Excellent, heartfelt, charming, happy ending

Excellent, heartfelt, charming. Strongberry's short films always deliver.

It's rare to see intergenerational gay relationships featured in Asian media and this is a welcomed change. Both actors are handsome and charming. The acting is natural and understated yet you can really feel the atmosphere and emotion, especially the Professor's disappointment near the end. I rarely pay much attention to how movies or shows use music but here, the use of music has a great impact. Music represents the Professor's state of mind: 80% of the film consists of background noise and no background music because it conveys the Professor's loneliness. When they get together, a romantic track plays, followed by a quirky, happy tune. The dialogue is succinct and romantic. I'm as surprised as the Professor that the student already consider them in a relationship. That was so cute! Their hand-holding and flirting at the end is also extremely cute and heartwarming.

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It's bad.

Realism and Representation: This is a feel-good drama and doesn't do realism but Cheng and Lin did check with each other if they both like guys. All the brothers are either gay or bi. I didn't see any stereotypes, caricatures and heteronormativity.

There really isn't much to say but that the story, dialogue and directing is really crap. Cheng is way over the top because of his Korean Tough Rich Guy persona. He KIDNAPPED Lin, among other bullshit. The dialogue is crap because the director couldn't "show not tell" so the characters had to narrate the scene. They could've used voice-overs to convey their thoughts but the director somehow preferred that they talk to themselves? All the relationships are cringe-worthy, with the Cheng-Lin one slightly less so.

The only good things are that they actually got a Korean actor to portray a Korean character. The main couple (Cheng and Lin) are the most natural and I think they'd give much better performances if the script and directing were good. The third brother's love interest (Yan Yue)'s sister, is literally a sexual predator. It's not funny.

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Poor representation, lackluster story

Representation: I'm disappointed that people including Sarawat, Man, and Dim (all gay men), called Tine, Phukong, and Green the wives - this is a regression from the last season and a persistant problem throughout the series. "Team Wives" never rebukes them. And it's obvious why the reverse (Sarawat and Dim being called the wives) hadn't happened - because they're perceived as tops/semes and Tine, Green, and Phukong the bottoms. The same director also directed Dark Blue Kiss, which also had the same issue. Surprisingly, he also directed He's Coming to Me, which was pretty much flawless in this department. Apart from this, I must commend the show for putting in effort in repping with decorations and clothing: there is a Call Me By Your Name poster on Tine and Sarawat's apartment wall; Sarawat wore a pride shirt in episode 2, etc. These are small things that LGBTQ people won't ever miss, so thank you. In episode 4, when Sarawat's friend from the music club talked to him (in a rather obvious PSA moment) about his being so open with his love, he said it was not about courage but about 2 people in love, and that it was up to the couple whether to show PDA or not. Well, he's wrong. It is very much about courage. Homophobia is very real, even in Thailand, especially when people still look at your relationship through heteronormative lenses, as shown by this very show itself. And this is the least of our problems. So don't try and whitewash the struggles of being gay to accommodate the delicate sensibilities of a portion of your audience. You don't have to highlight it but to erase it like so is to trivialize our struggles. Before we look at our preferences with regards to PDA, we must consider our safety, our livelihood, our social life, etc. For many, the fear is real. Like all other GMMTV shows, trans people are shown matter of fact although they play very limited roles.

Story: Apparently fans complained that Sarawat wouldn't leave Tine in the hospital with Mil when he had food poisoning and the director retconned and said Sarawat actually was there the whole night but left in the morning to change, before Tine woke up. While this is great, sadly, like the last season the story is still very lackluster. Compound this with how the show treats Tine, Phukong and Green, at episode 5, I no longer want to continue.

Acting: I'm not sure if the actor is the problem, or the director. Tine has an aversion to affection, an annoying trope in BL, and continues to wear a constant constipated expression when he's around Sarawat (seriously, he's a lot chipper with other characters). For example, when Tine was sad that Sarawat was leaving to practice, he just gave Sarawat a sad smile when Sarawat told him about the extremely sweet story where he searched for Tine everywhere and even applied to the university in hopes of meeting Tine again. Tine was pretty much expressionless. Every time (and this applies to the previous series as well) they kiss, Tine looks like a deer caught in the headlights even when he's the one who initiated the flirting. This is not something I expected from someone who's still in their honeymoon period. I'm not sure if the director want Tine and Sarawat to have contrast with Type and Man but I don't believe this is the way to do it. That said, Tine was great with the lonely scene by the pool.

