Hwang Da Seul does it again...

Oh the intricacies of life that are brought so achingly to the screen in such a brilliant way. This was masterfully executed, as expected from Hwang Da Seul. She continues to provide us with compelling and beautifully acted stories and she definitely didn't fail us here.

Let Free the Curse of Taekwondo is a series of growing up and fighting with the expectations that are set forth and how we can break from those cursed chains that try to destroy us down to the bones. Or, what one is pushed to do just to survive, even if it means leaving everything and everyone you know behind. Not only does this story pull us in and keep us invested, but it gives us flawed characters and challenges us to understand (and still love) them.

All in all, this series was a solid work of art that deserves the high praise and a rewatch or two.

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Ossan's Love Returns and reminds us what great writing looks like

Ossan's Love Returns (literally) and what a welcome return to a wonderful series. Not very often are we given a big follow up installment, and it's even more rare that a follow up is well rounded as a whole. Which is what makes this such a welcome release within the BL world.

This series is so full of heart, of compelling characters and their stories, and also provides us with some good laughs as well. It makes every episode worth the watch, all the way through and even provides it with a high rewatch factor.

Maybe we'll see more from this series in the future, who knows? I'd personally love to see it.

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For Him, not For Me

12 episodes of For Him could've been easily condensed down to 8. Sometimes an episode was 45 mins, and sometimes it was barely 30 with 20 mins of BTS footage thrown in. The story is all over the place and loses itself many times. Lots of inconsistencies with the plot and even just the filming of it. The hair colors are all over the place, at different grow out periods for both of the main actors. Sometimes Nail was fully orange, sometimes not, sometimes it changed multiple times in an episode. Same thing for Him and his gray hair. This continued throughout and even in the last episode with Nail's painted nails, there was no consistency. And this overwhelming misstep really takes a few stars off for me.

Also, NC scenes are great and wonderful, but I felt like the NC scenes somehow were more of a priority than the overall plot of this show. And let me be clear, the NC scenes were mostly all enjoyable, but they are definitely not a replacement for actual story and depth. That missing element was definitely felt multiple times.

Overall Positives:
- Thor was a redeeming factor for me. His acting felt real and he fully allowed himself to be absorbed in Nail's world (and also Blue's).
- Side pairing Chao / Pie was also cute. I really loved their dynamics.

Overall Negatives:
- Dew's acting bothered me a lot, because it felt like acting (if that makes sense)
- Pacing and inconsistencies of the episodes and storylines.
- Didn't enjoy the BTS scenes added into episodes, that was super annoying.
- Also didn't like the intro, was wayyyy too long and seemed cheaply made.

I think the actors definitely deserved a better script. They did the best with what they were given. Hope to see them in something more substantial and solid in the future.

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A sweetly comedic story

Upon initial read of the synopsis of this BL, the likelihood for the 'cringe factor' to be off the charts is really high. But instead, what we find here is great chemistry between the leads and believable acting. The comedic timing in certain scenes had me wheezing with laughter. It was a perfect balance of funny and sweet.

I really loved how this series subtlety addresses the people who are watching the series and how being a fan / stan of something doesn't necessary make you a weirdo / loser.

The only thing that would absolutely make this better, is if it had more episodes or a s2.

It's just too good for it to be this short.

But what a fun and easy watch to start off 2024!

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Best Taiwanese BL in 2023

As we all know, some of the most coveted BLs of all time are hailed from Taiwan. And so, when you see a new one dropping the expectation is usually through the roof. All that said, the BLs dropping in 2023 from them have really fallen short in terms of their predecessors.

But Kiseki: Dear to Me walked through our doors and offered us a breath of fresh air. For me, it's really rare to be engaged and interested in both pairings of a show. But I was invested in both Zerui / Zongyi and Ai Di / Chen Yi. The chemistry between both pairings was dripping from the screen and their stories pulled at my heart strings so wonderfully. I honestly couldn't get enough of them.

I am dinging a few points on the story however, because the background plot outside of the couples is not really told well and can be kind of confusing. And also, the finale (overall) felt really underwhelming and frustrating by including unnecessary plot speed bumps for no reason.

Outside of that though, this is still worth a watch. Plus!!! There's so many cameos from beloved BLs of the past and it was nice to see them all again on the screen.

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Refreshing and honest, do not overlook this one!

I see reviews saying this show queerbaited, but I encourage everyone to look up the definition of that word and know that it is an incorrect assessment {and those saying that are probably watching for the wrong reasons}. Maybe they don't kiss, but their togetherness is undeniable and cute. Do not let other reviews deter you from watching and enjoying this series. I promise it is worth it.

This series climbed its way into my heart in a way that left me feeling touched, because of the overall storyline for both boys. I see a lot of reviews of people who are upset at the lack of an onscreen kiss, but in this instance, I think it makes sense. The lack of this onscreen kiss does not take away from the beautiful relationship that Dayeol and Taehyun were able to carve out. And based on Taehyun's past and his trauma, I believe he needed the extra time to navigate being in love with Dayeol.

It would have been great to see more of what happened during their time apart, but the result is that they finally came together when they were both ready. I think this series excels in storytelling; it was so nice to have the long eps for a kbl. I hope they veer more into this territory. As far as the acting, I think it was incredible. Both of the boys from Omega X, who acted in this series at one of the most difficult times in their life (as we would later come to find), rose to the challenge and did so beautifully. I hope both venture into the acting field again, as I would love to see more from them.

As far as A Shoulder to Cry On as a whole, it is an instant hit in my book and I will keep it in my top 5 kbls going forward.

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Beautiful Growing Pains

More than a BL, this felt like a realistic portrayal of LGBT / queer life with all of the complexities of growing up and the challenges of loving others and also yourself.

There's so much beauty in the story telling: the longing, the desperation and oh the loneliness of finding your own way in life. And the poetic justice of things not being perfect in the end, because isn't that truly l i f e? Sometimes the happily ever after is only in the acceptance of yourself and the capacity to find your own beat in the world. There's joy in that too, joy in the discovery that mundane days with a lost lover could be what you crave most.

This story truly is perfect in all of its imperfections.

Major kudos to Nam Yoon Su for bringing a needed story to mainstream media in South Korea. I give him major applause for choosing to fiercely charge ahead with leading this project, knowing that South Korea has such a long way to go as far as LGBT acceptance. He has faced backlash and has stood his ground, and I think he is exactly who was needed to tell this beautiful story.

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