Papa what did you do!!

Context - the Screenwriter and Director of Papa What is Love passed away last year. This is a befitting sequel that would make Shandii Bacolod proud.

The issues first:
It's too short. We want more, we want more!
It won't be out on Youtube for a few months as they have to edit out the seggsy bits. You can pay to watch it on ticketme though especially if you want to see the uncut version.
UPDATE: This is now available on GagaOOlala from 3rd September
Some of the messages weren't subtitled so I had to guess at what had been said.

The good:
Great to see Papa out there on the apps and meeting new people but good to see the struggles of dating older and managing grief.
The series showed the importance of communication and being honest despite feelings of guilt etc. really well
Did I mention the seggsy bits? Look out for pancakes and syrup ;)
It was shot really well so kudos to the Director
None of these angle or mannequin kisses. There was a lot of pro verse scenes as well which is what we like to see instead of gendered / heteronormative roles
No sad ending

Some of the characters I wasn't sure of at first like Alex and Dominic but, those pesky issues get resolved

Overall a really decent watch with episodes averaging about 15 minutes each. Maybe next time we could have 20+ minutes

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Santa delights in a slow to start but worth the wait BL drama

You have to be patient with this one as they take waaaay to long on their childhood and then very little time on the ending. But the middle is so worth the wait that I know I'll be re-watching their university time period.

Santa as Cake was amazing. Earth as Eiw was hard to love in the beginning and end but grew on you in the middle. Earth's crying splits the audience but overall he did well in the role. You're not meant to like him and they way he is babied all the way though and snivels can be a lot.

It dropped points because I didn't see the point of Peak storyline - this wasn't in the novel I don't think so this felt like a clunky second couple. Also the ending, although the same as in the novel needed more time than it was given.

Afterday is a brilliant writer and even starred in this as Eiw's sister Hom. This stuck pretty closely to the novel.

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Mai and Fon - the Thai romance that defies heavy subject matters

I haven't really connected with a non BL Thai drama so I'm surprised that this one worked. I think because it has adult themes in it such as domestic abuse, human trafficking, abortion so you see more than just the usual man chasing a woman drama

Mai is a great character who is a survivor and learns to forgive. Fon is a little harder to love at times as she holds onto past shame a bit too long and has a strange codependent relationship with her family.

The court cases are really not winning here unless you're into them. It was nice to see love triangles but they weren't so angsty that you were pining for the SML or anything like that.

There are a few funny bits and I would rewatch parts of it. Especially their chemistry. The characters felt real, nuanced, not just good or evil. They all had demons.

One episode left and so far so good. Would recommend as a binge watch as they do love a climatic ending to episodes.

Update - climatic last episode but some outcomes you may or may not agree with but overall I'll stand by the 8.5 score

Enjoy!

Chelsea Black

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The new employee movie flows better than the series

If you've watched the series then you will enjoy this. It's nice to see it all at once and is one of those dramas that works well as a film.

Seung Hyun and Kim Jong Chan are both loveable characters and the actors are well cast. It was lovely to see them again after so long and whilst there have been a number of workplace BLs in 2022/23 this is one of the stronger, more consistent ones. It's well acted and the story works. It's based on a webtoon which was better in my opinion but this is a decent adaptation. This was definitely worth the nearly 2 hours of watch time. It may have been nice to see more on the lesbian support characters.

I've copied the description from Viki for those who aren't sure of the story.

Enjoy!

Chelsea Black

In his late twenties, Seung Hyun (Moon Ji Yong) has yet to settle into what most would consider an “adult” life. Something of a late bloomer, Seung Hyun has had about as much experience in his professional career as he has in his personal life. Which is to say, he hasn’t had much experience in either. But everything changes when he finally manages to land the internship of his dreams.

Excited to be interning at such a successful advertising company, Seung Hyun’s enthusiasm is curbed almost immediately when he runs into an incredibly handsome, yet unbelievably cold man on his first day of work. Thrown off by his encounter with this frigid adonis, Seung Hyun’s first day is a memorable one, to be sure; but becomes even more so when he realizes the man he ran into was none other than his boss, Kim Jong Chan (Kwon Hyuk).

