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invisiblegarters · 1 year ago

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(Not so) Micro BL (mostly) Reviews

It's that time again; I've been watching things and I want to talk about them. So here I go.

These are all shows that I watched but for whatever reason did not (or am not, in the case of the currently watching ones) liveblogging week to week. Mostly they're binge watches so make of that what you will. I would love and welcome discussions about any of them, if anyone wants.

Watched - New to Me

Tonhon Chonlatee - Did I watch this entirely for Khaotung? Yep. Am I sorry? Not really. Did I wind up shipping Na and Chonlatee way way harder than Tonhon and Chonlatee in spite of myself? Oh, most def. So when are Neo and Khao gonna get a BL, huh?

I am glad the horrible former faen trope is slowly dying out, though. Really couldn't stand Amp, but then again I was way more offended by the attempted SA followed by literally nothing (and by the fact that Amp was somehow worse than the person actually trying to SA Chonlatee, like no. NO nononono). Also incredibly incredibly annoyed with the whole "I will kiss you to prove I'm a man who isn't afraid of women" thing. Nope, sorry. It was dumb, I'm calling it out as dumb, Ton is just lucky Chon loved him too much to keep staying mad at him because that's a dumping offense, my friend.

I liked Chon's spine, though. Khao is so tiny and fox faced that it would be very easy to play into that and have Chon be this sweet, spineless little thing that can't stand up for himself and that Ton has to protect constantly. And in some ways he does, although I think the show does a really good job of showing that Chon is more than capable of taking care of himself. I liked that.

Honestly I just feel like the writing failed both Pod and Khao. They did what they could with what they had, but Pod especially could have had so much more. There was so much meat there that they just…didn't let the man chew, and I saw nothing that made me think that he couldn't.

The chemistry between them was good though, even if I am one of the (few? Idk I have no idea how people see this show) people who liked Na for Chon better. Na was actually my favorite character, and in the end I'm pretty sure I was only watching for him. Final verdict 5/10. I would probably have forgotten about it already except I keep coming across that set of gifs. You know the one. A+ gifs, 10/10 no notes.

The Warp Effect - This was my second drama ever from Jojo, and I loved it so much. I enjoyed all the characters, especially Jean and Mollie, and I loved the relationships and the way that Alex had to navigate his new (to him) adult life as an asshole after (essentially) passing out as a fairly earnest, well-meaning seventeen year old. I adored the things the show had to say about sexuality, about gender, about the way people who don't conform to expectations (in whatever way that is) are treated.

I loved how it continuously pointed out the hypocrisy towards women in particular (there are several examples of this, but I am thinking particularly of how Jean was treated after the party vs. how Alex was. I love that the show made a point of explicitly stating how messed up the disparate reactions were, and how unfair. I also liked that despite following Alex as he goes on this journey, the show never attempted to pretend that he was the wronged party in that situation. Neither did Alex himself, which was refreshing). I'm not used to that from my shows, full stop.

I loved how queer friendly it was. I have read over and over again that it is one of the queerest shows people have seen, despite focusing mostly on a het dude. And you know what? They were right.

I spent eleven episodes loving this show with everything that I am, so enthralled with it that I did nothing else but binge it over the course of like a day and a half (if it hadn't been a work night I probably would have stayed up just to finish it, that's how hooked I was). And then…the final episode. I have to say that it disappointed me.

I am one who puts a lot of stock in an ending. A great ending can elevate a drama for me, a bad one can kill it stone dead. The Warp Effect didn't kill things, but it disappointed me. It felt like the show was saying something really interesting about forgiveness using Alex and Jean, about how sometimes you do things in your life that can't be forgiven. That sometimes things happen and the best you can do for the person you wronged is to step the fuck back like she's asked you to and let her try to forget.

But nope, Alex gets to go back in time and wisely fix all his friends problems and never have that awful encounter with Jean. And everything ends in a pat, happy way that kind of set my teeth on edge. If not for the fact that Jean (my darling) didn't deserve what happened to her I might have disliked it more, but the truth is that she didn't deserve it, and I'm happy for the unambiguously happy ending for that and that alone. No clue how prevalent this opinion is but knowing how my opinions tend do go I'm guessing not very, ha. Final score 8/10 - yes I docked it two points for the ending, I said they can make or break things for me.

Step By Step - I will watch any and every office BL that I am given. Do you hear me? Any. And. Every. Except A Boos and A Babe, oops (does it count if I tried because it was an office set BL and then just bounced off hard? I'm counting it).

Anyway, tangent. The point I'm making here is that I was never going to not give this a shot. And I am glad I did. It wasn't my favorite thing but I was happy to see it actually tackle the realities of what it look s like when you're dating your boss. The way that all the crap rolled onto Pat was very true to life, if painful to watch, and I appreciated the show for going there.

I was also kind of unimpressed with the time skip BUT that's only because it happened in the dreaded episode eleven and I would have liked more time with the 2 years later Jeng and Pat. Ah well, it was still cute. 7/10

Enchanté - Watched this because I was curious about Force & Book after I bounced off of A Boss and A Babe (and since they are in one of my most anticipated dramas of the year, possibly as the main main couple but definitely as one of them). I was curious if I would bounce off of them here as well, because if so that probably wouldn't bode well for the future.

And? I liked it. I liked the bickery romantic tension between them (I blame my misspent youth and all those slap slap kiss shows from when I was a wee, impressionable thing too long ago to want to talk about). I was highly annoyed at the beginning when it seemed like eight hundred different men wanted to date Theo (as well as incredibly baffled why Theo was so damned into this dude who wrote two whole sentences in a book with him. But I have no romance in my soul so I was willing to let that part go) because I start to get twitchy at two, let alone literally every guy he talks to. But once that mystery started unraveling and we started learning what was going on with all these dudes, I liked it a lot more. And I don't know if Be My Favorite has made me appreciate Gawin more (yes, definitely) or if I was just way too hard on him in Not Me (maybe, idk I still think he was kind of drippy), but I really enjoyed him in this one, too. Yes, even with the singing. Gawin for me is a rarity because frankly, he can actually carry a tune. I will never understand what's with making all these BL boys sing and dance. Sometimes you just aren't a triple threat, and that's okay.

Anyway remember my endings problem? Yeah, didn’t love this one. I mean, fine, chase your love interest all the way to fair Paris because he's having a crisis about his parents (and honestly, that part I really liked? I liked how selfish he was about it. Idk it just worked for me), I would have let him run off and found someone else but as I said I have no romance in my soul. 7.5/10

Naked Dining / Zenra Meshi / 全ラ飯 - Cute, but. I found myself really really annoyed by all the misunderstandings. This never happens to me, I love a good misunderstanding or three, but my gosh there just comes a point when you need to stop making assumptions and talk, my guys. Food porn was good, though. 6/10

Hello Stranger - Baby's first Pinoy BL! So I guess this is in the same vein as Gameboys, but I did not see that one, and I found this charming. The leads were adorable, and I do have a fondness for shows told almost completely via skype. Look, I still haven't seen enough of them for the novelty to have worn off. The mix of Tagalog and English was a little hard to adjust to at first but after a couple eps I got there. It was just a cute, breezy little thing that was easily digestible and I'm happy I watched it, although to be frank I probably won't put it into my rotation. 8/10

Dear Doctor, I'm Coming for Soul -

While I really enjoyed most of it, I feel like it fell apart for me at the end and I'm having a hard time articulating why.

I think it might be the reincarnation bit. While I get what the show was going for there, what are we saying, exactly? Is Tua gonna wait now until Prakan is of age before showing up to be his boyfriend again? Are they gonna go back to phi and nong until then? Or is Tua gonna watch Prakan like he's straight out of a Police song without speaking to him for the next 5/6 years? My problem isn't even really with the idea that Tua and Prakan will continue to meet in all of Prakan's lifetimes until perhaps Tua's time as a reaper is over and they can be reborn in the same timeline again and maybe be together for real. I think it's the idea of them both waiting around for Prakan's minor clock to expire that's doing it. I feel like Goblin did this trope better. Personally I loved Tua and Prakan being together until he passed, and for me, I think that the show would have been stronger overall if they had left it at that and not done the end bit with the new Prakan.

That said, the child actor who played young!Prakan was stellar and I hope that he has been getting steady work. I have to say that in a lot of the Thai dramas I've watched, the child actors have been standouts.

Other than that, I did really enjoy the drama. It was interesting and I liked seeing Yacht play a character that wasn't super Pond-esque for once. I did feel watching Between Us that he could do better, if given the material (not his fault, Between Us had too many side couples, both he and his partner did what they could with what they had), and I'm happy to see I was right. Metha actually became one of my favorite characters - he had a whole arc from conflicted asshole to loosening up and remembering that he actually loved his friends/realizing his uncle had manipulated him into hating Prakan for his own personal gain, and Yacht did a really good job with playing both the asshole and the decent dude beneath.

