Unpopularopinionbydemand

Cute Korean BL

Out of the recent Korean BL's I've tried to sit through (Peach of Time, My Sweet Dear), which caused me extreme boredom, and slight chronic insomnia, you couldn't imagine my reaction when this series popped up next on my watch list. it's the mix of Korean BL's being hysterically short, and disrespectfully rushed that draws me out of their stories, but finally, a BL that I can give at least some type of credit to. Not for being anything different than a regular K-BL, but at least for keeping me entertained. The Tasty Florida was a simplistic plot with beautiful-looking characters and chemistry that I can support.

Let's Dive In.

The Tasty Florida was another extremely short Korean BL, that follows a similar path of My Sweet Dear, but less dull, and characters that I can actually enjoy. It starts off with the new dude falling in the arms of another dude, giving us the perfect love at first sight trope, and from there were introduced to new people, a very weak love triangle, and a rushed ending. However, this series was super laid-back and beautiful -- starting from the restaurant, to the actors themselves. But again, this series suffers from the same matters that other Korean BLs do -- which is sad to say, cause this one had such great potential to be one of the best K-BLs, but instead it falls right under being just good enough.

The things I enjoyed about TTF: Let's give credit where credit is due -- all of the actors are gorgeous. Yoohwan and Kanghyuk have sharp features and blinding smiles, not to mention their incredible build. Seungjun has such an entertaining hairstyle, that fits perfectly with his lean stature, and mesmerizing facial structure. Woomin is adorable, with a childlike aspect in his face, and windswept hair, but Zeze hits different. he's like a God. He looks so ethereal and majestic that he can't be true. so unbelievable that I had to pause the screen for a moment and just gawk at his beauty. And to add on, they all put on a really nice performance. I liked Yoohwan's the most, with Kanghyuk playing a close second. But either way, they all did a really good job. I'd say the lowest acting-wise was Zeze, but even then, he's done better than others I've watched.

I also really did enjoy the chemistry between Seo Hae Won and Baek Eun Kyu. I'm a sucker for the "realizing-I'm-falling-in-love" trope, and just watching two people gain connection and build up chemistry until it reaches its peak and it has to climax. and these two are great examples of that. I wish that it could've been developed a little longer, but then again, that would mean we'd need a longer series, but for what we got, I was satisfied. I think these two did an amazing job at showing their chemistry through eye contact and simple gestures. I absolutely loved them.

I'd have to add on that the production was really nice. I loved the scenery of the restaurant. The colorful vibes and the cool warm pastels accentuated the mood of the series. I liked the overall cinematography of it all.

Some things that needed improving: Cha Ji Soo was treated horribly. I was actually very much interested in this character and very much so rooting for him and Seo Hae Won for half a second. But sadly, the love triangle this show tries to have is so weak that it's barely even there. Of course, we already know who the lead will end up with in the beginning, but if they're going to go for a love triangle then I think they should've gone full force. Have Seo Hae Won also develop feelings for Ji Soo. Have them maybe end up kissing, or have a conversation about it. Love triangles are because the lead is in love with both choices, not just one. Also, how Ji Soo decided that he would be okay with watching the guy he likes and his best friend dating every single day at work is beyond me.

The dojo thing was very pointless. It didn't drive any plot, it didn't raise any conflicts -- it was just there. Sure, the scene with them rustling and rolling around on the mat was cute, but what other justice did it serve? Nothing! That time could've been used to add more plot, to build more connections. I would rather see more Zeze being godly than a dojo.

The ending was rushed, and the year time jump through me completely off guard. Not to mention, that there wasn't any type of character change in regards to features or just relationships over a period of time. I hate time jumps when they don't show a change of growth in characters. Them crying in each other's arms was cute, but I think just 5 or 6 months with him away would've been fine.

Ratings:

Story: 9 - From what we got in this short series, the story was good. I'll take off a star for the weird time jump, and the rushed ending.

Acting: 8.5 - Everyone did a really good job. There were some hiccups here and there, and some acting choices should've been different, but overall, it was good.

OST: 5 - I don't remember it which means it wasn't a distraction but was also not anything to recollect.

Rewatch Value: 1 - I might actually go back to watch certain parts of this series, like Sao Hae Won cuddling a drunk Eun Kyu.

