Bit Off More Than it Could Chew

Overall: This is a perfect example of trying to tell too much story in too short of screen time. The result is a bunch of hanging plot threads instead of a completed story.

Content warnings: two rapes (shown) and violence (not between m/m).

What I Liked
- I thought the visuals, acting, and production were good
- at least there weren't any evil ex-girlfriends or stalker fans fetishsizing m/m relationships in public...

Room For Improvement
- too many things were not completed, what happened with the store owner, the mafia boss? Light's dad is just skipping around free as a bird for the absolutely despicable and illegal things he's done??? What about that other guy, he's also not in jail, get him in jail!!!
- the fact that the police officer didn't believe Light, I wanted to strangle the police officer... This already feeds into the idea that survivors won't be believed if they come forward.
- once again we get BDSM portrayed as non-consensual, boo

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A Realistic Slice of Life Set in a Religious High School

Content Warnings: none that I can think of

Overview: you might like this if you like slice of life stories

What I Liked
- the setting of an all male religious school is fairly unique from what I've seen thus far
- the main character Dominic has (stereotypical) feminine qualities which is rare to see and I liked that he character wasn't played just for laughs like I've frequently seen with trans women or crossdressing men (though this did happen with the fortune teller/assistant)
- the ex girlfriend wasn't some flat evil character, she saw that he changed, they were more compatible now and wanted to give it another try

Room For Improvement (minor spoilers)
- that Dominic lied and said he just wanted to be friends/platonic when almost the whole time he was looking at it from a romance aspect
- was it ever explained why Dominic didn't go to the playground, did he forget? what happened???
- how the ending played out, it felt like Dominic was trying to force Luke...

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a short miniseries with love triangles (or rectangles???)

Content Warnings: none I can think of

What I Liked
- visuals, the actors are cute
- production (like sound, subs, lighting) are actually pretty good for what I'm assuming is a very small budget
- the BTS clips at the end of each episode are fun to watch

Room For Improvement
- the crying itself was fine but when he raises his head it didn't look like he had been crying at all (i.e. no tears, red eyes or nose)
- the kiss wasn't the best but it definitely wasn't the worst that I've seen
- this season ends on a cliffhanger
- I'm watching the 2nd season and you really don't know who to ship or what the endgame is, there are multiple people liking other people

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basically commercials with some cute moments

Overall: I don't mind product placement, but in this case there was more product placement than plot. Three episodes about 12 minutes each. Aired on DFJ Entertainment's YouTube channel https://youtu.be/16s4HBeSKUE?si=5wguaKQ0sgnG6ocl

What I Liked
- lap sit and walking fingers up his arm
- the cat
- having subtitles in multiple languages

Room For Improvement
- mostly product placement
- think they should have left the boyfriend out of the series, did the main character learned/grown so a future relationship would even be successful?
- ending was disappointing with them cutting away like that

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tried to do too much

Overall: I liked the unique premise but when people have to make charts to understand the plot, then that's a bad sign. 11/12 episodes (there is an alternate final episode). Aired on WeTV.

Content Warnings: punches/fight scenes, manhandling, blood, non con picture taking, gaslighting, there is a major one in the first episode but I'm keeping this spoiler free

What I Liked
- unique premise
- the intro sequence
- lighting, kind of supernatural vibe and it differentiates the universes
- the brother/sister dynamic
- some cute moments
- same sex marriage advocacy
- the side couple (though wish for a bit more enthusiasm earlier and also that stuff in ep 10 was way too early/rushed)

Room For Improvement
- the world building was just too confusing, I think they should have stuck with 1 world building concept instead of multiple, the characters tried to explain it a bit in episode 5 and 7 but that was too late
- lack of clear resolution for Dew's universe
- unrealistic how player Mum just flips on a dime and how Dew and Mum interact when 1 doesn't know the other person and then only talk afterwards
- did not understand why Dew/Mum loved each other so much or feel their chemistry
- didn't like Mint's character but did not like Dew either for not being clear and going along with her suggestion, Mint's character did a bizarre 180 in one of the final episodes
- police should have been called a few times and weren't
- Mum with the 'gay for you' trope
- would a younger person not know about bi/pan as options???
- did not like the choose your own ending

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slice of life series

Overall: this is what I would call a slice of life series, i.e. more true to life versus a romanticized version. Though I was put off at the beginning of the 1st episode with the flash forward and the first few episodes were especially slow going, I'm glad that I stuck with the series. Watched on Gagaoolala (also on iQIYI).

