Decent

It's been a while since Taiwan BLs disappointed me. It's just something about these dramas that even when it's not usually to your taste, you're still going to enjoy it. and while this wasn't really much of anything special, I still was entirely wrapped around these characters' lives. About Youth is a simple high school love story full of these conventional tropes and cliches, mixed with some really adorable characters that took my heart by storm.

Let's Dive In,

For the most part, I enjoyed the story. I feel like they left a few plot holes that would've been nice to see filled, but for the most part, it was a fine story. I liked how they didn't rush the main couple's relationship, seeing as they were only in high school.

Speaking of the main couple, I enjoyed watching their dynamics and characterization throughout the episode. Ye Guang had the best development of everybody. Finding someone that defines everything you had been missing in your life is a whole different type of relief. I could even feel it when he sent that video to his parents. Their chemistry was really good. I enjoyed more than ever their build-up and when it finally got to its execution it played out perfectly.

The side couple was nice as well. I either wasn't paying attention or they didn't explain very well why Ray was dressed as a woman to see his ex-boyfriend. At first, I was thinking he was going through a transition, but that wasn't it. I don't know if he was hiding his real identity as a female, or if his ex-boyfriend made him dress like that. I have zero ideas. Anyways though, they were cute. Ray's height gets to me, and the hair, AND the dangling earrings. Geez.

Ratings:

Story: 7.5/10: Enjoyable. Kind of simplistic and nothing too too interesting, but what we got was still good., The romances were nice and I enjoyed watching Ye Guang's character development.

Acting: 8.5/10: decent for actors that I haven't seen before. I think Ye Guang' acting was iffy. good sometimes and not as good the next. everyone else was decent.

Music: 8.5/10: Different than I usually feel, but the main lead had a beautiful voice. I didn't pass when he sang, which is VERY new for me.

Rewatch value: 3/10: Like usual, I rarely rewatch, but this seemed like it would be something I could potentially go back to see certain parts of.

There's not much else I feel that I need to say, The series was really cute and kept me entertained for the most part. It didn't stand out as this overwhelming amazing drama, but it did its job and I'm left satisfied.

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Cute Mini Series

21 Days Theory is a very simplistic story that played out a lot better than I thought it would. I was expecting it to be pretty boring, maybe some bad acting, and a very unsatisfying series, however, it was the complete opposite. 21 Days Theory has a way of connecting their story into one that seems incredibly dull, yet it captures you in the best way possible.

Let's Dive In.

High school loves stories can sometimes get old, and sure, seeing the button-down and blue shorts brings back special memories of tired acting and a terrible script, but this was not that, thankfully. The only thing I really appreciate about high school love stories is seeing how fragile and awkward first loves can be. We definitely got it here. With Q and X, they were discovering something between themselves, and with that, came the awkward stares and shyness. What really did it for me though was when X was telling Q he had something on his cheek, but Q took that as him asking for a kiss on the cheek and did it, and I think that was the cutest shit ever. I think the chemistry between them was as good as it was going to get. Nothing like over the moon about it, but it was simple and slow, something I didn't mind.

On the other hand, I was very meh about Q's friends' love stories. I actually really liked Toy, and I even think Mook was pretty cute, but I didn't care much for them. same with Q's other friend.

Ratings:

Story: 6.5/10 - Simplistic, and cute. They spent a lot of time on the side couples, which I wasn't all that much of a fan of. Outside of that, I enjoyed the main couple's story. The first episode was a little rough to get through, but after that, it's better.

Acting: 8.5/10 - Good! I was surprised to see that Q's actor was from The Cupid Coach. His acting has gotten a lot better (so has production), so good for him. everyone else did a decent job.

Music: 5/10 - I didn't pay attention to it, I'm sure it was good. at least it wasn't distracting or memorable because it was bad.

Rewatch Value: 4/10 - most likely not, but that kiss on the cheek was cute, so I might travel to YT for a video edit of Q and X every now and again.

I recommend it. It's very short, yet it is very cute. Young love always gets to me because it is the first time you've felt such a feeling as to be in love. Incredible little series, I hope to see these actors again.

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Entertaining K-BL

I'll keep this pretty precise because I watched this a while ago and forgot to review it, but my mind is clogged with other stuff now, so I don't remember concrete details about Blueming, but I'll give it a try. For one, I think the cinematography was different from what I'm used to with Korea. It was beautiful and felt very indie/short film-like, And I really appreciated that. The BL part of this wasn't my favorite aspect. I think it was a little rushed in certain parts, and for some reason, I wasn't really feeling the chemistry between the two. However, I think the beach scene where they kiss and Siwon is teaching Daun how to kiss slowly was very sensual and perfectly shot. the use of silhouettes for their heat scene was something I'd never seen before, but I loved it. It created a very different type of sensuality that I will appreciate (more silhouette heat scenes!). I think the part of Blueming I like best was Daun's situation with wanting to be perfect and looking perfect. He had issues with his self-esteem and body, with his mom being the enabler and the main reason why. It opened an entire door to a situation that is rarely talked about, especially in Korea and especially with men. I've never felt so overwhelmed in a scene before but watching his mom yell at him and they both just break down together -- whew.

Ratings:

Story: 7.5 - Wasn't a huge fan of the BL aspect of it all (besides a few parts), but the characterization and development of the main lead was perfect. I also liked the story of his sister and her very subtle yet large crush on Jeong (Daun's friend).

