Niniane
Netherlands
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Chemistry makes up for sloppy storytelling
Watched while airing.Seeing the overall rating and other reviews, I think I should maybe re-watch and see what I missed that was so bad? Yes, the story is just above average,. Yes, the "lie" is stretched until the last ep. Yes, the side characters or side-stories are not the best. But in my opinion, this is perfectly made up by the two main leads.
Ryan and Frame have never acted together before, but they seem like a wel-seasoned BL-couple. The dislike in the beginning is already full of chemistry, and this does not go away once they actually get together. All scenes they have together are flawless and I was having butterfly-overdose and that is actually what is most important for me in BL. I wnat that flutter, that melting, these looks.
The only thing I definitely hated about the show was the theme-song. Not to insult anyone, but the singer sounds like she's 80 years old. Did someone owe someone else a favor by letting her sing this otherwise perfectly good song? Well, nevermind. It did not affect my experience that much, just a slight annoyance. I will definitely re-watch this show at some point to re-live this awesome chemistry.
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Great start culminates in drama overkill
i really loved the first few episodes of this drama. The period setting, the ostracizing of gay people and the harm this causes to entire families, the family status that must be upheld at all times, the falling in love, the plotting, the shame, the secrecy... It was done so well!The disappointment could not have been bigger when halfway all this gets pushed to the background to deal with just the war between the former business partners. The emphasis on this particular story line makes that everything else is in service of it. Characters are molded to fit the narrative, dramatic fight scenes and battles are dragged on to infinity... it's a mess.
The last 2 episodes were just me hoping somebody would die already to make this end. The final scenes are so sweet it made my teeth hurt. Everyone who was ready to drink each others blood in the beginning is now lovey dovey with the world and it's just not it. I wish they had stuck to the line from the first 5 or 6 episodes. If they had done that, this would have been a fantastic drama. I call for a do-over!
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Game changer for the BL genre
This series... Where do I begin? It's so far the best BL series ever. It's nearly flawless in story telling, visuals, music and acting.This series had a rough start. It changed cast, production houses and more before it started filming. This could have been a blessing in disguise, however, since there was now a much longer prep time. This was used by the actors to get acquainted with their characters and each other before actual filming. And it shows. The total immersion into the characters and the story is impressive. Paired with the utterly stunning visuals, both in the actors as in the lighting, camera work and sets, makes for a game changing BL series.
It's mature in all aspects. The love scenes are somewhat explicit, but visually so, so attractive. Even the BDSM scenes look beautiful. There's a deep understanding on how to display emotions with just visuals and it brings it to such a high level.
The casting is on point, the actors obviously have a deep respect for their characters and their own stories. I have watched a lot of bts footage (thank you BOC) which also makes that abundantly clear.
Was there anything I didn't like? Well, yes. For example, there are only 14 episodes. I could've watched a 140 like this. No, all kidding aside, Time/Tee needed so much more screentime. They were there, we know they must have a story to tell, but they never got the chance to tell it.
Some story lines are not fully cleared up, but that doesn't take away from the whole.
I'm not a re-watcher. Once seen, I review and leave it. This is one of few I will re-watch. This I will re-watch until blue in the face. In fact I'm starting right now and I won't stop until they release S2. Better get on it, BOC!
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F4 Thailand: Boys Over Flowers
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Great story, not the best adaptation
Maybe its my fault for having seen all other adaptations of the story, but I found this one lacking. This story should be a story of love conquering absolutely everything. The universe seems to be against them. Every time a crisis is overcome, another is at the corner. It's desperate, its fated, it's BIG LOVE. And that's exactly what I missed in this one. The feeling of desperation, of having to be together despite the odds. Bright and Tu both give a great performance and Ren is so lovable it's almost a crime. The other F4's MJ and Kavin deserved more story and screen time. It's still a good story, and I liked the pace and the original take on certain topics but it did not really get to me as much as the other adaptations do.Vond je deze recentie nuttig?
