The Eighth Sense (2023)

This could very well become one of my most favorite bl ever.

First of all, THEY ARE DAMN CUTE. and second of all the running time. Man 35 to 40 minutes with proper plot? count me in. Third, I sense a masterpiece coming. As usual the main characters shine. Ji Hyun esp. He is like those guys you would want to put in a box and protect forever. Also the actor for him is great. Hard to believe that it's his debut drama. Now Jae Won, my man jae won is great at this. I am already sensing a great chemistry between them.
Now I usually don't like side characters in Korean Bls. Mostly because they almost don't have any story or a good personality. One of the BL with great side characters I liked was To My Star, which also happens to be my favorite Bl of all time. Well you can guess that from my username. So now the thing is, I actually really like every side of the characters here. Even the meanie ex. Mostly because I like how she is portraying her character but I do hope that her character has some development in the future. and the others? They all are great. whether it be the kind but sarcastic employer of Ji Hyun or His best friend. The college friends. They all are great. The first two episodes left a really huge impression.
Now onto my biggest fear.
As you can see, I am a healthy relationship lover. Nevermind that I have a hamlet inspired profile. and one of the thing that is scaring me is the cheating trope. I hate it. I hate it so much. As much as I am loving the drama, if there is any cheating trope involved, like when Ji Hyun and Jae won got together and Jae Won cheats or something, I will lose my shit. Like this isn't probably gonna happen, but there is an ex-girl lurking around. So yeah if things like that doesn't happen and they maintain this perfect pace and chemistry with a good plot, this would make into my list as one of my most favorite bl ever. After to my star of course.

Will keep updated as epsiodes progressed on

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NOT THE BL YOU NEED

This is a psychological series that focuses on internal struggles, inhibitions, traumas and overcoming all of that; the main characters just happened to be both men and fell for each other in the process.
As for typical psychological series, you have to guess the state of mind of the main characters at different points, there is no dialogue nor narration to show you what and how the characters are feeling/thinking about; which is not something I want to watch when I search for BLs.
Furthermore, the scenes are cut either very intentionally or just damn poorly. You have to connect the dots (which I don't have a single clue) whenever the story progresses by cutting. Again, a love story (not a psychological series) shouldn't be "testing" the audiences like that. Like I said, this is an internal psychological war series that both the MCs happened to be men and have feelings for each other.
However, all my praise goes to the sound effects, the lighting/colors, the camera settings, the directing of this series. It was unique, captivating and absolutely beautiful. I'm so in awe and attracted with the production. Moreover, the actors and actresses really carried out well with their jobs. The persuation and realistic acting will definitely elevate your experience.
However, I said what I said, this is not a BL and for those who are expecting a BL the way a BL should be, you will feel the same.

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COMEÇOU BEM E SE PERDEU

Gosto da premissa dos personagens e principalmente o início é muito bom, mas alguma coisa aconteceu da metade para o final pois o brilho se perdeu.
Essa é uma história mais profunda e menos romântica (o que já não é muito do meu agrado), nela temos alguns traumas e desenvolvimento de personagens e isso é feito muito bem no começo mas a partir da metade a qualidade cai em níveis absurdos e tudo começa a se arrastar de uma forma dramática até demais e a julgar por algumas cenas eu não tinha muita certeza se eles se amavam ou se eram bons amigos com feridas iguais (até mesmo porque intimidade de casal quase não existe aqui).
E principalmente, após a reconciliação no final alguma coisa foi perdida entre os protagonistas e a química foi extinguida, é até bizarro a mudança drástica que aconteceu.
Enfim, não é ruim mas quando metade da história não é boa ela se torna imediatamente no máximo mediana.

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Beautiful, Real, Powerful, Hopeful.

General spoiler only at bottom of review.
The way the story was written and told resonated deeply with real life. I had long lingering feels after the series ended. It made me nostalgic of the ups and downs of college, first love, and the hope of youth. Cried hard twice (one sad one positive). Some heavy themes (and a character actually getting help from regular therapy, which I so appreciated). Loved the main characters and their (true) friends.

