Movie Reviews -
Gay Themed

When the show started, I thought this was going to be a nice feel good no-nonsense show and to be fair, for the most part, it stayed true. But somewhere the whole concept of jealousy, manipulation etc just took away the straight forward fun that this show could have even us. With just 12 episodes of about 16-20 minutes, this was a light humorous and easy watch with some very good looking leads. There was also a longer version of episode 12 showing us the eventual culmination and happy future for all.  We meet Yuha, a young boy who does odd jobs here and there to keep afloat. He lives with his older brother Taeha, who runs a bar. He is not his real brother but they were both alone as kids and grew up together with Taeha taking good care of Yuha. Yuha wants to become independent. His odd jobs include nude modeling, toilet cleaning and pretending to be someone's lover. During one such incident, his paths cross with Min U. The guy works in a IT company and is tired of his family connec...

This Korean series has its merits and not so good things here. This is a pure romance story between two boys, with their romance unfolding through mutual, conscious choices. There’s no dramatic villain here either; the real challenge lies in balancing public athletic careers with the desire for privacy. It's a campus romance which could have used tighter pacing and a slight more. Eventually, for me it ended up being extremely vanilla and bland. The series has 8 episodes of about 30 minutes each. Ji Won is a retired gymnast who has just entered university. He used to be a popular athlete, so for a change he just wants to lay low and not get any attention. He meet the basketball star of the university Jeong U , and the two cannot look away from one another. They are both aware of each other's popularity as well. Soon. Friendship and an attraction starts to develop and they both make it obvious in their own way. One day when Jeong U finally confesses his love and aspiration to dat...

Another BL drama about heartfelt exploration of first love, growing up, and finding the courage to be yourself. To be honest, from a story perspective, there is not anything new here; but it's the treatment and the very charismatic lead actors that made this series fun for me. Although I was sad by one fact. Korean series were so good about keeping episodes short and fun. But in this series of 10 episodes, each episode in approximately 45 min, give or take, making it almost double the time it takes to watch other Korean BL series. Heesu and Chan Young have been the closest friends since they were kids. Heesu is a self-proclaimed dating expert, whom friends and schools pupils reach out to. Ironically he himself has never been in a relationship. He has long harbored a crush on his best friend but hasn't done anything about it. We are then introduced to class president Seung Won, who has a crush on Heesu but has barely ever talked to the guy.  And then finally we have a girl Jiyu....

I was hoping that I would like this show, given the mix of positive and not so good reviews about this show. Korean shows are more often better than a complete washout and here we would get to see a new setup of football. Sadly, rather than keeping focussed on the coupe, it goes in 10 different directions focusing on multiple people and multiple story lines. What would have been better is that they focussed on an actually story rather taking a 20 pointer defaults and weaving a story around it so that the makers can keep everyone happy. The series comprises of 8 episodes from 25-25 minutes duration. There is a soccer team which is not doing too well and is bought over by a media entertainment company. The agency takes over and cuts out all the players with a poor face, then forces the actors with a face value from their agency to become players. To capitalize on their looks rather than their sports skills is actual demeaning, but the players are left with no choice but follow through th...

This Korean BL series delves into an interesting world of passion as three suitors vie for the heart of a man named Daon. Sadly, the very definition of relationships seems to spell disaster for him. He was constantly played, dictated and his boundaries were pushed; simply because they couldn’t stand seeing with someone else. The story is quite intriguing I must say, especially as the layers peel. But it is also a bit confusing and convoluted at the same time. The show has 8 episodes, each of 35-40 minutes (which is quite a contrast from other regular Korean BL content). Told us through a few flashbacks, here is what I understood of the story. Daon works in a an office, and he is good friends with a college professor who he has known from college. This college professor is Mr Too Goody shoes and takes care of Daon a lot to an obsessive extent where he even gives money to his abusive father. Slowly Daon starts to get feelings for him, but when he confesses his feelings, the professor guy...