Intriguing whilst shaky Ep-By-Ep review (Ep. 1-19 covered so far)
Ep. By Ep. review, updated as needed at irregular intervals.This drama feels like it came out at the exact right time. There is a shift going on in the BL drama world, especially coming from the viewers and the industry seems to (slowly) respond to this with sort of an emancipation move. War Of Y is rumoured to be based upon real stories from the BL-industry. We have all heard stories coming from behind the scenes of abuse, misconduct and tragedy and some of these stories can be recognized in this drama. This makes for an interesting but painful watch, as sometimes we may suspect who this story is actually about and it hurts. The way the stories are being portrayed is completely void of "juice". It does not feel like a reality tabloid. It feels like a painful look at what actually goes on (past or present?) with our favorite ships. I have been a BL addict for a few years now and also follow some of the ships on Twitter, YT or any other outlet. So here's a review of the series from a BL lover
There are 4 stories in total, each spanning 4 episodes.
1. New Ship (ep 1-5)
As much as we love our OG ships, we are always excited when we see a new cp in a drama. We don't always realize that any new cp can mean less work for an older one. The way ships stay relevant is up to how their managers decide to market the ship as a whole and the actors individually. Fans follow their favorite ships and biases like glue and every glance and move is painstakingly analyzed. Anything can be interpreted as either a confirmation of realness or denial of the same. Well, in this first story of the drama one of the managers all but prostitutes their actors and goes behind their backs striking deals left and right with only their own wallet in mind. This effects the actor who feels trapped between their manager, an upcoming ship and his ship-partner, with who he develops feelings, but who gets better career opportunities which puts strain on the relationship. The actors mental state is getting more and more unstable until he chooses himself over his career.
The ship, played by Billy and Seng (Secret Crush On You) is portrayed very realistically. The manager is an extremely hateful b*tch and the people around them must be aware of what's going on but do nothing. Help comes from an unexpected source and everything seems to turns out ok. Acting here is *chefs kiss*. There is not one really likeable character and there wasn't meant to be. You feel bad for the actors but also in a way they bring it on themselves by their actions or in-actions.
2. War Of Managers (ep. 6-ongoing)
Like in the previous story, managers do horrible stuff to market their actors and line their pockets. In this story, the 'moms' of the ship partners come up with an unsavory plan to keep the ship going. One of the actors is particularly sacrificed without him knowing. It is painful to watch him be so happy while knowing it's all a lie. His ship partner is ultimately suffering under the situation as well and when shit threatens to hit the fan, the managers step up the game and everything goes south really fast. This story feels even more uncomfortable than the first. The ship partners do have chemistry, but is this chemistry actually there or are they such good actors they can fake even that? At one point I expected Bew to push his partner off the roof, since in every scene something seems to be brewing in the air. So far both actors seem to be putting their career above their and their partners happiness. This will most likely not end well.
Eps 7&8 up the war significantly. The gloves come completely off and the managers dont shy away from any means to eliminate the other. Bews manager Toon even poisons Gus, compromising videos and fishy people are being used and the line between right and wrong keeps shifting in the wrong direction. at this point, the managers are not even doing it for their "child" anymore, they just want to win. Gus and Bew seem to realize this and agree on taking things in theyr own hands. I can only hope that this will prove to be the right move for them....
Ep.9: The story is getting a little sluggish. Although a big reveal is happening this ep, there is nothing really exciting happening. Just back and forth between managers and their "kids", a sasaeng fujoshi coming forward (but nothing happening with her...) and the feeling that there is something very fishy going on. Bew's hyper ventilating always comes when he is about to be called out, and it is highly suspicious to say the least.
Ep. 10. On the night he is about to receive the award he's been dreaming of, Bew gets called out. He is apparently behind everything. The leaked videos, the harassment of Pla, even Gus's arrest. He tries to get out of taking responsibility but Pla, Toon and Gus are having none of it. Bew decides to confess and take a break from everything. Gus is a real angel for still wanting to even speak to him, let alone forgive him, but that seems to be happening. It is all a bit disappointing tbh, and depressing. No clear heroes or villains, winners or losers. Just the gloomy toxicity of the industry.
3. Y-IDOL
Ep.11 y-idol is a reality talentshow where 3 'ships' of aspiring y(bl) -actors compete for a role in an upcoming bl series. The plot revolves around 2 of them, Kla and Peak, who we met in the previous story as new 'kids' of managers Pla and Toon. Peak is having a hard time getting into the bl-side of the character he's expected to fulfill. This seems at least partly due to a bullying he experienced before. His ship partner Kla tries to help, but so far with little luck and with questionable motivation. This is again a story with a lot to unpack it seems and I hope it goes in a less painful direction from the previous one. Acting is certainly less impressive, but it's early days.
