Impressive Wuxia-cum-BL

Believing that the BL would be transformed into bromance and that the story would focus so much on the (b)romance that it would not be a good wuxia, I did not expect much of this series at first. Surprisingly, the series fares well in both aspects. In the first few episodes, with Wen Kexing blatantly flirting with Zhou Zishu, the wuxia does take a backseat. Similarly, when the story focused a bit more on the wuxia aspects of the story, the BL took a backseat. Nevertheless, give it a bit of time and the series brings both aspects of the series together very nicely.

The BL

The BL was what I started watching the series for, and it did not disappoint. This wasn't simply because I wasn't having high expectations in the first place. It is a pleasant surprise that the series manages to portray what is quite obviously beyond bromance or friendship between the main characters. The way they gaze at each other, dialogue (with them basically referring to each other as family and basically wanting to just live with each other happily ever after) and the body language when they hug quite explicitly portray a romantic relationship.

A lot of the BL is rather sneakily done, of course. For instance, when Kexing and Zishu move to the Four Seasons Manor (a large place that used to house many disciples), they sleep in the same room though I would assume there are lots of rooms available. The other characters sometimes speak to them teasingly, like the way one might tease a married couple (like threatening to complete about one of them to the other).

The BL does eventually integrate well with the rest of the story, showing the transformative power of the characters' love. Zishu, who is guilt-ridden about the things he has done as an assassin, is at first just waiting to die after injuring himself severely so that he can leave his job. Kexing, who is so obsessed with vengeance that he suppresses his innately kind nature, also finds a reason to live besides taking revenge.

There are some moments when the series seem to disavow the gay relationship through apparent hints of heterosexuality, such as when Zishu says he does not mind having a beautiful lady like Gu Xiang tag along and when Zishu tells his disciple, Cheng Ling, that Kexing bought a whole lot of decorative stuff for their manor because they are sold by a beautiful lady. There is something cunning about these scenes for while they may seem to disavow the homosexual relationship between the characters at first, they also hint at jealousy or an attempt to make the other party jealous in a romantic relationship.

To be sure, I do think that the BL would have been even better if the characters can be openly portrayed as having a romantic relationship. But we do not really lose anything significant, which is an admirable feat.

The Wuxia

I couldn't believe it when I first read that this is a low-budget production. It doesn't look low-budget to me though the production could have run into sponsorship problems at some point. Maybe there are those who expect more of the CG, but not being a fan of CG, I'm actually fine with the execution.--nothing stood out to me as being badly done.

What impressed me early on is the choreography of the fighting sequences. There's nothing exceptional about it, but it is very competently done and made it convincing that the makers of the series are taking the wuxia aspects of the series very seriously instead of relying on the BL elements to attract eyeballs.

The range of sects and characters are also typical of the genre, and the series does manage to develop on several of these characters quite well. As with many wuxia stories, the characters from the so-called respectable sects are often hypocrites, bullies or simply unscrupulous villains. On the other hand, those from the unorthodox "evil" sect are not necessarily bad people and can be surprisingly humane. The back stories of characters like the Glamorous Ghost and the Tragicomic Ghost are interesting even if not strikingly original.

The rather perverse relationship between the villains, Zhao Jing and his foster son, the Scorpion King, is rather unique in the genre of wuxia. Despite supposedly having a father-son type of relationship, the Scorpion King's affections towards his foster father appears more like those of a lover. The parallels drawn between his predicament and that of the Glamorous Ghost (a woman betrayed by her lover despite her devotion) reinforces the idea. Yet, instead of being demonized, the Scorpion King's affections with homosexual undertones give a glimpse of the more humane side of an otherwise vicious and ruthless character. We can sympathize with him insofar as the way Zhao Jing treats him is concerned, and he seems to be able to genuinely identify with Glamorous Ghost and wants to help her.

As a wuxia series, Word of Honor displays a very good grasp of genre conventions. It would have been a very good watch even if the BL relationship had been toned down, and I think the makers of the series deserve respect for daring to take the risk of portraying such a close relationship between the main characters. Even if one fails to recognize it as BL, the portrayal of the male characters go beyond conventions of masculine behavior, which is in itself already laudable.

