Good Story. Good Acting.

Century of Love is a love story between a man who lived almost for 100 years just to find the reincarnation of his lover who died in his arms but things turned complicated when she turned out to be reincarnated as a man. Now, I am excited for this return of Daou and Offroad together because they are a really good couple and we have seen them really spark so much chemistry together from their first show and they were able to show us a much better range in this one. I am surprised with the acting that they were able to show here because I feel like this is a more mature storyline from what they had before and the writing is also much better than the previous one. This had a more serious tone to it but they were still able to put a lot of cute moments in between especially when the characters are enjoying. Daou’s character is San who lived a long life so he is a more traditional character. This is why him being hesitant to believe that his lover turned into a man is understandable. I don’t think that the character is being prejudice since he never said anything that is against being gay but his character is more concerned that things are more complicated than expected or what he is expecting is not what he received. I understand his hesitation with this and they were really able to handle that well. I like it when things like this make sense and that they are not forcing the chemistry of the characters. The way that this relationship progress is somehow instantaneous but there is a pretty much good reason to it as they were lovers and Offroad’s character who is Wee is dating both men and women. His character’s highlight is not even the relationship with San but his best moments are shared with the grandmother of his in the show. I love the moment when his grandmother is like saying his goodbyes to him and he is just there sobbing. It is such an emotional moment from the show and I feel like it is such an underrated moment as well. The story of this show is more of like weird is some places but it is also talking about their culture which I actually love since we are learning more about them. This is something that we do not get often but we should get more off because they were able to relate the BL storyline so well while comparing modern and traditional values without alienating one from the other. I like this concept that they did because it worked and the characters are all really fun to watch. They had sincerely funny moments and scenes that are just crazy how it happened but let’s be honest and admit that we have seen way worse than this and accepted it so I don’t really mind. I think they were able to use all of the elements well while highlighting so many good things about the story. The actors did an incredible job with their roles and I was not expecting them to be this good actors now. They did not force a long triangle here. It was actually funny and logical how they did it. At the end, I was a fan of Doctor Third and how nice he actually is that I want him to end up with someone. Seriously, this is a good show and they were able to handle the story really well without making it a bit too much. They just added the layers that it needed and nothing was unnecessary. I like it when they do this and it resulted to a really good show to watch.

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Good. Sweet.

Love In Translation is the first BL show of Daou and Offroad together and I really wanted to watch this show because I know that they are famous in Thailand and I saw them there when I first went there and did not know who they were but I will have to say that this is a really good start and I enjoyed this show so much. Okay, the story is about this Chinese guy who just moved to Thailand because of something mysterious but he is wanting to do business in Thailand so he needed someone Thai to help him with it and found one. They did not start okay with each other but the story progress until they become the lovers that they are now with the intense kissing scenes. Now, Love In Translation is a BL series that is trying to launch a BL couple which they did successfully and I will have to admit that the chemistry of Daou and Offroad is just really good. I am enjoying the moments that they have together because they really seem to be enjoying. Daou’s character is a bit more serious so the scenes where he smiles is what makes him so cute and lovable. I slowly fell in love with his character and I will have to admit that the reveal of what he is really doing there and how they were able to resolve it may seem to be a bit sketchy. I think that there is such a much better way to handle the storyline. I think that they really rushed the ending of that story but I can somehow forgive them because the flow of the story is quite good and it is really wanting to focus on them. Phunjai which I the character of Offroad had a stronger narrative with his huge crush on Tammy which pushed so much of the story to move and Offroad is really cute. I mean, the guy really looks like he is the kindest person on Earth. We also have a strong secondary couple in Phojai and Tag. They are really cute together and I wish that their storyline is somehow given more time to really grow but I am glad with what they did here. I will say that this show had ups and downs but a good mix of that really made this enjoyable to watch especially with the chemistry of the lead characters. I like how good the rapport felt and how they are just so sweet together by the end of it. There are some questionable plot storylines but we also had a good one here.

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It was okay and then it was not.

VIP Only is a BL love story about a writer who is struggling to find his inspiration for his next book and a restaurant owner having problems with his own mother. I think this is a decent enough love story but it is not perfect. I will have to say that the partnership of Stan Huang and Chen Xuan Yu as the lead characters Gu Jing and Liu Li is actually quite interesting since we have a mature love story and the characters are playing their parts well. I mean, they are interesting in a sense that they are characters who have other priorities aside from finding love and that is a good thing here because it helped the story move forward but the story is slowly shrinking in a sense that there is not much happening that is not new or interesting to their stories until we got buried in the cliches of the genre and they were never to pull away from it which is a bit of a sad thing because the show started as something that is more into itself. It is as unique as they can be while properly managing the expectations of the viewers. It is not bad at all. I actually can say that the first few scenes had the grip on the audience but the story started to go out of control after the middle portion because it became repetitive so they are trying their luck with whatever they can but this led to aggressively quick storylines especially the one with Boss Gu’s mom. I feel like that is a storyline that they just wanted to getaway from and they did. It is a bit bad writing for me or they are at least finding it hard how to continue a story that already seemed finish in the first five episodes.

