The New Normal (really only a spoiler about a supporting character)

It's so quirky, weird, oddly relatable, and fun. These two guys were a great dynamic duo. They played off each other really well. Most of this drama's episodes are generally stand-alone in nature, until we get near the end and have to bring about the final conclusion.

I started this because the premise itself was really different: Two Blue Vampires on a quest for blood so they can become full vampires, however, COVID-19 has changed how they live their every day lives and gets in their way (along with many other things, of course).

I loved the repeating of how Aoi and Sou needed to embrace the "new normal," because of COVID. And not only that, it became a sort of mantra for them to step out of their comfort zone, try something new, break old habits, and/or rethink their perspectives and thoughts.

Accepting or embracing a/the "new normal," can be starting a new job, getting used to wearing a mask, standing up for yourself, accepting yourself for who you are, trying to make the world a better place, allowing your mind to be changed about something you used to believe strongly, etc.

This gave me the same inspiring feelings that "Colorful Love: Genderless Danshi ni Aisareteimasu" did.

Even if we've been set in our ways for months, years, decades, or even centuries, it's never too late to start working to make the world better for others or yourself, even if it's in small ways like just being your authentic self. It may be tough for you now, but you will give others the courage to do the same and make it easier for the next person by making society more accepting.

Aoi and Sou have great character development over the course of the drama and don't let the lessons they learned go to waste in the end. Neither should we the viewers. We need to accept the new normal of this pandemic, and aside from that bring about our own new normal by advancing social causes. Older generations (or Vampire Elders) may scoff and tell us what we are doing is wrong because it's not how things have been done, but we are living in the 21st century and it is the time to move forward, not backward by staying set in our ways because, "That's how it's always been done."

I loved how though Aoi and Sou at first act as if their only intention is to get blood so they can stop being Blue Vamps, you can tell throughout each episode that--in the end--they really just care about helping people (as much as Sou wouldn't like to admit it. Lol). And by the end of each episode, we, the audience, and them have completely forgotten/no longer care about them being successful in their original mission.

This drama managed to cleverly sneak in a Lesbian character, feminism, discussions of toxic masculinity and stereotypes, anxiety, the meaning of true strength, the struggles of finding a job in a failing economy, the negatives of peer pressure, the importance of being yourself and accepting yourself, and that to grow as a person you need to leave the bad views of those before you behind and move forward to a "new normal."

Side Note: I loved how when Sou was told by Mia that she thought he and Aoi were boyfriends (she also mentions that she is a Lesbian), he doesn't get upset or offended at all at her assumption or say something like, "How could you think that?!" or, "Of course not!" You know why? Because he knows there is nothing wrong with it so why would he get upset. Exactly, Sou! Exactly!

Leia Mais

A bewilderingly wonderful watch

For a not-very-anticipated drama with a confusing synopsis, this managed to pull out all the stops. This. This is what A Shoulder to Cry On WANTED to be. It had tension, kept its focus, kept the conflict simple and unfolded the details of it bit by bit, and pulled the main leads and their complicated feelings together at every turn. And, best of all, their yearning was evident and put into action.

I recommend you go binge it right now!

Criticism: My only real gripe was the music. Many times, it was ill-fitting or came out of nowhere very loudly and interrupted an otherwise impactful moment. Other times, a scene could have done with silence to allow the audience and the characters to sit with their feelings.

Leia Mais

Catering to Straight people

This, like His Man, is an important stepping stone for LGBT+ people in Korean media. Unlike that reality show, though, this had a lot of problems.

While I was ecstatic to hear about this show's release, I began feeling disappointed after watching a few episodes. The hosts wanted to open up the public's minds to Queer people, a noble goal. However, in the pursuit of this they often watered down vital concepts (like sexuality and gender) to the point of being incorrect and/or problematic, were more sympathetic toward parents of Queer children than the children themselves (they even said they were equally struggling), handled insults and dismissals from unaccepting parents with kiddie gloves, and failed to make a hard stand against bigotry.

