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Blkittykat
In BL University
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A(n) Unnecessary Love
Before I talk about the best worst thing about this series, let's talk about the actual worst things.Watching this felt like watching something that should have come out 7 years ago, with all the engineers and their gears, the hazing and the "I don't like men, I only like you stuff", and they somehow made all this and more much worse than it should have been.
Even looking past all this, it's still difficult to enjoy because one or the leads is an absolute horror of a person. Essentially what we got was one of the worst male leads to ever grace our screens. He spends more than half of the series being a rude, abrasive guy who harasses his ex girlfriend, his friends, his juniors, anything that moves and breathes. They tried to give him a redemption arc, but too little too late to the point where you're going just end it, I don't care.
Couple this with another male lead who is just.. dull. That's it, his entire personality can be summed up with one word. One is a pushover, the other is rude, you're turned off by the personalities even before we can get to the romance.
There isn't much in that aspect either, a majority of the episodes is Prot pining over Pluem, and the rest is a bunch of misunderstandings that is resolved in the final episode. All throughout, I could not understand why these two even liked each other, and the acting definitely didn't help in selling their feelings for each other. As a couple, they had a maximum of maybe thirty minutes of romantic screentime. The rest was nonsense conversations, the male lead harrassing his ex, the other male lead pining (and failing because the emotions did not come through) from a distance, and Pluem bullying Prot.
I haven't even gotten to the best part yet. The factual inaccuracy.
They've apparently known each other for seven years. They met when Pluem was a senior and Prot was in the grade below him. The story begins when they're in their fourth and third year of engineering respectively.
Do the math, and it's four years.. right?
Nope, the show insists it's 7 years.
The best, best part though. The SUBTITLES.
Horrendous. Truly bad, I had such a hard time making sense of some of those dialogues. But so funny. Not as funny as some others I've come across, but definitely made the viewing experience a bit better.
It's weird though, because secret crushes aren't a new deal, and neither was this entire story, but I kind of feel like I would have enjoyed watching something along the lines of this story. They did not make it work though, none of it worked.
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Unprecedented emotions
It feels like as the stories progress, the more risqué they get. The ending of this drama cleared things up well, but that's not to say that things weren't a little confusing all the way through.The story is about fraternal twins Kun and Korn who are at a point in their lives where they're facing the prospect of not being the most important people in each other's lives for the first time. They're incredibly close, so much so that it takes a while to figure out that they're actually brothers, and when a new student named Tod, and an old friend named Pond are added to the mix, jealousy, possessiveness and the feeling of being unwanted flares up in the twins.
I feel like I need to clarify that this isn't romance (although they made it seem like it was, oof), it's more about the feelings of seemingly losing the person you love the most and them being unable to comprehend and adjust to the situation. The romantical inclination they showed may have been a small mistake in expression, they didn't quite nail the closeness of the siblings in the way they intended.
The ending kind of fell flat though, it was obvious that they would follow their own paths, but there was a better way to do it than have them just ghost each other for months. I would have preferred if they had written it to be a situation where the twins are still involved in each other's lives and still close, but realise that there are some things they're allowed to have that are just theirs. But I appreciate what they tried to do, and it's not the worst miniseries in this anthology.
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Childlike Antics and Stone Cold Superstar
Superstar may be a stretch.Ja and First have so much potential, and Remember Me (which I'm still trying to forget) and this do literally nothing to showcase the chemistry they share.
Their apparent connection is then overshadowed by childish behaviour, talent managers performing criminal acts, and a second couple with only NC scenes. Really, their scenes together are mostly NC.
Most of the scenes are of them filming the drama within the drama, or Punn and his brother fighting like children, or Achi involved in a weird love triangle that doesn't include Punn, or the two managers throwing insults at each other that are frankly hard to watch. Or, it's filled by the cherry on top, the NC scenes. The scenes that Achi and Punn share are in turn filled with a weird sense that maybe these two shouldn't be a romantic couple. Their chemistry is great obviously, but the way their characters are written, it feels like both of them are in very different stages of life and the ability to be in a relationship.