Positive messages. Deeply touching. Riveted the entire time, didn't fast-forward through anything. Pacing and tension consistently well-crafted.

Chemistry between the leads was like magnets. Skinship and kisses were natural and full of feelings. Beautiful intimacy.

Beautiful cinematography and use of light. Artistically captured the feel of the ocean (didn't just look pretty).

Music, natural sounds, and silence were well utilized and timed. Really enhanced scenes. Some of the songs chosen were memorable and the orchestral piece at the end with the credits was perfect.

Note to self: Because this touched me deeply and resonated with some difficult personal past experiences, I may find it too emotional to rewatch frequently.

GENERAL SPOILER ON THE ENDING:
It is a happy and hopeful ending.

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A thoughtful, realistic queer drama that is most definitely worth your time

This show is a masterpiece. That much cannot be denied. It is visually gorgeous, has an amazing soundtrack, fantastic acting, incredible writing, and one of the most realistic portrayal of queer experiences and relationships I have ever seen in a TV show.
The fact that this is not your average 8, 10-minute episodes K-drama is frankly nothing short of a miracle and if this is the level of quality we can expect from Korean film makers if they are given the resources they need to tell the stories they want to tell, then we can only hope and pray that this show is just a forerunner and that there is more to come.

I will admit, however, that this is a melancholy show. It feels gritty and real and just a little bit heartbreaking.
Now, I don't personally enjoy shows like that and I did have some significant trouble getting into this one, not matter how technically excellent it is on every level.
If you are someone like me, someone who prefers a lighter, more humorous approach to serious topics you might also have some difficulties with this. But I truly believe it's worth watching anyway.
Not only do I think this show is something so unique and well-put together that it has to be experienced at least once, it also has a wonderful, fiercely joyful happy ending. I found it so satisfying, in fact, that I was tempted to go and rewatch the entire thing immediately just to experience it all over again.
I promise you this show will not break your heart, at least not without putting it back together again.
Give it a shot, this story is very much worthy of your attention.

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I sense a masterpiece...

The chemistry between JiHyun and JaeWon is so so so good! It starts right off the bat. In every scene they have had together thus far you can sense a feeling of yearning between the two; the tension between them is very much there. JaeWon and JiHyun have already had more scenes than I can count on my hand that made my heart flutter. Every look between them has a spark. The chemistry between them only grows more and more after each episode passes.

The cinematography is so so so pretty and only keeps getting better! The directing is very nice. Everything about the show flows smoothly thus far. It has a very cohesive feel to it. No comedic funny tracks playing, there are moments when there is no background music and I really appreciate it. This gives the show a sophisticated feel to it.

The story is pretty simple but very engaging. I want to see JiHyun and JaeWon's relationship blossom. The setting is nice. Both leads are so so so handsome. JiHyun is adorable and JaeWon is very handsome. They match each other so well. I love to see an introvert get their perfect love story.

I'm excited to watch them fall in love and be in love. I just want to watch more. I wish the whole show were out. Seriously, I would binge-watch this in one sitting if I had the chance. If this show keeps up what it has been doing it is going to be a masterpiece, more than a 10/10 for me. So far I see nothing at all wrong with this drama; it is as close to perfection as you can get.

The way each the leads act is not frustrating at all. The script is very good. Seriously, I have not seen a show portray mental health issues as good as this one. The topic is handled with care, and it is very realistic and hit home.

It is nice to come across a show as good as this one. Seriously, you never intend to come across dramas like these. For, I always try to hunt for them, but whenever I go out looking for a masterpiece of a show I am disappointed. Masterpieces just spring upon you... at least for me. Like I am hooked and a show hasn't done that for me in a while. I fear this show is going to be all I think about for a long while. Yeah, I will definitely be rewatching this in one sitting when it is all out.

