Quirky short musical with cute guys

Overall: This is one of the few artsy/quirky short films that I actually really enjoyed.

Content Warnings: very mild violence (and you may never eat candy the same way again :P )

What I Liked
- the music, round of applause to whoever wrote the songs and the singing was good
- unique plot, definitely haven't seen this before
- the outfits matched their candy counterparts well
- apparently I really like tattoos, even when it's the word "digestive" lol
- I liked that even in the darker scenes there was light on the actors' faces, too frequently I can't see anything

Room For Improvement
- I didn't at first like the first song the guy wearing black sang, but I think it was a style thing
- the animation when showing people looked a bit amateurish
- a small continuity error with the white band being ripped, but then not being ripped in a wide shot

Leia Mais

heartwarming slice of life/romance series (need a Haruna spin off)

Overall: I enjoyed this friends/roommates turned into romantic partner stories, though it could have used slightly faster pacing (almost rated it 8.5 but I liked their dynamic so it ended up a 9). 8 episodes about 25 minutes each. Airing on GagaOOLala https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/4215/living-with-him-2024-e01

What I Liked
- caring/sweet moments
- clear flashbacks and enjoyed seeing them when they were young
- ex girlfriend wasn't a cliche, non-cliche female characters
- a character was a bit naive but he did figure things out and communicated
- supportive family members, dynamics felt realistic
- Haruna was such a good wingman and friend
- overall realistic with trying to maintain boundaries but also being jealous
- production value (nice color symbology which included their clothes, pillows, mugs, toothbrushes, etc)

Room For Improvement
- not a fan of starting a series with a voice over exposition dump
- episode 2 had a too long recap of episode 1 at the beginning
- some slow pacing
- Ryota did annoy me a bit but I tried to keep in mind that he had low self-esteem and was likely struggling with internalized homophobia and/or heteronormativity
- cliche almost told something and got interrupted, the running scene

Leia Mais

cute but rushed

Overall: this was cute but they tried to cover too much plot and it felt jumpy/rushed. 8 episodes total, about 20 minutes per episode. Aired on GagaOOLala and Viki.

Content Warnings: none

What I Liked
- that opening scene isn't super common in fiction (but very common in real life)
- funny moments
- the characterizations/opposite personalities
- the friendships especially Han Ji Yu and Ji Hoon, that's the friend who tells you honestly that you got a bad haircut lol
- need a spin off with the friend and the new character introduced at the end

Room For Improvement
- they needed to narrow the plot because scenes would quickly jump from 1 to another and it felt rushed overall, they didn't clearly explain some parts
- I thought that scene at the end of episode 1 was a preview for next week but it was actually an extra scene in the first episode. The second episode had it as well with an extended scene before the next week's preview. This was a bit confusing.
- having a conversation while someone is on the toilet
- too many falls
- the dead fish lip presses

Leia Mais

short sweet/bittersweet romance, need a season 2

Overall: this could have easily been a 9.5 or 10 from me except how they handled the ending (information in my comment under a spoiler, I'll bump it up to 9.5 if they have a season 2 and explain things more clearly). Aired on YouTube. Watch the extra scene after the credits.

Content Warnings: threatened violence, past pet death, stalking, mental health struggles, kick

What I Liked
- cute and funny moments
- some subverted tropes*
- Jung Woo's very realistic reaction to the situation
- the actors did an amazing job
- excellent production value (feels very Kdrama with blurred backgrounds, close ups), the music was very well done
- cameo from Long Time No See actor

Room For Improvement
- the explanation for how it all happened is in a separate video and it would have been better to incorporate it into the series itself
- they spent some of their valuable screen time in unnecessary plot threads like the blind date
- *the ending was a letdown and I'll say more in my comment under a spoiler

Leia Mais

slow moving countryside Thai BL (minor spoilers)

Overall: this is a spin off to Star In My Mind and you don't need to watch Star In My Mind first. I enjoyed the countryside setting but it moved too slowly and the 7th episode nonsense/non logical writing and then more cliches in the finale bumped it down to a 7. Watched on YouTube.