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Simple show with great protagonists, awesome parents, and problematic friends

The plot is very straightforward but relies on the villain's lies and the misunderstanding trope to move the plot. There aren't any stereotypes or caricatures. The moments between Kao and Pete are very sweet. The acting is pretty good. Non is a very convincing brat. Kudos to the actor. There's no awkwardness at all and no excessive use of slow-motion scenes. It's realistic in showing accepting parents (Pete's father and Kao's mother), the fear of coming out, how only the person coming out can decide when to come out, how more is expected of LGBTQ people as if to compensate for their sexualities. I also love that Sun asks Mork who's going to top and who's going to bottom tonight because most couples are versatile.

Now let's talk about an exclusively BL problem that never happens in books/shows/movies made by and for LGBTQ people: Pete refers to Kao as his wife, probably as a joke because he usually calls him his boyfriend. June, on the other hand, always calls Kao Pete's wife. Sandee, who I really liked until near the end, also called Kao the wife. Why? Because they perceive him as the bottom? If Kao had the time to express that gay people are expected to do more to compensate for their sexuality, why didn't he correct his friends? When will it change? Until same sex marriage is legal? Stop imposing your world views on us. All I can say is this show is already great but do better. Curiously, Sun's brother is the only one who used "husband" to refer to a gay man.

If I were to rewatch, I'd probably just watch the really sweet scenes between the two main couples.

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Unnecessary Death

With the exception of the completely unnecessary final 2 episodes, a great series overall. Pretty good acting, especially Shiang. Honestly, the main couple is conventionally unattractive. But they're supposed to be the most handsome guys at school? However, I really like both of their characterizations. Yu is a broke, malnourished nerd who broods all day, is extremely stubborn and self-reliant. Honestly his guardian (aunt) should be in jail for neglecting him. He doesn't even eat 3 meals a day. He's under 18! The actor is actually pretty well cast if we ignore how he's supposed to be good looking because the actor is short and extremely thin. He looks fine in the title photo because his face is overexposed, which gave the illusion that he's not malnourished. Shiang is a spoiled brat, brash and uncontrollable but has a heart of gold (unless he thought he had a reason to take revenge). Sun and his bf are gay but Shiang is probably pansexual because he was never interested in guys before. They have great crying scenes. All the young guys are great at crying, much better than Trapped.

This show ends at episode 18. The last 2 I will pretend never existed. Fucking hell. What the fuck does Yu's death bring to the table?! This is the end of a series: there's no extra plot, no loose ends to tie, no character development, no destinies to fulfill. All we see is a forever-changed, forever-depressed Shiang. But props to the actor who played Shiang. His crying scenes are phenomenal. The ending is simply pure bullshit.

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Best Thai drama I've seen. Happy ending.

Realism and Representation: no stereotypes, caricatures, heteronormativity, or demonized female characters. Thun is gay and he talked about how excluded he feels when his guy friends talk about girls. He struggled to accept himself. He had an emotional coming out scene with his mom, which was well acted. Everyone else is accepting, which is cool.

Story: it's not uncommon to have dramas about straight romances across the living and dead realms but there aren't many supernatural BL dramas. This is a supernatural university romance, and based on traditional death culture at that, which is something I've never seen before. It's honestly very creative and interesting. Even if it doesn't have gay romance I'd watch it and I recommend everyone to do the same. It's also interesting for me to see how similar Thai culture is about death compared to my own culture (Hong Kong) and it turns out it's EXACTLY the same, even the part about carrying the incense to transport the spirit and praying to the earth god to let the spirit stay. Anyway, even though the beginning is a little slow, I'm truely impressed with the story, which is not something I say lightly. It's a solid 10/10, the best Thai drama I'm seen, not kidding. Great twist and foreshadowing, great coming out scenes, sweet romance scenes, fascinating mysteries, AND a happy ending?... It's got it all. I thought the only way for this to end was for it to be bittersweet but I'm glad the writers decided against that. There are some beats where the pacing is a bit slow but in the grand scheme of things, it's pretty negligible.

Characters: the leads make a cute couple. Even though they might argue, Thun's friends care deeply about him. Thun's mom is accepting. Plai is also a great character.

Acting: pretty decent. Although there is some awkwardness, the important emotional scenes are very much on point. Kudos to the young actors!

