vanwarren

After watching both episode 9 and episode 10, it's clear as day that Chi Cheng is in love with Suo Wei, and even with everything that's coming in the later episodes, Chi Cheng is way too deep in love to crawl out. Chi Cheng choosing to save Suo Wei by killing his prized snake is a strong symbolic scene for a multitude of reasons. It confirmed his love for Suo Wei while also freeing him of the last remanence of the ex that broke his heart six years ago. In order for Chi Cheng to fully move forward in his love life, he had to get rid of the snake gifted to him by his ex (one way or another). Even before Suo Wei's confession to Xiao Shuai about his feelings for Chi Cheng, throughout both episodes, Chi Cheng's embrace slowly became Suo Wei's safe space; and the instant smile every time Chi Cheng embraces him proves it. Suo Wei's reason for not wanting to make things official with Chi Cheng is hilarious on the surface, but I feel as though Suo Wei believes that getting physical with Chi Cheng would officially make it "real" (almost like a physical admission to himself that he's fallen for someone of the same sex despite admitting it verbally). Also, while I understand Suo Wei's concerns due to the fact that he had never been romantically involved with a guy before, I feel as though Chi Cheng would be more than understanding (ESPECIALLY since it's Suo Wei) for the man he loves. In fact, I actually wouldn't be surprised if Chi Cheng allowed him to top because of how hard he's fallen in love with Suo Wei (love has a way of making people submit/compromise in ways that people may have never thought they would). Lastly, although he isn't entirely innocent in this situation due to the fact that he taught Suo Wei how to seduce Chi Cheng for his (Suo Wei) initial nefarious intentions, I do feel bad for Xiao Shuai since he's become accustomed to his interactions with Guo Cheng Yu. While he initially rejected Cheng Yu's advances, a part of him liked the idea of being pursued. Hopefully their relationship continues to develop as the series progresses.

*SIDE NOTE*

In general, Chinese BLs in 2025 has been CLEARING Taiwanese BLs in 2025.

I'm happy that this episode (episode 6) explored Tada's backstory to serve as an explanation for his undying love for Armin. I know that Armin has credited Tada (as "TD") for saving his life and giving him a reason to live, but knowing that Armin actually did the same for Tada as a child makes their bond all the more beautiful. Although I loved the energy of this episode, I still can't shake the feeling that Tada was in fact the one who spiked Armin's drink in the past life and played a pivotal part in Armin's death/murder, and that the Tada in Armin's "reset" is the same Tada from the past life. When Armin mentioned his death in the past life to Tada on the beach, Tada seemingly had a flashback of that night where he was crying in agony over Armin's body. There's no possible way he'd have any recollection of that night unless he himself was there. Also, I feel as though there was a reason for Tada displaying his mixology skills after becoming visibly jealous of Armin networking with other powerful men in the industry. Nothing that Tada is shown doing on-screen feels arbitrary. If I'm correct about the iteration of Tada also being from Armin's past life, I could see Armin's death breaking Tada to the point where he felt as though he no longer had a reason to live and ultimately decided to commit suicide. Also, If I'm correct about Tada being the one who drugged Armin in the past life, the guilt that Tada must have felt would be intense to say the least. The idea that (in his mind) he seemingly failed at protecting the one person he genuinely loved because of his own actions toward that person would be more than enough to obliterate anyone's mental and emotional state. So far, Tada has been nothing short of a green flag, but with four episodes left, I feel like there's even more to Tada than meets the eye.

Meh, the ending felt a bit abrupt in more ways than one. The storyline with Phut and his side piece was never resolved, Penny and June didn't appear at all in this episode, and Jom just disappeared never to be seen or heard from again. Outside of Jun and Sorn's NC scenes (because Tai and Champ's scenes weren't it), there really isn't much of a reason to watch this series. The story wasn't the strongest, and the characters were 1-dimensional for the most part. I've seen worse BLs, and considering the fact that most office romance BLs in general tend to have a weaker story/plot, it could've been worse. After finishing the series, I've come to realize that Jun is low-key giving sugar baby tease, and to be quite honest, I'm not entirely mad at it.

