KUMASHOCK
Wow what a wack job
I don't even know where to start.I just want to ask: how was this drama even allowed to be released? I have never seen a drama so unbelievably disorganized in the four years I've been watching Thai BLs. Like, don't these companies hire some type of proofreaders or someone who checks the quality of the episodes BEFORE they are even released. How can someone in their right mind let this out in such a poor condition? I am flabbergasted.
~Story:
You know what? The story isn't necessarily bad, but it looks like it got chopped in pieces and blindly pieced together by a toddler. Someone just eenie meenie miney mo'ed these scenes.
First of all, this drama should have been a two-parter: either one season divided in two or two separate seasons. The irregular pacing and back-and-forth between the past and the present was confusing and out of place, specially because the past is not revealing anything or trying to connect to the present events. The past and the present are literally two different and stand-alone plots that don't intertwine in the slightest.
It is quite disappointing because the story does touch some topics that can be fascinating IF done right, but there was NOTHING right about the way the story was written. There were so many plot holes and things that were left out that you can barely understand what is happening most of the time.
~Cast:
This is a 2016 project and, during that time, these type of dramas didn't have the best actors or the best acting, but there's some highlights here and there. I'm not going to mention all; I'm just going to talk a little about some of the more relevant characters.
-Bank: Okay, I said that I was going to talk about relevant character, but this guy isn't one of them. And he's a main, which is funny and sad at the same time. Bank is a character that faded to the back too easily. He had a very bland personality and the actor didn't do anything to impress, always keeping it safe and forgettable. He had to rely on others to shine a little light to his own acting.
-Golf: I kind of like this character until the manipulator side of him came out. Thai writers have the bad habit of passing manipulation as romance, which always leaves a sour taste in my mouth due to personal experiences with that kind of people. You can tell the actor was relatively new to the job, but still did a better job than Bank's. Definitely more believable and with more personality. Although his chemistry with Bank was barely there.
-Thom: One of my favorites. He didn't have too much screen time, but was definitely one the most believable performances out there. His chemistry with Bank was much more natural and had a nice flow to it, specially because, unlike Bank and Golf, Thom's relationship with Bank was better written and built on-screen.
-Tar and Teacher: The best "pairing" in the series. Their acting and chemistry was so natural they may as well take the lead roles for me.
-Bank's biological father: His acting came off a little too staged sometimes, but gave a decent performance overall. Kind of wish he had taken some more screen time.
I just want to say that this is the second BL I watch that's inspired by a movie of the same title and that has turned out the complete opposite of what the original source (the movie) was. I really do NOT recommend this drama because it doesn't make the cut for me. Way too messy and poorly produced.
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Better than you'd think.
Although I appreciate the intention of keeping us entertained during this pandemic, we have to agree these Covid inspired dramas haven't been a big deal. I have only seen a few and none of them have been worthy enough for a review. This one, though, was actually a pretty good one.It is extremely basic to the point there's literally nothing you can consider unique or memorable. I mean, there's only three actors and one setting, so there really isn't much we can get from this. Still, the story was cohesive and nicely written. Story wise, I tend to expect a lot from regular dramas, but this is one of those I love to just sit down, relax and watch without having to give much thought to anything.
The acting was quite decent for such small project. I remember dramas like "Ingredients," where the actors looked and felt so awkward and staged that it pushed me away from continuing out of pure cringe, and then look at this one and feel the huge difference. And yes, it did have some moments that felt fake, but it was not overpowering; just a couple of mistakes here and there.
This review is a little short compared to what I usually write but, again, the drama is so simple there is nothing much to take from it. I do recommend it, though, because it is a lighthearted story that, despite the fact it is very short, it pays homage to the classic BL tropes Thailand has created for the genre.
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She understood the assignment
This was a much needed improvement.I've been in this BL journey for a couple years now, so I can confidently say this is one of their best works in terms of writing. I watched this and the original season back to back and the superiority of this new version was so evident it completely overshadowed the original for me. The season was so well balanced it is almost satisfying to watch.
~Story:
Still simple, yet so much better told. Despite the fact the beginning was a little too rushed, it ultimately ended up playing out nicely. I am guessing the writers assumed the viewers should've seen the original season already, so they went ahead and summarize all that as quickly as possible to give space for everything that comes after. Well played. The original season made me feel empty, like there was a lot of story missing --there really wasn't a feeling of completion. On the other hand, this new version made so much sense, not even a single bit felt left out.
I am a little disappointed about the antagonists, though. There is little to no screen time for them. We know some stuff about one, but the other is completely out of the story for whatever reason, which doesn't really make sense since it is important to understand their reasoning why they did the things they did.
