runs on vibes instead of plot

Overall: I really enjoyed the beginning with a unique premise and the color themes, but similar to other GMMTV productions, it runs on vibes and poor communication instead of plot or realistic character actions. If you aren't a vibes person, then I suggest watching the first two episodes then skip to episode 8 part 4 and watch from there. Watched on YouTube.

Content Warnings: beaten up, death (off screen), stalking, animal blood

What I Liked
- several cute and funny moments
- the color themes and prop integration
- supportive friend groups
- that this wasn't enemies to lovers but two guys figuring things out
- mentioning societal issues like marriage equality, expensive public transportation
'- several cameos/guest roles: Force, Book, Perth, Mix, Tay
- reference to 2gether/other BL series
- decent kissing in later episodes
- the two side characters and the vet stuff was cute (but they needed more time, had like a 5 second scene in the final episode)
- (neutral) comedy sound effects

Room For Improvement
- pacing was slow, characters went in circles (for 2 years!!!), I think they needed a fast burn side couple
- poor communication for grown men
- characters do not act realistically (the film crew in episode 11 was an example of this), characters do things because that's what the writer said not because it would make sense
- thin plot with a lot of product placement
- poor world building/plot holes
- that whole not name telling thing
- there were a few scenes that jumped a bit much, we were in one place and then suddenly somewhere else (the beach at the beginning was one)
- the cliche swimming issue in the beginning, wish they'd have come up with something else

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enjoyable m/m reality dating series

Overall: pretty well done, however there was definitely some misleading/confusing editing (especially in the finale) to create additional drama which I could have done without. When watching "reality" series, I always keep in mind that producers might tell the guys what to do/say and that editing can be extremely misleading (not showing things, change the order, etc). My goals were that the guys have some fun and being on the show helped (or at least doesn't hurt them) in their personal and professional lives. I have zero problem with them promoting their businesses as being queer has likely given them personal and professional disadvantages (and perhaps more so after appearing on the show). 14 episodes about 1 hour each. Aired on Gagaoolala & iQIYI (depending on your country)

Content Warnings: discussion related to homophobia/life experiences

What I Liked
- I like how they started with a date and the twist gave a bit more drama
- the 30 second phone call thing was good (I personally think it's best if the guys say who they are and call someone they are romantically interested in to avoid mixed signals/increase the odds of a mutual match)
- the twists were well done
- once again a good decision to not let them say their age or occupation right away. I think people get fixated on those things when in reality personality, values and goals are much more important compatibility-wise and it will make a good reveal in ep 3
- jenga game was a good way for everyone to learn more about everyone else, and although it got kind of serious, it seems to have brought them together and is an important thing for viewers to see/learn about
- production value such as nice music, set design, editing, etc

Room For Improvement
- too many phone calls, would have liked to see some more larger group games
- needed a graphic at the end of each episode to see who called who/was interested in who because I get confused and wanted to see if there were mutual matches
- needed nametags or nametag necklaces at least for the first few episodes to get familiar with all of their names
- there was confusing/misleading editing that I don't think was needed

Life Advice: I really want to have heart to hearts with a few of these guys, but here are my main takeaways/advice
1. Being "nice" is frequently much more hurtful if you are leading someone on verses being honest and saying you aren't interested in a person romantically
2. (related to number 1) Honesty is the best policy - make it clearly known from the beginning who you are romantically interested in, I know it can be embarrassing, but if you aren't mature enough to be honest then you aren't mature enough to be in a romantic relationship
3. Be careful of changing yourself for a romantic partner - it's fine to change things that you want to change, but don't change yourself to fit someone else's desires for how you should be, otherwise you're at risk of losing yourself and your happiness
4. Work on your own self esteem - don't expect another person to complete you but rather complement you. Using another person to prop up low self esteem is likely not going to end well.

Comparison to other m/m dating shows
1. Sparks Camp (Philippines) on YouTube. 10 guys, anyone can pursue anyone else, too many group games that are not getting to know you types, but overall done well
2. Love House seasons 1 & 2 (Vietnam) on YouTube (most have English subs, this is ep 1 of season 2 no subs though https://youtu.be/TKzT_nHfVTA ). I liked this set up more than Bromance because the guys could all pursue one another. I didn't like the "secret couple" aspect and dividing them up based on sexual position seemed odd (can't they discuss that in private???) Season 1 was also the most brutal "rose ceremony" I've ever seen in any dating reality show. Season 2 was better.
3. Bromance (Thailand) is also on Gagaoolala. This is the typical Bachelor/Bachelorette set up with a bunch of people competing against one another to be with the 1 bachelor. I didn't like this because they could have all been hitting on each other and we have multiple couples! I got kind of bored and skipped a bunch.