I recommend this series for anyone wanting a quick and pretty lighthearted watch.

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Not Confused but Disoriented

I read the comments to get an overall audience view of this series, in which most of them were negative, but I was still willing to give this a chance. I need to start paying more attention to these opinions, cause I really sat through 5 episodes of complete garbage (and I say that in the nicest way possible.) Deal Lover had to be some of the crappiest acting I've seen in a while, with an unlikeable Het couple and straight-as-all-get-out BL pairing.

Let's Dive In.

I was actually pretty intrigued by the synopsis. I didn't hate the first episode; sure, it carried on longer than need be, the first 15 minutes are boring as hell, and the acting is already atrocious, but I looked past all that so that I could really dip my toes into the characters, and I actually wasn't too disappointed. Except it continues to get worst with every episode.

First is the plot. So different, something I was enthralled about before even watching, but sadly the execution is sad -- embarrassing even. I wanted them to do more with the grandma than they did. They kind of just made her look like a crazy old woman than a person dealing with Alzheimer's. They should've dove deeper into this disease and put parts of its attributed into the series. The grandma was passed as just goofy and forgetful, and it really did hurt. More with the plot, they had such a unique concept and didn't use it like they were supposed to. So boring, I mean EXTREMELY boring. I don't care to watch Milan vlog, or do anything, to be honest. Most of the het shit is them feuding and then not. I started skipping their parts mid-third episode. (They got married.... after 7 days...??)

That's another poor decision of this series. You can't take any of these relationships seriously cause they've all started in the span of three days, two nights. No one's relationship was nice to watch knowing that they just met only a few hours before. Both couples are rushed fast as hell and try to seem so in love, but it passes as delusional and lowkey obsessive.

Onto the BL pairing. I really have no words. Both actors look catastrophically uncomfortable around each other and like they were held at gunpoint to be in this. They had a good amount of BL tropes, but all were very poorly acted, and again, cringe as hell. I'll give props to Tam's actor though -- his acting wasn't all that great, but it was inferior compared to Tokyo's who looked like his dad dragged him there. So bad. So bad that I don't know how anyone else wasn't casted. Their relationship was rushed, all their lines were so bland and boring, and their acting was just the rotten cherry on top. The only part I found seemingly cute was when Tam grabbed Tokyo's face and THAT'S IT.

Production is last cause I have to scream about this. I've seen lower-quality budget films do 100x better than whatever the freak this was. Yes, this series was also low-budget, but that does not give this series an excuse for the poor editing and terrible amount of continuity errors. this series is really something else. Usually, production is decent, but with this series, it felt lower than mediocre. Sad, just really sad.

Some other things that might just be me: did anyone feel like they cut the camera to add tears to Tam's face?? Like his tears looked fake, I can't explain it, I really can't. Din does not pass as a chef at freaking all, more like a kid in a costume. Milan being a high-key homophobic?

Overall, I don't recommend this show. Had I also realized this was a side BL, I would've never tuned in in the first place. I love seeing small series like this with new faces, especially in Thailand when they have other series to go up against like ones from Studio Wabi-Sabi and GMMTV. I usually root for the underdogs, but this was just a complete disappointment. This series needed to have done some regrouping before this shit, Lord have Mercy.

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Sweet Domestic Love Story

I can't get enough of this sweet web series Gameplay and jeff have my complete heart, and I'm so sad that this ongoing series that felt like it had been on for a lifetime has finally ended. A beautiful friendship turns to romance, with some incredible-looking food, and you have yourself a hella good BL.

Let's Dive In.

Let's start off with Jeff and how amazing his voice is. I don't like listening to people sing, mostly because it's super cringey or off-key, but I can't tell you how many times I went back to replay the parts of his singing. I would pay real money to go see him in concert. Onto Gameplay. Now, I don't know if he really coos, but the food in this was immaculate. I think my favorite parts were him cooking, and putting together the meals he made. It just all looked so delicious, and I'm glad that this show continued to follow the concept of ingredients and cooking.

