where water once stood, there it shall return

Whattagwaan!! It almost feels like South Korea has a monthly BL series dump. We had Sing My Crush, Bon Appetit, Bump my Business and now this gem of a series. All episodes tossed into the universe for all of us fans to enjoy.

Regarding this series, our male leads have a painful history and from their first interaction in the first episode, you can tell there’s hurt, there’s regret and one sided desire to make amends. The journey is slow, but gentle and sweet. It doesnt feel rushed albeit full of anticipation. All this because the thing about love is once it makes its presence known, it never really leave. Some might even say time heals, but does it really? Our male leads have had this struggle for five years.

The series comes to us at a perfect time in our BL lives where plenty series have ended. In this myriad of edgy plots, we can appreciated a laid back, sweet and fluffy romance between two wholesome characters. The visuals do not hurt. A strong recommendation if you’re looking for a cuddly and soft boy love story.

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Choosing Yourself VS Others

Watching this BL was a pleasant experience for me right from the start. I appreciated that the story was not dragged for long which can be exhausting for viewers. But also that they didn't drag out the bed scenes, creating unnecessary suspense and ultimately making kissing scenes feel unnatural. I enjoyed the surprise element of the intimacy, so much I felt like I was intruding.🤭

Also enjoyable was the beauty product setting which was refreshing to see. Toma's runway shots blew me away! He may have looked annoyed, but our mans was hot on that stage.

I was deeply happy to see Okuno So (Natsuke) who featured in another BL titled Although I love you, you? as the blonde, beautiful and mesmerizing ex-boyfriend to the restaurant owner. He's such a pleasure to watch.

The point of this review is to say, we are the generation that refuses to be in relationships where we are not heard or not seen, particularly by those who are meant to care for us the most. I could relate so much to the language of 'not interested' because that is an active decision that you are consistently making regarding your life. It takes the longest time to make that decision, but once you leave a toxic environment, you become super clear about your boundaries and I have to say that I'm super proud of Sahashi for ultimately choosing himself. But more importantly, for choosing a new family not based on blood, but on your heart.

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I understand her...

I am actually stopping to think about the FL's POV. Right? I am also acknowledging that some of this is steeped in Korean culture regarding 'owing others'. However, if you step outside of that and instead think of her as an independent woman, you can see where she's coming from. Especially if you're very concerned about people calling you a gold digger for loving a rich man. Its definitely something to worry about.

This does bring up the question of - does she take it a step too far? Show me an independent woman who doesn't want an independent man. One who has loved you through and through? She needs a conversation with a therapist first before she enters into another long term relationship. This is why the end is not satisfying to me.

Watch this drama with a discerning eye. I trust the filmmakers and am recommending this series. Its short and quick on the binge. Also the visuals are great!

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a Whole Entire Yikes!

Listen, it's suicide, murder and mayhem led by an emperor with the strongest sperm this side of history and the lamest pull out game ever seen!😂😂😂

This is a really good drama! I think many may be discouraged by the seventy episodes, and translating it to seventy hours, but you will fly through each one because the plot is captivating and the visuals do not hurt. The most pleasant thing is that the drama is available on YouTube which is available in most regions.

I would recommend this series very strongly, especially for those who love a period drama. Enjoy!

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Fatally Boring.

Negatives:

-they took the suspense too far
-they threw in every trope under the sun (to list them all would require the spoiler tag)
-they rushed the last episode, no in fact they rushed every episode
- there was not enough time to tell the story in a fluid way
- the main leads did not have chemistry at all - it was uncomfortable to watch.

Positives:
-the ending song was beautiful a k-ballad sang and produced really well
-the visuals were on point
- I also enjoyed the height difference
- FINALLY and VERY GOOD - no dead fish KISS!!

I do not recommend unless if you are dead bored with absolutely nothing else to watch.

Watch at own risk!

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the Height of Incongruency

Understanding that this is a prequel, 2 episodes make total sense and they were enough to give you a glimpse of who the characters are.

this is a coming of age story; like so many that we have seen before, there is some confusion about what to call these feelings, but a strong sense of realness of said feelings is present through the episodes, especially the second. The question of what does it mean is the reason we see the interaction that we do at the end where there is a parting, but still no acknowledgement of what is really going on. You get to understand that the real issue here is having to call the feelings what they are and then having to deal with the consequences of such a label. None of our characters are ready for that, with reason.

There is a girl in the mix and a break up. Its a BL, so I mean ... Suffice to say the end is unpleasant for all parties. However, her voice is missing in this story. We are not told what she found attractive and what eventually led to the end. We are also not told how the relationship truly was in the quiet moments when it was just the two of them. Will that be explored later?

I loved this series for the way that it was shot, honestly. There was no beautification of the situation. Real is as real got. Having said that though there were some scenes that felt choppy due to editing. The acting was magnificent. Both our leads are talented and know how to communicate without uttering a word. The directing, um - was autobriographical. Shall we say that and leave it at that. Its his story and this is how he chooses to tell it. Commendable as that required some courage and vulnerability and we appreciate the sharing.

Looking forward to more of this.

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A Festival of Plot Twists!