Unable to shake the feelings that stir inside him as he recalls this first encounter, Seung Hyun tries his best to avoid making the same mistake. But it seems no matter how hard he tries, he can’t escape Jong Chan’s presence. As if drawn together by some unseen force, will either of these men be able to avoid the fate that seems determined to bring them together?

Adapted from the webtoon of the same name by Moscareto, “The New Employee” is a 2022 South Korean romance film directed by Kim Jho Kwang Soo.

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Lost it's rhythm and comedy

I really enjoyed the first 6 episodes of this series. I would wait for Mondays to watch it. At first it was light, Gave 'A man who defies the BL World' comic vibes with over the top comedy elements. But then episode 7 was heavier and with only 23 minutes per episode it was asking an awful lot of episode 8 to bring it back to the same levity as before

Acting was superb and the OST was fun but overall I would not go into this one expecting anything too light as the subject matters are quite heavy. I won't spoiler it
I scored it reasonably high though as it shows the struggle of two types of artists and there are some important messages on popularity, the fickleness of fame etc. It was well produced and directed so it's definitely worth watching.

Re-watch is low for me as the tension week to week is lost but, it's worth watching once if only for the BTS look at how idols live,

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This should have been 2 episodes of an 8 part series

Good points:

It is translated quickly and the production quality is high. It's a small but good looking and well acting casts.

Points for consideration:

Having finished it I can say that whilst it was cute it should have been 2 episodes of a much wider programme. There was a lot of empty spaces and scenes that didn't add much to the storyline

It is very slow moving and a lot of it is happening in the characters' heads. So far the most exciting thing in this has been a couple of 'trip and falls' into each other (classic BL) and the OST which is really carrying the show.

The show has flashbacks showing their friendship prior to the writer disappearing 4 years ago. So it's a kind of mystery as to why he disappeared. At the same time he's writing a novel series in which a straight couple seem to mirror the event and his feelings. We are slowly starting to see what MAY have happened to make him end the friendship.

It's great if you like cute Korean guys and not a lot of talking but half way through and I'm not sure that it's going to really compete with other KBLs which have captured audiences. January Korean releases were weak last year as well so it may be a scheduling thing? Just a theory.

I'll update when it's complete but my advice would be to wait on this one and binge watch it after the 9th Feb when it has finished airing

Enjoy!

Chelsea

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A cute and VERY loose adaptation of the Thai original

You have to watch this with a different lens

The storyline is loosely the same but the plot, characters and scenarios are quite different.

I'm enjoying it so far but it takes a few minutes to forget JimmyTommy SaintZee and just accept these characters as they are without comparing it with the Thai version.

The episodes are short and there are 2 a week so it will be done really shortly but it's nice to see KBLs doing more than one couple dramas and giving us 'more' on the intimacy scale.

Here's hoping the ending is just as satisfying.

Just finished and yes, whilst it felt rushed we got the ending we hoped for I guess. Would have liked this to be 10 or 12 episodes to give us more couple time?

Enjoy

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Short and poor script and sound

I'm all for supporting low budget productions and this is one of them. 4 episodes makes it short and I think with a poor script it was hard to really get into what the writer was trying to do. It felt choppy and disconnected. The sudden appearance of characters in ep 3 and 4 just threw you. The actors did well though but it's hard if the raw materials aren't there.

I would recommend those who have patience and aren't really bothered by the (lack of a consistent) story line should binge watch this whilst doing something else. They are raising sponsorship for their next project already so hopefully a bigger budget will give these actors a better end product.

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A healthy dose of young love

About Youth Review

This was a little gem and hopefully a sign that the Taiwanese BL industry is finally recovering post Covid. The premise, about them both running for Student Union President, is but a backdrop to a coming-of-age story. It’s more to do with recognising who you are and paving your own path in life.

There are, in typical Taiwanese BL style, two couple stories. Both of these are good. They’re healthy, nontoxic relationships which is nice to see.

Couple 1 – reflected how having everything on paper doesn’t necessarily mean you are happy. You can have lost important people and still be happier than someone who has it all.

