Unpopularopinionbydemand

Basic, but Good

This was a completely different vibe that what I feel I'm use to getting from these two. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed seeing them be jocular and just have fun creating and filming this. A Dog and A Plane is not some grandiose series, but it's fun, it's comedic, and, of course, it's sexy as hell.

Let's Dive In.

A basic series, but a basic series done right. Tay and New play their roles very nicely, and with the supporting cast, they have whipped up this hilarious rom-com with a few deep moments here and there, but mostly funny, mostly zanny, mostly "that would never happen" scenarios, but, nevertheless, and I'll repeat myself over and over again; fun.

Some things I loved: I enjoyed how sexy they were able to be here. It didn't hold back on the dirty jokes or witty banter, and that made the comedy land even better. The wardrobe team also deserves a lot of credit. Everyone looked fantastic, but Tay's styling stood out in particular. Performance-wise, the entire cast pulled their weight. I never felt like anyone was miscast or failed to deliver. Every character brought something entertaining to the table, and the chemistry between the ensemble made the comedy even stronger.

Some nit-picky things: This is less about this series specifically and more about GMMTV as a whole. Their production schedule is starting to show in the final product. The cycle of filming, immediately releasing the trailer, and airing episodes while they're still filming the rest of the series feels unsustainable, and I think it's beginning to affect the overall quality. One of the reasons series from other production companies tend to receive so much praise is because they have the time to develop the story, refine the editing, and polish the final product before it reaches viewers. Personally, I'd much rather wait an extra year for a series that's been carefully crafted than get one as quickly as possible at the expense of quality. I understand GMMTV has television slots to fill, but if they continue prioritizing speed over refinement, I worry the quality of their productions will continue to decline.

More on this series specifically: Mond and Ryu completely sold me on their pairing. Even though their storyline was underdeveloped, their chemistry still came through, and I'm excited to see what they do together in future projects.

The editing, however, was noticeably inconsistent. There were a few scenes that genuinely looked like they had been filmed on an iPhone, and I couldn't understand how they made it into the final cut. And finally, the airport scenes... I simply could not do it. Watching the characters film content so publicly gave me unbearable second-hand embarrassment. I skipped through those scenes because they were just too much for me.

Ratings:

Story: 8.5/10 - It's a really fun story! Some boring parts, but still good! I fall out with most series once the leads get together. So by the few last episodes, I was pretty bored.

Acting: 9/10 - Good!

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

Recommendation Value: 5/10 - eh. Besides everyone being hot as hell, unless you're looking for comedy, then you're not missing much in this series.

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Ehhh

Countdown to Yes ended up being far more tedious than I expected, and that’s coming from someone who genuinely loves friends-to-lovers stories, especially when it's built on quiet yearning and feelings left unsaid. Instead though, we get Minato chasing an unnecessarily difficult Wataru for eleven episodes, only for the inevitable to happen anyway.

Let's Dive In.

What I assumed what was suppose to be 11 episode of best friends realizing their feelings for one another became 11 episodes of futile angst for the sake of filling an 11 episode timeslot. Ironically, episode 11 shows what the series could have been if the writers had leaned into that direction from the start. Even the end message of "Oh, I, Minato, have been counting down the days till Wataru tells me yes." is arbitrary as hell considering they've already lived together. They also only bring up this countdown in the very last episode, when it would've been nice for the build-up mentality of the countdown throughout the entire series.

Minato starts off endearing, if a bit overly stoic, but still refreshingly honest about how he feels. As the series goes on, though, my enjoyment of Kaname’s performance starts to dip. and I wondered if he was told to crack a smile like he was being held at gunpoint. The romance itself lands in the middle for me. I don’t dislike it, and they do deliver a surprisingly lovely kiss at the end, but their chemistry never feels particularly strong. Still, Kaname is tall and hot, and I am pretty shallow to a superb height difference.

Ratings:

Story: 7/10 - Ehh. Works for a while, then it feels draggy.

Acting: 7.5/10 - Pretty weak, but not terrible.

Music: 6/10 - Wasn't distracting.

Recommendation Value: 5/10 - Ehhhhhh. The leads are handsome, but there's only so much a face can do.

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Darling HS Series

I had to watch this after seeing all the hype, and thankfully, it didn’t disappoint. School Trip is packed with fluff and delivers nearly everything you’d want from a first-love high school story. That said, while it gave me most of what I was looking for, it didn’t quite hit the mark when it came to the romance itself.

Let’s dive in.

The plot is simple: a lonely guy ends up being invited to join four incredibly hot and incredibly sweet popular kids on a school field trip. Cue every fluffy trope imaginable. And honestly? It works. The series does exactly what you expect it to do, and because the story flows naturally and the characters behave consistently, it never feels misleading or disappointing. It’s cute. That’s the point.

