REVIEW of: Enchante' the seies [SPOILERS]

Image (c) GMMTV - Enchante' the series

This review contains spoilers for "ENCHANTE' " -- do not read if you do not want spoilers -- You have been warned.

Title: Enchanté (based on the manga of the same name by Best Kittisak Kongka)

Country: Thailand

Episodes: 10

Aired: Jan 28, 2022 - Apr 1, 2022

Original Network: GMM 25

Duration: 44 min.

Content Rating: 13+ - Teens 13 or older

Screenwriter & Director: Pawis Sowsrion

Screenwriters: Golf Sakon Wongsinwiset, Pong Pattarawalai Wongsinwises, Noolek Sureechay Kaewses, M Rittikrai Kanjanawiphu

Main Roles: 

Book Kasidet Plookphol as Theo

Force Jiratchapong Srisang as Akk

Support Roles:  

Fluke Gawin Caskey as Saifa

Fluke Pusit Dittapisit as Natee

Boom Tharatorn Jantharaworakarn as Wayo

Aou Thanaboon Kiatniran as Phupha

JJ Chayakorn Jutamas as Ton

Aun Napat Patcharachavalit as Tan

Fon Nalinthip Phoemphattharasakun as Im [Akk's sister]

Pleng Keetapat Pongruea as Egg [Akk's sister]

Koy Narumon Phongsupan as Amphawa [Theo's mother]

An Oliver Poupart as Dr. Thamrong [Theo's father]

Jimmy Jitaraphol Potiwihok as Sun (Ep. 1, 4, 9-10)

Fah Yongwaree Anilbol as Fon (Ep. 7-8, 10)

I watched all of Enchante' in two sittings. I don't think I have ever eaten up an entire season of a BL series like that before, except possibly some of the Korean and Taiwanese web-series BLs that are 8-12 ten minute web episodes. I wanted to sit down and start writing the review while the credits were still rolling on Episode 10, but I allowed myself to sleep on it. And, it is with little or no surprise that I woke up the next day still completely... enchanted. 

I won't pull any punches and pretend I thought it was anything other than fantastic. When I was still only 5 episodes in, I was gushing about it on one of the social media groups I follow about BL series and a couple people commented things such as, "just wait," or, "there's a twist at the end, watch that then judge," and other similar, ominous-seeming opinions. My main question to the twist-warning is this: which twist? There are a lot of surprising twists and turns in the story and it kept me on my feet -- or, more accurately, in my chair, glued to the screen. 

There are three main things that make Enchante' as good as it is: the brilliant chemistry between the main leads, the fact that it seems like an adult wrote the script instead of a 13-year-old girl, and the overall genuine feel to the story -- there was very little reliance on weak plot foils or unrealistic premises. 

Before getting into my review, here is the basic plot summary from MyDramaList: 

After living in France, Theo comes back to Thailand to study at his father's school. Living in Thailand once again makes his surroundings new, but he does make one friend, Ak. Theo finds a book in the library that welcomes him, and the writer signs Enchanté, which means "nice to meet you" in French. Theo becomes curious about who this Enchanté guy is and tells Ak about it. Ak quickly exposes the situation, and four guys come forward claiming that they are Enchanté.  Will Theo successfully guess who is the legit Enchanté among the 4 guys claiming to be him?

Let's begin by talking about the chemistry of the main leads, Book Kasidet (Theo) and Force Jiratchapong (Akk.) In my first gushing post about the series on social media I said, "... I think ForceBook is my new favorite ship," and it might be true. The two have an instant chemistry that flows naturally between them. They seem more than comfortable being physically close and playful, and while there are no steamy sex scenes, or anything even close, the kissing scenes feel natural and they seem to be enjoying kissing each other. There is no time their intimacy seems forced, no need for ridiculous camera angles to hide the fact they are kissing each other's upper lip (they are definitely kissing each other's full lips) and even the almost-kissed scenes are electrifying because you definitely get the sense they were both picturing it with anticipation. 

The natural gravity toward one another that Force and Book show on-screen is on level with other famous ships that are beloved precisely because of how natural they seem -- MaxTul, JaFirst, etc. For such relative newcomers to the BL industry, it's a breath of fresh air to see such a strong, compelling ship -- Enchante' is the first major starring role for both of them -- the two were first introduced to fans by GMMTV's reality / variety show Safe House Season 2. 

image (c) GMMTV - ForceBook have natural chemistry

In terms of the ship itself: the actors are real-life friends, having known each other off-screen since grade school. Watching the behind-the-scenes footage from Enchante' as well as their appearances throughout Safe House Season 2, Force and Book display the same level of closeness with each other as their characters in the series. Their real life friendship shows through in their acting, as their characters are also lifelong friends. It is hard to say if there is anything romantically real between them, although some of the comments made on Safe House toward them, in particular by Krist Perawat, Ohm Pawat and Off Jumpol, contained some very suggestive implications about what they might be doing in private. Not to mention how often Book calls Force, "Daddy," while Force is either slapping his ass or spanking him with something... If you're curious, watch for yourself. This is a review of a BL series, not my thoughts on the realness, or not, of a ship. I did think it was pertinent to point out the real life friendship of the actors as part of why their on-screen chemistry seems so effortless. And, then the further you look into that relationship... well, as I said, this is not an essay on the realness of ForceBook. 