~Cast:
I'm kind of 50/50 about them, I was expecting more from some of them, but was left with some half-assed acting. Before I talk about them, though, can I just say the actors of each pairing remind me so much of previous couples from other BLs? Wayo and Pha look like Pete and Ae from "Love by Chance," Forth and Beam look like No and Phun from "Love Sick," and Ming and Kit look like Nam and Meuk from "Water Boyy: The Movie."
~Wayo/Pha: Even though the acting was a little better from both actors, this couple didn't give the same impact as the original. Bas and God's chemistry was so good and natural (specially thanks to God's acting), that the new guys didn't stand a chance. They both felt more like friends than a couple.
~Ming/Kit: Superior, SUPERIOR! I really enjoyed these actors a lot more than the originals. A very natural performance that held meaning due to Kit accepting that someone could love him for who he is. The writers kind of cut them out at the end but it was due to balance, so I wasn't bothered.
~Forth/Beam: BEST COUPLE, I SAY!!!! They really took me by surprise because I didn't know they were going to have this kind of relationship. Honestly, I don't think the originals even spoke to each other in their season, so the title card that showed them together didn't make any sense to the me... and probably the rest of the viewers. These new guys went ALL OUT and it played out the BEST out of all the couples. Strong chemistry, natural acting, and confident homoerotic scenes. These two stole the whole show for me thank u ♡
~Pacing, editing, and direction:
Check all these with a passing grade, please. This is the kind of quality content I want to support. Even simple dramas can look really good if there's a good vision and understanding of the story. Despite the super fast beginning, the gradually slower pacing afterwards really helped setting the mood and allowed the viewers to get to know the characters better -- everything just makes much more sense now.
Sis, this show has everything: Childhood love, love that blooms in adversity, love you gotta prove yourself for, shitty rumors, actors who don't know how to act drunk, somehow you gotta ask Pha for permission to everything, gay sisterhood and so much more. I totally recommend this version because this is superior to the original season, but you should still give the og a try because God. God is everything.
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You look rough, sis.
It's so strange because this drama is just as bad as it is good.I don't want you to think it's horrible because it's definitely not; however, there is A LOT of room for improvement. If I had seen this drama when it first came out, I know I would've probably liked it more, but since I'm watching it during a time when many BL productions have a considerable improvement in quality, I can see the faults in this drama more clearly. Even so, I still enjoyed the bits and pieces that created the bigger picture of the story.
~Story
Basic but cute. At this point, if you think this is new content you either haven't been paying attention or you are way too forgiving for this world and need to leave before I throw you a 9 inch high heel straight to the eye.
The main plot of this drama was finding and knowing each other again. I enjoyed how the story portrayed the main character's own prejudices towards himself and showed us a new "free to love" version of himself. There really isn't a lot going on in this drama to the point twelve episodes felt like a little too much content for such simple story. I wish they had focused a little more in the college Moon competition; I wanted them to make the story more exciting by giving the characters more challenges and fun things to do for the viewers' entertainment instead of just preparing them for a boring beauty pageant that didn't really mean anything at the end.
~Cast and acting:
Yes and no. I know there are a few fan favorites acting in this drama but, to be honest, I was unimpressed by their performances that felt VERY staged:
~Wayo: Questionable acting. This character looked and felt like a major airhead with the way he always looked like that meme of the old lady tryna calculate something. He did have some really cute moments that were the actor's only strong point, so all hope isn't lost with him.
~Phana: Probably the best one here. He was still a little staged, but nothing too crazy. He definitely felt the most natural of the bunch and was able to successfully carry the relationship better than Wayo's actor. By the way, his fucking name is God, I could not believe it! Thailand and its unique names, I swear LOL!
~Kit and Ming: These two fan faves are not of my liking. I see chemistry, but everything they do is so staged that it isn't even cute to watch. It was the same in Gen Y. I just cannot enjoy a performance like that.
~Forth and Beam: They were supposed to be a couple according to the title cards???? I don't know, I don't think they even interacted at all to even call them friends.
~Direction, pacing and editing:
Excuse me, what? I don't think there was even a vision in this drama. What's the purpose? What's the message? What mark do you want to leave in this world? There's nothing of the sort in this story. Even though what we got was good enough for a simple drama, the story in itself felt so incomplete. The script needed so much editing and rewriting to make it move nicely and keep the viewers engaged and like I said earlier: twelve episodes were way too much for it to the point a lot of things dragged for more time than it needed.
Sis, this show has everything: Prejudices, fears, misleading actions, re-encounters, re-starts, airheads, petty bitches, senseless beauty pageants, and lotsa gay shit. If you're one of those who just like watching for the cute moments and shenanigans I think this is a good drama for you; however, if you're more into captivating and fascinating plots, then I think you should go look somewhere else because this doesn't fully make the cut.
Would I rewatch this in the future? Yeah, sure. I mean, it's good for passing the time while I'm doing random stuff around the room.
