B X J Para Sempre (2021)

A huge upgrade from season 1

I really enjoyed watching this season. Season 1 finale was a frustrating mess, but if you ignore the events of that episode, this season is very enjoyable. It's much different from the first season as there is less fluff and cuteness – instead it's much more character driven and delves into what it feels like to lose your previous life and just life in general. Season 2 introduces several new characters which add a lot to the show.
Things I loved:
1. Jerome Ponce as Jim was amazing. His portrayal of how pain changes a person was just spot on.
2. There are some really amazing lines about letting go of past burdens and healing. The dialogue in general is very good.
3. This season addresses the SOGIE bill in Philippines which I found to be really important with regards to LGBTQIA+ rights.
4. Beautiful soundtrack.
5. Some of the shooting locations were absolutely gorgeous.
6. It deals with gender reassignment issues in a wonderful manner.
7. The ending sets things up wonderfully for season 3 (I hope there's one!). It shows that people that are hurting can't just jump into relationships and it's very realistic. It also gives a lot of hope for the characters.
8. Much higher production value compared to S1 – better lighting, sound and camera work.
9. Cute side couples.

Things I disliked:
1. Flo's hospital scenes were a bit weird, most likely due to the budget, but still, doing random stuff next to a stranger would be so awkward.
2. This season contains several scenes with flashbacks of Ben and Jim, several years into the past. I think those would have been better suited in season 1 and felt out of place. Especially considering the characters would be like 10-14 year old, so it was so weird to use adult actors.

Please give this season a chance – if you enjoy human storylines and not just BL content, you will like it! I wasn't that excited about watching this season, but I was very pleasantly surprised by how good this was.

Leia Mais

An Astonishing and Poignant Series One of the Best

I have read many of the negative reviews of this series but I could not more vehemently disagree with their analysis of this series. Sure, Season 1 was not powerful and frankly I thought it was banal and full of tropes. I had no intention of watching Season 2 but for reasons unknown to me, I became drawn to it. To say I was thunderstruck would be limiting. From the immediate opening, I realized I had misunderstood Season 1 at its inception. I did not fully grasp the intensity of Ben and Jim's relationship. While their love was foreordained, it never became inborn. It was only imagined and hungered for, lending itself to profound regrets and painful reflections. The depth of despair and pain both of these guys went through is brought forward with complete conviction to each of their characters. . It shows so profoundly how individuals respond to that loss uniquely, sometimes stupidly, almost always irrationally, and for those of us looking in, wrongly. I was profoundly moved by their performances and this story of pain. It really is a Must See. I know each of us has different takes on what we view, but this one hit home when it comes to the portrayal of love that has been lost. Do not skip this one.
If you are interested in reading more on my thought about this brilliant series, please go to BLBliss.com.

Leia Mais

I didn't mind whatever happened.

STORY:
It might be "right love, wrong time" situation for these two because while they are pretty good together, as a generalization, even when they seem to not be together everything felt fine. In first season I felt Ben deserved better, in second I felt that way about Jim. Flashbacks were cute. The ending to me was fine. To be fair, by the end of the series, almost any non-tragic ending was acceptable to me.

For the main couple, it's a story of healing, and for side characters it's about romance and acceptance. The second leads were good, in short though- one seemed like a healthy person to be with and the other, well less healthy. And the whole confusing mess one of the besties fell into, initially felt chaotic and disorganized but come to think of it that whole confusion was what the writer/director meant to portray! Overall, there were a bunch of tiny subplots for all characters and everything tied up in a neat bow.

ACTING, was good, similar to the first season.

I did grow more fond of their OST this time around.

Leia Mais

MISLEADING TITLE.

