Started with a light breeze that turned into still air

I honestly don't know how i feel about this series. The premise of the story was interesting, and Japanese BL dramas, heck Japanese dramas in general, tend to have interesting character design set in contexts that are seemingly mundane but actually have a somewhat refreshing perspective. However this series failed to draw me in, from the main characters that i just simply could not connect with, to the overuse of manga cliches i.e. having the two main leads faces hover less than 5cm away from each other as they stare at each other and the camera zooms in. Also, too much chin grabbing... I did not find the characters compelling and I couldn't tell if it was because of the actors or simply how the characters were originally designed or the dialogue (internal dialogue's included) that never quite seemed to connect the characters (or maybe that was the entire point of it, in any case it didn't work for me).

Leggi di Più

Only for the Fans

Did not understand the hype. It looked like the main goal was to get every main character to kiss each other before the end of the series. While some characters were interesting (e.g. Sand, Ray, Boston), others were rather one-dimensional, bland and just didn't work for me (e.g. Mew, Top, Nick) aka there was nothing likeable or interesting. I truly do not understand what Mew's appeal is and the character Nick was annoyingly frustrating throughout the entire series (yes even until the end!).

The only thing that kept it going for me was the development between Sand and Ray, with the exception of some parts towards the end where the story-line did not gel with the characters. If the idea was to make homosexual relationships seem toxic, promiscuous and hedonistic (selfish to a certain extent), then this drama has certainly achieved that.

The lack of good character design and a compelling story-line aside the choice of music was rather refreshing and the acting was actually pretty decent, which helped in getting through the series. I did feel that there was too much emphasis on the intimate/love scenes, and at some point it felt like a whole lot of fan service.

Leggi di Più

Yawn. Cringe. Yawn.

This one got boring about 4 episodes in... Main leads' (both couples) acting was bearable, but couldn't say the same about the supporting cast. Besides the first few episodes, the rest of the episodes had barely any story line. Kudos to the actor playing FZR though, he managed to portray strength and vulnerability pretty well.

The script and dialogue started to get cringey a third in to the whole series and it seemed as though the screenwriters were just trying to get to the goal of having the 2 couples fall crazily in love (aka strip each other shirtless and kiss/make out. alot...). And after that goal was achieved, most of the show was then just them getting separated or facing some overly dramatised obstacle, then yearning for each other, then getting back together again (and getting horny) very conveniently.

What hooked me in at the beginning was Ai Di's fiesty personality and BZY's tsundere character but it wasn't long before their characters started getting whiney, piney,, and angsty (and unlikable). The storyline, well there was barely any, was simply unoriginal and disengaging, and don't get me started on the awkward placement of bgm throughout the drama...

Leggi di Più

An introduction to quality Thai BL

Before this, the Thai BLs that i had come across always felt like some cheap production aimed at making a fanfic into live action. I did not expect this level of attention to detail, production value, cinematography, decent acting, musicality, careful choice of location, colouring, script from a Thai production so i'm impressed.

The main characters are flawed and their discovery of themselves and their attraction to each other is raw, frustrating, beautiful, imperfect and captures youth and coming of age. There's a lot of hate directed at Teh but honestly he's one of my favourite characters. He's all over the place with his emotions, unable to hold back at times and incapable of showing them at other times, a complete train wreck. He's unsure about himself, hurts people around him in an attempt to make sense of what he's going through, is rough around the edges, makes mistakes he regrets immensely, disappoints his friends and loved ones, is unreasonable and uncompromising, but at the end of it all, he pursues his love as doggedly (and recklessly) as he pursues his dreams. And that's youth.

Oh-aew was a perfect foil to Teh's character, steadfast, understanding and patient. The actor playing this character was wonderful in being subtly seductive and making his character intriguing (the eye lashes helped loads). My only gripe was the lack of attention to some of the supporting characters, in particular, their school mates. The character design was too predictable.

Hats off the the production team as this was a well-made series and made me feel respected and valued as a BL viewer. BL fans want to watch quality production too and it's not just about putting two good-looking guys (sometimes even several) on screen and getting them to flirt with each other over bad dialogue, on a set with fake furniture, and no storyline to speak of. This series raised the bar of Thai BLs for me.

Leggi di Più

Tears (and interest) dried up mid-way

I really wanted this drama to have a strong finish because it started out strong. Hae-in's character was well-written and they did an excellent job casting Kim Jiwon for the role; one of the few borderline psycho female leads that was actually likeable and did not start irritating me 3 episodes in (cue IONTBO, CLOY, MLFTS FLs).