I do get the sense that this was made with good intentions and that the hosts aren't bad people. But I feel like they cared so much about Straight people's perception of the show that they ended up catering to them to a fault. There was this sense that it was up to Queer people to keep trying to convince their family members and bend to make them more comfortable rather than the onus being on those being hateful and unaccepting.

All of this being said, I'm still glad this was made so I could see these Queer people's stories and so that, hopefully, Korea will portray more real Queer people on the screen.

Leia Mais

Jazz for Two Might be for You

This drama and the characters truly shined the most in tension-filled moments where it felt as though all the air had been sucked out of the room. I also rather appreciated the consistency of the character's flaws/toxic behaviors, with there also being guilt and growth. Also, the fake-out conflict being resolved through thoughtful perspective and acceptance? Loved that. More not dragging things out for added drama and instead having a main lead think rationally, please!

Based on this drama's description, I expected less than average—to not be excited at the prospect of seeing the story progress. I was glad to find I could lose myself in Jazz for Two for a while.

All this praise aside, I wish the curtains closed more smoothly on this drama. At least ten extra minutes were desperately needed to tie up the side character's stories as well as allow a smoother transition as to where the main leads ended up. When the credits started rolling, I legit thought I was being punked. I was like, "Come on, there's got to be five more minutes left, right? Did I skip ahead?!"

All in all, I would recommend it. Just keep your expectations moderate.

Leia Mais

Messy and Gory Fun!

I will be the first to say that this drama was downright confusing af at times, and it often felt like they were digging their heels in down to the last second, trying to come up with ways to fill the runtime. But for someone like me who is not a Horror fan to like a Horror drama and a gory Thai one at that? That is an accomplishment.

This was all kinds of fucked up with a confusing-ass final "twist." But I kind of loved it? They had me biting my nails, covering my eyes and peeping through my fingers, and shouting at my screen, "You dumbasses!" every week. And you know what, it was fun not to have high expectations nor be bored but simply just be entertained watching things get messy, more shit be revealed, and how impressively realistic and nasty the effects could get.

Amid all this, I do think there is a message to be found here. I didn't see it until the end, though.

These teenagers did objectively terrible, even "evil," things to another teenager. A difficult truth to accept, though, is that evil people, or those who do something evil, are not evil 100% of the time. A serial killer can have saved a puppy from getting hit by a car. Does this now make them a good person? No. This just goes to show that people are complex creatures who cannot be boiled down into simple black-and-white categories, as much as we would like them to be.

I absolutely recommend this chaotic disaster of a drama. Mind the gore, though, because there is gore. And face stuff! Watch out for the face stuff!

Leia Mais

An Empty Space

It's definitely a quality drama. The team behind it cared about what they were making, and you could tell. They had a specific style in mind, evident from the color palette. Jung Woo's world is listless, drained, and hollow. And so the world we see is made of muted colors, conversations go round and round, and the days seem to repeat.

I found the commentary on passiveness and possessiveness interesting, as well as the under-the-radar—at least to the character—manipulation (you could see how, over time, one would give in).

Something just felt missing. I can't put a name to it. And I wanted more of the love-triangle aspect. The trailers and teasers made it seem like it would play a significant role. Unfortunately, we were fooled.

Leia Mais

The end will make it or break it for you

Another case of simple is best. Korean BL's are tragically short right now. But that doesn't mean they can't fully utilize every minute they have and make something great, even on a low budget.

This pulls you in from the start. It has natural acting, smooth transitions, good camerawork, and a moving story. The emotional build-up in particular is spectacular.

From the beginning, we know in our hearts how this story will end. The point of watching it unfold is to see the light that came before the dark.

The ending will either make or break the experience of watching this drama for a lot of people. For me, I found it fitting. It was real and sad, yes. But it was also hopeful. Jae Woo can't save Ji Hoon. But in another timeline another Jae Woo is going back to the same room to call Ji Hoon and will travel through time to meet him. In a way, they will always be together in this world.

