Reviews

Easily the best BL of 2024..

I wasn’t expecting much when I started EY, EM because I was basically checking in on Mick after seeing him in La Cuisine and My Universe and finding him utterly adorable..

It is not overstating to say that EY, EM blew me away in several aspects..

I already knew Top & Mick had amazing chemistry after watching them on My Universe, but this was a whole other level.

The unique approach of EY, EM, having the couple in several storylines, but portraying different characters, really highlighted Mick & Top’s adaptability and range and really sets this BL apart from the usual BL storyline tropes we see 90% of the time.

I also saw something I have NEVER seen in BL before: the same actors getting their time portraying both the “top” and “bottom” roles within the series. Can we talk about giving the screenwriter a big fat raise?! This move was pure genius. Lesser actors would not have been able to pull off both roles so believably and effortlessly as Top & Mick. Each episode seemed to get better and better.

This series had a great combination of humor (no eye-rolling humor & cartoon sound effects), romance, tear-jerking scenes (wow, just wow), and spicy moments, keeping the pacing on track and never dragging.

The production level was really good, the OST was beautiful and never distracting or repetitive, the supporting cast was great, and the dialogue was not inane, recycled BL speak.

Never did a scene with Top & Mick feel like they were acting: no awkwardness, no fake kissing with paralyzed lips.. Everything felt so natural, that when they cried, I cried.. when they laughed, I laughed.. When it was over (with an amazing ending, thank God) I really wished there was more episodes..

I highly recommend this series if you like a more mature, real-life type of BL, without goofy sound effects and 30 yr olds portraying HS and college kids..
I think you’ll be as happily surprised as I was!

Leia Mais

Easily the best BL of 2024..

I wasn’t expecting much when I started EY, EM because I was basically checking in on Mick after seeing him in La Cuisine and My Universe and finding him utterly adorable..

It is not overstating to say that EY, EM blew me away in several aspects..

I already knew Top & Mick had amazing chemistry after watching them on My Universe, but this was a whole other level.

The unique approach of EY, EM, having the couple in several storylines, but portraying different characters, really highlighted Mick & Top’s adaptability and range and really sets this BL apart from the usual BL storyline tropes we see 90% of the time.

I also saw something I have NEVER seen in BL before: the same actors getting their time portraying both the “top” and “bottom” roles within the series. Can we talk about giving the screenwriter a big fat raise?! This move was pure genius. Lesser actors would not have been able to pull off both roles so believably and effortlessly as Top & Mick. Each episode seemed to get better and better.

This series had a great combination of humor (no eye-rolling humor & cartoon sound effects), romance, tear-jerking scenes (wow, just wow), and spicy moments, keeping the pacing on track and never dragging.

The production level was really good, the OST was beautiful and never distracting or repetitive, the supporting cast was great, and the dialogue was not inane, recycled BL speak.

Never did a scene with Top & Mick feel like they were acting: no awkwardness, no fake kissing with paralyzed lips.. Everything felt so natural, that when they cried, I cried.. when they laughed, I laughed.. When it was over (with an amazing ending, thank God) I really wished there was more episodes..

I highly recommend this series if you like a more mature, real-life type of BL, without goofy sound effects and 30 yr olds portraying HS and college kids..
I think you’ll be as happily surprised as I was!

Leia Mais

Best show ever!!!

“Stay With Me” was so cute and wholesome! The producers took an edgy slice-of-life web novel and TV show and remade it into a drama that beautifully depicted both family and romance, as well as dealt with the deadly discussion of forgiveness which so few dramas have depicted well. The actors give 100% for their roles, balancing both comedy and tragedy realistically.
SWM differs from “Addicted” not just in the drama’s focus, but also in how the main couple functions. While Su Yu and Wu Bi have a ton of squabbles, misunderstandings, and fights, Wu Bi is far less aggressive and much more protective than his former counterpart Gu Hai. Also, Su Yu and Wu Bi were simply so romantic with each other!!!!
The music for this drama was excellent. I especially liked the closing theme song as well as the love ballad sung by the actor for Wu Bi.