Achi is definitely a grown up, he's seen life, he knows what he wants and that he definitely doesn't want a relationship. Punn on the other hand is a grown up child, and he's irrevocably in love with Achi or rather the idea of Achi he's got from idolising him. They go through a series of events in which Punn shows that he admires Achi, is capable of taking care of him, and even takes a couple of strides in showing that he's maturing as a person. And yet it feels like they go back to square one in every single episode, superstar and doting fan. It's kind of frustrating to see the same thing over and over, just on a loop.
Until the last episode, the character go around in this exact same circle, doing exactly what they did the last 11 episodes. This definitely had it's potential, but there's only so much chemistry can do.
I do need to watch the drama they're filming though, the acting is so over the top, the story seems like a mess, and yet it's the most popular thing out there, I just need to know what it's all about
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It's about the circumstances...
What would you do if you and your friend are caught up in a multi million dollar debt, being chased around by a hoard of gangsters and a very handsome club owner who just so happens to also be your creditor?You would inadvertently end up creating a comedy of errors.
It's made very clear from the beginning that the lead of the series, Mote, is a victim of his circumstances. He has his rag tag team of friends who have similar situations and their solution is to come up with a "risque" app to get out of this. Obviously, this leads to murder mysteries, murderous henchmen chasing our heroes around and a whole lot of threats. Nothing exactly new or ground breaking.
The charm of this series comes from the circumstances. The lead trio somehow always find themselves in comical situations, and this is not slapstick humour... The comedy is so subtle that it gives the drama life without taking away from the fact that this is not exactly a comedy. Add to all this a very handsome but kind of psychotic Sun (played to perfection by Mond might I add), and you've got yourself a top notch show.
I would recommend it to a friend.
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The blurred lines between law and attraction
The line between love and hate is barely visible, but the distinction between lawful good and chaotic good is clear as day. The very first scenes establish the characteristics of our main characters, Charn, a high profile lawyer who is ruthless and not above bending the law to further his will. One the other side is Tin, a martial arts coach who believes the law is just and the law will do it's job. These two are brought together on several occasions, the most notable being when they meet as plaintiff and defense in the case involving the death of Tin's niece.The story moves along with Tin and Charn joining forces once Charn realises that something doesn't sit quite right with the case, and from here on out follows the adventures of the gang as they try to figure out the truth behind the accident.
The series is through and through a lakorn, from the gratuitous violence, terrible parents on one end, and incredibly supportive parents and guardians on the other, a villain who's not really a villain, and the plethora of other lakorn tropes that make it interesting (yet sometimes horrifying) to watch. Another great part is that this is also a character driven drama. The story and situation plays an important role in progressing the plot forward, but the involvement of the characters keeping in mind their personalities and allegiances make this a series where it is impossible to predict the next movement of any character. The story is fairly predictable, but the way the characters interact with each other in addition to the fact that you can never predict what exactly they're going to do next keeps it interesting on all fronts.
The best part though is the chemistry. Charn and Tin have this undeniable chemistry between each other, and they seem to have it with everyone else as well. The dialogue flows when they interact with each other and during those moments you almost forget how their relationship started out.
This is a genuinely good series, and while it does have its fair share of gruesome scenes (some of them were hard to watch), it's definitely worth a watch, especially for the romance.
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This Love Doesn't Have Long Beans
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This Love Needed Only Basil ♡
Simplicity at it's finest. This is one of the best examples I can think of when it comes to that phrase, because with the most basic of plots, they created something so entertaining.The key was to it was introducing all characters, all storylines and possible conflicts from the get go, that way, we knew what we were getting. Sometimes, new conflicts are introduced to shake things up but thank goodness none of that happened here, sure it was predictable, but it was also consistent. No unnecessary misunderstandings, no extra drama because the script said so, yes please and thank you!