Content Warnings: distant past suicide mentioned, punch/bullying, stalking, outing, manhandling

What I Liked
- some cute moments
- there were actually customers in the cafe at times and the cafe workers were actually working
- a character dreams different kdrama scenarios (I think one was Crash Landing On You) which was fun
- a character said that people who love each other should be able to marry
- the female friend wasn't a cliche evil wannabe girlfriend, though I don't approve of how she handled something
- representation (although I think the writers could have had a more realistic explanation/explained things better)
- Le's mom
- that nose ring, I think it's the first nose piercing I've ever seen in a BL, the hair was fun too
- the friendship between Le and Li

Room For Improvement
- I wish they portrayed the relationship between Li and Gwan differently. At first, I wasn't even sure what their relationship was. It didn't seem that they really even liked each other as friends with the way they treated one another.
- cliche "let me explain" then does not explain with side couple
- the main couple/side couple screen time was odd. Li and Gwan had an entire episode and then pretty much vanished.
- a bit choppy when they were in the forest the first time
- slow pacing
- I think the title "DNA Says Love You" should be "My DNA Says I Love You", I see it's listed as an alternate title but I wish this was the main title
- the pronouns appeared incorrect a few times, but I think this was a translation error (I didn't take off review stars for this)

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didn't live up to its promise...

Overall: unfortunately they must have changed writers from the prequels (https://youtu.be/PsGI1LJn-7Q and https://youtu.be/estp_6mHi1s) and we got unfunny parts and nonsense stuff instead of a realistic angsty series. Airing on WeTV and YouTube (according to the company YouTube will be 3 hours later).

Content Warnings: bullying, death (past), grief, vomiting

What I Liked
- the child actors did a great job
- cute/sweet moments
- countryside setting in episode 1
- wish the realistic reaction at the end of episode 5 had happened when they first re-met
- production value

Room For Improvement
- Phu's actions (to me) aren't romantic, they are immature, selfish and extremely hurtful over the course of a looong (10 years) period of time, there is no apology he can make for ghosting his best friend for a decade, I find Phu unlikable and don't want them to end up together (but I'm sure they will)
- because of time jumps/flashbacks it felt choppy in beginning episodes
- I think people who haven't watched the prequels would be confused especially the university part
- I didn't find that workplace humor stuff funny including the caricature characters

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blended several elements well but needed more trust

Overall: romance, fantasy, mystery, action, thriller and humor worked well together but I needed more trust in the relationship with the leads. Note that there are some very intense scenes. 12 episodes about an hour each. Aired on Idol Factory's YouTube Channel. Idol Factory also produced Secret Crush On You and Gap The Series.

Content Warnings: murders, attempted murder, suicide, manipulation, mentions of rape and sexual assault, kidnapping, torture, violence, blood, vomiting, manhandling

What I Liked
- hooked right away at the beginning
- integrated action, thriller/mystery, fantasy, romance and a little humor (Jack & Rose comment was funny)
- sweet moments
- Yai/Sand established couple
- Tharn's supportive friends
- good dream sequences
- some GL
- NSFW scenes were well done

Room For Improvement
- the slap was not needed in episode 5 and a later episode
- I found the camerawork a little too shaky/fast during some of the action scenes
- toilet "humor"
- kind of a tourism ad in episode 3
- unrealistic elements (not talking about the fantasy things), why wouldn't the brother have gone after his main target first and then the others, not shooting when there was opportunity, discussing a case in a public cafe, stupid decisions (the allegedly best of the best managed to share 1 brain cell), how on earth they did they survive that in episode 11, why wouldn't have the doctor done something much sooner (the writers could have made up a mythology that Tharn had to be a certain age before he could be taken to that location)
- the lack of trust that Tharn had in Phaya and the absolute trust he had in another character was off putting, the writers need to show more why Tharn would have that must trust in the other character
- that's pretty awful of Tharn to put Phaya through that much pain at the end, wish they could have written this differently

Thoughts on the Finale YouTube Release Date (I didn't take off points)
- I understand that companies need to make money, but I think they could improve regarding the finale episode release (also since they sold out that Thai theater in minutes, they should have had several live showings in Thailand to increase their revenue, the audience is definitely there)
- they should have had the theater/livestream finale a few days max 1 week after the episode 11 YouTube released and then a few days max week for the YouTube release, the 3 weeks was too long
- should have been clear from the beginning that the livestream would have English subtitles
- should have had the livestream be a window of at least 6 hours for those who were sleeping during the livestream (maybe there was a rerun option added later but that wasn't well advertised)
- release on a platform like Vimeo, the Thai platform wanted a ton of personal information including passport number/drivers license, even if they could add Vimeo as an option for a rental that would be great

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Thai romcom

Overall: I'm finding it fairly entertaining, though the constant product placement is a bit jarring at times. I have not read the manga this is based on and I'm trying to review this adaptation on its own merits instead of comparing it to the Japanese live action adaptation of the same name. 12 episodes about 45 minutes each. Airing on GMMTV's YouTube channel.

