Venus in the Sky (2023)

too slow but with some good NSFW scenes, start at episode 6 or 8

Overall: I initially dropped this after 3 episodes but sped thru the rest and my advice is to watch ep 1 around 12 minutes and then skip to episode 6 (and watch on a faster speed). 10 episodes about 1hr each. Aired on iQIYI. Re-aired on 9NAA YouTube channel. 9NAA also produced Check Out and I Am Your King series.

Content Warnings: manhandling, harassment, kick

What I Liked
- established couples
- NSFW was well done
- sibling relationship
- the title was hilarious
- production value (which makes sense because there was a lot of product placement)

Room For Improvement
- as a viewer I need to want the two leads to be together in a romance series, however, I didn't want these leads to be together, I didn't understand what changed Sky's mind and I think Venus was too harsh towards Sky for way too long, they could have had a five minute conversation but the viewer had to slog thru hours and hours of nothing to get to a mutual understanding
- most of the scenes could have been cut or shortened, watched it on 3x speed, as an example you could start episode 9 after 12 minutes and miss absolutely nothing
- when the beginning scene took place was unclear for awhile, flashbacks/forwards without clear transitions
- who interrupts like that and then continues to have a conversation, get out of the room! (episode 1)

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Like Sitting In Front Of a Yule Log

This is like watching a Yule log in the fireplace burn. It is a slow, crackling, source of heat, warming the front side of you while the back side of you is frigid. In this case, the back side of you is euphemistically your brain. While it does at times give you a warm feeling of comfort and entertainment, it also dulls and numbs your brain with its slowness, cheesiness, and emotional torture. I could never figure out why anyone loves to watch series where the major focus is on one protagonist playing ‘hard-to-get’ to the point it is almost emotional abuse. I just do not get it.
You can read the rest of my review of this series at BLBiss.com.

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Main couple is SLOW burn, side couples are spicey fluff!

Venus and Sky’s relationship is rocky, Venus is hard on Sky for (I believe) an unfair reason but he believes he has his reasons and you do get flashbacks that show his perspective. Janus, Venus’ older brother, and his BF Bomb are super cute, so are the main couples best friends; Tonkla and Baitong. Each side couple have some spicey moments and some realistic relationship issues, that they actually talk about! (Not super common in Thai BL’s so I was pleasantly surprised) The acting isn’t fantastic but it’s not too painful to watch either, IMO, plus I love the playful teasing between Janus and Venus and the relationships between the best friends. They probably didn’t need 10, one hour long episodes or should’ve added a little more substance to the plot but if you want something mostly fluffy and kinda funny with some cheesey tropes then in, a show that’s easy to follow and or can played in the background then it’s fine. I’d give it a solid 8.5 for showing actual communication between all the couples, to varying degrees at different point but they do actually talk to each other and say how they feel most of the time. I’ll definitely be finishing it but not likely re-watching.

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Venus in Retrograde

It's always disappointing when a drama doesn't live up to expectations, but usually there's at least something redemptive about it. Venus in the Sky though just bombed and it bombed hard. It's glacially slow with episodes that are far too long with far too much repetition. And once the leads finally get together, we get multiple NSFW scenes that seem more about pushing the limits than showing that these guys are actually in love. I just did not feel the chemistry. It's a pity because it did have the potential for more.

The story is lacking severely. There's not much of a plot and the drama suffers because of that. Venus and Sky were college friends until Venus confessed that he had feelings for Sky which Sky didn't reciprocate. Venus's response was to block Sky and cut off all contact. Three years later they meet again by chance at which point Sky has realized that he actually does have feelings for Venus and sets off to win him back. The first episode isn't bad. It sets things up decently, though there's some confusion regarding time frame and what's past and what's present. From there though it becomes a slog of increasing repetition as Sky tries to win over Venus and Venus repeatedly rebuffs him. It would have helped if there was a bit more variation to how Sky goes about this, but there's not, and it's not until around Episode 7 that things start moving along which is far too little, too late. While Sky does eventually wear Venus down and they do get together, the story continues to drag as repetitive drama with the side couples is brought up and Venus and Sky act like horny teenagers. It's tedious to say the least. I suppose the ending could be considered cute, but I was so done with everything that frankly I was just relieved to be done with it.

