Thai romcom with a ton of product placement

Overall: it's a fairly standard Thai romcom except it lost me around the halfway mark. I have not read the manga this is based on and I tried to review this adaptation on its own merits instead of comparing it to the Japanese live action adaptation of the same name. 12 episodes about 45 minutes each. Aired on GMMTV's YouTube channel.

Content Warning: slap

What I Liked
- clear premise
- lighthearted romcom
- sweet moments
- the bike riding scene
- that Kongthap gave it serious thought in ep 1
- made something clear at the end of episode 2 instead of dragging it out
- My School President Easter egg in episode 3
- good established m/m couple
- a character wanted physical affection
- the Chinzilla band cameo in ep 11

Room For Improvement
- the intro scene and then the voice over that re-told what we already knew
- the overused comedy sound effects detracted from the comedy
- felt draggy
- camera blocked kisses (I realize the towel was from the manga but they didn't have to follow the manga exactly and then even the het couple had a camera blocked kiss)
- nonsense stuff, they didn't even show the props that they decorated
- I still hated the slap but at least there was an apology
- a teacher asking a student about their love life
- running after a car was not cute
- this might have the most product placements that I've ever seen, but I didn't really take off points because series like this allow GMMTV to make series like Not Me

Leia Mais

a travel ad with very explicit scenes (watch suggestions)

Overall: this had very slow pacing and then some of the most explicit NSFW scenes that I have ever seen from Thailand. Note that this has nothing to do with the Taiwanese BL Kiseki Dear To Me, also there isn't a chapter 1 (there was supposed to be but an actor left the company). There will apparently be a special episode with 1 of the couples. Aired on Viu (need to VPN to Thailand) and GagaOOLala. Later re-aired on 9NAA's YouTube channel (cut free to watch, uncut for channel members). The production company 9NAA also made: Venus In The Sky, Check Out, Skinship and I Am Your King.

Watch Suggestions (unless you like a lot of eating, drinking, taking pictures and singing/guitar playing)
- read the synopsis
- skip episode 1
- episode 2 watch 8-12, 16-24, 28-31 and 33:30 to the end
- episode 3 watch 19-25, 40:25-45:40, 50 minutes to the end
- skip episode 4 (unless you want to learn about Japanese bathhouses which is in the 2nd half)
- episode 5 watch 22-24:30 (very NSFW) and 27:50-31 (very NSFW)
- episode 6 watch 22-24 and 27-30:30, could also watch the last few minutes

What I Liked
- centered on 4 characters with an easy to understand premise
- twins as lead characters
- the scene where a character splashed water on his face and pretended to be happy/smile
- the actors did a good job with their explicit scenes, they used some tongue which was realistic

Room For Improvement
- slow pacing, a lot of time spent hugging trees, singing, drinking, eating and taking pictures
- an actor said that they were totally naked in their NSFW scenes which made me worry about how comfortable they were (and apparently the director said he'd go naked to make them comfortable but that sounded more like a threat than being helpful), however, we saw a cord around 1 actor's waist, I'd rather they let the actors wear underwear and use creative angles/shots because the viewer's imagination could fill in the rest; update, the cord might be something religious (let me know if anyone knows more about this)
- wanted them to move from the stairs to a bedroom and I wanted to know what the character was going to say
- toilet humor/scenes
- in episode 3 I wish they hadn't shown a character as extremely drunk before what happened
- they didn't take out the chapter 2 from the title when chapter 1 might never air or if it does it would air after chapter 2

Leia Mais

historical masterpiece

Overall: I applaud the writers for giving us this series. I read the book but reviewed the series on its own merits. The cut version is 45 minutes and uncut episodes were over an hour. Aired on YouKu app, GagaOOLala (uncut), YYDS YT channel https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLoqdmwJPCU35AqHWHKLdr5RWqQhBiVl61 (depending on your country) Check out these 2 official movie cuts which center on Yai & Jom
Part 1 of Jom & Yai’s Epic Love Story https://youtu.be/Tt5-Wa5z3RE
Part 2 of Jom & Yai’s Epic Love Story https://youtu.be/vT-HG57Nt7w

Content Warnings: (there were major content warnings that I put under a spoiler)