Image (c) GMMTV - Theo & Akk first kiss

Theo and Akk are in love with each other from the very start, even though they take an infuriatingly long time admitting it to each other. This brings me to my second point from above: it feels like an adult actually wrote the script. The BL industry is fast gaining exponential popularity internationally, which also means more demanding audiences, and more viewership to support the budgets needed for better production quality, and so too are scripts gaining in coherence, believability, and maturity. I don't mean maturity in the sense of more skin, or more sex, I mean more nuanced and sophisticated plots, stories you can believe actual adults experienced. I think there are some BLs (some that are wildly popular) that have tried to use sex and steamy scenes to paper over their lack of believable or realistic plots. Enchante', while it has it's moments where suspension of disbelief is an exercise, is pretty believable, and the inner lives of the characters show through. Oddly enough, they do use a half dozen of some of the most overused tropes in the whole BL world, but they use them very well, or, use them so briefly that you end up just forgiving them. Force and Book make such a powerful pair that they can carry off the old school tropes and make them seem fresh.

"Next Gen" BLs are the new mainstream, and series like Enchante' are going to be in the forefront.  There are a few things older BLs have used as foils that make my skin crawl, and thankfully, every one of them was absent in this series. No clueless (about the leads sexuality) meddling females, or for that matter, male best friends who supposedly have no clue their best friend is gay. No stupid gags like broken phones, or sudden, convenient, family emergencies that separate the main leads. Also lacking, and all for the best: no date rape, not even an accidental drunken tryst, no consent issues whatsoever, and no reliance on "gay panic" to propel the conflict in the story, and the main leads coming out as gay was not the main conflict. I am almost ready to declare that BLs in general are entirely done with those toxic elements that were rife throughout the first wave of BLs, but then once in a while some series comes along and throws that horrible crap down again. Not so with Enchante'. There is almost no mention of Theo and Akk's sexuality -- no more than there would be with a straight couple in a romantic drama, and that is exactly the right road. Cheers to GMMTV in fact, as I think they were in a little bit of a rut in terms of those old formats, but they seem to have thrown a fresh coat of paint on, which is nice. GMMTV is one of the pioneering networks for BLs and for LGBTQ+ representation in Asian entertainment, and it seems like they have successfully moved past a difficult time in their history. 

image (c) GMMTV

About the setting... yes, it is another Thai BL that takes places largely on a university campus. This is a much-maligned stereotype in the BL industry, and yet producers keep producing them, and we keep watching them. I am going to disagree with the critics of this setting. Have you ever watched an American teen romance-comedy? They all take place at high schools, with actors who are in their 30s, who smoke and drink and have bitter backstories, but we're supposed to believe they're 16? At least Thai series have the courtesy to use 20-something actors who are going to college -- schools they are actually the right age for. I also think this is partly a cultural difference -- Thai people place a huge value on education, and this is more true of Asian countries in general than it is of the USA, and thus, we see university years as having a much bigger place in their lives. Many working BL actors are also still in college in real life.

About the plot twists... another thing many BLs have done poorly, but which Enchante' did with ease. The thing about plot twists is that they are supposed to elevate the tension of the plot by throwing the audience a curve ball, something unexpected and often unpleasant that draws them in deeper. I find a lot of BLs miss the mark with their plots twists -- they use them to explain the ending, or they feel forced or just added to liven up a stale plot, or to create a hook for a follow-up season. (Of all the bad reasons to use plot twists, the next season hook is a fairly decent one, but I would also say Enchante' doesn't need a Season 2, the story is complete as it was told.) 

The plot twists they used while getting to the end of the tale were creative and a couple of them literally had me on the edge of my seat. I will not say which ones. I will say it was not the identity of Enchante', although that is in fact also a plot twist, albeit the obvious one. I actually guessed who Enchante' was from about Episode 2 forward, but it didn't bother me that I was right. 

This brings me to my final point: it doesn't matter who Enchante' actually is, and that is the beauty of the series. Theo and Akk are the only main leads, so you know they are going to end up together, that isn't the surprise (although there might be a couple plot twists surrounding that, too...) As I said already, Theo and Akk are in love with each other from the beginning, it is obvious to the audience and fairly quickly becomes obvious to the characters, too. Enchante' is not a story about two people falling in love. It is the story of Theo and Akk realizing that because they love each other they can get through any problem together. Theo has the biggest growth arc in the story -- he has to overcome a lot of things from his past, and let go of some unrealistic ideals about love, but in the end, he also realizes that Akk -- the person always by his side -- represents all those ideals -- fidelity, care, sacrifice, and unconditional love, and that what he needs to let go of is looking for what is already right there. It is a story about trust. 

Enchante' was not without some shortcomings. This would not be a review if I didn't mention some things I found less than great, it would be an endorsement. Let's start with the big one: (and a HUGE SPOILER -- you have been warned!!)

How does Theo not know his parents have been divorced for years? It's preposterous. It is a thrown-in twist that served the plot very well, but it could have been done better. First, the audience should have known sooner that there was something amiss with Theo's parents, and let it be a mystery exactly what. It felt so contrived how it was introduced so late in the story and was such a convenient foil. It set up the main conflict between Theo and Akk -- the audience should have known that Akk knew all along, and why he felt he couldn't tell Theo. 

