Ryan B
Cleveland, Ohio
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Good Start for the Director
Good Start for the Director. In the special - he mentions it is his first Y drama. It showed. Because of the director - some of the pacing - especially, in the beginning is glacial.Let's get all the good stuff out of the way...Great casting. And, everyone behind the scenes did a wonderful job. After watching the special, I was saddened to see that the restaurant wasn't real. The detail was amazing. Having worked in kitchens most of my life, they didn't miss anything.
Storyline and direction suffered...I would have to say mainly because the writers left too much to the imagination. I honestly felt that there were whole scenes or, an entire episode that was shown to the regular viewers but, we didn't get to see them on Viki. To fix most questions/issues - this easily could have been a 16 episode series.
The chef contest stuff was a mess. Why would only a dozen people enter a contest that was that important? Why was it one dish and you are gone? This could have been solved with simple conversation and a flashback or, two. "Congratulations Aek for making it past the preliminary rounds. I always knew you could do it. Good luck in the Semifinal." Anything like that.
Totally agree with those longer than life staring at each other moments. That was the director's fault for not knowing how to end a scene or, transition to another. For those that don't know what I mean - watch the Director's commentary for the American movie - Sleepless in Seattle. She shows the scene and discusses how Tom Hanks gave her the perfect moment to end the scene - he helped her and the production.
Being American and relying on the subtitles - it appeared that the conversation in the first couple episodes was different than in the later ones. More formal that grew to relaxed? It doesn't appear that the honorifics would go away but, maybe the subtitle team relaxed?
Did Aue lose the contest on purpose for Aek? Or, did he decide to do his best and still lose? Why was Wiphob's victory so hollow? He got what he wanted and stands to move forward in the family business. When Aek decided to go for it - after getting his Mother's blessing, what did that have to do with someone renting out the whole restaurant? Aek would not have been able to do that - that would cost the business too much money. And, did Aue have an inkling this was to happen to just allow Aek to stand behind in the kitchen while food was being prepared - such an odd badly shot scene. Chef Mu's and Nuna's side story was incomplete and could have been left out.
My only squabbles in the kitchen was putting Aek on his own station starting first day and letting him have at it. True, the trust from Aui could have been that strong but, still - let him get used to the kitchen. How did he even know where anything was? Next was the lack of detail in food prep - did anyone ever wash their hands? LOL It looks like the couple that spoke in unison did all the prep work. Very cool for a kitchen to have the money to do that.
And, those knife cuts - eeeehh - how did they not cut their fingers? Another note that they did lean to in one scene - I have noticed that many Asian restaurants offer a shower for the staff. They understand that they can't put their own clothes back on after a hard day in a hot kitchen. Just lockers?
Loved the food delivery tie in - it actually helped keep the story focused. Fill those orders. How do they order? How much does the restaurant rely on that business? All that was covered. The Tea product placement was irritating. And, to open the show with a Tea commercial when the two main characters had just fought - did not make any sense. It should have been towards the end when everyone is happy and they are tying up all the story lines.
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A bit frustrating but, forgivable
This drama/rom-com has the makings of being one of the better ones of 2023 but, they have wasted entire episodes on fluff.Do we really need a 4 minute slo mo video of people playing in a fountain when there is so much story out there to be covered? And, why spend so much time on showing them put up with instead of enjoying their visit to another country??
The assistant - simply there for comedic relief is equally irritating in his level of overbearingness and ignorance to what is going on around him. Not complaints - but, frustrations. Him in charge of the Thailand trip truly made it a waste of their time and money. All for what HE wanted to do.
I can understand fast forwarding through Chinese rom-coms where we have to wait for the character's transformation from clown to actual human but, not for King the Land.
I did love that the ex-wife stayed her ground and put the father back in his place when he attempted to get close to her. I felt the sister's transformation was just about perfect. She stayed very well protected but, did let down a few of her guards.
Loved how they handled the finally getting together. He let her do what she wanted and was always there to support her - up to and including going to work for her. That was a nice touch.
My concern - though glossed over - was the board. They always agreed with her - going for the fast dollar. Why would you keep any of those around with her gone? Small concern but, could have easily been handled with a mention of cleaning house or, some discussion as to how things would proceed and be either onboard or, you know where the door is.
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Loved this drama!
What struck me the most about this drama was the detail. We truly get to know each character - little by little. We get to see them interact at such a realistic level that you feel that we are watching one of those reality shows where the cast has been together so long - they are like a family. Situations are real. What happens is real. Even the "screaming queens" put in for comedy become everyday people as we get to know them (they aren't empty fillers just there for comedy).I will add to this in time but, I wanted to at least - get my feelings down here before I forget!