What I Liked
- sweet moments and excellent chemistry
- finally we had well written female characters instead of cliche stereotypes, these women acted/felt/reacted how real women would
- strong messages without being corny, they showed the unfairness of wealth disparities, they addressed something that happened in episode 3 as traumatic and not romantic, we almost never see this between a married couple in fiction though it sadly happens in real life and then they showed the trauma of what can result from that circumstance
- unique premise
- that Jom had agency
- intimate scenes were done extremely well
- production value

Room For Improvement
- Jom was a bit frustrating in the first half though he really went thru a lot, I blame the editing for unnecessary long pauses
- the ending was extremely rushed and not really clear of what exactly happened, they could have condensed some of the side plots/scenes in the first half of the series to more fully show the ending
- that mustache was awful and not needed in ep 1
- Jom should have said quietly what the year was when he learned who that ruler was as international fans don't know the date (but it's in the series summary)

Leia Mais

My new favorite Korean BL

Overall: I read part of the manhwa and novel that the series is based on and I think they did a really wonderful adaptation. This is a good example of narrowing the focus to fewer characters/romantic relationships to fit it in a shorter runtime. Watched on Viki, also aired on Gagaoolala in some regions. (minor spoilers)

Content Warnings: bullying/harassment, non con/dub con kiss (sleeping)

What I Liked
- the character aesthetics/styling
- good side characters like Yu Na (also that reference to her being bi was awesome), we avoided the evil woman cliche
- I really liked that Jae Young‬ actually left Sang Woo‬ alone a couple of times instead of the aggressive pursuit/stalking that is frequently romanticized
- the music fit well
- the whimsical editing in the beginning linked it to the manhwa
- funny parts like all the plaid shirts and some sassy responses
- the color symbology (going to have to re-watch again and pay attention)
- good production value (and English subs were added quickly)

Room For Improvement
- more lip ring was needed
- it felt a bit choppy in areas like we ended at once place and then the next scene is a different location/time, also not sure how much time has passed in between certain scenes and it would have been nice to know
- I wish Jae Young had actually followed Sang Woo's physical touch boundaries for more than 1 episode or they had had a discussion to adjust the boundaries in a later episode

Leia Mais

KinnPorsche, close but not quite

Overall: I rated the first episode a 9.5. Unfortunately the series kind of fell apart for me, but there were some really good aspects. Although there's crack comedy (and some stupid comedy) parts, I would label KP as a mature series with major content warnings. Make sure to watch past the credits for the final episode. Watched on iQIYI (watched the uncut La Forte and also several episodes of the cut TV version)

Content Warnings: murders/deaths, attempted murder, suicide, threatened suicide, non con kissing and sex (drugged), dub/non con kiss (drunk), torture, manipulation, violence, fight scenes, blood and gore, kidnapping, pet death, breaking & entering, trauma/past trauma, physical abuse, self harm, drunk driving? 17/18 year old with 22? year old (this personally didn't bother me the way it was presented)

What I Liked
- intro song and the music fit the scenes well
- acting, especially Apo and his microexpressions
- some of the funny moments like that light shining on Porsche in the bar as if he's sent from heaven in ep 1
- really lovely cinematography such as the bathroom scene in episode 7
- beautiful and well thought out lighting
- Porsche and Porschay brother relationship was super sweet
- that Kinn and Porsche were realistically horny after they got together
- a more unique premise (we don't have many BL mafia series)
- fun product placements like that bread in the bed
- the free, shorter TV versions are cut really well and it doesn't ruin the series, they toned down/cut some of the violence and sex/nudity in the shorter versions as well as other parts (like cutting the toilet humor from ep 1 which I appreciated)