This little Korean series is cute and all but honestly we have seen this story play out so many times, that it does not hold any novelty at all anymore. Plus, the lack of chemistry between the leads and the slow pacing makes these episodes very dull. The story line is pretty thin and there are no real dramatic moments or anything. Sure, it's a sweet drama and easy watch but won't leave you with anything memorable. With 8 episodes each of 24-25 minutes average, this is how I like my episodes in terms of both number and duration. Woohyun is a high school senior with a secret crush on Jeongmin, his homeroom teacher and club advisor. Woohyun is drawn to his teacher's warm personality and quickly becomes smitten. One day he gives a hint to his teacher that he likes someone but never tells the name. He does understand that student-teacher relationship is taboo and even if he confesses, this will go nowhere. We then meet Park Doha, Woohyun's classmate and best friend, who figu...

Longing for unrequited love is the basic theme of this new Korean series. It is about the delicate thread that binds two friends who don’t quite know how to cross that final line. Sadly, with a nice story in their bag, the editing of the show is so clunky that scenes jump from one place to another in same timeline and occasionally keep going in flashbacks, it confuses you as a viewer. Also after a while you feel like shaking up the main lead and tell him that this is not the way about confessing your love. The show is 8 episodes of about 25-30 minutes each. Ji Hun and Do Ba U have been friends for years since they were kids. Do Ba U has feelings for his friend for a while and sometime in high school he even told him that he likes him, but Ji Hun didn't take that very seriously. When Do Ba U cannot takeout anymore, he suddenly announces that they should break up the friendship leaving Ji Hun in a corner, who will not give up so easily. Enter another character who is trying to write ...

4 bite size love stories is what this anthology series is all about. Spanning eight episodes in total, each story unfolds across two episodes, each around 10-14 minutes. Keep your expectations low, since these stories are simple, fluffy, and cozy romantic. An easy breezy watch overall, with just enough time spent to capture the vibe and give away those warm fuzzy feelings without dragging things out. Riding a Bicycle - This is the quintessential ‘friends to lovers’ tale. Two friends have just finished school and are looking forward to university life at different places. The two friends spend the night and next morning together, cycling along the Han River and it's pretty obvious they are smitten with each other and want to be more than friends. This one feels like a slice of life captured in soft light, no big declarations, just two adorable friends slowly leaning into something more. I loved all of the caring and sweet moments. The actors were very cute. I would gave preferred t...

This 8 episode mini-series from South Korea doesn't have too much of a lot to speak of in the first place. With just 8 epodes each of about 12-14 minute each, it still manages to stretch it , bring in love rivals as a source of conflict to bring some drama into the story. Nothing wrong with that, but if the narrative was kept simple and crispier, it would have made for an engaging show to watch. The show was released in two parts of 4 episodes each. Jaemin, a freelance writer, reconnects with an old friend from college Nami, who is also a writer. One night drinking at their apartment, they talk about how Nami used to be popular with girls. Jaemin reveals his admiration and one things leads to another and they share a kiss. When Jaemin meets a friend in a few days, he is told that Nami actually writes for a sex column, which Jaemin doesnt think of much. The duo meet again and even though neither of them has been with another man before, they decide to give it a go at their relations...

Checkered Shirt is a charming Korean mini series that beautifully captures the innocence and complexities of young love. The 8 episodes are short of about 8-10 minutes each, making it easy to binge-watch. Sadly, the ending of the show is very abrupt leaving many open threads. Either the show runners ran out of budget or there must have been some other story, because even if there is supposed to be a follow up season, this is not how you would end a season one of a show if you want to attract audience. The story is pretty simple and basic. Jeong U and his friend often hang out at a bar. They are both supposed to go to military soon, but Jeong U is still a virgin and wants a girlfriend. One day he buys a checkered short online from another. Guy, who happens to be also the waiter at the bar they hang out. His name is Han. An expected friendship son develops between the two. One drunken night, Jeoung U ends up drinking and staying over at Han's place where they end up kissing since Jeo...