Acting: 9 - Great acting, especially from the main lead. He really could pull off each emotion he had to portray. The side characters were nice as well. Overall, I think the acting was this series' strong suit.

Music: 5 - Didn't really pay attention to it but it wasn't distracting so it was fine.

Rewatch value: 3 - Probably not.

I think this series works in many ways, but I don't think the BL part of it was one of them. It wasn't endearing enough, I didn't really yearn for them to be together, and wouldn't have cared if they broke up cause I felt nothing towards them. I semi-recommend this one, especially if you want to watch something cinematically pretty, or to watch an important topic be told, but for the BL part of it all -- I could probably recommend something better.

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Cute

The hype for this series was LOUD. I knew I needed to watch this as soon as I could, and I think it lives up to its hype maybe halfway. This is not me saying the series was terrible -- because it was really good, except, not very memorable for me. Old Fashion Cupcake is a mini little office series about two workers falling in love and finding it at their, "old ages".

Let's Dive In.

I only put "Old Ages" in quotation marks cause I don't consider either of them too old for love, especially Togawa. But one thing I appreciate about this series is that we do get to see an older love story, which is very rare to receive in a BL. And they did it beautifully. I loved that Nozue got to discover new things he liked and enjoyed since before meeting Togawa he was stuck in his I-have-to-act-my-age bubble. It was a delight to watch him eat pancakes and drink milkshakes and just look so excited and giddy.

More on Nozue, I appreciate the very accurate understanding of a man going through a life crisis of turning 40 and still not understanding his life or knowing what he wants or loves. It's something that can be easily reliable and I'm sure a lot did. I also just loved watching him be such an old man and accidentally taking videos instead of photos. God, I loved him.

I also really liked Togawa, and it's not only because he's gorgeous, but it's also just because I can't pinpoint my exact admiration for him -- maybe because he can take a man like Nozue and show him that age is literally just a number -- but I really enjoyed watching them grow on screen and we slowly watch them fall for one another.

I think the chemistry was great, and so was their connection. The only thing that really threw me off was Togawa's unexpected and forceful actions towards Nozue in the 4th episode. It was so uncalled for, especially if he just would've gone about things calmer and in a manner that didn't seem so erratic. And I also wish they would've gotten an ending kiss, but that's just me being picky.

Rating:

Story: 8 - Good. Enjoyable enough. I usually am not the person to enjoy office-type romances, but this series did a good job of not dwelling too much on the actual work part of it all. The story is short but still entertaining.

Acting: 9 - They did really well. Even though I disliked their first kiss scene, I appreciated Kimura's acting afterward. Beautifully done.

Music: 7 - Didn't really pay much attention. But it wasn't distracting so that's good.

Rewatch Value: 2 - Most likely not.

Out of all the BLs we're getting handed now, there's only room to watch the good ones, and this one is one of those. I recommend it -- it's short and cute. Not the best J-BL I've seen, but it's definitely up there.

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Good!

Once again, Absolute BL was a refreshment to catch, and continuing on into the story of Mob is a fun one. I would say this season deals with some more sentimental topics, but it can never stay serious since 2 seconds later we're panning to show Mob just peaking from behind. I loved watching this series, I'm upset that it only had three episodes, but I'm hopeful that a third season will happen.

For anybody just curious about Absolute Bl in general, I would say to watch seasons 1 and 2 together, as if they were one. Not that season 2 was confusing or anything, but it would probably feel like a full-length series if you do so. In season 2, we're back on focusing on Mob, how he finds himself dealing with all these other BL tropes, and his everlasting love quarrel with Kikuchi.

What I liked: Pretty much what I loved about season one. The bright light anytime the pretty BL love interest came on screen, the caring relationship between Mob and his bother, the tropes that are over-exaggerated to a point that it's too funny, even this season, I thought the romance been Mob and Kikuchi wasn't all that bad, they just needed an ounce more of development for me to feel bad that he's studying abroad, but again, this is a series that is trying to show us how fast these lovers go and overexaggerate it to a point of no return. This was a very neat series, everything followed n the right path, and nothing felt filtered or unnecessary, something this series never sways upon, and that I can appreciate.

What I didn't lIke: Again, just these chaste ass kisses from Ayato and Toujou. I don't ask for much, but I do ask that they don't kiss like they're making contact with a dead fish. I also would've appreciated it if this season was longer, as it was even shorter than season 1. Now I'm scared season 3 will only be a two-parter and then were inevitably have to sit and wait for a season 4.

Ratings:

Story: 8.5 - Enjoyable. I think the last season was a teensy bit more enjoyable, but there was nothing wrong with this series. The character development that Mob is going through is definitely the best of them all.

Acting: 9 - Reall good just like last season. Mob does a fantastic job. Ayato is a fucking cutie, and the rest are manageable, nothing amazing, but good enough for me not to cringe.

Music: 8.5 - This has to be one of the most addicting intro songs ever. It's stuck in my head permanently. It's not even something I would listen to, but this series will make sure it never leaves your head.

Rewatch Value: 2 - I would probably rewatch the first season more than I would this season. However, I'm always going to come back to watch the incredible 90's biker title sequence.

Can't wait for season 3, I'm hopeful that we'll see some other tropes and a funny Mob. This is just such a refreshment and much more enjoyable than I could've ever imagined it would be.