I think where it fell a little short for me is that I wanted more. Across the 11 episodes, nothing really moves all that quickly, and there are virtually no stakes beyond the characters’ own internal struggles. Watarai is also a bit too coddly for my taste. While it leads to some endearing moments, it often veers into irritating rather than charming.

Hioki, on the other hand, completely won me over. He’s cute, shy, emotionally unaware, and yes, he cries, which immediately earns points. I wish the series had done more with the other three boys. I loved the bromance and the refreshingly non-toxic energy between the group, but I would have liked to see them given their own romantic arcs too, whether hetero or not.

The chemistry between our leads is a little lacking. Now, any height difference will usually have me locked in immediately, but there’s something oddly bland about these two. I can’t quite pinpoint what’s missing, only that something definitely is. There are plenty of moments that scream “this is absolutely adorable,” but once their feelings are fully realized, the dynamic starts to falter. The kissing isn’t terrible, but Hioki mostly just stands there while Watarai does all the work. That could be a character choice, but after a couple of months of dating, you’d think he’d at least learn how to participate in a kiss.

Ratings:

Story: 8/10 - It’s good. It has that perfectly Japanese mix of overdramatic and zany, and because it fully commits to being a fluff-forward story, it works. Something doesn’t completely click for me, but this series never aimed to be more than what it is, and that’s fine.

Acting: 8/10 - Solid performances all around. The characters are fairly straightforward, so I wouldn’t call this the strongest acting I’ve ever seen, but everyone fits their roles well and sells the story.

Music: 6/10 - Catchy, honestly.

Recommendation Value: 9/10 - This is fluffy, fun, and a very quick watch. So yes, absolutely go for it.

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Meh..

This series lost me before it could even grasp me. Depth of Field was a lot and not enough at the same time, but with enough strength, I was able to get through this. Recommendation: don't get through this.

Let's Dive In.

After episode 2, I fast forwarded through this. Mind you, this series is six episodes for about 25 minutes. Not good, not good at all. I feel like this show tries to gain your attention quickly in the first episode: Chiro getting a blowjob while thinking of Ryohei, taking a picture of him whilst sleeping, amongst other cute little moments, but this series fails to draw me into the actual story. Chiro struggles with his mental health due to a past situation with a former friend that has led him to be brooding and lonely. Okay look, I'm not trying to diminish anyone's problem but you're telling me, you've completely stop music cause of one mishap in like, middle school? ...okay.

Not every series has to be this fluffy, happy-go-lucky feel, but this series loses me completely around the time Chiro forces himself on Ryohei. He's going through it, I get it, but I hate that there's no further discussion of what happened afterwards. Chiro kind of apologizes, but the Ryohei is standing there trying to help him and figure out what's wrong with him without acknowledging what has happened to him... !!!!!!! Then he kisses him twice unconsensually, and think Ryohei is suppose to like magically be okay with it. NO!

Then a time jump. Sigh. Fast forwarding turned to skimming rather quickly.

But, what I liked out of everything was the scene with both of them having a conversation in the living room and Chiro is beautifully crying. I can't help it, that man is pretty.

Overall, this wasn't the series for me. I found nothing of value to it, but even with saying that, I feel bad giving it too low of a score, cause, in the end, it wasn't the worse thing I've watched.

Ratings:

Story: 5/10 - Boring. Backstory of Chiro was sad, but personally, I don't think it should've been the reason he becomes so stoic and lonely. A little anticlimactic if you will.

Acting: 8.5/10 - Good!

Music: 6/10 - Don't remember!

Recommendation Value: 2/10. No. But Chiro does look beautiful when he cries.

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DoauOffroad Gem

I hadn't heard of this series until I was introduced to the lovely Daou and Offroad and just had to watch. I'm glad to announce that I really liked it! Love in Translation brings us the lovely pairing of Daou and Offroad in this simplistic yet vibrant love story full of laughs, great characters, and handsome leads.

Let's Dive In.

I really won't be saying anything differently than what has already been said, but of course, I want to say something about this. First off, I loved that this was just 8 episodes, like the people over this knew not to try and make this longer than need be, and we got a slow-burn, nice flowing love story.

The chemistry, of course, was the best part. Also, led to a really nice in-store NC scene that I didn't know I needed in my life. The side couple was also adorable, and I liked that we had an established couple going through their own problems, but I would've liked a little more physical chemistry between them. I liked that Tammy didn't come in as some conniving ex and instead helped both of them in the end. The other side couples were also very nicely placed, and made the story stand out a little more.

