Infantile

This series is awful. I wish there was a kinder way to say that, but there is not. I wish in all honesty it had never been made as it wasted the talents of all the performers in this series. Or, at the very least, did not let them shine very much. What made this story so bad is its worn-out plot, cliché storylines, and predictable outcomes. For sure, there are a few touching moments but not enough to save this disaster of a series. And unfortunately, the acting is unchallenging and superficial. The series is filled with every trope in the playbook. If one of these series used even less than half of the standard ones, I would be ever so grateful. They continue to treat gay relationships like sitcoms. It is just a show. No depth. No sincerity. No exploration. No realness to them. It is like ‘playing house’ when you were children. All pretend; no substance. They cannot even kiss without the world falling down on them or even worse, fireworks going off. Please stop with the fireworks when two guys kiss. Overall, this is a childish, immature presentation of gay and straight teenage relationships, with a tired and trite plot, and I am sorry to say poorly acted and I am guessing more so poorly directed to make them all appear to be immature schoolboys and schoolgirls.

Citeste mai mult

This series had no purpose except to shock

I hated this series but not because of any acting weakness or story. The acting is exceptional and the story is interesting but told so negatively that it became an ugly mess. It is exploitive, demanding, and seemingly a very ugly way to make a living. Yet we know its addictive qualities. The editing is simply awful. There are four stories but only tangentially connected to different aspects of the BL world. All of them very ugly and almost amoral. One cannot help but to feel sympathy for these characters whether they are gay or straight and contempt for their managers and production companies. while I am not sure everything is always black or white, this series certainly presents a darker side of this industry.

Citeste mai mult

It Is Their Destiny

This is a continuation story of Teh and Oh-aew. While the other two previous stories were phenomenal and profound story, this one just did not hit the mark for me. But I must quality that statement. It is NOT because of poor acting. Quite the contrary. This is one of the finest acted BL series from Thailand in a long time. The story itself is also superb. What left me empty and profoundly sad was the realization that these two loved each other with every fiber of their beings but it just is not enough to sustain a solid relationship. For me, their love is toxic. Their own inner demons stop them from actually becoming real true individuals. Their love is more what is supposed to be than what it really is. For me, that was sad.

Citeste mai mult

We Aren't

Overall, this is not a good series. It is simply too long. It droned on and on for no reason with the same old storylines. This story is cute. Certainly not deep. Entertaining for sure. Fluffy and sweet. Predicable and boring a lot of the time. There are way too many pairings of relationships and way too much idealism shown. What it did do right and what it should have concentrated on was the camaraderie of the group of friends. It is rare to have such a solid group of friends who know they are in the last throws of all of them being together before life has other plans for them. It could have been a much better story if it reflected more on the dynamics of friendships among friends. That would have been a good story instead of the contrived ‘love pairings’ that they thought we needed to see. There was a lot of great screen chemistry between the actors.
You can read my full review at BLBliss.com.

Citeste mai mult

Standard Stuff

This series is a dichotomous BL, bordering on being oxymoronic. Sometimes brilliant then slipping into utter banality. Occasionally poignant but mostly filled with mundane trite tediousness. Sporadic displays of serious adult behaviors but mostly overshadowed with adolescent/pubescence behavioral patterns acting like petulant teenage children instead of adults in a serious sexual relationship. Occasional storylines eliciting tears and then in the next dialogue nothing but endless dribble of clichés and platitudes. In other words, not generally reflecting real life but an idealized sanitized world peppered with a whisper of reality and an occasional homage to authenticity. The best word to describe this series is: puffery. I simply had a hard time relating to this story.
You can read my full review of this pretty standard BL at BLBliss.com.

Citeste mai mult

A Series That Spins Its Wheels

This series looks and feels good, superficially. It had all the earmarks of being a very good story but fell so flat as the story progressed. It seemed to lack an ending that wanted to make a definitive statement; so, it chose to go cute. The series is just too short to develop any meaningful characters, which is a serious problem. It tried to be light fluff with a serious matter which I wish they would have treated with solemnity. Also, quit treating gayness with kit gloves. If you are going to show two men trying to be in love, give us something that shows that. It languished so much.

Citeste mai mult

Immature and Silly With No Plot

Honestly, I do not think this series was deliberately trying to make itself look bad, but it sure ended up summarily looking that way. There seems to be a whole host of reasons for this. A bad script. Unchallenging acting. Really bad editing. And a story that is so full of stereotypical, overused, trite behavioral patterns that all it seemingly did was repeat itself over and over again. The characters never grew. Never matured. And the plot simply went from one silly scenario to another. Sadly, this series played everything ‘safe’ and therefore went nowhere. The same silly plot and triteness spun around and around.