I saw a lot of comments complaining about Prakan's inability to be mature regarding Tua's job, but I think that for the most part it was actually fairly believable a reaction, especially after his mom died. And it would be hard for me to deal with the idea that death can be around any corner no matter how hard I try to prevent it, let alone someone for whom that is their entire job.

I was annoyed, however, by the weird ep 11 (I think, might have been 10) "Nuch could die" plot, simply because it was so late in the game, took up so little time, and seemed like a plot device just to get Metha to finally tell her he loved her. Annoying and pointless. Wasn't needed - he could have done it a million other ways.

Enjoyed the couple of Kheeta and Nathee as well - Nathee was another one that did a 180 as the show progressed, but unfortunately I believed his less than I did Metha's, mostly because I just don't think the actor is as good. He was kind of a weak link in Between Us too, although I think I enjoyed him in Even Sun? I can't remember (and just as I said that I did remember, and no, he wasn't one of my favorites in that either. But the less said about Even Sun the better, really). Still, the whole plot for them is one of my bulletproof tropes. It would take a lot for me not to be into it.

Overall though, I enjoyed it. It kept me extremely engaged and made me cry more than once, and up until the last let's say half episode it really worked for me. 8/10

Rewatched

He's Coming to Me - Seeing everyone talk about this lately made me want to rewatch it, and aw, I forgot how much I loved it. It truly is a gem of a show, and I am glad that a lot of people are talking up how good it is lately. Ohm especially really shines.

What a gem this show is. I really enjoyed the slow burn between Med and Thun, and I liked that it went hand in hand with Thun's realization that he was gay. Really enjoyed how supportive his friends and mom were about it, too. Just a really lovely group of people all around.

Another thing that was fun was the mystery of how Med died. I liked that once Thun decided to help him find out he was all in, willing to help him pretty much no matter what. I honestly don't know if I guessed the mom thing or just remembered it from before but that was a kind of hilarious twist - well mom, I'm in love with your ex who's been a ghost for twenty years. Blessings?

The one thing that knocked this down for me was the whole story with the grandpa/uncle. I think I will never get used to these dramas downplaying things that seem like a pretty big deal to me. Manipulate your student into committing literal crimes and nearly drive him crazy with the pressure of holding up an impossible standard? It's okay, you have trauma too so we understand! Deliberately sabotage your son's happiness so that you can make your marriage scheme become reality? All's well that ends well! Plot and then actually go ahead and murder your own nephew, or at the very least orchestrate events so he could die? We can't change the past, all we can do is hope for a better future! Clearly I take these things too seriously.

Overall though, I really did have a good time. I thought that the chemistry between everyone was excellent, not just the two main characters but the entire cast, and I think the eight episode run time worked in its favor because it kept the show from ever feeling bloated, or like they were trying to find things to do to fill time. And the ending, while bittersweet in its way, is perfect for them. All in all, a thoroughly enjoyable show, and I'm very glad I decided to watch it again.

Currently Watching, Sans Liveblogging

Laws of Attraction - I am LOVING this. I did not expect to from the trailer, but nope. I'm hooked. It's got plenty of time to off the rails I guess, since it just started, but I'm not even sure I will care if it does, so long as our very cute lawyer keeps smiling and flirting (and then trying desperately to gtfo of the room whenever Tinn gets to close the whatever killed his ideals (mom was murdered and then the murderer got off? Drunk driver who got released due to a slick lawyer? It's definitely mom based, and I am very curious). The chemistry between the two leads is very very good, too. I've not seen them in anything else, but I might check out To Sir, With Love because I like them that much. Also Silvy Pavida is in this, and she was one of my favorite things about The Warp Effect. I gave out a little cheer when I saw her, and I hope she's in the show more.

Stay by my Side - Cute, has all the tropes. It's Taiwan so I expect it to be solid. Reminds me a bit of Master's Sun kdrama, but BL. That is not a criticism - I freaking love Master's Sun. Although our ghost repellent isn't aware that's what's happening in this one. I'm enjoying it a lot.

3 Will Be Free - I'm working my way through this, and am way more invested in Mae than the three main characters. Oops? If anything happens to her I will lose it.

The Jungle - MIX VILLAIN ERA GO. If it goes too far in the womanizing direction I will probably drop it, but otherwise I will stick around just to see if I am right and Hunter is the worst of the lot. It has a cast mostly filled with actors I like, and I have to admit I got a kick out of watching Lookjun play a character in love with Off's character again. Also they're giving Nanon the Gun Atthaphan treatment and having him play two people. Whee.

Wedding Plan - It's MAME. Enough said. No telling if at some point I'll have to drop it, but well. MAME. I hope the lesbian couple does more than coo at each other, though. Even if the cooing is indeed very cute.

Looking Forward To

At this point I think we all know, but just in case we don't:

Only Friends

Dangerous Romance

23.5

Only Friends and Dangerous Romance are neck and neck in the race to get a premier date. My ideal would be to have them both released in August so I can have max messiness and angst to finish out my summer.

23.5 is on Q5 so I expect we won't see it for a while, but I'm waiting and very excited. We need more GL and I adored Milk and Love in Bad Buddy - I shipped ink and Pa so hard and watching it become canon was one of the best times I've ever had. I'm also pretty jazzed that it looks like there's a second GL couple as well. Both View and June are actresses I like and I'm just very ready for this.

Also I watched the GMMTV 2023 lineup again and I think Last Twilight is now on my list too. Like I'll watch stuff like Cooking Crush when it comes out but I'm not really jazzed about it, lol. Last Twilight however has moved into my "I think I'm excited for this one" list.

If you made it this far, congratulations. I'd offer you a prize, but I have none. So instead, here. Have a dancing Chonlatee.

#tonhon chanlatee #the warp effect #enchante #naked dining #hello stranger #dear doctor i'm coming for soul #he's coming to me #laws of attraction #stay by my side #3 will be free #the jungle #wedding plan #only friends the series #dangerous romance #23.5 the series #last twilight #win x team #not really micro micro bl reviews

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languidlotus · 2 years ago

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2022 Watchlist

Current Watchlist // 2023 Watchlist // 2021 Watchlist // My Favourites / My Art These are all the dramas I finished in 2022. They might not have been released in 2022, but this is when I watched (and finished) them. Year total: 76 dramas watched. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Beware, here be spoilers!!

(Everything is subject to change and just personal opinion. My ratings and opinions don't reflect on the quality of the shows at all. Tastes vary!)

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Dramas I finished in 2022.

(Alphabetical order.) 180 Degree Longitude Passes Through Us (Thai BL) Final rating: 8/10 This show was painful but beautiful. Painful in that I knew from the very first episode that it wouldn't have a happy ending, but the writing and acting and cinematography were still gorgeous to look at. Wang falling in love was tragic, because it was never going to work out. He was the very image of his father, stuck between his (love for his) mother and (his love for) In. Except where his father was on an even setting with the both of them, he's still seen as a child. Him trying to convince the world that he's not was more of a struggle in this show than him being attracted to a man was. He represented his mother and In's greatest fears and regrets. And as a result he was never going to get what he wanted with In, because In was never going to risk making the same mistakes and destroying someone the way he destroyed himself. Beautiful, but painful. So be careful if you watch this.

21 Days Theory (Thai BL) Final rating: 7/10

A cute show that surprised me. I was expecting it to be, well, worse, but it was actually rather cute and I didn't even hate the side characters. I don't really have strong feelings about it, though, which means it was good enough to have me look back on it fondly, but nothing really stood out to me at the same time.

8.2 Byo no Hosoku / The 8.2 Second Rule (Japanese BL) Final rating: 6/10 A short little series with a main character who finds himself being the match maker for cute guys but never finds one who likes him. Or does he? It's short and not really much of a BL, but it's cute?

About Youth (Taiwanese BL) Final rating: 7/10 I have to admit that I don't remember much from this show. I remember that I thought it was cute and that I was surprisingly into the secondary pairing, but that's all. I may have to rewatch it at some point to be able to give a better review. Ai Long Nhai (Thai BL)

Final rating: 6/10 Oh boy, this one was messy. The two main actors try their best and do have chemistry, but the storyline was a mess and I left the show feeling confused. I finished it because I felt like I had to, but I wasn't really enjoying it. (And this is coming from someone who actually really liked Tonhon Chonlatee and was excited about this somewhat related show, so my taste is obviously flawed.)