Leia Mais

Not for everyone, but it was for me.

This was refreshing. It just jumped right into it. You quickly realize there will be no hand-holding and very little leading.

Different. That's how I would describe the experience of watching this. It was a serious drama. Not in the way of intense romance, love triangles, physical fights, or big twists though. In fact, I didn't feel as if they shoe-horned in anything unnecessarily. I wasn't able to point out anything that was added in to drag out the runtime. It uses its time to seriously show the difficulty/horror of being a health care worker and the challenges and in-fights between hospital owners and staff, as well as carefully thread a message that becomes clear only at the end.

What sticks with me even now is the uncomfortableness they managed to make me feel by showing the "bad guy" show some humanity. I felt this "wrongness" from it, as if he didn't have the right to. But that is how people are. They aren't as easy to categorize into good and evil as we would like them to be.

And, the message. The ending isn't satisfying. It doesn't have a true "conclusion" as it were. It seems to say, "This is what life is." You get by, you face a fight, you manage to get your head above water, you find something to brighten your day, and the cycle repeats. One stumbling block is dealt with, only for another to come down the road. We struggle and we smile, alone and with others.

Did some part of me want the easy satisfying ending with a pretty bow on top? Of course. But it was a realistic ending. And one I didn't mind. Because, this is life.

Leia Mais

Go Japan!

Note: I'm throwing in an extra point for the genuineness of the participants themselves. Because these men opened up and were vulnerable in ways I found truly beautiful.

The Boyfriend was an emotional journey that was not just focused on finding love but on friendship and personal growth. I felt honored and overjoyed to see each man find new courage, realization, motivation, and/or peace in their life.

This Queer reality dating show marks a monumental step forward for Japan, finally following in Korea's footsteps with their successful "His Man."

The Boyfriend being so similar to His Man, I would find it hard to review it properly without talking about the differences between them.

#1) Time. The Boyfriend allows a month for everyone to get to know each other, compared to His Man's seven days. While I did find it valuable for the men to spend more time together, as a viewer, I got frustrated with rarely having a concrete timeline. Between arguments, dates, and events, hours, days, or even a week could have passed. This made me question whether moments/exchanges were purposely framed to get a certain reaction from me and even the authenticity of The Boyfriend at times. I understand that having a month of footage to edit poses a challenge, but a small counter telling the date and time in the corner could have resolved this easily. His Man showed things more linearly and clearly, in my opinion.

#2) Fluidity. The participants seemed to feel more open to expressing their personal opinions about the world and their community. There were regular conversations shown regarding coming out, pronouns, labeling their sexuality/gender, fighting for rights, family expectations/starting a family, etc. His Man typically just has one dedicated episode/event where everyone gets the chance to discuss their experiences being Queer as well as coming out, with the participants having a few conversations about it but not nearly as many as The Boyfriend.

#3) Physical Touch. The participants here seemed far more willing to show/comfortable with showing affection/interest through physical touch. Close proximity, hugs, massages, backrubs, and kisses were all present. Sure, there are "moves" made on His Man, but nothing compared to The Boyfriend. Here, I felt it was not only more readily accepted but encouraged. Perhaps this is due to cultural differences. Of course, it could also be that these men, in particular, were simply comfortable with it. It's not a criticism of His Man, just something I noticed.

#4) The Coffee Truck. The premise of having everyone take turns working in pairs at a coffee truck was an excellent choice, in my opinion. It not only allowed for some guaranteed personal time each time it was open for the day but also gave each man more insight into how the other would act under pressure rather than having to just rely on how they choose to present themself in a controlled setting.

#5) Goodbyes. Men could leave the "Green Room" seemingly at any time they wanted—not just as a final farewell, but when they had personal or work plans, they could be gone for several days. I thought this was a thoughtful choice, as participants had the freedom to decide when their time had ended/they had gotten what they wanted from the Green Room, as well as make carving out 30 whole days to be on a reality show much more feasible.