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Must Watch

There are concepts meant to be educational that they didn't explain well, such as Hurata's question about who's the girl in a gay relationship, but overall it's a great series. There are a lot of plot devices that are unrealistic and transparent to see but it's comedy. The acting is extremely over the top in some instances but I guess that's Japanese comedy for you and it's effective. Otherwise, the acting is superb. The characters are great because they're not stereotypical at all, which I think is great for mainstream Japanese audiences. They are shown positively. There is variety. The women aren't demonized. While this is a feel-good drama, it still touches on negative gay experiences, such as homophobia. I'd say it strikes a good balance for what it's trying to achieve. In the end there are 4 really capable gay/bisexual men in that company branch. Extremely high rewatch value. Great movie sequel too!

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Excellent 19 episodes, trash finale. Queer baiting trash.

This is a completely hilarious show with an interesting premise that produces a queer leading character - a man in a woman's body. It's extremely unfortunate that the finale is such a cop out, which renders the entire show another example of queer baiting. This is an exciting roller coaster ride that at the end throws you off your seat to your death.

Spoilers below:
1. The king is explicitly in love with the spirit of the male MC, not the real queen. He noticed that the queen is out of character but did nothing. They’re now just another straight couple.
2. Is the MC bisexual now? Ending it this way makes it another queer baiting show. The writers are also trying to backtrack and say that both characters' souls are inhabiting the same body but remember how the queen's body almost died because the MC went back to the 21st century? The doctor said her body was in a soulless state. This is the only time where the queen's soul took back control of the body and their explanation is that she's in hiding all along? Also, none of the queen’s feelings for other characters stayed, not her feelings for her childhood friend/maid, cousin, or father, only her feelings for the king, whom she met once as a child, “remained.” But why? Is her entire existence anchored around her love for the king? The MC certainly rationalized it as the queen’s feelings when he first felt his attraction to the king. At the same time the MC certainly has enough control and agency to do whatever he wanted unrestrained by the queen's years of etiquette training, including acting on his attraction to women. Bullshit.
3. The original queen is literally the most useless character on the show but gets to reap the fruits of the MC’s labor. In fact, she is a(n abusive) damsel in distress saved by straight male MC. This is not feminist at all.
4. All the reforms they did led to an identical Korea in 2021.

Bad ending on all fronts. 0/10. Just don't watch the finale.

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Great show, good acting, bad extras, lack luster ending, too much slow-mo

The characters are defined, interesting and easy to recognize, even though there are quite a few. For example, Xiao Xingchen and Song Lan are interesting as characters as is their strong "friendship," with Xue Yang added for the tragic flavor. For a quasi-BL series, I don't see stereotypes, caricatures or other fujoshi shenanigans based on (implied) sexuality, which is great considering Wei and Lan were already defined as bottom/uke and top/seme respectively right on the first page of the original web novel, as if that has anything to do with personality or how they act. But, to be fair, even though Wei is the bottom in the novel, he is carefree, goofy, good with alcohol, and outgoing, all of which are "masculine traits." Conversely, while Lan is the top, he is also rigid, proper, quiet, introverted, and bad with alcohol, "feminine traits." I have to give credit to the show for using a lot of symbolism and small gestures between characters to imply a romantic interest/relationships between male characters, despite China's censorship.

The acting is decent for the major characters, although crying scenes are usually very well done. Conversely, the extras' (zombies and soldiers) acting is incredibly bad. The actor playing Wei is great and it's easy to root for him as a character. Wen Chao is a convincing villain and coward and Meng Yao/Jin Guangyao makes a great sociopath but some of his crazy faces are a bit too much. Lan's stoicism seems a bit excessive although this likely has to do with the director and the script, not the actor himself. He almost never talks and his face almost never moves. It's as if the quota for lines and facial expressions are used up by Wei. I kept looking for any micro-expressions and I thought Lan would eventually open up and become more emotive but that never happened. I honestly think Wei and Lan's claims of intimacy towards each other are kind of... forced, perhaps the result of taking out romantic gestures and dialogue. Also, they spend maybe half of the show apart. I consider Wei the sole protagonist while Lan is more of a big supporting character.

I like the story and the theme of class, justice being determined by the victor, the world needing to unite in hatred against someone, and questioning rules and those in power. However, I much prefer the later half of the show that focused on the murder mystery. The show touched on feminism a little with the only female clan leader of the Lan clan, and also with Wen Qing and Madame Yu (and Mianmian for standing up for Wei) but other female characters are pretty useless, especially Yanli who had the most screen time among female characters. She didn't fight once, and didn't even think to bring her sword to the battlefield. I like the spells and the use of instruments in spell casting and I'd love to see more of them and more explanations. For example, does one's spiritual power relate to the ability to cast spells like it does to being able to use the sword?

