Ready, Set, Love (2024)

Asks interesting questions

This had been something I'd been meaning to watch since it was released but I have only gotten around to watching now. I watched it over two days and can say that whilst it is both entertaining and intriguing, it does leave much to be desired.

[THE GOOD] This show is visually captivating. From the bright colours and attractive cast, it is very pleasing to the eye. The set design of the dating game, which makes up the bulk of the show, is brilliant and heavily inspired by 'Squid Game', and you can see a lot of effort and care was put into the production. The dating game in of itself was amazingly done and though the explicit concept of the Gentlemen being essentially sold of as cattle left an uncomfortable feeling, the games of the show being used to win dates was both refreshingly different and similar enough to current dating reality TV shows for it to be plausible for such a show to happen today or in the near-future.

I didn't have a problem with the acting in this show, it was neither brilliant nor awful. Simply acceptable. For some the acting may be considered too exaggerated, but it's done in a way which matches Thai humour and you adjust fairly easily to it. The characters, bar a few, are likeable with interesting stories. The female lead (FL) is one of your typical headstrong and true-to-herself leads but it's not overly forced and given the ridiculous world she is placed into, her awkwardness is understandable. The male lead (ML) starts off as a typical cold character but you quickly come to realise it is a facade he puts on as one of the Gentlemen and the person he is with the FL is much more real and likeable.

A character I didn't expect to love so much was Chanel but she ended up becoming my favourite. Although she is one of the elites of this society, she is still a victim who suffers under the expectations of her mother. Her character development is great as she moves from being somewhat emotionless only acting on her mother's instructions, to being emotionally vulnerable with Max (her eventual love interest) and then having the confidence to go after what she wants. I really wanted her to win the dating game and I was so happy when she did. Chanel's story also reveals certain things about their society which beg questions of what would happen if we lived under a matriarchy. Though their society is completely matriarchal, it is still not enough to be a girl. Chanel reveals to Max that her mother's tough expectations of her stem from the fact that she wasn't born a boy in a way that reflects many societies today. In this matriarchy, the male sex has remained a symbol of status and power.

I also enjoyed the stories of many other side characters. The queer representation on this show was done very well as although heterosexual relationships are viewed as almost sacred given the scarcity of men, this worshipping is questioned briefly in the first episode and there does seem to be a general accepted lesbianism of that society. It is nice to see an actual lesbian couple go through pregnancy and the difficult decisions they are forced to make upon learning they have a son. The gay storyline of Paper was also done really well as that was one of the first questions I had early on in this film; what if some of the men are gay? Whilst Paper was able to have that gay relationship by the end, it would be interesting to perhaps explore a man who had had to deny that and be part of a heterosexual relationship, maybe in a second season.

What I would also like to be explored more in a second season, if they do one, is the familial relationship between Valentine, Almond and their mother. Though you could see the plot twist of Almond being the missing brother from a mile away (most plot twists were very predictable in this show), I think it sets up a very interesting story to explore as though Valentine misses her brother and wants him back, Almond is in a completely different situation. He has never grown up with that family, he never expected it to be something he could have and how can you miss something you don't know?

[THE BAD] This show tried to do too much with too little space. It was obvious from the start that this was going to be an issue but the mixing storylines began to feel much clumsier towards the end than they had appeared at the beginning.

The story building is weak. Yes most dystopian stories have massive plot holes (almost all of them forget that other countries exist and that no country acts in isolation), but the actual premise for this show doesn't make sense at all. The disease that has caused the decrease in the male population is terribly explained and not expanded on at all. It isn't clear whether or not this disease only affected birthing rates or if it killed the male population because if it only affected births then there should be a lot more men in the show from the ages of around 50 upwards as it is only set in 2024. The lack of this older generation of men suggests that they were killed off by the disease, but then it doesn't explain why the few remaining men and those being born aren't affected by the disease. The cause of the disease is implied to be rooted in women, but as the female sex have no control over the sex of the child (only the male sex carry the Y chromosome) it just doesn't seem plausible that women are the issue. Not that it really matters as there seems to be no talk of finding or creating a cure at all in the show.

