Un drama melenso e senza trama
Ho visto questo drama tempo fa, forse dopo le primissime BL Thai. Mi aveva un po' delusa, l'avevo guardato sbrigativamente e poi archiviato. A distanza di alcuni mesi, ho provato a dargli una seconda chance. Niente, la prima impressione era quella giusta.L'unico pro credo sia la buona chimica di coppia, sia per quanto riguarda il pairing principale che quello secondario.
Di contro, tante cose. Dal fatto che, diciamocelo, una trama non esiste. Ci sono solo una serie di elementi infilati - a volte un po' a caso - per accompagnare la relazione dei protagonisti nella direzione in cui si vuole andare. Non ci sono grandi drammi, veri e propri ostacoli, ma ci si limita a puntare tutto sul tema del "segreto" e del "non detto", anche dove ciò che viene celato non è niente di eclatante, tant'è che una volta svelato non va a sconvolgere chissà quali equilibri. Alcune scelte, poi, risultano così forzate da essere un po' assurde, vedi il fatto che i due siano stati promessi fin dalla tenera età per volere delle rispettive famiglie (ah, la logica, questa strana cosa misteriosa!). Gli attori abbastanza bravi, anche se l'attore che interpreta Lian mi suscita antipatia a prima vista. Se da una parte, dicevo, non esiste una storia vera e propria, dall'altra a peggiorare la situazioni arrivano una quantità disumana di scenette assurde: un conto è il momento un po' glicemico, ma comunque emozionante e romantico, un altro sono i siparietti melensi, così sdolcinati da risultare ridicoli e quasi imbarazzanti. Ecco, per arrivare alle - non poche, va detto - scene appassionate tra i due occorre però sopravvivere alla pioggia di zucchero a velo del prima e spesso anche del dopo.
Giusto per completezza, mi sono fatta del male e ho guardato anche il sequel e, non contenta, anche la spin-off su Yi e Diao. Per entrambe, confermo quanto già detto per la serie originale. Anzi, in alcuni passaggi sono riuscite pure a essere al di sotto di "Cutie Pie", che non è cosa da poco. Il giudizio finale è una sufficienza risicata, giusto per l'affiatamento tra le coppie. Ma non lo ritengo un motivo sufficiente per consigliarne la visione.
Vond je deze recentie nuttig?
Deze recentie kan spoilers bevatten
A Hot Mess
- Genre –Arranged Mariages/Romance/Students/BL
- Brief Synopsis –
Protagonist A and B are married because of a marriage contract. B however doesn’t really care about A in the beginning which saddens A. When the series starts, they somehow start spending more time together when B realizes he should be a better husband. They end up growing closer and closer. The story focuses on the development of their relationship.
- Plot and Storyline –
This plot does not contain any plot twists that would make the story memorable in any way. The central focus is on the protagonists growing closer, with a few additional subplots involving seemingly inconsequential matters. The overall narrative lacks a distinctive element, leaning into familiar tropes without introducing significant twists or memorable plot points. However, the chemistry between the A and B is a standout, portraying them as an endearing and cute couple. The intimate scenes, while not explicitly depicted, exude a sensuality that adds depth to their connection, a credit to the commendable acting skills of the two. On the flip side, the secondary couple fails to leave a favorable impression, lacking the appeal that the main leads effortlessly bring to the screen.
- Character Development –
N/A
- Acting -
The main leads deliver exceptional performances, showcasing their acting prowess with commendable skill. The chemistry they bring to the screen is particularly noteworthy, as the pairing of a charming and adorable main character with a serious and colder counterpart creates a compelling dynamic. Their on-screen connection adds depth to the narrative, making them a standout pair in the show.
- Production Quality -
Decent production quality with somewhat realistic sets and props.
- Writing and Dialogue -
Writing can sometimes be a little cringey.
- Pacing -
Pacing is good.
- Themes and Message –
Themes such as arranged marriage and love after marriage are explored.
- Audience Appeal -
Anyone who likes the concept of falling in love after marriage could take a look.
- Standout Moments -
The kitchen kissing scene really stood out to me because of how sensually it was shot despite it being rather tame.
- Criticisms -
x Nothing interesting seem to happen in the show.
x The plot isn't exactly unique. It is simple and predictable.
