An almost fairy tale BL story in a remote village in Thailand

This BL story felt almost like a fairy tale to me and is centred around the development of the relationship between two guys with very different backgrounds as they meet in a remote village all up in the North of Thailand. One being the rich city boy while the other is the country strong guy, it can sound a bit unoriginal...But the context in which they meet as well as the events leading to their encounter, bring a lot of savours to the plot.

The romance between the two main characters is completely platonic but it is still bringing all the feelings and is truly convincing. I found the chemistry between the two actors pretty great and they managed to convey a lot of emotions through just staring at each other or slight hand touches. The development of their relationship was really good with just the last 2 episodes containing too much of (one-sided) noble idiocy from one specific character for my liking.

I think what I liked the most from this drama is the character of Tian, played by "Mix Sahaphap Wongratch". I truly enjoyed his performance and for me he carried the show acting-wise as well as narration-wise. I'm not sure if it is entirely due to the actor' skills or if it is more linked to the writing, but I will for sure try watching another drama with him.

All along the course of the story, I was rooting so much for the happiness of Tian: I was able to relate to him and I empathised so much with his circumstances and all the burden he was trying to carry. He was the key element in my enjoyment of the show and I wanted him to be appreciated and loved for himself and not because of connections to others characters. Fortunately, the script really was satisfying in those aspects. The scenario maybe missed a bit the mark regarding some of the side characters which could have benefited for more in-depth storylines but overall it is a minor flaw to my eyes.

The production was clearly kind of low budget. Some action scenes and props felt very cheap to me but it did not prevent me to enjoy the series overall. I quite appreciated the soundtrack overall, it was a bit repetitive at time but I found the instrumental with the Klhui (= type of Thai flute) poetic and charming.

I would recommend this to people looking for a BL story with a lot of turmoil and feelings combined with remote village storylines and rural atmosphere. If you have enjoyed "Crash Landing On You" or even "Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha" where people from 2 very different worlds meet and fall in love with each other, as well as learn a lot from their interactions with villagers, this might be just right in your alley !

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Great action-packed story in a well-conceived dystopian futuristic world!

This action drama is set on a futuristic Earth where oxygen has become a scarce resource. A team of deliverymen ensures its distribution to a population organized under a strict social order with high opportunity disparities.

Despite its short length (only 6 episodes of about 45 minutes), this series manages to set up very quickly and properly the stakes, the universe and the various characters. The story ramps up in an exciting way across the episodes: it is packed with action and still leave some room for a deeper thematic, resonating with the preoccupations and actuality of our current times.

The characters made sensible choices and are intelligent, the writing is solid and make sense overall. I would just have appreciated for the antagonist to have more fleshed out motivations and aspirations. I loved the mentoring relationship that develops between two of the characters. This TV show is proof that when done well, the common trope of the apprentice being taught all the ropes and progressing (almost levelling-up in a way) remains a really interesting and compelling storyline to follow.

I was amazed by the performance of Kim Woo Bin: as expected he did a great job. He has such as strong physicality and presence which I find captivating: it is always a real treat to see him on screen. Kang Yoo Seok also really impressed me, I was totally invested in his character and I will be digging into his filmography as he was such a good discovery. Overall, the ensemble cast is really strong and work excessively well together.

The production value was pretty high. They managed to create a quite realistic and frightening dystopian futuristic world. All the details were on point regarding the decors, costumes and accessories. For example, there are several kind of breathing masks (and not just one type used by everyone which would make less sense), there are also a big variety of technologies, machines and digital tools featured across the course of the story. All these elements brought together made the series looks really believable. The soundtrack is mainly atmospheric, providing suitable thrilling or dark vibes. I liked a lot the transitions between some scenes and episodes with the picture shifting to a drawing piece: it was super eye-catching.

I would recommend this to people looking for an ultra binge-able action drama set up in a well-conceived dystopian futuristic universe. If you like movie such as "Dune (Part1)" or even to a lesser extent TV shows such as "The 100" or "The Mandalorian", this will be right up your alley!

