1
10
ScarlettaMay
The Cloud Recesses
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A story of love and acceptance even in the worst of times.
Story: I’m writing this as a lesbian who experienced the same events as Cairo within this drama as I can understand and appreciate the plot in a different way because of this. I also struggled with my sexuality the same as Cairo, and was outed when I was still not ready. I (like Cairo) was outed by my now ex best friend who I thought would accept me, but turned completely against me. Being outed by the person you thought was your best friend completely breaks your trust which explains why Cairo is so closed off. Dealing with the burden of such a huge secret weighs you down and having friends by your side is the most important thing you can have when you’re struggling with your own identity. The way Cai also handled it, when she apologised he accepted her apology but did not forgive her yet, made me happy. When someone hurts you that much, especially a close friend, it’s almost impossible for your friendship to go back to the way things were before, so I love that they didn’t make what his best friend did as a minor issue and showed the consequences of her actions both for him and her. The slow but quick progression of their relationship was fast but also felt quite natural in some ways. When they finally met you could see so much love in their eyes I actually teared up when I saw them crying. This was not just a story about a simple internet romance during the Covid-19 pandemic, this is a story of love and acceptance even in the worst of times.Cast: Elijah Canlas as Cairo- At first I did think Elijah’s acting was a little awkward but as the series progressed we saw an actor who took on a role giving it his own interpretation and completely taking on the role of Cairo. It wasn’t even the big things, but the most subtle actions made his role so believable. When I first realised I was interested in woman the term ‘gay’ or ‘lesbian’ felt so foreign, so when I finally confronted my sexual preference I remember getting choked up and it took me a few seconds to even say the word ‘gay’. When Cairo did the same when talking to his mum I had to pause the episode and breathe because of how emotional I felt. I can officially say that Elijah as Cairo is the best actor to have played such a role in order to represent the fear those of the LGBT community still face even to this day. When he portrayed his father dying, it wasn’t the case of quickly moving on, but it also wasn’t portrayed as him being constantly depressed, it was more he was sad but wanted to continue living his life and carrying on his father’s memory which I loved.
—Kokoy de Santos as Gavreel- Kokoy created a character for Gavreel that was more than just the simple playboy he may seem on the outside. He created a confident but secretly insecure character who always wanted the people around him to be happy. He was a character that was pushy in some ways, but also understood when Cairo needed space and would back off but still show and send his love and support throughout all the tough times he faced. Gavreel was also just as prone to jealousy as anyone would be, and although he clearly struggles to communicate he does try and we watch him grow through the series.I really loved the character of Gavreel and I think describing him as “boyfriend goals” would be especially fitting.
—Adrianna So as Pearl- Wow, Pearl was literally my favourite female character not just in this series, but possibly ever. She was the shipper female friend that was there for the couple, defended them, but also knew when not to interfere with their love lives. She had a strong sense of right and wrong and would even argue with her best friend on Cairo’s behalf if she thought he did something wrong. My favourite quote of hers is “if you did something stupid don’t use mental health as an excuse, own up to your mistakes make up for it and don’t do it again”. She even drove all the way out to help Gav and Cai meet for the first time, and left as soon as they were together so they had chance to be alone as if she knew how important this meeting was. She’s someone that seems like she would be easy to make friends with and talk to when you go through tough times. I can’t wait to watch her own series when it comes out.
Music: It was pretty enjoyable with some good backtracks and sound effects, but nothing I thought was incredibly memorable.
Rewatch value: I can definitely say as soon as this series ends I’ll straight away be rewatching it, and I can imagine that I’ll go back to this series many times.
Overall: I’m so grateful for this series and I believe this series alone will help so many people in Cairo’s position. This is more than just a simple BL series and I can’t thank The IdeaFirst company enough for creating this. This will definitely be a game changer, not only for Filipino BL’s, but the representation of gay characters as a whole. I’m so glad I was able to watch this series when it first began.
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Hilarious and comedic, but well written and chaotic.
Story: When I first started this my plan was, because it was a sitcom, I wasn’t going to take it seriously, it was just for a laugh. However they created such an amazing plot with a couple that had great communication and were so sweet. If I had to describe this show in 2 words it would be “chaotic” yet “meaningful”. Every character brought something new and funny to the series, and I fell in love with each one, especially Om. The final episode was a good closure too in preparation for a season 2. I’m sad that there is only 6 episodes but I’m so happy with what we got, and wouldn’t change a thing about this series other than the flashing lights at the beginning because I felt like I was gonna have a seizure. Other than that it was the perfect balance between funny and serious.Cast: Yoon (Nott)- He’s so handsome and, for a rookie actor, did such a good job as the role of Nott. He was funny but portrayed emotions well, and I really enjoyed every scene he was in and his great advice at the end of each episode.
—Talay (Pun)- I fell in love with Talay from My Engineer, and fell even more in this series. He’s also incredibly handsome, and is a natural when it comes to acting. He was by far the best character in the series and I really hope to see him in even more dramas.
—Poppy (Porpla)- I loved his character in WhyRU and I now have so much respect for him as he played the feminine Porpla, dressing in drag and being incredibly flamboyant. He was the funniest character and definitely brought the main humour to the show. I can’t think of anyone who could have done as well as he did.
—Peerawich and Scott (Om and Arm)- Om was seriously the best friend you wish you could have, even when you thought he was just silly and messing around, he was smart and intuitive while being hilarious and amazing. He was my favourite character and the supportive friend we all need! Arm I had mixed feelings over his character because while he did help the couple progress and knew when to back off, he seemed incredibly desperate due to his attraction to Nott. However they were both awesome and I liked them a lot in the end.
Music: The music was great, I really enjoyed the opening and OST, and the constant sound effects really helped the setting. I also loved the constant references through the music such as the WhyRU music which made it even better.