Alright, so after I was dissatisfied with how Jim and Ben ended up in Season 1, I hope they end up better in Season 2. The beginning of season 2 was slow and very very frustrating. Jim and all of his former friends were looking for Ben bcz he disappeared into thin air. It seemed like maybe Ben died. But, by then end of episode 4, we had a glimpse of Ben living in a village with another guy. There were a lot of loopholes and things that didn't make sense but yes, I have to say, THE FEELING OF WHATS GONNA HAPPEN NEXT WAS CONSTANT. But, IT WAS BECAUSE THE TITLE WAS MISLEADING. IT SAYS "B X J FOREVER", SO, I WAS CURIOUS AS TO WHEN THE COUPLE WILL RECONCILE AND FINALLY BE TOGETHER. UNTIL THE VERY LAST SCENE, I STILL HAD HOPE THAT BEN MIGHT SOMEHOW END UP WITH JIM AS THE TITLE SAYS, BUT NO!
The reasons why I liked the series is-
1) It broke the stereotype of most dramas. Usually, we always see the lead couple ending up togather or even if they don't, if there's a season 2, there's a better ending for them. They usually reconcile. But here, the lead couple, infact, didn't end up together. Not in season 1, neither in season 2. The ending where Ben has finally made a firm decision to move on and never look back was realistic. And Jim ending up heartbroken was realistic too. Because, IRL, things always don't end up the way we want. There's life beyond the first love and people have to let go at a certain point.
2) The supporting charecters like Flo, Olan, Yana had their own stories and own struggles and they finally had their satisfactory ending.
3) It wasn't just a BL. It included sexuality and romantic relationships of all types.
4) MOST IMPORTANTLY, M GLAD THAT BEN DIDN'T DITCH ROY, SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS IN MOST DRAMAS. USUALLY, THE LEAD DITCHES THE SECOND LOVE INTEREST AS SOON AS THINGS GETS BETTER BETWEEN THE MAIN COUPLE. BUT BEN, DIDN'T LEAVE HIM. HE ACKNOWLEDGED THE FACT THAT ROY WAS THE ONE WHO HAS BEEN THERE FOR HIM THIS WHOLE TIME AND HE DOESN'T DESERVE TO BE DITCHED. EVEN THOUGH BEN DOESN'T REALLY LOVE ROY LIKE THE WAY HE LOVED JIM, HE'S LOOKING FORWARD HOLDING A SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY AND RESOLUTE DECESION. THIS SHOWS THAT EVEN IF THE HEART AND FEELING MAY WEAVER, IF WE HAVE A STRONG WILL, WE CAN LET GO OF PEOPLE AND MOVE ON.