My only gripe is that we go from "this is an adorable little love story" to "main character getting kidnapped and one of them turning into the capturer's slave for three months" It just felt like such a left field move, and I skipped pretty much all of that extra-ness.

Ratings:

Story: 7/10 - Entertaining. Some parts a little boring and some plot decisions made no sense, but overall it was good.

Acting: 9/10 - The acting is good! Even the side characters did really well!

Music: 8/10 - Was not ready t hear the beautiful vocals on Daou, but omg, I'm obsessed.

Recommendation Value: 8.5/10 - really nice, down-to-earth series with good NC scenes and a decent plot. Would recommend!!

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WAY Better than Expected

Not that I was expecting a GMMTV series to be bad, but damn, was I pleasantly surprised by this one. The two latest GMMTV series I have seen (MY Love Mix-Up and We Are) have been pretty anticlimactic, and honestly, disappointing. So when going into this, I had very low expectations, but I actually had a great time watching.

Let's Dive In.

I remember when this first came out during their showcase, and I was immediately intrigued, mostly because Great from Manner of Death was in this, but more importantly, because it seemed that they were showcasing high heat with a little bit of comedy, and I was ecstatic. Again, I had been so disappointed with the series coming out that I didn't bother getting too excited about this one, but I honestly loved it. Even outside of the BL part of it all, it had my entire heart.

Both Great and Inn have undeniably great chemistry. Yoryak is such a comedic hottie who's the champion boxer, and Wandee plays the awkward cutie who's in competition with another hunk at the hospital. With a little bit of angst and pining, I fell in love with these two. I liked the steady build of their relationship: from friends-with-benefits, to more than that, to the talking stage, to the "Yoryak has to show himself"stage, to then inevitably becoming boyfriends. The NC scenes were honestly the weakest part of their relationship. A lot of the time it was just chest/neck kissing and some intense staring (but they were shirtless, so I'm not going to complain too much). Yes, it was high heat, sorta, but not in the "Only Friends" type of way. It was more of a medium heat, with good kissing. Overall, I was impressed with this new pairing, and I'd love to see them again on my screen.

The side couple was super cute. I will say, I usually love to see the growth of a new relationship, so I wasn't immediately enthralled with Yei's relationship with Cher. They had been established for a while, but they were cute in the way they teased one another and Cher was basically the mom of the group. The wedding at the end is very touching. As for Plakhao, holy hell, I didn't think I'd be seeing Drake on screen, nonetheless paired with somebody! If I'm not mistaken, this was one of the first times GMMTV has explored asexuality to this degree, and I loved it. Although I wouldn't have minded to see Drake shirtless, I'm not upset.

Taem needed to have been paired with a girl, not Pod's character who was the worst person ever. Speaking of Pod, I need him in a leading role, because it was so hard to hate that man when Pod is just as beautiful as ever. He smiled, and I would yell to my screen for Wandee to take him back. Sorry guys, I'm shallow like that.

As for the internal drama in regard to Wandee and Yoryak's past, it was by far my favorite part of the series. 9 and 10 were my favorite episodes because it's what made this BL feel so much more than just a BL. These characters had depths and flaws, and eventually came out of that with such complex development that I was tearful by the end of it. Wandee's grandma, Yoryak's complicated relationship with all the members of his family, -- all of it was just amazing.

My only couple of negatives/nit-picking moments: there's no way that Yorkak had not a bruise or scar or a swollen something on his face after fights. It's so unrealistic that it really pissed me off at times. You mean to tell me a world-class champion made it there without a mark? Please. They tried to redeem Pod's character, but there weren't any redeemable factors about him. In fact, I wish they would have made him more apathetic since we were already almost there anyway. Would have loved a scene where we see him on the phone talking about all the way he'll try to get the position behind Wandee's back.

Ratings:

Story: 8.5/10 - The best part about the series, and that even means outside of the BL aspect. Loved the story, loved the development of the characters, and love the couples.

Acting: 9/10 - Great did a fantastic job, being able to go from being funny, to crying, to being in love. Inn does just as good of a job, and quite honestly, the entire cast did great.

Music: 7/10 - I was kind of obsessed with the theme song, especially the oddly placed moan at the end of it.

Recommendation Value: 8/10 - This series is memorizing, and not just as a BL, but so much more than that. I'm hopeful that others can see the beauty behind it, because there is a lot to unpack and you can get easily distracted. but if that's not motivating enough, this series is literally a bunch of hot guys boxing and being shirtless and kissing. No gripes here.

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Better than Exspected

Not that I thought this was going to be terrible, but my first go-around at trying to watch this didn't end very nicely (I dropped it after, like, the first 5 minutes in), but in all truthfulness, I was going through the worst case of BL-block during that time, so now, it's all better. I decided to give this one another try, and I was NOT left disappointed !

