great start, terrible ending

Overall: I was really impressed with the first episode and the first half of the second episode. Unfortunately, cliched writing really let it down. Aired cut on SUKFILM YouTube channel https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYfaogVGCvwTczUW4K1YELu_cWQfUQ21a&si=Wv8xKJkU1Fq2v-5t and uncut with channel Membership https://youtu.be/ync6RU2p-Mg?si=veM-TZOGJ6Q67cI5 (I have watched both the cut and uncut versions)
Update - since they are airing more episodes I have increased my rating to a 7

Content Warning: coercion

What I Liked
- tension/chemistry
- indirect way at first to say he didn't have money, used context clues instead of exposition dumps
- clear communication at the start of episode 2
- intimacy

Room For Improvement
- didn't love that they were doing something before what happened at the end of ep 1
- characters started doing "because the writer said so" stuff in episode 2, why would he write that right next to the other guy? why did all of a sudden feelings change and he ran out to meet him? he just left his phone screen visible on the table when he left, etc
- cliched female characters as potential/actual antagonists
- this is obviously an indie production, but I think they could have collaborated with a coffee shop to get a free location in exchange for naming them as a sponsor/publicity, also subtitle errors in episode 4 made the plot confusing (also had some missing subtitles)
- that ending was such a letdown, cliched and unsatisfying (update: they decided to release more episodes)

Leia Mais

could have been amazing...

Overall: I would have given it an 8 if they had ended this at ep 6, but I deducted a half point for ep 7. It could have been poignant with exploring more serious topics, but there were several missteps. Aired on Viki and GagaOOLala (depending on your country).

Content Warnings: self harm, harassment/bullying, slaps, held against will, trauma/grief, vomiting, another major content warning that happens off screen in the past

What I Liked
- intro with the music and the animation/style of it
- archery integration and Da Yeol's plotline related to it was well done
- happy Tae Hyun told off his aunt but wanted to see more resolution
- Da Yeol's actions in episode 6/standing up for himself
- production value (but the too light make up and red eyeliner was not for me)

Room For Improvement
- struggled with their initial dynamic, it did get better though
- they tried to cover too much plot and as a result there was not enough resolution (aunt? dad? did Tae Hyun try to work on himself/go to therapy???)
- toilet humor and the comedy sound effects did not mesh well with the serious parts
- time jumps scream lazy writing to me, it should have been shorter and then not have episode 7 or saved that for a second season, speaking of....
- episode 7 was a huge letdown, these are 2 guys in their 20s, I think the production chickened out and catered to the minority of these idol actors' fans which was detrimental to the story/their characters, it felt so unrealistic that it took me out of the story
- the production also modified (unfortunately) that beginning scene in the nurses office from the source material (it was exactly what Da Yeol thought it was), it also made the "friend's" actions in the series kind of head scratching
- not clear how much time passed in the beginning episodes

Leia Mais

unique premise with convenient writing (watch suggestions)

Overall: although I enjoyed the premise the multitude of "because the writer said so" stuff is took me out of the fantasy. 10 episodes about 45 minutes each. Aired on iQIYI. Later re-aired on Kongthup's YouTube channel https://youtu.be/yu0c3Kg2HoI?si=Hp6hpsto4VXeMiuU

Content Warnings: murders, attempted murder, suicide, child abuse, drugging, blood, violence, torture, manipulation, manhandling, kidnapping

Watch Suggestions (this avoids some nonsense stuff and a love triangle)
episode 4 watch 9:50-11:20 for fun side couple bickering
episode 6 watch the whole episode
episode 7 watch beginning to 16:30 and 44 to the end
episode 8 watch 8:30-23:30 and then 32:30 to the end
episode 9 watch 24:20-37:20
episode 10 watch 44 minutes to the end

What I Liked
- unique premise
- mystery element
- Khram's female friend
- the side m/m couple
- intimacy/NSFW
- sweet moments

Room For Improvement
- my main struggle was that the characters keep acting completely unrealistically and it pulled me out of the story, a few examples included
* in episode 1 the whole "he won't do it again", the later not having a weapon or not having a bodyguard when a character knew he is in danger and then meeting in a sketchy location
* the medical scenario in episode 2 (should have gone with AB negative or rhnull but wouldn't the universal donor still work?)
* a character tortured another character, then one "I was a little harsh" and all was forgiven, similar thing happened in episode 10
* why didn't a character just tell another character the truth, there wasn't any world building that there would be consequences for this
* people on the run got out of a car in broad daylight
* not contacting police
* not immediately killing characters
* the dad received confirmation that what he wanted would never happen so doing what he did/said at the end of episode 5 made zero sense
* nonsense weapons being used including a butter knife and a sword
* nonsense doing that when extremely injured also his friend didn't seem to care that he left him there/didn't send help

