Skip to main content

Soul Mate (Japanese Series)

By Golu
Is this technically a gay show? Even after getting through the whole thing, that's still kind of tricky to answer. There's never any physical intimacy shown between the two leads, not even a single kiss. What it gives you instead is something that goes way deeper than that. It traces an emotional bond that spans a full decade between two guys who are both dealing with their own baggage, and what they share basically amounts to being soulmates. The story moves across Japan, South Korea, and Berlin. Honestly, whether people want to call what they have a romantic relationship or not doesn't really matter to me. A relationship doesn't need a label like boyfriends attached to it to actually mean something. And closeness doesn't need to be physical to feel genuine. What this show captures is something quieter but way more powerful, a bond rooted in understanding, respect, and just showing up for each other. Across eight episodes, each running 35 to 45 minutes, this is one...
Post a Comment

Eccentric Romance (Korean Series)

By Golu
I would not call this series a true BL. It is more of a murder mystery by taking in a hot Korean and a Thai guy combo, and sprinkle in some dose of one way liking and. Couple of kisses here and there. It is a weird dish mash of college comedy, but the end results is just bizarre. The lead actors look good, maybe even have decent chemistry, but it doesn’t matter, because the story is too silly, and makes no sense. The series is 12 episodes, each of about 16 minutes.

Jay is a Thai international student who is close friends with Sung Hoon. Sung Hoon and Jay are excited to enroll in an elective course together. This health and fitness class is famous for being easy to complete. They both join gym, to work on body and get easy marks. The gym trainer is good looking and popular and Jay wonders of he can train him. As the two work out together, it causes jealousy in Sung Hoon who starts to realize he has feelings for Jay. In the class they befriend two other guys and the four make a quartet. One of them is a YouTuber and the other is a fat guy. Recently the entrepreneur school was shocked by a murder in a volunteer camp run by gym trainer. Since he was the last person to meet him, he is everyone's suspect. Seeing trainer's closeness with Jay, Sun Hoon is worried about Jay's safety and confesses hi slove. They sort of become on-again off-again platonic pair. Eventually the mystery of the killer is solved (which I have to agree that I did not see that coming). And the two boys become lovers eventually.

Despite its promising setup, the series quickly loses focus. It struggles to balance its sweet friends-to-lovers romance with the darker intrigue of a murder mystery. In the process it doesn't do justice to either genre. The romance never fully blossoms into something memorable, and the thriller elements, while initially engaging, ultimately feel underwhelming. Instead of expanding on the mystery, it constantly depicts the trainer as sketchy, hinting that he hides an evil secret behind his persona. Whether he's the real culprit or a red herring, these scenes lose their impact as the investigation drags on. It tests your patience. And same for romance. Whenever the couple celebrate a milestone, like a kiss or a confession, the story creates an excuse to stall their relationship development. Having said that, some of their moments of teasing banters are fun, but just a few. The actor playing Sung Hoon is hot with a perfect body and so is the guy playing the YouTuber. While the series does deliver a satisfying plot twist near the end, the show falters under the weight of its dual ambitions. Its pacing and lack of focus make it difficult to fully invest in either the romance or the mystery. It's dull overall and doesn't leave you with any memories whatsoever. (3.5/10)
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Tuxedo (Thai Series)

By Golu
When I saw this series with 8 episodes of about 20-25 minutes each, I thought, good: Finally someone has come to senses and made a show which is not stretched out and they have tried to squeeze in a decent storyline in a good small episode format. But unfortunately, despite a decent premise on hand, the clunky writing, bad screenplay and an extreme tasteless portrayal of mental illness makes this show, not a fun watch. By the time it finishes, you just want to laugh off at the entire absurdity of it all. Aioun is talented tuxedo designer and very much in demand but he has handful of clients and he builds suits only for people who he feels a connection to. One night when his younger brother is about to get mugged, he is helped by a total stranger named Sichol. Since he tears his suit in the fight and has an interview the next day, Aioun gifts him a suit form his design as an expression of thanks. Sichol's interview is for. Personal assistant of a man named Nawee, a wealthy heir to h...
25 comments
Read more

Heartstopper: Season 2 (Web Series) (UK)

By Golu
Heartstopper Season 1 was a universal hit. You could not have read one bad review or heard from anyone who has seen the show not liking it. It was the kind of series that is easy to love, with sweetness exploding out of every scene without overwhelming you. So naturally, when Netflix greenly Season 2, expectations were naturally high and the same happened with me. I didn't know what to expect, but I had high expectations of this very very sweet teenage love story. And with eagerness and being a little late to the game by a few days, here I am, pouring my t thoughts down having just finished one of the most anticipated shows of the year. The second season also has 10 episodes and has all of our loved ones from the original season. The show continues from where it had left off in Season 1. Charlie and Nick are a couple and only their very close circle of friends know about it. This includes Charlie's best friend Tao and his trans best friend Elle. The center of the show is still ...
19 comments
Read more

Gaya Sa Pelikula (Filipino Series) [Like In The Movies]

By Golu
Pinoy BL series seem to be catching up to the popularity of the Thai shows. And I must say that they are doing a pretty good job at it. Where Thai series started to get repetitive with so many shows based in a college setting with seemingly similar storylines, Pinoy series are offering the viewers with new and interesting stories and some really good sets and surroundings. This series was 8 episodes of about 25-20 minutes each. Karl, a 19-year old introvert architecture student is in the middle of an identity crisis. Prior to the start of the second semester in college and forced by his parents, he moves into his uncle's condominium unit so that he can learn to be financially independent. Karl takes on odd jobs online to do so. But when one of his major clients suddenly goes MIA, he is left short on funds and without a means to pay for his utilities. An opportunity presents itself when his cocky neighbor Vlad has to hide from his family and proposes to share Karl's space for th...
23 comments
Read more