Literally a Hidden Gem — I Loved This !!

Okay, I love it when I find series like this that are hidden beneath the other pile of oversaturated BLs and it becomes something of its own that completely makes me fall for it. I was 100% ready to drop this series after the first episode, especially after looking at the rating and comments, but I was pleasantly surprised in the beginning and it carried out until the very last episode. I'm only upset I'm just now seeing it as it's been released since May 2023. I wish I was on that train when it was airing tbh.

Let's Dive In.

So The Promise is essentially a series about two childhood best friends who find their way back to one another after 10 years. The plot itself is pretty simple, but the execution, along with the production budget, makes this series spectacular. And if you don't know, friends to lovers is my favorite trope of all time, and if you mix a slow burn with that, it's damn near impossible for me not to love it. And oh, how I loved this series. It executed their relationship (friend-wise) so perfectly; showing those fleeting stares, those one-off comments, the small gestures. And it makes sense with everything that happens between them, with Phupha leaving and returning and not knowing how to tell his friend about his whereabouts or why he left. They did great at keeping that ambiguity from the audience as well until it's revealed, which I liked that we also didn't know until Nan knew as well. Same with Khunkhao, who was Phu's secret brother, which felt too coincidental, but I didn't hate it. Overall, they perfectly mapped out their friendship into a relationship so perfectly, and it's above all, my favorite aspect of the series.

Now, the chemistry is good, not great, but it's good. It's enough for me to be convinced that Phu really does have feelings for Nan, but I will say that once they get together, that tension between them dies and it's not as punctuated as it was before they got together. Not all of the kisses were bad, but there were some dead ones. The NC scene at the end is actually very sensual and very beautiful. Also, seeing them both topless doesn't hurt either.

The relationship between Phu and his grandmother had me in shackles. Oh, I loved it so much, the openness they both were able to have with one another without it being a deal that he likes a guy, which I'm pretty sure they innuendo that his grandmother was a lesbian/bi since she hung out with other older lgbtq people. I think her death is justified (?) enough in the series that when she does die, it doesn't feel like an irrelevant death, but something that for Phu's character specifically, needed in order for them to get across that Nan would be there for him and help guide him through it. Onto more of the smaller roles, Party was okay, I think it was irrelevant to make his character in love with Nan, but it is what it is. Giegie was super fun, I liked the comedic aspect of the series with her astrological antics and whatnot.

Now, onto some things I wasn't appreciative of. There were plenty of office scenes that could've been cut down. They drag for far too long in some episodes, and I just skip right over it because *Snooze Fest*. Same with Jo, I know he's the comedic boss who's bad at his job that everyone somehow puts up with, but I kind of wanted to see him fired, won't lie. Episode 10 was the only episode that I really didn't like. Before then, I honestly loved each episode, but the last one was the one that took down my 10/10 score. There were so many unnecessary, irrelevant conflicts that the writers dropped for no reason. Like how Nan is upset that Phu tells him to go move to his new job only for him to be okay in the next scene. Same with the bewildering, "Nan's plane disappeared" plot that was literally, like, what the fuck? And then again, resolved in the next 5 seconds. Also, I don't recall Phu explaining to Nan why he left, even after they got together, which was pretty anticlimactic.

I think this was supposed to have a season 2 (which it really doesn't need one) to go into further depth about the couple they throw in at the last minute (khunkhao and some rando getting beat up on the street), but it didn't get enough popularity within the fandom, which is kind of upsetting, cause besides all the negative stuff, this series really ate down, in my opinion.

Ratings:

Story: 8/5/10: some boring office jargon, and some really left-field writing decisions, but overall, the execution of the main leads is brilliant.

Acting: 9/10: Really good! This was Kun's (Phupha) first acting gig, and I could definitely see the minor mistakes, but he did an excellent job (also, that man is too fine). Kiak also did good, and everyone along the road did just as well.

Music: 7/10 - I actually loved the OST! it gave nostalgic vibes, so I was here for it.

Recommendation Value: 9/10 - I would highly recommend this series, especially to anybody looking for a good friends-to-lovers plot. It did such a good job, and I'm so upset this didn't get the hype it deserved, but oh well.

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Highly Anticipated, And Not Disappointed

I've heard nothing but good news about Jazz For Two, and I usually get a bit skeptical about BLs that gain a lot of popularity in a short amount of time, cause people's opinions can be so skewed with a popular series, but honestly, for once, the majority of them got this right. Jazz for Two explores the very emotional, very toxic relationships of two pairings, while also giving us some fabulous instrumentals.

Let's Dive In.

Again, going into this, I didn't give my hopes up to see anything worth watching, but after episode 2, I was on the edge of my seat. JFT isn't anything we haven't seen before: high school students playing instruments who fall in love; but the acting in this is what makes this series stand out so much to me. They do an excellent job with emotions, even Taeyi who has one facial expression, but he has so much expression in his eyes. Hangyeom (Doyoon) absolutely stole the show for me. I was shocked to see this was his first acting gig outside of his idol stuff, because he did an absolutely fantastic job. He had the perfect mix of funny and serious and happy. Absolutely adored him, and hope to see him in so much more in the future.