I'll make sure to update this review as I continue to watch the show.

update:
What really touches my heart is the bond that they have. JiHyun is JaeWon's safe place; he is the most comfortable when he is around him. They both make each other so happy and feel the most at peace when with one another. Watching them grow closer and closer is the most heart-wrenching thing. I truly wish them both happiness. Another thing that makes this so great is that both of the leads are not one-dimensional. They both have great depth to them, especially JaeWon with his trauma. Watching JaeWon come to terms with his trauma and how the show describes the trauma that he has is just done so well. It is not offensive or over the top. I just love this so much. And the fact that JaeWon feels so safe around JiHyun just really gets to me. Like he found his person, they found each other at the time they both needed some comfort. I just... it is just... i love it so much.

Ending comments:
This show is truly a gem. The music, the environment, directing, cinematography, acting, just everything is more than perfect. My heart was going all sorts of crazy throughout the whole show.

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WOW¡¡¡¡ I LOVED IT

Everything in this drama was perfect for me. The story attracted me from the first minutes. It has romance, drama, comedy, and emotional overcoming. I remember it was torture to wait 7 days to watch the next episodes.

The scenography and music were amazing. I'm still enjoying the songs in Spotify, especially "I can´t lose it all" and "Astronomy".

Jae Won and Ji Hyun (the main actors) demonstrated a perfect job in each scene, the chemistry between them was impressive. I'd like to keep watching them in new dramas or films.

I also thank Inu Baek & Werner (directors) to give us this stunning drama.

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Emotional fun series

This series was a lot of fun. The two leads are good. I wish there was a little better chemistry between them I do have to say, because there are moments that feel off.
I enjoy the freshman Ji Hyun being inexperienced but yet smart. The one downside to him was there are moments that he is very pushy and over doing it. I felt he lack showing true emotion and the chemistry at times was off putting. Ji Hyun's two friends and (boss restaurant owner), were a lot of fun and so supportive. The club leader and the therapist for Jae Won are amazing characters and bring hope to someone that feels hopeless. Wish we had more side characters like them. To be honest the evil ex Eun ji was not even needed for the story and felt she has no real purpose. I do have to say a lot of the club members are horrible and toxic but sadly there are people like them that exist. The overall story is great it has depth and development and growth. It was a great series but The downside was that there were a lot of parts where you knew there was a missing story or a missing link to help you understand the story better. I wish they did a better job of piecing together each episode I would have liked to see when he ended up in the hospital from the accident and Jae Won being with him there or the back history of things. In ending the series was really good in telling the story but lacked real conclusion and episode connections. Felt rushed by the end sadly. I wasn't the biggest fan of how they ended it with trying to find closure for the ex girlfriend or the troublemaker friend I felt like it was not needed and a waste. P. S. The actor and character of Jae Won is amazing in this series with all the emotion he displayed.

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For anyone who enjoys Top Tier storytelling..

Simply put "The Eighth Sense" is a captivating and emotional story that follows the journey of two college students as they navigate their way through life, love, and self-discovery while tackling their fears and demons. The show features a talented cast of actors (special shout-out to Im Ji Sub & Oh Jun Taek) who bring their characters to life with great depth and authenticity, and the cinematography is stunning, capturing the beauty and complexity of each scene.

The series explores themes of self-identity, family & societal expectations, friendship, and love, and does so with grace and sensitivity. It tackles important issues such as mental health in a way that is both honest and heartfelt, without ever feeling preachy or heavy-handed.

Overall, The series is a beautiful and moving tribute to the power of love, understanding, and the importance of finding and accepting oneself, and it is sure to leave a lasting impression on anyone who watches it.

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Overcome Your Fears with the FreeBirds

One of my top BL's, heck more like top dramas. I really enjoyed it. It was so moody and the use of colours was very impactful on the story. Everything was great; the acting, the directing, the cinematography, the OST. I find myself listening to the songs over and over again just playing back these scenes that I associate with the songs now, and when a drama does that for me, it hit a soft place in my soul. It was just an amazing story that was different and touched on a lot of subjects that are very relevant today. I loved the way it was filmed, you can tell every camera movement was meant to be that way. I loved the main actors chemistry as well, their moments were super cute but also I felt like they really cared about each other deeply, so the difficult times they went through felt realistic. They did a great job portraying the characters. Thank you to all of the actors, actresses and staff on the film! Please watch!

Love from a FreeBird.

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