- Conclusion -
While the show as a whole may not have much rewatch value, the intimate scenes stand out as an exception due to their well-executed cinematography. The palpable chemistry between the main leads adds an extra layer of allure, making those particular moments worth revisiting.
Vond je deze recentie nuttig?
愉快的系列
我喜歡這個系列，但在某些方面它令人失望。 其他評論說這是“一團糟”是有原因的。 我喜歡男孩們很可愛，但我希望“壞男孩”更情緒化。 有時它使該系列難以觀看。 Kneua 長大後變得卡通可愛，他最好的朋友也是如此。 讓最好的朋友相似是個好主意但看看他們是否相似會很有趣。 總的來說，感謝您製作了這部傑作。我們需要看這樣的電視劇。結局有點亂。這是我希望可以改變的一件事。也許如果這個系列還有另一個賽季，男孩們會有所改變。他們應該長大。
Vond je deze recentie nuttig?
Deze recentie kan spoilers bevatten
BEAUTIFUL CINEMATOGRAPHY!!
I have to say that its been a while since i watch BL lakorn and I am glad that I chose this lakorn to watch after long time. Its my first time watching Zee’s acting and honestly, I am head over heels with him. Dont get me wrong but Mew kinda looks like Gun. Okay next thing we are going to talk is the plot.The plot is interesting but somehow for me the issue of the couple doesn’t really that important. I mean they just need to communicate with each other. The issue is not really serious and honestly, i just love the cinematography of this series. Its not cliché and not cringe and i love the way they capture every scene. It opens a new point of view for me cause most of the BL lakorn have a lousy and cringe cinematography. This one is something new and i love it!
I don’t have much complain and i love the Steamy scenes as well. Looks so intimate and i AM IN LOVE ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️. Overall, 9/10! Lost one point due to the plot being not that interesting. But still a good watch. But I probably won’t re-watch them. Got a little bit bored.
Vond je deze recentie nuttig?
Deze recentie kan spoilers bevatten
Reseña sencilla
Los 1ros caps o mas bien el 1er cap si cala por lo que dice Hia Lian si se paso poquito el niño e hizo sufrir a Kuea pero me gusta que de ahi conforme va avanzando la serie tmb su relación como que empieza de nuevo y luego pasan unas cosas y tienen que volver a empezar por asi decirlo pero en general su desarrollo va bastante bien, tengo que decir que a partir de cierto cap aca mis amigos se comen cada que pueden neta (iconico el cap 7 dnd se comen enfrente de la gente JAJAJ y a aun mas icónico en cap 8) es una serie muy disfrutable y que no decepciona:)Vond je deze recentie nuttig?
My first live action BL
and I found it extraordinaryLian and Kirin are soo cute together, the relationship these two have is soo sweet and healthy wooahh it would keep on giving me that butterfly feeling each time they are on screen
If I have got something to complain?
YES (why they didn't give us more of Lian and Kirin episodes)
The story was simple still cute, outfits were beautiful and actors were super tantled that they were able to convey all emotions of the story
This has soo many kiss scene and I never get bored even once I mean each kiss scene looks different and one is more beautiful and adorable than another one I thought the car kiss scene was going to be the first and last one because they put so much work on it and it must have been already super hard but they still made it look it soo authentic.
Vond je deze recentie nuttig?
Deze recentie kan spoilers bevatten
Cute for sure but...
Hi humans ^.^Let's start with main's chemistry: I already known Zee acting skill, before his old series so it's not a surprise he was that good but NuNew's acting fascinated me. Both actors rhythm were perfect. Second couple i also knew them so they good together and i'm waiting their own storyline.
Music's of the series marvelous. NuNew's singing ability also fascinated me and idk who pick the songs but they did a great job.
Now let's get the point of that i did not like much was "Story gaps". Why Zee has to be that definitive at the first place ? I can except that, but why he get softer that fast? or Why NuNew wait too long to explain all the trurth (Really Zee's father birthday party!!!) Also NuNew's school parts not that intriguing. Intimate scenes were good for sure but not enough to save story.
Generally well know topic, perfect mains and music, story needed some touches.
Vond je deze recentie nuttig?