One of the biggest problems I have with the show is its excessive use of repetitive, multi-angle slow-motion scenes in every episode. It's almost funny, like telenovelas' excessive use of close-ups.

My second criticism is in terms of consistency and immersion. First of all, while I don't know how big the production is but, with the exception of ruins, the majority of sets are too new. From statues, to stones, to stairs, to bridges, the sets can look fake and very out of place, especially when paired with green screen. Then, everyone seems to walk everywhere without any supplies. Horses are a rarity. The characters' clothes are almost always freshly washed and ironed. They're speckless even after days of traveling. Their hair is impeccably styled. Their finger nails are always trimmed and clean. Even under extremely heavy rain, Wei's face is sometimes completely dry and his dry hair fluttered in the wind (episode 26). Wei's flute playing is incredibly fake. Whenever Wei plays the flute, his fingers or breathing rhythm never correspond to the melody. He would take a breath but the music continues. The same goes for Lan's qin. The location for the corpses of the Jiang couple is different in different shots. They died in the courtyard during the flashback but are seen in the main hall (still holding hands) otherwise. And apparently the 30 soldiers present in the final battle against Wen represented 3000. The math is also wrong. From the start of the show, the show labeled both Wei's suicide and Wei's school year as 16 years ago, but at least 1 year passed between the 2 events. People 16 years ago look exactly the same 16 years after. Lastly, the CGI and monster make-up are usually pretty bad but I understand how expensive it can be. Still, there's no excuse for zero blood loss when your whole arm is cut off. The Netflix subtitles are a little inaccurate.

My third and final criticism is the ending and unresolved plot lines. I had hoped for a brighter ending with the two of them together forever, riding into the sunset on the donkey but what we got are scenes of them leaving each other and a smile. It felt incredibly lonely. Some of the unanswered questions include: What happened during the 3 months in the Burial Mounds? How did Wei get the amulet from the sword? How was he able to use the amulet with his flute? We know he had a knack for inventing spells but this is on a whole new level. Why does Lan's body have the exact scars that were on Wei's previous body? Even if the lash scars are explained, the triangular burn scar on Lan's chest isn't.

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Easy to watch, quick to finish. Happy ending.

I love it.

Realism and Representation: no stereotypes, caricatures, or heteronormativity. Gitae calls Chisoo hyung, not oppa as straight people would think. Both of them are established gay characters. Chisoo got bullied for being a gay orphan and his adoptive father is also homophobic. Conversely, Gitae's sister is completely supportive.

Story: interesting premise, a breath of fresh air for this genre. It has done surprisingly great with blending assassins with a fluffy, cute romance. What I don't find believable is that Chisoo's adoptive father would rather kill Chisoo and lose his best assassin than to accept him as gay. I mean, if he can't accept Chisoo, can't he just keep him at arm's length but still use him against his enemies? Also, why are there no guns? I'm very happy that they have a happy ending. I feel like there is a lot of potential to expand on their story.

Characters: there are only 5 major characters. Chisoo's "father" looks similar in age to Chisoo. Chisoo looks at least 30. Don't tell me "father" adopted him at age 10. To be honest, Gitae's physique really doesn't suggest his expertise in hand to hand combat (he bested Chisoo in melee).

Acting: everyone gave a solid performance, although Chisoo's crying scenes aren't convincing at all. The sex scenes are very sweet and tender. They're both really clumsy with each other the first time they made out it's hilarious. The fights are pretty well choreographed. Chisoo's called the Flying Dagger but never once threw a dagger.

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Could be better

Realism and Representation: this is pretty good. There are no caricatures, stereotypes, heteronormativity or demonization of women. One of the main characters is a very flamboyant gay man but he is neither a caricature or a stereotype because he has depth. A lot of the story is set within a gay sauna so there are a variety of gay men, although most are extras. One of the love interests, Paul, can be considered to be pansexual.

Story: This is a hilarious and feel-good series. There is potential for the story to go further, especially regarding the endings. More interaction between the love interests and the main characters in their correct bodies would be nice because right now it feels incomplete. I want to see more gay intimacy. There are 2 endings, which is kind of gimmicky. The only major difference is whether Xiao Chi accepts or rejects his "girlfriend." Obviously the one where he rejects her is more logical, thus is my preferred ending. I'd like to see him actually get together with the art dealer. It takes only 30 seconds, why not include it? As for the other ending, if he accepts to date the girl, all the build up and tension between him and the art-dealer, and Hua Hua asking if he likes boys would be for nothing. He has zero chemistry with her and is obviously uncomfortable with her clinginess. So, for me, to include the other ending is unnecessary. Why not go all out different if you're going to do it?

