What pure joy this bitesize series is! Just about an hour and a half long in total, it is pure pleasure to watch. It is like being with old friends, especially if you are gay, young, and into a lifestyle where gayness is your number one priority. I remember the feelings and sensations as if it was just yesterday, although it has been literally decades ago.
Continue reading “4 Thirties Gossip” Series Review (Ep.1 to 8)
By far, this is one of the most profoundly moving and reflective stories I have ever watched. It is effulgent, but I may be the only one who thinks that. It is storytelling at its finest, with the Vietnamese being the only ones who could pull off such a masterful manipulative story in such a distinguished manner. You MUST pay close attention to its nuances as well as the characters, otherwise you will get lost. Literally. I had to watch this series twice before I fully understood it and fully appreciated its intricacies. And it is really one of the more creative, original, and pensive tales of love I have ever seen. It is certainly NOT a BL but a solid and breathtaking gay story of unrequited love lasting more than 30 years. It is a story also of deep sadness, loneliness, and staggering regret. Yet, at the same time, it is also a reflection of the acceptance of the fate en route towards forbearance. The story is very, very ambiguous. Frankly, my interpretation may not be how you see it, but after watching it twice, I think I understood its meaning en masse.
Continue reading “Send Your Pain to the Wind” Series Review (Ep.1 to 5)
If you are expecting this review to be one of glowing expressions and falling in line with the vast majority of people who think this series is some masterpiece, then you had best move on. You will be disappointed. I separated the presentation of this series, which is phenomenal, from the story itself because, for me, the presentation overwhelms what is a very weak, confusing, and disjointed story. I could never put my finger on exactly what it was we were to be concentrating on. And therefore, I found my emotions being scattered and torn in all different directions.
Continue reading “A Winter Sun Wakes the Wind in Spring Hills’ Dream” Series Review (Ep.1 to 16)
Frankly, this series is inferior in every conceivable dimension imaginable. And we need to quit pretending that it is not. It is a confusing, disjointed story with undramatic if not dull acting, with a very poor script, followed by mediocre cinematography and frankly, even pedestrian musical numbers. Sure, I was intrigued by the theme’s concept and initial plot, but then after the first episode, it fell apart.
Continue reading “Smile After Tears” Series Review (Ep.1 to 12)
I am going to break my cardinal rule against comparing lead actors to their past performances, but there is just something so satisfying about watching New Thitpoom and Tay Tawan perform together again. In addition, there is a magnetism about seeing these two back on the screen again. They are indeed stalwarts in the BL industry. This series proved that they could bring back their old magic despite being saddled with a bad script. Everything seems so natural to them. However, as entertaining as these two are (and others), it was the silly plot and the lame screenplay that infantilized their attachment and made it embarrassing. They deserved better.
Continue reading “A Dog and A Plane” Series Review (Ep.1 to 10)
Shockingly, this series is not as bad as I thought it was going to be. And it frankly does not deserve the low ratings it is garnering on several other review sites. In essence, it is unexpectedly entertaining. And surprise! The story is a good one. I found the premise certainly different and piqued my interest. Why it fell from grace is that it kept repeating the same plot themes over-and-over again. It is the direction again that brought this series down. While not as salacious as some of the other Filipino BLs by this director, its story could have clearly been a more rewarding one, if more energy was spent on embellishing its theme. Too bad, honestly.
Continue reading “The Boyfriend Express” Series Review (Ep.1 to 10)
If you are familiar with the classic movie, “WEST SIDE STORY”, or even its updated remake, then this, I like to describe, is the gay Japanese version of that classic without, of course, the musical/dancing score. I may be reading too much into this production, but the film appears to pay homage to that archetype through its many parallels in theme, setting, design, and overall atmosphere.
Unquestionably, the brilliance of this second season lies with its screenplay. This is by far one of the best scripted series I have ever seen. It is a remarkably brilliant piece of prose that flows like a cascade down a magnificent waterfall. It is descriptive, expressive, and cogent. The words deluge from the characters in a string of beautiful fluency that leaves you breathless with its picturesque description of their actions. And herein lies, ironically, the weakness of this series. It is all words.
Continue reading “Mujhe Rang De Season Two” Series Review (Ep.1 to 7)
Undoubtedly, I shall be kicked out of the BL critics club, but I loved this series! I know there are a ton of negative reviews/comments about this series and, admittedly, despite the myriad of legitimate issues it does have, I still think this is one of the better series to take a look at. Why? Because it has heart, and it disregards the traditional path of telling a BL cliché story. It takes a direction I did not expect it to take. With an ending, I am sure, perhaps no one else except me respects. I loved and enjoyed the unconventional and heteroclite conclusion. It made logical sense. Allow me to explain my rationale.
Continue reading “Hermoso Season Two” Series Review (Ep.1 to 13)
This is yet another one of those enticing BL series that initially pulls you in but then does nothing, and I do mean nothing, with the story. It drones on and on around the same topic. Toxicity. Yet, has the audacity to sugar-coat it with tear-jerking moments pretending to be examples of arcs to love.
The BL Xpress 