And again -- how do you not know your parents have been divorced for years? Sure, Theo was in France, but it's 2022 and there's cell phones. The divorce should have been much more recent, maybe not even finalized until the series events were underway. That is what I thought the envelope full of paperwork was that Theo's mom gives to his dad -- I was like, "OMG, divorce papers," but, instead it was another bad part: she was selling her beloved music company to him and leaving. Again, dumb. If they have been divorced for as long as they imply, why would she be divesting from the business just now? The idea that they orchestrated this huge cover-up just to protect Theo's feelings for years and years is ridiculous. Boo.

image (c) GMMTV - "But I didn't get to taste the sausage..."

Lastly, some of the reviews I have read harshly criticize this series for how trope-heavy it is, and it is. They use some of the oldest ones in the book: Long-term pining / childhood crush -- pioneered by MaxTul and recently horribly butchered by OhmNanon -- ForceBook rocked it;  Floppy Drunk tropes all over the place, but they somehow don't turn it toxic, instead they manage to show Theo and Akk truly caring for one another; Jealousy and Wrist Dragging, but again they manage to make it look natural; And, probably the absolutely campiest, over-the-top Feed Your Boy trope I have ever seen, in Episode 7, when Theo and Akk are bickering / play-fighting over some snack and Theo says, "I didn't get to taste the sausage," to Akk, who then literally puts a sausage in his teeth and makes Theo "come and get it," which they do with the camera up-close, and super full of innuendo. It's not the only direct sexual reference in the story, but it's the most obvious one. The other one you hopefully did not miss, and is also pretty trope-y, but still well done because it was so cute, was another time they are talking about getting food and Akk gives Theo a little ear brush with his lips and says, "Wanna go get something to eat in my room?" Yes, Akk, he does. 

I give 2 ratings for this series, as it is also the debut series for a brand new, out-of-this-world great ship, ForceBook. Overall, I give Enchante' 4 Stars.⭐⭐⭐⭐ In terms of the plot, it is standard BL fair, and middle of the road for GMMTV. That does not make it bad. It's comfort food for BL lovers. The settings and the production are high enough quality that you can forgive some of the shallower moments. The main leads are the highlight of the show, and the painfully slow progress toward a full romance between them was delectable to experience. I give the debut ship Forcebook 5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐. I will confess, I immediately fell in love with both Theo and Akk, and with ForceBook as a ship, and they propel the series forward with their easy friendship and a chemistry that will certainly lead them to future roles together. For all of its typical benchmarks, it is the fact that Force Jiratchapong and Book Kasidet are rookies and threw down such a phenomenal performance that really makes Enchante' a worthwhile watch. 

Cutie Pie lives up to its name...

ZeeNuNew (c) Mandee Channel

 Episode 1 of Cutie Pie the series premiered on 2/19/22 on the Mandee Channel, and true to it's word, delivered a whole buffet of cuties. Of course we were all losing our breath over Zee Pruk who has already showed his assets in a dozen steamy scenes with his former shipmate, Saint Suppapong. Now we get to see him paired with the ephemerally gorgeous NuNew Chawarin. Alongside these two are Nat Nattasit, Max Saran and Tutor Koraphat and a full slate of other hottie actors. If the series is as good as the visuals, we're in for a real treat. 

Tutor Koraphat image (c) Mandee Channel

MaxNat image(c) Mandee Channel

REVIEW: Bad Buddy the series [SPOILERS]

Image (c) GMMTV ~ Ohm Pawat and Nanon Korapat

This review contains spoilers for "BAD BUDDY THE SERIES" -- do not read if you do not want spoilers -- You have been warned.

BAD BUDDY THE SERIES -- 

Country: Thailand

Episodes: 12

Aired: Oct 29, 2021 - Jan 21, 2022

Aired On: Friday

Original Network: GMM 25, Tencent Video

Adapted from the novel "Behind The Scenes" (หลังม่าน ) by Afterday and -West-

Director: Backaof Noppharnach Chaiwimol

Screenwriter: Pratchaya Thavornthummarut, Bee Pongset Laksamipong, Best Kittisak Kongka

MAIN CAST: Nanon Korapat Kirdpan, "Pran"; Ohm Pawat Chittsawangdee, "Pat"; Love Pattranite Limpatiyakorn "Pa"; Milk Pansa Vosbein, "Ink"; Jimmy Jitaraphol Potiwihok"Wai"; Drake Sattabut Laedeke, "Korn".

I just finished watching Bad Buddy the series . I have to say while it has some small issues, it passed my #1 litmus test: it made me cry. (More than once.) The story is bread-and-butter-BL: takes place largely on a university campus, features main love interests who have to come out to themselves as gay first, and who have to hide their relationship, and who have a big, explosive reveal, and a happily-ever-after ending. It is lacking the annoying meddling females which is nice, particularly considering the main leads are not out from the beginning, and in fact, the two main female supporting cast become a couple in a refreshing GL side-plot. The series also included an emerging theme that is very positive: once the main leads acknowledged their relationship / attraction to each other, there was no backtracking, and their friends were supportive -- no more relying on homophobia to create plot tension, or using outmoded stereotypes to make the relationship seem more shocking. Unfortunately, they did still use the hokey ending that has become so popular in BLs lately: they throw in the final episode a protracted separation of 2 years (why is it always 2 years??) where the main leads are separated and it is made to look like they broke up. In the case of BAD BUDDY, they throw in a little twist where the leads pretend to break up, in a somewhat believable fashion -- one of the main things about Pran & Pat is their love of competition and when they had to keep their relationship secret it added a layer to it that they liked. I still think it's an unnecessary element -- the story is wrapped up, the main conflict of the plot is resolved and the big mysteries are all revealed, then boom they throw in this weird separation / break-up thing when the final episode should really just be FANSERVICE. Yes, they live happily ever after. 