*Alexa, play "Finally" by CeCe Peniston* 🎶

After 87 years, and a total of 23 episodes (yes, I'm counting Season 1), North finally put his big boy pants on and confessed to Sonic. If done properly, I don't mind a "slow burn" romance but watching both North AND Sonic beat around the bush for nine straight episodes knowing that they like each other was a bit annoying. They have good chemistry, so hopefully their boyfriend era will give what it needs to give. In regard to Alan doing what he did, he never really seemed like a person who "planned ahead" so to speak. While his initial motive seemed selfless on the surface, it wasn't entirely unselfish in the sense that he thought he'd be able to use Tony's drug to his own benefit while at the same time (in his mind) rescuing Dean from Tony's control not realizing (I don't know why since he was there when Chris removed the chip from Willy's neck) that Tony's drug would also infuse him with a similar chip that Willy had, if not worse since Willy's chip was able to be removed by a third party. TO be honest, I really don't know why they don't take advantage of Pete's power more often; because had Pete used his power on Alan, he and the rest of the group would know where Alan REALLY went, and it would probably allow Charlie to make more sense of his vision. Lastly, the preview for the next episode where Chris reveals that he's Way's twin brother doesn't really make much sense to me since he spent the ENTIRE SEASON denying any relation to Way. Does that mean that Way was Tony's biological son based on Chris' supposed relation to Tony? I just need that part of the story fleshed out a bit.

What was the point of fast-tracking last week's episode if episode 12 wouldn't be available until next week anyway?

After watching both episode 9 and episode 10, I still can't shake the feeling that Coach Petch is also a part of this situation. I think he's either working with Phuwish or above him somehow. His demeanor throughout the series has been far too calm for someone who allegedly got scammed out of his funding for his gym that he eventually lost ownership of (allegedly). There hasn't been an ounce of angst, panic, or trepidation in ANY of his mannerisms throughout the series, and with two episodes left, I feel like Coach Petch being dirty may be the final "twist" of this series. There's a reason why he decided to stay behind when he had more than enough time to escape with everyone else. I honestly never thought I'd see Gap playing a steroid shooting predator poaching someone else's boyfriend so aggressively. He plays the role extremely well (because I despise the character), and I hope he gets a main role in a BL one day. In regard to the character of Yut, Keen and Thun should've killed him (assuming Thun didn't do that when he choked out Yut); because that's the kind of character that'll keep coming back even when you think everything is over.

*SIDE NOTE*

I know that Keen's role in the series is to be the "fixer/problem solver," but I really wish he'd learn how to fight; especially since his boyfriend is a renowned fighter. Keen should want to be able to physically protect both himself AND Thun in the event that Thun is physically unable to. I know that Thun is a fighter, but he shouldn't have to bear that burden alone.

- Reset (comes on Mondays)
- The Ex Morning (comes on Thursdays)
- Memoir of Rati (Comes on Fridays)
- Knock Out (comes on Fridays)
- Pit Babe Season 2 (comes on Fridays)
- The Bangkok Boy (comes on Saturdays)
- My Stubborn (comes on Sundays)

Chi Cheng doesn't like Wu Suo Wei, he LOVES him (which will make the next two episodes even more heartbreaking). Throughout the series, the ONLY time Chi Cheng is seen smiling is when he's either with Wu Suo Wei or thinking about Wu Suo Wei. He's so deep in love to the point where nothing his family can do to him will compare to the level of heartbreak Wu Suo Wei can (and unfortunately will) inflict on him. I'm curious to see how Wu Suo Wei manages to win Chi Cheng back since it seems as though in the most recent episode (episode 8), Wu Suo Wei is subconsciously developing real feelings for Chi Cheng, but at the same time he's scared since the mechanics of same-sex attraction are completely new to him. If you think about it, Wu Suo Wei told Jiang Xaio Shuai that he had never even kissed Yue Yue in the three-year span that they had been together; so it's a high possibility that Chi Cheng may have actually been Wu Shu Wei's first kiss. I enjoy their chemistry, and I just hope that Wu Suo Wei's gesture(s) used to win back Chi Cheng warrants the start of their inevitable relationship (again, their chemistry is insane).