For the most part, this is a very, very, very slow-burning relationship. I don't think we get to see them actually together until the last few episodes. For the rest, it's these cute moments that build up to them starting to develop feelings for one another. The beautiful domestic dynamic that they had was something I can only dream to have. I think the only problem that I had with this show is the duration of the episodes. ost episodes weren't longer than 15 minutes if that. I would've rather a longer duration and shorter episodes if anything. I don't believe they're making a second season, but if they do, I can't wait to see more of Gameplay and Jeff, and the amazing onscreen chemistry they have. A definite recommendation, it's the best thing ever.

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Oh Lord

I feel bad for being just another review that skips the main story and jumps straight into the BL. But, sadly, I m another reviewer that is skipping the main story and jumping straight into the BL part of this series. don't get me wrong, I tried watching the actual series in hopes that I would turn out to like it more than I thought I would, but I couldn't get past the first episode. So I just skipped for Pete and Kao's parts. Ooops.

Let's dive in.

Production: I can't remember too much ( I watched this a while ago) but I do remember that there were a lot of ads stuck in the middle of the stories. It takes away so much of the characterization when half of their scenes is them promoting a company. Other than that, just your usual production.

Story: Obviously, I didn't watch the majority of the series, but from Pete and Kao's story, it was okay. Not a fan of enemies to lovers, and they had a lot to do with that. Not that I despise it, but the thought of your enemy falling in love with you never felt quite realistic to me.

Acting: Tay and New are incredible actors and I once again enjoyed them very much in this series.

COUPLES

Pete and Kao: 7/10

Like I said, not a fan of enemies to lovers, so Pete and Kao weren't my favorites, But I did enjoy watching them. Some of their scenes did come off as being super cringe, and at times I really felt like I should just turn it off completely, but I'm glad I didn't since their story carries over in DBK. Their relationship felt a little rushed, and they got together so fast. There was just such a weird switch in them hating each other and then loving each other.

FIRST KISS RATING: 1/10 - cringe-fest. No, accidental kisses are the death of me. I only accept Ae and Pete's.

RECOMMEND? No. Absolutely not. You can watch DBK without the need of watching this one, which is what I should've done, but oh well.

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Sensual in the Most Non-Sexual Way Ever, OMG

I'm so glad I waited to binge this because this was everything and more to me. Punk's Triangle, the tale of a punk fashion student's love for AE the model, is strong in it's plot, and even stronger in it's tension.

Let's Dive In.

The series kept me entertained in the best way possible. Not once was I watching and just utterly annoyed with anything. Each episode brought something new or carried another important step in our leads' connection and it's brilliant.

Sensuality. Look it up in the dictionary and this series will be its definition. I feel like it's very rare for me to come across a series that is pretty low-heat but the most non-sexual sensual tension I have ever witness. I probably watched that bathroom scene from episode 3 more times that I'm willing to admit. Enaga's way of instructing Chiaki is the hottest thing on the plant. The bathroom scene, the belly-button piercing scene, their first kiss. I mean just the way in which he looks at him, his soothing voice, his calm demeanor. Fucking sensational.

Yasunari (Enaga/AE) as an actor is just so freaking brilliant. If you told me that Enaga and AE were played by two different actors, I would believe you. I know hair and makeup and clothes play a huge role in changing someone's appearance (along with facial piercings), but it's so much more than that with this character. As AE, he's confident, he's bold with his posture, he's gorgeous and he knows it. As Enaga, he's more closed-in on himself, shy, quiet, completely opposite to his stage presence, even down to the way in which he walk. I know some people harp on the fact that Chiaki couldn't tell Enaga was AE, but to be fair, outside of their height, I deadass wouldn't be able to tell either. The costume department did not have to eat so hard, oh my god.

I don't usually hope for second seasons, but if the creators of this could give me more Enaga/Chiaki I will forever be grateful.

Ratings:

Story: 9/10 - It's short, but it's good. kept me engaged in all eight episodes (I literally finished this in a day). Loved the leads, loved the story.

Acting: 9.5/10 - Bravo, Fujibayashi Yasunari. Ryota (Chiaki) doesn't stand out as much only because of the brilliant work of his co-star, but he did good as well.

Music: 6/10 - didn't pay much attention to it, but I thought the theme song was nice.

Recommendation Value: 9/10 - I had originally thought this was going to be a darker series for some reason (idk why) but this is so cute and lighthearted with low-heat, so I hundred percent think everyone should watch. And don't think I'm not going to rave about how fucking ethereal Yasunari looks. Gave me fucking butterflies and shit like I'm some little school girl, holy fuck. Watch for him.

