CRAZY GOOD

Crazy good performance! 2 thumbs up!

The first episode was a refreshing mind-bender! As expected, Lee Dong Wook is always in great form. Wi Ha joon on the other hand is such a revelation - after surprising us with an unexpected role in Midnight, he has clearly shown that he isnt just a cutie actor but someone who can act. Together, their 'bromance' was captivating to watch.

Hands down it is one of the most unique plots ive seen in quite some time. However, the title - Bad and Crazy should have given me a clue of the things to come.

From being a cop show, it took a slightly bad turn and suddenly became a show about mental illness. I enjoyed it, however, i found that the first and second acts about catching bad and corrupt politician, and then the cops, all while fighting the scary russian mafia were a lot more compelling than the split personality drama. I do feel like they suddenly cut the drug issue short and that it wasnt closed properly. It's like it was done because they already exceeded the episode numbers and its almost time to close the curtain and show the crazy doctor. After all, Boss Yong was magnificently played and was scary as hell, and could have been a much better overall antagonist.

I loved the action, i love the mystery, i loved the support casts, I loved the rock music theme. Heck, i even loved the costumes and I thought Lee Dong Wook looked so good in almost all his outfits and the crazy doctorJung Sung Il is just gorgeous!

They appropriately ended the show with us wondering if the King is really gone, which makes a second season possible. Will i rewatch? Probably not, maybe just a quick refresh if there will be a continuation. Will i recommend, yes definitely! Overall its an 8 out of 10 stars.

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it was sold as an OffGun rom-com vehicle but it was really more like an ensemble office dramedy - a very good one and a very realistic one at that. For those expecting a romance show, maybe it will help if you lessen your expectations and just enjoy the ride.

This is not a show about love - It is an inspirational show about people looking to find their path in life.

I also wouldnt classify this as a BL show, its just a series with LGBT characters and their romace wasnt even the central idea of the entire show. With the current wave of office-themed BL dramas in the past few months, this one really stands out among them.

What sold me from the beginning is how realistic and how good the execution of the script in an office dynamics. As someone working in a creative office industry i have related so much with this series and keeps reminding me of how my office interaction always is.

And oh my god the sets - the production design of this series is top notch and i am inlove with almost all their sets. And for a show that is centered around a filming industry, they have indeed used their resources well - the cinematography and color grading is amazing.

What may be a bit disappointing for me (and maybe to some other OffGun fans) is the amount of Off-Gun (or the lack of) in this series - because everytime they left a cliffhanger it revolves around them - clearly selling this as an OffGun BL show and banking in OffGun fans to come back for another week. Clearly OffGun is just 2 out of the hundreds other cast in the show. Dont get me wrong, the main cast all did a good job, and of course as a BL fan seeing Sea and Poon added to the enjoyment of the series.

Do I need to mention that 5 long year of absence? Yes, It was left too open-ended to be desired but it kind of worked for me. Ryan and Jane met at a time when they were both in a crossroads and before the end of the series they decided to step back from the relationship and support each other to find what they really needed and wanted to do in life. Its a move of self-discovery. When they met again after 5 years, both are in a better place and hopefully their relationship can and will work better.

If you check the directors' previous works, both of them hasnt really worked on BL before so that should have been a clear indication of what the show is going for. Also since this is a dramedy - there were a lot of office issues introduced but glazed over lightly. I wouldnt blame them for that, theres only so much you can fit in 12 episodes and i think the aim is not to make it too heavy.

With that said, and setting aside my BL expectation - i would rate this show a very strong 9. Is it rewatcheable? Very much so. Would i recommend? Definitely.

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AFTER EVERYTHING, NOTHING MADE SENSE

Talk about a convoluted plot, if you haven't seen or just planning to see it, I'd say don't.

Let me start by saying that it pains me to give this a low mark. First, i am in love with Kang Joon and i almost always give his dramas a pass. Second, i am at awe that Korea tries new and high-concept dramas and are not afraid to experiment - but this experiment didn't just fall flat on its face, it broke the floor and went through so deep i cant even fathom where it went.

To put it mildly, no matter how senseless the plot is, the first 7 to 8 episodes were at least interesting - i loved Kim Sae Ha and his undercover vendetta, I loved Jung Sae Byeok as a zealous and capable police officer. However, by the time we were on the episode 9, things got muddy. The last episode is a complete jaw dropper in its absurdity that when the credits rolled you will be in disbelief.