- there were several times where the time jumps/flashbacks felt sudden or were confusing with which characters were in the scene, choppy editing
- the first few episodes had a lot of telling/montages instead of showing, I'd say they didn't have enough screen time but then some scenes could have been cut shorter
- in episode 5 they should have established that a character was evil because just being someone's son doesn't mean you deserve that
- a very cliche plot element in episode 9
- I saw 1 character as 2 different people so most of episode 10 felt like cheating
- unsatisfactory open ending

Leia Mais

a pleasant surprise

Overall: I enjoyed the duality of one of the leads, the aerial silks and more. 8 episodes about 45 minutes each. Aired on iQIYI. Approximately 3 months after the series finished airing on iQIYI, it was re-released on Deep Night The Series YouTube channel https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIh-ltO6DKlWlabCf7nTiWyyE_CcWnMdH&si=y-Xw77mcKFaLOrIJ

Content Warnings: manhandling, blackmail/coercion, past death, non con kissing, non con video recording/sharing

What I Liked
- clear premise
- sweet moments
- intimate scenes, mutual affection
- something I really wanted actually happened in the final episode, wish we could have seen a bit more of the relationship developments (maybe a special episode will happen???)
- Wela was smart and already knew something, he had agency
- aerial silks/pole
- the idea that people can act very different in different circumstances
- that Khem didn't want to do stuff when Wela was drunk (but drunk people will frequently say they are not drunk so I would have preferred they altered the scene slightly)
- GL representation
- a realistic point of tension with the main relationship
- mesh shirts
- apologizing and pretty good communication
- supportive parents
- (neutral) comedy sound effects (didn't seem to have as many or maybe I tuned them out)
- (neutral) there were a lot of characters introduced but the name tags many of them wore were helpful before I figured everyone out

Room For Improvement
- not a fan of, 'I won't tell your secret if I get to kiss you' type of stuff, luckily Wela held his own
- the shrieking in the first episode
- continuity error towards the end of ep 1, they were wearing different outfits when eating, perhaps they changed but it wasn't mentioned or shown
- nonsense stuff/convenient writing: 2 characters happened to have each others' phone numbers, drinking 1 shot wouldn't make a person so drunk that they wouldn't wake up and if it did they should go to the hospital, showing someone super drunk then not drunk and then not remembering things well the next morning (which a person would need to have been extremely drunk to have happen), the mom being worried about telling her son something
- the subtitles had several errors but I didn't take off points for it

Leia Mais

aggressive pursuer/reluctant pursuee

Overall: although the writers tried to make the aggressive pursuer/reluctant pursuee a comedy, it did not work for me.. Aired 2 episodes per week on GagaOOLala and Viki. Same production company as Our Dating Sim and My Sweet Dear (you can see a poster of the series in the office).

Content Warnings: harassment, non con picture taking, kick, non con touching, punch, manhandling

What I Liked
- laughed a few times ("my love for you isn't unconditional, I care about your looks" great line/writing!)
- there are tropes but they are done well
- sweet moments
- the last restaurant scene in episode 8
- some good kissing/actual mouth movement
- turning bedroom lights on and off at appropriate times
- Lee Jun was able to separate his work life from his personal feelings
- Lee Jun did end up having some agency instead of just an object others fight over

Room For Improvement
- dislike this type of dynamic where someone won't take no for an answer, the harassment lasted way too long and was too much
- this couple's relationship is doomed, where is the trust, where is the communication, where is the respect?
- never any explanation for why Ha Ram was so aggressive/smitten
- a scene was during the day and then suddenly it was night time
- the ignoring thing was stupid
- what Ha Ram told to their coworker in episode 7 without first consulting Lee Jun
- I don't mind people who are just looking for the short term but that should be clearly stated before going on a date (that guy needs a spin off series)
- voiceovers

Leia Mais

romance at its core

Overall: I gave this a 9 because even with plot holes/nonsense stuff the romance remained strong throughout and I enjoyed the series. 12 episodes about 40 minutes each. Aired on GagaOOLala in: US, UK, Germany, Australia https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/4709/kidnap-2024-e01 ; Netflix Asia http://www.netflix.com/us/title/81927 ; YouTube in some countries https://youtu.be/KhSyfKC06J4