Let's Dive In.

Initially, the name of the BL series threw me off a bit. I assumed it'd be extremely smutty (which, it is, but not in the sense that I was assuming) with very little plot, but I stand corrected! I loved the direction they were in the entire time with Uea's character, even if it was a little traumatic. Do I think it's a bit much to have three different people as*****d Uea? A little bit. The first two are understandable, but the boss coming in and immediately wanting Uea was so... odd? Obviously, Uea's a very attractive man, but you also had King and Jade and the rest, so why was he immediately drawn to Uea and nobody else? It was to stir shit in the office and among Uea and King, but it all felt a little redundant. Not saying this can't happen in real life, but for it to happen as much as it did in this series, I don't know, they could've thought about utilizing something else other than making Uea more traumatized.

Actually, speaking of Uea being traumatized, that mother was probably the worst character I've seen on TV. She's obviously too full of herself and too much in love with the step-dad to see all of the wrongdoing going on around her, and I'm ecstatic that they didn't try to give her some redemption arc; she's just a terrible person and Uea learned to distant himself from her. Perfect. But I need him to save his sister, pronto. Like go back into that house and have her move in with you, I beg.

Onto the romance, I was pleasantly surprised. I love a slow burn, nothing new there, so I thought I'd struggle to find any joy in their relationship since sex was first before anything. However, they were still able to create this tension that wasn't sexual outside of their FWB relationship. It was really nice. The NC scenes were, dare I say, maybe a little much? Just for my taste though! They were still very well-shot, and very well-executed with James and Net actually looking like they want to be together, which out of everything, is the most important part. I also loved the way they talked about consent, getting tested, and letting each other know how they felt after sex. When they finally get together, it feels organic and not rushed. A really awesome job they did.

I know a lot of people talked bad about Middleman's Love, which is why I was going to put it off, but I really liked Jade's personality in this, so I'll definitely have to, at least, give it a try!

Ratings:

Story: 7.5/10 - I loved that they made Uea's character have depth, and this series wasn't just about sex. I think some parts are rather unnecessary, but overall, I was satisfied.

Acting: 8/10 - I won't give this higher than an 8, only because James, in scenes where he was supposed to be distraught, couldn't shed a tear. Outside of that though, they did a fine job in their roles, everyone did.

Music: 7/10 - I really liked the theme song!

Recommendation value: 7.5/10 - If heavy NC scenes are your thing, then this is the series for you. But also, it has tough subjects that not everyone can be mentally okay enough to see, so watch out for that. Otherwise, I think this is a really good series to binge!

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City of Pure Enjyoment

Oh, I'm so surprised how much I absolutely loved this series. It's been hard for me to enjoy any Thai series outside of GMMTV, so I'm elated that I actually enjoyed this series. City of Stars was definitely not perfect, but it was such a genuine delight to watch and sit back and enjoy the series for what it was.

Let's Dive In.

City of Stars starts off with a trope that I absolutely love, a famous guy falls for a regular ole dude, and then it takes off from there. I'll admit, it takes a minute to really get into this series, just cause the first couple of episodes are only okay, while it doesn't start to get really good until the closer Fueng and Krom get. The last few episodes were ultimately the best for me. I think the structure of this keeps itself in balance with everything that it needs, while connecting you to these characters so that you actually start to enjoy them and their journey on screen.

For our main couple, I really enjoyed them more than I anticipated. They work so well, except there were a few times where I don't a hundred percent believe their relationship on screen (there are some rather awkward moments when they're looking at each other, or sometimes when they kissed they stood a mile apart lol) but for the most part, I really liked it. They had some great NC scenes and they know how to kiss, so I can't be too upset.

Oh, I loved Kor and Namsom. They didn't hook me in the beginning, but by the end, I was rooting for them so hard. The way Kor spoke to her and made her feel worthy had me in tears. Their relationship is so fragile, but in such a beautiful way that it took me by surprise how much I really enjoyed them.

On to some more nit-picky things, I kind of don't see the appeal with Fueng having fallen in love with Krom. Because his parents talked about him? And not to be mean, but there's nothing out of the ordinary about Krom, so it's a bit of a weird concept. I think it would've just worked out better if they met when Krom got back and fell in love then.

We were also teased with another side couple, but then it never advances anywhere, so that's pretty annoying. IDK if they were setting up for another BL, but we got practically no screen time between them, not even a canon.

Ratings:

Story: 8/5/10 - really good! Their build-up to dating is done so nicely and then they execute it perfectly. I also loved how they nag on some of the bigger problems in the BL industry, like the actors not being able to date outside their pairing, or when they come out and then lose brand deals, or when the entire community harps on someone for something minuscule or irrelevant. I love the portrayal of all of that, including how it can end up working out in the end.

