Gameboys (2020)

Episode 8: On Home is the Safest Place

The series is full of restorative social values. This review will focus on why home is the safest place to be who we really are.

Parallelly, one of the reasons why Cai ran away aside from fear of being not accepted by his family was he felt that the home was not safe for him to be who he really was. “Ma, I am sorry, because I am not the son you think I was.” Although the core outtake of this is we should never feel sorry for who we really are – that we have to be unapologetically us – there is an unpolished wisdom here.

Family offers the experience of belonging that we needed. We long to belong. And if we think we don't belong to any other classes, then the family will save our dread and anxiety for that. But what happen when we don't feel like we belong to the family – that is we feel that we are not safe at home where our family domiciled? We are forced to fit into the mould of moral normalism. We are forced to wear the armor of masculinity or uniform of femininity. We are compelled to be the good child. Such a case is the endgame of freedom of being who we really are.

This is why the home should be the safest place for the member of the family to be who they really are. We have had enough of wearing mask in corporate world or at university or with the company of our friend. We should unwear all these masks effectively when we say, “I am home.”

Redeemingly, the Lazaro family is the perfect illustration of this. Cai didn't feel safe at home to show who he really was and when he was outed – afraid of rejection – he ran away. But his family reassured him that the home was the safest place to be who he really was. “You don't apologize for being who you really are,” Cai's mom said. In her serious attempt to console and for Cai to not feel apologetic, she humbly apologized, “I didn't make an effort to gain your trust to make you fell that you could tell anything to me, to us... I didn't make you feel that we are on your side. That you are safe with us.” On the part of his brother Lazaro, he had already told Cai that he accepted him in Episode 7, albeit told in the mood of grief and anger. But knowing that his brother would blame himself for the demise of their father – and as an eldest brother – he said, “I am sorry for making you feel that way. It is not your fault.” Lastly his father – too knowing that his son was blaming himself – sent a scheduled email that freed Cai from all the guilt that consuming him: “It saddens me every time you texted me at the hospital. I already told you that it's not your fault. Maybe, you really need to hear me forgive you. OK, I forgive you, Cairo. I hope you forgive yourself, too.” These lines – banal and modest but they have not been told in our everyday life – coming from the member of Lazaro family encapsulate that home is the safest place to be who we really are.

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Not just a series, but this is reality....an advocacy!

There has been a surge with regards to BL genre in the Philippines. But what seperates Gameboys, and what makes them the best compare to their contemporaries is that, the show's goal is not only limited to giving kilig and entertainment to its audience, it also uses its platform to educate and raise awareness with regards to Covid-19 dangers, the grief of losing a loved one during the pandemic, LGBT issues like coming out issues and debunking heteronormative gender roles. It also touch mental health, validation of feelings, social connection and tourism in the Philippines.

This not just a series, this is reality, this is an advocacy. It empowers its audience. So please watch the best pinoy BL. This is BL at its best.

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Simply Love in time of pandemic ❤️

It is not just 2 boys falling in love with each other, this show also tackles sensitive issues surrounding the LGBTQ WISELY plus the reality of challenges with the current pandemic. This show can be used as an educational tool as well. Kudos to all from the cast to the crew for bringing this masterpiece to life. Well-written story, heartfelt acting, beautiful OSTs, happy and fun fandom. I have never been invested too much in a show. Definitely gonna recommend it.

Also, now that the merch and movie are confirmed, hopefully we can have an album and season 2 also :) Love you IdeaFirst Company ❤️

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Completely Realistic!

This is the most realistic drama series that I watched. Mainly because I have seen quite a lot of instances like this in real life.

I would like to highlight the lead actors on this review. Elijah Canlas’ acting was way too over the top, I must say it’s really excellent for a debuting actor. Kokoy De Santos as well excelled again in this romance as he always does in whatever character he portrays. The supporting casts as well made the whole drama stand out. Job well done!

The concept of this whole series is very fascinating, never have I ever imagine that like this will be as good as it can be. The story is a bit toxic though but as I said it’s reality. Music can be a lot more better though, but I like it when Elijah rapped. Overall this is absolutely worth bingeing for and probably rewatching all over again.

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WITHOUT PEARL, THIS SERIES IS DEAD

This is by far one of the best bls for me not just Pinoy bl but all bls and that’s a lot to say given I’ve watched almost 70 different asian bls.