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30Sai made Doteida to Mahotsukai ni Narerurashi
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The sweetest, most wholesome, heart warming drama.
I really have no words to describe how this drama made me feel. To be honest, I come from a generation in which LGBTQ+ movies and dramas were very, VERY tragic. We either got killed, physically, verbally and mentally abused, sexually assaulted, abandoned, and a lot of other sad (and somewhat traumatizing) things that, at some point in my youth, made me feel quite scared of being myself. I was young not too long ago, you guys, and I want you to know those times were actually a lot closer than you think. Around seven or eight years ago. So, I would like you to imagine even just a little bit of the happiness this drama brought me.It is fashion nowadays for Japanese dramas, anime and manga to have these very descriptive titles, and I find hilarious how spot on it was. I have said this before and I will keep saying it because they deserve the recognition: Japanese BL dramas have been a true delight lately. We have had way less BLs from Japan; however, these handful of stories have been able to surpass Thai BLs exponentially. They have been unique in their own way, creative and, most importantly, completely different from each other -- the last point is what Thai BLs lack the most, unfortunately. Still love them, though!
The story is very special. I don't think I have seen anything like this before. To be honest, the title pretty much says it all: a simple plot that blooms into a wholesome ending. I think the most successful thing about this series is how well established the personality of each character is. Even with those who happen to be similar, there's still specific traits that do not make them a copy of the other. Now, the story isn't as fascinating as "Fujoshi, Ukkari Gay ni Kokuru," but it still manages to captivate the audience with its heart warming scenes.
I know this drama is about homoerotic relationships, but I must mention how in love I am with the main female coworker. She is simply the COOLEST! I just love how down-to-earth and supportive she is. She deserves the best this world can offer.
Sis, I could not recommend this drama enough. If you are new to the genre and are looking for something short and sweet, this is the drama for you. If you are a BL veteran, you'll fall in love with the classic elements of boys love showcased in the story. Really, you should totally give it a try.
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She really came and you know what she did? THAT.
Mama, you just gotta leave it to the Koreans to make a proper BL drama.In such conservative society like South Korea's, it is quite rare to come across LGBTQ+ related media. I feel like I can name just a handful of these queer works because there really aren't that many in the first place, so I am quite excited to see South Korea taking the steps to bring more LGBTQ+ content to their popular media. And this the good shit right here.
The story is absolutely captivating -- a beautiful angst with the right amount of everything that makes any drama successful. I mean you got romance, action, comedy, unrequited love, suspense, fear, you name it. It was really surprising to see so many of these things being cleverly comprised in such short episodes. It was so good I couldn't even mind the fact that it was set in a school -- I come from Thai BLs and the school drama is an extremely tired trope that needs to be prohibited. In all honesty, it's really hard to find something bad with this drama.
The acting was superb. This time, I am only focusing on the two leads we got because it's truly all about them to the point that other actors were just there to get the plot moving (all the actors were good, let's at least give them that well deserved credit). Kang Gook and Tae Joo were, in lack of a better word, a BL dream come true. Gosh, they killed it. The chemistry, the tension, the desire, just every feeling was very palpable and well executed. Seeing Kang Gook trying to keep his composure when he's alone in a room with Tae Joo was captivating and had me at the edge of my seat.
In all honesty, the fact that this drama hasn't been picked up for a full hour-long episodes remake is homophobic. I can see this gaining more success if it only had better publicity.
With every good thing, there's always the bad side of it, and even though this drama is excellent the way it is, I do feel like it is lacking in story. There were quite a bit of unanswered questions that DESERVED some time to be fleshed out. That's why this drama needs a longer remake: there's quite a bit of information that needs to be given to fully grasp everything that is going on here.
So here's hoping that someday this work of art can get a proper drama series.
I can't recommend this drama enough. It raised the bar so high that it's gonna be hard to top. Most dramas I've seen aren't at the level, sis. You should definitely give this a try.
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FINALLY A DRAMA THAT TREATS SEXUAL ASSAULT AS A SERIOUS MATTER!!!!
I am going to review both seasons at once because it's a lot more convenient to put all my thoughts together in one review.Mama, this entire series is a diamond in the rough, but very, *very* rough. So, if you can survive the cringe, you'll realize how good it is as a whole.
~Story:
She really came and said: "FUCK. YOUR. TROPES!" and, you know what? I wholeheartedly love her for that! I think most BL's being released recently are just tired versions of the same tropes repeating over and over again, so a drama that steps out of that box to try and create something new is very much appreciated. For me, at least.
The plot was cleverly written, making you believe it is going to be just a normal love story, but then giving you a huge slap on the face when it exposes what's actually been going on on the other side of the main story line. Everything about this plot is excellent material yet the execution ruins most of it. From the first couple of minutes you realize the show is running on low budget, which leads to hiring questionable actors and their questionable acting. I find this very unfortunate because series like this one are the ones that should get "more," in my opinion.