Room For Improvement
- disappointed with Porsche's character. In the first episode he's shown as a good fighter and intelligent but then it all goes downhill. He does some of the stupidest things, speaking of...
- really stupid decisions from multiple characters (somehow Tankhun is the smartest brother...), Kinn saying he forgot something - really???
- back to Porsche. It's so odd how the character felt about the mafia in episode 1 to where he ends up in the finale with apparently no internal struggle.
- lack of character growth with KinnPorsche, they are terrible at communicating and trusting one another. I wanted to see them work thru this and grow together. Kinn continued to seek his father's approval and I wanted him to start breaking away.
- stark tonal changes. At the end of episode 10 there was no time to grieve, just farting in the bed. I think humor can go well with a darker tone (like Our Flag Means Death) but going from torture to silly scenes did not work for me.
- non logic: owning an expensive motorcycle and having no money, going clubbing with only 3 bodyguards when someone wants you dead, knowing how to spearfish but not that a small knife won't cut through bone, clean shaven after 3 days in the wilderness, lack of police, no one wears bullet proof vests ever
- the dub/non con with KinnPorsche although I appreciate that it wasn't immediately glossed over, there was apologizing and some selfless acts
- Vegas and Pete needed more screen time. I really wish we had seen Pete have a wet dream with Vegas and Pete as a masochist earlier. Also that he purposefully got caught because he was attracted to Vegas. Their relationship felt Stockholm Syndromey and was very rushed. The sex scene needed less music and more actual sounds from them, a steadier camera and some research on BDSM.
- Kim/Porschay, they needed more screentime as well. I was confused by Porschay's intensity as it seemed they were together for a short time but in a later episode Kim looks back at a bunch of pictures of them together and it made me think they dated for longer than I thought.
- camerawork was a little too shaky during action scenes
- replacing swear words with things like "fudge" WTF? We see multiple murders but using swear words is too much (I didn't take off points for this though as maybe the production couldn't control the subs)
- it felt like maybe too many twists at the end, definitely felt like a set up for season 2

Leia Mais

mostly a good mess

Overall: the trailer promised a bunch of flawed guys in messy relationships and it mostly delivered but some things didn't work for me. Aired 12 episodes about 45 minutes each on GMMTVs YouTube Channel

Content Warnings: manhandling, vomiting, manipulation, non con touching, non con recording/sharing, voyeurism, past attempted suicide, alcoholism, punches, drug usage, queerphobia

What I Liked
- they introduced the characters well, I could tell who they were and their relationships to one another
- some good showing not telling, just the way a character looks at another character tells me a lot about their feelings
- the different characters/relationship dynamics
- realistically flawed characters
- NSFW was well done
- GL established pair (however they had very little screen time and it felt like token representation instead of fleshed out characters/interesting plot)
- sweet moments
- how the ending credits change
- a character has two moms
- bixsexual representation
- ep 9 Sand and Nick were adorable
- showing a character going to therapy
- Yo & Plug's relationship and talking about the importance of trust
- production value

Room For Improvement
- Chueam just saying it was no big deal when Atom could have ruined a person's life and put him in jail was terrible character/plot writing (and unrealistic, I think most people would be super pissed at their sibling for that), and then there was a weak apology in the final episode
- Atom lying about non con also fuels the idea of survivors lying when in reality lying about this is very rare
- the flawed characters didn't bother me, but there wasn't enough growth for them to be in relationships, they all need therapy and to be solo for awhile
- Top, his redemption arc was not good, he ignored Mew's boundaries, was pretty manipulative and selfish, and the non con touching was awful
- Mew, seeing an optimistic character become jaded is something I don't enjoy watching, and I don't enjoy people who play games
- Ray, the writers needed to have him have a bit more character growth sooner and also not just say the right things but do the right things, he'd take a step forward and then a step back again, it's realistic to have setbacks but trying to cram everything in at the very end wasn't good
- Boeing, his character was not needed (although he was super hot), they should have spent more time on the other characters learning/growing (or not and then realistically ruining their relationships)
- the endings were really predictable and wish GMMTV had been a bit more risky
- showed monogamy as good and polyamory as bad
- there were a few jumpy parts, for example characters were cuddling at night and the next scene was during the day in a bookstore
- not a fan of the outfit/styling choices for many characters
- sometimes music didn't fit the mood like a serious part would have this upbeat music

(info) in ep 1 I was a bit confused by the colored wristbands to denote relationship status, apparently this is a real thing (which I think is an awesome idea)

Leia Mais

a jerk and an idiot with good chemistry

Overall: We managed to get not just 1 but then a 2nd jerk main leads (well Aioon was maybe more of an idiot). They had good chemistry, but things just didn't make sense. Watched on Gagaoolala.