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Eu realmente fiquei surpresa com o quanto eu gostei da série. Talvez se tivesse mais episódios e estes fossem um pouquinho mais longos, a história teria sido perfeita. Amei a química entre Ohm e Leng, que apesar de ser um ator estreante me surpreendeu com sua atuação . Tenho certeza de que ele irá crescer muito como ator. Todo o restante do elenco está de parabéns. A história de amor de Men e Khanomjeen e Pim Pimpan como a vilã Yada me conquistaram. É uma série sobre a importância da família, dos amigos e da superação de traumas. Um dos pontos altos para mim foi que Q não superou seu trauma em um piscar de olhos como acontece em muitas séries, em que o personagem é cheio de traumas, mas no segundo seguinte já superou tudo e está pronto para viver a vida ao máximo. É uma série que vale a pena ser assistida. Com certeza é uma série que assistirei novamente. E por mais BL na dona Netflix ;)

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Just magnificent!

PLOT: The FL struggles to survive in slavery on a pearl farm as a diver. She succeeds by escaping with the help of a high-ranking official (the ML2), then joins as a servant on the ML's boat. He is a harsh trader, solely committed to revenge for his family (jewelers, killed by desert bandits, during an escort, and banished after death).

+++ With Liu Yu Ning & Zhao Lu Si, 2 actors that I love (ღ˘⌣˘ღ). They have so much talent to bring us this poignant story. They don't even need words to make us feel all their emotions... Awesome!
+++ Perfect execution: rhythm, costumes, visuals, sets, framing, lighting.
+++ Coherent and intelligent story. The characters are complex, all grey, well developed, and played by excellent actors.
+++ Superb credits and magnificent OST.

Even the ending, moving and bitter, is well done.

=> Series to watch and rewatch, the story is so beautiful (despite the hard and sad moments).
************************************************
Juste magnifique !

PLOT: La FL peine à survivre dans l'esclavage d'une ferme de perles comme plongeuse. Elle réussit en s'enfuir avec l'aide d'1 officiel de haut rang (le ML2), puis s'engage comme servante sur le bateau du ML. C'est un commerçant, dur, uniquement engagé dans la vengeance de sa famille (joailliers, tués par des bandits du désert, lors d'1 escorte, et banni par contumace).

+++ Avec Liu Yu Ning & Zhao Lu Si, 2 acteurs que j'adore. Ils ont tellement de talent, pour nous faire vivre cette histoire poignante. Ils n'ont même pas besoin de mots pour nous faire ressentir toutes leurs émotions... Bravo !
+++ Réalis° parfaite : rythme, costumes, visuels, décors, cadrages, lumière.
+++ Story cohérente et intelligente. Les personnages sont complexes, bien développés, et interprétés par d'excellents acteurs.
+++ Superbe générique et OST magnifiques.

Même la ending, émouvante, amère, est bien amenée.

=> Série à voir et à revoir, tellement l'histoire est belle (malgré les moments durs et tristes).

Leia Mais

Mi aspettavo un drama tra azione, thriller e - se ero fortunata - un pizzico di romance. L'inizio parte col piede giusto, il ritmo è incalzante, la tematica della sperimentazione genetica sulla specie umana sembra rivelarsi una carta vincente. Il protagonista è un personaggio interessante, a livello di caratterizzazione. Sull'interpretazione, avrei scelto un attore diverso, non dico il classico giovane belloccio ma un attore che - anche se non canonicamente "bellissimo" - avesse comunque un suo fascino. In questo, Kim Rae Won non si può dire sia stato all'altezza: insipido a livello di espressività, esteticamente anonimo, con un taglio di capelli che non fa che peggiorare la situazione. Lee Da Hee, al contrario, regala - come sempre - una buona prova. E' un'attrice che apprezzo particolarmente e che per una volta tanto ho visto in panni un po' diversi dal solito. Altri attori meritevoli tra il cast sono sicuramente il caposquadra della polizia e lo scienziato ricercatore "padre" di Ji Ho.
Tornando alla storia, viene sviluppata molto bene nella prima parte; a un certo punto trova spazio anche il romance, anche più del "pizzico" che mi aspettavo, e questa è stata sicuramente un'altra nota positiva. Poi, però, nell'ultimo terzo della serie, qualcosa va storto. I protagonisti iniziano a comportarsi e ad agire in modo non lineare, le situazioni - affrontate in un certo modo fin dall'inizio - vengono risolte/gestite come non ci si aspetterebbe (e no, non parlo di effetto sorpresa, ma intendo proprio la mancanza di apprezzabile buonsenso), per arrivare a una conclusione che, boh, non si capisce bene da che parte sia saltata fuori. Il personaggio di Ji Ho negli ultimi episodi è poco credibile e coerente, le motivazioni date non stanno francamente in piedi. Anche Gu Reum subisce un po' la stessa sorte, e ciò che è stato importante e fondamentale per due terzi della serie viene messo quasi da parte. Gli ultimissimi minuti mi hanno fatto inevitabilmente pensare a un finale un po' aperto, dove una seconda stagione potrebbe ricollegarsi senza problemi. Non vedo però all'orizzonte un sequel nell'elenco dei futuri lavori dei personaggi principali, per cui, se così fosse, si tratterebbe di un finale un po' raffazzonato. Concludendo, una serie con un buon potenziale, che parte bene ma deraglia verso la fine.