4. Y-Idol
Ep 12-15 I found this story both compelling and at times off-putting. Nobodies' motives are clear, everyone has an agenda and honesty to another or even themselves seems non-existent. Please never put me in an idol-contest. I will either kill someone or die of anger and frustration. The chemistry between Peek and Kla is amazing, but I can't tell if its real or not. Peek and Chai seem to break down and come clean at the end, but I feel there is so much more intrigue and behind the scenes than we have seen...
5. Wife
Ep. 16-18
The story of Most and Achi, who are a ship that's taking off, but Achi has a girlfriend (which Most doesn't know) who is part of their group and series. Most is in love with Achi, but Achi seems manipulative and I am not sure about his feelings or motives. This story is again food for thought, because what does happen when 1 shipped partner is in love but the other is already in a relationship? Acting and chemistry are top level. Some very very cute moments also in this story.
Ep 19. Well, the cat came out of the bag and secrets are being revealed. I can't decide if I believe Achi is really attracted or even in love with Most OR with Fern. When asked to choose he ran. These people are al idiots ruled by hormones it seems. Next week last ep. I hope they will make it a good one.
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No plot. Good kisses
First ep I was a little apprehensive, not sure where this was going. A typical college BL maybe? It's certainly a 'love at first sight' thing, at least for one of the main leads.Ep. 2 Story got a little clearer, I kinda cringed at the oops I had drunk sex with a guy thing, And what the hell was with these stuffed socks?? I felt relieved when Nhai confesses he actually liked it and that he was the one feeling guilty towards Ai. Ai is so in love he likes everything Nhai does but I think Nhai is not as great as he looks and might be chaotic af. Ai better brace himself. Curious to see where this goes.
Ep.3. I´m really not sure about this tbh. Although there are many things I like, there are at least as much things I dislike. Ai puts an unfair amount of pressure on Nhai, and although he has asked for time, Ai is trying to kiss him not 2 seconds later. Nhai is all over the place and says he is confused, but he seems anything but. I am really hoping for the dialogue to be more consistent and the subs being as bad as they are is not helping...
Ep 4-8 I am getting more and more worried about this drama and frustrated that the writing is not what it could be. Scenes and even full episodes seem to be made just for screenfilling and visual. There is no development. In fact, just exactly in the scene where you think something happens.... The episode is over. The next episode starts with that promising scene, but does not fulfill the promise. Characters remain flat, without any depth or real emotion. We see Nhai get jealous but who knows why. No motives, just nothing. All thats left is the fluff and the chemistry. But that falls totally flat when the rest is so severely lacking. This hurts and I do not see it getting better. Rating dropped to 6.
Ep. 9. Every time the end credits start running, I'm like: what? But nothing happened yet!. It is sooo boring! Ai's birth mother is the worst evil mom I've ever seen. She can't even get the expressions right. Also.. Usually with 'bad' bl's we can get at least some solace from the side couple. But there is none here! We are being robbed. The award for saving the ep. goes to Arm for doing the only good acting. Thank you Arm!
Ep. 10. Birth mom got slayed by Nhai. That was the best thing to watch. Rest of the ep was boring
Ep 11 and 12. Meeting the parents, being cute at night, going on a camping trip, bei g cute again, getting sick, getting orange peeling tips, getting better, being cute and promise forever. The end.
There was never any plot. Here and there are sparks of story but all of them bled out and died silently. This was Ai and Nhai being cute for 12 eps straight. Could have been half that. Got really boring in the end despite good kissing. There was no more tension, no real passion, no obstacles to overcome. No ingredients to make a good series.
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Beautiful but lacking substance
Our MaxNat have returned and take on a fantasy time jump theme. This line would make any serious BL-fan salivate and so it did. And it's a good watch. Max and Nat are improving their acting every next show, and there's not a lot to criticize, apart from the mannerisms of mostly Nat. What I do criticize is acting of the supporting cast (awful) and the lack of screentime for the second couple. I would've liked to see them interact more after that night in the cabin, but alas. The main lovestory is meant to be an epic one spanning dimensions. Unfortunately, while the love is certainly there, the whole epic-ness is underwhelming. This is mainly due to sloppy writing. The story is second to almost everything else. I was more impressed with some of the scenery (beautiful trees and caves).This means that although acting, background and theme are great, it falls a bit flat because it lacks the substance of a real epic tale that fits all that.
Special note for the NC scenes. These are amazing. I would even say epic. And also note the kissing.. Especially TaiKram and how that's different from PhuphaKram.