The story was well fleshed out, there was a lot going on with the competition, the sneaking around, the ex girlfriend and more, but every one of them seamlessly revolved around the restaurant. I especially loved the cooking sequences and scenes involving the competition, watching Oab become more understanding and patient, Plawan gaining skills and finding his passion, the good dynamics in the kitchen the more they worked together, it was great to see each character grow in their own ways as the competition grew.
The characters were also written very well, like any good series, there was a fair share of characters who required character development, others who were introduced for the sole purpose of creating conflict, but every single one of them had more to them than just being a plot point. They were complex and sometimes difficult to understand, but good people nonetheless, which was evident in the writing.
And the CHEMISTRY! So good.
Plawan and Oab's relationship was certainly the less confusing of the two, they were obviously attracted to each other and as their relationship progressed, the introduction of conflicts only showcased why they made a good pair. They understood the other person's stance, and even if Plawan had to pout a bit, they communicated with each other much better than I thought they would. Even after the deal was revealed, it was clear that they cared for each other very much.
JJ and Methas on the other hand were a tad bit confusing at times (a bit more screentime I think could have resolved this), but a good couple nonetheless.
While the series itself wasn't a huge revelation, it's certainly worth talking about. Uncomplicated, heartwarming and swoon worthy, it's definitely worth a watch.
But I do have one question: why weren't any of them wearing chef's hats?!! Like ew- no food in my hair.. ugh.. no hair in my food please! For a guy who wanted his kitchen and restaurant spotless, this certainly went over Oab's head, didn't it?
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See You After Quarantine?
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A SHORT AND SWEET LOVE STORY
What do we expect when we start a series?In accordance to the tags, or the trailer, or the review, we expect it to be a certain way.
So, in keeping with this theory, when you watch this series, you should swoon, feel the love and finish it in a small amount of time, and you will.
Honestly, you could finish the series in the time it takes you to read this review completely.
(Just kidding ?. This will take 3 minutes at the most)
See You After Quarantine? may be an extremely short series, and I mean one that you could finish in one and a half hours short, but there is quite evidently no problem in the story telling or the acting. Even the production value seems high, considering the series was filmed entirely using a phone.
The series tells the story of Bo Chun and Itsuki Sato, who although from different countries, find common ground through an antique camera, leading them to form a friendship, that turns into a relationship.
This story of mistaken identities and love at first sight has been written in a way as to reflect not only the time of the pandemic, but in a way where it would be genuinely possible to happen at any and all times.
Ultimately, if you want to watch a series with literally no drama and just tons of cute moments, this is the one for you. So if you find yourself with a little time to spare, do give this a try.
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Girl Next Room: Security Love
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The Girl Next Room series strikes again, this time with a story about forbidden love. This was admittedly not one of the most popular parts, but it certainly holds up well against the rest and might I even say better than some. It’s modest and funny and seems very likeable, but all of these virtues do not hold a light to the way the leads are written. View Wiwa seems conceited and airy, but that’s just a character she portrays. Underneath all that, she is just a simple and down to earth girl, quite evident from the very first episode. Faigun. Man, Fai is honestly the best character I’ve ever encountered. He’s funny, smart, handsome, hardworking, truthful and so much more, but his most endearing quality is that he’s real. This is a couple you can honestly root for and rightfully so.THE STORY:
So, View is an up and coming actress who moves into the dorm. Fai is this down on his luck character, who gets the security job at View’s dorm after saving P’Jam from a burglar. He also saves View from predators and she starts falling in love with him, but there is this evident gap between the two, causing cracks in what seemed like a smooth journey. Jealousy, a gap in financial income and societal status accredit to some of their issues. What will become of their love? That’s the main theme followed.
THE ACTING:
I’ve seen Gigi in a few other series ( Yes I’m talking about Pam ), but this is the first series of Kao’s I’ve watched and I can already say I love him. He just portrays Fai in a way that nobody else could. Also how cute was his intro?! Kao is one of those actors who just seems to thrive in every role. He has the acting chops to carry out those happy scenes as well as those serious scenes. Neo as usual is awesome.
