Big Dragon ... or Big Let Down

I came into this show with zero expectations. I left episode one with a poor taste in my mouth, but I decided to follow through just to see what this show was about. And wow, was that the wrong decision.

Within this review, I will be giving both the pros and cons to the series. Full disclosure: Although I heavily dislike the premise of two people ending up together out of the set up of revenge p*rn and s*xual ass*ult, my entire review is not based off of this fact, so I hope you know this is not being written from a biased perspective.

With that all out of the way, let's get into the nitty gritty of Big Dragon the series.

Big Dragon sets up a story about a rich boy named Yai who feels socially threatened by the success of fellow colleague, Mangkorn. When Yai learns that Mangkorn is eating dinner with a girl he likes, he does what any rational person would do. He drugs Mangkorn's drink, kidnaps him to a private room, and records him r*ping him with the intent to distribute the video to ruin his reputation. Except, this is all an attempt because Mangkorn catches onto Yai's plans and decides to take advantage of the situation by r*ping him instead and stealing the footage to hold over his head.

As we can see, the relationship is already starting off very healthily...

That being said, since we all have an understanding of how this show starts, I will now give my pros and cons list.

Pros:
- Discussion of marriage equality:
So few BL actually touch upon the social and legal discrimination within Thailand. Although these moments were brief, it was refreshing to see Big Dragon take the time to discuss the importance of legalizing same-sex marriage and how the country needs to do better for the LGBTQ+ community.

- Discussion of trying to be communicative:
While most BL shows have miscommunication, and trust me, Big Dragon does too, there are moments when Yai will ask Mangkorn to be more communicative so that he can be a better partner and give him advice. I like how the show touched upon the importance of communication.

- Caring moments:
There are many sweet and caring moments between our leads, which can make you appreciate the couple and gives the characters redeeming qualities.

- Good acting overall:
While not perfect, I thought Bank and Mos did a great job with what they were given and really convinced me that they were a couple. They had lovely chemistry together.

- Wonderful visuals of production:
The cinematography was great! I liked the angles, colorization, set design, and costumes within this show. It gave major KinnPorsche vibes, and visually, this show had a great appeal for me.

- Generally a light-hearted show despite the dark themes:
Even though this show can be dark as heck, it still managed to find many lighter places to allow the viewer to breathe so as to not be overwhelmed with drama.

Music:
The OST slapped and was always used appropriately. Great job, Bank!

Now that you've seen the pros and can see that I've given the show a fair viewing, I will list my cons.

Cons:
Unclear Rivalry:
- Although I understand that Yai feels semi-threatened by Mangkorn's success, and he dislikes that Mangkorn is on a date with a girl he likes, there isn't a clear reason for Yai to feel specifically threatened by Mangkorn. There are many successful people on campus. Why choose this guy? Are they fighting for the same scholarship? Are they fighting to be the most popular? It isn't entirely clear why this feud exists. We do understand that Yai dislikes how Mangkorn took a girl he likes out on a date, but how much importance does that really play within their relationship? Surely, guys have taken girls he's liked out on dates before, and I highly doubt he tried to drug and r*pe them too. What makes Mangkorn so special?

SA Treatment:
The s*xual ass*ult was never properly addressed. I understood the premise going into the show, so fair enough that they will have a darker take on relationships. But neither Yai nor Mangkorn were reprimanded for their actions. Mangkorn never confronted Yai and said, "Yo, what you tried to do to me was messed up. You're sick." Yai is never properly punished nor vilified for his actions, and instead, the show sweeps it under the rug and even jokes about it as some points. In fact, the show tries to act like we are supposed to like Yai, but I can't get behind a guy that tried to r*pe somebody unless he faces major consequences, learns from his mistake, and does everything in his power to redeem himself. His redemption must equal the weight of his crime. His crime weighed as much as the world, but unfortunately, his redemption arc was lighter than a feather.

