EllisInRealLife
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Solid idea but lackluster execution
*I don't spoil the identity of Enchante in this review*While Enchante isn't the BL harem that it presented itself as, it's still an enjoyable romcom with electrifying chemistry from the main pairing. Personally, it took me a while to get over the disappointment of this BL not being a harem. But once I did, I was able to enjoy it for the mystery/romance that it really was, despite the occasional flaw.
For one, I just couldn't wrap my head around the Enchante "character" and how they didn't easily sniff out the liars. I do understand that the actual mystery wasn't about "who is Enchante?" but more like "why are at least three guys lying about being Enchante?" But the tactics used by Akk and Theo to identify Enchante were a bit cartoony. To be honest, the entire aspect and execution of the Enchante "mystery" (right down to the reveal) requires the viewers to suspend all disbelief.
Screentime among the supporting cast could have been utilized a lot better. Even with only 10 episodes, there's a decent amount of filler and not enough character or relationship development apart from Akk/Theo. And even though the show isn't exactly a harem, the concept still calls for a certain amount of development between Theo and the ambassadors. However, the Akk/Theo relationship was prioritized above all else, which made for the Enchante mystery to be even less engaging. Tbh, they should have revealed Enchante halfway through the 10-episode run and then went in a different direction for the 2nd half of the show. I would have liked to see more from all of the ambassadors. The subplots involving them were bare minimum screentime, if that.
Theo was one of the flattest protagonists that I've seen in a while. The series starts with him losing his grandma, who took care of him for his entire pubescent existence, and then he moves from an entirely different country before settling in right away. We, as the viewers, never really get the sense that Theo has suffered a great loss and is going through a reverse culture shock all at the same time. These conflicts could have provided great obstacles for Theo to overcome as an individual character, or even be used as talking points for Theo to bond with the other ambassadors. But they never really do anything with Theo's tragic predicament, which makes Theo's hasty decision to move back to France in the last episode all the more bewildering. The opportunity to properly set up Theo's homesickness and departure was there but it was completely untouched until the very last minute, which inadvertently made Theo look selfish and unlikable.
But in all the ways that the show came up short, the chemistry and romance between the two leads didn't. Though, with Enchante coming fresh off the heels of Bad Buddy and mostly airing simultaneously with Not Me, the intimacy between Akk/Theo can sometimes feel a little tame in comparison. In a lot of ways, Enchante may feel slightly outdated in the ever-evolving BL subgenre. Enchante follows every beat of a typical romcom BL: lack of communication, misunderstandings, jealousy, nonexistent peripheral vision, forced last minute side couples, etc. But the cinematography, locations, and music are amazing and really leans into the French-inspired theme of the show.
Overall, the short 10 episode run makes this easy to recommend to anyone who just wants to enjoy a generic BL with a cute main couple.
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I don't get the hype
My introduction to the world of BL drama started with 2gether. Soon, I started to realize that 2gether and SOTUS were two of the most popular and talked about BLs. Maybe my expectations were way too high, but I was severely underwhelmed as I dredged through this series.There's not much that happens for most of the first 8 episodes. Arthit and Kongpop's relationship is the big appeal to the drama but there was hardly any interaction until episode 9. I'm not saying that I expect to see them making out by episode 2 but there wasn't a lick of genuine development for 8 of the 15 episode run. Every bit of interaction between them went like this: Kongpop says something flirty and Arthit yells at him. Once per episode. FOR 8 WHOLE EPISODES! Girl, bye.
Most of the plotlines before episode 9 were very forgettable. As I watched the show, I would sometimes forget things that happened in the previous episode even after just watching it. Simply put, there just wasn't much going on. The freshmen spend a lot of time talking about classes or how they dread being punished by the seniors and the seniors spend a lot of time trying to convince themselves that they haze the freshmen for the greater good. Much of SOTUS felt like a "day in the life of engineering students" documentary than an actual drama with stakes.
Thankfully, the show began focusing more on the lead relationship by episode 9. But tbh, even then, it wasn't giving what the hype said it was supposed to gave. They didn't give me enough cute moments. I wasn't getting the longing gazes and stolen glances that I've grown accustomed to from BLs. By episode 10, Kongpop admitted his feelings to Arthit and then the angst began. Sadly, it didn't feel deserved at all. Yes, it was technically episode 10 but the good stuff just started happening in episode 9 and now we were back to square one because Arthit avoided him for 2 whole episodes. I'm reiterating once again that I just don't get the hype.