Set in a coastal town of South Korea, this series is a visual treat with some stunning cinematography. With only 6 episodes each of 20 minutes, this is a very breezy watch and luckily the two leads are extremely charming. They portray this romance with tenderness and sensational chemistry, especially when the couple kisses. A story of unrequited love, this is supposed to be a prequel to 'Unintentional Love Story', but sadly don't remember much of. I mean, there is so much content being consumed these days, I just cannot keep up watching, forget actually remembering anything. This was apparently released as a film and then later cut into 6 different episodes. Hotae's father has just passed away and his mother return to their coastal hometown for a fresh start. Hotae is excited to reunite with his childhood companion, Donghee. And Hotae lives with latter's family since the school is close. The two friends haven't talked in a while so while Hotae is excited to meth...

I would not call this series a true BL. It is more of a murder mystery by taking in a hot Korean and a Thai guy combo, and sprinkle in some dose of one way liking and. Couple of kisses here and there. It is a weird dish mash of college comedy, but the end results is just bizarre. The lead actors look good, maybe even have decent chemistry, but it doesn’t matter, because the story is too silly, and makes no sense. The series is 12 episodes, each of about 16 minutes. Jay is a Thai international student who is close friends with Sung Hoon. Sung Hoon and Jay are excited to enroll in an elective course together. This health and fitness class is famous for being easy to complete. They both join gym, to work on body and get easy marks. The gym trainer is good looking and popular and Jay wonders of he can train him. As the two work out together, it causes jealousy in Sung Hoon who starts to realize he has feelings for Jay. In the class they befriend two other guys and the four make a quartet. ...

Love in the Big City is a Korean BL series about a gay writer and his dating experiences. Over the course of 8 episodes, each lasting about 50 minutes, our lead character, a single young man is looking for romance. He meets guys in bars, clubs, hobby groups, and hookup apps, each from a different walk of life. Some relationships end as short flings, while others develop into emotional journeys. Through the highs and lows of his love life, the protagonist discovers valuable lessons about himself. Every 2 episodes focus on one of his relationship, so we see 4 distinct guys/love stories that our man deals with. We meet Go Young, a young carefree guy who loves clubbing with his friends. Over the course of time, he becomes close friends with a schoolmate, a girl named Mi Ae, who has a reputation for sleeping around with guys. Since the two get along so well, they find lot of common things, they decide to live together. Young moves out of home and becomes roommates with Mi Ae. Young meets a ...

This mini series from South Korea is a light hearted romance and is just sweet and simple and straight forward. To be honest, I dont know why this was needed to be told in 6 episodes, each of 20 minutes, The story could have easily been told as a simple short story. The series tries to tease a love triangle, which fails to be engaging and even the interactions between the main couple are pretty basic and dull. Min Jae is a new study in the music faculty of a university. Here, he mets Yoon Chan a couple of times, including in the library where Min Jae works part time. For no obvious reasons, Yoon Chan falls for Min Jae and starts conversations to befriend him. Turns out Yoon Chan is a taekwondo student and seems has no other friends. They both decide to become friends after some random meetings between the two. It is more evident that Yoon Chan is putting more effort. Initially Min Jae is a bit irritated by this but slowly he comes around and starts liking the guy. As they spend more ti...

A Korean BL with one of the leads being a Thai actor. Sounds fun, isin't it!! But trust me, this show was really awful and disappointing. There was no plot, no chemistry, no romance, no anticipation to watch the next episode and I really didn’t care about what will happen next. Even the romantic track felt so forced, almost unnecessary and awkward, even the confession part, I didn’t feel anything watching it. The series felt like some random plot thrown with the awkward romantic scene. The series was 12 episodes each of about 18 minutes. Uno, a This actor working in Korea is popular for his good looks. But because of his aloofness, there is a perception that he is arrogant and hence not many folks want to work with him. His manager, CEO Choi, wants to soften Uno's image by signing him up for a reality show that can restore his goodwill. One day, Uno finds an injured dog on the road and he ask his assistant to take him to a vet, despite his fear of dogs. He is treated but the ve...