#6) Control/Communication. Other than the coffee truck being used as a vehicle—get it? Vehicle—to allow participants to pair up, there were some days when it was closed to allow the option for dates; however, the feelings of each man had to align to go on the date. There were also letters used in the beginning to communicate the men's thoughts. In His Man, there are phone calls, chat messages, letters, and cards that rely on chance/desire to obtain them with prompts/events that can force/allow the opportunity for new people to be paired up to go on a date that hasn't before as well as shake things up a bit in the house.

I see advantages as well as disadvantages to both approaches. His Man's setup allows secrecy at points as well as promotes participants to take an active role in fighting for their date while also (depending on fate) forcing them to explore other options. The Boyfriend has a loose setup that relies on intentional pursuit as well as increased time available for the participants to get to know each other during their free time before (hopefully) confirming their mutual interest.

I do feel His Man made the men step out of their comfort zones and express thoughts in confidence that they wouldn't feel brave enough to otherwise. But I also see and appreciate how The Boyfriend allows the men more freedom to choose their partner.

#7) Hosts. Hosts have never been a part of His Man but found their way here. I did have my concerns in the beginning that they were going to interrupt too much or, perhaps, say something out of pocket. But I was relieved to find that they were a quiet presence and only chimed in on occasion. They acted more like a 3rd party cheerleader to watch with you than anything.

All in all, I was quite delighted with The Boyfriend, regardless of production choices. I sincerely hope there is a second season.

Leia Mais

Not as good as I thought it was...

I'm going to spoil one episode, barely, but I don't really care right now.

Looking back, I don't really like this drama as much as I used to. And I definitely don't like this relationship anymore. I honestly can't believe I ever did. About a week ago I couldn't understand the more negative reviews I read about this show. But, I decided to rewatch it, and I can definitely see how messed up Uehara and Nao's relationship is.

Uehara almost never expresses his feelings, never really apologizes, doesn't put Nao first, doesn't consider Nao's feelings, waits too long to clear things up or never does, and doesn't pay enough attention to Nao.

Everything that is wrong with this couple, from the beginning and in the future episodes, can be found in season 1, episode 10.

Daichi summed it up best a third of the way into the episode: "What's wrong with you? Are you even thinking about Nao's feelings? If you make a promise, then keep it! You got her hopes up and played with her feelings. She just giggles and brushes off whatever you say. Have you ever thought about her feelings?"

Nao just lets Uehara walk all over her and is happy with the slight crumbs of affection and/or attention he gives her. She didn't have to start dating Daichi instead just because he also liked her. But, she should have Never dated Uehara. He is not a good person.

At some point you think Nao would finally realize that this relationship is unhealthy and Uehara isn't treating her right. She almost does for a brief moment in episode 10. But, then what does she do? She goes right back to him without him acknowledging that how he acted and continues to act is messed up.

He literally drags her home to make some sort of apology. But he doesn't apologize. Instead, he says, "Don't be stupid." when she asked if he kissed Yuri, when she has every right to be worried. And his idea of a "present" to make up with her is to buy her 25 milk puddings?!

Then he holds her, she cries and says "I like you," he says it back, and they kiss.

Yep. Totally romantic. Not manipulative and emotionally abusive at all.

Sorry for this rant. Can you tell I'm mad I got blindsided back then?

Leia Mais

Something amazing produced during difficult times!

Lots of sweet moments, and several more than sweet moments. They have such great chemistry and tension! Also, there are some really beautiful and artistic shots/scenes throughout. I was amazed. Especially since the budget, from what I heard, wasn't incredibly high.

Some parts of the plot could have been improved upon. But, there's really not much to complain about with this series. A couple of tropes are present, but there is enough newness and intrigue to overshadow them.

