100k Slow Burn Angst

Let me just start by saying that I’ve watched this twice now. Not because I loved it, but because the first time I watched I really wasn’t impressed at all. I’ve heard so many great things and so I honestly just decided to give it another chance.
Needless to say, I liked it much better the second time, though it does still have some flaws that will keep it from ever becoming a favorite of mine.
The story itself is fine, I even like a good angsty unrequited love story when done right. Frankly, I think this would have been a pretty good title for this genre if the drama ended after the first time they got together. Unfortunately, there was a lot of needless drama that detracted from the initial feel good feelings that are much needed after all the angst. I think that was definitely my biggest complaint in the first watch.
An element of the plot that I felt was refreshing was the film student theme. While a college setting is pretty standard for BL, I don’t believe I’ve seen one with a focus on film students. I loved all the references to films and how their passions influenced their day-to-day. The promo pictures for each episode were also fantastic. Recreating iconic romance films with Third and Khai? Genuinely Brilliant.
The acting was great, especially from Gun. He really put in his all and man can that boy CRY. He’s great at evoking all those raw emotions, you really feel them. The rest of the cast was also pretty good, so literally no complaints there.
Third and Khai also had good chemistry, the show definitely benefitted from that fact that Off and Gun have worked together previously on Puppy Honey. It’s clear that they were comfortable acting together which removed the general awkwardness that sometimes arises in BL.
I think if you’re the type that can read 100k slow burn unrequited love stories, you’ll probably eat this up. I probably won’t watch again, but I don’t regret the second viewing.

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Self-reflection, forgiveness, and miracles

This is one of those shows where you are either going to love it or you’re going to hate it. I… really liked it to be totally honest, and I went in with low expectations.

There’s just something very refreshing about the concept. What would you do if the world is ending, you don’t have any strong relationships, and someone from your past offers to ride out the final days together?

People that have close family and friends might find it far fetched that Masumi would follow Ritsu. However, it really just seemed like he was lonely and figured “screw it, the world’s ending anyway”.

Ritsu’s character could have been better fleshed out in terms of his motivations during their original relationship. At the beginning, he literally seems like he’s got some kind of personality disorder. But I think at his base he’s just kind of lonely and immature. Which is not an excuse for his actions, the characters around him don’t excuse him either.

There’s just a lot of exploration around the kind of things you reflect on at the end. Masumi talking about how he felt like he kind of wasted his life because all he did was work and go home… it felt very articulate and real. I really liked that.

Anyway… needless to say I’m in the camp of people that think this was solid. It’s definitely not for everyone though.

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Fun time but a little messy

I thought this was pretty good but it also felt somewhat like this didn’t know what kind of show it was trying to be. Is it fantasy, a musical, a slice of life or a psychological thriller?
Personally, I preferred the psychological elements and found the other parts corny. That twist actually added some excitement.

Funniest scene? When Il-Deung’s mom found his box of magic stuff and acted like she just found explicit magazines under his bed or something looool. Wasn’t supposed to be funny but it was so ridiculous.

One thing, so they explain that the magician isn’t responsible for the murder… but he did strangle a teenager??? How are we explaining this sis?

They also kind of leave it open to whether or not Ri Uel is actually magical. Which means if he isn’t, he must have drugged these kids to give them hallucinations lol

It really felt more like a stage play, which was why when they showed the post credit, I was like: yeah, that just suits this show. The random cuts to songs and just the overall pacing felt like a stage play.

It was fairly entertaining. Watched it while I did other things. Recommend.

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Not perfect but it’s trying something new

The low rating on this is criminal. This show was literally what I wanted vice versa to be. If you aren’t totally confused when watching something about parallel universes, then what’s even the point lol.

Admittedly, there are some plot holes and inconsistencies. For example, Dew’s universe is in a reverse timeline from Mum’s right? And occasionally Mum would be gone for a few days. When Mum returns, Dew would say he missed him…. But technically he shouldn’t remember to miss him because according to his own timeline he literally would have seen him yesterday. It would make more sense for Dew to miss him BEFORE Mum was gone. It’s a minor slip but it happens twice.
I also thought the plot twists were pretty predictable. I guessed every single one lol.

Regardless, this is so unique and exciting. I think maybe this would be a tough watch to view live, but it was a great binge. The leads have pretty good chemistry (you would hope so after starring in like three series + specials together), music is solid, and overall the general vibe is pretty cool.

I would recommend, I don’t know what people are doing with these scores lol.

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Easy ride but nothing amazing

This was a super easy watch and I completed it pretty quickly. There also just wasn’t much substance or anything to really make this stand out to me. Everything about it is kind of just fine.

