Actual communication & character growth!

Content Warnings: bullying, maybe that super bizarre meet cute, 
(minor spoilers)

I watched the first 5 episodes but since I'm not a fan of love triangles (rectangles? pentagons?) or slow burn romances, I decided to wait until it was finished and binge the rest if reviews were good. And I'm so glad that I watched the rest (albeit on 1.5 speed).

What I Liked
- hold onto your hats because...characters actually communicate with each other, whaaaaa???? Not perfectly, but there is a bunch of effort and it's so nice to see characters looking for clarification and communication. 
- characters actually apologize for mistakes they made and try to learn/grow from them
- attention to detail with the production/production value. I can tell thought was put into things (such as a character is mentioned to have red ears and his ears are actually red).
- Shi Woon is the best boy, I liked many characters but Shi Woon is a goofball who isn't stupid, more of this please
- the parallel with the cat
- finally a supportive and kind teacher who isn't flirting or hooking up with a student
- some great lines including "steal what, Tae Kyung is not mine just like Da On isn't yours"

Room For Improvement
- that absolutely awful meet cute with the you know what and referring to his butt, no way. The writers must have thought this was funny but it was totally not funny and awful to watch. 
- I know it's based on a game but I wish they would have made the names more unique from each other, because I kept getting confused about which person was being talked about
- It can be slooooooowwww, like those 2 minute lingering glances after a catch and fall, talking slowly, walking slowly
- once again we have the female character who make a terrible decision but at least this one has character growth
- the 2 kisses, especially the 2nd. I give them 1 shocked kiss but when 1 person doesn't move their lips/pucker and the other is making an effort, it looks so awkward. I blame the director/lack of workshopping. Looking at the BTS, neither actor had done an on screen kiss. The actors should have been given some direction/information in a smaller group setting before going to film it.
- the last episode left many things unanswered and felt rushed but perhaps there will be a season 2

Speaking of, I'm looking forward to a season 2 or a spinoff (but don't make me get rid of one of the things on my What I Liked list).

Leia Mais

On Hold - Coffee Melody

Overall: the series is very slow and the cliche plot point at the start of ep 7 has made me put this on hold. I'll wait until it finishes airing and maybe pick it up again then. Watched on Viki.

Content Warnings: non con picture taking, gaslighting (from music boss)

What I Liked
- I appreciate an aggressive/obvious flirt
- cute moments like with the cake
- the rainbow poster in the background when the band is practicing
- Duean Yi's family
- (neutral) it has comedy sound effects

Room For Improvement
- wasn't hooked in the first scene
- the fangirling thing
- slow, I watched at 2-3x speed
- cliche plot point at the beginning of episode 7
- I didn't mind the cartoon flowers but I didn't like the cartoon music notes from the piano
- choppiness between some scenes
- random characters like those tween wannabe pop stars
- odd yellow/purple lighting in his room
- that jerk music boss

Leia Mais

(Kind Of) Innocent

Overall: I'm reviewing this 5 minute short as separate from the original short & the series. Watched on Gagaoolala.

Content Warnings: strobe/flash lighting

What I Liked
- the music, editing, color grading made it feel like a music video/art film which I think it what they were going for
- that the voice over had some decent communication in it
- the bdsm & costume aspects of it

Room For Improvement
- pretty sure the couple times I laughed out loud was not the effect they were going for
- it was surprisingly PG-13, thought it was going to be a bit steamier (because nothing says sexy like a teddy bear sitting at that table, I realize it was supposed to represent the 1 personality...but still...)
- they could have done whipped cream and licking/sucking it off, blown out a massage candle and dripped hot wax on a guys back or abs, many ways to make this less innocent

Leia Mais

Content Warnings: violence, tragedy (not between m/m)

Watch it for Pitch/Bank if you want, but unfortunately the potential was definitely not reached.

What I Liked
- a nice concept of a bodyguard/protectee
- humor mixed with action
- some cute fluff moments
- Pitch/Bank as the side couple
- Sky's dad's acting
- production value seemed fine

Room For Improvement
- that sponge bath was too invasive
- Gun's sad/angry acting, this was just painful to watch and it's partially the director's fault
- many plot holes/non-logical things such as: why wouldn't Sky's mother pre-donate her own blood (especially when she was pregnant as there can be complications), why couldn't Sky donate to her (granted he couldn't do as much as he was a child but still...), why wouldn't Sky pre-donate his blood since it's so rare, why would you put one of the only blood donors in an extremely dangerous job, why did the writers have them be in the art department when Sun can't draw and that's easily found out by the university, why did Pitch get a personality transplant, how did Pitch/Bank become boyfriends
- how Sky used those two women which I was worried about from the beginning, they should have cut out their characters and focused more on Pitch/Bank
- lack of character growth from Sky especially
- I absolutely hate time gaps and this was no exception, the ending felt very rushed