Moving on to the lead pairing, Taeyi and Seheon, they had excellent chemistry. Mixed with the finery that is Hogeun, and Jinkwon's cuteness, they did an excellent job at selling their connection. I love a slow burn, it's my favorite thing in their entire world, and this couple did that to a T. They have such a strong build-up, and leave the audience yearning for more, and that's exactly what I love. Once they get into their relationship, you can see how swiftly Taeyi's persona changes, and it's just such great character development.

with Doyoon and Juha, I wondered if they really were going to work for me, and in some odd way, they really do, except I think it's a lot more toxic (which I hate) in their sense than in Taeyi's and Seheon's relationship. Juha is the bully of the series, causing chaos in Taeyi, Seheon, and Doyoon's lives. I never really got around to appreciating him because I just think he sucks as a person, even after he and Doyoon start to work out. That dude needs therapy and a lot of it. Glad he could find some solace in Doyoon, but it'll take a lot more than that to fix his broken soul. Other than that, I think these actors did a great job, and again, Doyoon's just the best character out of them all.

I love a plot twist and I did not see the brothers happening at all. It truly is a sad tale, but it's told in such a beautiful way that I have to give props to the writers. Definitely a job well-done.

Now, the only reason this series isn't a 10/10 for me is because of how overly abusive and somewhat non-consensual these relationships are. Taeyi throws around Seheon for more than half the series, which is just so much excessive force that it completely turns me off from their romance. Same with Juha, who's only excusable for punching Doyoon when he kisses him without any prior consent. but every couple in this series kisses for the first time without consent, which is somewhat sort of forgiven in the end, but still, it's just a lot. Same with Juha, he just abuses Doyoon over and over again, even with Doyoon's very odd behavior, and even after being punched. I think a lot of that didn't have to be added, the being pushed against the wall, Seheon getting hurt in like, every episode, the cat and mouse chase from them having these fights and arguments to it being completely fine in the next scene. I know, this is how some relationships are, toxic, but my god, it's so hard to root for somebody when their behavior is like this, because if this was real life, I would've told all of them to move towns and start over, especially poor little Seheon.

Ratings:

Story: 8/10 - Superb! It's just an 8 cause the story is rather simplistic, it's the acting that sells it. Great storytelling, it stays on its feet for the entirety of the 8 episodes, and it not once bored me. The plot twist was a fun addition, so really, such a good job.

Acting; 9/10 - Hangyeom did the best out of the cast, which is crazy because it's his first acting gig, but he did literally amazing (I'm also just remembering the same guys from ASTCO cameoed, and that was nice, also they're all from the same K-pop group, so that's cool too!!) Jinkwon did really well, followed by Hogeun who had to be stoic for most of this, but shows emotion later on in the series. Everyone else did a good job too.

Music: 8/10 - beautiful instrumentals. I didn't even mind Taeyi's singing in the end.

Recommendation Value: 7.5/10 - they did a really good job and I had fun watching it. Also, Hogeun is just gorgeous, so if you want to see beauty, watch for that reason too.

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City of Pure Enjyoment

Oh, I'm so surprised how much I absolutely loved this series. It's been hard for me to enjoy any Thai series outside of GMMTV, so I'm elated that I actually enjoyed this series. City of Stars was definitely not perfect, but it was such a genuine delight to watch and sit back and enjoy the series for what it was.

Let's Dive In.

City of Stars starts off with a trope that I absolutely love, a famous guy falls for a regular ole dude, and then it takes off from there. I'll admit, it takes a minute to really get into this series, just cause the first couple of episodes are only okay, while it doesn't start to get really good until the closer Fueng and Krom get. The last few episodes were ultimately the best for me. I think the structure of this keeps itself in balance with everything that it needs, while connecting you to these characters so that you actually start to enjoy them and their journey on screen.

For our main couple, I really enjoyed them more than I anticipated. They work so well, except there were a few times where I don't a hundred percent believe their relationship on screen (there are some rather awkward moments when they're looking at each other, or sometimes when they kissed they stood a mile apart lol) but for the most part, I really liked it. They had some great NC scenes and they know how to kiss, so I can't be too upset.

Oh, I loved Kor and Namsom. They didn't hook me in the beginning, but by the end, I was rooting for them so hard. The way Kor spoke to her and made her feel worthy had me in tears. Their relationship is so fragile, but in such a beautiful way that it took me by surprise how much I really enjoyed them.

On to some more nit-picky things, I kind of don't see the appeal with Fueng having fallen in love with Krom. Because his parents talked about him? And not to be mean, but there's nothing out of the ordinary about Krom, so it's a bit of a weird concept. I think it would've just worked out better if they met when Krom got back and fell in love then.

We were also teased with another side couple, but then it never advances anywhere, so that's pretty annoying. IDK if they were setting up for another BL, but we got practically no screen time between them, not even a canon.

Ratings:

Story: 8/5/10 - really good! Their build-up to dating is done so nicely and then they execute it perfectly. I also loved how they nag on some of the bigger problems in the BL industry, like the actors not being able to date outside their pairing, or when they come out and then lose brand deals, or when the entire community harps on someone for something minuscule or irrelevant. I love the portrayal of all of that, including how it can end up working out in the end.