Content Warnings: manipulation, stalking, animal blood/death off screen

What I Liked
- I laughed a few times
- cute moments including some oldie but goody tropes like 'there's something in your hair' and 'protect mode.'
- countryside setting
- episode 6 poor communication was cleared up right away
- Prince's mom
- neutral (it has comedy sound effects)

Room For Improvement
- I wish they had had the flashback/explanation in part 3 of episode 1 at the very start. It was odd when last week was a cliffhanger and then they are just in a small village...
- sloooowwww pacing
- not into the reluctant pursuee trope
- nonsense/non logical things (especially in ep 7, only 2 cars? all of Fah's 3 cell phones suddenly don't work? not how you diagnose that, etc)
- more cliche stuff in the finale, making decisions about someone else instead of talking to them and asking what they want, lack of apology, no communication about something that could actually cause friction in their relationship
- annoying that Fah was dictating his younger brother's relationship regarding physical affection, speaking of,
- the G rated Kluen/Daonuea scenes added nothing, they felt more middle school couple than university couple
- side characters didn't really do much
- useless love triangles
- not a fan of the intro drawing style

Leia Mais

good premise with flawed execution

Overall: I'm rating it a bit higher though because of the unique premise and that I couldn't tell how this was going to end unlike pretty much every other BL I've seen. Watching on iQIYI.

Content Warnings: multiple deaths, blood, dub con kissing and sex? (drunk), stalking, past domestic abuse

What I Like
- some cute moments, especially towards the end
- some funny moments
- sick people actually looked sick (i.e. didn't have flawless make up and hair)
- showed how doctors/medical staff do get sad/stressed
- good communication between Tua and Prakan in the final episode
- the ending before the final time jump
- (neutral) the accidental fall/tropes, it's cringey but I still like them

Room For Improvement
- immature and stupid characters, also some really bad communication skills
- nonsense medical things (pretty sure you don't operate on your family members)
- at one point we end up in an endless loop rehashing the same plot points over and over again
- major plot holes, some of which could have been explained with a short dialogue
- Metha was annoying almost the entire series
- poor communication with the m/m side couple but seemed like it only lasted a day or two
- three couples all had rushed romantic endings, at least one should have developed earlier on
- the awful camera angles during kissing scenes
- slow pacing most of the time, watched on a faster speed
- the ending, too many time jumps = poor writing and that very end part was not my thing at all

Leia Mais

promising premise and beginning, disappointed with the execution

Overall: I enjoyed the unique premise but had major issues with the plot. Aired on GagaOOLala & Viki.

Content Warnings: violence/blood (in the first scene), murder, trauma, grief, attempted kidnapping, non con kiss (sleeping)

What I Liked
- the premise was unique and rarely seen in BL
- production value
- retelling of the first episode from a different perspective

Room For Improvement
- I wish that Jae Woo and Ji Woon's parents were friends and Jae Woo had just moved into the same city, because... it felt odd befriending a kid like that/having a 10 year old sleep over in a dorm room, it was a bit squicky to me and speaking of...
- Jae Woo was very childlike and stupid for a 25 year old, it made the relationship dynamic even more strange
- their total lack of communication about something suuuppppppeeeerrrr important, like come on
- nonsense things besides the initial premise, a 10 year old regularly walks around at night alone when there is violence in the area? money? ID? same outfit every day?
- why do they like each other, love at first sight? but it was initially an uncle/nephew like relationship, when/why did it change?
- the non con kiss and also this line "I'm going to do something I know you don't like" (and he kisses him, wth?)
- what in the sisyphean hell was that ending?

