challenging the idea of normal and does it matter

Overall: This series has realistically flawed characters who are trying to figure out how to make each other and themselves happy. They are challenging the idea of normal and does normal even matter to them and their happiness. If you're looking for a steamy poly relationship or a fluffy romcom, then look elsewhere. 10 episodes, 24 minutes each. Aired on GagaOOLala.

Content Warnings: non con photo taking, harassment, homophobia, sexism, non con kissing/touching maybe turned consensual, teacher/former student, and there is something and I've put it on a comment

What I Liked
- challenging norms/ideas such as monogamy, how putting others' happiness before your own can actually be a burden to that person, addressing that just because someone wants to be in a poly relationship (and also that they are bi/pan) does not mean that they are attracted to every person
- diversity (polyamory, gay, bi/pan, lesbian)
- Misaki and Yuuki standing up for one another and against the father
- Misaki was smart and figured out who was taking the pictures
- Misaki seeking communication and carefully thinking/changing
- sweet moments
- production value

Room For Improvement
- sub par kissing, 1 kissing partner did not move his lips and it looked strange
- some plot conveniences/wish they had more time to delve into some parts more deeply
- Yuuki's "plan" was terrible in episode 8
- reinforced negative stereotypes about poly relationships (we see so few representations in media, so I was hoping this would play out a bit differently)
- the open ending, it really could go in a number of different directions

Citeste mai mult

The Best M/M Reality Dating Series So Far

Overall: This is my favorite "reality"dating series I've seen, understanding that "reality" can include producers telling 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 helps (or at least doesn't hurt them) in their personal and professional lives. Note to Eun Chan and Chan Kyu - don't change yourselves, you are amazing as you are! Series aired on both Gagaoolala & iQIYI.

Content Warnings: discussion of homophobia

What I Liked
- the interviews and them discussing more serious things in episode 7 was excellent
- I like how they actually started with a date. The 30 second phone thing/letter writing was a good idea but only once.
- mix of choice vs no choice things
- smart 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.
- production value such as nice music, set design, editing, etc

Room For Improvement
- they needed more group dates or getting to know you games (Never Have I Ever would have been fun)
- the second phone call was repetitive and boring, it took almost all of episode 5
- the varying lengths of episodes (37 minutes to over an hour) was bad because then viewers thought some episodes were being censored. In the future they should keep episodes a consistent length.
- either there was a rule for no skinship or they edited it out, because 8 guys lived together for 1 week...
- the illegible subs on Gagaoolala because Korean subs were hardcoded on the video

Comparison to other m/m dating shows
1. 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.
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.

Citeste mai mult

mostly a good mess

Overall: the trailer promised a bunch of flawed guys in messy relationships and it mostly delivered but some things didn't work for me. Aired 12 episodes about 45 minutes each on GMMTVs YouTube Channel

Content Warnings: manhandling, vomiting, manipulation, non con touching, non con recording/sharing, voyeurism, past attempted suicide, alcoholism, punches, drug usage, queerphobia

What I Liked
- they introduced the characters well, I could tell who they were and their relationships to one another
- some good showing not telling, just the way a character looks at another character tells me a lot about their feelings
- the different characters/relationship dynamics
- realistically flawed characters
- NSFW was well done
- GL established pair (however they had very little screen time and it felt like token representation instead of fleshed out characters/interesting plot)
- sweet moments
- how the ending credits change
- a character has two moms
- bixsexual representation
- ep 9 Sand and Nick were adorable
- showing a character going to therapy
- Yo & Plug's relationship and talking about the importance of trust
- production value

