I've never been so confused...

What a weird experience this was.
First 10 episodes I'm sat here thinking: "Wow, this is amazing," only for it to turn into a massive trainwreck.

There's a lot a of great things to be said about the first ten episodes!
While I was expecting something a bit darker for some reason, instead of real hate to start off, it's childish and hilarious bickering. The two main leads have great chemistry and great acting. The story is interesting enough; I was even thinking that despite being a step-brother story, a trope that I hate, it wasn't bothering me at all because of how it's set up. It was easier to watch in part because it's not a tight-knit family, they don't get along so there's less stakes if they do want to be together. The soundtrack is great, it's non-invasive and not overused and when there is music, it's a really pleasant guitar or piano tune that I genuinely love.

And after episode 10... well... I actually have no words.
Gu Hai gets a personality transplant that even great chemistry can't fix. Up until this point, he was very overly affectionate but it was still somewhat palatable and funny, keeping in mind that for a BL made in 2016 I knew to be prepared to not let myself be bothered by the more problematic aspects. I can't even say that Luo Yin "looks" like he wants to run away because he absolutely does! He's so uncomfortable, even more than before, and it's just not possible to enjoy at that point. And honestly the story just stops making sense. The step-brother aspect never becomes relevant; we don't even get to really see anyone react.

I actually didn't know that it was censored until it actually is very obvious scenes were cut and after watching those scenes, oh boy, it's even worse than I could have possibly imagined.

That being said, the whole story behind the series, what happened to the sequel, and the actors being separated and struggling to find work after the ban is heartbreaking.

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A bit frustrating but enjoyable nonetheless

I'm not really sure what to make of this one, actually. I adored the premise, I just... I read it and thought "oh my god, yes please." After reading it, though, I wasn't expecting half the series to be about Third trying to get over Khai, I thought that would be one, maybe two episodes, so it felt long in the beginning. It's painful to watch Khai be an ass and even more painful to see Third go along with it all. However, it's not at all unbelievable and no one's acting like Khai isn't an ass so it works. I think what threw me off is Third and Khai keep referring to each other as best friends but once Third's worked on getting over Khai, it feels like he doesn't even want to be friends with him anymore.

Some obvious pros are that the acting is quite good. Gun is really remarkable, and Off is quite surprising in the second part of the series. Mike is so good in this, too. He was the one I was maybe most familiar with out of the whole cast and yet he still managed to surprise me. I really like his story, too. It had a great start and such good plot twists. I do wish we got to see him talk through it with his friends rather than go through all that on his own.

I feel like it's the first BL I watch where even disclosing the couples would be a spoiler, which is kinda fun but was very confusing to watch unfold. However, it did contribute to a pretty cool climax.

I really liked the sad piano tune, though it's hilarious to listen to it over the ads.

I think I liked it- is my review.

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(So) Worth Watching to Make Your Own Opinion

Despite being super excited for HIStory to be back, I put off watching it this whole time because of the reviews. In the end, it’s HIStory and I wasn’t not going to watch it. I can’t believe I nearly missed out on Mu Ren and Li Cheng. They are ridiculously adorable. The acting is top notch, the soundtrack is really nice and not too invasive, there genuinely isn’t a boring moment. Even the parents are really enjoyable. Overall, I loved it. About halfway through I found myself thinking that it was all a bit predictable, but about tropes that I personally enjoy and was happy to see so I didn’t actually mind, but then they kept surprising me which was so nice.

However, I understand why the reviews are so divided. I hate the stepbrother trope so already this was off to a rough start. It was certainly frustrating watching Yong Jie and Xing Si and think “ah, they’re probably gonna end up together despite everything.” But Yong Jie is a complex character. He’s surprisingly honest and straightforward which caught me off guard every time. God, he’s a proper little psycho, though… It’s weird because on the one hand they talk about consent all the time; everyone’s very open about the fact that what Yong Jie did is messed up. And it’s not swept under the rug, it’s brought up for a long time! On the other hand, they pair him up with Xing Si who’s insanely sweet and too forgiving so it sort of works? Sort of. It’s a bit of a stretch. Let’s say it’s not totally unbelievable, partly because the other characters felt the same way I did. But they won me over, somehow. I think I was taken by the fact that Yong Jie is clearly troubled in some way (I felt like I was watching someone with Asperger's but we don't need to try and diagnose a fictional character) and Xing Si’s the one person who’s always stuck around to defend him and tried to understand him. It’s honestly clear that they carefully made sure not to leave anything unsaid. I loved that every time I thought “but what about this?”, someone eventually brought it up and it was well explained. Honestly, I’m impressed. Do I think they should have scrapped that problematic aspect anyway? Well yeah… Is it as bad as I feared it was gonna be? Initially the creep factor is high, but the more Yong Jie chills out, the more you just want Xing Si to be happy. I have a major soft spot for him, he's such a cutie.

