going on inside these two young men who depend on each other, and who are living evidence of the saying that opposites attract. Although the series focuses on Hira and Kiyoi's story, we meet some of the characters of season 1 again, among them lovely Koyama (Takano Akira), who – although his love of Hira was one-sided - still tries to encourage Hira as a photographer.

It has been a joy watching this series, and I'm thrilled again because we'll only have to wait for little more than a month to meet Hira and Kiyoi again when the movie ”My Beautiful Man: Eternal” will be released.

Read More

Great entertainment that may make you smile

Wayufilm have once again produced a true little gem, a short film that is as beautiful as almost all of their movies. It is a quiet, sensitive story of two young men who meet for the first time, which is what the title refers to, so don't be disappointed when you notice that it isn't the ”first time” that you may have expected.

The plot is rather simple. Sud Yod (Klong Chindanai), a successful online gamer with a huge number of followers, has a pain in his back, so he decides to go to a massage parlour that sponsors his channel to get a free oil massage. As all the regular masseurs are busy, the young receptionist Num Un (Night Yodsakon), who is one of Sud Yod's followers, gives him a massage for the first time. Num Un is shy and afraid that he may not be good enough a masseur, but Sud Yod feels very comfortable and praises the young man. When Sud Yod goes online again after the massage at the end of the movie, Num Un sends him a message, promising him to ”massage him for ever and ever”, so we can conclude that those two may become friends or even lovers, but this is left to the viewers' imagination (or a sequel?).

Like most Wayufilm movies, the story is being told slowly and sensitively. But it is the actors who make the viewer feel the story, because both of them play their parts very naturally. In his amazing performance in his first lead role as tha ”Male Entertainer”, Klong has already proven that he is a talented actor, and Night plays the shy, reluctant ”first timer” so convincingly that his acting appears completely realistic. And just as Klong is a very attractive, handsome young man, Night is an adorable, cute boy.

In some Thai movies, it is embarrassing that actors stare at each other without saying anything for ages. In this movie, however, staring at each other isn't embarrassing at all, because it just shows how insecure, and at the same time attracted to each other the two characters feel. When they are silently thinking about what to say next, one can guess what each of them are thinking by reading their facial expressions. The credits say that Mon Hatsawatchon was the acting coach, and sometimes one can notice that it was he who taught the two young men how to act.

Director Nicchi has helped some young talents like Oak, Mon, and Ryu to grow into good actors who have made their way into the viewers' hearts and I am sure Nicchi will do the same to Klong and Night if they follow his guidance.

When I was watching the movie, I did not fall asleep like Sud Yod did when he was given his relaxing massage, but I calmed down, found myself smiling from beginning to end, and forgot all the daily trouble for half an hour. So in my opinion, this is a piece of great entertainment that may make you smile, too.

You can find all my reviews of BL series and movies here:
https://www.wattpad.com/user/DominicKebre

Read More

How beautiful the moon is!

This is the second time that a BL series revolves around the reactions of people facing the end of the world. The first one, ”Love at the End of the World”, directed by the late Shandii Bacolod, was reviewed extremely controversially – some commentators called it a masterpiece while others criticised the non-linear storytelling and allegedly unnecessary NC-scenes, to name just a few complaints.

”Till The World Ends” has been discussed controversially, too, and this time the main point of criticism was the false scientific aspects. If the moon were approaching the Earth as closely as shown in the series, commentators claimed, there would be natural disasters, e.g. flooding Bangkok etc. This criticism doesn't take into account that this isn't a scientific documentary, but a work of fiction, and the threat of the moon crashing into Earth is a metaphor for people, or rather a complete civilisation, facing a life-threatening situation.

The series follows two groups of young people. Golf (Best Anavil), his brother Gus (Michael Kiettisak) and Art (Art Pakpoom) are the good guys (with some flaws, though), whereas a gang including Long (Knight Pichayut), Joke (Songklod Kunlachat) and a very evil girl, who resembles the young Britney Spears, aim at killing as many people as possible before the world ends.

Gus, who has been in jail as a leader of anti-government protests, joins Golf and Art at Golf's condo. Art and Golf have fallen in love, but their love is based on Golf's lie about how they met. He tells Art, who has lost his memory, that Art fell down the stairs, but it was actually Golf who hit him a guitar on the head, because he was jealous after Art had been talking to Golf's girlfriend.

The two groups meet several times, and Golf defends Art by killing one of the evil guys. Golf is injured in this fight, and Art stitches his wound which probably hurts the viewer more than the actor. Art, Golf, and Gus meet a lovely lady called Sis Mam (Pong Kusuma) who lives in the same building as Golf with her dog, but the bad guys use the dog, which had run away and been caught by them, to make Mam open the door for them. They kill lovely Mam, which again is a hurtful scene for the viewers, and in the ensuing fight, Golf kills the evil girl.