Acting: 8.5/10 - This was Porsche's (Krom) first time acting ever and I think for what it's worth, he did an excellent job. I don't know why he went from being a dental student to an actor, but he did good. It explains now why some of his scenes can feel a bit awkward, but for the most part, he did an excellent job. Job (Fueng) did well too, and I loved seeing him shirtless, So I'll add a half point for that. Kimmon!! I missed him so much, it was so nice to see him play a somewhat serious character for once, and his partner was delightful. Everyone else also did an excellent job.

Music: 7/10 - I didn't pay much attention to it, but it wasn't distracting so that's good.

Recommendation Value: 8/10 - I really liked this! Not the first I'd recommend, but out of the Thai BLs I've seen so far in 2024, this is at the top of my list. It was so well done!

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Boo

I really don't have much to say other than the fact that this bored the shit out of me. It wasn't bad, but it's definitely not memorable. I guess I would say it teeters on the line of being decent and also not good. Skimmed through the last three episodes and only kept watching cause Stan Huang looks incredibly too sexy with a goatee.

Let's Dive In.

Again, not much to say cause not much happened. It's a very simplistic story of a man who writes and a man who cooks who live in the same building and fall in love. The End. Stacks are very not stack-y, and objectives feel lost somewhere in the middle. But I don't hate this only because the leads are adorable (Stan Huang knows how to rizz) and I'm intrigued by that out of everything. The paper origami was the best little tidbit about this -- super creative and now I wanna learn.

The chemistry between the leads is good, not groundbreaking, but good enough that I didn't drop this. However, this series just drags which is kind of bad cause this is only a 10-episode series that lasts about 20 minutes. The waiter and the best friend and the ex all just feel like filler and again, nothing feels like genuine conflict cause you know that the leads will get together in the end, so who cares? I skimmed through the last three episodes and still got the jist of what happened. They do kissing great though (Only in these last few eps, the ones before were ehh).

Ratings:

Story:5/10 - boring! not bad, just draggy. Romance is decent and yes Stan Huang makes this score go from a 4/10 to a 5/10 for simply existing (that man is too fine).

Acting: 8/10 - It's okay, nothing groundbreaking, and they did good.

Music: 6/10 - Didn't pay it much attention but it wasn't distracting.

Recommendation Value: 2/10 - Watch simply because Stan Huang is the sexiest man in Tawan. Otherwise, forget this series exist (like I will).

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I Kind of Like it..?

Going into this, I was a little skeptical, but as of now, I really think this series played out to the best of its ability. Was it flawless? No. Were there some bumps along the way? Absolutely. However, overall, this series offers a fast-paced viewing experience, mostly entertaining, featuring some aesthetically pleasing characters that I can't help but appreciate.

Let's Dive In.

So for the most part, My Dear Gangster Oppa is good, at least in my opinion. My only struggle with this series was sitting through the "mafia" or "gangster" part of it all. I think it works in some parts, and then in others it doesn't. Like the backstory is neat, the way in which Thiu has to get out of the mob is great, and even some of the more specific details make lots of sense, however, I was just really bored with the whole Kenji storyline. Like you're in a mafia, just kill the dude and move on, did this really have to escalate for an entire 8 episodes? But I say that because I am also just not the biggest fan of these recreations of "KinnePorche" (again, in my opinion) -- and maybe not necessarily recreations, cause other series can make a plot surrounding the mafia and whatnot, but I always just think back to KP whenever that happens and it's just not as top tier as that was.

Moving on to the romance, I think Meen and Ping had great chemistry, except their characters moved into a relationship way before I think the characters were ready for one. It's obvious they both have some feelings for each other at the beginning, which again, the build-up to the relationship is my favorite part about BL in general. But I feel like before they can hit their climax of feelings, they're already kissing and having sex and becoming boyfriends. It's a lot to move into, especially after Guy becomes aware of Thiu being in the mafia, having so much anger that Thiu didn't tell him, and then subsequently not caring about that anymore out of the blue. I love slow burn, I'll love it till the day I die, and this couple was not that at all. They were quick-paced, and they fell in love pretty quickly. However, Meen and Ping do chemistry rather well, so their kiss and NC scenes were all great.

Moving onto Wal, I actually really like him. He's severely unpopular, and most people wish he wasn't in this, but for a slight second, this actually felt like it could've been a love triangle, and that's also something I love. Wal was a guy who was terrible at admitting his feelings, and due to it, he hurt his friend who, at the time, was also reciprocating his feelings. I'm also a sucker for friends to lovers which is another reason why I was rooting for them, but of course, it wasn't going to happen for many reasons. Also, I'm shallow, and Winner (Wal) is gorgeous.