What I really enjoyed about this series is how raw it was. It did not waste time sugarcoating ANYTHING and allowed you to feel those raw moments and emotions that were important for the understanding of the situations the characters were involved in.
~Cast:
It was... it... you know? It could be better, WAY better than what we got. I'm sure of that.
~James/Ait: Who the hell cares about these two? I feel like they tried to used them as a cheap way to lighten the dark, serious mood in the story. It didn't work. It turned out petty and embarrassing, and they should've been removed. I do understand that they wanted to show different controversies in the industry, but you could tell their story line was fighting a losing battle, yet the writers kept forcing them to take center stage. Everything about them was repelling: the acting, the chemistry, the dialogues, and even the story line itself was out of place.
~Bas: First of all, I know him from Love Sick, so I was happy to see a good ol' familiar face. I have to admit that I was very, VERY impressed by how much his acting skill has grown. Not that he got a lot of screen time in Love Sick to know, but I wasn't really expecting him to be this natural. Despite the cringey over the top car scenes, everything else was pretty believable. You know, acting these kinds of roles is probably quite hard, but he did one hell of a job. Best actor in the series without a doubt.
Being a gay man and also a victim of mild sexual assault myself, I was sold on his role. I did not react in the same way as him, but I was able to understand his fears and despair. I really hope to see more of this actor in future works.
~Marco: He was in between good and bad. I didn't hate his role, but I did wish her was a little more confident. You can see the actor was a little shy and restrained, so his acting didn't come out as believable. I'm gonna give him a passing grade, though, because he did much better than the first two.
~Editing, Pacing, Direction:
If there's someone I gotta give credit to is the editing team. You could tell they did the best they could to put together, what it is, a messy low budget production. I love the transition shots and how cohesive the pacing looks. The show has a solid idea that, unfortunately, lacked money to bring out their full potential. If you ask me, I would LOVE and support a good quality remake of it in the future. This series deals with serious topics in a mature way that is very important for the target audience to understand and learn from.
Sis, this show has everything! Deceiving plot lines, toxic fandom, unspeakable traumas, petty people falling in love, volatile mental health, workplace drama, poor excuses, vomit kinks, and more. Really good plot within a questionable production, but I do recommend it. May not be for the sensitive ones, though. So watch carefully.
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Yes, I am definitely scraping the bottom of the barrel.
I do not know what to write about anymore because most of these dramas are just repeating the same mistakes over and over AND OVER again. Let me just say: It is not the greatest drama I have seen, but it is not that bad. It passes with the lowest grade possible, though.~Story:
Who cares, really. It's the typical haters turned to lovers, engineers and doctors, college students with petty struggles kind of drama. I bet you have seen like twenty of these already amirite, jush? This one just joins the bunch and gets lost in the crowd. This entire university is a cruising spot. So many people is in love with so many people. It's like a huge family tree but with people falling in love. Honestly, that was very messy, as if serious relationships kind of didn't matter because you will easily fall in love again.
~Cast:
Definitely a 50/50. I wasn't really impressed by anyone, but they weren't all bad. I'ts just that the story is quite messy and it's hard to get a full take on some characters. Let's see:
Mark/Kit: Okay, but, am I the only one who thinks Kimmo looks like the lovechild between Captain (Love Sick) and the main from Theory of Love, the asshole womanizer? There are similarities on his looks and how he expresses himself. All in all not my favorite couple, though. There is chemistry, but the acting didn't sell it for me. It looks staged and lacked good reactions. We needed some more confidence between the actors.
Wayu: He won me over with the rain scene on episode two. A really decent actor who may be a little boring sometimes, but at least it came out more natural than the others. Bas is physically adorable, so I always had that need of wanting to protect him. Great casting choice, I think. In all seriousness, his plot with Pha was not interesting. Why? Mama there was nothing to attach myself into. We never really meet him or had a taste on their relationship to actually feel something about it. Too much mystery for nothing.
Thanu: Yes and no. Again, acting was a little questionable, but nothing I would hate considerably. I don't know if you noticed but he definitely felt like he was reacting on cue, which is not the most realistic acting ever. Plus, his plot line with the other guy was unnecessary and weird. That supernatural shit was so out of place. Wish he could risk it all for me, though...
Pok/Tong: Who the fuck cares about these two? I couldn't be any more unimpressed by a couple who didn't have anything good to do in the story. I personally though they had way too much screen time.
Those are all the actors I'll talk because everything else is either irrelevant or a mess unworthy to write about.