Content Warnings: murder, attempted murder, blackmail, violence, kidnapping, mental health struggles/trauma, past death, blood

What I Liked
- an engaging intro that for once wasn't a flashback or a flash forward
- clear and unique premise
- subverted meet cute
- tension
- supportive sibling/sibling relationship
- sweet/caring moments
- characters were aware of their own and other characters' feelings
- ongoing physical intimacy
- a character went to therapy and their partner was extremely supportive
- that the villain had consequences (though I would have preferred it had happened differently)

Room For Improvement
- the beginning scene needed a little more light
- why did the guitar have to make an appearance in episode 1
- a ton of nonsense stuff (ie had all the lights on when going to sleep, being in the rain led to colds, doing villainy in broad daylight, talking about illegal plans in a public place, a character didn't run away with another character in the past, and a lot more)
- "comedy" sound effects like the quack noise didn't make things funny
- the trailer made it seem more of an action series when it's mostly a romcom

Leia Mais

GMMTV ensemble romcom

Overall: this was a Thai ensemble romcom with several sweet moments, but I wish they had increased the pacing. 16 episodes about 45 minutes each. Aired on iQIYI exclusively for U.S., Canada and Thailand; on GMMTVs YouTube channel for everywhere else. The director's more recent BL works include: Absolute Zero, A Boss & a Babe, Between Us and My Only 12%.

Content Warnings: hit, hits played as comedy, punches in the past, vomiting, manhandling, manipulation

What I Liked
- seeing many GMMTV actors again
- whale spout hairstyle
- took a taxi when drinking
- the friend groups
- sweet moments
- the bloopers at the end of episode 16

Room For Improvement
- some lackluster kissing which in 2024 and a major production studio meant that I took off a half point
- slow pacing, the story could have been told in 8 episodes instead of 16
- voice over exposition dump/main character intro
- the myriad of comedy sound effects did not make me laugh
- nonsense "plans", cliched poor communication skills
- art students transported important paintings without any carrying cases
- because there were so many couples I (and likely others) had favorites and tended to fast forward/skip other couples

Leia Mais

enjoyable romcom

Overall: it was a fun watch and I hope we get a sequel/see these actors in more series. 8 episodes about 45 minutes each. Aired on iQIYI and YouTube (not in the U.S.) here is the first episode link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s27LxcQeg_0

Content Warnings: kidnapping/held against will, manipulation, coercion

What I Liked
- the supporting characters
- I did laugh several times, the comedy sound effects weren't excessive (I loved that security guard just watching them go at it like that wasn't part of his job lol), though the comedy did give way to angst at some points
- sweet and supportive moments (though Yang should have apologized verbally in episode 3)
- Tammy wasn't a cliche female character
- ep 6 NSFW scene was very well done

Room For Improvement
- plot holes/continuity errors/nonsense stuff (i.e. pretty sure that isn't how you find investors/partners, why didn't he just ask his wealthy parents???)
- Phojai's plan/timeline made no sense and that was a weak apology
- they lived in the same building, but this was not shown/explained and then sometimes Phumjai was at a different bedroom/house (his parents?)
- cliche plot point in ep 5 and other cliches (sick after being in the rain, accidental fall/catch, etc)
- ending was rushed, too much of the debt stuff (could have cut that whole plot out)
- several interrupted kisses in the final episode
- I didn't deduct points for the blatant product placement because it funded the series

Note: I am blown away that Offroad's character here is so different from Saint in Our Days, I have to keep looking to make sure it's the same actor

Leia Mais

teased spice and delivered a romcom

Overall: I mostly enjoyed this series, though there were some nonsense character actions and cliched plot points that started in episode 7 which frustrated me. 12 episodes about 45 minutes each. Aired on GMMTV's YouTube channel.

