NO MEANS NO

This one has its merits but its portrayal of sexual assault and the nature of this obsession are too negative to give this an overall strong rating. I guess that means they did their job. They did depict Obsession, but this is not the type of relationship that we need to see or emulate.

I was intrigued by the initial premise. Being reincarnated and trying to change the path of your relationship was full of promise. At first, you come to believe that Shao Yi Chen is still obsessed with Jiang Jin Teng and hence the title, but then Jin Teng's obsessions rears its very ugly head. This character is appalling from the very beginning. He orders his friends around like they are slaves. This is a common trope for the "bullies" in BL and something I have never seen in real life. I'm fairly tired of this trope. His behavior escalates quickly and he soon becomes an actual sociopath. I can't believe anyone would fall in love with someone like this. Much less a sweet character like Yi Chen. His behavior gets worse with multiple attempted rapes and threatening to strangle his ex-girlfriend. Okay, in the end, they try to redeem him, but the fact that he was trying to save Yi Chen from "bullying" does not excuse his behavior. I never wanted this couple to get together - and isn't that the point of a BL? I actually wanted Yi Chen to get together with his best friend. That would have been a sweet couple.

The acting was fairly good. I think Teddy does a very fine job as Shao Yi Chen. I am less enamored with Bernard as Jiang Jin Teng. He felt very one-note. Even his outbursts seemed the same level as his normal behavior. I could hardly read emotion in his face, aside from the few times they allow him to be tender or giddy.

The direction was serviceable. Some moments seemed to be held too long, for example forcing the actors to breathe heavily in panic for extended periods without any real reasoning - and that's where the acting suffered the most as well. Elongating a moment does not heighten the emotion.

I won't watch this again due to the inappropriate behavior. But I do still feel the HIStory series should be applauded for the breadth of its stories and the high production values of all of the installments.

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NOTHING BUT FILLER

I would say 95% of reviews and comments all say the same thing, so no big revelations here. Good potential wasted. Not a big fan of this one.

It started strong. I liked the fact that the main couple had a pre-existing relationship. It was a different story than we're used to. Loved the friendships (often my fav part of any BL). Initially thought the actors were decent, though that changed as I continued to watch and their newbie status revealed itself.

At first, I liked the non-linear story-telling. That can be effective when done well. (key phrase, when done well). But quickly the time cuts became confusing. It would take me a minute to figure out if it was the past or the present. Then all the filler started. I'm not a big fan of this in any series and Thai BL is heavy with this trope. If you have effectively told your story, and your actors are capable, you do not need to remind me of a previous scene to help me understand a characters emotions. You definitely do not need to remind me of the very last scene I just watched. It's clear in my mind. (Side note: I wonder if directors use this device because they don't think the actors can carry the emotional weight of a scene, so they feel the need to cut away from bad acting? Just a thought). There was even one instance with the Pangs where Makisig is on the phone, leaning against the wall while another man putters around behind him (another lover? never explained), they cut to Nin, and when they cut back, Makisig is in a black shirt sitting on a couch. Is this another phone call? A different time? A continuity error?

Now, some here are saying all the filler is the theme of the series. It's those In Between moments that are most important in a relationship. Okay. But do I need to see the entire scene? Multiple times? And again I would argue that if you have done your job well, I understand the importance of those in between moments the first time I see them. I don't need multiple reviews of those moments.

The worst instance for me was in the finale. This is arguably the most important moment in the series, Tau & Tep are revealing their innermost feelings, but rather than stay in the moment and let us experience it, they cut away between every 3 or 4 words (not even complete sentences) to show us the same filler moments for the 1000th time. I watched the whole series. I know how their relationship has evolved. I want to watch them get fake married, not see them riding a bike. ARGH!