Why I didn't like it-
1) The story was messed up right from the beginning. Season 2 was from Jim's POV. It showed that Jim loved Ben since childhood too. But, that's TOTALLY OPPOSITE OF HOW JIM BEHAVED IN SEASON 1. IN SEASON 1, JIM STARTED TEASING BEN WHEN HE REALISED HE WAS GAY. WHEN HIS GF SHOWED UP, HE ASKED BEN TO HELP HIM PLAN FOR THEIR ANNIVERSARY! I MEAN WHY WOULD SOMEONE ASK THE PERSON THEY SECRETLY LOVE TO HELP THEM PREPARE FOR A SURPRISE FOR SOMEONE HE'S CURRENTLY DATING (FOR MORE THAN A YEAR)? THAT NIGHT, HE SAID BEN THAT HE WAS THE HAPPIEST PERSON, SHE'S THE BEST THING THAT COULD EVER HAPPEN TO HIM..When Ben said "I love you", his first reaction was "I LOVE YOU TOO, YOU'RE MY BEST FRIEND". Until much later, when Jim stated getting jealous over Olan and Ben, that's when he realised he loves Ben. Otherwise, he kept using the word "BEST FRIEND" for Ben. He emphasized on it.
2) WHAT WAS JIM'S FAULT EXACTLY? After Jim got into a relationship with Ben in Season 1, He was devoted to him and was ready to face any challenges which is why he publically announced their relationship online (Ofcourse that was kinda impulsive and immature because he didn't think it through). But after he saw Ben and Leo kissing ( not really but so it seemed), he was angry and did say some hurtful things to Ben. But the reason why Ben chose to break up with Jim was because he didn't want Jim to know about the dark past of their parents or be a hindrance in his life. Even before Jim left for Davao, he asked Ben if he's sure about the break up. He was ready to give everything up for him. Later when BEN realised that Jim didn't deserve to be hurt like that, that when he made a " truth reveal" video and explained why he had to break up with Jim. Ofcourse after knowing the truth, Jim was ready to get back to Ben. But Ben was gone... VANISHED!!! Much later in the last episode Ben says that they've hurt each other a lot and he needs healing. WHEN DID JIM HURT BEN??? (after being in a relationship with Ben, Jim didn't do anything wrong expect getting mad when he saw Ben and Leo kissing. That isn't enough to be considered as hurting Ben!) IT WAS JIM'S FATHER WHO HURT BEN NOT JIM. WHY DID JIM HAVE TO SUFFER FOR A SIN HIS FATHER COMMITTED? JIM EVEN CUT OFF TIES WITH HIS FATHER. SO WHYYY????
2) WHY DID BEN PLAY DEAD??
I mean, okay he wanted to run away from Jim because he didn't want to destroy Jim's life (based on what Jim's father told him). Couldn't he just break up properly? Or even if he wanted to vanish, he could've left a goodbye message. He wanted Jim to have a better life. How? By playing dead? IS IT EASY TO LIVE A LIFE AND MOVE ON WITHOUT KNOWING WHETHER OUR LOVED ONE IS DEAD OR ALIVE? NOT JUST JIM, EVEN FLO, OLAN AND ALL OF HIS FORMER FRIENDS SUFFERED FROM THIS. JIM COULDN'T MOVE ON WITHOUT KNOWING WHAT EXACTLY HAPPENED TO BEN. HE WENT ALMOST CRAZY LOOKING FOR BEN. AND THEN BEN FINALLY APPEARED...WITH HIS "SPOUSE". I MEAN ISN'T THAT TOOOOO CRUEL?? ALRIGHT, HOW DID BEN END UP AT ROY'S??? THIS WASN'T MADE CLEAR. Apparently, I assume he had an accident and somehow ended up at Roy's. But where was his mother? Was his mother okay with leaving her son in such a state at a stranger's care? That's ILLOGICAL!!!!
Here, m not judging Ben. I understand Ben is a timid character who chose to run away instead of fighting for his love. He might have considered it as a "sacrifice" for the sake of better life for Jim, but clearly, JIM LED A MUCH MORE MISERABLE LIFE THAN BEN. THINGS GOT WORSE FOR HIM IN EVERY RESPECT. HE SACRIFICED EVERYTHING FOR BEN. I HATE THE SCRIPT WRITER FOR MAKING JIM'S CHARACTER SO MISERABLE!!!
3) VAL was a perfect example of HOW, EVEN TOUGH WE DON'T WANT TO BE PEOPLE'S REBOUND, WE MIGHT END UP BEING ONE. I FEEL HIM.
4) WAS OLAN BISEXUAL? DID HE "LOVE" YANA OR WAS SHE REALLY HIS BFF?? Initially, in Season 2, Yana was his BFF and he was looking for males to "make out" with so I thought he was gay. But later he was jealous over Yana and Amber and almost kissed Yana. And later they were back to being BFFs. So, m confused.
Gosh I've never written such a long review before. It's just that I could feel the charecters and was so disturbed by the plot that I had to write it.
Oh and yes, THE ACTING OF THE ENTIRE CAST, SPECIALLY JIM, VAL, ROY, BEN, FLO..WERE SPOT ON!!! THE MADE THE CHARECTERS COME TO LIFE!!!

Leia Mais

In the second series, there was a shift in characters from the original Ben to Jim, and the latter appealed to me even more as an actor. Maybe it was also the way the character of Ben was written (crying hurt moron who now doesn't know what he wants). The main song got under my skin and the rest was ok too. I got along with the characters and they at least saved the four points for the story of the second season, some parts were too long for my taste and I was refreshed by the symposia Roy and Bogs.
Note: while staying (2022) in the southern hemisphere, I turn on the TV and Jerome Ponce jumps out at me on the Novela E Plus channel (probably for southern African countries) in the English-dubbed series A Soldier's Heart (gay character, but 110 episodes) and we can look forward to the continuation of the gay love from this series in the newly prepared project PhilJie's Heart with Jerome Ponce and Yves Flores (Stuck On You).