Content Warnings: manhandling, punches, drugging?, grief, trauma, past death, non con kiss, non con touching, held against will, violence, blood, beaten up

Watch Suggestions
- skip episode 7 except watch part 4
- stop episode 8 part 3 at 9 min and start episode 8 part 4 at 9 min
- watch ep 9 part 1 at 10:30 to the end, start episode 9 part 2 at 2:28, then episode 9 part 3 start at 6 min

What I Liked
- intro got my attention, though not a fan of flash forwards/backs in general to start a series
- did laugh a few times
- asexual representation (however wish they had developed this more instead of just a little at the end)
- established couple*
- sweet moments
- excellent grandma, supportive friend & supportive brother
- ongoing physical affection/interest and discussing preferences
- HPV public service announcement/skit
- easter eggs of The Eclipse, room 609 (for 609 Bedtime Story) and 666 which revers to the devil, Tanwarin Hospital
- mentioning that seeing a psychologist was normal
- incorporating marriage equality

Room For Improvement
- the slapstick comedy sound effects detracted from the humor a few times
- the very fictional so drunk a person is passed out and then a few minutes later appeared not drunk at all
- friend left him extremely drunk, he should have said he had a hospital emergency and called a taxi which Wandee then didn't get into
- in episode 2 a character says stop and the other character didn't though it can be inferred the 'stop' was not an actual 'stop'
- nonsense medical stuff like gossiping in front of patients
- the worry Yak brought up in episode 3 suddenly didn't seem to matter
- *in episode 5 Cher was acting immature which is not what I wanted to see (more steam would be great/realistic from the beginning would have made more sense from an established couple)
- corny/too stylized like the neon lights or spray painting 'friends with benefits' on the window
- switching between 2 couples' NSFW scenes in episode 6
- in episode 7 several characters did 'because the writer said so' nonsense stuff, also nonsense doctor things like lack of patient doctor confidentiality
- a dead fish lip press
- stupid "plan" in episode 9 which makes zero sense
- throwing in a nonsense couple (Dr. Ter) and not giving enough screentime to an asexual character/s

Leia Mais

historical masterpiece (uncut version is better though)

Overall: I applaud the writers for giving us this series. I read the book but reviewed the series on its own merits. 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 will put under a spoiler), manhandling

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
- the cut version still made sense though the uncut did give additional context that I liked (I've the uncut only since ep 2 and watched both versions of ep 12)
- 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

Needed two seasons for the amount of plot it covered (minor spoilers)

Overall: enjoyable but they needed 1 season for high school and a 2nd season for college. I read the beginning of the manhwa but don't remember it well. Watched on Viki.

Content Warnings: non-biological brothers raised as brothers from ages 7-17, bullying, punches, slap (not between m/m ship), manhandling, attempted non con kiss

What I Liked
- sweet moments like that jump hug/kiss
- good production value (except shaky camerawork)
- Hae Bom is a cinnamon roll who has character growth by the end (more confident/takes initiative)
- Tae Sung did apologize for something he did in episode 5 that was bad
- that Tae Sung respected Hae Bom's boundary at the cafe in episode 7

Room For Improvement
- my major complaint is it was too choppy/not fleshed out enough. For example, they say they are going grocery shopping and then the next scene 1 guy is in a shower...
- in episode 5 I really didn't like Tae Sung pushing Hae Bom against a wall and putting his hand around Hae Bom's throat, especially since Hae Bom has been bullied and then the mom's pretty calm about it...
- in episode 5 there is a dream but it looks like Hae Bom is actually remembering something and that would be non con because he's so drunk (but it was a dream)
- cliche evil wannabe girlfriend
- unknown time jump at the end
- the intro was too long/gave away too many future scenes

Leia Mais

a first love high school romance

Overall: this gave off Heartstopper vibes with its animations and tone but I wish they had chosen something less serious (I'll put more information in the spoiler). Aired on 2 episodes per week on Regal Entertainment Inc YouTube https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7SneaZWMW0otehz3rmR_7xVEaoW8yNVA

Content Warnings: bullying, transphobia mentioned, mental health struggles and a major one in a spoiler comment

What I Liked
- cute moments
- funny moments
- acting/chemistry
- how the nerdy character defied stereotypes/character cliches, he stood up for himself, had visible tattoos and the character talked about his tattoos as well
- production value
- (neutral) the animations add a sense of whimsy but it's odd because I don't think this script is based off a webtoon/graphic novel so it feels more like copying Heartstopper rather than it making sense based on its source material

Room For Improvement
- the love triangle
- some parts were a bit choppy, at the end it took me a minute to figure out where they were
- I reeeaaallly wish they had chosen something not as serious, of like all the things to choose they chose...that, ugh

Leia Mais

What a gem - great chemistry with an established m/m couple

Overall: I gave this a 9.5/10 because it's from 2009 and it still holds up well twelve years later. Watched on gagaoolala.