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got better as it went on

Overall: this was in the 'close but not quite' category for me, there was just something missing overall. Aired on Viki and GagaOOLala, 8 episodes about 25 minutes each.

Content Warnings: attempted/beginning sexual assault, past sexual assault/non con mentioned, manipulation

What I Liked
- clear set up
- bartender and two bosses
- showing how people aren't always who they seem to be
- the funny and sweet moments
- the best insult ever: smutty alien
- that Onoe Satoshi confronted Kaburagi Motoharu about something that was bothering him instead of letting it drag on

Room For Improvement
- wasn't totally sold on their dynamic, I think we needed a bit more explanation about Kaburagi and earlier on
- Kaburagi's words and actions after what Onoe went thru in episode 3 was not the right time/place
- Onoe was a bit too much of a dumb dumb at times

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peak romcom which gave me smile wrinkles :)

Overall: this is a Thai high school BL romcom done right. It deftly avoided several of my least favorite cliches. 12 episodes about 50 minutes each. Aired on YouTube, GMMTV's channel.

Content Warnings: mild manipulation, shove, slap, punch, homophobia, non con photo taking, unwanted public outing

What I Liked
- several funny moments that made me laugh, including several subverted tropes
- cute moments
- the friend/band dynamics
- good dynamic with Tinn and Gun
- Gun's mom, Tinn's mom and dad
- they felt like real parents and acted realistically
- Tiw is the best wingman ever
- no cliche one dimensional villains
- solid communication and a very supportive romantic partner

Room For Improvement
- this could have been 8 or 10 episodes, it dragged in some places, or they should have more fully developed the side couples
- Gun's kissing reluctance was odd except that the writers just wanted to save a mouth kiss for the final episode
- I didn't like Tinn's initial "plan" but at least he did try other things first and I think Tiw is the one who suggested it
- the beginning of episode 2 was a bit confusing because it restarted the first episode from Tinn's perspective
- did Gun's mom's money problem just vanish?

FYI - I saw someone explain Gun's outfit (the black tank and shorts) which is in reference to this https://coconuts.co/bangkok/news/wonderful-memes-transport-minister-chadchart-becomes-internet-idol/

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a quirky comedy that will make you smile

Overall: this should put a smile on your face, make sure to watch the entire final episode and watch the ending credits as they change. Aired on GagaOOLala and AIS Play's YouTube Channel (for members)

Content Warnings: fights/violence, manipulation, stalking, non con touching, highschooler starts as a sophomore 15/16 and university student who starts as a junior 20/21 (didn't bother me*)

What I Liked
- Noey's aesthetic, it's unique
- Noey's vain/forthright/quirky character
- several funny moments, especially subverted tropes that made me laugh
- sweet moments
- Thiw was such a supportive friend
- Noey's family dynamics were very realistic, they bicker, they laugh, they cry
- hints of GL
- that they changed the ending credits to match what was happening
- good production value
- the music

Room For Improvement
- it dragged a bit in the first half but then sped up at the end and they didn't fully explain or resolve plot points (Noey's dad???)
- the drama at the end of ep 11 and beginning of 12 was cliche (but I was really happy with Thi being honest in episode 11)
- very unrealistic that that was the first time they did that at the end of ep 12
- Thi's laugh/tense shoulders/scaredy cat vibe was a little too much for me and I wanted him to have more character growth sooner
- I think some of the jokes didn't quite translate well like the thing with the charm towards the end, also Thi's dream in episode 5 was a bit too grim
- not a fan of an aggressive pursuit after that woman, also not a fan of bullying
- *this was a very PG rated series so the age gap/under 18 aspect didn't bother me

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it lost me

Overall: though the man m/m dynamic was not my favorite*, the first few episodes were set up and done well, but then the plot deteriorated and by the end I was angry. Note that there is an extra scene after initial credits. Aired on Gagaoolala and Viki.