The lack of talk surrounded a cure suggests that this society doesn't want to find one. Given how they treat men in this show and our current patriarchal societies, it is entirely plausible that they dislike the male sex in spite of their worshipping of the Gentlemen. It was noticeable in the show that society was functioning totally fine without the male sex and actually seemed more peaceful. Outside of The Farm, there were no police officers and there was no mention of crime whatsoever. In fact, as I was watching, I caught myself wishing that I lived in such a place where I could be free to go out without worry and simply have fun as a woman. They don't explore this at all, but I wish they would have because there are many reasons why women would prefer to live in a male-free society.

The reproduction in this show also doesn't work at all. Though there are many ways they can make children, whether it be through sperm banks, artificial sperm (through stem cells) or even asexual reproduction (which could potentially happen due to the lack of male sex), the gene pool is significantly reduced. You'd either end up with most of the population related to one another or as clones, an inbreeding that would make them extremely vulnerable to disease. The female population would eventually end up naturally decreasing to match the male population or it would be the end of the human race entirely.

[SUMMARISE] This show was entertaining with a good love story, good characters and intriguing plot. However, the dystopian world was poorly constructed and was avoided for most of the show. It had a good beginning but weak end, I especially disliked the time skip, but I will be watching a season 2 if they create one. Most importantly, this show introduced interesting questions such as:

(1) Would patriarchal ideals still be present in a matriarchy?
(2) Would the rights of gay people be restricted in response to a population crisis? - particularly relevant when looking at current CCP policy in response to China's population issues
(3) If given the option, would women choose to live in a world without men and at what cost?

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gave more than expected (but maybe not enough?)

I picked this up thinking it would be just a light watch as I was getting bored,
but surprisingly it actually hooked me

the acting wasn’t top-notch, but it wasn’t bad either, most the actors gave exactly what was expected of their characters without taking away the spotlight of the other characters…

the show gave you enough to watch to keep watching and the over exaggeration that’s expected from Thai dramas too adding a more light tone overall and a comedic twist

the separate relationships between the characters was dealt with well too (romantic, platonic, parental etc)

However, I think with a longer run/ or even within 6 episodes, the more dystopian side could be explored, I think it was slightly brushed off how the societies normality wasn’t equal between men and women but no one had any issue with it until the last point (which was shown with the revolt at the end and almonds character showing how integrated the regime was). Also there was no true resolvement apart from the couples
(but there is a possibility for a season two)

overall it was a good watch if not deeply interpreted and taken more on face value with a hint of more complex details.

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Thai meets Hunger Games meets The Divergent

This was so cute! The plot was simple and cute. It felt like The Hunger Games cute little sister, that’s more simple and adorable. It had cringy humor but I didn’t hate it, I was embracing it. The acting was awkward at time, but you could tell that the actors were trying.
I watched it in one sitting and it left me feeling excited. If you need a break from more serious dramas, this one is for you. I’m currently watching The Glory and I needed something the cleanse my soul a little bit, something predictable and cute and this was exactly what I needed.
Love it! 🖤

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Squid Games but make it a Rom Com

Ready Set Love reminded me of squid games with the bright set and the different games with eliminations. That's as far as the similarities with Squid Game go. I almost dropped it when I first started watching because I didn't care for the FL. I thought her acting and expressions were over the top. I'm happy I didn't drop the show because it was good and the female lead improved as the show progressed. I'm happy the story didn't just focus on the game aspect, I liked the story of the characters working to dismantle the system. I wish this show was longer and maybe we wouldn't need a season 2. Because the story was short the romance was good but lacking. We knew the leads had chemistry due to a shared past but beyond that, we didn't get to see them fall for each other again it was just I like you because your meow meow the kid I played/protected when I was younger. I would've liked to see more progression in the romance. Also if the show was longer the viewer wouldn't have to guess what happened to Son's father because the viewer isn't given any information other than he was caught but obviously, he didn't go back to the farm so where did he go? We'll get our answer to that in a possible season 2 because, during the last scene of the show, we see Ms. Kwan being given pictures of Son and Day (Their son) and Son's father. I rated this a 7.5 because it was good but their some things I would've changed.

