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Ayaka-chan ha Hiroko-sempai ni Koishiteru Live-Action (彩香ちゃんは弘子先輩に恋してる)

July 5th, 2024

Ayaka works in a fairly typical Japanese office where the star of the company is Hiroko, a very competent, caring career woman. After a gaffe early in her career, Ayaka is helped by Hiroko, and as a result, Ayaka has fallen in love with her sempai. To try and gain Hiroko’s attention, the mousy Ayaka had undergone a remake and is now fashionable and cute. And she is all over Hiroko.

Only, Hiroko is actually a lesbian. On the one hand, this is a part of her life she has not shared at the office, and as the cool sempai, she is beloved by both male and female colleagues, so she keeps her professional relationships professional. On the other hand, she is absolutely sure that Ayaka is straight and clueless, so she’s not touching that with a ten-meter stick. On the third hand, Ayaka is so hot, it’s killing Hiroko.

Ayaka-chan ha Hiroko-sempai ni Koishiteru Live-Action (彩香ちゃんは弘子先輩に恋してる) is based on the manga written by Sal Jiang of the same name, of which I have reviewed Volume 1 and Volume 2 here on Okazu, but have not yet had a chance to read Volume 3.

Japanese comedy is often quite broad with zany facial expressions and wacky sound effects, even slapstick action. This series is meant to be understood as a comedy. As a result, I went it into the first episode unsure if it would work for me, although the trailer gave me hope. Because Hiroko’s reactions are 98% of the comedy, it is very much on Mori Kanna’s shoulders to carry the series. I am pleased to report that the comedy does work. In part because of the way Mori plays Hiroko, and also in former Nogizaka46 member Satou Shiho’s Ayaka, who does not overplay her role. So Ayaka comes off as sincere and maybe a little much, while Hiroko is played sympathetically as a lesbian who would totally be in to this girl who keeps throwing herself at her, except she’s probably super straight, argh!

My favorite scenes in the first episode (titled Nonke ni Otosrenai, ノンケに落とされない, don’t fall for a straight girl) takes place in Hiroko’s local lesbian bar, where her endless ranting about Ayaka is both hilarious and annoying to the other patrons. I laughed out loud at Hiroko spinning in her barstool complaining about how this straight girl is going to kill her. ^_^

Which brings me to a pretty major point here. This series is another live-action Josei series by and about queer women in Japan, thus once again allowing me to be smug about Josei making good live-action drama (^_^) and rejoicing that we have another live-action series by and about queer women in Japanese media! I am very pleased by that.

Ratings:

Acting – 9
Characters – 9
Story – A very silly 8
Service – It’s not above showing a little skin
LGBTQ+ – 10

Overall – 9

As noted in last week’s YNN Report, this series is available with subtitles in English and other languages on Asian LGBTQ+ media streaming service GagaOOLala. Episode 1 also aired in Japanese, with no subtitles on TVer.jp. I watched it on the latter because I wasn’t in the mood to sign up for another streaming service and I have a VPN, but do whatever works best for you. That said, do watch Ayaka-chan ha Hiroko-sempai ni Koishiteru live-action, because it is openly queer and actually amusing. And I’d love for this to get the kind of reception Tsukuritai Onna to Tabetai Onna live-action got, sending a clear message to Japanese media companies that queer rep by queer creators will do well.

Blank: The Series, Season 2

July 3rd, 2024

In my review of season 1 of Blank: The Series I noted three negatives of the series: the 16-year age gap between the older Neung and the younger Aneung struck many fans as problematic, the behavior of Aneung was childish and annoying (and her portrayal by Yoko Apasra Lertprasert somewhat one-note), and the subpar English subtitles made understanding the dialogue difficult at times.

Still, I liked season 1 and I’m happy to report that season 2 of Blank: The Series is even better. The subtitles, while not perfect, feature understandable and idiomatic English. Now that Aneung is in university her maturity level has increased, and Yoko’s portrayal of her has correspondingly improved to the point where she’s often upstaging Faye Peraya Malisorn’s Neung. As the plot unfolds Aneung is alternately happy, angry, loving, despondent, or delightfully mischievous, as she goads an oft-reluctant Neung into various displays of affection.

As for the age gap, the story wouldn’t work without it. Its central theme is how Neung is caught between two different generations and must determine how to negotiate their differing demands and perspectives in her own life. Aneung is young but now fully an adult, has made new friends in university, and is confident and secure in who she is (an out lesbian) and what she wants (a relationship with Neung). On the other side of the divide are Aneung’s absentee mother Phiangfa (formerly Neung’s best friend), Neung’s ex-fiancé Chet (who we learned in season 1 has a previously-hidden connection to both Phiangfa and Aneung), and Aneung’s grandmother. All of them have their own reasons for continuing to treat Aneung as a child and (like many Asian parents and grandparents) seeking to control her life as an adult.