~Writing/Pacing/Editing:
Wait, let me take a deep breath... Terrible. I mean, no. This drama didn't really make sense and I really wish there was some type of quality control team because, honestly, if I were reviewing this novel and script, I would have either reject it or tell them to write it all over again. There was not good flow between stories and it lacked balance. The pacing was really messy too since we didn't have any signs or anything that almost a year had passed. So I'm here wondering why some scenes didn't match well with previous episodes. The story in itself was quite messy and, honestly, the editing was expected to be this way because there was no good flow in the story itself for the editing to work out.
~Music:
It was okay. There's only one song that I genuinely liked and it is the one with the very soft beat that the mains sing. Don't know the name but it's stuck in my head. Nice to hear on a rainy day with some tea and pastries.
Mama, this show has everything: Questionable casting, lack of quality control, cruising spots, swimming coach with titties, supernatural shit that does not make any damn sense with the plot, Wayu crying like the cutest baby, disappearances, unattractive people receiving questionable beauty awards, and cliffhangers. I don't know if I should recommend this because there's definitely better stuff out there. I mean, I guess you could watch it but don't expect anything life changing.
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Came here for the gay shit, stayed for the straight shit.
This is not the most amazing Korean drama I have seen, but after watching so many Thai BLs, this one was pretty damn good. As soon as I heard Despacito I thought this was gonna be garbage. Luckily it wasn't but, still, CHOICE WERE MADE.First of all, it is a very simple and predictable story. I constantly found myself guessing what was going to happen and, as expected, I was correct in most occasions. That's the kind of story we are dealing with here. Despite all that, it was still quite an enjoyable little series. I also like that the title of the series was actually what the series was about and not just for show. It had a beautiful message that left viewers with a warm feeling at the end.
I came here originally for the gay shit, so let's talk about that. It was nice. I genuinely enjoy when writers give me a story that feels realistic. The LGBTQ+ community in South Korea suffers a lot from discrimination and, even though I have never been there or experienced anything of the sort from the country, I can see that they tried to make it as realistic as possible adding some elements from drama series. It was really good to see the increasing development of the two main homosexual actors. Nice acting too!
- Writing, Direction and Pacing:
Decent. I can't really say this was the best written drama because there were moments where I thought it was a little messy and that could have been improved. To be honest with you, I have never been a fan of dramas that follow too many storylines because, in reality, who cares about all these people? Focus the story on what's important because then you miss a lot of good opportunities for some characters to develop. I was expecting more from the older brothers but we barely managed to have a decent story. At least I can say I'm glad their stories worked out despite the little we got.
The pacing was decent for the main couple and maybe the doctor guy. Their story was very solid and fleshed out nicely, which is what ultimately attracted me the most. Can't say the same about everybody else, though. Again, a lot of skipping and fast paced plots.
I did enjoy the symbolism, though. The "running" scene gave me chills and was a delight to see. Also, I don't know if yous noticed, but this drama never really made you feel completely happy. As soon as that beautiful emotion tried to fully reach you, something else happened that bonerkilled it. I thought that was quite interesting since it made the final episode a little more wholesome.
- Acting:
50/50. It all depends on your tastes. I have very low tolerance to cringey stuff so, if you watched the series already, you probably can imagine how some of what they considered "fun acting" made me feel. I do think the leads were quite natural with their performance, but there were specific moments where it was too much. Considering this is a Korean drama, I was a little surprised about that since I'm used to better from this country.
Mama this show has everything: Diverse communities, traumatic pasts, unfulfilled promises, hot ass motherfuckers, bipolar personalities, betrayal, constant apologizing, hot ass motherfuckers, diarrhea, choices, unexpected erections, and hot ass motherfuckers. I do recommend it to anyone who's looking for a lighthearted romcom.
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Life Senjou no Bokura: Director's Cut
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Nothing special, but so special.
There's nothing much to say about the movie since I already reviewed the TV series not long ago. It is the exact same story with just a tiny little extra content. A little surprise treat. Mind you, this version made me cry at the end.More than talking about the story, I wanna talk about whoever the hell was the director and people editing this entire series because they did an excellent job. Every single scene flows so beautifully, it feels kind of immaculate. The storytelling through visual imagery had a lot of thought put into it allowing the viewers to immerse themselves in the world of the movie.
Looking back, there's not even a moment where I felt lost and I think it is because the story is simple and clear to understand. Even though the movie had extra scenes of content, it did not mean that the series was confusing either because something was missing and I like that. The extra content was truly, like I said earlier, a treat. It was like a gift to those who enjoyed the series.
Now, mind you, I did cry at the end of the movie. There's something about that specific type of scene that for some reason makes me tear up. It is a cliche scene but it always makes the same strong impact. It was truly beautiful.
Who can truly say what is normal? This movie shows you that every single human being has a different answer.
I could not recommend this enough. Watch the series first and then come and watch the movie for that well deserved extra content. This title is definitely up there on my list of best BL/LGBTQ+ works.