Content Warnings: physical abuse/physical assault off screen but wounds shown, punches, non con kiss, mental health struggles, manhandling, manipulation, dentist/patient, age gap (10? years), if you have anxiety about dental visits then there are some scenes that might make it worse

What I Liked
- the sweet moments
- a few funny moments
- acting
- good kissing/continued physical affection
- dance scene at the end
- production value

Room For Improvement
- *the cold dentist and the vulnerable/traumatized (continuous) patient was not a favorite dynamic, I didn't like the side immature high schooler and reluctant bar manager either
- too many couples (4) most of which did not have enough development and 1 of which was extremely rushed
- the sister punching Jin Xun An twice and trying to punch him in the face was awful, you can care about your sibling but Bai Lang is a fully grown adult and you don't physically assault people, speaking of
- WTH was that with the dad, he's a total abuser but then on screen shown as a little grumpy and basically has no consequences (i.e. he should go to JAIL!!!!) This being glossed over was awful and it was totally unnecessary to the plot. He could have been the standard homophobe like the majority of BL parents.
- way too much time spent on flashback and showing an entire past relationship that I cared nothing about
- cliche ex enters the picture which leads to
- terrible communication skills for adults in their 20s/30s
- a straight wedding in the only Asian country where same sex marriage is legal complete with a bait and switch proposal had me fuming

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very enjoyable K-BL

Overall: there was sweetness, angst, realism and non-realism. I waffled between an 8.5 and 9 but I'm feeling generous so 9 it is. Aired on Viki and GagaOOLala (varied by country).

Content Warnings: violence off screen, punch, manipulation

What I Liked
- the premise
- acting
- sweet and cute moments
- mostly realistic relationship trajectory
- the supportive female friend
- physical affection once they were officially together
- was happy with how Ji Ho Joon handled his dad in episode 8
- production value

Room For Improvement
- wish they had told the story in linear fashion as the flash forwards and flashbacks made things unnecessarily confusing, was also kind of choppy, we'd jump from one scene to the next
- unrealistic elements (dad said to sell all the cars but he still has one? no hotel rooms in what looks like a large city?)
- was sad about the cliched lying at the end of ep 7/beginning of 8, there would have still been drama if the character had been honest

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Short and Sweet BL Series

Overall: though I disliked both of their "plans", this was pretty well done for a high school setting BL. Watched on YouTube.

Content Warning: stalking, punches, manipulation, sexism, homophobia

What I Liked
- funny and cute moments
- great to see how Uncle Man was an actual character and not a stereotype
- supportive family and friend group
- good production value
- the self promotion with the location of the audition

Room For Improvement
- what stupid "plans"
- the interaction with Uncle Man and X was a bit odd in episode 3
- bored by the two side plots, with the short run time I think they should have had only 1 side plot
- ending was a bit abrupt and I wish we would have seen and not just heard the final line

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stellar comedy, need a season 2

Overall: this crack comedy made me laugh but it also made me empathize with Aoyagi. 3 episodes about 45 minutes each. Aired on GagaOOLala https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/3919/i-became-the-main-role-of-a-bl-drama-2023-e01

What I Liked
- laughed many times, it has an exaggerated style of humor which I can struggle with, but they made it work
- the two managers (I need more info on their background)
- how they differentiated between the acting scenes and other scenes
- characters weren't unrealistically stupid, they figure things out
- sweet moments

Room For Improvement
- who falls asleep like that and then doesn't wake up in ep 1???
- needed 5 more seconds at the very end of episode 3

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Want Something Sizzling Hot? Look Elsewhere

Overall: Well that was a thing. Though it has similar flaws with most Korean BL (rushed/choppy plot), I'm downgrading it because of the odd/bad ending. Watched on Viki.

Content Warnings: there's some manhandling - wrist grabbing, shoving to the ground

What I Liked
- the music
- the original premise of opposite personalities, we have a strict/disciplined guy vs free wheeling/out of the box thinker type guy. (unfortunately it didn't play out as I had hoped)
- that they showed some consideration for one another (not wearing perfume and covering sharp kitchen corners)
- juxtaposition/parallel of the opening scene between the two protagonists
- I did chuckle a couple of times
- that ear nibble/bite

