Premises was interesting but characterisations were weird

The premise of this BL is similar to another JBL, BL Drama no Shuen ni Narimashita: Crank Up Hen (2023). Therefore, I want to see if there are any twists or improvements to the whole 'I love my co-actor but he secretly loves me back' trope.

To preface, I've not read the manga before. Shirasaki as a character is very weird, almost to the point of being characterised as socially inadequate. How did such a person become an actor? Whats his appeal (there is none)? How does he actually improve Hayama, and why did Hayama feel that way? They explained it in the series but I feel the reasons fall flat. I think Shirasaki could have been acted in a certain way so as to show his appeal, his 'worth' as an actor . The character who acted as Hayama fares no better too, as he's always showing that stoic face. I understand that its his character and background, but he could have shown some sort of subtle facial queues to show his interest in Shirasaki, instead of always looking like that. What chemistry or drama could there be when both main leads are introverts who keeps to themselves? I think the story could have been improved if both main leads have trusted side characters that assist them in solving their mental turmoil, like what BL Drama no Shuen ni Narimashita have. In the end, I can't quite pin the issue on the plot or the actors, so I think its a unfortunate mixture of both.

What I love about this show is the opening music, which is quite catchy.

To conclude I think BL Drama no Shuen ni Narimashita did this genre better.

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A school BL done right

I was glad to have caught on to My Boo even though it did not grab my attention during the semi annual GMMTV reveal for 2024. It has decent pacing, the flirting by Moo is masterclass, the dialogue is well paced, and the it does the job of these rom-com BLs- which is to make your heart flutter and remember your high school romances.

I was going to give a 9 for almost every category after I came to the page to write a review after the last episode, but then I breathed, and thought about the show once my heart has calmed down. When looking at the show subjectively, Keen, who stars as Moo, is the one that carried the show. And he nailed it. His flirting game is strong, the dialogue is tight, and his acting was believable. I don't think anyone can stand Moo-esqe flirting for too long, you'll cave in to his love.
The rest of the cast was serviceable, but that is that. Sea, Aun and Ashi's inexperience really showed. They had some decent lines, but Sea's facial expressions and tone was rather flat. It could be Kang's character, but I think some work could have been done to further express his emotions.
Potae and Payo's storyline was interesting, but it was not fleshed out well and went downhill after Payo confessed his love. Around episode 9 isn't it obvious that Potae like him back? Why does he feel that Potae doesn't like him after those actions? We will never know. The scenes for the both of them are rather flat and it could not further develop them as characters, which is a pity. It would have been better if we had scenes of them interacting, Payo gradually realises that Potae loves him too and its no longer one sided, and they got together at the end. Unfortunately, their solution was a 'sudden confession' style face to face at the end.

Overall, I think the flirting era of Kang and Moo was very well done, though the side couple could use some work. Shout out to Milk who acted as Neth, her dialogues were very believable and she played the 'clear minded friend that guides the emotionally introvert friend to do what is right for love' very well. Also the break up scene was very well done, on Keen's side.

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Pretty good fantasy BL

This is one of the better BLs in the first half of 2024 and is in my list of my favourite fantasy BLs . The 6 episodes never felt rushed, the story flowed properly, and it was not encumbered by 2nd or 3rd ships. The chemistry between the young couple was great. I was genuinely surprised that I can experience chemistry from 2 persons interacting through a layer of glass (or mirror, as is in the story :p) Their acting was decent, and the twist was surprising and mindblowing.

Many people are dismayed by the ending. I can understand that, considering our current norms with regards to relationships like that. Some might even consider it as grooming. The producers also seem to have considered this, considering that they have SJ alternate between actors. There were also some instances which the story could be extended, like the dad reconciliation arc as well as the dad meets SJ part. But I suspect its more on the novel then on the artistic direction.
That said, I think in a fantasy genre, there is always an aspect of un-realism there, in this case, how someone can hold on to a love for so long? But if I were to take a flight of fancy, isn't that why you watch BL's in the first place, for rare love that is hard to achieve? That is exactly what is so Fin about it. Love that transcend time, space and universes always have that certain appeal in them.

The standout actor to me is Beck. His facial expressions are great and his acting is realistic. Sometimes I wonder if its because of a good script or if its because of his acting. I conclude that its the blessed combination of both factors.