Episodes 13 and 14 were great and is the show that I wish SOTUS had been all along. Most Thai BLs exist in a world that's free of homophobia and what I enjoyed about episode 14 is that Arthit speaks openly about his fear of dealing with homophobia from society. And then... nothing. Everyone accepts their relationship with absolutely no judgement and as sweet as that is, I was given a false sense of impending conflict that wasn't delivered. It would have been nice to see Arthit overcome such adversity in episode 15, especially considering that ep 15 was equally forgettable and uneventful. It was just fluff that held no weight and further emphasized the paper thin arc of the overall series.
I will say that the freshmen girls were given a lot of screentime in the beginning and I really had hope that they were important supporting characters and not just plot devices to cause conflict between the boys. But, of course, I was hoping for too much. Once Kongpop rejected May in episode 12, she disappeared completely. After so much time spent with her, it felt cheap that her only relevance onscreen was with Kongpop and M.
There was also a subplot involving Prem and Wad in the earlier episodes that led absolutely nowhere.
It's evident that any sideplot written in was just to run down the time a little more while providing little to no relevant development for Kongpop and Arthit.
And since I'm on a roll here, I should take the time to mention that the color grading and lighting for the show was never consistent. Some scenes would look washed out and then be much higher in brightness in the next shot, same scene. It was very distracting and drew me away from the show that I was already having trouble connecting with.
That said, I do love the chemistry between Krist and Singto and that chemistry alone is why I'm willing to checking out SOTUS S.
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Not Me started off as a slow burn but eventually expanded into a huge flame that, unfortunately, lost a bit of steam near the very end. While I enjoyed the gritty ambiance and production value from the very beginning, I don't think Not Me will have every single one of its viewers hooked from the start. It takes times for both the plot and romance to really get rolling but once it does, this series proves itself to be one of the best Thai BLs as of late.Maybe I am speaking from a subjective standpoint but I think that Sean/White's slow burn enemies-to-lovers dynamic is one of the best yet. I really enjoyed seeing them and seeing how they gradually became lovers in a world where they prioritize social justice over their own lives.
There are decisions in Not Me's writing that I think could have used some fine tuning. For one, I find the whole "Parent Trap" arrangement to be completely unrealistic. It would have been easier to believe if Black and White had occasional reunions throughout their years apart. It could have easily been explained away with saying that Black visited his brother and father in Russia on certain holidays; that way, it would still be justified that Black's gang had no idea about White and it would have made the scene between White and his mother near the end of the show more impactful. Tbh, that entire scene between White and him mom felt shoehorned in, considering he never concerned himself with the whereabouts of his mother, nor was it mentioned beforehand that Black and his mother were on bad terms. With 14 episodes, they could have easily explored that relationship deeper.
And don't even get me started on GramBlack. As much as I was rooting for a GramBlack relationship, I'm not faulting the writing for the bait-and-switch with Eugene being Gram's endgame. I just think it was overall sloppy writing that the audience was given the illusion of Gram and Black being best friends. After Gram was done with the exposition dumping and being used as red herring for hurting Black, it's as if he never had a friendship with Black at all. Gram didn't seem to care about Black being hospitalized for weeks, or the fact that he kept his twin a secret for their entire friendship. Any chance that I had for liking the Gram/Eugene pairing was ruined when the flawed execution presented itself.
And, lastly, I thought the entire final arc of the show could have used a different direction. For a show about a gang conspiring corporate espionage, there was very little action in the last episode. The scene in the van was tense but it soon fizzled out right after the gang got saved. While I do understand the message about how the fight against an unjust system isn't over but has just begun, I think the last arc could have used a big bad. Other than Sean and White's relationship, everything about the final episode felt underwhelming.
Still, despite all of that, I still think Not Me is one of the best BLs yet and I highly recommend it.