Leia Mais

dropping this

Overall: There are valid reasons why people write/read/watch/enjoy FICTIONAL toxic/abusive relationships which I'm not going to get into. Day constantly abusing Itt along with other things has made me drop this series. FYI, this is based on the third book in a series - I have not read the books and believe that series should be able to be watch/enjoyed without knowing about the source material so that is how I'm reviewing this series. Aired on WeTV.

Content Warnings: fight scene/beaten up, violence, blood, intimate partner violence, manipulation, manhandling (likely more content warnings will happen in future episodes)

What I Liked
- Itt's parents
- their friends
- that ep 1 fight scene was just plain fun
- how a former girlfriend is not a cliche evil character
- skinny black jeans and Day's abs

Room For Improvement
- ep 1 Itt screaming about cake for half the episode, I understand that Day likes Itt to rely on him so it's not like he's a victim in all this but the cake screaming was super annoying
- the production should not expect viewers to have read the previous 2 books and understand the characters/story, what we saw was Itt being annoying in episode 1 and then being constantly abused and crying in the next few episodes, this does not make for enjoyable viewing
- scenes dragged on, they spent way too long in the hospital
- a parade of characters in episode 2 made it difficult to know who was who and what their relationship was to one another
- nonsense things like Itt spending multiple days in a hospital for fainting, why were Day and Itt sleeping on couches at their house???
- end of episode 3 looked good but then the beginning of episode 4 skipped over that cliffhanger
- missing and difficult to understand subtitles
- ballad song for the intro/outro was odd given the tone of the series

Leia Mais

could have been amazing

Overall: after almost 6 months and no official international release, I was beyond excited to finally be able to watch this (see the MDL comments). Unfortunately, the characters changed and the plot let me down. About 1 hour long.

What I Liked
- some sweet moments
- flashbacks to the series (except for the rap because that was still extremely cringey)

Room For Improvement
- if you had a few minutes or a few hours with the love of your life for perhaps one final time, what would you do? Play a virtual reality game? Check your phone and ignore them over lunch? Do a dance and post it to social media? I was extremely disappointed in the plot of this special. In the first few minutes we should have gotten how much they loved/missed each other and a minimum of a passionate kiss.
- cliche interrupted kiss
- dead fish lip press
- nonsense stuff, ie. why would Jom try to wake himself up from something so amazing, why would he turn something on he should know would scare Yai, where was Yai (also by himself) while Jom was preparing that surprise
- the tonal shift around 40 minutes didn't make sense when Jom seemed so glib up to that point
- still no official international release (I'll add .5 if they ever get one), they could have put this on Vimeo to buy or rent, sold it to a streaming service/s etc

Leia Mais

excellent chemistry/tension

Overall: the leads really brought it in this university series. 6 episodes about 25 minutes each. Aired on WeTV https://wetv.vip/en/play/dy0tqsfvpl73f7f-No.1%20For%20You Also a special edition that has a few extra seconds for paid subscribers (did not see the difference in episode 1) https://wetv.vip/en/play/7isd6uuw6sdr6v0-No.1-For-You-Special-Edition/i0039ifao8c-EP1-No.1-For-You-Special-Edition 

Content Warnings: non con video recording, manipulation/blackmail, non con touching/kiss, homophobia

What I Liked
- sweet moments
- funny moments
- intimacy/chemistry
- that bridge scene was amazing
- supportive friends, the sassy cousin and the mom
- a non cliche female character
- attention to props (rainbow books in the library, the skeleton that changes positions)
- character styling
- music (the actor YU who played Zhou Shu Yi sang the OST "Blue Lover"; the bartender in episode 6 was Alex Chou who was a lead in My Tooth Your Love and also sang "Hard To Let Go" in We Best Love)

Room For Improvement
- starting with a flash forward/montage for the episodes
- cliche leg cramp scenario
- multiple stupid "plans"
- needed more screen time with the 2nd m/m couple

Leia Mais

better as it went on (watch suggestions)

Overall: unless you enjoy over the top humor with a ton of comedy sound effects follow my watch suggestions. I wanted to rate the uncut version higher since it had more intimate scenes and included Gus/Tong scenes, but the story dragged even more in the uncut version. 8 episodes about 1 hour each. Aired on Mandee Channel's YouTube (cut), GagaOOLala (cut), iQIYI (uncut) and Viki (I assume cut). Mandee Channel/Domundi also produced Naughty Babe, Bed Friend, Cutie Pie and Why R U.