Room For Improvement
- Chueam just saying it was no big deal when Atom could have ruined a person's life and put him in jail was terrible character/plot writing (and unrealistic, I think most people would be super pissed at their sibling for that), and then there was a weak apology in the final episode
- Atom lying about non con also fuels the idea of survivors lying when in reality lying about this is very rare
- the flawed characters didn't bother me, but there wasn't enough growth for them to be in relationships, they all need therapy and to be solo for awhile
- Top, his redemption arc was not good, he ignored Mew's boundaries, was pretty manipulative and selfish, and the non con touching was awful
- Mew, seeing an optimistic character become jaded is something I don't enjoy watching, and I don't enjoy people who play games
- Ray, the writers needed to have him have a bit more character growth sooner and also not just say the right things but do the right things, he'd take a step forward and then a step back again, it's realistic to have setbacks but trying to cram everything in at the very end wasn't good
- Boeing, his character was not needed (although he was super hot), they should have spent more time on the other characters learning/growing (or not and then realistically ruining their relationships)
- the endings were really predictable and wish GMMTV had been a bit more risky
- showed monogamy as good and polyamory as bad
- there were a few jumpy parts, for example characters were cuddling at night and the next scene was during the day in a bookstore
- not a fan of the outfit/styling choices for many characters
- sometimes music didn't fit the mood like a serious part would have this upbeat music

(info) in ep 1 I was a bit confused by the colored wristbands to denote relationship status, apparently this is a real thing (which I think is an awesome idea)

Citeste mai mult

got better as it went on

There are some solid reviews on the movie so I'll just add a few thoughts.

Overall: this got better and better as it went on with an ending that was extremely well done. In the beginning, I really struggled with the homophobic, self centered, jerk protagonist. But he actually has character growth which was great. I need a sequel to this movie. Somehow he gets reincarnated as an adult and they solve another mystery together (and also showing explicit romantic feelings would be a bonus)

BL? Bromance? I think they definitely loved each other, whether that was platonically or romantically is not clearly defined, I think it can be a bit up to the viewer's interpretation.

Content Warnings: death, grief, manipulation, violence, held against will

Citeste mai mult

beachy vibe with lackluster plot

Overall: reminds me of Even Sun with a weak plot, attractive guys and a nice beach location. Something to just watch and shut your brain off. Aired on WeTV.

Content Warnings: manipulation, attempted drugging, non con touching, non con kiss (sleeping), threatened violence

What I Liked
- I smiled at a few parts
- realistic that there was a room at the same place they were staying and then an actual logical reason for there only being one bed in that room
- a character actually washed his hands (and Yoshi is cute)
- some sweet moments
- that a character actually noticed the suspicious guy and they had a plan in episode 6
- Tonliew did a good job and hope to see him in another series

Room For Improvement
- maybe it was mistranslated, Putter is supposed to be a super famous celebrity, but he travels without anyone? Some random dude becomes his manager?
- not a fan of the power imbalance/manipulation
- poor communication between the m/m leads
- lack of chemistry
- yet another terrible "plan" (from Putter)
- the effeminate guy is positioned to be a villain
- low budget/experience production, an example is during the bridal carry there were only close up shots instead of a much needed full body shot
- the wound of the foot changed location
- the lack of consequences and cliche 'they learned their lesson' nonsense

Citeste mai mult

historical masterpiece

Overall: I applaud the writers for giving us this series. I read the book but reviewed the series on its own merits. The cut version is 45 minutes and uncut episodes were over an hour. Aired on YouKu app, GagaOOLala (uncut), YYDS YT channel https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLoqdmwJPCU35AqHWHKLdr5RWqQhBiVl61 (depending on your country) Check out these 2 official movie cuts which center on Yai & Jom
Part 1 of Jom & Yai’s Epic Love Story https://youtu.be/Tt5-Wa5z3RE
Part 2 of Jom & Yai’s Epic Love Story https://youtu.be/vT-HG57Nt7w

Content Warnings: (there were major content warnings that I put under a spoiler)

What I Liked
- sweet moments and excellent chemistry
- finally we had well written female characters instead of cliche stereotypes, these women acted/felt/reacted how real women would
- strong messages without being corny, they showed the unfairness of wealth disparities, they addressed something that happened in episode 3 as traumatic and not romantic, we almost never see this between a married couple in fiction though it sadly happens in real life and then they showed the trauma of what can result from that circumstance
- unique premise
- that Jom had agency
- intimate scenes were done extremely well
- production value

Room For Improvement
- Jom was a bit frustrating in the first half though he really went thru a lot, I blame the editing for unnecessary long pauses
- the ending was extremely rushed and not really clear of what exactly happened, they could have condensed some of the side plots/scenes in the first half of the series to more fully show the ending
- that mustache was awful and not needed in ep 1
- Jom should have said quietly what the year was when he learned who that ruler was as international fans don't know the date (but it's in the series summary)