Acting: 8.5/10 - This was Porsche's (Krom) first time acting ever and I think for what it's worth, he did an excellent job. I don't know why he went from being a dental student to an actor, but he did good. It explains now why some of his scenes can feel a bit awkward, but for the most part, he did an excellent job. Job (Fueng) did well too, and I loved seeing him shirtless, So I'll add a half point for that. Kimmon!! I missed him so much, it was so nice to see him play a somewhat serious character for once, and his partner was delightful. Everyone else also did an excellent job.

Music: 7/10 - I didn't pay much attention to it, but it wasn't distracting so that's good.

Recommendation Value: 8/10 - I really liked this! Not the first I'd recommend, but out of the Thai BLs I've seen so far in 2024, this is at the top of my list. It was so well done!

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Sups Cute !

Stay By My Side had me with its delicate charm, heartwarming sweetness, and subtle humor, all woven into a pleasantly paced Taiwanese BL. However, while the experience was good, it fell just shy of greatness, meaning that it'll mostly likely fade from my memory sooner rather than later. Nevertheless, it had good qualities that made for a genuinely delightful watch.

Let's Dive In.

Stay By My Side is about a silly little college kid who plays on the basketball team and ends up being haunted by ghosts after his sister accidentally burns his talisman. He finds a guy, super suave and stoic, who helps him stop hearing the ghosts when they're together -- given the ironic title, Stay By My Side.

I liked this more for the romance than anything, but one of the bigger qualities of this was its pacing. It's 10 episodes for about 22 minutes, and it never sways from the bigger story or has any irrelevant side plots. All of it is centered on the main pairing and their relationship builds at such a nice pace, and all of their kissing looks natural and real and I really liked it.

The story is unique while also being simplistic enough with a college setting, and it sets a tone for the entire series that it's going to be fun and cute and lighthearted.

Ratings:

Story: 8/10 - A unique spin on a rather simple college love story. The chemistry between the leads is good; not the best I've seen out of a Tawinese BL, but it's good. All the side characters help drive the main couple together but don't have much of a story themselves.

Acting: 8.5/10 - I think they did great, but this story is rather lighthearted, so not much complex acting was needed.

Music: 6/10: didn't pay much attention to it, but it wasn't distracting.

Recommendation Value: 6/10: Ehh, I like it, but it's not the first I'd recommend. But it's a super lighthearted watch, and the kissing scenes are good, so go for it!

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Not Worth it

I only gave this series a chance cause I love Fluke and I love even more his beautiful lead partner, Judo from TMOTB who I've always found insanely attractive. However, this series was not my cup of tea, with its overly tries at being funny and just way too many side characters that could've easily been cut. I also have made multiple attempts to find english subtitles for episode 3 and beyond, but failed, so please take this review with a grain of salt seeing as I skimmed through the last four episodes.

Let's Dive In.

The first episode is probably the worst, and that's coming from somebody who had to watch most of the series without english subtitles. I almost dropped this series then, the only reason I didn't is because I haven't watched Fluke in a while and I really wanted to stay for him. The second episodes is a little better cause it introduces the actual plot of the series, and some higher actions happen, but still, lots of unnecessary characters and a whole bunch of irrelevant conversations. Then you get to episodes 3 which starts my journey of watching with no subtitles, so now I'm bored and confused. I skimmed through the last four episodes; nothing looked appealing or worth watching except a couple of decent kisses and an NC scene from the leads. all in all, save your time, watch something else. I doubt my review would've been much different even if I understood what they were saying.

Ratings:

Story: 4/10: Judo and Fluke look nice together, and from the little bit of the story I got, it wasn't terrible, but not good either.

Acting: 8/10: best aspect about the series. Fluke acts comedic instead of sad for once, so that was nice to see.

Music: 6/10: didn't pay attention to it.

Recommendation Value: 1/10 - Watch literally anything else.

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Adorable

Had this series on my watch list and finally got around to watching it, and I'm glad I did! It's been a minute since I've watched a Korean BL, and this has just hyped up my want to dip back into them. A Breeze of Love was an incredibly short but incredibly delightful little series.

Let's Dive In.

This series was only 8 episodes about 20 or fewer minutes long. It is about a guy who has chronic insomnia who happens to be able to fall asleep around another guy and they fall in love. Great creative concept, and it leaves you intrigued to see how the series will turn out. While this was short, this was the perfect length for me. It was a quick watch, took me less than half the day to finish, and I really enjoyed it.

The plot doesn't stray away at all from the leads which is why you're constantly enthralled with the story. I'm mostly so in love with the leads' connection because I'm a sucker for first love and going through all the little things about liking someone and finally executing those feelings. So I loved their flashbacks to them in high school when they first met and started liking each other. Their relationship as adults feels very authentic and I really liked watching their plot unfold.

You can't not fall head over heels for the actors, specifically Jeongyou who I was only slightly offended never took his shirt off. The only nit-picky thing I have about this was when they were playing basketball and traveling like idiots. Overall though, this was an adorable series, albeit not going to be very memorable after a while, but it's worth the watch.