Rewatch value: That’s definitely a 10, I will be rewatching this very soon and probably a few times so I can have another laugh.
Overall: If you like more serious dramas I would probably avoid this, but if you like sitcoms and cheesy slapstick comedy with a healthy relationship then definitely check this out, you won’t regret it! I’ll also say if you liked the drama Diary of Tootsies then you will love this!
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More than just the simple BL it appears to be
Story:Wow, although I know that there have been various BL series where the couple adopt a son, this series took that theme to another level. I think it’s important that this is a Taiwanese series as Taiwan is the first and so far only (not counting Israel) Asian country to legalise same sex marriage and allow partial adoption for same sex couples. This series deals with some serious and prevalent issues that unfortunately many LGBT couples still face to this day, including homophobia, child bullying, and adoption as prime examples of this. It’s clear both Jerry and Damian don’t have supportive parents due to the simple fact that they are hiding their marriage and adoption from their families, and in episode 2 and 3 I understood why that was when watching Jerry’s mum. I’m honestly really happy to see LGBT dramas portray such realistic aspects of gay relationships, such as societal pressure and trying to come to a consensus with something both Jerry and Damian can agree on (in this case it’s having children). I love the fact that they dug deep into Kai’s confusion with having 2 dads instead of a mum and a dad, because it really shows the heteronormative society we live in where children are expected to have a mum and dad despite this fact not affecting anyone else except the family. Episode 5 was by far my favourite because it does such an amazing job to present the fear of coming out, especially to conservative parents which I’ve definitely had a lot of experience with. It was so heartwarming that their love could be accepted and I nearly cried at the final scene. Unfortunately episode 6 was when everything went downhill and they left it with a cliffhanger which will cause a lot of drama if a second season is made. I’m hoping that people uploading episodes illegally won’t affect the production from season 2, because I really need to know what’s going to happen now.
Acting/Cast:
—Melvin Sia as “Damian”- Melvin was such a great, natural actor. He has fantastic expression management and his acting is so natural and realistic, which I’m not surprised about knowing he’s already won several awards for his acting prior to this series. His interactions with his “son” and with Mike are so natural I could hardly believe this was the first drama where he played a gay character.
—Mike Lin as “Jerry”- Jerry is another amazing actor whose acting has such a natural feel to it and really draws you in. Jerry is definitely a very relatable character who just wants to travel the world and has such high aspirations yet, with a supportive partner, is still able to settle down while doing whatever he wants. In episode 5 he did an amazing job portraying the fears that those in the LGBT community still face to this day when coming out to close family members and friends. With Melvin I wasn’t surprised to see he was already a successful actor, but I was shocked that Mike is still so new to the industry, having only acted in 1 other series and 2 movies prior to this. Despite being so new he did an amazing job and I really hope to see him in future series too.
Music:
Other than the opening and ending there is nothing particularly memorable about it.
Overall:
A definite 9.5/10 for me. This may only be a short series, but despite its length there is a very strong portrayal of a married gay couple and their adoption, versus how those around them and society as a whole reacts to these connections. It’s definitely worth a watch but I would recommend avoiding the last episode until news of season 2 is officially announced, otherwise it’s going to be a very inconsequential watch.
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Story: I thought the overall storyline was quite interesting and unique. I’ve never watched a drama with a plot like this, though it definitely gave me HIStory vibes. When I first read the description I worried it was going to be the half-brothers in love, so I was relieved when I realised the series was about them and their separate partners. The script was very clever in helping the 2 leads to get closer in a more realistic way than just shoving them in the same direction like I have seen happen in other series, so I was definitely happy with this. Although it’s clear who the main and side couples were, I found myself loving all 3 couples and enjoying the progression of their relationship, rushed as it may have been.
Cast: I was surprised to see that the actors were all very new, as they were really good at what they were doing. I didn’t feel any awkwardness between them, and there was a lot of chemistry between all the couples. I like how we saw the changes between the brother relationships as well, in the beginning they weren’t close at all and always fought, yet it ended with them all sat having a meal with their partners looking very happy. It was nice to watch them become closer and friendly like that. My one complaint was the languages, the main character talked in Korean yet they responded back to him in Taiwanese, it was just a little disorientating.
Music: I liked the opening OST, but other than that there was nothing incredibly memorable about it.
Rewatch value: If I’m ever bored and want to watch a quick, short BL series, this will probably be one of my first choices. I can’t see myself rewatching it unless I’m bored, but I already know I won’t watch it and leave it like I do with other series.
Overall: This definitely won’t be anyone’s favourite drama, and it won’t be winning any awards for best BL series, but I think it you give it a go and watch it with a clear mind, you may find yourself enjoying it just as much as I did.
