Unpopularopinionbydemand
watching BL in the corner of my room
This review may contain spoilers
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!
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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