THE PRODUCTION:
In my review of Richy Rich, I said that it had the best production, oh boy was I wrong. This one is right up there. I think it’s mostly because of Kao and the way he portrays Fai. Fai has been written as this sweet and innocent guy with an unwitting genuinity. Kao portrays him exactly as such. That’s what’s so endearing about this production. You can actually see the hard work that went into this. Also that reference to Kao himself in episode 4? Golden.
THE OST:
Still pretty standard stuff. Nothing different from the rest.
THE NEGATIVE:
The way View is treated by her manager and everyone around, no wonder the only person she is herself around is Fai. She’s being spoken for and one of the worst things you can do to a person is toy with their individuality. At this point she is being treated as a mere sexual figure and nothing more. Honestly, how disgusting do you have to be to demand sex from someone as a favour ? So frustrating!
THE ENDING:
What a cute ending! Remember the grilled fish shop Fai wanted to open? Well he did, and he set it up just like View asked him to, with the karaoke and gumball machine. ( Also well played GMMTV, with the Off Gun reference ). So now that she’s well established and so is he, they get back together and all is well. The rap at the end though. So cute! It gave us an update on all the couples after a year and spoiler, they’re all still together. A great ending to a great series.
I know this has been turned into a Faigun fan page, but don’t let that take away from the fact that this series is worth checking out. The story is cute and quite drawing. I hope everyone gives this a try because it’s worth the watch. Thank You!
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IF LOVE WAS ENOUGH, BREAKUPS WOULDNT EXIST.This line is uttered by Earth in episode 11 and there could not be a more suitable tagline for the show than this. In life we are all separated into three factions, the few of us who have no idea what to do with our lives, the others who do know, but have no means to achieve them, and the rest who are perfectly clear about their life's timeline. The characters of this show can also be classified in these categories. None of their lives are perfect, even if it looks perfect on the outside. Filled with real life problems, the show is relevant, but underwhelming.
THE STORY:
The series follows the life of a group of people, some friends, some acquaintances and some relationships. Cheating, lying, and trust issues form the crux of the story. While some may argue that these problems are dealt with everyday in real life, it gets exhausting after a point, both in life and in the series. The title is very well suited as the characters contemplate everyday as to whether they must leave the friend zone, and enter a relationship. All in all, most relationships within this show were toxic to the extreme, with very few exceptions, them being Boom and Earth's friendship and the brief relationship between Boom and Bern. Good and Boyo's relationship begins with a one night stand, Boom and Tor deal with his insecurity towards her job, Amm and Bern have a give and take and never give back relationship, while Sam and Earth's relationship is ruined by Stud, Earth's snake of a friend. As the show progresses each of these problems, with their relationships only get worse. Boyo falls in love with Good, but he does not reciprocate because they had decided to keep it just purely a one night stand. Tor believes every rumor about his girlfriend without consulting her first, leading to their breakup. Amm doesn't believe Bern would be able to do anything but use her money, and they breakup. Sam cheats on Earth with Stud and they breakup. The rest of the story follows the aftermath of these events.
THE ACTING:
I've got to give props to every single actor who worked on this series. They've all played their characters very well. It takes serious skill to make you want to slap a character, but they've managed to do it. Special props to Singto, Namtan and Plustor. They really bought out every quality of their characters exceptionally.
THE PRODUCTION:
The production could have been handled better. It was very dissapointing to see the characters go through no actual growth throughout the series, and for the characters that did grow from their mistakes, it was ruined by making them return to their old habits.
THE OST:
Nothing to hit home about. Your standard OST.
THE POSITIVES:
Though this series had a ton of negativity, there were several positives spewed her and there. The friendship between Boom and Earth was just beautiful and not toxic at all like some other friendships in this series. Another great example was how Boyo handled her sexual assault attempt. She handled it extremely well and with the utmost bravery. Other than that there is nothing else to rave about with this series.
THE ENDING:
Among all the things to be dissapionted in within the series, the ending takes the cake. Every piece of character growth was thrown out the window just for them to end up exactly the way they started out, miserable. Boom and Tor start dating again, and Earth gets back together with Sam. The only person you could actually see the growth in at the end was Stud. Every other character does nothing but fall back into old habit for the sake of the storyline. Very dissapointing indeed.