Leia Mais

'Ben X Jim Forever': Two soulmates condemned to suffering and oblivion

Regal Entertainment Inc.'s 2021 Filipino boy love (BL) romantic drama 'Ben , two people who, after going from friends to lovers, become strangers with memories, after a sad family secret is revealed that they were both unaware of and that causes the breakup of their love relationship.
Set in a period marked by the pandemic caused by Covid-19, the series, retitled 'BXJ Forever', is told in this second season from Jim's perspective. From there, it is shown how mutual the attraction between the two really was, which would explain some of the flaws in Jim's character development in the first season.
Viewers learn more about Jim's relationship with his father and how this has broken him. We appreciate both young people equally and can analyze their thought processes and feelings.
Jim cannot conceive that his childhood friend and later lover is no longer a part of his life. After throwing everything away because of Ben's decision, Jim now works as a barista.
The series revolves around Jim's continued search for Ben after he disappears after the unfortunate ending of the first season. With the help of friends, Jim tries to find him, while recounting all the good times they had through letters that will be revealed that he sent to Ben, over the years, until June 5, 2015, his last letter.
The series stars EJ Jallorina as Francia, Ron Angeles as Olan, Kat Galang as Flo, Sarah Edwards as Yana, Vance Larena as Val, Royce Cabrera as Roy, Miko Gallardo as Bogs, Darwin Yu as Dante, Jomari Angeles as Burn and Johannes Rissler as Leo.
Over the course of the show's two seasons so far, the star-crossed lovers struggle to regain their relationship amid family drama, third parties, and the challenges that come with being queer in today's world.
Ben and Jim have everything to live a beautiful love story: they are young, single, handsome and deeply attracted to each other. It won't take them long to realize that they are made for each other. But a family secret catches up with them and has fractured them as a couple. In your case, the breakup is not caused by heartbreak, disappointment, or the extinguishing of the fire of passion. Both are still in love, but Ben has put a distance between the two out of shame that Jim will know a dark past that involves the parents of the two boys.
We witness the subtle construction of their new lives, and we observe their movements after the breakup of the love relationship. Can they forget what they were as a couple? Will they be able to recover their love?
With an insightful cinematographic staging with insistent and expressive camera movements and intelligent use of scenery and locations, Easy Ferrer, its director and screenwriter, tells in the continuation of the series that Ben is more open about his identity and how Jim Learn about political correctness when it comes to LGBT+ terms and issues. This theme is explored further and more pointedly in this second season, with the passage of the SOGIE bill being an underlying discussion throughout the eight episodes.
The drama brings a more bittersweet and grounded reality of love and the consequences of fighting for love. Through transgender characters (correctly played by transgender actors EJ Jallorina and Rica Castaño), the series contributes to the debate on the spectrum of sexuality and gender.
Through more diverse subplots and the addition of new characters, 'BXJ Forever' addresses themes such as internalized queerphobia, sexual exploration, discrimination in the workplace, cancel culture, the need for sexual positivity, general positivity, gender reassignment and self-validation, maturity issues, and social media toxicity.
The series contributes to making the struggle of LGBT+ people visible through in-depth political debates, with identifiable stories.
The story tends to get overly complicated. The narrative loses cohesion with the incorporation of new characters and conflicts that contribute little to the main story. Tends to rely on narrative and character clichés.
At times, it seems that it is no longer Ben and Jim's relationship as the main plot that is being narrated.
Some stories and events are also messy or inorganic, such as the fact that Ben suddenly resolves to return to the world he abandoned, six months ago, once he decides to unilaterally break up with Jim.
The context of the story taking place in the midst of a pandemic then becomes an afterthought, and elements indicative of the health crisis, such as mask-wearing and physical distancing, are inconsistently portrayed.
Three years after finishing the second season, I highly doubt the story will be resumed to give our protagonists a happy ending.

Leia Mais

What a mess

I really don’t know what else to say but it’s just a bloody mess. This was the most anticipated sequel of Filipino BL I had next to Gameboys.

This was a cobbled together mess of people trying to capitalize on popularity of the first show. I don’t know if the writers were replaced or if they just just lost the entire concept of a plot.

The side character stories were far far more interesting then anything that the had Ben or Jim. What a waste of great actors and talent. Their fantastic performances like Roy’s for example couldn’t save this gong show.

They did the cast wrong with this terrible terrible mess of a story. Don’t watch. Just pretend it ended at the first series. It just made no comprehensive sense at all.

Leia Mais