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The Reality of the Industry
Story: Wow, I’m so amazed at the quality of this series, including the cinematography, production, and fantastic directing. This series really exposes the worse sides of the industry, specifically the BL sides. We see the subtle homophobia when choosing actors, and prioritising NSFW scenes over a healthy, slow and natural bond forming through Gene’s writing. I love that the series he wrote is called “Bad Engineer” because I feel like it might be a subtle dig at all the Engineering BL’s that have slowly gone downhill. There have been several overused themes in other series such as the “kissing while drunk” scene that was taken here and well played out. Despite Nubsib repeatedly chasing after Gene, he didn’t accept Gene because he knew Gene was drunk and couldn’t really consent to anything. Although Nubsib is still very pushy he also respects personal boundaries and takes good care of Gene, which makes me very happy as sadly a lot of BL series tend to romanticise sexual harassment, which is not okay. We also see homophobia from parents that should love and support their children, yet will turn their backs on their own family members just to make themselves look better, which is really sad. Although I was a little annoyed with the jealousy and childhood friends plot line I’m glad they turned it around and demonstrated what a healthy relationship should look like when Nubsib and Gene actually started communicating properly. I do like that Nubsib waited for Gene and never forced him to come out, but I think he could have been more understanding before the press conference about how Gene must have been feeling. I was happy that things turned around in the final episode where we saw Nubsib and Gene exchange sweet kisses and interactions, and they got the happy ending they deserved. I also loved the multiple alternate endings from different romance films/novels/plays as it was a bit of hilarity to distract from the fact that the series was ending.Characters: Poompat as Gene- When this series was first announced I recognised the actor from somewhere, and later realised he was from the famous KA lip care and sunscreen ads. However, this is his first series as a main role, which you would not have guessed based on the quality of his acting. For me, a good actor is someone who can create a character the audience can really relate to, and Poompat did a perfect job of this. Gene is such a sweet, innocent guy and I love that despite not being able to write the stuff he truly loves, he makes the best out of it and isn’t afraid to call out his boss and the directors of their (less than desirable) thoughts and words. Gene is just as clumsy, awkward and embarrassing as myself, which I think is why I love him so much. I really love that despite Gene’s awkwardness, we can still see his emotions through his eyes such as his jealousy during the interviews. I can completely understand Gene’s fears of coming out but I’m glad that he’s surrounded by people who can love and support him for who he is.
Kao as Nubsib- Kao has already cemented himself as a fantastic actor after his role of Korn in Until We Meet Again, and has further demonstrated his amazing acting abilities here. Nubsib is definitely the personification of “serious guy who is only friendly around his lover” and Kao did a great job portraying this. One little thing I did notice when he was talking to other characters like Tum, he always looks very serious but when suddenly seeing Gene his eyes light up and entire expression changes. I love how naturally Kao can pull this off, and yet again I’m being dazzled by his good looks. I also love how, despite knowing that he messed up by not being honest with Gene, he admits he was wrong and makes the effort to communicate and let Gene know what he’s thinking. He’s very understanding and does’t force Gene to come out when he’s not ready which made me happy to see no pressure from him. Finally he chose Gene over all else and wanted both his own happiness as well as Gene’s so he waited for the best time so he and Gene could be together without any constraints.
Bruce as Aoey- While Aoey is a character I have a lot of mixed reactions, I can’t deny that Bruce is probably the best actor in this series. Although he seems cute but far too needy/clingy/annoying, I do like that he was already openly gay and doesn’t try to hide this fact (fun fact, Bruce is gay in real life so we have another LGBT actor which is fantastic), which is a nice step up from the typical “I’m not gay I just love you” lines. However, in episode 5 we really got to know his character more, including why he acts and behaves the way he does. If my parents and siblings were so unsupportive like that, then I honestly think I would have rebelled and spiralled off the deep end, so I admire that Aoey doesn’t let his family hold him back. Although Aoey is quite selfish at times, whenever he cries I automatically feel really bad for him, especially the episode 11 scene on the live video and even more in the final episode after he finished the live stream with his fans. One of my favourite sayings is that “A good actor can make you experience different emotions even from the slightest change in expression” which definitely goes to show just how amazing Bruce’s acting skills are and I hope we can see more projects with him in the future, maybe as a main role this time.
Music: The music and sound effects are perfect, they are well placed and really help the overall mood of scenes. In a funny scene sometimes they’ll add little sound effects which make it even more hilarious, and the music is really nice to listen to.
Overall: I absolutely loved this series and how they weren’t afraid to call out specific aspects and show the reality of what the industry is really like. Both Kao and Poompat have a lot of chemistry and all intimate scenes with them made me almost feel invasive, like I shouldn’t be watching something so personal. I hope to see all the actors in this series again, especially Bruce in a main role, and I’ll definitely be rewatching this very soon!
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Too rushed and unable to meet its full potential
Episode 1: 7/10 (Pretend To Love)—Story- When I saw episode one would be OhmFluke I was very excited as I already knew they have great chemistry together. Unfortunately the fast paced plot meant their relationship didn’t go anywhere, and they were hardly in any scenes together despite the whole first episode being about them. I appreciate 20 minutes isn’t a lot of time for a full story to take place, but they could have done so much better than that. It was a huge mess with no real closure to the jealousy and misunderstandings, and the ending felt so incomplete. As a start to the series it really fell short for me and while I love OhmFluke so much, and we got to see Fluke’s award winning tears again, they didn’t have their chance to shine which was severely disappointing.
—Acting/Cast- Ohm as Pierce: Ohm is a pretty good actor, but unfortunately this series didn’t showcase his talents as he played a character with little emotion, meaning we couldn’t see a full range from him. His facial expressions were lacking and even when faced with a potential breakup his face was just quite blank and expressionless. I am a little disappointed with his character and was sad that Pierce didn’t have the time to properly apologise for when he did, but at least we got something.
Fluke as Typhoon: Fluke is back at it again with the top notch acting and the famous crying scenes he really excels in. While I feel like Ohm didn’t have the chance to shine that well, Fluke really showcased how a powerhouse actor can steal a scene with less than 5 minutes of screen time the entire episode. Fluke is honestly one of my favourite actors and this just goes to show why. His acting in the final scene was the best part of that episode and is the main reason I ranked this episode as high as I did. I really hope to keep seeing more of Fluke in the future!
—Overall, I’ll give this episode a 7/10 which I believe is quite generous in the circumstances. It could have been so much better with a better director and more time, but they really took over in the limited time they had and gave the best performance they could.
Episode 2: 5.5/10 (Just Friend)
—Story- Well, I wasn’t expecting any bestiality in a drama but first time for everything I suppose. Everything about this episode was just strange and confusing. Although I liked JaFirst ever since I saw them in TharnType 2, I just don’t understand why First had to be a cat that only we could see as a human, it was the strangest thing I’ve ever seen. Other than the confusion at this part, the rest of it was pretty good. Although it was fast paced, it didn’t feel rushed or incomplete like episode 1 did, although it left me with several unanswered questions (like seriously, who sends a potential partner home just to cuddle with your cat, maybe it’s because I’m not a huge animal lover but I just don’t understand.)