Alchemy of Souls (Season 1) (Korean Drama) Final rating: 8.5/10 I really, really enjoyed this show. It's the perfect mix of other worldly fantasy mixed with adventure and great characters. The two main characters were both interesting, the plot a lot of fun, and I actually looked forward to every new episode. Worth a watch if you're into action/adventure fantasy shows set in a beautiful world.

Bad Buddy (Thai BL)

Final rating: 9.5/10 Bad Buddy is already a classic. Every person who's into BLs at all should watch this one, because it's the perfect example of what a good BL should be. It uses, creates, AND circumvents some staple BL tropes but it does it in a great way. The two main characters are awesome together, the actors have comfortable chemistry, and this show has one of the best first kisses known to man. (Also, the moment when Pat and Pran have a sleep over and talk about whether they have a crush on Ink will forever make me cry. Pran's reaction when he realizes that the guy he likes is into someone else is devastating and played so, so well. Heartbreaking scene.)

Be Loved in House: I Do Final rating: 8/10 I actually really like this show. It has a fun - albeit somewhat silly - plot that makes for some great tension between the two main leads. Their characters are opposites in many ways, but gradually you see that they also have some things in common and compliment each other. They make the other better people. Also, the final confession is great. Behind Cut (Korean BL)

Final rating: 7/10 I feel like this show had a lot of potential and I really enjoyed the first couple of episodes. The tension was there and I liked the contrast between the two main characters, but once they got together I wasn't super into it. I thought the best friend of one of the main characters was actually the best thing about the show. He was fun and tragic and his jealousy made for some entertaining moments.

Big Dragon (Thai BL)

Final rating: 7/10 I feel very conflicted about this show, because on the one hand it didn't give me what I'd initially imagined it would, but on the other hand the chemistry between the two leads was great and the story was still very entertaining. The push and pull of the main couple's relationship was a lot of fun and while I'm not 100% sold on the story, the pairing and chemistry from the actors I'm absolutely behind.

Blueming (Korean BL) Final rating: 8.5/10 I always think back fondly on this show. It's one I've watched more than once, mostly because I like how comfortable the main characters feel and how pretty it's shot. As an artist, I just love looking at pretty shows that make me want to draw and this is one of those. It's cute, well produced, and the actors mesh well together.

Cherry Blossoms After Winter (Korean BL) Final rating: 8/10 Much like Blueming, this show is just gorgeous to look at. It has great use of colours and always has a dreamy atmosphere about it. I'm not usually one for step-brothers kinds of relationships, but I actually really like this one. It adds conflict to everything. Also, the younger character being the tallest and more confident of the two is cute. They're just cute, okay?

Choco Milk Shake (Korean BL) Final rating: 9.5/10 If you'd told me a year ago that one of my favourite shows from 2022 would be one about a cat and dog reincarnated as humans, I'd have told you you were crazy. In fact, initially I wasn't going to watch this because it just sounded too silly for me to suspend my disbelief. But, then I saw it was a Strongberry production and I gave it a shot anyway. And, oh my god, was it charming. Somehow the silly premise works and somehow it ends up both breaking your heart and mending it. The chemistry between both pairings is excellent and I still adore how heartbreaking and beautiful the Uncle/Milk pairing is. I still headcanon about them sometimes. <3

Close Friend Season 2 (Thai BL)

Final rating: 7.5/10 I actually like this one better than season 1, which is surprising because this involves established relationships instead of the journey getting there. Is it phenomenal? No. Does it showcase how cute Ohm and Fluke can be? Yes. Also, I was very into the second/main pairing that this season introduced, which probably helped make it less 'established relationship'y.

Color Rush Season 1 (Korean BL)

Final rating: 7.5/10 Color Rush has an amazing premise and is absolutely stunning to look at. The use of colour is both important to the storyline as well as the production and you can tell. The main characters have great chemistry and the story is painful, dark, and colourful all in one.

Color Rush Season 2 (Korean BL)

Final rating: 8/10 Much like the first season, this season is gorgeous and there is a surprisingly interesting plot to it. I was skeptical at first because one of the main characters/actors had been replaced, but it worked well and there is something hauntingly tragic about this relationship where one person has spent a lot of time waiting for the man he loves to return while his new lover must now be terrified of that actually happening. Let's just say, if this ever got a third season I wouldn't be opposed to it. Cupid's Last Wish (Thai BL)

Final rating: 8.5/10 This is my least favourite EarthMix show and it's rated 8.5 out of 10. Can you tell how much I love EarthMix as a pairing? XD It's a bit of a wild story, but I was willing to go along with it for the famous comfortable EarthMix chemistry. (Which is funny considering how volatile those two sometimes are together in real life, lmao.) I wasn't even opposed to the inclusion of the sister. It made everything more tense. 'Is he in love with me or my sister?'

Cutie Pie (Thai BL)

Final rating: 7.5/10 I'm torn on Cutie Pie. On the one hand it's well made, has a unique storyline, and great chemistry between the characters, but on the other hand it has some toxic 'I'm lying to you and making decisions for you for your own good because I am older and more mature and know better' attitudes that I just can't get behind. If you ignore that then it's a fun show, though.

Dear Doctor, I'm Coming for Soul (Thai BL) Final rating: 7.5/10 I have to admit, at one point I didn't like this show and stopped watching it. It took me months to go back and finish it. In the end, it had me crying. It's a weird kind of 'I like it but I don't' show for me, where I'm not huge on the chemistry of the main couple - mostly because one of the characters is a literal angel of death and he's stiff and otherworldly for most of the series - but the story still makes me cry. A timeless, immortal being having to watch their loved one grow old and die will forever break my heart, okay?

DNA Says Love You (Taiwanese BL)

Final rating: 7/10 This is a show that does a lot of things really well. At the same time, it took me a while to get invested. I think it was the big reveal that cemented it as 'this one is decent' for me. And it does say some meaningful things about what love means and whatnot. It just...didn't do as much for me as some other shows do.

Double (Japanese BL)

Final rating: 6/10 I don't...remember much about this show other than what the basic plot was and that I wanted to like it more than I actually did.

It had everything I like in a show, complete with angst and pining, but I just...didn't feel it? Eien no Kinou / Eternal Yesterday (Japanese BL)

Final rating: 8/10 God, this show hurts. Imagine finally realizing your feelings and maybe having those feelings returned and then suddenly your happiness is taken from you. Only, that person is not actually dead. They're still with you, but everyone forgets about them and they're slowly dying in front of you. I know this sounds super tragic and sad - and it is! - but it's also beautiful, because love and affection are why that person was able to live just a little longer. He was able to show his love, talk about what he felt, and just live while being loved. Even if it was just for a little while, that was beautiful. This show made me so sad and yet I'm glad that I watched it.

Enchanté (Thai BL)

Final rating: 7.5/10 Oh boy. I know a lot of people aren't hugely into this show and I do agree that the writing could have been stronger. (Also, Theo...my man. Decisions were made. Talking would have sufficed, okay?) However, I actually rather like this silly show. The two main characters are very different, but that's the fun thing about them and there are enough interesting side characters to put these characters in various fun situations. Also, ForceBook just have good chemistry and it makes it enjoyable to watch.

Even Sun (Thai BL)

Final rating: 6/10 Look, this show just has me so mad. BounPrem are better than this. So much better. And the sad thing is, this show being bad has nothing to do with them. I don't know what the writers were on, but...it either was way too much or not enough. What the hell was this? I actually really enjoyed episode one and then after about two or three episodes it just went down the drain. The story made no sense - Prem's character is there to get his money back from Boun's character even though it's apparently the other way around? and legally that somehow works? And then Boun's character basically kidnaps Prem's character even though earlier he was trying his best to get rid of him? - and the side pairing was cute but was so disconnected from the main story that it felt like two different shows. BounPrem deserve better. Honestly. I'm so glad they got Between Us.

Fahlanruk (Thai BL)

Final rating: 6/10 Failanruk, more like. Oh my god, was this show a mess. Like a lot of other shows before it, I was fine and kind of interested after episode one. Not so much after episode three or four. Basically, my headcanons were fun and fascinating. Two playboys hooking up and having a friends with benefits situation before gradually realizing they've fallen for each other and having to navigate a situation - genuine affection and an actual relationship - they've never been in before sounds great. But no, one of the playboys just falls in love after day one for absolutely no reason and the other somehow falls in love too after being hounded and pestered for a while. Why anyone would be at all attracted to Fahlan is beyond me, because he is one of the worst (non-criminal) human beings I've had the pleasure of seeing in a BL. He's rude, obnoxious, toys with his own boyfriend and judges him for cheating when he himself has done nothing but cheat on him, harasses a guy who's made it clear he only wants a one night stand, is an asshole to his friends, and is over the top jealous/possessive of his boyfriend several times. Sherbet can't even give or receive affection from his long time best friend when he's injured without Fahlan being mad. This show drove me crazy!! (The side couple was cute, though.)