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Seven years of love my ass.
I am a certified idiot because even after how TERRIBLE my experience with season 1 was, I still had a little bit of hope for this drama. Well, bitch, that's officially over because this series is TRASH and NO ONE can change my mind.It takes some really hard dedication to grab something that is already bad and make it even worse. Now, there are two types of bad when it comes to this series: romanticized sexual assault and abusive relationships bad, and absolute garbage writing, acting, and producing bad. I can't tell which is more insufferable. At least season 1 was better written, which is pretty much the only good thing about it. Season 2 was... a straight up M E S S. Like, I genuinely can't find anything good about it, and I tried. This is the most unprofessional job I have seen in a drama so far.
I find it hilarious that they had to remind me on every single episode that they been dating for seven years. Mama, you ain't foolin' a bitch. You been dating for a day because NO ONE would be going out with someone for SEVEN YEARS and have such levels of DISTRUST towards each other.
There were A LOT of things that I personally didn't like/thought it could have been improved, but I'll talk only about the most prominent ones:
~Acting:
Garbage. And I was genuinely concerned because some of the actors I thought were good on the previous season butchered their performance so bad here. Techno was too much, Champ was too awkward (and yes I know his character is awkward), Tharn's parents need to quit, Tharn's sister... so beautiful but a TERRIBLE actress, the doctor guy couldn't even land a joke right, the knee guy couldn't even portray a character right, and I could just keep talking. Seriously, WHAT HAPPENED HERE?! That leads to my next point:
~Cast:
Garbage. I'm going to tell you my main problem: The age gap was way too noticeable. Most of our characters are in their late twenties/early thirties and the only actor that reflects this age is Mew. Everybody else looked way too young to be playing these roles. I understand why Gulf is still here (obviously), but pretty much every body else needed to be recasted. Their interactions and set personalities were too childish to believe these were grown adults.
~Story:
Garbage. There's barely even a plot. Everything was as shallow as it could be. No in-depth story. You would think that we would *at least* have a better look into the knee guy's life, but we only got the usual "nobody loves me boo boo boo" drama that didn't mean anything. Lhong's story was so much better told and had way more impact than this little brat's. Generic, generic, generic already seen before plot.
The only thing that I have to admit I really liked about the story was Type's ceremony thing at the end. I really loved that little taste of Thailand culture and tradition. I thought Gulf looked adorable without... you know... hahahaha! That was cute, sis. That and the cocoa couple. I liked them.
~Writing, pacing, editing:
Garbage. I mean it seriously.
Mama this show has everything: Garbage writing, garbage acting, garbage plot, garbage cast, garbage drama. You could call it the visual depiction of GARBAGE. I do not recommend it. Actually, I didn't even watch this through an official streaming service because there's no way in hell I was going to officially support this mess. ;)
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Someone lied to her several times.
This is an honest opinion from someone who is a fan of the manga and the anime series: This drama was unnecessary.~Story:
It would be one thing if this drama had taken a different approach with the story. Retell it in a different way, captivate the audience with exclusive content. However, what we got was an extremely glossed over version of a story that's supposed to be deep, intricate, beautiful, and heartbreaking.
This isn't a drama for the ones of us who are looking for a plot, this is a drama for those who want some lackluster fan service.
Given is a story told in different perspectives that interconnect in a harmonious way to form the bigger picture: we have Uenoyama's perspective, Mafuyu's perspective, Haruki and Akihiko's perspective, Hiiragi's perspective, and lastly Ugetsu's perspective. Unfortunately, this drama focused on Uenoyama's perspective and barely touched on Mafuyu's, the latter being the core of it all yet being undermined as if the writers weren't paying attention to the original plot. That being said, the entire plot contains huge holes that are very important for a clear understanding of what is truly going on. Everything is so shallow you can't even feel the despair or any type of emotion that should be there.
~Cast:
Nothing impressive. The actors provided little to no personality to the characters and left nothing remarkable to remember them at the end. Okay, you know what? I kinda take that back because Mafuyu's vocals are the best thing about this whole thing.
Sanari's vocals are to me the vocals anime Mafuyu should have had. No offense to the VA, but his vocals always made me feel as if he had breathing problems; on the other hand, Sanari's vocals felt like the wails of someone who's so deeply hurt they can't help but to cry in pain. It was B E A U T I F U L. When he started singing "Melody Lane," my heartstrings were being pulled by his voice in all the right ways.
Going back to the topic. None of them were bad actors, but it just felt as if they had never seen the anime or read the manga before. All of those moments that showcase the personality of each character were not there, and it is a shame because the characters have pretty great personalities and even better interactions with each other. All that is gone here.
The music is the one thing about this drama that truly deserves the spotlight. I already mentioned Mafuyu's vocals, but the musicians also deserve some credit because this soundtrack was IT.