I’m impressed by every person in making this production possible. They’re one hell of a team. From the director, to the actors, to the writers, videographers, they gave their all and its result is just something one bl fan can’t fathom in just 13 episodes.

AND NOW, THE BEST PART ABOUT THIS SHOW: I CAN’T FREAKING STRESS THIS ENOUGH (Hence the capslock)!!! PEARL IS SO MUCH MORE THAN JUST A FRIEND, GIRLFRIEND, EX LOVER, BEST FRIEND, VLOGGER. I MEAN HER SINCERITY AND CARE TOWARDS OTHER PEOPLE IS OUT OF THIS WORLD. THE THINGS SHE DOES FOR THE PEOPLE SHE LOVES IS EXACTLY WHAT CAIRO AND GAVREEL NEEDS AFTER ALL THE SHIT THEY’VE BEEN THROUGH. I HONESTLY BELIEVE THAT GAV AND CAI WOULDNT BE COMPLETE WITHOUT PEARL. THAT KIND OF RELATIONSHIP IS RARE. THEY’RE SO LUCKY TO HAVE HER IN THEIR LIVES.

And even though there were some parts there where I felt too much cheesiness between the main leads because of how they call each other ‘Baby’, I still rated this as 10/10 because it’d be a sin not to. Overall, the show is just too beautiful not to give it a 10. You can get a lot from this show not just the bl parts. Oh and by the way, they cry so good, it makes me even cry too.

Can’t wait for the second season.

PS* Hoping it wouldn’t be like What The Duck where I was so hyped by s1 but when s2 came, GAHD DAMN!! Just watch it for yourself if you want to waste time lol

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The Best BL Series of 2020

All of the episode of this series is really must watch because majority of emotions you can get from. Laugh, Cry, Sad, Kilig, Anger and others. The acting of the casts is superb and natural. The script is well thought as well as the direction is smooth. The soundtrack and musical scoring are top notch, you can feel the essence of every scene. Thanks IdeaFirst company for bringing this series during a pandemic. The uniqueness and realness of the story makes it more appealing than the other BLs and also open up a lot of issues such as LGBT issue, grieving a love ones death, being outed by someone, reveal your identity, jealousy. admit your own mistake. Season 2, we are ready.

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Best BL!

Gameboys came out of nowhere, no promotions at all. Being the first Filipino BL, and being disappointed so far with how LGBTQIA+ is being portrayed in the mainstream media in the Philippines, I have low expectation when I watched ep1 tbh. There's really no BL that I like that's airing at that time so I thought why not try it. My first impression is it's just another kilig-centered BL. I continued watching it because I was curious how far the series can go as it was taken from the actors' respective houses only. I mean, what kind of plot can you do with that kind of setting, right? But then, Ash Malanum, the genius writer behind Gameboys, proved me wrong. Ep 4 is their turning point after that, it keeps getting better and better. I don't even know how he can packed all those scenes in a 20-30 minutes ep without overdoing it.

One of the things that I can use in describing this series is that it is a "Revolutionary BL". It might be an exaggeration for some but not for someone whose been watching BL since 2017 (?) from Taiwan, Thailand, China, Korea, and Japan and has seen all toxic tropes you can imagine. They don't only deliver KILIG to the viewers but also tackled several societal issues that many BLs failed to handle properly.

I also relate to the characters on a personal level a lot. The characters has depth and layers (AGAIN, ASH!). They don't feel fictional characters to me.

Elijah, Kokoy, Adrianna, Kyle and all supporting characters and Direk Ivan Andrew Payawal really did a great job. All scenes were made as realistic as possible and the fact that the actors are not seeing each other while acting and still can give a stellar performance in portraying their roles is astronomical. They don't only need to act but has to set up the camera, design the room with the instruction of their production designer, Nestor Abrogena through zoom, adjust the lighting etc.

This series holds a special place in my heart. Ep 8 is a personal favorite. I remember crying my heart out with just one scene from that ep. I paused to calm down and then continued the scene just to cry again. That conversation with his mother really brought so many emotions to me. I wanted something like that. I believe everyone wants something like that, regardless if it's about your gender or not, we all wanted to experience that.

Thank you Gameboys for letting me feel validated. My personality, my feelings, my insights, my thoughts are all validated by this show and that means so much to me.