You begin rooting for the couple very early on. I am warning you though that there is a lot of buildup to Sky and Ace's relationship. It is a relatively slow-burn for the first 7 episodes. Then, prepare yourself. Their relationship does stay sweet throughout, but there are some moments :)

Sometimes you start to see this series as a fairytale. I kid you not that there are some legitimately Disney-prince-like moments. There are overdramatic falls, dances, kisses, and an overdramatic score to match. On top of that there is a great deal of comedy sprinkled throughout. You will laugh your ass off, smile stupidly, and feel like you should cover your eyes because you're intruding on a couple's moment.

Leia Mais

Started off cute but was ultimately a disappointment

First off, my rating is a lie. It's actually a 6.5/10 for me. But because it's a Thai GL, and I want to see more of them, I don't have the heart to rate it any lower.

Now, as for my thoughts:

In the beginning, it had everything I wanted: A Pan FL, easy chemistry between the two FLs, a love triangle, and ALL the tropes that come with a Queer Thai Engineer series. Like, yes, give me tripping on air and getting dramatically saved by the FL's soon-to-be love interest, who holds her for a suspiciously long time!

But then, near the halfway point, my perspective shifted. While I liked that the conflicts were--so far--minimal/easily resolved, I felt they could have done well with extending the do they like each other/pining phase. It felt almost "too easy" for these FLs.

This problem would come back to bite the drama later during the last few episodes when conflict after conflict and misunderstanding after misunderstanding popped up. It seemed like the writers intentionally made Manaow and Gyoza's start to their relationship so easy and sweet so they could put them through the wringer at the end while banking on all their good times together to get you through it. Unfortunately, it did not work. At all. And don't even get me started on the horrible villain and her scheme and the nail-in-the-coffin trope that had no reason to be there.

By the end, I was just . . . *sigh*

It saddens me to say this, but I would skip this one, my dear MDLers. It's just not worth your time.

Leia Mais

Masterpiece! Just watch it!

This, and its sequel, are incredible! I haven't seen romance done this well in a long time. I'm not putting any spoilers in here, but if you want to go in absolutely blind with no clue about what happens, don't read my review. Either way, I encourage you to watch this movie.

I'm just going to write this review with both Seven Days: Monday-Thursday and Seven Days: Friday-Sunday in mind. I'll probably post this same review on the second movie.

So, how is this different compared to the LGBT+ movies/series I have seen so far? Well, there weren't any stereotypes, basically no silly misunderstandings, and no people interfering in the relationship. It was so refreshing!

It's a bit difficult to describe just how much these movies made me feel and why they're so amazing. I'll give it my best shot!

This story can basically be summarized as being about the slow and quiet exploration of a developing relationship between two people (Seryo and Yuzuru). While there are actually two movies that take the time to show this story, I personally consider them as being one. I wouldn't mind in the least if it were just one long movie. I understand that would make it around 4 hours long, but it's just that good!

For people who don't care for slow movies, you probably won't like this. And, if you're looking for intense "drama," this isn't it. There isn't any action to speak of, and it isn't missed or needed to make the story more interesting.

This movie (I'm just going to say movie instead of saying movies or this movie and its sequel, as it's getting annoying to repeat myself, and I already said I consider them one movie anyway) was the perfect length. It didn't feel rushed. And it didn't feel stretched out. It felt like, just as Seryo and Yuzuru took their time, the movie also took its time.

The actors did such a great job expressing their characters' emotions. There are scenes where they don't talk very much and only rely on their facial expressions to convey what they're feeling. You can sense when they have a revelation, are confused, etc., just by the look in their eyes or lift in their brow.

Also, their body language/physical acting was great as well. There is a gentle air that they carry around each other. And, when they lean in close to each other you feel the hesitancy as well. They aren't forceful with each other. And they don't suck each other's faces off. Lol. When they hold hands, touch each other's faces, or kiss, they don't rush. There is always this slow reaching toward each other as though they're being careful of the other, and they're always in the moment together.

Other than the initial premise not being realistic, the way their relationship/feelings developed was. It wasn't love at first sight or one person chasing another to try and make them love them back. It was two people dating each other because they wanted to.