Rating:

Story: 7/10 - the insomnia storyline is super fun and creative. The leads do chemistry pretty well and their kisses looked natural and organic so I'm not mad. Would love to see whatever was going on between Dohyun's best friend and the guy's-face-we-never-see (season 2 perhaps??). Still a pretty simplistic plot, but it's good!

Acting: 8.5/10 - Jihan did the best out of everyone with his very staller performance. Everyone else did well, but the acting is just okay in this, nothing jaw-dropping.

Music: 7/10 - really liked the OST! For once paid attention to it and wasn't disappointed.

Recommendation Value: 8/10 - It's too short and too cute not to try and at least give it a watch. Dongwook is also wet a good majority of the time if that helps any.

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IDK

Destiny Seeker was very confusing to get into in the beginning, but closer to the end it became more interesting until it inevitably dragged on for far too long about topics that are far too boring.

Let's Dive In.

To start off, there were so many characters in this that I stopped trying to learn names by episode 4. So for the majority of this series, there are a bunch of people on my screen that I have no idea why they're there or what they're contributing to the story, so it's an immediate snooze fest. There are three couples in this, and I can only remember the names of two. On top of that, there were so many pointless scenes full of jibber-jabber that I continuously kept falling asleep and having to go back. I skipped the entirety of episode 9 and still got the jist of what was going on. This could've been cut down to maybe 8 episodes if they cut out half of the scenes that did nothing to move the plot along.

But, with that being said, I still stayed because somewhere in this jumbled mess, I did quite enjoy the leads. Mostly because of their slow-burn relationship which I'm a sucker for. They also did their intimate scenes superbly well, and I'll applaud them for that. I think their chemistry was the strongest among the three while also doing so nicely at building up that tension so that we can actually care about them getting together finally. Even with them, there was no couple that I was genuinely invested in, I think all of them had their moments, but it wasn't anything crazy or something I'll remember past this review.

While this was the basic college/uni BL, I really liked the rivalry between dorms and people getting chosen for specific places in the dorms. I even really liked the use of their little button things and Ai and Song potentially getting caught because of the "no crossing" rule.

Ratings:

Story: 7/10 - Draggy in some parts, but not entirely bad. The couples were mediocre, and I was barely invested in any of them, but the slow burn kept me on.

Acting: 8.5/10 - The leads did great and so did some of the other supporting roles, but there was a lot of mediocre acting from some of the smaller characters, it's not so bad that you can't watch, it's just noticeable that they need more practice.

Music: 6/10 - Didn't pay much attention to it.

Recommendation Value: 3/10: Eh, probably wouldn't recommend this, but some beautiful men in this that do intimacy pretty well, so it's not a never.

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How Beautifully Sad

I decided not to read the synopsis when going into this one, and oh boy, was I in for a ride. What I thought looked like a really cute love story ended up being somewhat of a tragic yet heartfelt series.

Let's Dive In.

Koki is this sad guy who is depressed and wants to die until that day comes and instead of dying he meets an angel who in his past life committed suicide. This angel can make a miserable human see the good in life while subsequently making him go through grief and despair.

I think the last two episodes are the best out of all of them. While incredibly sad to see Angel's story, I felt like I was so intrigued the entire time, and everything that happened I didn't see coming a mile away. The last episode is so tragic yet in a while so magnificent to see how Koki was from the beginning to the end, smiling, seizing the day, even wearing white. I'm assuming the ending is for us to imagine, but in reality, I'd like to think that Koki is able to move on happily and find someone else (human perhaps). If anything, that's what I was hoping for in the end was that we'd see him move on and happy again.

If you think closely, it's sad to imagine a guy walking around talking and eating by himself which is why he and Angel just would've never worked out. Honestly, had the ending been one of those, "We end up happily ever after" I would've given this a lower rating, cause it's unrealistic (so is the guardian angel thing but still).

Koki and Angel's relationship was beautiful without having to be physical, and I loved that. Some moments felt very oddly sensual (like Koki rubbing his entire face into Angel's wing), but that added so much flavor to the chemistry of the characters. They had a great connection, but honestly, their relationship was mediocre. It wasn't fantastic, it wasn't terrible, just okay. I'm shallow and would've loved a kiss, but again, I loved their relationship without one, so I'm not that upset.

My only argument is that we don't see Koki fix his relationship with his brother, which would've been nice to see. Also, it's weird to me that an angel who can't be seen by others is able to carry things and eat. So would the object just float? Would they magically disappear? Was there a mist that made it look like Koki was carrying and eating all these things?

Ratings:

Story: 8.5/10: I think it was beautiful. Some parts dragged just a tinsy bit, but for the most part, I was very entertained by what we got.

Acting: 9/10: Shuhei (Koki) did an excellent job! Takuya (Angel) also played his part nicely, except in some scenes, his expression was a little stale. That might've been a directive choice instead of the actor's.

Music: 6/10: Didn't pay attention to it and it wasn't distracting so good.

Recommendation Value: 7.5/10: I highly recommend this cause it was a quick watch and a good one at that, but it's also pretty sad and somewhat of an energy-drainer. There's also something so un-BL about it, like yes they happened to be two dudes, but this story truly revolves around a man attempting to find his way through an incredibly sorrowful world.