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Rather disappointing

I will make references to some related productions, so I shall clarify what I understand first:
- My Bromance 2: 5 Years Later is the sequel to the 2014 movie with the same actors playing the main characters, Bank and Gold.
- Between the 2014 movie and this 2021 sequel series, there is a short film, My Bromance: Reunion, which serves as a precursor to the sequel.
- There is also a 2016 series, simply entitled My Bromance, which I believe is an unofficial sequel to the 2014 movie. The cast is different.

The 2021 series the sequel that many fans have been looking forward to as it features the original actors of the 2014 movie.

Unfortunately, despite the charm of the original cast, the 2021 series is a disappointing sequel. In fact, the story of Bank and Golf is so weak that it seems as though the stories of additional couples are added in to make things more watchable. Fans who have been longing to to see Bank and Golf again may feel cheated--for quite a few episodes, they take up little of the screen time. Instead, side characters and their stories are introduced. Any link between the stories is tenuous and labored. The 2016 series with different actors playing Bank and Golf, which got a fair share of criticism, now appears to have a fairly good storyline by comparison.

The stories of several other couples do not fare much better. They are unimpressive but they are not really bad either. The story of Nuea and Tar is probably the most interesting and saddening. Tar is asked to tutor Nuea, an adopted youngster with issues. They seem to fall in love, but Tar's work after he graduates causes him to neglect the relationship. It's easy to be appalled by how quickly Tar starts neglecting Nuea, but Tar's wistful expressions at the end of the series add nuance to the story. Nuea and Tar's story makes one lament how the realities of life, like work and family commitments, can get in the way of romance and how a new romance does not necessarily fill an empty spot left by another person.

Yes, I guess a case can be made for including other couples in the series: it shows that different couples end up differently, and not everyone gets a fairytale ending. But the execution leaves much to be desired even if one were to take this to be the intended theme. The fate of Arm (Bank's boyfriend after Golf's fake death) also seems unnecessarily gut-wrenching. (Yes, some people are unlucky. But do you have to go all out and create a character like this in My Bromance?)

I do like seeing Bank and Golf ending up together, but I think it can be done in two episodes instead of ten. Episode after episode, I waited and waited for things to pick up. But they never did.

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Honestly not BL, but who cares?

On every single episode of this series (on GMMTV's YouTube channel), you will find comments on how GMMTV has said that it is not BL. That seems to be very honest, especially considering the shameless baiting of BL fans in some series. But is there anything good about this series apart from the 6 good looking actors who have starred in some of the most beloved BL series ever?

Story wise, there isn't exactly a strong plot. Nevertheless, the series is rather heartwarming, with a groups of guys (all called Tee) who end up renting a room from another guy called Tee (played by Krist who seems to turn in a good performance every time he is in a series with Singto). Each of the guys starts off having some kind of phobia but through their support for one another, they manage to overcome their phobias.

The focus of the series is on Krist's Tee, especially in the last few episodes, which gives the series more coherence overall. He's the most difficult character in more ways than one--he reluctantly rents the house out to five guys in his university after his mother dies, but he has a phobia of trusting others. He doesn't want to befriend the other guys and pretty much tries to isolate himself (though he is softhearted).

Despite honestly announcing that the series is not BL, GMMTV gratifies BL fans with enough Off/Gun, Tay/New and Kirst/Singto moments. Perhaps the makers of the series has a difficulty deciding whether they want it to be hilariously funny or lighthearted but touching. In the earlier episodes, the series can be rather hilarious (especially with Off's Tee and his fear of ghosts). However, the humor seems to be considerably toned down, with rather serious happenings like Singto-Tee worrying about his sick mother and Krist-Tee worrying about his sick father. However, the series is well-produced enough to be watchable as long as you do not demand too much of the plot. Getting familiar faces to play the roles of the Tees is a clever move because the audience will certainly need more time to get used to unfamiliar faces playing characters who are all called Tee. The theme song also sets the mood very well. Overall, everything is put together quite well. What we are getting isn't quite a masterpiece but something that we can love especially when we do not want to watch something emotionally draining.

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I would personally not classify this as BL but as a drama with gay characters and issues. This doesn't make it better or worse, but the viewer's expectations should be set accordingly.

The most significant aspects of the series are that it deals with the issue of homophobia and rape rather seriously. Given the focus of the story, it would have been better if the series had toned down the sweetness at the beginning: Shin's unabashed admiration for Keng (Episode 1) strongly suggests something more than just idolization, and the revelation that Keng is attracted to Shin (early in Episode 2) even before they bump into each other sets things up for the development of a romantic relationship between them.

