Best Japanese BL of 2021 !!!

Kieta Hatsukoi is the best Japanese BL of 2021 so far; the acting, the characters, the script, the plot, and of course, the absolutely sweet moments!

I'll make this short - you will immediately love all the characters in this series! The main characters all have charming points that contribute to a beautifully youthful love story. There's also bound to be at least a million hilarious, heart-warming, and adorable moments sprinkled throughout each episode. A bonus is that the OSTs are absolute bops that I listen to non-stop, sung by the 2 boys themselves :)

If you're looking for a binge-able BL, look no further!

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came for Cherry Magic actors, stayed for everything else

I'm truly loving this series so much!

As in the title, I had originally started watching this for Eiji and Keita. However, I ended up staying for the many other great qualities of this series. Not only have the characters, acting, and plot continued to surprise me non-stop, but the romantic interests are also lovable.

The biggest aspect of this show that keeps me hooked is the main character Mamoru. As a woman CEO, she is a very refreshing representation of what all CEOs should strive to be: a hardworking, strong, and honest boss who sincerely cares about their employees.

Overall, I would recommend this drama to anyone who loves a funny, romantic, and surprising workplace series to enjoy!

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Very similar to Cherry Magic but ...

Just like everyone is noticing, I've found many similarities between this show and Cherry Magic, which isn't necessarily good or bad. From the adorable boss/office employee dynamic to the kind main lead who always seems to put others first (and the love interest who helps out when the main lead does this, of course), they resemble each other a lot.

However, Old Fashion Cupcake has distinguished itself so far from CM. Aside from no fantasy aspects, OFC revolves around a unique goal/reason (hard for me to explain, but no spoilers) that causes the two main leads to spend more time together and experience new things. The chemistry between the actors and characters is also interesting and cute. Only being 5 eps, it's definitely worth a riskless watch!

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Why I (Probably) Won't Watch Season 3

I was very disappointed with this season - The same issues from season 1 are in this one, possibly even worse than before.

Physical 100 claims to go beyond race, age, and gender. But there’s little to no chance a woman can win.
Why? Because the producers only recruit a handful of women for the show compared to the outstanding majority being men. Also, almost all challenges are exclusively reliant on upper body strength, or at least heavily favor it.

This also makes winning impossible for anyone who doesn't have most of their strength in their upper body, regardless of gender. Only a few types of athletes and physical professionals have a shot at victory. It makes the show not only biased but also just plain boring and predictable.

Another major flaw is that the winner is heavily determined by luck - Even one of the participants admitted it in the final episode! The contestants’ fates of moving on to the next round rely on the order of challenges. Many challenges aren't even determined by sheer strength but by your team. A strong person is easily eliminated from things out of their control: leader strategy, who chooses them for their team, opponents stealing, etc.

Finally, revisiting the "beyond race" statement - I get that Physical 100 (so far) is mainly for Korean physical professionals, but claiming that this is a show that goes beyond race is laughable. This season had 3 out of 100 people who aren't full Korean. I just wish they wouldn't lie.

A lot of the show's issues could be solved with JUST THIS: relevant body strength. It's much more impressive to see a petite gal upholding 40% of her body weight instead of a muscular guy picking up a bit more than another muscular guy. Instead of giving the same-weighted object for every person to push, make it weigh proportional to their body mass. This would show participants' true strength. Team challenges would also make more sense as just bonus rounds for rewards or slight advantages.

The final aspect to fix would be no immediate eliminations. I think it'd be much more engaging to have challenges setup as a sort of leaderboard to see individual rankings for each challenge and overall. This would solve the whole "luck" problem.

This was a long rant, but to wrap things up, it seems like Physical 100 may have versions for other countries in the future. I'm hoping that they make major improvements for any and all new seasons. If that does happen, I'll definitely watch them; this show's concept is really interesting compared to exaggerated or scripted types of physical challenge shows.

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UPDATE - Okay but could have done more

The good:

Not your typical BL lead, the pessimistic Mamoru is an interesting character that makes me much more interested in the storyline. His emo side oddly enough gives a refreshing feel to this series and his reactions are hilarious. I also enjoy his opposite, Kazama, and their potential chemistry!

The bad:

After watching all eps, the storyline felt repetitive, ironically because of Mamoru's personality and its effects on his actions. By the end of it the series, I felt like very little yet so much had happened. Maybe it was because of how much they were trying to do with the story/topics with only 8 eps, but a lot of it was forgettable. The consistency of tone throughout eps and the entire show was also lacking - one moment it's comedic and the next I'm getting thrown into the deep end with the characters' sadness and trauma.

Overall, I was disappointed with it's potential. This is an okay watch if you want something not to get invested in, but go into it with no expectations.

