PPBongi
California, USA
A nothing burger served on a slab of soggy bun
Honestly, this is a well acted series but a bad, bad story. It takes a self-indulgent, arrogant, delicate flower and tries to make him a self-indulgent, arrogant delicate flower. Sure, there are moments of real drama and abuse in his life and kudos for dealing with issues. But they are done so with such superficialities and everything else is presented from a one-sided perspective. This relationship is completely one sided - one gives and the other takes. That may be fine in the beginning that will get old fast. The overall story is confusing, disjointed, and is chaotic. And the lovemaking scenes are some of the worst. I fast forwarded through them. They are gratuitous and so rehearsed that they are phony and show no chemistry at all.Was this review helpful to you?
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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OMG! Why!!
Watching this series was torturous and you are essentially left with the question: OMG! Why? It really is that bad. It is bad from so many angles – too numerous to actually mention. From its infantile storyline to its mediocre acting to its awful and I do mean awful plot. This is yet again another cliché-driven trope-filled Bl that even if you have never seen a BL, one could figure out where the story is going. Oh, it had cute moments, but it unfortunately slipped into a standard formula that left no one guessing as to its plot, and frankly asking oneself why did I sit through this? Nothing was original in this story except perhaps the name of the vampire city which was named Thaiwlight City. Now that was cute!Was this review helpful to you?
Hedonistic and Not For Everyone
Look, this is NOT a short film for everyone. It is a bl (boy lust) series rather than a BL. It is for adults. No romance here just pure animalistic lust. It is very well acted and has the classic 'bad boy' feel about it. We all like to pretend that this type of fantasy would never happen to us as we are sensible, have a moral compass, and have some boundaries. But this short film shows otherwise how easy it might be to succumb to a more lustful nature if the circumstances were right. Seemed almost too easy.Was this review helpful to you?
Sheer Brilliance!
This is an astonishing albeit misunderstood BL series that borders on being a masterpiece. It is ne of the finest example of Avant Garde filming I have seen and opens up that to the BL world. It is breathtakingly raw and so real. Erotic! Steamy! Intense! Brilliant! Breathtaking! This series are vignettes that will move you to draw your own conclusions. At times, it makes no sense, yet it all seemed so befitting to its theme. It does not lead you; it only shows you. It is deeply unfortunate that this series was so severely panned. It is simply brilliant. It is an Avant Garde production with a hint of modernism. It reflects the kind of imagery to iconic stories like Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill. It pushed the envelope of the acceptable status quo of BL genresThis will NOT be for everyone, however.
See my full review of this brilliant piece of artistry at BLBliss.com.
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Charming, Bemusing, and Just Plain Fun
Yes, this production has a lot of problems and the translation into English is not always coherent, but I did not care. This is charming, funny, and so adorable that I fell in love with it. It has an incredibly positive message about love and gay love that is accepting and normal. What a great message to deliver in a fun, human portrayal. They do this in 4 very short episodes. In addition, these actors are astonishingly good looking and totally adorable. There is a beautiful twist to this story in an epilogue that I sort of felt was coming any must watch. Call me silly or gullible, but I do love series that are sort of off the beaten path and perhaps the production is not as tight (this one is obviously on a shoe-string budget), but they tell a good story AND they are not afraid to show growth and physicality in a relationship (unlike the disappointing 'Cherry Magic'). Well done! You can read my full review of this series at ppbongi.medium.com.Was this review helpful to you?
Looks Good But Is Not
There is an American expression that is so apt for this series. It goes something like this: “To snatch defeat from the jaws of victory”. That seems to be so apropos to Bls as of late, especially for Japanese ones. They start out so promising and slowly slide downhill into mundaness and then burst into a flurry at the end as if everything is and can be exculpated. This time, it just does not work. The story is flat, the characters are flat, and the production is even flatter. It all feels so lazy. This series had potential but squandered it away by telling a story that went nowhere and came to life only at the end. Why do we have to wait until the end to get good drama?Was this review helpful to you?
Aseptic
It's cute and sweet and the story is a bit more involved than the usual endless silly BLs that are being produced. What I did like was the fact that the relationship developed quickly and without a lot of nonsensical roadblocks to tell them that they should not. But the way it is presented is so dull and flat that I did not care. Perhaps others are ok with showing little to no signs of connection as a couple (love), but I do. Otherwise, all it looks like is an exercise for an acting class. What is your point? If I cannot understand your point, then you have failed. There is not enough here to even care about a relationship. let alone see one. It has nothing to do with the acting. The acting is good. It is the story or lack there of. Give me something beyond a yawn after I finish watching this.Was this review helpful to you?