Acting/Cast- First as Moojoom: Well, he played a pretty good cat even if it was the weirdest thing to watch a human meow and swipe at the air like that. He looked very sweet and defenceless in the box which I suppose a human version of a cat may look like, and First is very good at acting sad and depressed which made him rather pitiful when he was locked in the bathroom. As I said before, it was such a weird episode that I’m still questioning what I just watched and because of this I don’t think I can rate his acting very well.
Ja as Xin: Ja is a pretty good actor and although he’s still a relatively new actor, he’s very good and I’ve enjoyed his other works such as TharnType and UWMA. As I mentioned in First’s review, it was such a weird episode that I don’t think I can rate his acting very well, but he did a very good job playing with Moojoom (his human cat lol).
—Overall- I’ll give this episode a 5.5/10. The storyline was a little better because it didn’t have the same incomplete feeling that episode 1 left me with, but the fact that it’s a romance between an animal and a human meant that any enjoyment I got out of the episode was replaced with an abnormal feeling of bewilderment.
Episode 3: 9.5/10 (Willing Or Not)
—Story- This was one of my favourite episodes so far and I actually enjoyed it a lot (mainly because I love judo). After the first 2 episodes I was getting a bit sceptical as to the quality of this series, but MaxNat really saved this for me. As the storyline wasn’t in as much depth, it didn’t feel fast-paced or rushed at all, and honestly 15 minutes felt like much longer. Despite having no particularly romantic scenes (other than the piggyback at the end) Max and Nat had great chemistry, which combined with a more interesting plot, meant they did a really good job with this episode.
—Acting/Cast- Nat as Mini: Nat is actually a really good actor despite his age (ironic as he’s a few months older than me) and he always does such a good job. I first watched him in his debut role as Blue in WhyRU and have watched all the other projects he’s been in which was why I was so excited to see him here. Although now I play quite a few different sports, a few years ago I hated any type of sports or athletics, which is why I found Nat acting exhausted and tired really relatable for me. I loved his little commentaries when he looked at the camera and started complaining about something Titan did.
Max as Titan: I still can’t believe Nat (who is short) is called Mini and Max (who is really tall) was called Titan, but when I first heard his name I had to pause the episode and laugh at the hilarity of it. Max actually reminds me of my old Volleyball coach, incredibly determined and won’t let you take a break until you can barely move. I always think coaches and instructors like that are the best because you can guarantee you will learn some important lessons from them, which is why I really loved Titan in this series. Like Nat, I’ve also been watching all of Max’s projects since the beginning and I really enjoyed this episode with him in as well.
—Overall- I would have to give this a solid 9.5/10, it would be a full 10 if we actually got some romance like a sweet hug or even a kiss. I’ll settle on the piggyback at the end, but as this is supposed to be a BL series, it would have been nice to see some kind of romance. Other than that I honestly enjoyed everything about this episode.
Episode 4: 9/10 (Just One Life)
—Story- I’m so glad that episodes 3 and 4 have started to get better as I absolutely loved this episode. Although some people preferred this episode over MaxNat’s, I personally don’t think it was as good, only because I was quite confused about the plot. It did feel very rushed, one minute Peam is crying over his ex, the next he’s fallen in love with XiaoPing. Although it made more sense after rewatching it, when I first saw this episode I was quite confused by the beginning with Peam crying and wanting to throw himself off a bridge then XiaoPing appearing out of nowhere and cheering him up. Those were the only complaints I really had about this episode, everything else was so good. Yoon and Talay have such great chemistry from recording YYY the series and they definitely carried it on here, which has got me very excited for their episode on Y-Destiny. It was just a cute, fluffy episode without any drama and a breath of fresh air.
—Acting/Cast- Yoon as Peam: Although Yoon has done quite a few projects, he hasn’t had very many main roles which is quite surprising considering the high quality of his acting abilities. I first saw him in his main role in YYY where he flawlessly acted in such a funny, comedic series. It’s clear from this episode he has a certain charm that reveals itself when he plays a funny character which really draws you in. He’s so talented and I look forward to seeing his future projects.
Talay as XiaoPing: Although I knew Talay has done quite a lot of acting before, I never realised he’s a member of a boyband until I looked at his profile. He’s such a natural actor and I’ve enjoyed every project he’s been in with special emphasis on My Engineer and YYY. His expression management is no joke and the way he can manipulate audiences emotions just from a slight change in expression is incredible. He’s honestly so beautiful and his eyes are stunning, it’s so visually pleasing when he smiles that I keep falling more in love with him.
—Overall- I’m going to give this episode a 9/10. While this may be a rather unpopular view, I really did enjoy this episode, but I honestly think the slightly rushed place and simplistic plot set it a little lower than episode 3. However, it was still an amazing episode and I really liked it.
Episode 5: 10/10 (Dear My Star)
—Story- Okay, now it seems I have a new favourite episode. This was about a long distance relationship that connected through the 2 characters being “pen-pals” (thats what I would refer to it as but basically just talking through letters to someone in another city/country). This is the first time I’ve seen something like this as, while there have been dramas with online relationships forming, this episode was completely different from that. As this episode was set during the 90’s I was worried it would look tacky and obviously fake, but that wasn’t the case at all. It was such a natural setting and layout that if the camera hadn’t have had such high-quality definition and I didn’t already know Jimmy and Tommy, I would have honestly thought this was filmed in the 90’s.
