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Chained To My Bully Stepbrother (AI Vertical BL Drama)

By Golu
This is the second vertical AI BL drama I've sat through, and honestly I went in knowing better. I had it on while I was doing cardio at the gym, and what struck me was just how much the plot echoed the last one I watched. Same step brother romance angle, same mystery girlfriend showing up near the end, same extra guy pining after one of the leads. Genuinely the only thing going for it was the runtime, the whole thing wrapped up in forty five minutes flat.  The setup kicks off with Finn moving schools because his mom just married into money. He finds out his new step brother Aiden goes to the same place, and he's warned to keep his distance from him. Their first run in at school is rocky, just like you'd expect, but there's this odd pull between them neither can shake off. Finn keeps telling himself not to read into it because Aiden's straight and openly homophobic. Things shift when some kids start bullying Finn and the student council president, Ryan, steps in to ...
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Why Love Why: The Series (Tagalog)

By Golu
By the law of averages, since the recent BL series' that I have seen were mostly all good ones, Sooner's or later I had to chance upon a bad one. Sakristan was so far one Filipino series that was underwhelming and poorly made. Joining that list is this series, which is so badly acted and directed. At 7 episodes, about 30 minutes each, I personally felt really tortured sitting through it. I wonder, if people who have understanding of local significance of the political aspect of bits of it, will find it more simulating that I did.

Two straight boys Benjo and Emil have been assigned to be thesis partners by their professor. Emil, being not financially capable to do online research reluctantly agreed to stay in Benjo's affluent penthouse unit. When a couple turned positive to COVID-19, the building where Benjo's penthouse was situated was locked down for a month, Emil is forced to stay longer with Benjo. With constant interruptions from Benjo's mother's secretary's trans woman, the two boys discover the love they share for each other despite their very starkly different social-economical backgrounds, paving the way for Benjo and Emil's sexual awakening.

The series incorporates some historical Philippines military background to show more contrast between the two boys in addition to their already existing economical differences. Sadly, the messages are just random, not detailed, painstakingly obscure. Despite all the historical, political and class references, the series just comes off as under researched, hollow, over the top and pretentious. The various characters living win the building but the stories are never connected. You can fast forward some of the those scenes and will not make an iota of difference to the overall story graph. The attraction and eventual that happens between the two boys also happens very randomly. There is no real build up. And it seems too convenient and easy. Even the funny moments seem forced. The two actors are below average. I'd say its the screenplay and the direction that is largely at fault here. The transgender story was the only one which had some merit. Other than that, I think this series is totally avoidable. There are a lot more, much better made, entertaining series out there that one should rather spend their time on. (3.5/10)
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Comments

Hedgehog said…
Just because Filipino BL is beginning to become a hit in the Philippines. Doest mean they’re allowed to produce a series that doesn’t have any substance. Those series who put a lot of effort giving a good story , great acting despite having a low budget will be drag down with these kind of series which aim is only to sell it’s product regardless of it’s quality. I totally going to avoid this one.
February 13, 2021 at 9:43 AM
Golu said…
Agreed. But then by for every couple of good ones, it is bound to happen that we will get some really bad ones too
Unfortunate reality sadly.
February 13, 2021 at 2:41 PM
Gerald from France said…
Thank god we have someone to watch and review !
March 1, 2021 at 5:40 PM
Golu said…
Happy to help
March 1, 2021 at 6:58 PM
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