KSY and KJW's acting was amazing and their chemistry was satisfying to watch, there was a good plot twist in the middle with the riches to rags thing, the drama found clever ways to play tribute to other popular K dramas and past KSY FLs, and the OST was amazing (and probably what buoyed this drama for me). But that's where the good stuff ends. It was as if the evil-doers lost their braincells after they took over the company or some disney fairy powder was sprinkled over their noses and they turned good overnight. My braincells died along with theirs and the drama became devoid of any intellectual stimulation.

Would I download the OST and hit the reply button? Yes! Would i rewatch this drama? No thank you.

Leggi di Più

Could've been a 7 if not for the last 3 episodes

Got started on this series with very little expectations and enjoyed the first 9 episodes, not because of the romance or the actors, but because of the characters (especially Pah and Pie) and great comic timing.

The struggles and growth the characters go through, how they form-break-mend relationships and chart their own break-through, how they overcome self-doubt and discover themselves, were very nostalgic and feel-good.

It really started to go downhill for me because of 3 things (most of which happened in the last 3 episodes)

1. Judy's character development and her relationship with BM just came across as v flippant and poorly thought out and done just to catalyse Tae's character development. I would've much preferred if she had not reciprocated BM's feelings because that felt rather out of character, especially for someone who maintains a strong professional image, it felt unrealistic that she would start a relationship with an intern who already had a boyfriend who was also an intern.

2. Phi Jo's comments to Jane felt very out of character, after his chat with Pah, and the subsequent justification for his actions felt very forced (not sure if it was a translation issue). Jane's flashback made me dislike Phi Jo after growing quite fond of him, especially since he was built up to be a non-judgemental coach type of leader. The office culture also felt very toxic and seemed to be deemed "acceptable".

3. Jane's sudden departure to study overseas and his decision to do so without talking it out with someone he just started a relationship with. And them not speaking for years and then conveniently getting back together again was simply unrealistic... the amount of disrespect to the audience for being made to believe it was ok...

Sadly this series did not end on a high for me but thought it still deserved a rating above 5 because i truly enjoyed two thirds of it.

Leggi di Più

Light-hearted with a good dose of doki doki

It's your typical best friends to lovers story which begins as a one-sided crush. The story development is predictable but the screen writing didn't make it boring. Expect the usual miscommunication and missed opportunities, and characters plagued with doubt and self-worth, as well as the "love guru" friend who helps to finally move things along.

And also expect plenty of doki doki. Some scenes (e.g. the bridge scene) were shot beautifully, lighting (japanese film makers never cease to amaze me with their ability to capture natural light in all its glory), music, shots/angle, coloring. Comfortable pacing and had a nice build up of tension to create those moments that gave me butterflies in my stomach.

Overall a feel-good, light-hearted series that doesn't overdo the angst. Actors were suitably casted but a little wet behind the ears and some scenes were delivered awkwardly. A good "filler" BL series to turn to when there's a dearth of good dramas.

Leggi di Più

Albeit the Slower than usual Pace, The Chemistry is Chemistrying

From the pilot we knew this was gonna be a brawler to some extent and there were expectations for the series given the casting of seasoned actors for the lead characters.

What I liked about this series was the beautiful cinematography, dialogue and pace (which was slower than usual and reflective of the pace of life then), the impeccable acting by Nonkul and Bright (never heard of them before this series), and the character designs. Majority of the characters were likeable, even with their flaws. The main leads truly hard carried this series, but the supporting cast and characters were equally amazing (albeit some awkward acting by the extras in the market scene). I have never seen an actor (Nonkul) act coy so well (without being cringe) and Bright was able to pull off that innocent yet hungry look effortlessly.

And their hands! The way they moved their hands during the intimate and emotional scenes, the choreography and their hands need an Oscar. The chemistry between the two main leads was sensuous, genuine and natural, and beautiful to watch. The main characters feed off each other and together made each other whole; when one was weak the other was strong, when one was lost the other led. It's been a while since I've seen such great chem and acting in BL (in general). There was also notable effort put into set design, costume and even CGI, to give us good production quality.

While the choice of music was rather predictable, I'm thankful there was no overuse of the theme song which can get irritating by the time viewers reach mid-point of the series. The plot line and character designs were also good, except for maybe ep 10 and 11, where there was some in-congruence in character (Yai, and his mother).

What could've been better for me was the context setting and ending. I thought more effort could have been put into building up the 1920s universe, especially since this could be interesting for international fans who may not be familiar with Thai history and way of life. That context setting would've also helped understand the impact created by Jom. The ending also needed some damn explanation... I hope they help put a proper conclusion to the series with a special edition. *Spoiler* and personally I don't really want to go further back in time...