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Love Syndrome: The Beginning
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Not sure how to feel
I watched this movie after watching Love Syndrome III. I liked that better than this movie, but i'm not sure why exactly, as neither of these is really good. I'm not sure if it's fair to compare them, but i'm going to do that anyway. The acting in this movie is ok, better than in the series apart from the NC-scenes, which were honestly quite cringe in this movie. I felt NO chemistry from the main couple (GearNight) and only mildly from FourGus. DayItt was worst of all, and how they cabn go from where we left off here to being as in love as they are in the series is anyones guess. Day says he likes Itt (but whyyyyy?) but his actions and bodylanguage don't support his words. Itt is scared (and rightly so!) but seems to stay with Day of his own free will (but whyyyyy?) . the movie has an open ending, and seems to leave room for a follow-up (LSII?) but i'm not sure I want it. Maybe we should just leave these characters in the book (that I did not read, nor intend to) where they can do no more harm, instead of trying to make the terrible things these guys do to eachother screen-friendly.Vond je deze recentie nuttig?
Dead Friend Forever - DFF
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Good overall, but Barcode award worthy performance
For this drama, the title alone would compell me to watch it. The fact that it comes from BOC, the company who gave us KinnPorsche and ManSuang, makes it a mandatory watch. And it was a good watch, but was it up to standard? Well, yes and no. The theme (revenge thriller) is an original choice in BL-land. and for this kind of theme I expect a solid story, taking me to a climax and having me root for one or more characters on the way.The story is solid enough, theres a clear line, even with the flashbacks and - forwards. But i could not root for any of the characters. They were either too shitty or too obscure to identify with. In the friend group there are a few identifiably archetypical characters, but not all of them are written in to be a real part of the plot. The ones that are essential to the plot are lacking in detail so we're left wondering about motives and patterns, What made Tan/New go so insane? What about Jin makes Phee fall for him?
The only character I could "feel" was Non. Barcode seemlessly goes from sweet and innocent to dramatic and psycho and then to mysterious and sad. It was a thrilling experience that he can do that t such a young age with so little experience. Can't wait to see more of him.
There were some annoying plotholes. What happened to the opening scene? This scene is not in the movie they made and is never mentioned since, What happened to Tee's father? and the most important question: who killed mr. Keng? Since Jin keeps seeing him in the hallucinations, could it be him? And speaking of hallucinations, what kind of stuff is this? And it has an antidote? And it works with just a whiff of it in your nose? But not if you're wearing half a mask? Like I said: annoying and sometimes distracting from the story.
I'm left feeling that if Barcode did not do as well as he did, I might not have enjoyed this series half as much. Go Barcode!
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Everything I love in 1 show!
This long awaited series did not disappoint. It has so many elements to love, that the only thing that keeps it from being rated a 10/10 is the fact that it did not have double the amount of episodes, so some scenes could have been elaborated on an the last episode did not feel a bit rushed. So sad it ended!Elements to love in this show: BL (obviously), chemistry, amazing storyline, supernatural, SFX, crime/mystery, good comedy, beautiful NC scenes, great cinematography, well outlined side characters, amazing score/ost.
Elements that could be better: ending felt a bit rushed, underexposed side couples, not enough episodes.
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The Boy Foretold by the Stars the Series
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Epic love in just 6 eps!?
Please make sure you watch "The Boy Foretold By The Stars" movie before you dive into this series. The movie tells you the start of the romance between Dominic and Luke.The series is a very welcome and well executed addition/elaboration to the movie. I watched it all in one sitting on YouTube. Every time I watch a Philippine BL I remind myself to watch more of these, but because they are not widely available I don't get around to watching them often enough, which is a shame shame shame.
This one is another example of how good these can be in their simplicity. No distracting side-stories, just the main couple and their love story. But it's evactly that storytelling that is so good. We get swept in their world and we live every moment with them. The love, the fear, the parents, the teachers, the friends... perfect. So real.
HIGHLY recommend!
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The Boy Foretold By The Stars
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Fluffy and light feelgood
This movie is a great watch. It's well-paced, with humorous notes and some emotional scenes at exactly the right timing. The chemistry between the two leads is very present, and you can really feel their falling in love through the screen.Representation is usually done well in Phillipine BL, and this one is no different. It's scenery is a typical high school environment, where competition, bullying and teen-angst are omnipresent. Furthermre, this is a catholic high school, with actual clergymen as teachers and headmaster. It's a delight to see that there is no condemnation from the faculty towards the openly gay community in the school, they are even welcomed as organisers of some kind of bible-camp where the students learn about the love of Chist.