Room For Improvement
- the nonsensical plot: why wouldn't the boss just fire the chef and hire the new one? The chefs should have teamed up at the end and opened their own restaurant together to teach the boss a lesson. There were no people at the fairground, how did the ferris wheel run? How do these chefs have so much free time? Why would the first chef's friends congratulate the 2nd chef???
- choppiness: scenes would just leap from one thing to another, how did they get out of the freezer?
- overdone cliches: "I can explain" (2 minutes of silence and gives no explanation) "I refuse to listen to your explanation (although you had 2 minutes to give me your explanation) and I will never speak or see you again in my entire life even though we work together"
- the flat, cliche evil female character who also has zero repercussions 
- lack of explaining character motivations: why did the 2nd chef sign the contract? He has a really nice apartment so he can't be broke?
- the ending, they didn't talk/date for 3 months, what??? The parallel was nice but we all know they should have kissed at the very end.
- some shaky camerawork
- I felt bad for that octopus

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two green flags, could have been a 9.5

Overall: the leads were mutually interested, sweet and flirty so this could have been a 9.5 with some changes. Series got better as it went on. 12 episodes about 45 minutes each. Aired on iQIYI. Re-Aired on YouTube. Star Hunter Entertainment also produced: Big Dragon, What Zabb Man, Gen Y, My Mate Match and The Moment I Need You

Content Warnings: non con recording/sharing, cyberbullying, past death, homophobia, sexual harassment, transphobia, manhandling, unwanted public outing

What I Liked
- dynamic between the leads including: mutual respect, communication, ongoing physical affection (although Krom needed to work on his communication skills, even at the end)
- sweet/cute moments
- a few funny parts like the bubble tea catch
- supportive friends (although the 1 friend put his friend into unnecessary pain with his "plan" in episode 4)
- worked in anti-smoking messaging in a less preachy way, also added other messages however the 'respect a person's privacy' was undermined by Krom's friends taking video/sharing without permission and spying on them
- the interaction with his fans in episode 3 made me tear up, very sweet
- a trans character that felt like a real person instead of the stereotypical characters that we normally see
- excellent dreams
- good intimacy
- conversation about preferred position, willingness to adapt to a partner's needs
- avoided ep 11 curse

Room For Improvement
- too many comedy sound effects that actually detracted from the comedy (seemed less prevalent in the second half thankfully)
- the second couple needed more screen time and he needed to mature more
- several exposition dumps, the voice overs were used too much to tell the story
- too much time spent on the talk show stuff in episode 3, overall this could have had tighter pacing
- nonsense stuff: why didn't his (obviously not American) coworkers use AI translate apps/websites?, someone else filling a person's prescription, an allegedly good friend letting a very drunk person go off with that guy, not coming up with an obvious solution to the problem shown at the end of the series, etc
- how much time passed was unclear at times
- showing a character texting when using the bathroom

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started well, went downhill at ep 6

Overall: somehow an awesome slice of life/cooking/comedy series devolved into cliched plot points. My advice is to watch episodes 1-5 and then episodes 11 & 12. 12 episodes about 20 minutes each, aired on GagaOOLala.

Content Warnings: past death not shown, non con kiss, slap

What I Liked
- funny moments (the undressing, the van driving off, that look and the crow sounds at the end)
- realistic reaction to an accidental fall and catch
- cooking/the food looked delicious
- Mahiro's friend/coworker (wish we had seen more of that love story in the present)
- the villagers (much rather have had more screentime with them)
- Mahiro supportive of the naked dining
- managed to subvert something in ep 11 but it was due to (yet another) miscommunication

Room For Improvement
- they used cliched plot points including poor communication in order to drive the plot (and how in the final episode do they still have terrible communication skills)
- I ended up disliking Mahiro, wish they showed more in the flashbacks so we'd understand Mahiro better because he seemed very selfish and immature
- Souta was too dumb, at first I thought it was a bit endearing but they pushed it into the unbelievable area
- the pacing could have been better, I think 8 or 10 episodes instead of 12, plot went in circles, why on earth did episode 12 start 1 week after episode 11
- the non con kiss and slap both felt dated and not needed
- comedy mostly vanished
- odd things: why is the house just sitting there for 6 months? why did he have that band aid, they could have easily shown him find it as he went through those boxes, the boss and wife took a train how far for dinner? that potential buyer was oversharing to fit the plot, what was with that thing with the grandma? at the end
- based on the title, I expected a certain scene and I'm disappointed we didn't get to see it
- so she's all good now with dating the boss???

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A comedy that lost its way

Overall: I've seen the anime and also the Japanese live action series, so I have a couple things to compare it with. I have not read the manga it's based off of. AIS Play has released the episodes on their YouTube channel.

