a really refreshing take on "dark" dramas

whatever you think this series will be- it's better.

from the acting to the plot, hell even the editing and camerawork, they are telling a story- and one you more than likely have not been told before. there were things that i think could have been done better, but overall any little mistake were entirely forgotten two seconds later simply because of how well this show pulls you in, which i think is honestly extremely impressive since i'm someone who tends to be overly picky.

one thing i really want to point out is how well the plot was written. i think a show like this sounds easier to write than it is. it's a specific concept, and because of that, it pertains to itself in a way that (in my opinion) makes it hard to create something new and original. with that in mind, all of their plot twists were insanely original and fitting, and flowed beautifully. was the show dramatic? sure. was there a lot going on? at times, yes. but did it *feel* drawn out, confusing, or unnecessary? no.

also, the acting? i loved first in not me, so to see him essentially play the exact opposite character and deliver another amazing performance was wonderfully unexpected. and khaotung?! he's a very familiar face to me but i had never really paid his acting any mind until now, and i'm pleasantly surprised. him as aye was probably one of the best decisions they could have made with this show because i can't imagine anyone else killing that role the way he did. and don't even get me started on neo and louis, they simply do not disappoint.

while i do think it lost steam towards the end and had some questionable moments (ahem teacher sani?), it was overall definitely a great watch.

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A good enough drama if you're looking for pointless angst

Honestly, this show is entirely overhyped and absolutely not the "best bl" out there. In fact, it's extremely far from it.

I'll start off with what this show does well. Firstly, the camera work, editing, tensions between characters, and props are all very good. The acting was good, but arguably not where it mattered most. It definitely pulls you out of the scenes sometimes, but it's nothing too harsh. Generally speaking, the visuals of this show are sure to not disappoint, however, that's all that this show did flawlessly.

If you think about your favorite "classic", you may notice that quality-wise, they don't typically hold up to today's standards. So what brings you back to them? Why, even after possible decades, do you still enjoy it? Most reasons would be something like a good plot, good acting, sensibility, relatability, etc. Those exact elements are exactly what Kinnporche heavily lacks. Without its budget and time to be made, the show would honestly have nothing worth your while.

As for the plot, it has a good enough start. It's interesting and definitely grabs your attention in a time where most queer stories revolve around a cute, innocent, school love story. But the more you watch, the less sense anything makes until it finally unravels itself entirely. The way this plot is written, you'd honestly be baffled at which characters were born into the mafia and which weren't seeing as they all have the same morals. Yes, this show is dark, but absolutely not within reason, given that most of the messed-up scenes could be cut out entirely and the show would still work just fine. And to make the characters' terrible actions worse, no one learns from anything. The entire series is one long loop of making a mistake, suffering the consequences, learning nothing at all, and repeating it over and over until the show ends about 60x more messy than necessary.

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wasted potential

this drama started off pretty strong with only a few minor flaws every now and then, so i thought it was still salvageable as long as the ending was decent- which it, unfortunately, wasn't at all.

at some point around episode 10, the (metaphorical) train completely derailed and every single episode after that, including the finale, was only 10% entertaining while the other 90% was downright frustrating.

the only commendable thing about this series was the actors. while some were subpar, the ones that were good were *very* good. pavel, nut, and benz in particular were constantly stopping me from dropping this series.
however, almost everything else was aggravatingly bad. the camera work made me nauseous at least once per episode, certain actors consistently delivered their (already lacking) lines poorly throughout the entire series, and the plot was written as if it was just a bunch of random bullet points of things they wanted to happen and then they just made up on the spot how they'd connect them all.

all of that being said, i do still think it wasn't terrible. if they'd simply put a bit more effort into, what was meant to be, such a serious drama, i think most of my qualms would've faded to the background. i can put up with a plot that goes a bit off track sometimes and a couple bad actors- but when i can predict every cliche and just *know* that an emotional moment is going to be ruined by poor acting almost *every time* it's just too much.

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"gorgeous excellent unbelievable amazing" ~choi san of ateez

For me, this is 2023's first queer drama to ace all categories. This drama clearly took itself seriously and everyone involved went above and beyond to make one of the most beautiful queer relationships I've seen in a while. Not only is the plot more realistic and intense than most queer dramas, but the acting is done perfectly to match. Despite the fact that both main characters play difficult roles, they never feel unrealistic or out of touch. The scenes never get too intense to the point where you just feel miserable and the editing and comedic timing also play a huge role in that.

Overall, if you tend to look down on a lot of queer stories due to their inability to create realistic and genuine romance, this is the drama for you.

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now THIS is camp done right

i don't usually enjoy campy shows, so i was shocked when i was hooked on cooking crush instantly. i really like that in typical offgun series fashion, queerness was not treated as if it's some fantasy experience. they openly acknowledged the presence of homophobia and allowed the characters to fear rejection without watering their entire character down to how much they struggled.

the jokes almost all landed for me, the camera angles were fun, the acting was obviously incredible, and the plot was a bit lost on the cut version but honestly i personally didn't find it too bothersome.

overall i think this series deserves more appreciation. it's sweet, funny, and almost every character is extremely unique and lovable.

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