A Swing but A Miss
Potentially, this could have been a great BL series but it ended up being another formulaic series from Thailand. Conceptionally, a great idea but it turned into a soap opera, unfortunately. They had GREAT actors who are beyond stunningly handsome and turned an interesting story into a mundane romp through boredom. For sure, they were an enchanting couple with no real substance to their relationship. The ending was simply dreadful and astonishingly dense. Not high on my list of watchable ones which I know I am in a minority here. I just did not believe their relationship, even if it was so cute.Was this review helpful to you?
This Shocked Me!
Honestly, I thought I was going to dislike this series. I did not like its predecessor and so I did not hold up much hope for this. But I hate giving up on a series and was tenacious enough to wait for the English version of the second episode. (Why so long?) I was surprised at its transformation. It is surprisingly well acted, well scripted, and full of honest raw emotions. It is also filled with all kinds of ironies. Look for them. And funny innuendos. I found this to be quite good and thoroughly enjoyable. You will find the reason for the title of this series to be quite sweet and I love it. (But I am an old sap, I guess). In this one, the screen chemistry between the two actors comes to life more. I can't believe I am saying this, but I do hope they make more. I liked it that much! (Honestly, I did not think I was going to say this after the first one).Was this review helpful to you?
Moving, Erotic, and Melancholic
This series is a quiet gem and so brilliantly acted. Kudos to Oishi Goro who played Ikuo with a grittiness yet displayed a quiet human understanding of the role. Takezai and Yoshida put their souls on the line in this series and made it feel raw, gritty, and utterly intense. It is profoundly moving. Hard to watch without becoming a bit melancholy yourself. The beauty of this series is (perhaps for me only) to realize that no matter what happens in their lives or in their current relationships, they shared with each other an intimacy and connection to each other that touched their souls and impassioned their deepest fantasy of lust that very few people ever get to experience. That can never ever be taken away from you. No matter what, that is worth celebrating!Was this review helpful to you?
Just an awful series!
To be honest, this was one of the most exasperating series I have ever watched. In a few instances I found myself getting so angry with Minato that if I were literally his friend in real life, I would have told him that his behavior towards Shin is tantamount to emotional abuse if not neglect. He is an awful character and frankly does not deserve the adulation that Shin heaps on him daily. Shin is the worst kind of fool as he cannot ‘see’ (does not want to see) how toxic Minato really is. One day, he will wake up and realize that he is. That will be a sad day. There is no point in rehashing the story. Very little has changed from Season One. Although Minato and Shin are in a ‘relationship’, perhaps on an intellectual basis, there is little on an emotional one and nothing on a physical level. To have one on an emotional one, you NEED two people and a willingness to commit. Ditto for a physical one.I hated this series and detested what messages they leave behind, trying somehow to make toxicity entertaining. I simply did not find this series even remotely amusing.
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Brilliant! Top for 2022!
Finally some production company allowed these actors to 'act' and what you end up with is a brilliant reality play. It is a necessary, essential tale apparently itching to be told, of a story that is universally understood - social justice, And it is told with romance in such an ordinary way under extraordinary circumstances. I was mesmerized by all the performances and thought the acting was brilliant and near perfection. Plus its message is a universal one. The inequities in justice and fairness and discrimination are universally felt and understood. But the fight is real and dangerous. Yet love still takes hold and manages to blossom. But the fight must go on. This is simply a brilliant, extraordinary BL series and will not doubt be on the Top Ten List for 2022.Was this review helpful to you?
A Great Series that Left Me Feeling Empty
This is unquestionably a great series. The acting is superb. The story is good. The humor is spot-on. At times it is even hysterical. Both the gay and straight relationship developments were entertaining. BUT, I felt nothing for the gay characters. I wanted to but the story got so much into developing a story that they forgot what the story was about. It was supposed to be about love and connection. I felt it missed the mark on both counts. I so wanted to love this series but for me, it never got there. That does not take away from its brilliance. I just did not feel it even though I desperately wanted to. Something seemed missing to me. A spark? A deeper connection? Even some sexual tension. There just was none of that.If yo want to read my full review go to BLBliss.com
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Poor Title But A Great Series!
Perhaps I am in a minority here, but I found this series to be quite good and watched it on a lark. The title was awful and that I think more than anything through people off and stopped the audience from watching. Yes, it is a 'ghost' story (duh) but it is quit good and the ghostly part of it really enhances the romance aspect of the story in a very adult way and not in an intended way. For a fantasy series, it was presented with reasonably expectations and felt 'real' if that makes sense. All the characters, including the 'ghosts' were likeable and relatable and were so ordinary that the scenes seemed so normal. Regrettably, I think this series was overlooked but it should be watched. I found it quite moving.Was this review helpful to you?