There aren't very many side characters, and the ones that are there have very few scenes/lines. Because they aren't important. And they aren't the focus. It's all about the relationship between the two leads. And, when I say there isn't action, I mean that this movie contains mostly talking, not doing. This movie is all about feelings. It's about learning about someone, being open to someone, and love itself.

It's filled with quiet, reflective moments of the characters by themselves contemplating their relationship. And quiet moments together of discussing each other and their feelings.

There was an intense vulnerability to Seryo and Yuzuru. Just when you think they're going to keep their thoughts to themselves, they let something precious slip. They speak openly about attraction (including attraction to each other), dating, their future, and what they think of each other. The only "misunderstandings" consisted of when one of them took the others' words to mean something different from what they meant. But, those moments were short and/or resolved and were just a natural continuation of the reflective and deep nature of the characters.

The only thing I would say is that some retouching needs to be done to make the quality of the film on the screen a bit better. Sometimes it was a little blurry. But that may have just been because I had to watch it on YouTube.

In conclusion, this movie is everything. I could keep gushing about it forever.

Leia Mais

Mixed Feelings, But Still Good

How do I talk about this? This is a tough one. I'm sure I'm not going to make sense when I try to talk about this.

First off, the aspects that were fantastic as ever and generally we all agree on: The shots, colors, lighting, acting, and music is great. And the OST is pure gold!

Now, onto my own personal take:

On the one hand, IPYTM did make me very emotional and I was able to relate to some of the struggles the characters were going through. I loved and hated how this drama made me feel at the same time. It was purposefully soul-crushing at many points. I knew this wasn't going to be an upbeat and easy sequel though.

From the first episode and on they really hit you with how it feels to feel and/or be alone and out of your element in a new place far from home.

On the other hand, I think my biggest criticism happens to be everyone else's: They should have shown this drama more from Oh-aews's point of view, or at least half of it.

ITSAY was Oh-aew and Teh's story. But, at the end of the day, it was mostly from Teh's point of view. And that was fine. It was meant to be that way and it worked. Unlike others, I wasn't fuming mad about this being from Teh's perspective, however, I felt like we missed out on something by not showing more from Oh-aew.

I distinctly remember thinking at the end of episode 1 that the story was going to continue on showing Oh-aew's life/struggles for a while. And I was really excited about that. The camera angles and tone certainly seemed to suggest it. But, that's not what happened.

I Promised You the Moon was never going to surpass I Told Sunset About You. It was either going to continue the story in a meaningful or somewhat meaningful way, or not measure up to it's predecessor at all.

For me, I found this meaningful but not on par with ITSAY. I didn't feel angry. I just felt something lacking, but, it wasn't enough to leave me completely unsatisfied.

I think I'll give this an 8/10.

Leia Mais

Enemy to Near-Lover Conversion

What a journey Blank took me on! I went from not recommending the first season to now saying I'd recommend the second one.

I saw quite an improvement since S1. Anueng, while still messing around and acting cute, acted more her age, which made me feel far more comfortable with her relationship with Nueng. She also bit back and had more sass to her.

Nueng also gave Anueng's feelings more consideration, expressed herself more, and found enough strength within her to stand up and fight for her and Anueng's relationship.

The chemistry between our two FLs also got stronger. Intimate scenes were truly intimate, and even short phone calls had me blushing.

I also felt this season finally managed to strike a pretty decent balance between being truly mature and melodramatic with soap opera twists. It wasn't perfect, but it was done well enough that, at the very least, I was consistently entertained. I found myself fully engaged in S2.

Also, can I just say, I think this was one of the rare times I found the trope of getting in an accident and falling into a coma to actually work. It allowed needed time to pass so Anueng's family could come to terms with Nueng's presence in her life and, even if they weren't glad she was dating Anueng, at least see how she cared for her and would stay by her side. I'll admit its effectiveness here impressed me.

I'd be downright pleased if we got more Sapphic stories like this.

If you're desperate for a solid GL that isn't only seven episodes with a total runtime of 45 minutes, look no further!

Leia Mais