4
Sakura_Falling
Where The Cherry Blossoms Fall
We Are Family
We Are is everything I typically don't like in dramas. It lacks direction and plot, the characters aren't anything special, the acting is mixed, and the list goes on. But I adored every second of it. It's not deep, it's not angsty, it's not one of those dramas that you're going to walk away from rethinking your life, it's just 16 episodes of pure wholesome love and friendship.I'm going to say it again, there is no plot here and while normally that would drive me mad, it works for We Are. It's not breaking the mold when it comes to the story, we're back in the typical college BL setting that we can never seem to get away from. The Fine Arts major is a little more original though I have mixed feelings on how it was incorporated, mostly in that I don't think any Fine Arts student worth their salt would be walking around with a completed painting unprotected like Peem was in that first episode, but what would I know, I'm not a Fine Arts student. I just know that I wouldn't, but I'm also slightly OCD and a chronic overthinker and just watching him gave me anxiety. There is no major conflict or villain to shake things up. The few issues that do come up are dealt with quite quickly and neatly. The pacing could have been better, it definitely lags in the middle and towards the end. Considering the lack of plot, I think it could have been condensed into 12 episodes, but I also think, given the number of characters and side romances, some of their stories could have been better drawn out and the whole thing in general just made more organized and cohesive.
The key to We Are is the friendship between the characters and how even as they pair off, that friendship remains and their group just continues to grow. They are all, with the exception of Fang and Beer, a bunch of dorks. Adorable, sweet, idiotic dorks. You simply cannot help but to love them. Their unwavering support of each other is endearing and their "plans" are absurd and painful to watch but also entertaining in all their trainwreck glory. They mean well. And while it is mostly fun and games, there are a few moments where they have genuine heart to heart conversations, usually between Phum and Beer or Peem and Q as they try to work out their feelings. They serve as a nice break from the chaos and to solidify those particular friendships.
The chemistry between the actors is a large part of what made We Are such a success. They played off of each other so well that it was fully believable they were the best of friends. But while the buddy chemistry was off the charts, the romantic chemistry was definitely lacking between some couples. Pond/Phuwin and Winny/Satang seemed uncomfortable/awkward during their more intimate moments and while being hesitant or awkward during a first kiss is normal, it's not every time afterward. Aou and Boom on the other hand ate that up. Acting in general was mixed. Pond and Phuwin have both improved since Never Let Me Go, but while both are very talented in other regards, neither has ever struck me as particularly talented when it comes to acting unfortunately. Marc was also pretty lackluster and really didn't seem to be putting out much effort. Satang impressed me in a big way. He was so adorable as Toey and brought that perfect mix of cute and mischievous. So talented! Aou has blown me away in every role he's played and I'm so glad he finally got a lead role. He absolutely killed it! He was so annoyingly cute as Tan. He and Boom act so well together and are both so talented. I really want them to get their own series. They deserve it.
I really enjoyed the music for this series, both the opening and closing songs and each couple's theme song. I do think they got over played a bit as per usual, but I liked them enough that it was slightly less annoying than it might have been. There were aspects of the cinematography that I really liked, shots like in Episode 15 where Q is framing Toey's face with his fingers. I do think they could have found ways to incorporate their art more, but I can also see how that might have been a challenge.
I went into this series with no expectations of liking it, half expecting to drop it, and it's now currently sitting in my GMMTV shopping cart as I seriously consider buying it. It's not deep, it's not profound, but I think it speaks to the kind of friendships some of us may have and many of us wish we had. While We Are may present itself as a rom-com, it's the friendships that make it and leave an impression.
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Extraordinary Attorney Woo
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Extraordinarily Brilliant
I am obviously quite late to jump on this bandwagon. While I was aware of the hype, I hadn't heard enough about this drama other than it was good to really feel the need to watch it. Guess the joke's on me. Extraordinary Attorney Woo is a charming but at times surprisingly deep episodic drama. The episodes' tones run the gamut from quirky and fun to dark and heartbreaking. And through it all is Woo Young Woo, brilliant but autistic, and faced with learning to be an adult and an attorney in a world that doesn't quite know what to make of her.Extraordinary Attorney Woo is an episodic legal drama, each episode focusing on a different legal case, however, there is still a general overarching plot. The strong point of the drama was certainly that episodic nature and getting to see the team tackle each case regardless of the outcome. It was not what I was expecting but I very much enjoyed it. I did not find the general plot to be quite as compelling as there would be multiple episodes with no development before it suddenly popped up, moved along a bit, then disappeared again. That story in itself was weak as the rivalry between the Tae Su Mi and Han Seon Yeong was not developed enough to make it in any way compelling nor was the position Tae Su Mi was running for explained enough to make it seem high stakes despite the implication. There was a struggle to balance everything: the plot of the episode, the plot of the drama, and developing the characters. While the episode plots were generally fairly well thought out and portrayed, as I mentioned before, the main plot was inconsistent and the characters and their development was lacking. The legal aspect was well done. There was plenty of legal jargon but even though none of it would make sense to anyone not working in law, it wasn’t distracting or overbearing, but rather served to give credibility. While I did enjoy the visual of the whales and dolphins every time Young Woo had an epiphany, what I would have liked to see was more collaboration rather than her ideas saving the day every time. It felt unrealistic and it would have been nice to see the team pulling together more to solve the cases.
I’ve seen a lot of debate about the portrayal of autism in this drama and I can see both sides. I do think the character of Young Woo was presented with the best of intentions and with the goal to be as authentic as possible. I think there was also the goal to present the world as seen through the eyes of an autistic person and the challenges and stigmas they face. That being said, I do also see how it fell into the trap of portraying autistic people as either geniuses or children. This is especially evident in Episode 3. Though a point is made to say that autism is a spectrum, it’s still far too prevalent in media to meet with these two extremes which are far from the ordinary. And while Young Woo does develop relationships, both platonic and romantic, much of the legwork is done by others while she remains static. She is, in general, coddled by everyone. There is very little of her learning to adapt to others and instead everyone else learning to adapt to her. Similarly, there is no desire to seek independence aside from one fleeting moment which is quickly forgotten. I would have liked to see more on both fronts, both more growth and more independence.
This drama has a good mix of characters, both likable and unlikeable with a few in between. Part of what makes it stand out is the lack of a universal villain. Though certain episodes have their own personal villain, there is no central villain. And while most dramas leave me feeling pretty certain with how I view characters, this one did not. Despite the lack of background for most of the characters, their personalities and actions were enough to allow me to form opinions on them and more than a couple ended up in a kind of limbo. And while backgrounds weren’t necessary per se, in some cases, I do think it may have beneficial in helping to understand some of them. For example, I don’t believe it’s ever explained why Han Seon Yeong wants to take down Tae Su Mi so badly or if it was, it was so forgettable that I can’t remember it. A little more about Min Woo to explain why he is so driven, we get a hint there towards the end that it’s likely related to his parents and their health, but I’d like more.
Young Woo and Jun Ho are pretty much impossible to dislike. Despite her quirks and moments where I found myself facepalming, Young Woo is endearing. She is the opposite of a cutthroat attorney, seeking justice and wanting to do the right thing, even if it goes against her company’s client. Her romance with Jun Ho was a surprise, though a pleasant one. I thought it was developed well though it did stumble, unnecessarily in my opinion, there at the end before recovering. Jun Ho was a breath of fresh air and though at times I did find him to be too much of a push over, I did really like his character and appreciated how respectful he was of Young Woo. I loved Young Woo’s dad. He always tried so hard and with the best of intentions to take care of his daughter. I kind of wanted him to find someone and get a chance at happiness too. He deserves it. Also up there are Min Shik and Geu Rami. Their love and loyalty for Young Woo is adorable to watch if sometimes misguided.
I was initially uncertain of both Myung Seok and Su Yeon. I was fully prepared to dislike Myung Seok. His treatment of Young Woo in Episode 1 had me all up in arms. Who had have guessed I’d end up adoring him. I was terrified they were going to kill him off and I’m so glad they didn’t. He was such a good mentor to Young Woo and the other rookies, accepting of her quirks and guiding all of them the best he could. I thought Su Yeon was going to be the stereotypical mean girl, but I loved how loyal she actually became and how protective she was. I honestly would have liked to see her friendship with Young Woo developed a bit more. I also just generally appreciated her growing confidence in herself and saying what she wanted. I’m still up in the air about her relationship with Min Woo, mostly because I’m still not sure about him and I think she deserves better.
My gray area folks are Min Woo, Tae Su Mi and Han Seon Yeong. While Min Woo certainly improved in the last couple of episodes, that in no way erases all the crap he pulled prior to that. He had some vulnerable moments that revealed that not everything in his life was sunshine and roses, but again, didn’t excuse his behaviour. I appreciate that he’s working to make a change, but I would also like to see him actually apologize for his past actions or at least acknowledge them rather than just sweeping them under the rug. As for our two ladies, there’s such a gray area where they’re concerned that I’m still not totally sure what to make of them. Clearly neither is completely without a moral compass, but both are also willing to be shady if pushed. I appreciate that they’re both badass, powerful women. There’s just not enough to them at this point for me to have a fully developed opinion.