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When I first began watching BLs, I wasn't aware of the common criticisms of the subgenre. When I started to see people say that BLs are written by girls for girls, it struck me as odd that m/m romances were written more for girls than gay males. Despite that, I always felt that even gay males can write stories and relationships similar to the one in BLs. I often argue that the common BL criticisms are a little too harsh.But TharnType is the first time where I felt like this story appeals to girls more than boys. The plot is driven by extremely toxic behavior. TharnType is popular for the same reason that movies/books like After, Fifty Shades of Gray, Twilight, 365 Days, etc. are popular: romanticization of abusive relationships. Only difference here is that the physical abuse is brushed off completely because it's a male-on-male offense.
Nearly every review mentions it but in the first few episodes, Tharn makes some hella rapey decisions. It took me a while to not snarl at him every time he appeared on screen. But eventually, I stopped snarling because Type is such an abusive boyfriend that I started to feel sorry for Tharn.
And even outside of the glorification of the abuse and sexual assault, the writing still left much to be desired. I never really felt like Type got over his homophobia. Even while he was in a committed relationship with Tharn, he still openly admitted to hating gays and even expressed his homophobia to his GAY boyfriend, as if it was a cute interaction. Type never fully processed his homophobia at any point in the show. That storyline feels just as incomplete as Seo and Klui's; and whose genius idea was it to close out their arc with a love confession? It feels like a dropped storyline rather than a purposeful storytelling choice.
I couldn't watch TharnType back-to-back, and it wasn't because I didn't care enough about the story but because I just wasn't rooting for titular couple. Sure, there are some individual scenes that (when disregarding the history of abuse and toxicity) I thought were either heartwarming or heartbreaking. Truthfully, I didn't absolutely despise TharnType's relationship and that in itself is a triumph. Both characters have given me so many reasons to HATE them and their relationship, but I didn't. I still didn't like them or root for them, but I didn't hate them.
I think a lot of that is because the leads are great actors. They really bring these character's emotions out and it makes me feel for them in individual moments. The entire cast gave a solid performance, which helped soften the blow with some extremely melodramatic material in the last couple episodes.
The music also played its part in making the show somewhat enjoyable despite the writing that only seemed to care about making exciting drama for TharnType's relationship instead of holding them accountable for shitty personality traits like homophobia, physical abuse, and rapey tendencies.
Simply said, the show had potential, but the writing just needs to be ironed out.
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A very underrated and overlooked J-drama
Though Influence is centered on multiple murders committed by the three main leads, it isn't a high-octane thrill ride but rather an observation on friendship and how it crumbles and rebuilds itself in the midst of heinous acts committed with good intentions.Not only is the story intriguing and takes many unexpected turns in its short 5 episodes run but it's also very well produced and well-acted. Admittingly, I haven't watched very many J-dramas, but I was glad that I took a chance on Influence because it really raised the bar for me. I especially loved the effort that the production team put into making the 1980s flashbacks look real. The set and costume designs along with the exterior shots were all top-tier.
The only places where the story fell short was minor plot inconveniences. It annoyed me to no end that Maho was at the crime scene of Yuri's murder. Thematically, it makes sense because Yuri starts to realize in that moment that Maho deceived her but in context, Maho should not have been anywhere near the crime scene. Frustratingly, it was later revealed by Detective Natsume that Maho has an alibi, which was not only false but obviously a thoughtless plot contrivance by the fact that they never specified what Maho's "alibi" was.
There was also the instance in which Yuri seems surprised that Satoko didn't know that Yuri killed her husband, despite Maho specifically telling her that Satoko didn't know. These scenes were written in simply for dramatic effect but thankfully, they didn't come aplenty. Just a few head-scratching moments that takes away from an otherwise EXCELLENT series. However, there is concern that since the show is very much dramatic and lacks humor or romance, there's little rewatch value. The most exciting parts were the plot twists but during a rewatch, you'll already know everything that's going to happen. The best thing to gain from a rewatch would be the handful of genuinely sweet/heartwarming friendship moments between the three girls.
I highly recommend Influence.
