AKAshon
In Between (Sa Pagitan ng Kamusta at Paalam)
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Started Strong But Lost Steam Halfway...
I was excited to learn that another BL has begun airing when I saw a YouTube comment under Sakristan mentioning that In Between has begun airing! And a Pinoy BL that doesn't center on video calls! Revolutionary! Lol. But it is nice seeing pinoy BL that doesn't have a virtual format. Hopefully, we'll get more of that in the future.In regards to the show, I was pleasantly surprised with the crisp, clear cinematography, which shows that this series had got budget! The acting is decent and several actors tried too hard to be emotional or funny, but it wasn't anything glaring (unlike Sakrisitan lol). The story started off with the breakup of the two leads, which was quite sad. However, it quickly reverted to a lighter, colourful atmosphere. The tonal shift was a bit jarring to be honest. The story was a bit slow so far, but I am interested in seeing how Otep and Tau's relationship will play out and why Otep felt so uncomfortable around Tau after spending time in L.A.
For me, there was too much unnecessary filler scenes in Episode 2. Did we really have to learn about the "two truths and one lie" of the friends, which took up like half of the episode? This series is only 5 episodes. Shouldn't they focus more on the main couple? The main couple's chemistry was palpable and their scenes were quite nice. Hopefully, the next few episodes will have more of them and less of the friends.
Episode 3 was also quite slow though it was nice to see the episode focus of Otep and Tau’s relationship. The flashback scenes of Otep and Tau secretly dating one another & being all happy were quite nice. The cinematography is still quite impressive. I’m excited to see the next episode!
Episode 4 was also slow, but I liked it. There's a lot of filler in this series, but I am enjoying it a lot! I love #TauTep's dynamic. There's this realism of heartbreak and sacrifice that touched me. I am glad that they have decided to extend this series though as 5 episodes would not be enough for this story. I'm hyped for #TauTep to get back together!
Episode 5 was quite good. However, it was disappointing to hear Tau say that he doesn't like boys, just Tep. Excluding that dialogue line, this series is progressing quite nicely. There's less filler and TauTep's relationship really pulls you in, It's definitely one of my favorite BL's currently airing at the moment along with Hello Stranger.
Episode 6 was also quite good as it showed some kilig moments between TauTep such as them brushing their teeth together in front of the mirror and teasing each other! My heart! It was also revealed that on of TaeTeo's friends, Ronin, whose friends constantly joke about being single, is actually secretly gay and that he has a boyfriend! It seems like knowing that Tau and Tep are in a relationship will give him the courage to come out to his friends. I love that! Gay people inspiring others to come out and to be true to themselves! I also wonder who the shirtless guy in the last scene is and what his role will be in the story. Is he Tep's boyfriend from America? I guess we'll just have to wait to find out!
Episode 7 was quite nice as we got to see some more kilig moments between TauTep and learned more about the "pangs' couple. So far, I don't see much chemistry between Ronin and Makisig but hopefully, in the following episodes, their chemistry will improve. On a side note, what happened to the shirtless Orion dude from the end of Episode 6? I thought that he was Tep's LA boyfriend, but Tep said that that was a lie (unless he was lying). I was expecting Orion to be addressed in this episode, but he wasn't. Hopefully, it will be addressed in Episode 8.
The series is starting to slow down as it begins to temper its story as there isn't really much in terms of story progression.
Overall, this BL series was decent as it started off strong but quickly became repetitive and dull when it got extended due to its popularity.
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So utterly cute! My heart is full whenever Gu Hai and Luo Yin are onscreen together! And when they 'broke' up, my heart hurt. The chemistry between the two leads is electric and without a doubt, is one of the best BL couples no cap! The performances of everyone was ace! The writing was strong though there were some questionable plot points that don't make much sense like why Gu Hai and Luo Yin started to live together when Gu Hai had his own apartment or how neither of their parents mentioned the names of their sons for so long when they should know that their sons attend the same school and are in the same year, Also, the girlfriend coming back at the end seemed a bit shoe-horned in and makes it all the more annoying that there won't be a second season due to China's ridiculous censorship! Imagine all the BL content that China could have put out without that inane ban! The Untamed would have been so much better! This series could have been one of the best BLs ever alongside SOTUS & SOTUS S if it wasn't for China's censorship. I'm so angry! Anyways, the musical themes used in this show are very good though they don't really fit in with the story or atmosphere. And why did the drama use musical scores from iconic gay films such as Carol and Brokeback Mountain? How does music inspired by the 1950's and music inspired by the American wilderness work in a high school setting? And the usage of The Lion King's Can You Feel the Love Tonight was kinda random? Wouldn't it have been expensive to get the right to use them? I wonder how if they got clearance? Or maybe the fact that its in China means that they don't need clearance? Anyways, I also really liked that the two leads are not conventionally beautiful but rather regular-looking. It's nice seeing ordinary people get the spotlight unlike in Thai dramas where everyone is pretty.A reviewer on Viki said it best: "I wish that the cast and crew would just pick up and move to another country where they can start right back up where they left off and finish this series. Every person that has been involved since the beginning deserves to see the proof of their hard work and we fans deserve to know what happened to the characters that we got angry with, laughed , cried, and fell in love with, as well as those of us that who fell in lust with them and their hot steamy love scenes where we could almost see and feel the electricity and fire that sparked between them with every look, kiss, and touch. I want that kind of passion in my life. Even imagining a miniscule percentage of that intensity in my life has my heart pounding." Perfectly describes my feelings towards watching Addicted.