Overall, I gave my score based on my opinion that its well paced, the story is tight, the twist was reasonably well done, and the actors have reasonable chemistry with one another.

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A polished multi-couple BL

Multi couple BLs often have the lack of screen time for each, like for example Y Destiny. We Are is a take on this genre. We are treated to 3 couples, with the 4th and a maybe 5th in the show. It did most the couples well, you can see their progression as to when and why they like each other. Most of them feels like real humans, with backstories fleshed out. Some would lament of the lack of adversity/ conflict in the show, but GMMTV knows what their audiences want: alot of FIN and fanservice scenes to make the fudoshi happy.
Peem and Phum did not suffer the first couple syndrome: they were indeed very relatable and likeable characters, they grew up as the series progressed and they became more mature about their feelings. Thats good. But the slow burn was real. Phuwin and Pond's acting did not improve much, they had difficulty showing complex emotions. Hopefully this will improve in future projects. I am a fan.
Q and Toey's story was less nuanced and Toey's crying scene was one of the more better acting-intensive parts of the show. I think their story is not well fleshed out. Their characters characterization is not consistent either: their conversations were not tight enough. There was never any tension. Are they supposed to be the prankster couple? or the dom Q and sub Toey couple? or what? It fluctuates as the story goes along. I blame the script.
Tan and Fang's story is well fleshed out, though we never knew when Fang really fell in love with Tan. We learnt as the story goes that he's very Tsundere, the dynamic between the both of them is great. I look forward to this couple in their future projects.
ChainPun's ending was quite funny and I was sad that they did not have more screen time. I wonder if all the extra fanservice scenes like the one at the Beach could have been used to further their story. I did not mind how they resolved this thread though. This show was a breakout role for Poon. He was great, acting as that oblivious guy.
Overall, a great multi couple BL.

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Its Softcore

Is it really softcore? There are some pretty... erm, suggestive scenes that I'm sure some people are looking for. I commend the actors whom are all rather good looking but I am sad that they have to do this project which is almost p**n.

The script is almost non existent, and they really wasted the beautiful sights of Japan by having much of the non acting runtime in the room itself. What I mean is that the sights of Japan are almost like a travelogue while the acting (which is erm, you know.) is mostly in that house of P. They should have leveraged on their Japan expenses by having more acting and plot within the gorgeous country of Japan.

In my opinion, they should not have used the name Kiseki which was that Taiwanese project with no link at all. I hope the 4 actors get better roles in the future, and I hope the studio gets better scriptwriters.

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Great cast, script and pace

This rom com is about a group of guys staying in the 'Knock Knock' house with demons of their own, getting to know each other, helping each other out and becoming better people (and couples) in the end.
The winner of this show is certainly the script, which was good, and well paced. I like their novel artistic direction like on scene changes and pacing, most of which are well done. Some memorable ones are their 'dramatic scene first' intro each episode, and that Thanwa and Almond talk about first time sex (where he 'teleported' from his work to Almond's side by going down the table lol). The costumes are well chosen too: you can see the personality of each person from the way they dress. The show also keeps to their inner world logic and the storyline flows well, with the characters facing one issue after another, giving you some happy times once they solve the issue of the day yet bringing another issue for them to solve, keeping you out of breath (but in a good way). I like how they tackle gay social issues as well.
The downside of the show is the Peak storyline and episode 11. Episode 11 seems to lose the way when it comes to their tight comedic timing and script pacing. Peak's plot about marrying a lady which he doesn't want to could have been re written. Its simply absurd considering the premises. Also, Latte's pansexual part could be further explored. What does being pansexual truly mean? What makes it different from a bisexual? The issue is I guess that in a theatre, a character being pansexual is not much different as being bi. in that case, some issues of his pansexually could have been raised (though I cannot think of one offhand), instead of the constant 'Pansexual doesn't mean I have sex with everyone, I do it with people I love only' trope.
I was pleasantly surprised that Seng has such a range in acting. One of his previous works, 'Secret Crash on You', unfortunately did not showcase his acting talents. I am also glad that Best finally got a good role. As for Nokia and Jaonine, I think they have much to go with their acting, though thank the gods the script was tight enough to bring them through.

Overall, a great show, and a great surprise. One of my favourite BLs this year.

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