Leggi di Più

Cliche Yet Not Cliche

I may be biased since Han Hyo Joo is one of my favourite Korean actresses and I'm a sucker for shows with great soundtracks/musicality. While I was initially hesitant to watch yet another zombie drama/movie ever since Train to Busan infected the Korean entertainment industry, this drama isn't actually about zombies. Surprise!
In this drama, the "zombification" personifies an individual's search for happiness. The more extrinsic one's road to happiness is, the more susceptible they are to the virus.
If you don't read too much into the symbolism though, this was a highly entertaining series to indulge in, simply for the impeccable chemistry between the two leads that built up throughout the series, the fantastic supporting cast and characters that added personality to what could've been "yet another zombie show", the anti-hero who made you question your own views on morality (although some parts of his character development confused me), the thrill and suspense that comes along with the genre, and of course the amazing soundtrack and bgm.
Overall, this drama certainly kept me intrigued from start to finish, and while some parts were predictable, it managed to present a fresh take on the "zombie" genre.

Leggi di Più

Cute only if you find obsessive fan behaviour cute

It romanticised bordeline stalking (sure stalking by a middle-aged man is creepy and it's fine if it's a supposedly cute teenage boy who knows nothing about the big bad city), but not in the same way that "My Beautiful Man" does it. The latter had some character development and an intriguing dynamic between the MLs which created a perverse yet captivating chemistry (which is what i think was what it was going for). This though, had almost zero character development (both main and side characters).

The actor playing Taishin was not able to pull off the cute innocent country boy role (he looked like a scared frog talking at 0.5 speed 90% of the time). Bad casting choice and the script was as flat as a runway. Everything was very mediocre for a japanese BL and was quite honestly a waste of time for me.

Leggi di Più

Almost gave up on this...

Was struggling with this one for a bit and put it on hiatus twice. Only managed to finish it 2 mths after i started watching it. In the beginning this gave me "The Guest" vibes, which i disliked because that storyline just went around in circles for me. And things were a little draggy and predictable with the entire "main characters with parent issues" theme, which i must say seems to be a recurring theme in a lot of Asian dramas.

It wasn't until episode 7 where things got more interesting with the plot. What seemed predictable wasn't, and while i disliked some parts which were over-dramatic (too much screaming...) overall i liked the message that this drama was trying to put across. Which was to make the audience rethink whether it is better to be dead than alive in suffering.

The ending scene was perfect imo and i thoroughly enjoyed the acting from the three main characters. Although I do wish the Professor's character was written to be a bit more eccentric and less whiney rich boy laden with the guilt of his forefathers. His relationship with Ujin could've been expanded a lot more.

I would recommend watching this if you are someone with quite a bit of patience and can get all the way to ep 7...

Leggi di Più

Wasn't expecting to be hooked on this one

I waited a while after the series ended before writing this review because I wanted to be as objective as possible.

Went into this with very little expectation, seeing that it was yet another university-friends-enemies-to-lovers series by GMMTV. I was expecting a recycled plot (i mean it's engineering students again...) and lots of cliche but ended up falling in love with the entire cast. So much so that i didn't mind the cliche "everyone ends up as happy gay couples" ending.

Sure it was cute and fluffy, and the acting isn't quite IFYLITA or ITSAY standard, but some of the dialogue were well-written and tugged at the heartstrings. There were also great comic timing (kudos to JJ, Phuwin, Poon and Pond) and replay moments in the scenes between the MLs. Was pleasantly surprised by Phuwin's and Pond's natural acting and their amazing chemistry, and loved the scenes where the friends just gathered and were there for each other.

The script was well-written and although i did find the last 2 episodes a little draggy, i thought the series was overall well-paced with just the right amount of romantic tension. Overall this was a surprising feel good series (especially if you're in between other serious dramas) that didn't overdo the cliches, had well written characters (and bothered to develop these characters), good dialogue and a balanced focus on love and friendship. Peem is just such a wonderfully written character that you wished was real, cos everyone needs a Peem in their lives.

Leggi di Più

Good until Episode 11

I'm not a big fan of cliche romance flicks, especially one involving weak female characters waiting to be saved by a rich, almost perfect male lead. Hence MMH was not on the top of the list of K-dramas to watch. However, after seeing some rave reviews on various platforms, and since I was in the mood for something light-hearted and fluff, I thought to give this a try.

The storyline was pretty captivating all the way until episode 11, then it really started to go downhill on logic, pacing, character development etc. Things just started going all over the place, almost like the writers were just throwing out options on which ending scenario might work best and doing some market testing.