Citeste mai mult

My new favorite Korean BL

Overall: I read part of the manhwa and novel that the series is based on and I think they did a really wonderful adaptation. This is a good example of narrowing the focus to fewer characters/romantic relationships to fit it in a shorter runtime. Watched on Viki, also aired on Gagaoolala in some regions. (minor spoilers)

Content Warnings: bullying/harassment, non con/dub con kiss (sleeping)

What I Liked
- the character aesthetics/styling
- good side characters like Yu Na (also that reference to her being bi was awesome), we avoided the evil woman cliche
- I really liked that Jae Young‬ actually left Sang Woo‬ alone a couple of times instead of the aggressive pursuit/stalking that is frequently romanticized
- the music fit well
- the whimsical editing in the beginning linked it to the manhwa
- funny parts like all the plaid shirts and some sassy responses
- the color symbology (going to have to re-watch again and pay attention)
- good production value (and English subs were added quickly)

Room For Improvement
- more lip ring was needed
- it felt a bit choppy in areas like we ended at once place and then the next scene is a different location/time, also not sure how much time has passed in between certain scenes and it would have been nice to know
- I wish Jae Young had actually followed Sang Woo's physical touch boundaries for more than 1 episode or they had had a discussion to adjust the boundaries in a later episode

Citeste mai mult

promising start that fizzled (watch suggestions)

Overall: I was excited after watching the first episode, but the thin plot swam in circles. 10 episodes about 25 minutes each. Aired on GagaOOLala https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/4205/at-2500-in-akasaka-2024-e01

Watch Suggestions
- watch episode 1
- watch episode 7 until 21:50 or the whole thing (this explained why a character liked another character)
- watch episode 2 at 17 to the end if you enjoy dating scenes/montages
- can skip episode 3, there is a short cuddle around 15 min
- can watch ep 4 at 6:30 for a sensual gnocchi making scene and 21:30 for a brief kiss
- can watch ep 5 around 10 minutes for a hot bod and 19:20-20:40 for meh kisses
- watch ep 6 beginning to 10 minutes
- skip episode 8
- watch episode 9 at 3:30-5 and 10:20-12
- watch episode 10 (can end at 14 minutes or watch to the end)

What I Liked
- premise was set up well, the end of episode 1 was awesome
- the kneading dough scene was sensual (needed more scenes like that)
- managers cared about their actors
- that they looked realistically sweaty in episode 10 during the NSFW scene

Room For Improvement
- voice over for plot set up and voice overs in general
- slow pacing
- waited until episode 7 to show why one character was extremely attracted to the other character, this was much too late
- in episode 6 nearly doing something when the other person was sleeping
- cliche overheard something, made a stupid assumption, then ghosted/refused to communicate (communicated halfway thru episode 10 which was too late)
- a character said he had no idea how to reach the other character....I don't know maybe try....talking... #sarcasm
- some lackluster kisses
- odd wide shots during intimate scenes made me feel detached, I couldn't feel the characters' emotions
- episode 10 had a natural stopping point and then the ending half felt anti-climactic with the behind the scenes part, them acting in the series, them watching the series, then suddenly a different scene.

Citeste mai mult

slice of life mini series

Overall: this is a 20 minute short movie that was originally released in 2022 and was broken up into 3 mini episodes (first episode was 5 minutes without the credits). Aired on Strongberry's YouTube channel over 3 weeks (1 episode per week)

What I Liked
- fighting over the diary
- realistic vibe
- production value

Room For Improvement
- beginning didn't hook me, and how I couldn't see the main character's face
- released such short episodes at 1 episode per week instead of all together
- the ending was open to interpretation with contradictory clues/evidence for each ending
- the title (just do an internet search on "happy ending slang" if you don't know what it means) but I didn't take off points
- the subtitles needed to stay a little longer on the screen as people read slower than when they are just listening (didn't take off points)

Citeste mai mult

Sweet but nonsensical/annoying plot devices

Overall: this is a 33 minute short movie that has some sweet moments but I was really irritated by several plot holes/nonsense plot things.

