All posts by PPBongi

THE BREATH BEHIND THE BEAUTY OF BAGAN THE BEGINNING

Occasionally a series comes along that is so captivating that you begin to wonder about its own origins and is it as interesting as the story itself. Well, I got to find out and I found out that indeed its origins are just as fascinating as the make-believe story itself. By sheer luck, I was able to nail down an interview with the Director/Writer, Ko Kelvin, of this fascinating and engaging BL from a country obviously not particularly known for its BLs. In fact, its whole ethos on the engagement of gayness is rather repressing and yet perhaps that is what makes this story even more engaging and certainly reflective. It also gives, I think greater depth to its characters that you do not sense or feel in other BLs as of late as this one comes straight from the spirit. The story of BAGAN THE BEGINNING is not going to be revealed here; that is for you to experience and ponder. The only comment I shall make is that it is not just an enticing/thought-provoking story; it also spins an elegance around the wonderment of Myanmar that created in me a wanderlust to visit its natural and cultural grandeur.

Continue reading THE BREATH BEHIND THE BEAUTY OF BAGAN THE BEGINNING

“PURE VANILLA”: JUST THE EXACT INGREDIENT IN THE RECIPE FOR LOVE

Recently, I had the opportunity to interview the director and performers of a short BL series that has simply taken off with little fanfare. Mostly by word-of-mouth. It was produced by a small independent production company called 250 Films founded by Ng Yu Wen. The name of this short gem was PURE VANILLA, starring Braven Yeo as Gabriel and Deng Xun as Charlie. It was written and directed by a remarkable young individual named Mickey Hiah. The first episode, if you will, is just over 9 minutes long and came out about 10 months ago on YouTube and has over 150,000 views, which is remarkable. Then just over a month or so ago, they released Episode 2 called PURE VANILLA: RECIPE FOR ROMANCE. Already it has nearly 170,000 views with an astonishing number of positive comments about its content. This episode introduced a new character named Alex (Leon Koh) who added a new element to an existing recipe of love.

Continue reading “PURE VANILLA”: JUST THE EXACT INGREDIENT IN THE RECIPE FOR LOVE

“The Servant and the Young Master” Series Review (Ep.1 to 7)

Once again, the Vietnamese prove their superiority in BL story telling over other countries with their big budgets and slick productions. Not only do they portray a human story, but, because of budget constraints, do so in a short period. Can you imagine if they had the money to put on full productions what these BLs would be like? And yet, the interest in Vietnamese BLs is obviously nowhere near those of Thai or Korean, which I find sad and disheartening. Why? Because most of these stories are relatable, connect to us personally, and genuinely touch us on an emotional level. This one is no exception to that axiom. It tells a deeply profound story not just in acting but in words as well. This is very well written.

Continue reading “The Servant and the Young Master” Series Review (Ep.1 to 7)

“Dinosaur Love” Series Review (Ep.1 to 8)+ Final Story (Ep.9+10)

There is no myths here; that went extent along with the dinosaurs. Instead, it is a jumbled incoherent mess of disorganized shifts of scenes packed with individuals for the most part that are astonishingly unlikable, dumb as a box of rocks, naïve, and caricatures. Some are decidedly despicable creatures as well.

Continue reading “Dinosaur Love” Series Review (Ep.1 to 8)+ Final Story (Ep.9+10)

“Absolute Zero” Series Review (Ep.1 to 12)

This is a touching, sentimental journey of young love that was brilliantly done in the beginning but then got lost in its time journeys to recapture its past. While in some ways the story was exceptional, its execution was unfortunately lacking in logic. Initially it had me hooked on the strength of its young actors playing the parts of their younger selves. Simply put, they were brilliant.

Continue reading “Absolute Zero” Series Review (Ep.1 to 12)

“Bake Me Please” Series Review (Ep.1 to 6)

What can another trite, tropey, cliché-ridden Thai series centering around a cooking theme say that has not already been said? Both from a positive and negative perspective that seriously does not sound like a broken record (I know that dates me).

Continue reading “Bake Me Please” Series Review (Ep.1 to 6)

“Doi Boy” Movie Review

This is a movie that lays out in detail all the ugliness of the darker side of Thai society that we do certainly not see in BLs. Since I honestly know little about the political inner working of Thailand, I do not know whether this chronicle is based on some semblance of truth or not. However, as in any premise, I do believe some kernels of truth and honesty are no doubt in this screenplay and part of it must be taken at face value. We tend to not want to think of or perhaps see that a fantasy land of ours (such as Thailand) has a darker side to it, but it does. And this movie presents a very dark, depressing, look at that reality. There is no romance here nor any hint of a BL; but it does present a side of the adult entertainment industry we tend to dismiss or pretend does not exist as we glaze over or gloss over the geopolitical strife that might also exist in that part of the world when we watch BLs in the comfort of our homes.

Continue reading “Doi Boy” Movie Review

“Mr. Nice Guy & The Lonely Man” Movie Review

Sometimes a title to a movie is so spot-on that nothing more needs to be said about it. The summation is expressed, quite literally, in this title. It is a story about a very lonely young man who by chance meets a very nice man and love is awakened. Not only is a love awakened but a reckoning and a realization of oneself is as well. You get all of that in just over 30 minutes of pure cinematic magic in this beautiful love sonnet that reads more like poetry than prose.

Continue reading “Mr. Nice Guy & The Lonely Man” Movie Review

“The Memories” Series Review (Ep.1 to 4)

Remarkable. This was the first word that came to me in how to describe this distinctive series from Cambodia, a country ostensibly not known for its BLs. But this word seems woefully inadequate, I am afraid. Maybe words are unwarranted here; perhaps only feelings are fitting. And my feelings are profound sadness, heartache, and a sense of betrayal. Yet, what still remains is just the meager shred of strength fed by the faintest spark of love.

Continue reading “The Memories” Series Review (Ep.1 to 4)