The BL Xpress
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A Teenage Romance full of Angst & Yearning
The world is a diverse place full of myriad emotions, and nowhere is this more evident than in the Japanese drama Strawberry Film.Old film footage, nostalgic glimpses into the past, and growing friendships full of hidden desires lay the framework for a beautiful coming-of-age story that explores love in all its forms while accepting that love isn’t bound by societal rules. Instead, it belongs solely to the heart, to the person who holds it—to the joy love brings them and to the pain love causes.
From the opening scenes, Strawberry Film captivates with its evocative cinematography, transporting viewers into a world where individual emotions take center stage. Led by a talented cast including Fukada Ryusei (Ryo), Yabana Rei (Hikaru), Yoshida Mizuki (Chika), and Tanabe Ririka (Minami), the series seamlessly weaves together past and present, inviting audiences on a journey of self-discovery and personal growth.
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https://the-bl-xpress.com/2024/04/10/my-strawberry-film-series-review-ep-3-to-8/
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A Mother's Struggle For Her Son
“Monster” is an intriguing movie, told from the perspectives of 3 individuals, a single mother who is overprotective of her son and wants justice for him, a well-meaning teacher who finds himself in the middle of an almost impossible situation in which he is falsely accused of hitting a child, and a young boy who is coming to terms with himself and his feelings for a friend. Although not quite the psychological thriller one would expect, “Monster” does a great job in shifting our perspective, in as much as we are constantly being asked “who is the monster?”, while viewing the movie. We are not looking for a monster, but rather seeing victims of circumstances that we empathize with throughout the film and the question of who the monster is becomes the furthest from the audience’s concerns.Read the complete article here-
https://the-bl-xpress.com/2024/04/03/monster-movie-review/
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An Enjoyable Ride As Always
The natural tendency is to want to compare this to the first season of “Ossan’s Love” or the movie. I know the mind naturally gravitates towards the comparison. But once you get into this second season, within about 5 minutes, your mind will readjust itself and begin to process that you are watching something very distinct, very different, and very original. For those of you who have not seen season one, you do not need to watch that to appreciate this series. It is nothing like the first season, yet it does feel recognizable. Some faces are indeed familiar. Tanaka Kei reprises his role as the bumbling Haruta Soichi while Yoshida Kotaro also remains as Kurosawa Musashi. However, the setting is very different. Kurosawa Musashi is a Captain for the Kenku Peach Airlines and by sheer luck and a little bit of personal tenacity, Haruta becomes a CA (cabin assistant). Typical of Haruta, he is ‘late’ on his first day on the job. Yet his lateness is for a reason that envelops Haruta like an aura – his compassion. His overriding need, almost compulsion to help people above anything else. And his unwillingness to explain/defend himself as he knows it is futile. He is unequivocally late.Read the complete article here-
https://the-bl-xpress.com/2024/03/27/ossans-love-season-2-love-in-the-sky-2019-japan-8-episodes-2-special-episodes/
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The Most Endearing Romantic Classic Ever
This story is a classic one as it reflects an age-old tale of a ‘mid-life’ crisis. While season one is 5 years and the sequel movie is 4 years ago, both ‘hold up’ today as being relevant, funny, and still charming. Beyond that, both are wondrously entertaining. My husband, by all accounts, is a movie buff, and when it comes to watching movies, he calls me an ‘old curmudgeon’. For those of you unfamiliar with that term, it means someone who is a faulter, grumpy, and a whiner, especially about comedies. They never hold my interest for very long. I proved him wrong not just with “Love or Dead” but with season one as well. It is funny. Very funny – throughout. And it completely held my attention. That is hard to do. To sustain a level of humor and constantly recreating realities that are funny is not easy to do, but this series and movie does so with great skill. The comedic timing is sheer perfection, and the physical comedy is outstanding especially for Tanaka Kei as Haruta Sochi. Many others also displayed great comedic timing as well. That is a reflection not only of good acting talent but also of exemplary directing.Read the complete article here-
https://the-bl-xpress.com/2024/03/23/ossans-love-season-1-and-love-or-dead-2018-19/
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Be on Cloud's Attempt at Scripting a Thriller Fails
“Dead Friend Forever” (DFF) started out rather slowly paced, gained a lot of momentum in the middle, however, by episode 8, the show provided too much unnecessary exposition and plot that did not quite tie in, and fell short in their resolution which resulted in a subpar finale. However, as a slasher/horror series, it delivered on the scares, gore, and delved into the horrors of the human mind which acts as a cautionary tale against bullying and being complicit in the face of others’ wrongdoings.Read the complete article here-