Watch Suggestion (watch the cut version & play at a faster speed unless noted)
- skip episodes 1, 2 & 3 (though shirtless Mai in ep 3 is nice)
- watch ep 4
- watch ep 5 to 48min/standing on the podium
- watch the uncut version of ep 6 15-18 minutes which includes a brief kiss with the side couple (this scene was totally removed from the cut versions for some bizarre reason)
- watch the uncut version of ep 7, can start at 27 minutes with Gus/Tong or to skip over something sad that happened in the past and start at 37 minutes and end at 43 minutes, then you can watch thru to the end with Mai/Jade or skip to 1hr 4min to see their final scene
- watch the uncut version of ep 8 which has a lot of sweet moments and NSFW scenes with Mai & Jade

Content Warnings: hits played as comedy, vomiting (in uncut ep 2), molestation off screen, past death/grief

What I Liked
- enjoyed some of Uea/King's moments (like in episode 5)
- Mai's flirting (wished they had shown why he liked Jade earlier than ep 5)
- Jade's and Mai's supportive family
- cute moments
- how Jade did have agency in episode 8 and initiated things
- good consent/communication in episode 8
- that it has a wide release on 4 different platforms

Room For Improvement
- the three minutes of cringey animation didn't hook me
- Jade's exaggerated/yelling was irritating especially in the beginning episodes
- cringey editing, voice overs and comedy sound effects that didn't make anything funny
- the side couple was oddly hot and cold (note, apparently the cut version removed several of their scenes which is contributing to their confusing interactions with each other)
- not happy with the Uea/King reluctant/violent dynamic, how King was jealous/retaliatory at Uea in ep 6 for just talking to another guy
- slow pacing/repetitive, in episode 6 as an example Mai had almost a duplicate conversation with his mom
- bad decisions with what they cut, I was happy they cut the vomiting scene in episode 2 but why on earth cut an entire scene including a kiss with the side couple in episode 6??? I normally would expect a cut version to reduce a NSFW scene but there wasn't anything to cut up to episode 7 (and then they did cut the NSFW scenes in ep 7 and 8)
- the NSFW scenes were kind of choppy, one of them oddly stopped and then re-started

Leia Mais

baby, baby, baby (times infinity)

Overall: this series was filmed and released during the covid19 pandemic, it also has a main plot point that directly ties into covid19. I enjoyed the series when it was released though season 1 is on Netflix in some countries and on YouTube without all of the many language subtitles that it had when it first aired. 13 episodes that vary quite a bit in length, average is around 20 minutes. There is also a season 2 and a movie (the movie is a shortened season 2)

Content Warnings: there is a major one, I'll put all of them in a comment with a spoiler

What I Liked
- sweet moments
- funny moments
- Gav was flirty/forthright*
- Pearl as a supportive friend
- music
- production value considering it was an indie production during covid19

Room For Improvement
- *Gave was too aggressive/ignored boundaries
- Cairo was too reluctant for too much of the runtime
- cliche plot points with the friend/ex and poor communication although it felt more realistic than most

Leia Mais

a well done m/m reality dating show (ep 7 was the best)

Overall: I believe this was the Philippines first m/m reality dating show and I think they did a good job with it. 8 episodes at about 30 minutes each. Aired on Black Sheep YouTube Channel.

Reality Series Note: with any "reality" series I keep in mind that what the audience sees doesn't necessarily reflect what actually happened. There can be guidelines the audience doesn't know about, parts are edited out or ordered in different ways to show a certain narrative. I read in the YouTube comments that the director said it wasn't scripted, but I always take that with a grain of salt. My goal for reality dating series is for people to have a good time and maybe make a new friend. Any actual pairings at the end of the show are icing on the cake.