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Lost

I must've been half asleep for this episode because I'm having a hard time remembering anything good I liked from this episode besides them being attractive.

Let's Dive In,

The guy was in love with his famous step-brother. Yay, we are once again romanticizing incest. God, I love BL.

Don’t ask me what happened in this episode cause I have zero knowledge. Meng Meng was a BL fan and was trying to deliberately get her best friend and his step-brother together. With her whole chest, she thought there was nothing wrong with shipping a brother and his step sibling. I just gave it a four cause I don’t know where my head was at during this episode, and I would go back to re-watch it, but I’m really not interested.

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Disneyifed

My overall thought...you saw the title. But outside of that, I think there is such a disconnect for me when it comes to this series, and I was seriously excited about this one. Memoir or Rati showed us a beautiful take on love in a Thai historical setting, but the overall presence of everything: characters, plot, romances, political upheaval, etc., unfortunately did not meet the mark for me.

Let's Dive In.

I want to dive into my statement about this being Disneyifed. Because that's exactly what it feels like. When I was first introduced to the premise of Memoir of Rati, I had so much hope that this was going to be less fluff more grit. Unfortunately, that was the complete opposite. I wanted to see fight, I wanted to see tragedy, especially in an historical piece like this. But, everything, even the more tragic scenes, had this veil of fluff that followed. I didn't hate the comedic parts of this, I think it worked, but it just completely threw me off of what was at stake here. Too many times, when I wanted to feel something for a scene, it cuts into a moment where it's trying to make me laugh. Urgh. And then by the end, everything worked perfectly for everybody, which is completely unrealistic for a setting taking place in 1915 CE. But GMMTV just had to make this happy-go-lucky, just had to make everyone's scenarios so perfect. Personally, I wanted more. A lot more tears and less comedic background music. On top of that, I really disliked the cinematography. I try not to compare every Thai historical BL to one another, but this was so white-washed and dreamy-looking, I hated it.

In my humble opinion, I think this series was rushed, as in, they made this too quickly, and because of that, the plot and the characters fall short. I really think they had an idea what they wanted to happen, and then, because of whatever obstacles or challenges, it just didn't end up being what it was suppose to be. And to also add to my point, some scenes felt like they were oddly cut, or the music would start and then randomly cut, not fade out, or have a smooth transition. I think in all aspects, this was rushed, the editing, the performances from the actors, and the overall plot.

Now, moving onto the plot. I was confused. I won't lie, I have zero idea who anyone was, what their roles played, or how historical Thailand worked. That might've been a me-thing, but I couldn't keep up. Also, with what little time Inn had to learn how to speak French, I personally didn't find it to be just god-awful, but I also don't speak french, so this is coming from a person that could obviously hear the struggle in his voice when speaking french, but I think to learn a language in a short amount of time, he did good. This also goes back to my point of, why not a hire somebody that is Thai who speaks fluent French (i'm sure they're out there somewhere) to play the part. Because GMMTV priorities the actors before the piece of work they're trying to create.

Moving onto the romances: I think they were fine. I think both couples do well, with Aou and Boom coming first. I think there was a giant disconnect for me when it came to Inn and Great's romance. It felt... awkward almost? Aou and Boom performed great, and, even though I wasn't a huge fan of the comedy, it was nice to see them play these funny dudes. I think should've seen more from them, but oh well.

But, don't worry, there was some stuff I liked! Again, I really liked Aou and Boom's characters, and their romance. I did enjoy seeing the wardrobes, especially Thee's outfits, which were immaculate. There are also some scenes that I did find beautifully told, or just beautifully shot. The plot with Rati's aunt is whatI found as the most interesting, especially as we learn that his real mom died and his aunt was the one that raised him.

Rating:

Story: 6.5/10 - Eh. Okay. kinda boring, won't lie. Thee and Rati's romance felt stale and stiff most of the time, also seemed extremely awkward in some cases.

Acting: 8.5/10 I think everyone did well. Nothing spectacular, but good.

Music: 6/10 - Didn't pay much attention to it.

Recommendation Value: 5/10 - I'd recommend only if you just love AouBoom or GreatInn, but otherwise, this historical BL can be skipped. Not even Great's abs could help save this for me.