Citeste mai mult

Despite the production issues, this one has heart!

I can feel my ears burning now because I liked this series. Why, you might ask, as this series has been panned? Because it had character and guts. Sure, I know what is wrong with this series. It has production issues galore. This was obviously done on a shoe-string budget. It screamed for more rehearsals and an acting coach to guide these young actors/actresses into drawing out more from them than superficialities. When I look at a series like this, I am hoping something captures me to want to make me finish it and the story did just that. It is a good rather solid story. They have heart; they needed direction.

Citeste mai mult

The story captured me from the beginning

This BL series has gotten some bad reviews. I thought it was brilliant. Its message was perhaps lost in the way the story unfolded. That is too bad because its message and meaning is quite significant. For sure, this story twists and turns in sometimes strange ways and does not smoothly transition from beginning to end. But if you understand the intent behind it, it is quite an impactful and moving story. Remember, this is yet another never-ending Thai BL about high school boys. But with this one, I took the time to see it from the perspective of a Thai teenage boy. And guess what? It is messy, uneven, illogical, immature, and chaotic. Just like a teenage boy IS. This was one of the few times that I thought these endless school BLs finally captured the essence of a teenage boy. Silly, impressionable, vulnerable, passionately committed, searching for truth, making mistakes, failing, and falling deeply and hard in love. Have we forgotten?

Citeste mai mult

It Fills You With A Sense of Warmth

This is not an earthshattering BL series but there is just enough cuteness and warmth in it to make you feel good. Like a blanket on a cold winter's night. The story, despite the logical holes, is told well and the acting is surprisingly good. Look, I know it is a fantasy, but some logic has to be applied and a more realistic reaction to what is happening should be part of the story as well. Too much of that was glossed over. None of that, however, negates the entertainment of this series. Honestly, who would not want their childhood dog or cat pets come back looking like these guys? It is just a fun series to watch.

Citeste mai mult

A Very Adult Series

This series is an adult-oriented story so if you are easily offended, perhaps this is not the series for you. It is a romp through a deep dark secret fantasy with feelings ranging from revulsion to secretive salaciousness. It is a forthright LGBTQ series tackling forbidden subject matters. I think with a bit more tightness to the script, less theatrics, and a more honest portrayal of the real story here, this series could have gone down in the annals as a pivotal series of seeing human sexuality, desires, and fantasies in a whole new light. It is a great series that just falls short of being superb.

Read my full review of this amazing series at BLBliss.com.

Citeste mai mult

Greater than a 10! Kudos!

This is an exceptional and phenomenal series that is not only riveting, but thought provoking, sensitive, and portrays the life of someone on the Autistic Spectrum with precision. Having worked in this field for decades, I was impressed with its accuracy. The story telling is unique and beautifully told. The characters are so noteworthy but in every sense of the word, absolutely relatable. This is must-see viewing Each story can stand on its own yet they are all a part of an entire picture. The warmth and growth each character displays, albeit on their own individual terms, is a thing of beauty to watch. You honestly care about these individuals and you want them to be themselves and accept the faults and short-comings of each other. That really is their story. This series is a masterclass in showing what humans really are. Flawed. Imperfect. Weak. Yet, capable of caring and loving each other on so many different levels despite the shortcomings. Kudos for a near perfect series.

Citeste mai mult

Cute story That Derails Itself

It is an enchanting story between two young students. Both guys are so adorable and cute and exude such charm on the screen that they could probably just recite a telephone book and I would watch them. But the story itself takes strange twists that are just not realistic or believable. But then it goes south for me very fast. I simply have a hard time at one point in the story where physical abuse is used to convey anger and frustration. While I understood the anger, I did not and will not accept that as a reason to resort to hitting to convey one's level of hurt feelings. It seemed incongruous and unnecessary and degraded the story. It is a beautiful love story to be ruined by physical abuse? I understand anger issues and even hurt feelings but to resort to hitting just seems so wrong to me and sends a bad and unhealthy message. . I loved the two main actors and the first part of the story. Just make the story about their relationship. It does not have to be complicated and you do not have to cheapen it by abuse in any form.

Citeste mai mult

Stunning Series

This is a most endearing series that is NOT BL in the classic sense of the word. It is an 8-episode series about friendship. What makes this story so unique is that all the characters are named Tee or have Tee in their names. The writing and directing for the most part are pretty solid. It has spots of humor but mostly concentrates on the pathos. There is no romance in this series but their is intense friendship and it is a solid gem of very, very good acting. This is very different for all of these actors and they get to take their acting abilities to a new level. I for one appreciated it deeply.

Citeste mai mult