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Bangkok Love Stories 2: Innocence
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Mindless and fun; not to be viewed with a critical eye
Although I spent most of my time rolling my eyes or trying to understand how or why these characters react to every tiny mishap or character flaw so dramatically, I still managed to enjoy it overall. Maybe it was the performances; the cast definitely knew how to treat each scene appropriately and I genuinely think that everyone involved gave solid performances. Even the smaller, supporting cast members. The music was also enjoyable and appropriate, if not repetitive (which I'm noticing is common in Thai dramas).The issue, however, is that the multiple plotlines bordered on nonsensical. Nothing that the characters did ever made much sense to me. Sometimes, they'll say something in regard to their love interest and when the action follows the statement, it would cause drama. For example, the character Eve, who happened to be caught in a love triangle with Lin and Danny, told Lin that she didn't mind if she ended up with Danny. And in that SAME CONVERSATION, when Lin later revealed that she was still going to pursue Danny, Eve got upset. And events like this happens multiple times. The entire Eve/Danny/Lin triangle is actually just the two girls telling Danny that he should be with the other girl. Danny usually says that he wants to be with Eve, but Eve just simply rejects that idea every single time. The writing with that entire triangle felt improvised and incohesive.
Don't even get me started on some very, very questionable scenes between the two. In the 2nd episode, Eve wakes up, hungover, in Danny's bed with his clothes on. She's confused and doesn't remember the night before and expresses distress, worried that he may have taken advantage of her. Long story short: he didn't (although, him changing her clothes; even with the lights off is still pretty iffy). Later, she tells Claudia that she wishes he did do something to her. GIRL!!! DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHAT YOU'RE SAYING?!?!! Oh, and then there was also Danny acting as if he's about to r*pe her as a joke.
R*pe is actually used as a plot device a few times in this show. It's concerning and probably wouldn't fly on an American show in 2018.
The main storyline with Claudia and JC actually begins with an attempted r*pe, in which JC saves the day and then begins a whirlwind romance. Not AS nonsensical as Danny's love triangle but it could still use work. There were plenty elements to their storyline that got forgotten or dropped. Early on, one of JC's coworkers showed a romantic interest in him but then she disappeared out of thin air. I actually completely forgot of her existence until the last episode when she magical showed up again.
There was also the time JC fucked his ex-girlfriend, Jam, while he was with Claudia. Then Jam brought Claudia to JC's place while he wasn't there and they erased a mural drawing of Claudia on his wall. He blamed Jam and kicked her out of his apartment and Claudia never revealed that it was her doing. Nor did he reveal that he fucked Jam. And like, wtf is up with Claudia's wig??? It's TERRIBLE. Half the time it doesn't even look like it's properly put on. And then it has uneven bangs. Looks unbrushed for weeks. It's so distracting and I kept waiting for a good reason as to why she wore it. Surely the viewers weren't expected to believe that it was her real hair?
The gay/bi storyline was the most comprehensible of the bunch, however slowly developed it may have been. While everyone else was going through 8 makeups and breakups in a span of 2 episodes, Simon and Keaton were stagnant. Honestly, I feel sorry for anyone who watched this show strictly for the BL romance because it didn't give much to the audience. Personally, I was content with the development. I thought that, overall, the LGBT representation on the show was great. There were two main characters who were transsexual and they were treated as more than just comic relief. Toffee, in particular, who had very heartbreaking backstory. In regards to the bi love triangle, I was happy that Jennista wasn't written as an irredeemably evil woman standing between the gay lovers.
One of the biggest flaws that every single storyline shared was severe jealousy. These character get upset at even the slightest of interactions that their love interests have with someone else. It's so annoying and repetitive. No one ever apologizes for their toxic behavior or seem to learn from it, either. But, maybe that toxic ass behavior is what made the show so bingeable? Just mark it under "car-crash-that-you-can't-look-away-from".
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They wanted an easy check, and so they gave you bi*ches crumbs
It's genuinely insulting that a 112 min clip show was called a "movie" and released in theaters: the BL equivalent of "let them eat cake".I wasn't expecting much from this so-called "movie" but damn, even the new sequences were awfully uninspired. Forgetful, at best. Probably shot in one whole day. There was no intimacy or developing story whatsoever. BrightWin didn't even try. They showed up to murmur a few lines and collect a paycheck. It was a criminal disrespect to the show that built their flourishing careers.
The worst part about this "movie" isn't how it's not much of a movie at all. The real tragedy is that this glorified flashback episode wasn't universally criticized to the extent that the staff and crew issued a public apology. GMMTV should be bullied into never doing something like this again.