Two things even them winning me over hasn't made me forget: the fact that the mom knew what Yong Jie was planning and Yong Jie showing the video. Excuse me? What the heck was that about...

Anyway, Mu Ren and Li Cheng for the win. They're actually perfect.

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Unnecessary drama followed by some cuteness

SaifahZon in Why R U? was a lot of back and forth and Zon being unable to make his mind up so I shouldn't have been surprised that this was... just even more of that.

What I didn't like was the fact that it's a lot of Zon being unnecessarily cruel. What I did enjoy was once you get past that, it's pretty cute.

Some very sweet moments between Zon and Zol, too, even though I'm still disturbed by the very idea of Zol writing about her brother's "love life".

Happy SaifahZon got the chance to have as much screentime as TutorFighter but to be honest their story was already nicely concluded even before the beach at the end of Why R U? and I'm not convinced this was worth it.

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Very sweet and gentle

Second Chance The Series is absolutely worth a watch, besides it's short and sweet, really no reason not to watch it!

I initially wanted to watch it because of Tong whom I love in Tharntype but everyone in this is really cute. I liked how different he is in this series despite their characters not being that different in themselves, he somehow manages to convincingly act younger. Mawin and Run as well, who are much cuter in this one!

The soundtrack is really sweet as well and compliments the mellow vibe of the whole series. It's not the kind of show with ridiculous sound effects; it's just very real and down to earth. Despite being pretty plain in terms of storyline, the main couple genuinely delivers some really memorable scenes.

Some issues I had was how long it took me to understand that Run and Games were not in fact playing brothers, but the thing is for me, they look too similar to be cast together as anything other than brothers. I also could not tell you when the first scene takes place. Was it not a flashback? I'm confused... It maybe lacks consistency in terms of the characters' intentions which can easily be explained by the fact that the plot isn't much to go on, while it's eventually explained for Jeno, not really for Paper, but hey... The editing was off at times, and yet despite all that it was still really enjoyable.

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Ouch. That one hurt.

Ah, I can't breathe... So many tears.

"Make Our Days Count" was the first BL I ever watched before actually getting into them only a couple months ago. However, I had never watched the last episode until now. I'd been thinking about Sun Bo Xiang and Lu Zhi Gang a lot this week and how sad it was that I never saw their happy-ever-after because I didn't want to see the other ending. So I finally decided to do a rewatch. I thought getting into it knowing the end would help, that I could somehow make myself not care for Hao Ting and Xi Gu, except for the fact that I forgot how insanely sweet they are... so now I'm a wreck... I remembered loving Sun Bo Xiang and Lu Zhi Gang so much, but my eyes were hooked onto Hao Ting and Xi Gu this time, even though I specifically meant for the opposite to happen. Hao Ting's realization of his feelings is so pure. His sister's right, even when he's being kind of an ass, you can still tell he's very kind-hearted. Yu Xi Gu doesn't have a bad bone in his body which makes his end so much more tragic. I mean, he is possibly the worst character to pick to give this ending to, or the best, I suppose, if the criteria is how much you're trying to make me cry. Sweet baby boy lost his parents at such a young age, then decided on his own to go live by himself as to not be a burden to his aunt despite having to put himself through school. He deserved the world and instead... well, you know... It's hard to think objectively when you know what's coming, but the way they went about it is strange. I say strange but to be fair I don't think there would have been a "better death" per say. I just thought there was maybe a missed opportunity to make it a health issue rather than a sudden accident. I mean, Xi Gu is so skinny! There were so many references to the fact that that boy barely eats and looks like he could pass out at any moment. In the end, I don't actually care, and am in fact relieved it was that way just because it's less painful not to see any of it, at least.

It makes me sad to see some very low ratings because of the ending. As devastated as I am right now, every single second of this show really is so good. Would I have preferred a happy ending? Well, yeah... Did this sad ending suck? No, definitely not.

All the characters are immensely enjoyable. The friend group is so lovely and pure. Hao Ting and Sun Bo's friendship is everything. The side couple is just as interesting and lovely, which isn't always a given in BLs, and both couples' stories are intermingled together so well. Lu Zhi Gang is super cute, Sun Bo is adorable, and together they're really something special. Basically, there isn't a boring second in this drama. It still is hard to rate it, though, especially considering I can barely see what I'm writing through my tears, ahhh.