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Unhinged and exciting performance of Kim Seon Ho, you might never see him the same way ^O^

This very gore action movie took me by surprise. I found it pretty good on some aspects: pacing, some great actions sequences with some shocking moments with disturbingly big amounts of blood. Where it missed slightly the mark for me was in terms of characters likeability. Everyone is kind of detestable so I was not very invested in the survival of anyone. The man hunt was still pretty entertaining but would have been better if I care about the protagonist being chased.

I watched this film for Kim Seon Ho and was not expecting to see him in such a different role. He did not disappoint and provide a very good performance playing an unhinged and quite crazy hitman. On the other hand, I found Kang Tae Joo lacking in terms of charisma next to him. Hiq role was central to the plot but with very few dialogs, so I am not sure if it is the script or the actor who is the most at fault here. The other side characters were good overall, fitting well with the craziness and over-the-top actions sequences.

If the soundtrack did not stand out to me, I was impressed by the production value and I found the parodic undertone enjoyable. The fight scenes were good, the gory details were really bringing the film together, making the picture daunting but still beautiful in a way. The chasing scenes with cars or just characters running were well put together and successfully stressful.

I would recommend this to people that are looking for a thrilling action movie and do not mind gore. If too much blood is not your thing or if character likeability or relatability is important to you, do not watch this movie. I had personally a good time watching it and I am wondering if a second watch would help me appreciate some of the characters and plot elements better (such as the ending which left me an uncanny feeling regarding the movie's morale and meaning).

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Interesting for the juvenile crimes approached, tedious for the adults storylines

This legal K-drama provides an interesting take on the justice system in South Korea by focusing on the treatment of juvenile crimes. The format remains quite standard for the genre, each case being handled over the course of 2-3 episodes. Some stories are more captivating than others but overall I found the show pretty compelling when the focus was on the young offenders. However, my interest dropped a lot regarding the storylines involving the adults: the intrigue became a bit tedious to follow when they were concerned because of too much pathos and some plot devices a bit too coincidental.

Regarding the casting, it is overall pretty good. There is no obvious weak part and the main actress does a suitable job. Most of the young actors playing criminal or victim roles are convincing. It is thanks to their skills that some of the cases were so gripping to follow. I would have loved to see the script centred more around them and their psyche than the adults characters who did not show enough growth and evolution and were often unlikable.

The music was good with one particular song fitting really well with the thematic of the show. The filmmaking was dark and well-done with some scenes tough to watch...At the same time, it was for some aspects more consensual with some "moralizing" scenes than I expected given the context of the story. In my opinion, it would have been even better if the screenwriter and the director had take an even darker road. There are grey areas approached but not that much and a bit in a superficial way.

I would recommend this to people that love legal shows and are looking for a new take on the genre with cases not often seen. It is clearly not a binge-able drama because of the difficult topics approached as well as its format and structure. It might be very triggering given its inner nature, so be mindful.

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Captivating fantasy romance beautifully directed ! Worth all the hype !

The second (and final) season of the latest fantasy series brought to Dramaland by the Hong sisters was worth the watch. The writers managed a successful landing for this highly anticipated show as this sequel reaps all the seeds that were planted in its parent series.

Storytelling wise, I found the change of the main actress pretty audacious and leading to some uncharted territories of pinning and angst regarding the romance between the 2 main leads. It was properly captivating to see the lovers interact with each other. The cast did a good job (especially some of the secondary characters which provided some great added-value to the story) and I will be curious to see their next projects.

The drama was also beautifully directed. The production value was amazing with a real artistry in terms of the way scenes were filmed and the choice of colours overall. The pastels of the costumes gave me all the feels and were really eye-catching. I also found the Visual FX satisfactory and some songs of the OSTs are still stuck in my heads because it was so good.

Pacing might have been slightly too slow in the middle and motivation/plan of the arch nemesis might have been better thought through but it was a very enjoyable and thrilling ride that made me go through a lot of emotions. The ending had me glued to my seat, anticipating for the worst and praying for the best.

I would recommend this (and the overall saga as a whole with its season 1) to people looking for a fantasy show with strong production value and in search of an epic romance.

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