The cast was unanimously superb. Everyone did an amazing job with, of course, an outstanding performance by Park Eun Bin. Regardless of your opinion on how the show portrayed autism, I don’t think you can say that she didn’t give her all. It’s evident the amount of work she put into the role.
I have to comment on the cinematography for the Sodeok-dong and Jeju Island episodes as those were beautifully done as well as the sunset scene at Nakjo. The OSTs were all quite pleasant though I can't say that any really jumped out at me.
I found this to be a generally heartwarming drama that I quite enjoyed. There were certainly some episodes that I enjoyed more than others, but none that I hated. And while certainly not a perfect portrayal of autism and it did lean into the cutesy, I do think intentions were pure and it tried to be authentic. This is one that I would recommend, especially if you enjoy episodic dramas and you're looking for something that strays from the ordinary.
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Not Much Cooking
I watched this series solely for Off/Gun because they were so phenomenal in Not Me, but Not Me and Cooking Crush are polar opposites in every way. Cooking Crush is a rom-com but unfortunately neither the rom or the com was done particularly well and as a whole it lacked substance. It was generically cute with nothing to make it stand out from the legion of other Thai rom-coms. The cooking aspect, which could have made it more unique, was not utilized well enough to make a mark. With such a stellar cast, I'm disappointed that it didn't live up to it's potential.Cooking Crush really leaned into the comedic side of things from the get go with heavy use of sound effects and exaggerated acting from its cast. But it wasn't well thought out, intelligent humor, it was simply cheesy and, in a number of cases, cringeworthy. In fact, it was so painful and not to my taste that I very nearly dropped it then and there. The main plot centers around Prem, a cooking student, who meets Ten, a med student, in a series of unfortunate events that eventually leads to Ten trying Prem's food and finding it to be absolutely delicious. He proceeds to ask Prem to teach him to cook which Prem refuses until he's in need of money to pay for his sister's school and agrees, though he charges an exorbitant price that Ten is all too willing to pay. From there they slowly fall in love, facing a few up and downs with time spent apart, the disapproval of Ten's father, and a brief scandal. The secondary couple of Dynamite, Prem's fellow cooking student friend, and Fire, a pharmacy student and Ten's friend, focuses on Fire separating himself from his domineering mother and finally having the freedom and opportunity to discover himself and come to terms with his own sexuality. Dynamite, having fallen for Fire some time previously, relentlessly pursues Fire, sometimes stalking him, in an effort to win him over which is eventually successful though they still have to contend with Fire's mother once she finds out. Secondary to the romance is Prem and his friends journey to be on a popular cooking show and the various challenges they face with it. It's a very simple series without much depth and it can stray into being downright tedious times. And for a show called Cooking Crush, I expected a much greater focus on the cooking and, once the cooking show began, on it. But while food is certainly woven throughout the story and is utilized well at times, there was a lack of detail that made it seem shallow. For all that Prem was supposed to be teaching Ten to cook, it felt more like a cooking demonstration as Ten wasn't seen doing a whole lot. The show, which could have been a great way to lean into the cooking aspect, was not well defined and key elements like the tasting and judges' comments on the food were left out. The pacing was slow. It could have very easily been condensed into ten, maybe even fewer episodes. There's a fair amount of filler with nothing going on or just sweet scenes between the couples which were not needed.
The characters themselves had both highs and lows to them, though Ten and Prem were certainly the highlight. One of the biggest downsides was that they were all supposed to be college students and yet the immaturity level made them seem more like high school students or even younger. There were also a few character inconsistencies, namely, Ten's father scolds him for using his fists to defend Prem, but a few episodes earlier he had slapped Ten himself. Despite that, there was some decent character development which I did appreciate.
-Prem is a budding chef who has the skills to succeed but lacks the confidence to do so. Prem's journey, besides romantic, is learning to develop his self-confidence and have faith in himself and his skills. Of course there's also his relationship with Ten, which starts out rocky, but quickly takes on a romantic note when the pair develop mutual feelings. Though there are moments of immaturity between the two, having their friends run messages between them being a big one, they are generally pretty solid together. Other than the aforementioned case and one or two other instances, communication is generally a strong point between them. Their support for each other is also quite endearing. I was, however, surprised when he started making unilateral decisions for his team after the drama with Ten punching Chang Ma. It felt out of character for him.
-Ten is a shy med student haunted by his past. He can be a bit of a hot head, but he learns from the mistakes he makes and more importantly is willing to admit to those mistakes and apologize for them. His love for Prem pushes him out of his comfort zone and helps solidify what he wants in life. His unending support and encouragement of Prem was very sweet. We should all have such support in our lives.
-Dynamite is characterized by his fiery personality that refuses to be contained or in any way diminished. He loves fiercely and gives his all, no matter the situation. Though his pursuit of Fire does stray into downright stalking, he's not creepy or threatening about it, just overenthusiastic, not that that makes it okay. He does eventually learn to respect Fire's boundaries and gains some maturity. Hiding their relationship from their friends though is not one of their smarter moves and does cause damage when Unky finds out he was left in the dark when Prem knew. It's a learning experience for all involved. And while he does grow and mature, he also never loses sight of who he is which I found admirable.
- Fire is the one character who experiences an identity crisis when faced with the fact that he might not be straight. Controlled and suppressed by his domineering mother, he is only allowed to explore his own wants and desires after she allows him to move out. And while he is clearly drawn to Dynamite, he is reluctant to voice the possibility that he may be into guys. One thing that I appreciated throughout this drama is that there are no labels. No one is identified as strictly gay or straight and none of the challenges they face in their relationships are related to their sexuality. It's refreshing. Once Fire recognizes his own feelings and accepts them, he's all in, quickly turning into a sweet, loving boyfriend. Perhaps a little too abrupt of a change for my taste. And while he may not see eye to eye with his mother, I did like the way their relationship was portrayed and how once he gained the courage to actually tell her how he felt, she respected that and was open to talking.
-Unky stood out to me with his passion and determination. The oldest of his friends, he faces the fear that they'll eventually decide to leave him behind, a fear that is the driving force behind his fight with in Ep 9. The way that they assuage those fears is very wholesome and creates a sweet scene. I do wish we'd seen a bit more maturity from him given that he was older than the others, but I suppose that's a fairly minor complaint. His budding relationship in the last episode with Pang was cute though I wish it had been introduced earlier.
-Chang Ma was an unnecessary character, at least as a love interest. I would have much preferred for him to be left as a mentor and friend for Prem rather than someone who came in and tried to stir up trouble. I actually quite liked him at first, but when he started pushing boundaries and vying for Prem's affection even though it was obvious he had feelings for Ten, official or not, he lost my respect. He did eventually get the message and helped to take the heat off of Prem's team after Ten punched him, but the damage was done as far as I was concerned.
-With the parents, I liked the fact that the gender of their child's partner was never an issue, even with Ten's father. He was concerned about Prem trying to scam Ten, not that Prem was also a man. And I loved Prem's grandmother and how supportive she was of Prem in everything. She was an absolute gem.
The acting was not quite as strong as I was expecting. I know how strong of actors Off and Gun are and this was not their best work. While the chemistry was there, it just wasn't at the same level as it was in Not Me or even Theory of Love. Neo was good as always, though having just seen him in Only Friends, his performance wasn't quite as strong here. Newbie Aungpao was entertaining as Dynamite and while it was obvious he wasn't quite as seasoned as the other actors, he still did a good job and was fun to watch. Dome was one of the stronger actors and I thought he did a great job giving a nuance performance.
The production value was decent. The uncut version has a much better flow whereas the cut version had some choppy scenes and cuts. I would definitely recommend the uncut version as it provides more insight into various characters and their actions/interactions. However, even in the uncut, there are still some awkward jumps and tonal shifts. With the cooking element, no offense to the actors, but not once did I believe they were actually culinary students. Their knife and cooking skills/technique was not up to snuff. This is where clever camera angles, close ups of hands and the like, etc. could have been utilized to fool viewers into thinking they were far more skilled than they appeared.
Ultimately I found Cooking Crush to be disappointing. Given the caliber of its cast, it could have been so much more, but the overly campy nature of it really suppressed their talent and it didn't have the weight it could have had. I would have loved to have seen a more serious take, with some humor still thrown in, and more of a focus on the food and how it brings the characters together. But that's just me, I prefer dramas like Not Me over ones like Cooking Crush. If you're an Off/Gun fan, you may very well enjoy it or if camp is your genre of choice, but if you are looking for something more akin to Not Me, this is not the drama for you.