I have 3 other issues. Perhaps I missed it (but I will never go back and rewatch this series to find out, so maybe some of you can help me out.) When Tep's mother realizes she may have inadvertantly broken them up, she encourages Tep to call Tau and sort it out. But he doesn't (right?). In fact, when he shows up for the party, Tau believes him when he says he's in a relationship, and has to apologize for breaking up with him (seemingly for the first time). 1st issue... was that really an apology? Explain yourself. Tell your side of the story and make your lover understand. I'm sorry doesn't cut it. 2nd issue: So... Tep knows why Tau broke up with him... but he DOESN'T call? He avoids him for a year? You find out the love of your life made an incredible sacrifice and that in fact you could still end up together, but you don't call him? Then you return a year later and prank him ("I have a BF in LA") rather than reveal your true feelings. The pranking is well established, that's what these guys do... but honestly, realize when you should prank and when you should be open and honest. Then there's a time cut and miraculously they are back together without ever having hashed out the past. That's an important "in between" moment I would have liked to have seen. WHich brings me to issue 3: The big prank at the resort. 4-5 episodes of this? Ugh. What a HORRIBLE prank to pull on someone you love. To make him think that Ri was hitting on him, to promote jealousy... and you claim it's all in the name of love. That's cruel. Once Tep starts to get upset, any decent BF would pull him aside and comfort him, but not Tau. He didn't even have to reveal the prank, but he could still comfort his lover. This made me hate Tau. I don't care how sweet his words were after that. You put me through hell and then expect me to put on a wedding suit? As someone said here, "learn to read the room". I have other issues, minor story points, and directing choices but enough.

The acting was serviceable. I liked Nics best of all. I didn't dislike Biancx like many here. Nin and Makisig were okay. The leads were decent. I have to admit, I watched this on my phone, so some of the subtlety was lost on me. I'm not sure I saw actual tears ever. But again, that could just be due to screen size. The script was also very repetitive (and I'm not even talking about the filler). In one scene, I counted characters say the same phrase 8 times, and not for effect. It was just lazy writing, not moving the story or the scene forward at all. So frustrating.

While I would certainly like to watch a Pangs series, I WON'T. Because I'm afraid the writer and director will make all the same bad choices they made here. And In Between Season 2 is a definite non-starter. Great potential. Wasted.

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Can’t Finish

I tried but this just kept getting worse. Horrible writing. Super repetitive. In one scene 3 girls simply repeat themselves and each other continuously. Then they do the same in almost every other episode. We got it the first 3 times. Plus the story and character development made no sense. Why are they living together? Why are you listing after him and then pushing him to date a girl? Then why are you jealous and possessive when she shows up? Why oh why is a trainee allowed to conduct business meetings? Ugh.

Somewhere around episode 10 it became too confusing. I guess this is where the ban forced some scenes to be deleted, but scenes just ended mid-sentence or the next scene was not introduced properly so it became impossible to follow.

Cute leads, some nice chemistry but otherwise a waste of viewing hours.

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SWEET BUT NOT GREAT

This is an average BL series. One of the earlier productions, so many of the faults must be forgiven. Filled with amateur, teenage boys so the acting isn't aways up to par. But it's sweet, tender and has a nice sense of first loves that makes it better than the sum of its parts.

The story is very simple an straightforward, despite tossing in some interesting issues (that are skimmed over or forgotten quickly, unfortunately). A bunch of couples slowly realize their feelings for each other. Filled with countless innocent misunderstandings that cause far too much drama, angst and pouting/tears. Sometimes these couples are so good at expressing themselves to each other - until the writer needs them to stop communicating so they can create fake drama between the couple that could be easily resolved in 2 sentences. And it becomes the same misunderstanding over and over again, so it's tedious, repetitive and doesn't evolve as much as I would have liked.

The acting fluctuates from horrible, amateur moments to moments of very real, natural and moving tenderness. All the boys do better once they get over the set-up (where their characters act OUT of character) and past the fake drama (that is so forced by the writer that even a great actor would have trouble being convincing) and start to fall in love. They can each convey their feelings with just a glance when they are allowed to. They all have some sweetness and naivete that is truly charming. and makes you like them despite their characters not being fully developed.