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ITSAY Sweeps The Competition!

I'll keep this short cause there are PLENTY of reviews, but ITSAY was a masterpiece. Beautifully executed through the scenery, the acting, and the story. This was my first time seeing PP and Billkin, and they did NOT leave me disappointed. A beautiful teenage love story that will coerce the BL industry for sure.

Let's Dive In.

The acting was the best I've ever seen in BL. A huge job-well-done to all of the cast, but, I specifically want to point out the young Teh and Oh-aew. THE BEST ACTING DONE BY CHILDREN EVER. LIKE LITERALLY EVER. I have never felt so much emotion come from a kid ever before. Let's hope to see them in future projects,

A part of me wanted this show to switch up and actually have Bas and Oh-aew end up together. While I think Teh is a good person and would a 100 percent make as a great boyfrned, something in me pined for Bas and Oh-aew more. In season two, I want to see that Bas gets his happy ending.

Overall, this series was breathtaking and beautiful. I have to give an extra applause for the underwater kiss that took my breath away. Another extra applause for the production team, an absolute masterpiece. This BL has for sure paved the way for how we should hopefully be seeing future BLs to come.

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It's FUN!

A fun continuation of a quirky little BL series that has been such a joy to watch. The show continues poking fun at the slightly ridiculous and cliché ways the BL world operates, and once again, it absolutely nails the comedy. Every episode had me laughing, and it left me looking forward to the finale.

Let's Dive In.

Not much to say! This season sticks to the same winning formula it has for the past two seasons. It follows our beloved "NPC" protagonist as he does everything in his power to avoid ending up in a pairing, leading to plenty of hilarious situations along the way. I like how each episode focused on two BL tropes, particularly the tickling and school festival being pretty fun.

The lead does, as always, a perfect job with his acting and everyone else is fun too. Overall, as you can see from this review, this series is FUN ! so watch it!

Ratings:

Story: 8.5/10 - Still as hilarious as ever. A few draggy parts, but otherwise, good!

Acting: 9/10 - I love the hyperbolic acting out of Japan. It's so cringe, but it knows that it is, which is why it's so perfect.

Music: 6/10 - Nice little theme song.

Recommendation Values: 9/10 - Yes! it's a nice series to just sit back and relax and not really care about what's happening. Laugh, awe a little, maybe even cry, who knows.

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Tedium Watch

I diligently skimmed through the last three episodes. My Romance Scammer prolongs the inevitable which is an obvious happy ending. I think this is why the new 10 eps per series rule is a good one, except, they completely disregarded it for MRS. This would've definitely benefited more towards that rule as 12 episode of practically nothing but back and forth-ness could've helped to wrap things up more quickly.

Let's Dive In.

This felt like watching an old GMMTV series from 2017. There's a lack of substance and missing nuance that makes this an incredibly dulling watch. The highlights are, of course and as per usual, Junior and Louis. I'm not totally convinced of Ohm and Poon as of now. There was a slight disconnect in their chemistry, but rom-coms are hard to impresses me as it is, so that could've been a large reason why too. Maybe they'll impress in their side-pairing in EarthMix's new series, but until then, I felt nothing.

Skimmed through the last three episodes cause I had lost interest at that point. This is a fun, turn-your-brain-off kind of series, and while I'm not against these types of series, this story stopped working for me very early on. However, I still have lots of faith in JuniorMark, and am getting there with OhmPoon. Until next time, I guess...

Ratings:

Story: 6/10 - Dull. Boring. Tedious. Some funny moments. Good kiss scenes.

Acting: 8/10 - No one really stood out as being just top-notch, spectacular, but per usual, I really enjoyed seeing Junior and Louis on my screen.

Music: 6/10 - Wasn't distracting.

Recommendation Value: 4/10 - Ehh. Not something I'd recommend, maybe to someone really interested in seeing their fave, but otherwise, it's a skip.

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Crushed by Poor Writing

There is no excuse for the absolute shitshow that Reloved was other than the writing. The writers arrived, decided they didn't feel like writing for real, and gave the audience a "here, damn," series. This can be the only plausible reason that this series forgets that adults have brains and can use them.

Let's Dive In.