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Could have been so much better but it is not.

Naughty Babe is where the side couple from Cutie Pie is taking a center stage and the main couple is taking more of a back seat. The story follows Khon Diao and Yi as they are navigating their relationship which they had for a very long time now. They are a seasoned couple and the main problem here is that they have been together for quite a long time that Khon Diao feels and suspects that Yi is already cheating on him while it is also projecting itself to be a family drama where the family of Diao is really getting money from the family of Yi. Now, this is a story that we have seen more than a couple of times but I do not hate the show because I feel like the execution is not bad at all. You can easily see that this show has budget because it is a well-made show but I am hoping that they were able to put some of that in the writing of the series because they really pushed for this one and added as many things as they can like an amnesia arc, a family fight, and a fighting couple. There are so many things that are happening that they pushed it all in one episode which I feel like did not led to good pace for the story. The stories especially the family that had some issues against each other was more hinted rather than anything else that would merit something enjoyable to watch. The family drama is there but they were able to handle it so quick that I am wondering how it took so long for them to really handle it and the supposed villains of the story just were suddenly gone in the story. The chemistry of the main couple is there and it is undeniable but the story is not there supporting what they could have done with it. Instead, it felt a mediocre job for a story just to gain money from the love team. It did not feel like a commercial but more of an audition for another series which is okay if they made it shorter or if they could have put it in a more concise packaging. There is potential with the stories if they were just able to handle all of them slowly or if they decided not to put all possible hindrances and do nothing about them. Again, it is not a bad show because the chemistry is good and Max is hot but the story and the show is, unfortunately, bad and lackluster.

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AMAZING ROMCOM

I Became A Lead in A BL Drama is another Japanese outing and I am all for it. The story follows two actors who are on their way to stardom. Hajime started as a child actor and is haunted by the commercial that he did when he was a kid and Akafuji is this fresh new heartthrob and they were both chosen to lead a new BL series but things got awkward when Akafuji can’t tell Hajime that he is a fan of his and Hajime thought that he does not like him. Now, this is one of those misunderstood tropes where they are already slowly falling in love with each but are too afraid to tell each other about but what I love about this is the approach. I love that the show decided to slowly pull the covers on this one and create such lovely interactions between the characters.I have to admit that both actors in the lead are extremely handsome but I have to give it to Akutsu Nichika who is playing Aogiyama Hajime because he is a really hot human being and I was really building a crush on him. He gave this role a really good portrayal and he was so attractive. I actually think that both actors did an incredible job in playing these characters because you can clearly see what they are thinking by looking at their movements and, of course, the inner thoughts are spoken too. I feel like this drama is specifically catered to BL fans and that this one right here will make BL fans fall in love with the industry again. We all have been shipping our actors when they are playing these gay characters but it is very rare to see them really falling in love but we tend to overly wish for it that it can be dangerous in real world so seeing a fictionalized idea of what we want is pretty amazing because we are seeing the actors of a BL story fall in love. It is like seeing what we have been wanting to see happen in an alternate reality and that is comforting in its own way. I know that this is still a work of fiction but it is really comforting. At least, for me. I will not be shipping these actors in real life but it is to nice to it happen still or to have a version of it. This is only a three-episode show and I am not really mad at that because I still think that we got so much of what we needed from it. I feel like the characters had amazing interactions not just with each other but with the supporting cast as well. We have an amazing set of secondary characters here and it worked. Personally, I wish we got to see more of the relationship of the managers. I feel like they are very cute too and they had so much energy between them. Luckily, the love story of Aogiyama Hajime and Akafuji Yuichiro is enough to make me in love with the entire story that we got to see here. I am wishing to see more of these couple now that they are honest with their emotions and there could still so much story that they can put in this narrative. Anyways, I am just daydreaming here because I still believe that what we got in this show is a satisfying story for a lovely couple.

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A romance that is quiet but lovely.