Unclear Relationship Reason:
I don't really understand why Yai or Mangkorn fell for each other. They went instantly from hating each other to flirting with each other all because of a sexy night together. Now, if it were a consensual sexy night, I'd understand. But as we all know, that is far from the case. I understand that Mangkorn liked Yai since he was a freshman, but that was based on the infatuation of what the person was. If Mangkorn were a normal or sane person, he'd lose feelings for Yai the moment the guy tried to r*pe him and would run the other way, not flirt with him afterwards. And considering that Mangkorn took advantage of Yai and blackmailed him with the tape, I again don't see why Yai would really fall for Mangkorn, although there is a stronger case to be made as to why Yai would fall for him. Other than Mangkorn sometimes being nice and always flirtatious, I didn't see any real reason for Yai to let his guard down so soon and so easily. You'd think Yai would question Mangkorn's motivations, especially given what Yai had attempted to do to him. First Episode Yai would be weary of Mangkorn and question everything this guy does, but episode 2 and onwards throws all that out the window. Because of this, their relationship is confusing, rushed, and just needs to be more fleshed out.

Unlikable Characters:
Yai and Mangkorn do have redeeming qualities. But they also can be just insufferable. Beside the r*pe thing, Yai is spoiled, hot-tempered, throws tantrums when he doesn't get his way, and is rude to family members. Wow...sounds like a keeper. Mangkorn never communicates his thoughts and continually hides things from Yai. When Yai confronts him about it, Mangkorn complains that Yai is too busy being hurt to think of his side of things, as if Yai doesn't have a right to be mad for being repeatedly lied to. And then after he is caught with one lie, he still continues to hide things because he is admittedly a coward. Relationship is built on trust people, not on lies.

Trying to do the most:
This show is trying to do way too much, and 8 episodes just isn't going to help that. Enemies to lovers, arranged marriage, third wheels adding jealousy, lesbian side characters, bar renovations, mourning the loss of a dead mother, etc. This show needs to stick to one or two themes and just let go of all the unnecessary plot devices of every BL cliché.

Drawn out scenes:
Every scene felt five minutes too long. There was unnecessary dialogue, many pauses, and so much of it felt drawn out or like unneeded filler. When I put the show at 1.5 speed, the pacing of the scene was actually almost perfect, and that is a concern. I found myself bored or not paying attention many times just because conversations went on for too long or scenes just dragged.

Useless Bodyguards:
While many liked the bodyguards, the concept of two men sharing one braincell being in charge of protecting someone's life just made no sense to me. I found myself more annoyed with them. Had they been Yai's friends, I wouldn't have minded them at all. But two grown men acting like idiots while supposedly being able to guard Yai with his life...I just couldn't buy it.

Overall, I thought this show was terribly written and executed, but the good-looks of the cast and the great production quality help mask its flaws. I even found myself forgetting how bad it was supposed to be because of how great it looked. And while I'm reluctant to give this show a low rating, I ultimately must be honest with myself and admit that this show was a bore. If you're looking for a fun show about two guys that hate each other, I'd recommend KinnPorsche or History 3: Trapped. If you have nothing else to watch and are looking for a show to kill time, then this show might be for you. If you're looking for a show that looks good and doesn't require you to think to enjoy it, then feel free to give this show a view. But personally, this show was just a big waste of time.

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Fanservice with little plots

Before reading, note that every couple had their pros and cons. This review is a generalization of pros and cons that were consistent throughout the show.

This series would’ve been great if each episode were only 40-45 minutes each.

Let me elaborate. This series contains 7 love stories, each with two episodes. Every story is simple enough that it can easily be told in little timing, though I’m sure many of us would love to see more. The main problem with this series is that almost every scene is two minutes too long. When you have an episode of 10 scenes, each with 2 extra minutes, the time adds up, and it’s noticeable. The actors speak every ten seconds, leaving unnecessary dead air, and oftentimes, the show paused scenes to capture “moments” that are supposed to leave the fans wanting to squeal but end up thinking, “Yes, they’re staring at each other...can we move on now?”

The first two couples had little-to-no plot, but as the show progressed, the stories (mostly) improved.

The storytelling is inconsistent. There are pointless scenes, redundant scenes, drawn out scenes, many unnecessary flashbacks, and odd romantic pacing. Some couples felt too rushed while others spent too long pining. Some couples flawlessly executed elements of storytelling, like pacing, whereas others majorly missed the mark. It was so inconsistent that you were wondering if the same people that made one story really participated in the other.

