zonzon_znnw
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Not the best produced BL drama out there but... it's EarthMix so it's a win for me
I had high expectations for this series as did so many other fans and tbh I was a little disappointed with the outcome but because it's EarthMix and Jan as the lead roles I managed to enjoy what Cupid's Last Wish brought to the table.Story/Production -
Okay I'm gonna break this down between story and production (value);
The overall plot of the story is pretty interesting and original for a BL drama. I can totally get on board with a body swap trope. The story was more or less easy to follow, with the character's intentions and motivations more or less being spelled out for us which is good because this series really throws a lot at you and if they didn't explain it quickly/clearly what the problem was then they would've lost the audience way too early. There are a few parts that didn't make much sense to me or that don't really get discussed (like why Win had to be /that mad/ at Korn or that scene with his dad talking to the Venerable Uncle) but because this series was only 10 episodes, I figured I'd overlook these parts. There are also a handful of scenes that I didn't think were super necessary to the main plot (i.e. the menstruation scene) but it gave some cute moments of EarthMix or EarthJan and for that I can appreciate them. I'd say the whole story was otherwise well paced, with enough drama each episode to keep me from turning off the video and there was a clear beginning, middle, and end. Overall the story was pretty good for a 10 episode series.
Now for production value... Yeesh. Now that was... definitely something. If I recall correctly, Cupid's Last Wish aired on YT right after Not Me and if you've seen Not Me (if you haven't, what are you doing stop everything you're doing right now and go watch it!!) I think you would agree that Not Me makes Cupid's Last Wish look like a joke (in terms of production value). Like it almost feels like GMMTV put all the budget into Not Me -- which I can understand to some extent due to the heavy subject matter of that series compared to Cupid's Last Wish -- but as a result, Cupid's Last Wish was left with crumbs to work with. The opening sequence every episode looks a bit sloppy compared to other GMMTV productions, there's random editing that makes the characters look way too unnatural, and there's some pretty bad audio quality at some points in the series. All these and more really made it hard for me to take this series seriously at first but I will admit that it gets a little better as the series progresses into later episodes. It's shame though because it feels like there wasn't nearly as much effort put into this series as other series under GMMTV, and EarthMix definitely deserves way more than that.
The production value is the only reason why I feel the need to rate this lower than I would have.
Acting/Cast & Romance -
Main cast did absolutely wonderful. Earth pulled off his character so well that my expectations for men have been raised even higher than they already are. Mix and Jan did so amazing with their characters as well, and I'm so impressed with the way they were able to portray Win in Lin's body. Their portrayals of Win were consistent with one another throughout the entire series, they couldn't have found a better pair of actors to play these roles. There were a couple of moments where Mix's acting was a little less convincing than it usually is, but to be honest, I blame it on the production crew. He still did an amazing job, especially with what I thought was a particularly difficult character to act. Not gonna lie, Win's character was absolutely infuriating, like at some moments I almost felt like I hated his character the most, but to me that only means that Mix did an awesome job acting the part ^^
The romance scenes were sweet and cute to see. They were by no means awkward or uncomfortable. If you're someone who likes EarthMix there's no doubt that you'll enjoy these scenes. But what bothered me a bit was that some of their couple scenes were kind of written like... a stereotypical straight couple? Like the scene when Korn tells Win to shut up and he gets upset with him and ends up crying because he's "on his period" or something... Like don't get me wrong, Mix is absolutely adorable when he pouts and that scene won my favor back when Korn hugs him to distract him from crying. Like that scene? I ate it up. It was adorable and I enjoyed it. But it was still a little weird in the grand scheme of things. It seems like Win's entire personality was modeled off of a stereotypical straight girl who nags her boyfriend all the time and eventually gets what she wants in the end. I don't think it's a cute dynamic at all but it's ignorable enough to enjoy the romance scenes/couple scenes.
(Also the scene in the last episode when they're packing--AHHHHHH now that's the kinda lovey dovey stuff I was waiting for 10/10)
Music -
10000/10 without a doubt. The opening goes so hard and it really fits the overall theme and story of this drama. Same goes for the ending song. This might've been just me, but playing the ending song during emotional scenes was probably one of the best (/only) good decisions that the production team made because it played up the scenes so much and made them so much more touching. Also EarthMix sang both the opening and ending so you already know they're gonna be good.
Rewatch Value -
Because it's short, I'd argue the rewatch value is pretty high. Because the story is very segmented and there's only two different stories max going on in the same episode, I think it would be easy just to pick up a random episode and enjoy the cute EarthMix scenes in it.
TL;DR -
Kind of disappointing if you were expecting an experience similar to A Tale of Thousand Stars. But once you get used to the standard that this drama sets for itself, it's a quick and enjoyable drama with an easy to follow story and character development. Bonus points because it's EarthMix and if you're like me, you'll like anything with EarthMix in it. And bonus points for Jan and her amazing acting skills!