The tenderness of Keng towards Shin is shown through his inner thoughts and isn't likely to be feigned (unless its an act of self-delusion). It is thus hard to be convinced that Keng would rape Shin (and violently beat him up) at a slight provocation. We do see a hint of a potentially violent streak when he hits Man for an act of malice, but his outrage was justifiable and he certainly isn't hurting someone he is in love with. The sudden and severe violence Keng inflicts on Shin compromises the overall coherence of the portrayal of Keng. Perhaps there is a point being made about how acts of violence like rape can be inflicted by the people one trusts, but it isn't coming across very well.

The depiction of Keng is complex. After hurting Shin, he appears to be sorry and still professes to love Shin. (I guess this happens with a lot of cases of abuse, so it is reasonable enough to show him doing this.) But he also disappears until after Shin has recovered physically, then he threatens Shin with a clip he has recorded during the rape, keeps pestering Shin and even blames everything on Man after Shin attempts suicide. Such behavior threatens to push the character beyond the boundaries of credulity.

As for Shin, it is not clear whether he ever has romantic affections for Keng. This doesn't matter because he was not willing or ready to start a relationship with Keng, so Keng's behavior is wrong regardless of how Shin might have felt towards him. Nevertheless, I can't quite make sense of why he seems infatuated with Keng but tells Keng that he might like guys some day too when Keng confesses that he is gay. It would have been better to show Shin's admiration for Keng without hinting at romantic interest at the start.

For a series of merely three episodes, The Effect deals with plenty of heavy stuff, but the bulk of the heaviest stuff is confined to about one episode. Perhaps commercial considerations are involved here. It invites us the ask what the cause is for the effect that we see. Shin blames himself before committing suicide. But we can also quite clearly see that Keng's violence is what ruins everything for himself and Shin. Even more seriously, the homophobia in society is perhaps to blame for Keng's denial to Man that he is gay (which triggers Man's indignation and leads him to post a photo of Keng and Shin that causes misunderstandings) and the pressure that judgmental comments on social media put on Shin.

The ending is also unsatisfactory. We don't know if Keng or Shin (if either of them) gets knocked down by a vehicle. The ending is open-ended (which is fine), but it is also totally unnecessary (which is not so fine). The series could simply have ended just a few seconds earlier, with Shin graduating (the happy part) and with him reflecting on how he is left to cope while those who have been cruel with their words have forgotten the events (the sad part because we see that there's no way Shin can totally get over his traumatic experiences).

Perhaps one other concern is that the only overtly gay characters are depicted so negatively. Shin's sexuality is too ambiguous although he is not negatively depicted. There is a hint of something going on between Pramote and Bright (Shin's friends), but it's merely a hint. They could have been used as a nice contrast to Keng and Man, who turn out to be really awful gay men. Bright, though, is truly a bright spark in the series. I look forward to his appearance even though Yacht (the actor) seems to be playing a similar role to his role in Love by Chance as a seemingly frivolous but fiercely loyal and true friend. He single-handedly makes the series more enjoyable.

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Other than a touching story, excellent direction and acting make this a series BL fans would not want to miss.

The director has handled elements light-hearted comic moments and serious drama well. When the homophobic Type realizes that his roommate, Tharn, is gay, he embarks on a rather hilarious attempt to either change rooms or make Tharn move out. But the serious parts about the clashes and misunderstandings between Tharn and Type are truly riveting, partly because they have been developed as characters we care about.

Despite having to compress a rather long story into 12 episodes or so, the story does not appear rushed. Both the main characters are developed in well-paced episodes. Tharn's vulnerability beneath his confident behavior is portrayed very well. While he may seem flippant at times, it soon becomes clear that he is very serious about his relationships. Type's homophobia is traced back to the experience of being raped by a man when he was young, and it is sensitively depicted--the series does not make it seem acceptable or excusable to be homophobic just because he has been raped by a man. This is subtly but strongly pointed out by how Type's best friend, who turns out to be gay, is hurt for Type's homophobia.