Leia Mais

slice of life highschool BL (need a Tanaka/Katori spin off)

Overall: this is a slice of life series that floats on vibes rather than plot. Aired on Gagaoolala/Viki (depends on your country)

Content Warnings: manhandling

What I Liked
- Amagi being honest during the gardening
- the perspective shift in episode 1
- their conversation in episode 3 was wonderful*
- supportive friend, specifically Katori (I need him to be a lead in a BL, nerdy guy with player guy - sign me up)
- that they held hands a few times, cute moments
- the OST
- production value

Room For Improvement
- the multiple time skips back and forth in the first episode made it feel choppy, also in episode 4 and 5
- each episode feels more like a contained story rather than there being an overarching plot
- finally explained in episode 4 why Takara liked Amagi, wish this had been shown sooner
- there were times they were somewhere and suddenly the next scene is elsewhere
- not a fan of the dynamic of a low affect/unusual affect guy and the happy go lucky guy with low self esteem
- *unhappy with the very ending as Amagi gave a clear signal of not wanting to do that
- their haircuts and blurry face/lips (but I didn't take off points for this)

Leia Mais

angsty BL with excellent lead actors/chemistry

Overall: Although I struggled with the angst/flawed characters and especially how the series started, I think it was well done. Make sure to watch past the first credits of the final episode, more like that please! Note: this is a remake/extended version of En of Love: Love Mechanics which aired in 2020 and was about 2 hours runtime, you don't need to watch the shorter version first. Watched on WeTV.

Content Warnings: dub/non con kiss, non con sex (very drunk), briefly held against will, past suicide attempt?, manhandling, homophobia, vomiting, violence/beaten up, punch/slap, domestic violence, victim self blaming

What I Liked
- acting of Yin & War and their chemistry
- cute moments
- funny moments
- for once I didn't hate an ex (Mark's)
- they address wealth differences and homophobia
- production value

Room For Improvement
- very disappointed in the sex scene. In many places being mentally incapacitated means you cannot give consent and clearly Mark was mentally incapacitated as he thought Vee was a different person. Although we see 3 beer bottles in the garbage, Vee does not appear to be at an equal level of drunkenness. I don't care at all that Mark was the initial aggressor, Vee should not have had sex with Mark. I would say this was non con no matter what sexual position Mark was. If they wanted to go the drunk sex route then Vee should have also been totally wasted and saying that Mark was his girlfriend and both been freaked out in the morning. (this would also make me hate Vee less as he just casually cheated on his girlfriend)
- hearing vomiting sounds is not my ideal way to start a series
- Vee said something in episode 6 to Mark that I think would end many relationships, sometimes apologies are not enough
- cliche plot point in episode 7
- Vee has some bad friends, they should have at least talked to him to hear his side
- poor communication
- side couples starting out in the final episode
- lack of intro credits/OST and basic closing credits

Leia Mais

realistic and well done

Overall: if the premise/summary isn't your thing, I encourage you to watch at least thru episode 4 because this story is like an onion with layers. 8 episodes total about 45 minutes each, 2 aired per week on GMMTV's YouTube Channel (also Disney+Hotstar in some countries).

Content Warnings: manhandling, homophobia, death, grief

What I Liked
- Li Ming and Heart were the cutest cinnamon rolls
- Wen was direct and communicated what he wants
- felt realistic which matches the setting/story (i.e. the actors faces have visible sweat and aren't airbrushed/filtered to oblivion)
- touched on power/class differences, poverty, marriage inequality/legal inequality
- step parent shown to be caring and supportive
- Gaipa's mom
- hints about future plot elements
- realistic response with Li Ming and his mom
- avoided a cliche plot point towards the end, characters had good communication
- production value* (music, cinematography - that long take/no cut shot at the beginning of episode 1 part 1 was cool)

Room For Improvement
- several scenes were a little too dim* and the camera is too shaky sometimes
- not a fan of some of the music choices, at one point there was an accordion
- how Uncle Jim himself and other characters talk about him being old when the actor Earth is 28 (and most definitely does not look old)
- each episode appears to skip a month however because we don't see montages or dates it doesn't always feel like that much time has passed
- wish it had been Gaipa that initiated things after the time jump
- I understand them not subtitling what Heart was saying in the beginning to show how Li Ming didn't understand but it was frustrating when they continued to not subtitle everything he was saying later on
- it was not Jim's place to tell the mom about Li Ming, it should have been Li Ming's choice
- I don't agree that "deaf people are the loneliest people" which is a line a character said
- good that actual consequences were shown for drunk driving
- the series title "Moonlight Chicken"

Leia Mais

Cute Moments Between Team & Win 

Overall: Cute, short episodes (between 4-6 minutes) with two or three skits per episode.