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Great cast. Badly written. Red Flag city.
What do you do when you get a bad script, a lazy director but, great actors? You do the best you can. Honestly, this is a red flag story that never should have made it to screen as written.I stuck with this until the end for the main story. But, so much of this needed fine tuning or, a page or, two in the shredder.
Tine: He requested the help from Wat when Green was becoming more and more aggressive. Why then - for the next too many episodes to mention - does he fight and become so mean each time he is looked at as being gay? He asked for it - what does he think his request means? And, he never truly gets to use Wat to keep - many times, creepy - Green away.
Also - Tine and a few of his friends are pretty awful people. They say and do hurtful things and care nothing of consequences. I followed some live comments for a couple episodes and I was not alone in thinking their behavior was pretty bad. I kept expecting a few bonus episodes like we have seen from other BLs when the writers get wrong and have to fix it to keep their fans happy and the advertiser dollars rolling in.
Green: Why was he even there? His character was a mess from beginning to end. He searches out Tine - sexually harasses him - yet - he is secretly in a relationship with someone else - who he is supposedly - temporarily for plot convenience afraid of? Physical abuse on top of that. The timeline of Green's story is a mess and nobody bothered to fix it. Approximately, 12 weeks pass from beginning of the series 'til the end but, Green's partner only gets involved towards the end? References are made to fights and running away but, none of that makes sense if you actually watch the characters go through each episode.
Sarawat: The only sane and decent person in the bunch. What he had to go through to hook up with Tine...I fell for him. Wat's gaydar must work really well because, no matter how much you pine for someone - this story gives you the illusion you can turn anyone you want if you stick with them long enough. Thank god the writers showed that Tine was unable to hold any male-female relationship - even though he didn't know why.
Mil: Notice that he never had to answer for getting Wat and Tine physically beaten/assaulted? He got a free walk on that one and everyone involved didn't even get so much as a slap on the wrist. Let's hire a group of thugs to physically beat two people with sticks and fists and gloss over the physical and psychological pain they cause and brush it off as over zealous friends helping another.
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Loved this movie!
Just loved this movie so much. I saw the Anime first and spotted a short video letting me know the movie existed - the search was on until I found it. I have already watched it several times and have shared it with so many others.Love the leads. When he first meets Miyo and tests to see if she is "...just another in a long line..." type girls - his reactions to how she responds are so perfect - you could almost miss them (and, by reading other reviews - I see that people do).
When an actor becomes so immersed in their character that nothing needs to be said - that is a rare talent. After a first watching of the movie - I bounced over to a BL - Dangerous Romance - that had a stellar cast as well. There is a moment when one of the leads acknowledges/appreciates something done for them and the other characters reaction is so pure - you know it is unscripted and from the heart. It's beautiful to watch and experience. This happens many times in this movie as well.
Some of my favorite parts have no words. When he challenges/threatens Miyo when first meeting and she doesn't respond as expected. When Miyo visits him at the headquarters - worried he isn't taking care of himself and he runs across the room to see her. When Miyo cries after being appreciated for the meal she has prepared. There are so many more.
Put this one in your library so, you can come back to it for a fix when you need it. And, yes - to have that perfect hair.
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Have you finger on the fast forward button at all times...
Agree with so many reviews. Some with great lines. While this one was a mature look at relationships and people in general, it suffered on focusing on too many things that just didn't matter. While discussing this series with a friend, I told her that watching paint dry could be more interesting.Agree - the chemistry that was bubbling to the top in the beginning was washed away as the series dragged on. It got to the point that when I would see certain characters or, start to listen to their conversation - I knew I could blow through the scene and not miss a single thing. Time saver!
Give me a series like My Happy Marriage (both Anime and live action) where you are left wanting for more. In eleven live action episodes and less for the Anime - we fell in love with the main characters and wanted the best for them. We cheered when they fought the evil ones and were hurt as much as they were hurting while they went through their trials.
Wonderful opportunities were lost in this series. And, how about that school? You could only be an ambassador/guide if you were good looking, talented AND gay? LOL Like we saw in My Engineer (a guilty pleasure - even with Poy's terrible acting skills) - why aren't there 20 college girls screaming and complaining about all the best guys being completely unavailable?
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Wow. What a mess. Thank goodness for the one main storyline - Fast forward through the rest...