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YinWar’s tour de force

This has been a roller-coaster ride and I enjoyed it immensely. Since I went for a non-spoiler review, I’ll focus on issues that are not plot-revealing. I thank YWPB (which stands for a company established by Yin, War, Prom and Bonz) for this gem of a BL, this brainchild of theirs and wish us all more shows like that.

Let’s start with the script. If you go to the MDL comment section (which I don’t advise) you’ll see that the script of J&J received criticism from various angles and positions - for what’s in it as well for what’s not in it/what’s (supposedly) missing. Was I fully satisfied with the script? No. Did it matter to me? No. I enjoyed the show despite of things I myself might consider script-related. Without going into detail: I appreciate many things included in the script or resulting from its execution, like character development (and character consistency), plot twists and revelations, mostly successful attempts to combine serious issues with comedy, as well as some general ideas spanning across the series, like involvement in criminal activity and dealing with it or various aspects of social injustice.
The story is not short on crazy, which I also enjoyed: it’s often a metaphor and a fairy tale with larger-than-life villains, brave heroes willing to sacrifice themselves, artifacts, powerful symbols and some good old mysticism, bordering on magic.
I also liked that – in many cases – the story isn’t straightforward; there are nuances, tweaks, not everything is as it appears, not everything is resolved as one would want and some issues remain unresolved entirely.
All of that, however, is but a canvas for the main plot: a story about the titular characters, their journey – sometimes together, sometimes separately. Side note: I find it safer when a show is named after the main characters. Other names often lead to confusion (see “Hidden Agenda” with a not-so-hidden agenda which became unimportant halfway through the series, or “Dangerous Romance”, which was not dangerous at all); “Jack & Joker” is a great title (“U Steal My Heart” – also very good and to the point). As this series has faced plenty of criticism for that too, let me list the following:
1/ this is most definitely a BL, not a bromance,
2/ the main characters are portrayed by Yin and War only, not by other cast members (sorry PromMark fans),
3/ the show is first and foremost about Jack and Joker, not about side characters,
4/ Jack and Joker are, at the same time, the main characters and the main couple – the series is about them as individual characters (hence it’s not just them spending all on-screen time together) as well as about their relationship.
The above are not just features of this show, they are also creative choices made by the producers and I agree with them.

The show’s music deserves at least a brief mention. The tree main songs are very distinct and very good. “แค่ยัง…(มีเธอ)” by Tattoo Colour perfectly illustrates the action aspect of the show, “ทำไมต้องเป็นเธอ” by Dome Jaruwat is the romantic theme of the series, while War’s “ร้อยวิธี” is a love letter drowning in tears and the emotional core of the soundtrack. A special mention goes to the opening credits theme and it’s dark rendition used at the end of ep. 5. What did surprise me a little about the score was that Bonz was not it’s composer (as an actual musician he’s more than qualified for that) and that Prom (another cast and crew member perfectly capable of doing that) did not perform any part of it.