Content Warnings: body shaming, kicking a person off of a bed

What I Liked:
- the "warning" is really funny at the beginning of each episode
- many of the skits are cute
- the product placements were pretty well done (that baby powder one lol)
- the second skit of the 5th episode was awesome

Room For Improvement: (minor spoilers)
- even those these aren't meant to have a continuous plot, if they had put the last skit in the first episode as the first one, it would have made more sense
- I really disliked the 1st skit in the 3rd episode, Win continues to poke at Team's belly after Team asks him to stop multiple times. This skit was major cringe in a bad way, leave Team and his belly alone!
- disliked Win kicking Team off of the bed
- the comedic song for the final skit in the fourth episode didn't fit the vibe of that skit
- I wish Team was more into things, didn't like him wiping off the kiss in ep 5
- it is definitely lower budget camera/camerawork, I'm sure it was done with a very small crew

Leia Mais

challenging the idea of normal and does it matter

Overall: This series has realistically flawed characters who are trying to figure out how to make each other and themselves happy. They are challenging the idea of normal and does normal even matter to them and their happiness. If you're looking for a steamy poly relationship or a fluffy romcom, then look elsewhere. 10 episodes, 24 minutes each. Aired on GagaOOLala.

Content Warnings: non con photo taking, harassment, homophobia, sexism, non con kissing/touching maybe turned consensual, teacher/former student, and there is something and I've put it on a comment

What I Liked
- challenging norms/ideas such as monogamy, how putting others' happiness before your own can actually be a burden to that person, addressing that just because someone wants to be in a poly relationship (and also that they are bi/pan) does not mean that they are attracted to every person
- diversity (polyamory, gay, bi/pan, lesbian)
- Misaki and Yuuki standing up for one another and against the father
- Misaki was smart and figured out who was taking the pictures
- Misaki seeking communication and carefully thinking/changing
- sweet moments
- production value

Room For Improvement
- sub par kissing, 1 kissing partner did not move his lips and it looked strange
- some plot conveniences/wish they had more time to delve into some parts more deeply
- Yuuki's "plan" was terrible in episode 8
- reinforced negative stereotypes about poly relationships (we see so few representations in media, so I was hoping this would play out a bit differently)
- the open ending, it really could go in a number of different directions

Leia Mais

turning unhappiness into happiness

Overall: the focus was on two characters who weren't happy with their current situation in life and how they figured out how to change things. I haven't read the source material and am basing my review on the live action series only. 6 episodes about 25 minutes each. Aired on GagaOOLala.

Content Warnings: non con touching/hand job maybe turned consensual?, workplace harassment/bullying

What I Liked
- a forthright character
- sweet moments
- supportive colleagues
- realistic how it is difficult to get away from a toxic work environment, even when a person knows it's unhealthy
- production value

Room For Improvement
- the dub/non con was not needed and could have been handled differently
- had the aggressive pursuer/reluctant pursuee (and by reluctant I mean unwilling, he verbally stated his boundaries only to have them steamrolled over)
- too much time spent in the office setting/that jerk boss
- the intro vibe was super fluffy but that was not the overall tone of the series, we also never see any of those fluffy scenes which was a bit disappointing

Age Info (I didn't put an age gap content warning because I don't think it's needed, but here's the age info thanks to a commentator :)
- in the past, their ages were around 11 and 17
- in the present, their ages are 21 and 27

Leia Mais

too many sound effects, not enough plot

Overall: thought this was a romcom but episode 3 took quite a turn. I also really disliked the "comedy" sound effects. 8 episodes about 40 minutes each. Aired cut on UltimateTroop Official YouTube channel and uncut on iQIYI (eps 9 and 10 for premium members). Ultimate Troop also produced "Remember Me" and "The Yearbook".

