A Good Watch, but could have been so much better

BL needle score: 6.5 - Moderate but adorable BL-ness

I used to look forward to this series with a lot of anticipation...the amazing chemistry and connect between the main leads, good acting, good production values, and the realistic storyline, it had everything going for it...and it successfully created these hooks that made me wait with a lot of anticipation and concern for the the two young boys, Qi Lu and Qin Xiao, who were trying to keep their love alive despite powerful adversaries like that disgusting piece of shit, Qi Lu's Father, and one hurdle after another that came their way....the way they watched out for each other, often quietly, and at the cost of their own selves, the way they were ready to give up everything in their lives just so that the other could go ahead, was heart melting...in other words, I was very invested in the story and the characters.

But with all those positives, one major problem with this show was how it just seemed to focus on the build-up, the challenges and one blow after the other for the leads, till the very last 10-15 minutes of the show...and then it seemed like an underwhelming and abrupt end....like we didn't really get a full closure...as a friend said, it was '12 episodes of pain and build-up, followed by some quick text explaining the next 7 years of their lives, and just 5 minutes of happiness'...leaves you feeling kinda betrayed.

It ended with Qu Li and Qin Xiao being reunited and leading a happy life, but it felt like a lot was left unsaid, particularly in terms of resolving a lot of angst and resentment that the show built for some of the characters like Qu Li's father...there were hardly any payback for that, or even a plausible explanation of how Qi Lu managed to really get past the clutches of his powerful and oppressive father so easily...if he could go on to study Film-making in the US right after he went to Russia, why couldn't he do so even earlier? Also, the storyline of the second couple kinda got diluted towards the end and their scenes started to feel gratuitous to an extent. Maybe they had to censor some scenes out when the series got held up for some months in between (the routine thing that happens to BLs from China I guess)? I would have wanted to rate this as a 'Great Watch', but due to these flaws I'm giving this a 'Good Watch' rating.

Anyway, at least it has a happy ending, and it was comforting to see them be a loving couple, doing everyday nice things that loving couples do ....the lines at the very end were beautiful, when they revealed that Qi Lu and Qin Xiao had wished the exact same thing for each other - 'In the future, you must do what you love'...

Leia Mais

Dollops of fluff, sure to lift your mood :D

Yummy and uber cute. It's the typical Japanese manga-inspired BL with a lot of cute and funny moments, a format that rarely fails for me.

BL needle score: 7.5 - Reasonably Strong BL-ness

The story is about Haruto, son of a evil corporate honcho and his mistress, who he kills, and Shiba, a lawyer who has never lost any of his cases but one, and dreams of becoming the 'Guardian of Law'. But the story is a really peripheral character in this show, the key players are the two good looking leads, they care for adorable manga-ish succulents (who squeak and cheer for them leads), do cute things to, and with each other, eat home-cooked meals together, help homeless kids, and pair-up to defeat the bad guys, PERIOD. This is meant to make you squeak with joy and get that warm, fuzzy feeling, that's it.

I also loved both the title songs, opening-Love Toxin- Wanuka, and ending - Geometric- Osage. They are now both available on YouTube.

Yes, you should watch it, will help lift your mood instantly :D

Leia Mais

The heart wants what it wants...a tale of unconditional love that loses out, or does it?

This was such a hidden gem!!! I don't know why it is rated so low here on MDL.

BL needle score: 7 - Reasonably strong BL-ness but with a lot of heartbreak

To say that I was stunned by how real it felt, will still be an understatement.....and yes, it is intensely heartbreaking...but you'll probably love it exactly because of that..

Please be forewarned that it can be very triggering for those who have experienced third party situations....and I guess its quite common these days..and definitely so in the gay dating scene...to always look for more, and pursue momentary temptations to complicate a wonderful relationship that has nothing lacking really....but then the heart wants what it wants, and so it must be......as they say, c'est la vie!!

