Carm's corner

I started this series when seven episodes had already aired, because I kept seeing a lot of positive comments and also certain mentions about the personality of one of the leads that made me curious, and once I started watching it, I couldn't stop. It was a surprise, because stories about college students usually aren't my favorites, but there's something about this series that won my heart. Maybe it's that it has so much tenderness, or maybe it was that I saw a lot of myself in Qinn, or that, even though Duan seemed so enthusiastic and effusive at first that it felt like too much, he also seemed so genuine… or that Duan's group of friends felt very real in the way they interacted… or all of it together… or that I'm getting older and I feel like constant cynicism is exhausting and this was just so warm even though there were some angsty moments… I don't know. But I really ended up liking it a lot. Some episodes made me cry, but overall it was a very sweet and very happy series. I went to watch the finale of this one and of My Romance Scammer at an in-person event and I had a great time.

I enjoyed this series a lot too, but I admit there were moments when I really wished the writers had been more skilled, because I feel it had the potential to develop some plot points better, like Tim's debt and his relationship with his family, or the feelings North expressed at some point about not being convinced that marriage was something he truly wanted. But I guess I ended up forgiving those disappointments because 1) I love Junior. He has a certain something that makes me smile like an idiot when he's on screen, and I think that started ever since I saw him in Cherry Magic. 2) I really liked the OhmPoom pairing. In the end, and despite the flaws in the writing, I feel there's something very particular about certain Thai series, and it's that they touch very sensitive emotional chords in very interesting ways, even if they sometimes fall short in terms of plot coherence. Of course a well-thought-out plot with as few holes as possible is always appreciated, but in these cases you don't always find that, and you have to weigh whether you enjoyed it and whether that's enough. In my particular case, yes, I enjoyed it, but I don't think I'll rewatch it, and it definitely doesn't make it onto my list of favorites, nor is it one of those that leave a particular mark on me.

This is one of the ones I was watching without a fixed schedule, but over the past few weeks, even with a lot of work, I'd make time to watch an occasional episode during my lunch break. I liked it a lot, mostly because the leads are mature, and also because I love series where food works as a way to show affection. It's one of my weaknesses. I cried more than once, especially because I found the way the leads' problems are shown very real: their insecurities, how complicated it can be to make friends when you belong to a minority, the fear of coming out in work settings, family expectations, etc. etc. Nothing I'm not familiar with, and well, it's nice to see stories that don't just revolve around the beginning of a relationship. I love those kinds of stories, even if I end up sniffly and crying alone mid-afternoon at home on a random weekday. I still have the special episode and the second season pending, but that will be for later. I also tried to start reading the manga, but I think I'll look for it in print, because these days I've been reading a lot of manga on screen and it tires my eyes.

I watched this one in six days, again, one or two episodes a day while eating. I watched it because Saen mentioned it in one of my posts when I talked about Countdown to Yes; they commented that the description sounded similar. So I got curious to see how similar the premises were, and I admit there are some points in common: one of the leads has had a crush on his friend since childhood, and they spend a period living together (while studying at college); plus, the doubt one of the leads feels after the other's confession. But in Countdown to Yes, the leads separate after university because one of them goes to work in Hokkaido, and then comes back, years later, still in love. But anyway, in the end I got to see the similarities and the differences, and I enjoyed this one a lot too. I don't know, sometimes I'm in a mood that's very in tune with Japanese series that have a slightly slower pace, where not that much happens in the plot and the story focuses more on how the characters face their feelings. I don't know, I can say that this kind of story really draws me in, regardless of the setting.

I have many, many opinions about this series, some not very good (I admit there were times when I got bored and struggled to get through the episodes, but not enough to drop it), and others that are more like questions I'm asking myself and about the expectations that come with the series being labeled Only Friends. Others are more like: how would I be understanding the story on its own if I didn't have the context I have? I mean, the fixed/established ships and the expectations this creates (the couple has to end up together, and what that implies for the limitations of the plot line itself, the fandom that goes wild if someone "gets in the way" of their ship even if it's a fictional story)… I'd like to explore these questions, but I don't have the mental energy. Would it have been different if it wasn't labeled as Only Friends? In general, I think I expected more chaos between the couples and I didn't end up enjoying it much because of some attitudes of the characters and how one of them was treated because of a job he used to have. One of the things I did like was Mix's performance as Dean. I loved him, and I admit it was one of the reasons I kept watching week after week.