But the writing and direction are terrible. The simple story could have been told in half as many episodes, so it feels like the writer is dragging things out, rehashing old feelings, and going over the same territory repeatedly. The direction, like many early Bl series opts for those ultra-long held gazes, where the actors are forced to stare at each other for 45 seconds for absolutely no reason than to create atmosphere and emotion where there would be none. The poor actors are not up to the task, and this is where they and the series suffers the most. The characters do not evolve in a realistic fashion. One minute they are in love, the next denying it, the next confused, the next in love. Some of this is expected in for a teen who is just discovering their sexuality, but once you declare your undying love for your boyfriend, I don't buy you going out with your girlfriend or hooking up with some random stranger. If you're still going to fluctuate - then don't declare your love. You can say, "I've never been happier, but it's all still so confusing. " Easy. But not, "You're the only one for me... until tomorrow when that girl I don't really like, who cheated on me in Episode 1, calls me up again."

The series also suffers from a lack of focus. Is it light-hearted, romantic fluff or more serious, adult-themed? Bringing up issues like online hook-ups, non-consensual sex, societal taboos, etc and then just dropping them without a full examination is lazy and potentially harmful fo the target audience. For the most part it wants to be sweet, but then , unlike most BL series actual intercourse is implied, discussed and even has harmful consequences. (I really wish the writers would talk to gay men who have engaged in intercourse so they would get the details right)

Not sure if I'm missing something, but very little seems resolved at the end of the season. The final conflict between Tee and Fuse is so minor I'm not sure why it becomes the biggest and most emotional sequence, and its resolution is so unsatisfying. Other stories are just dropped or left unresolved as well. Maybe they knew they were filming a second season and wanted cliffhangers, but none of it felt fully realized.

I would watch again for the cute, tender moments and just to see these sweet, adorable boys again. But for now, I'm moving directly to the sequel to see how they handle the next evolution of each of these couples.

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COULDN'T FINISH

Just to be clear, I liked the First Season. But this was so slow, so repetitive, so contrived. I got frustrated about 10 episodes into it, but watched another 10 before I just had to stop. Endless scenes of people forcing someone to eat when they don't want to. WHY? How does that propel a plot or reveal character or deepen a romance?

It felt like we took a step back on all fronts. First, the direction is not as good. The script is not as good. The acting is not as good. And the story seemed to start all over again, rather than progress. The same things happen over and over again, with the characters repeating themselves each time they do. While the first season felt like a real slice of life, this felt ridiculous. All the fantasy sequences (was that a Brokeback Mountain reference?) were totally unnecessary. The characters don't evolve, so the actors are stuck expressing the same things. This should have been called Groundhog Day, because it was like reliving the exact same scenes on an endless loop. Including a carnival, a christmas fair, a music competition just for the visuals, but where nothing really happens to move the story forward - was just a waste of time. These 39 episodes should have been cut down to 13. Then they would have been jam packed with story and character.

I got really confused around episode 4, when the 2 couple went away. Yu admits that they are not in a real relationship. Yet 16 episodes later, she's still his date for the christmas fair. Why are either of them continuing with something they both know is a sham? There is ZERO pressure on them to stay together.

Similarly, Phun and Aim are troubled, seem to break up, but stay together, even though she's sleeping with a BUNCH of other guys and always nags him about how inattentive he is. Then dump him. You obviously are not into him. He's not into you. You walk out of one man's bedroom, then ask to get back together with your boyfriend? This makes no sense.

While the first season included much more high school life, this became "how many BL couples can we create to maintain your interest- since we''re going to take 52 episodes to have our characters admit the thing they've been feeling since Episode 2." The only side character I really cared about was Earn, since we have known about his crush since last season and his heartache is palpable. At least Win's story dealt with some topical issues but other than that I didn't know enough about his character to truly care.

What's most frustrating is that I like the main couple and would like to see their evolution and hopefully a happy ending for them, but I can't take another 19 episodes to get there.

Sorry fans, I would not recommend this one AT ALL. Too frustrating.

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BETTER THAN EXPECTED

In truth, I fast-forwarded through a lot of this. There were characters and couples I did not like and after a few episodes I began to skip over their stories. It wasn't that any of it was bad, I just didn't care about them enough to invest time in their stories.