Every couple, minus Puth/Kaeng and Jia/Masuk/Tir (Somehow, this couple didn’t have the issues all the other couples had), had very cheesy storylines and dialogue. Now, if you’re someone that enjoys very cheesy romantic gestures and corny affirmations of love, this is the show for you. However, if you cringe easily, this is your warning.

The music was way too much. There were many scenes that could’ve been raw and emotional hadn’t the music drowned out what needed to breathe. The most emotional scenes are the ones that don’t need to rely on music for the audience to connect. Not only was the music overused, but the choice of music didn’t always fit the tone of the scene.

Regardless of this, don’t run away yet! There are redeeming qualities to this show.

Couples acted like couples. This shouldn’t be revolutionary, but in a way, it is. In many BL, couples refrain from acting too couple-y. Y Destiny is a gay show, and they loved embracing it. The couples were loving and sweet to each other and weren’t afraid to give physical affection. I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of skinship (not always 18+) that was in the series. It made the relationships feel authentic.

The casting was great. Though some acting was..questionable, for the most part, everyone was casted well for their part. The chemistry is through the roof! The couples matched well. Compliments to the casting director/s on this one.

My rating for the show is the result of averaging my scores for each couple:

Tue/Ake: 4
Sun/Nuea: 5
Team/Korn: 5
Kaeng/Puth: 8
Pao/Thurs: 7
Choke/Sat: 5
Jia/Masuk/Tir: 9

I’m not a harsh person or one that gives low or high ratings randomly. I have fair reasons for each. The low scores struggled the most with inconsistencies, drawn-out scenes, being boring, and okay acting.

This show is not designed for you to think too much about or stress over. It’s a cute compilation of attractive guys falling for each other in the corniest ways (minus the Wednesday couple, oddly enough). If you’re looking for something with more depth and amazing storytelling, this show should be last on your watchlist. However, if you’re in the mood for softness and don’t mind production flaws, this is a lovely watch.

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Adorably Messy for Love Stage Fans

Love Stage !! is by no means a masterpiece. Some of the storytelling feels a bit rushed, and some parts are underexplained. But as a fan of both the original anime and manga, this is a great adaptation. The show gave its own spin to this cute tale and captured the essence of Izumi/Anda and Ryouma/Ryou perfectly. I loved seeing the characters come to life and had fun watching the show, despite its flaws. I'd definitely recommend if you're a Love Stage OG. If you're not familiar with the original material, I think you'd enjoy it if you're in the mood a sweet, fluff romance.

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Worth the view- with some sacrifices

After careful deliberation of what I wanted to say regarding this show, I've decided on what is fair and what isn't.

Firstly, I'd like to acknowledge that the acting and chemistry between each couple is amazing, particularly with Teng Muren and Li Cheng. Every actor gave a convincing performance, and somehow, Anson accomplished being the most stereotypically straight man alive and convinced me that he was in love with another man. I also adored that despite Teng Muren's tsundere tendencies, the character can still be sweet and loving in his own way.

That being said, I must address the elephant in the room.

S*xual Ass*ult:

Unfortunately, Yong Jie purposefully got Xing Si drunk and had sex with him. This is r*pe, no matter how you want to spin it. Though the characters outside the relationship make it clear that the act as immoral, the show still treats the couple as if this is a deserving relationship despite their weak attempts as also indicating the toxicity of it all.

There are two ways you can look at it. On one hand, this is just a show, and you aren't meant to think too much of it. This is a show targeted to a mature audience with the expectation that the audience is intelligent and mature enough to understand the immorality of the act. On the other hand, why would an audience member want to watch a show where a r*pist gets his happily ever after?

Storytelling wise, I felt, "Meh." This isn't a groundbreaking show by any means, but there are many fun and endearing moments that'll keep your interest. There is constant problem finding and solving, which means that the episodes don't feel pointless or empty. Some parts felt rushed or not explained well enough, but as I said, this isn't a masterpiece. I would've rated the story a 7, but I can't look passed the awful handling of the SA and also felt that the storytelling wasn't anything unique.

If you're someone that's able to look passed major character flaws or wants to watch simply for the other couple, then this show may be a fun watch. However, if you don't want to vote with your view (increasing the view count of a show with r*pe may indicate that this is desired television), then I'd suggest moving along.

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