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Could Have Been Amazing

Although entertaining at times, I liked the beginning and the competition parts, the story lacked that something something which would have made it a hit for me. It suffered from trying to do too much with too little time. They also wasted too much time on the first part of the story. To the point that I felt it was dragging . I need to emphasize, this is a show with only 6 episodes. So, for me, this translated into the ending feeling super rushed. On top of that, it had one of my most disliked tropes, childhood acquaintances/friends to lovers, which is very difficult for me to swallow because it always seems to turn into insta-love. Or, at least, it does when it refers to the main leads. It was too goofy and the acting seemed unnatural at times I didn't feel the leads had any chemistry. I really liked the potential of the story, so I hope this gets a better and more fleshed out remake.

And I was soooo sick of the OST. Was there only one song?

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Promising start but disappointing in the end

Based on the trailer and synopsis Netflix showed me, I was expecting a fun game show romcom. In fact, the first episode certainly delivered that! The opening, the acting, the characters, the main couple, and game show theme showed what kind of drama we were getting into. Very colorful, kinda cheesy with some heartfelt moments, and hilarious.

However, the more I watched, the more the show ended up suffering from including way too many subplots and lack of development from most of the cast. Aside from the game show, there’s: showing the dystopian world they live in, what happens to the males in that world, The Farm, the little sister’s illness, Chanel’s family, exposing the dark side of The Farm, Day’s friend (Valentine) discovering that Almond is her brother, and much more. it’s all just…too much that the episodes felt cramped.

While Day x Son were a pretty decent couple (not a fan of ‘oh we were childhood friends before’ type of connections but they were still cute), the side couples felt so forced to me. Max had an immediate attraction to Chanel and their chemistry wasn’t that interesting so I wasn’t into it. Same with Paper and that radio/singer guy, they had one interaction/deep conversation together and honestly their scenes bored me so I wasn’t into that one either. Speaking of characters, I was a bit disappointed with how small of development the 3 out of the 5 guys got. Almond and Day were the most interesting and had decent development. Max and Paper could have been better and I’m pretty sure the show forgot about Glasses Guy (see, I even forgot his name).

I was expecting to love this show after episode 1 but unfortunately, it ended up being incredibly disappointing. While it does have its good points like the opening (I LOVE the song so much!), Day being a pretty fun FL, the silly moments, and even some heartfelt moments (the whole thing with Almond and Valentine broke my heart and wish we got more of them). But honestly, if this show ends up getting a season 2, I don’t think I would watch it.

Leggi di Più

Interesting setup, meh execution

The good things first: beautiful sets! the production quality was amazing, at least from the two episodes I watched. Now the bad stuff ...

First of all, I really dislike when people from a lower socioeconomic class are portrayed as dumb, slovenly, or unable to be dignified. The contradiction is extremely annoying in this show because while the FL works hard to support her sick sister, once she enters the competition she becomes ... kind of an idiot? Like, she doesn't know how to conduct herself appropriately, only thinks about food, eats like a slob. Basically the complete reverse of the capable, hardworking person the show already told us she's supposed to be.

But anyway, I quit the show during the second (I think) episode where they have to dress up in food costumes and run a race. It made absolutely zero sense for Almond (I think his name was) to be that incompetent. And I really don't like shows that make characters dumb/intelligent or capable/incapable based on what the story needs them to be in that moment. Like, why is your character that foolish all of a sudden?

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Cômico!

Já assisti alguns lakorns, e nenhum se encaixou como favoritos, mais esse eu coloquei um pouco mais de expectativa... Eu imaginava que seria uma comédia-pastelão, e realmente foi haha! Os eps 2 e 3 foram mais empolgantes de assistir. Preciso admitir que shippei a Day com o Almond, ele tem um charme que não sei explicar, me conquistou, fiquei triste que fizeram dele um Judas, mas se caso tenha segunda temporada, creio que ele vai cair em si, e ajudar os seus amigos. Não vi muita química entre o Son e a Day, mas formam um casal lindo. Max (Jackson Tailandês) e Chanel super se merecem haha. May é uma fofa, amei ela! A história, essa distopia é bem interessante, tem umas coisas meio sem sentido, mas divertido. Algumas brincadeiras do reality parecendo de gincana escolar.

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