Content Warning: slap

What I Liked
- clear premise
- lighthearted romcom
- sweet moments
- the bike riding scene
- that Kongthap gave it serious thought in ep 1
- making something clear at the end of episode 2 instead of dragging it out
- My School President Easter egg in episode 3

Room For Improvement
- the intro scene and then the voice over that re-told what we already knew
- the overused comedy sound effects detract from the comedy
- nonsense stuff - they didn't even show the props that they decorated
- I still hated the slap but at least there was an apology
- (neutral) this might have the most product placements that I've ever seen, but I didn't really take off points because series like this allow GMMTV to make series like Not Me

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some cute parts (watch suggestions)

Overall: cliched conflicts weighed down the otherwise cute plot. 10 episodes about 25 minutes each. Aired on GagaOOLala & Viki. The production company also made: Stay By My Side, You Are Mine and Anti Reset (airing in 2024).

Watch Suggestions (unless you enjoy slow pacing and cliched drama)
- watch ep 1 & 2
- skip ep 3
- watch ep 4
- skip ep 5
- could skip ep 6, there is a cameo from the You Are Mine leads and a cute sick/caring scene around 12 minutes but stop at 16 minutes to avoid useless family drama
- skip ep 7 & 8
- watch ep 9 (can also start at 8 minutes and watch thru to the end) and episode 10

Content Warnings: homophobic remark, dub/non con kissing, vomiting

What I Liked
- cute moments
- facial hair (and it looks really good) on a lead
- supportive/wingman friend
- two side characters (though zero screen time in episode 5-8 and only a little bit before then)
- cameo of You Are Mine actors in ep 6 and 10
- that Liu Li stood up to the mom

Room For Improvement
- the whole drunk cliche
- the waiter's rude comment would have made more sense if there were a bunch of people in the restaurant and some were leaving because they couldn't find a place to sit, also the animal sanctuary could have used a few extras as well
- in episode 5 the dub/non con kissing was uncomfortable to watch as was the freeze kiss in ep 4
- instead of introducing that character in ep 6 they could have developed the sassy waiter and the upbeat friend (who basically vanished from the series)
- camerawork sometimes moved too much/had odd angles
- slow pacing
- two grown men fought like middle schoolers over another man as if he was property and not a person, tried to be comedic but failed
- noble idiocy

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A Slooooowwww Realistic(ish) Drama

Content warnings: none I can think of

Overall: A slower paced (too slow in my opinion) series dealing with a realistic problem.

What I Liked
- A more realistic reason for the drama
- Supportive siblings
- Lack of evil girlfriend/ex-girlfriend/stalker "fan"
- Focused on 1 couple* instead of a billion (slight exaggeration) couples

Room For Improvement
- 4 year gap: I really dislike time gaps where 1 person makes a unilateral decision and the other person is miserable for years and years supposedly for their own good, ugh.
- Number of flashbacks/flashforwards: it takes me out of the story and this had quite a few of time hops especially via flashbacks. The whole 7th episode was a flashback, it felt like filler.
- Lack of doctor/patient confidentiality: I think the sister could have talked to Nut about Phob instead of his doctor
- *Not being clear about the brother & Tar's relationship until episode 6: just a few romantic moments would have made this clear earlier. I would have liked their relationship to be more developed.
- Pacing felt too slow to me: I watched this on at least 1.5 (or more) speed and I think it would have been better as 6 episodes, maybe even 5.
- The ending: was okay, I generally don't like cliffhangers and I don't think it had the impact it should have had because of the lack of a developed romantic relationship. I would watch a 2nd season though.

I skipped ahead from ep 5 to the end because I was worried and fyi it is not a tragic ending. 
Watch past the credits of each episode as there are side stories/interviews with the cast/director. 
I think I'm being a bit generous with 7.5 as I really had to push myself to finish all 8 episodes.

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had me until episode 4

(potential trigger warnings in my review, talking about abuse and intimate partner violence)

Overall: with a few tweaks this could have been a 9.5 series but I actively did not want the main leads together especially when 3 years later one of them was still a narcissist. It's sad but not surprising that people were victim blaming and calling Joe stupid. He wasn't stupid, he was an abuse victim (more below). Very similar aesthetics to KinnPorsche which made sense because it shared a director and screenwriter. It was adapted from the novel "Professional Body Double" by Shui Qiang Cheng which I didn't read and I based the series on its own merits. 12 episodes about an hour each. Aired uncut on iQIYI. First episode link: https://www.iq.com/play/my-stand-in-uncut-episode-1-1iwuiu9rlww?lang=en_us The production company also produced I Feel You Linger In The Air.

Content Warnings: death, grief, non con kissing, punch/violence, intimate partner abuse, held against will, gaslighting, manipulation, coercion, past suicide?, manhandling, vomiting, parental abuse, kidnapped, homophobia

What I Liked
- the premise
- showed a condom and discussed sexual position preferences
- had a good conversation at the beginning of episode 2
- wanting/ongoing physical affection in the beginning episodes
- sweet moments in the beginning episodes
- supportive sister
- production value (some really nice camera shots, use of mirrors, switching focus on foreground to background etc.)