Content Warnings: physical violence, fight scene, threatening violence to employees, manipulation, mental health issue, bullying

What I Liked
- Aioon and Nawee had good chemistry (they looked comfortable in intimate scenes, I would like to see these actors together in another series)
- Jeff Satur is singing the OST
- pretty good production value (I liked that mirror reflection shot in the last episode)

Room For Improvement
- I really didn't like Nawee's behavior/character. Past trauma doesn't give you an excuse to be a total a**hole - if they had shown his dad/step brother being abusive in the past and then Nawee had character growth, I would have been better with that
- the cliche wannabe wife/girlfriend plot*
- *this just made me dislike Aioon for stringing her along for who knows how many years, so Aioon is a jerk too
- I don't understand why Aioon had such a sudden change of heart. Nawee treated him terribly and then one finger suck and he's in love???
- Aioon is also an idiot, who tries to cure anxiety/phobia like that? If it were that easy, then people wouldn't have anxiety/phobia.
- cliche drama at the end and then a rushed ending with a flashback montage
- that dad's character didn't make sense. Why would he have Nawee run the company only to then later switch it to his step brother? If the dad hates Nawee that much he would never have let him run it in the first place.
- I think they should have cut the adopted brother character and made Nawee's assistant and Aioon's brother be romantic or used that time to develop the Nawee/Aioon plot more
- the mullet (I didn't take points off for this, but I dislike mullets)

Leia Mais

Oh! That Was a Thing...

Overall: This is based on the manhwa so I started to read it and they changed the main characters for the worse in the live action adaption. Watched on Viki.

Content Warnings: attempted violence, non con touch (sleeping)

What I Liked
- an interesting premise
- I laughed a few times
- the burglar (except for who he chose to go after first, come on!), I actually wish the burglar had been a housemate the whole time
- good production value*

Room For Improvement
- odd things, why was the main character kneeling when calling his mom because his video wasn't turned on? But then at the end of the call the video was on; who goes to their room instead of the kitchen to bake and who goes into someone else's room and eats their cake? who lets a super drunk best friend go home by themselves?
- the main character is creepy/desperate and ignoring boundaries at the beginning, it's odd
- the other main character was a big jerk to a woman in episode 4, I don't like either main character, I don't understand his sudden shift either
- the kissing was not good
- pointless love triangle (this was in the source material)
- wasn't into the m/f couple (this was in the source material)
- the actions of the characters doesn't feel realistic
- there is no intro
- *some shaky camerawork

Leia Mais

Sweet but nonsensical/annoying plot devices

Overall: this is a 33 minute short movie that has some sweet moments but I was really irritated by several plot holes/nonsense plot things.

Content Warnings: non con kiss (eyes were closed and was not expecting it)

What I Liked
- the sweet moments
- the color grading
- the shipper friends were cute but why start now*
- a few nice flirts and a nice comeback
- the second kiss scene was fairly well done

Room For Improvement (spoilers)
- *the main issue is why on earth would you wait three years to reveal your identity to someone that you like and take secret pictures of them? The writer/s should have made this a shorter time frame like 3 months or given an explanation (such as the other guy had to leave the country for school or something)
- there is no context in the beginning of where they are, what they are doing there and what the 2 main protagonists' relationship is with each other (school acquaintances?)
- odd that he says he almost drowned there, then says just kidding, then immediately explained how he almost drowned there
- who leaves someone who almost died before medical professionals arrive?
- how does someone who is barely conscious take a ring off of someone's finger?
- I hate when people/characters "test" a relationship especially in that way
- he read his diary and that's supposed to be romantic instead of a violation of privacy
- he secretly took pictures of him for 3 years and that's supposed to be romantic instead of stalker behavior

Leia Mais

A cotton candy BL - sweet & fluffy with nothing substantial to it

Overall: if you want to see a ton of longing and jealous looks, gorgeous guys and like food, then this is the show for you. FYI the description on viki is not accurate as to how the plot plays out (you don't cook for someone that you hate). At only 8 episodes ~10 min each, it's very bingeable. I'm waffling between overall an 8 or 8.5.

