5
37
Heracin
Enemies-to-lovers mystery school BL - what an interesting combination carried by a great pairing !
The story is pretty original for a school BL drama with some mystery vibes coupled with an enemies-to-lovers and opposites-attract tropes. It was quite predictable on some aspects and for some revelations, but I appreciated the drama taking the time to discuss important topics such as freedom of speech as well as critical mind regarding the authority's decisions. It could have taken things a bit deeper though it was still a valiant effort.Despite the interesting scenario, there were some weaknesses in the plot in terms of logic as well as regarding the consequences of some actions being only partially addressed (or even totally brushed off...) with some too easy redemption narrative arc. That's why the resolution felt a bit lacking to me...But I still enjoyed the ending.
There was some brilliant chemistry between First and Khaotung. Their pairing is working very well and they share some memorable instants full of fragility together. They demonstrate great acting skills and really shine all along the series. Thanks to them, the intensity is very present, especially during their beautifully gut-wrenching crying scenes. Unfortunately, next to them, the secondary casting (for both adults and students parts) seem a bit weak. As invested as I was in our main couple, I could not bring myself to care that much for the secondary couple, and it is likely due to a mix of plot but also actors performances.
Production-wise, sometimes I felt the low budget, some of the scenes could have been better filmed to have more impact and I would have loved for the show to have a more scary / dark atmosphere, they could have pushed the concept of the curse further. The soundtrack was alright, I more specifically really enjoyed the opening track sang by Khaotung: un-skippable.
I would recommend this to people looking for a different kind of BL story set up in a school and coupled with a mystery. The writing is not without flaws and sometimes it can feel a bit cheap in terms of production, but the sizzling chemistry between the main actors and their great acting make it very easy to forgive those little defaults.
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Action movie with a sci-fi angle: not that original but beautifully acted and produced
This movie is about the encounter of former intelligence agent Ki Heon and Seo Bok, a human clone whom the mere existence might have a huge impact on the globe if made public. The story is not really original in terms of concept as well as pacing and resolution but it hits at the right times the right notes, making it an entertaining watch.The biggest flaws in terms of the story relies in its villains which are really dislikeable and lack too much of nuances to be interesting. The dialogs between Ki Heon and Seo Bok with some of their most peaceful moments really strike a chord with me but at the same time, it was totally counterbalanced by the antagonists scenes which were worth quite a few eye-rolls.
The acting was amazing. It is a well known fact that Gong Yoo and Park Bo Gum are great actors, and here they are really stellar and bouncing back on the talent of each other. The secondary cast did a good job overall despite the lack of subtlety and substance for some of the roles. Moreover, the foreigners performances were okay overall and not distractingly bad like it can happen sometimes.
The production value was really nice. I was super impressed by a lot of the action scenes, with both main male leads totally credible in it. The props, accessories and scientific aspects of the film were well conceived and believable. The soundtrack did not necessarily leave a deep impression on me but was suitable.
I would recommend this to people looking for an action movie with a sci-fi angle and some stellar acting. It is not original at all and the antagonists actions and dialogs can be a little cringe, but if you love Gong Yoo and/or Park Bo Gum, it is for sure worth the time.
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Strongly disliked one of the storylines, stayed for the indie vibe and artistry
This short BL drama (5 episodes of about 14 minutes as well as a prequel of similar length labelled separately as "episode 0") is centred around the relationships of two couples and narrated through the eyes of a third one. My appreciation of the series is quite unbalanced as I appreciated only one of the two storylines.In terms of story, I was indeed quite disappointed by some elements. Given the shortness of the episodes, it is a given that the plot need to move quite fast, especially because the show is about two couples (who almost never interact with each other), but still the pacing felt a bit draggy at times.
Moreover, if I quite appreciated the story of Hayden x Damian, I must admit that I strongly disliked the other storyline around Kelvin x Arche. It involved a crazy / evil woman antagonist, which is kind of a classical trope that I unfortunately particularly did not find entertaining here. It tempered a lot my enjoyment of the show, it could have been interesting but felt messy and difficult to root for them given the context. I honestly wish the drama would have focalised only on one couple (for me Hayden and Damian) in order to better characterize the protagonists and to go deeper in terms of scenario.
Acting-wise, the actors did an honourable job. There was no obvious weak link and the chemistry was good while not memorable.