Acting: there isn't enough range of emotions to showchase the actors' skills but for its purposes, everyone gave a solid performance.

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Feels icky

I know this is supposed to be cute and endearing but one looks like a middle school student and the other an adult man in his twenties. Feels icky honestly. The movie shows them in the same school so they're supposed to be only a few years apart so maybe cast actors who look similar in age? The music video in the middle is completely unnecessary. It breaks the flow of the movie even if it raises valid concerns about meeting strangers - but in the end they're actually schoolmates, so what's the relevance? There is no dialogue but I feel some of the expressions are exaggerated in overcompensation.

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Short Series with Amazing Chemistry between Leads

A surprising BL entry from South Korea, given the general homophobic attitudes there. This series avoids all the pitfalls common to the BL genre. The story is very straight forward and I can't say it's original because it's realistic in that way: boys fall in love, parents intervene, boys get back together. The characters are distinctive, well-acted and not stereotypes. Both protagonists are really cute. It's a slow burn series but it only has 8 10-minute episodes. The leads have amazing chemistry. They end up happily together although it's only at the very end of the series, after being 3 years apart and much heartbreak. There isn't much time to touch on much but the relationship between the protagonists but homophobia (from the father) and matter-of-fact acceptance is touched upon. Both protagonists are never established as gay or bi but given they're only in high school, I think it's reasonable. The most annoying character has to be the fujoshi owner of the restaurant although I must say it's an accurate portrayal. No, gay men don't owe you insights into their sex lives.

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A clusterfuck with some good moments

Representation: First of all, Pan is a LESBIAN in a BL drama. It's a miracle. A miracle turned disaster because of Fah. It perpetuates the idea that lesbians simply haven't found the right man. I don't even want to talk about corrective rapes. Make her bisexual from the start if you want Pan choosing between a man and a woman. Given how heteronormative every society is, how likely is it that an openly gay lesbian finds out she's bi? We didn't even get her inner struggle about her identity once she finds out she's attracted to a man, after knowing herself to be lesbian for a long time. They fucked up Pan's whole character. Also, I just wish Apo and Waii got together after Waii broke up with Fay. It fed into the stereotype that bisexual guys are indecisive and unfaithful. You can explore your emotions and sexuality without betraying people. But I like how Waii lost both Apo (for a year) and Fay in the end. The show has a lot of homophobic elements but none of the characters actually call homophobic behavior out. When Puth called Kluay and Achi bride and groom, no one corrected him. During the homophobic bullying scene, the only retort the main characters had was, "Mind your own business!" Weak.

Apo and Waii have good chemistry. Visually, the show is set but unfortunately everything else is simply sub-par. The story is nothing special and Apo and Waii never seemed to be the main couple. The acting is far from perfect although there is significant improvement towards the last few episodes. The acting is fine with comedic and playful scenes but it's the emotionally charged scenes that usually need work, for example Kan's outburst and crying into Apo's chest and the homophobic bullying scene - they were extraordinarily fake. The exceptions are probably Apo's goodbye with Waii, Fay and Waii's confrontation, and also the Coach's crying scene - all of them happen towards the end. I think most of the problem lies in the script and the direction - the entire show is very cringey most of the time. For example, the director uses very cliche ways to get their faces close together for that awkward (TM) stare of accidental desire. There are so many close ups featuring Waii and Apo's throats, swallowing saliva to convey nervousness or whatever. Waii and Apo's first "kiss" was super cringey (as were all other kisses). And then in an even more ridiculous fashion, he assaulted Apo (sexually) to find out if gay sex is better, or he was just repressed. Just WTF. It was never addressed afterwards. Truth be told, I fast forward many scenes because they were just that bad. While I liked the ending, the director deprived us of the final kiss between Apo and Waii. Why?

Most characters are extremely unlikable, at least in the first half of the show. Honestly I think Apo was the only reason I kept on. Waii was a selfish, unreasonable asshole with a grudge and mommy issues. But for all the build up and frustration we get from watching Waii being childish, Waii and Kan's make up scene was extremely lackluster. Pan is a disaster of a character, her bullying Fah wasn't funny or endearing. Wan was a complete bitch at the start. Fay was annoyingly sweet but at least her scenes are consistently good.

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