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Good Until it Wasn't

I'm not proud to announce how long it took me to watch this 6 episode series (approximately a week), but for my sake, this got incredibly dull after episode three. I was excited about this one, while a little unsure of all that it was going to entail, but I was super stoked to see Guide in a lead role since his minor one in I Feel You Linger in The Air, and of course, Ohm is a sight for sore eyes so I'm seated. But initially what had started out as a really good story with some interesting characters has ended with the weirdest and most rushed character redemption and a very sappy happily ever after.

Let's Dive In.

Again, I was super excited to see that Guide was given a lead role after IFYLITA because he was one of my favorite characters from that series. And with his counterpart Ohm, I was hooked to see how this quaint little BL would turn out. Turns out this BL could've done with a lot more work. In the beginning episodes, I was hooked on the plot, I was hooked on how Peach was going to get Shin out of his little stoic bubble, and I was hooked on all the side characters of the bakery. It wasn't until after episode three that this series just fell straight on its face. Shin is the most manipulative walking red flag I've ever seen, who's also narcissistic in thinking that he's the only one who can bake a good cake, while also being over-possessive of Peach and his life. Yes he was all these things in the beginning, but I thought Peach would "change" him and he'd have this amazing character development, but nope, he's the same stoic character that he was in the beginning at the end, just add on that he smiles and gives frequent kisses. The series is also just incredibly boring, There are very low stakes and nothing to look forward to after Shin and Peach get together. Because after that, it was a bunch of miscommunication and misunderstandings. The reason why it took me a week to watch this? Kept falling asleep. Honestly, this series could've ended at episode three and I would've given it a better overall score.

Moving onto Guy's incredibly ridiculous redemption arc; I only have two words -- terrible writing. I don't know what the writers were doing when it came to coming up with that ending, but it's the most rushed shit I've ever seen. Guy wasn't the worst character (Shin was actually) but he still didn't deserve the redemption arc he received, especially within a 30-minute time frame of the last episode. One minute Shin hates him, the next Guy's back working in the bakery and they're all besties again. The ending on top of that was just so overly-sappy to me, but then again the entire series felt the need to do flashbacks every 5 minutes, so I guess that's just how the feel of the series was supposed to go.

Onto Peach and Shin's relationship: yeah, no thank you. I was stretching to try and find the chemistry, and I think some parts worked, but most didn't. The beginning was better than the end, but Guide and Ohm just make zero sense to me. I feel like in a way they cancel each other out, and they just don't connect very well at all. They're both beautiful men, but together, I get nothing. The intimate scenes weren't bad, but I think Guide and Ohm should've done more workshops to work well together. Otherwise, their romance on screen was mediocre.

And to the character I love the most -- to Atom -- I'm sorry they didn't give you more screen time or even a potential partner.

Ratings;

Story: 5.5/10 - Not terrible in the beginning, but the ending is less than satisfactory. Characters are entertaining, others not so much. Chemistry between the leads was lacking, but they're both hot so it's not so bad.

Acting: 8/10 - Guide did okay, but to be fair, I think he played better as Ming but that might be more on the writing and less on him. Ohm was how Ohm has always played his characters + hot. I think I liked Atom (omg that's also his real name) a lot because of his character's personality, and I think he did a really great job. Everyone else was fine too.

Music: 6/10 - Didn't give it much attention, but it wasn't distracting.

Recommendation Value: 3.5/10 - Nah, skip this, really not worth it. I mean unless there's an actor you really want to see, but otherwise, this BL belongs in the land of the "what-if" which is really just a list of BLs I'll eventually forget about.

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Really Cute !

Out of my BL block just in time to watch this little gem of a series, Perfect Propose. While not one of my favorites, this series was seriously so authentic in its storytelling, keeping me truly entertained and intrigued throughout it all -- and it doesn't hurt either that the actors are absolutely beautiful.

Let's Dive In.

Loved the pacing of this 6 episode series. It had a perfect rhythm of timing and plot that I was never bored or ready to skip something. I get bored very quickly with office scenes if they're not significant. This series had its times, but for the most part, it never dragged on too long, and I really appreciate that. Lately, I've been loving series that are short and to-the-point rather than long and drawn out, so I loved that I sat for a couple of hours and finished this with no problems.

I'm a sucker for friends to lovers, especially a long distance friends to lovers. The only thing that took me by surprise was their age gap as kids. I think it was fine since Hiro saw it more as just a kid he wanted to talk to and Kai was the one with the genuine crush, but that morality line is a little blurry when Hiro says something along the lines of having thought that Kai was cute as a kid, and then followed by Kai kissing him afterward. Anyway, I'll focus more on them as adults, which I think was super cute. I'll be honest, I wasn't totally sold on their chemistry in the end, but I think both actors can act their asses off. I really enjoyed watching Hiro turn into this man with an endless work life who was falling victim to its harshness, then to meet his friend from long ago and start genuinely taking care of himself -- of course with the help of Kai.

I have nothing really negative to say about this series, I think it was good, just not the best I've seen come out of Japan.

Ratings:

Story: 8/10 - Good! Great flow, an amazing beginning, and a decent ending. Probably my favorite aspect of the show.

