Bad Buddy is the Best*

I almost didn't write a review for this show because it's the best one I've seen yet. All the other shows I've watched I had some sort of nitpick to record even though I liked them. While here's a show I had no lingering nitpicks for, and almost didn't share my thoughts.

The chemistry between the mains is top notch. It feels so real, and I loved watching them in every scene together. I was pleased with all the plot points and how they affected the ups and downs of the relationship.

The acting in this series is so on point that I could pick up on subtle hints at emotions that turned out to be true many episodes later. It was quite validating to know that I accurately read many things from the beginning, despite the language barrier and just reading subtitles.

There was also an adorable side couple that was too cute. It was a nice contrast to the occasional turbulence of the main couple.

I also really appreciate the interactions between the mains and their parents. I feel like the confrontations were good examples of teaching moments about what sort of parental behavior is unacceptable.

Product placement aside, I was actually mildly impressed how they managed to logically work some of the products into scenes that were meaningful. And hey, those products are what funded this wonderful series, so I can't hate them for it.

If you want a fluffy, cute, overall good drama, this is a great one to watch.

*This is the only series I was tempted to rewatch and it's just as good the second time through. Nothing is lost knowing what's going to happen. Top tier series.

Leia Mais

Kho-thot: the Series

Because of my feelings in dropping this title, I'm actually surprised how highly rated this show is compared to lower average rated shows that were far better in my opinion.

The catchphrase for this show should be "I'm sorry." Every main character says it so many times but can't seem to stop doing things that require an apology to someone.

Vee's personality is annoying in the way that he's wishy-washy and not assertive when he does make a decision. He's whiney and makes terrible choices. Or lets people drag him into terrible decisions. There was a point i shipped him with Mark but it just got too bad. Vee doesn't deserve to be half of the main couple. When a relationship is the plot, then i should want them to be together, right?

Honestly, by episode 7, i wanted Mark to get with Nuea. He was far more empathetic and charismatic. It honestly would've been a fresh take if all of a sudden the main couple switched because of conflict. That would be interesting, especially if it's one you're rooting for instead.

Vee brings nothing but angst and doesn't do anything or offer anything that makes him deserve Mark's love. I know that's not how love works. But a person deserves better from a partner. It's a shame cuz Vee's actor is the cutest one.

Vee's character is someone who says the things he's supposed to say but can never put them into action. He's that toxic friend you don't want to cut out because you like him and he can make you feel good sometimes. But it's like he brings misery everywhere. And yet he's supposed to be a likable main character.

I also hate the cliche setups of misunderstanding to create conflict. This series didn't execute those scenes well at all. I could see each one coming from a mile away. Those cliches combined with Vee not being likable enough to maintain sympathetic main character status just makes me tired of watching. I don't want to see them together.

The main actors also seemed a little awkward in any kiss scenes.

It never brings me joy to drop a series. I already invested my time into 7 episodes because i was interested enough. But it managed to slowly lose me.

Leia Mais

The poster is misleading clickbait (for good reasons)

The poster implies a sexy romp and no substance, but it's actually the opposite. Other than the headband and the guitar, nothing about the poster is accurate to anything you see in the series.

This was a higher production value than half of the series I've watched, and it only premiered on youtube. I was a little worried from the first episode that this was just repeating what gameboys had already done with virtual romance, but no worries, it was in person the rest of the time.

Other reviewers were right. This isn't a romance, but it does scratch the romance itch. It's nice commentary on life and self care and how to heal.

Other than the one scene in episode 1 seeming a little extra than necessary, I have no other complaints about this series. It was nice to watch and I recommend seeing it.

Leia Mais

Decent. Chemistry Could Be Better

Easily the best Korean BL I’ve watched. Though this is only the seventh one I've seen.

The story set up is interesting
The story telling is *chef’s kiss*
None of the exposition is explained to us. It’s all showing without telling.
Somehow I’m always drawn to these childhood romance reunite as scorned adults. Just like Sekaichi Hatsukoi.

The one thing I wish was different is the whole comedic “straight man/funny man” dynamic between the leads. Why do so many romances have the super serious character with no humor and the other character is always the carefree and joking around.

I feel like a strong story could have both characters alternate instead of going heavy handed with that single dynamic to create tension.

SLIGHT SPOILER:
The only real disappointment was the kiss was very dead-fish. I feel like a good editor and director could make the kiss seem better than the actors performed it. But the long shot of them staying perfectly still with their lips pressed together was just…awkward and flat.