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So much potential, but sadly fell short

To get this out of the way, I know that many viewers love this series, and that is great! I don't want my review to hate on this series, but I do want to present a different opinion.
The first few episodes are great! They are visually appealing, have an exciting tone with compelling characters, and the plot progresses at a perfect speed. I was excited and eager to see its potential. However, as the show progresses, everything gets muddy, repetitive, and pointless.

THE BAD: Without spoiling anything, the plot ends up going in boring, unnecessary directions. The main characters had so much potential and what could have been more active, strong roles ended up becoming pitiful puppets or just plain pointless. There were also so many relationships(romantic and platonic) that could have gone in different directions that would make sense and be satisfactional, but these too fell short. Additionally, the once interesting fighting and massacre scenes became tragically repetitive in the latter half of the series and felt like cheap tactics to create some sort of tension. The main character's focus is also changed later on to different people and flip-flops, as well as the main plot. These changes only furthered my confusion and frustration. As for the setting, I quickly got tired of seeing the interior of the hotel.

THE GOOD: The soundtrack was befitting, especially "Bumps in the Night" (a real bop!). The actors were cast perfectly and I enjoyed the costume design and set design at certain parts. The plot (at least at the start) is very unique and interesting.

OVERALL: All of my review is subjective, but I personally did not enjoy this series. There was a lot of potential with such a unique plot and wonderful cast, but it became frustrating instead. I wish I would have stopped watching maybe around the 3rd episode.

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The Best Action BL So Far!

After watching the first ep, I have to say that I'm impressed! The long wait time and anticipation won't let you down- the fighting choreography, cinematography, acting, and locations are all great quality!

The plot/concept is also new and refreshing, especially for a BL. I'm very excited to continue to see new locations and storylines with more fighting, chaos, and exciting moments. And almost all of the characters so far have depth with their own set of motives, so don't worry about seeing zero character development in the rest of the series. If you are looking for a mature, action-packed, spoicy BL, I'd recommend this for you!

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Pure Serotonin in this Fantasy BL

So far, I love the overall direction of this fluffy and supernatural BL. With its lighthearted combination of romance, fantasy, and comedy, it's hard not to feel happy after watching!

This first ep has several twists and surprises, so I can hope that the rest of the series goes beyond a traditional storyline. I can already feel the main leads' chemistry and am dying to see more of them. Also, in many aspects, it reminds me of Zettai BL ni Naru Sekai and Cherry Magic, both of which are amazing Japanese BLs in these similar genres. If you love these and other supernatural romcoms, I recommend you start this!

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My New Comfort Show

This series will make you feel like you're being wrapped in a cozy blanket. Just finished the manga - since this series will probably follow its plot points for the most part, there thankfully won't be any low-effort/petty drama. This is the sort of slice-of-life where you can feel the warm atmosphere through your screen. I'm only exaggerating a little bit when I say that my soul feels immediately cleansed after watching a single episode.

All of the characters are lovable and have great chemistry. Yutaka and Minoru are both finding happiness and peace in each other's company while on their journies of healing from their pasts. Even though there's not much going on yet, I'm looking forward to seeing how their love will blossom and some of their mysteries unravel. And Tane takes the cake when it comes to being adorable and absolutely unhinged. There's also an emphasis on tasty-looking food, so be warned if you're hungry before watching an ep!

This series is the one I most look forward to each week for a calm and lighthearted ep. I'll definitely be rewatching this series whenever I need a quick serotonin boost!

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A shaky, TERRIBLE start to GMM GLs

The more I think about 23.5, the more I think about it's wasted potential. This could have been an amazing first series that would skyrocket GL to as much popularity as BL, but that won't be the case, at least with this one.

I came for MilkLove and will stay only because of them. My overall issues:

-> The fact Ongsa and Sun could not have LESS valid reasons to like each other than in this series! There is zero explanation or motive as to why either of them actually started liking each other.

-> Chemistry, who is she?! There is no chemistry between their characters. The awkwardness, the long moments of silence, the lack of any substance in their few brief conversations, the list goes on. I'm sad to see this considering they had FIRE chemistry in Bad Buddy.

-> Everything can be summed up with BORING. The reveal of Earth was supposed to be a big thing, like the main turning point of the plot. But everything was rushed, revealed, and solved in a single episode mid-series. Everything is a blur and felt like nothing ever happened.

-> Despite being set up as a main character, Sun was given a crumb of screen time. Even less than the side couple and side characters.

-> FLAT characters. Little to no character development, no pasts, no desires, and no passions. It feels like every character was written only as people who are supposed to be in love because they told us so.