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Near and Dear
Kiseki: Dear to Me is a lovely little drama that I found thoroughly enjoyable. While not without its faults, it largely makes up for them with an eclectic group of characters, a decently told story, good music, and some excellent acting. It does get a little bit busy and would have benefitted from a more streamlined and cohesive plot, but it's not to the point of being unwatchable. It thoroughly drew me in and I have zero regrets after watching it.In it's simplest form, this is an enemies to lovers story but the premise is unique enough that it doesn't feel totally cliche. Bai Zong Yi is a studious, rather grumpy student whose life is upended when the charismatic and mischievous gangster Fan Ze Rui blackmails him into taking him in and treating his wounds. There's no sense that one has more power than the other and that contributes to the interest and entertainment as the two learn to live together and eventually fall in love. I appreciated that the time frame was made clear. There's no question of whether a scene is past, present, or future. It begins in the present with a short little scene and then jumps to four years previously in 2019 and carries on from there. However, there's a lot going on and while the developing romance between Zong Yi and Ze Rui takes the front, there's also the ongoing fighting with a rival gang and trying to sniff out drug dealers at the local school. It's a lot to pack in and the story suffers for it. A decent amount could have been condensed or cut completely to allow more time for character development, providing more detailed information and world building, or giving more time to the episodes set in the present. For example, it would have been nice to have a more clear understanding of the gangs and how they worked. Things jump forward four years after Episode 8 and while I don't generally like time jumps, I understand the necessity of this one. Now set in the present day, the story becomes more, not less convoluted. There's not much time to get everything wrapped up and some things are left hanging. The memory aspect was a big one for me. Both Zong Yi and Ze Rui suffer brain injuries, but with Ze Rui it's unclear if he truly lost his memory for a period of time or if he was just faking it the entire time. With Zong Yi, he suffered short term memory impairment which was not explored or well explained. He uses a notebook to jot down important events, but it doesn't seem to effect his life too much and is largely forgettable. There are also some irritating moments where dramatic or misleading things happen but turn out to be nothing. Two primary examples would be when Chen Yi got shot and that served as a cliffhanger but was ultimately nothing and the last episode where an attempt is made to trick the audience into thinking Ze Rui has died. Both instances were cheap and unnecessary. The pacing was all over the place, but generally felt rushed. Again, just trying to fit in way too much. Particularly towards the end, there were a lot of moving parts and scenes that should have held significance weren't given the time they deserved. There needed to be a better balance between episodes focused on the past and then the present and that just wasn't there.
I am generally not a fan of romances between adults and minors. There's too much room for the adult to take advantage of the minor and manipulate them. However, I was less bothered here because there was an element that it was necessary to the story. Also Zong Yi was seventeen and while he did have some young, impulsive moments, his feelings for Ze Rui did not feel impulsive and their love did feel genuine. And Ze Rui did have clear moments of conflict and he did try to create distance. All of that combined evened things out for me. I know the teacher/student aspect bothered a number of people, but personally, due to the nature of the circumstances surrounding it, I didn't have an issue with it.
The character development was pretty decent and was certainly present. Not as much with the main leads as I would have thought though, at least not positively. I did find the second couple of Ai Di and Chen Yi to be more interesting and satisfying to watch. The largest issue with the characters was an overabundance of them. There were too many side characters and relatively insignificant characters to try to keep track of.
-Zong Yi starts out grouchy and closed off, but once he falls in love with Ze Rui, it's like he has a personality transplant and is suddenly largely kind and gentle. While he has a few grumpy moments, they seem largely for show. I would have preferred a more gradual change to his character and I would have liked to see him retain some of his original characteristics rather than becoming a whole new person. He's also a little too perfect. Aside from the last episode when he's pissed that Ze Rui didn't think of him when he was stabbed, he doesn't express any anger or resentment towards him for what happened in the past. That felt unrealistic. He should have felt something other than regret that he couldn't protect them both.
-Ze Rui remained largely the same throughout. While he expresses guilt and regret for what happened in the past with Zong Yi, he doesn't appear to really change. He's still a manipulative person but he has a good heart. Frankly, I thought he got off way too easy. Zong Yi suffered a lot because of him, from serving jail time to having permanent brain damage that dashed his dreams of becoming a doctor. Ze Rui didn't apparently suffer any permanent damage from his head injury and aside from being stabbed by Zhang Teng's sister which doesn't seem to actually be that serious, there are no consequences.
- Ai Di in particular was a delight and hands down my favorite character. He was small but mighty and I loved his attitude. He was fiercely loyal to his friends and to Chen Yi, who he'd been in love with for years. Forced to play second fiddle, he nonetheless stays by Chen Yi's side to help him even sacrificing himself to protect him and do what's necessary after Zong Yi is injured in prison. What's so great about him is that he does grow and develop, yet he remains true to himself. There's never any doubt that he is Ai Di.
-Chen Yi starts out in love with one of the gang's bosses and only becomes aware of Ai Di's feelings when he and Ai Di sleep together after he's been drinking. He also discovers the birthday presents Ai Di had gotten for him over the years and eventually comes to realize both Ai Di's and his own feelings. His attempts in the present to win over Ai Di are both humorous and adorable. Once they get together, it's like nothing's changed and yet everything has changed. Their dynamic is the same, but they're obviously in love. They balance each other out very nicely.
-The other characters were largely unimpressive. Although I did love Zong Yi's father and sister and how loving and supportive they were. Their interactions were so wholesome. The boss and his man were an interesting addition. We don't generally see older BL couples, so I appreciated that they were included from that perspective, however, they were not well utilized and they had so little screen time that they felt superfluous. Zhang Teng was a pretty boring villain. I didn't really find the lollipop to be off-putting, I just found him to be over the top and non-threatening. There needed to be more to him to make him feel like a viable threat. Even his history with Ze Rui felt incomplete and rushed. Suh Ning as his sister out for revenge was not a well developed plot point. It was obvious she was up to something, but there needed to be a greater buildup.
The acting was well done, but the undisputed star of the show was Louis as Ai Di. He was so committed to the role and he was a stand out in every way. He had great chemistry with Nat whose acting was more understated, but still good. Hsu and Taro were both pretty strong, though it was obvious at times that this was Taro's first role and he's still young and green. They both did a fair amount of acting with just their eyes and I was impressed with their chemistry, especially considering their 10 year age gap. I did enjoy the cameo of the actors from Be Loved In House. I keep hoping they'll get another series. And it was nice to see An Jun of HIStory 4 again. He had more than a cameo role and he did a good job. There was also a cameo from two of the actors of Plus & Minus, though I wasn't a fan of that drama so I had to go look them up to figure out why they looked familiar.
The production quality was a mixed bag for me. There were some really great transitions and cuts and then there were some pretty subpar ones. The lighting was sometimes too bring and other times bordering on too dark. There was just a general lack of consistency. I did like the costuming, particularly for Ai Di. The man was a style icon. I loved his unique look and how well it fit his character. The music was also good and worked well where used.
It's not perfect, but it's fun. It's not a drama you can look at too closely because once you do, things start to unravel. But if you just go with it, it's a great ride. This is definitely one I would recommend and one I will be rewatching in the future.
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Our Skyy 2: Star in My Mind
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A Surprising Star
Between Star in My Mind and Sky in Your Heart, I much preferred Sky in Your Heart. Star in My Mind had some decent moments, but I wasn't overly fond of Daonuea or Khabkluen or their story. It leaned more towards the typical college romance showcased in BLs and I preferred the maturity of Sky in Your Heart. So going into watching these two episodes, I didn't have high expectations. I figured I would watch it for the sake of saying that I'd seen it and be done with it. Imagine my surprise when I found that I actually overall enjoyed these episodes and found them equal parts funny and endearing.These two episodes are essentially just fluff without a whole lot of substance. Nothing dramatic happens, it's basically just Khabkluen and Daonuea being in love and telling each other how much they love the other. It's sweet. I liked that what was showcased was a healthy relationship. They communicate with each other. Daonuea has no qualms about bringing up the jealousy matter and Khabkluen clearly appreciates it and is happy to reiterate that there is no one else for him besides Daonuea. They are clearly very secure in their relationship and it's really nice to see that. There's also the element of consent. Khabkluen is the more vocal and demonstrative of the pair in showing his love for Daonuea. Despite the length of time they've been together, he's still very conscious of how Daonuea feels and frequently makes sure that he is okay with what is happening between them when things get romantic. It was just another aspect that was refreshing.
Their friends were entertaining. I don't always love the sidekicks in dramas, they can trend more towards annoying than funny in some cases, but I really enjoyed these guys. They were entertaining to watch with their antics and the way they teased their two friends. I also liked the way Typhoon was handled. They could have made him sad or bitter, unable to move on from Daonuea, but instead they not only showed him moving on but even revealed that he was able to be friends with Daonuea. I really appreciated that growth in his character, that he was able to be happy for Daonuea and support his relationship with Khabkluen.
The acting was okay. I don't think either Dunk or Joong are amazing actors, but I will acknowledge that they're young and have time to continue to grow and improve. I think Joong is the stronger actor of the pair and I did prefer his performance to Dunk's. That being said, they both have improved since Star in My Mind. Their chemistry together isn't bad, but leans more towards buddy than romance at times. Still, it's clear that they have a good rapport with each other which does translate to the screen, even if it's not exactly what they were going for perhaps. Pawin, Pepper, Winny and Satang again were entertaining as the friends. All four performed their parts well. I only wish we could have had Mek and Mark back again as Fah and Prince, but I knew with Mek having left GMMTV that wasn't going to happen.
