great start, but it declined into a lukewarm mess — there is something huge missing here

I want to start this review by pointing out the positive.
This was my first YinWar BL, and I loved their dynamic and acting. While they're not the best I've seen so far, they're really solid in terms of chemistry, tension, and portrayal of their character.
I also want to point out that I absolutely loved the first 3-4 episodes. I was so hooked, but sadly, I was steadily more disappointed and bored towards the end...

This drama had great potential, but it was wasted by unnecessary melodrama, "convenient" writing, unfunny humor, and an overall messy plot. While I loved some of the side characters, some others were quite unnecessary and just there for cheap comic relief or because a villain was needed. There was a lot of screen time spent on unnecessary things, while a lot of other scenes could've needed some more explanation and time spent on them.

I felt like this story just struggled a lot with pacing. Some episodes, we had so many things happen that it felt messy, hard to follow, and quite repetitive in the long run. Other episodes were too slow, spending so much time on unimportant, boring, "funny" scenes that felt so flat. Don‘t get me wrong, I love me some good comedy, but this was just not it.

Overall, there was also a noticeable inconsistency in quality. Some scenes were filmed beautifully, feeling really high quality. Others felt cheap, like they were filmed by some teenagers in their backyard. The sound editing (I know I'm nitpicking here, but it seriously bothered me) was seriously lousy. The music always came in way too fast, too loud, too random, the characters were too quiet, too loud, the background noise changed with every camera angle. It was a nightmare on my headphones. Maybe I'm just oversensitive, but I feel like a BL of this level should be produced with a higher quality. Some of the action scenes were really well done, but there were also too many of them in my opinion.

To sum up, this drama had a great start and potential. It just didn't live up to that. I wouldn't really personally recommend it, it's certainly not a masterpiece, but if you aren't too picky about the writing, plot, and characters, it's still enjoyable. If you aren't putting too much thought into it, it's totally alright to watch. I just felt like overall, there was something huge missing from this drama.

Leggi di Più

touching, beautiful, and well-made, but incredibly hard to follow in the second part

This drama has truly beautiful cinematography and acting. The intimate scenes were incredibly beautiful, intricate, and touching. This starts out as a story of two broken teens who find comfort in each other, and I loved it so much.
Sadly, the story didn't capture me anymore after the first few episodes and the time skip. The story got more and more confusing and there were a few jumps that made it even harder to follow. I fully admit that I didn't really understand the plot after episode 5 onward. It still wasn't horrible, but I feel like the writers could've done a better job telling us what was going on.
The soundtrack was really beautiful.

Special shoutout to Lee Seon for being an absolutely amazing and gorgeous actor, and a beautiful crier. I hope to see him in other works.

Leggi di Più

Amazing, unique storyline

The story is so interesting and entertaining. Emotional damage in every episode, but it was so worth it. The acting was top tier, the chemistry was amazing, the character depth was there, the spicy scenes were well done. Ming *was* a red flag but he was so well-written and you could really understand his position as the series progressed. I felt like the actor for Tong was a bit weak, but otherwise a top tier show. So worth watching. I especially loved Poom as Joe. Pepsi also once again did a great job as a director.
My only real criticism is how they wrapped up the plot in episode 12. The ending felt weak, with all conflict resolved very fast and not incredibly logically. But given the rest of this amazing show, I am so willing to excuse this weak point.

Leggi di Più

very standard, very mid, but worth watching nonetheless

Unintentional Love Story is a pretty standard KBL. The storyline itself is interesting enough, though we have ✨miscommunication✨ and ✨unnecessary drama✨.
My issue overall is the writing of the main couple. The main characters aren’t terribly interesting, nor is their chemistry through the roof. The intimacy and affection, if any, are kept sterile and minimal. In this case, too minimal. There is an uncomfortable power dynamic between the main couple, keeping me from properly loving them or getting invested in them. The acting didn‘t really have any obvious flaws, but wasn’t outstanding, either.
Overall, very mid, BUT SO WORTH IT FOR THE SIDE COUPLE. It‘s like this show is keeping you on your toes for The Time of Fever. I love the side couple with all my heart, the bits and pieces we get thrown, the warmth and love we get shown in the 1-2 scenes per episode.