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Not perfect, but an interesting BL
Like a lot of other reviews mentioned, I think this series had a lot of potential and while it didn't go above and beyond I wouldn't say that this serious is a waste of time. It has a lot of elements, plots, and character developments that are enjoyable if you're willing to overlook some of the disappointing stuff.Story/Production
Right off the bat, an arranged marriage plot for a BL is already an attention grabber. I think the story started off strong but started to fall through a little when they put two separate angst plot points within the last 3 episodes of the series. Because they were put in so close to the end of the show I think they rushed to give a good ending that they kind of bypassed all the much needed relationship development that a couple in real life would need in order to resolve the problems that Kuea and Lian were facing. Basically what I'm trying to say is while the ending plots are pretty good tear jerkers for overly invested fans (aka me), if you're just casually watching the series, then maybe consider just skipping episodes 9-12 altogether.
That aside, because of all the messy drama near the end I don't think people are giving this series enough credit. The production value of this series was amazing, there were so many beautifully shot scenes. The dynamic of their characters made for an interesting story, one that I don't think I've ever seen in a BL before. There were certain messages that I didn't expect them to address, but I'm glad they did as I feel like it'll really set a standard for future BLs. The main ships' relationship isn't perfect but it does undergo a noticeable change from the first episode compared to the last. Could it have been better executed? Absolutely, but it's definitely not a bad watch.
Acting/Cast & Romance
Can I just say I love Nunew? Like, he really made this series. For a newbie in the industry he did an amazing job with this BL, especially with the NC scenes and angsty scenes in the last few episodes. And his cuteness!!! Ack!!!!! Like, if you are really looking for a reason to watch this series, watch it simply because Nunew is in it, I can promise you that you'll fall in love with him/the series immediately :))
Zee was amazing as always, if not better than his work on Why R U.
And these two are seriously a match made in heaven, like thank you to this company for putting them together, I don't think I could see either of them in any other pairing ever again >< Everybody talks about chemistry when it comes to BL pairs, but if you wanna talk chemistry with ZeeNunew, just know that they practically invented it. Their lovey dovey scenes make the series 100% more enjoyable to watch.
ALSO TUTORYIM DEBUT!!!! I was a little on the fence with this side couple at first but TutorYim totally proved me wrong with just how good of a pair they can be/are. Their story in this series, although brief, was super adorable and satisfying. Syn was such a cute character too!!! I'm looking forward to when they get their own series because honestly they deserve it the most.
MaxNat were amazing, but I can't really say much since I didn't particularly enjoy their side story in this series just for so many reasons but mostly because their entire relationship seemed toxic to me. I think Nat is a great actor, but I don't think he did very well as the innocent and submissive character in this series. I did, however, thoroughly enjoy the part when his character was angry with Yi, his acting skills when he was giving attitude were SUPER on point and I loved every second of it.
Music
I'm absolutely in love with Nunew's singing voice so I automatically loved any song he sang for the OST, especially his cover of Just Being Friendly. But really all the songs that were used for this series, whether the actors sang them or not, were great.
Rewatch Value
This is just a purely biased opinion but I'd give it a high rewatch value because all of my favorite actors are in this series so you'd definitely catch me rewatching it no matter what.
TL;DR
It's a good show with some flaws but it's definitely worth the watch from start to end if you're looking for a different kind of trope (arranged marriage), heavy romance, and heavy drama.
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Cherry Blossoms After Winter
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Great casual BL to binge watch!!
I put off watching this one because I didn't have many positive expectations (mostly because I read the manhwa a while ago and I didn't remember enjoying it too much) but I'm glad I finally got around to it because it was actually pretty worth it!! So here's my breakdown on my thought on this series :)Story & Production -
(Basing my rating off of the overall plot of the drama not how the manhwa nor how well it follows the manhwa) Pretty simple friends to lovers kind of story but because of the characters' circumstances and prior relationships with one another it still made for an interesting love story. The overall plot of learning to accept one another and trying to gain acceptance from those around them was a good way of keeping the drama going. Granted, they only had 8 episodes, 25 mins each to work with, so I'd say with those time constraints the story was well told.
Acting/Cast & Romance -
Not gonna lie, probably one of the reasons I rated this so high was because of the romance scenes. Very very adorable!!!! I gotta hand it to the main leads, they really convinced me of their characters' chemistry! And all the support roles, the mom, the friends, did an amazing job, it all looked so natural, I really enjoyed it.
Music -
The opening OST was nice but nothing too extraordinary. The bgm however was well placed and absolutely helped whatever scene it was being put with!
Rewatch Value -
I'd say it's pretty rewatchable simply because of the cute romance scenes hehe...
TL;DR
If you go into this series expecting too much, you'll be disappointed. But if you're looking for a quick BL with an easy to follow/relate to story and cute couple scenes, then this is a great option.
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A really good and funny rom com but...