Ahhhh, this series was a strange case. I started watching it out of pure curiosity. I didn't remember the trailer very clearly, and there were certain conversations from people who were uncomfortable with the premise (one of the members of the main couple has an accident and suffers age regression, which leads him to act like a seven-year-old child) and what it could mean if it wasn't handled the right way, but that was precisely what led me to watch it, because I'm a contrarian, and sometimes the fact that a lot of people don't want to watch something makes me even more curious. But it surprised me so much. It was a series that made me cry in every single episode, no exceptions. It deals with themes of mental health, support networks, complicated family relationships, and love in the face of difficult life situations, like an accident or a disability. And it does it in a very sensitive way, from my point of view. I read criticism from people who complained that it wasn't realistic enough, or that things were resolved too cleanly, but I think that's also a matter of expectations and (in my not at all humble opinion) trouble engaging with the text on the text's own terms. I don't know, it's something I've seen a lot in general from people who watch certain series and demand that they be something they're not. Let me explain: would you ask Frankenstein for realism by questioning how possible it is to assemble a human being out of corpse parts like it's done in the story? No, because that's part of how the story tells what it wants to tell. Anyway, I don't want to get too philosophical, but yeah, it is something that bothers me a little and maybe part of why I feel somewhat out of place even among some people I can talk about series with… but I got a bit off topic, didn't I? This series definitely goes onto my list of favorites of the year (and in general). And I definitely want to rewatch it. I recommend it, but you do have to keep the content warnings in mind, they even include them at the beginning of certain episodes.

One of my goals this year was to watch series from other countries, and the Philippines was on my radar. It's not the most prolific country when it comes to BL, but at least a couple of people recommended some that, according to them, are very much worth it. Marahuyo Project is among those, and they were definitely right. I enjoyed it from start to finish. I fell in love with King, because he's the combative young man who doesn't stay silent in the face of injustice, and that's exactly what sets off the plot: he has a conflict with a homophobic teacher and, after that, his father sends him from Manila to the small island of Marahuyo, where his mother and grandmother live. There he has to study at a very small university and face a society that's even more conservative than the capital's; but he also meets a small group of friends that includes Venice, a trans girl who is charming and funny; Lorie, the goddaughter of an influential family in town, who is a lesbian and decides to ally herself with the newcomer King when he decides they should found an LGBTQIA+ student organization at their university; Lili, Lorie's best friend; and Ino, the president of the student council. I'm so glad I watched this series, it's simply very beautiful, so heartfelt, so queer. Another reason I loved it was that I could really see that yes, Filipinos and Latinos are like cousins (damn colonization) and that I can easily imagine this story happening in a town in Oaxaca or Veracruz. Another one that goes onto my list of favorites.

I haven't made progress, between my busy schedule and the fact that new things that catch my attention always come up, like the mangas I started and devoured. But I know I'll eventually come back to this book and finish it. Sometimes it's better to just flow, to go back and forth, than to fight with my brain.

I started this one because I'm watching the live action adaptation and it made me curious. My curiosity came mostly from wanting to know the level of spice in the manga (I know, I know…). It begins with an improvised sexual encounter between Kaji, the star salesman, and Fukami, a quiet employee from the IT department, when they're away on a work trip. Kaji finds Fukami unexpectedly sexy and becomes obsessed with him, to the point of wanting to be his fuck buddy. Fukami agrees, but on the condition that Kaji doesn't fall in love with him. I don't really know what I was expecting, but I have to say it surprised me a little. Of course, Kaji ends up falling in love with Fukami as he gets to know him, and Fukami definitely also considers the relationship they're building to be important, but what interests me most is that Fukami says he has never experienced romantic feelings for anyone, but he has a high sex drive. That was the interesting part for me, because, although the relationship keeps moving forward and evolving, Fukami seems to keep that trait, even after he ends up moving in with Kaji in Hokkaido, a few months after the latter is transferred there for work. The combination of a (possibly) aromantic but not asexual character (like me) definitely interested me, and I kept reading until I ran out of available translated chapters. And I also confess that I'm very bad at reading things that are still in the process of being published… but my curiosity always ends up winning D: I read that Seven Seas is going to publish it in September of this year, but I don't know…