Meanwhile Neung, although the same age as Phiagfa and Chet, in many ways reads as closer in age to Aneung: she’s skated through life thus far, rejecting both her privileges and responsibilities as a member of the Thai aristocracy, her slacker lifestyle subsidized by ongoing “loans” from her younger sister Sam. Following the events of season 1 she moves back to her family’s “palace” and begins to assume the position to which she was born. However, at the same time she finds herself being drawn more and more to Aneung. Between Aneung’s entreaties and the older generations’ demands, Neung gradually finds herself entangled in a Gordian knot of irreconcilable expectations, a knot that’s cut by a final melodramatic plot twist and Neung’s and others’ reactions to it.

New production company NineStar Studios has done a stellar job of sanding off the rough edges of Chao Planoy’s source novel and turning out a great adaptation of it on a relatively limited budget (further strained by doing reshoots for parts of season 2). Faye continues to shine as Neung, and as noted above Yoko more than holds her own opposite Faye. The writing and cinematography are generally sharp, with occasional dips in quality (including an odd and confusing flashforward in the final episode) that are more than compensated for by some excellent scenes, most notably those involving a radio call-in show.

NineStar CEO Wanwand (“P’Wan” to Blank fans) is a self-described social media influencer and (judging by her X timeline) a major Becky Armstrong fan. A year and a half ago she was making GAP reaction videos, a year ago she first read Blank, by August she had formed NineStar Studios (with Ice Papichaya Pattaralikitsakul, who portrays Sam in the series, as COO) and was starting casting for the series, and five months later (assisted by veteran production house Moongdoo Production) NineStar debuted episode 1. After a slow start Blank: The Series is now a solid success, with individual episode segments racking up millions of views and sold-out fan meets in Thailand, the Philippines, and elsewhere. I’m looking forward to what P’Wan and NineStar come up with next, whether it features Faye and Yoko or not.

Rating:

Story — 7
Characters — 8
Production — 7
Service — 3
Yuri — 10
LGBTQ — 5 (Aneung to Chet re her friend Yui: “She’s not a tom[boy], she’s queer!”)
Overall — 8

This may be blasphemy to write, but in some ways season 2 of Blank: The Series is a more interesting and emotionally satisfying watch than was GAP: The Series (the previous gold standard for Thai live-action yuri), ditching superfluous side plots and “comic” relief in favor of a sustained focus on the central couple. If you’re interested in Blank but have limited time, you may wish to start with episode 6 of season 1—just go on the internet first to acquaint yourself with the basic facts about the characters.

23.5: The Series

June 5th, 2024

by Frank Hecker, Staff Writer

The Thai company GMMTV is a BL powerhouse, with eight live-action BL series aired in 2023 and a staggering fifteen BL productions scheduled for 2024. Thus it was major news when GMMTV took note of the success of GAP: The Series and created their first yuri series, 23.5 (airing on either Youtube or Netflix depending on the region).

In creating 23.5 GMMTV generally played it safe, with a high school setting, a plot element (mistaken identity) that was centuries old when Shakespeare used it, the classic pairing of a short brown-haired extrovert with a tall black-haired introvert, and two actors (Milk Pansa Vosbein and Love Pattranite Limpatiyakorn) who had displayed good chemistry as a side couple in GMMTV BL series. However, GMMTV did show some confidence in the appeal of a yuri work: A popular pair of BL actors was rumored to be included as a side or even second primary couple, but GMMTV apparently decided that “MilkLove” would be able to carry the show without such help. GMMTV also chose an out lesbian (Fon Kanittha Kwunyoo) to direct. These both proved to be wise choices.

The astronomically-themed 23.5 (after the tilt in the Earth’s axis) is set at S-TAR Academy (“S-TAR” = “star,” get it?), which the shy and gawky Ongsa joins as a transfer student. She finds herself attracted to Sun, one of the most popular girls in the school, and reaches out to her over social media using the pseudonym “Earth.” Their online relationship quickly blossoms, but not without complications: Sun wonders when Earth (whom she assumes is a boy) will ever meet her in person, while Ongsa tortures herself over whether and how to end the charade and tell Sun her feelings face to face. Those familiar with mistaken identity romances know how this will end, but the journey on the way is quite enjoyable, thanks in large part to the central couple. As portrayed by Love, Sun is one of the most adorable and charming love interests ever to grace this solar system, while Milk’s Ongsa is completely endearing as she veers from giddy infatuation to agonized embarrassment.