Overall this show does a good job at keeping you reeled in with the drama, but it soon gets annoying and repetitive. The story doesn't exactly hold up well and if any lesson is to be learned through this series, they are certainely not good lessons. Hopefully all the characters get a half decent storyline in the second season and actually go through some character development. I hope this review helped anyone struggling with the decision on whether to watch this series. Thank You!
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ALL THE FEELS
I was not ready for this. The angst, the romance and the chemistry! I was not remotely prepared for how emotionally taxing this would turn out to be, especially considering the fact that this is a prequel.It reminded me of small, indie productions. Ones that are set around a particular location that holds significance to the leads, with rich emotional backgrounds that may not be fully explored to facilitate smooth storytelling, but you can still situate it to the leads and their actions. The music they used, the cinematography and the bright yet blurred colours, it was beautiful. And above all, the tension. I've noticed it many times, but the way it's filmed just increases the already solid romantic tension between the leads two-fold.
The use of random and ambiguous dialogues at certain points really accentuated just how much of their relationship was the same way, there was a lot of certainty, but it was encompassed in chaos and heartbreak.
The ending made me want to revisit Unintentional Love Story so bad, it's the perfect set up to watch it again, now knowing the backstory between Ho Tae and Dong Hee, watching how it changed and how it will change again. Plus, Gong Chan's cameo, I mean, it was incredible and just made me want to revisit it that much more.
This genuinely served, those yearning gazes, genuine chemistry, paired with an emotional story and a romantic lens made for such a touching story.
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I Can Hear Your Voice
This is a gem of a show filled contemplations, heartwarming moments and one of the more genuine stories out there. The nuanced and deep representation of disabilities, friendship and bonds really shone in a story driven by it's characters.The growth displayed by the leads was the strongest suit they played, Kohei and Taichi were incredible characters as they were, and watching them grow as they grew closer was extremely well done. Kohei came out of his shell, interacting with the world on his terms, and as he did, Taichi did as well, trying to understand what Kohei is going through and familiarise himself, both with Kohei and his disability.
Another aspect I think they handled well was the representation of disabilities. There wasn't a one fits all mold in place here, it was ensured that the dilemmas and experiences of those hard of hearing were shown to be different for each person.
The romance didn't quite pan out the way I thought it would, while it was clear that Kohei and Taichi had an extremely deep and amazing bond, it was hard to visualise this as a romance when the focus shifted onto another character who was neither Kohei nor Taichi.
I did think the introduction of Maya as a supporting character was a double edged sword, she added nothing to the plot, because with or without her, the essence of the story would've remained the same. Her rude, and sometimes demeaning attitude didn't really come across well, and though I believe there was a bit of depth to her character and actions, ultimately, they came across as self centred and her development seemed like it never came even though it did.
The other supporting characters felt much more genuine, not perfect, just genuine.
With Maya's introduction, the tone of the drama shifted into more of drama than a romance, and that wasn't solely because of the new character. The focus was later shifted onto Taichi's personal growth, which, while I loved to see, kind of took away the focus from Kohei and their bond, the very things I had come to love in the first half. The romance then came much too hard and fast, and despite it's genuineness, felt too rushed.
Don't let any of that take anything away from this brilliant story though, because despite it's flaws, it was pretty perfect. The beauty of watching two people become someone the other person cannot see themselves without to each other, while still being themselves, understanding and recognising each other, it's a special thing.
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Slam Dunk or Fouled Out?
I didn't know basketball could be this dangerous, nor did I realise how easily you could mess up something with potential. I decided I would just list down the good and the not good, because as it stands, the things listed could easily be two different dramas.The Good
- The Basketball Club. Just as a whole, the focus on the sport was something I really enjoyed. A rag tag team, an unconventional and unexpectedly good coach, a key player recruited from an unexpected place who has a complicated past with the team captain, this is the stuff that makes a sports drama.. a sports drama.