A couple items I thought were strange or somewhat lacking: I think a lot of viewers questioned the on-screen chemistry between Pran & Pat, and a little bit of meandering / lost plot. 

image (c) GMMTV

Let's start with the chemistry thing. I do agree that the chemistry between the two leads was somewhat strained occasionally. Their relationship seemed more like bromance than a true love match. There was very little intimacy depicted between them which may have caused that perception. Interestingly, I thought their affection for each other was often very moving and the cuteness of their interplay with each other seemed very real. It was when the actors had to play out kissing or intimacy scenes that it seemed very strained. You might blame that on the actors feeling uncomfortable, but ironically, Ohm Pawat and Nanon Korapat themselves have a potent chemistry in their candid shots and behind the scenes stuff -- like, the ship has more chemistry than the on-screen affair. 

And a little bit on the plot, as it got pretty choppy there for a while. It starts out pretty straightforward: Pran & Pat's family are arch-rivals and have never allowed them to be friends, but that forbidden fruit was the basis for them to become friends regardless. Insert a bunch of flashbacks about them not being allowed to be friendly in spite of how hard they try, then finally they are reunited in college. Their rivalry is enhanced by them being enrolled in faculties that have a historic rivalry as well, and the fun and games begin as they are forced into each other's company over and over, largely due to their own hijinks, or that of their friends. The plot started to go a little off the rails near the end though. Once Pat & Pran are exposed as a couple to their university friends you would think they would just tell the parents to deal with it, but no. Instead, the mystery of why their families hate each other continues to deepen, and when it is fully revealed, Pat & Pran really had nothing to do with it. What's more, the idea that this family enmity was a huge secret, based on a lie, that no one had any clue about is pretty weak. Somehow we are supposed to believe that Pran didn't know where his mother went to high school, that she and Pat's father had been friends, and that Pran's mother did not go to university. It's just all too much -- who doesn't know where their parents went to school? And what parent would actively force their child to hate another kid because of a disagreement that happened before either of them were even born? It's far fetched, and more far fetched when you figure out the real truth. 

image (c) GMM AGENCE

I always like the end on a positive note, so I will also add that BAD BUDDY did not disappoint with the supporting cast hottie, in this case the adorably sweet Jimmy Jitaraphol as "Wai" (Pran's best friend) who is also finally getting a lead role in VICE VERSA. While he is assumed to be straight, Wai also comes across as very jealous a few times early on in the series and I thought they were setting him up to be part of a secondary couple, but that role on the show was actually taken up by a GL-subplot where Ink and Pa get together. While I was a little sad that I wasn't going to get to watch Wai kiss another guy, the GL plot was a fresh inclusion, whereas the BFF-is-gay-too thing is pretty well-used at this point. Regardless, Jimmy Jitaraphol is still delectable eye candy, and I did get my wish to see him in a lead role after all.... so long as VICE VERSA really premiers -- not sure it has had an airing yet. 

Overall, BAD BUDDY was a great series. I give it 3.5 Stars out of 5. ⭐⭐⭐1/2. I would give it a full 4 except that they really did rely on the university theme pretty heavily to carry the plot sometimes, and the weak plot premise hurt the story a little in the end (not the beginning.) 

Nice to see Mark Siwat in something new.

I just watched the first episode of Bite Me (GMM ONE TV, premiered Aug 29, 2021, airing on VIKI and YouTube on Sundays.) There are currently 4 episodes available, with Ep. 5 on the way this coming Sunday 9/26. The first episode was very promising, the cast are all talented, the cinematography was very atmospheric -- I could literally smell the curry, and the theme of the show seems that it will focus on the characters inner development more than any dramatics about their sexuality. The series is based on the novel Grab A Bite by Sammon, the same author who wrote Manner of Death, whose series adaptation of course stars the iconic BL mega-ship MaxTul. 

It's nice to see Mark Siwat distance himself from the horrific mess that is the Love By Chance franchise (TharnType universe.) I know people love AePete / PerthSaint, and those two are the ONLY thing that is good about that vile shitstorm, and even their behind the scenes drama was kind of disgusting. Mark Siwat is a gorgeous guy and a tremendous actor and it was too bad to see him mired down in the glorification of rape and bullying that the LBC / TharnType franchise revels in. The authors of those stories seem to love rape and sexual assault as cheap plot tools and think they can pass off Stockholm Syndrome as real love. I'll probably get my BL Pass revoked for speaking ill of the gods of BL but I don't care. LBC was disgusting and A Chance To Love was trite and featured the world's biggest asshole Tin (no disrespect to Mean Phiravich) who did nothing to deserve the love of someone as sweet and cool as Can. (At least there wasn't much rape in that season...) Mark's character throughout that multi-series franchise, Kengkla, is the worst of them, not only using alcohol to facilitate a rape, but then bragging about it and forcing his victim into a non-consentual relationship that leaves him terrified and traumatized, but we're supposed to believe he works through that and they live  happily ever after. So. Fucking. Gross.