Content Warnings: non con kiss (eyes were closed and was not expecting it)

What I Liked
- the sweet moments
- the color grading
- the shipper friends were cute but why start now*
- a few nice flirts and a nice comeback
- the second kiss scene was fairly well done

Room For Improvement (spoilers)
- *the main issue is why on earth would you wait three years to reveal your identity to someone that you like and take secret pictures of them? The writer/s should have made this a shorter time frame like 3 months or given an explanation (such as the other guy had to leave the country for school or something)
- there is no context in the beginning of where they are, what they are doing there and what the 2 main protagonists' relationship is with each other (school acquaintances?)
- odd that he says he almost drowned there, then says just kidding, then immediately explained how he almost drowned there
- who leaves someone who almost died before medical professionals arrive?
- how does someone who is barely conscious take a ring off of someone's finger?
- I hate when people/characters "test" a relationship especially in that way
- he read his diary and that's supposed to be romantic instead of a violation of privacy
- he secretly took pictures of him for 3 years and that's supposed to be romantic instead of stalker behavior

Citeste mai mult

it was a fun ride

Overall: I enjoyed this series, though I watched most scenes at a faster speed. 13 episodes about 45 minutes each. Aired on iQIYI uncut & YouTube cut which reduced NSFW scenes. Note: this was based on an omegaverse novel which I read but reviewed the series on its own.

Content Warnings: murders, sexual assault, blood, kidnapping, parental abuse, punch/slap, beaten up, stalking, manipulation, stalking, non con recording/sharing, violence, child trafficking

What I Liked
- supportive friends
- sweet moments
- Jeff & Alan
- excellent truth about how family isn't always the best
- pretty good NSFW scenes
- visuals

Room For Improvement
- quite a few characters were introduced at once and it took awhile to figure out who was who, there ended up being too many characters and not enough time to fully develop the relationships
- I realized they wanted mystery but it made it difficult to really support the Charlie/Babe relationship and the fact that they changed that plan from Jeff's idea to Charlie's was a mistake
- total nonsense/huge plot holes, many characters shared 1 brain cell
- cliche ghosting trope, Babe also shoved Charlie a bit too much/frequently
- the NSFW needed to be a longer (even in the uncut version) and were choppy at times
- cartoonish villains (and stupid)
- I wish they had either leaned into the omegaverse and explained it more or just omitted it entirely
- not sure how I feel about a certain character's redemption arc

Citeste mai mult

theatrical series that needed tighter pacing especially in the beginning-middle

Overall: although I liked the unique premise, it felt like the director or writer was also the editor and couldn't bear to remove/edit down any of the scenes that they filmed. 12 episodes about 45 minutes each. Aired on WeTV.

Content Warnings: deaths off screen, suicide, self-harm, manipulation, mental health struggles, grief

What I Liked
- unique premise
- production value (lighting, felt very theatrical)
- styling choices (especially that first scene)
- incorporating symbolism/metaphors
- discussion social justice issues such as same sex marriage
- in episode 4 they argued realistically by talking over one another
- bathtub scenes
- they ended the series 7 days before Valentine's Day

Room For Improvement
- a ton narration i.e. telling vs showing, the pacing felt very slow even watching at a faster speed, this story would have done much better as 6-8 episodes, this slow pacing (and it airing over 12 weeks) actually made my point below worse
- Sunshine started as unlikable which is okay, but the audience needed to see character growth before the last minute, finally in episode 8 he seemed to have a little character growth but then his wish undid it, then we saw a little more but by then it felt too little too late
- the mystery/world building wasn't engaging, it was confusing (I think there was a lot of symbolism/metaphors that I didn't grasp), they needed to explain things just a little bit more/more clearly

Citeste mai mult

fans of Cutie Pie will like Cutie Pie 2 You

Overall: I think that fans of the first season will enjoy this second season/special (4 episodes about 50 minutes each). Aired on YouTube. My review of Cutie Pie is here https://mydramalist.com/profile/blcompilations/reviews/193979/