I stuck with this one only because I wanted to see how the main true relationship developed over all the episodes. And, honestly - because of an eleven minute snippet someone posted on YouTube. It worked. I loved #1-#3. Tolerated the time travel #5 because the leads did a great job of what they were given but, didn't even realize I never got to see #4. That snippet brought me back to watch the whole series.Update: I am watching this again - for the main storyline and again - my thoughts have not changed or, softened toward the mental instability of the stepbrother Fu Yong Jie. Obsessive, manipulative, unstable, violent, etc. Why wasn't he shown getting help from a doctor? The "Oh well, I will just sleep with him and make it work response is just wrong on so many levels." Yes, I get and understand the whole drunk thing happening but, again - manipulation and obsessive planning on the part of someone who clearly needs medical attention.
Honestly, the step brother storyline could have been okay if it not for the mental health issues the one brother has. If you are going to throw yourself off a building just because someone won't return your phone call - then - unless this series focuses on that person getting professional help as part of the process - it never should have been sold to us - the audience. The understanding mother was creepy as can be - allowing it to progress. The only two sane people in that whole family was the Dad and the real/older son - he deserved a normal happy ending that had the blessed couple visiting the brother in a facility where he was getting the help he needed.
As usual - the women were window dressing - only there to push the stories forward and be annoying as possible. Honestly, like most Chinese and Thai dramas - because this was a BL - we had to endure one of the lead males being outrageously dumb and incompetent until he had his transformation - surprisingly, being an alpha male.
Harder to do the fast forward since I am watching this via my laptop...this series may have me getting a wireless keyboard so, I can stay in the chair and fast forward through the garbage story line and focus on the good stuff. And - don't get me wrong - #4 has plenty of good scenes, great acting and occasional good writing. Keep the remote handy - don't be afraid to skip whole scenes and enjoy what is good about this one. Can't wait for number #6. Though, I did see the announcement that this one may get a second season - that is a scary thought.
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When you have nothing else to watch
I was hoping this series would be worth a higher score but, it never got past the muck it started with. This is one of the few occasions where everything improved when the lead actress got less screen time.I understand that almost all Asian dramas have the lead female be extra girly (tee hee's, swooning, acting childish, etc.) because that is what the public wants and expects but, they should have worked harder for her to mature during the 16 episodes. And, to have her drunk calling him three times in the first 8 episodes? Why did he even bother? The supporting cast was odd - there mainly for comedy. One female character bordered on mental instability and the writers still had her fall in love and be almost normal by the end. Definitely, don't look for any dose of reality here.
Some actors/actresses are stellar in this production. Loved every moment they were on the screen. Others, should have been given more time. I understand this is a Rom/Com and not to expect much but, this easily could have been a 10 parter since so much of some of the episodes were completely disposable. And, the lack of follow-through - let's introduce the Dad and then wrap up his need to be there in just a few minutes and then, never hear from him again. Let's introduce a bad guy and dispose of him after only a few minutes of screen time and not even mention how his family and money couldn't get him out of trouble that time. Money talks in some scenes and then, has no power in others.
Lee Dong Wook is a gift to this production. Oh Jung-Se plays his part perfectly. Jang So-yeon did a great job. Kim Chae Eun's character was very complex and she did a great job too. Loved the chemistry between her and Lee Sang Woo.
If you want something light and fluffy and have points where you can fast forward through almost entire episodes and not miss a thing - this one is for you! LOL I stuck with it because of some of the amazing characters and their story lines. Don't hate me!
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If you can stick with the characters...
Even though this is shorter than most series, I still couldn't bring myself to finish it. When you watch something you make an agreement with the production - "I'm going to suspend my disbelief until this is over." Meaning, whatever I see or, hear - I will believe that it is happening or, can be real. That is how you get invested in the characters - why you cry when something bad happens to them. Why you feel joy when things go their way.In Once Upon a Small Town, the female lead is so irritating - I could never believe that anyone would ever see her in a romantic light. What she did and does isn't worthy of the male lead's energy. His turnaround from hating her and the town to suddenly, seeing everything in a new way was so forced and fake - I took it out of my queue and let it go. The neighbors are awful - nosy, isn't always funny. The regular vet worker is terrible on her own. She has no respect for the doctor, doesn't care about his past or, his skills and only thinks of herself. Never - do you see her do any actual work - she is there only to insult and get the doctor to make the house calls.
If you feel abuse is funny - then, this series is for you.
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Love this one...
