Wholesome and cute! <3

This was such a fun drama to watch! The actors all seemed to be having fun, and everything was more or less lighthearted and charming. Despite the ending kind of being a cop-out, the flow of the story made sense and was more or less a comedic slice-of-life with some magic realism. All the characters were adorable, especially Jing (Copter's character). The drama was a bit slower than most current ones, kind of reminiscent of how slow old "Doctor Who" episodes are, but it was very calming and enjoyable to watch. I would recommend this drama to anyone who wants a show with a "Frog and Toad" feel to it.

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This was such a cute, funny, heartwarming drama! The story wasn't perfect, or very original, but it flowed so well! Also, the actors were clearly having fun with their roles, and that made it so much easier as someone in the audience to be interested in their characters.

Bohn and Duen were definitely the funniest couple at first. Sadly, their storyline went downhill after a while, though their massive problems ended up actually being useful for character development. Personally, I wish Bohn hadn't been so volatile, but it was good seeing Duen's character stand up for himself, being both strong and soft.

Ram and King were very cute! I liked their storyline, through all its ups and downs. It was very hearttouching and beautiful.

The best couple was Boss and Mek. In the end, they were the couple I was rooting for the most while watching the drama. They're a good example of the best friends becoming lovers trope.

The ending theme song by Ton Thanasit is so romantic! It's the perfect song for a romantic comedy. I wish P'Ton sang more for dramas!

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"Gaya sa Pelikula" is in general quite good. The story is basic and easy to follow, but the actors do a good job portraying the motional ups and downs of their characters. The narrative is preachy at times, and the uncomfortable and sometimes problematic affirmations at the end of the end credits were not necessary, but the depictions of Karl's angst about being gay and wanting to stay closeted were very well done. The drama did a good job showing through Vlad how people who aren't closeted can still be hurt by the closet.

The music was probably the best part of GSP. There was a good song for just about any situation in the drama, and it really pushed the narrative. The best scenes featuring music were the "Tahanan" and "Fools" sequences. The theme song "Unti Unti" is really good, too.

Now, is GSP as progressive as it depicts itself to be? In some ways, yes. The characters have some genuinely good discussions about microaggressions and family pressure, and it is generally quite uplifting. While the drama sometimes falls into pop culture progressivism, this is subverted with the character Judit, who is a deconstruction of what it means to be an ally. The problematic part of the show is this overall atmosphere of solidarity, or as the drama's poster says, "It's time to take back our story." Our story? This message, which is repeated in the end credits affirmations, is very damaging for closeted queer people to internalize. Solidarity, unity, and community are very good things, but are not always what one finds after coming out of the closet. The last end credit affirmation ends with, "We will welcome you when you are ready." That's a nice thought, but a lot of people who have come out of the closet can testify how cliquey a lot of LGBTQ+ groups, centers, clubs, bars, etc., can be. This is a far cry from dramas like "Quaranthings", "Game Boys", "B x J Forever", and even "Sakristan", all of which depicted both stability and dysfunction within the interactions of queer people, therefore being a bit more realistic in this regard.

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This is one of those short, fun dramas that doesn't require much brain power or time, but still manages to make the viewers feel emotionally, ethically, and socially conflicted. It is a story about two boys who have a few major problems in their relationship, but are otherwise quite cute together. I enjoyed it, I'll undoubtedly watch it again, and I will not hope anyone has the same troubles as the main characters.

The plot is very character-driven, and while it features quite a few bits of drama, it's actually quite calming, especially if you've been watching more intense dramas and need a break from that sort of thing. Each episode is only about twenty minutes, which is good for those who want to watch TV on the go. The side characters weren't given much development, but were still interesting and added to the setting.

The music is really fun. The opening and closing theme songs sound like old David et Jonathan songs from the '80s, and the "here's-a-sad-scene-where-there-should-be-a-sad-song" song is also really good. The opening theme song really gets you pumped up the watch the show, while the closing theme song is poignant in that it sings about the need for courage, something a lot of LGBTQIA+ people can identify with.

Now to the deeper stuff!

Liang Ze and Hang Hang, as characters, were very well balanced in their differences and similarities. Liang Ze is naive and often gets taken advantage of (in more ways than one), but is genuinely sweet and friendly. Hang Hang can come across as slightly cold and unable to express his feelings, though he quickly warms up to certain people and loves taking care of them. Honestly, the two main characters were both extremely precious, and it's good seeing a show where both male leads are in general gentle, kind, and respectful.