This was very real. Very natural. Actual teenage/high school life, for the most part. What they did best was to capture the tender, raw, confusing emotions that every teenager goes through. It wasn't overblown for high drama. It was small moments that had the biggest impact. The touch of a hand as you pass in the hallway, the awkward frustration of a teen in his bedroom grappling with confusion, the totally invisible friend with an unrequited crush. I remembered all of those feelings and it really was like being back in high school again.

I can really only comment on the two leads and the BL romance, since I skipped many of the other stories - but for me these two were incredible. For actual teens, fairly new to acting, White and Captain did a remarkable job. Some of the best of any BL series I've seen so far. Just real, natural, and understated. They didn't try to force an emotion. I can't remember White doing a better job in any other series. I usually don't care for him at all (though Second Place is his performance in Theory of Love). This was my first time seeing Captain in a series and I could not have asked for a better actor. Kudos to the director for bringing out their best and allowing them to be true to themselves.

Shocking favorite line, "I thought you might forget about the front after you had the back." WHAT!!!!??!!!! Hysterical.

I did not care for the yaoi sister. Tired of this trope and these over-the-top, squealing girls. It's too forced and not like any teen girl I've ever known. Also not a fan of the Angel Crew. While I do appreciate that they get the support of the cheer leaders and the minor storyline about inclusion and acceptance that comes with their storyline, I find these stereotypical characters used only for comedy as disrespectful and potentially damaging to young boys who might see themselves in these characters and fear the ridicule they endure. Same goes for the two super effeminate side characters - who have absolutely no place in this story at all and again are only brought out to be the butt of jokes. I will forgive LS, since it was one of the first big BL series and it was 2014, but those stereotypes are still around today (2Gether) and potentially causing harm because the creators look back to series like this one and think it's okay to make fun of effeminate men.

Question: What's with all these teen girls insisting on boys taking them out and buying expensive gifts and meals for them all the time? Sorry. Deal breaker for me. If I WANT to buy you something, I will. If you FORCE me to buy you something, you're selfish, disrespectful and will soon NOT be my girlfriend. Buy your own damn shoes, girl.

I might fast-forward to favorite moments in this sweet, tender, innocent little gem again. But probably won't watch the whole season (or even just all the Phun/Noh scenes). But I would recommend this to anyone - especially those that like their BL with hetero side couples and actual teenage real-life storylines.

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Too long at under an hour

So little happens here, with even less real character development, that I can’t recommend this one. It’s a student film quality project. The boys meet, with very little interaction they fall in love, one gets confused for a moment, then it ends tragically. There’s not enough here to truly invest in these characters and their journey. Too many unanswered question (as other reviewers point out), not enough of an arc for either character. We are left guessing and filling in the blanks. Lazy writing at best.

Both actors have cringe worthy moments, but then both show great vulnerability, awkwardness and delight that bubbles over. I want to see them in better roles with better direction.

A quick distraction at best but not really worth your time.

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Only is you need a BL fix

RATING: C-

A very low-budget 4 episode (plus Special) mini-series. Very simple, straightforward, PREDICTABLE. Nothing new or exciting or really even interesting here. Two boys become roommates (again, I question this trope that Universities can only supply one bed for two boys) and slowly fall for each other. There was little to no real conflict. It was only a question of when the two boys would admit to each other their feelings. With so little to go on, the characters did not develop any depth and I was left not really caring if they ended up together or not.

ACTING/DIRECTION
These actors had nothing to build upon, and I’m not certain they could have delivered any more than was evident. It was all surface level. Neither of them had any real charisma and for my taste were not that appealing. For the women (all given far too much screen time, as most reviews state) Mook as Maprang was annoying. Torlum as Smile had a bit more depth and ease in her portrayal. Bell was far too over the top, though she was meant only for extreme comic relief. Her role was entirely unnecessary, however. The direction was limited by the script, budget and production constraints. It felt like cameras were simply set up in a corner and that was it. Substandard at best. Washed out colors made this feel like it had been shot in the ‘70s.

KISSING/INTIMACY
Only a couple of chaste kisses (these boys don’t know how to fake a kiss at all). Fine for the story. A little bit of skin shown in brief flashes.

