Skip to main content

Journey With You (Chinese Series)

By Golu
I've always had kind of a love hate relationship with Chinese historical BLs. Some are genuinely excellent, but then there are others that cram in so much plot that keeping track of all the layers of betrayal and scheming gets exhausting, and I end up checking out mentally. Part of the issue is also just how much content is out there in this space, so something really has to stand out to keep me hooked. In this case, the production value is genuinely impressive, top tier stuff, but story wise, I just couldn't bring myself to actually care about these characters. There's a ton of political scheming and backstage manipulation running throughout. Somewhere in the middle of all that chaos, a hostage ends up falling for his own Prince Charming. The show runs eight episodes, each around 50 to 60 minutes long. After spending three years guarding the border, Fifth Prince Yin Qi gets called back to the capital because of a secret letter, only to end up walking straight into a deadly...
Post a Comment

Shoot My Heart, My Mafia Boss (Vertical BL Drama)

By Golu

Ugh, my obsession with these vertical dramas just never ends. I honestly love to hate on these micro-shows, but secretly I can’t stop watching them because they just keep getting pumped out. They almost always follow the exact same formula I’ve complained about before: you’ve got a mafia boss, a "straight" guy who won't stop insisting he isn't gay, a villainous woman, a few shootouts, and a happy ending where everything is magically fixed. This one doesn't break the mold at all.

The story kicks off with a mafia boss named Sable getting shot while he's on the run. He gets patched up by a doctor named Daymond, who notices a specific ring on Sable’s finger and suspects this is the man who murdered his father during a cartel bust. It turns out Sable runs a gambling casino, and Daymond’s younger brother has racked up a massive debt there. Sable offers to wipe the slate clean if Daymond agrees to be his live-in personal doctor. It’s pretty obvious that Sable is totally smitten, while Daymond keeps playing the "I'm not into guys" card. Daymond decides to stick around just to dig up the truth about his dad. Meanwhile, another rival family is trying to worm their way into the casino business by pushing a marriage between their daughter and Sable, which he’s definitely not down for. After a bunch of shootings and drama caused by the "evil female" character who only cares about money, things start to unravel. It turns out the rival family was actually behind the father's death, not Sable. Naturally, the doctor starts falling for the boss, and they go from a tense power struggle to being totally in love.

If you’re going to watch this, you’ve got to leave your logic at the door. These micro-dramas are strictly for guilty pleasure and eye candy, mostly featuring hot guys with their shirts off. Usually, these shows pair a "macho" guy with a "twink," but for a change, both leads here look like alpha males. Their enemies-to-lovers vibe is kind of interesting, though there’s really no logical reason why the doctor would just suddenly flip his sexuality and fall for the guy. It’s the same old stuff being offered over and over. I honestly think we're getting an overflow of these dramas—if they only put out one a month, maybe the novelty would stick, but right now it just feels repetitive. Also, can we please move on from the whole mafia trope? I don't get the obsession with gangs and gay romance. There are so many other jobs or settings they could use for a love story, but I guess I’ll be waiting a long time for that change. Until then, I suppose I’ll just enjoy the hot leads.

It’s a totally illogical but visually fine mess that relies on every tired mafia cliché in the book to tell a romance that makes very little sense. (3/10)

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