First Love Again (Korean BL) Final rating: 7/10 Cute but nothing special. The chemistry is okay, but nothing amazing. The story, however, is cute and the tension between the two characters is believable. Imagine waiting thousands of years for your one true love and then they're nothing like you've expected them to be? And imagine having to live up to the expectations of someone who's been waiting for you for that long? Let's just say, my headcanons were epic.

Fukou-kun wa Kiss Suru Shikanai! / Unlucky-kun Has No Choice but to Kiss! (Japanese BL)

Final rating: 7.5/10 Is it silly? Yes. Is one of the characters basically using the other for his personal gain? Yes. Is it still cute somehow and worth watching? Also yes.

Ghost Host, Ghost House (Thai BL)

Final rating: 8/10 This show pleasantly surprised me. I figured it'd be a ghost story with some comedy and basic chemistry, but it ended up being kind of heart wrenching with a great main pairing. These two have amazing chemistry and the attraction jumped through the screen. The story itself is also pretty good and interesting. If you're not watching for the chemistry between the main leads, then watch it for that. (It's not as scary as it promises to be, btw. The ghosts are generally good people.)

Hard Love Mission (Thai BL)

Final rating: 5.5 Look, I liked the actor playing Yoshi. He tried his best and was cute. That's about it. I can't even headcanon with this show because everything was just...lackluster or downright terrible. Ridiculous plot with sudden villains and next to no chemistry between the main pairing. I liked one actor and that was it. Sorry.

Kimi no Koto Dake Mite Itai / I Want to See Only You (Japanese BL)

Final rating: 7/10 Very cute show with pretty cinematography. It's short, which is both its advantage and disadvantage. Things aren't hugely fleshed out, but it's sweet and relatable and feels like your first (summer) love. Like the first time you looked at someone and felt butterflies.

KinnPorsche (Thai BL)

Final rating: 10/10 I might as well just link this post where I talked about it.

Kissable Lips (Korean BL)

Final rating: 6.5/10 This just wasn't my show. All the things I liked - the chemistry between the characters and the two main actors' performances - I got (and better) in the second show they did together. Vampires just aren't my thing, I guess.

Love Class (Korean BL)

Final rating: 8/10 I could have done without the main character's obnoxious friend, but other than that this show was fun and I'll probably give it a rewatch soon.

Love in the Air (Thai BL)

Final rating: 7/10 This show is...questionable. Both relationships have fairly toxic beginnings - one starts out through subterfuge and repeatedly ignoring 'no' while the other is just built on not taking no for an answer - but do end up with clearly mutual attraction. If you can ignore the part where both of the older characters completely refuse to take their future boyfriend's word at face value, it does end up quite cute and with some very nice, steamy scenes. I just...had a hard time doing that. The rating is based purely on the chemistry between the actors and not at all on the story being told or the characters.

Love Like the Galaxy: Part 1 & Love Like the Galaxy: Part 2 (Chinese Drama)

Final rating: 7.0/10 & 7.5/10

I was super excited about this show when I first started watching it, because it has my probably favourite actress - Zhao LuSi - in it with an actor whom I really enjoyed in The Long Ballad. And the storyline did seem very promising going in. However, I sadly didn't end up liking it as much as I thought I would. The main female character is fun, but at times she's also a total bitch and gets away with way too much. (All the important, good characters immediately love her even though she's everything a girl in those times would be expected not to be.) And the male character is just...boring. He isn't even near her for huge parts of the story and their chemistry disappointed me. I thought she matched much better with the actor playing Luo Yao. (Whose character I also liked better. He seemed a much better match.) So, yeah, fun show but not as good as I expected it to be.

Love Mechanics (Thai BL)

Final rating: 7.5/10 This is another show that has a toxic relationship as the main focus. However, the difference is that it being toxic is part of the story. We know that Vee is an asshole to both Mark and his girlfriend. (Of course, his girlfriend also ends up cheating on him to offset this. Convenient!) That's something he has to work on throughout the series to eventually win Mark over. Had I been Mark I would have dumped his ass ages ago, though. The chemistry between the two leads is obvious and carries most of the show.

Love Stage!! (Thai BL)

Final rating: 6.5/10

A cute story, but there's not really much to it. Both leads are very pretty, though, and they did have decent chemistry once things actually started happening. Minato Shouji Coin Laundry (Japanese BL)

Final rating: 9/10 Look, as a grown up and a teacher do I approve of student/teacher relationships where one is a grown ass man and the other a teenager? Absolutely not. Does this show tell a great story and did I enjoy it? Yup. Because it's a fictional story, I was able to get over that and ended up really enjoying the tension and angst and the eventual happy ending. But had this been real life...no way in hell.

Mirror: A Tale of Twin Cities (Chinese Drama)

Final rating: 8/10 It's been a while since I saw this show, but from what I remember I was really into it while watching it and for a few months after. The main female lead is a lot of fun and not as obnoxious as a lot of cdrama leads tend to be. Fun, action filled, pretty to look at show with good actors and great characters.

My Only 12% (Thai BL)

Final rating: 9.5/10 This show was made for me. Had the characters been a bit older and not teenagers, this would have been 10/10. Best friends who eventually realize - through a bunch of angsty, painful, beautiful episodes - that they love each other is my aphrodisiac. I love that shit. This show actually made me cry both sad and happy tears. It's comfortable, loving, gorgeous, painful, and heartwarming all at once. Earth and Santa work so, so well together and I actually liked them a lot more than I thought I would.

My Ride (Thai BL)

Final rating: 7/10 This is one of those shows that I kind of didn't care for the first time I watched it, but then liked it a whole lot more the second time around. It has a very likeable main character and the other main character actually being into someone else for the longest time was rather interesting. Plus, older queer character representation!!

My Secret Love (Thai BL)

Final rating: 7.5/10

This show is a little messy and the plotline goes back and forth a little, but it is cute and it has some great secondary pairings. I was especially into Tim/Mai for the longest time - they took the longest to develop and had the most angst, okay, I'm a sucker for that - and still have active headcanons for those two.

My Tooth Your Love (Taiwanese BL)

Final rating: 7.5/10 This is a really good show. I don't have it rated that high because I didn't completely feel the main pairing, but that doesn't take away from that it's a good show and there is a lot of chemistry. Also, like many shows the secondary pairing was fascinating and I wish it'd gotten more of a conclusion.

Not Me (Thai BL)

Final rating: 8.5/10 Not Me has become a BL staple and rightly so. It's a very good story with some amazing characters and it deserves to be considered one of the best and most popular BLs in recent years. And Gun deserves so many accolades for how distinct the two characters he plays are. The only reason that it's not rated higher for me is that I was one of the few people who wasn't hugely into the secondary pairing.

Ocean Likes Me (Korean BL)

Final rating: 6.5/10 Was it cute? Sure. Did I feel the chemistry? Not really. I love Holland and really liked his co-star in other shows I've watched, but I wasn't 100% convinced on this one. I also thought the storyline was on the weak side. Pretty shots of the sea (Ocean?), though!

Oh! Boarding House (Korean BL)

Final rating: 6.5/10 I may have to rewatch this show, because I only have vague memories of it. To the point where I sometimes come across videos on youtube that have characters from it in them and go 'oh, hey, that show seems interesting. how have I never seen that be- wait, it's oh boarding house...'

Oh! My Assistant (Korean BL)

Final rating: 7.5/10 A little weird, but cute. One of the main characters has the personality of a houseplant, but I think that's kind of the point? He's still very pretty, I guess. It's short but sweet.

Oh! My Sunshine Night (Thai BL)

Final rating: 7/10 This show broke me. It had so, so much potential and I was so invested in it for about half of the show and then it turned into murder plots and helicopters and completely abandoned what it had initially been about. Look, this show was supposed to be about Ohm and Fluke being tragic and sad because Fluke's characters had a heart condition, but in the end his heart problems didn't even matter to the story at all. I was so mad at the end, because I'd been so excited about everything - especially the secondary pairing - but everything they'd set up got thrown aside for literal murder and subterfuge. The rating is purely for the side pairing and the potential the show had. If you can ignore the last bunch of episodes and just headcanon what a normal show would have done, you're good.

Old Fashion Cupcake (Japanese BL)

Final rating: 10/10 One of the few shows that I've given 10/10 to. As an older queer person, this show resonated with me a lot. It's about older people realizing they are still able to fall in love and discover things about themselves. Alongside that it's a beautiful, aesthetically pleasing tale of cupcakes and adoration. It takes short but sweet to an entirely new level. Please watch it. (Also, Togawa is unreasonably pretty.)