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Busted my Ass Laughing

A Man Who Defies the World of BL is such a gem, I almost want to punish myself for waiting so long to watch it. It takes you out of the stereotypical way of watching a BL and dives you into the depth of specific tropes and cliches while Mob looks with disgust on his face. I didn't think I was going to enjoy this nearly as much as I did. I'm only sad I'm just now seeing it.

Let's Dive In.

The concept is what really piqued my interest. A dude is stuck in a BL world and he tries to fight off falling for any cliche tropes or the pretty men in order to continue only being the "mob" aka background character. With this, our main character avoids every little thing at any cost, and it's just by far one of the funniest BLs I've ever seen.

What I didn't like: This kiss between Ayato and Toujou burnt my soul. I would've rather they had just faded to black after their hug. Cause honestly, what the f**K was that..?

What I liked. I loved pretty much everything else. I loved Mob's voice-over, and even when we switched to hear the others narrate their story. It really added a lot more richness to the story, and just made it 10x more hilarious than it would've been without it. I loved when the attractive love interest had roses or flowers behind them and the way it was over-exaggeratingly bright. There were just so many gems to its series, it's too much to explain.

Ratings:

Story: 9.5 - A great story. Just watching Mob being a crazy person for the way he tried to avoid the men, and trying to help his brother stay out of it. Everything flowed perfectly, even the comedy part of the series never faltered, it was all great.

Acting: 8.5 - Superb acting. Some hiccups here and there, but everyone really did a fair job.

Music: 9 - You saw the title sequence too right? While it's not something I would listen to on the regular, it was hilarious and indeed increased my usual music rating.

Rewatch Value: 3 - It was really funny and I will take anything funny to always rewatch.

In the end, I highly recommend this series. I watched in parts, so it didn't feel like I was watching for very long. However, a 2-hour movie sounds a bit tough to sit through, so I'd say watch it in parts. Believe me, you will leave with your cheeks burning. This shit was hilarious.

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This is Easily Forgetable

I won't spend too much time talking about this one since I feel like it was more just on while I was doing other things, and not 100% watching with a clear focus. Oh Boarding House started off very rocky. I was so tempted to just drop this one and move on, but the literal saving grace was the beauty of the actors. Eventually, I got into it a bit more, but not enough where I think this will be memorable in the next few months (hell, the next few days), let alone, a year from now. With so many K-BLs being produced and now getting the hype that it so well deserved, there's no more room for filler K-BLs, which is the best way I can explain what this series was.

Let's Dive In.

Oh! Boarding House is a K-BL about a son who has to become the new landlord of his mother's boarding house for college students after she goes on a long-term vacation. There's nothing more to the story than that, They're just a bunch of tenants that get into some trouble and all have their own stories to tell. As I stated before, the first episode was super rocky. I usually don't enjoy the first episodes, but this one was just bad. If the actor's looks don't do it for you, then there's no point in watching. like, at all. It was a neat concept and something not done before but for the most part, it was super cliche and extremely predictable. I didn't read the manhwa, so I have no clue how true to the origin they stayed, but in my opinion, with some of the plots shown, they could've done without adapting this into live-action.

What I didn't like to end with some positives: Again, I've read some Manhwa that just need to stay manhwas for the reason being they can be highly problematic and have some very toxic characters, but it's fine for the reason being that it is a fictional story. This too, but it's unenjoyable to watch when you see these characters doing just the craziest things ever that would catch their asses in jail or with restraining orders in real life. Seol Won's actions in the beginning were just creepy and over-intruding. But the series never goes over how wrong what he was doing was, or for the fact that Cheol Soo still falls for him, even with his disturbing actions. There's also just no character development whatsoever. Everyone is still their pitiful selves from the beginning to the end. With no character development, what are we left with? Sure, their run time wasn't long at all, but I've seen shorter ones do better. The plot itself isn't very entertaining, and again, the actors are the saving grace for literally everything in this BL.

Most of the main characters aren't very likable. Seol Won does too much at the beginning and just some real left-field things. Cheol Soo isn't the best, but his looks make up for that, Seol Won's cousin is aggravating, the other tenant that wants everyone to be quiet and yells with every opportunity he gets is worrisome. The only seemingly likable character were the dude who had feelings for Seol Won and Hee Soo.

The secondary couple could've been fun if they weren't left on a cliffhanger. The main pairing don't do very much. Their chemistry is pleating, and, as I continuously repeat, their looks make up for their lack of connection, Their kisses were at least on-point.

There's a part where the grape juice guy is sitting on the toilet and you can see the reflection of the crew on the toilet paper holder. I hate seeing mistakes like this. It's not me saying it's unprofessional, but it does hurt to see something that could've been taken out to save them from such a silly mistake in post-production. Me being nit-picky, but whatever.

What I liked: I love the dude that couldn't eat spicy food (I have already forgotten most of their names). Of course, he was treated like garbage, and just eventually gets over it, but he was cute, and genuinely had the biggest crush on Seol Won. he even made cakes, while not very appealing, he at least tried. I'll miss him for sure.

There's not much I can say I just loved about this series, but it was a cute little watch, it lasted me a few hours and I got to see handsome men, so I'm not too salty.