Acting: 9/10 - Shunya (Hiro) did his big one! Extremely great at emotional scenes and just an overall great actor. Kota (Kai), other than being a sight to behold, also did a great job. All the other actors played their roles well too.

Music: 7/10 - The intro song was cute!

Recommendation Value: 8/10 - It's pretty good and a quit watch, so yes, definitely go for it!

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Not my Cup of tea

Bad on my part, but this is serving as my first Taiwanese BL of this year that I'm seeing, and luckily, I thought this was good. Not great, personally, because these types of series are just not my cup of tea, but, the men are beautiful, they know how to do physical well, and the acting isn't all that bad either.

Let's Dive In.

I had heard so much hype about this series that I knew I had to hop on the train and see what this was all about. Now, I think generally, a lot of series that portray on a scale of mild to super toxic relationships outshine series that portray healthier ones (for reasons being above my understanding), and I would label the same thing with these characters as well. Homeboy definitely has the case of Stockholm's syndrome -- falling for the person who turned his life into a living hell, This is fictional, so I'll look past the, 'he-needs-therapy-to-get-over-this' mumbo jumbo, Yes, his captor turns out to be a good person, just some ill intentions in the first half. The only thing I think needed a little more time was Zong Yi'a falling for Ze Rui. It feels very out of the blue. One day he hates him, the next he's trying to bake him a cake and confess his undying love, on top of being a minor (geez-la-wheez). it just felt rushed in my opinion, even if Zong Yi needed that companionship or someone to care for him, what we get before he falls just isn't enough. Now moving on to their actual relationship, cute! But again, something about them doesn't work for me, maybe it's because of the age difference, but I'm usually a fan of that, so I don't know what it is about this couple that just doesn't sell me all the way. After about episode 10, I started skipping over their scenes cause I just really could care less.

Moving onto the secondary couple -- again cute, we have a little bit more fun with their dynamic, but again, and this is just for me, I just don't see it working out. One, their brothers, albeit not blood-related, but still they grew up together as siblings. Two, both of them seem too hot-headed and too quick to want to throw a punch or force each other into something. Again, just a very toxic couple that works for other viewers cause they're hot and can kiss (I'll give them that).

As individual characters, I really liked them all. Especially Zong Yi's family dynamic and the things he goes through to save his dad. Along with the cunning friendship between him and Ai Di. The cameos were nice, Wayne does a great job at being a bad guy, and looks great doing it. As I said before, I just don't think this was the series for me because I think too hard about relationships and don't see how they come about or how they'll last, especially when they're built on a rough/toxic path.

Sadly, my favorite part about this series was during the last episode, we see the behind the scenes of the cast and crew, and it just puts a smile on your face regardless of how you feel about the series because it just goes to show all the hard work everyone put behind this series. End credits get me all the time (sigh).

Ratings:

Story: 7.5/10 - Lots of it I skipped through by Episode 10 cause I wasn't really invested in any of the couples and just wanted to see their outcome and quickly. The beginning is nice though, a very intriguing starting point, and then it just kind of wanes for me. Not bad, but not the best.

Acting: 9.5/10 - They could all cry when need be! Great! Zong Yi's actor did the best for sure.

Music: 4/5/10 - Again, not my usual taste in music, so it's kind of loud and a bit hectic sounding. It distracted me so much that I actually paid attention to it.

Recommndation Value: 6.5/10 - I can see the appeal in the series and the reason why it was so hyped around. Great acting and a great story if you're into tropes/plots like this one. Not the first Tawinese BL I'd recommend, maybe the 8th, but these men are beautiful so there's that.

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Filler KBL

I didn't love it, I didn't hate it -- it'll inevitably be one of those filler series I forget about after this review and move on to the next. Now even with saying this, Jun and Jun still proved itself to be a decent series with a decent plot, beautiful actors, and some petty nice chemistry.

Let's Dive In.

Jun and Jun are friends who end up separating as kids and become close again when Lee Jun is hired at Choi Jun's company. The premise is fun, and so are the first couple of episodes. It just starts to drag by episode 5, with way too much office jargon and a bunch of characters that I just could care less about. I skipped through the majority of the end, only stopping to see the lead's resolution, including his smexy hyung and the idol guy. All in all, the leads had okay chemistry, nothing crazy. Individually, they played their characters very well so the connection just works out because these were good actors. Also, some very well-done physical chemistry, which is what really drew me into their relationship.

This is me being nit-picky but some continuity errors were glaringly obvious, and for whatever reason, it bothered me more than it usually does. One example is Lee Jun holding an empty milk carton that's open but then offering it to Choi Jun later on, closed. Same with my problem with characters picking up drinks (mostly coffee cups) that have nothing in them and it's obvious.

Ratings:

Story: 7/10 - Was pretty funny and had some comedic gold moments. It's good until it becomes boring with too many scenes taking place in the meeting room going over blah blah blah that none of us care about. Romance is okay, but the physical chemistry is good.

Acting: 8.5/10 - Great! Each character played their role individually very well. Hyunwoo is gorgeous, has nothing to do with his acting, but thought I'd throw that in there. Also off-topic, but Hyeongseop's (Simeon) filler teeth bothered the fuck out of me.

Music; 7/10 - It wasn't distracting.