The pairing is a little bit interesting. They almost get somewhere around the class difference between the leads. I think if they wanted to add more substance there could have been an angle on privilege. But either way, I will literally always give props to any story that isn’t centered around students lol.

However, their relationship… maybe I’m the only one but I never got the feeling that Tawan had any feelings whatsoever for Mork. It just felt like Mork was majorly in the friend zone and wasn’t coming out any time soon. There were times where it literally felt like Tawan was leading Mork on lol. And then Mork had to be the one to chase Tawan at the end? It would have felt more impactful if it was Tawan doing to chasing in the last few episodes. Instead it just kind of feels like Tawan felt bad for Mork and gave in. Maybe that was just me but that was the vibe I got from the whole thing.

I actually liked the side pairing between the Junior doctors. Love a good opposites attract, enemies to lovers side line.

But the barista and the doctor also gave similar vibes to the main couple. Where the doctor didn’t really seem to like the barista very much until he started getting attention from other people. Which is super selfish.

Anyway, it really was a super easy watch. Despite my gripes, I actually would recommend. I just probably won’t rewatch.

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What year is it?

Hmmm, this distinctly reminds me of early 2000s yaoi. ESPECIALLY the brothers. And not in a good way lol.
Toxic, messy, dubious to no consent between leads, antagonists that just keep trying to rape people for some reason. Wild.
That being said it was kind of entertaining lol.

I actually liked the main couple, it’s really the brothers that I didn’t care for much. Li Cheng is a total himbo, what a king. Numerous occasions I was like, “damn you’re dumb, but in a good way” lol. His dynamic with Mu Ren is pretty solid. Himbo x ice king pairing. They’ve got great chemistry and overall their relationship was fairly healthy other than a couple slightly heated arguments.

Now the brothers…. Is the plot kind of interesting? Yes. Should Xing Si probably press charges? Yes. His brother literally got him wasted so he could assault him. Plus the stalking and beating up his friends? Holy shit dude, sociopath behavior. You need counseling.

Quick question, at the beginning of the show, Mei Fang mentions MODC (the show), but then the MODC characters exist in the canon of this universe…. Someone please explain how that makes any sense loooool.

Anyway, would I recommend? Honestly I don’t know, I wasn’t particularly offended by it. Chemistry is solid. If you’re fine with a little mess?

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Strong beginning and lukewarm end

It has a strong beginning. Solid chemistry between the leads with good rapport. Good soundtrack, great acting. Simple but unique character backgrounds.
I was really enjoying watching them build trust between each other.
Shi Lei’s coming out scene is actually one of the better one’s I’ve seen in BL. The acting was fantastic and emotionally impactful. Major props to the actor for pulling that scene off.

Sigh, I really enjoyed the first half of this and everything kind of went to shit when the ex returned. I don’t mind drama but I hate when the drama is all around miscommunication and indecisiveness. Stop wasting your time and mine.
And the ex’s motivations don’t make any sense. Like, you wanted to help him move on. Then give him closure like a normal person. Say you’re sorry you hurt him and that you hope he’s happy with his new partner. That’s literally the mature thing to do rather than playing weird games. What’s wrong with you dude? Sociopath behavior.
The ending also feels somewhat abrupt after all that angst, which felt unsatisfying.

Anyway, I’m honestly not sure if I can recommend this since it left me in kind of a bad mood lol.

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Kind of mid but they have good chemistry

It’s a pretty standard office romance BL. Nothing outstanding or breaking the mold.

The good: the lead’s chemistry is pretty solid. When they speak to one another, there is a natural flow. In terms of physical chemistry they also share a pretty solid kiss.
I liked the progression of their relationship. It felt pretty natural and well-paced. I lowkey thought I might quit it because the ML was really getting on my nerves with the chaebol persona but he has pretty good character development over the course of the show.
At first it also seems unrealistic that the ML is so competent in this new role, and admittedly it still kind of is considering this is his first job. However, they do somewhat explain that he wasn’t always a total waste lol.

The bad: formulaic and not really that interesting to be totally honest. Most of the drama is based on miscommunication, my least favorite form of drama. It always feels a bit contrived.
The ending also felt a bit rushed. Like all of a sudden y’all are starting a business together? Without any previous mention of it before this episode?

Anyway, it honestly was a pretty harmless BL. Fast watch and nothing too complex if you are looking for an easy watch.

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Charm of Season 1 with Added Complexity

TL;DR: Riveting plot with a satisfying conclusion and an overall good message? Damn, what a great show.

The games were just as interesting as the previous season but this time with even more complexity since we got to learn more about the psychology of the game makers.

Every character has fairly fleshed out motives or views. These played directly into their actions during the games. Even antagonists are multi-layered.