At any rate, Bite Me has no relationship to the TharnType universe, not even authors or any other actors as far as I can see. And as I said, I am very happy to see Mark Siwat moving away from that rut. If Bite Me is anywhere near the caliber of Sammon's other work, we are in for a very great treat. Also, his costar, Zung Kidakarn is 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 very cute. 

Mark Siwat (IG: @marksiwat )

Zung Kidakarn (IG: @zung_kidakarn )

All images (c) Copyright GMM ONE, VIKI AND LINE TV

REVIEW: Where Your Eyes Linger

Review of, "Where Your Eyes Linger," web series written and directed by Hwang Da-seul, produced by Park Jong-sung for W-STORY and Rakuten Viki TV, 8 web episodes (10-12 min each) released 2 episodes a week on Fridays from May 22, 2020 - June 12, 2020. 

⚠️SPOILER WARNING ⚠️ This review contains major spoilers. Do not read if you don't want spoilers.

-------------------------------------

MAIN CAST: 

Han Gi-chan as Han Tae-joo (IG: @hangichandaily)

Kang Eui-soo as Kang-gook (IG: @jesoo122)

Choi Kyu-ri as Choi Hye-mi (IG: @choi.gyuri)

Jein Jae-young as Kim Pil-hyun (IG: @jaeyoung.jeon.35)

Jung Seo-in as Hye-mi's mother 

SUMMARY: 

"Han Tae-joo, the heir of TB Group, is under the protection of Kang-gook who has been his best friend for fifteen years. The two share a master-servant relationship, with Kang-gook acting as Han Tae-joo's bodyguard. As they grow up, Kang-gook slowly realizes that he likes Han Tae-joo as more than friends, but realises that he has to keep it to himself. He cannot take his eyes off of Han Tae-joo, but neither can he get as close to him as he wants. Han Tae-joo, on the other hand, is a player who has had several girlfriends in the past, and who is confident and assertive. He knows all of Kang Gook's weaknesses, and enjoys pressing his buttons. The two friends share an unnaturally close friendship, often blurring the lines between friends and something more. Kang Gook often looks at Han Tae-joo with lingering looks of longing, and they share many charged moments of unresolved sexual tension. This state of affairs changes when Choi Hye-mi, a new female student, joins their high school and shows interest in Kang-gook. Han Tae-joo is forced to confront his feelings for Kang Gook. Throughout the story, Kang Gook tries to keep Han Tae-joo at arm's length. This leads to several occasions where Han Tae-joo, who is having none of it, pushes Kang Gook's boundaries." - Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Where_Your_Eyes_Linger 

MY REVIEW:

Where Your Eyes Linger is a South Korean web series whose total runtime is about the length of a feature film, making it a great candidate for a binge watch, which is exactly what I did. It is a heart warming love story. Tae-joo and Kang-gook are lifelong best friends with a twist -- Kang-gook is actually a servant, supposedly a bodyguard for Tae-joo, although with them being the same age, that seems a little far fetched. Kang-gook is more a companion than anything else. 

                 Han Gi-chan plays Tae-joo

             Jang Eui-soo plays Kang-gook

The story does not have any major surprises or plot twists, and plays out in a predictable way. One cute and unexpected element of the story is that the mother of the female love interest is the person who sees that there is something more than just friendship between the two male leads, and frequently mocks here daughter for trying to get with a gay guy. Also, the title of the series comes from a line that Hye-mi (the female love interest, briefly) says to Kang-gook when she is letting him off the hook for standing her up (so he could spend time with his soon-to-be bf, Tae-joo): she tells him she always felt like even when he was looking at her, his eyes were really on someone else. Additionally, it is interesting that even though it is Kang-gook who has had feelings for Tae-joo all along, it is Tae-joo who initiates the relationship. His jealously when Kang-gook tries to date someone forces him to realize his feelings and that he is not just wanting to tease Kang-gook to test his boundaries like he had told himself for so long. 

The only serious plot conflict comes when Tae-joo and Kang-gook are seen kissing. After a fumbled attempt to tell Kang-gook his true feelings, Tae-joo confronts him and kisses him after football practice and they are seen by Pil-hyun who tells on them, ostensibly because he has been coersed into spying on Tae-joo. This all results in Tae-joo's father staging a kidnapping (for some reason...) and forcing him to agree to go to England and cut off contact with Kang-gook, which he agrees to for Kang-gook's safety. Fast forward 3 years with a little montage-style filming, and Tae-joo and Kang-gook are reunited just in time before Kang-gook goes off to Japan to try to forget about Tae-joo. They kiss and we can assume it's happily ever after...

Um. This story is a little trite. And it depends on some shallow tropes. I liked it. The actors did well in their roles and their love story put a smile on my face. The relationship is believable and they did not use the clueless-female-troublemaker stereotype, in fact they used the antithesis of that. It's the women in the story who are like, "Um, duh, you're gay and you like him, not me. " 

But, they did throw in the violent, homophobic Mafia dad as the final foil, who is also somehow totally blindsided by a romance between his only child and the person he has been sleeping in the same bed with for 15 years. And, they used the go-abroad-with-no-contact trope that is just so preposterous by 2020 that it ruined the story a little bit. There is NO WAY those two would have no contact -- internet, cell phones, being rich kids, etc. And, if by some chance they really did go 3 years with zero contact, their feelings would not have stayed so powerful that neither of them had any other relationships. They're 18-21 year old males. Enough said. 