Recommendation Value: 5/10 - Recommend because Hyunwoo is seriously beautiful, but other than that, you're not missing much.

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Confusing Start but Thoughtful Ending

The first episode will have you in shambles, forewarning. I was given the impression that this would be the continuation of season one but it is not. Instead, Love Class Season 2 is the tale of three college couples, all with their own distinct story and conflict. But the only reason this series can't get much higher than the score it has now is because of the ample amount of editing errors that are just so unlike what I've ever seen come out of Korea.

Let's Dive In.

It's unfortunate that the first two episodes are so confusing and don't have a good start-up to the story at all. We're thrown into their stories without even an introduction to their person or who they are or what they do. It gets better by the third episode, by then, I can't remember names, but I can at least figure out who will end up with whom. And the story by the end is actually pretty nice -- it's all wrapped up in a neat bow and given proper resolutions. As well as the plot within the middle being very intriguing, keeping me super enthralled and ready to watch the next episode.

My favorite couple were the cafe cuties, Maru and Minwoo. Kwanghee's (Maru) incredible acting abilities was the reason I was so thrilled with this pairing, so I'm so excited to see that he has a lot of impressive projects lined up for next year. Anyways, I think this pairing worked so well being of their personalities and how they clashed so well together. Maru is super outgoing and bubbly, doing anything he can so that Minwoo won't keep getting bullied by the cafe owner anymore. and Minwoo is just quite the opposite, obedient and to himself, not letting himself share his feelings with Maru until it becomes unbearable. I like that once they get together, it's just that, not some unnecessary conflicts thrown in at the last minute. They're just happy and in love and can kiss (thank god)! And thankfully the friendly female character was able to end up with someone too.

Onto my second favorite couple, the TA and student, Joohyuk and Sungmin. Their story was pretty easygoing and just super sweet. They have a one-night stand that ends with both of them not being able to forget about the other and so they further that relationship by teasing and scheming and some miscommunication, but in the end everything works out. I loved Joohyuk, I loved how he really went for what he wanted and got the TA to fall for him so hard. The moment Joohyuk walked into his office, locked the door, and kissed him leaving without anything else to say?? Oh, I was hooked. Again, once they got together, they were just happy and cutesy and I liked them a lot. Also, Woojae (Sungmin) is gorgeous to look at so that doesn't hurt either.

Not onto my favorite couple that would gotten number one had it not been for the drop in chemistry and the god-awful kissing: An and Hyun. I hate that they ended up being my least favorite couple because they seriously had some great connection and tension build-up from the get-go. Even the flashbacks to when An was Hyun's tutor were so full of tension that I couldn't wait for them to finally get together. And then they do, and it's like all their chemistry drops to the ground. For one, their kiss was so terrible that I don't know how the director approved of it, especially seeing how intense Maru and Minwoo's kissing scenes were. And then they proceeded to kiss maybe 3-4 times after that and it's so gut-wrenching to watch that I just started closing my eyes. That's when their chemistry drops too, and it just feels off and not genuine. For them to also be the main leads, someone should've taught them how to kiss or just not have them kiss at all if it was going to be that bad. On top of that, An's stalker "brother" plot had the worst ending ever. He just suddenly doesn't want to stalk An anymore after years of doing it...? Okay...

Now onto the reason why this series is getting a low overall score from me: the technical/editing errors. I'm not a nit-picky person by any means, but oh my gosh, in each episode there was some type of technical issue that I started just screaming in my room each time I notice it. The amount of times you could see the boom mic had me wanting to reach through the screen and tear it out of the frame. Who edited this? How could you miss something so evident like that? The laziness and sloppiness in this department is embarrassing, and I've never seen this in any series, let alone a Korean series.

Ratings:

Story: 7.5/10 - harsh start, but by the end, it's really good. The main couple weren't as poignant as the side couples, so, you know, that's not good, along with the rushed stalker storyline. And then continuous editing errors threw me off completely. But I loved the side couples a lot, so a 7.5/10 will do.

Acting: 8.5/10 - Kwanghee stole the show! So excited to see him in future projects. everyone else did decent too, but Hyomin and J-min's acting was probably closer to the mediocre line.

Music: 7/10 - wasn't distracting so that's good. Also like how for certain scenes (cough cough, Maru and Miinwoo's beautiful and very crisp-sounding kiss) they didn't play music and let the moment be, which is why I wish that a lot of other series would do the same thing.

Recommendation value: 6/10 - Eh. It's cute and not terrible, but some things are better than others. Wouldn't be the first K-BL I'd recommend, but they're all hot, so why not?

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Really Good in the Beginning, eh by the End

Force and Book are back on our screen after the disastrous Enchante that graced our screen in 2022. I'd like to start off with the fact that I saw growth, and that's the most important thing. But I would also like to state that for whatever reason, Force and Book still don't do it for me. It's like they would give me an inch, and then 10 minutes later, we fell five steps back. I'll explain that one more later, but for now, A Boss and A Babe was the somewhat redeeming series that this up-and-coming GMMTV couple needed.

Let's Dive In.