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TayNew's chemistry makes Pete's character easy to forgive
After only recently discovering the world of Thai BLs, it soon became apparent that Dark Blue Kiss is among the fan favorites. I figured I'd give it a try from the very beginning. So, I watched all of Kiss the Series before moving on to Kiss Me Again. About a third of the way through KMA, I decided to start Dark Blue Kiss. I ultimately ended up finishing DBK before KMA.Right away I noticed that the production was the best out of the entire Kiss entire. I was very pleased that the BL drama in a franchise was treated with the most delicacy. The opening credits blew me away. The tension rises as the opening music's intensity swells. Visually, glass shatters and Kao cries. It was a perfect match to the perfect opening scene, showing a big blowout between the show's main couple.
Even though DBK is the 3rd installment in a series, it's very digestible for new audiences who have no knowledge of Kiss or Kiss Me Again. In fact, there's nearly no reason at all to watch the other two series, as Pete and Kao's story lacks any continuity whatsoever. Ex: The two had revealed their relationship to the entire gang at the end of Kiss but in DBK, it's a secret to everyone but Sandee, who knew everything that was going on in Kiss Me Again (set before the events of Kiss), despite being shocked when they told her in Kiss.
Not only are PeteKao's story retconned multiple times but so are their personalities. Kao, for the most part, kinda remains the same, though he was much more goofier in Kiss and he always wore glasses that were never seen in DBK or KMA. Pete, however, is an everchanging character. Seeing as I watched him first in Kiss as Sandee's sweet and supportive friend, I was SHOCKED to see him be such an asshole in Kiss Me Again. But, I understood that he was acting out because of his feelings for Kao. In DBK, he's just an asshole simply because.
And don't get me wrong, the retconning stuff isn't ideal but it's nothing too bad. I certainly think it benefits most of the watchers who aren't interested in watching Kiss or Kiss Me Again. But Kao being an asshole was one of the few issues that I had with DBK. I thought Pete was an awful boyfriend. He's extremely toxic in his possessive and accusatory ways and he makes no apologies for it. I hate that the story leaned more towards Kao's actions being the problem by lying to his unreasonable boyfriend. Kao's livelihood was at stake but Pete wanted him to drop a client because of his insecurities. Pete was truly insufferable and he was never truly called out for it. And judging by the YouTube comments, viewers were actually romanticizing his toxic behavior. *Sigh*
BUT, despite how much I disliked Pete as a character, the chemistry that Tay has with New is undeniable. I enjoyed the sweet, romantic moments between the two and I can see why DBK is among the highly recommended of Thai BLs. Fans also seem to really enjoy Sun/Mork as the show's side couple. Truth be told, I was only mildly interested. The chemistry was great but I felt like there was too much back-and-forth with the development in the beginning. There was no consistent dynamic to their interactions. Sometimes Mork would talk about Sun with great disdain and then they have a snarky but cordial moment that leads to Mork and Sun softening up around each other... and then enemies again in the next episode. By the time there was more to relationship, I found that I didn't care about the relationship as much as the show wanted me to. Rain/Manow was background noise (which is unfortunate because Rain was one of my favorite characters in DBK).
Another minor issue I had was that I felt that there was too much emphasis put on Non's strict, tough-love upbringing with his overbearing father for there to be no satisfying conclusion to that story. Honestly, the writers really dropped the ball with Non as a character. There was a lot of potential to write a very gray character and build conflict that has the audience with a foot on each side. (for example: in the Thai drama titled 3 Will Be Free, starring DBK's Tay Tawan, two supporting characters are in direct conflict with the show's leads but because we get so much perspective from their side, they aren't considered bad guys to the viewers). It really annoys me when the writing is too simple and that's exactly what you get with Non. A simple villain. So much lost potential.
Overall, despite my issues with Pete as a character and how I personally believe that Non should have been written more sympathetically, I think DBK is very enjoyable.