Paint with Love (Thai BL)

Final rating: 7.5/10 I actually really liked the main pairing. They were different, but that made them fun. It's also really funny that I watched this before I knew who most of these actors were. Looking back I'm going 'wait, Tae? Yoon? YACHT??!' It's also kind of an office romance show, which is currently all the rage. Ahead of its time, I suppose.

Plus & Minus (Taiwanese BL)

Final rating: 8/10 The kind of suffering and pining that LiGong does throughout most of this show is exactly the kind of thing I live for. Like I've said several times before, best friends who come to realizations is my jam and one of them pining for the other for decades is right up my alley. My interest kind of tapered off towards the end and the secondary pairing was a little weak - Yuki is pretty but... - but it's still a really good show.

Roommates of Poongduck 304 (Korean BL) Final rating: 9/10

This is what happens when you give the Kissable Lips boys a better story and it's a blessing. The tension between the two main characters is fun, the arguing amusing, and the chemistry is just undeniable.

JiWoong and SeoBin are so good together and I'm trying very hard to be happy for JiWoong and not sad that we'll deprived of this pairing now for a long time if not forever.

Secret Crush on You (Thai BL)

Final rating: 7.5/10 SCOY is a bit of an acquired taste. It took me two tries to get past the first few episodes - look, I'm not into people falling for their creepy stalkers and Toh breaks a lot of boundaries that never should have been broken - but once you get into the meat of it it's a charming show with amazing chemistry between the pairings. Nuea/Toh is one of the few pairings that actually feel like they'd bone in public if common decency wasn't an issue. I think it's the sounds and the grinding, to be honest. Also, Sky is a green flag kind of character before that kind of thing was cool. Sky/Jao forever.

Semantic Error (Korean BL)

Final rating: 10/10 One of my 10/10 BLs. Even if you've only seen a few BLs I'm sure you've come across this one. It was even famous in non-BL circles in Korea and it made both of the actors verified superstars. The story is one of contrasting personalities clashing until they eventually realize that they actually work really well together. It's blue versus red. Reason versus emotion. Calmness versus passion. Just watch it. You won't regret it.

Senpai, Danjite Koidewa! / Senpai, I'm in Love! (Japanese BL)

Final rating: 7/10

Not my favourite Japanese BL, but that doesn't mean it's not good. It's an office drama and very cute. It takes a while to show the chemistry between the two leads, but once it does it's pretty good. And the main character is just adorable.

Shining Just for You (Chinese Drama)

Final rating: 7/10 I watched this solely for Peng Xiao Ran, whom I loved in Goodbye My Princess. She's great in this too! I'm not hugely sold on the male lead, but the story and Xiao Ran's performance are good enough to have made it an enjoyable watch regardless. It has some similarities to GMP actually, as it starts out in similar settings. Not nearly as heartbreaking, though!

Sword Snow Stride (Chinese Drama)

Final rating: 8.5/10 This show had such a pretty first episode that I ended up drawing three watercolour pieces for it before I even hit episode three. I knew Zhang Ruo Yun from several previous shows, so I knew he'd be good and I thought the story overall was a lot of fun and was super pretty to watch. Some of the characters - especially the female ones - were badass. I thought the romance aspect was weak, though.

Something in My Room (Thai BL)

Final rating: 8.5/10 When I watched this it was mere months before watching an influx of ghost related shows and this still remains one of the better ones. It's interesting, the characters work well together, and parts of it were painful. I like my shows to hurt a little sometimes.

Star and Sky: Sky in Your Heart (Thai BL)

Final rating: 7/10 This show was always going to have a tough time ending up as one of my faves because it reminded me too much of A Tale of Thousand Stars and it was never going to beat that. So, it started out on the back foot. However, much like ATOTS it did have beautiful scenery and I wasn't averse to the story being told. Very similar, but still cute. I'd be interested to see if this pairing could do well with a different setting.

Star and Sky: Star in My Mind (Thai BL)

Final rating: 7/10 Much like the other Star and Sky episode, this show was fighting immense odds. School related shows are plenty and some have been way better made than this one. However, I don't dislike it as much as some people seem to do and actually think the main pairing is very cute together. Frustrating sometimes, but cute. Also, after watching their Our Skyy 2 episode I now need Typhoon/Maitee to happen.

Takara-kun to Amagi-kun (Japanese BL)

Final rating: 8.5/10

This is such a soft, pure show. It just exudes first love.

It's very pretty to look at at times and the characters are just adorable together. The ice prince who's been crushing on the innocent dork has kind of become a BL staple, but it works so well here. It's just cute, okay, much like My School President is cute. And soft. And adorable.

The Autumn Ballad (Chinese Drama)

Final rating: 7.5/10

I don't remember much about this show, which is surprising to me because it has two of my favourite male actors in it. I do remember it was pretty and that the two leads were entertaining together, but other than that...?

The Blue Whisper: Part 1 & The Blue Whisper: Part 2 (Chinese Drama)

Final rating: 8.5/10 & 8.5/10

Any show that has Dilraba in it is guaranteed to do well. That's just a given. This show is no exception. It has some amazing worldbuilding and a great, powerful main character with equally great supporting characters. Hell, one of them even circumvents the 'rival turns evil' trope and makes actual, sensible decisions. Good on you, Hao Qing! Very pretty show that will make you root for the main pairing. Might seem long due to two seasons, but at 42 episodes combined that's less than your average (single season) cdrama. The Eclipse (Thai BL)

Final rating: 8.5/10

The Eclipse is one of the most popular BLs released recently and proved First/Khaotung to be an excellent pairing. And it's deserved, because the show is great and the two actors have a lot of fun chemistry. My only gripe with this show is the ending. Having the perpetrators all be queer characters while the story is supposed to be about how oppressive regimes/governments/etc are and how they hurt those very same people just doesn't sit right with me. Like, all the people responsible for the curse were gay. And they were oppressing the out queer characters and putting them in actual danger. Really? That's what we're going with? The Love of Winter (Thai BL)

Final rating: 5.5/10 I...remember nothing about this show. Which makes sense, as it's only 2 episodes. Whoops? The Tuxedo (Thai BL)

Final rating: 6.5/10 I know a lot of people dislike this show, but I didn't think it was actually that bad. Okay, I didn't give it a high rating, but it had a unique concept and I actually liked the way the characters developed. (And this is coming from someone who loathes 'he got better through the power of love' scenarios.) Not earth shattering, but still cute. Till the World Ends (Thai BL)

Final rating: 6.5/10

Just...not really my show. The storyline was all over the place and one of the main characters was just completely unlikable for most of it. Like, actively lying to his love interest, whom he pretty much got killed. And that's not even including the time he hit him over the head so hard that he ended up with amnesia. I like Art as an actor, though?

To My Star Season 2: Our Untold Stories (Korean BL)

Final rating: 8/10 It's like this show knows that I don't enjoy established relationships, so they broke them up and went through the pain of bringing them (back) together all over again. And I loved it. Was it painful and tragic and frustrating? Yes. But that's what I loved about it. Because in the end they suffered through all of that because they need each other.

To Sir, With Love (Thai BL)

Final rating: 7/10 I have a weird relationship with this show, because on the one hand I love the relationship Tian and Jiu and I loved Tian's brother, but apart from that I had absolutely no interest in the storyline or the other characters. Like, it wasn't fun to me somehow and so I spent half of the series just fastforwarding to the good bits. And, no, that did not include magic mushrooms. I know a lot of people loved it, though, and I can see why. It just...wasn't for me. Only that amazing relationship. Hell, those amazing relationships because the love between Tian and his brother was just as deep and important. Triage (Thai BL)

Final rating: 7.5/10 My issue with Triage isn't that it's not a good show with an original plot and good acting, because it's all of those things and I did really enjoy it, but that I didn't think the chemistry - which is there plenty, don't get me wrong - is realistic when it comes to two characters who basically meet for the first time every single day. At least from Tol's point of view the first time around and then the doctor the second. And initially Dr. Tin falls for someone who only ever gets introduced to him and has only known him for a day, basically. Like, how do you fall in love with someone who doesn't know you at all? Who will treat you like a stranger every time you meet him? My brain just...wasn't dealing with that. Still a really good show, though! Unforgotten Night (Thai BL) Final rating: 5/10 Oh, Unforgotten Night... What a mess you were. Supposedly dark and gritty, but in reality just silly and repetitive and throwing away any and all potential. I like Yoon, but I don't think he was right for this. Though I do think he and Ton work well together. The only thing I was really interested in at the end of this show was the relationship between the bodyguard and Baiboom. Which, in true tragic BL fashion, they did nothing with and it had no resolution. Truly cursed. Vice Versa (Thai BL) Final rating: 7.5/10 A really good show with an interesting premise and great main characters. I don't know, it's just a good show. It doesn't really hit my favourite tropes - there could have been more angst about not knowing what the other looks like, etc - and I still don't get why Puen didn't tell Talay who he was, but still a really good show.