These two episodes completely exceeded my expectations which, to be fair, wasn't hard since they were pretty low. Still, they made me laugh and smile and delivered some good moments. I think they demonstrated how to write a romance without the need of a lot of skinship to distract from the substandard plot or characters. Yes, there are kisses and such, but it's not sexy, it really is just romantic; a happy and healthy couple who clearly love each other and don't need to go around ripping each other's clothes off. It was a refreshing change. I would recommend these episodes as they truly tell just a feelgood story.
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A Season of Stars
While Season 2 of To My Star left me feeling conflicted in some ways, I ultimately found it to be a more satisfying story that Season 1. As much as I did enjoy the first season, I also found it to be a bit shallow, lacking background and explanations. I appreciated that this second season delved more into the characters past and answered some of those questions. And while a breakup was predictable, I did find many elements of the story and the characters actions to be realistic, if a bit heavy handed at times. On the other hand, the lack of any of kind of real resolution between the lead characters was disappointing as were the demands they made of each other which were unrealistic and unreasonable. Still, at the end of the day, the positives outweighed the negatives for me.I felt the story here was stronger than that of the first season, again, because we got to delve into the lives of the characters more. Another strength was that the story wasn't linear. This can be hit or miss, but I felt it was done well here. It doesn't start at the time of the breakup, but rather after it and the circumstances of the breakup are revealed bit by bit. However, this was also a bit of a downfall because at least initially, the focus was on Seo Joon and his reaction to the breakup. The problem stems from the fact that the explanation for why Ji Woo broke up with him doesn't come until much later after he's been a complete and total ass toward Seo Joon. That lack of explanation makes it hard to understand him or have any sympathy for him. It's something that would have been important to include earlier on.
I know a lot of people think that the reasoning behind the breakup was crap, but personally I found it realistic. My understanding is that it didn't boil down to just one reason, but it was multiple reasons from feeling lonely and isolated since his social circle consisted of only Seo Joon to fearing that Seo Joon would eventually leave him. Better to leave first than be left. He was an introvert in a relationship with an extrovert. As an introvert myself, I can completely understand where he was coming from. I don't think people fully realize that the fact that Seo Joon made Ji Woo the center of his universe put a lot of pressure on Ji Woo. Self-induced pressure to be sure, but it was there. And despite some people's comments that he didn't really have any trauma affecting him, I would disagree. He had the trauma of his parent's death, the scandal from his parent's friend that led to apparently the entire village ostracizing him, and the trauma of his long term girlfriend abruptly leaving him and with a cruel text message to boot. All of that combined made it easy for him to build walls and hard for him to trust people. Even after a year of dating, it's not like that trauma would have gone away. And sometimes when the loneliness and isolation and fear reach a boiling point, it's easier to run away than face it.
His treatment of Seo Joon, however, after Seo Joon hunts him down was unnecessary. To an extent, I can understand him. He ran as far away as he did to get away from Seo Joon, to get over him, and here comes Seo Joon refusing to take no for an answer and stirring up those feelings again. I get why he would be pissed. But I think he could have gotten his point across without the gaslighting and cruelty.
For Seo Joon, if memory serves, Ji Woo asks him he's a dog at one point and in many ways he does act like a dog, he certainly has the loyalty of one. His inability to get over Ji Woo even after a year, his determination for them to work things out, and finally his attempt to shut Ji Woo out, were all so relatable. I think there's the temptation to call him desperate or pathetic, but I didn't find him to be either of those. I think when you find that one, you're not willing to give them up easily. I know I've seen comments from people saying they don't understand why he even loved Ji Woo, but you have to keep in mind that love isn't logical and there isn't always a concrete reason for it. The need for closure, to understand why Ji Woo left him, was also important. Especially after a year, when it seems like they didn't really have any major fights or arguments during that time, that would be important for him to know. Despite the fact that I do find his actions relatable and understandable, I also don't condone them as they were pretty obviously emotionally and mentally unhealthy. Then again, we don't always do the smartest things when we're in love, do we?
The side characters were a mixed bunch for me. While I liked Sung Yoon as a character, I was not a fan of her role as the ex-girlfriend presented to create tension and drama. I hate when women are used like that, it's such a disservice. I was glad that wasn't her sole purpose even if it was her primary one. She still came across as a strong woman which I appreciated and I liked her friendship with Da Kyung. Da Kyung was entertaining as a single mom and Ji Woo's friend. At first I was afraid they were going to try to put them together and I was very glad when they didn't. Although it wasn't showcased much, I liked what little of their friendship was shown. And I just liked her in general. To me she came across as a strong, badass woman which I loved. Pil Hyun was great to have back. I liked him in the first season and I liked him here again. My only qualm is that I think he should have dumped his girlfriend because he deserved someone better. The only two characters I took issue with, and even then only minorly, were Ho Min and Yoo Ha. With Ho Min, his suddenly leaving to become an idol came out of nowhere. It was a completely unnecessary and underdeveloped plot point that served no point. Yoo Ha, cute as she was, some of her dialogue was a bit too adult. It just wasn't believable that a child her age would say some of the things she said, at least not in my opinion.
The acting was good all around. Kang Min, who I felt was a bit weak at times in the first season, definitely upped his game this season. He was more consistent, his expressions were better and more nuanced and he seemed more comfortable. He still seems to struggle with some of the more emotional scenes, but, again, overall a great improvement. Woo Hyun was fantastic. This was the first drama I've seen him, but I plan on watching others at this point. He's so expressive, I just really enjoyed his performance.
The production value was a clear improvement over the first season which wasn't bad in the slightest, but there is a difference. My one issue is that some of the editing wasn't as clear as it could be. There were a few times where it took a moment to figure out if a scene was from the past or the present. The cinematography was fantastic. As a foodie and someone who likes to cook, I loved the cooking and food shots. The OST was perfection. It just so flawlessly suited the drama in every way. I think my favorite song is the one our two leads sing. Beautifully sung and it really conveyed the mood and emotions.
Now for the aspects that I found less than desirable. Things between Ji Woo and Seo Joon were wrapped a little too neatly for my taste. Yes, there's a brief conversation as they make up, but these two needed to sit down and have a long conversation. Now I suppose we can assume they did that off screen at some point, but since that's not alluded to at any point, I'm not willing to make that assumption. The problem I see here is that without having a proper discussion about what led to Ji Woo running away, it leaves open the possibility of it happening again. On the one hand, that seems less likely to happen since Ji Woo has more of a support system than just Seo Joon there at the end, but it is something that needs to be addressed. I also don't feel like Ji Woo ever properly apologizes for his treatment of Seo Joon earlier on which he absolutely should have. Regardless of his struggles and conflicting emotions, he owed him a massive apology. Another concern is their demands of each other, that Ji Woo not pick out his clothes ahead of time, I think it was, because his ex does that, and that Seo Joon not smile at others or talk on the phone so much, if memory serves. Ji Woo had thrown out some other issues earlier in the drama as well. All of these are ridiculous and, frankly, unreasonable. It is setting each other up for failure, not to mention a level of possessiveness of each other that could also be problematic.
So would I recommend this drama? Provided you're not looking for a fluff piece, yes. The material here is much heavier than in the first season and though we do get our happily ever after, it's a longer and tougher journey to get there. Personally though, I would say that journey is worth it and I found this second season to be superior to the first.
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You're Gonna Be Popular
Going into this drama, I don't know what exactly I was expecting from it. Maybe something sweet and lighthearted, relatively uncomplicated. Instead what I got was a story with real depth and heart, characters that came alive, excellent acting, and an overall good quality production value. It was a pleasant surprise. There is something very artistic about it that I really appreciated and enhanced the story for me. It is hands down one of my favorite Korean BLs.The story, at face value, is a simple enough slice of life focusing on two young college men, the challenges they face both together and as individuals. Alongside them are their friends and family who have their own trials from dealing with sexism and harassment to guilt tripping from parents to the pressures of needing to be successful. The pacing was well done. It didn't feel rushed nor did it feel too slow.
I loved the characters of Da Un and Si Won. They are such opposites and yet in some ways, they are so similar. They're a study in how our families shape us, for better or worse. Si Won's mother had good intentions, but her good intentions caused lasting trauma to her son, leaving him lacking confidence and feeling the need to pursue perfection. Da Un, on the other hand, contrary to Si Won's assumption, suffered neglect at the hands of his parents which led to a different kind of trauma, one that affected and almost destroyed his relationship with Si Won. It is both fascinating and painful to watch them, as well as beautiful as they start to help each other heal.
The acting is superb. Hyuk Joon and Eun Bin both do their characters proud. They were equally good with the more lighthearted scenes and the emotionally heavy scenes. They had phenomenal chemistry and played off of each other so well. It was such a pleasure to watch their interactions. I have absolutely no complaints. The supporting cast was also really good. There is one particular scene between Si Won and his mother that is just exceptional. Both actors killed it.
The production value was for the most part really good. The cinematography in particular was stunning. I loved their use of lighting and the fact that one of the techniques mentioned in class was actively utilized was very clever.