Ping Jun was all that one can want, hot, caring, hard-working, always shows up for his lover, the entire package.....and yet, Hai Qing wanted Yan Fei, the entitled but rich and privileged guy........that one random encounter and kissing had them both hooked, and they had to consummate it..and they did....and that's probably how it happens in real life too, or at least most of the time anyway

The storytelling and screenplay is fantastic. Even though it does drag a bit for the first 2 episodes, once it picks up, you are sure to be hooked ...the acting is also quite convincing I would say...the fact that the leads are all such eye-candies, definitely helps too....

It almost felt like I was part of their story at the end of it...and was desperately hoping that each one of them, Yan Fei, Hai Qing and most importantly, Ping Jun, finds their happiness and can look forward to a life of hope....

I think that is the message that the makers wanted to leave us with, because they tried to lessen the blow by keeping the ending slightly open-ended....possibly to offer some redemption to all three leads....and to us viewers as well.

Also, the music/OST is so stunning

Do I recommend it? Definitely YES...but be warned of the possible triggers and having an achy heavy heart as it ends.... <3

Leia Mais

Adorably cute

Can a boy and a ghost be lovers and be happy with it...HELL YEAH!! He's coming to Me makes you believe that, and more :D

BL needle score: 8.5 - Very strong BL-ness

This is an adorably cute tearjerker, and an extremely fulfilling series. A very special mention of Aof's screenplay and direction, which I believe, is the key ingredient that makes it so enjoyable. Also, fantastic acting by Ohm and Singto and such enchanting chemistry! I so want to see Ohm and Singto together again after this!!!

One of the other things that I really liked about this series are the meaningful side stories, unlike many other Thai BLs, where the side characters don't have any plausible stories and do little beyond supporting the leads. The script was well thought through and the idea is quite novel....they make you believe in this ghost-human romance, and how!!

Without giving out any tale-tell spoilers for those who may not have watched it so far (like me, I watched this after 5 years of its release) I would have loved it if the makers had left out that...err, shall we say, gratuitously happy part at the very end where they reunite, and instead dropped a hint of them possibly reuniting again in the future for a second season (okay, so yes, I so wanted a second season of this, which off course is not happening).....but then, I'm not complaining...I was very happy at the end. :D

Leia Mais

Beautiful and deep

If love, unblemished with ego, jealousy, and attachment, was to come alive as a person, they would be like Tofu I guess ....<3

BL needle score: 7.5 - Reasonably strong BL-ness, interspersed with serious themes

What an absolutely beautiful and deep series this is...while many other Thail BL series have hinged on magic realism, this seems to have taken it to another level altogether. 16 episodes with an average duration of 1.5 hours, that is a whole day/24 hours, and yet, I binge-watched it.

Should you watch it? The short answer is YES. It has avoided many usual tropes and pitfalls of Thai BLs. Hats off to the team that they stuck to their guts to keep the episodes at 1.5 hours length and refused to cut corners, which helped with a layered and nuanced portrayal of sensitive and difficult issues such as mental health, childhood trauma, toxic social-cultural traps that many parents forced their children through, and so on....

It also beautifully captures how we get caught up in our own lies, even with the best intentions, how jealousy, attachments and inner insecurities stop us from being our authentic selves and hurt everyone in the process.....and how love (Tofu personifies love to me in this series) is the only force that can ultimately brings us towards closure and peace, so that we can look towards the future with some hope and happiness.....

Off course I also have my axe to grind with the ending, not because how it ended, but more for the pace of it. It felt completely rushed at the end without giving the characters and viewers some time to grieve and adjust to Tofu's storyline, and also find some closure before being able to 'move on' and look to the future with hope....I just don't get why the team, after making such long episodes without cutting corners, had to rush through the ending...I'm wondering if they faced the same pressures as Nut's boss in the series, Juea.

It would have been much better to show a break in the storyline like '2 years later' or '3 years later' before showing how the characters moved on with their lives....that would have given Nut, Na and all others a reasonably acceptable time to grieve Tofu (yes, the Teddy's presence notwithstanding) ...without that closure curve, it seems like all the people who were so deeply touched by Tofu and his love, just quickly went past him and went on with their lives...which is plain disrespectful and insensitive to a character who was as important as Tofu.... and that is why it seems so painful and unacceptable for most of us, I believe...it would have been also good to spare 5-6 minutes for the Saen-Jan storyline to show what happened to them afterwards....If not for these gaps, this series would have figured in my list of Top 5 Thai BLs so far, but because of this issue it will only do so in the top 10.