The shows biggest asset is the cast. It’s core is mostly young, consisting of YWPB and their friends, associates and frequent cooperators, first and foremost Mark Siwat. This core team was bolstered by seasoned and experienced artists, including GMMTV’s own Jennie Panhan. However, the show was on another level due to what YinWar did to it and in it. You’ll find it in most of my BL reviews and I keep repeating it: a good ship will save a BL while the lack of chemistry will doom it every time, regardless of how good other elements of the show are. Thailand has several top tier ships; YinWar are a powerhouse among them – that’s basically the stuff dreams are made of. Both actors have grown, matured and honed their talents to hijack our imaginations on that crazy roller-coaster ride I mentioned at the start of the review. Both are superb and outperform the rest of a very good cast; War, in particular, shines with his versatility, and both he and Yin are visibly enjoying themselves. Their powerful performances and chemistry elevated the story, covering for all of its flaws, plot holes etc. I have not seen this level of acting in a BL before – simply amazing.

Engaging, emotional, ambitious and very well acted, “Jack & Joker” is the best BL I’ve ever seen.

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10/10, Obra de Arte!

Vi muitas críticas sobre o BL, falando que o roteiro não conduzia com a "imagem" do ator... sinceramente, no meu ponto de vista, ser ator é isso, ser e fazer coisas que você não faz, atuar e fingir ser outra pessoa; seu personagem. Se as pessoas não conseguem entender algo tão simples, é complicado. Se dizem fãs, porém não apoiam o ator como deveriam e ficam criticando o trabalho; um trabalho maravilhoso e uma atuação que merece realmente reconhecimento!
Ninguém é obrigado a gostar de algo e, isso é lógico, cada um tem seu próprio gosto e deve assistir aquilo que realmente se interessa; o importante é aprender a respeitar e apoiar o ator e até o próprio Jojo (diretor), não ficar desmerecendo trabalho alheio só porque você não gostou.

Enfim, em geral o BL é incrível! Até agora, só o primeiro episódio me surpreendeu bastante, recomendo muito para quem está pensando em assistir. :)

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A tale of two shows

My ratings would give this a 6.5 but I'm giving it an 8.5 because despite the complaints, I still enjoyed it and I enjoyed watching YinWar.

This is a show that tried very hard to walk the tight rope of social commentary whilst still being an entertaining show.

YinWar have cemented themselves in my head as the BL couple who will tear my heart out with a smile on their face. They know how to play with the viewers feelings. I also respect that. I don't like it but I respect it. War remains a very emotive actor.

Plot ~ There was so much going on that I don't even know how review properly. It definitely has it's pitfalls. The middle arc really just felt like an 'eat the rich' rant, where you would be expecting to see deepening feelings between Jack and Joke, some kind of building tension with the plot but really we just see elitist assholes playing monopoly with real buildings, some Thanos style ring, and Jack being repeatedly tricked by the boss while Joke repeatedly saves him, in his own way.

Also, Joke is meant to be this 'Master thief' but really, he's just very lucky because every heist goes wrong in some silly way, simply for comedic effect. An example of how this show tried hard to be two things at once.

Tattoo and Hoy are the classic kind of dumb but really useful side characters. Even at the end, where characters are about to have their heads blown off, Hoy and Tattoo are still a ridiculous mess. That can be irritating to be watching something intense and serious, and then switch to another scene, where a character is just a complete moron.

Then there's Save and Hope who you will hate with a passion for obvious reasons but in the final episode, it'll be like hey, all's forgiven, it's fine. Now they're nice guys, we're going to forget about beating people within an inch of their life and tricking them into investing in their savings into doomed stocks LOL It's all the big bad's fault who really just wants vengeance for his own parents.

The upper elite are the true bad guys and they don't really care, and continue to live their elite lives without consequences because, it's the big world order that the show is trying to talk to you about but doesn't want to get too serious about it.

The show touches on some pretty serious topics surrounding the effects of poverty, how the rich play with other people's lives, and there's two suicides because of it. But it's never far away from that cartoon slap stick style of humour that a lot of asian shows use. And that can leave many feeling very angry. My bias for YinWar kind of spared me that but I can imagine for the average watcher, this just may seem ridiculous because it's hard to blend such serious discussions on life on top of childish hijinks.

