THIS IS REALLY PROMISING.. but maybe more khaofirst moments would be perfect
Let me give this series a review... it's been a while since I uploaded my last review.Story- 8.5 it has a lot of potential that still needs to uncover, unfortunately the series has only 8 episodes and we all know that's not enough to maximize everything and the very big example if the Khaofirst moment that everyone is looking forward to, a lot of viewers as I can see are begging for more of their story maybe a spinoff will do, hopefully. But all in all the story is a binge watch for me I love all the realistic struggle of Uncle Jim life and I also love Wen's involvement to Uncle Jim's life, he is like a light in his darkest time he may not look at it but we know that Uncle Jim still struggles about his ex's past so having Wen in his life makes is the best choice he could ever have. And ofcourse here come Geminifourth/FourthGemini these two really stole the series for me they desurv an award nothing to explain you better watch it of you are looking for FourthGemini moments hehe. Hands down as well to Leng the Shipper of all time hahahaha.
Acting- 10.0, What do we expect from two famous actors Earth and Mix, have a really good chemistry and the acting is top notch. First involvement is perfect as well I love seeing mad/angry/cool/handsome first at the same time. And my baby Khao tears...I live for that I will not leave any spoiler but please know I cried when Khao cried okay?? And again Geminifourth these two desurv an award, no argument!
Music- 10.0 I soooo love the music... My cutie pie Ford really has a soothing voice! I know most of the viewers fell inlove with his voice here like NO ARGUMENTS! I have his 'Tomorrow' on my music list already and will put this on loop before I go to bed... bye.
Rewatch Value- Will leave it at 7.00 I know because I don't see myself yet watching this again in the next few weeks or months.
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Side characters stole the show
This had to be said - this series would be a forgettable mess if it weren't for the side plots.To be honest, the main plot is so unfocused which did not allow proper emotional investment from the viewers at all. Jim's running a chicken shop - and then there is the problem of his business not being profitable enough, his landlord wanting to sell the building, Wuen being a part of the project that wants to demolish the building, and then all the unresolved issues with their exes. None of these issues were properly fleshed out and discussed and their plot just feels so unfinished and messy which I did not appreciate. I just wished they had a more focused issue that they fully focus and not just handpick a bunch of drama cliches they could add as a conflict point.
HOWEVER, the silver lining of this movie is the excellent excellent side couples and characters. Gemini and Fourth is becoming two of my favourite emerging actors - they delivered a stellar and emotional performance as two youths trying to find their own paths in life, while also building each other up. Their struggles, emotions, and connection feels so raw and real which is so engaging to the viewers.
Another standout is Khaotung's performance as Gaipa. I might not always buy into his performances (especially where he plays the "bad boy") but he was absolutely excellent here. The emotion he managed to evoke out of me was insane - and not only once but he is just so consistently emotionally transparent which allows us to really sympathize with him. Khaotung as Gaipa and First as Alan is glorious and I wish we had more of them on the screen.
Lastly, the soundtrack is actually tear-jerking. The nostalgia of this song while also having the song played at the most pivotal emotional moment in the series really is a genius move because now I can't stop crying whenever I hear 月亮代表我的心. Not to mention I was obsessed with Teresa Teng as a child so this was an excellent song choice by them.
I have to give this a 7.5 overall because of how forgettable the main couple's plot is, but it's more of a writing problem than anything else. If the main couple were even half as engaging as the side couples, I would've given this an easy 8.5 at least.
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This drama is a gem
What about this drama? It left me amazed. I found the story very deep, at times even too realistic, you can see that there was a big work behind the script, in fact this series, in my opinion, deserves to be seen even just for the screenplay. The narration is very fluid, never boring or banal, and the story tells the difficulties of everyday life from different points of view.There is Jim (Earth), owner of the chicken restaurant and a very closed person due to a difficult past and present with some financial and relational problems, who, however, can always count on Gaipa (Khao), his friend who is secretly in love with him; and then there's Wen (Mix), the opposite of Jim but a character that will make you collide with the difficult reality that life sometimes puts in front of us: after years of love, even an healthy and happy relationship can end when one of the two stops to love the other, and this thing, unfortunately, sooner or later has to be accepted... something that Alan (First), Wen's ex-boyfriend, didn't understand, even if it means suffering to have him.