Nevertheless, I maintain that this is an absolutely beautifully crafted series ...the only other Thai BL series that I think comes close to talking sensibly about such difficult issues is probably '180 degrees longitude passes through us', and 'Khun Chai', though both of them only scratched at the surface, while this series goes deep and is thus a cathartic experience. It somehow reminded me of the series '13 reasons why' which also dealt with difficult subjects of mental health, jealousy, suicide, guilt, trauma, power and the likes, though it was way more triggering and raw...

Kudos and a BIG THANK YOU to the entire cast, crew and team for making this series. Definitely recommended!

Leia Mais

Intense and breathtakingly beautiful

What do you do if fate takes you back to the path you were always running from?

BL needle score: 6.5 - Moderate BL-ness, interspersed with serious themes

This intense, heartbreaking, and yet breathtakingly beautiful series, raises many difficult questions, and gives us hope that love ultimately finds us the courage to live as our authentic selves.

This is the story of Wang, his mother Sasiwimol and Wang's father's best friend Inthawut or In...as it opens, Sasiwimol comes across as a successful career woman and a darling mother who is trying her best to be there for her son Wang, who misses his dead father dearly...despite the fact that there were some unresolved challenges between her dead husband and her, apparently mostly owing to his alcoholism. By sheer coincidence Wang and Sasiwimol lands up at In's place in the middle of nowhere after having lost their way while trying to scope for locations of Sasiwimol's next Lakorn.....Sasiwimol is both surprised and delighted it seems to have finally found an old friend In, who suddenly went missing from her late husband's and her life...while Wang feels this intense desire to know someone that he knows was very close to his father, courtesy photos that he had of his late father and In.

As they spend time in In's stunning home, Wang starts to fall for In despite the age difference, part driven by his intense desire to know why In was so close to his father, and part because the sheer chemistry between them is undeniable....In tries to avoid it for obvious reasons, but the sexual tension between them is palpable as Wang tries everything to break through the walls that In has put all around him....Wang's efforts seem to work when Sasiwimol has to go out for 2 days leaving two of them at In's house, and In starts to open up to Wang ....but once Sasiwimol is back and Wang confesses his love for In, all hell break loose....the pent-up tensions and feigned camaraderie between In and Sasiwimol crumbles....as the trio struggle through their own and collective secrets and guilt, painful truth from the past starts resurfacing......the two adults want to recede back to their make-believe comfort zones, but Wang refuses....he bulldozes through the walls of secrets and raises difficult questions, so that everyone can face the long-repressed truth.....a truth that Sasiwimol wanted to deny at all costs, a truth that made In withdraw from the world and live in self-imposed seclusion, guilt and pain....but, a truth that Wang could see all too clearly!

The series beautifully and expertly explores difficult themes of homophobia, childhood trauma, grief, narcissism (to me Sasiwimol is a clear case of at least borderline narcissism), and how denial/repressing our truths lead us towards an endless pit of pain and loneliness. But even though the series is heartbreaking and triggering in many ways, it gives us hope that love ultimately finds us the courage to live as our authentic selves!

With stellar performances from all three leads, excellent storytelling, beautiful cinematography, and clever use of sets and props (walls, iron-grills, bridges, etc.) all through the episodes symbolising the nuances of the characters and their stories, this is one stunning series that you can not miss. I have been a fan of Pond ever since I watched this, and I bet that you will be one too, once you watch this. Would I watch it again? Absolutely YES, but it is very intense and can be quite triggering, so go prepared and fall in love!

Leia Mais

Spectacular!

Wow! What a spectacular journey this was!