This drama was such an unexpected pleasure, I truly enjoyed every moment of it. It's a sweet romance between relatable characters and as a whole, it's just very well done. I highly recommend watching it and this is one that I think would improve repeated viewings.
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Don't Ghost It
Despite its name and the tendency to equate something ghost related with horror, Ghost Host, Ghost House is anything but a horror drama. Rather I found it to be a rather bittersweet story focusing on the importance of family, of cherishing the time we have left, and learning to accept death as another part of life and not letting grief consume us. It is certainly a flawed drama. There are aspects that don't make sense or aren't explained well, plenty of plot holes, both leads are newer and there were times where that was obvious, and the pacing is oddly simultaneously too fast and too slow. For me though, the heart of the drama and what they were trying to convey is what led me to rate it higher at an 8. Taking my emotional response out of the equation and rating just based of story, characters, acting, etc., I would rate it between a 6.5 and a 7.The story, while not bad, in some ways didn't make sense to me. Kawin's whole fascination with ghosts stems from the death of his best friend and former crush. He's the ghost that Kawin wants to see and yet we never see him trying to summon Jake other than when the twins offer to help and then he gives that chance to Pluem. I wanted more background there. Did he want to see a ghost to prove that it was possible and that he might someday see Jake? Or did the whole thing start with him trying to see Jake and he just developed a fascination with ghosts and ghost stories as a result? The ghost hunting aspect though was relatively quickly shelved once Kawin found out that his own family was ghosts and then the story turned to their final days. And frankly I think his family is the star of the drama. I really enjoyed all their characters and their interactions; they were the highlight for me, the romance was secondary.
I said the pacing was simultaneously too fast and too slow. As a whole, the pacing was too fast. Things happened very quickly, the romance between Kawin and Pluem being a big one, in my opinion. There was very little build up between them meeting and sleeping together for the first time. It didn't feel like they'd had a chance to properly get to know each other and I would have liked to see them interacting more before things progressed to that level. The too slow comes in that scenes just dragged. A lot of that was the dialogue and the long pauses that were just unnatural. But some scenes were also just dragged out longer than was necessary.
The acting was overall good. The two standouts for me though, were Guide as See-Foon and Natty as See-Nam. Guide especially was fantastic. For this being his first role, I was so impressed with his skills. His ability to convey so much emotion with just his eyes and subtle expressions was amazing to watch. He's definitely someone to keep an eye on. Natty was much to same. I felt like she had a more subtle acting style that I really liked and I think fit the character. She was great to watch and she's another one to keep watching. Tod and Boy both did well as the leads. Their chemistry together was overall pretty good and I felt like they played off of each other well. There were definitely times where I felt they could use more energy. Some scenes just felt a bit lackluster. And they could both stand to add a bit more nuance to their expressions. But for both being newer, I think they did pretty well.
The biggest problem with this drama though is the staggering number of plot holes and unanswered questions. There was just so much left unexplained. I think background is key when it comes to any drama or any character and that was so completely lacking here. I feel like a fair number of questions would have been answered if everything had a solid background. Even a basic question like if Kawin's mother ever found out her sister, brother-in-law, niece and nephew were all dead is never answered. I am also going to nitpick here and say that Kawin in no way seemed like someone who grew up in the US. This is no fault of the actor, I will say that, this is the production's fault for not making changes to fit with his ability, but his English wasn't strong enough and he had a strong Thai accent. It just didn't quite work.
On the plus side, you have a drama that is relatively trope free which is refreshing as well as product placement free as far as I can recall. If there are any, its minimal and not as constantly in your face as some dramas. It also depicts an overall healthy relationship. Kawin and Pluem make the effort to communicate with each other even when its tough, aside from episode 7 which was just ridiculous. I don't know why they felt the need to throw in more drama but it was stupid and didn't fit with the characters, in my opinion, so I'm ignoring it. I also appreciated that consent played such a role in Pluem and Kawin's relationship. Yes, Pluem teased Kawin, but he never pushed things too far and when things started getting serious, he always made sure Kawin was okay with where things were going. More Thai dramas should take note of that.
This is not an amazing drama technically. Like I said, it has a lot of flaws, it could have been better with a little more effort and thought, but I think it is good enough to warrant watching it at least once. This is one drama where the romance definitely took the backseat and I was more interested and pulled in by Kawin's family. Their love for each other and for Kawin was incredibly touching and the actors did an amazing job bringing their character's to life and really making me care about them. So, come for the romance, and stay for the family. They're both good.
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Graduated Without Honors
I loved season 1 of The Gifted. The story didn't exactly break new ground, but I felt it was overall well done, the characters were interesting, the acting was well done, and in general it was a well rounded drama. So going into season 2, I was hoping for more of the same. I have to admit though, I was a bit disappointed. Season 2 felt like the team was just trying too hard. It didn't have the same flow that season 1 had, characters seemed to make foolish decisions repeatedly, explanations were rushed, it just didn't quite work for me. It's not bad, not by any means, but watching both seasons back to back, season 1 is definitely superior.Graduation has a much different tone to it from the first season. It's much darker, more mature. The potentials are dealing with adult problems at this point so there's less focus on their school life and there are significantly fewer lighthearted scenes. A big focus is on ethics and character's morals, how the potentials should be used, should they be controlled, how and by whom. It's a valid dilemma and the way it's played out is interesting.
While slow pacing is often an issue in dramas, it certainly isn't here. It starts out fast and never really slows down. And this is where I feel like they were just trying way too hard. This drama has a number of plot twists, more than are necessary, in my opinion. But there's a point where a series of plot twists hit just one after another and you're left reeling. At that point, the pacing was almost too fast to actually be able to process what was happening and what I'd just seen. The plot twists make it worse, but even without them the story is convoluted which is useful to hide the plot holes, but annoying when you're the viewer.
There was an element with the character's that they'd gotten both smarter and stupider in the time between seasons 1 and 2. Obviously their potentials had grown, so from that point of view, they were smarter, but the ease with which Ms. Darin and Supot were able to influence and manipulate them, Pang and Punn, especially, just seemed a bit ridiculous after their past experiences. It seemed weird that Pang, in particular, was duped by both of them. I understand wanting to believe the best in people, but also there needs to be a limit and I would think he would have figured that out. He seemed much smarter in some regards in the first season. There were also some difference in characters, notably Korn, from season 1 to season 2 that were pretty much skated over and never discussed. Obviously there were extenuating circumstances, but there were some aspects there that seemed like they needed to be discussed. I did like seeing the potentials working together more as a group this time around, particularly towards the beginning when things are a little more lighthearted. It's fun to see them interacting together. I especially liked the friendship between Wave and Pang. They've obviously become very close and there are a couple of moments that showcase that bond really well that I liked. I did miss Namtarn though. I'm not sure why she wasn't included in the main cast, but she was one of my favorites from season 1 so I was very disappointed that she was relegated to a guest appearance, especially since the cast was already pretty thin when it came to the ladies.
The product placement was over the top and annoying and distracting. Does it actually work on people? I get so annoyed by it that I vow to never buy whatever it is they're touting, if I could even get it in the US. In any case, they're there and there's a lot of them. You literally couldn't miss them if you tried.
Ultimately, Graduation is worth the watch if for no other reason than it's fun to see the cast back on your screen. It doesn't have the same brilliance as season 1, but its still good. It is not one, however, that I will be rewatching. Season 1 is absolutely worth rewatching. Season 2, once you know what happens, its not worth going through it again.
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Memorably Entertaining
I am going to preface this by saying that I am in no way a fan of horror movies/shows/dramas. I don't enjoy being scared and I don't appreciate the excessive violence and gore than tends to go hand and hand with most of them. I tend to avoid them like the plague. However, I happened to come across this one and was intrigued by both the cast and the plot and decided it was worth potentially traumatizing myself. Surprisingly though, I actually quite enjoyed this drama and wasn't traumatized in the slightest. There is certainly a fair amount of both gore and violence, but not to excess, in my opinion, and for the most part, it didn't feel overly gratuitous. And while I felt there were some holes in the story, it was still interesting enough to keep me invested till the end.The story itself is interesting, a group of friends is summoned back to an island by a text message where another friend of theirs committed suicide five years previously and chaos ensues. From there it bounces back and forth between the present and the past, five years ago. The pacing was overall pretty good. I felt it started to drag a little bit towards the end when it was focused more on events from the past than the present. There were definitely some scenes that could have been shortened and at that point I was a little more interested in what was happening in the present. There are also a number of plot holes/moments where I definitely had to suspend disbelief because events or actions just didn't make sense even within the confines of the drama. My only other complaint here is the moralising messages regarding the sexual assault and revenge. It felt heavy handed to me and unnecessary to hammer the point home quite as hard as they did. That, however, is simply my opinion.