Room For Improvement
- I can't root for their relationship as explained below
- Ming was stupid, he could have easily shown his dad evidence first before telling him the other part, he could have shored up his financial situation first as well
- Joe's lack of agency, he had a bunch of awful things and felt cornered into doing things instead of it being his choice
- multiple failed redemption arcs
- trash characters have no consequences, just instant forgiveness for terrible things they did
- multiple romances introduced in the last 30 minutes of the last episode
- voice overs with exposition dumps
- some of the music didn't fit the tone (that fight in episode 4 was made comical instead of dramatic)
- wish a character hadn't been shown as extremely drunk at the end of episode 1
- love triangle, Sol overstepped and took away agency from Joe especially in episode 9
- nonsense stuff i.e. Ming just happened to have something at his house in episode 4??? Joe didn't have any bruises/blood on his face/head in episode 4, Joe happened to overhear key conversations, 1 person being extremely drunk and a stunt person not being able to get away

Thoughts on Grey Characters/Their Romantic Relationships
Sometimes these characters and their dynamic work for me and other times they don't. Here are the factors that I think about:
1. was there a realistic reason why the character/s acted the way they did in the past (sort of, but not to the level that Ming was at)
2. how bad was/is the treatment (extremely abusive and violent, Ming could have accidentally killed Joe in episode 4, 3 years later and Ming stays a narcissist he says "I always get what I want" and he actively ignores what would make Joe happy)
3. were both characters grey or was one squeaky clean (Joe was mostly squeaky clean but unbelievably dense in not believing that Ming wanted him and Ming was abusive and a narcissist and stayed a narcissist/manipulative and also stupid to not know why Joe didn't tell him something)
4. was there some kind of apology/amend making (verbal apologies, promised to treat him better/give him job opportunities, was sweet with him but to me it was just the make up phase of an abuse cycle)
5. was there character growth (no, 3 years later and Ming was still a narcissist which was reinforced in episode 9, he made decisions involving Joe without asking what Joe wanted because Ming did whatever Ming wanted)
6. do I believe that the characters will stay together in a happy romantic relationship (no, because for Ming it was about power/control and not love)
final verdict: I didn't want them in a romantic relationship together

Joe wasn't stupid, he was the victim of intimate partner violence
- Joe was the victim of physical, financial, emotional/mental and sexual abuse
- Ming didn't love Joe, he wanted to control him to get what he wanted
- abuse survivors can have a very difficult time escaping the abuse because abusers can be extremely excellent manipulators "if you hadn't done abc then I wouldn't have had to say/do xyz", also there are periods of nice times that trick the survivor into thinking the abuser does love them (the make up phase in the cycle of abuse), in the real world intimate partner violence is deadly and widespread, it is estimated that 10-40% of law enforcement officers are abusers and they are frequently the first people to respond, it's all very terrible and not at all romantic

If you or someone you love needs help, here is a resource in the U.S. https://www.rainn.org/

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enjoyed it more than the series

Overall: it was a decent special, although I wanted a few changes. 26 minute special aired on GagaOOLala https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/4252/vip-only-2023-e11 and Viki https://www.viki.com/tv/40086c-vip-only My review of the series is here: https://mydramalist.com/profile/blcompilations/reviews/318961

What I Liked
- sweet moments
- that they explained why the beard was gone in a realistic way
- the characters from You Are Mine

Room For Improvement
- the one lead felt childish/petulant
- one piggyback is fine but 2 was too many
- talking/being concerned about who is the husband and who is the wife
- lip press for an established couple (and then the montage showed more lip presses

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hilarious, poignant and heartwarming

Overall: Ossan's Love Returns was my favorite in the franchise. The writers managed to balance several different genres (comedy, fluff, angst, mystery) well and we had character growth. 9 episodes about 45 minutes each. Aired on GagaOOLala (along with the rest of the franchise except Ossan's Love Hong Kong) and Viki.

Content Warnings: past death/murder, past violence, grief, non con kiss

What I Liked
- how Haruta and Maki had their flaws but they communicated with one another, apologized when they messed up and continued to love and care for each other, there was some excellent character growth
- clever ways they integrated the episode name
- sweet moments
- funny moments (I laughed so many times)
- realistic parts (like the bed head)
- ongoing physical interest/affection
- Moonlight Chicken (Earth/Mix) cameo
- how they integrated rainbows into the episodes

Room For Improvement
- the non con kiss with the new characters
- perpetuating the stereotype of a mother in law who is mean/exacting to a spouse
- wish we had a bit more time/resolution with several of the characters instead of a mad dash at the end
- if characters aren't comfortable doing something like at the end of episode 9, then the production should cast other actors

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