Yellen

This drama was one of my first K dramas ever. And even then I could have written exactly, word for word, what you wrote in your review. Every...single...word! I never understood the appeal of this drama. Maybe it's cultural? Who knows?

When I first started watching K dramas, there were a few things that struck me: the hierarchical society, heavy drinking and focus on beauty. The first remark characters said to each other (especially older: parents etc.) was always: "You are so pretty/handsome!". I really hurt my Western upbringing where personal remarks of that kind are considered rude and intrusive. I could never get used to in dramas, to this shallow idea of superficial beauty that is of a paramount importance in Korean society.

Your paragraph about beauty in this drama (that I have not seen) reminded me of one of the reasons I am rarely watching K dramas these days....

Beautiful cinematography with blinding sunlight! Watch on gaga!

Very cute story between a robot and a kid with the usual JBL problem: the dead fish kiss! Frankly I thought that my computer screen was malfunctioning: their lips touched and then everything froze! Not a muscle was moving during long seconds! Very passionate! Not!🤣🤣🤣 I don't need kisses etc. in my romcoms but if you do it, do it properly please!
Still very cute plot, very pretty sights, very lovely background score and very, very, very slow burn....🥰🥰

Finally an article about dramas that are neither chinese nor korean. We need more of these editorials! Thank you so much Soju!

Yes, you are right about Korean BLs. I think better kisses started in those first vertical BLs about 2 years ago: I remember being thoroughly shocked by the unexpected event of a non dead fish kiss in a KBL! Then there are those short web dramas on youtube also doing their bit recently! If they continue like this, they'll catch up with Thai BLs in no time!;-)

They kissed on the roof in episode 4...trademark japanese (and korean)dead fish kiss. Still, a kiss!

How come these high school kids never have parents in these BLs?

Japanese BLs? Trust me, I know of them and are definitely my favourites even though they also make a good amount of bad BLs. The problem with Thai BLs is too much skin not enough plot, while with JBLs the skin is not good enough (mostly fish kisses when there are some!) and the plot is very slow. Nevertheless, I prefer them because there is a story in them. Currently watching Contrast and liking it a lot!

Why do you keep watching Thai BLs? Still hoping for a hidden gem? In the meantime, they keep on churning out slop for teen girls....until they run out of pretty actors?

I feel for you! This drama sounds awful! I haven't watched a Thai BL in over 2 years and have no wish to see any! But I love reading reviews like yours because you seem to be a real watcher of BLs. Most of the high rated reviews are full of words like: hot, cute, hot, pretty, babies, hot etc. People seem to be mostly looking for pretty boys making out and to hell with a logical plot; so Thai producers give it to them. But for how long?

What is happening with Thai BLs?

Cute! Very very cute!

People rave about the chemistry in this one: but I cannot feel it. I also cannot find anything positive to say about either of them after two episodes. No, one thing: the tall one is rather handsome. There's that I guess. Not enough though...

I am trying to watch it now(2 eps in!) but I am literally repulsed by both main characters: the small one is a doormat and the tall one a bully. I cannot see the chemistry you all rave about: just a submissive victim without a backbone and the torturer enjoying humiliating him.
What am I missing here?

Very late to the party but how do you switch on the eng subs? There are only mandarin subs....and the subs on/off icon is not working!

Sloooooooooow, so slow! Even for me and I love slow burn dramas. But the flowers are so beautifully filmed, they look like paintings and are the reason I am going to finish this. Unless they are AI?

https://altselection.ouest-france.fr/zhang-linghe-qui-est-cette-nouvelle-etoile-montante-des-c-dramas/
The "French" article published only on the newspaper's additional internet site not on paper. Actually originally written by the Korean media ALT K-Selectionmedia. The writer seems to be Korean. Someone translated it in French. The quality of these articles are akin to those of LilyAlice.

Here it goes:
Blueming - I saw it 4 times because every time the memory of this drama was completely wiped from my mind. This has never happened to me before: I still do not remember what it was about! Even reading the synopsis does not help thus many rewatches...
ITSAY & IPYTM Tae was a character I could not stand and the ugly crying did not help. I liked the second season better than the first but I hated the ending.
Unknown - the kid falling for the father figure who is completely unresponsive until resignation sets in and he just surrenders. There was so much toxic behaviour from the young man which was borderline bullying.
Love Is A Poison - I remember finding it overbearing but that's the extent of my memory of it. Maybe I should rewatch it?
Our Youth - would have been good with better casting: one actor was convincing only as a teen, the other only as an adult. That grated too much and I could not focus on the plot.
Old Fashioned Cupcake - cute concept but with zero chemistry. The epilogue episode Apple pie, has more intensity in a few looks than the whole series.
12, 13, 14 & 18 I dropped during the first episode.
See Your Love - I liked the deaf representation. Isn't this the drama where the rich boy keeps getting himself in trouble accidentally on purpose once per episode in order to be saved by the deaf love interest? After three episodes of repetitive plot, I'd had enough.
My Love Mix Up -I tried watching this 5 times until I finally forced myself to finish to see what the fuss was about. The problem I had with it was too many manga/anime codes in a live action series.
Gelboys - interesting concept with the nail polish subculture. Bit too raw for my taste.

As you can see I am very superficial!lol More often than not I drop dramas because I'm not in the right mood so if something happens in them which does not agree with my current mood, I drop them easily.

But I agree with you about older Thai BLs: the recent ones are just vapid soft porn for teen girls! Not to mention Taiwanese BLs. I remember watching some early BLs (mostly short films!) which were made on a shoestring budget, some very odd (Love Poison 2019 Thai) but I enjoyed watching them so much more than most of the recent (2-3 years)polished ones which I easily drop nowadays as soon as something completely illogical/idiotic happens causing abysmal plot holes. That is, when there is a plot to speak of.

On the other hand 5,9, 11 & 15 would take top spots on my list of best BLs. Especially His. People do not appreciate this film enough. I saw it only once, about 4 years ago and still, every time I see the poster I get goosebumps.

As you say it is a question of taste which is very subjective. Which is also something those teen girls know nothing about. lol

If I say that 12 of the BLs on this list could feature on my BLs-I-Hated list, would it mean I have bad taste? And if so, what do I need to do to improve it? What should I look for in a BL?

Not bad but now I need to go and rewatch Jack O'Frost. Same story just without the criminal element.

I am on episode 5 and this is definitely NOT a Korean production. Everything is Korean but they used the Thai BL production manual. And even though the actors have weak to inexistent chemistry, they go at it as if they were working for MAME! There are more kisses in one episode here than in all Korean BLS put together! I am impressed by these actors! Kudos!