On a side note, I watched this using the free trial on Viki due to reports of scenes that were cut on the versions on YouTube. And the quality was good too!
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Seven Days: Friday - Sunday
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Painfully Slow and Dull (For Me)...
Painfully slow and dull. This film was way too quiet and complacent for my taste, trying my patience numerous times, making me feel compelled to use my phone, which is something that I don't do when I watch films. I was so bored. The prequel, although slow also, was much better as it was able to keep my attention, which this film wasn't able to do.Once again, another story whose conflict could have easily been resolved if only the ML's actually communicated with each other, instead of holding back and assuming incorrect ideas. All Toji had to say to Yuzuru is that Shino is his brother's ex-girlfriend who was at the house because she most likely reconciled with him. It really isn't that hard to do. He could have also told him that dating wasn't just a game to him, but for some reason, he never did. And why did Yuzuru reject Toji towards the end of the week just to ask to be his boyfriend at the end? That twist was random and unnecessary.
All in all, this film series was too overrated in my opinion. There are much better BL films out there to see...
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Seven Days: Monday - Thursday
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Cute But A Bit too Slow for My Taste...
I've heard a lot about this film and its sequel as it is often mentioned whenever someone ask for BL movie recommendations. Thus my expectations may have been too high for this film as I found it to be a bit too slow and quiet for my taste, but it was also cute and charming seeing two teen boys try to figure out their feelings towards one another., making mistakes and incorrect assumptions along the way.On a side note, what's up with that anime-inspired hair? Is it still popular in Japan? I feel that it would be outdated, but I'm not entirely sure.
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Cute and Charming...
What the eff was that ending? Did Toey really have to die? No, he didn't! Excluding the horrible ending, I really enjoyed this short film, which I first heard about from a BL Instagram account. It was cute and charming. All four leads were attractive. The two ML's were hot. I enjoyed the twist that was revealed in the last act. I would've liked more gay moments between the two ML's though. I would love to see the two ML's (Scott Pannachai and Book Siqaphat paired together in a full-length BL series. That would be awesome!Vond je deze recentie nuttig?
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Flawed Though Beautiful (In a Sense)...
Flawed in its execution, but beautiful in its earnestness and music. I've always been a fan of stories that focus on the theme of time passed and regret. It's always poignant and touching to remember that we only live one life and that our lives will end someday. I found this series to be too short and the story was too rushed. It could have expanded and deepened its scope. It was never explained why Xia Zhi Chen felt so obligated to appease his father to the point of entering into a fake marriage and raising a daughter. Why didn't he just cut ties with his father? I know that he couldn't leave when he was younger as he was practically trapped at home, but when he got older and became a lawyer, he had the freedom to leave... But he never did for some reason. This didn't make sense, especially since his father was threatening to kill him or himself. He still stayed. Like what? He didn't really seem to have any regret nor did he seem mentally taxed from 'faking' for so long. It was practically like he was just like, "Eh, I'll just divorce my wife and get with my high school crush" with some pseudo-deep voiceover of finally being free with the death of his father.There are other several questionable plot points such as why the PE teacher sent bullies to beat up Li Xiang Wan, which didn't make sense. To be honest, that teacher-student subplot was kinda unnecessary to be honest. Also, so many BL series have their main characters be unintentionally outed because they were kissing at home in a public area where any family member could walk in. Like the BL series that I watched before this one literally also used that plot point. It's such a tired trope that is unrealistic and makes no sense! No closeted gay would be dumb enough to do that!