I am going to be very honest with you, the reader: PLEASE DO NOT WATCH THIS DRAMA AS YOUR INTRODUCTION TO THE STORY. It is not even a shadow of how good the original source material is. This drama should be your LAST option because it's truly not at the level. DO NOT let this drama shape your opinion about the manga or the anime in any way.
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Neither one or the other.
Thailand media is definitely leaning towards quantity rather than quality so, as expected, many of their dramas are falling into a copy-paste situation. This one is a clear example of that. Is it good, or is it bad? It depends on the person watching.~ Story:
Here is the thing: it is not a bad story... if you're someone who's new in the genre and hasn't seen a lot of dramas from it. In my case, however, I found it quite repetitious due to the fact that I've already watched so many dramas with the same tropes to the point I am left unimpressed by what's happening in the story. Like I said: copy-paste situation. Nothing new, nothing unique, nothing special. Just your basic go-to story. But don't get me wrong, please, because I did find it to be one of those series you can sit back and relax with a cup of tea (or glass of wine, in my case) since it's a very simple plot that doesn't require you to pay attention to small details or anything of the sort. It was a nice little drama to spend a lazy weekend at home watching.
~ Cast:
Surprisingly, I don't have a lot of complaints about these actors. Although it was predictable acting, most of them did a decent job. Sometimes I wonder, though: Do they train all these actors in the same school? Because it's crazy how ALL of them (not just in this drama) act in the exact same way. That's what I mean with predictable. It's not bad, but it feels like they are following a book instead of coming up with their own individual acting. Very few actors step out of that box and, unfortunately, none of the actors here did that. Let's talk about some of them.
~ Pi: Decent. To be honest with you, from what I have seen, a lot of Thai actors are not really that good at acting comedy, so Phu was a little rough around the edges during those scenes. However, everything else was quite good. I am Latin American and the "Ugly Betty" story is very dear to my heart, so I now have a fondness towards this actor for acting a role inspired by this iconic and beloved Colombian character. Good chemistry with his partner, too.
~ Mork: A little better. Was I found successful about Pond is that his character was so serious that his comedy scenes were delivered better since it's something unexpected to come from a character that keeps his composure.
~ Duean: I am going to be biased here: I do not like this actor. Not because he is bad at acting, no, he's okay if okay to you means very predictable. But my problem lies in his voice. I absolutely HATE IT. He's one of those people I wish could shut up because his constant yelling is drilling into my ears giving me a headache. I had to endure it for the sake of his partner, but I wanted to skip every single scene he was speaking in.
~ Meen: Probably the most cliched character and ultimately one of my favorites. To be honest, he and Duean were both annoying, but Meen was on the cuter side making him more likeable than his partner.
~ Editing and Pacing:
Excellent. Everything was coherent and well put together. There's nothing really tricky about the plot and that helped the editing feel a lot more smoother and easy to follow.
On a side note: this is the first drama I've seen that doesn't have a beach or planting trees episode! Thank goodness cuz that was getting so tired.
Sis, this show has everything: Makeovers, hidden agendas, cyber bullying, moaning, a bitch you wanna slap, and balloons. I recommend it, specially if you're new in the genre and are looking for something simple and easy to follow.
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What is going on in here on this gay day?
I just wanna know who the hell thought this was a good idea and have their contracts terminated. Can you believe the audacity? This is the the biggest letdown I've had to witness and it is disheartening.First of all, the timeline chaos. I was so confused watching the first two episodes because we suddenly had a trip to the past, but it felt that we were constantly going back and forth through time. Turns out they decided to completely rewrite Tin and Can's meeting and pretend it was going to make sense right away. Guess what, Susan? It didn't. I find this to be a very confusing and controversial decision. I mean, the writers are pretty much negating half of what happened on season 1 like it wasn't good. But it *was* good.
The story in itself felt pretty shallow to the point I thought I was watching "Yuri!! on Ice" because there was nothing good there. We had good characters with good concepts to work with, but none of it had purpose. There wasn't a clear plot and it lacked organization. For 10 episodes I found myself constantly waiting for something big to happen since they were constantly building up tension for an upcoming moment that never came and I was left blue balled (not in the sexual way, to be clear). It was totally like YOI because we had all these great drama moments between the couples, but everything else was left out.
By the way, who the hell was that support role who got so much unnecessary screen time when he added NOTHING at all to the episode whatsoever? He wasn't even funny like Pond, just a bunch of unnecessary lines that ultimately made us all waste precious time that could've been used to enhance the non-existent plot.