Before I go into just the poorness of the writing, I will say; certain parts of this series works and are enjoyable. The second leads were fun, the kids were adorable, and the office dynamic had charm. But it's completely crushed by the weight of extreme miscommunication, a handful of boring episodes, and a completely idiotic death. The acting is also just eh, but the writing is so much worse that you don't pay much attention to it.

This was a very fun concept. Exes with "kids" find each other again. When we, as the audience, realize that Mawin isn’t Akin’s biological son and might actually be Than’s, it’s a solid plot twist. Unfortunately, the execution is painfully clumsy. You mean to tell me Akin couldn't use his big-boy mouth and tell a grown man that he has a kid? Imagine going years knowing that your ex has a son that he doesn't know about because of you. And then Than forgives him almost instantly? Cue the long, exhausted sigh. The emotional fallout should have been massive, but instead it’s brushed aside far too easily.

The second leads are nice. They also have nice sex, albeit, a little unnecessary, but still they're nice. The issue is that their conflict is introduced far too late, and just when they reconcile, Don is suddenly killed off. It feels entirely manufactured for shock value, The death doesn’t align with the tone or trajectory of the story. It's random and out of the blue, and just drew off a very large crowd from wanting to watch this series. I'm also not giving it the rating I'm giving it just because of his death; I think death, if justifiable, can work in a series (History 3: Make Our Days Count). Here, it just doesn't work at all.

The actual leads are extremely underwhelming. I don't hate them, I just don't yearn for them. Like at all. I also think they're NC scene are pretty cringe. But thank you for taking off your shirts, Golf and Peter, we really needed that.

Most of the side characters exist purely to fill space. I did enjoy the office friendships; those moments felt natural and added some needed levity. And as for the guy with braids, we’re collectively pretending he never existed, for my own well-being.

Ratings:

Story: 6/10 - The entire plot is ran on a laughable miscommunication that two adults should be able to talk about. The plot before it's revealed that Mawin is maybe Than's son is fun, though. The second leads are also fun until they are not.

Acting: 7.5/10 - The acting is okay. I didn't really see any performance worth noting. The seconds leads were good, but still nothing more than okay.

Music: 6/10 - Wasn't distracting.

Recommendation Value: 3/10 - Honestly, the NC scenes from the seconds leads are fun. Other than that, you're wasting your time!

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This is Not Primarily a BL !

And I don't mean that in some frustrated, "I didn't get enough yearning" take, no, I mean that, most BL is centered around the two leads on whatever path that looks like, with their love or want or yearn for each other being one of the main objectives, sometimes the only objective. However, that is not the case for GBYFD. This is a horror/mystery with a little romance thrown in because, why not?

Let's Dive In.

GBYFD has one of the strongest openings I’ve seen in a while. The first few episodes are undeniably the highlight of the series. Visually, it’s striking, the gore is genuinely gory, the horror elements feel unsettling and immersive, and the pacing flows with a steady, confident rhythm. From the very beginning, it knows what tone it wants. As an added bonus, we’re given two couples, which keeps the emotional investment high. Personally, Michael and TopTen were my favorites. I loved their exes-to-lovers dynamic and the workplace tension layered into their relationship. Michael’s red hair? A win. Their chemistry? Even better. I was fully on board with them.

Pavel as Singha is brilliant. Pavel in tight shirts and an arm tattoo is perfection. Pooh definitely shown that he has leveled up in his acting. as the ghost-seeing son of a spiritually corrupted father, Thup is scared, He's almost extremely repressed from the world outside of his spiritual views, and needed Singha as his guide, or new moral compass. They're slow-burn until they're not, and it ends up being too underwhelming once they've established themselves.

The story is great, but obviously, not very logical. Lots of things happen that shouldn't, but this is fictional and their whole investigation is based on ghosts and spirits, so I'll try to take it with a grain of salt. The real issue is pacing. What starts off gripping gradually becomes repetitive, especially toward the middle and end. The mystery loses some of its edge. Honestly, this could have been tightened into ten episodes for a stronger overall impact. It’s also worth noting again: this is not primarily a BL. The romances are not the focal point, and that’s reflected in the toned-down intimacy, especially when compared to something like Pit Babe. If you go in expecting romance to drive the narrative, you may be disappointed. If you go in for horror and mystery with romantic subplots, it works much better.