Content Warnings: 1 punch

What I Liked
- the visuals
- the production value was good
- there were several sweet moments
- the funny moments , my new favorite way to tell someone their cooking is awful "it tastes new" haha
- I actually don't mind the common tropes like accidental fall, hurt/comfort, apron tying, drunk scene, etc.
 
Room For Improvement
- this is a 'love at first sight' situation which though common, isn't my favorite
- how the two guys were fighting over the other guy like he was an object and didn't have any say in the matter
- odd how the cook left his recipes and baby photos in his old apartment
- though I think it played out pretty mildly, love triangles aren't my thing

Leia Mais

good chemistry (watch suggestions)

Overall: gorgeous visuals and good chemistry but the plot wasn't for me. This was based on a book "Love Sea" written by MAME which I haven't read and I reviewed the series on its own merits. 10 episodes about 50 minutes each. Aired on iQIYI https://www.iq.com/play/love-sea-episode-1-214nh5b3jss?lang=en_us There is an extra scene after the initial credits in episodes and at the very end of the last episode. Me Mind Y also produced: Wedding Plan, Love In The Air, Don't Say No & TharnType.

Content Warnings: past child abuse and intimate partner violence, blood, manhandling, trauma/mental health struggles, colorism, non con touching turned consensual, punch, coercion

Watch Suggestions (focuses on the main couple and cuts out a lot of villains/angst)
- watch episodes 1-3
- watch episode 4, 13:45-20, 43:30-47, 52:30 to the end
- watch episode 5, could skip 23:30-46:25 which was some of the GL and an annoying character
- watch episode 6, beginning to 15:20, 19:20-24, 49:15-end
- watch episode 7, beginning to 13, cameo at 36 min and 39-43
- start episode 8 at 8, brief hug at 17, watch 28:50-31:12, 35-45:30, 58 to the end
- start episode 9 at 15:20
- watch episode 10, beginning to 10 and then to skip a lot of moping angst start at 1hr4min and watch until the end (extra scene at the very end)

What I Liked
- scuba diving intro/scenery
- visuals
- supportive brother/wingman and Vie was also supportive
- chemistry/intimate scenes
- sweet moments
- indicated condom usage
- a public service announcement about the importance of coral reefs
- good that Tongrak stands up for Mahasamut in episode 5
- easter egg of the Love Sea book
- cameo in episode 7
- child actor did a good job
- Mahasamut was intelligent, had pretty solid communication but also had self-respect

Room For Improvement
- had a bit of whiplash/reactions in first episodes
- comedy sound effects like a baby crying detracted from the comedy
- an evil character got punched but then there was the 'we'll contact the police if he does terrible stuff again' nonsense
- 'because the writer said so stuff' i.e. Vie's "plan", a character acted unrealistically whiny

Leia Mais

started off well but cliched plot elements led it astray (watch suggestions)

Overall: I initially gave this a 9.5 because it was a peak Japanese romcom. However, cliched writing really let this series down. 10 episodes about 20 minutes each. The series is based on a manga which I haven't read and I'm reviewing the series based on its own merits. Aired on GagaOOLala https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/3947/although-i-love-you-and-you-2024-e01

Content Warnings: manipulation

Watch Suggestions
- watch episodes 1-3
- end episode 4 at 22 minutes
- start episode 5 at 19:20
- watch episode 6 30 seconds to 1:30
- watch episode 7 11:02-11:40 and 17:30 to 21:55
- watch episode 8
- watch episode 9 until 15:50
- start episode 10 at 18 minutes

What I Liked
- funny parts
- sweet moments
- Sakae's friend
- restaurant regulars
- Soga's non cliched female coworker
- worked on their communication in episode 8 and Soga said what he wanted at the end of that episode

Room For Improvement
- confusing start, wasn't sure if that was a flash forward or flashback until they explained a little more later in the episode
- very cliched writing, spent way too much time on the ex, Sakae is shown as knowing what he wants until he suddenly doesn't, poor communication trope
- the comedy music was funny at first but it was overused
- thin plot stretched out over 10 episodes (needed to be 6 episodes instead), way too much time spent on side characters instead of developing the main couple
- what they pretended to do in episode 9 was stupid, the train ride is less than 3 hours, it wasn't as big of a deal as they made it seem
- 2nd couple came out of nowhere in episode 10, rather they had developed this couple instead of all the love rival nonsense