I wouldn't recommend this series at all, but I have hope for the GL industry. Little effort was put into 23.5 overall, and it shows.

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A Fun Yet Realistic Portrayal Of Friendship & Love

I decided to watch this season back in Feb this year since the second season had just been released. My expectations were fairly low, but I was quickly blown away by how good this series is! It's the type of series that you don't have to be that invested to enjoy, with all sorts of surprises along the journey.

The concept of this series is not that original, but the characters, stories, themes, comedy, romance, and representation are what make this series so original and special! I felt connected to all the friends in the group since each of them has their own unique traits and circumstances that contribute to the main plot. There is a huge variety in types of romances, such as age gaps, LGBTQ+, lifestyles, self-love, and more, which is something you don't see often in many dramas. However, their friendship is the main pillar that holds everyone together with them supporting, comforting, and laughing with one another all the way.

Overall, if you want a funny yet realistic series that focuses heavily on friendship, romance, life crisis, and self-identity, then I recommend this series!

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A Funny Slice-of-Life Series

I truly love this series and it has a special place in my drama heart!

I'd be lying if I said I didn't come for the bl. But I stayed for the absolutely hilarious and sweet moments between them and the other couples, too. Many moments are either absolutely hilarious or heartwarming. Another perfect aspect of this series was the beautiful and hilarious soundtrack. The names of the songs and the songs themselves perfectly fit the vibes of their scenes (pay attention to their titles, you won't regret it). It has such a wonderfully nostalgic playlist of Korean songs, so even if nothing else, stay for the soundtrack!!

One of the few cons about this series is that the 4th couple (aka the young fiances) drag the show down. They have barely any moments together, and the few that they do have are boring at best. I also really wish less time was focused on the main couple and more time was focused on the gay couple.

If you want a lighthearted, hilarious, nostalgic, slice-of-life type of drama, then I thoroughly recommend this series!!

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Watch for the Zombies Only

****I tried to include as few spoilers as possible!****
I came into this initially excited and ready for some action as a zombie lover. Instead, I was mostly disappointed.

Firstly, why did this movie have so much potential? From the very beginning, I knew that this movie could have gone in an interesting direction compared to other zombie films. The zombies looked and acted quite different and new to how they usually are depicted (you know, just a regular human face with maybe some blood and wounds that walk mindlessly). They also included a half-zombie, which isn't something seen usually in the "zombie world".

However, that's pretty much as unique as it got. The storyline quickly got boring and fell victim to the typical tiresome tropes of the zombie genre. I couldn't care less about any of the characters and the half-zombie ends up doing nothing for the rest of the movie (a huge waste of potential).

I truly tried to enjoy this movie, but the only redeemable part of this movie is the zombies. If you want a quick movie to skip through for the zombie scenes, this is for you.

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Even better than the first!

Compared to the first season, this season focused even more on romance. Thankfully, it delivered a wonderful portrayal of various types of romance, such as LGBTQ+, age gap, fluid, and more.

There are many more crises, mysteries, changes, twists, and complications compared to the previous season, as well as more characters. Everything and everyone ends up contributing to the main plot and although the ending felt a bit rushed, it was great overall. I will say that the GL does not last long, but the reason as to why makes sense. This season, just as last, is able to keep both friendship and romance at the center of attention while still mixing in other elements. I ended up liking this season even more than the first since it felt more polished with better-developed characters, so I definitely recommend this season if you've seen the first!

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Not Worth Your Time

UPDATE:

After eps 1 & 2, the lack of effort put into this show is noticeable. The acting, pacing, dialogue, and minor story changes are all bland. There is not a single redeeming quality I can think about that makes this series worthwhile. It's sad to see Gemini and Fourth be used solely to garner a larger audience without any thought being put into the series itself. It's a shame, but I hope GMM learns that they should be producing content in quality, not quantity.

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OLD:

Their acting is fine so far, and although it's a bit stiff and could be improved, they're accurately portraying their characters. But I will admit that Gemini and Fourth deliver their lines in an oddly airy way here - maybe it's just me. Compared to MSP, there's something lacking in their delivery here - it's good, but not AS GOOD (a bit of a pattern with this remake).

As for GMM remakes, I didn't bother watching Cherry Magic since it seemed like it kept the same scenes and plot beats and didn't try to bring something new to the table. However, this remake does! Even within the first episode there are new scenes that bring a refreshing revival to this story. There is a different vibe that slightly shifted the personalities of the main characters which I enjoy.

Still, I'm pessimistic about this remake ever being as good as the original. GMM makes their series highly straightforward with internal and external dialogue, which leaves nothing for viewers to figure out themselves. This makes it feel overall preachy by treating us as though we're dumb, and I already felt a bit of that from the start. But we'll see!

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