Talking about characters, let's get into some of these because, honestly, the writers played them dirty:
Plan/Mean: These two mofos have been working as a couple for two whole dramas and two specials and I can't believe they STILL have the nerve to act so awkward with each other. I was expecting a little more flavor between them since they already know each other well, but they are just as bland as they were on season 1. Those kisses were so hard to see and I blame Plan for being so stiff, like, dude you're getting paid to play a role you yourself chose to act in, so set yourself loose and act accordingly!!! Mean can't carry the relationship by himself even though he clearly tried. I wanna see the level of confidence and gay energy that Win and Bright had on Still 2gether.
Mark/Gun: I don't even know what were they even doing in this season if the writers barely had any story for them. 90% of their appearances was product placement giving little to no character development for their characters. Not that I'm a big fan of this relationship due to the issue of romanticizing sexual assault, but still, this relationship didn't seem to have a plot to move forward.
Title/Earth: They even got less screen time than the previous ones. I'm a big fan of Earth and I was excited to see more of his work, but I was barely given three super short scenes with him. Sad and upset. The only good thing about their relationship is that they both seemed to be the only ones here who were able to grow as characters and find their own paths. I wish I could have seen more of that development on camera.
Perth: Honestly, I think he was casted on this season for the sake of the fandom because he not only had a terrible script, but also wasn't providing anything to the season. Not like any of these characters were doing it in the first place, but you get me. He just felt like he wasn't part of this. Too bad because Perth is one of the best actors here.
Meen: I can't believe I had to rely on him for a real kiss scene. From episode one, I had a lot of expectations for this character, but he was lacking a good script, unfortunately. His intentions throughout the season felt pointless like he clearly had regrets of the things he had done, but at the same time he wasn't even trying to become a better person. I don't know, he was a very weird antagonist.
All in all, I would have preferred if this season didn't happen rather than having this as it is right now. Honestly, I don't know if there's ever going to be some type of special or season 3, but if they do I hope they get better writers because this left A LOT to wish for and I don't recommend it to anyone.
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It's better than you'd think.
I do have to admit the cover image threw me off from this drama at the beginning. It was giving "editing is my passion!" meme vibes. That being said, after giving it a go, this wasn't nearly as bad as I thought It'd be.~Story:
Let's get the elephant in the room out of the way: Yes, this is definitely inspired by the *really good* Korean BL "Where Your Eyes Linger." However, am I mad about it? Hell to the no! And I'll talk about this in a bit.
Back to the point, the story was very well written for the mains and the mains only. I personally really liked it because it felt very complete from beginning to end (and because I love WYEL). We had so much plot about both characters there is literally no questions left to ask. That attention to detail is something that A LOT, and I mean WAY TOO MANY dramas of the BL genre fail to deliver today.
I do think it was a little cheeky and cringey at some points but, on the good side, it was well balanced. There was a bit of action, a bit of comedy, a bit of angst, a bit of drama, a bit of gay shit to clench the thirst, and a bit of cringe. I kinda wish the cringe was minimal, but once the main started singing I had to leave the room cuz I couldn't take it. Episode 7 is one of the most cringey yet hilarious shit Thailand has given me so far.
Everything else in the drama was definitely lacking on screen time to the point I wish it wasn't there. There was little to no room left to care about the friends and their relationship, and the mafia storyline was weak. They weren't well integrated, unfortunately.
Now, as a fan of WYEL, I have to say that this is what I needed. Honestly, WYEL was too damn short for a story that deserved more depth and Golden Blood became all the filler WYEL was missing. When I started looking at it from this perspective, I wished so badly the company behind WYEL could go back and create a full drama to give the story justice. Despite the fact Golden Blood had its faults, it is still superior due to how complete it is.
~Cast/Acting:
It is just as good as it is bad. I'm tired of repeating the same thing, but it's just that these Thai actors are all making the same mistakes over and over again.
Sky: It's satisfying to see how Gun has grown as an actor. The first time that I saw him was a couple years ago in "Love by Chance." His role there was... awkward, to say the least, but it has evolved into something a lot more natural. There were some parts in which he gave us way too much intensity, but I can live with it. At least it was watchable, you know.
Sun: I keep wondering if his "beard" was real or not. Either way I want him to eat my ass like it's his life source. This guy, Boat, was giving me everything my gay ass looks for in a man. Hard nipples, bitch. That is all. Okay, but he did a very good job for the most part. I kinda wish he had made his voice sound a little deeper, though.
~Editing, pacing, direction:
For something that doesn't seem to have a big budget, I think they did the best they could and it paid off a lot better than I was expecting. I once read a review that said the fighting scenes were bad but, honestly, they were the best fight scenes Thailand has given us within a BL. Except episode 7. Please let me forget the entirety of that episode.
Sis, this show has everything: Mafia, action packed lifestyles, college students acting like elementary schoolers, a beard that makes your asscheeks tingle when he's going down on it, that bitch with the chopped hair, unrequited love, past traumas, nurturing feelings, and more. I recommend it, SPECIALLY if you have seen WYEL.
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