Where Your Eyes Linger does deserve some props for being South Korea's first BL / LGBTQ+ drama. Being the pioneer in that country allows for some forgiveness of the problems I find with the story. The two main leads were very popular K-idols already, and their presence in the series surely contributed to the success of the series and to the BL explosion that followed in South Korea. Trailblazers don't have to be perfect.

All things considered, I would give Where Your Eyes Linger 3 of 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐

All images (c) copyright Viki TV and W-STORY.

A guided tour of Fiat's slutty underwear, by Leo

This is all the way back from Episode 1 of Don't Say No the series, but it's still one of the funniest scenes so far. Leo is picking out an outfit for Fiat to wear and decides to stage a little show & tell of his bf's underwear collection... 

which one does he pick?

Naturally, our boy Fiat goes for the sluttiest ones...

Then later, for some reason tells his friends about it, claiming to be embarrassed. 

He looks SO embarrassed. Not really. 😈🏳️‍🌈🩲

All images (c) MeMind and Line TV

REVIEW: Light On Me

 

"Light On Me," Main Cast ~ Image (c) Copyright VIKI TV

Light On Me, a VIKI.com Original production, adapted from the mobile game / interactive web novel, Saebit Boys High School Council, by Day 7; written by Lee Ji Eum, directed by Lee Yoo Yeon, 16 episodes, 24 min. each, aired Tuesdays & Thursdays from June 29, 2021 - August 19, 2021, filmed and produced in South Korea. 

MAIN CAST:

Lee Sae On as Woo Tae Kyung (lead role)

Kang Yoo Seok as Noh Shin Woo (lead role)

Choe Chan Yi as Shin Da On (lead role)

Go Woo Jin as Nam Goong Shi Woon (lead role)

Yang Seo Hyun as Lee So Hee (support role)

Lee Ki Hyun as Seo Haet Bit (support role)

STORY SUMMARY (from Viki.com):

Tae Kyung is a 18-year-old high school student. He is also a lifelong loner. But one day, he starts questioning his own judgment and tells a teacher that he no longer wishes to be alone. The problem is, he has no idea how to start going about making new friends. The teacher advises him to join the school’s student council. He agrees, but discovers that making friends may be harder than it seems.

He meets the Vice President of the council, Shin Woo, who is cool and level-headed, but also somewhat cold toward him and reluctant to accept Tae Kyung. However, he also meets the super-attractive President of the council: Da On, who appears to take an instant shine to him. The beginnings of a romance appear to be in the cards for Da On and Tae Kyung, but Shin Woo does not seem to approve. Matters are further complicated by the fact that Da On’s close female friend – who secretly loves Da On – is jealous of their closeness, and attempts to drive a wedge between them!

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SPOILER ALERT. If you do not want spoilers, do not read any further.

MY REVIEW:

At the onset, Light On Me seems like it is going to be light on content, more a comedy than anything else. In fact, after I watched the first much-hyped episode, I left off the series until it was completed and only watched it because I needed something new to watch, and because the online praise for the show from the fandom was so strong, I decided to give it another try. (Also you can't write a blog about BLs if you don't cover the most popular ones running...)

I'm glad I did it. 

This series surprised me with some unexpectedly weighty themes. Two of the characters in particular, Taekyung and Daon, both experience very difficult personal decisions and situations that any young person would have a hard time getting through, and they get through them. Often with the help of their friends, and even in some cases in spite of them (or because of them...) both of them grow as individuals and are changed by what happens. You can't tell one story without the other, so let's begin...

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Very quickly it becomes apparent that there is a strong, mutual attraction between Taekyung and Daon. There are the usual BL offerings of much hand-holding, longing gazes, blushing and excited giggling. But more importantly, there is a very authentic seeming relationship that begins to develop. It truly appears that Teakyung and Daon are going to get together, fairly early on. There is also the expected plot foil of the two always being interrupted before they can confess their feelings to each other. Equally expected, it is obvious early on as well that Sohee is going to be the trouble maker for them -- she obviously likes Daon and makes it clear immediately that she is not going to let Taekyung take him away from her. 

This is where the interesting part starts.

Indeed, Sohee makes trouble. She posts a video clip online of Taekyung and Daon holding hands while they are on a student council trip. In the story, this trip was hyped to be the event where Taekyung ad Daon would finally get together, and they were about to, when another of those pesky interruptions happened -- a pretty contrived one, a weak point in the story really. It's late at night, they are out on the balcony of the hotel the student council is staying in, holding hands and looking deeply into each other's eyes... and randomly some character we've never seen before and never see again bursts in on them and tells Daon that the hotel manager needs to talk to him. Taekyung is already asleep by the time he gets back, and the next day Sohee has done the damage -- the video goes viral and the rumors explode. 

You would think at this point you could guess the rest of the plot: there is a lot of drama, the boys freak out because of the gay panic that is such a popular trope in these stories, one or both of them possibly even tries dating someone else, and eventually there is the Big Confession Scene. Well, if you were waiting for that in this series you will be disappointed because it never happens. 