The acting was quite good all around. Zee is almost always consistent and good in whatever role he's playing, but this was fun to see him as such a completely different character. I hadn't seen Jimmy or Tommy since Why R U? so it was good to see them again. Tommy looked so much more mature here and Jimmy's acting has improved significantly. Sairung did such an amazing job for her first acting role. She had some very tough scenes and she absolutely nailed them. Same for Ray, Noon, and Pinomyim, they did such great jobs in their first roles and I look forward to seeing what they all do next.
The characters were all so interesting in this drama because you start out thinking they're all relatively good/neutral people, but by the end, you've come to realize how flawed/bad they really are, with a few exceptions. However, the journey to that realization is not black and white. There are definitely shades of grey which adds an additional layer of interest because even though you know a character is essentially bad to the bone, there are moments where you pity them and you almost wonder, if their life/circumstances had been different, would things have turned out better for them? In addition to that, the psychological aspect is also very intriguing, the way they all start to mistrust and suspect each other and then turn on each other. You have friends who have known each other for years at each others throats, secrets coming out that have been kept quiet for years. I find it fascinating.
- Bew is the most guilty and the most disgusting of the group, in my opinion. While on the one hand, I pity him for the abuse he suffers at his father's hands, there is absolutely no excuse for his decision to rape both Lilly and Sonar. It was interesting to see though that he was consistent in who he cared for, both with Lyla and Nest, especially Nest. Even finding out that she was the one who posted the clip didn't sway him. If he wasn't such a scumbag, I would have found it sweet. His slow descent from the high and mighty Bew to the shadow of his former self he is by the end, is great though.
-Lyla is very nearly as bad as Bew. She's a master manipulator, the star child, but she's also unhappy because of the pressure she faces from her parents. After the clip of her and Bew surfaces, she snaps. She threatens her friends with a knife, asks Mac to kill everyone, blames her sister for her own rape, tells Bew that Lilly and Sonar deserved what they got, and, according to Lilly, planned to kill everyone on that trip, possibly with Mac's help. Frankly, I was pretty happy when both she and Bew died, absolutely no tears were shed.
- Dan was the most blameless character, in my opinion. Maybe I'm forgetting something, but I don't recall him ever doing anything deserving of the way he died. Seeing his relationship with Bew slowly revealed was fascinating, especially once it became clear that they were actually stepbrothers. It made it so much worse what Bew had done. And Dan's love for Lilly was so sweet and genuine. I do wonder what would have happened if he had survived, if she would have let him live.
- Ken and Plato are a little more complicated. Of the two, I hold Plato less blameless than Ken, but there is also an element of if Sonar and Lilly went to a teacher and the teacher refused to do anything, what exactly were they supposed to do? Obviously the girls weren't thinking that clearly and they just wanted their revenge and, yes, it sucked that Ken was more focused on protecting himself and Plato from Bew, but along with the two of them cheating on Gel and Fone, I'm not going to judge too harshly because I have never been in a situation where I had to be worried that I might be judged or ostracized because of who I loved. Anyway, I really loved their relationship and the way it was developed. I was so hoping they would survive and was kind of crushed when they didn't.
-Gel and Fone were certainly not blameless, cyberbullying both Lyla and Lilly with photoshopped pictures, dumping mop water on Lyla, trash talking her, and generally just being mean. Neither girl really has any redeeming qualities and frankly I wondered why two such nice guys as Ken and Plato would stay with them as long as they did. Fone's vendetta against Gel after her eye is ruined felt a little overdone to me. I mean, she'd just seen her boyfriend about to kiss her friend's boyfriend, then her friend confesses her love and won't give her space and she accidentally impales her eye on a branch. I'd freak out too. The sudden desire to murder Gel feels like overkill, but then again, everyone was going kind of crazy at that point.
-Bozo is in kind of the same boat as Ken and Plato for me. If a teacher refused to do anything to help Sonar and Lilly, what exactly was he, as a student, supposed to do? I feel like that's a lot to put on someone. Aside from that, Bozo was, well, kind of a bozo at times. While I thought his relationship with Mind was sweet, he tended to be a lemming, following whoever he thought was the strongest or who could get him what he wanted. Still, I did overall like his character and I was sad when he died.
-Mind was another of the lesser evils. While she was the one who filmed Bew and Lyla's encounter, she was not the one who posted it and only intended to use it as blackmail against Lyla. I appreciated both her strength and her determination. I also enjoyed her relationship with Bozo, it was very sweet and natural. I was also sad when she died, but I was glad she died naturally and wasn't killed.
-Mac is kind of up there with Bew and Lyla for me. I don't think he so much loved Lyla as he was obsessed with her, or it was an obsessive love. Either way, super unhealthy. While he wasn't a master manipulator like Lyla, he was able to manipulate certain people like Nest. Whether he ever actually cared for her is up for debate, but considering how much he obviously still loved Lyla, my guess is not which means he'd been manipulating her for five years. That's pretty cruel.
-Nest is the surprise and disappointing survivor. Of all the characters, I think I found her the least interesting. She turns out to be the one who released the clip of Lyla and Mac in an effort to keep Mac to herself. Ironically, that backfires as it sets into motion everything that happens in the drama and actually sends Mac straight back into Lyla's arms where he reveals not only that she is actually not disabled, but also that he thinks she has another secret. I get that she has issues, and I did pity her to an extent, but I just didn't like her enough to want her to be the sole survivor.
-Sonar and Lilly made an interesting pair of masterminds. The theatricality of their actions was certainly entertaining at times. They're another pair of complicated characters because you do have to pity them. They're victims of rape and when they sought help, no one helped them. I lay the full blame for that on the teacher, she was scum for not doing anything to help her students. That would make any woman bitter. For Lilly, on top of that, dealing with Lyla and her cruelty, she snapped too. It's, of course, no excuse for going on a murder spree, but you do have to feel for them and what they suffered to at least some extent. And I found the end, which I took to indicate as Lilly having committed suicide and meeting Lyla in the afterlife, to be rather hopeful. I'd like to think they could start over again and have a better relationship.
I loved the music. There were times that it really reminded me of the music from Hannibal which was amazing so very well done there. The opening was so interesting and unique. The use of lighting and backlighting to create silhouettes and highlights was just gorgeous.
The makeup was overall not bad. There were definitely some instances where it looked pretty fake, but for the most part, it wasn't too bad, in my opinion.
All things considered, this was a fun diversion for a couple days and I'm very glad I walked away un-traumatized. I enjoyed getting to see several actors I'm familiar with in roles I hadn't seen them in before and get to see some new promising actresses. This is definitely a drama I would recommend watching as its pretty quick to get through. It's not one that I would watch again, I think once is enough, but I am glad that I took the time to watch it.
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The Mountain Is Calling And I Must Go
I put off watching this drama for ages because while it sounded interesting, the synopsis was also quite vague and I didn't know what I was getting myself into. I am officially kicking myself for delaying even one second. It has been so long since I've watched a drama that captured me the way Jirisan did. The story, the acting, the music, everything just came together almost perfectly, for my taste at least, and created such an amazing experience. I truly don't remember the last time I obsessed over a drama like this, analyzing all the events and who the murderer could be. I loved every second of it.The story is overall pretty solid. In general, its a murder/mystery with some supernatural elements thrown in. Its a bit murky in the beginning, there are a few inconsistencies like they hadn't quite worked out all the kinks in the story and how they wanted things to flow, but after the first few episodes, it seemed to find its stride. The time change was also a tad confusing initially, bouncing between 2018 and the present, but once I got used to it, I didn't have any issues following. The whodunnit aspect of the story was quite fun initially but did start getting just a tad wearing toward the end with the shots that kept making you second guess who you thought the killer was. At that point, it really wasn't necessary since you either knew or you didn't. The pacing was good, I never got bored and as I said, once it found its stride, it stuck to it.
The acting was superb. Both Ji Hyun and Ji Hoon were phenomenal as Yi Kang and Hyun Jo, respectively. Their chemistry was fantastic. They just played off of each other so beautifully. And while the rest of the supporting cast was also wonderful, I really have to comment on Jung Se. The man can act. He is just so good and so believable there were a couple of times when he had me in tears solely because of his acting skills.
I really enjoyed all the characters and even with a relatively large cast, I felt that they overall did a good job with allowing the viewer to get to know everyone as much as possible. The one character I would have liked to have gotten to know a little more was Hyun Jo. Probably because she was so tied to Jirisan, we got a very in depth look into Yi Kang as she grew up. I have no objections to that, other than a few scenes were repeated more than once which probably wasn't necessary, as it did show her character growth over the course of the drama. That being said, I would have liked to see more of Hyun Jo's past, his family, how he grew up, etc., as a way to get to know the character better and as a contrast to Yi Kang.
One of the things that I appreciated about this drama was the lack of romance between the leads. Not every drama needs it and I really loved their camaraderie and friendship and seeing it grow. And by the end, when there's a hint that there might be more from the way the two of them are looking at each other, I honestly couldn't protest because they did such a good job of building their relationship up. I like that it was left up to the viewer as to where things may have gone from there, whether they remained friends or took things to the next level. And I actually liked the ending. Yes, it would have been nice and less abrupt to see them going through their recovery, but there was something about them seeing each other and not needing words to communicate that just summed up their whole relationship so perfectly.