23.5 is worth watching just for them alone, but as usual there are some side couples as well. The most prominent other yuri pairing features View Benyapa Jeenprasom as Ongsa’s introverted and UFO-obsessed cousin Aylin (“Aylin” = “alien,” get it?) with Luna (portrayed by June Wanwimol Jaenasavamethee) as a “manut” (human) intrigued enough to want to get to know her better. View’s portrayal of Aylin, who’s clearly intended to be read as neurodivergent, may be a questionable aspect of the show for some. I’ll leave it to others to assess how realistic her character is, but for much of the series the only direction given to View seems to have been “look straight ahead and talk like a robot.” However, later in the series Aylin opens up a bit in response to Luna’s offer of friendship and View can portray a wider range of emotions.

There are other positive aspects to 23.5: there’s a quasi-BL side plot involving a character who wouldn’t normally be featured in a conventional BL series, and another side plot involving the students’ teachers that’s notable among Thai series for featuring trans women in roles not limited to comic relief. As befits an experienced production company, other aspects of the series are generally competent, including the English subtitles. However, the writing can occasionally get overly saccharine or stray into “special episode” territory (as in the Aylin subplot, which at times treats her as a problem to be solved rather than a person to be respected).

Despite my quibbles, I can recommend 23.5 as a solid and satisfying first entry by GMMTV into the yuri genre, with Milk and Love (along with Faye and Yoko of Blank: The Series) poised to rival Freen and Becky as the next hot yuri pairing. I hope GMMTV will see fit to give them starring roles in another yuri series, and in particular will let Milk and Love be the adults they are; as anyone who’s seen her modeling photos can attest, Milk in particular would be stunning as a glamorous and sophisticated older character.

Rating:

Story – 6
Characters – 8
Production – 7
Service – 3 (Ongsa in a traditional Thai outfit)
Yuri – 8
Overall – 8

Blank The Series, Guest Review by Frank Hecker

May 1st, 2024

A young woman on the cusp of adulthood latches onto an older woman and pursues her, but a sheltered adolescence causes her to come off more child-like than her age might suggest. The older woman, burned by past relationships and not looking for another, thinks of the younger woman more as a daughter than a potential lover, but eventually finds herself reconsidering what they mean to each other.

Wait, didn’t I review this story several weeks ago? But, no, this is not Monthly in the Garden with My Landlord, Volume 2 , it’s season 1 of the Thai live-action yuri production Blank: The Series.

Blank: The Series is an adaptation of a novel by Chao Planoy, the author of GAP: Pink Theory, and is set in the same universe. It’s squarely targeted at fans of GAP: The Series, although its age-gap premise has occasioned online controversy among some in that fandom. 36-year-old Neung (the older sister of Sam from GAP) is a mature woman burned out on relationships, four years on from ditching rising politician Chet at the altar in the series’s opening scene. As previously seen in GAP: The Series, Neung is estranged from her grandmother, has rejected her place in the Thai aristocracy, and is pursuing a life on her own as an artist (partially subsidized by Sam).

Into her life comes 20-year-old Neung (the identical names are not a coincidence). Young Neung (or Aneung, as older Neung refers to her) is a young woman denied a normal adolescence; she’s still in high school, held back by ill health. She has no friends her own age, and her only family is her demanding and censorious grandmother. Aneung’s only escape is reading yuri novels, and when she meets older Neung (whom she calls Ar-Neung or “Aunt Neung”) she immediately sets out to win her over, alternately flirting with her and pouting at the older woman’s rejection of her advances. As for Neung herself, she goes from finding Aneung annoying to struggling with her ambiguous and growing feelings toward her.

“Faye” Peraya Malisorn is excellent as Neung in a role that calls for subtle acting to show Neung’s slowly evolving emotions. “Yoko” Apasra Lertprasert generally acquits herself well as Aneung, although her performance at times threatens to become repetitive. “Ice” Papichaya Pattaralikitsakul and Marissa Lloyd have the thankless jobs of following in Freen’s and Becky’s footsteps as Sam and Mon respectively, but they are very much the side couple here.

Like GAP, Blank has its share of melodrama, especially involving Chet (“Kun” Kittikun Tansuhas) and Phiangfa (“Ploy” Preeyaphat Silahom), Aneung’s long-absent mother. The producers toned things down somewhat from Blank the novel — for example, they aged up Aneung — and hopefully will continue doing so with the second season, which apparently has even more melodrama. They could have toned things down even further, for example getting Aneung out of a high school uniform and dialing back her childish aspects a notch or two. In terms of production values, the major problem with the series is the mediocre to poor English subtitles, which sometimes left me struggling to figure out the meaning of certain lines.

