Love Is (2021)

Not the worst think I've ever seen.

This series had potential that was never realized. It had a fairly talented cast - including Kaleb Ong, one of the best actors in BL, Axl Romeo, and RR Roque, who was a surprise.

It had some interesting story ideas, like a minister who has an interesting night job, interesting class difference issues, an unusual, mildly creepy, but ultimately engaging sibling relationship, and portraying an effeminite gay character in a very positive way (and for the first time in human history, had an uke who was taller than his seme - this counts as a major miracle).

But many of these plot points went nowhere, like the minister performs his night job once and then it's never referred to again. The class and power dynamics were never really explored.

I think there are three main problems with this series.

- The script is not good. It wanders all over the place and needed a lot more discipline and to link the stories together better - and build up to issues rather than springing them out of nowhere. It needed to focus on the themes it introduced, instead of handwaving away all the conflicts.

- The directing drains all the energy out of the production, not to mention the actors. Meet My Angel was not good in most regards, but the acting, especially Kaleb's, was spectacular - maybe the best single performance in a BL of all time. Here, he's... there. In My Chinito Prince, Axl was compelling and sexy - here he's... there.

- The editing. The series wandered all over the place, with strange scenes included and critical ones left out - like there's a critical conversation between Omeng and Lemuel in the last episode... that apparently happened offscreen, because there's a sudden and total reversal in their relationship that came out of nowhere.

The technical qualities of the production like sound weren't great, but they were above average for a DIY like this and adequate. The OST was good, but it sounds like all the other Filipino BL OSTs and is used way too much to the point it gets irritating.

I don't think I can recommend this series - there's no payoff for the investment, and the actors (epecially the ones that drew to watch this) are poorly utilized and give their least compelling performances to date.

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Not the worst BL every

It was entertaining. All of the boys were likeable in their own way. I could have done without out Aunt Dora or she could have been a real woman or a more likeable trans or female impersonator whatever she was. Anyway, The scripts was probably the weakest part...not enough words or scenes that made sense. The cinematography was bad too...lighting, flys and bugs everywhere. People walking in the background and cars going by being loud, etc. There was way too much crying in the finale. Not enough acting and dialogue. All in all it is worth the watch hence selections are thin now. It could have been better with better direction and better scripting.

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A project that didn't appeal to me didn't captivate me. Maybe a good or at least average series for Filipinos, but this time it didn't mean anything to me. Kaleb Ong, whom I know from Meet My Angel, didn't help either. The story, the script, it was pall mall, a bag full of fleas, stew, the acting was crampy, amateurish, talking heads (I don't blame the actors only, that's the director's thing), the only music was close to solid average, the processing also not much. I didn't really believe the actors, there were too many male "madams" and besides, the Filipino, Tagalog, unlike the cooing or squealing of the neighboring countries, seems so childish with the melody of the voice and the pronunciation, influenced by Spanish and later English. No, not this project anymore, and I think I'm still lenient in my assessment.


Projekt, který mě neoslovil, neuchvátil. Možná pro Filipínce seriál dobrý nebo alespoň průměrný, ale mě tentokráte nicneříkající. Nepomohl tomu ani Kaleb Ong, kterého znám ze seriálu Meet My Angel. Příběh, scénář, to byl pall mall, pytel plný blech, guláš, herecké podání bylo křečovité, amatérské, mluvící hlavy (nekladu vinu jen hercům, to je věc režiséra), jediná hudba se blížila solidnímu průměru, zpracování také nic moc. Hercům jsem moc nevěřil, bylo tam až moc mužských "madam" a k tomu ta filipínština, tagalogština, na rozdíl od kuňkajících či šišlajících sousedních zemí, působí melodikou hlasu a výslovností tak dětsky, ovlivněná španělštinou a později angličtinou. Ne, tento projekt už ne a myslím, že v hodnocení jsem ještě shovívavý.

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Comecei com medo e terminei feliz

Tenho que confessar que os BL's filipinos me assustam. Eles tem uma tendência a finais desagradáveis, ou histórias sem lógica (óbvio que existem obras excelentes também).

Iniciei esse BL exclusivamente para apoiar o ator Kaleb Ong (Vladimir), mas acabei gostando do enredo. A série mostra dois irmãos bem pobres do interior. O mais velho, Epoy, consegue um emprego com um homem muito rico, por quem acaba se apaixonando, e seu irmão mais novo, Omeng também se apaixona por ele. A partir daí tramas paralelas surgem, como a chegada de Lemuel, apaixonado por Omeng desde sempre, mas que está na friendzone, Inton e seu amigo , que são hipócritas, pois são religiosos e se encontram secretamente com homens, mantendo um comportamento promíscuo. Inton acaba se apaixonando por Shakespeare, irmão adotado e mais novo de Vladimir.

O embrulho está formado. Mas o roteiro conseguiu desenvolver os três casais, em meio a dramas os finais foram felizes. Outra finalização bem construída foi sobre a adoção de Sheakspeare, que teve um final emocionante, apesar do pai verdadeiro ter ido comprar cigarro de novo.

A atuação dos atores foi ok. Inclusive, a atuação de Lemuel depois de ser desprezado por Omeng foi muito boa.

Continuo com a opinião de que as Filipinas dão oportunidade a mulheres trans, mas na maioria das vezes em papéis ridicularizados. O pai de Shakespeare o abandonou usando a justificativa de que é gay, e agora tenta se aproximar...

A série tem uma fotografia ok, uma ost ok, locações que nos mostram um pouco das cidades Filipinas. O ponto que me deixou indignada, foi no final da série Epoy ter descoberto a doença, realmente não foi justo com ele...

Eu recomendo essa série, gosto muito dela.

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Not the worst pinoy BL

First i really want to say that even with all his defaults i really enjoy the show

The production promise us the story of three couples but they take too much time to subplot that they rush the ending at couples price.

The storyline was so far interesing :
Vlad/Epoy : Can the difference of social status being surpass by love ?
Lemuel/Omeng : Can you take the risk to lose your best friend for love ?
Inton/Shakespeare : Can a player could change for love ?

The only couple more or less developped was Vlad/Epoy but once again the prod surely in lack of drama add a final drama in the final episode and the story was rushed, but like really really rush

Lemuel/Omeng added to the "can i loose my best friend if i fall in love with him" add the drama of "i lie to him about who i really am" plus Lemuel who was so in love suddendly have a "one night stand" with someone just because Omend rejected him ? really that just show how much untrustworthy he is no ?

If i speak of Inton i will need three pages of how much he is obnoxious : He play the good boy in church (too much scene about sermon IMO scene who steal time for more usefull story line scene) but in private he is a player and not caring for anybody except himself. Even at the end and his little redemption i still don't like him !!

I don't think the story is bad but it was surely not enough write or may be the serie needed more episodes to develop more the character
If the production want to make a another serie may be they should ask to the writer to be more focus to close his plot more than add sub plot who will finally rush at this end

And one day may be production will assume that character like Ms Dora could also have her lovestory more than just be the comical spring (i really love the earring collection by the way ^^)

Conclusion : That not the serie is bad because in the middle of all really bad and poor written pinoy series this is a good one but the writing lack of depth

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