THE DOWNSIDE
Shallow characters, predictable script, limited production values. Not much to offer overall.

SUMMARY
I would only recommend this one to the most ardent BL fans who have watched everything else and need a quick fix.

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Almost perfect

RATING: A

This mini series is almost perfect. This series, along with Mr. Heart, made me realize I may like the shorter series better than full length. There’s something about the unrequited love, and leading up to admitting you like someone that is far more appealing than all the drama that happens later. Plus you don’t get all the unnecessary filler. But they still manage to cram a lot into these few eps. Hsia Yu Hao’s bad-boy turned good, his struggles with school, Qiu Zi Xuan’s injury, his sister’s crush, the brothers’ romance… and all the volleyball. While each story could have been expanded upon (especially Qiu Zi Xuan’s feelings about not being able to play anymore), overall they were all handled well and felt satisfying in the end.

There is a light touch here, a good mixture of drama, romance and comedy. The team Captain is a fun character who is very relatable. The brother/sister relationship felt very real. Her bad cooking was very funny. The step-brother romance, a familiar trope, worked quite well, due mainly to the strong performances of Patrick and Nick in those roles. While you know exactly what is going to happen from the start, it’s done so well that it’s a truly enjoyable journey.

ACTING/DIRECTION
Fandy was a revelation in his role as Hsia Yu Hao. He played the bad boy portion so well I was totally thrown off when he transformed into the doe-eyed puppy dog with nothing but love in his eyes every time he looks at his crush. Those moments when they are supposed to be studying and he can’t concentrate could play on a loop for me endlessly. While I thought he was cute at the start, he seemed to get even moreso as time went on. At one point, I had to pause because he was so stunning to look at. I believed every second of this performance. He is a star. Unfortunately, I found Zach’s performance lacking. He was so passive, his face a blank slate most of the time. When he did allow himself to emote he was quite good and I was immediately drawn in more, but he held back too much and displayed too little for me. The direction was strong and delivered exactly what was necessary.

KISSING/INTIMACY
Aside from one “dream” sequence (put in to give the fans a “hot” moment, I think, more than anything), there are only a couple of chaste kisses, but in this type of story, exploring the beginnings of a relationship, they were all that was necessary. The intimacy here is sold in the moments when the boys touch, be it leaning on a shoulder for support, tending to an injury, even a light punch to the chest. Somehow these resonated so well I got all I needed.

THE DOWNSIDE
Zach’s performance was the biggest disappointment for me. And, as mentioned, they could have explored the storylines in a bit more depth, but overall very little to complain about for this series.

These boys don’t at all look like a High School freshman and senior. Zach was almost 30 when he played this role. Set the story in University and I might buy it, but not High School.

SUMMARY
Very strong and satisfying. Worthy of watching repeatedly. One of the best I’ve seen thus far. Watch it NOW!

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SILLY BUT INCREDIBLY FUN

RATING: A-

GENERAL
This series strives for maximum comedy. It’s a ridiculous premise, so you have to just go with it and leave logic aside. That doesn’t mean I’ll forgive ALL of its flaws, but I’ll try to ignore the absurdity and lean into the farce.

Overall, this is a very strong series. A favorite that I would not mind watching again. It was a bit hard for me to get into it in the beginning because of the over-the-top premise, but a few episodes in I began to really enjoy it. The chemistry between the two leads is very strong, relatable and believable. They are both charming, charismatic and natural performers. There is a tenderness to both their characters and performances that is heartwarming. One of my favorite things about their relationship is how they seemingly can’t say “no” to each other. Even when conflicts arise, there is something that compels them to “show up” and be there for the other. It made both of their characters extremely likeable. As an aside, I really like the first song Wat wrote for Tine, “Your Smile”, because Win/Tine has a smile that could melt any heart. And Bright/Wat’s smirk is equally adorable. “The Nuisance and the Charming Prince” indeed!

I also appreciated both sets of friends. They were supportive and gave some very strong advice. It was nice to see how they helped the leads and gently influenced their union.