Credit must go to the actors playing Tharn and Type. They have really good chemistry, and we can really feel that the characters love each other deeply whether it is in the sweet moments or when Type stages a break-up with an unaware Tharn so as to expose how Tharn's best friend has been ruining his (Tharn's) relationships. I can practically feel Type's desire to just hug and console Tharn even as he pushes Tharn away. It may sound strange, but there are moments when I feel as though they are kissing each other tenderly even when they are not actually doing so. This is one of those BL couples (like Krist and Singto) that are going to be hard to unpair.

Despite all the strong points, there are some things that may make one uncomfortable in the story universe of TharnType (which takes place in the same story world as Love by Chance). These stories have serious references to rape (which is not a problem). Type and Tum in this story have been traumatized by rape, and we see just how hard it is for victims to get over the experience. Yet, in the same story world, rape can be trivialized (which is the problem), as we see a hint of in Love by Chance in the Techno/Kengkla couple) as Kengkla basically rapes a drunk Techno and even fools Techno into thinking that Techno is the perpetrator of the crime). Even in the case of TharnType, there are moments before Type actually enjoys sexually intimate moments with Tharn where Tharn's behavior is practically sexual harassment. One example is when Tharn undresses a drunk Type and sleeps beside Type to give the homophobic Type a shock the following morning. If there weren't such moments, the series would be even better.

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What happened VS What could have happened

The concept is quite brilliant, but the execution could certainly have been better.

The "explanation" for the bewildering scenes for many of the episode is basically that, for people whose brains are oxygen-deprived and they are on the brink of death or in a coma, they hallucinate about what their lives could have been had they done something different.

At the start of the series, Great sees himself knocking a woman down with his car and driving off. When the vision ends, he drives and knocks someone down without driving off irresponsibly, changing the course of events. Eventually, however, it turns out that Great does not see 4 minutes into the future at all. The series of events happening following the hit-and-run is the reality whereas the other series of events is just something that goes on in his mind when he is in danger of dying.

Some find it highly unsatisfactory that so much of the series feature the "hallucinations" rather than the reality. To me, it is fine as the hallucinations reveal their most deep-seated desires and make the reality especially poignant when it is revealed. Nonetheless, I think there are issues. Since what we are seeing isn't premised on traveling back in time to fix the past or predicting the future to change something for the better, what we are seeing is what *could* have happened rather than what *would* have happened. In other words, the alternative story just a story spun by the dying brains of the characters rather than a definite course of events. This does compromise the emotive quality of the series.

It also seems to me that the "explanation" doesn't really explain things. At one point, we are led to think that Tonkla senses the presence of his brother, who has been killed. But, based on the explanation, this makes no sense whether we are watching the reality or Great's imagined series of events. The two do not mix unless Great's imagination can invade the reality that Tonkla experiences. Furthermore, it is quite confusing that when Great supposedly sees four minutes into the future, there are glances of himself being intimate with Time that happen way after the four minutes. The visions seem to be simply planted there to intrigue viewers and perhaps titillate them with glimpses of sex scenes. I also feel that, in the "hallucinated" series of events, there are scenes that Great wouldn't be imagining simply because they do not involve him (e.g. Time at the hospital overhearing what his colleagues say about his relationship with another doctor) and are not quite relevant to the alternative reality that his dying brain so badly wants.

When it comes to the BL, the relationship between Great and Time in the real version of events isn't developed well. We do not see enough of how Time's feelings for Great develop and see more of him being obsessed with avenging his parents who were killed. As for the other BL couple (three characters, actually), Tonkla/Korn or Tonkla/Win, there are just many sex scenes without emotional intensity. The story seems to vacillate between showing Korn as someone who deeply loves Tonkla and showing him as someone who does not truly care about him. Tonkla's apparent preoccupation with wanting to have unprotected sex seems nonsensical and added in just for dirty talk even though one might come up with some labored explanation for it. Win is interesting but lacks development--the final episode is a little too rushed for a series that seems to take its time to reveal things to us.

Ultimately, the freshness of the concept and the way the series pushes boundaries in depicting sex and nudity in BLs may garner this series a lot of attention, but it is unlikely remembered as a classic that is executed with finesse in every way.

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Pretty good, but doesn't hit the highs it could have

This Sino-Thai collaboration is the closest we would get to a BL from Mainland China. It is a bona fide BL series with a romance between the male leads that is overtly depicted. This probably already scores it some points in the eyes of many BL fans since we have not had an actual BL series from China for years due to the censorship laws.