On the topic of romance, I did adore Goo Young and Yang Sun's romance. I liked both their characters individually and when they got together, I thought they were perfect. I was so sad when they didn't get the happily ever after that they deserved. That being said, I was super happy at the hint at the end that he may find happiness with Hyun Jo's sister. I was literally cackling as he took off running from her.
The various villains were all interesting, believable, and, in some ways, relatable in their own ways. Sol, of course, was the most interesting, and I really appreciated the way his childhood was used to shape him and turn him into the person he became. Obviously his reasoning for killing people was absurd and made no sense, but that it made sense to him and in a believable way was appreciated. It was sad to see how the people of Black Bridge Village ruined not only his life, but also their own lives through their greed.
The cinematography was absolutely stunning. I now have an overwhelming desire to go visit Jirisan. It just looks like such a beautiful mountain to explore.
I actually really enjoyed the music for the most part. Again, in the first episode or two there were a couple of choices that I wasn't overly impressed with, but as it progressed, I felt it became more consistent. In particular Falling by Kim Jong Wan has been playing on repeat for several days now.
As I said, I absolutely loved this drama, but naturally there were a few things that weren't quite perfect. As I mentioned, once you get into the story a bit, it becomes clear that the first episode or so wasn't fully thought out. It's eventually revealed that Hyun Jo's visions are related to the murderer as he's killing off the the former residents of Black Bridge Village. However, in the first episode, he has a vision of where the kid is even though he has nothing to do with the village. Not a huge deal, just a bit of a plot hole/inconsistency. The CGI was pretty bad at times. Again, first episode, there's a rock fall that is some pretty bad CGI. Considering how they made the rest of the weather and disasters seem more or less realistic for the most part, those few times where the CGI was off were quite obvious. There were more deaths than were strictly necessary, in my opinion, particularly women. This drama definitely had a more male heavy cast, so the fact that three of the four main/supporting women were killed and really only one of the men is kind of sad. I understand why they didn't/couldn't do it, but there's a part of me that would have liked a little more of an explanation for how and why Hyun Jo ended up as he did as well as why sometimes people could see him and other times they couldn't. Was he really like some kind of Angel of Death or was it something else? Not really a negative there so much as it would have been interesting.
Obviously this drama is fiction, none of the events actually happened, but I really have to applaud the productions attention to detail and their authenticity. Watching it gave me a whole new appreciation for what rangers do and the level of skill, both physically and mentally, that they must have and maintain. They are truly amazing human beings. Huge respect for them and the work they do.
Normally a drama like this is a one and done. You've seen it, you know who the murderer is, you know how it all turns out, and the mystery is gone. I don't feel like that's the case with Jirisan. I have a feeling this is one of those dramas that you keep picking up on new things each time you see it. And if nothing else, the cinematography makes it worth watching again. But even more than that, I think the characters themselves will keep coming back to watch again, to see them grow and know that even though in the end everything's not perfect, it's still a happy ending.
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Too Ambitious for Its Length
This is a short drama, eight episodes, each about twenty minutes in length. With the intro song, recap, preview of the next episode, and ending song, you get maybe fifteen minutes of actual material. The biggest issue, I feel, with this drama is that it tried to pack far too much into a very short time frame. I think it had potential, but there was a lot that was rushed, there was a lack of character development, and there were aspects that felt unfinished.The concept of the drama is interesting, a tailor and agoraphobe fall in love. The actual execution, however, leaves a lot to be desired. All things considered, there's not much of a story, or plot. Its a fairly typical enemies to lovers story with a very slight twist. I know its an overused trope, but, again, the concept made me hope it would be worth the watch. Part of the problem was the overinflated cast which is nearly always an issue for me in Thai dramas. Precious minutes were spent dealing with an apparent years old disagreement between two of the brothers that would have been better spent getting to know our two leads and building up their relationship more gradually. Frankly, they could have cut the youngest brother out completely and not lost anything. There's also a number of questions that are left unanswered, like why he was allowed to help run the company at all if Thawin was just going to take his place. I'm going to assume that Thawin is younger and was finishing his studies or something along those lines, but it would have been nice to have that spelled out a little more. There was also a lot left unanswered with his father. I feel like he would have been an interesting character to delve into more with why he showed such disdain for Nawee, his relationship with Aioun's father, what drove him, etc. But again, there was just far too little time to be able to get into any of that and the story suffered as a result.
Another issue was the characters. There was very little character growth overall and the growth there was, mostly with Nawee, was far too rapid and without real reason. And neither of the leads is particularly likeable, in my opinion. The side characters are all a bit nondescript. They don't add much to the story and aren't memorable, other than Oab's haircut.
- Nawee had the most character growth but it was poorly done. He starts out as this arrogant, manipulative jerk and then once he leaves his house and is at the tailor shop, its like a switch is flipped and he suddenly starts to become much nicer. I wanted to see that developed over time. And there were just too many discrepancies with his character. At Aioun's birthday dinner, it seems like he's all ready to face down Chanjao for Aioun's love, but then almost immediately after, he just gives up and then he seems to want to make things work and then he gives up again. There just didn't seem to be much of a rhyme or reason behind why he acted the way he did. The fact that he never apologizes to Sichol or anyone for his past behaviour, takes away from some of that growth. I mean, he literally physically abused Sichol and it is never mentioned again.
- Aioun initially came off as a bit superior. That aspect lessens as he starts to fall for Nawee thankfully. I actually overall liked his character, until the birthday dinner. The fact that he was stringing along both Chanjao and Nawee really pissed me off. He knew he was falling for Nawee, he flirted with him, and he led him to believe that he was available and interested in him, which he was, but he should have come clean that he was already in a relationship. And then poor Chanjao has been strung along for who knows how many years by him when he apparently wasn't that serious about her. On the one hand, I understand that he didn't want to hurt her, but on the other hand, he was holding her back and stopping her from finding someone who would actually love and care for her. However, the fact that he was still hesitant to break up with her after having an affair makes me think he was also trying to protect himself from the fallout. Not okay, sir! On another note, his falling for Nawee happened far too fast. He hates the guy one minute, and then he sees him in a vulnerable state and he sucks his finger and suddenly he's in love? Not even remotely believable.
- I honestly don't have much to say about the other characters. They were just kind of there. Again, I felt Art was a superfluous character who should have been eliminated to give more time to the leads. Oab was basically there to act as a sounding board for Aioun and as a way to explain some past events. Sichol had a few minorly humorous moments, but overall I found him a bit annoying. Chanjao wasn't in there enough to get to know her, but the one thing I will say is that I loved the grace with which she took her and Aioun's break up. I'm so used to women in Thai BL's being petty and scheming and manipulative, and it was so refreshing how she took it. I felt bad for her because of how Aioun treated her, and I appreciated her forthrightness in making him finally admit that he didn't see a future with her. The fact that even after their breakup she still helped him with his business says a lot about her character.
The acting was okay, nothing special but also not the worst I've seen. It certainly could have been better though.
The costuming was disappointing. For a drama that had a tailor as a main character and had such a focus on Nawee finding the perfect suit, I expected a lot more focus on making sure the costumes looked and fit correctly. Apparently they figured their audience wouldn't notice if that wasn't the case. The suits are overall ill-fitting, not to mention impractical considering the climate. The tux in particular that Aioun wears to Nawee's father's birthday is awful in every way.
Aside from that, there are a few other things. Aioun makes Nawee's suit in less than a day. A custom made suit can take up to forty hours to make, if not more, and yet we're expected to believe he completed it in less than twenty-four hours. Not likely. The whole accidental kiss trope is stupid and annoying, in my opinion. It always looks forced and fake. Its used twice here and its bad both times. Aioun's whole approach to Nawee's agoraphobia is ridiculous. Just you being there is not going to cure a deep psychological trauma. The fact that he forced Nawee into going out and really didn't listen to him was so frustrating to watch. With that, the scene at the pool made no sense. Nawee falls in, the girls are screaming, Aioun rescues him and then its like they're all alone. There's literally no one else around as Aioun is performing CPR, no one called for emergency services or anything. Its just a very weird scene that makes little sense.
The music was overall good. Frankly Jeff Satur can make anything sound good so I did enjoy his contribution. The cinematography was decent, nothing spectacular though there is one shot at the end of Nawee with a mirror that I really liked.
This is not what I would consider a good drama, its tolerable, but not good. What makes it watchable is the fact that even if you're really not feeling it, you've only wasted a couple of hours. There are some sweet moments, its not all terrible, its just when you look at it as a whole, there's more bad then good. If you like decent kissing scenes, this one does deliver on that front and may be worth watching from that perspective. Its entertaining enough to get through once, in my opinion, but no more than that.
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Doesn't Add Much
This special episode takes place immediately after Episode 12 when Li Gong and Ze Shou get married. Ze Shou gets drunk and dreams about being back in high school with Li Gong. While both appear to be 18 years old, Ze Shou retains his memories of his current age and changes the way he handled several events in the past.Its kind of cute, but also contains a number of flashbacks from the rest of the series that really weren't necessary. I also found it rather distasteful that Ze Shou got drunk at their wedding to the point that he has to be physically carried. I was honestly impressed that Li Gong was so unaffected by it because if that had been my wedding, I would have been pissed at my husband getting so completely drunk. But then again, he knows Ze Shou best and loves him regardless of his flaws.