Rating:

Story: 8/10 - Interesting. It get's a little a boring toward the middle/end, but it still isn't enough to completely rid me of its content.

Acting: 8.5/10 - It's good. I like it. Pooh brings on a better performance.

Music: 6/10 - Didn't pay attention to it.

Recommendation Value: 6/10 - If you like horror and mystery, yes. If not, this can be a skip. None of the romances are just so good that you have to watch, but it's still a nice story.

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When marimbas start to play....

I never watch movies, but as soon I saw even the tiniest snippet of this, I knew I had to watch. This is sexy, dangerous, and full of yearning almost too much to bare. 10Dance, what a beautiful story you are.

Let's Dive In.

A stunningly produced movie. It was great to see Machida Keita on my screen again and the lovely Takeuchi Ryoma. These two together created absolute MAGIC on the screen. Through dance, they were about to breed sexual tension like none other. It's the biggest highlight of the movie.

Suzuki is an interesting character. A free-spirited dancer troubled with the idea of being compared to Sugiki. When approached by the latter with the invitation to learn 10 Dance, he is initially disinterested until pure anger and distaste leads him to agreeing. It's another hour thirty minutes of complete angst, yearning, tension, and suspense. The only part lacking is the romance.

This story is about two straight men opening up doors they have yet to explore. Sugiki does it out of his own greed of needing to be number one while Suzuki has harboring selfishness until it turns into something else completely. This movie is not romantic. It is lustful. And that's okay too. I don't believe the movie aims to show that these men have love for one another that is anything but dance. They are trapped by the desire to be like the other, and because of it, it turns libidinous. Even with the passion between them, it is dwindled by Sugiki and later completely eliminated until a time jump shows that in six months, that same sensual affection is there.

This is left slightly ambiguous, but as the audience, it's our job to interpret that ending as we see fit. Personally, I think nothing comes out of it. They both know the kind of person they are and the kind of lives they live, and that's enough. They'll dance, they might kiss, and then move on until it recycles all over again.

Obsessed with the women in this series. While given the back burner, they outshine with their own conflict perfectly accomplished by the incredible acting of Doi Shiori and Ishii Anna. In some odd way, I felt their characters together had more underlying romance than the leads.

Ratings:

Story: 7.5/10 - It's less plot, more dance. Isn't a bad thing, but I wish they would sharpened some of the dialogue and story between the characters. A beautifully shot train kiss, probably one of the best climax kisses I've seen. Odd editing decisions that take you out of the story.

Acting: 9.5/10 - Incredible acting. Everyone is brilliant. My only gripe is that with most non-native english speakers, some of the english dialogue doesn't come off as poignant as it could've.

Music: 8.5/10 - Lots of great music. I forgot Sway by Michael Bublé existed, so thank you for that.

Recommendation Value: 9/10 - it's a great movie regardless of my critiques. Watch it! Plus, Ryoma is an ethereal being when shirtless, and I am hear to testify that his hips seriously don't lie.

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The NC Scenes Makes You Enjoy This More

I have been holding off on this series for no particular reason other than the fact that I had heard so many mixed review. I have told myself time and time again to just start things without commentary from others, but look, I'm trying my best. The Boy Next World started pretty slow than picked up in the middle. Lots of holes, lots of unanswered questions, but Boss an Nouel as a duo are so enamoring that it's kinda okay.

Let's Dive In.

The premise of this series is that Cir wakes up from a head injury presuming his life of being Phu's boyfriend, until he realizes that it was just him dreaming and fabricating their relationship. Instead of telling Phu that, he lies and says he's from another parallel universe where he and Phu were together. Now, get this, the real kicker is.... he wasn't lying? There are actual parallel universes, and he, at one point, switches lives again with another Cir that wants nothing to Phu. Instead of announcing this to Phu once he makes his way back to him (the real Cir), he tells the truth about his lie that's not a lie but is technically, in some way, a lie. They explain perfectly what these parallel lives are like, but they never explain why it happens or when it happens.

I was going to be so disappointed if the twist ended up being 'Ha! it was all a dream and I was lying!" and then that's exactly what happened (Kind of..?). I'm still a little lost on the exact ending of this and would've loved some more solidness on this. Also, does Phu ever realize that there are actual parallel universes, or does he just only believes that Cir had lied to him?

