An overstretched Nothingness

When I watched the trailer I didn't expect much, but it actually started really well. I ate my words for the first five episodes and I was so pleasantly surprised, but then it flopped. No depth was given to neither the characters nor the couple dynamics. Everyone in this story remained two dimensional from start to finish and it's a shame because all of them had so much potential to be fleshed out in 16 episodes. Instead of that we got a pointless back and forth between the two main couples for multiple episodes and almost zero screen time for the side couples, when there was so much room for development. Don't get me wrong, it does have it's fun and cute moments, but that's just it. Nothing really substantial. If they went for a 10 episode series it would work, but 16 episodes is just a waste of budget.

The acting overall was fine. The actors did their job. For me, Aou and Boom really carried the show, even with their limited screen time. They are very experienced actors and elevated their roles.

If you're interested in watching something feel good with zero drama just to pass your time and relax that's a fine show to watch.

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A super progressive series

For starters it's not a bl, but has a lot of queer elements.

We are talking about a very progressive series. It may start as a simple and fun story, but it really addresses a wide variety of issues, without being stilted about it. Nothing is thrown at your face to force you feel some type of way. Everything is incorporated into the plot, from the characters' point of view and has an impact on the story. Whether you agree or not about it, it's still in your discretion. The point is that some things you usually don't see in other shows here are getting presented, which is very interesting. All the characters are also super unique and very well written, representing all sorts of people out there and are very cleverly put into the story. Still, it's not a very emotionally heavy story. It will touch you in the feels many times, but it keeps its light heartedness in general.

The cast is great. All the actors are top notch and do justice to their roles.

Like in every other series of P'Jojo, the music choices are very cool.

Overall, it's a great series to give a chance to. It includes some controversial topics, but if you appreciate a well written and well paced story without looking for too much drama or too much comedy, this one balances it well I feel.

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Time well Invested

A brilliant series from the very well written story to the amazing cinematography to the exceptional acting. It perfectly combines mystery with romance and action all very cleverly put, evoking all kinds of emotions. It keeps you interested from the start till the end, making you speculate and theorise over the possibilities. The plot is so strong you really need to pay attention to all the details. It's also the reason the rewatch value in my rating is so high. I feel the second time it's gonna look like a new show.

I recommend this series only to those who enjoy a complex story with dark undertones.

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A disaster..

Being already a fan of the manga, it was my most anticipated series of the year only to be left really disappointed. For the most part, the show stays loyal to the original material with all the necessary changes for cultural reasons, but the execution failed miserably. The story was buried under product placements and mass merch endorsement, one that I've never seen in any other bl going that hard. Some scene additions were totally unnecessary as well, offering nothing other than dragging the pace, when there was so much material to adapt already. All that combined with very childish music choices on the background. In all honesty, after a point I watched the episodes fast forward just to get on with it, with the only exception being the intro and the outro song, which I loved very much.

As for the cast, it couldn't have been more perfect. These four actors were excellent for the roles and did their best, but even with their skills I didn't manage to connect with the characters at all. And when the writing suffers there's so much an actor can do.

Despite all that, I do recommend this series to anyone who just wants to see a very fluffy and non dramatic story. It has its cute and fun moments here and there and if that's the type of series you enjoy you could give it a try.

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Toxicity at its finest

A controversial show you either love or hate.

Toxic and emotionally draining, but that's the quality that makes it special. It doesn't feel like a fairytale, where everything is sprinkled with stardust. It's mature and focuses on the ugly and less attractive side of people, when they are at their worst and succumb to their lowest instincts. I enjoyed watching these six characters being humans. Petty and flawed. They will definitely frustrate you, you will love them, you'll hate them, you'll sympathise with them, but they are all multi dimensional they feel real.

Aside from the story itself the acting must be praised. Every actor gave it their best and the result was amazing. I will commend Khaotung a bit more for delivering --in a terrifyingly realistic way-- one of the best scenes I've ever ever watched on a bl so far.

As for the music, every song selected fitted each scene perfectly and amplified the emotions the characters conveyed.

Overall, it's a show I definitely recommend to anyone who is interested in a less perfect story.

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A Shell of its Former Self

A decent effort to continue the series without the desired results, though. Many of the elements that made this story unique and charming in the first season, were unfortunately absent. Off and Gun literally carried the second season. It would work fine if the story focused on developing the bl part, that had a lot of room for development anyway, and kept the main couple in a supporting or side role instead of forcing an unbearable development for their story that felt draggy. The addition of new characters as well, didn't offer anything substantial to the show other than filling time.

Still it had its fun parts no doubt, but it wasn't as good or as enjoyable as it was before. Had the writing been better, the second season could have been on the same level if not better than the first.

I definitely recommend it for the OffGun development at least.

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A very feel good story

A very sweet and fun series to pleasantly spend your time. The plotline is not that deep, but the pace is good so it keeps you interested, without tiring you out with draggy and unnecessary scenes..

I honestly gave it a shot to witness the birth of OffGun, but I enjoyed it to its entirety. All characters are interesting and both couples are giving chemistry. I don't consider it that much outdated, given the year it was released. For me, it's a series made with care and even feels fresh in comparison to the series we get nowadays of the same genre.

I definitely recommend it to anyone who loves good romance and fluff!

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Unpredictable till the End

A deep themed drama with a very solid story that engages you from episode one and keeps you on your toes till the end with the mystery solution. I was expecting predictability only to be rebutted time, after time, after time. The plot was complex with twists and turns, succeeding when many shows of the mystery genre fail with cliché plotlines. With that being said, I did have my issues with how some clues came conveniently to the story as a plot device or some parts getting rushed. It just felt too easy, I wish they were developed differently.