The Eighth Sense is a BL story about a countryside boy meeting a man who just came out of the army and is going back to his old life. You can see that there is so much happening here with this characters and I was not expecting that in this BL. I feel like to story is really about these characters finding peace in another person and making it work as they face the new day. To be honest, I am impressed with this BL because the story is interesting as they are highlighting the importance of having someone by your side to help you with the difficulties of the world around you and I think that it is a very nice theme to have. The lead character is Jae Won played by Lim Ji Sub. He just got out of the military and he is handling the death of his younger brother whom he saw die in front of him so when we got to the shocking episode 6, I know how hard that will be. Actually, Episode 6 of the show is a real highlight for me because it is where the relationship of these two peaked so good. I mean, we have been seeing them thread the friendship and relationship as lovers quite often and I like that they are not rushing into things but what made it so good is that the romance slowly exploded in the sixth episode and we got to really see them be a part of each other’s’ lives as they slowly open themselves up and I think that is what a good start to a relationship so I was so gagged when the accident happened. I was shocked. I am shocked. It happened after the sweetest scenes and this led to Jae Won doubting himself again. This is a guy suffering from depression and he had this happen again can really be a scary thing so that opened a lot of his wounds so he begun closing himself up again and it was now Ji Hyun who needs to take the initiative and I am glad he did. I think the relationship is bumpy because these people are not clear-cut characters who are having the best time of their lives but they are individuals who are trying their best to survive this world and I like the realistic approach of this story to these kids transitioning from the student life to working. I have to give it to them because they are adding a realistic element not to be a blunder to the relationship but instead be something that is just there happening to them. To be honest, the last few episodes had moments in them that dragged on for a bit too long and I really wish that the characters would have just talked to each other but at the same time I was so happy to see a Korean BL that is more than 30 minutes per episodes. We even had an episode that more than 40 minutes so I really do think that this is a good and positive way for them to continue with these stories and I love this one. I have to give it to the chemistry of the characters here because they really looked cute together and the moments where they are supporting each other are really beautiful and honest to God, the sweetest. I love the chemistry and the acting. The stories about adulthood are important to highlight and they did that. I think this is a pretty good BL. The cinematography is another strength of this show because it really looked good and I love how some shots stay with the characters instead. They are focused on the characters and it was good to see them focus on the smaller gestures like walking silently while holding hands. These moments are what makes it so remarkable and memorable. I really loved and enjoyed watching this show as I hope that there will be more.

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The Sign worked on this one and gave us a cute couple.

The Sign is an action BL drama that I was not very sure at the beginning if it is a BL or not because there is so much action in the show. Luckily, I stuck with the show and the results were actually good because I did not expect myself to like it as much as I did. The story follows Tharn and Phaya. This follows the usual trope that they have met already when they were younger and they are now not very close at the beginning but things changed when they learned that they are actually very much familiar with each other. You can already tell that they are in love and Phaya is not even hiding it but they are in this group of friends that are solving this big case as well and things will soon entangle. Did I mention that there is a supernatural element to it? There is and it is actually very much satisfying that it initially was. This show can easily be what you can consider as too much but I was surprised with the story as it actually started to get a bit more interesting as the show continued and I am now glad that I did because it was really fun. I was so invested with the storylines and I feel like that the action part of the series will be coming together with the more supernatural aspect of the story I must say that it is working out flawlessly for them and they are still giving the romantic aspect of the show some time to breath so we can still fall in love with Tharn and Phaya. I have to give it to Billy and Babe because they are effective with their roles. I love their chemistry and Billy is really pushing for the romance aspect here and it is working. I love the scenes where he is being chummy with Tharn because it is what the show needed. I feel like they already did such a heavy material that it may be hard for them to really highlight the other aspect of the story. I think this is what’s important for me. I think the fact that they were able to really mix the storylines really well is pretty good. I have to admit that the ending is not very good or it was a bit boring but the way that we got to see the relationship is pretty watchable. I feel like chemistry of the lead actors is actually pretty good and the supernatural element of the story helped in adding to the romantic side of the storyline which is a good thing and not a lot of BL stories actually did that so I was pretty excited to see them do well in this. This is one of the BLs from Thailand where they were able to make it work. I may not fully like the villain because he was mostly not there but I can forgive them. The secondary couple is Khem and Thongthai and Khem is the only one of this couple that had a good character run. He is very funny and I was hoping his partner was given a chance to do something as well. He is there but was not given much to do. At the same time, I want to highlight that despite this show being talked about a lot in BL forums, the reason why I watched this show is because of GAP JAKARIN and that marvelous body of his. He is such a gorgeous specimen of a man and he is also very funny in the supporting role that he has. He is very good and I have to admit that I really like him in this show and that I have a huge crush on him. He is so sexy. The scenes where he is shirtless or just seeing his biceps onscreen makes me thank the BL gods for this fine piece of man. He is also a very good actor so I have to give it to him. He is funny and hot. He is very funny. To be honest, I really enjoyed watching this BL and it worked on so many levels. We were given such a good BL and I feel like Billy and Babe is a good couple and they were able to make the chemistry work out well. We needed that and we got that in this couple and in this BL story.