To be honest though, Meet You at the Blossom isn't as good as it could have been. Perhaps because of budgeting or other constraints, the story is lacking development in many ways. The main characters' back stories, particularly Huai En's, could have been more fully fleshed out. Although we are technically informed of Huai En's experiences as a child, there does not seem to be enough material to make us feel strongly for the character. To me, this is something important given the character's cold demeanor.

The supporting characters are also under-developed. I was personally a little confused by the behavior of the man Huai En called his father. He could have been a fascinating villain or an equally engaging ambiguous character, but he turns out to be neither here nor there. He is also defeated too easily and suddenly, indicating a rush to complete the story. After having watched a censored-BL period drama like The Untamed, I can't help but wonder how great it would be if the Untamed had taken the route of Meet You at the Blossom and circumvented censorship laws.

The unfortunate thing is that, because the massive China market is essentially taken out of the equation, we might not see better productions than Meet You at the Blossom simply because of financing issues. What we have is a commendable work that, to be fair, is as good as it can get given all the limitations.

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Implied BL with a puzzling title

I stumbled upon this mini series by chance. It's gratifying to see that implied BL series from China can still exist despite the pervasive censorship. However, I'm not sure if BL series in which the romantic elements are at best heavily implied will continue to be released. Without publicity, even viewers who do not mind the fact that the romance is implied may not get to even hear about them. Yet, publicity will likely draw unwanted attention to such series, causing them to be cancelled.

Another problem with the current censorship rules is the fact that it will almost certainly affect the production budget, particularly for shows that are low-budget to begin with. After all, not many would risk investing in productions that most likely will not be commercially successful. The form that My Sweet Professor takes reflects this problem. It looks quite clearly like a condensed version of a story with much more substantial development. The story does get told, but the depth of character development, which can help viewers immerse themselves in the story and empathize with the characters, is gone. Additionally, the creators of the series have to resort to rather choppy editing to tell the story in such a condensed manner. The scenes quite haphazardly switch from the time when Gao Yuan and Huo Shang are high schoolers to eight years after, when they are adults. Furthermore, the reason behind Huo Shang's disappearance (critical to the story) is done through the speech of another character rather than through actual flashbacks. (And the revelation isn't even quite complete or convincing.)

What I can appreciate about the series, though, is how the leads' attraction to each other is quite obvious despite being implied rather than directly portrayed. It is clear from the start that Gao Yuan's resentment towards Huo Shang for disappearing eight years before is that of a lover who is coping with his boyfriend's unexplained disappearance. The way Huo Shang tries to approach Gao Yuan again is also clearly the behavior of someone trying to patch things up with his lover.

Unfortunately, there are many loose ends in the series. There is no real explanation of why Huo Shang does not try to look for Gao Yuan earlier. The corporate power struggle that Huo Shang is facing at work is also barely explained (it feels as though the truly censored parts of the story are not even the BL elements.) In the end, My Sweet Professor is a series that would have been much better if it had even been an eight-episode series with standard-length episodes. As a sign of how underdeveloped the story is, we do not even know why the series is entitled "My Sweet Professor".

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Quite funny and entertaining at times

The premise is quite nonsensical. A woman viewing a series is suddenly transported into the series--there is no explanation of any sort. I do, however, like how the protagonist has some "superpowers" as her remote control can do certain things like pausing the scenes without pausing herself.

I'm not sure why, but there seems to quite a number of mini series involving characters who are transported to a fictional world. This one isn't the best, but it is entertaining enough. One of the merits of the series is that it does not take itself seriously. Yet, this is also the Archilles heel of the series as the last couple of episodes descend into incoherent chaos. And since the series is so nonsensical anyway, I don't understand why the series ends with the protagonist being transported out of the fictional world. It would have been better to just let it end more happily, especially since a Season 2 seems unlikely.

It is best not to take this series seriously and watch it for whatever mindless entertainment it offers.

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Time-Travel BL Done Right

This is one of those series that does things right for better or for worse, but mostly better.

(Wait, what could possibly be worse about doing things right? Well, it just feels so safe and doesn't take risks that some other series might take. I am reminded of series like Bad Buddy here.)

The time travel premise is used well and fully exploited, and with the nature of the time travel being supernatural rather than scientific, it avoids having to be too logical. It's a wise move that Kawi manages to get his father to go for a heart surgery when he travels to the past but doesn't get to prevent his father from dying, As one of the scenes seems to suggest, there are some things that cannot be avoided or brought about (such as winning the lottery) but there are also many things that can be shaped by personal effort.