https://the-bl-xpress.com/2024/03/21/dead-friend-forever-series-review-ep-4-to-12/
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A Great Historical Experience, But Could Have Been Better
Indeed, this is a visually stunning movie that is certainly entertaining. With a big bag of popcorn (or snack of your choice) and a relaxing chair, you will thoroughly enjoy this movie. Filled with handsome men, a relatively interesting but a bit slow-plodding plot at times, elegant chorography, breathtaking cinematography, and beautiful costumes, you are in for a treat. Is it memorable? Well, no, not really, but it sure is fun to watch.It is a story of two dancers. During a performance before officials, one is so impressive, not just for his dancing skills but also for his beauty and is asked to ‘personally perform’ for his uncle who is a high official. Khun (Apo Nattawin) and his companion Wan (Bas Asavapatr) are an interesting pair. Both young and handsome, but with Khun looking after Wan, almost like a brother. Their backstory is somewhat vague. Unfortunately, both are accused of killing the official Khun was asked to entertain even though they had attempted to intervene in the assassination. However, to gain pardons for the crime of murder that they will be charged with since they are phrai, (of the lower class), they agree to go to Siam to conduct a cloak-and-dagger operation and steal documents that are proving that the group of Chinese known as Tua Hia are plotting a rebellion.
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https://the-bl-xpress.com/2024/03/16/man-suang-movie-review/
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A Saucy Thriller With Raunchy Content
This series is an erotic roller-coaster ride through the world of gay love. If non-gay people want to know what it is like to be gay, then this is the series to watch. Not the idealized versions of BLs. This is what the world of gayness is, whether you want to believe it or not, accept it or not. It is what it is. Sure, it is the darker side, but it is no less real than the ornament sanitized version of what GAY love is via BL. In other words, this is its antithesis. This expresses the real world.It is a potpourri story that is at times impossible to follow and logically makes absolutely no sense; it has a ‘soap-opera aspect to it. And I loved every minute of it. Why? Because, it presents the darker side of ‘BL’. And if you think for one second that this world either does not exist or is not real, then you are misinformed and mistaken. As it does. What this story does is capture all the issues facing gay men today in a raw, gritty, realistic fashion. Sometimes a bit over-the-top dramatically but never ever unrealistically. To be sure, the problems are overblown, but never its lasciviousness.
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https://the-bl-xpress.com/2024/03/14/playboyy-series-review-ep-1-to-14/
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Could Have Been Better
Simple, Sweet but OrdinaryGu Jing (Stan Huang) is a good chef who owns a creative and retro restaurant. He opens his restaurant anytime he wants. Gu Jing finds that there is a young man who always gets the quietest seat, and that is Liu Li (Chen Xuan Yu). Liu Li is a gay-themed novelist who rents a room upstairs from Gu Jing’s restaurant. Gu Jing starts to send Liu a bowl of spicy beef noodles. Slowly, Gu Jing becomes the person that Liu Li confides in, the person who keeps him company during his hard times. Gradually, Liu Li realizes that his fantasies may be different from reality.
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https://the-bl-xpress.com/2024/03/09/vip-only-series-review-ep-3-to-10/
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Pointless Drama and Over Melodramatic Storytelling
This series is marred by something, and I wrestled with trying to find the most appropriate word to describe that. A word that is strong enough and powerful enough to impart disconnect to what is happening in this series. Finally, I found the precise word: Eschew, which literally means ‘to keep away from or shun, avoid, circumvent, boycott, or dodge’. Quite literally everyone in this series does what he can to avoid telling the truth, or face reality, or abstain from communicating effectively, openly, or honestly. It seems to be the driving force of Thai BLs to be as evasive and elusive as you can to create artificial dramas. This is another sad example of that artifice.Read the complete article here-
https://the-bl-xpress.com/2024/03/07/for-him-series-review-ep-1-to-12/
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An Intriguing Romance Between Two Long Lost Friends
Whether we realize it or not, we, as humans, are always looking for another person(s) to connect to. A person who understands us. A person who can become the place we come home to. A place to rest. A place to be.Adapted from the manga of the same name by Tsurukame Mayo, the new Japanese BL Perfect Propose gives its characters a place to come home to—a place to be comfortable being themselves.