*SIDE NOTE*

If Yue Yue knew that Wu Suo Wei was broke when she began dating him, why would she even date him (let alone stay for three years) if all she cares about is money? She could've easily spent those three years obtaining the sugar daddy of her dreams. The only positive purpose she serves in this series is being the catalyst for the budding relationship between Chi Cheng and Wu Suo Wei (who are ironically her current boyfriend and ex-boyfriend respectively).

Before I get in depth with my thoughts on this episode (episode 5), I just have to say that despite the fact that I'm still enjoying this series overall, Armin was flat-out INSUFFERABLE for about 86% of this episode. I understand that he's still traumatized by what happened in his past life but having him go off-script and crash out against the past versions of these people every 2.5 seconds is getting a bit excessive. Once or twice, maybe; but literally EVERY episode has him crashing out and looking neurotic AF. On the surface, I want to say that Armin abruptly lashing out at Tada after interrupting his "revenge plot" against both Charlie and Sam for what they did to him in the past life outside of the murder was severely uncalled for since it seems as though Tada is the only person who's GENUINELY in his corner; but because of my theory about Tada being the one who drugged Armin in the past life out of anger and/or jealousy for being snubbed by Armin in his acceptance speech, a part of me feels as though this may have been an involuntary "preemptive strike" for what's to come (unbeknownst to Armin) assuming Tada is the one who drugged Armin in his past life and ultimately played a hand in his murder due to the fact that he was unable to properly defend himself in a 2-on-1 scenario. Something about the way Tada asked Armin if he appeared in Armin's past life gave me the impression that this iteration of Tada (who's supposed to be from 1999) may know more about Armin's past life than he's disclosing to Armin. Lastly, this is going to sound a bit mean, but Armin isn't really the brightest bulb in the chandelier. The fact that he's finding out who Tada truly is/was in his past life at the halfway mark of the series when Tada has been dropping hints since episode 1 is insane. Outside of Tada simply removing the "A"s from his name and signing all of his gifts as "TD," the proper use of a hashtag, and the hashtag he used being "ArminFanclub" ("TD" was Armin's first and biggest fan in his past life and practically started the "Armin Fanclub"). TADA LITERALLY SAID "Armin Fanclub" IN FRONT OF ARMIN. I'll never understand how it took Armin half of the series to put 2-and-2 together and realize that "TD" and Tada were one and the same. Although Armin was doing A LOT in this episode, if my guess is correct, I'm going to feel really bad for him since he told Tada that he had given him a reason to live life as "TD," and (again, assuming I'm correct) for it to be revealed that Tada drugged Armin in the past life playing an integral role in his death may be entirely too much for Armin to process.

Yeah, I just checked episode 10. I thought Jun-ho was the shorter one who switched out Joe's medication.

Jun-ho wasn't the one fighting Sun in episode 1, that was Jihoon. Jun-ho is the one who typically watches fights from the sideline in the getaway car. Jihoon is the one who stabbed Kong, so Jun-ho asking Sun that question wouldn't make sense at all. Plus, the one who was getting punched while being asked that question looked like Peace in the preview. Sun was in another scene. Either way, we'll find out for sure next week.

Jun-ho never killed Kong, that was Jihoon (the one who was fighting Sun in episode 1). Also, I assumed that the "sissy" who was killed was Cherry's friend since he was the only one who woke up after everyone was gassed in the house and had to be pistol whipped to be knocked out. Plus, it looked as if Peace was getting punched while being asked that question in the preview for the finale episode. To my knowledge, Jun-ho never actually fights. He's typically the one sitting in the getaway car watching all the mess go down.

*EDIT*

Apparently, I got Jun-ho and Jihoon mixed up.

Lobbyists are typically neutral though, and Jun-ho was the one who had the tracker placed in Peace's car for the men in the van to follow them to Cherry's friend's place. The short preview for the finale suggests that Cherry's friend was murdered.

Technically, July 12, but since episode 10 was fast tracked last week, episode 12 is also being fast tracked for release next week.