Ratings:

Story: 5 - 3 stars for just being able to watch these beautiful men prance around and sometimes be shirtless. Other than that, there was nothing fun about the plot, where I was getting confused half the time. I'll give one star to the secondary couple that I appreciated until I didn't and another star cause I just feel bad for giving it a 4.

Acting: 8.5 - Decent. I think they did the best they could with a weak script. They all definitely have potential. I wouldn't mind seeing them again at all.

Music: 3 - Didn't pay attention to it at all. Oops.

Rewatch Value: 1 - I'd give it less than zero if I could.

We are getting a mass production of K-BLs where there isn't any space for these ones that leave no honorable impressions. It's not even good enough for me to remember all the characters' names. I don't recommend this unless you want to watch some pretty men, which is the only satisfaction I received.

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"I Am Destined to Fall In Love With You.."

After trying to find a way to watch this movie forever and a day, it's finally happened. I got to see Kokoy and Elijah once again, put on an amazing performance, and give us the movie we deserved. Gameboys: The Movie was an incredible watch with endearing significance and harsh reality. If anything, this movie made me 10x times more excited for season 2 coming in May!

Let's Dive In.

Gameboys The Movie is the continuation story of Gav and Cai from the original tv series, Gameboys. Here, we get to see them be boyfriends in a domestic sense, giving us some really cute and tropey goodness. Their friends eventually come along for the ride, and the movie goes on exploring their different options while executing the good and the struggles of Gav and Cai.

Starting off with what needed some work: I'm going to expect we got a somewhat open-ended circumstance because we'll get an actual conclusion in season 2. I'm not sure if the series will continue right where we left off, or will time have passed, and that's where we begin their story? I know that season 2 is supposed to showcase some parts (if not all) of the movie, including some things we didn't see, but I for sure hope that it won't just be the movie cut up in parts (the reverse version of the K-BL industry) and we actually get a lot of new content. I didn't necessarily mind the open-ending, but I'm curious if Gav does end up going to New York, or if Cai goes with or stays behind. I'd rather have a conclusion altogether (even if sad) than an ambiguous ending (however, this is just me being nit-picky, and until season 2 comes out, I'll suspect we do get our conclusion if the series is more than just the movie).

I was never a big fan of Wesely and Terrence in the series, and that didn't change in the movie. There was too much back and forth that the story didn't develop well enough for me to care. Now granted, I didn't watch their side series (again, cause I wasn't interested), but I don't think I needed to watch to understand what was happening. It's was weird for him to be upset in then in the blink of an eye, holding Wesley up against the wall, about to pounce on him. Sure, the actors are cute, and their characters have a brief engaging moment, but their chemistry is very lacking. While Achilles felt artificial, I think I would've rather him and Terrence end up together, otherwise, he added nothing more to the plot for me.

Another knit-picky moment. As much as I love when Gav and Cai call each other baby, they over-exerted the word in this movie. Every sentence ended or started with baby. Sometimes Gav just needed to drag the word on for longer than needed, or Cai would repeat it several times in a row. At a certain point, you start to roll your eyes at how incredibly ridiculous it was. Not the biggest problem, but one of the more annoying ones.

Moving on to what I love: A lot of the time, what BL tends to do (which isn't bad, but it's not always realistic) is skip over the homophobia that the main leads' family, friends, or outsiders could, and some of the times, do have. I appreciate that the series makes it one of the more important topics. It doesn't end the way we would've liked it too, but sadly, not everyone in a gay person's life is off-the-bat accepting or understanding. The approach this movie takes is one I rarely see in BL, with being gay being compared to religion. Tita Susan weighs religion heavily on sexuality, and we can see that fear in Gav's eyes when she does. It doesn't end well, We don't see Tita Susan again after Gav comes out to her, we don't see her respecting or accepting Gav's reality, and we probably never will. It's a sad circumstance for sure, but I can always appreciate an honest movie.

Kokoy and Eljiah have no problem in the chemisty department. I loved watching them be all domestic together. We got to see some really nice scenes with them, not all good moments, but by them just being together, you can see how much they care. I loved how they didn't rush into sex and took their time. Pearl teases a bit, and it becomes awkward, but Gav shows that he wants to wait until Cai was a hundred percent ready. After some very sappy singing, they roam off to their room and make love. I say make love cause it was executed just as that, and brilliantly. We get to see how soft and gentle Gav was being, and just them being in ecstasy and in love. we also see them switch which was a nice surprise. Another good thing about them is that there aren't those distinct top/bottom tropes or traits and they are just who they are. The actors always do an excellent job in this category, and I'm never left disappointed.

Pearl was the best side-woman a gay man could have. She looked as beautiful as ever, and I can't help but fall in love with her bubbly personality.

The production was really nice, the set was so beautiful with the water fountain. I was obsessed with the music here, just cause it added that little oomph to make the series magical. I never really rewatch, but I've already seen this movie twice, so I'll definitely come back.

Ratings:

Story: 9 - For the most part, I loved the story. I'll take a star off for the poor execution of Terrence and Wesley, but other than them I loved it.

Acting: 8.5 - Everyone did a really good job, especially our main leads. The only person I wasn't much of a fan of was probably Wesley's actor. It was flat at times, and he didn't make many expressions. Terrence is okay, and Achilles is decent.

Music: 7 - Loved the OST, and can't help but be obsessed with the "Iyong Iyo" song by Zack Tabudio. It's so beautiful, please go take a listen if you haven't.