And I wish there was more skin-ship throughout the buildup.

Leia Mais

Started out 'above average' but dipped to only 'average'

The acting and chemistry were good enough in the beginning that I was invested, but the turn of the story in the second half just felt like way too much drama and was quite convoluted. They also didn’t really execute the stoic character type that Kluen is very well. I thought there would be some insight into why he is the way he is, but the story just decided to say he’s dumb when it comes to love. And that felt cheap? Like, nothing more complex?

Because there were meaningful moments, scenes and interactions in the first half I thought we would get some kind of pay-off in the second half. But it felt like they changed writing teams halfway through.
Or it’s possible some people are good at romance buildup, but they aren’t good at sustaining conflict after the confessions. This show probably would’ve been better if it ended in romance instead of inserting extra drama to keep them separated until the end.

The series suffers the most from relying on only words instead of using visuals to tell us what people are feeling. There are even chunks of exposition given by side characters to advance the story. If there were no side characters, then nothing would’ve happened between the main couple, which is an issue because romance should grow out of two characters actions, not out of the actions of the people around them.

Promising in the beginning but then it just turned out stale in the end

Leia Mais

You don't need a plot for a good series

Wonderful acting, great chemistry and fluid writing. Those are the only ingredients you need. I actually appreciated less music over most of the scenes because it made the emotions and interactions feel more real and raw.

The story is as slice of life as it gets. There's no real overarching plot that starts and ends. It's a snapshot of the lives of the two main characters.

This is a sweet short series that I highly recommend. I feel like they also did an okay job representing dissociative identity disorder as well. Easily one of the above average BL series I've seen.

Leia Mais

Famous for a Reason

I almost didn’t watch the one that really started the Thai BL train because of rumors of homophobia from one of the lead actors. But because this series was so notorious for starting the current trend, I still decided to watch, and I’m glad I did.

(Also found out the rumors were moments taken out of context, which was a relief.)

It’s a well crafted story with realistic characters in only slightly exaggerated real life circumstances. The actors have good chemistry and the development is a slow build, but a satisfying one. The series feels classic, and you can tell from watching the show, why it was so successful and pioneered the future of BL.

I don’t binge a lot of series anymore as I’ve gotten older, but I watched 14/15 episodes in 2 days and finished the last episode on the third day. It was that good.

Leia Mais

A wonderful follow up to "I Told Sunset About You."

The story format is different, showing us the evolution of the characters and their relationship through their different years in college.

The sequel wasn't an immediate 10 to me. It had a slow start, but my rating increased for it every episode, until ultimately becoming a 10 by the end of the series. The situations and relationships feel real. You see the struggles of a long term relationship unfold in little ways. Most of it is nobody's fault. Life just moves forward and doesn't turn out the way you thought.

Teh and Oh truly felt like a real relationship you might hear about happening between your friends. There's no outlandish drama, and no unbelievable circumstances. It's just everyday life and how they navigate it, together or apart.

You can see how the characters have evolved since their high school days. Their mistakes are different. Teh takes more of the focus, though I suppose he's been the primary main character since the beginning. But all of his realistic struggles and changes you can sympathize with. He's trying his best but he's not very self aware, and I think that describes a lot of people. His chemistry with Oh sings on the screen, and so does his chemistry with another character.

Nobody makes malicious choices, so even when characters unthinkingly hurt each other, you can't hate either of them because it wasn't on purpose. They're scared, and growing up, and learning.

In the first series a focus was put on school learning and tutoring. It's how they got so close. But now they spend time in a relationship but apart, where the learning is about navigating relationships with people.

Another beautiful series. The actors play their parts perfectly.

Leia Mais

Fluffy, inspirational and avoids BL pitfalls

I had in my head that, for me to like a BL drama, i needed the overt romance to start early in a series.

"Tale of 1000 Stars" proved me wrong about myself. I can absolutely enjoy meaningful, edge-of-your-seat romance without any PDA or even the couple being together in any way. The gazes, a single lingering touch or even the delivery of a single sentence all can create a beautiful tension that leaves you wanting to see the resolution.

I've started writing this review before finishing the last episode, so i haven't even seen the ending and i can say that.

And rest easy, because if your worried about any questionable cliches between leads that are unfortunately common in the genre. Not a single one is present here.