This episode made me feel terrible for Mei. After being kidnapped, trafficked, and abused by countless men, she was ultimately hurt the most by the one man (albeit a gay man) that she found solace in during her rehabilitation at a time where she seemingly hated Sun (her brother). While I understand Sun's anger finding out that his boyfriend knew that Mr. Joe was the one who ordered the murder of his (Sun's) dad, Sun doesn't really have a rational bone in his body. He acts way too much out of emotion and impulse without giving thought to things that may happen before or after he acts. I like the fact that even when he's angry with Peace, Peace (along with Mei) acted as Sun's conscience and prevented him from murdering Mr. Joe (although I do still think Mr. Joe needs to die, but not by Sun's hand). The preview for the finale didn't really show much, so I'm hoping that it's a long finale that properly concludes the series. I hope that Sun and Peace end up together (and alive). Based on events that happened in episode 10, I honestly wouldn't be surprised if Cherry's uncle turned out to be one of the lobbyists that seem to outrank all of the criminals. If that's the case, I don't think things will end well for Jun-ho and Jihoon since they sent men to gas his niece and her girlfriend. Being a lobbyist would also explain how Cherry's uncle is able to keep his coffee shop afloat despite having a noticeably low number of clients as Sun has pointed out in previous episodes. Lastly, in regard to the uncle, I noticed that he went to the VIP floor of the hospital where Mr. Joe was staying, and the guards for that floor didn't even try to lay a hand on him. He played it off as if he pressed the button for the wrong floor, but I feel like there was a reason for that particular scene.

*SIDE NOTE*

I know it may not be an initial thought to the average person, but when you're involved in that level of crime, I would think that Peace and Sun would at least check the car for a tracker just to be safe; especially since Sun gave Peace a tracker to hide in a very peculiar place to prevent it from being found.

Episode 12 better be at least an hour and a half. I'll put my thoughts on episode 11 in a spoiler tag below since there are some people who have yet to see it somehow.

There's absolutely no way I can suspend disbelief enough to believe that Thun lost to an out of shape middle-aged man. I figured that either Pakorn or Phuwish was "Sia Thep" (although I suspected the latter more so) since Phuwish just seemed entirely too generous, and a "Sia Thep" character wasn't listed in the cast. Also, I noticed that when Keen asked him why he wanted to buy Coach Petch's gym, he never actually answered the question. I know that trailers aren't necessarily always canon, but if the trailer for this series turns out to be somewhat canon, I'd be disappointed, but not shocked to find out that Coach Petch isn't really on the up-and-up either. I hope that isn't the case, but since there are four more episodes left, I feel like there's MUCH more to this story that people may not be expecting at first glance.

The ONLY semi decent thing about the average Scud film is the fact that you'll most likely see attractive nude men in every other scene. Based on his work, Scud seems to have a creepy infatuation with r*pe, death, and suicide. Not even 4 minutes in, you get hit with two r*pe scenes back-to-back, and a suicide scene. To paraphrase Tyra Banks, "it is so bad, I wanna give it a 0, but that is not possible, so I give it a 1." To be honest, the 1/10 rating is mainly for the attractive nude men. This film was severely disjointed and confusing.

Although I like the fact that both Phi and Tam admitted to each other that they're not over one another, they can't FULLY heal and move forward until they address the reason Tam ghosted Phi after breaking up with him via text message.

While I'm enjoying the series overall, I have to ask if Armin is just extremely dense or just willfully ignorant. How is it that he hasn't figured out who Tada really is? Tada isn't even trying to hide it at this point, especially when he properly used the "hashtag" #ArminFanclub. "TD" (Tada) was the first member of the "Armin Fanclub" in Armin's past life, so I'm finding it hard to believe that Armin didn't pick up on it when Tada threw that hashtag out. Also, the fact that Tada knew how to properly use a "hashtag" when this iteration of him is supposed to be from 1999 makes me believe that he too is from the future, and this may be a "reset" for him as well. In the past life, Tada (TD) always kept his distance from Armin, and never revealed himself to him physically; whereas in this "reset," Tada is making the effort to be physically in Armin's life from the beginning of his career. Although it would sadden me, for the sake of the story, I wouldn't be surprised if Tada was the one who spiked Armin's drink in the past life in a retaliatory way since Armin snubbed "TD" in his acceptance speech. If that ends up being the case, it would explain why Tada is breaking his neck to give Armin the world in this "reset."

*SIDE NOTE*

I fully understand why Armin despised Lilly in the past life. I'm aware of how seedy the entertainment industry can generally be, but she's a terrible human being selling the young talent she "manages" to creepy old men for fistfuls of money. I hope she gets her comeuppance in this "reset."