I really enjoyed the indie vibe and the artistry of the series. It is clearly a slow and atmospheric drama with a more subdue vibe. And there are truly beautifully filmed scenes that are striking. It felt like the filmmakers were able to do a lot in terms of scenography and lighting, with little budget. I also liked the music overall.
I would not necessarily recommend this to people as I only enjoyed one of the two storylines. It is really short so you might want still to give it a go, at least for the artistic vision. It seems that the production team has decided to work on redoing this story in another format (with more & longer episodes)...Not sure if I will watch it unless they drastically improve the content of the storylines in the upgraded version.
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The Ghost and I Becoming Family
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A buddy cop movie with an atypical ghost element
This buddy cop movie is quite atypical as it features a fantastical element with this very interesting concept of "ghost marriage". It contains a lot of the usual elements of such movie with the investigation, the buddying up between 2 very different individuals as well as the comedic aspects but the LGBTQ+ topic approached in addition with the fantastical twist bring some freshness to the genre.It is quite light and does not take itself very seriously, it has almost a parodic vibe. This makes it an overall fun watch which could have been even better with a tighter writing and a better pacing. The acting is quite good: I was more convinced by the comedic scenes than by the emotional ones...Still, I'm quite certain that it is more related to the script being a bit bonkers at times as well as the filmmaking a bit over-the-top than to the actors themselves.
The music did not leave a lasting impression on me and I'm not sure I will necessarily re-watch the movie but I had a good time watching it for sure.
I would recommend this to people that are looking for a comedy with an interesting premise and like buddy cop movies. It is not very memorable, nor very deep, gritty or dark but it is quite entertaining and fun, which is sometimes just what you need.
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Enjoyable with diversity in the couples featured; does not exploit well-enough fantastical element
The story of the series is pretty interesting. I liked the concept and the fantastical element. It is quite different from the norm as the drama follows the interactions of a group of characters while they are teenagers as well as during their adult life. The series features therefore not a unique "main couple" but rather many protagonists pretty diverse in their sexual orientation and preferences.The scenario discussed important topics almost in an educational way. There are a lot of teaching moment that are meaningful and necessary. Still, some discussions and points made by the show lacked subtlety and were a bit too on the nose for me. More specifically, I found the ending really too "easy": it required a lot of suspension of disbelief to think that all conflicts can be solved so easily... I also found the exploitation of the fantastical element short-sighted: there could be a lot of implications to it but it was used as a simple plot device, bringing no specific difficulties.
I found the ensemble cast pretty good and providing suitable performance. Would I have liked to see more chemistry during the more intimates scenes ? Yes. Would I have liked to feel more emotionally connected to the characters ? For sure. Actually, the drama has quite a comedic undertone, which sometimes undermines the feelings that could have provided some scenes. it also does not leave a lot of room for nuances for the actors. I would have loved to see more maturity in the dialogs and to feel more passion in some of the romances.
Overall, it felt like a western teen show to me. Even more so with its soundtrack being made of almost all English songs. This is not a bad thing, just an observation as it is left me with a very different impression than other Asians productions I have seen.
I would recommend this to people looking for a drama featuring pretty diverse couples. If you liked teen shows like "Skam" or "Skins", or even movie like "American Pie", you might enjoy this. It is comparatively much more tame but it still has a similar vibe following teenagers and young adults trying to figure out themselves.
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Entertaining action sci-fi movie, not surprising and flawed but does the job
This movie takes place in a dystopic world as we follow a crew of misfits working as "space sweepers", therefore literally cleaning junk floating dangerously around various orbit stations. The story in itself is not that innovative for the sci-fi and action genre, the peaks and valleys of the script are quite similar to what's already been done but I still found it quite compelling even if not surprising.I have two main complains regarding the scenario. One being that I found the nanobot technology used too much as a magical tool able to fix a lot of things but not supported by a lot of well constructed storytelling. The way it is used seems rather random and only there to move the plot along than really making a lot of sense. The other flaw being the writing regarding the antagonist who is totally written as a cartoonish villain with very surfaced-level motivations rather than some nuanced character that could bring some deepness to the film.
Regarding the cast, they are some ups and downs as well. I liked a lot the main cast playing the space sweepers team (especially Tiger Park and Buds) as well as "Dorothy". Other than that, I have more mixed feelings regarding the performance of the actors playing the secondary characters (in particular the foreigners). It was mostly average: for some, I even noticed that the language in which they were playing was not their native one (but the script was implying it was), so it gave a really strange vibe to the dialogs which sounded unnatural.