The way they went from a group of completely uncoordinated individuals to a team was amazing. I saw an actual bond between all the characters part of the basketball club, great teamwork, the underdogs who stood by each other through all the ridiculous plot points that were thrown at them.
That club of fifteen or so individuals were by far the best thing about this series, I found myself cheering for each of their baskets, rooting for them to get where they wanted.
And the actual game scenes were so aesthetically shot, except for some of those cartoon effects, the shots were precise and visually strong.
- Romance. Although it came by far and few times, I actually liked the romance. Just to clarify, this was a coming of age drama with two kisses, but I'm thinking romance wasn't the first thing on the director's mind with this story. And even then, there's something about Meen and Ping that I've never been quite able to figure out. Whether the story is nonsense or if the romance is minimal, they have some sort of charm as a pairing that I've never understood the logic behind, but I've stopped trying to figure it out. I just go with the flow and I can confirm they serve as much as they possibly could have.
- Friendships. Once again in relation to the basketball club, but I have to highlight the friendship between them. Fifteen members who went from being practically strangers or from having strained relationships to developing friendships and relationships that were refreshing to watch amidst all the frustrating and unnecessary scenes. I genuinely believe there isn't a thing they wouldn't do for each other, between the players, the managers and the coach, these people were the most genuine and well developed characters in the series, with good reason.
They may have started out on the wrong foot, but true to form, basketball is a team sport, and they became the best of teams. The scene where the team literally showed up for the coach when he was going through a tough time actually had me in tears, and that's the thing, they always showed up for each other. I really wish they had spent more time developping this, compared to, well.. the points that follow.
The Should Have Been Better
I say should have been better, but I really mean completely unnecessary.
- The Basketball mafia. What was the purpose of the most aggressive villain in the series except to introduce Ryu? The entire focus on Ryu being forced to play street basketball was nonsense and it eventually led nowhere. There, I said it. They introduced this as if it were a big deal and would form a major crux of the story, but oof. It was concluded so lamely I had to laugh.
- One dimensional opposition. This was horrible. Ryu's mother and the science man who hated basketball were, I believe, literally added in to stir up drama that never existed. Maybe the drama with Ryu's mother was set up well, but the science man had no excuse being that extra about his funding. These could have been proper points of contention against the team, but a lot of yelling and whining that suddenly turns into unbounded support, it was as lame as it sounds.
- Unbalanced screentime. The basketball mafia, the one dimensional opposition and one more person who I'm yet to mention got way more screentime than they deserved. I wanted the majority of the focus to be on the game and the romance, but it sucks that things that were entirely unnecessary got more or at least equal screentime to the aspects that were worth watching.
- ATOM. No. Just no.
I mean, what was it that he actually did? Except for showing up unannounced at Zen's house and changing his hairstyle every next scene? I was convinced that he was a fictional character within the series who appeared like Beetlejuice, Ryu says his name out loud three times, and he appears in Zen's house out of thin air. No luck though, he was a very real character who played against Ryu and Zen in one match, played with Ryu and Zen in one match, and then caused a major confusing situation that was resolved in the last five minutes of the episode to give us the most anti - climactic of endings. I was hyper focused on Frank in this series, for all the wrong reasons.
Overall, this was a bag of mixed emotions. I loved some of it, didn't care for the rest. I think this could have been something worth it's while with a few changes, there were so many interesting characters and things to focus on, but when it comes down to the line, it was only okay.
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Anguishing Allure
The journey of Lada and Earn in rediscovering their spark was a painful one for them and us, but at the end of that path, there always seemed to be a glimpse of hope.Misunderstandings, parental pressure and prejudice, scars of the past, rivals in love, these were just a few of the obstacles the leads had to overcome in order to resolve their issues and discover that they never stopped loving each other, but no one makes it easy for them, least of all themselves.