BL needle score: 5 - Low and hidden BL-ness, with an unforgettable and endearing bond between MLs

If you have come here as a BL fan, let me tell you that this is in a different league altogether....nothing that I watched so far (and I have watched a lot, trust me), compares to the scale, depth and spectacle that The Untamed is....and be prepared that you will dearly miss it when you are done.....

Make no mistake that this is a BL, albeit with no overt show of that relationship given the censorship challenges from the origin country. But I absolutely loved how the love and romance was portrayed nonetheless....the tenderness, the concern and the unwavering commitment that we get to experience between Wei Wuxian and Lang Wangji, is other worldly...Kudos to the actors that they could convey the deep love without needing a lot of obvious show of it...I love me a tale that leaves room for imagination, and this one, though not by choice, does just that in terms of the romance and boy, do i love it!!

But beyond just the romance, the series has so much more to offer....the rich storyline, including all the sub-plots that contribute to the central theme, the incredible plot-twists, the wonderful character development, the nuanced politics and power struggles, the beautiful locales, the music, the cinematography, and above everything else, the epic cast that delivers spectacularly...it's a must watch.

At the end I miss them all...and particularly the beautiful and tender bond between Wei Wuxian and Lan Zhan, and the adorable, cute, and loyal-to-a-fault Wen Ning...:(

When I finished this, I desperately searched for news/updates for another season or a proper spin-off... but as an afterthought, I realised that maybe its best this way...this bitter-sweet feeling of reminiscence and missing it dearly, is like a lovely ache that you come to cherish... it's so like the spirit of the series itself.

Leia Mais

Yin-War. Period

Disclaimer: Please don't ruin all the fun by trying to look for logic in this show

BL needle score: 8.5 - Very strong BL-ness

This starts and ends with - Yin-War :D...so, if you are not a fan of Yin-War or OTT Thai dramas that do not try to tax you with a lot of logic and deep intrigue, it is very likely that you will not like this...on the other hand, if you do, this is a treat. Also, the transformations (make-up, dresses, and body-language) by Joke (War) for each of his heists/thief acts are terrific...:D

Jack (Yin) is a kind-hearted angel who wants to build a school for the children in his community meets Joke (War), who is a school drop-out and a notorious thief who gets away with innovative theft (ok, don't raise your expectations about the 'innovative' part), to take from the rich and give back to people a la Robinhood....Joke meets Jack and is taken by him...he wants to help Jack and gets him money by fraudulent ways....long story short, Joke confesses his crime to save Jack, lands in jail repenting heavily, and ends up abandoned by his family, while Jack has to works as the henchman of the local Boss to pay of his debt.....while pretending to watch out for boss's business, he saves poor debtors from Boss's army by paying on their behalf. From there on the story is how Jack and Joke take back their power and lives from Boss, aided by friends, family and the community.

This has action, drama, romance, and comedy- an all-round pot-boiler to keep you entertained.....and more importantly, a looooooooot of Yin-War....Yin-War fighting, Yin-War bantering, Yin-War watching out for each other, Yin-War fighting for each other, Yin-War romancing, and YES!! Yin-War KISSING...so if that's what you are here for, you are going to be very happy.

Leia Mais

Why does no one ever have the courage untill it is too late!

A heartbreaking and yet beautiful tale of flawed people. Also, a stunning gay-themed show from Korea after a rather long time.

BL needle score: 7.5 - Reasonably strong BL-ness, interspersed with serious themes

The story meanders through Ko Yeong's life and struggles as he goes from one love interest to other, failing the first one, love-hating the second, and loosing the last one, which ultimately makes him find himself in ways....

If you are a gay man (or even a woman) growing up or living in a big city in Asia, you'd find so many characters that will seem familiar...the story, while depending on some of the usual cliches of gay-besties gang (girl gang) and that hallowed chosen family support, does deliver a rather realistic and relatable story of a sort-of-closeted gay man from a conservative family, weighed down by the pressures of being the good son, the fabulous gay man, and also living that 'I dont give a shit bitch-will have fun' big city life, while pining for love that feels like home....all at the same time.