—Acting/Cast- Jimmy as Night: Jimmy is such a great actor and I honestly keep forgetting he only started acting very recently when I watched him in a main role in WhyRU the series. His expression management is insane and I constantly find myself falling in love with how sweet and innocent he is. Although the episode lengths are quite short, due to the plot we were able to really meet the character of Night in depth and learn about him. I love Jimmy’s facial expressions when talking and writing to Mekhin, and when they met you could practically see the stars in their eyes. Jimmy and Tommy have such great chemistry and they definitely showcased that in this episode.
Tommy as Mekhin: Tommy is another actor I love to watch and I first saw him when he played a couple with Jimmy in WhyRU the series. Although that was the first time I saw him in a drama, he has been in the industry for 6 years so has had more experience than his costar. Tommy is such a great actor also for the ways he can manipulate the audience just from a simple change in expression. Although he’s played a couple with other actors than just Jimmy, he definitely has the best chemistry with Jimmy and it came across so well in this episode, making it my favourite one.
—Overall- This is definitely a full 10/10, I absolutely loved everything about this episode. The storyline was something unique and refreshing to watch, and Jimmy and Tommy’s chemistry made it even better. I honestly hope they will make an extended version of this episode some day!
Episode 6: 8/10 (Imagine You)
—Story- I’m still very confused about this episode due to the elements of Sci-fi that didn’t really make sense to me. KimCop are one of my favourite BL couples in the industry so I was so excited and happy to see them here, but I think the plot they were given was too confusing for only a 15 minute episode. I thought the VR concept was great and a really interesting idea, but it should have been a series within itself instead of a single episode which made it all quite rushed and complicated. I have quite a few questions about the ending, particularly whether Jedi actually carries the memories from his VR counterpart or if he has no idea who he is, but why was he nice to Ray one minute, then cold to him the next? Although the confusing storyline ruined the episode for me a little, as this could have had the potential to be my next favourite episode, KimCop have such great chemistry that I enjoyed the episode regardless.
—Acting/Cast- Copter as Ray: (recently edited this review to change Copters pronouns, they are non binary and use they/them pronouns <3) Copter is another actor I discovered right from the beginning of their career after their debut in 2 Moons, and I’ve followed them for almost every project they’ve taken on. I have so much respect for Copter as an incredible artist. They’re such a great actor and they definitely showcase their remarkable acting abilities in this episode. Ray was incredibly anxious and clumsy in front of Jedi which is very relatable as many people struggle to face their crushes head on, especially when you’re basically in love with a celebrity. Copter did a great job with Ray and I’m so excited to see them in many more of their upcoming projects.
Kimmon as Jedi: Kimmon, like Copter, I have been watching since his acting debut. Although I never realised he was in Love Sick 2 as well, I’ve watched nearly every series he’s been apart of and I’m constantly keeping an eye out for any new projects he takes on. Jedi was such an interesting character, both his physical self and VR persona, and I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about him. As I said before, if the episode was longer and we had the time to learn more about him and have some more questions answered then I would have loved him even more. Despite this he was such a cool character and, like Copter, I can’t wait to see more of Kimmon in the future.
—Overall- I’m going to have to give this episode an 8/10 because of the short, confusing plot. This is one of those episodes where the perfect phrase comes to mind “The idea was better than the execution”, which sums up this final episode perfectly.
Final Thoughts:
My final ranking of these 6 episodes is as followed:
1. Episode 5 (Jimmy and Tommy)
2. Episode 3 (Max and Nat)
3. Episode 4 (Yoon and Talay)
4. Episode 6 (Kimmon and Copter)
5. Episode 1 (Ohm and Fluke)
6. Episode 2 (Ja and First)
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Acting/Cast:
James (Shin)- He was lovable and sweet. He played a perfect Shin and had the audience loving his character and personality. This meant that when he got hurt, the audience was just as upset, wanting to comfort him, and hated Keng for hurting him. It takes a really good actor to play to the audiences emotions like that.
—Oat (Keng)- Again, it takes a really good actor to play to the audiences emotions like that. He made us like him in the first episode, but as we saw a change in his character, the audiences attitudes towards him changed with it. Then when he did what he did at the end of episode 2, we hated him deeply for hurting Shin. He’s such a powerful and believable actor. I hope to see him again in other dramas.
—Yacht (Bright)- The cool, fun and quirky side of him made the show much better. It’s even better when you know the personality of Bright and Yacht, are the same, which made him perfect for the role.
—Topicorn (Pramote)- Like Oat, I really do hope to see Topicorn in future dramas. He was really sweet, but loyal to his friends. Although he often seemed quite serious, you could tell he cared for Bright and Shin a lot.
Music: Good effects, and background sounds, but nothing that memorable.
Rewatch value: I think this is a show you only need to watch once or twice. I can’t see myself rewatching this for a while.
Overall: I gave it a 9, because although the casts were perfect, the show could have been longer, and I wish it had better opening music. Also, while I’m happy it stuck to the novel, I really wish the ending had been different. Other than that I would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a short, but hard hitting drama to watch.
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Dead Friend Forever - DFF
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Focusing on the ending and ending only.
Okay, as a literature major with a passion for psychological thrillers and horrors, I’m gonna be completely honest and very unhinged in this review so be warned, also I’m writing this from memory of the last few episodes so sorry if I forgot or misremembered anything. This is going to be a VERY long review of the final episode including what I though about the fate of every main character (except for Non).Every character had an ending that corresponded to their role in Non’s death, but I feel like the symbolism could have gone further.
Por- Por was the creator. He oversaw the short film and was the director who wanted to create the film and took over Non’s script as his own. The camera was also his too. Everything technically started with him, he created the situations that caused Non’s downfall, so he was the first to die. He wanted the money back for the broken camera, and in the end he died by Top’s hand, the person who really broke the camera. I think that was a fantastic way for him to go, death by his friends hand without his friend even knowing what he was doing. I was very satisfied in that moment when Top pulled the branch out.