Rewatch Value: 2.5 - I wouldn't be surprised if I did go back to watch this after some time. I'm definitely going back occasionally to see Gav and Cai be domestic boyfriends.

I highly recommend this movie if you can find it, but it's worthwhile. I promise you, if you've waited this long to see it, don't give up on trying to find it. It was so magical, and I want everyone who wants to watch it to do so.

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Was Not Expecting to Like This As Much As I Do

Yeah, I'm surprised too, but I genuinely loved this series. For it to be a mediocre production, it gave what it needed to give. Was it perfect? No, very far from it, but it had a very impressive plot, with surprising turnouts that I rarely ever see in BL. The Cupid Coach demonstrated that little production can do it too.

Let's Dive In.

The Cupid Coach is a fantasy setting of a dude named Latte (or Tae) that has a crush on his college senior and with the help of his friend (sister? Aunt? Cousin? Relative? I honestly don't know who she is to him, so we'll call her his friend), Namwhan, he gets a lucky stone, wishes upon it, and a cupid appears to help with finding his love. Of course, the rest of the plot is pretty evident, except in some cases, it's actually quite unexpected how things turn out. But I love that this series does that, gives us something so unanticipated that by then, we're hooked cause the plot isn't what we were thinking it would be. Now was it because of COVID? Perhaps, since they did film during the beginning of it all, but it luckily led to a really pleasurable ending.

What I liked: Again, the plot. While seemingly basic at the beginning, it gets a lot better a few episodes on. You watch and think you know how things are going to turn out, but then get whiplash when you see that it's not like anything you were expecting. In the midst of the series, Nite (cupid) ends up disappearing after sharing a kiss with Tae. While Tae is in desperation to get him back, he takes time for himself and goes on a trip (the one that he and Nite were supposed to go on together) While there, he meets another guy named Nite, who has all the same attributes as the original, expect, he's human. While their one-nightstand wasn't the best way to go, they end up getting closer due to Nite 2.0's charisma and Tae slowly getting over Nite #1. You're thinking the entire time, "okay when is the original NIte coming back?" but he doesn't! And in a BL, it's very rare that the original love interest for the main lead doesn't end up being his LI in the end. So for me, it was a game-changer, especially since I liked Pak (Kaitoon in Love Area) a lot better as Nite rather than Peace who's acting was very bleak, and the only thing going for him was his smile and biceps. Granted, most of the cast was brand new, and their acting wasn't much better than moderately sufferable, but Pak came in and definitely gave the acting skills needed. I loved his overall personality and his charm. He really opened Tae's eyes into understanding that he was the realistic love he's been looking for. The ending was the best part of the entire series. Tae's too scared to kiss Nite 2.0 cause he's scared he'll disappear like the first one. But NIte 2.0 shows that he's there to stay as long as Tae needed him, and I loved that. The only things that weren't my favorite were 1, the drunk one-night stand, (I was kind of hoping NIte 2.0 would be like "no I didn't do anything, you took off your clothes in the middle of the night" but oh well), 2, their intimate scenes afterward weren't as bad as some others I've seen, but they were just so aggressive that it was a bit cringey to watch. and 3, they did fall in love with each other in a span of a few days, with Nite 2.0 giving off love-at-first-sight vibes. But who doesn't want a cute little vacation sweetheart?

More on the plot, I liked the fantasy aspect. While the CGI of the magic, and whatever godly world Nite went to were absolute trash, it still doesn't take away the excitement of it all. I just wish they actually would've done more with it. They utilize it so much at the beginning, but in the midst of the series, they stop entirely. I would've liked to see Nite causing more catastrophe with the use of his magic, more predictions, more transportation, maybe even others finding ut about who he is.

I liked that Tae was an already out and proud gay man. There wasn't that typical aspect of the BL story in which we have to see the realization of the main lead, the coming out, and all the extra that comes with it. Don't get me wrong, that part of a BL is one of my favorites, but here, it was nice to see that the main lead knew what he liked and wasn't ashamed of it.

Onto what needed some for-sure improving: Production was as mediocre as it gets, but the last few episodes, It gets way better, like weirdly better, as if they updated the crew and cameras and everything. Even them being at a very luxurious hotel was a bit off-putting (no bad, obviously, but weird) since their budget beforehand was noticeable from the sets they used. Anyways, before those last few episodes, the production was rough. The camera would be still, then all of a sudden there would be a jolt like someone accidentally hit it, or when they did move with the camera, it was super unstable. The subtitles were on drugs. If I were someone who needed perfect subtitles, I would've dropped by episode 3, and they sadly just get worse going on. Again, I'm not the target audience, but damn, they were just really bad, like have to pause to read again and try to understand what they're trying to say bad. There were some other nit-picky things, but this was obviously not top-tier work, so no use complaining. I did like the title sequence and the music though.

I know Nite was supposed to be a cupid (or god?) and so he didn't know all the mannerisms and things about modern humans, but he was still just too flat. Yes, play a quiet and reserved cupid, but still, there is a role there that needs decent acting. I won't blame it all on Peace since the script didn't give him much to work with either. I think the chemistry between Tae and Nite 1.0 wasn't very convincing. Besides Nite being cute and dainty, he didn't do much else. Sure, they had some cute moments, but the chemistry fell flat in most places. I think a better connection between the actors would've been a stronger point, but oh well. I believe they were supposed to be endgame, but because of COVID (even though we see Nite 1.0 at the end but whatever) something went haywire, and we ended up with what we got.