Ze Shou's dream contains some cute moments, though the jealousy aspect feels a bit weird considering these are all events that occurred 10 years prior and they literally just got married, but it also doesn't really add anything to the story. I honestly lost interest partway through. But it's only a half hour long, so I can't really complain. I can't say whether or not anyone should watch it, but you're not missing out on anything if you skip it.
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I Wanted To Like It, But...
This is a drama that had a lot of potential but ultimately fell flat. Whether that was due to Covid, uncertainty of the writers, or something else, who knows. The show had a lot of great parts but, unfortunately, even more not so great parts. The pacing in particular left a lot to be desired.Pros:
- I'm not typically wowed by the acting in BLs. Most of the actors seem very green and their flaws and lack of experience can be painfully obvious. Not so here. Saint and Zee in particular were fantastic. Their chemistry with each other was on point and their acting as individuals was also fantastic. Zee in particular was a master of the microexpression, those minute facial expressions that express so much. He also conveyed a lot of his character's emotions with just his eyes. There's a lot to be said for actors who have the ability to carry a story with more than just dialogue and he nailed it. And Saint was right there with him. He has great expression and manages to convey a great deal with just a simple look. Huge kudos to both of them for their superb acting.
Tommy was also good in a completely different way. While Zee and Saint have what I would consider more understate acting styles, Tommy was more over the top, dramatic expressions which actually worked quite well without being too cheesy or theatrical. I especially appreciated his range as the drama progressed and his relationship with Saifah progressed. His performance became more nuanced and it was his more subtle and understated expressions that really made his character appeal to me.
Jimmy was obviously the greenest of the actors and it showed, especially because his fellow castmates were so good. Absolutely nothing against him, he did a great job all things considered, he just wasn't quite as expressive or consistent as his costars, but it was an excellent first effort and I'm sure he'll continue to grow as an actor.
- Thai BL dramas in particular seem to have an issue with consent which I take issue with it to a strong degree. I was extremely impressed with how that was handled in this drama because aside from one scene, there is no doubt that both parties are consenting whether it be kissing or having sex. And that was truly fantastic to see, the respect that both couples had for each other, the way space was given when it was needed, and how, for the most part, they communicated. There is one scene later in the drama that lacks consent. While I understand what was trying to be conveyed and how emotionally unstable both characters were at the time, it's a hard scene to watch and I don't think it was necessary to take it as far as they did. Does it do a good job of emphasizing just how badly the characters were doing? Yes, but again, I think there are other ways that scene could have played out. Still it is worth it to note that that is the only scene where consent is lacking.
Of the two main romances, Fighter and Tutor are my favorite simply because theirs seemed to be the most organic and best developed. I will reiterate that the pacing was god awful at times in this drama, but theirs had the most logical progression. Their push and pull of will they, won't they was well done, the emotional conflict they each experienced and how they handled it was shown well, again a testament to the actors and their skills. I will say that parts of their story were a obvious and a bit cliche, it was pretty clear what the main conflict of their relationship would be, but I still thought it was played out pretty well.
Zon and Saifah were very different and that difference created a nice contrast between the two romances. However, their romance took a back burner at times and as such, it felt more choppy and less like a steady progression from enemies to lovers. Zon's progression especially was all over the place and more scenes showing how he got from point A to point B would have helped a lot with keeping me engaged in his and Saifah's story as well as feeling less whiplashed from his constantly changing mood.
- As with pretty much every BL drama I've watched the OST was perfect and I very much enjoyed it. I particularly enjoyed this one though because there was more variety. Most BLs seem to use a couple of songs on repeat which I generally don't mind because I like them, but I felt like this drama used more songs and they used them well.
- Most BL dramas have a parent or someone who is some level of homophobic and that rarely gets addressed or called out. There is one particular scene in this drama though where it is addressed and honestly that one scene made watching the drama worth it because the dialogue was so perfect. In short, it is emphasized that love is love and that being in a straight relationship does not guarantee a lasting relationship. This is reiterated at other points, but that one scene was done so well, I loved it.
Cons:
- Thai BL dramas seem to have a tendency to have an overinflated cast. There are a huge number of characters that pop in and out of the drama and its impossible to keep track of them and who they are and why you should care about them. With that comes the issue of too many couples. By my count, this drama had a total of six to seven different couples. That is far too many for basically any drama much less a thirteen episode one. There's no proper progression or conclusion to these relationships, but they give you just enough of a glimpse to tantalize you and want more which they don't give. I find that frustrating because I found two of the couples to be quite cute and I would have liked more of them, but didn't get that obviously.
- This was honestly probably the biggest issue for me. It was so confusing you just kind of had to go with it. But truly you have no sense of how much time has passed between the beginning and end of the drama much less between various events. It all just kind of blurs together eventually. I already mentioned most of the issues I had with it above so I'll leave it at that.
- Most Asian dramas like to make use of various sound effects, typically for comedic effect. I have no issue with those and when properly used they can be amusing and add to a scene. They were massively overused though in this drama to the point that they just got to be distracting and annoying. Moderation is key.
- The latter half of the drama got to be very repetitive. Lots of flashbacks and musical montages that really weren't necessary and just dragged on as well as multiple shots of the same scene from various angles. I'm going to chalk this up to Covid because the first part of drama did not have that same issue.
Overall, it was an enjoyable drama with some very high points as well as some very low points. Is it one I'm likely to go back and re-watch? Probably not, but it was fun to watch in the moment. I will again say it had a very strong lead couple in Tutor and Fighter and they honestly made the whole thing worth it.
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Not Much to Love
This drama was a bit of a mixed bag for me. There were aspects of it that I really liked and a lot that I didn't.Pros:
-The story of the main couple of Ae and Pete was overall sweet and endearing. Watching their relationship blossom was a treat and I enjoyed it very much. The actors had fantastic chemistry and made their relationship truly believable. I liked the fact that not everything was smooth sailing with them and appreciated the way they tackled the issues of jealousy, disagreements, and other obstacles in a relationship. I honestly wish there had been even more of them and less of all the side stories.
-Pete coming out to his mom and her acceptance was well done. I can only imagine how hard that must have been for him and for her as well, but her love for and acceptance of her son was just so beautiful. It was a very refreshing take since some dramas like to make the parents into uncompromising monsters.
-This drama dealt with a few tough issues, but the hardest one has to be the topic of rape. Those were some hard scenes to watch with Tar as he dealt with the aftermath and I think overall the show handled it tactfully and with compassion. Of course, they then negated a lot of that positive, but more on that later.
-Loved the OSTs, I have several of them added to my Spotify playlist now and enjoy listening to them still.
Cons:
-The sheer number of characters and side stories was overwhelming and hard to keep track of. Most dramas I've watched have the main story with the lead couple and maybe one or two side stories. This drama has more like three or four side stories and couples. The hardest part is that some of these stories/couples only pop up every few episodes if that and it was hard to remember who was who and what was going on exactly. Fewer characters and side stories would have been a huge improvement, in my opinion.
-There was a lot of misogyny in this drama. The way the guys talked about women, even their friends, was oftentimes flat out offensive. The relationship between Pond and Chaim honestly pissed me off because he was so incredibly misogynistic, not to mention his porn addiction. The idea of her falling for him was just too absurd especially since she seemed like an intelligent young woman. Along that same thread, the attempts to make Pond seem like a decent guy really didn't fly with me. Yes, he had a few moments where he was a decent human being, but there were far too many instances of him being an offensive jerk for me to ever warm up to him.
-I both liked and disliked the Can and Tin storyline. Once it got going, I overall enjoyed it, however, I keep getting stuck on the development of it. I still don't fully understand how they got together; the way it was done was a bit jarring. You have the two of them absolutely hating each other and then suddenly Tin has feelings for Can? There wasn't enough focus on them or on Tin's thoughts for me to find it totally believable.
-I mentioned as a positive how the show dealt with Tar's rape. That positive pretty much went out the window with Kengkla raping Techno when he was drunk and then essentially gaslighting him to be in a relationship with him. That whole sequence was just so disturbing to watch and the fact that Techno's own brother seems to have been complicit makes it even more so. This plotline should have never made it into the final show.
-Close on the heels of that last issue is the matter of incest between Tar and Tum. I've read other reviews that stated that they were stepbrothers, not blood brothers, but in the English translation of the show, there's no such distinction. Regardless, even if they are stepbrothers, its still toeing the line to an uncomfortable degree. This was another plotline that should have been scrapped.
Despite having far more cons than pros for this show, I didn't hate it. Ae and Pete's story was good enough to mostly redeem it and make it worth watching. That being said, there were some truly questionable and controversial issues with this show and a few storylines that never should have seen the light of day that really brought it down for me. I would say its worth watching at least once, just be prepared that its not all sunshine and daisies.
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