I loved it
The chemistry between the leads is ?. The story line is a bit strange but i liked-> loved it. I heard from others than lian(older lead haha) was toxic but i honestly thought he was pretty sweet (exept for ep1). Im usually a skipper but i didnt skip on any episodes. It grabbed my whole attention.If love triangles stress you out you CAN watch this, since there arent any strong love traingles and the leads remained faithful.
The age difference didnt bother me at all. Well for the second couple (19&28) just a bit but meh. I will definetly rewatch it. ;)
Vond je deze recentie nuttig?
No pude
Lo sentí tan insufrible que me costó mucho terminarlo, habían muchas cosas que se podían arreglar rápido y lo extendían tanto AAAAY DIOSSSSSSS.Se me hicieron planos el personaje de Kuea y Diao, no digo que los actores sean malos actuando, simplemente siento que desaprovecharon el potencial que Nunew y Nat. En cierto punto si me puse sentimental pero realmente siento que este drama no fue para mí y no creo darle otra oportunidad, no me gustó porque todo se me hacía insufrible. Siento que lo que salvo el drama fue el TutorYim. ?
Vond je deze recentie nuttig?
Hepsini bir kerede izlenmeli.
Hikaye çok yavaş ilerliyor. Hızlandırıp izlemek iyi bir seçenek. Oyunculuk iyi ama senaryo ve senaryo akışı karışık. Onun dışında romantik komedi tarzında boş zamanınızda gülmek için izlenebilir.Vond je deze recentie nuttig?
I will change to love someone who loves me – to what extent?
Arranged marriage? Age gap? Childhood crush? Yes, please! I feel like the series had incredible potential. I can’t think of any other arranged marriage BL series, so I was really looking forward to watching this one. It’s definitely a trope I really like, especially when it’s done with a well-done age gap romance.Lian & Kuea: I know Hia Lian was supposed to be cold and kind of emotionless, but it felt kind of overdone at times. Kuea was fun and rebellious yet decided to show a completely different self to Hia Lian. I can understand why he did what he did, he wanted to be the perfect person for the one he truly loved. He took that very seriously. I liked the initial conflict between the two of them, but as the story progressed, things got a bit repetitive at times. I feel like something that many failed to realize is that the only person Lian has to blame for the disaster that happened in episode 11 is himself. He knew all about Kuea’s true self, yet he kept quiet about it. Understandable, he was giving his boy the chance to confess on his own. But because Kuea still thought that Lian doesn’t know who he is, his reaction was the only correct reaction he should have.
Yi & Diao: Diao is a cutie pie as well. He is a bit too clueless at times, but he is ana amazing friend to Kuea. Even if that means getting dragged into his schemes. Yi is another tight-lipped man. I see a pattern here. I do think the two of them are cute together, but Yi felt extremely controlling at times. Like the whole curfew thing. Diao is an adult; he should be allowed to make such decisions for himself. When he is or isn’t Yi’s boyfriend. It just didn’t sit well with me. It felt like a parent – child relationship at times instead of the pinning-after-each-other kind of relationship.
Nuer & Syn: The two of them are so adorable! The way Syn would not admit his feelings for Nuer throughout the series was kind of fun. He kept insisting that Nuer makes him mad, yet he could never take his eyes off him. And Nuer knew what buttons to push. I am certain that he was never actually interested in Kuea, he saw him as a potential friend. His focus was always on Syn. And their kiss scene? It was so sweet!
Saying that the chemistry between the actors is amazing is an understatement. They all seem very relaxed around each other, and I feel like we can see that through the way they interact in the series as well. The OST was done really well, I wouldn’t expect anything less considering the fact that Kuea is a musician. Nunew’s voice is incredible soothing. And the songs they used really fit the storyline well. They carry a lot of meaning too. Change made me shed some tears. Nunew delivered this one so well. I think I am not the only one that could feel Kuea’s pain through the song.
However, there were some not so great things. The first being the first kiss of Lian and Kuea. It was a great kissing scene, don’t get me wrong, but the fact Kuea was incredibly drunk didn’t sit well with me. Also, the fact that both Kuea and Diao are terrified of their partners is not fun. If anything, it should be concerning. I feel like we don’t get enough backstory on a lot of things, which makes it difficult to put certain things into perspective. But my biggest pet peeve was the lack of communication between both Lian & Kuea and Yi & Diao. Do you know how much better things could be much earlier on if they just talked? I know that lack of communication tends to be a favorite plot maker in BL series, but there is such thing as it being too much.