For me - the one person who makes this short series worth watching is Kakeru. Love his expressive delivery - no matter what he is saying - you want to watch and listen to him say it. When he first gets his schoolwork back and sees he has to do more to bring the grade up - his whole body tells the story. Yamato - while he does a great job - we have seen it before. I did love how he found a way to take any moment of physical contact and ask for it to be extended. Nothing like we see in Thai dramas with BLs but, just a hug or, when they are hiding - to not move for a few more moments.Kashiwagi Haru (Kakeru) reminds me of Masaki Suda from Don't Call it Mystery. Expressive and fun to watch and listen to.
Like others have mentioned - no worries of friends or, classmates giving anyone a hard time - it is just part of life - refreshing and keeps the story on track. I will like coming back to this one for favorite scenes and episodes. I have to admit that I am a sucker for when a character takes care of another when they are ill or, injured.
The main frustration is in the lazy writing and direction. Part of the reason they can't communicate their feelings is the spontaneous friends always showing up to break up their conversation or, completely ruin their plans. Where is the respect? Why didn't either of them ever say - if you could just give us a moment to finish our conversation - we'll join you in a few minutes. Why was it okay for that friend to put all their books and plans away like what they want didn't matter - without even asking. Again - lazy writing and lazy direction. Forgivable but, it explains the lower scores from other reviewers.
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Not for everyone...Need to be into Nerdy to the point of...
It took me two years to finally finish this one. I couldn't get past the nerdy cringe acting from most of the cast. Maybe, the director's fault for making them go over the top? It finally got normal but, it took until the last couple of episodes.I had to use the fast forward button. Lazy writing. It is so clear to any human but, they drag things out so long you become concerned about their mental health. Is there too much lead in the water?
If you are going for the story - feel free to fast forward through the fluff and junk. And forgive the lead character for still not knowing his pursuer's intentions even though he has stood inches from him - naked - several times. How did he even get into college? Appreciate that they make Prao and her friends less than attractive - easy for us to see why they are still alone.
Anywho, it finally turns into a real story around episode 6. You can let your fast forward button finger rest until the end.
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Worth Watching!
Since I have adopted - leave the details to others - I watch these dramas with a different eye. Now, it is simply - Was it worth my time? For this - yes.My only gripe is the everyone gets a happy ending. The mother should be in jail. She made life miserable and ruined so many people over the years. She used them and abused her status to get what she wanted. A bow and a "sorry" should never cut it. Awful woman.
The twists to the plot were well placed and the clues were there though, many of us would need to really pay attention to the details. You will grow frustrated and use the fast forward button - like I did - mainly to get away from the hell the mother put everyone through. There should have been mention of a house or, huge check for the teacher but, no - flowers, blue skies and all smiles by the last episode. Ugh.
Where is that Korean truck in almost every drama that runs someone over?
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Light and Fluffy - keep the remote handy to fast forward
Soap Opera - updated. Thank gawd it was over in 24 episodes.Chinese Drama/Rom Com so, you must have:
- Really bad acting with the intake any kind of alcohol.
- The lead female must be really annoying for at least the first six episodes.
- Most side character females are not allowed to use their brains. No company would ever hire the timid secretary who preferred costume design and put her near such an important project. HR would have never let her get past a first interview.
- There must be at least three characters that talk too much but, say very little.
- Parents were window dressing. A good thing. The ML's dad propelled the story but, only through flashbacks - it saved so much time. His mother could have phoned in her performance.
After a few episodes, you can fast forward through whole sections and not miss a thing. ML does a good job of trying to atone for being a complete jerk. FL doesn't give herself enough time to process how awful he was to her. Having the two of them spending almost 24 hours together would be rough on anyone - especially, when one hurts you to the core. They should have had FL go home to the parent's house for several days after the rejection. She wasn't involved in the main project yet and it would have made her a more stable/mature character. Calling in sick for a couple days plus a weekend would have been perfect.
There must have been some social media stuff about her and eating. The director spent too much time with full face close ups of her eating - looking at her phone - and talking - all at the same time - annoying and a little disgusting. You'll notice that you almost never see ML eat more than a few bites before scene ends.
Fashion - honestly, loved all of it. Usually, they have them wearing the oddest styles and designs that don't always compliment. But, this one got it right in all ways.
The environment - too clean...too perfect. China understands that they can train a planet to believe life is perfect - just like everywhere else - in China. No real life mentions of life and its strict controls. Houses are gorgeous. Nary a mention of cost of living. Food is always plentiful and crime is always easily solved with four minutes of watching someone. Propaganda.
Life in the bedsheets is similar to how Korea treats its BLs right now. Once you get past a kiss or, two - you see them fully clothed in bed wearing clean bright clothes. In this one - it is 1950 America - you don't see them in bed together past a hug.