The production value was pretty high: I found the spaceships scenes really nice looking and the visual effects regarding the robots and the technology looked really good overall. The soundtrack was alright but did not make a lasting impression on me.
I would recommend this movie to people looking for an entertaining sci-fi movie. If you enjoy shows like "The Mandalorian" or movies like "Star Wars" or "The Guardians of the galaxy", you might like it (even though you will for sure not be surprised by anything if you have seen / read a lot of similar stuff).
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Despite some production misses, truly a cute, fluffy and entertaining platonic BL
This BL series is centred on the relationship of Tinn (the study body president of the high school) and Gun (the head and lead singer of the school music club). The story had some elements of enemies-to-lovers as well as opposites-attract-each-other trope but goes far beyond all of that. Far from those stereotypical narrative devices, it managed to surprise me with the characters evolution and choices. Despite some of the storylines being a bit non-sensical and some of the humour over-the-top, it never bothered me, I was truly entertained by the scenario which remained overall quite light and heartfelt.I enjoyed the cast. The two main leads had a good chemistry together: their relationship was super pure and platonic but still interesting to follow. They were super cute together and had some nice emotional moments. I would have loved to feel a bit more the attraction and pining between them, but there was not a lot of room in the script for intense passion: clearly the objective was to focus on fluff and wholesomeness and they successfully conveyed that. The secondary cast was okay overall: some were more average than others and nobody really peaked up my interest.
The drama would have benefited of a sharper editing: there were quite a few redundant scenes which are sometimes dragged a bit the story as well as some unnecessary and quite repetitive flashbacks. There was also a quite soapy feel to the production: it felt amateurish at time but fortunately in an non-deterrent way.
The music scenes were sometimes a total miss for me: there was a lack of quality in their producing (lip-syncing issues, non-convincing acting/pretend play with the instruments, lot of old-fashioned MV style flashback...). Overall, the OST (sang by some of the actors) was pleasant but not remarkable.
I would recommend this to people looking for a sweet BL high school platonic romance. If you are searching for a solid dose of cuteness and fluff, this one is clearly for you !
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Relevant, impactful and satisfying Season 2, I would have loved to have more episodes
The second season of D.P. takes place just after the events of the season 1, directly following the impact and consequences of its shocking ending. The story takes an almost slightly political turn as the external world (with the media and the overall public) gets more involved in the plot.Instead of focalising mainly on the internal aspects and almost day-to-day life of the soldiers, the season 2 of the series brings a higher level view, with the cases followed by the D.P. military unit almost all interconnected and supporting somewhat a central storyline. I found this quite interesting, but maybe a bit less poignant regarding the more political parts of the script.
Special mention to the few "side-cases" followed by the D.P. soldiers: the writer still managed to bring something new to the table with topics not discussed in the 1st season and there were some properly gut-wrenching moments. I honestly would have wanted even more of those "side-cases" episodes, as it feels that so many issues regarding the military life could/should be discussed.
The cast is still as amazing as in previous season. The chemistry between our four main characters continues working superbly well. The antagonistic figures are also pretty convincing: it was quite easy to get scared of them and to root for the heroes without them being too caricatural. I was truly impressed once again by the various cameos / guest actors: their parts were overall small but really impactful and they are the ones that will leave on me the more lasting impression.
The production remains very good overall. There are some well-constructed sets that allowed really good action sequences scenes. I was totally immersed by the shift of atmosphere in some of the locations where the characters were brought for some of the storylines. The soundtrack is still not memorable to me but is efficiently conveying an almost gloomy and depressing feelings, totally fitting for the thematic.
I would recommend this to people that have seen the first season of the series of course. Even if I found the first season more striking and powerful overall, this second season is worth it and provide a satisfying conclusion to the story. I cannot get enough of these characters, so I would gladly watch if there are a season 3. There are indeed so much more stories on military life and deserters that could be told...but I also think a sequel is not needed and I am happy as well if it ends on this note.
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Flawed writing + odd narrative choices: missed the mark despite great chemistry between the leads
This drama is a BL friends-to-lovers story. It is usually one of my favourite trope but the writing disappointed me quite a bit here. The main couple is cute and there is some proper pining but the development of the relationship is too quick to be believable.I don't know why: there are similar length BL that totally manage to make it convincing but here I had some trouble to adhere to the story. I think it is because this drama wants to be too many things at the same time and so the character growth is not that well built. I would have preferred the scenario focusing a bit more on the development and the questioning inherent to such a big shift in the relationship of the two friends rather than having a final arc with a lot of noble idiocy...