The side couple that wasn't really a side couple was pretty disappointing. I think they had a nice build-up, but it doesn't go anywhere. Slightly aggravating. Also me just being nit-picky, but the scars on Thiu's body... why were they like an orange/yellow color? I'm no doctor, I have no idea about any of the scarring tissue and whatnot, but I'm pretty sure it doesn't turn a sickly yellow tone? I wish the makeup department could've at least used some foundation to blend it in a little better, but whatever.

Ratings:

Story: 8/10 - Good, some parts draggy, some parts boring, but for the most part. good. The romance isn't the best I've seen, but it did capture my attention a lot within the first couple of episodes.

Acting: 8/10: I think it was good for the most part. Some actors felt a little mediocre, but it doesn't take you out of the story any, just that it could've been a bit better.

Music: 6/10: Didn't pay it any attention and it wasn't distracting, so good!

Recommendation Value: 5.5/10: This wouldn't be something I'd recommend, just because I personally don't see it as something that is indeed in need of a watch. But the actors are beautiful (I want to stuff Winner in my pocket) and if you like a mafia story, then sure.

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Wowza

Wowza. This series had me feeling things that I haven't felt in a long time from a J-BL or just a BL in general. Were there plenty of plot holes, some rough character development, and some editing errors? Of course. But my love for everything, especially the story, makes those little problems seem frivolous. Tokyo in April is ... the best-told story of friends to lovers that I've seen J-BL come out with.

Let's Dive In.

This might look like a simplistic friends-to-lovers story from the gist of the synopsis, but when watching -- wow, it truly was so complex in details and factors. One of my favorite things about this series was the delicate touch to specificities and the complexity of the flow of the story and the way it's told. Through each episode, something new is brought to light about Ren or Kazuma, or their coworkers. It was planned so accordingly and just led to bigger and better reactions from me.

Now, my all-time favorite trope is friends to lovers, so it was no surprise that I wouldn't have liked this to some certain extent, but like omg, when they dive into Kazuma and Ren's backstory, I might've gotten teary-eyed more than a few times. The revelation of the intimacy that they went through at their age was not something I saw coming at all. But the intensity of it all was almost too much for me to bear, so I know two young and curious boys going through something as serious as sex can't be an easy pill to swallow. Especially the aftermath of it all -- Kazuma getting sick, Ren faulting himself for what they did, him being sent off to France, Kazuma to America. Urgh, just the pure intensity of it all was enough for me to love it. Even outside of their adult relationship, I could feel the genuine love they had for one another as kids. Now, as adults, their romance is a lot more obvious to see and interpret. And did I mention that these actors did a phenomenal job? I felt the chemistry very head-on and it was a mixture of awkwardness, a large tinge of something sexual, and just a great connection.

The only problem I really had trouble with was Kazuma's mom. Her reaction to them doing something so serious as children is understandable, but to continue your hatred of a grown adult that you know your son loves is idiotic. Then turning around and being like "No it's fine ya'll can love each other" is crazy. You're the reason Ren ran away the second time and caused your son more hurt, so it's just absolutely crazy.

I wanted more of a backstory from Hide and Ryunosuke. Hide seemed so full of dread when seeing Kazuma again, and it's never really revealed why. Is it because he was the one who told Ren that Katzuma was back in America and alive? If that's it, then it doesn't feel like that big of a deal. Also, why would Ren prescribe to Kazuma to never talk to him for that very minor reason? It's not the exact same for Ryunosuke, cause it's obvious he has feelings for Ren when he explains that they've tried having sex before, but maybe just something more in-depth as to what he does outside of being Ren's wingman.

The editing was kind of funky. Not terrible, but sometimes they lingered too long on certain scenes when you could tell the momentum from it was over. Along with that, I hate when at the beginning of each episode, they give us a recap of what happened last episode, just very irrelevant. But that also could be because I binge-watched this (also finished it all in like the spam of a few hours lol).

Overall, I really really liked this. I know that it was adapted from a manga and a lot of people had complaints about what they did differently from the manga and the live-adaption. However, I never read the manga, so this review is purely based on my satisfaction with the live-action.

Ratings;

Story: 8/10 - So good. Even the office jargon was important to the plot. Everything flowed well and had me seated and ready to hear all of it. The best part was the flashbacks to their complicated childhood friendship. Some work could've been done to improve the overall behavior of some of the choices they chose to make.

Acting: 9.5/10 - So so so so so so so good. The best is probably coming from the actors playing the lead's younger selves. Omg, they did so well, to tell a story as intense as theirs was and do it was so much poignancy. Chef's kiss. Along with that, the actual leads did really well too. The side characters told the stories they needed to tell and drove the plot to where it needed to be.