War of Y (Thai BL) Final rating: 6.5/10 This show is tricky, because it was basically a collections of shows. Some I was really invested in - well, one, maybe two, I was really invested in - and the others I just...watched because I could. Billy and Seng have such amazing chemistry that I enjoyed the first one quite a bit, but after that it got to be less and less. It also became repetitive. Everything was about 'this thing bad for everyone involved, but the love is real guys!' (Not to mention the contradiction of making a show about how the very shows they're creating are bad and shouldn't be supported while wanting fans to support you.) So, yeah, this show is weird to judge. What Zabb Man! (Thai BL) Final rating: 6.5/10 One of those shows where I find nothing really wrong with it, but I also wasn't invested in it. I was most into the side couple, honestly. I'd like to see those two in more shows together. Who Rules the World (Chinese Drama)

Final rating: 9/10 Look, if you put Zhao LuSi in a show I will watch it and if you add YangYang, an amazing story, and an equally amazing world to it? With a badass main female character? Then I'm sold regardless of what happens. This is one of those shows I'd recommend because it's just so much fun and has some great characters with a compelling, entertaining story. Why You… Y Me? (Thai BL) Final rating: 7/10 I primarily watched this because there was such an uproar about Shogun and Maito on tumblr and I get why. I do. They're cute. But in the end my angsty brain just felt bad for Green. Idk, I'm weird. You're My Sky (Thai BL)

Final rating: 7.5/10 I've seen people talk bad about this show, but I don't really get it. Yes, it's not ground breaking and there is some repetitiveness in the issues they deal with, but overall it had three pairings that I really enjoyed and that were different enough to keep things interesting. It was cute.

#arcana's watchlist #bl dramas #thai bl #korean bl #japanese bl #taiwanese bl #cdramas #chinese dramas #bl series

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moaserendipity · 4 years ago

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We are almost 6 months in 2021 now and I have been enjoying a lot of BL drama’s I just haven’t been writing any reviews. So let me name a couple of my favorite BL drama’s so far.

1. Tale of a Thousand Stars

This is definitely my favorite so far this year. I fell in love with the story, the male leads, the kids and even the friends. I read the novel and I love that they didn’t change that much! Also the chemistry between Earth and Mix was seriously amazing. They had me wrapped around their fingers for sure and usually the story gets a bit boring in the middle but this time there was not one full moment. I laughed, cried and screamed watching these episodes and even though the ending was good and well rounded, I seriously just wanted more!

Also can we talk about Mix for just absolutely second?! Because where have GMMTV been hiding him because W.O.W this man is stunningly handsome and when he smiles it’s like I am melting every single time.

Anyway ahum I am giving this drama a 10/10

2. fighting mr. 2nd

The sequel I needed badly! Did it disappoint god no! These two have such amazing chemistry that I got pulled in every time they got close. And that one scene where Gao Shi De was drunk and poured his heart out broke me. That was seriously intense and the way Zhou Shi Yu gave him a second chance was the best thing ever!

Not to forget about the side couple, which I need to know more about because well they are interesting🥰

The storyline wasn’t complicated or that original BUT it didn’t matter because the acting was amazing and it made me long for more!

So if I have to give this a rating it would get an 9.8/10

3. Lovely writer

Now I seriously was excited about this one from the moment I saw the trailer!! And I loved every single moment of it. I loved how it sometimes mocked the BL industry and Kao & Up are an amazing duo. I have to say that I was so happy to see Kao playing this character after UWMA because this suits him so much better.

Again the chemistry between them was awesome and I don’t know how many times I felt super single, when I am not, while watching them together. Like how is that possible but I want what they have lol.

I don’t think there was anything that bothered me much with this drama except for Aey, I mean damn he was annoying but I feel like they could’ve done more with him but well🤷‍♀️

Also the last episode made me feel attacked especially near the end, you’ll know what I’m talking about when you see it, won’t give spoilers😎

I will give this a 9.5/10

4. Manner of Death

Ah the thriller in this small list. This was a rollercoaster that made you sit on the edge of your chair every single episode. Now I feel like I don’t really need to talk about Max & Tul because who doesn’t know them. They are the BL kings!

I read the novel which usually is t a good thing before you watch a drama but I loved that they did not change THAT much. Max & Tul were definitely the best pick for this drama, also can I just say that their acting has improved so much and I just loved it.

Also how fresh was this drama! Like finally no uni storyline but an adult one! It’s exactly what I wanted!

I will give this a 8.7/10

5. To My Star

This is definitely my favorite Korean drama so far. This was amazing. I loved the storyline and it was nice that they did not really rushed it even though the episodes were again way too short. I loved the chemistry between the male leads.

The way you saw them fall for each other and the way one of them tried to ignore those feelings. I am happy it ended well because I was seriously rooting for them. I loved that they were close behind the scenes as well.

The only reason this one is not higher on the list is because of the shortness.

So I’ll give this a 8/10

6. Tonhon Chonlatee

This on started in 2020 but ended in 2021 so that’s why it’s on here!! This was the light drama we needed seeing as at the same time we got Tharntype. But yeah I laughed so hard every episode & not that but sometimes I even yelled at Tonhon for being a straight up idiot.

The way to Tonhon admitting he loves Chonlatee was a long one and I felt sorry for the second male lead because he was being used to make him realise he liked chonlatee but that made certain things a lot funnier! I loved the chemistry again between the male leads and I definitely wanted more after it ended!! Also give it up to my favorite side couple Ai & Ni, they really should get their own drama!!

I’ll give this a 7.9/10

7. Gen y

Gen Y was something every confusing but also something likeable?🤔 I mean I loved the storyline between Kit & Mark. It was nice to see how Kit finally opened up to Mark and started to love him back, I did feel frustrated at Kit because he did not speak his mind but felt happy when he finally did. Also those scenes between them!! 👍

Then we get to Wayu, Thanu & Phai, this was one confusing storyline, like wtf was that between Thanu and Phai? Where are this premonitions coming from and what does it mean? Like this drama isn’t paranormal right🤔 also I know a lot of fans want Wayu together with Phi but I don’t not after what he did and also the chemistry between Wayu and Thanu is really good! I am curious to see what will happen to them.

Then we get to the last couple, which frustrated the hell out of me! Pok and Tong.... what was happening between them and why did they end up hating each other to having sex with each other🤔 and what is this that they refuse to kiss each other nonsense, so yeah I liked the drama but I was either happy or frustrated😂

This will be a 7/10 for me

8. You make me dance

You make me dance was cute but also a bit heavier then usual. Especially for the dancer because his mom literally left him alone to fend for himself which made him take out loans with loan sharks and the only good thing that came out of it was he fell in love with his loan shark.

I loved them, they were cute, clingy but again way too short because this one was definitely rushed, which was sad. Also when they shoot this in the middle of the winter maybe next time the production staff could at least turn on some heaters? Like I felt cold while watching them!

Anyway a 6.9/10

9. HIstory4; Close to you

Ah yes this one... I will start to say that this one made me uncomfortable at times, also certain tropes were being used that not everyone will appreciate. I for myself liked this drama but also not. If you have watched it, you know that one of the couples are stepbrothers. Now tbh if they hadn’t grown up together it might’ve been easier to watch but seeing as they grew up together it was hard to look passed it especially since they continuously reminded us about it. Also sex without proper consent, I do have to say here that even though he was drunk Xing Si did recognize Yong Jjie so I don’t think it’s right but that’s the only excuse I can find for it🤔 other then that I thought they were cute.

Then the second couple I loved them, the way they fell for each other could’ve been better but yeah I loved them. lichen and Muren completed each other the only scene that got me uncomfortable as when Lichen was dreaming about Muren. But other then that I loved their chemistry!!

Also the cameo of one really amazing couple made up for a lot. I won’t spoil anything but yeah that was satisfying

But because this one made me feel uncomfortable a lot of times I will give it a 6.7/10

10. Second Chance

Second chance, well was short but likeable. I loved the chemistry between the male leads and they made me feel like they were already in a relationship so when that thing happened and one of them suddenly took his distance I was surprised because well, yeah I just didn’t expect him to be like that. But yeah this drama was a short one sadly enough so that’s why it’s not high on the list because I wanted more.

I’ll give this a 6.5/10 and not because it was bad but because it was way too short and sometimes I did not get was was going on.