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It didn't give what it was supposed to gave
The irony of Golden Blood is that despite a good (albeit unoriginal) concept, it was more enjoyable when it strayed from the bodyguard and mafia shenanigans. All of the action sequences looked cheap and poorly done. I never felt like there were any real stakes or danger, even when the slow-motion yelling and sudden rainstorm that appeared from nowhere tried to convince me otherwise. There were a grand total of two stunts (both in episode 7) that weren't eye-roll inducing but overall, the action lacked choreography and style. One could argue that most viewers are only engaged for the BL romances but if the plot calls for action, there should have been a better attempt to commit. The action sequences drew me out of the show every single time. Which is why I couldn't even complain when episodes 5 and 6 took a break from the action.But even outside of the obvious issues with the bad action sequences, the writing lacked. Scenes were written for pure convenience of cuteness or drama without really leading up to it. For example, in ep 5, Bank and Pitch are fully aware of Sun being a hired bodyguard for Sky. Yet, in ep 6, they suspect that they aren't cousins so they spy on them, ultimately leading to an almost-kiss in a pond. It made no sense that they were suspicious about the validity of their kinship when it was already revealed that Sun was a bodyguard. And again with Bank and Pitch; Pitch pursues Bank relentlessly for 4 episodes and when they finally kiss, he panics. No nuance whatsoever.
Toktang and Juno were quite likable for characters who served absolutely no purpose to the story other than forced drama. It made no sense that the girls continued to pursue Sun and Sky until the very last episode, as they were paid dust up and until episode 7. And what bugs me more than the terrible writing for the girls was that Sky selfishly used them and played with their feelings for revenge against Sun but never apologized or got called out for it.
So far, I've only complained about the writing and less-than-stellar production value but I was genuinely invested in the two main romances, despite all. Gun's (Sky) acting wasn't always the best (to put it lightly) but he had great chemistry with Boat (Sun). Boat's acting was good even though he wasn't very convincing as an intimidating bodyguard. I think the Bank/Pitch romance was equally as enjoyable to watch. Arguably moreso as they had a more palpable dynamic.
Overall, it's far from the top of my recommendation list but with only 8 episodes, it's a quick and fun watch. Maybe the poor action sequences won't bother the typical viewer as much as it bothered me.
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Star and Sky: Sky in Your Heart
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"Enjoyable and cute," said the biased viewer
While I don't think Sky in Your Heart is groundbreaking, I also believe that not every show has to be groundbreaking. This short 8-episode series is competent enough in all aspects to be enjoyable for the casual viewer. I think. Honestly, I'll admit that I have a few biases. For one, I really like Mek and so I was very excited to see him as a lead in a BL. Secondly, I love A Tale of 1000 Stars and this show has similarities (however weak in comparison they may be to 1000 Stars). Lastly, I think this show is objectively better than its companion series Star in My Mind.At the start of the series, I was actually disappointed by Mek. I thought he was a very convincing male lead in Kiss the Series but for the first few episodes, I had a hard time buying the insta-love dynamic. I felt like Mek was trying too hard in the beginning. Luckily, he pulled through in the moments that really count later on. And while the setting was similar to 1000 Stars, I just feel like this show didn't breathe as much life into the village in the same way 1000 Stars did. The supporting cast had funny lines, occasionally, but were mostly forgettable. Khuafah's relationships with his friends and the other villagers felt formulaic and flat.
I think the biggest disappointment with Sky in Your Heart is that it clearly had the potential to be something better. Mek is typically a compelling actor, but his range was severely underutilized in this series.
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A bigger budget than its predecessor but at the cost of little-to-no story or personality
2gether was the first BL series that I ever watched. It has a very special place in my heart and even while objectively better BLs have since aired (Bad Buddy, for example), I still consider 2gether as one of my favorites. Despite its jarring editing, and sometimes evidently low production value, it's my comfort show. I've rewatched it more times than I can count. Unfortunately, I don't share the same amount of love with this collection of special episodes.While I do appreciate the special episodes for showing us how much healthier Sarawat and Tine's relationship grew to be, it isn't enough to justify its existence. For one, there's barely a plot. The conflict between the music club and the cheerleading team is miniscule. It's much more fitting as a storyline for a single episode rather than an entire arc.
But honestly, my biggest gripe with the special episodes is that Tine loses his entire personality from the series. In 2gether, his head is always in the clouds. He spends so much time daydreaming that he could barely process his own emotions without talking them through with his friends. He overthinks everything and is honestly kind of dumb, but in a very adorable way that's not overt. In Still 2gether, his entire personality is just being Sarawat's cute (and sometimes whiny) boyfriend. It's clear that the writers wanted everyone to squeal over how cute they think Sarawat is as a boyfriend, therefore, Tine's entire personality is sacrificed. His purpose in Still 2gether is just to tease his handsome boyfriend so that cute moments can come out of it. So many of their interactions don't feel right to me because Tine is a completely different character.