My main issue with the relationship between the two boys is their difference in maturity, especially concerning romance and sexuality. Hang Hang seems to have already matured and takes relationships seriously, but Liang Ze, despite being grown up, still has the mentality of a teenager (a catcalling, icky graphic T-wearing, heterosexual teenager, specifically). The arguments between the two boys can be so frustrating, because, while I want them to get together in the end, they both just want such different things from each other.

Who should watch this drama? People who want something fun, fluffy, and short to watch where the drama isn't too gripping but is still there.

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Kind of fizzled out...

This drama started off looking like it would be good, but the story just kind of fell flat. The characters had little to no development, the conflicts felt contrived, and the whole thing felt like it should have just been a cute movie rather than a drawn-out series. Christian and Bogs both had so much potential as characters, but ended up being rather boring, and Pepay and Benjo were just jerks. The only character who seemed okay was Kelly, probably because her actress had the most life and energy out of the entire cast. She seemed to really be enjoying her role.

Now, this is no lie, "Twinkle Star" is an amazing song for the end credits! I've listened to that on repeat since the drama first aired.

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Best show ever!!!

“Stay With Me” was so cute and wholesome! The producers took an edgy slice-of-life web novel and TV show and remade it into a drama that beautifully depicted both family and romance, as well as dealt with the deadly discussion of forgiveness which so few dramas have depicted well. The actors give 100% for their roles, balancing both comedy and tragedy realistically.
SWM differs from “Addicted” not just in the drama’s focus, but also in how the main couple functions. While Su Yu and Wu Bi have a ton of squabbles, misunderstandings, and fights, Wu Bi is far less aggressive and much more protective than his former counterpart Gu Hai. Also, Su Yu and Wu Bi were simply so romantic with each other!!!!
The music for this drama was excellent. I especially liked the closing theme song as well as the love ballad sung by the actor for Wu Bi.

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Bittersweetly surprised

For a show with lots of cussing, violence, and sex, it managed to be so wholesome and sweet! I have so many different opinions about "Love By Chance", though, in general, I liked it a lot.

What I loved about it:
Pete and Ae have such a healthy, innocent relationship! Sometimes they have problems, sometimes jealousies get a little too intense, and sometimes insecurities get in the way of common sense, but they always talk things through. They respect each other, love each other, and effectively become each other's equal partners. I loved watching them go visit each other's families-- it was so adorable! I also loved how Pete learned to communicate directly, and eventually became a stronger, more independent person.
I also liked Can. He was so adorable, feisty, and energetic! He, his sister, and his mother were such hilarious spitfires! And his friend Good was the exact opposite, which only made things funnier!
Also, while many people hated how Can and Tin did not get together in the end, I liked it. Neither of them was emotionally mature enough for a relationship, and it's rare for dramas to depict that sort of reality.
Also, Pond and CheAim had such a healthy, endearing, funny relationship. I loved the scene where Pond told CheAim that she didn't need to feel insecure about being sexually reserved, because he liked her for her and not for being sexy.

What made me uncomfortable:
The actor playing Ae was only 16 during the drama's filming, which made a lot of the scenes where Pete and Ae got intimate a little squicky. There was no nudity, though, and it was easy to fast-forward through the very few sex scenes that were shown.
Tin was a little too pushy around Can, and went straight into creeper territory at times. I guess it's supposed to show how problematic he is as a person, but some of the ways he treated Can came across a little prostitute-y.
Also, when you first meet Pond, he's jerking off. He also is a porn addict. Like, what?

What I hated:
The finale. That whole crappy debacle.
First of all, that rape scene where a high schooler completely takes advantage of his friend's intoxicated older brother, then manipulates him into thinking it was the other was around! What the f*ck were the screenwriters thinking?!
I also hated the whole step-brothers' story line. It could have been done better, but was done so horribly.

In many ways, "Love By Chance" was very progressive and uplifting. At the same time, some problematic, and some downright horrible, things got slipped in. Watching it was a very bittersweet experience, and re-watching it will be better since I'll know which parts to skip.

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Just not interesting...

"Bad Buddy" really wasn't attention-grabbing. I watched the first episode, started the second episode, and decided to drop it. It's another "Romeo and Juliet" remake, with an enemies-to-lovers trope, I guess. It doesn't seem bad, but it doesn't seem original enough to really enjoy. The characters weren't really that interesting, though there did seem to be potential. The jokes weren't very funny. The brawls felt cliche. There's not much more to say. Maybe this would be good to watch if one is bored or is new to BL, but it really doesn't have much going for it. Maybe it was overhyped.

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