Without a doubt, this couple does physical like physical has never been done before. I have been ranting for a while how BL tends to go from "let's have our first kiss" to "let's fuck in the next episode" without any of the in-betweens. The touching, the grinding, the sex that isn't actual sex, but things to get each other off. This series did that to a T. I enjoy that we get to see stages in their physical relationship before they get straight to sex. I like that Cir teased Phu, I liked that Phu is shy until we see him build more confidence and eventually chooses to do an act on Cir. It was all so perfect, on top of the sounds. THE SOUNDS. Gorgeous.

I kinda liked the second couple? I didn't hate them like I feel lately I've been doing with second couples, but I wasn't in love with them like I'd like to be. I mostly just liked their individual personalities, and mixed, it was okay, but I liked it enough to smile during some scenes. I don't the think the chemistry was all the way there, but they weren't too far off. I think with a little more time and effort, they could seriously give a great performance together. Besides their romance, I'm not sure what the point of giving Jin mind reading powers was if they weren't going to utilize them in a more important way. He just... had them. I thought this was going to play a more important part of the story later on, except it goes no where. He's just a random character with the ability to read minds. Okay.

Ratings:

Story: 8/10 - I liked what they tried to do, but I don't think it quite reached where it should've. Romances were pretty good.

Acting: 8.5/10 - Nouel struggled to cry in some scenes. Same with Boss, but maybe not as bad. I think outside of that, they both did a good enough job.

Music: 5/10 - absolutely hated the random ass english music playing during the NC scenes. Like what....

Recommendation Value: 5/10 - eh. You can skip this. unless you want to see the most mind-boggling, ushy-gushy NC scenes of your life. Otherwise, this can be a skip.

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Fan-Tastics

I liked this! I think the story is adorable, I believe that with the timeframe this company and to work for the story, worked well, and overall, I loved our main characters. Was is brilliant? No, but it was catchy, and I really enjoyed its more natural, fluffy side.

Let's Dive In.

I'm not immediately obsessed with our leads, actually it takes me more than a while to really get into them, but when I do, I'm in love. Thank you the BL gods for not putting in music over their kiss scenes (sounds were immaculate) Other than that weird-ass music during their NC scenes, there was no problems in the physical department. Actually, out of any K-BL I've seen, I think this one takes the cake in terms of physicalness. So well done. Also, whatta height difference, you've got to love it.

My only real problem with this plot is the problem I have with most plots trying to be lazy. It's the whole "oh no, the world know we're dating" and in the next episode it's, "I suddenly don't care anymore what the world says!" It's just such lazy writing to hurry and come to a happy conclusion. It was all Jiwon cared about the entire series, and then suddenly, with a magical wand, he doesn't care anymore. Sigh, okay. I would've love some more play into this, something I haven't seen yet would've been nice, but whatever.

Moving onto my favorite underlying story, the best friends. I think it's so unique how unexpecting their story is, and them BAM, we're given all these hints by Euno about his little crush on Seungjin. I don't know if they're gearing up for their own story, but I'd love to watch it. It'd be so silly, and soft, and somehow deep, and I really think I'd love it.

The only other nit-picky, not-that-big-of-a-deal thing I had was gymnast are typically extremely built and large, and Jiwon is the exact opposite. It was hard to play into the whole "I'm a gold-medalist olympian" thing, but again, just something super-duper minor, but I still noticed it.

Overall, this is a very fell-good series with a decent runtime and an incredible cast. Most scenes where friends get together I skip cause I get bored easily, but this friend group was incredibly endearing to watch. I don't know if I'll remember this series in like a year, but me now really enjoyed this.

Ratings;

Story: 8/10 - Entertaining enough. Flowed naturally and didn't have too much filler or anything unnecessary. Really stuck to the story of the main couple which I liked. More time would've meant more room to grow in other aspects, but this was as good as it could've been.

Acting: 9/20 - Good! I especially loved Rakyeong's acting.

Music: 4/10 - They thought, "Why don't we put these EDM beats behind a moment that is suppose to be super lovely dovey and sensual?" SO annoying.

Recommendation Value: 7/10 - Yeah why not. Lighthearted, fun, and some great couple scenes. Unfortunately, there's no moment we get to see Jeongu take his shirt off besides the NC scene, but no pecs. Sigh.

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