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Come on, Jun & Jun is a BL story from South Korea that will just make you so happy because everything about it is just light and pure love. I would usually slam them from having such storylines but the execution is what they always have a good route with. The story of Jun & Jun are two childhood friends reuniting in their adult years. Choi Jun is now the general manager of a company owned by their family and Lee Jun is a failed K-Pop Idol who is now an intern in the company where Choi Jun is the general manager. They met again but things felt different and it was later revealed that they somehow liked each other and my main concern in this show is that the love story felt a bit slow. Yes, I do think that focusing on the individual lives of these characters is a good thing but what it lacked are moments to really solidify that chemistry. It is there but we could have used more moments of them together. This is considering that there are two hot men pining for Lee Jun as well. Luckily, those two hot men ended up together in a way that did not shock me but it felt like a weird cop out from the writers. I feel like the chemistry there is a bit random considering that they are supposed to be in love with this guy and they ended up together instead. So, yes, there are some parts of the story that are not well thought of based on my opinion but I have to say that the ending gave us everything that they lacked like we got an insane amount of kissing scenes from Choi Jun and Lee Jun. By the way, they are portrayed by Ki Hyun Woo and Yang Jun Mo, respectively. I like their chemistry and I really do hope that they had more scenes together. I would also like a shirtless scene from Ki Hyun-woo. That would be highly appreciated. Before I sound bad, I really did like this show mainly because of the attractive cast. I like a confident top and that is what Choi Jun is giving. I very much like that and the chemistry when they are together just works well. I just wish that they had more good scenes together. The show would benefit from that. I am sure of that. This could easily be longer considering that they focused too much on the product that they are developing that did not even feel relevant to the story. Anyways, I still enjoyed watching this show and I think that is what matters most to me.

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21 Days Theory is a special miniseries in Thailand. It is a BL story about two guys in their high school years as they enter a bet that soon became them falling in love with each other. It is something that we have seen so much of already but what I think is the strength of this BL is that they only have four episodes so they did not have to add so many details in the story that will just confuse the viewers. My usual problems with Thai BL is that they are adding to many things in the story that it can easily get confusing but 21 Days Theory did not have that because it is representing a BL story in a much shorter period. There are three love teams here but the main character is of the same sex while the other two are of the opposite sex. They did not have to overly complicate the love stories due to the runtime which became their strongest suite here. They are not actually bad because of it. Instead, they just used it to show the theory and worked on the main relationship instead. Luckily, it worked. I like where they went with the story and I like that they are just giving us a cute and innocent couple. It is always nice to see that. Q and X are actually very fun to look at. Yes, the acting is not the greatest in the entire cast but I think it is enough to really watch them all and enjoy the experience.

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A good show is a good show.

Ototo no Otto or My Brother’s Husband is one of those really rare gems that you might fully know what you are going into but watching it is so much refreshing because it portrays gay people realistically. This is why we need to represent people in the most realistic possible way. There is a lot to unpack in this 3-episode series and that is amazing. The things that I want to talk about is the way that it handled grief and homophobia in Japan. These things are important but I want to start with the character of Kana because let’s be real here. Kana represents the young generation that is not yet polluted by the societal prejudices that we teach kids. I think what is important to note here is how the kids are actually more open to the idea of love and this is reflected on what Yuki said that people should be married not because of their gender but because of love. This is a beautiful sentiment and I wish that a lot more kids are like Kana and Yuki. Kana is such a kind soul. She is probably the best character in this show because of how she handles basically everything. She is so mature for her age so seeing some glimpse of the kid that she is makes my heart feel so full. Personally, I would love more people to be like her because this is what we forget when we turn to adults. We forget to be the better person who always try to understand other people and to always be open. I just really wish that by seeing this show, more and more people learn to tap into that inner child of theirs and find a way to be kinder to everyone around them. This would make the world so much better. Speaking of which, the story is about Yaichi whose twin brother died and his husband from Canada is going to meet them. The important thing to note here is that he is a good host and accepted Mike as his guest. He is processing the death of his brother while he is trying to fully understand what the situation means to him. There is a lot for him and one of the things that struck me is his homophobic tendencies at the beginning of the show. He is not rude and all but he was really homophobic with his thoughts. I have seen how common this is in the side characters as well who are meeting Mike. There is a certain level of silence that they will make you feel unwanted by them because of you being gay. There is no violence but instead there is silence. This, for me, is a harder way to handle because what can you do about It? I don’t know. This is why choosing to have his thoughts be transparent to us is important because we got to see him question himself as well. One of the things that shouted super homophobic is when he thought that Mike would also like him because he is a man and Mike is gay. This is super homophobic. Luckily, the writing is impeccable in this show. We got to slowly see his thought process change as he is exposed to Mike. He got to be more comfortable and realize a lot of things that he had never thought of before. I think these things are always important to do because we got to present him as a character but the development of this character is immense from how he is talking to Mike up to how he is handling his brother’s death. There is so much to unpack in this show but they are doing it so beautifully that we are reminded of how important giving people time to accept us. We cannot just ask someone to accept us immediately. It takes time to refocus one’s ideologies especially if this is something that they were taught. There are homophobic characters here but the show never judged them because the show is not about judging people. It is about understanding them and learning that these differences does not make you or them a lesser individual but instead it just makes you unique. This story was handled so well that the ending just felt like a great big warm hug that one can just feel. The attention to details and the writing is impeccable. It is unique yet it felt very familiar.