It's rough, though. On the one hand, I wouldn't want to have watched it without knowing the end. On the other end, even the happy moments (which is actually every other episode, another ouch factor) made me cry just because I knew what was coming.

The acting is superb. Wayne really killed it in the last episode, which makes it so much more painful.

The soundtrack is gorgeous as well, they really were coming for me with those piano pieces in the last episodes.

I think the rewatch value is a 10 if you don't watch the end. Otherwise, now that I've finally watched it, I don't think I will be able to go back.

Anyway, I ranted at nearly 6am as my tears dry. That was kinda therapeutic. I think one way to look at it is, are the first 9 episodes worth a watch despite the 10th? Yeah, very much so. Without the ending, this would easily be in my top 3 favourite BLs. And by all means skip the last episode if needed. I might try and go back to pretending it doesn't exist, oops.

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So cute, a must-watch

I read the synopsis of "Cherry Magic" and my jaw dropped. It's just right up my alley. If I could have 10 different shows with the same premise I would watch the hell out of all of them.
I did feel like it was slowing down in the middle, but I think I was just too hyped up by the plot and the first couple episodes and my expectations after that were too high to be met.
However, don't get me wrong, "Cherry Magic" is so good. Watch it now.
Both leads provide pretty stellar acting. An office setting for once, which is very fun and a nice change. It's really sweet and adorable, even hilarious at times. Just writing this review makes me want to do a rewatch to see Adachi's embarrassed face again. I also love the contrast between Kurosawa's reputation and how adorable he actually is.
Also, I think this must be the first show where I never skip the title sequence because the theme song is so nice.

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Don't miss out on You Make Me Dance

It's been a few days since I watched "You Make Me Dance" and I still can't get over how much I loved it.
Between "Color Rush" and this one, I'm so glad to have found stories like these with really different concepts. I actually think "You Make Me Dance" was more well-rounded than "Color Rush". However, one thing I think they did have time to explain better is whatever is going on with his mom.
I loved the chemistry between Hong Seok and Shi On. Admittedly, the added drama before the ending is flawed if you think about it too much but I found it enjoyable nonetheless.
The soundtrack is really cute too and fits so well.
I can tell I'm going to find myself rewatching this one.

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Crossing my fingers for more Korean BLs of this length and quality!

The first three quarters, my heart was beating so fast. The last quarter, they played with my emotions so much I was afraid I'd throw my computer out the window. Overall, I had a great time!

The acting is great, everyone is very gentle and soft which is I personally adore. Tae Kyung is just awkward enough that it's not painful to watch, instead he's very sweet and innocent and leaves you hoping you could be more sincere and honest like him. Shin Woo opens up so beautifully that it doesn't feel like he gets a sudden personality transplant. It's very nicely paced in that regard. Ah, I love this boy a lot. He's a cutie pie. I really oscillated when it came to the way I felt about Da On. He's obviously got good intentions and is just misguided but it's hard not to feel annoyed when people keep getting hurt around him. As much as So Hee gets on your nerves, in retrospect I understand her more than I thought I would: three years is a long time to hold on to someone who won't tell you no just to be polite. Now, I don't always vibe with the funny best friend type of character but honestly, Nam Goong is a gem. He's not too over the top, really funny, sweet, and, as it turns out, loyal, reliable, and very mature beneath his goofy exterior. Bonus points for Haet Bit who is wonderful and adorable (Season 2! Season 2! Yes?).

In terms of the story, it's definitely heavy on the love triangle. I wasn't prepared for how much Tae Kyung likes Da On, which made me think maybe it wouldn't have the clear ending I expected. It kept me on my toes, that's for sure! Individually, the characters are all pretty interesting. Although, I wouldn't have minded a bit more info about Shin Woo. There's so much time spent on Da On's personality that it feels a little unbalanced compared to Tae Kyung and Shin Woo.

It hasn't dethroned my favorite Korean BL despite having the huge advantage of being longer but it easily is way better than a lot of BLs out there. More please!

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Art.

The synopsis alone had me hooked and this didn't disappoint. I think it would have done really well as a longer series with more time to really explore his mother's disappearance as well as Yoo Han's life. Personally, I find that the first two episodes are absolutely flawless. The show as a whole isn't perfect but it's still really good and probably the best it could be for such a short series. They got me twice with twists and I loved it.
Yoo Han turns up and I'm like "woah this guy is cool" but then he turns out to be such a gentle soul and a sweetheart, I'm swooning.
The soundtrack, especially the music during Yeon Woo's color rush is so good and such a perfect fit for the aesthetic they went with, which is also really gorgeous.

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