Fast forward today, a high school friend convinced me with all her might to watch a Filipino BL series (and I swear she could be fan club president with her enthusiasm), and I actually gave in.
The series is called Gameboys, the first Filipino BL web series filmed during quarantine which consists of 13 episodes and a bonus episode of 13.5. The story revolves around Cairo (Elijah Canlas), a live-stream gamer who loses to a fan of his, Gavreel (Kokoy De Santos).
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| Elijah Canlas and Kokoy De Santos (pinterest.com) |
When I first watched this, I was really skeptic. I mean let’s be honest not everyone can pull off stories like this and sometimes it could come off as forced and cliché.
I don’t watch BL, but for a first, I do think this story deserves all the love and attention from people. I hated to admit it when I started binge watching this but after finishing it in less than a day, I could really say that this is one heck of a story.
Gameboys is beyond expectation. To be honest, it’s kinda cringe at the beginning especially if you’re no hopeless romantic or if you’re just the type to cringe at everything. During the first few episodes I was really screaming in my room with mixed emotions from cringe, to kilig, to sana all. There were also moments of humor that weren’t forced either. However, the cringe-worthy exchange between Cairo and Gavreel was just the icing of the cake. The next few episodes dig down deeper from the icing.
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| youtube.com |
The story didn’t just revolve around romance itself. A lot of things were brought to life which the audiences could totally relate with, especially with its characters. It touches discussion on family, trust, communication, relationships (long distance or not), friendship, forgiveness, mental health, accepting one’s self, and loss. Well there might be some points that I missed but like I said, it’s not only about romance and rather gives a 360-degree perspective, especially during these times.
The progress and pace were not dragging at all and I think it was smart of them not to give a preview of what happens next, making the viewers even more curious. They really did a good job in bringing out the emotions and how genuine the characters were. I love how BL wasn’t romanticized here as plainly cliché and hardcore just to prove that this was BL. They showcased how people from the LGBTQ community are still humans who deserve love and go through the same things that any other person would.
Gameboys has really set the bar up high for Filipino BL series. Though it’s not cliché nor forced, yet this shows that it makes no difference just because it surrounds two gay men. If you just look at the story line closely, you wouldn’t even mind that its BL. I guess this is what’s wrong with our mentality sometimes, just because some things are labeled such as BL, we are quick to judge what it’s all about without keeping an open mind.
The progress and pace were not dragging at all and I think it was smart of them not to give a preview of what happens next, making the viewers even more curious. They really did a good job in bringing out the emotions and how genuine the characters were. I love how BL wasn’t romanticized here as plainly cliché and hardcore just to prove that this was BL. They showcased how people from the LGBTQ community are still humans who deserve love and go through the same things that any other person would.
Gameboys has really set the bar up high for Filipino BL series. Though it’s not cliché nor forced, yet this shows that it makes no difference just because it surrounds two gay men. If you just look at the story line closely, you wouldn’t even mind that its BL. I guess this is what’s wrong with our mentality sometimes, just because some things are labeled such as BL, we are quick to judge what it’s all about without keeping an open mind.
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| youtube.com |
Even the character developments were well played and didn’t seem out of place. They make you love them. They show us that gender isn’t something to define yourself with and that it’s not the basis of how worthy you are as a person. You don’t get to see this kind of story line especially during quarantine.
This series deserves the 2nd season that its gonna get. This is the first ever BL series that I’ve watched and I could say it’s the best one yet. It’s really cringe-worthy and don’t let yourself stop watching midway. So I recommend watching this and I hope you guys would also learn to love it as much as I did.
P.S. Here's a link so you can watch the entire series including episode 13.5, you can also turn on the English subtitles if you feel like it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvOfPBV-W6A&list=PLv6u9mQ2G7tPiwZOYM6TXw3HXvHsVKQ40
This series deserves the 2nd season that its gonna get. This is the first ever BL series that I’ve watched and I could say it’s the best one yet. It’s really cringe-worthy and don’t let yourself stop watching midway. So I recommend watching this and I hope you guys would also learn to love it as much as I did.
P.S. Here's a link so you can watch the entire series including episode 13.5, you can also turn on the English subtitles if you feel like it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvOfPBV-W6A&list=PLv6u9mQ2G7tPiwZOYM6TXw3HXvHsVKQ40
Writer,
Thin Girl
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