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Stop! That! Train!

By Golu
Coming out of the same studio that gave us RuPaul's Drag Race, and stacked with a whole crew of former contestants, Stop! That! Train! plays like RuPaul basically taking a bow for the entire franchise she's built. It's not really a gay film in the traditional sense, but with so many drag stars from Ru's shows popping up alongside a few cameos from well known out gay actors, I figured it earns a spot on this blog anyway. The whole thing is completely over the top, packed with GenZ slang, loud flashy visuals, and humor that's constantly winking at you knowing how ridiculous it is. Going in you'd assume it's meant to be a laugh riot, and a lot of critics online seem to be eating it up, but I just couldn't get into it at all. I've never really been someone who vibes with campy silly stuff like this, so honestly my reaction doesn't surprise me one bit. The setup follows Tess and DeeDee, two low level stewardesses who sneak onto the fancy Glamazonian E...
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Close Friend: Season 1 (Thai Short Stories)

By Golu
I didn't realize this series was actually six different short stories about six different pairs of men experiencing different forms of love. I like the fact the stories were crips, to the point, 15-20 minute duration, and the best part was seeing all familiar faces from all kinds of Thai shows I have seen over last few years and just seeing them in a new setting.

Episode 1: Pretend To Love
We meet a gay couple who have been together for three years. When the older one of them gets a new recording project to create a song for a famous singer/artist, he gives it all in to his work leaving his boyfriend feel neglected. He thinks the love equation between them has changed, which it has to some extent, but eventually through communication it wins them back.

The story was nice but it also felt rushed. There was no explicable reason for jealousy buy the boyfriend. Also it didn't really give a proper closure to misunderstandings. It was good to see my P'Dean boy again.

Episode 2: Just Friend
A guy brings an abandoned cat at home and what we see is how their relationship grows over a period of time. The cat is shown to us a boy and he is madly in love with its owner giving the owner little to no personal space. When a girl comes in between, the cat/boy has abandonment issues and the owner soon realizes that and the duo are back in love.

Sure, one will have mix feelings about a cat being equated with a boy and possibly a love relationship between the duo, but watch with open mind and it was kinda cute. By thewapy, who sends  a potential partner home just to cuddle with your cat, maybe it’s because I’m not a huge animal lover but I just don’t understand.

Episode 3: Willing Or Not
A fresher in college is forced to join the judo club as it has no other members except the senior most leader. He takes personal interest in coaching the boy, so that he can partake in fresher contest (so that the club can stay open). But his interest sin the fresher are a lot more than just the judo club.

This episode was actually very cute and the interaction and direction was very cut between the couple. Even though with a name like Titan, who would think, he would be so cute and adorable. The boys shared an excellent chemistry and this was the most fun.

Episode 4: Just One Life
When a guy breaks up with his girlfriend, his best friend takes him on a trip so that he can take his mind off the girl. The reality is that this by is clearly in love with him and he want this opportunity to gather enough courage to confess his feelings for his friend.

Surely the fact that a boy can suddenly fall in love with his friend right after breaking up seems a bit unidentifiable, but hey you can't look for logic in short films. A lot needs to be assumed. The short was done well.

Episode 5: Dear My Star
Set in 90s. This story is about 2 high school boys who become pen pals between Bangkok and Chiang Mai. It is just an old age era of pure innocent young love. We see how the two boys get close through letters, long phone conversations till eventually one of them decides to visit the other and the spars fly instantly.

It was a cute love story of those innocent days when none of us were affected by online hookups and love used to be pure. The boys had such amazing chemistry despite the fact that they get in the same frame only in one scene. I absolutely loved everything about this episode. The storyline was something unique and refreshing to watch.

Episode 6: Imagine You
A sci-fi love story. A barista boy is madly in love with popular star whom he interacts with using AR/VR, but when he meets the star in real life, of course the star doesn't recognize him. In a fantasy world, the star come out of VR camera and the duo start an affair only to somehow get that merged in real life.

This story was a bit all over the place. The futuristic VR idea was nice but it is hard to develop a complicated concept in a single short story. The story was nice to watch owing to sort length but this one has potential.

All in all, however, this was a short and sweet series. I wouldn't recommend it to someone who's looking for a deep story and wants to be emotionally invested in a romance, but if you just want something short to watch during a break or while having a snack, or just want to see your favorite couples from other BL shows again, Close Friend is a good choice. (6/10)
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Comments

Sailor Maan said…
As you said, the main selling point is to see those known BL couples in different short stories. I think it's made for fans only, as the stories are too short to be properly developped (but then some shorts are remarkable, so it's not really an excuse).
Some episodes are cute. Just that cat episode, I just couldn't haha.
You'll be happy to know Season 2 continues the story of your favourite P'Dean lol, and the ones in virtual world, all mixed together.
March 9, 2023 at 9:11 AM
Golu said…
Yup. The review is coming up. P'Deeeeaaaaaannnnn hasn't hanged much. lol
March 10, 2023 at 8:35 AM
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