Smiley

I found Bros probably one of the most self indulgent actor/writer projects of recent years, and understand why it bombed as a rom com. Smiley, on the other hand succeeds with characters you want to follow on their romantic journeys through all the episodes! I enjoyed how it was an ensemble, so rather than a focus on just the leads, you can enjoy the supporting players performances and storylines. The chemistry between the two leads, was undeniable (something a project like Bros failed on miserably), and you find yourself rooting for them to find what they are looking for in the end. I won't reveal any spoilers, but I was wondering while watching how they came up with the title, and was pleasantly surprised with the reveal at the end. I think American writers and producers, disappointed by the failure of Bros, should applaud and appreciate how this Spanish production did it right and exceeded expectations for a male/male rom com.

So much average terrible gay themed content being churned out on streaming services that I had very low expectations when this popped up on the Netflix homepage. So what a pleasant surprise. It was really great to find this just before year end and it demonstrates how gay doesn't need to be cheap and laughs don't need to be cheap either love can be gay feminine masculine queer straight and transcend age and demographics. Didn't try too hard to be anything but tight clean entertaining and made for Netflix to series binging. Spanish language content is so much better than English language nowadays,

Finally, I saw a film in which there is no negativity, wars and militarism, dull people who are tired of themselves. Here, gays and lesbians are no different from anyone - everyone communicates with everyone about their innermost dreams and desires. People live, resting from the imposed stereotypes of "right" and "wrong". The film shows life as it should be in a civilized society. All people equally empathize with each other and just live their lives. This is the essence of the film - no one hides their feelings from anyone and does not impose them on others. Imaginary hypocritical tolerance has been replaced by ordinary life, everyone has the right to their own life, if this does not interfere with other people's lives. Life is Beautiful and amazing. Real life is always devoid of stereotypes.

I found out Smiley by accident and gave it a chance. It turned out I watched the whole thing in one breath, one sitting.

Brilliant writing, deep characters and relatable events!

The show is so true-to-life that it makes you laugh, cry and sometimes both at the same time. There are literally lines in the script to provoke your thinking, your outlook on life.

Highly recommend for those who got bored of cliches in the recent year and seek to watch something real.

What can I compare it to? It's a bit similar vibe to Queer as Folk, but the typical spanish cinema flavours make it unique!

But this is not your typical US LGBT series. It is so much more.

Even if you're not in love with all of the characters... you can definitely find a few to love in this passionate, smart, and yes, sometimes a little maddening series. Carlos Cuevas is so sexy and such a joy to watch in anything. I dare you not to fall in love with him. Or....how about just finding someone to love in this show and enjoy. Perfect for the holidays.

The original spanish is the best...however if that's not possible it's still very much worth it.

Love being able to see shows from Spain that are done so well. Merlí was also an excellent series. I hope we'll get a second season and a third, and a....