The treatment of women in this show is once again questionable. The male gaze is definitely present and there is more than one panty shot lol. I guess you just have to roll your eyes and ignore it. Also, a seriously questionable relationship between a high schooler and a much older man. A little less ignorable…

Regardless, the characters were interesting.

That ending was crazy and I’m about to get into major spoilers, so be warned.

They fake you out like 5 times with what the true essence of what the games are. For a minute they really did nearly trick me with the psych ward thing and I was so annoyed because it was so cliched lol. Clearly, they knew that and the aha moment when you recall that this was the Queen of Hearts game was pretty solid.

The true reason behind the games has been done before, but honestly it was probably the most satisfying conclusion they could make with the circumstances. Any other ending would have made the decisions throughout the entirety of the show feel pointless. This made sense, while also proving that their choices had consequences.

Anyway, would I recommend? Yes, it was super entertaining and somehow also managed to be a little thoughtful along the way

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Toxic beginning, fairly inoffensive and sweet series as a whole

Based on the plot description and first couple episodes, really thought this was going to be a low budget pulp with a toxic relationship. Surprisingly though, it turned into more of a romcom lol

The way the characters get together is super brutal and there is literally no hero. Attempted drugging/sexual assault turns into reverse sex tape blackmail? Wow, did MAME write this? Jk lol. This is somewhat resolved by the fact that it turns out the sex tape was deleted long ago on Mangkorn’s part and partly by Yai’s character development. They do have Yai admit that he was a bad person, so at least they aren’t excusing his actions. But seriously, wtf. Crazier is knowing that the source material has a literal mpreg scare, so it could have gotten even messier that that lol.

Anyway, if you get passed the beginning they actually have a very sweet romance with decent chemistry. The acting was also surprisingly pretty good. I didn’t feel any awkwardness from the leads and they were able to match the mood of more emotional aspects of the script. I think with more polish the actors are probably going to be pretty solid.

The remaining plot lines are pretty standard BL, nothing outstanding.
I’ll be honest though, I was more entertained by the show when it was kind of trashy at the beginning. Let’s face it, I’m a slut for drama.

Anyway, if you don’t have anything else to watch and aren’t scared off by the first episode it isn’t a bad watch. Probably wouldn’t rewatch though

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Cute Conclusion to the Series

What can I say lol it’s softcore porn with a side of fluff and not much else. This show is at its strongest when it isn’t attempting any form of MAME-y plot, as it instantly becomes toxic. Since it didn’t have much plot, it didn’t fall into that pitfall. It also benefitted because Sky didn’t have any serious acting moments, he really can’t pull it off 😬
I thought the friendship moments with Sky and Rain were really sweet. I really missed them in Sky’s half of the original series and I’m glad they focused on their friendship more in the special.
The sound quality is still awful. Someone in sound editing either wasn’t trying at all or simply didn’t exist because the sound is literally so inconsistent. Usually, it’s just absolute garbage.
“Cheating” plot line is tired but it was really just an excuse for Rain and Sky to be naughty and pouty. Is what it is lol
Not the best special but I do think it accomplished what it set out to do. I would recommend it to anyone that watched the original series

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Complex, fascinating characters

10/18/2022
Rating: 9.0

Pairing Type: quiet, shy mc x popular, tsundere ml; stuttering mc; bullied mc (not severe); obsessive mc

Tropes: school life; time-skip (midway through); high school; college; acting; obsession; second lead syndrome

Triggers: bullying (ie teasing, no severe physical abuse); toxic relationship; ideations of mass shooting (nothing graphic but a gun is depicted)

Heat level: 2/5 (behind closed doors); characters are intimate but love scenes are behind closed doors

Re-watch: will likely not rewatch

I can’t believe I didn’t watch this just because some of the comments people left scared me off. This was surprisingly really well done.

I should note, the lead’s relationship is not healthy. Someone commented that this is controversial without anything controversial actually happening and it is very accurate.

Both characters are flawed individuals. Kiyoi is narcissistic, manipulative and selfish. Beyond Hira’s stutter, he’s obsessive and puts Kiyoi on a pedestal. A perfect combination for an absolutely toxic relationship.

I thought the episode in Kiyoi’s POV was necessary and well done. We see how he first becomes interested in Hira’s devotion to him and how he manipulates Hira because of these feelings. However, as his own feelings grow, he wants Hira to see him as a person rather than an ideal. Like wow, the psychology of these characters is really well written. You can also tell, to some extent, that Kiyoi is mutually obsessed with Hira in his own way.

It’s not healthy, but it is fascinating.

Totally got second lead syndrome. Hira’s secondary love interest never had a chance but damn was he lovely and damn did he make me cry.

These two people would definitely be better off without each other, which is why I probably won’t be watching this again. But I really did feel like this story was well crafted with complex and interesting leads. Would recommend.

