It felt perfect in every way

Okay, so, to start, I've never written a review before (and I've loved mannnny shows) so that should give you an indication of JUST how much I loved this. I've also watched most BOF adaptations, some I've loved some I didn't enjoy so much, and this is undoubtedly my favourite.

Disclaimer: I've just finished watching the last episode, so my emotions are running high. Prepare for the gushing.

Let's start with the casting. Whoever was the casting director for this absolutely nailed it. From F4, to Gorya, to Gorya's friend, to Thyme's mother, to all of the side characters: they all played their roles exceptionally well. The acting was trully wonderful. The actress who played Gorya impressed me so much. Her crying scenes hit the heart, and just her overall performance had me in awe. Gorya is a FIGHTER. I loved Bright as Thyme. Now that I've seen this actor play him, I couldn't think of anyone better to play the spoiled bully who turns into a soft teddybear. He's expressive, fiery, and funny, yet sweet enough to make you swoon (more on that later). Ren is another great casting. In other adaptations, I've sometimes found his characters to be a little bland. Not this time. You can tell from the start that his character cares for Gorya, and that's something I appreciated. And that pencil holding? Perfect.

Storyline/ script: okay, so I was a little worried about this at first. I thought "right, I've seen this before, and this is probably going to be another regurgitated version". Boy how I was wrong. From the very first episode, I knew this was different. It has a different feel, a life that's entirely its own. I really don't know how the script writers managed it. It's like they watched all other versions and corrected the annoying parts. The heart of the story is still there: the red card, F4's bullying, Gorya standing up to Thyme, Thyme slowly falling for Gorya, Gorya seeing change in Thyme, the evil mother etc. But the way they've done it in this version is SO refreshing and speaks to the times. If you don't want to watch this because you feel you've watched it before, WATCH IT. You'll be pleasantly surprised.

Character development: THIS YOU GUYS. THIS. Okay, okay, so I've read people saying "why do they keep remaking this show it's so toxic", but I'm here to fight that. Yes, the bullying is bad. Real bad at the start. And Thyme is spoilt, arrogant, and aggressive to begin with. BUT, and this is a huge BUT, this is where the heart of the story lies, and where this version has really excelled in its story telling. It never justifies bullying (it raises awareness and expresses how wrong it is), nor does it ever say "this guy is horrible but he's rich and goodlooking so he gets the girl". No. That would be toxic. Gorya never feels remotely attracted to Thyme at the start. That only happens when she sees his good, sweet side. The part of him that's so far been trapped beneath the twisted words and manipulation of his mother. The magic and beauty of this story lies in how Thyme develops as a character. He really, really becomes someone who's worthy and deserving of love. And it's his love for Gorya which brings about this change. That's my favourite thing about this story - it sends a message that anyone is capable of change and therefore deserving of love. But there's character development all around. The script writers really made sure every character got their story.

F4: perfect. Perfect in every way. The 4 actors have great chemistry with each other, and its a joy to watch their friendship as it continues to blossom. They always have each others backs, and when they fight, they fight with reason. Some of their fight scenes are amazingly shot. When F4 are together, it's like watching 4 friends in real life. They have so much fun together.

Gorya/Thyme: I'll save my real gushing for this last part. GORYA AND THYME OMG THEY ARE THE CUTEST COUPLE AND THEIR CHEMISTRY IS INSANE. I've never rooted for Gorya and Thyme as much as I have in this version. There are so many sweet moments between the two of them, but their arguing/ fight scenes are also hilarious to watch. Every time Thyme looks at Gorya, you can see how much he adores her. He really will do anything for her. The same goes for Gorya. In other versions, I've felt so frustrated with the girl because it takes her SO long to finally admit/ realise her feelings. In this version, there is none of that angst, and I've been left extremely satisfied with it. Gorya's love for Thyme is seen early on. She knows and understands her feelings and she isn't afraid to show it. GORYA AND THYME FOREVER.

Will I be watching this again? YES, ABSOLUTELY.

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