It was frustrating through and through to watch, but that was part of the formula, part of the experience. I found myself saying multiple times that none of this would have happened if they had just had communicated like they constantly did before it all went down and out, but all the drama and angst was part of the appeal. When one thing began to get resolved, the next problem cropped up, and that's just how it went along.
Weirdly enough, this is something I've seen a lot, but it's been quite a while and it took some getting used to before I was able to sit back and enjoy the drama as it came, because it kept coming.
Until that happened though, it was the chemistry between the leads that kept me in it. A healthy relationship and not, the leads definitely had enough chemistry to move the story on even when it seemed to be stalling. The acting was extremely good from the both of them, all their emotions were on full display and you could feel their pain and sadness as they did.
It was good, a good balance between romance, drama and slight comedy. It may take some getting used to, some of the scenes may seem extremely over the top but stick with it, and it may be a happy ending for the viewer as it was for them.
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A story of friendship
Even though there was a whole lot of shipping going on from one of the leads, the friendship had to have been my favourite. There were weirdly more kind of friendships than there were relationships for a series with three couples.I will say, I quite liked Gap and Wah. They started off on the wrong foot, quite literally using each other (and being very open about it/not at opening up about it), but I loved the way they developed their relationship by actually having both of them take an interest in each other's passions. They were a good match for each other, their energy vibed, they were understanding of each other and had minimal misunderstandings, and even when they had arguments, each of their points of views were totally valid.
On the other hand, I very much disliked the Shogun - Maitoh - Green love triangle that was obviously never going to go Green's way. There wasn't anything particularly likeable about any of it, it was never going to break Green's way, and even then, the way they seemingly presented Shogun's crush on Maitoh as something that developed suddenly after watching Green and Toh interact closely didn't sit right with me. Didn't help that Green and Toh had more chemistry, and Shogun had better chemistry with Toh's younger brother in that one very short scene than he did with Toh the entire series.
I did want to see more of Paul and Nice though, they established their crush on each other and their relationship pretty early, but they barely got any screentime after that. They had their moments, both good and bad, but I liked the scenes of theirs that we got very much.
More than anything though, I really appreciated the friendship in this series. There was a massive friend group, besties, friends who are like your siblings, every kind of friendship vibe going on. I liked that they showed that it may not always be sunshine and rainbows, that you may not always have a great relationship, but you can have a great friendship in that moment, and in those moments they will stand by you. These scenes had a lot of comedic moments which were quite nice as well, and some genuinely moving scenes as well.
Another thing I really loved was how they called out toxic fans, throughout the episodes, all of them. There were a few instances where certain things the characters did felt very uncomfortable, but I love a show that is self aware enough to call that out. It was well done.
Even if there wasn't anything great to rave about, this series managed to make some good points while still maintaining it's light mood introduced in episode one. A casual watch with it serious moments, it has something for everyone.
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Childhood connection, and something more
One of the major aspects of J BLs is that they're usually too short to develop character depth when the story focuses on developing romantic relationships and emotional depth. At least, that's what I thought.Living With Him is a sweet, slice of life drama about two childhood friends who unexpectedly find themselves living together after years of no contact between them. But when feelings develop between the two of them, they have to deal with their own emotions before addressing those of the other.
The series delves into the thoughts and emotions of Kazuhito and Natsukawa as individuals contemplating a change in dynamics between them before anything else. Showcasing their relationship as children and later as teenagers and adults, we get to see the passage of their relationship that led to them living together and also why they develop feelings for each other.
Amidst all this though, we barely get time to actually see their relationship develop as adults. It is incredibly and increasingly clear with every episode exactly why they like each other, based on aspects of their personalities and their experiences that led them to become the people they've become. But we just don't get the pay off we deserve after the massive buildup. The romance inevitably had to take a backseat to allow their personal growth, but when the story required it, it delivered on moments to establish their solidifying romance.
The result was a simple and sweet story of an understated transformation of a relationship from childhood friends to virtual strangers, and then lovers. I could spend hours analysing how their personalities reflect their thoughts and actions since this is a character driven story, but I'm just going to reflect on how much I enjoyed it as a love story.
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