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I am quite proud with GMMTV right now because they are really showing surprisingly good BLs now and they are doing it in a very fast pace. My Ride is not an exception. I know that you may not totally like this or get this one but I really dig the story. It is a simple story of two broken hearts finding solace in ecah other in this really funny BL. They also have an older couple living together as lovers. This is what struck me the most because we do not see it as often. We have an older couple who is a side character that made it work and showed us that it is possible. The relationship that they have was at center in certain moments but they are mindful of how they will characterize both of them. They may always fight but what I love about this is that they are treated just like any other couple. The story handled sexuality in a more logical sense. We already have an out gay lead character in Tawan and a man who is still trying to figure out who he is in terms of who he wants to love. I know that the story is simple but the execution is a success. - The relationship of Tawan and Mork my kind of meet cute. It is simple and we got to see their characters develop a bond as friends that would turn into lovers. There is this certain level of familiarity between the two of them that happened naturally that I wanted to put emphasis on. The days are also a bit blurry since Tawan is like working continuously in certain episodes that some days pass by so that is a bit unreliable. I do not mind that because I think it just make sense that it is how they are towards each other. I like the concept of their relationship too. There is something so charming about Mork. He may not be rich but what I have felt all throughout the series is how much of a good man he is. He is this sweet guy to a lot of people around him and he is surely the definition of boyfriend material. Those dimples are everything. I think the humility of the character of Mork is what I have missed in BLs. We see it every now and then but he is at front and center. He is not the super-rich top. In fact, he is trying his best to live every single day. He was not able to finish his studies but he is trying to earn his own money to help his family. He is now showering Tawan with gifts but he is understanding of him being a doctor and he is supportive of what he does. This is something that Por was not able to show Tawan. I can get that but he is also a doctor and they are working in the same hospital. I kind of wished that he was more considerate but Tawan is lucky to have Mork as well. The show did not end with something but just Tawan and Mork together in the province trying their best to live every day. There is something beautiful with how it ended so peaceful. Mork struggled with his sexuality as he tries to rationalize what he feels for Tawan who is already openly gay. This is where his uncles have been such a huge part and friends. There is a good set of side couples in the show and a heterosexual couple. The story of Toy and Boss is more on the cliched type of BL with someone uptight and the other one can be obnoxious. It is sweet. There are a lot of really good things and funny things in their story. It does not have much air time but I think they are a good couple. I would not mind watching a series for them. Nadia and Mayom had a more interesting story. One is a woman who is searching for the one and the other one is really shy. I think they could have had a really good love story at the beginning if they just tried to listen to each other. This would have been lot shorter for them. Luckily, they have good chemistry. I don't think a lot of people will enjoy it as much as I did but I would really recommend it still for the chemistry and comedic moments. It is one good show to watch. It is not perfect and there may be things that they can do better but I will commend them for giving a decent story with a lot of charming characters. I think the strength of the show is in its more comedic moments. There are a lot of really funny moments from the side of Mork. His circle of supporting characters are the funniest. I want to give a special shoutout to Feung who is the funniest character in the show. His mastery of physical comedy and timing is what elevated his character for me that I really enjoy watching him play it out really well. Dej and Cheep are also really funny from the way that they bicker. I want to highlight what they said about being honest with each other to make sure that the relationship would work. I think that is something that should have been highlighted more. It is good. It is worth rememberig, The simplicity of the show is what I really liked and enjoyed about it. It felt like I am watching a simple and good love story. It is so decent and pure that I find it cute.

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WORTH THE WAIT!