The fan-girls were aggravating. I skipped most of the scenes with them in it since I knew they wouldn't play an important role or move the plot along in any way. They are a nuisance and just annoying. Who wants a bunch of screaming and hollering and touching all the time? Which is a sad thing that they use these feminine men or trans women to even do this. They can also play main leads! Important roles! Not just be a group of obsessive and screaming fans.

One nit-picky thing. When the barista asked for a picture with Nite, we can't see him in the photo (which was a terrible technique they used, but that's a different story), but then later, when he, Tae, and Namwhan go to a field of flowers, she takes a picture with NIte with seemingly no problems, even looking at the photo and smiling. Again, nit-picky, but it's a consistency issue that bothered me just a bit.

Rating:

Story: 7.5 - Enjoyable at the least. I liked it way more towards the ending, which is where most of this score comes from. I don't really speak on Bhu and Que, but their relationship was just okay. Bhu got on my nerves half the time with wanting Tae to gain weight. Weird.

Acting: 5 - not the show's strongest aspect. Probably it's weakest. Pak added 2 stars automatically from just being the best out of all the cast. The weakest was Peace and Seua. At times Tee and Noey weren't all that great either. Everyone else was mediocre. The other 3 stars come from mostly me just feeling bad, and having hope that the cast will have more chances to grow and really showcase their acting abilities.

Music: 6 - I actually quite liked the OST. The rest of the music was the usual soundtracks we always hear.

Rewatch Value: 1 - Probably less than one if it could be. No chance I'm coming back.


I know I kind of go off, but, really, this series was decent. I enjoyed it way more than I thought I would, and I think there are others out there that can agree with me. I recommend this, just 'cause it's pretty sweet, and only took me a day to finish.

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Sequels Failure....?

This was nothing near perfection, however, this sequel dangled severely close over the failure edge. What saved this series for me was the acting, where it loses its touch is how they handle mental health and admitted suicide. Call It Want You Want 2 is the sequel to the story that was to bring down the brutal BL industry, except it does nothing merely more than make a fool of itself.

Let's Dive In.

The story of CIWYW2 starts where it ended, with all leads entirely in the same situation that we've seen them in already. Through some trials and tribulations, all their situations are neatly wrapped in a hideous bow, with a happily ever after that I wasn't satisfied with at all. This series could've been IT. It had all the material there, it had everything that it wanted to be, except, instead of "exposing" anything, they sadly crumble under the terrible writing and corrupted plot.

Getting into what wasn't good: Let's start off with some of the bullshit that was James and Ait. Their entire relationship in season one was something that I came to terms with liking, after a few forgiven plot devices and tropes -- but this season, they serve to be an even bigger nuisance. They must've hired a middle schooler to write the script, cause that's what James and ait's situation was giving. Ait getting upset -- no, change that -- fuming because he finds out that Marco has a crush on James is irritably laughable. And why get mad at James? How was James supposed to know that? Or why even for a chance get mad at him for a lousy crush? They try to make it a moment, but it can't be, because any real person would've slapped Ait silly for getting as mad as he did for something so frivolous. Apart from that, there was just no build-up of their relationship or chemistry. It felt stale, it felt dormant, it felt like it was going nowhere, even though they were trying to convince us that they were in love, to have this huge moment during their press conference (which lasted WAY too long), and instead, I found myself zoned out, having to go back and rewatch. it's sad to see this, especially knowing that these actors have so much potential, it's just they have nothing to show for it.

Another huge problem with CIWYW2 is that they do such a good job at showcasing Bas' trauma. His trauma with the assaults from the director, the trauma with his unsupportive family, the trauma of his eating disorder, and literally everything else he had going on. A great setup, a great performance from the actor, perfect emotional punctuation and act, so then why was its execution so bad? Mental health is not solved with the words "I love you", mental health is not solved with a quick hook up. Mental health is something that takes longer than a few hours to get over, and this show implemented all of that. Bas, after only maybe a few hours, is cleared of all of his worries and problems by Marco speaking sweet nothings, and sex. It was so inappropriate to do that, it was so invalid to show that within a few hours of trying to commit suicide, it would be a-okay if you can find somebody to say "I love You". No matter how mad I wanted Bas and Marco to get together, I don't think their relationship will ever be justifiable for me, ever. It's sad, really, cause I loved the dynamic they had, I loved that Marco was there for Bas, he was the one that found Bas -- and in the matter, he only needed to be there to take care of him, not to take advantage of his vulnerability. I wish so badly that something different could've happened.

Another small problem I had was with Bas' brother. Seconds after his brother is being SA'ed in the living room, he's telling him to "man up", "Stop crying", are you serious? It's the toxic masculinity that for real got me. I skipped the rest of his scenes, I just couldn't do it.

What I liked: Not much. I liked that the man running the show got called out for the things he's done. I enjoyed watching Kaprao and Bas teaming together to get back at him. But, most of all, I did really like the acting. These people have talent, and some really good ones too. Sadly, this show just didn't do them justice. I can't wait to see them in other projects,

Ratings:

Story: 7 - Sad really. I can say that I enjoyed some of it. Most of Bas's scenes because the actor did a phenomenal job.

Acting: 9 - Again, the acting was brilliant. They did a fantastic job, and I can't wait to see them in other things.