I'm reading this one unofficially, with scanlations that people have kindly uploaded to sites I'm not going to name, since, as far as I know, there's no official translation into English or Spanish. I started this story also thanks to the live action, because I couldn't resist. First of all, the leads are men almost reaching 40, like yours truly. And I definitely appreciate reading or watching stories about characters closer to my age range. This story has that melancholic vibe I like so much. Kuji Shizuka is a translator who rescues Azuma Sakutaro, a former coworker, from someone who wanted to take advantage of him at a bar, and he ends up offering him a part-time job as his translation assistant when he finds out Azuma is unemployed. These two men had one (1) passionate sexual encounter in the past, but Kuji vanished back then. Now they reunite and Azuma decides to give it a try, and they end up having sex again. They establish a relationship as colleagues, but also as roommates (because Kuji offers Azuma a place to live in his home) and as lovers. Kuji has always had feelings for Azuma, and Azuma has too, but neither of them expresses it verbally. Instead, the evolution of the relationship is shown in the way they coexist, in how they care for each other, in the small changes they make in their lives to adjust to one another. But that's not all. The fact that part of what the characters do revolves around translation is definitely a delight, not only because it's a topic that fascinates me, but because of what it implies: understanding, grasping an idea and being able to convey it in a completely different language, and I think it works as an analogy for Kuji and Azuma's relationship. Something I'm also loving is that it deals with the crises of people in their 40s: existential crises around work, crises around aging and dying parents, mundane adult responsibilities, and challenges like having to find a place to live when the house you've always lived in doesn't belong to you and you have to hand it over to someone else, and how all of that influences the way the leads relate to each other and to the world. I need more, but I have to be patient. In Japanese there are already 8 volumes published, but in scanlations, only 5.

I'm liking it a lot. I already read what's available in English, and I'm waiting for more chapters to become available, but from what I've read so far, I think the adaptation is good. Plus, Takeda Kouhei <3 I love him. There's also the detail that the screenwriter and the director are the same ones who worked on When It Rains It Pours, which I also liked a lot. I won't mention much of the plot here, because I already talked a bit about it above, when I mentioned the manga, but I will say that the visual aspect and the pacing, plus the performances, are coming across as delicious to me. Absolutely delicious. I hope the remaining chapters stay just as enjoyable, and that the point they adapt up to has a satisfying ending, unless they're thinking of doing another season afterward (a person can dream, right?). Also, Takeda is very enthusiastic about it and always shares things related to the mangaka and the manga.

I admit there are parts I don't love, like the NC scenes (although they've been improving a little compared to the ones in the first episodes), but the episodes are so short that I forgive it. I imagine they're going to adapt up to roughly the same point the anime adapted. For now, I've also run out of manga chapters translated into English D: I have to be patient.

This series tells the sad story of a boy who studied arts and returns home defeated, to a small and very charming island, to the guesthouse his father owns, but one night, he is talking to an old friend (Li Wangzhe) and they go to talk near the coast. That night they see shooting stars and He Xianyong makes a wish: to disappear. His friend wishes for an intense and passionate love. But it's a story where it soon becomes clear that you always have to be careful what you wish for. I've cried more than I'd like to admit, but I think that's the constant with the series I'm loving these days. I usually say that sad endings don't bother me, but this time I don't know. I don't want a sad ending, ha.

I think this series won me over little by little. The first episodes seemed a bit slow to me, and I felt that maybe certain situations dragged on more than necessary, but I kept watching every episode and now I really need to know how it's going to end. Nakun makes a wish on a shooting star and the meteorite literally falls on him. When he wakes up, he finds himself in the kingdom of Ayutthaya and everyone calls him by another name. He soon discovers that there are many mysteries to solve about Klao, the person whose place he now occupies, and about his family; but he also finds an unexpected bond that he'll have to decide how to face. On one hand, there are certain aspects I like and that leave my heart both clenched and content, but I do think it could have been shorter. I also like the second pair a lot.

I can't believe we're already at the halfway point. Wayu works as a host at a bar, where he also dances. There he meets Kritt, a police captain, under not very fortunate circumstances. Wayu is the only financial provider for his family, made up of his mother and his nephew, the little and adorable Singto. Kritt recruits him as an informant for a case of drug trafficking and human trafficking, in exchange for covering all of Singto's expenses, since he requires special care. And from there, their relationship develops.

This one has been very fun and adorable. Two rivals who've known each other since middle school and compete over everything dare each other to see who can make the other fall in love first. They're both idiots, but I love them. (Is it evident I'm running out of steam?)

Very soap-opera-like. The scent theme reminds me suspiciously of omegaverse, and I keep watching it because it's entertaining, but it's definitely not one of my favorites right now.

It's a Chinese BL and I started it because I saw the trailer and it promised a lot of toxicity :D. So far it's been pretty calm, although Lu Feng exasperates me. And I'm always waiting for when things are going to get ugly. I hope it happens soon.