Golf, Gus, and Art decide to leave Bangkok and drive North, hoping to reach a bunker near the border to Laos. On their way they meet another lovely person, a sick, old man who tells them about a bunker, where he spent a short time, but only rich people have a pleasant life there, whereas poor people live in miserable conditions so that he decides to go back to his house to spend his last days there.

He gives the young men his car, and they drive to Art's house, where the bad guys are already waiting for them. Long and Joke overwhelm Golf, Gus and Art and tie them up, and when the bad guys have just decided to stop killing people, the good guys can free themselves, so there is another fierce fight.

The final episode is a rollercoaster like the series as a whole – the ugliest bloodbath is contrasted with the most beautiful, quiet and loving scenes. And when everybody has accepted that Golf and Art die together hugging as the moon crashes into the Earth, writer and director Aam gives us a glimpse of hope. So after the sad ending there is a very short moment of a happy one, what a relief.

Let me repeat that this is not a scientific documentary, so there is no use asking how realistic the plot is. The question is rather, how realistic the thoughts and actions of the characters are, given the life-threatening situation of the end of the world. Aam Anusorn succeeds in showing that people act radically in such a situation – bad people will act more evil than normal, whereas good people will show fear, love, but also the will to survive as long as possible. The latter may mean that they have to use violence to defend themselves.

Aam Anusorn also succeeds in criticising the current state of Thailand, where even murderers are allowed to find shelter in bunkers, but ”enemies of the state”, elderly people, and drug dealers aren't. The conditions in the bunkers mirrors the social conditions in Thailand where rich and well educated people live a pleasant life, while the poor and badly educated masses lead a miserable life.

The script has drama, comedy, tragedy, violence, deceit, jealousy, and love, so there is everything a good series should have. The cinematography is good – dark scenes are contrasted with beautiful shots of the Thai landscape and a huge moon, even with aurora borrealis.

Director Aam Anusorn has gathered experienced actors who are able to play their characters very much like real human beings, who aren't one-dimensional, but have their good as well as their bad sides. Best is able to display Golf's contradictory character traits convincingly, Art is not only extremely handsome, but also allows his character to be shy, fearful, but in some situation also courageous, and Michael Kiettisak, one of my favourite Thai actors, has one of the most heartbreaking scenes when he tells the story of his and Golf's childhood in front of a breathtaking vista. I've already mentioned Pong Kusuma, who makes everybody love her character, Sis Mam.

To sum up, the plot and the characters of ”Till The World Ends” are very different from your usual high school or college BL series, which often ends with the main couple's shy kiss. Here, the guys who like guys have gay sex, and there are some good reasons why some of the episodes are age-restricted. I already said before that this series has been reviewed quite controversially. I am one of the many viewers who like it, because it brings some fresh air to a genre that is all too often stuck in the same old tropes, none of which will bore you in this series. So I would like to thank Aam Anusorn and his cast and crew for putting their energy, hearts, minds and skills into this project. Among many other things, some of the most beautiful pictures in this series have reminded me of how beautiful the moon is.

Read More

A tribute to people with special needs

”Osmosis” isn't meant to be an ordinary BL series - Zeed Digital Production, the company that produced it, says it is meant to explore the life of persons with disabilities, which is quite a unique approach for a BL series, and I appreciate the good intention of the project very much.

The plot revolves around the siblings Jessica (Gezzle Marter) and James (James Ramada), whose mother died after their father, Papa Mario (Mar Soriano) left the family. When James was a little boy, he was abused by his father's friend Berto, who was killed shortly after, and Papa Mario left, because he was falsely accused of having murdered Berto (the murder was obviously drug-related). The childhood trauma makes James become mute, and he was only able to speak with his sister for a long time. When he gets older, he – secretly at first, but more and more open later - stalks his childhood friend Nic (Nic Galvez), who doesn't recognise him after their long separation. Nic even insults James for following him all the time.

One night, Nic is attacked and beaten up in front of James' house, and James and Jessica help him. After this, Nic and James get closer, and James starts talking to Nic, after they confess their love to each other. Then, however, James misinterprets an encounter of Nic and his ex-girlfriend Yasmin, and tries to commit suicide (although the reason for his seemingly unrelated suicide will only be revealed later).

One day, Papa Mario returns and meets Paolo (JC Santiago), a stutterer, who invites him to his home and later escorts him to a reunion with his son and daughter. Paolo's close friend Dave (Kiel Aguilar) later confesses to Paolo, and they become a couple, too. There is some jealousy when Dave thinks that Paolo looks too much at James, and Nic also gets jealous, but fortunately these misunderstandings are resolved soon.

All this time, Berto's son Diego/Dante, who suffers from Dissociative Identity Disorder, vows in an obscure ceremony on his father's grave to take revenge and kill Papa Mario. When Papa Mario has reunited with his children and goes to a market with Paolo, Dave, Nic, James, and Jessica, Diego shoots at him but hits Dave's arm. Nic knocks Diego down and is furious, but Papa Mario stops him and succeeds in calming Diego down (which is not really very credible, tbh).