It almost happens, and that is what makes this show different from other BLs. What happens instead is that when Taekyung and Daon do meet to discuss the video clip and their feelings for each other, Daon lies to Taekyung out of fear and tells him he misunderstood, and the only thing he ever felt was friendship. Taekyung's heart is broken. (NOTE: Lee Sae On is almost as good a TV crier as Fluke Natouch.)

This is also when things start to heat up with Shinwoo. Once more, it feels like you already know what is going to happen, and once more, it doesn't. We think poor, sad, emotionally vulnerable Taekyung is going to fall into Shinwoo's arms and... nope. Again, Light On Me surprised me by doing something believable instead: Shinwoo comforts Taekyung as a friend, without trying to take advantage of him. 

Iamge (c) Copyright VIKI.com

By this time in the plot you know that Shinwoo has liked Taekyung for quite a while, so it's easy to picture him taking this development as an opportunity. He doesn't. He does the honorable thing, the thing a real friend would do: he tells Taekyung he will never tell that he saw him crying. In fact, the scene where Shinwoo tells Taekyung, "Cry if you want to," is the only time I cried watching this show. (And we all know I usually cry my way through a box of tissues every episode of a BL.) Seeing him hug Taekyung while he cried and just letting him do it without speaking, and without trying to turn the events to his advantage was one of the sweetest things I have seen in a BL. 

Although this is not the start of anything romantic between them, it is still the start of the real relationship in the series, obviously between Taekyung and Shinwoo. As part of the development of the story, this is also the time that Shinwoo confirms his sexuality. We pretty much knew anyway, starting early in the season when Taekyung intervenes with some boys who are bullying Shinwoo and making fairly clear references to his "secret." But, Shinwoo directly discusses it with Teakyung when he is comforting him about the failed relationship with Daon. He tells Shinwoo that he has been hurt this way before, that there was someone he liked and it didn't work out, too and "it was a he." This scene I feel was just as important as the "cry if you want" scene because it further confirms that Shinwoo genuinely cares about Taekyung, he is not just being nice for personal gain. 

This also begins the part of the story where Taekyung and Shinwoo start spending a lot of time together. We also see that Taekyung starts to have feelings for Shinwoo once the pain of rejection starts to fade. Taekyung continues to feel regret over Daon, clearly still has feelings for him, though, and Shinwoo continues to just be his friend. Regardless, the two do start to develop something more than just friendship, and it starts to get hard to ignore. Neither of them do ignore it, they talk about it a little bit, but they don't rush into each other's arms, either.

This is when another very interesting thing happens. Daon realizes his feelings for Taekyung are not going away. He realizes it wasn't just an infatuation, or Taekyung influencing him. And he finally calls Taekyung and says he needs to talk. Once again, here we go... you think for sure you know what is going to happen - finally! Taekyung and Daon are going to get together. And again, the story surprises you with this: Taekyung turns him down. He tells Daon that the fact that he was more concerned about people judging him than with his true feelings means he does not really care as much as he says and Taekyung can't abide it. He also tells Daon that it was Shinwoo who was there for him, that Shinwoo was the real friend and that he wants to continue getting closer to him. ("I want to reciprocate his feelings.") 

There is a later meeting between the two where Daon makes his case again. He apologizes to Taekyung and tells him that he was afraid and spoke out of fear. He pleads his case in an emotional way and it does seem to work a little bit. Taekyung goes away from this meeting asking himself what should I do? This is another uncommon thing for a BL -- the main character admitting he has feelings for two different people. Taekyung has to make a choice between Daon and Shinwoo, and he takes him time deciding. 

In the meantime, Shinwoo turns up the volume. He realizes that he is going to lose his chance with Taekyung if he doesn't do something. He starts by confronting Daon and telling him this is it -- either you go after him, or I will, I'm not going to stand out of your way any more. And the volume goes to 10. Shinwoo starts wooing Taekyung hardcore, taking him on dates, being sweet, helping him with everything, and showing a real soft side that everyone keeps saying Shinwoo has, but we rarely see. 

Image (c) Copyright VIKI.com

The skirmish for Taekyung's love plays out before the backdrop of the campus "prince" contest. It is the annual fund raiser that the student council does for some charity, and Taekyung is nominated to enter. Both Shinwoo and Daon take on roles supporting Taekyung, and a little bit of jealous rivalry livens up the events. We also see the contrast between Shinwoo and Daon here, and so does Taekyung. Daon is clearly competing to win Taekyung over, while Shinwoo is still primarily worried about Taekyung's well-being. Taekyung is nervous and insecure about the contest and Shinwoo again is there for him. He keep reassuring Taekyung, "Just look at me and you'll be fine."

This contrast is not lost on Taekyung. When he wins, he ends up coming across Daon first, who has fallen asleep in the student council room after the contest. Taekyung is just about to wake him up when Shinwoo walks in, takes Taekyung's hand and says, "Are you going to make me keep waiting?" He gives Daon one last lingering look, and for a minute it seems like he is going to turn Shinwoo down. Then he turns back to him, takes both of his hands and says, "No. Let's go." And they leave together. 

The finale episode is your typical fan-service wrap-up, which is just fine, most shows do it, not just BLs. We see that yes, indeed, Taekyung and Shinwoo get together. And the other characters have all made up, and teenage life is proceeding as it should. Even Sohee, the villain of the story, is welcomed back into the fold after she repents for her crimes with a little help from Namgoong, the best friend in the story. 