That said, I thought that the subplots with the side couples were just as enjoyable in these special episodes as they were in the series. And the final scene does manage to hit me right in my feels on the rare occasion that I do rewatch.
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A cute, quick watch
My Mate Match just feels like a production made during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic; the production is cheap and it's set entirely in the house. But it makes up for its lack of environment with good cast chemistry and some genuinely funny moments.The show is literally just about the three roommates having either outlandish, intimate, or intense interactions together. There are entertaining dynamics regardless of who is onscreen and even moreso when it's all three of the boys. Personally, I would have preferred a poly endgame but maybe that was just me? If they weren't going to allow the throuple endgame, I would have preferred a Ryu/Mix ending. I didn't really connect with Match through the series and that's because he didn't have much of a character journey. But with only 5 episodes, it's not a major offense.
The ending left things open for a sequel series and I would love to see a follow-up with Ryu as the lead character.
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Good chemistry and visuals wasted on a lackluster plot
I really wanted to like Oh My Boss because I personally like both Luke and Mook but the plot was just boring when it wasn't forcing random drama. For example, more than halfway through the show, we start to see more of Noomnim's home life. She lives with her mother and older brother who just got into a pyramid scheme that his mom monetarily helped him out with. Suddenly, Noomnim has money struggles as she tries to help pay her mother's debts. Never was this mentioned or hinted at in the previous episodes. And the entire storyline was played as if Noomnim was extremely broke. But she has a position as the boss's secretary in a corporate job while living rent-free in her mom's house. I don't expect her to be loaded but she didn't even have $450 in her bank account. How and why is she dirt poor?The show, in general, was just inconsistent in every aspect. Luke's hair length changed from scene-to-scene (and why they ever decided to film when his hair was so big, I don't know. It looked hideous). Noomnim and Koji's relationship was everchanging. Sometimes, Koji came off as a bossy, entitled jerk and other times he was completely selfless and understanding and they never cared to explain his entitlement.
It's disappointing that the writers would introduce the Japanese characters into the show without utilizing it in a believable and frequent way. Even on one-on-one scenes, Koji and Hazobe (both native Japanese characters) would speak to each other completely in Thai. Which, I suppose, is for the best because Luke says his Japanese lines with very little vibrancy. He sounds most scripted during his Japanese-speaking scenes. And that's saying something because he had a very noticeable word fumble when he forgot how to pronounce a Thai word correctly.
And I hate to admit it but Luke just didn't strike me as a corporate boss. Maybe a big part of that was also in the way that Koji was written. He has no workplace etiquette and would always laugh about possibly exposing his secret work relationship.
Overall, there just wasn't much going for the show. Even when I finished watching an enjoyable episode, I never felt the hunger or anticipation for the next episode. I watched almost every episode at least a week or weeks apart.
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So darn close to a perfect 10
When watching my dramas, I'm usually alternating between two or three at a time. Before watching 3 Will Be Free, I was actually Kiss, which stars Mild and Tay as friends. Unbeknownst to me, seeing as I picked 3 Will Be Free at complete random by YT suggestion. I was shocked to see Mild and Tay... but the biggest surprise was at the end of the first episode. From that moment on, I was HOOKED. I didn't watch a single episode of Kiss until I finished 3WBF a few days later.I don't consider myself an expert on Thai dramas but 3WBF had some of the best production that I've seen from a Thai drama so far. The consistent use of blues, pinks, and fluorescent lighting was extremely atmospheric and perfectly encapsulated the neo-noir aesthetics that the team was clearly aiming for.
The storyline was thrilling. The first episode alone stunned me. And there were many many moments in just 10 episodes that continued to drop my jaw. Well, except for almost everything that happened in the last episode. The last episode was formulaic and Mr. Thana went from a ruthless mafia boss to a cartoony, mustache-twirling villain. Despite how ridiculous Mr. Thana's revenge plot was, the ending was still satisfying if I can overlook the outcome of the poly ship between the 3 leads.
I really loved the three main leads and their relationship and chemistry with each other. But there was only two problems that I had with the show overall; and one of those issues is extremely offensive.