Fluke- Fluke was the observer. He saw and knew everything that happened around him, had he ever spoken up everything would have been different. He saw Top break Por’s camera, he watched Jin record Non and Keng, and yet he continued to stay silent. In the end, he stabbed his own eyes and took his vision away, he can no longer be the observer. But I wish they took it even further, I wanted him to cut out his own tongue or something equally as symbolic. Fluke never spoke up for fear of losing his future as a doctor, now without his sight he cannot become a doctor anyway, and would therefore have no reason to hide anything else. But if his ability to speak was taken away, it symbolises how it is too late, you don’t get to fix things after they already happened, he lost his chance to speak up so now he never gets to speak again. As graphic as that is, I wish they went for that route instead of killing him, I think him staying alive with no real future would have been the greatest punishment for him.
Top- Top was the destruction. He destroyed the camera, he knew about Tee dragging Non into the horse accounts, he knew about Non getting money from the teacher. He was the one who spread the news and picture of Non supposedly running off with Keng that caused Non’s mother and later his father to kill themselves. I’m glad his story ended in his death, but I would have loved it if his death was self-inflicted. Because of the pain he caused others, I wish in those visions he could have taken his own life instead of going down with Fluke.
White and Tee- For me, as much as White’s death broke my heart, it was the perfect punishment for Tee. Tee was the catalyst, the one who put the blame of the broken camera onto Non, who manipulated Non into earning money through his uncle, and who was unwillingly the cause of Non’s death. Tee brought Non into this situation then, despite his best efforts, Non ended up dead. This creates a parallel with White, as Tee brought White into this situation at the house, then unwillingly was the reason White died. Tee, the cause of Non’s suffering, lived. But now he’s stuck with the trauma of killing the one he loved most. But honestly, as much as I’m glad he didn’t die because I think living with the knowledge of what he did was the best form of revenge, they had an amazing opportunity to create a parallel with Tee and his dad, and I’m kind of angry they never took it. I wish, instead of showing Tee lying in his bed and calling out for White, they could have showed him in the same situation we saw from Tee’s dad. Walking along the street, grabbing people and asking for White, destroying people’s property and demanding they bring him to White. Showing that he completely lost his mind, just like his dad, would have been the perfect ending for this show in my opinion.
New/Tan- There were 2 potential endings I wanted to see from him, the first was that he got his revenge and killed everyone in the house before taking his own life, and the second was him living having never got the full revenge he wanted. It’s hard to tell what ended up happening with that open ending, all I know is that whatever happened, I loved it. An open ending to this kind of psychological horror is the perfect way to end this series (but we better get a season 2 or I’ll loose my mind lmao.)
Phee and Jin- I knew from the beginning I wanted everything to end with them. Phee was the main one I wanted to walk away from this mess, not because I like his character, but because I wanted him to live with his own actions. He couldn’t see what New was planning until the last moment and things were taken way too far because of his inaction, people are dead because of him. Regardless of whether they deserved it or not, their blood is also on Phee’s hands. I also kind of wanted Jin to survive as well. If Tee was the catalyst, then Jin was the final straw, recording and uploading that video was Non’s breaking point. The original ending I had in mind was for Phee and Jin to have walked away from the house and gotten to safety thinking everything was over, only to discover that things aren’t always what they seem. Generally speaking, BOC managed to create that ending for me which I loved, but I’m still not completely satisfied. If they are still at the house, why would there have been a 2 year time skip? I don’t understand where they were going with this, and I wish Phee and Jin walked away with more obvious and permanent injuries. Something like a lost hand, or large scar on their face, something that they will carry with them wherever they go and remain permanent reminders of everything that happened, reminders of Non and his fate. Truthfully speaking, I thought this would end with Phee having secretly been the mastermind behind everything so it’s difficult to comment on how else I imagined the ending when I really thought Phee might be the one to kill Jin.
My final thoughts were that the theories for this series were better than the actual ending, and either the open ending was in preparation for a second season, or BOC really just didn’t know how to end this series. Either way, there was a lot that could have been improved but I’m very satisfied with this series overall and I’ll definitely be rewatching this at a later date.
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Strong start, weak finish.