Things to note:
1. A woman from the future created the grid to protect the earth from extreme solar radiation. What did they do? Of course, try to catch her like she's a suspect. Put her in a lab and poke at her just because its fun. Why? Aren't the people in the know, supposed to be thankful to her for saving the planet?
2. The time travelling bit is just a hit and miss, and follows absolutely no rule at all. In episode 7 and 8 Sae Ha's journey to the timeline cannot be explained in paper but i still liked it up to that part. Their mantra is time doesn't flow, and so the sense it seems.
3. Did they imply Sae Byeok was raped by Ma Nok? When and how did that happen? Was Ma Nok related to Eo Jin? How did the Ghost became related to both of them?
4. The last episode is one big mess i don't even know what to make of it. If they intended to make it a cliffhanger for a possible new season then it just didn't work. They just stacked one mess after another and expected people to be puzzled and amazed.. After slapping the faces of the few who watched this season did you really expect us to come back for more? Sorry just no.
5. I also don't get the decision to make it a single episode per week and making the runtime shorter. This worked exactly against the series. As a Kdrama fan i am so used to seeing at least 2 episodes per week (or in the case of Netflix a massive dump of full season) cause that kept me hooked and lets me retain the story better. With Grid, i kind of forgot there are new episodes and frankly didn't care to watch it on time.

They managed to make a series that you need to rewatch, but not for good reasons. You have to, especially the last 2 episodes because watching it for the first time is not enough to make any sense, however watching it the second time i think made it worse. If there's anyone willing to explain the ending to me, please I'll be all ears.

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WARNING, THIS IS DRAMA NOT HORROR

For those wishing to see gore and horror, look somewhere else. After finishing the series, im still left wondering why it is titled Happiness.

Plot is set after the COVID pandemic and has creepily touched into our real world nightmare - what happens if after all that we faced through this pandemic and all the medication (vaccines) we are taking take an even scarier side effect?

Im just excited to see Park Hyung Sik in his first drama after his military service and he looked even dashier and manlier here. He has become an even more believable and charming leading man. It has also been a while since Han Hyo Joo's last drama and this beautiful actress fits the role perfectly.

Coming in, i thought it was a mix of Sweet Tooth and Alive. The first few episodes were engaging , however, they werent able to keep the momentum and the middle episodes felt like fillers. I wonder if something happened during the production that made them turn around and change the focus of the story, but what started out as a heartpounding scary series turned into a melodrama.

Almost all secondary characters in the apartment are annoying and felt disposable, and I couldnt care less if any or all of them died. Also their repetitious routine of going up and down the apartment to have uneventful tenant meeting bored me and is tiring to watch. Even the main characters sometime feels like bullies and too self righteous.

Im not sure if they sold the drama as a post apocalyptic drama or horror but there was just not enough horror element but instead too much of telenovela drama. I also would have wanted more screentime for the Lieutenant Lee Si Joo because aside from Yi Hyun, she felt like the only character with an untarnished motive, which in honestly, the show lacks.

I think the experience would have been better if it is shown in Nelflix with a one time binge drop of just 8 episodes. The ending was also a bit anti-climatic, i was waiting for the big Zombie attack which didnt happen, at all. But also to be honest i still would have watched 16 episodes with just Hyung Sik doing nothing but being his handsome self.

So again, why happiness? Was it intended to mean as a quest for happiness or was it a commentary of how all people seem to be unhappy with the situation they are in? I am still not sure.

Would i rewatch? Yes definitely. Would i reccommend? Of course.

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It started out as a must watch weekly show but halfway through my curiosity fizzled that i even forget there are still new episodes coming.

Dont get me wrong, this show is not bad at all and definitely watchable. The problem is watching the first episodes set my expectations high.

Kim Bum and Rain are both fantastic as Ko Seung Tak and Cha Young Min. I loved their small nuances when they are acting as one. The way they showed them during surgeries are also effective. However as lovable their characters are, they’re actions are also confusing. For example, Seung Tak was initially portrayed as a book genius and although he may buckle during actual surgeries we were led to believe he was still supposed to know whats going on, but there were scences when he was just waiting to be told what the medical conditions are and what to do with them. Also, I cant tell if Seung Tak is afraid of ghosts (more on this with spoiler alert, later).