I didn't find myself particularly interested or attached to any of the characters. I generally liked Day, Bom and Kla, but not to any real degree. They just served as the occasional pleasant diversion from the constant annoyance of Sky and Venus. The characters lacked depth and it made them feel quite superficial. Venus's anger towards Sky felt excessive. I get it, he broke your heart, he was giving mixed signals previously (they really did act like a couple, so I get that Venus thought Sky might reciprocate his feelings), but three years is a long time to hold onto that much anger. And even if he was hurt by Sky's rejection, it wasn't as if Sky deliberately led him on. Without a better reason for his anger, it created a disconnect for me as the viewer. Otherwise, I just did not find him to be a particularly compelling character because there was so little to him. He was boring to watch and his reactions felt repetitive. Even after he and Sky got together, I just could not bring myself to care about him. Sky spent most of the time acting like a whiny child. I was over him within the first couple of episodes. He had zero respect for Venus's boundaries, physical or emotional, and essentially stalked him. Maybe it's because I'm a woman, but I found his approach to be disturbing and deeply concerning. And his pushiness continued after they were together. There were times where it felt like he cared more about his physical needs than what Venus actually needed. The scene where he lets Venus initiate physical intimacy while he's sick and doesn't stop him is a prime example. There was also the element that his feelings for Venus were not well explored. The realization of his true feelings obviously came after Venus cut him off, but was that the catalyst for that recognition or was it later? I think that's something that should have been given time to look into. The communication between the two of them was alternatively decent and then completely lacking. Sky had a tendency to misinterpret situations and then go sulk about them without actually discussing anything with Venus. The side couples really didn't interest me much. I initially liked Janus, but eventually got tired of the repetition with him promising to tell Bom about things and then proceeding to tell him nothing. That inevitably led to a fight and Bom storming out the door. I did like Bom. I appreciated his patience and kindness. He was a sweet guy and I felt bad that he had to deal with Janus's determination to take everything on his shoulders. Tong and Kla were even less interesting. Again with the repetition of not communicating and then getting into fights. Kla was a cutie though and he did try so hard to make things up to Tong and make him happy. I will say that the side couples did have some good conversations and at least with Tong and Kla there felt like there was progress made in the relationship on that front. Janus and Bom also made some progress, but part of me wonders if Janus really learned his lesson.

For all that they had some very steamy scenes together, I really did not feel the chemistry between Tod and Cheque. Part of it could be that I simply did not like their characters, but I also found their acting lacking. Neither one showed much range. Cheque seemed to alternate between looks of condescension and scowling and maybe two other expressions. Tod was either overly perky, moping around, or sleepy and he just cycled through those expressions as needed. They were just boring to watch. Most of the other actors struggled with the same lack of variety of expression.

While there is a fair amount of product placement, it doesn't feel too in your face mostly because of the way it's promoted with Janus's business. It still took more of a priority than it should have though. One thing that really stood out to me and that was off-putting was the almost complete lack of background characters. Sky works in a hospital, Kla works in a hospital, Janus owns a 7-Eleven, and yet the hospital always looked practically empty, we never saw any other doctors or medical staff aside from the main cast and one or two nurses who were there and gone and there were rarely any customers show in the store. It made the world feel very isolated and unreal.

There is nothing about Venus in the Sky to recommend it. It's a long slog with very little reward. If NSFW scenes are your thing, I would recommend watching Episode 1, maybe 2, and then jumping to Episode 7 or 8 through to the end, you won't be missing anything by skipping the rest. Otherwise, I would say best to just avoid it.

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Rekindle a relationship ?