As for the romance, it didn't win me over personally. The way it was added to the main story was interesting and it did make sense, but I could live without it or at least with less of it. It didn't merge that well for me with the rest of the story. Sometimes it felt that the show turned bipolar, because its tone was shifted. Though, I understand it was for relief purposes, the result wasn't very smooth.

However, that says nothing about the actors themselves. They were pretty skilled with a lot of chemistry and portrayed their characters very well, just like the rest of the cast. I give a little more credit to Meiko, though. I really loved her performance!

I definitely recommend the series to mystery lovers who want something dark and complex with a bit of romance for the flavour..

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A Messy Mess

As the predecessor of Only Friends, the two shows share a lot of similarities: love triangles, trash friendships, questionable decisions and a lot of toxicity in general, but in comparison this one lacks depth. I never really connected with the characters. I felt for the most part they were very superficially portrayed. They were all over the place, jumping from one story to another and never really lingered enough to understand them. This show either needed more episodes or less characters for me to work better.

The most interesting part for me was the bl storyline and that's because the dynamics of those characters were richer in emotions, compare to everyone else. There was a little more care in that part of the show that kept you interested to see what will happen. With that being said, like in many shows of P'Jojo's, some serious issues were tackled here as well, that other shows usually don't bother to explore and I really appreciate that.

Most of the characters may have not won me over, but the actors were all great. I'll give a little more credit to Singto and Plustor, though.

I suggest this show to anyone who loves drama and messy storylines. It's perfect for you!

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Excited my Expectations

It grabs your attention from episode 1. The plot, in all honesty, is not something so different that you've never watched before, but the execution is what made it stand out and work for me. Its lovable characters, unique sense of humour and even the purple as the show's signature colour are some of the elements that helped it gain its own identity among the other bls.

Is it perfect?

No. As every show, it has its issues. The plot dragged a bit on some parts, some plotlines could have been more developed or built up earlier in the show and not get resolved that fast and I'll admit I have an issue with how one serious incident turned into a joke just for the sake of the plot, but the good traits still outweigh the bad.

As for the acting everyone individually deserves a praise. We got a very capable cast. Great and Inn did an amazing job in their debut bl series with Thor and Fluke being on par with them. Both sets of actors were so good I'd love to see them in another bl as main leads.

Overall, it's a series with a lot of heart. It may frustrate you at some points, but the journey is beautiful. If you like romance that's the story for you. And even if it's not you cup of tea, just for the acting alone it's worth giving it a shot.

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Not a typical story

The first part kept me interested, but it actually mislead me into labelling it a certain way and have expectations of what the movie should be, when in actuality it's a story with a lot of symbolisms. I appreciate it for what it is and usually this kind of stories are within my tastes, but with this one I didn't manage to connect all the way. Maybe, the way it was presented didn't do the trick for me. If you watch it once you'll certainly need to give it another try to interpret the scenes.

The scenery, was beautiful and the acting worth watching.

I do not recommend the story to someone who expects a regular movie formula. If you are into more unconventional movies, then check it out, otherwise you'll get tired.

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Not good enough

The story theme wasn't bad at all. It really was a very solid idea and much more interesting than what you usually see in a bl, but it suffered from rushed writing. The main characters were likable with cute/fun interactions and a fine backstory, but not developed properly. Some things were just resolved very quickly or characters were thrown into the mix out of nowhere to stir some trouble, without really having any impact other than being plot devices. That could be blamed to the number of the episodes, but I feel they still could do much better with the writing.

The main protagonists had chemistry. Both actors were pretty capable, but there's so much you can do when the scenario doesn't help.

For me, this series had the potential to be great, but didn't receive the care it deserved. It was treated more like a series to fill the gap in the program till the next big project was ready, which is a shame. Still you can watch it pleasantly if you just want to pass your time..

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Nothing but Spectacular

Very consistent from start to finish. It doesn't flop and always keeps you at the edge of your seat without being repetitive. It combines mystery, fantasy and romance perfectly. For the most part, it has a dark and dramatic tone with a few touches of comedy, that don't feel out of place, but rather are naturally incorporated to the series to lift up the mood. The plotline is so strong and well written, that doesn't rely on the romantic aspect to keep you interested like most bls. The romance feels more like a bonus to an already interesting story.

The acting overall was good. I had very few issues with this series, that don't really overshadow its positive traits. I feel no show is 100% perfect.

I absolutely recommend it to anyone who is looking for an exciting journey to the unknown..

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Avant-Garde

A very fresh and different series that didn't follow the usual format of a bl. It explores the challenges we all face when we get our first job, combining it cleverly with comedy and romance, while being educating. It had a solid plotline with very well written episodes (for the most part at least) and gave room for all the characters to grow, not just the main ones. Jane and Ryan, as main leads were such an interesting pairing. For me, after "Not me" these two were the best characters portrayed by Off and Gun. They served so much chemistry and I got the butterflies and everything as if watching them for the first time act together.

With all that being said, there were some bumps on the road when it comes to the distribution of the screen time to the point where the development of the main couple became a bit unfulfilling. It's not an exaggeration to say that Off and Gun turned into a side couple in the middle of the show, which was the most disappointing part. Such a great set of characters kinda went to waste. It's one of those rare instances when a show could actually use a few more episodes, because it had so much more to say. Regardless, it's still a great series hence my rating, but it's a bummer because it could have easily been an almost perfect series if there was more care to the main pairing.

I highly recommend it if you like romance, office love or if you're just tired of the same old recipe. If you are not convinced, give it at least a try for OffGun. You're not gonna regret it!

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