Content Warnings: non con touching (ripped off his shirt), non con repeated kissing (sleeping), homophobia, blood with an injury, body policing (don't eat that or you'll get fat), manipulation

What I Liked
- there were some crack comedy moments, especially in the beginning episodes
- the kissing/steamy scene was done pretty well (but I didn't like the overlap)
- at first I liked that Anda's brother was taking care/looking out for Anda, but then it just felt like he was infantilizing Anda and taking Anda's agency away
- I'd like to see the actors in other projects

Room For Improvement
- really wish they had removed the non con kissing, it was so uncomfortable to watch
- the relationship between Anda's brother and Jet was odd, I thought it was something and then suddenly it's something totally different? I wish they had a bunch more crack comedy moments between them.
- useless added love triangle
- gay for you trope
- cliche ending drama
- they should have kept Anda terrible at drawing and used that as a part of the comedy
- it has silly sound effects which aren't really my thing
- the cliche evil manager

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could have been amazing...

Overall: I would have given it an 8 if they had ended this at ep 6, but I deducted a half point for ep 7. It could have been poignant with exploring more serious topics, but there were several missteps. Aired on Viki and GagaOOLala (depending on your country).

Content Warnings: self harm, harassment/bullying, slaps, held against will, trauma/grief, vomiting, another major content warning that happens off screen in the past

What I Liked
- intro with the music and the animation/style of it
- archery integration and Da Yeol's plotline related to it was well done
- happy Tae Hyun told off his aunt but wanted to see more resolution
- Da Yeol's actions in episode 6/standing up for himself
- production value (but the too light make up and red eyeliner was not for me)

Room For Improvement
- struggled with their initial dynamic, it did get better though
- they tried to cover too much plot and as a result there was not enough resolution (aunt? dad? did Tae Hyun try to work on himself/go to therapy???)
- toilet humor and the comedy sound effects did not mesh well with the serious parts
- time jumps scream lazy writing to me, it should have been shorter and then not have episode 7 or saved that for a second season, speaking of....
- episode 7 was a huge letdown, these are 2 guys in their 20s, I think the production chickened out and catered to the minority of these idol actors' fans which was detrimental to the story/their characters, it felt so unrealistic that it took me out of the story
- the production also modified (unfortunately) that beginning scene in the nurses office from the source material (it was exactly what Da Yeol thought it was), it also made the "friend's" actions in the series kind of head scratching
- not clear how much time passed in the beginning episodes

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Awesome m/m couple 10/10 - need their own series!

Overall: I'll divide this up into three couples but keep things general to not spoil things. I didn't like the commercial breaks (without the commercials) in Viki and wish they would have edited those out. On the plus side, the styling was on point especially with Mark. And I liked that differences such as ages and income were addressed.

Content warnings: homophobia, fat shaming, bullying scene in a flashback, a few slaps, non con/dub con in one scene were a romantic partner is avoiding/said he did not want a kiss and the other person continued

M/M Couple - Best Boys (note: this official video is just their scenes ep 1-10 https://youtu.be/lIdngsUoa1M, but if you watch just the official cuts after that you'll miss out on important context/characterization, so watch the whole thing and fast forward parts you aren't interested in)
- character growth!!! Mark has some major character growth as he starts out as homophobic. He is impulsive but wears his heart on his sleeve.
- communication, it was great how especially Mark sought communication to resolve issues
- for the other half of this couple, loved defying stereotypes with the rescuing Mark scene and you can see the reason why he is really nervous/doubting their relationship
- favorite line "even though I like guys, I still have my standards"
- for the bad, this hovered very close to the "gay for you" trope
- their relationship was very rushed/not enough screen time (need their own series)

Older M/F Couple
- two sweeties, was a bit sad we didn't see any of them in the final episode other than a picture on the wall at the very end

Main M/F Couple
- started off really sweet and I was enjoying their story but then two unnecessary love triangles popped in and I became bored. Also the flashbacks weren't my thing. The age gap with the one set of flashbacks also disturbed me a bit as he was 10 and she was 18, granted she was thinking platonically, but he was thinking romantically. I disliked the overall fat shaming vibe. At one point the extremely thin FL steps on the scale and screams about too much bubble tea. Also the nickname little piggy when he is an adult seemed very condescending. Random pet peeve but I cringed every time I saw that self portrait.

Other characters that I enjoyed were the independent Joanna, the mom (who grew on me as she wanted the best for her daughter), Ou Wen's colleague Yan Wu Chun Feng and the married couple/daughter.

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