ML is a great actor. I went back to the scenes where he realized his terrible mistake. Perfect. He handled everything from that moment on perfectly. I stuck with it for him - I hope he has a long successful career.
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Hmmm I really can't decide
The one thing I got from this series is that it is near impossible to follow everything thrown at you without having to watch it again or, having to rewind and play scenes over again until you fill in the blanks and catch up. At times (an iQIYI issue) the subtitles were so fast you would need a photographic memory or, start a Duolingo course to learn the language. Also, when the writers/director realize that they only have two episodes left - they cram so much information in that it could be three days later before your brain finally puts it in the right order and you say "Ahhhh. That's why the father was such a..."Yi's transformation from a**hole to nice person was never believable. It was never truly explained why he treated Diao so badly. Agree - Nat is not the best actor and agree - how can a medalist in martial arts be such a wimp and unable to fight?
Another reviewer posted other titles from this company and their seems to be a running theme...take a book and hurriedly and sometimes badly, convert into a series. Though, I must say that they are usually, good enough to plow through to see the ending. Not thrilled but, you know what I mean.
Side characters were entertaining. If you think of this as a Cinderella story - it makes a bit more sense and having the "extra" stuff thrown in is all there to help move the story along.
Hard to recommend. It is like both versions of Why R U. Thai one made all women to be vile and opportunistic. The Korean one cleaned that part up and improved it - a little. Do we wait for the Korean Naughty Babe and hope for more? Enquiring minds want to know...
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Better K Style even...
When writing my review for the original Thai version - you can see I was very frustrated with some of the storyline. Using people for personal gain is not my cup of tea and that is all over the original.For the Korean version - while they had 17 episodes of material to work with - this slimmed down version almost gets it right. For some of it, you can see they were dealing with a low budget and didn't make the time to find product placement deals to help it all out. Their location shots were real - even to the point of not fixing the curtains in the classroom to give it a better feel. If that's the way the students see it everyday - leave it. Same with the other location shots - real. But, the sound person - OMG - they should have been given everything they needed. When the insects have more time on the screen than the actors - ugh. And, the voice overs were as bad as the Chinese dramas we see. The voices - from a studio somewhere in Korea - have nothing to do with the environments they are in. Outside noise? Wind? People walking by in a cafeteria? Someone putting a pen or, pencil down in a classroom? None of that is here in this world - just their voice - in a personality deprived vacuum.
The Korean version threw away most of the mistakes from the Thai version. The sister is not as self serving and evil as the Thai version. This sister takes the time to tell her brother that the story is too far along to make such changes and she is truly sorry. You believe it. In the Thai version - she never is sincere about what she has done and the writers had to add three extra episodes to make up for it. If you couldn't do it in the first 14 - why do you think the fans will accept the new version in 15-17?
Gone are the fair weather friends who were only there to make fun of people and use them for personal favors or, gain. Gone are the side storylines that were never fully developed in the Thai version.
In this version - we get some characters actions and such changed - so, try not to bring the baggage of the Thai version with you - it will confuse you for a bit as you adjust. Because this is only an 8 episode miniature version - they leave out important parts and leave you hanging (often) from badly cut scenes and wasting your time revisiting the whole story at the beginning of each episode - lazy on the production and directing side.
What saves this (and I have already watched the series twice) is the casting and acting on our main characters parts. They do a great job and you do get invested in them. I loved the scene between Sun Woo and Ko Yoo at the bus stop. It helps put those two characters in the proper perspective - showing both personalities clearly and you understand why they don't understand each other. This moment gives them both time to reflect on how they have lived their lives and how their own prejudices against themselves have held them back. When they get together - you believe it and cheer them on.
The whole relationship/interaction between our other two main characters between Kim Ji Oh and Jung Lee Won are also believable if you take into account time passing in a school sense. LOVED the versions of the same shots as seen from different eyes. When the girls watch the interactions - they see the lovers. Those wonderful scenes add some fun to the production and must have been fun to film. We get to see both versions and judge for ourselves.
It would have been nice to see this company take all of those 17 episodes and improve/fix for the Korean version - with a nice budget but, I do understand that the K-Drama world is still treading lightly into the BL world. I have seen some dramas redone with larger budgets - at a later date. There is a Chinese one where we get to see two versions of the same story and then, a Thai one. Let's see this one with better treatment when everyone is ready. Would love to see a full budget 16 episode K-Drama of this one - even if they have to buy and use Red Ginseng and go to Subway - soon.
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