This is best described as an anecdote BL. For me it was a bit cryptic and hard to follow. The screenplay might have made sense in Korean. Maybe it was due to translation issues or merely not understanding Korean culture very well, but I did not understand the nuances of the plot. The overall story, however, is a familiar, tried and true, standard one. Tropey. Cliché. Stereotypical. Parts of it did intrigue me and I kind of liked it, despite not fully grasping where it wanted to go.
All posts by PPBongi
“Khat- The Lust” Series Review (Ep.1 to 3)
This is NOT a BL but a gay story of love instead. As the title implies, this is a saga of lust. Loosely translated, the title means ‘thirsty’, and in a way that more aptly describes this story. It is an account of a sexual fervor that manifests itself in a reality we are unaccustomed to in the BL world. While the BL world is fantasy, this diegesis is anchored in realism. Like most Vietnamese BLs, this premise is also rooted in a world of authenticity. However, its ending becomes unambiguously romantic. It simply takes a different route than the usual formulaic path of a BL. Frankly, this one is based on what happens between two young men drawn to each other in the real world through eroticism. Uncolored. Unfettered. Unvarnished. But not in any way ribald.
“Winter is not the Death of Summer but the Birth of Spring” Series Review (Ep.1 to 5)
The title of this series alone had me hooked since it is so esoteric. This whole series is unique in that despite its dark surroundings, it is still a human connection that binds two people together and that might be the requisite for survival in their world. Perhaps without that, the days and nights become a crestfallen abyss. If that connection is a form of love, then let it be named so. All I know is that this throw-away series is an exceptional and phenomenal series that says more with less.
“Paris” Series Review (Ep.1 to 8)
“We’ll always have Paris.” – Casablanca
Worst BL Dramas (Nadirs) of 2023-2024
Nadirs are the lowest points or the rock-bottoms of something and these for me are the lowest points of all the BL series I watched in 2024. I did not distinguish by number as they all are equally bathos. One, however, is the worst for me.
“Bad to Bed” Series Review (Ep.1 to 10)
Confounding, convoluted, deeply disturbing but brilliant! Just Brilliant! It makes no sense. Yet it does. This might seem like an oxymoron but what you are watching is a journey. A journey through the mind of a deeply disturbed young man as he tries to cope with living with an almost unfathomable trauma. It is his stream-of-consciousness displayed in all its resplendence for us to see and participate in. This series is so creative not only in story but also in presentation. I have no doubt that most will intensely dislike it because it just does not fit into any traditional standard of presentation. Through much of it, you may be confused and might scratch your head and ask yourself, “What am I watching?” However, be forewarned, by the end, you may be forced to confront your own sense of reality.
“Fake Buddies” Series Review (Ep.1 to 7)
Refreshingly cute and fluffy. Words I never thought I would use in a written review of a BL/GL, yet here they are. Additionally, everything is fake- the whole set up, fake. And that is what made it so enjoyable. It is a story of two close male friends and two close female friends who by happenstance were forced to confront a whole new reality for themselves as ‘couples’.
“Our Golden Times” Series Review (Ep.1 to 6)
Honestly, I was not expecting this short web series to be so effective and poignant. But it truly is! And I was surprised by its effectiveness. Where it fell flat was its lack of fully committing itself to the romance.
Continue reading “Our Golden Times” Series Review (Ep.1 to 6)
“Love Sick” Series Review (Ep.1 to 15)
I hate to be so brutally honest, but this is one of the worst BLs of 2024. Literally, everything about this series, except perhaps the acting, was uninspiring. Although the young performers did a ‘yeoman’s job’ in trying to keep this shipwreck afloat, they alone could not salvage this complete mess from sinking. Honestly, to say otherwise, is living in a fantasy-land and not dealing with any sense of reality. It is a tepid story with a fragmented screenplay, ineptly directed, disjointedly executed, and undoubtedly should never have been (re)made. The only plus about this series literally is that they had the appropriate aged actors and actresses for the roles. They were young, attractive, innocent in real life, and tried their best to make sense of a story that was essentially senseless. Full disclosure, I did not watch the first ‘Love Sick’, so this was all ‘new’ to me. Thus, I cannot compare it to the original. Besides, this is a stand-alone production and ought to be judged on its own merits or faults.
“The Renovation” Series Review (Ep.1 & 2)
This is romantic imagery at its best. I thoroughly enjoyed this series and did not see it as bad as some comments about this series have stated. While I am hardly one to dispute another person’s opinion of a series, this one, I think, was misunderstood. It is a gay soap-opera, not meant to be deep or intense. I loved it because it is not pretentious in any way. What you see is literally what you get. A stardust between two guys who found each other at exactly the right time in their lives. Will it work out? Will it last? Who knows, but it sure was a fun romp. The story itself is congenial, entertaining, and enjoyable. Nothing more and does not pretend to be anything but that.
The BL Xpress 