Leggi di Più

A beautiful, aesthetic story of love and attraction with an indie feel

This drama is probably one of the best K-BLs I've watched so far.

Especially the cinematography my favorite point here. The color grading was so aesthetic, amazing at conveying emotion and mood, and you could really see that someone poured their love and attention into every frame. The way it was shot, the angles and cuts, were so beautiful, refreshing, and just amazing at conveying the story. Also the intro and the way it worked with the store was just really cool. The cinematography of this drama was just incredibly enjoyable and had a great indie feel.

The story of this drama was interesting and enjoyable to watch. The characters were fun, realistic, some were even refreshing. Special probs to my girl Yun Won, one of my favorite female characters in a Korean drama I‘ve ever seen. Sadly, I did not really enjoy episode 8-10 as much as the ones before. Somehow, these episodes felt a little weaker, more "normal" (if that can be said in a negative sense) as before. This is the only reason why my rating for this fell below 9. Almost everything until episode 8 was just amazing.

Special shoutout to episode 6, which is one of the only episodes that I have ever given a 10/10 to. The cinematography, feeling, vibe, and acting in this episode were just outstanding. This episode in particular was in my opinion the best part of this story, and deserves an award.

Now onto the romance and acting. This part of the drama was incredible to watch, especially in the first few episodes. The story and chemistry between the characters felt so real. This feeling of electric attraction and being intrigued by a person from the get-go. Wanting to be so close to them suddenly, falling hard and fast, and everyone questioning why these two people like each other so much. It was so refreshing and real. I loved this natural progression of the story, and especially the way it was handled in episode 6. Also the kisses in this show were so REAL, emotional, beautiful, passionate. It's been a while since I‘ve seen something like this in a K-BL.

The story also dealt with mental health and depression in an interesting way. Especially how the acting and cinematography contributed to it was well done. I did feel like it could have been dealt with a little bit better, but mental health is such a hard topic that a lot of shows don‘t even begin to address.

To summarize, a really good show. Incredibly enjoyable to watch, good acting, good cinematography. A little lacking in some parts and it falls off a little towards the end, but totally worth it.

Leggi di Più

So amazing, but the last episodes were weak

This show is definitely worth watching. I loved the plot that just kept you on your toes, and the amount of theories I created was not healthy. I just felt like the last two/three episodes were in stark contrast to the rest of the show and much weaker.

Positives:
- Bible's acting! He was once again just convincing, natural, and just truly a great actor
- The plot. The writing of the plot progression was super interesting, how they kept dropping hints and kept us guessing. The characters were also super interesting, especially how they were morally grey, flawed, and complex.
- The NC scenes. Even though I wasn't the biggest fan of the pairings in this, they're chemistry wasn't AMAZING (but that wasn't the point of the show at all so it's fine), all the NC scenes were full of chemistry, incredibly nuanced, natural, and well-used as storytelling devices. Probably my favourite NC scenes ever.

Negatives:
- The last two/three episodes. The dialogue felt off/forced. The acting suddenly felt unnatural. They tried to wrap up/explain the previous plot in a way that made it feel silly, that dissolved all this great tension they'd previously built in an insignificant way. Truly am a bit disappointed.

All in all, still an amazing series. Maybe not that much rewatch value since it lives off the plottwist. Truly could've been a 10 star if they'd kept up the theme with the last episodes.

Leggi di Più

Funny, exciting, cute

This show is probably my favorite K-drama yet.

Positives:
- Song Kang's acting is amazing (and he's just very gorgeous)
- interesting and well-written female lead
- well-thought out story line and fantasy elements
- funny side characters
- interesting villain
- thriller/gore-like elements
- very strong and good start & middle
- the soundtrack (the instrumentals!!!) is so good
- the insight into history and religion were interesting

Negatives:
- the last two episodes are much worse than the rest of the series and can't really compare - the plot and the character development feels out of place and uncharacteristic. This would have been better without the last two episodes (whose conflict could've been solved within minutes)
- some characters are a bit ridiculous/unserious and there are a few cringy moments
- the villains were a bit predictable but that wasn't the point, so it's fine

Overall really a great series. I especially loved Guwon, he was funny, pretty, epic, entertaining, and just great in general. The only real downside is that the show drops a bit in quality after/around ep. 13, but that is the case in many K-dramas.