Music 6/10: I didn't pay much attention to it.

Recommendation Value: 8/10 - This is very deep, so I wouldn't recommend it to just anyone. Definitely someone ready to hear something as deep as this story was. But other than that, I highly recommend, so nicely told, has such a wonderful story, and is super entertaining.

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Good, Not Great

There's so much that I could say about this series, but to sum up the majority of my feelings, this wasn't that bad. But it wasn't remarkable either. The romances were kind of all wacky, with rushed endings with barely any of their conflict resolved or developed. But again, it was cute, it was entertaining enough, and Lee Ye Hwan, including Park Chang Hoon were a sight for sore eyes, so that's always a plus.

Let's Dive In.

Okay, so I honestly wouldn't call this a remake cause it doesn't feel like one at all. I would say it's loosely inspired by the original Thai version with the same name, but if comparing it to the original, then a lot of things were taken out, added in, and just completely forgotten about. There were more than a few times that I was confused about who was interpreting Safiah/Zon and Fighter/Tutor. Finally got it by like episode 3/4, but that's why I say this isn't necessarily a remake because they changed up quite a few things that made the original couples who they were. For example, Fighter and Tutor were the ones with the script reading make-out session, except in this one, the pairing impersonating Safiah/Zon's storyline were the ones who had that similar scene. So I was confused for a while. Now if you haven't watched the original, then it's fine, because this shows its own story without the need to watch anything beforehand, however, for me, it's hard trying not to compare what's the same and what's different.

Leewon and Ji-Oh's relationship was probably my favorite. I liked the way everything was playing out until the end when we got conflict for the sake of conflict for it then to have no resolution and the characters are just okay again. And like in the original, Leewon's sister writing a bl novel for her brother is so weird, I just can't comprehend why a sister would want to write about her brother in that way.

Sunwoo and Yookyeom's relationship was really cute, but again, really all over the place with its conflict. Like them having a fight at the bus stop and then Sunwoo showing up at his house unannounced and kissing him. Huh? Okay. But that's alright because but leads are handsome, with Changhoon catching my attention almost immediately.

Ratings:

Story: 7/10 - Good, but not great. A bit rushed and some plot points don't make a whole lot of sense.

Acting: 8.5/10 - great! If not better than that! I think they all played their roles neatly and with little problems.

Music: 6/10 - Didn't pay attention to it which means it's not distracting.

Recommendation value: 7/10 - Eh, it's okay. But it's cute and didn't take that long to watch so go for it. Also, they have so very more-than-decent kissing scenes, which is always a plus.

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Didn't Hate it As Much as I was Expecting To

Okay, so me and this series had a bit of a tiff during the earlier episodes, with me contemplating more than I would've liked to on dropping it or not. However, I decided against it, only because this series is short, and I found myself actually not hating it that much. But that doesn't mean this series gets the upper hand though, cause I wasn't really drawn into the story until like midway between episode 5 -- and when you only have 8 episodes, that's not a good thing.

Let's Dive In.

The first episode was like watching paint dry. The setup, the introduction to the characters, the dialogue -- all of it was terribly uninteresting. So I set this aside for a few days and then tried again, got to episode 3, and then got bored again, set it aside another couple of days, and then tried again. Fell asleep halfway through episode 4. So finally, today, I had set a goal that I would finish this series whether it killed me or not. And I did. And I actually didn't hate it.

Bu episode 5, the plot picks up a bit and so does the romance. Well, not necessarily the romance, but we see their backstory more, and like I always say, I'm a sucker for friends to lovers. So by then, I'm at least entertained by the setup of our main characters and how they came to know each other. Another aspect I liked was the intricate lacing of Woojae's story following along with the plot that occurred. At the end, I was kind of hoping he'd turn his hetero story into a homo story, but that's me nit-picking.

The chemistry is very dull between the two actors. They're both great-looking people, so they look perfect with one another, except, nothing goes past that. The kisses are bad and even more awkward with the drawn-out scenes of their lips literally just touching. Nothing says we're in love like two dead fish smooching.

Ratings:

Story: 5.5/10 - Lots of it is boring. Don't even ask me about the side characters because *shrugs*. I watched most of this at 2x speed, and honestly half awake. It starts to pick up by the end, but it should've grasped my attention way before that.

Acting: 7/10 - It's okay. The actors don't really get to show their true skills because the script is boring and doesn't delve into any real emotions besides stoic and happy.

Music: 6/10 - Wasn't distracting. Good.

Recommendation Value: 3/10 - nah. It picks up, but it's still not worth the watch when there's a plethora of series that gain your interest in the first episode. But it's not totally a miss just because Mister International Korea is in this and I'm shallow.