Content Warnings: none

What I Liked (very minor spoilers)
- features an established couple
- the kissing/intimate scene was on fire, everyone else needs to take notes - none of this dead fish lip stuff
- that Min Soo doesn't apologize for who he is or who he loves, but is apologizing for the way it was communicated
- there is no ghosting or forced separation due to what a parent wants
- shows a bit about military service which I rarely see in Korean rom coms
- (neutral) the intro song and song towards the end were fine

Room For Improvement
- the discussion with the mom and her chest was weird
- I didn't really understand a scene with Seok Yi waiting outside towards the end, I didn't think Min Soo's mom and him lived in the same city..
- dry crying during the the drinking scene

Leia Mais

runs on vibes instead of plot

Overall: I really enjoyed the beginning with a unique premise and the color themes, but similar to other GMMTV productions, it runs on vibes and poor communication instead of plot or realistic character actions. If you aren't a vibes person, then I suggest watching the first two episodes then skip to episode 8 part 4 and watch from there. Watched on YouTube.

Content Warnings: beaten up, death (off screen), stalking, animal blood

What I Liked
- several cute and funny moments
- the color themes and prop integration
- supportive friend groups
- that this wasn't enemies to lovers but two guys figuring things out
- mentioning societal issues like marriage equality, expensive public transportation
'- several cameos/guest roles: Force, Book, Perth, Mix, Tay
- reference to 2gether/other BL series
- decent kissing in later episodes
- the two side characters and the vet stuff was cute (but they needed more time, had like a 5 second scene in the final episode)
- (neutral) comedy sound effects

Room For Improvement
- pacing was slow, characters went in circles (for 2 years!!!), I think they needed a fast burn side couple
- poor communication for grown men
- characters do not act realistically (the film crew in episode 11 was an example of this), characters do things because that's what the writer said not because it would make sense
- thin plot with a lot of product placement
- poor world building/plot holes
- that whole not name telling thing
- there were a few scenes that jumped a bit much, we were in one place and then suddenly somewhere else (the beach at the beginning was one)
- the cliche swimming issue in the beginning, wish they'd have come up with something else

Leia Mais

unexpectedly dark for a lighthearted romcom

Overall: I was okay with this as a 'turn your brain off' romcom, but then there was an extremely dark plot line (also zero consequences for a trash character?!?) and the plot ran around in circles (definitely could have been 8 episodes instead of 12). I'm rating this more harshly because GMMTV has the money and experience to make an excellent series. Unfortunately, I was left disappointed with this one. Aired on GMMTV's YouTube channel.

Content Warnings: past rape for 3 years involving a child/step parent, past suicide, mental health struggles, non con/dub con touching, homophobia, fight/beaten up, non con picture taking/posting, unwanted public outing

What I Liked
- good friendship dynamics (and that they raised the difficulty of the boss/employee romantic dynamic)
- Yacht with his blue hair
- the established couple is adorable (but they didn't get enough screen time nor a plot)
- addressing mental health struggles (except that Cher should not have talked about Jack without Jack's prior approval and they also made it seem like everyone was happy that Jack stopped taking medication when in reality as I understand it medication is something to be taken as a management strategy, it's not a long term cure)
- a supportive ex
- neutral, comedy sound effects

Room For Improvement
- this was oddly very dark, I think they still could have had some serious parts (focusing on the mental health struggles as an example), but it almost felt disrespectful to have the rest be a light romcom, I'm not sure how to explain this but I didn't like the combo of extremely serious plot with silly plot
- lack of consequences for a trash character and instant forgiveness for the mom
- Thup, there are things that even if your loved one says you should keep secret that you don't keep secret and tell the authorities/school personnel and what was going on was one of those things. Thup wasn't a young child, he should have been around 12 to 15 when this was happening and then afterwards to let rumors circulate about Cher, he did not seek justice for his sibling and he had the gall to blame Cher....ugh
- paper thin plot that went around in circles
- cliche poor communication with fully grown adults, Cher's totally stupid "plan" in episode 11
- consent problems: there were some things they did really well but there was also poor consent including Cher ignoring Gun's physical boundaries in the beginning, Gun locking Cher in his car, "if you don't let me touch you I'll kiss you instead"
- I realize they were going for comedy, but many jokes didn't make me laugh
- Gun letting Cher be jealous for his own entertainment instead of clearing up the miscommunication
- nonsense things (we won't get into the hr headache this would be in reality), Cher is never shown to be doing anything with his ASMR channel, we barely see him gaming
- the cringey title

Leia Mais