Content Warnings: sexual assault/attempted rape (episode 3 part 2), self harm/attempted suicide (episode 3 part 2), manhandling, mental health struggles, beaten up, violence/punches, bullying, stalking

What I Liked
- Dino's singing and guitar playing sounded realistic
- awesome dance moves
- how the friend pointed out the difficulty of finding someone on a large campus
- happy Rak did something in episode 2 and did stand up for himself
- Mean's cameo in episode 2 with the angelic music was funny
- that they mentioned their series "The Yearbook"
- the idea of filling that jar to give Rak some time to recover (though this idea didn't work out)
- at least there weren't dead fish lip presses*
- Chalam and his eggs/pet snake

Room For Improvement
- that there were no consequences for the absolute despicable thing Mek did in episode 3
- the "comedy" sound effects actually make me NOT laugh, not a fan of toilet humor/conversations
- some scenes dragged on for too long like the scene in episode 3 part 2 and the terrible attempt at a redemption arc with Mek's sister
- strongly disagreed with Mek's sister saying an apology can fix everything, an apology can most definitely NOT fix everything and Mek is now beyond redeemable after episode 3
- Rak went from out of the frying pan and into the fire because Dino did not understand boundaries, "don't take too long to open your heart because I won't wait" and after Rak says for him not to touch him he....touches him...
- it's odd how the show depicted the stalker as bad but Dino did the exact same things (ignored boundaries, aggressive pursuit, extremely possessive)
- *in episode 8 the loud slurping noises not in sync with the movements was bad, plus I like some tongue but it was just too much tongue and licking
- Rak was reluctant even in the last two episodes, wish they had shown him with more agency/initiating physical stuff
- effeminate guy stereotype as hypersexualized
- at times the music was mismatched, there was a more serious scene and it had lighthearted music (hospital scene was a good example of this)
- ep 1 voice over exposition dump
- nonsense things: Rak's friends let him leave the club with some rando, say it's loud at the football field but it's quiet, lights on when sleeping, why did Rak stop running when there was an open doorway there in episode 3, etc.
- last 2 episodes were almost all filler and felt very unnecessary (and a new toxic character "you can't tell me to stop" bleh)

Leia Mais

The Best M/M Reality Dating Series So Far

Overall: This is my favorite "reality"dating series I've seen, understanding that "reality" can include producers telling the guys what to do/say and that editing can be extremely misleading (not showing things, change the order, etc). My goals were that the guys have some fun and being on the show helps (or at least doesn't hurt them) in their personal and professional lives. Note to Eun Chan and Chan Kyu - don't change yourselves, you are amazing as you are! Series aired on both Gagaoolala & iQIYI.

Content Warnings: discussion of homophobia

What I Liked
- the interviews and them discussing more serious things in episode 7 was excellent
- I like how they actually started with a date. The 30 second phone thing/letter writing was a good idea but only once.
- mix of choice vs no choice things
- smart decision to not let them say their age or occupation right away. I think people get fixated on those things when in reality personality, values and goals are much more important compatibility-wise.
- production value such as nice music, set design, editing, etc

Room For Improvement
- they needed more group dates or getting to know you games (Never Have I Ever would have been fun)
- the second phone call was repetitive and boring, it took almost all of episode 5
- the varying lengths of episodes (37 minutes to over an hour) was bad because then viewers thought some episodes were being censored. In the future they should keep episodes a consistent length.
- either there was a rule for no skinship or they edited it out, because 8 guys lived together for 1 week...
- the illegible subs on Gagaoolala because Korean subs were hardcoded on the video

Comparison to other m/m dating shows
1. Bromance (Thailand) is also on Gagaoolala. This is the typical Bachelor/Bachelorette set up with a bunch of people competing against one another to be with the 1 bachelor. I didn't like this because they could have all been hitting on each other and we have multiple couples! I got kind of bored and skipped a bunch.
2. Love House seasons 1 & 2 (Vietnam) on YouTube (most have English subs, this is ep 1 of season 2 no subs though https://youtu.be/TKzT_nHfVTA ). I liked this set up more than Bromance because the guys could all pursue one another. I didn't like the "secret couple" aspect and dividing them up based on sexual position seemed odd (can't they discuss that in private???) Season 1 was also the most brutal "rose ceremony" I've ever seen in any dating reality show. Season 2 was better.

Leia Mais