The actors tried their best and as much as I liked seeing Na In Woo as the ML, thought there was decent on-screen chemistry between the ML, and was enjoying the character design and development of the villains, the last 5 episodes were a complete let down. Messy logic flow, missed opportunities to develop great sub-plots with the secondary leads, repetitive 'brave' talk that didn't really deliver in terms of action. The FL just kept psyching herself up and building up expectations on her 'revenge' plan, which in my opinion, was really weak.

I blame the script and the scriptwriter, it was like they swapped the original scriptwriter out after episode 11 or didn't pay him/her enough to produce quality work. It was like a 3 course meal with an amazing starter that whet the appetite (time-travel + revenge plot + character development plot), have a solid main (decent cast, good development of sub-plots and some plot twists), only to be disappointed with a terrible dessert that almost makes you forget how great the starter was.

Was gonna give this a 6/10 rating given the disappointing ending, but given i kinda enjoyed two-thirds of the whole series, gave it a +1.

Leggi di Più

Great entertainment but not quite a Masterpiece

I love a strong female lead, and one that kicks ass is even better. One that kicks ass and has to play the role of a mother, pretty intriguing. While i thoroughly enjoyed the fight sequences, which were beautifully choreographed (fatal and feminine) and athletically executed, the movie lacked a sense of its own universe.

With the movie title, genre and timing of its release in contemporary times, it's inevitable that it gets compared with the likes of Kill Bill and John Wick, both cult faves. Although it narrowly manages to differentiate itself from the rest by focusing on the relationship between mother and daughter, and it was beautiful to witness how their relationship deepened and evolved within a very Asian context, the movie did not quite capture me as much as John Wick did. It was a waste that insufficient effort was spent building up an interesting universe around the characters as it had so much potential; i.e. developing the social structures of this world of assassins, and that could've captivated audiences more. Unfortunately, the characters stayed floating on the surface and didn't quite draw audiences in further.

That said, the casting was impeccable, right down to the choice actors for the younger characters of Minkyu and Boksoon. Jang Doyeon was and is a helluva femme fatale and Sol Kyunggu's voice just devours your soul. Some of my favorite moments include the last fight sequence (when Boksoon simulated the outcomes of the fight) and the moment Minkyu realised Boksoon was his soul mate. The ending was also subtle but appropriate, so people who enjoy embedded subtexts and symbolism in films would appreciate it.

Overall this was an entertaining watch, great actors, gorgeous fight sequences and great production, but I probably would pass if a sequel was made.

Leggi di Più

Possibly the best Taiwan BL I've come across

Having tried watching a couple of Taiwanese BL in the past based on rave reviews online (i say tried because i dropped most of them eventually), only to be terribly disappointed by the story-telling, acting, production value etc (we *cough* best *cough* love, Kiseki) i honestly hesitated starting on this one. In addition to my bad past experience with TW BL, incest just isn't my idea of a good forbidden romance... Putting aside the borderline incest plot, yes they're not blood related blah blah, this was actually a pretty darn good BL. Possibly the best I've seen from TW so far.

The story-telling had structure, decent context setting, good build-up, running themes to anchor the storyline and the dialogues were natural and not overly cheesy. The cinematography (lighting, angles) was surprisingly good for a drama series with thoughtful choice of location (the stairs and alley leading to the house, the fishing scene), although I thought they could've dialed up the "slump" aesthetics a little. But the winning ingredient for me was the acting and chemistry of the main leads. Their sound understanding of the characters was evident in their gestures, speech, right down to their breathing (there's a scene where Yuan and Qian are at the fishing spot for the first time and Yuan is lost in thought, and as the camera pans out back to reality, you can see him breath in and his eyelids quiver, desire and guilt fleets across his face).

Qian and Yuan are also interesting characters with raw survival instincts, are both strong and vulnerable for each other, and are fiercely loyal to each other and their loved ones. The main supporting characters were also well-designed, imperfect people bound together by non-traditional familial bonds. The interjection of well-timed humour also helped to lighten the story (cue San Pang and XiaoBao).

Some gripes were the casting choice for the multiple versions of younger Yuan vs fewer versions of younger Qian. Just wished they either got more similar looking child actors or stuck to just 1 or 2 for both. I also wasn't a fan of the OST and it was an odd choice of bgm at times. The gun scene w the side charac was my least favourite scene as the dialogue was a tad unpolished and it was overall a little over dramatic.

All in all, i thought this was one of the better (if not the best) BL from TW for me and the actors surprised (and impressed) we with their acting chops.

Leggi di Più