This is a 2-part series that chronicles the story of young Max who finds himself dealt an unkind blow by life. The story itself is not new, but this is a subject we have not seen a lot of in the BL space and that was refreshing, but especially innovative was the filming and storytelling. Shot in documentary style and the cast being interviewed by behind the scene producers was different and this made it captivating. The story was told from ‘first hand experience’ and made it super real. For some, it may even be confusing; is this real or is this a fictional drama?!?

For me, however what blew my mind was how unpredictable the story way and just a myriad of plot twists that came our way in the second part. Proof that you don’t need 16 episodes to captivate an audience or tell a full story that makes total sense.

Would I recommend this series? A resounding yes. Just bring along some Kleenex if you are an empath or prone to tears as this may leave you a little wrecked, but you will not regret watching.

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Engineering Students Differently!

Sometimes, in fact most times we underestimate the effects of poverty on self esteem. When you are raised in an environment where the general populace is the same, you will hardly find any self esteem issues. The trouble starts with awareness that there is lack in the self. This is what Vee is battling with. These are consequences of falling in love with a rich kid and not having the skills to handle it. Also, having to watch those equal to Mark vie for his affections.

Mark comes across as more mature because he's had the luxury to move beyond worrying about his belly to bigger things.

To compare them is unfair. We've watched Vee make an attempt at showing Mark that he is able to love him even from his place of lack, but do badly due to lack of experience. It hasnt helped him that he is also poor at communicating. Oy!

In the end, what do you have besides your humanity. Vee is in luck with fatal looks, a crashing sense of humour and a persistent spirit. Something tells me he’s also gifted in the pleasure department which would explain why Mark lost his peripheral vision after one night. Their chemistry will have you reaching for your battery operated device because WTH!

Needless to say I loved the series and would strongly recommend a watch.

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Not as Morbid

Finally got around to watching this series, August 2022 to be exact and pleasantly surprised that the story as not as morbid as I had feared.

The story is about two boys from two different countries coming together for final goodbyes. Its short, its bitter sweet and pleasant to watch. At the bottom of it all, it is indeed about loss and the process of grief after sudden and unexpected passing. So leaning towards the sad, and if you are so inclined, you may shed one or two tears. But if you are looking for something with a simple storyline, beautiful people who are easy on the eye, then this is your BL.

Speaking of BL, the lost story is story with heavy subtleness. Perhaps this is where we see strng conservatism towards the subject of sexual minorities. There are NO strong sexual themes, hardly any kissing and the romance is mild at best. With some imagination, its possible to see some chemistry, but not strong at all. The boys have expressive faces and able to communicate some affection but that is where that ends.

I would recommend the series for some lazy watching, but not if you’re looking for some strong passion.

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Miss Out on Soulmate?

Very interesting how this show has thrown us into a moral dilemma so early. The second couple, Kelvin and Archie were not part of Episode 0 and so we were not sure what to expect upon meeting them in Episode 1 except now we've learned they've known each other since they were in high school and formed a connection then which continues to this day except Kelvin has a whole entire family. A woman and a child. We've watched enough dramas to know the reasons for this.

This is what brings me to the question - should he miss out on his soulmate just because he is married? No one is wrong here. Kelvin did not ask for the society he was born into, neither is it his fault for being born the way he was. Archie is not wrong for falling in love. The woman is not wrong for imagining she found a husband and they will grow old together.

Ultimately, this is an example of how obtrusive love can be. Such a disruption and unfortunately, it cannot be ignore. It seeps out in the most insidious ways and makes itself known. Love is the villian here. 😮‍💨

We are in for a ride and I personally, am terribly excited.

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Was it Art or Love?

The finale showed some really lazy writing. A massive let down for a series that showed great promise. The first four episodes were titillating, then it started showing cracks.

The visuals were amazing, the male leads were great but I struggled a bit with the chemistry, because it felt a little forced. They had moments when I thought they're steaming hot then they turned into brothers again.

The second couple had zero chemistry and we didn't really get to find out what they liked about each other. It was smart of them to assign the role of brother to the other blonde. Otherwise, it would have gotten really complicated.

It was refreshing to see a BL come out of China. We appreciate the warrior spirit that fought for its return. The setting was different, the casting solid. Overall a sweet love story for us to enjoy. Recommended for the slow moments in the calendar when nothing else is going on to binge and enjoy.

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Full Story in Six Episodes

Six episodes for a series will always leave us feeling unsatisfied. The advantage of course, is that we get to the love story fairly quickly. Filling up the series with characters walking up and down the stairs, or showing scenery is not needed. It is not necessary to avoid the fact that we are watching and waiting for the love story. We get to the point. However, what we gain in pace , we lose in character development and the implications are that we are unclear on what motivates our love interests, why are they attractive as love interests and who are they in the great scheme of things.

Love Class is a short BL about two boys who are desk mates at university. While this is not a new theme, we've not seen it in a university setting, or at least I have not. The story is about how the affection develops from such proximity. The story is believable, but what was unprecedented was how one of the characters suddenly leaves when their dream is about to become a reality, that felt a little unrealistic to me and therefore a let down.

The biggest let down for me was the kiss and this is not just with this drama. Many dramas are steeped in conservatism that it becomes rather difficult to believe the actions leading up to the kiss. How are you NOT passionate for the one you love after a long absence?

Besides all that, this is watchable on a Sunday afternoon when you have nothing else going on.

Thank you for reading my review.

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