This is the perfect PG romance

The premise is already interesting by itself but on top of that there are the actors, cinematography and script that really and truly make you feel the emotions the characters are feeling.

You don't just care about the leads. You care about the entire village and everyone who crosses paths with the leads.

Everything flows in a satisfying way. Each moment in the script makes logical sense. Sometimes things happen you don't want to happen, but it makes perfect sense in the script.

This story just unfolds before your eyes and makes you feel love.

It's sweet and gentle, and even without the romance, it's a wonderful inspirational story about a young man struggling to find meaning in life in the best way possible.

The emotions are strong in this one.

Leia Mais

Cutie, sexie, and avoids being overdramatic

I feel like 9 out of 10 BL rely on misunderstandings that don't make sense and are usually blown out of proportion to the point that you roll your eyes.
Cutie Pie doesn't do that.

There aren't accidental misunderstandings. They're all on purpose because the characters made intentional choices to control how they're perceived. And the conflict comes from the consequences of those choices.

The two main couples have decent chemistry both in talking with each other as well as skinship. Any moments of awkwardness feel intentional because of the characters'situations.

This isn't the absolute best acting or story as far as holding up to my top rated shows. But this show is better than most of the BL you come across.

The most important thing to me is that i can feel the characters'desire develop for each other and that came through to me in both couples.

This journey is worth watching if you're looking for good romance.

Leia Mais

OK, but NOT the genre I expected

Based on the summary I was excited for this series. I thought we were going to get a potentially supernaturally themed BL. I want more genre variation than comedy or drama. I was fine with another school setting if there was gonna be a fantastical element to the story. I was excited.

Without spoiling as to how or why, let me just say that the genre expectation was a bait-and-switch. It didn't end up being the genre I hoped it would be.

The only reason I knew about this show was because Khaotung (Aye) was starring in it. I really liked his performance in 2gether the series, as a side character, and I wanted to see if he had a lead role in a BL series. I was anticipating it so much that I waited until this show was done airing to watch it.

The story had a lot of potential, even with the genre bait-and-switch which disappointed me, but it ended up being merely average in the end.

Maybe I just shouldn't watch GMMTV productions, but I feel like there aren't enough romantic scenes to give the actors a chance to perform or get comfortable with each other as a couple. Compared to other Thai BL productions it feels like there is an unnatural avoidance of showing PDA between romantic couples onscreen. Unless this is an overall problem with maturity ratings in Thailand where GMMTV has to limit it to keep the PG13 rating for sponsorships?

I liked the actors. There just wasn't much they could do with what they were given.

Leia Mais

Emotions Beat Story

This is my 1st BL Drama, and 1st Thai Drama, but I’ve been reading BL for 8 years.
I can’t recall what lead me to try watching BL Dramas but I’m glad I did, and I’m surprised that despite the overall average review being on the high end that the most helpful reviews have such a low score.

I loved watching this show and adored the chemistry between the leads.

It’s not a perfect show so let me get the nitpicks out first.
The most annoying thing was probably the product placement. I can’t hate it because a production needs funding somehow, but it was always an eyeroll moment for me that broke the trance that the story and characters put me in. It didn’t help that where I watched the show had the original Thai adverts in the ad breaks, so I saw the products during the show and in between. Maybe it wouldn’t have been as bad if I’d watched it on a platform without the ads. Though I hear that Thai productions in general have a lot of product placement.
The other nitpick might also be a mainstay of Thai dramas in general, but the cheesy sound effects. Some of them I understood because they made you aware of subtle reactions onscreen that would be easy to miss when reading subtitles, if they weren’t accompanied by sound effects (like winking). Sometimes they were helpful but sometimes they were too much. The show was long enough that I might’ve gotten more used to them by the end of the sequel.
I was a little off-put by the extremely cliche gay character and the way he was used in the beginning, but it got better later on. And when I try to think about an alternative characterization to put in that role I honestly can’t think of what it could be.

Alright onto the actual show:
Sarawat is easily my favorite character and the actor just nailed the expressions. After his initial introductions, his face was so emotive in scenes with Tine. The music was phenomenal. I adored the lyrics that were poetic and meaningful. The way they used music throughout both as OST and inside the story just added to the characters’ development and my enjoyment.

The story setup while cheesy and maybe a little forced is actually a favorite setup of mine, which is one of the reasons I chose this as my first BL Drama to watch. I liked how it unfolded and especially the twists and turns it took to create tension.