I Hear The Sunspot and I am in love with it. This is probably one of the most BL mangas that I have heard of ever since I started to delve into the world of BL mangas but the adaptation just came in this year and I am not disappoint. Honestly speaking, I will go ahead and say that this is one of the bests this year for so many damn good reasons. The story follows two kids. One of Taichi who has divorced parents and is working two jobs to earn his keep. He is living with his loving grandfather since none of his parents wanted him despite of that, he is a fucking ray of sunshine and I would probably want to be with someone like him for the rest of my life. Seriously, he is so pure, innocent, lovely, understanding, open, kind, and so many more good adjectives that there is. I really love this character so much that I would marry him just like a hamburger steak. He is also very hungry. I mean, he uses so much energy to give other people and I feel like he deserves so much more love than he is getting. Luckily, he met another kid named Kohei who is hard of hearing. Taichi became his notetaker since he is having difficulties hearing and what he offers him is amazing food that his mother prepared. It is a symbiotic relationship to say the least but he soon developed feelings for Taichi. Honestly speaking, who wouldn’t? Taichi is such a good-hearted boy and we have seen this multiple times in the show but the scene where he protected Kohei from Miho who did not really have bad intentions but somehow romanticized the situation of Kohei. It must have been hard for him to be that popular and to slowly lose his hearing. It must have been hard and what made me love him and Taichi more is how they are empathizing with other by respecting each other’s decision as much as possible. It is such a wholesome kind of relationship that only one can dream of. The love story of the characters may not have happened immediately and I really understood why. I think the way that Taichi reacted to the confession was so sincere and he may not have felt it in that way before but the slow burn really worked with these two because the love story aspect did not feel forced at all and they are having a story of their own. The individual storylines that these characters had focused on their growth and the future. This is why the confession in the last episode where Taichi admitted that he is also in love with him just made me smile the most. These are characters who struggled with admitting who they love because of different reasons but it all boiled down to how they really felt and that is just a romantic scene without forcing it to be. It is just their emotions and what they really feel at that time. It is just really them at that moment and that is just lovely. I also want to give flowers to Kobayashi Toranosuke and Nakazawa Motoki who played Taichi and Kohei, respectively. These are very young actors but the performances that they gave were outstanding. I will have to admit that Kobayashi Toranosuke really captivated me with his performance. The range that this young actor has and how expressive his face is – is just phenomenal. I was so impressed, amazed, and flabbergasted with his performance. He is portraying these external emotions and have good inner monologues too. He is really good. We also have an impressive supporting cast. Actually, the writing in this show is impeccable from start to finish because they just really let the characters have their moments without forcing us to like one but instead made us fall in love with both of them while making sure that all of the supporting characters have their own stories or lives as well. It is such good writing and directing that made it all work. Everyone in this show did an amazing job and this is worth the wait.

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I am IN LOVE

I would like to thank Tiktok for introducing this show to me because I have seen multitudes of spoilers of the show but watching it is a really different experience as I soon got the experience to really understand the context behind those clips. To be honest, I know no one who is watching this show so I am entering this with no recommendations except the ones from Tiktok. I am glad that I did tho because Yumi’s Cells is just really at the top tier of the Korean series that I got to watch because it is so freaking relatable. I have mentioned a lot that South Korea do know how to create the best love stories because they go deep into the psyche of the characters instead of just focusing on the idea of them being in love to each other. I think this is where Yumi’s Cells is winning because they managed to combine the character-driven story that we usually see in Korean series and love stories with the more romantic-centric Western movies. The result is one heart fluttering show that just made my heart melt whenever they focus on love and breaks it when the character is experiencing the same thing. I have read online that this is focused on the relationships that Yumi will be having so I am kinda digging the idea that there might be a second season.
The story is about Yumi. I think that is a really good synopsis for the show because it is truly about her. We got to see how her mind works as we meet these animated characters who play vital roles in making decisions about her but one thing that I would command is the portrayal of Kim Go-eun. She is doing a lot of facial expressions because there are a lot of internal dialogues played by the voices in her head. She is not crazy. The idea is that we have these cells-type individual living inside us participating in different decisions that we commit creating one hell of a person. This may not sound so original since we watched something like this in Cells at Work or Inside Out but what really elevated this story is that it is not really focused on being criminally accurate like Cells at Work or as deep as Inside Out but what it is trying to do is to just introduce us to Yumi. We are shown as to how she thinks and we got to see how her mind works through these cells. Kim Go-eun is what helping all of this because she is really nailing the facial expressions of the internal monologues while keeping a very strong presence in the show. She is the main character and she is giving us what she is being asked for. It is a very cerebral performance and she is giving us that. It is also a romantic comedy and the way that her character Yumi is written is a bit different because she feels like someone that we can all relate to. Honestly speaking, I see myself in different characters so that is something that I really enjoy. I feel like Yumi is someone that I know or is me. Go-eun really brings life to her. Yumi, on the other hand, is a good character to follow because she is a complicated female character in a romantic comedy. I know that we do not usually get this kind of words for a romantic comedy but Yumi’s Cells captured that thought process that everyone has and they kept on going for it. They are committed making this show such a lovable one to watch. She is also the titular character. I like that she is not the typical female Korean character because she objectifies Goo Woong too. I am not saying that objectifying is good but it is a difference that I am actually interested in. Her story is more matured than what we usually see and this is a perfect character study of who she is and how one’s mind works. The scene where she had to call it off with Goo Woong in the 13th episode of Season 1 made me cry. It is such an overwhelming scene because I spent most of my time falling in love with the love. My heart flutters whenever I see them together and them breaking up is something that I expected and knew of but the execution is impeccable. Go-eun’s facial expression and the way Yu-mi’s mind worked in that particular moment is amazing. I love how that sequence was made because we got to see a side of her that is a bit different. We saw a version of her that we did not want to see because we all have been in that situation and we knew how heartbreaking it would all feel. This is a genius moment of the show and I approve what they did.
For the first season, we focused not really on her first love but the love after she got dumped. The interesting thing about this love story is that the way it started is really good. She met Goo Woong when she was set up for a blind date by Chae U-gi who is the guy that he actually wants to be with. Side note, before I talk more about Goo Woong, Chae U-gi is played by Choi Min-ho. His character is actually gay and I am quite surprised with this twist since that is something that we do not usually see in a Korean series. We have a very handsome character who is gay and I am in love with this idea. I wish to see more of who he is as well. Now, let us go back to Goo Woong. He is played Ahn Bo-hyun. He is a game developer who happened to be insanely ripped and one of the hottest Korean actors that I know but his character seemed very reserved with his emotions except when he first met her. I love their first meetup because we got to see another character’s village of cells and how they work. The good thing about this is that they really followed a strong narrative with this character by really building his character as this slightly shady character who is also very sweet with Yumi. There was this scene when they fought during Yumi’s birthday that is resolved by a very romantic exchange. This is something that I enjoyed in this show. The relationship of Yumi and Goo Woong is almost an ideal type of relationship that I am really digging it to a point that I want them to be the endgame and I kinda hated Sae-yi. I love their banters tho. Again, Ahn Bo-hyun is such a hot man and I loved the scenes where Yumi imagined him taking a shower when she first came in his house or the one where she booked the glass wall. Those are really sexy. I love Ahn Bo-hyun and I love Goo Woong but we have to admit that he is also a very complicated guy and we got to see a lot of different sides of him. I felt like he is a very sweet guy but at the end of the day, we got to see that he is still a man that we all know. He still got his pride and his extreme self-love became a hindrance for him to go through with what he wanted to say and do. We can all agree with that. We all have that voices in our heads and we can all agree that being in a relationship is hard because of it. Nevertheless, the relationship that he and Yu-mi had is such a beautiful experience that one can only hope for. It is beautiful. It is real and the ending where they met for the last time in the front of the fountain where they first met is such a nostalgic moment that gave us the same level of emotions but with different emotions with the characters. At the end of the day, we have to choose ourselves and be happy with the decisions that we make even though we know the pain that it will cause us. This is an amazing example of what love can be. It will not always be nice and beautiful. We have to face the reality for it will not always be what we expect. I truly commend the writers of this series because they knew what they were doing and they did an amazing job in highlighting this aspect of the story.
I also enjoyed seeing Jinyoung in the show. He is so handsome and I feel that he will be YHu-mi's next boyfriend and I love that they started as work friends and not romantically involved immediately.