Let me first clear it. This is NOT a BL series. The two leads identify themselves as gay men and there are a couple of scenes that show that maybe there is a potential love angle there, but it never happens. The show is not about BL romance at all. The show started off well, even silly but funny in a weird way, but the second half went in a different direction. Also, to be honest I am a bit confused around the whole plot. I hope I have understood it ok, but I would never know. The good thing is only that the show was only 10 episodes of 10 minutes each. The main character here is Shi Hyun. He has just returned home after a long time and is shocked to find his younger sister too engrossed in computer games. She lives in virtual world of comics and otaku (a young person who is obsessed with computers or particular aspects of popular culture to the detriment of their social skills). And because of this she is obsessed with Mong Ryong. He is president in some gaming company. Shi Hyun joins...

This is a simple love story between a man with a troubled past relationship who occasionally gets panic attacks and a guy who tries and helps him to get over the insecurities. At the surface this may seem like yet another BL series, but there were facets of it, that I appreciated and we will talk more about that a little later. And also, with just 8 episodes each of about 15 minutes, some may think that this doesn't give enough time for character building; but IMO this was perfect. Anything longer would have tilted the impact. Sure, the makers could have done with slightly less characters and could have focused more on the leads, but it's all good. Seung Jun is a vocal coach and also sings at weddings. But he has a very shy personality and takes medicine to manage his anxiety. He only has one closest friend who lives in the same building as him and possibly also has a one-sided crush at him. During one of these weddings, Seung Jun meets pianist Jae Hyun, who owns a coffee shop ...

This show falls in one of those categories where you have to define the line between a cute office romance or a workplace harassment situation. Our guy cannot take enough for an answer, but then this stupid and cheesy flirting also becomes sort of addictive after a while and you enjoy it (maybe because it is so bad). The plot is the same done to death of romance, ex showing up, back o love, just using a different inspiration. This series has 8 episodes ranging from 15-20 minutes each. Lee Jun totally doesn't believe in love. However, he does go on a blind date every day, just so that he doesn't have to eat alone and then firmly blocks them. He believes love is an unnecessary, uncomfortable, and unpleasant emotion. He advocates for single life, going against traditional norms. In his company, he proposes an idea of a show highlighting single life, but is vehemently opposed by a new hie Ha Ram. A hopeless romantic, he is not afraid to say thatches is a bad idea. As expected Lee J...

To be honest, I am a little confused after watching this series. Well, let me say that the premise of the show is extremely interesting. It's like approaching romance and falling in love but within the concept and boundaries of the rules set by a video game. So as much as I enjoyed the actual love and romance itself, the overall concept of how and why this happens and eventually how it ends has left me very very confused. This 8 episode Korean drama of episodes ranging around 35 minutes each, is a fun premise albeit a bit harrowing for someone like me. IT starts with two friends meeting at a bar where one of them says that his romantic novel is being converted to a video game. The other guy Myung Ha feels that one of the people from the novel Yeo Woon deserves happiness in life. In a twist of vents Myun Ha finds himself waking up in a past world where he is back to being a 19 year old high school student. He sees a virtual message stating the game has started. His goal is to comple...

This was really a simple easy breezy show without too much of drama forced in for no reason. But having said that maybe it was just too simple. It briefly reminded me of 'Color Rush' for its basic plot. Nonetheless, since this was recommended to m, I watched and I should say that even though this may not be the greatest Korean BL show, it was an easy simple watch. A show that slightly warms your heart. At 8 episodes of about 17 minutes each, it's a quick watch too. Dong Wook has returned to school after a year of absence but anyone who invites him to hangout is rejected very rudely. Lee Do Hyun, is the basketball team captain who is looking for a new team member to win the upcoming tournament. At insistence of the only friend that Dong Wook knows, he decides to join the team but Lee Do Hyun dismisses him completely. It seems they have s history. In many bits and pieces, we are told that Dong Wook has insomnia issues and Do Hyun is the only person in whose presence, he can f...