Music: 4 - I don't remember it, so that's good and bad. Their singing was atrocious, which gets an extra three stars off of the already 7 stars I was going to give them originally.

Rewatch Value: 1 - no way I'm going to watch this again. One, cause it's pretty heavy and sad -- two, cause it's just not handled well.

Overall, this just shows that some series are better off ending than trying to do sequels or season 2s. Was I in love with the first CIWYWW? No, but I liked it much more than I did this one. I don't recommend this unless you want to see some really talented actors.

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Sweet Domestic Love Story

I can't get enough of this sweet web series Gameplay and jeff have my complete heart, and I'm so sad that this ongoing series that felt like it had been on for a lifetime has finally ended. A beautiful friendship turns to romance, with some incredible-looking food, and you have yourself a hella good BL.

Let's Dive In.

Let's start off with Jeff and how amazing his voice is. I don't like listening to people sing, mostly because it's super cringey or off-key, but I can't tell you how many times I went back to replay the parts of his singing. I would pay real money to go see him in concert. Onto Gameplay. Now, I don't know if he really coos, but the food in this was immaculate. I think my favorite parts were him cooking, and putting together the meals he made. It just all looked so delicious, and I'm glad that this show continued to follow the concept of ingredients and cooking.

For the most part, this is a very, very, very slow-burning relationship. I don't think we get to see them actually together until the last few episodes. For the rest, it's these cute moments that build up to them starting to develop feelings for one another. The beautiful domestic dynamic that they had was something I can only dream to have. I think the only problem that I had with this show is the duration of the episodes. ost episodes weren't longer than 15 minutes if that. I would've rather a longer duration and shorter episodes if anything. I don't believe they're making a second season, but if they do, I can't wait to see more of Gameplay and Jeff, and the amazing onscreen chemistry they have. A definite recommendation, it's the best thing ever.

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Sad Truth

This BL is another one that draws on the sad truth of society. I couldn't handle how sad I was during the watch. I wish it didn't end the way it did, but sadly, sometimes that can happen and it does. Ken and Shake brought about a really cute love story that ends pretty tragically.

Let's Dive In.

This series only has 8 episodes that are no longer than about 25 minutes, so I wish that we could've seen more of them and their story, while also possibly seeing more of the supporting characters. The acting wasn't the best, but it's not the worst I've seen, and it gets a bit better by the end. Key and Shake had really nice chemistry from the very beginning. I definitely recommend a watch, but it is pretty heavy, so be aware of that.

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A Waste

There was so much potential with this spin-off with Safiah and Zon, but it's lacking in the story department. In the short 3 episodes, we got, not much happens, and for the most part I'm trying to figure out where in the original Why R U this spin-off is supposed to take place.

Let's Dive In.

For the majority of my watch, I was confused. I loved Safiah and Zon, they were my favorite couple out of that series, but I could've done without this spin-off since it just made things more confusing. Does this take place before their trip to the beach, or after? For sure, I would've liked to actually enjoy this series rather than being hella confused.

Safiah and Zon did some cute fluffy moments, but that was it. This story felt like it didn't have a proper plot or conflict. If I can remember correctly, the conflict was that Zon didn't like that his sister's story was coming true, so he tries to stop things with Safiah. Correct? Except, Safiah pretends to forget Zon so that he'll want him back, but it's so unbelievable, and I can tell from the getgo that he's pretending. Nothing exciting about the plot, everything was pretty basic.

We get to see Zon's sister in this for a few scenes, hopefully, she's learned her lesson about writing love stories about her brother. I also wish we could've seen Fighter and Tutor, or maybe this could've even been a longer series to help build up the couples that didn't get a proper ending. For example, I would've loved to see Japan's story and to see who Blue decided between.

Overall, this series was pretty much wasted. There was so much potential to add some exciting things, but oh well. I guess I would recommend this to someone wanting to see more of Safiah and Zon, but I feel like we got a proper ending with them in the original story.

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WTF

So, technically, I saw this probably about two months or so ago, so my knowledge is a little shaky. This was my very first Chinese BL, which from the looks of the Chinese government, will be my last. (lol). I remember it being about these two dudes that go from hater to lovers, and then they realized that they’re stepbrothers. Initially, I gave this series a 9/10, but after going back and watching it wasn’t all that good, and highly problematic. Gu Hai literally kidnaps Bai Luo Yin and then states how much he’s in love with the dude. Ummm, no? Don’t do that? Then when Bai tells Gu Hai that he might have an STD (or HIV/AIDS, I really can’t remember) He just like, “whatever, it’s fine I’ll have it too cause I love you” Ummm, yeah, still no! Then of course the whole rape thing happens and it’s just super upsetting. Even when we see the after moments, Gu Hai is just beaming and the other dude looks uncomfortable.

Along with all that chaotic mess, they’re going to be stepbrothers. Again with the incest, we gotta love it! (that was sarcasm, please don’t support incest). The only reason I can remember liking this was because of Yang Meng. He was so lovely and such a supportive friend, and I wish we would’ve gotten to see more of him and his (i think) love interest. I think I liked the main couple a lot better in the first few episodes when they would do stuff to annoy each other. Like cutting up their jackets (can we just talk about the fact that they have to wear tracksuits to school?), and sewing the sleeves together, that was cute. Anything else with this series was a fail, I wouldn't recommend this series at all.