#1000 stars #tale of thousand stars #lovely writer #tonhon chonlatee #to my star #fighting mr.2nd #manner of death #gen y #you make me dance #history 4: close to you #second chance #BL drama’s #my top 10 so far #yes I am aware there is no Tharntype on this list #why because it sucked

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watchinglikeafangirl · 4 years ago

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The problem with GMMTV shows

Many, many Thai BLs were published and lauched by GMMTV and some of these shows are probably the most popular BLs in the genre, although other ones like ITSAY also get a lot of attention these days. GMMTV definetly is a monopole when it comes to producing such content because they produce the most BLs per year. There's always a new fandom rising in the background and that's not necessarily a bad thing but everyone knows by now what to expect from a GMMTV show and these expectations are pretty low. At least my expectations have sunken to zero when it comes to acting and I'm already impressed if the kiss looks real or if they actually cry some tears. I know, crying is hard and I find it unfair they don't even try to change the script, so the actors won't have such a hard time. I think the worst crying I have seen so far would be Tine in 2gether when he thought Sarawat was in love with that girl. Left alone that his reason doesn't make sense storywise, his crying was aweful and I actually skipped this scene because I was cringing so much.

Anyway, back to my topic.

Honestly, I have to give GMMTV credit for their marketing office because the marketing and promotion of new shows is pretty good. They publish posters, drop a cute trailer and give us a shipping to wait for. Although the design of the posters is not good and the trailers don't match the show's actual story, we are willing to wait. The bad design doesn't leave our minds and we are curious what new low quality show will be published. GMMTV knows pretty well, we all make fun of the shows and don't find them good but watch them nevertheless. That's how they make their money.

I can't help but wonder if the actors sign binding contracts or not because every one of them has at least more than one GMMTV project going on. Mix for example is in atoats, a short movie and in futs. Earth was already seen in Kiss me again, then atoats and this short movie. I find this very suspicious.

Now, lets get to the low quality of all the GMMTV shows. They really mastered their strategy. First, they create a world only revolving around the main couple, so we get a lot of screentime and cute moments of them. Second, the character traits and backstories look interesting at first, catching our attention. Third, the characters are pretty flat, so everybody can somehow relate to them. Fourth, the world these characters live in is simple and the less we see of it the better, because then we can project ourselves into it. Fifth, create a plot that looks interesting from afar and then let it play out in the most passionless way but everybody watches anyway because they want to see the happy ending.

In all these BLs the dialogues, story and acting is not really on point. It is average, but they try to cover it up with jokes, sound effects and cliffhangers to make you believe you had a good time, so you go back the next week and watch the new epsiode.

Here three examples with which I'm gonna explain how the stories are created.

Fish upon the sky - the beginning

I only started watching this show because of the title. It contains a metaphor we don't know the meaning of but we sure know it has a nice vibe and probably a deeper meaning between the two main leads. It seems like a private thing only the these two understand. In general, this metaphor is kind of cute, I have to say. This whole "fish upon the sky" vs "star in the ocean" thing, they got me there. But the rest and the way it plays out is boring.

In the trailer, only these scenes with the metaphor and deep talks were cut together, so we thought this whole show would have that vibe and I still hope but after this 8th episode my expectations nearly vanished.

So, in the first two episodes, the characters are introduced alongside the problems and relationship they have. Thank God, Pi doesn't have friends, so he can have more screentime and not even more people have had to be casted, right? No, because friendgroups make more clear what kind of person the protagonist is, but okay, he interacts with his brother instead. Problem is, Duean is - how do I put this - aweful. He is terrible and only exists for the jokes. So, no deep conversation there. We get nothing from Pi. His character is build up and within the first two episodes we know his character completly because GMMTV characters are designed as simple as possible, so you won't have a hard time understanding them and their actions. You don't have to analyze to get them. This leads to inconsistency and plot holes later on.

During these two episodes, the most story happens apparently. So, we think as much will happen later on, but no, this is GMMTV. But since we're already invested because of the simple world and relatable characters, we don't stop watching every week.

Tonhon Chonlatee - the middle part

I guess this show is the perfect example of catching us with an okay story and then letting our hopes drop at an instant. This ending showed how you don't do it. But okay, we're not talking about the ending here. It's about the middle part.

This is the main problem with GMMTV shows. Nothing happens in the middle part and I guess Tonhon Chonlatee is the perfect example for that.

We know Chon has a crush on Ton since they were little kids and he gets super excited when Ton shows up again. Sadly, he turns out to be pretty homophobic. Okay, that is a conflict I can understand. But the thing is, the characters don't have another story apart from that. They don't grow. They don't change their mind. That just happens at the very end. Tonhon is introduced as homophobic and stays homophobic during the whole middle part. Not many moments take place and he doesn't seem to regret what he says against the LGBTQ-community. There's no confrontation to raise my excitement. The show goes on with no real input.

This is something all these shows suffer from. The middle part is very poor and they don't even try.

A tale of a thousand stars - the end

Okay, this example is based on my upopular opinion and wish for a bittersweet ending because I still believe this ending didn't fit.

This show wasn't as boring as the other two examples but it still wasn't great. After a boring middle part, we get a lot of drama until they finally get their happy ending. The problem with atoats was Tian suffering the whole time and without a detailed explaination why. Maybe I missed something but I think they could've gotten more into this idea with him living with another heart inside but instead they chose to give us a bunch of cuteness between Tian and Phupha and Tian and the kids.

In the end, Tian tells everyone that Torfun is dead and he cries a lot because Phupha totally overracts. There's a bunch of crying and I was sitting here still not getting it. Why is it such a bad thing he has her heart? Why is it such a burden? Still, the explaination in the middle part was missing. The inconsitency and plot holes I mentioned earlier are showing up and make the ending illogical, rushed and forced.

Outro

They just threw the drama away and came up with a solution to give them a happy ending to let us believe we had such a good time because we got what we wanted and what we've all been waiting for.

GMMTV knows we expect a happy ending and just hang on until we get it. That's why I went behind my back and continued futs even though I was extremly mad about the racism. Because I know, PiMork will have a happy ending and I'm curious hownit will play out. The middle part is awefully boring but I can't stop wondering. That's probably the essential part of GMMTV's strategy. They create boring shows which are compelling nevertheless.

Anyway, this is just my opinion on what I saw of GMMTV so far. Feel free to dicuss. Maybe someone of you has an answer to my questions about atoats...

#fish upon the sky #atoats #2gether #kiss me again #they all have a problematic middle part #a lot of back and forth over nothing #unnecessary drama #a very long rant #just go watch itsay instead #its so much better #i told sunset about you #i promised you th moon #GMMTV #gmmtv should focus more on producing a few good ones than producing many

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poddkhao · 3 years ago

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I'm so fucking glad I found someone that actually liked Tonhon Chonlatee!! I thought I was the only one that actually enjoyed the show very much. It's a chaotic, funny (sometimes emotional) show that's very easy to watch. Granted, that ending was not the best but overall was a great and easy show to watch! I'm so happy Kaotung finally had the lead role he deserved and he absolutely killed it! And like, I understand people not liking Ton's character cause he's an homophobic lil bitch but y'all need to think about he's family background! We reproduce what we see in our family, even if it's something wrong! Not excusable, but yeah, I don't hate him. And we gotta give some credit to Na, our king. What a great character development we got with him! All the side characters (Nai, Ai, Pang and Miriam) really made the show even more fun and interesting!

OK, at this point I'm just blabbing about all the things I love in this show cause I think it got an unfair amount of hate.

Thank you for reading

(Also, love both your accounts!)

hellooo!!!! <3

aaah I'm so glad!! 🥺 I've accepted the fact that I'm alone in the THCT boat years ago and I stopped defending it at some point djkhgf but aaah it's so nice to talk to someone who liked it too!!! ❤️

And yeah I talked about it multiple times already but I love it so much 😩 and watch me not give a f*ck about what other ppl think. It was so cute and hilarious and yes, it's simple minded and there's not a ton of depth to the plot but I loved it and it came at a time where I really needed it. I soaked up every second lol.

Poddkhao have my entire heart still; they work so well together and I know the fandom is small but I love being a part of it. And needless to say it was about time my boy Khao got a main role and he absolutely killed it 🥺 More please.

I won't go into the whole homophobia discussion around Ton again but I thought his character development was very well done. And I agree with what you said about the family influence. The only thing I didn't like was the story around his dad and his redemption arc which was very badly written and just made no sense. So I would've liked it if they had handled that differently.

NA BEST BOI!!!!!!!!! 😩 He's by far my favorite villain of any show I've ever seen lmaoo he was just amazing. Normalize antagonists who behave like normal human beings and put their crushes' interests before their own. The writers did very well with him. ❤️ Pang was so adorable and the perfect bff for Chon lol. Miriam was a bit annoying at times lol but I thought her character was very interesting as well. And don't even get me started on Ai and Nhai they carried half of the show on their backs jkdhfd. Icons. We stan.