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Not for me but great acting

I don’t regret watching it and it’s about what I expected from a drama about infidelity. Honestly, I can handle angst but I do get frustrated with angst when it’s due to miscommunication. Like y’all, stop moping about and playing games and just TALK. It would save so much time.

Was pretty intrigued until about midway through when the same drama just began to repeat over and over.
That being said, I actually did think the main characters were well written. Especially Vee, if I’m looking at it objectively. He’s a really complicated individual, in that, he’s not really a bad person but he’s also not a good person. You can see good qualities in him, which I feel is what Mark chose see in him, but he’s also selfish and immature.

Really great acting from the leads in this, especially Mark. I never watched the original En Of Love series but I instantly remembered people talking about how one of the actor’s was the break out actor of the original series, and I could tell instantly tell it was him.

Anyway, I did finish it, which means at the very least it wasn’t boring. Probably wouldn’t recommend it to a friend unless they were specifically looking for angst.

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Have I ever mentioned that this is my favorite BL of all time? Because it is.

Frankly, it’s difficult for me to even write a review for this because I feel that all I have are good things to say about this drama. It’s difficult to write an unbiased review when I truly feel like this should be the benchmark for all BL.

To start, the story is incredible. Obviously, at it’s forefront is a romantic drama involving a cop and a mob boss. Already, this is completely different from any other BL you’ll find out there. The romance is organic and gripping, with plenty of time spent creating a believable scenario in which these two seemingly opposed men could fall in love. In addition to being just a fantastic romance, it also makes for an excellent crime drama. They weaved an elegant storyline with fairly complex characters, each with their own reasonable motivations. I kid you not, this is a BL series with a plot line that could easily stand on its own.
Admittedly, there were a few gimmicky moments that were a little cringe worthy but nothing so off putting that it will turn you off of the whole show.
While some may not have been satisfied with the ending, I felt that it suited this story well and made for a realistic, yet hopeful ending.

Acting was also pretty great. It was nice to see older actors who have obviously had some experience prior to these roles. Not that there isn’t something charming about new actors, but it was very refreshing to see something outside of the standard school boy vernacular.

This is not only a stellar BL, but a fantastic drama with enough twist and turns to keep you guessing. The romance is well paced and makes phenomenal use of the great chemistry each couple brought to the table.
I completely recommend to anyone, whether you’re looking for a crime drama or a unique spin on the BL formula.

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Messy, Messy, Messy

Frankly, it could’ve been even messier. Still disappointed they cut out the scene with Sand and a baseball bat from the teaser trailer lol
Anyway, I really like that GMMtv took on a queer centric drama directed by an accredited gay director. He clearly had a vision and you can see the influence of series like Queer as Folk and other media.

They delivered what you expect: a messy, somewhat toxic series about a group of LGBTQ+ young adults. It’s got solid acting, decent flow, and overall delivered an entertaining experience.

Acting is really solid. They pulled several of their heavy hitters for this. Khaotung was especially impressive as he managed to balance a flawed yet sympathetic character struggling with alcoholism. His scene in therapy was probably the most impactful of the show.

Since it’s a BL, I should discuss the relationships. Each relationship had a full arc and for the most part they felt fairly complete.
MewTop is probably most central to all the drama. I found them the least compelling and I honestly don’t think they are going to work out long term lol. They’re like rushing to move in together at the ending after the cheating debacle. I just don’t see Mew ever fully trusting Top again and I frankly don’t think he should lol.
SandRay are probably the healthiest and they communicate the most out of all the pairings. Their arc is primarily about working through their baggage and helping Ray toward sobriety. Sand is a bit of a desperate character when it comes to Ray, which I didn’t like much for their dynamic. Overall though, they seemed the most likely to work out.
BostonNick has caused the most discourse between fans of the show. For the most part, their relationship can be nailed down to two people wanting completely different things out of their relationship. I’m glad they did not end up together because it would not have worked out.
Boston is a polarizing character and personally I think he got the most screwed by the narrative in the end. He’s a promiscuous gay man who prefers casual sex over relationships. Should he have slept with his friend’s bf? No, that’s shitty and he deservedly lost his friend because of it. But then there was all this stuff about people having sex tapes of him without his consent and lying about him assaulting his friend’s brother. And it’s treated like that’s not a horrible thing to happen to him… like damn.
I did like his conversation at the end with Nick. Nick broke it off but he acknowledged it was just because he didn’t want to force Boston to be someone he wasn’t. And that Boston was fine as he was.

I’m honestly not sure how I’d feel about the show if I binge watched it. It was fun to just kind of tune in every week and not worry too much because all of the characters were going to be messy regardless lol.

Either way, it was fun and I would recommend.

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