Then there is the second couple, personally my favorite, formed by Heart (Gemini), a boy who has become deaf due to an accident and who has been forced to live indoors for three years due to overprotective parents , and Li Ming (Fourth), Jim's nephew and a hotheaded guy, who, due to a succession of events, will have to keep Heart company when his parents are not at home.
I suggest you give Moonlight Chicken at least a chance because it's a well-curated drama in many aspects. As I have already written, the screenplay is wonderful, but also the shooting and photography are amazing (if you don't believe me, just watch the trailer) but the strong point in my opinion are the actors and their performances: phenomenal.
If you decide to watch it, prepare lots of tissues!
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そこが私たちの特等席
男子は禁制 ここは秘密の花園
ただの 溜まり場なんだけどね
これから これから
今から 行くから
いつもの中庭 みんなで待っててよ
何時までも一緒は 絶対ないよね
わかってる
わかってる
わかってる
大人になって 酸いも甘いも知った時
今日のお昼と同じように笑いあえるかな
大人になって 大事なものが見えた時
またこの中庭に集まって笑いあえるかな
なんて、私だけなのかなあ
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Came for FirstKhao & GemFourth...
... Stayed for FirstKhao & GemFourth.Right from the get-go, I didn't like the main-est lead, Jim, as a character. I can't tell you exactly what it is about him, but throughout the series, I grew to dislike him more. This series has been my first encounter with both Earth and Mix, and I can't say Earth left a good impression on me. Mix's character, Wen, wasn't as instinctively dislikeable to me, but the show never hooked me on their romance--"romance", I say, in quotation marks.
Meanwhile, GemFourth were just the loveliest. Heart and Li Ming were absolutely adorable, and Second Couple Syndrome struck me hard. Every time they, Gaipa, and/or Alan appeared on screen, I was wholly invested and glued to the screen. These four are all that keep me from rating MC 5 stars. Especially after the 4th episode, whenever Jim appeared on screen I wished they'd hurry up and move back to Li Ming and Heart.
If the series had been about them with FirstKhao as a secondary couple, I would've undoubtedly given this series 10 stars, because the production value is there. Disclaimer, though; FirstKhao has only some vague implications in the last episode, so don't interpret my selfish wish of FirstKhao being anything substantial in MC as them having anything romantic going on in the series. They didn't, to my utter disappointment. Just a heads-up.
But my god, I was so bored with Jim/Wen! I don't think they're very interesting characters. Jim especially felt like a lifeless character, and maybe some of it was meant to be given his backstory, but they went overboard--or underboard, I suppose, given that he has almost no personality, and was rarely likable to me, if ever. The thing is though, the plot itself is mostly pretty good, and I loved the vibes and atmosphere of the setting, but Jim/Wen felt unnecessary and a waste of time. And sadly, they take up most screen time.
As the headline says, I was interested in watching MC because I adore FirstKhao, and both them and GemFourth were subsequently what pulled me through to the end. Would I recommend anyone watch Moonlight Chicken? Only if you're an EarthMix stan who'll enjoy them being on screen together no matter what. I wasn't, I came in wholly blind to them and their acting skills and was thoroughly disappointed.
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This review may contain spoilers
It’s not our basic drama to be frank
Moonlight chicken - played by earthmix is one of a kind dramaFirst things first , they have a one night stand at the first few minutes of the episode and then the story begins
If we see other first night stands drama , the romance starts or begins immediately after the night but here it’s different because JIM was avoiding the dating thing till the last episode and the drama would have more potential if they actually showed how JIM has got the feelings or why WEE never gave up on JIM
This is the first drama where I saw that the top had trauma and the bottom didn’t give up on the top cause usually it’s the other way around
But this doesn’t affect the overall story - it’s interesting and has progress but not in a romantic way that we expect from reading the story line
Actually after reading the story line I had high expectations, though this drama didn’t turn out in the way I thought it would , it still showed us the other elements around the romance!