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Tedious Journey

Cutting straight to the chase, this series is so boring to get through. One of the reasons for that is because a good junk of the story focuses more on Jungwoo's scandal than the actual romance of it all. Which would be fine if the story were engaging, but I found myself having fallen asleep twice, watching it 2x speed, and not even caring if I missed some dialogue. Hell, by the last three episodes, it was a generous skim-through until it was over.

Let's Dive In.

Happy Ending Romance is a very tedious watch. The first two episodes are dedicated to Taeyoung wandering around trying to find Jungwoo, who's too busy pouting around his over-protective boyfriend Junghyun. And whilst happening, I'm sipping my matcha latte wondering when I'll get into this shit. Some parts were engaging, but not enough to gain my interest.

On top of it being a boring watch, I caught myself coming back to MDL to read the description because half the time I had no idea what was going on. And the twist being that Jungwoo was Junghyun's ghostwriter? Was I supposed to gasp? I mean, the entire story centers around Jungwoo not being able to write under his name due to past situations, so of course he's ghostwriting.

I thought about dropping this too many times for my liking. The only reason I didn't was because it was only 30-minute episodes, so why not just finish it? But if you have to think about dropping at all, then it's probably not worth the watch.

Onto some things I did like, like Taeyoung and Woojoo's friendship, Junghyun's wardrobe -- Taeyoung's actor. I mean, that man is gorgeous, the way he smiles and the way his eyes smile too, I mean, he's perfect. Kisses weren't all that bad, of course, I've seen better, but at least they didn't shy away from giving us as many kisses as we could hope for.

Ratings:

Story: 5.5/10 - incredibly dull, incredibly boring. Some parts interesting, but most parts not. I liked Jungwoo's story up until a certain point when they drag on it too much. Taeyoung and Woojoo's friendship is fun to watch, along with watching Taeyoung cause he's beautiful.

Acting: 8/10 - Acting good. Jongwoo (Taeyoung) did the best, with Tucheol (Woojoo) second. Everyone else was decent. The acting was probably this series' strongest aspect. I wouldn't mind seeing this group of actors again.

Music: 6/10 - Wasn't distracting. Good.

Recommendation Value: 4/10 - I'd recommend this for Jongwoo (Taeyoung) only. Like damn, he really is a sight to behold. Other than that, there are other K-BL's out there (Cough cough, Love Tractor) that I would recommend more.

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Good!

I don't know what was holding me back from watching this mini-love story in 2022, but I've come to my senses and I've finally given this 80-ish mins series a shot. I Want to See Only You is a quaint watch, but rather a good one with some pretty detailed characters and an overall better arch than others told in less than 2 hours.

Let's Dive In.

I think I held myself back from watching this because it looks sad (from the title poster). So I automatically kind of kept it on the back burner, but if that's why you're holding yourself off from this, then don't -- it's exactly the opposite.

What makes this series so good is the very instinctively different personalities of the two main characters. Yuma is very childlike and outgoing, which is why it's kind of hard to see him potentially getting into a relationship cause it seems he's not yet mature enough for one. And then we have Sakura who's very poised and obedient, who likes being alone and plays sad piano music. That's where they grow a lot together though because Yuma is very childish, but when with Sakura he's somewhat calm and compassionate, yet, if Yuma is going crazy, then Sakura is blessed to be in his presence, and takes his energy and runs with it. It's quite an endearing dynamic, and you fall for it instantly.

First loves, especially with your childhood best friend is a complicated one, and this series exclaims that perfectly. Through eye contact, through between-the-line dialogue, and very tentative and passionate (although very chaste) kisses. And yay for kisses (thank you Japan!). This is a very accurate depiction of high school and being in love and being gay at that. *chef's kiss*

Norio was a very precious side character, and I felt very bad for him and his crush on Riko. I wished they would've ended up together too, but I'm not here for the hets, so it's okay. I didn't care much for the teachers' relationship, but I thought the matching outfits were cute.

Ratings:

Story: 8.5/10 - A little too short, but everything flows nicely for its time frame. It's a pretty simplistic story with nothing crazy or deep. Just a nice watch about high schoolers realizing they're in love.

Acting: 8.5/10 - It was nice! I think Sakura's character had a hard time trying to cry (or at least it looked like he was trying) but other than that, it was good.

Music: 7/10 - the piano was nice.

Recommendation Value: 8/10 - Highly recommended, but it's a bit short, so it's not the very first thing I'd recommend to someone unless they wanted something quick and easy.

I know I talk very highly of this series, but I think an 8 with suffice. Just because it's not something that will be very memorable from now until the end of the year. I'll most likely forget I watched it in a couple of months. But it's cute, it's lighthearted, has some really good camerawork, and some adorable characters. So please watch.

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