Despite that issue, Blank season 1 is a welcome addition to the GAP extended universe. The core relationship is handled well (except for Aneung going overboard at times), and there’s minimal “service”. I liked it enough that I’ll watch the second season, which begins airing in May. It will presumably deal with the fallout from the final episode of season 1, which ends on a cliffhanger.

Rating:

Story – 7 (unless you hate age gaps)
Characters – 7
Production – 5 (the subtitles drag it down)
Service – 2
Yuri – 6
Overall – 7

Chaser Game W

March 6th, 2024

by Frank Hecker, Staff Writer

One result of yuri’s increasing popularity is the creation of more and more live-action yuri series, like the popular Thai production GAP: The Series and the recent Japanese series Tsukuritai Onna to Tabetai Onna (based on the manga currently being released in English as She Loves to Cook, She Loves to Eat). Some of these productions are follow-ups to or re-workings of non-yuri material, like the Thai series Love, Senior (a gender-swapped version of the Thai BL series SOTUS). Such is the case with the subject of this review, the eight-episode Japanese series Chaser Game W, which originally aired on Tokyo TV and is now streaming internationally on the Taiwanese LGBTQ-focused streaming service GagaOOLala, with subtitles in English, Spanish, Chinese, Thai, and Indonesian.

The “W” stands for “women”. Chaser Game W is a spin-off of Chaser Game, a previous manga and live-action drama about a male game developer; it shares a setting but not much else with the prior work. The subtitle, “My Evil Boss is My Ex-Girlfriend”, states the premise: 27-year-old Harumoto Itsuki is a closeted lesbian working as a team lead for a game development firm. One day she finds that her girlfriend from university, Hayashi Fuyu, has returned to Japan as the representative of a Chinese company looking to contract with Itsuki’s firm to create a game adaptation of a yuri(ish) manga (or manhua?). Unfortunately, Fuyu has brought with her an older husband, a young daughter, and a vengeful attitude — the result of Itsuki breaking up with Fuyu in college to (apparently) pursue a boyfriend.

Being a yuri production this state of affairs can’t continue unchanged, of course, so the show finds various (and at times contrived) ways to throw Fuyu and Itsuki together and encourage them to re-kindle their relationship. However, corporate intrigues and the demands on Fuyu as a wife and mother threaten to derail it once more. Nakamura Yurika does an excellent job portraying Fuyu’s transition from office terror to a woman approaching her breaking point, while former idol Sugai Yūka acquits herself well in the less demanding role of Itsuki. The two also have good chemistry as partners in romance, although some viewers may bemoan the relative lack of kisses and other physical affection. I should also mention Kurotani Tomoka as Ro Asami, an older corporate manager who takes over the villainess role midway and does a bang-up job of it — although her motivation when revealed proves to be more than a bit clichéd.

Other notes: Beyond the three characters mentioned above, the others in the game development team are also women, while the men are all side characters, ranging from innocent and even sympathetic bystanders (Fuyu’s husband) to sexist buffoons (a character designer himself caricatured). The series finds multiple occasions to favorably portray Japanese work practices and social mores as more relaxed and tolerant than those of China, something I found quite amusing given Japan’s reputation in the West as a land of overworked employees and conservative attitudes. Finally, the epilogue, which occurs after a time skip, gives viewers a happy ending, but I found it a bit rushed and hand-wavy. I would almost have preferred something more bittersweet as being more in keeping with the show’s relative realism about being a lesbian in Japan (or, worse, China).

Ratings:

Story: 7

Characters: 8

Production: 7 (it has its cheesy moments, most notably in a coming out scene that’s accompanied by sound and lighting effects more appropriate to a Gothic horror movie)

Service: 3 (a fairly tame bedroom scene)

LGBTQ: 7 (both Itsuki and Fuyu are explicitly lesbian, although Itsuki is initially closeted and Fuyu entered into a heterosexual marriage due to family pressure)

Overall: 7

Chaser Game W is well worth watching if you’re a GagaOOLala premium subscriber, and worth checking out during a free trial period if you’re not. GagaOOLala has recently established itself as _the_ place to go for current Japanese live-action BL series; perhaps Chaser Game W is a harbinger of an increased GagaOOLala focus on Japanese live-action yuri as well.

You can watch the official GagaOOLala trailer for the show. GagaOOLala also released several scenes from the show on Youtube; spoiler warnings for all these, but especially the second:

Fuyu in vengeful mode

Fuyu’s backstory

Reminiscing about their past

A contrived excuse for wedding cosplay

A romantic moment