Leia Mais

an indie mini series done right

Overall: I enjoyed how this was centered on the main leads (no love triangles/cliche female characters/random side plots). 7 episodes about 10 minutes each. Aired on GND Studio YouTube channel https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-UjFgW8TJEcVMXRV63uoHXg7rXv7mwll&si=9uCOLI4bRiXQRyBd

Content Warning: non con touching

What I Liked
- centered on the 2 leads
- made me chuckle a few times
- good way to show time passing
- realistic way to show a character was queer
- protagonists apologized
- good kissing (that last kiss was awesome)
- production value

Room For Improvement
- started with a flash forward
- with such short episodes, they should have released at least 2 per week
- a continuity error with hand placement when the one guy was reading the comic
- the not respecting boundaries/acting a little too carefree (it made a little more sense with the revelation in the final episode but the other character didn't know that earlier)
- odd that they camera blocked the cheek kiss
- episode 6 could have been better spent instead of the jealousy stuff
- cliche end of episode 4 plot point (had plenty of time to explain)

Leia Mais

mini series that lacks focus

Overall: this had the vibe of a vertical micro series but thankfully had the horizontal orientation and episodes that were more than a minute long. I gave it an indie rating bump. 12 short episodes. Aired on YouTube https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8QwMuXkPNuYkmlnFYDA78oV68V0crXk0&si=x-BV47wLAtZgVRiZ and PPeach app.

Content Warning: attempted drugging, drugging, dub con kiss, blackmail, non con picture taking/sharing, unwanted outing

What I Liked
- supportive friend
- the kiss
- sweet moments
- good a character didn't do something when another character was drugged though unfortunately he did something else
- in episode 11 they subverted a very common trope that I dislike
- music

Room For Improvement
- confused on the timeline and who characters were/their relationship to one another
- too many characters
- silly a character didn't explain something for so long, I'm sure he could have used social media, gone in person, etc.
- too many flashbacks, spending time on guys playing volleyball or video gaming instead of developing their relationship
- confusing release schedule, should have released all for members and then after a set time released them for free at least 1 a day for 12 days or if they had narrowed the focus of the plot/reduced characters then I wouldn't have been as confused watching 2 episodes per week
- mom did a 180 really fast
- 2 blocked kisses at the end (but despite what MDL says, this makes a little sense given the country it's actually from)

Leia Mais

fans of Cutie Pie will like Cutie Pie 2 You

Overall: I think that fans of the first season will enjoy this second season/special (4 episodes about 50 minutes each). Aired on YouTube. My review of Cutie Pie is here https://mydramalist.com/profile/blcompilations/reviews/193979/

Content Warning: non con touching

What I Liked
- supportive friendships between characters especially Kuea and Nuer
- Lian's assistant Foei
- consent issues brought up*
- the intimate scenes, no dead fish lip presses during them
- sweet moments
- production value
- neutral, there are some comedy sound effects

Room For Improvement
- *this franchise does like 50% of consent really well and 50% poorly, Lian telling Kuea he wouldn't go further due to Kuea being drunk was good (though Kuea didn't look drunk until afterwards and it felt a bit like taking away his agency) but did Lian forget what he did in the first season? Also, why did Kuea have to apologize to his harasser, wth???
- all three couples (Kuea and Lian the most) do not feel like they've been in romantic relationships for a year, they feel like middle schoolers who just started dating, why do you need to ask a long term partner to kiss them, because it was in public? Wouldn't they know their partner's PDA preferences by then??? I feel that they never actually talk to their romantic partners.
- Kuea's repeated reluctance with Lian
- still has the dynamic with two couples of a controlling parental-type and shy/obedient child rather than an equal partner dynamic
- annoyed they went for comedy during Nuer/Syn's scene, that could have been a really lovely intimate scene
- some scenes jumped a bit or were not clear
- the obvious product placement in the final episode
- not a fan of the flash forward at the beginning and then going back to show what happened leading up to it, also annoyed that Lian would do that a second time, doing that in public can actually be kind of manipulative because a person might feel pressured to answer a certain way

Leia Mais