Contrary to the rest of this review, I actually found Fish Upon the Sky to be a really entertaining and interesting drama. But like so many other BL dramas, it's all fun and games until the main couple gets established. It goes from romcom to drama with emphasis on Dramatic real fast in the last few episodes, but if you're prepared to expect that then I'd say this is still a pretty good drama to watch.Story/Production
There were a lot of small conflicts I thought were super interesting and, unfortunately, a lot of overarching plots that made no sense to me. The beginning premise about Pi being in love with Mueang and mistaking Mork as his rival was pretty interesting and the scene where Mueang helps Pi realize his feelings for Mork was well done in my opinion. The unknown texter was just as cool to see with the way they shot those scenes, even if we knew it was Mork from the beginning. Even the plot about Mork wanting Pi to be public about their relationship (while I didn't enjoy the outcome) was pretty interesting. But the one thing that I absolutely hated the entire existence of the fanclub and any plot surrounding them. Not only did I feel they were super unnecessary (all the did was create conflict for the main ship, which I know is the point since it's a drama, but this was just excessive) but there was no valuable lesson learned from them existing in this BL. It would've been nice if they ended the fanclub's plotline when Pi expresses that he's uncomfortable with them getting involved in his personal life, but instead they shut down the fanclub twitter just reopen it for the random MorkPi vs MorkBam plot...? And that entire conflict was unnecessary to the development of MorkPi's relationship too. And because that plot along with the leaked pictures plot happened in the last episode, the ending of the series didn't feel satisfying. Honestly that's nothing new when it comes to GMMTV productions but it's still a shame. Also the fish upon the sky motif totally got lost on me. The entire beginning scene with balloons and the love confession was really interesting to me but I feel like it wasn't as nicely integrated into the story as it could've been which was a shame because that scene could've been so symbolic and a beautiful way to end the series. It did for the record, but it didn't really make sense at all in my opinion...
However the production of this drama went beyond my expectations. The editing is well done and it definitely helped give the comedy aspect of this drama, which was honestly one of the reasons I kept watching. Like a lot of BL dramas try to be funny in at least one or two scenes, but this drama? it's an actual rom com and I totally appreciated it. Extra kudos to the production team.
Acting/Cast & Romance
I really enjoyed Phuwin's performance in this drama! Although this isn't his first drama and I haven't watched any other productions he was in, I can tell from this BL that he's definitely talented. Boy's got range! They made him do everything from the heart wrenching confession scenes to the silly scenes, and he certainly delivered. Pond did a good job too, but if I'm being honest it was nothing too special. I can't tell if that's on him though or if it's because his character doesn't... really... have emotions? Or at least not in the beginning. When they get to the conflict about Mork wanting Pi to tell people about their relationship, I can kind of see more of his skills but there's not much for me to work with. Neo has always done an exceptional job in my opinion, I absolutely loved him in Tonhon Chonlatee and he didn't let me down in this production either. I'm not sure if this is Louis's first BL drama but I think he did amazing! He did a wonder job giving depth to his character. And Jan is one of the best female actors in thai BL in my opinion, so of course she did an amazing job as well.
Mix gets his own paragraph because the whole reason I picked up this series was to watch him act hehe. He did phenomenal as usual AND HIS SMILE IS SO CUTE!!
Now to rate the romance... The romance scenes? 10/10 I was squealing the whole time because the couples are so adorable when they're being cutesy with one another. (The scene where they make PiMork official and Pi has to hide Mork from Duean? I was losing my mind. It was adorable and a tad bit spicy which I can totally get behind). If I had to speak on PiMork's relationship overall though... It was good until they actually began dating. Honestly I felt like Mork was just a bad boyfriend in general, trying to push Pi to make their relationship public even though Pi was clearly not ready for that, etc, etc. It made their relationship seem so unhealthy, which is why this pair lost some points with me. But the build up before that, where Pi is coming to terms with his feelings and Mork is pursuing him is cute and kept me interested and invested enough to continue following their story.
Meen and Duean on the other hand? Now that's some good character development. We know from the beginning that Duean is a complete ass so the bad things he did to Meen in the beginning doesn't come as a surprise to the audience. What makes this couple so good is that Meen's personality type is to be upfront so as soon as he realizes Duean is lying to him/not treating him well, he immediately confronts Duean. (well save for the part where he avoided him for a little bit, but I'd say that's well-deserved). Also just Duean simping for Meen and becoming all soft for him later on in the series is just adorable ><
Music
The opening OST? AMAZING. Literally goes so hard and I didn't even realize Louis sang it until I was near the end of the series, but dang he did a good job with it. (Side note but if you haven't watched they're TPOP stage for that song you should definitely go watch it right now because PondPhuwin and NeoLouis are so charismatic and the entire performance is so impressive and fun to watch).
Also I know I just praised the production team earlier in this review, but... The bgm music used in the actual series was just not it. Who thought it was a good idea to put some sort of nightcore song over an emotional scene between MorkPi? Like no one rewatched those scenes afterwards and thought "huh this doesn't really go together"? It was so silly and kind of ruined the scene at times but if you just mute the video it's all good.
Rewatch Value
At first I was like no way I'd bother rewatching this series but I had to go back to watch a couple of scenes before writing this review and honestly... I watched 3 whole episodes before returning to writing this. So yeah... I'd say pretty good rewatch value.
TL;DR
If you're looking for a top tier, impressive, goes beyond all expectations BL, this is not the drama for you. But if you're looking for a not-totally-serious romantic comedy with a relatable main character and a push & pull relationship dynamic between the main ship then you're in luck -- Fish upon the sky is your answer. But save yourself the trouble and just skip over episode 12 altogether.
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