Vond je deze recentie nuttig?
Half and half
This series has approximately 1 million flaws, but Zee and Nunew's acting, chemistry, and visuals are not one of them. For that alone, this drama is worth watching.That said, it seems like this plot was written by two different people -- one who is extremely good at writing and one who is extremely bad at it. I really loved the series until about halfway through episode 8, and would have given it perfect marks up until that point. But, after hands down the best love scene in all of BL history in episode 8, the quality comes to a crashing halt.
Let's start with the secondary couple. Ugh. They were one of the biggest problems for me. You have Yi, a rich and successful businessman and Diao, a...... yeah, I never figured it out either. Who is he? He goes to university, for what, we don't know. Who is he to Yi? Because he lives in Yi's house, which, apparently, Yi does not live in for quite some time. How did this random guy come to live in Yi's house? It's played up as this huge mystery, but basically, Yi caused harm to Diao in the past (which Diao doesnt remember, because the harm caused him to lose his memory... only of what happened this one time). Yi feels so guilty about it, he lets him live in his house. Along the way, he fell for Diao. Okay, sounds good. But when we actually find out what happened, it's a huge letdown. First of all, it was an accident, there's literally no need for Yi to feel guilty for 20 years, but i could let that slide. However, it also happened when they were kids.
Wait a minute. They knew each other as kids? Where did that come from? All we knew about Diao thus far was that he's Kuea's best friend and they studied in the UK together. We know Kuea and Lian are childhood friends, but now Diao and Yi are, too? And each pair just happens to be best friends with each other as adults? What?
Also, the accident should have left physical scars, especially if it caused him to "lose his memory," which would have been apt (and cute for Yi to kiss later, you’re welcome for that idea), but Diao has none. All we have left to hope for is that, when Diao remembers what happened, or Yi tells him, they can finally communicate and forgive and move on. But it turns out Diao did remember, suddenly, somewhere in the middle of the series, but off camera, and just casually drops that he remembers and it's no big deal.
When Yi is confessing his feelings to Diao, it's cute and all, but this man was already living in your house. Under what context did that even happen? He wasn’t even your fake boyfriend before? It really just was a, "here, childhood friend I barely speak to, live in my mansion and I'll just crash at work because I cant bear to look at you for years" kind of thing? And Diao just goes with it? But cimplains the entire time that he’s lonely? Ugh!!!!
Okay, next major problem: all of the drama between the main couple could have been resolved by them having one five minute conversation. Miscommunication and keeping secrets and "I'm waiting for the right time to tell him," are common tropes, but they're played to the extreme in this series. At one point, Lian literally says, "I'm waiting for the right time to tell him," but somehow finds time to confess that he loves him and that they should get married, if not today, then tomorrow. Lian's character always knew about everything Kuea was hiding, but not vice versa, and it was ultimately a weird power balance. And weird that Lian kept insisting he loved Kuea, and wanted to marry him, but wouldn’t confess the secret he was hiding that ANYONE could have known would hurt Kuea if he found out about it and didn’t understand the reasons behind it. Lian was also very good at percieving Kuea's feelings, up until the time Kuea had a clearly miserable look on his face all the time; it was then that Lian decided everything was great between them and he should publicly propose. Ugh!!!!
And then there's the end, which just felt rushed and shallow. Yes, the message was sweet, but the ending would have fit a 2 hour movie better than a 12 episode series. The entire actual plot would have fit into a movie much better. So much time was wasted on the 2nd and 3rd couples, the excessive screen time of random characters like the club owner that no one was even friends with.
But I don't want to do a disservice to Zee and especially Nunew. I literally cannot believe this is Nunew's first acting role. He did an incredible job, and put shame to every other actor in this drama except Zee and the veteran adult actors. Zee was great too, and kept up with him, but Nunew really shined. I hope to see so much more from this couple in the future. They have the potential to make incredible work and bring huge social change as well.
Vond je deze recentie nuttig?