Kawi and Pisaeng are an adorable couple, but the cutesiness isn't overdone. There is a good balance of serious moments and light-hearted ones throughout. I don't know how deliberate it is, but I somehow don't get the sense that Krist and Fluke are going to be the sort of pairing that will stoke the fantasy of fans, the way many BL actors are meant to. (Perhaps this often does not end well, and it is just as well.) Krist and Fluke have played their roles well, and in my opinion, Krist's performance in Be My Favourite has exceeded that in SOTUS. His acting may seem to some a little exaggerated at times, but I feel that it is according to the demands of the role.

What this series excels in is the side characters, who are interesting without being distracting. I like the portrayal of Kawi's friendship with Max, for instance. Although they are really good friends, the portrayal doesn't get too idealistic because of the time travel premise. Max, who is gay, falls out with Kawi at one point due to a misunderstanding that Kawi doesn't like others to think that he is Max's boyfriend. In the original timeline, their friendship is not mended, but in other modified timelines, they become close friends again. Another interesting character is Pisaeng's mother. In many BL series, a parent who can accept that their child is gay is idealised, but not here. Despite her acceptance of Pisaeng's homosexuality, the mother and son still have issues to sort out. Then there is also Not (classmate of Kawi and Pisaeng), a talented writer who is also an asshole. Not does not turn out to be the villain of the series (there isn't any), and he also doesn't really suffer for his assholery. (Quite realistic, I guess.)

If I must have complaints about the series, perhaps it would be that a lot of the positive points that I have mentioned feel a little calculated. Yet, even then, the series must be given credited for being able to handle everything skillfully. There is a scene towards the end when Kawi is hospitalised and the doctor asks if Kawi has any relatives to be contacted despite being told that Kawi lives with Pisaeng, who is his lover. While other series with less skillful scripting may have the characters directly discuss the issue of marriage equality and remark on how unfair it is, the finesse with which the issue is handled here is commendable. We can feel a sense of the how the lack of marriage equality affects gay couples without the characters commenting on it directly, and this is the way to go even though the series as a whole does not really seem to be focused on such issues.

For me, Be My Favourite ranks up among the best Thai BL series from late 2022 to 2023, together with My School President. While My School President really excels in telling a compelling and lovable story about innocent high schoolers, Be My Favourite its its more mature counterpart. They are both signs that the Thai BL industry can really up its game if it bothers putting in the effort.

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Gay-themed short film, not BL

Warning: not a happy ending

It is easy to tell what is happening in this short film, but it is much more difficult to say why everything is happening.

We know it is practically love at first sight for Soon-ho, the delivery boy who frequently delivers Yu-jin's meals to him. In contrast to how transparent Soon-ho is as a character, Yu-jin is very much opaque to the end. Perhaps it is meant to be this way--the intention could be to show the struggles of a gay man who won't know the attitudes of other people towards him when they find out he is gay. There can be a 180-degree change in attitude.

Yet the film is can be rather baffling. The simplest reading is probably that Yu-jin is homophobic and turns nasty when he realises that Soon-ho is gay. But it is anyone's guess when Yu-jin discovers it--does he assume that Soon-ho is gay when he sees Soon-ho sniffing his (Yu-jin's) shirt? If so, why does he have no apparent immediate reaction to Soon-ho (whose action actually is admittedly inappropriate)? In fact, he proceeds to start eating his meal without seeming affected until he picks up a piece of friend pork and pauses . . .

Perhaps Yu-jin is put off by Soon-ho's action (not necessarily because he is homophobic but because he finds it disturbing). Or perhaps he is actually homophobic. Or perhaps he is trying to repress his own sexuality and emphasize his supposed heterosexuality by getting a woman to go to his apartment at the time when he knew Soon-ho would turn up, acting intimate with this woman AND even telling her about the delivery boy who is gay. Things would be easier to grasp if we can see malice or cruelty in Yu-jin as the woman taunts Soon-ho, but he keeps quiet and appears quite expressionless (perhaps even coldly hesitant). After closing the door at Soon-ho, he says something sexual to the woman (despite not even showing any interest in her while Soon-ho is looking at them), but is he deliberately saying it loudly enough for Soon-ho to hear?