Leggi di Più

Not amazing, but not a waste of time

I'll keep this review short and sweet, a little bit like this show:

Positives:
- The main actors were pretty and had great chemistry (especially in the (few!) intimacy scenes)
- The plot was interesting and entertaining
- The cinematography was very aesthetic
- The character of Inami was well-written

Negatives:
- There was unnecessary drama and miscommunication at times
- The writing was a bit flat at times, especially Kabu
- It could be a bit boring and slow sometimes

Overall, certainly not a bad BL. You can watch it and it's not a waste of time, you won't regret it, but it's not a must-watch, either.

Leggi di Più

This movie is so painful, and you'll love it.

I kid you not, I had to sit down for two hours and stare at the wall after watching this. The story is heartbreaking and anxiety-inducing. The characters are painfully realistic. The cinematography is out of this world. The amount of angst this movie creates is impressive. It is a realistic portrayal of gay lives, and that is what makes it terrifying. The topic of internalized homophobia is one of the main focuses, and it is well executed and so deeply painful.
I would recommend this movie only for those knowing what they're getting into. It will literally change your brain chemistry.
Rewatch value is high, because you can understand the depth of the movie even better, but nothing will hit you emotionally like the first watch.

Leggi di Più

The second part of the show is the far superior one

The first half of the show is fine. The acting is alright, the characters are entertaining, but it’s really not anything world-changing. The spicy scenes were well done though.
THE SECOND PART HOWEVER is a masterpiece. The chemistry of FortPeat is off the charts, the trauma plot has depth and is very moving. The spicy scenes are amazing. I watched the entire show for the second part and was not disappointed. The wait is so so worth it. If the entire show was just SkyPrapai/FortPeat, it would be a solid 100/10. Just amazing.
In summary: the first half is alright, and the second AMAZING.

Leggi di Più

Good but I dropped it

Hear me out. I dropped this in the last episode. I actually enjoyed watching this a lot. For once, not a typical university BL, and the amount of intimacy scenes were definitely not bad, either. Not really a fan of FirstKhaotung in this, but oh well. Also really not a fan of ForceBook in general. I think I'm never actually gonna like that ship, idk, something is just off for me. I personally loved Neo in this. My boy deserves a main role. I dropped in the last episode because the drama and the actions of the characters were getting tedious, but it was a fun ride until then.

Leggi di Più

A beautiful and painfully realistic story

I am very glad I watched this show. The story, the acting, and the way it displays intimacy, yearning, and friendship are truly fascinating.

Production/Visuals:
I loved the production and visuals of this show. The use of camera angles and color grading totally elevated the feel of the show and its emotions. There were a few very long one-shot sequences that were truly baffling and felt amazing because you could truly see they were filmed in one go.

Story:
Though the story at first didn't really intrigue me, it captured me within the first hour of the first episode. The rivalry plot, which truly felt realistic, and the following friendship and development were truly interesting to watch and had a lot of emotional depth. Especially the emotional back-and-forth felt incredibly realistic, and all emotions portrayed felt so raw. I truly commend the writers for doing such an exemplary job.

Acting:
Every actor in this show did so well, and totally contributed to the high-quality feel of it, but I truly have to tip my hat to Bilkin, the actor of Teh. His portrayal was so SO realistic, I cannot stress it enough. He managed to portray emotional conflict, yearning, desire, joy, every emotion in such a way that I forgot he was acting. He is also an ugly crier, and it fit the character and his pain so well. If I had to pick one of the best actors I‘ve seen so far, his name would be among them. His chemistry with Oh-Aew's actor was also so amazing. Every one of their scenes was so good and raw that it took my breath away. I could feel the desire through the screen.

OST:
I usually don‘t really write about this, but I feel like I have to compliment here. The soundtrack of this show is truly beautiful and fit so well. In ep3, at the resort, there is a particular expressionistic-style piece that made my soul leave my body. Truly one of the most beautiful things I‘ve heard so far. I actually contacted the composer to find out more about it, but apparently it's not included in the OST and there is no way to get a recording of it. I am truly devastated.

All in all, this is so worth it. I do have to say that towards the end, especially ep5, it did decline in quality a tiny bit, where I felt the resolution was a bit anticlimactic relative to the buildup. But truly, you will probably not be disappointed by this show.

Leggi di Più