I truly enjoy a romance if I can feel the characters feel for each other. I can’t care about a romance if I don’t feel like one of the characters truly cares. 2gether absolutely balances that back and forth. The writing and the acting both truly deliver. More than an interesting story, I’d describe it as an emotive story. Emotions were the most important element to me and the reason I kept watching. I grew extremely attached to these characters in quite a short time.

I liked having the side couples, but the main pair shines the brightest to me, as they should.

I also enjoyed the fact that this story kind of exists outside of the real world, where there is no issue of homophobia and the characters merely treat others feelings the same regardless of gender. Gender isn’t even a topic of discussion. With the topic of gender being ever present in large percentage of BL, it’s kind of nice to have a story once in a while that’s an escape from the world, where love is love, and 2gether absolutely provides that.

2gether is an emotive journey between two guys trying to figure each other out and how music plays a role between them. It’s a gay romance that’s a refreshing escape from reality with some silliness ever present.

Leia Mais

Better than I thought it would be

The poster looks cheesy as hell,
but this ISN'T a series you want to skip.

It's binge-worthy, slice of life, backstage meta romance wrapped in a light sci-fi premise.

Two words:
It works.

The cheese is the perfect small amount to let you know the story doesn't take itself too seriously, which makes it feel all the more grounded in reality, despite its sci-fi premise.

Another plus? It's not a school story.
And not a single problematic body swap cliche, if you're worried about that.

The reason i was interested in watching was i was curious how Jimmy would be as a main character after seeing him in Bad Buddy. I'd say he does better than any of the actors in series I've dropped. To me he's quite believable.

The universe swapping is simple enough, and is not explained in too much in detail that it remains interesting and believable.

I appreciate the random little differences in this other universe Qoogle vs Google, beer being more expensive than wine, paper replaced with transparencies, etc. It's cute and funny, just sprinkling small details here and there.

It's nice because the entire plot doesn't feel contrived in order to create conflict. Genre works in the favor of an interesting romance. The sci fi premise plays perfectly and adds meaning where realism can't.

I hope this series is a sign in growing variety in storytelling. Science fiction can happen without expensive special effects.

*Easter egg offscreen ohm/nanon due to the nature's of the body swapped roles. What a tease that we don't get to see it. But i don't mind.

Leia Mais

Deserves a FAR Better Rating. Flips the cliches.

This movie is a perfect example why I can't trust the ratings on MDL. I've been extremely disappointed by numerous highly rated shows. But here's a super low rated movie that was better than all of them put together, if you like occasional dark stories. (TW: there is some very dark material, but probably not what you're expecting.)

I can see people getting put off by the awkward gratuitous sex scene at the beginning. But it isn't graphic and doesn't last that long. Honestly, if you took all the sex scenes out I would give this a 9.5. Normally I like a few but these kind of felt out of place and threw off the film's pacing.

This isn't your cliche vampire story. I've never seen a setup and portrayal like this. The aspects of this vampire feel grounded in reality, unfolding how you might without anything outlandishly supernatural. The vampire is very much innocent and almost childlike. He's easily the most moral character. Meanwhile the humans are rife with immorality. I wouldn't call this a Romance, it's way more Psychological. There's definitely some yandere tones in here, and I'm here for it because it's fascinating. (another reminder, it gets dark)

It's rare for me to like media where I can't empathize with the main character. But I understand his motivations, and I just don't see stories like this with a flipped script, especially in the vampire genre, and it's LGBTQ to boot.

The production value is high, the acting is convincing, the story is captivating, the characters are compelling but dark. There's not that many sex scenes and they're less than 30 seconds. The movie is worth it.

you can watch it on myreadingmanga.info. slightly higher quality than youtube.

Leia Mais

Wasn’t What I was Looking for But Still Good

I was looking for a more romantic fairy-tail-ish style romance when I ended up watching this one. Though I suppose basing it in lockdown during Covid should’ve been a clue that this wasn’t that.

Stuck On You handles the stereotypical “two characters thrown together” in a realistic way. There’s no “well that wouldn’t happen in real life” moment because this very much feels like a slice of life and conversations that real people would have.

It’s incredibly emotionally honest. The actors completely sell that.

Rather than escaping reality through romance, this show brings your expectations of real romance down to earth. It teaches without being too heavy handed with it.

The sound design is the weakest part. There’s jumpiness between some cuts and when there’s a song sung in the scene, it’s so obviously produced and not sung onscreen

Leia Mais