It is easy to focus on Soon-ho's heartbreak and his friendship with his employer. However, Yu-jin is ultimately the truly intriguing character. I do wish there were more in the film to nudge us towards a more concrete interpretation of Yu-jin's character. He is either a really poorly written and acted flat character or an unsuccessful attempt at creating a truly interesting character within the span of 20 minutes.

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Few BL series give me such a feel for the characters

This series seems to be rather under-appreciated. In terms of plot, it is not the very best, but it is pretty good. In the last two episodes, there could perhaps be more scenes showing how Da Yeol and Tae Hyun become a couple. However, I think there feelings towards each other are pretty clear even if not spelt out directly. Da Yeol is the one who is quite frank (to himself) about his own feelings for Tae Hyun, from the early episodes where he finds himself paying attention to Tae Hyun. Tae Hyun, on the other hand, is confused--not so much (I believe) because of gay panic like in some series but really because he has psychological issues related from the time he was a child. He is afraid of being loved as the adoptive mother who loved him came to harm, and he does not dare to love others out of fear that what he treasures will be lost.

Tae Hyun's feelings for Da Yeol are shown fairly early when he looks somewhat jealous when he sees Da Yeol walking with a female classmate.. While some viewers wish to know how Tae Hyun comes to realise that he is really in love with Da Yeol, the answer seems quite clear to me: almost immediately after he tells Da Yeol to stop liking him. He wants to make up with Da Yeol but is unsuccessful even on Da Yeol's last day of school because he still needs time to overcome his issues. With Da Yeol gone, he realises how much he really wants to be with Da Yeol. Tae Hyun misses Da Yeol, but it is only two years later that he gets a chance to see Da Yeol again when Da Yeol gets drunk with a mutual friend.

The first time jump of two years occurs near the end of Episode 6. The second one occurs at the start of Episode 7, and we can infer that the two guys have been in a relationship since their last meeting. Episode 7 adds practically nothing to the story, but it is so full of sweetness that I can overlook it.

I love the way the series is moving without being sappy. As a coming-of-age series, it portrays the young people's lives without exaggeration. Whether it is Da Yeol's archery rival, Tae Hyun's ambiguously jealous friend or the female classmate who is carrying a torch for Da Yeol, Some may find issue with how Tae Hyun sets Da Yeol up, claiming that Da Yeol is sexually harassing him. The relative lack of action on the part of the school in response to such a serious allegation may also be questionable (although it might well be a veiled critique of society). the emotions and relationships are interestingly nuanced.

The series may not be every BL fan's cup of tea, but if I can judge it by how much it manages to make me care about whether the main characters end up together, it ranks quite high.

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Nothing new, but sweet and cute

I enjoyed this series, but to be honest, the story isn't exactly full of surprises.

The main reason I started watching this series is Shi Cheng Xuan, whom I noticed playing a minor supporting character in the History series. I remember thinking he was really cute and wished he would be the lead in a BL series. So this series is like a wish come true.

There are two couples in this story, and they are both likable. However, I wish there had been more nuances in the portrayal of Zheng Ze Shou. Prior to finding out about Fu Li Gong's crush on him, he seems to have some feelings for Fu too, but he also seems unable to accept what he has found out. It would actually make more sense for him to have been harboring some romantic feelings towards Fu, and the transition from his initial reaction to his acceptance of Fu's love could have been more natural.

As for the other couple, the development of their relationship is a little sudden (or did I watch a censored version?) as they duo are drinking one moment and then waking up beside each other the next moment. Again, they are a likable couple, but the development in their relationship is somewhat haphazard. At least there is a back story for Fu and Zheng, which makes them easier to relate to.

Perhaps focusing on the story of just one couple is enough (though I might melt if I see more scenes of the ridiculously cute Shi Cheng Xuan).

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How to do a BL series set in a high school

This ought to be a model of sorts for how schoolboy BL series should be made. It is lighthearted and cute without being frivolous. It doesn't resort to representing toxic behaviors to "entertain". It may seem like an enemies-to-lovers story at the start, but it soon becomes obvious that there is no real enmity between them.

The charm of many BL series featuring characters of high school age lies in the innocence of the characters, but that's also where it is all too easy to go wrong. Sometimes the characters are too immature, but not here. To be sure, there is a lot of comedy and even silly behavior. However, what Tinn does for Gun is sweet and touching. It's also a good thing that this is revealed in bits throughout the series and not dropped like a bomb at the end of the story because it helps us appreciate the goodness of the character.