Slow burn. Kind of cheesy story. But I can’t help myself watching it. I melt every time Sky says “Vee” 💖 Probably I dreamt of rekindling my own relationship. Love Venus’ and his brother’s relationship storyline. Maybe not the best BL but love the acting and character development… it is my own taste. 🤩Usually communication is what goes wrong. I love how they explore this in the series. Sky gets 10/10 for what he does. He is soooo patient and romantic. 🥰 Bomb is so supportive of his lover. 😍 Vee’s reaction was irritating at first, but what would you do in his place? I would also act hurt and hesitant. But also be very kind and loving. Love this couple and series. I think it might not be to everyone’s liking but it is my highlight of the weekend. I want more!

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So Much Potential. NC scenes Epic. But....

This series reminds me of Check Out: The Series. A good pilot episode but the series itself just didn't find its way. I liked almost all of the cast until the guest appearance of the MVT Twins. MVT is Motive Village Trash.

I truly despise Motive Village and all their underhanded BS with the 2 Moons Debacle and in my personal opinion anyone in the last part of that series is indeed Motive Village Trash which drops the points down dramatically for me.

I personally will never watch this series again but though the main couple of Sky and Venus was a slow earned relationship I could appreciate the determination to show the pain of people's actions. Venus was scarred by Sky's rejection and he didn't make it easy in reuniting.

The side couple of J and Bomb was so much better to me and those actors sold a great relationship even the arguments and disagreements and the way they worked through them.

The writing here was pretty good and I think it deserves a score of about an 8 but points off for the MVT. Thanks for making their appearance brief but seeing them left a bad taste for me personally. Just My opinion. Worth the watch at least once.

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Not so much a review...

Just a nice fluffy sort of series that I didn't have to think about too much, though I have to admit, I found Sky so annoying. I much preferred the side couples. Kudos to everyone who had steamy scenes though - they all did well. If I was scoring it solely on the intimate scenes, it would definitely have scored way higher. The actors all went above and beyond for this series, but given the storyline, it kind of feels wasted.
So obviously Tod and Cheque are being set up as a long-term couple, with so many series ahead. And I guess the twins suddenly showing up is setting the scene for their series. Of course we know them from 2Moons3, but they look different from those characters... still can't believe they're 30... Whilst Western men supposedly get more 'distinguished' as they age, Asian men just seem to get younger! (You can keep you're Western men!) Am I really bad for hoping that Day and twins might have gotten together? - I haven't finished ep.10 yet, so there's still hope! - I've been awake for 18 hours and my BL brain is working overtime! 55555 Speaking of Day, I see he isn't listed in the cast details. Does anyone
know who he is?
Had to edit this. Just watched their definitely not suitable for kids, work, those of a weak constitution, parents if you're watching the series together scenes... and I've noticed that Tod always gets really red and seems to break into hives when things get a bit intimate - wonder what he's allergic to? I have to say that I don't like that face Tod keeps pulling when he's not being very gentle. It's totally creepy.

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Longing for college BL

There is a shift going on in BL. It has been for a while now and I'm not sure it's a good one. Apparently BL creators are under the impression that we're just here for the NC scenes. And while I really enjoy some heavy petting now and then, it has absolutely no value without context. First and foremost, I for one need to FEEL something between a couple. Call it chemistry, fluttering, love. In this case, there was a lot of that in the beginning, but none at all later on. I could have been watching p*rn, for that matter, there would not have been much difference. In some scenes I even think I saw the actors themselves couldn't keep a straight face, especially Bomb and Janus.
This illustrates that this series doesn't really know what it wants to be. A drama, a fluffy lovestory, a comedy or an erotic piece? Who knows. The repeating scenes and sentences are annoying, the side couples are left unfinished as is to some extent the main couple. Leaving in the NC scenes, this needs better acting and better writing to be actually good. If this is really the direction BL is taking, by sacrificing all to the holy NC, I would petition to bring back the high school and college BL hype. Just so you know: I kinda hate those.