Couple 2 – how important it is to be with someone who likes you for all that you are. It’s also important not to bring past hurts into current relationships.

Oh and Wilson Liu (History 3 MODC and History 4) has a guest appearance. That didn’t hurt at all.

Guang’s parents were truly awful human beings. It’s sad to think parents like this exist and forget their own humble beginnings. There’s also a terrible uncle in the mix. Qi Zhang’s mum had some real pearls of wisdom and is one of my favourite BL mums of all time.

It scores lower only because it’s short and so some of the pacing on certain stories felt rushed whilst others they laboured on for too long. The OST is banging and almost its own character as some of them are in a band.

All in all a lovely binge watch, well acted and signs that Taiwanese BLs are back! Bravo

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Hidden gem?

So Hidden Agenda is one of those stories where we are waiting to figure out what the agenda is. It quickly becomes apparent that Joke is not what he appears and has some secrets. But Zo wants Nita and accepts his help. Let the misunderstandings etc ensue. There's some family angst and we have a side couple, over involved friends and a stalker so lots going on.

Honestly, this should have been 8 to 10 episodes as some of the themes in the last few episodes feel rushed and not really deep enough. Joong is carrying this and their chemistry is still strong. Dung has improved somewhat although he still does that bobbly head thing too much. And someone give Joong some decent jeans!

If you're into Joong as a singer then you will enjoy some of the earlier episodes.

I've rewatched some of the scenes which highlight their chemistry but overall, this is a cute Sunday evening watch. Glad to see some improvement from JoongDunk but, we need a stronger script to really test this ship.

OK last episode was weak but still worth it for JoongDunk fans

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reborn rich rocks - Don't be put off by the comments

Story - I loved it. The nods to history were amazing and really told us about South Korea at pivotal times in their history. I'd suggest people watch it for this alone. It also highlights how power and money play such an important part in designing fate.

The ending seemed to split the audience but I loved it. It reconciled the stories in a way I hadn't anticipated. So my advise would be not to be put off by the comments you read on here or elsewhere. This story delivered

Acting - this was so good by the supporting cast that I found myself unable to watch some of the scenes. Special mention to the Grandma

The only thing I didn't love was the romance as it felt unnecessary at times but eventually makes sense. Rewatch and OST are low as I don't remember much music and it's hard to rewatch thrillers / dramas like this.

I would highly recommend this as the perfect binge watch. Lucky you not needing to go through weeks of suspense

Enjoy

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A funny thriller that tugs at the heartstrings

I wasn't sure what to expect of Bad Prosecutor and D.O but I found myself loving this drama.

Jin Jung is already deemed a bit of a rebel within the Prosecution department but is inadvertently given a murder case to manage which sets the scene for him uncovering what's REALLY going on within the Prosecution department.

It's a story of a maverick prosecutor and his motley crew who fight justice in their own way. It is all legal? No. Is it fun though and gets results? Yes! It's a typical KDrama with internal corruption, power plays and money dominating the legal system but no matter how many of these you have seen this is worth the time. There isn't a lot of court room drama. Most of it is investigative and out in the field.

12 episodes was just enough to leave you wanting more but 16 would have been too draggy so this was a good call. This could easily have a season 2

Acting was superb, the story was good with twists and turns throughout and it's definitely worth a watch

This is more comedy than romance for those who are looking for that. It was fun to watch with 2 episodes weekly but would be a great binge watch too.

OST gave it energy. I don't know how much re-watch it has as the story has plot twists.

Highly recommended

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a tale of two very different love stories

This is an adaptation from 2 novels, Love Storm and Love Sky. This introduces a whole new MAME universe.

The acting in this was really good from both pairs although I tending towards the first story as opposed to the second. This is a MAME adaptation so for those of you who know her other works will know that there are elements that are highly problematic.

That being said the first story is well told with elements of humour. The second story is darker and there are a number of tropes that are disturbing or triggering. These weren't well written

At times the OST was over powering with how loud it is and the constant changes. However there are a couple of gems.

I would give Love Storm a strong 9.5 but Love Sky a 6.5 hence an overall of 8. Treat them as two separate stories instead of one story and you should get through some of the heavy subjects in the second story.

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