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Not Too Bad

I had been hearing about this series for quite some time now, so obviously I had to check it out. I know this is a spin-off of TTS2, however, I dropped Tharntype and didn't even bother checking out their second season (A good thing since I heard it was a disaster) So, I was going into this knowing that I've probably missed a crucial part of the story and that *gags* Mame was once again a big contributor to this series. I went in with very few exceptions, ready to see the worst, but truthfully, I was shocked at how consensual, sweet, and healthy both relationships were (not all the way healthy, but not nearly as toxic as Tharn and Type). Don't Say No was a high-heat series with a sorta-overdramatic plotline and a GL couple.

Let's Dive In.

Starting with production, everything was decent and like your typical BL setup. The music was not memorable, yet not annoying, so that's a good thing. We saw a few ad placements here and there, but not anything that were blatant or gave too much filler. I liked how this was a series I could watch and understand without having to have seen TTS2. A plus on the wardrobe would definitely be the gala(?) event that Leo and Leon's mom put on. Lord. The women's dresses were BEAUTIFUL. Huge applauds there. (Also, besides his school outfit, Fiat's fit was kind of fire too).

Onto the plot. I really loved the first episode way more than I usually love first episodes. It was a nice setup, I loved Fiat and Leo's confession, I loved their shyness, and I loved how they were learning to communicate with each other on a more romantic perspective other than friendly. However, what kind of ruined it was the spread of their news plaster throughout the school. I hate yaois, I hated the rumors and the spread of their news everywhere (like the news about their business in the bedroom???) It's invasive, it's annoying, and I hate when they appear in any series cause it ruins my mood more than you could imagine. The plot was going good for a while, I was getting ready for the terrible mistake that Mame would make at literally every turn, and some things were a bit problematic, but not nearly as bad as they have been in the past.

Let's just talk about the supporting cast. I genuinely loved every single person (minus Nam who felt like it was his business to film Fiat and Leo's every movement and post it without their consent) The twins were a nice contribute to the series, they were pretty silly and goofy, but they were there for Leo and Fiat when they needed them. Natsu was adorable, and beside her spreading rumors, I enjoyed her character and her being the coach for the basketball team (although weird(?) since she was a student at the school??) and even more than that, her relationship with Anda. A very subtle GL couple, but hey, we still got one! It wasn't much, but I'm happy where we left it. All the parents did good too, and I'll touch on Fiat's situation in the next paragraph.

Onto the main couple, Leo and Fiat. Like I said, I was really invest in them in the first episode. Even Fiat's raunchy moment in Leo's bed was very nicely done. I loved how they were clumsy, and awkward, and nervous around each other initially. Their communication about sex was even perfect, but all of that was swept under the rug to get in two episodes worth of drama. In the later half of the series, Leo gets caught kissing Punn(?) and it turns into an all out war that didn't need to occur if Leo would told Fiat what happened, or even if Leo would asked what happened. I can't with this. Their communication was the key aspect of their relationship that was going on so strong until writers becme lazy and do whatever they have to without continuing to build up these characters. That was number one. The second thing would have to be what happened in episode 12. Leo and Fiat are forgiving each other and making up, expect that the writer's muct have forgotten all of Fiat's trauma for the past twenty years after they have Leo say something along these lines: "I don't want to see you loving anyone else but me." Um, HELLO?? Why would you say that?? And thenhe presume to saying more possessive stuff, and of course, Fiat has no reaction, like he wasn't having panic attacks over his mom manipulating him into hating everyone beside her. Onto that story, I loved it, I loved it more than anything else with Leo and Fiat. It was handled the best, I liked that they didn't give the mom some quick resolution to a mental illness, and eventually Fiat resolved things with his dad and step-family. Overall, this couple was okay, Their heated scenes were nice, but sometimes their kissing looked weird and off. First's performance was decent, Ja's was okay, but sometimes he was a bit stoic and bland.

Onto the side couple, Leon and Pob. I can't explain to you how much of I loved them, omg. As soon as I saw Pob playing with a cat, I knew it was over for me. They are what really kept me watching this series. Leon was so gentle with Pob that it made me fluster up myself. He was patient and understanding, and consensual, and I love him. Even with they're first kiss, he let's pob know that if he doesn't enjoy what they're doing that he can push him away. God, and their heated scene was done perfectly to the T. This couple couldn't do anything wrong. Until they decided for them not to get together. A betrayal, that's what it is. But even with that, it was still put together well. I think I just love this type of BL couple; the innocent, quiet, introverted, shy, big eyes "bottom" and the silly, goofy, loud, extroverted, ethusatsitc "top". I can't help but love the "opposite attract" dynamic. I think I noticed my love for it first in Fish Upon the Sky with Duean and Meen, but I'm sure there are other's that I've forgotten about. Overall, Smart and James put on some really good performances with some really endearing kisses and a very sweet and soft heat scene.

I won't try and put up a front like I didn't really enjoy my watch. While there were plenty of parts that needed fixing (also the whole King situation and how Fiat didn't even budge when he was told that King drugged him (or maybe even worse, he didn't go to the police??)) But that another mistake I don't fee like getting into. This had to be one of Mame's most tamed series I've ever seen, and I hope she learns that BL can be good and full of heat without the toxic and negative aspects she just aspires to have in these series. Applaud to the cast and crew for a good series.

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