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Simple, Lovely, Golden Retriever

Monster Next Door is probably one of the sweetest thing that I have watched. I know and you can clock me on this one but I am a sucker with a good love story that does not overly dramaticize or sensationalize stuff but instead they are trying to just be as normal as they can. This is why I really loved it. Basically, the story of the show follows Diew who is the stereotypical example of Introvert and God who is a stereotypical example of an extrovert. They fell in love with each other with the efforts of God to really push himself to be loved by Diew. I think we can say that it is a love at first sight and the romance is more or less what we can consider to be easy because they are already felt something towards each other but the main hindrance to their relationship is their difference in personality. We have a character who is more comfortable with speaking and I really understand this character so much but I think what I love with the character is that even though they marketed him as a stereotypical introvert, we also got to see a different side to the character as he is trying his best to really relate to the people around him. I think this is a big plus because we need this kind of representation that they may prefer to be alone but there are also those who seeks comfort in the people that they are close with. This is why I love that he is given a friend with Game who is also an introvert but is more flexible. I applaud that they did not just make him a stereotype and made him into a more realized character. He is played by Park Anantadej Sodsee or Park. I was actually trying to figure out his character as well but we got to really see him shine in the moments that are more quiet. I have to give it to him because he was able to show range with his facial expressions with a character that is usually not speaking. Then, there is Big Thanakorn Kuljarassombat or Big who plays God. First and foremost, I already have a huge crush of this guy even before I watched this series so I am so happy that I get to see him as a lead character. He really deserved it and I was so proud for some weird reason because he was good. He is a golden retriever in this show and I love that he really tried to understand Diew and he is not just forcing him to follow his values or his ways. I respect that. Seriously, I think I have watched stories where the introvert had to adjust to the extrovert but they really decided to slowly let each other into their lives without changing who they are. This is the main thing that the show is doing and I love that they did not try to overly complicate such thing and instead just focused on the romance that we are supposed to watch and it worked. I loved their interactions as they try to understand each other better. They are respecting their boundaries and even though they had a big fight in the show, I will have to say that I am glad that the directors and the writers did not make it into something so much bigger that they cannot resolve in one episode or just by talking, they had to separate for awhile but they are trying their best to respect each other’s boundaries and to not let their emotions get the best of them so when they talked, they felt more honest and mature with each other. I LOVE THAT. Also, I love Big so much as God. I mean, the guy is the most attractive human being with that fucking smile that will just make me swoon. The body, PERFECTION. He is so perfect for the role and it worked so well. The secondary characters are okay. I think this is where the miss is a bit. They really focused on the main characters and the secondary characters are not given stronger narratives except for the secondary couple. Wan and Beer are okay but I was happier to see Game and Win so much. Win is just so cute and I would not mind if they will have their own BL series. I will watch it in a heartbeat. I really enjoyed watching this BL because the pacing is good and the story is easy to watch. I like that we got really good sweet moments in between that really accentuate the love they have for each other. I love that there is good character development for the main characters not just as a couple but also as individuals as they are trying to also fully accept who they are and what they are for each other. There is a certain love that makes you feel comfortable and that is what I felt watching this show.