It is impressive though the emotions and feelings that this low-budget series was able to muster though in its last few episodes. I was genuinely touched. And I do applaud the series for portraying the toll that bullying can take on a person and how the school authorities could have done more.
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Dark & Engaging...
I first heard about this film from a BL Instagram account and had to watch it due to its subversive nature. And boy! What a wild ride it was! The film was problematic as it did use sexual assault and rape as a 'commendable' way to teach a suicidal character to appreciate life. Not sure logically how this works, but okay... And it did reinforce the idea of Stockholm Syndrome, falling for your kidnapper. However, I must admit that the story was engaging and compelling. I was invested in the story and rooted for the characters to end up together.On a side note, it's always nice seeing subversive content coming from Japan, which is known to be polite and formal. It's interesting seeing a country produce content like Terrace House where everyone is respectful of one another and Sei no Gekiyaku who sexual assault abounds.
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HIStory2: Boundary Crossing
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Simple But Cute!
A simple story told effectively. It was SO CUTE! My heart felt full at the end. The story did feel a bit rushed which is understandable as it is only 8 episodes. There were some inconsistencies with the plot though, such as Xia Yu-hao's personality doing a complete 180 degree from a bad ass to a hyper-excited child, which didn't feel natural. Qui Zi Xuan is so attractive and was great as the stoic volleyball manager. The performances were all all around great. The chemistry between the two leads was palpable. I loved that they included a step-brother couple, which was also SO CUTE! I would have loved to learn more about them! Huge props for the realistic portrayal of gay relationships! Although not my favourite BL series (which belongs to SOTUS and SOTUS S), this is definitely among the best!Vond je deze recentie nuttig?
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Not Worth Watching IMO...
I was excited to see that another BL has premiered from a BL Instagram account! And it's pretty good so far. The story is pretty simple; just two roommates living with another. However, I really liked that there was only one setting/location, the room, which made the atmosphere feel intimate and comforting. I also liked how the confident gay and panicked gay trope is playing out so far with them sleeping on the same bed and sharing a bathroom that has an opaque see-through-ish door. I'm excited to see the next episode!Episode 2 was quite dull. The introduction of the ML's best friends who are also yaoi fangirls was awkward and totally unnecessary. All the drama felt manufactured in this episode. Nothing was natural, sweet or kilig.
Episode 3 was nice as James and Sky had their first kiss though their relationship was way too rushed. After their kiss, which was an accident of which one of them was drunk, there was literally a montage of them doing couple things. Like what? There's still 7 more episodes in this series. How will they fill it out when all the cute, sweet couple moments were edited into a montage?
Episode 4 was a bore with the unnecessary filler scenes with the best girl friends, who were so annoying. It was also kinda problematic with a possible rape/ambiguous consent. I'm glad that there will be one more episode to answer this.
Well, the Special Episode was so bad. I cannot! The entire duration of the episode focused on the annoying girl best friends and and the fangirl photographer. LIke what was the point of focusing on them? They literally serve nothing to the table. Nothing! The finale where the two ML's kiss was nice though a little too late. All in all, the series started off cute and sweet and became such a bore.
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Best Japanese BL Thus Far!
I was excited to watch this as it was Viki's second original BL after the commendable 'Where Your Eyes Linger.' Watching the first episode, I thought that this series was kinda weird but also kinda cute. With its two leads meeting one another by walking on a painted line on the side of the road, it kinda reminded me a bit of Your Name in a way. Their relationship does seem a bit too rushed. Like Ito went from struggling with his feelings for another guy to holding hands with Nishi in public. It is understandable though as the series is only 4 episodes long, so the creators had to really rush their relationship. Either way, I'm excited to watch the next episode!Episode 2 was also adorable! The relationship did feel rushed as the story makes several time-jumps, but it does work. It feels like a montage of important moments in their relationship. I was surprised that Nishi didn't feel comfortable with kissing and that he needed time to prepare, which made me wonder if he had some kind of trauma in his childhood. Of course, he could just be someone who needs to prepare for those moments and I may be overthinking it. However, Ito was able to acknowledge Nishi's fear and I loved how the consent was played out! (Tharntype should take note lol). On a side note, I wonder how the girl at the end of the episode will affect Nishi and Ito's relationship.
Episode 3 was also good though quite sad. I wonder if Akira is bisexual or if he is actually gay, but denying his feelings in favor of a 'normal' relationship. I feel for Yuki who deserves better, especially since Akira was the one who pursued Yuki in the first place all those years ago. Hopefully, this series will have a happy ending. I've heard that the manga does have a happy ending. I wonder if the series will also have a happy ending.