The feel of this movie is very fresh and light, with some more serious notes here and there. Above all, it's a movie about falling in love for the first time and what that does to a person.
Highly recommend that if you watch this movie, you watch "Love Beneath The Stars" the series right after, where the story between Dominic and Luke is explored more deeply.
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Purpose unclear, mildly ok parts
This series consists of 12 2-ep stories of love. Most of them are about the beginning of love, but in some the failure of the same. I was left with the feeling that these were all stories that could at some point be made into a full series, but were not due to lack of funds or otherwise, It all feels rushed, low budget with unknown actors thet we have either not seen before or only in supporting roles. Some themes really deserved more time and attention, such as Friends Forever and Pisces Of Me. Some should be fast forgotten, such as Marry Go Round and Fake Love. Some are really good in this short form, like You Are My SoulMate and Lucky Love. On average it was a 5,5/10 for me.Casanova Begins: 5/10 huh, why?
Marry Go Round 4/10 Cringeee
Right Time, Right You 7/10 Great chemistry
You Are My So(ul) Mate 7,5/10
Lucky Love 7,5/10
The Camp Fire 6,5/10 (reveal ruined it, wth)
Friends Forever7/10 so sad
Fake Love 4/10 bad directing bad editing gaps, repetitions
Pisces of Me 5/10 heavy subject too rushed
1626 7/10 what happened next?
Refund Love 6/10 fun concept, badly executed
I Wish You Love 6/10 melancholic
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Problematic but addictive. One to binge!
I binged this after airing, and I'm convinced that's the way to watch this.For those who like a dominant man, I get you. But should you ever meet someone like Shangzhou irl, I would strongly recommend running in the other direction. This man has "unprocessed bagage" written across his forehead. That being said, Shunyu is no kitten either, although it seems otherwise in the beginning. The combination of these two is nothing short of FIREWORKS. The chemistry is banging. and that chemistry is what makes this 10 ep. series absolutely worthwhile.
If you are sensitive to non-consentual touching, pushy innuendo and powerplay, you should proceed with caution. Shangzhou uses all these techniques to get what he desires. At first, Shunyu is not having it, but as soon as his boss shows a sliver of heart, he starts falling for him. Like I said, don't expect too much reality-based interactions. While Shangzhou is convinced he is clearly showing Shunyu he likes him, the object of his desire is convinced his overbearing strict boss hates him. There is a rather large communication gap here. Only after a drunk interaction Shunyu starts to understand Shangzhou's feelings. But that just ushers in further misunderstandings and issues, since Shunyu is totally spooked and runs off.
Shangzhou sees no other way than to pressure Shunyu into staying, which complicates and cools things between them significantly. What turns this around you ask? Well, of course there should have been a heart to heart between them to clear the air, or lawyers should have been involved to break this insane contract. But no, Shangzhou's older brother steps in to make Shunyu understand how troubled a man his little brother is since he's been so mistreated since childhood. He just can't properly express his feelings!
This is all Shunyu needs to set aside all his misgivings and give Shangzhou another chance. He even stands up against Shangzhou's mothermonster, with Shangzhou himself not uttering a word...
While all that I've written before might give you the impression that I didn't like the show, that is not the case. I wanted to hate it because of the insane actions of Shangzhou, but I couldn't.
There is so much to hate, but also so much to love. As I said, the chemistry, but also the side characters are very well done. little details like the stress doll of the head secretary are hilarious, Shunyu is cute as a button, the pace throughout is perfect and the ending is so so sweet.
Go binge it. Now!
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So sweet but why so short
Come on, what are we supposed to think of all these potentially amazing stories that get cut into 15 minute eps when it could have been a nice movie or a longer more elaborate and captivating story?Add a build up, a back story or 2 and some more sweet scenes and it's a hit.
Don't get me wrong, I didnt rate this series an 8 for nothing, there's true gold to be found in this. The acting is good, the music is amazing and the story is very sweet. The last scene brought tears to my eyes, the sincerity and chemistry was fantastic. It's just that I'm a bit done with these series that are wasted as fillers. They could be so much more.
It will get a nice place on my re-watch list.
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