Some problems arose during the second half of the series. After taking up the bulk of the episodes setting up their relationship, once they admit their feelings for each other, the rest goes by far too quickly. They go from “like” to moving in together in one episode. These times in a new relationship are ripe for drama that was passed over. Other issues; distrust, past relationships, rivals – are also introduced and settled too quickly, sometimes in the course of the same episode. For the audience to truly immerse themselves in these moments, it would have been appreciated if they could have been explored in a bit more depth.

ACTING & DIRECTION
The acting is quite strong and natural, even for the Secondary Characters. Win does a great job of showing the slow shift in his feelings from annoyance to acceptance and eventually love. Bright, as Wat, is given the stereotypical brooding “silent type” role at first, but even he plays it naturally and much better than others (Mean/Tin in “Love by Chance”). In his small role as Ohm, JJ is much better here than in his supporting role in “Dark Blue Kiss” (one of my favorite series thus far, where he stands out in all the wrong ways). The other stand-out for me was Mike as Man. He does a great job with this role. What could have been annoying is somehow charming in his hands. He, too, plays it very naturally and realistic.

I give kudos to the director for eliciting the best from his cast. Without inside knowledge, I suspect it was the strong direction that allowed the performers to give it their best. Even though they are playing it for farce, the overall feel is quite realistic within those boundaries. The pacing is so much better than many other BL series. Fewer forced slo-mo glances, fewer awkward silences.

KISSING/INTIMACY
I appreciated the “Lady and the Tramp” style first kiss during the music club initiation and was happy it didn’t involve the typical stumble-and-fall-into-a-kiss. Their growing friendship, while based on the ridiculous premise (that seems to come and go, be forgotten then remembered whenever it’s convenient) seemed realistic. The second kiss felt very natural as well. Wat is drunk and can’t resist kissing Tine. Been there, drunkenly kissed that! But after they declare their relationship, there is no more kissing at all, not even any hand-holding. I found that strange and disappointing.

THE DOWN-SIDE:
If you’re going to make a character a cheerleader, please have them do something other than stand still with their arms raised in half-salute. This was the only move we ever saw them perform. That’s not going to encourage anyone to play better. Was this element even necessary?

Some of the BL tropes started to annoy me by the second half of the series. Tine is injured or sick a bit too much. I was never clear why he fainted at the football match/cheerleading. There was a mention that he didn’t eat, but… really? He passes out and is taken to the hospital? (I skip breakfast all the time, never ended up in the hospital because of it). And it coincidentally happens when Wat is injured and also needs to go to the hospital? Both incidents would have had more impact if treated separately and given the proper set-up. Naturally, there are the myriad of misunderstandings that lead to doubts and problems in their relationship. These, too, happen, and are resolved, too quickly.

The worst part of this series for me is the over-the-top portrayal of Green, the effeminate gay man who has a crush on the lead character, Tine. As I mentioned above, I’m not a fan of this type of character, even though they do give him a redeeming moment when he defends Tine against the masked “attackers”, and much of his comedy works well. But this was one of the rare elements that felt out of place in this series.

There is also a disturbing underlying homophobia to this storyline. Tine is so upset about a gay man having interest in him that he resorts to a cruel trick to keep the gay man away. He pretends to be in a gay relationship, but is clearly disturbed by the implications from the start. When Green discovers the lie, he tells Tine that he didn’t have to be so harsh, and based on his hurt reaction it does feel especially cruel. This is all wrapped up in the ridiculous plotline, and they are going for farce here – but the creators should be more careful. While most BL series are aimed at teenage girls, they must know young gay men are watching. These types of issues could be more harmful than helpful for a young man struggling to understand his sexuality and how to express it.

SUMMARY
Heartwarming, tender, strong performances, excellent direction. This should go to the top of your lists.

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Could Not Watch

The YouTube videos were trashed. It was as if someone had re-edited the episodes so they could focus on close-ups of the eyes or mouth - but that screwed with the timing and subtitles so none of it was in sync. It also seemed to ruin the sound, as dialogue was distorted. Seemed like it might have been enjoyable, but it was too difficult to watch in this edited version. Too bad. Maybe I will try again if someone uploads a different version xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxx

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