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...
This Thai BL tries something a bit different by mixing a gaming theme with a typical workplace romance. You definitely shouldn't overthink the logic of the plot, because the way they go about developing this romance simulation game doesn't actually make any sense, but the chemistry between the leads is definitely there. I was really into the first few episodes, but it eventually turned into a standard story filled with way too much filler just to stretch it out to 12 episodes. And let me tell you, these episodes are long—almost an hour each, and sometimes even more.
The show follows two love stories, the main one and a side romance between their friends. Hill is a young guy who is totally addicted to a romance sim game on his phone and is obsessed with the main female character, Yuka. This AI-generated girl helped him get through some really tough times and provided the emotional intimacy he needed, so he’s thrilled when he lands a job at the company that created her. However, his boss Junji tells him that Yuka is being shut down soon, which leaves Hill devastated. Seeing how much Hill loves the character, Junji puts him in charge of a project to create a new male character so Yuka’s loyal fans can have a proper goodbye. Hill and his coworker decide their boss is the perfect model for this new character, so Hill has to complete three tasks to "woo" Junji just to collect enough data for the game. As they play along with this pretend romance, things get real between the cold, distant Junji and the clumsy Hill. Despite their differences, they find a connection that keeps getting stronger. Meanwhile, Junji’s chef friend, Phat, ends up falling for Hill’s coworker, Bay. Even though Bay is known for being a player, he falls hard for Phat, and after some family drama and hesitation, they eventually get together too.
I liked the idea of blending the gaming world with a workplace setting, and the first few episodes where they’re hunting for a game model were actually pretty fun. But once Hill started those "tasks"—like having to touch Junji’s hand or flirt with him for "data"—the logic completely fell apart for me. Everyone knew it was just a work assignment, so how were the feelings supposed to feel genuine? If you can ignore that, the romance does grow fairly naturally as they spend more time together. An ex-boyfriend shows up to stir the pot, which finally makes the leads realize how they truly feel. There’s also a big twist where it turns out Yuka’s personality was actually based on Junji all along. I thought Hill did a great job, and while the actors for Bay and Phat were familiar faces who did fine, I think a stronger actor for Junji would have helped. The last few episodes felt like pure fluff, and the finale was way too rushed and tied up in a bow that didn't really make sense. Everything just kind of floated to an end without a clear direction, leaving the whole thing feeling unfinished and uneven.
It’s an interesting concept that eventually gets bogged down by weird logic and a messy ending, making it a decent but forgettable watch. (6/10)
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