Another thing lacking is a good antagonist. Han Seung Wong and Jang Min Ho are like your high school bullies, all talk no real bite. I cant even tell what is the real motive behind Seung Wong's action. Making him morr despicable would have been more effective, or just remove that angle completely and focus on the medical and supernatural side of the drama.

I may also be expecting a lot more from the female leads. Uee, as always, is amazing although Jang Se Jin's relationship with Seung Tak is borderline creepy. Son Na Eun, on the other hand, was completely wasted and Ooh Soo Jung's exposure was almost non existent.

I also have to say that their take on ghost lore, feels a little bit off. **MINOR SPOILER ALERT** All the ghosts in the series EXCEPT ONE are comatosed patients, and, they implied that these spirits banish once the host body is completely dead. So were they really ghosts or some form of astral projections? In connection to that, i dont understand why Seung Tak is scared and cant do surgeries, not even during his time in school, because for one, he has an understanding that the spirits he sees belong to people who are alive (or at least about to die) in real world. And as they implied that the ghosts banishes when they're dead, that means he cant be seeing ghosts during the cadaver surgery practicum.

Also what is so special about Young Min that he is the only comatosed patient that can actually posses someone? Again, should we call them ghosts? By definition, ghosts are apparitions of dead people, so technically the professor and the other guys are in fact not yet ghosts. Or, maybe, they could have made Young Min the only comatosed "ghost" and let the others be ghosts from dead people to set him apart and make him a bit unique, thus the ability to posses Seung Tak. I think they should have explored and solidified that supernatural concept a little bit more and explained the mythology better to make it believable.

With that said, im still giving the show a fantastic 8.5 out of 10 stars. Will i rewatch? I dont think so.

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Typical ABSCBN

Its obvious that this is ABSCBN's attempt to ride the BL craze. A cross between Gameboys and Thailand's 2gether but falls flat with its thin story line.

While i am thankful that the producers decided to show it in Youtube, i cant help but feel that the series was haphazardly put together just to be able to be one of the first to put out a real BL series in the Philippines. It just feels shallow with very little (to no) character development and it felt like nothing's really happening after every epispde. I can only imagine good things if they waited a little bit and did this post-COVID.

The 2 main cast are A+, this is where the series shined. JC is a revelation- this guy deserves better projects while Tony has perfected his GGSS acting style.

However, even with the good acting, the series still lacks depth. HS is a big BL CLICKBAIT series- stuck between wanting to make BL fans happy and at the same time not wanting to offend the generally christian conservative (and hypocrite) public.

What i hate even more is after showing 7 episodes regularly, they just decided to hold back the last episode for a few weeks. I dont know if they were hoping to generate excitement or for what other reason, but to.me.it just didnt work, especially since the finale just lacks the punch.

Overall, im giving the series a 6.5 (mostly because of JC). I wouldnt actually reccommend it, only when you are stucked and has nothing to do.

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COULD'VE BEEN PERFECT

I was onboard the moment it was announced that Song Joong Ki will star, I was expecting a big serious action drama but i was pleasantly surprised to find that it was actually lighter in tone - something i didnt know I needed.

ACTING. 9.5. Song Joong Ki as Vincenzo was just phenomenal here. Oh Taecyeon as Jang Jung Woo was so terrifying and was a revelation. Jeon Yeo Been's quirky and smart Hong Cha Young was just the right amount. The pool of amazing support cast - Kwak Dong Yeon, Kim Yeo Jin, Jo Han Chul, Yoo Jae Myung, and all the Geumga Plaza residents were all top notch.

STORY and EXECUTION. 8.5. The premise is interesting - and the overarching idea of good vs evil or evil versus lesser evil is not original but executed well. The shift in tone when Vincenzo arrived in Korea and the touch of comedy was also somehow welcoming.

However, in the middle of the series I got tired of the chess-like moves each camp is making, that it became a little hard to take things seriously. I questioned whether Vincenzo was really a scary mafia that we were constantly reminded of, and whether Jang Jung Woo was really a baddy or just a a spoiled little twat. It didnt help that the main characters, despite being constantly faced with danger or threat remained alive, almost till the end. Somehow it felt like the story and the lifespan of the characters were extended because the number of episodes were extended. Also, the fact that everyone in the Geumga Plaza building were somehow hiding a secret identity just made the story telling convenient but not necessarily engaging.