Story: From the beginning I was so excited to see another, Soulmate AU as they are one of the most popular fanfiction troupes I’ve ever seen, yet there are surprisingly few dramas using this as a central theme. This baffles me, as there is so much you can do with the concept of ‘soulmates’. Anyway, the use of soulmates in this series is basically “character who becomes deaf in the rain can only hear soulmates voice until the rain stops”. This is quite an interesting premise and the first half of the series did an amazing job. The main leads have great chemistry, particularly in episodes 4 and 5, and in terms of speed and progression the pacing has been good at times, but awful in others, particularly the use of unnecessary flashbacks constantly. I liked that they spent the first episode laying out the plot and backstory so we didn’t get confused later on. The audience is immediately aware of what is happening with the two soulmates, how they can communicate, and why Saengtai refuses to talk to his soulmate. The second episode was really sweet, the whole scene at the vet was adorable too, but then I was quite disappointed with the first half of the third episode, as it was all a flashback of events we’ve already seen, it added nothing to the plot and was just pointless. The second half was okay but dragged a bit, but episode 4 immediately made up for it, being so amazing and sweet my heart melted watching Phat and Saengtai. Episode 5 helped show the relationship develop between the two of them while episode 6 slowed the pacing down slightly, focusing on the steady progression of their relationship and beginning the set up for Lomfon and Phat’s first meeting. The chemistry between Phat and Saengtai has been incredible, especially the kiss scenes. With episode 7 and 8 came La Pluie’s gradual downfall, the conflict with both Lomfon and Phat’s ex girlfriend Nara was so badly done that it was hard to watch. I’m glad, however, that the conflict didn’t drag out, and while some people were disappointed with how Phat and Saengtai handled the conflict I honestly don’t think it was too bad, however the miscommunication got worse after this point. Episode 9 was more of a filler episode with important backstory and from episode 10 came the huge conflict and disappointments. Tai went from a sweet and loveable character to frustrating and silent, letting so many misunderstandings happen and acted like they weren’t his fault. I don’t know what the writers were thinking, even Phat went from an adorable green flag boyfriend to an impulsive and drunken person who suddenly lashes out in anger and violence when it’s the complete opposite of his characters personality so far. I was glad to see the parents finally talk to their kids in episode eleven about all the things they kept hidden, although I’m still frustrated they didn’t do this sooner. Admittedly, until the final episode I wasn’t loving the side couple at all, they weren’t giving the chemistry I was hoping for but I thought they were super sweet in episode 12. Phat and Saengtai finally resolved the misunderstandings but even that was a little rushed. The plot is definitely a little confusing, but after rewatching and paying close attention to the explanation at the beginning, I got there in the end. I was really hoping the final episode would make up for all the past miscommunications but unfortunately it didn’t and this series went from one of my favourite airing series to one of the most frustrating series to get through.Acting/Cast: Title as Saengtai- Honestly I thought his acting was fairly good, I’m looking forward to seeing more of him in the future. The scene at the beginning where he accidentally hit his foot again the bed made me laugh, and was definitely feeling for him with the whole “parents divorced/negative view of soulmates” outlook. With his mum already moving on while his dad is still stuck loving his divorced wife, I understood why he was so afraid of letting Phat know they are soulmates. When Phat knew Saengtai was his soulmate and Saengtai opened up to Phat, introducing him to his friends, family and Dad, I was hoping to see the journey of Saengtai facing his dislike of soulmates and confronting his parents soon. Instead I feel like the writers have taken the previous representation of Saengtai’s character and completely twisted it, I felt like I was watching a different person from the Saengtai we met in episode 1. While Saengtai was still clearly very insecure in his relationship with Phat, I was hoping we could see Saengtai facing his insecurities more. Instead he became immature and I wanted to slap the back of his head and tell him to grow up lmao. Even after he realised he messed up, it was all too late for me. I don’t understand why he couldn’t have actually spoken to Phat instead of letting the misunderstandings build up. I miss the Saengtai from the first half of the series, whatever the writers tried to do with his character failed completely.
—Pee as Phat- I’ve seen this actor in projects before so I was really excited for his first main role (not counting Y-Destiny as he was only in 2-3 episodes). He’s a great actor, his facial expressions are great and I loved his character so much. I was hoping his character would stay good and we wouldn’t get any sudden toxic moments from him as his character was so sweet and loveable, but obviously that was too much to hope for. With the conflict coming with Lomfon’s character I hoped that Phat would stay kind and stick by Saengtai’s side without getting swayed with Lomfon’s future words and actions. Phat was definitely a green flag boyfriend and I loved how understanding he was initially, not trying to push Saengtai into something he wasn’t comfortable with. I will admit that I was disappointed with how he handled the situation with Nara, but I can still understand that he cares for her even if he doesn’t have those feelings for her anymore. However, his actions in episode 10 were so unlike him I honestly struggled to take it seriously. I don’t understand what anyone working on this series was thinking by changing the characters so much, it was like Phat became a different person altogether. His drinking and the sudden violence was just too much. Honestly, I don’t think he should have forgiven Saengtai just like that, episode 12 was just far too rushed.
Music: The opening for this series is beautiful and maybe this is just me being picky, but there’s something about the song that just doesn’t seem to match the general vibe of the series. I guess I just love the song but not for this series? I don’t know, maybe my mind will change later on but for now I just don’t find it super fitting. The background music was also okay, but nothing particularly memorable. I’ll wait and see how it improves.
Overall: Amazing first two episodes, okay third episode, incredible fourth and fifth episodes, great sixth episode, mediocre seventh and eighth episodes, okay nineth episode, bad tenth and eleventh episode, and rushed final episode. Most of episode one was spent establishing the plot, while the second was building up to the big “soulmate reveal”, three was a little boring, so there isn’t much to comment on, four was beautiful and heartwarming, five was sweet and trusting with Saengtai finally opening up, and the first half of six was sweet with amazing chemistry, while the second half was great as it sets up the setting and conflict to follow in future episodes. Seven and eight were a little unnecessary and dragged out, I think the director seriously needs to work on the pacing of this series from this point. Nine was definitely more of a filler episode but I enjoyed learning more about Phat and Saengtai’s backstory. Ten was like watching a different series altogether, enough with the miscommunication and jealousy please, we didn’t need it to go that far. Eleven was okay, but dragged out a little. And the final episode was just too rushed, the misunderstandings were resolved but I still wasn’t satisfied. The storyline itself was definitely a 10/10 for me although the execution was very much lacking somewhat. This is definitely another series where the idea is better than the execution. Overall, this isn’t a must watch series, but I still found it enjoyable to a certain extent.
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BL Drama no Shuen ni Narimashita: Crank Up Hen
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Hilarious and Sweet, what’s not to love?
Story:The story was very interesting, focusing almost behind the scenes of the process for a BL series to be created. This starts with the casting of both leads, two actors who have never met until now yet still know each other through their fame, reputations and past projects. The creation of a BL story, getting into the role and mindset of the characters, and trying to create chemistry with someone who is basically a stranger to you. The comedic side of this series comes from the reveal that Akafuji is a huge fan of and loves Aoyagi so much that he comes off rather awkward and standoffish towards him but is a total fanboy when he is alone. This immediately gave me A Man Who Defies The World Of BL vibes which is also one of my favourite Japanese BL’s so I was very impressed and excited about that. The first episode was hilarious, both of the characters are really sweet and exuberant I couldn’t help but smile and laugh along with them. The second episode was focused on them building up their chemistry and realising they have developed romantic feelings for each other. The third episode revolves around their developing feelings and the effects of this. I won’t lie, I was a little nervous about the number of episodes, as often shorter series tend to be fast paced and miss out a lot but the pacing of each episode was great, well planned with a perfect mix of comedy and heartfelt romance. I’m really hoping they’ll give us a season 2.