See you soon, babes! Can't wait for Season 2, Gameboys The Movie and Pearl Next Door!

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A MUST watch

Don't be fooled by the title, gameboys doesn't revolve around them solely playing video games, it's just how they start. I am so glad I decided to watch this because it was a LOT better than I thought. The storyline, the acting, the lessons/meanings they portray is phenomenal. Gameboys is my first PH drama and I have ZERO regrets. The acting of Kokoy De Santos who plays Gavreel is top tier and my favorite overall. He portrays the emotions and body language perfectly for the sad scenes. This drama tackles the difficulties of LDRs, being gay, the pandemic and what it's doing to people physically, mentally, and emotionally. I truly recommend this drama to anyone who is looking for another show to watch, a new show, to start PH dramas, and anyone who was doubting it like I was.

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I became a Gameboys stan without me knowing it!

One of the BL series I really love was SOTUS and TharnType The Series. It tackles different issues and their acting was on point. Gameboys, I think, should be ranked with these two God-tier series. The story, the acting, the music, everything in it is so well done! As for the rewatch value, forgive me but... oh yes! I rewatched so many times! Ohh... btw, I watched the first episode and said to myself, this series should be good. And IdeaFirst Company never failed me! It keeps getting better and better each and every episode!

Congrats, Gameboys! A way to represent the Philippines in the BL Industry!

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BEST PH BL SERIES

This is not the typical romantic series, it's the most realistic BL series I've watch in the Philippines. I was amazed about the innovation of the series because it was only shot by an IPhone camera but it was greatly executed. If you are passionate about film making, you will appreciate this series because the director, writer, music scorer, and actors are all under the Idea First Company which won a lot awards in the most prestigious film festivals. The series contains also a lot of easter eggs because if you're a great observer you will notice their shade about social and political issues, they put it subtlety.

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The best Filipino BL.

CONGRATULATIONS GAMEBOYS! ⭐?
Our first ever GOLD STAR & HEART AWARD goes to you!

As our final Review on this Pinoy BL Series, We will elaborate the golden points why we choose GAMEBOYS as the Gold Star & Heart Award recipient.

GAMEBOYS EP13
FINALE REVIEW 10/10 ?

1. The perfect quarantine Love Story. ?
Dito sa Pinoy BL series na ito nandito lahat ng gustong iparamdam ng kwento, Sabihin nating tipid ang Production dahil split screen ang concept nito pero because of acting ng mga artist dito, nabigyan nila ng Justice yung buong kwento at Yung nararamdaman ng isang character is well delivered. Na to the point na mararamdaman mo talaga yung side nila at masasaktan ka. The moment when Gavreel received his swab test result and he removed his facemask to kiss Cairo is everything! Imaginnin nyo nabuo Ang story nyo with pandemic season and your longing for each others hug and kiss. Anong mararamdaman mo? Diba sobrang kikiligan ka. For us BL ARMY PH saw the clarity of the concept of this Pinoy BL Series.

2. The LESSONS. ?
Nandito na lahat eh, Family values, Friendship, Love story and Acceptance nandito na lahat! Complete ingredients na! Wala kanang hahanapin pa. From Mama of Cairo na napaka understanding mother, to Pearl, to Terrence and to Westley! They add flavors of Different lessons sa story,. medyo mahaba Kung iisa isahin namin but we definitely love all the lessons na naishare nitong series na ito. ?

3. The Acting ?
At some point medyo cringy nung una but as the series went by, Ang laki Ng development ng chemistry nila. Talagang makikita mo na yung acting nung dalawang protagonist will set the bar para sa mga upcoming Pinoy BL Series. Baby baby baby! We were infected by that word. baby? Baby? Babbbby??? Super keleeeeeg!!!

4. The Cinematography. ?
Hindi kami binigo ng team. Kudos ideaFirst! ⭐?
The way you tell the story is very unpredictable! You somehow managed to hang us for each week para sa isang Episode na exciteeeeed kaming panoorin! Galing!

OTHER THOUGHTS
We would like to say that we can consider this series as one of the original Pinoy BL Series, like sa Thailand, LOVESICK is one original bl series that started and ignite Boys Love Series in country. Now here in the Philippines, Gameboys is just starting its way to become legendary. ⭐?

#Gameboys
cr. #BLArmyPhilippines ⭐?

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