The special effects were also amazing.

REWATCHEABILITY. 8.5. Id argue that you can watch it and mute the sounds and the show will still be watchable thanks to the visuals of Joong-Ki - this guy age so well. Okay in all seriousness, although there are some weak moments, the light tones sprinkled within the series made it easy to watch and re-watch. The characters are easy to love and the villains are so hateable that overall it is still entertaining.

OVERALL im giving this show a 9 out of 10.

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UNHOOKED

Preachy and inconsistent. It is a low budget series - and it was pretty obvious.

The bad:
1. The writer thinks he created intelligent characters and an intelligent banter but what we actually have are long, boring, unnatural and preachy conversations. The flow of thought from all the characters are way too similar that it feels like a single person talking to his split personality.
2. The story. You met up on a dating app, met and hooked up once and next thing you were already 'inlove'? Really?
2. Camera work and editing. Lets forgive them for poor camera quality, but the editing is just horrendous, you dont even feel like they are really talking to each other (but it can also attributed to the bad script).

If there is any good, it is the fact that they tried to cover a lot of current gay issues. Also, i would credit it as positive that the 2 leads didnt necessarily end up togehter.

I do appreciate companies still trying to produce content during the pandemic, however, the big question is, is it worth it? Did they succeed? I dont know how you'd feel about it but for me, for a series called Hook Up i am always unhooked, what i know is i hated myself for wasting my time watching this series.

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RAINED ON THEIR OWN PARADE

T'was actually good until they decided to rain on their own parade - and when it rained, it poured.

Started out well. It wasnt perfect but lets say it was light and enjoyable and it was a breath of fresh air compared to the second-rate concurrently aired Thai BL (oh no I will not confirm or deny that I'm talking about Step by Step). The fantasy premise was intriguing and new.

The cast were all perfectly good looking. - i fell in like with Pee, its as if he was plucked from a Korean show and like he is always glowing, I already love Title in My Only 12% and im glad he finally got a starring role (also the main reason why i watched the show). Suar - i just love Suar, he is so lovable as Tian! I loved him im Youre My Sky but here he was even more adorable. Copter is gorgeous! I was also hoping to see more of Dream and although it was too short, her budding romance with Nara looked promising. ! I also appreaciate the fact that to some extent almost no one is made intetntionally annoying.

The pacing is alright, I was actually surprised when the main pairing happened quite quickly in the first few episodes without too much fuzz.

It was a perfect cap off to a busy week. I even considered it a must watch that I even subscribed to Iqiyi after watching the first episode just to see the episode earlier.

Leading to the 7th episode, I get the sense that the series was written a little blandly, and true enough that's when the series turned 180 degrees and decided to check all the tropes. Episode 8 and 9 were acceptable, and then the dreaded obligatory breakup episode 10 and 11 were things turned to crap.

First of all, both Pat and Sengtai's actions leading to the break-up scene were both very out of character, and I strongly feel that they were unnecessarily added just to make it more dramatic.

Second, I'd argue that there are still so many things to explore regarding their relationship and the phenomenon that they were in - I wanted to know more about them being soul mates - what was so special about Tai's family, and all the characters who were given this gift. That alone could be a throve of stories to explore. The makers are marketing it as an almost fantasy series so why didn't they sell us that mystery. And oh my, do I need to emphasize my jaw-dropping annoyance in one scene where one shout literally rid them of their connection to their soulmates.

I couldn't buy the soul-mate thing of Tai's parents. I just cant see the chemistry between them, and to be honest, the reason for their separation doesn't feel huge enough to break an enchanted love.

I am also sad that they ruined Lomfon.

Lastly, the last episode was so uneventful and uninspiring that I almost didn't finish it. I can't even fathom why they spent quite a long time with the new couple - what's the connection to the overall plot. They got more screen time than Patt in the finale, they even have their own flashback scene. And when the leads finally meet again, did you also notice how blank Patt's face is?

Against everything I hated, I also loved a lot of things. Overall its an uneventful 7 for me. Will I re-watch - not a chance.

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