Ben X Jim (2020)

Better than a lot of craps being shown right now.

What to like:
1. Cutipies! Ben, Jim , Olan! Yum yum yum!;
2. Good subtle acting(except maybe Yana). Some people say that Ben is a bit humanoid with weird facial expressions, I kinda agree (its like watching a male version of Kristen Stewart who almost always looks like she needs to take a crap when she needs to show emotion) BUT its also part of why i like Teejay's acting, it is closer to how people actually act in real life. Also, i like his small nuances that shows the gayness of the character;
3. Flo, i love Flo;
4. Above average cinematography;

What to hate:
1. Creepy watching by the window scenes, like for real, its not polite to openly watch your neighbor through your window;
2. I know Ben and Jim are the main protagonists but the series treated the secondary characters like crap just to move the story forward
- BLs have a sad habit of relegating female characters as useless background characters. They could have made Yana a proper lovable character so we'd feel attached and sorry for her. I love Flo but she was a glorified sidekick, does she not have anything important going on with her life?
- How they handled Olan's character was a bit too low. They made us love him and then just dumped him like a sad kitty;
3. The whole Covid setting was used just for convenience but lacks consistency. Not everyone was wearing protection, the characters were always outside (using being a frontliner as an easy excuse). Is Leo a frontliner too, how can he go to Ben's place so easily? How can Yana hitchride with Olan without mask? If you dont want the character to wear masks, then dont use the COVID setup;
4. Things escalated too quickly - one day Jim was so inlove with Yana and the next he was announcing to the world his love for Ben. I know they tried to show him caring for Ben, even calls him wifey and all, but it wasnt implied he was gay enough to really be his lover. Was he infected with a gay virus? Was it the lack of chemistry? Was it Jerome's ineffective acting?
5. The way they were trying to ship Olan and Yana. I seriously hope they wouldnt put them together, cause it feels like they are going to do that in the second season;
6. I hate Leo and that useless Ben and Jim's families conflicts.

Would i rewatch, yes probably, maybe just a quick skimming before the second season. Overall its a good and appreciated effort from a big studio, certainly better than a lot of the crappy telenovelas in philippine tv. I hope a lot more can be brave enough to tell these kind of stories and maybe one day it will be more mainstream. Overall, i give it 4 stars aout of 5.

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Ben X Jim (2020): A Well-Made Pinoy BL Series

“Ben X Jim” was a well-made Filipino (Pinoy) boys’ love (BL) series. There were a few missteps in terms of characterizations of the support characters but with regard to acting performance and production technicals, this series was very good.

Those who have had a crush on their childhood friend but weren’t able to confess their feelings will find this series relatable. “Ben X Jim” employed the childhood friends to lovers trope that banks heavily on beliefs about destiny and stars aligning when the time is right. Ben and Jim have history together and this series was about confronting their past in order to navigate through their present and their future. Ben and Jim were flawed characters. Ben was abused in a relationship and was prone to dependency. He was also self-righteous at times. Jim wasn’t politically correct and he was macho and possessive at times especially when he constantly referred to Ben as “wifey.” But what’s good with these characters, they’re self-aware of their flaws and towards the end, there were clear character developments. Unfortunately, this can’t be said of most of the support characters. While Leo had more than enough character background and development, Flo, Olan, and Yana didn’t. In fact, even with all the apologies, I’d still say Olan and Yan were treated badly.

On the plus side, screenplay was consistently realistic and relatable. There were good heartfelt lines as well as hilarious dialogues. Ben and Jim’s dramatic scenes had good serious lines while Ben and Olan’s comedic scenes had good funny dialogues. Script was also able to seamlessly incorporate the characteristics of fictional Pinoy superheroes Captain Barbel and Darna and the struggles of real Pinoy modern-day heroes like our frontliners (small business owners, essential workers, couriers, etc.) in one episode.

Across the board, acting was quite solid. Both Teejay and Jerome were very good. They didn’t overact. Their emotional delivery per scene was just fine. They had chemistry together. It also helped that both are quite good-looking. All the male cast members were gorgeous (with a couple of shirtless scenes, lol). Johannes is the beautiful bad boy while Ron is the charming naughty guy. Both of them capitalized on the scenes given to them with appropriate performances. All the female cast members gave good performances as well. It’s really a pity their characters weren’t fully developed.

It wasn’t surprising that “Ben X Jim” had strong production technicals. Regal Entertainment Inc., a major film production company in the Philippines, produced this series. Production design, cinematography, sound engineering, musical scoring, and editing were unfailing. The soundtrack “Stars Align” by Sam Marquez featuring Swavesound was ok but it was a bit overplayed throughout the series.

All in all, I would definitely recommend rewatching “Ben X Jim.” If you’re looking for a well-made Pinoy BL series with outstanding acting performance and production technicals, “Ben X Jim” is a suitable series for you. While “Ben X Jim” was from the point of view (POV) of Ben, it seems that its second season, “B X J Forever,” will be from the POV of Jim. The second season is definitely something to watch out for!

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