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PROMISING LEADING MAN (SKY); GOOD STORYLINE BUT NEEDS FURTHER DEVELOPMENT

This BL series is one of those series that has a starting story but end up stack in the middle. I would say that it has potential but not quite, I mean the main issue was only "rejection", it's not that big of an issue. Also there isn't enough things to go on with the story beside the fact that venus resent sky for rejecting his feelings, THAT'S IT!
It's not all negative, the actor SKY is really great. he is so cute and has this sexual appeal that i can't get my eyes off of him..LOL
The amount of being cutie and trying hard to get into venus nerves is so adorable! On the other hand, the actor Venus is just fine I guess. He needs more acting skills and training, I find it lacking in heart of acting, I didn't feel his anger over sky, It's plain and bland, sorry!
Overall, this series is good if you're not doing anything then you can watch it and just skip the unnecessary scenes. My eyes is glues on Sky....LOL!

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Slow. Sky and NC Scenes Are Reasons To Watch.

The sceenplay is weak and slow. You could probably watch Ep 1 to get started then skip to Ep 5 or 6 without too much trouble because Ep 2-5 are repetitious and extremely slow burn. Ep 6 is when things start to get somewhat more interesting and emotional. I'm speed-watching about half of this and don't care that much about the two side couples.

The screenplay should have spent more time on the backstory because there's not enough weight and reason behind the brief flashback we get to believably be the crux of Venus's fallout with Sky.

The actor Tod playing Sky is surprisingly good, noticeably better than everyone else once the script actually gives him something with some layers to work with. He's got micro-facial expressions and nuances in face, body, and voice, especially when things are more emotional. He successfully tugged hard at my heartstrings even though the script is not well written. He has potential and I would be interested to see him act again, especially with a better script.

Once Sky and Venus get together there's even less plot but they actually act like boyfriends (unlike a lot of BLs where one partner acts disgusted by anything physical). Sky is in love and horny and they have a lot of sex. And a lot is shown. Someone commented somewhere that the show could have just been called "Sky in Venus", lol.

The two actors are pretty comfortable with each other but the chemistry feels one-sided; Tod successfully conveys attraction and desire (outside of intimate scenes as well as during) but Cheque struggles with this.

Cheque as Venus is pretty flat. It kind of works for the character (who's cautious and has his defensive walls high) but it's obvious that he's a newbie actor. He's not awful, but because he's lacking nuances he gets boring.

I may watch the intimate scenes here as a bandaid of sorts after watching an unsatisfying BL series with disguised homophobia (any where the "boyfriend" thinks physical, or even romantic, intimacy is gross).

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Fluffy but fun

Not a cinematic masterpiece, but I had fun watching it.

Pros:
The acting was good, if a bit over the top at times. The Janus character was the strongest, but I enjoyed watching both of the mls as well, keeping in mind that it was Cheques first drama. I found Sky particularly charming in many scenes and thought that they all did well managing what seemed like poor writing and clunky dialogue
The NFC scenes were the sort of explicit raunchy scenes I know and expect from a Thai BL, and were well done and fun to watch.
Despite the issues usually arising from an initial infuriating refusal to talk about things, issues were usually resolved rather quickly with fairly realistic relationship discussions (excepting the initial issue of Sky's refusal of Venus.
It was low drama, so rather than a major melodrama, it played out like a glimpse into the lives of the characters at this period of time. Nice low stress story.

Cons:
The writing was uneven and the inclusion of unnecessary side stories and repetition of story lines (Sky tries to reconcile with Venus, Venus rebuffs him, repeat ad nauseum) meant the pace lagged significantly in episodes 3-6
I always find product placement a con. In some respects, it was less noticable in this drama as the story was often set in the convenience store, lending more credibility to the products being there in the first place. However, the over promotion of 7-11 and the app almost made me determine NOT to ever visit a 7-11 again.

I had fun watching this and I will revisit it when I want something familiar and silly, with some NFC as a bonus.

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