Acting/Cast:
Aran as Akafuji- Bright, loud and passionate which he hides behind a cool exterior. I immediately loved Akafuji as a character, I love how he seems so calm and collected on the outside while inside he’s a total dork lmao. He was very caring towards Aoyagi but doesn’t know how to balance his love and concern with professionalism and ends up fanboying and getting jealous over the smallest things. He’s such a cool character and I’m hoping to see more from this actor in the future.
Nichika as Aoyagi- Super sweet but very awkward. Aoyagi was a very lonely character with very few friends and a broken family, it seems he’s used to being teased or shot down by people so he keeps to himself. I like that even when Akafuji seemed like he was being very rude and stuck up, Aoyagi didn’t let that get to him and tried many times to reach out and bond with him. Aoyagi also seems very passionate but in a reserved way, he clearly wanted this project to go well and I admire his determination and perseverance. He’s definitely my favourite character in this series.
Music:
I absolutely loved the theme song, it was super cute. The sound effects were also great and well timed.
Rewatch Value:
Will definitely be rewatching this many times due to its adorable plot and relatively short run time.
Overall:
I’ll definitely be adding the manga this is adapted from to my plan to read list. This has been absolutely hilarious, I love a good comedic romance so this was perfect for me. I hope to see more BL’s with similar themes and genres to this in the future.
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Dramatic and Engaging
Story= 9/10: I feel like my rating may be a little biased because I love these detective/crime/mafia stories and thrillers are one of my favourite genres, so having a *bromance?* themed mystery drama like this was so exciting for me. The first thing I could pick out was that the plot was well established from the very first episode. They immediately laid out the events prior to the storyline which was established as the main reason for these future events, so from this, we can work out exactly what cases this whole series focuses on, and we meet and get introduced to our main characters including their connections straight away. This is important for me because they haven’t wasted unnecessary time establishing the plot, they got straight into it and I don’t feel like any scenes were dragged out for no reason. Although a connection is built between Ichiro and Shiro very quickly, I don’t feel like it was too rushed or sudden because they brought in a backstory that helped their connection both form and makes sense. There’s a lot of violence that may make some people uncomfortable, but it just made the series exciting and more gripping for me. There were several great plot twists, especially in episode 5 as more information about the sister was revealed along with Taguchi’s knowledge of this incident. As the episodes go on more information is revealed to us. While I don’t think this is a series with dramatic twists and turns, the few plot twists they have are minimal and well thought out, whilst still establishing a crime that is mostly realistic and believable. I often find when a drama has too many plot twists it ends up becoming unrealistic and cheesy. I think one of the main reasons I have been loving this series is because the crime they are looking into is not confusing and all over the place, we know the perpetrators pretty early on so the majority of this series is finding a way to catch them and bring them to justice. I only have one complaint so far which is about the time skips, mainly in episode 1. For one thing, we don’t need several flashbacks of the same moment, and in episode 1 it was sometimes quite hard to tell if a scene was a flashback or happening in the present time, which got a bit confusing at stages.Acting/Cast:
—Suzuki Nobuyuki as Kunishita Ichiro = 9\10: I feel like I’m being a little harsh with the rating for Ichiro but there are times when Suzuki just feels completely expressionless and emotionless. I get the character he’s playing isn’t typically that emotional and I know how difficult it is to play an expressionless character without looking completely blank, but I think it could have been better. That being said we are only 1/3 of the way through this series so hopefully, this rating will increase very soon. Other than that he does a great job with the fight scenes and I love how much of a mother hen he turns into around Shiro.
—Inukai Atsuhiro as Hanabusa Shiro = 10/10: When I tell you that Inukai has RANGE I don’t think even those capital letters can convey just how amazing he is. I can hardly believe he is the same actor who was in Absolute BL and Grand Blue, which are just some of my favourite works of his. When he’s given a role he takes it over and makes it his own, the way he can manipulate his expressions and convey exactly what he needs to is just incredible. Although I’m still confused to whether this drama is going to be a bromance or BL, I love that his character is bisexual which is actually discussed in the show, along with his fear of coming out to his sister, it’s giving me hope that maybe there will be a romance between Shiro and Ichiro. I literally cannot come up with a single complaint with his acting and I will not be surprised if it stays that way.
—Kuriyama Chiaki as Nakaba Rion = 8.5/10: Although we haven’t seen much of her, after episode 5 I felt like adding her to my review. Honestly, I don’t know how to feel about the sister. On one hand, she’s clearly brave and caring, wanting to take her job seriously whilst still trying to take care of Ichiro and Shiro. However, are you seriously trying to tell me that she couldn’t send a single message with more information relating to this case before the events went down? Ichiro and Shiro basically had nothing to work from when she knew they would have tried to solve the case she was working on and she left next to nothing for them to work through. The actor herself is pretty good, but I’ll have to wait for further episodes before properly judging her acting.
Music= 8.5/10: OST was great, the background music isn’t that memorable though and there are very few sound effects which are a little disappointing but I’ll take that over the constant cringy sounds that get unnecessarily added in for “humour”.
Rewatch Value= 9/10: Obviously we’re only 1/3rd of the way through so this rating won’t be that accurate, but if the series stays consistent and the quality/plot doesn’t completely deteriorate then this rating could definitely increase further.
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