In addition to those odd narrative choices, I also did not care at all about the secondary storyline with the other couple. It took too much time away from the central story...The show seemed to try to do too much: a secondary couple, the law cases, some fight scenes...Doing so, it missed the mark for me. The screenwriter should have kept the series more in a slice-of-life genre and focusing much more on the central couple evolution. I would personally removed all what concerned the secondary couple which I did not find interesting at all. Maybe this way, the show could have taken the time for the law cases to make more sense and to become more than a quite obvious plot device to stir the characters in a specific direction.
Despite the flaws in the writing, I quite enjoyed the performance of the two main leads. They had a good chemistry together despite the strangely paced script and their more intimate moments were well executed with some truly hot kissing scenes. I was less convinced by the actors playing the secondary couple. I'm not sure if my lack of interest is due to their acting or if it completely the fault of the story.
I enjoyed the soundtrack with the overall pop vibe of the intro song. I found the production quite standard with a bit of over-the-top making, especially during a couple of the fight scenes or the more dramatic ones.
I would recommend this to people looking for a BL romance with a friends-to-lovers trope. It is not that well executed here with the coming to terms with the feelings for the main couple being too quick. If you do not have huge expectation, you might find it enjoyable.
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BL office story with really relatable life lessons, wish it was longer!
I really enjoyed the story of the show: it is a standard BL office romance but it somewhat manages to touch on deeper topics which I found vey relatable. There are discussions around age gap, anti-ageism, work relationship, routine and fear of trying news things as you get older. I was quite moved by all of it.I still wish that the show would have been longer and that there would have been more romantic scenes and overall sexual tension between the two main male leads. They were cute together but I felt it was a bit lacking to me in terms of passion...In addition to the fact that Japanese BL are in general more subdue, I'm wondering if it not also linked to the fact that the writing focused more in providing some interesting life lessons rather than giving opportunities for sizzling and hot chemistry between the two main characters.
I would recommend this show to people looking for a sweet office BL romance. It is super short, so it is really worth trying it.
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We Best Love: Fighting Mr. 2nd Special Edition
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More dramatic than S1, still entertaining despite some writing and editing flaws
The drama is centred on the relationship between Zhou Shu Yi and Gao Shi De, 5 years after the end of season 1. They are not college students anymore but adults; the show has also become more angsty with more corporation and grown-ups business issues rather than youngsters shenanigans in a classroom.It is quite different from the prequel in terms of ambiance but I still found the evolution of the main characters pretty interesting to follow. I was totally invested in the romance and was rooting for them despite some of the overused narrative arcs (the overbearing parent, the miscommunication issue,...). Let's face it: they look amazing in suits, and it was great to see them fight and reconcile in the office setting.
I found the main relationship very satisfying but I'm however less happy with the treatment of the two secondary couples. There were some interesting characters dynamics that I was really keen to explore (especially Yu Zhen Xuan x Pei Shou Yi pairing) and I felt a bit disappointed by the ending for them, not really understanding and believing the payoff.
The actors were good overall. There was a palpable chemistry between the main leads who had much more pining and sexy scenes than in the previous season. The secondary cast did a suitable job, except in my opinion for the one playing Zhou Shu Yi's father: I found him super caricatural (but to be fair the role written itself was full of stereotypes and offered little room for nuances).
Like in the parent series, I enjoyed the music but I'm already forgetting about it. The production value was also in line with S1, standard for the genre with some really well filmed kissing scenes. My main issue is the editing of the show: I found it super choppy at time, with some odd transition choices. I'm guessing that it might be related to the fact that I watched the "Special edition" rather than the regular one (meaning more content but also maybe more flaws in the editing choices? )
I would recommend this to people that loved the season 1 of the series. The context and the vibe of the show is more dramatic than the prequel, but it is very worth your time if you appreciate the actors and are looking for a BL story in an office setting.
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10 minutes of misunderstanding to create the drama for Season 2
This special episode follow the season 1 of "We Best Love: No. 1 For You" and is clearly there to create the dramatic arc in the relationship of the couple and to make the bridge with the season 2 of the series. The conflict is all based on misunderstanding and communication issues, which could be frustrating for some viewers. I was not too upset by that because I'm in a hurry to watch season 2 and curious to see the resolution.The actors do what they can with the script they are given. It is clearly not an easy job to sell this huge shift in the dynamic of the relationship in the short span of 10 minutes.