But for a BL series to be done right, it is not just the love story or the main characters that counts. The secondary characters matter too. I appreciate the portrayal of Tinn's group of friends as well as Gun's bandmates. In particular, Tinn's endlessly supportive friend, Thiu, is a delight. I also love the contrast between Tinn's and Gun's mothers. Tinn's mother (the school principal) seems strict and cold while Gun's mother is casual, and it's clear which parent may pose an obstacle to the leads' relationship later.

If I have to fault the series for anything, perhaps it would be in the couple of instances where it tries a tad too hard to be more serious, such as with Gun's mother becoming very ill, Tinn's mother suspecting something about their relationship and the homophobia some members of the school community exhibit when Tinn and Gun's relationship is exposed. These parts of the series, which come quite late, are double-edged swords. On the one hand, they present great opportunities to showcase the characters' development. On the other hand, given the predominant lightheartedness of the series, we more or less know how things will turn out so the seriousness doesn't really get that serious. Towards the end of the series, the series does the equivalent of someone blowing a balloon and letting the air out before it gets really big and then repeating the process a few times.

Despite the slight flaws, My School President is probably amongst the very best high school BLs ever made. It has the lighthearted charm of a series like 2gether but without so many of the flaws. It may make one miss one's high school days but it also portrays youthful insecurities quite sensitively--I particularly love the scene where Tinn's mother is about to ask him about his relationship with Gunn and, despite his love for Gun, he is so tense and frightened that his mother feels bad for him decides to change the topic. (Well, she has the answer without him saying it).

I love Gemini and Fourth and wish that they will not turn out just be a one-BL-series pairing.

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The BL part was great but not the story related to the title

The title refers to a supposed curse in a school that misfortune would befall students who break the school's strict rules. The effects of the curse are rumored to be especially powerful during a solar eclipse. Is there a supernatural element here or is there a sinister human hand behind the scenes? This premise is so intriguing, but it ends up being the weakest part of the story. I would have appreciated a nice story about some sinister person controlling the mysterious events behind the scenes, perhaps in the fashion of The Gifted. In fact, the series did give me The Gifted vibes at the start--imagine how nice it would be to have something like The Gifted with a BL plot.

Unfortunately, the story about the curse fizzles out. First, you sense something amiss when there is barely any real development with regard to the curse for many episodes despite the frequent allusions to it. It quickly becomes clear that this isn't a supernatural drama (which is fine) and that there are human forces behind the misfortunes that befall misbehaving students (which is also fine). Unfortunately, the writers seem hesitant about developing the plot with regard to the curse.

Ultimately, the rumors about the curse are merely an excuse for the BL story. Yet, do we need an excuse for the BL story? The story of the main couple, the head prefect of the school and a seemingly rebellious student who defies the rules of the school, is fine. The part about the curse makes the story seem original at first, but it fails to deliver. The writers have done a pretty good job developing the main characters, and the effort spent on the virtually meaningless part about the curse could have been spent on the characters' backgrounds and personal struggles instead. For instance, Thuaphu (one half of the second BL couple) is an interesting character who is unfortunately underdeveloped. His relationship with his stepfather seems interesting and could have been given more attention. Really, we don't need a premise like a curse. The students' struggles with the school authorities could simply be there without some reference to a curse.

To make matters worse, it is rather laughable that the school, despite being supposedly an institution with archaic, oppressive rules that are strictly enforced, frequently has a few students protesting about its rules. And the protestors do not get into serious trouble with the school authorities. So much for being an oppressive environment that emphasizes discipline in a way that is out of sync with the contemporary world.

As a mystery, the story does come with at least one red herring and a couple of twists. But it is a little too late and too ineffectively delivered. In fact, I wish that the red herring had not been a red herring. It involves a student who aspires to be a prefect--the story could have been more interesting if he had been the one behind the apparent fulfillment of the curse.

Despite the disappointing plot about the curse, the BL parts are nicely done. They may not be really original, but they are better than the average set-in-a-high-school BL. The personalities of five of the main characters (the two couples and one of their friends who is interested in film) are nicely developed and distinguished. If only there had been a stronger story holding everything together.

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