For six episodes, the series quickly traverses a seemingly simple but surprisingly profound and compelling story about two men who met and connected as children before reuniting years later. Hirokuni Watari (Kaneko Shunya) is an overworked corporate employee with little time outside the office. Fukaya Kai (Nomura Kota) is an orphan who works in the food industry for an older man who took him in after he tried to dash and dine. They come face-to-face when Hiro collapses from the weight of his responsibilities and finds himself peering up at Fukaya Kai, the face of the man he’d promised to marry when they were kids.
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https://the-bl-xpress.com/2024/03/06/perfect-propose-series-review-ep-3-to-6/
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A Short Slice of Life But Could Be Better
Strongberry, a name Boys’ Love fans know internationally as one of the most honest and profilic gay production companies in Korea comes back with a short series titled “Happy Ending”. After the success of “Choco Milk Shake” I was pleasantly pleased to see actor Kim Seong Hyuk who plays the silly Kang Dong Ho, in this new series. In the three episodic series, he is paired with Park Jun Mook who plays his good friend Hyun. The pair exist in a pre-established story already in progress which is how Strongberry normally does it.Read the complete article here-
https://the-bl-xpress.com/2024/03/02/happy-ending-series-review-ep-1-to-3/
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A Phenomenal GL Romance With Stellar Casting
Adapted from the manga of the same name, “Tsukuitai Onna to Tabetai Onna/She Loves to Cook and She Loves to Eat” is a queer drama which focuses on the relationship of two women. More than relationship, it focuses on how a neat and genuine bond can be developed by friendship that progresses to a romantic inclination.I have always admired the Japanese way of showing any relationship with so much simplicity yet leaving a message so deep that it affects you genuinely and this is not the first Japanese queer show that revolves around food as we all know. We all have already loved and watched “What did you eat yesterday?” and this show is on the same level as it. Because it is not too flashy or filled with unnecessary or complicated situations.
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https://the-bl-xpress.com/2024/02/22/she-loves-to-cook-and-she-loves-to-eat-season-one-series-review-ep-1-to-10/
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Could Have Been Better
Within the dynamic and ever-changing realm of Thai Boys’ Love (BL) series, “Night Dream” presents a moving story of love, friendship, and personal growth. The protagonist of the show is Night, a senior literature student who finds it difficult to write his final novel because he has never experienced love. The story takes shape as Night makes contact with Dream, a buddy he hasn’t seen in a long time, who helps him understand the nuances of love.Read the complete article here-
https://the-bl-xpress.com/2024/02/21/night-dream-series-review-ep-1-to-6/
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Not Exactly An Entertaining Watch
Adapted from the web novel “Pit Babe” (พิษเบ๊บ) by _alittlebitch (also known as alittlebixth), Peter Nopachai’s rustic adaptation ended on a high note. Based on the fictional ABO/Omegaverse universe, the show’s ratings skyrocketed because of the natural chemistry between the various pairings littered across this universe. While the storytelling was indeed faulty in some places, the stellar casting made up for the odd pacing. This was one of those shows that leaves you with mixed feelings; I won’t say that I was exactly enamored with the series. Nevertheless, it was flavorful in its own ways. There are reasons to watch this show; let me list them first before we journey into the disaster zone!Read the complete article here-
https://the-bl-xpress.com/2024/02/14/pit-babe-series-review-ep-3-to-13/
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A Solemn Tale of Love, Redemption and Reconciliation
Love. Death. Redemption. Realization.Life is full of never truly looking at ourselves while also learning to understand exactly who we are.
And this is precisely the kind of story the Thai BL 7 Days Before Valentine offers. It’s a theatrical, intense story about a man named Sunshine whose love life hangs by a thread. Just as he grapples with the daunting task of charting his life’s course after an unexpected breakup, fate intervenes in surprising ways. A mysterious Cupid reaper, wielding powers beyond comprehension, emerges with a proposition: to restore Sunshine’s lost love within the span of seven days by having him wish away a person each night. Yet, as the intricate web of fate unfurls, it becomes clear that every boon comes with a price. As Sunshine embarks on a journey of choice and reflection, he learns that some lessons are worth their weight in gold.
Read the complete article here-
https://the-bl-xpress.com/2024/02/13/7-days-before-valentine-series-review-ep-1-to-12/
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