As for the romance, they went with slow burn for this one. In fact, I wouldn't even call it a burn, it's more like a gentle simmer LOL The way they look at each other or press their heads together, that might be too subtle for some that it may feel like there's no romance at all, until an explosion of feelings.
The first kiss makes me think of the Bad Buddy kiss, where there was no need for talking anymore at the point. And the following sex scene, actually was pretty realistic. I like seeing sex scenes where the characters are fumbling around with their clothes and who's doing who because in a real relationship, that's what happens. And I appreciate it being depicted as so.
And I can't not mention my favourite kiss scene, in the final episode because, damn, get you a lover who is willing to get blown up with you, in a passionate embrace LOL

Kind of wanted Arun and Tattoo to be a thing but, considering everything, I think it's ok that it was just hinted as very early feelings and I'm not too upset about that.
I'm glad that Rose, in the end, ups her own game a little. Rather than waiting for a husband to be the next 'horseman' that is in fact her, who will be a big boss in the end and she embraces that because she now understands what it feels like to be the little guy.

Overall, I did enjoy this show. It's not what I expected but I didn't feel that it just went off the rails. It kept a consistency throughout the whole show, which is that tight rope walk I mentioned, between trying to discuss very real world topics and still being an entertaining show by Thai standards, and it'll land on you or it won't.

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great start, but it declined into a lukewarm mess — there is something huge missing here

I want to start this review by pointing out the positive.
This was my first YinWar BL, and I loved their dynamic and acting. While they're not the best I've seen so far, they're really solid in terms of chemistry, tension, and portrayal of their character.
I also want to point out that I absolutely loved the first 3-4 episodes. I was so hooked, but sadly, I was steadily more disappointed and bored towards the end...

This drama had great potential, but it was wasted by unnecessary melodrama, "convenient" writing, unfunny humor, and an overall messy plot. While I loved some of the side characters, some others were quite unnecessary and just there for cheap comic relief or because a villain was needed. There was a lot of screen time spent on unnecessary things, while a lot of other scenes could've needed some more explanation and time spent on them.

I felt like this story just struggled a lot with pacing. Some episodes, we had so many things happen that it felt messy, hard to follow, and quite repetitive in the long run. Other episodes were too slow, spending so much time on unimportant, boring, "funny" scenes that felt so flat. Don‘t get me wrong, I love me some good comedy, but this was just not it.

Overall, there was also a noticeable inconsistency in quality. Some scenes were filmed beautifully, feeling really high quality. Others felt cheap, like they were filmed by some teenagers in their backyard. The sound editing (I know I'm nitpicking here, but it seriously bothered me) was seriously lousy. The music always came in way too fast, too loud, too random, the characters were too quiet, too loud, the background noise changed with every camera angle. It was a nightmare on my headphones. Maybe I'm just oversensitive, but I feel like a BL of this level should be produced with a higher quality. Some of the action scenes were really well done, but there were also too many of them in my opinion.

To sum up, this drama had a great start and potential. It just didn't live up to that. I wouldn't really personally recommend it, it's certainly not a masterpiece, but if you aren't too picky about the writing, plot, and characters, it's still enjoyable. If you aren't putting too much thought into it, it's totally alright to watch. I just felt like overall, there was something huge missing from this drama.

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this is what you call a masterpiece

when it comes to this series, im left with no words, its just that good. The plot, the characters, the cast, the acting, the music, everything was just so good. The characters are portrayed so well that its so hard to not love all of them, whether theyre objectively good or not. Jack and Joke got me stuck thinking about them constantly (especially Joke personally), both their stories, together and individually, and the way they were portrayed is something i cant even begin to explain. But thats Yin and War for you. Theyve got the chemistry and the talent, they make you feel every single emotion youre supposed to feel and more, even if its just a scene with one of them with no talk or music. They were already so good in love mechanics, but with this they went beyond everything i expected of them, and mind you, i had big expectations. The story overall got me hooked from the first episode, and now that its finished i dont know what to do with myself. I can confidently say that for me, theres hardly any series that can top this. I wouldnt be able to list all of the reasons to watch this, but i can say youve got no reason NOT TO watch it. As long as you have at least a day remaining to live, please do yourself a favor and watch it.

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