Welcome to my weekly blog post where I give thoughts on dramas I’m watching but not recapping.
This week I recapped the 2nd and 3rd episodes of My Personal Weatherman. Wherein our deeply-flawed duo struggled with weather-related sex issues and also went on a date. I love it.
I finished:
You Are Mine – 絕對佔領 – 2023
A recently aired Taiwanese workplace boss/subordinate BL with 10 episodes.
An insufferable boss is given a new, male secretary and that goes better than anyone could hope. Until it doesn’t.
For about 5 episodes this was an adorable show about a clumsy and enthusiastic young man whose eagerness to help captures the feels of his jaded, poor little rich boy boss. The plot was a series of things happening so they could grow closer. The problematic power dynamics and expectation that we sympathize with the suffering of a rich CEO weren’t an issue for me because of the cartoonish tone of the show.
But they needed another 5 episodes. Rather than go the route of comically exploring a deepening relationship with two very different people, they opted for dragging things out, followed by ghosting and gaslighting. They added unneeded bits of unmotivated character growth and social messaging at the expense of the silly tone. But without that, the unequal power dynamics felt serious and started to bother me.
The two lead actors of this show deserved better, as it was really their chemistry and charisma that sold it in the first place. If I do recommend this show to anyone, it’s because of them.
A show I recently started:
My Dear Gangster Oppa – พี่นักเลงที่รัก – 2023
A currently airing Thai gangster-student-gamer BL with 8 episodes.
An introverted student with an unrequited crush on his best friend meets an online gamer friend who is an introverted gangster oppa.
(Yes, oppa is a Korean word but the show is Thai. It’s based on a webtoon that was originally published in Korean.)
I started this because I enjoyed the lead pair (Meen/Ping) in Ai Long Nhai, a spectacularly plotless show that I adored but can’t widely recommend.
The first episode of this show started strong. Our introverted leads meet because they’re both members of an online gaming team. It’s an awkward and stilted get-to-know-you at an aquarium. Outside of both being quiet they are very different, and the meeting of a gangster and a student has a lot of potential for interesting conflict.
On top of that, unlike their previous show, this one has production value. Flattering lighting to show off our leads, who aren’t wearing school uniforms. Interesting locations for them to meet and interact. And even scenes that seem to be building to a story.
That last improvement was temporary though, as the second and third episodes dissolved into tropes and meandering scenes of our leads being cute together. We also get some terrible acting for our villain character and what feels like a forced potential second couple. The plot gets buried underneath typical Thai BL sound effects.
Does that change my feelings about the show? Not at all! I love some plotless nonsense and these actors are cute together. An unrealistic drama gangster and student are a fun pairing. Now I just hope they don’t ruin it by trying to take any of it seriously.
It does make it a harder show to recommend though. If you like Ai Long Nhai, this is definitely worth a try. If you didn’t like Ai Long Nhai because it was guys in white shirts in white rooms with white furniture, you might like this. If you didn’t like Ai Long Nhai because there was no plot, this may be a miss for you. So far anyway.
I’m going to keep watching. Plus, apparently Ai Long Nhai had a special episode I missed! So expect me to review that soon.
I want to give an honorable mention to:
Kimi Ni Wa Todokanai – 君には届かない。- 2023
A recently aired Japanese High School BL with 8 episodes.
Here’s a teaser/trailer with no English subs.
This show isn’t streaming anywhere in the US so I won’t do a long review, but I enjoyed it enough to mention it in case it’s available in your region.
The show is a standard trope-y High School romance. One lead is tall, handsome, good at school and terrible with people while the other is outgoing, with terrible grades and not enough height to get attention from girls. The handsome introvert starts off the series with an intense crush on his childhood friend, who is oblivious.
From there it hits all the expected notes, with characters getting sick in the rain, getting tutored, getting stuffed animals from UFO catchers, getting bad advice from friends on school trips etc. During all of that we see the two characters navigate a careful push-pull of their feelings and changing relationship.
As I said in my review of If It’s With You, if they are tropes that I like that are done well, I’m happy. While Kimi Ni Wa Todokanai felt a little less special than that show, it’s a good low-stress journey with no unexpected surprises. I recommend it for when you want something comfortable and familiar.
If it shows up streaming in the US anywhere I’ll mention it here.