Content Warning: non con touching

What I Liked
- supportive friendships between characters especially Kuea and Nuer
- Lian's assistant Foei
- consent issues brought up*
- the intimate scenes, no dead fish lip presses during them
- sweet moments
- production value
- neutral, there are some comedy sound effects

Room For Improvement
- *this franchise does like 50% of consent really well and 50% poorly, Lian telling Kuea he wouldn't go further due to Kuea being drunk was good (though Kuea didn't look drunk until afterwards and it felt a bit like taking away his agency) but did Lian forget what he did in the first season? Also, why did Kuea have to apologize to his harasser, wth???
- all three couples (Kuea and Lian the most) do not feel like they've been in romantic relationships for a year, they feel like middle schoolers who just started dating, why do you need to ask a long term partner to kiss them, because it was in public? Wouldn't they know their partner's PDA preferences by then??? I feel that they never actually talk to their romantic partners.
- Kuea's repeated reluctance with Lian
- still has the dynamic with two couples of a controlling parental-type and shy/obedient child rather than an equal partner dynamic
- annoyed they went for comedy during Nuer/Syn's scene, that could have been a really lovely intimate scene
- some scenes jumped a bit or were not clear
- the obvious product placement in the final episode
- not a fan of the flash forward at the beginning and then going back to show what happened leading up to it, also annoyed that Lian would do that a second time, doing that in public can actually be kind of manipulative because a person might feel pressured to answer a certain way

Citeste mai mult

better than the series

Overall: this is a re-edit of Burger/King's scenes from Burger's perspective (it has basically the exact same plot as a Japanese BL). First released as 11 short episodes and then in a movie format https://youtu.be/M-13TVFe9g8?si=GvAElSlfmAtFen4j It solved a lot of the problems that I had with Hit Bite Love, though I think they could have improved even more with the footage they had. My review of Hit Bite Love https://mydramalist.com/profile/blcompilations/reviews/254503/ Aired on Jinloe's YouTube channel.

Content Warnings: hit, kick, coercion, manipulation, non con touching

What I Liked
- sweet/cute moments
- a few funny parts
- how King was up front about what he wanted

Room For Improvement
- a voice over/exposition dump to start it but I didn't take off points
- the stereotype of a yelling trans woman
- in episodes 8 and 9 there were brief flashbacks to scenes that they didn't include in this version, I think they could have edited a bit better
- Burger is too reluctant for too long and King is a bit too aggressive, they could have also edited this to tone it down a bit
- Burger used that resume against King though it was toned down
- we needed 1 additional scene for the ending because it felt incomplete, even if they had shown us texts they had written to one another where Burger asks King to go on a romantic date

Citeste mai mult

AMAZING NSFW scene in ep 10

Overall: although I struggled with parts of this series, there were things that I really liked specifically the intimacy was fantastic. Wish it had a wider release. Aired on WeTV, likely need a vpn to Thailand and WeTV subscription to watch officially.

Content Warnings: beginning sexual assault, non con kiss, kidnapping, violence/fight, vomiting, non con picture taking, unwanted outing

What I Liked
- the NSFW scenes/kissing looked like people who actually wanted to kiss (starts in ep 6), also the communication during/after was good, that ep 10 (around 5min) scene was mind-blowingly good, props to the actors and whoever staged that scene
- ongoing physical affection
- cute/sweet/caring moments
- supportive friendships, supportive mom
- at the very end of the last episode, that was adorable and rarely seen, I know it's difficult to have that in some countries but it is possible and happy to see it represented
- calling out drunk driving (eventually)

Room For Improvement
- what in the world was that weird frat hazing mixed in with dorm/sorting hat stuff? They could have just had 2 dorms that had a long history of rivalry and spent that screen time elsewhere
- several stupid "plans", why spend 5 minutes talking to someone when you can do nothing/have a "plan" for 3 years #sarcasm
- multiple couples and the side couples could have used more time/development
- confused with the relationships between all the characters
- should have removed the comedy sound effects and silly music, I did not find most things funny
- overused tropes like getting a fever from being out in the rain, gay for you trope
- I was bored with the school parts though it's good they show students actually doing schoolwork
- can we please be done with the non con kisses, kiss someone when you are sure they are awake

Citeste mai mult