Content Warnings: discussion of mental health struggles, suicidal thoughts, homophobia

What I Liked
- the intros of the 10 guys to the audience and that they had name tags on most of the series (as someone who has trouble with remembering names, this is very useful and I'm guessing was useful for the participants as well), although it could have been something like a necklace with their name
- that they started with a game and there were two 1 on 1 dates (not really a fan of the twist though but it was okay)
- diverse personalities in the group
- the emcee was great, she was caring and empathetic
- defined pansexuality and emcee said she loved how they were being sex positive
- episode 7 at the pool party was my favorite episode
- excellent that they included a mental health hotline at the end of episode 7

Room For Improvement
- group games: the oil was unnecessary, the guys just met each other and they could have played the game without the oil part, should have had less physical games and maybe some where they pair up, go on a scavenger hunt or something? or maybe group get to know you games like "never have I ever"
- too much group sharing times, it bogged things down, although I think 1 group share is a good idea, I personally don't think it's great to discuss past exes, leave the past in the past
- would only have 1 secret spark exchange or have it more like a phone call or letter where they could write their name, but it's painful to see some guys not receive a spark multiple times
- background noise during the pool party

Leia Mais

Overall: this is a 22 minute short available on Mind Trio's YouTube channel (they did On Cloud Nine and Calculating Love)

Content Warnings: teasing/bullying?, gaslighting

What I Liked
- the actors did a decent job
- a few cute moments

Room For Improvement
- the plot was confusing, they started with a flash forward/flashback and then I wasn't sure what their relationships were to each other (long-time friends, acquaintances, classmates, etc)
- not a fan of the central premise and then how it's an open ending
- maybe I missed something but the reactions didn't make sense, the one guy smiled but he didn't return his feelings, why did he smile and then complain later about the teasing if he enjoyed it???
- the two tropes in the very beginning should have been reversed which would have been more realistic
- the character gaslighting and saying he doesn't have those feelings

Leia Mais

messy, semi-realistic series

Overall: age gaps and employer/employee aren't my favorite plot points in the romance genre, but the acting was good and production value decent (for what I assume is a low budget production). Aired on YouTube and GagaOOLala

Content Warnings: grief, employer/employee, age gap, manhandling

What I Liked
- the OST is very catchy
- the acting at the beginning of episode 1 was excellent and true to life, I've done something similar when crying but trying to not look like I was crying
- the grand entrance at the end of episode 1 was funny
- pansexual rep (bad - dig at millennials); good conversation about bi and pan
- realistic kissing and intimate scenes

Room For Improvement
- I did not laugh very much with the applicants or that sign at the end
- continuity error/mistake, it said he had interviewed 8 but it was only 7 at that point
- the 2nd episode timeline is very confusing, at first I thought it was a series of continuity errors because their outfits kept changing. I think it would have been better to not do this in flashback but rather do a flash forward towards the end (so put the opening scene at the end, explain to his son that it's been 3 weeks, then show the scenes that happen after that conversation without any flashbacks)
- some scenes were too dim
- in episode 4 the dad just stood next to the pool when a person would have started moving almost immediately
- towards the end felt rushed

Leia Mais

super adorable

Overall: this is a micro series/long ad from a perfume company about a college freshmen and a senior. Watched on YouTube.

Content Warnings: none

What I Liked
- a lead used his brain to figure something out (even though perhaps a bit unrealistic, but I didn't care)
- the ending was really cute
- good production value*
- nice music

Room For Improvement
- they should have cut the female character out and used that screen time with the two leads
- *the blur filter was too heavy and the subs were very difficult to read with the white font and no outline or background

Leia Mais

BL With A Cherry On Top (Ehhhh???!!!)

Overall: a fantastical realistic BL showcasing a healthy relationship. This is in my top tier of BL shows.

What I Liked (mild spoilers)
- the ability to read someone's mind without them knowing is a major violation of privacy, but Adachi does not abuse this power, many times he actively tries to avoid using it. He likes it and wants to keep it because he wants to know how he can help others. 
- the way Kurosawa handled the King's game. Even though it's likely what Kurosawa wanted to do, once he saw that Adachi was uncomfortable, he changed it to a forehead kiss and said 'sorry' in his mind.
- the fact that Adachi doesn't have an identity crisis or internalized homophobia when he knows Kurosawa is romantically attracted to him. The reason that he thinks he can't be with Kurosawa is that "I'm afraid of getting more deeply involved and disappointing him" (episode 4), basically it's Adachi's low self-esteem that makes him think he's not worthy of being with Kurosawa. 
- the cinematography/color scheme
- the humor, like that bad poetry on the bus

Room For Improvement
- why did Kurosawa wait 5 years before making any moves? Just because they bumped into each other in the elevator he thought it was fate or something? I think he likely continued because Adachi was being more reciprocal, I just wish there had been a bit more of a reason at the start of the series. 
- the side couple. The 30 year old comes across as a creeper to me. I wish they had made his character not be exaggerated and more calm.
- Adachi's over acting is not my thing. It appears to be common in many live action adaptations from manga, but I wish it was toned down a bit more. 

Leia Mais