Yeong abandons the first one that loves him dearly, Kim, the most dedicated and stable one, because he isn't cool enough...(haven't we seen that happen like every other day in the gay dating scene!!).....fast forward the next one he falls for, No Yeong is, no surprises, the emotionally unavailable one, deep into the closet, with several unresolved issues and baggage...which expectedly, can only end in a traumatic way, and it does (again, a story that we see happen all around)....fast forward.....Yeong grows some....and then comes Gyu Ho, the real deal, the one he loves and the one who loves him back, the way he is...and I thought Yeong's confession about his being HIV+ to Gyu Ho was plain beautiful....the vulnerability, emotions, and desperation is portrayed so beautifully....but off course feeling loved as your authentic self is the most difficult and scary thing there is, right? The fear of losing makes us leave them before they do....but here the story is slightly less predictable, Yeong and Gyu really understand how strong their love is, and really try to work things out...but the fear.....THE FEAR...never goes away.....and that makes Yeong almost force separate from Gyu Ho.....in other words, he runs away from that one love that made him feel like he's safe and home.

The story, delves deep into the layers and nuances of a queer life...there is the obvious references to homophobia, struggles of living with HIV, the trauma of enforced closets and dual lives, the lack of love, care, safety and often betrayal by family, the contempt from society, and how religious dogma can turn people into monsters,...and then the beauty of finding support and love from your chosen family and finding a space that you can belong to.....it takes you through many a familiar feeling that is validating in ways.....at the same time it flags the lack of courage to accept ourselves and all others around us, as their everyday, non-glamorous, non-thrilling selves that is ...it definitely touches upon the all-too-familiar pressures of having that perfect and fabulous relationship, reaching the pinnacles of unrealistic standards of 'romance-that stuns and outdoes everyone'......and how the everyday mundane comfort around each other, the snoring, the stains that stay, and the 'don't have mind-blowing sex most of the time' familiarity, end up being no match for that....that is, until you find the courage to be just yourself, warts and all, and find beauty and comfort in it....find the courage to allow yourself to love and be loved with all your flaws, failing, and shadows........but, by that time, it is usually too late...or is it??

The series has a bit of an open ending, which one can interpret the way they want ...with a passing allusion to the possibility of Gyu Ho coming back to Seoul, hope floats.....just may be, Yeong moves out of his old apartment and moves into a new one...it ends as fireworks light up the sky, with Yeong and his gay-gang, seemingly happy celebrating their own selves....

But the question lingers, why does no one ever have the courage until it is too late!

Leia Mais

Gritty storytelling, with flawed characters that you can't but love

Should I have the right to decide whether I want to live on or not? Is my sovereignty over my own body and mind beyond the scope of the state and its law?

BL needle score: 6 - Moderate BL-ness, with sizzling chemistry but higher focus on suspense

This show raises critical and important questions about the moral and legal debate around euthanasia....and does it well. While it is a BL drama, it focuses more on the narrative and theme rather than only on the characters and their romantic developments.

It has Dr. Kan as one of the protagonists, a palliative care doctor who strongly believes in euthanasia, albeit with clear and mindful consent from the person...coming from his experience of seeing his mother suffer intense days and nights of pain due to cervical cancer, he feels people should have the right and resources to help them decide about their own lives, how much suffering is enough, and end it with dignity, if and when they so desire. The other main protagonist is Thiu, a police officer with integrity, who suffers from guilt and angst, for not having been there for his mom, and not being able to meet her at her deathbed. As kan helps terminal patients fine a peaceful end, with their expressed consent, Thiu struggles to untangle the mess that this trail of euthanasia and his own angst around his mother's death, creates. There are a few other important characters who all help build this compelling tale that explores the theme of euthanasia, and raises important questions around our thinking, convictions, and views around life, death, family, body sovereignty and legality.

I love how this show has almost zero flab or unnecessary sub-plots.......gritty storytelling with flawed characters that you can't but love, despite their failings...just the kind of shows that I dig. This has to be one of the best BL dramas from Thailand that I have watched in the recent times. Go watch.

Review first posted on December 1, and edited after finale on December 25, 2024

Leia Mais