I would recommend this to people that have seen the season 1 of course, before watching season 2. If you have watched the Special version of Season 1, it seems it is not necessary to watch this SP.
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We Best Love: Forever the First
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Simple BL story quite wholesome, in a classic way - looking forward season 2 !
The drama is quite classic in its form and content: it is a BL story in a college setting, with a rivals-to-lovers trope. It could have been quite mundane due to its very typical concept but it managed to keep my attention all the way.I really enjoyed the pairing of the two main actors. They are handsome and had a good chemistry together. Acting-wise, it was not perfect (with a bit of over-acting) but they managed successfully to transmit emotions in the more painful scenes. I found them believable, even though the relationship progressed quite suddenly (which was expected given the length of the show). I was less convinced by some of the monolog scenes, they were a bit too explanatory. Once again, it was a case of "telling" rather than "showing" the feelings of the characters.
The soundtrack was not memorable but still quite nice with some lovely romantic and sorrowful ballads as well as some classical music. The production value was standard for the genre, it is low budget but effective.
I would recommend this to people looking for a simple BL story quite wholesome, it is super short and bingeable. The tropes are classic but well executed, it will give you all the feels.
To be noted: There is a Special episode 6.5 to complete the Season 1 story as well as a "Special version" of the whole season 1. (=> So either watch the "regular" version of S1 + its Special episode 6.5; either you watch the "special" version of S1).
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Good thriller where the real monster is the human nature of some people
This action drama is centred on an outbreak of a new virus, making people mad and almost "zombie"-like. The story has some investigation and action sides, but is also foremost exploring the consequences and psychological impact that has the outbreak on the people living a new lockdown in a building. The show feels honestly pretty realistic after the last couple of years and the COVID pandemic. It has also a creepy but real take on the collective life in apartments and the relationships with the neighbours within a building.I like a lot the the female and the male leads from some of their previous dramas: they did not disappointed me here!!! They had a great chemistry together and were both credible in the action scenes and more emotional ones. The secondary cast was also pretty convincing playing some revolting parts...I was utterly disgusted by the incredibly selfish behaviours and horrible acts done by some of the characters...
The OST was good, not overwhelming with some soothing songs with a lot of soul and some dramatic tunes really fitting the series. I found the making pretty good though quite classic: it was efficiently delivering in terms of thrills but maybe lacked a bit in terms of suspense and horror elements.
I would recommend this to people looking for an action drama with an interesting psychological side. Despite the concept of the show, the horror vibe is pretty mild. There are of course a lot of blood, some jump scares and thrilling action sequences, but the horrific side is quite subdue and more relating to the human nature of some people. Frightening truth: most of the time human beings are indeed scarier than monsters...
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Saebit Boys' High School Council
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A really enjoyable and cute BL with some really well done love triangle
The drama follows the story of Tae-Kyung, a blunt and awkward loner, who decides to join the student council of his all-boys high school to try to make some friends. He meets there 3 high school boys, very different from each other...The show resolves around how their relationships flourish (into a friendship or even more as feelings get into play...).I loved the 4 main characters right of the bat: there are a bit stereotypical but that is what makes the show works so well! There are: our hero (the blunt and awkward guy without filters), the tsundere one (heart of gold behind a cold demeanour), the charming prince (nice with everyone but somewhat distant) and the funny guy (cute but also very perceptive and protective of his friends).
I found the story super refreshing, really pure and cute. It was efficiently paced over the course of 16 episodes of 24 minutes allowing enough storylines and characters developments. The various relationships felt fully fleshed: the love triangle was super balanced, it was very difficult to guess in which direction it will go. I must say I was really satisfied the way it went was what I wished for. However, I was (as it is often the case in BL shows) disappointed by the girl part. She is there mainly to create the drama (which is OK) but it is difficult to sympathize with her. I also found her redemption arc not believable and unnecessary.
The making was not outstanding but fun with vibrant colours. I loved the OST so much: the two main songs are sentimental and pop, totally fitting for the drama, and I was super frustrated to never hear them in full as they were mostly set at the end of the episodes in a shortened version...
I would recommend this to people looking for a light and cute BL story with a sweet and well done love triangle in a high-school setting. With its love story balancing in an interesting way scenes between multiple love interests, it gives a bit a similar vibe to the drama "Cinderella and the Four Knights", so if you enjoyed it, you might want to give it a go !
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