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It was okay.

Addicted Heroin is the Thai adaptation of the most controversial BL story in the history and it is from China so that says a lot already. I have so many emotions about them adapting this story but what I want to highlight here is that we are going to at least get a closure to one of the best love stories that never happened. I love Addicted and even though I came in late to the Addicted train, I feel like I still have so much love for the show and it did give me so much love when I was watching it. I feel like the show deserve so much more and it did not but I am excited to see what they will be doing here. The story is still very much the same as they are still step siblings who, unknowingly, got closer when they did not know that they are actually step siblings. They are those souls who found solace in each other that led to them really falling deeply in love and dependent on each other but things were not easy for them because they have ex—girlfriends and family to deal with. Now, I was really not expecting much from the series. I will be honest and I know that there is not much that they could do here that would make me fall in love with them as much as I loved the series. This is what I was initially thinking but I was so damn wrong. I mean, I don’t think that they were able to fully get the pull and the chemistry that the original series had but what they did is to create their own identity instead and to make the lead characters have so much chemistry that it fucking worked. It did and I was so impressed with the way that they did it. The lead characters here are named Hero and Poppy played by August and Mac respectively. Now, the chemistry of these two just really grew on me and I was not even expecting that much from them. Initially, the acting was okay but it did not really stand out but the very moment that series played longer, I feel like we got to really got a more rounded group of characters here that are worth watching. I was soon enjoying what I was watching and the characters had so much growth that I am not comparing them to the original anymore. This is like a totally different show now with teenage kids so, in a way, I understand where they are coming from. Well, I would not agree with how Hero handles thing all the time especially when he kidnaps Poppy. I am strongly against that. This is why him slowly learning to be more mindful of other people and the constant jealousy from his side was played out really well. I don’t think that they do have a mature relationship yet but what they do have is a lasting one where they are learning together what they are wanting in life. Hero is a character that one can consider to be impulsive but he is also very direct with his emotions. He can be a bit selfish considering that he knows what he wants and that is Poppy. Poppy on the other hand is more mature with knowing what his role in the bigger world is. I think this difference in personality is what made them a solid couple because there is so much room for growth in both of the characters but by being together, we can see them slowly embrace improvements into who they are. I love the relationship where they are learning and are improving. We have seen this happen so many times in the show and I like how it was not villainized nor romanticize. Instead, it just felt a normal thing that they could overcome. It was initially a very silly show for me but it slowly got more serious with the story of their families and I do agree with Poppy that his mother really was disappointing for thinking Hero and his father in that way and I agree with Hero for thinking that his father is abusive because he is. We got growth these characters in the end but the ending is a bit vague still with what their stance are. I hope we will get more from the story though. I think that the weakest part of the story is not actually the main couple but the secondary couple. Hear me out and you can disagree with me on this but the secondary couple of the show with Tiger and Only is just too forced to be interesting. The very moment that they did a redo of the introduction of Only is the very moment that I know that they will be a hindrance in this show to go so fucking smoothly. Again, it is shitty to say the least and I am being kind with my words right now. I feel like we have a main couple that surprised me and was actually good but the secondary couple was just forced right there. I feel like they really forced Only to be a handsome guy he is not that very good-looking nor interesting at all. It is such a fucking failed attempt and the scenes they shared can all be removed from the story and it will actually be so much better than it is. I heard that there might be a second season and that might help them give us a more solid ending for the family storylines but Poppy’s father is such a good man. He is so awesome. At the same time, I like that the show really had opposing views from the parents which is always understandable. I do believe that it is not always rainbows and butterflies so seeing that be portrayed on screen is as important but the show is a relatively good show. I mean, it is not the most fascinating show out there and I don’t think that they were able to bring the kind of heart we expected from the original series but what we got is pretty interesting as is. I don’t think that it is a bad issues and I do think that it had good moments. It can be improved so much better but we got a decent adaptation.

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