Thank you so much for this ask, you're the first person I talked to about the show since last year kdsjfhd 🥺🥺

and thank you for liking my blogs!!! I try to be more active on this one bc I haven't posted in ages lol but I'm working on it! :)

have a lovely day!!! ❤️

xxx

#tonhon chonlatee #thct #poddkhao

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absolutebl · 4 years ago

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This Week in BL

April 2021 Part 1

Being a highly subjective assessment of one tiny corner of the interwebs.

Ongoing Series - Thai

Second Chance Ep 1 - living up to its name since it looks to be a series of redemption arcs. Launched with a college confession and a broken friendship, then a flash back to them as seniors in high school. Pairings include friends to lovers, nerd/jock, and maybe cafe boss/employee. There’s a lot going on, but it’s still... quiet and sweet. The script is pretty pat but it’s still WAY more watchable than Cupid Coach or Brothers and most of the acting is solid. Ep 1 tropes included: he’s in engineering, wound tending, fast & bicurious. This could turn into what I wanted My Gear & Your Gown to be. Fingers crossed.

Love Poison 2 Ep 1 & 2 turns out I did watch and report on season 1 (8 eps), season 2 seems equally unmemorable. Thai countryside setting, strong dialect, incomprehensible plot, camp side characters, and ghastly singing.

Y-Destiny Ep 1 (eng subs?) - opened with the sports romance enemies to lovers (they aren’t going in the teaser order). When the couple got over fighting, the flirting was v cute, but the flipping SPONGE BATH trope had to rear its ugly head. Still, this series is shaping up to be less coy and more frank than most BL, better than expected. It feels, I don’t know, gay-er or something? *** Sources were correct that each couple is getting (at least) 2 eps, and MDL has been updated to say this is a 15 episode series (not 7).

Cupid Coach 12 fin - The new Nite was great and should have been a main all along. It felt like we got a tiny nugget of what could have been in about 10 minutes worth of this last ep. It was way too slow with terrible editing and a criminally bad script, but at least it ended happy. Mostly, like Friend Forever, I’m just disappointed that these two actors were done dirty by the series. Bad Cupid Coach, no screen caps for you.

Lovely Writer Ep 6 - breaking news, there’s a het couple I like: toppy bi femme + soft boi = such a good pairing! I know, but this NEVER happens. Meanwhile, Sib’s secret is out, Gene is a bit of a drama queen, and the plot thickens. We half way through.

Brothers Ep 9 - Kaow had a serious moment of advice giving that was truly lovely. Lots of family dama made this a superior episode to... well... any of the others in this series. Which isn’t saying much.

1000 Stars Ep 10 fin - at the start this series didn’t grab me the way GMMTV’s last BL, Tonhon Chonlatee, did. But boy did it end 1000x better. Might have given us 2021′s best forehead kiss. I enjoyed the ultra romantic cliff-top reunion kiss, and I LOVED the stinger flirting scene. That was an absolute gift we had no right to expect. This drama is a poster child for finishing on a high note (always focus on that dessert course). Final thoughts? This was FAR more a classic romance than it was BL. There were some BL tropes used but not many and most of them originated in the romance genre not yaoi. A picture perfect ending bumped 1000 Stars much higher up my best-of list than expected. Not sure how often I’ll rewatch it as a whole, but this last episode? I’m probably rewatching it right now.

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

Dear Uranus (Taiwan GL) Ep 3 fin - I guess that’s it? Okaaaaay

HIStory 4: Close To You (Taiwan) Ep 3 (AKA Ep 5-6) - we got actual legit gay culture not just BL (always appreciated) from XingSi. I’m starting to find LiCheng’s “show them we fucking” hijinks hilarious rather than annoying (not sure why, maybe I just love a rubber chicken, or maybe it was the STUFFED CORN WITH THE TASSEL that did it).

-- H4 Moment of RANT --

Tropes included beach trip, there’s only one bed, cook for him, baby is a floppy drunk, carry baby to bed, and.... drunk non-con. Whoopdedoo. Here we go again. Did TharnType teach us NOTHING? (Apparently it taught us if the chemistry is good enough, I have no morals at all.) At least H4 seems to be taking us out of cheese into serious when it comes to assault. Or is it?

I take back what I said last week about XingSi & YongJie being codependency + salvation trope, that only works if YongJie is the uke. He’s NOT. So we got us an obsessive predatory villain with a possible redemption arc. That’s more common in crime dramas, mafia romance, and epic fantasy than BL. It’s real hard to redeem a sexual predator in a reality-grounded universe like contemporary romance (See Kla in LBC1&2).

Next week is gonna be a test of the whole damn franchise. Imma remind both me a you that this was ep 3 of 10 so we got a ways to go yet... but ooof, what have we wrought, BL? (I ended up doing a whole post about the stepbrother trope because of this sub plot.) Taiwan is killing me.

-- RANT ended --

Word of Honor (China) Ep 19-21 - over half way point so we got ALL the back story (in a classic 4 act story structure midway reveal). Now we know who WKX really is and his lineage. We also got some cute hugs and hand holds. Moving along at a nice clip despite being 36 eps total. Still gayest thing to come out of we-not-gay China since Advance Bravely.

Most Peaceful Place (Vietnam) Ep 2 - takes them a while to get eng subs together and ep 2 didn’t drop until late. So I’m putting this in a Thurs time slot going forward. Miscommunication already cleared up and a 2nd couple has been introduced. The pacing on these Vietnamese BLs is always a bit... off. But it’s still better than most of its ilk, enjoyable. I’m thinking it’s a 6 ep arc.

We Best Love 2 (Taiwan) Ep 5 - after the initial drama DRAMA of ep 2, the current external crisis at work is much quieter, giving this whole season a top heavy feel. Taken along side the first season, I think it’s fitting nicely into a 4 act structure, but that might be my bias. I hope I’m not wrong, we’ll find out next week. Shi De puttering about being domestic with Shu Yi on his back was the best execution of the piggyback trope EVER. Meanwhile, our little D/s side couple of codependency, salvation trope + mental illness is becoming weirdly appealing. I don’t know. H4 done mess with my head.

Stand Alones

Absolute BL AKA Zettai BL ni Naru Sekai vs Zettai BL ni Naritakunai Otoko (Japan) Ep 1-4 mini series. Found subs under A Man Who Defies The World of BL. IT’S HILARIOUS. It’s Japan making fun of us, but also itself for having started this whole BL nonsense - from yaoi roots to present day. It’s parody goddamn gold. Utterly cheeky unto the very last line. We are not worthy.

Apparently the most powerful tropes of all time are: baby is a floppy drunk and the piggyback fo nobility. Oh and chocolate. {Full review here.}

Honestly, this show may have been made with only @heretherebedork and I in mind. I don’t know if you’d even understand half of it if you don’t have a history with the manga source genre and an obsessive interest in underlying narrative devices. I haven’t seen much chatter in the blog’o’sphere on this one because, in the end, it’s not a romance at all, it’s social commentary.

The ending line was a masterclass in lampooning a genre. I’m going to rewatch the whole thing just to catch all the digs I missed first time around. It is a thing of beauty and a joy forever.

Thank you Japan. I forgive you all your hair-styling sins of the last decade.

Breaking News

Spring Line Up:

Scholar Ryu’s Wedding Ceremony AKA Nobleman Ryu’s Wedding (Korean historical BL) April 15th

Close Friend the series (Thai trailer) April 22.

2gether the movie (Thai trailer) April 22 to Thai theaters.

Nitiman (Thai) May 7 on One31.

I Told Sunset About You 2 (Thai) May 27 on LineTV

Ossan’s Love (Hong Kong) June to Viu

Gossip

Bad Buddies released its first promo op via Arm Share, which means GMMTV is at least *thinking* about filming it.

Fun behind the scenes gossip sesh with eng subs for Tell the World I Love You (that Perth Bas movie we are maybe getting someday but will likely be sad).

New Thai BL Bite Me (adapted from novel Grab a Bite) dropped a teaser. It stars Mark Siwat (Kla in LBC) as uke character Ake, a delivery boy with special foodie powers, and chef Eua (seme played by Zung Kidakorn) who discovers him. It’s from the same author as Manner of Death so we might even get some actual plot. Since it’s an established BL actor who I happen LOVE, a known author, and a plot about FOOD, I could not me more excited for this one.

Next Week Looks Like This:

Some shows may be listed a day later than actual air date for accessibility reasons. Some are dropping multiples at a time but just started so I’m not sure on numbering.

Upcoming 2021 BL master post here.

Links to watch are provided when possible, ask in a comment if I missed something.

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