So A Boss and A Babe is a story about a CEO and an intern falling in love with a few more, low-key not important details. This series really is just a cutesy, no-real-problems-are-happening series. We get a little bit of back-stabbing, poor communication, and the very little stakes of them being together, but nothing in the story gives, "Oh wow, this is getting good." Which is why I said I loved it in the beginning since the set up of the characters was nice, but it all comes tumbling down after maybe the 5-6th episode and things get boring.

But I do want to talk about some of the conflicts we see in the series, with one of the main ones being the situation with Drake's character and Boss. The stakes are there, but overall, it's a simple resolution and nothing serious happens besides a silly little punch. Then moving onto Tian's storyline and the troubles Cher had with his brother Troop, which is not given enough space to flourish. they delve into it a little, but it's so little that it doesn't feel fleshed out enough. They scraped the surface and that was it. I wish we had a whole episode dedicated to this storyline and dedicated to the story that they gave Tian. The same goes for Boss' mother popping up at the end to complain that Cher was a terrible choice for him. Felt like very cheap writing to throw in a last-minute problem that's given no real resolution, just Cher shows up to Boss' office and asks him to be his boyfriend and then it's all better. Okay.

Again with Book and Force's connection. Them being friends shows through their acting, and it's a good and a bad thing. In some scenes, it's perfect. They look comfortable, their dialogue feels organic, and their chemistry feels great. and then in other scenes, I feel that tenseness again, with the slither of awkwardness, and it gets even worse for some of the intimate scenes they have. Again, I judge harder on GMMTV series because I know they have the funds and means to do better, so I expect better, and that's why I'm going to go on a limb here and say that the kisses and intimate moment in this series gets a big ole thumbs down. Some weren't as bad as others, but boy oh boy, let them have a scene where they have to kiss just once, and I'm cringing. The dead fish kiss, the standing ten feet apart, Cher's eyes open doing their last kiss, all of it, just..bad.

Like I stated earlier, I see the growth in their acting which is why this series kind of worked for me. I see that they've tried their best with these new roles they've received, and yes, a lot of it could've used more work, but overall, it's good. The only thing unbelievable is Boss having the label as being mean and super demanding with his employees, when throughout the series he just felt like he didn't care about his job are the things his employees did other than getting him his coffee. But with Book, I think he did a fantastic job. Loved loved loved his character and the choice he made for him. came off as believable, and we see that immaturity mixed with his extroverted energy and his slight shyness around Boss. He did a really excellent job.

Onto the side characters, Mike is back and he was looking better than ever. He's always given the funny best friend roles, and just like in the other series, he did a great job. I would like to see Mike playing a character outside of the norms he's given because I really believe he has more to show. The side couple was very lackluster. Some random fainting, and a bunch of sweet nothings, but those two characters felt like a really odd pairing, and that never changed for me even by the end. Their skinship felt a bit forced, but at least Thi would be labeled the best boyfriend ever. The other characters, Tubtab, Porsche, and the office workers drove the story in a good direction but didn't really add anything (other than the fact that Thor's eye had me in a chokehold). What I really loved though was when their friend group was all together. It added in some great comedy moments and that was probably one of my favorite parts of the series.

Ratings:

Story: 7.5/10 - None of the stakes felt very stake-y, and this really was just some cutesy moments given to both Book and Force to execute which they kind of did. I'll give most of the stars to the Tian storyline that I was most interested in but wasn't given enough of. I also loved the friend group which felt very natural and organic on screen.

Acting: 8.5/10 - I saw so much growth in Book, and he did an excellent job. Force did well too, but I still see the parts in which he can work on those improvements. Maybe it wasn't him and more of the director's choice for his character, but I feel like he could've given us more. All side characters were good too, but the side couple felt way too forced.

Music: 6/10 - It wasn't distracting so good.

Recommendation Value: 6.5/10 - I would recommend this series over the other series they had, but I still wouldn't recommend this if someone wanted to watch a GMMTV series (that spot is still given to ATOTS, which is still GMMTV's best BL series). But Book and Force are two very beautiful humans to look at, so this series is at least not on the bottom of shows to recommend, I'll just say that.

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Eh

Nothing special, nothing new, nothing awe-ing, but it's cute, it's kind of funny, and the leads are very handsome. All The Liquors revolves around single men and their alcohol. The end.

Let's Dive In.

I agree with most of the reviews and comments about this series. There's nothing about it to differentiate it from the plethora of KBLs we're receiving, but it's a quick watch and a fun one at that.

I enjoyed the chemistry of the main leads. I enjoyed Kihoon a lot more because he makes the best facial expression ever and really showed some decent character development for the timing that they had. They ruin that connection a lot with the dead fish kisses, but if you take that away, this was pretty solid.

Jiha needs his own series, I absolutely loved him. He stole the show in my opinion.

Ratings:

Story: 7/10 - It's an okay story, nothing we haven't seen done before, but the good thing is that the boring parts (office, work, etc) aren't shown for too long. The few last episodes are really just the leads growing closer and closer and enjoying each other's company.

Acting: 8.5/10 - The better aspect of this series. Everyone did a job well done, I enjoyed Kihoon and Jiha the best.

Music: 6/10 - Wasn't distracting, good.

Recommendation Value: 5.5/10 - Eh. I'd say watch it because you have time and want something lighthearted and sweet.

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