The first and, less serious, issue was the ending. The only thing that I didn't see coming in the last episode was the throuple not really being together. This show built a beautiful polyamorous relationship between the three leads. I watched majority of the show on Youtube and as I read the comments, I noticed that a bunch of people felt that Shin was the oddball out in his relationship with Neo and Miw. Personally, I didn't feel that way at all. I admit that it was evident that the dynamics between every two relationship was different but together, they were one, loving unit.
Or so I thought. The ending threw me for a loop. It tried to play too many cards at once. Neo and Miw are together. Shin... isn't with them but the offer is on the table and instead he's dating a minor side character whom he lacked chemistry or good development with. 10 episodes of the main three being the true romance just to end it all on a "we're all just good friends". I'm flabbergasted.
My 2nd issue was a minor character named Mater (and, to some extent, her friend). Mater and her friend are neighbors of Neo who spend their time fantasizing about his sex life. Mater's presence was off-putting. She was exaggeratingly silly and a complete separation from the intense crime ambience. Mater felt like an insert of BL fans and it was a very negative portrayal. She was clearly a cruel joke, which makes it all the worse that Mater is a black trans girl. I found the character to be extremely offensive and I felt uncomfortable whenever she was on screen. The production team actually went through so much effort to make her look unattractive (I'm assuming it was to match her annoying personality) because I managed to find her instagram (g.sabale) and she's stunning.
It's a shame that the show resulted to that for a few cheap laughs because Mae's storyline took my breath away. I was amazed to see a revenge plot in a noir setting be lead by a pre-op trans woman. Jennie, Gunsmile, and Max really brought those characters to life. I found myself rooting for them as well as the main three, despite the direct conflict.
Overall, I think 3 Will Be Free should go down as one of the best Thai dramas. Had it not been for the ending or Mater's character (especially), it would have been a perfect 10.
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Enjoyable but flawed buddy-sports drama
Despite being full of common tropes, I thought this drama was fun and quite binge-able. I was invested in both of the main characters' journey throughout the 13 episodes. Though, the supporting characters were all given the bare minimum, if anything at all. Ying, for example, was revealed to have enrolled in school halfway through the final episode despite never mentioning a desire to go to school. Dandao's entire character arc was simply allowing herself to have a boyfriend. I'm not knocking her story simply for being reliant on her love life but it never made sense. She made a promise to her mother that she wouldn't get into a relationship until she finished school, despite her mom encouraging her to date. Hongyok got accepted into medical school, even though it seems as if her only interest in it is her love interest, Kawin. Every single sideplot/conclusion was either random, forced, or extremely underdeveloped (or all three).And don't even get me started on Wanchai's arc. The plot twist in episode 10 that revealed that he purposely switched the boys at birth was a soapy mess. The performances from the cast really saved that entire revelation from being a complete disaster. It wasn't a believable plot development and Wanchai's character motivations were nonexistent. I can believe that everyone forgave him in the end but it's not believable that he didn't end up in jail. His years-long kidnapping became public news, but he was never held accountable under the law. In the end, he chose to atone for his crime by running away but we hardly got a reaction from Man after he read the goodbye letter. It was both ridiculous, unrealistic, and underwhelmingly concluded.
Arguably, the alcohol addiction was written even more terribly. Everyone seemed to brush off his recovery. Wanchai's alcohol addiction nearly killed him and had him hospitalized for days, yet, the day that he returned back home, Sing had offered him hard liquor. His recovery was played off for jokes the entire time and not handled with a single sense of gravity. They even poured him a glass of wine, ffs. They shouldn't have even bothered to say that he quit drinking if it was going to be treated like a literal joke.
Other than that, the other flaws are quite typical with Thai dramas. They provide the bare minimal in the editing room. Saifah's car accident was shot and edited terribly. I didn't even think he got actually hit by the car at first. And then when I started to realize that Saifah was actually injured by the car, I didn't understand the severity of the accident until the hospital scenes.
In retrospect, it says a lot that the most enjoyable part of Hook was the love triangle. Dandao had cute moments with both Man and Saifah. Until episode 10, I was unsure of which couple was going to be endgame. Man and Saifah's friendship really carried the show. Since both actors are BL veterans, there's some fanservice-y moments between the two, which made the triangle even more fun to watch (for me, at least).
Overall, although there's a lot to criticize, I still had a fun time watching this show and I think the cast all have great chemistry with each other. It's definitely not the kind of show that viewers should analyze under a microscope.
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