Episode was so good! Akira divorcing his wife because he can't take pretending anymore. Akira standing up to his strict, traditionalist mother was inspiring! Akira trying tirelessly to find Yuki but is unsuccessful until he goes to Alaska and comes across Yuki, which was cheesy yes, but it made sense. I loved the ending montage which showed the mother embracing her daughter's international marriage and her son's gay relationship, which showed that parents can change and learn to accept their children. A baby would have been perfect at the ending. Like a baby sleeping in between Yuki and Akira with the close-up of their rings. That would have been so good! Especially since Akira wanted to have a child and broke down when he saw his ex-wife with a baby. By including a baby, the show could have showed that gay couples can have children and be a family. I wished that they did that. Either way, this was an engaging, touching story of the reality of gay love, discoring it, struggling with it and finally, accepting it!
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A Slow-Burner... But a Good One At That!
I have heard so much raves about My Mister on social media, with many people hailing it as one of the best K-drama series of all time. Since, it was on Netflix, I had to watch it. I was surprised by the tone and atmosphere of this series, which was unlike any of the K-dramas that I've seen thus far. It's a different kind of Kdrama. One that is more depressing , dark and melancholy. Engaging and touching, this series was very good though it is a slow-burner I must say. It does take patience to watch this series, but you do get rewarded. I love that the story is bout friendship not love. I love that the two leads develop a deep friendship rather than love, which we have seen so many time before. On a side note, this series reminded me of Parasite with the idea of poor but intelligent individuals conning wealthy people for money. Acting, production and story were all quite good though there were a few questionable moments, especially during the first few episodes.For Episode 1, why didn't Dong Hoon put the money in his bag which was right under his desk. Why would he go through the trouble of getting a folder to cover the package and putting it in the drawer. Even when he believed that there was the possibility that Lee Ji Ahn saw his hide the package, why wouldn't he just put it in his bag right then? Even when Lee Ji Ahn asked him for dinner, he could have still put the package into his bag (even if she was lording over him which I assumed that she was). If she asks what the package is, he could easily lie and say that it's nothing. Even angle-wise, I'm not sure that Lee Ji Ahn would be able to see Dong Hoon open the package since he did have a barrier to his left which could have easily covered this act. And why would the guy in charge of the electricity room help her? And she didn't even give him a cut of the money. Of course, I'm being nit picky.
I felt that there were too many coincidences in the first few episodes. Such as in Episode 3, how did the brother know that the waiters at that club wore that uniform when it seemed like he was there for the first time. And there's no way that Ji Ahn orchestrated that hit-and-run as she would have to time exactly when he was wake up at the hotel, etc. Too many factors to take into account.
All in all though, it was a great K-drama series. Not the best K-drama that I've seen, but definitely one of the best. *Fighting*
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Entertaining Though Overlong...
This film piqued my interest due to its BL/gay content. Though entertaining and epic, the film was overlong and could have easily been shortened by 30-45 minutes. I wonder though, couldn't the King force himself to have sex with the Queen? Many gay royalty had to do the same, if I remember correctly. And if he can't force himself to bed the Queen, why would he force his lover, who he presumed to be also gay, to bed the Queen?Anyways, of course, the evil King is gay and is driven mad by his obsession with his chief of guard who love his Queen. And we were made to root for the straight romance and demean the gay one.
I would love to see historical epic films with a central gay love that doesn't end in death or despair.
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Quality Writing & Acting But a Bit Too Slow & Downbeat For Me...
I've heard raves about this series, especially since it starred A-list Japanese actors and an older BL couple. It's nice seeing an older couple in their late forties lead a BL series. The story was on point and touching. Light-hearted and hilarious at times. The acting was top-notch. However, I felt that the series was a bit too slow and downbeat for me. I couldn't really get invested in the characters or their lives unfortunately. My heart wasn't in it. There wasn't really any tension or conflict to propel the story forwards. It kinda felt like coasting in a way. I did enjoy the amount of cooking in this series though. It made me want to try cooking for myself.The series showed what it meant to share your life with another person. It gave me a pang knowing that at this stage of my life, being closeted, lonely, in my mid-20's and never having had a boyfriend, I am terrified that I may never be able to experience love and that I may never be able to share my life with another human being. Seeing these grown-up gays with their stable jobs and their passions makes me sad and jealous since I don't know what I like nor what I am good at as I have been forced to study something I hate to become something I don't want to be. And now, I am lost...
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