I admit I haven't watched any Sky-Nani dramas until now, but I started watching this one because of the supernatural theme and because of the controversy that came from the fact that it was initially going to air on Gaga, when it's apparently categorized as a bromance, and because of how everyone was giving their opinion even before it started airing. So I couldn't not try to watch it, to judge it for myself. And I'm enjoying it a lot so far, honestly. I love it when characters have to face their inner demons, literally or figuratively :)

The first episode was fun, but this week they released two and I haven't watched them. I also found out it belongs to the same universe as Tonhon Chonlatee and Ai Long Nhai, and now I feel more curious to watch Tonhon Chonlatee, despite people's warnings, but let me tell you that the more people warn me not to watch something, the more curious I'm going to get about watching it.

The week before last, I binge watched episodes 2 through 16 of Revenged Love, and I caught up just in time to watch episodes 17 and 18 on Monday and Tuesday. I was fully prepared to wait weekly for the remaining episodes… until Gaga announced that episodes 19 and 20 would drop on Friday (august 8), followed by daily releases starting on Saturday, all the way through tomorrow (august 12).

On one hand, the news was thrilling: no more weekly waits! On the other hand, it completely wrecked my carefully balanced viewing schedule. Still, I think I chose a good time to start watching, since it meant I wouldn’t have to wait long to finish the series. That said, I’ll admit there’s a certain charm to weekly anticipation: more time to theorize about what’s coming next and dissect the characters’ motivations and shenanigans.

But honestly, given all the bizarre behavior from certain fans (I only hear about it secondhand… I don’t even have a xitter or weibo accounts, or whatever other platforms host these “controversies”) and the looming threat of censorship derailing the show, I think we all breathed a sigh of relief when the full series’ release was confirmed.

I started this show out of curiosity, and before I knew it, I was completely hooked. It’s got everything that keeps me interested in a story: toxicity, comedy, angst, morally questionable characters… what can I say? It even made me curious enough to start reading the novel it’s based on, and… well, that’s a whole other beast. Sometimes I have to put my phone down and question my life choices, wondering, what the hell am I even reading?

I have so many thoughts about the novel, and not just about the dubcon or the rampant manipulation between characters, nope. From what I’ve heard, even the author has warned people not to read it, and I totally get why. But between my morbid curiosity and wanting to see how much they changed for the adaptation, I’ll probably finish it… eventually. Maybe I’ll take a break first and finally finish reading SVSSS to appease my conscience.

Then there’s Desire, another show keeping me on the edge of my seat week after week. It still feels surreal that we’re getting a live action omegaverse series… and a deliciously toxic one at that (at least for me). Every week, I’m impressed by Hua Yong’s masterclass in manipulation, and every week, my heart breaks a little more for Gao Tu (this week’s episode revealed we share our birthday, so now I have even more reason to root for this poor omega pretending to be a beta)...

And can we talk about the non-con body modification? The fact that an alpha pregnancy is central to the plot (in a world where alphas dominate) is fascinating. The implications are ripe for deep analysis, maybe even a serious essay… but not from me. I’m no academic, and while dissecting these themes sounds really tempting, the idea of actually writing something like that is overwhelming. Still, I’d absolutely read it if someone else did it.

EpAnother series that’s completely charmed me is 10 Things I Want to Do Before I Turn 40. At first, the premise’s similarity to Old Fashioned Cupcake threw me off, but by the second episode, I was sold. Office romance? Age gap? A nearly 40 year old protagonist wrestling with insecurities and emotional repression, embarking on a journey of self discovery alongside a handsome younger man? Yes, please. And no, it has nothing to do with the fact that I, too, am nearing 40 with my own set of insecurities. Nope.

Then there’s Shine. SHINE. Only two episodes in (and they’re an hour each!), but it’s SO good. The historical and sociopolitical context is fascinating, and reading about it to better understand the story is one of my favorite parts of watching dramas and movies from other countries.

This week’s episode started intensely, with the terror of a forbidden relationship (defying an oppressive system) and the loss of it, followed by the constant (if futile) threat of never being able to break free. I love how each character’s backstory unfolds and connects to the bigger narrative. Also, it’s visually stunning, and the soundtrack? Chef’s kiss.

I didn’t have any kind of expectations like some fans that are more informed and have been following the news about it (I just learned about it when they released the teaser, and this is, in fact, the first BOC series I watch), but I’m so glad I started it. There’ll be only eight episodes, but I’m eager to see where it goes. And of course, obligatory mention of Apo… because good lord, that man is unbelievably handsome.