After Papa Mario takes Diego/Dante to a prison to meet Berto's real murderer, Diego/Dante realises that Papa Mario isn't the murderer he thought he was (which also feels unrealistic), and reconciles with him. Finally, all the protagonists gather in James and Jessica's home, and James, who has gotten rid of his selective mutism, tearfully forgives Diego/Dante, which may be okay, and his father Berto, which comes too soon, and in real life may not happen at all, and thus isn't credible.

All this may sound a little confusing, and I must admit that it is confusing sometimes, especially as there are some more subplots that I won't mention here. But then we all know that life itself is confusing, and this series is very realistic and partly feels like a docudrama similar to Filipino BL series like ”Padayon” or ”Stranger's Kiss”. On the other hand, I wonder if there isn't an overload of a) characters and b) disabilities, which makes some episodes a little hard to swallow.

On the technical side, the series suffers from the same flaws as many other Filipino low budget productions. Let's not forget that Richard Tolentino did not only write the script, but also casted the actors and actresses and directed the series, and as this is his first longer work, some of the flaws can be excused. The sound isn't always very good, and the editing is a little bumpy sometimes. I also don't like that some scenes, like the attack on Nic, are literally left in the dark. A continuity sloppiness that could have been avoided is that James has a bandage on his left arm in one scene in episode 6 instead of his right arm. I am confident that Tolentino's future work will improve through ”learning by doing”, and these flaws will be avoided.

What is much better than in many low budget series, though, is the acting. Richard Tolentino has managed to gather a bunch of talented and handsome actors and actresses. Without disrespecting the others, let me mention six of them. James Ramada has been one of my favourite Pinoy actors for some time, and he again proves that he knows what acting is. Some of his scenes were really heartbreaking.

His partner in this show, Nic Galvez, was as good as James, which was a surprise to me as I guess that he isn't as experienced as James. JC Santiago and Mar Soriano also have some very strong scenes. Harwin Medez plays Diego/Dante so convincingly that I really wouldn't like to meet him alone in a dark alley, and if I were asked who I thought was the most handsome of all these handsome young men, I must confess that for me it was Kiel Aguilar.

As I already mentioned before, I do appreciate the good intention of integrating persons with disabilities in a BL series, and this series is worth watching despite its minor technical flaws. It may have been better to restrict the number of characters as well as the number of disabilities addressed here, e.g. mentioning that Paolo's brother Ron was also mute was just too much.

If you want to watch a fluffy feelgood show, this isn't a series for you. But if you want to watch a BL series that also displays the real problems of people with disabilities, and a show with talented, handsome actors, and talented, pretty actresses, this is one for you.

Read More

My favourite BL series of 2022

It is interesting, that some of the best BL series this year revolved around the topic of the life after death - ”On Cloud Nine”, ”Eternal Yesterday”, ”Something in my Room”, and of course the most beautiful series of 2022, ”Choco Milk Shake”. I was excited when Strongberry announced this series, because this South Korean production company has never disappointed the BL community with their short films, and the worst thing about CMS was that we had to wait for those magic 12 minutes on Tuesdays and Thursdays when it aired.

The plot is a fairy tale: Choco and Milk, Jungwoo's dog and cat, want to reunite with him after they died (Choco in a car accident and Milk because of an illness), and they find a way to cross the rainbow bridge and meet him in human shape. The three of them spend a short, but beautiful time together, before Choco and Milk have to return to their place in heaven, from where they will watch Jongwoo for the rest of his life. For a moment, Choco is tempted to stay with Jungwoo, but Milk reminds him that he will be gone for good if he does.

This sounds very much like the plots of other animal-to-human series like ”Meow Ears Up”, but CMS is unique in that it is the cutest and most fluffy series of 2022, but at the same time has always an undertone of angst, because the viewer realises very soon that Choco and Milk won't stay with Jungwoo for long, and I know that many people around the world were scared like me thinking of the moment we would have to say goodbye to Choco and Milk.

When Choco and Milk actually leave in episode 10, this is one of the saddest moments in any BL series I've watched so far, but Strongberry wouldn't be Strongberry, if they didn't make Choco and Milk come back once again in episode 11 – ”this time not to make Jung Woo happy, but for their own happiness” - so that the ”magical love story” can go on for another 99 days or so.

But it isn't only the story that makes this series the most beautiful of 2022, it is also the acting. Lee Jae Bin as Choco and Kim Seong Hyuk as Milk must have spent a lot of time observing cats and dogs, because in every action, with every facial expression it is absolutely clear what kind of animal they used to be in their previous lives. Go Ho Jung as Jung Woo and Park Seung Bin as Jung Woo's uncle, and the owner of the bar where his nephew works, are good actors, too.

Cinematography, directing and editing are first class like in all Strongberry productions, so there is literally nothing to complain about. The live chats during the premieres of the episodes were a gathering of enthusiastic fans of the series from all continents, and all the episodes have been watched by more than a million viewers, the first episode even by more than 3 millions. This proves that Strongberry have hit the nail on the head once again.

Read More