Namgoong deserves a mention. At the beginning, he appears to be the usual comic relief character, the hyper friend who is always playing the clown and can be easily bought with food. In Namgoong's case, that is BBQ, which he is successfully bribed with several times. In fact, all of the things I have said so far are true -- Namgoong is the clown, he does provide a lot of comic relief, and he often seems like he took too much Adderall™ this morning because he's wound all the time. There is a particularly amusing scene where they go to karaoke (one of the times Shinwoo goes for it and asks Taekyung on a date) and Namgoong is singing and dancing? (flailing around hysterically) and Taekyung makes a comment about Namgoong being a little high-strung and Shinwoo says, "He's actually pretty calm today." 

Image (c) Copyright VIKI.com

(NOTE: Go Woo Jin, the actor who plays Namgoong is a really good singer, and was the lead singer for the K-pop "multi-tainer" group The Man BLK until spring 2021 when he announced on his personal IG that he had left the group.)

That is not what Namgoong deserves mention for though. What is most interesting about him is that he is the BFF of the story. So often this role is cast with a female, which is fine, but it's a departure to see the role played by a male. Namgoong sees everything that is going on, is not fooled by Sohee's bullshit denials that it wasn't her who posted the video, and stands up to people he encounters who talk bad or gossip about his friends. He also is the one who goes around secretly putting the grease on the cogs so to speak, making sure things go how his friends want them to go. He's a clown on the outside, but very loyal to his friends, brave in protecting them, and unconcerned with what people think about him. 

Lastly, I want to talk about Daon a little more. I said at the beginning that two characters in particular were very interesting, Taekyung and Daon. We have talked a lot about Taekyung. Daon throughout however, goes through a personal crisis that we don't see with the other characters. Taekyung and Shinwoo never have a "coming out" crisis, both of them seem internally comfortable with their sexualities. Daon on the other hand, experiences an existential crisis, not so much about his emerging sexuality, but because of it. 

Daon is portrayed as a person who always thinks about others. Although the viral video clip exposing him as gay shows that is not necessarily always the case, that is also the event that sets off the crisis for Daon. Not only does he have to accept that he has feelings for another boy, he realizes he had no idea. Daon's friends keep pointing out that he has always had a lot of responsibility, and he tells Taekyung early in the series that his family are very cold and withdrawn from him, that they don't seem to care about him at all except that he be successful and not bring shame on them. He says they don't ever praise him or come to his events. We also see that Daon, as president of the student council, is always busy, immersed in the world of school and helping others. 

When his personal life is suddenly splashed across the Internet in an intentionally hurtful way, Daon is staggered by it. Whereas Taekyung seems not to care about that at all (he is too preoccupied with being hurt by Daon's rejection of him) about the video, Daon asks himself, possibly for the first time, who am I? He has several discussions with both Namgoong and Sohee about it. Namgoong adorably tells him, "All the members of the student council are precious to me, but I like you best." It comes at a time when Daon most needs a friend, and Namgoong is right there, goofy smile and all. By the end of the series, Daon has come to terms with himself a little bit at least. We see him slowly accept that his issues and how he chose to deal with them in a crisis are the reason he lost out with Taekyung. But instead of falling into a depression or blaming Shinwoo or Sohee, he takes it as a lesson and promises himself he will continue being honest with himself, and taking time for himself. There is some cheesy exposition of this in the finale where he refuses to loan out his gym clothes or pick up a last minute tutoring session, but we get the point: Daon is going to work on himself for himself, he is redeemed. 

Overall, I loved Light On Me. I was pleasantly surprised by the more sophisticated themes, which are much more believable and gave the series a texture that is missing in a lot of BLs. All the fluffy backdrops were in place: the school environment, including the fetishy uniforms, and the typical setups and meddling females and then -- boom, they drop an ethical choice on Taekyung and he makes the exact opposite one you were expecting. (The right one, if you ask me, but then I was in Camp Shinwoo from the start.) There is very little physical touching, less kissing, and absolutely no sex, even implied. Even when Taekyung spends the night at Shinwoo's house, you never see them in bed, just Taekyung falling asleep on Shinwoo's shoulder while they watch a movie (a romance...) It is my feeling that this is just fine. They didn't need to use sex to liven up an otherwise lackluster plot. (Also, they are teenagers, this story does not take place at a university with university-aged characters, although it does take place in a very similar setting.) 

Light On Me featured a compelling story with believable characters and a realistic development of the relationship(s) in the show. There are no consent issues at all. The story comes to a natural conclusion without any glaring plot holes, or the need for a "special episode" to answer for all the missing plot points. (NOTE: I know COVID-19 was responsible for this phenomenon in a lot of shows filmed from 2020 forward because the pandemic halted filming and production so suddenly for so many of them. But it is also a regular problem for some older BLs and for some less well-done ones.) The plot also features a real conflict, not just the typical central conflict of the two main leads coming out. This story really presented the story of 5 friends who play varying roles in a problem that results in all of them having a personal epiphany. BLs are moving away from the coming out crisis being the central plot point, and Light On Me completely moves beyond it. Even Daon's coming out is not the main thing about his personal crisis. This show is a must see. 

5 of 5 stars. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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