The theme I would describe is EVEN THOUGH IM A RED FLAG OR HAVE FLAWS IN ME I STILL WANT YOU AND ONLY YOU
BOTH WEE AND LI MING NEVER GAVE UP ON JIM AND HEART
the story is cute and nice but please don’t have. High expectations and watch it! But still it was great cinematography and the songs and lighting 11/10 for that
It has flaws but it’s worth the watch
Will miss this one
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This review may contain spoilers
"It's already bad that we are poor, and now you're gay as well" . This just got me.
If I had the privilege to award something, I would give this series the best BL series award in 2023.I feel the sense of proud while watching this series. Why? Because, it is so nice to see how BL series have evolved to this.
Particularly the story. So if you are expecting a common troupe like poor lead falling for a rich lead and happily ever after, or poor couple falling in love and then becomes rich and problem solved or something like that. This is definitely not that, it has the most sense of realism that any story could ever have. It shows the actual struggles of working class people and how they make ends meet everyday.
When Uncle Jim said. To Li Ming
*"As if, Being poor was not enough, and now you are gay as well".*
I was tearing up with such a powerfull dialogue, specially the fact that it was said by someone who himself was a gay. That was too deep. It gives you the touch of sad reality, that even in this whatsoever progressive world being a sexual minor is still a challenge.
Earth-Mix acting is over the top. They blend into the character soo well, that you might question wether they are different person or the same as their characters. Gemini-Fourth acting and story is wholesome. First-Khao-Mark are steals the show as a side character whenever they are on screen.
I believe this kind of stories that have a good takeaway message should be more appreciated.
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In regards to Earth and Mix, again, their acting here was impeccable. From across the screen, it was easy to feel the raw tension as well as Wen's desperate desire for Jim in a way that is not riddled with toxicity and inappropriateness. Through this pair, the issue of familial homophobia is brough to light thanks to (not really) Jim's family. It is here we witness the birth of Jim's craving for a successful loving relationship, which happens despite all the negatively he faces from not only his family but the general public as well. The failing of this relationship serves as the catalyst for Jim locking himself away from opening his heart to another man again. This compounded with the burden of poverty and a failing business builds the narrative for Jim's character throughout the series. Wen on the other hand, may not be as complex as Jim but he still has his own internal struggles. His reluctance to take the initive and move out of the shared condo with his ex despite them being broken up for quite some time shows his unwillinesses to move on, which later down the series, is due to fear of not having a safety net to fall back on to.
Gemini and Fourth both did an amazing job that I refuse to speak on it, you must watch it for yourself. Their performance was better than some seniors who have been in this industry for twice as long as them.
Khaotung's performance, both acting and singing proves to show just how multitalented he is. His character is jam packed with nothing but good intentions and emotions.
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More a family drama with romance.
I was rewatching this last night and after two years I realised how much of this drama I loved, and how well crafted it is, and how it has stands up well against recent successful dramas.I see it as a family drama that looks at how people love and change over time, that sometimes you settle in a rut, not through choice but circumstances, and its hard to get out of the rut especially if it means chancing hurting your self or someone you care about.
The acting of all the couples is amazing, helped by the cinematography and the sets, nothing is gets a glow up, so everything looks real. The 2ML, they do just as well conveying emotion, and signing in a realistic way, which for actors of their age is mind blowing. The also actors against type, so much that it took me a while to work out where I had seen them before.
It was really interesting seeing actors I have seen in pretty basic BL plots actually being able to explore the realities of life with out all the tired tropes, you get the ex but it's handled in a non trope way.
The soundtrack is excellent and it has properly scored incidental music which adds to the quality.
Some would perhaps say there is no real plot, but at the end of it each character has changed moved out of their rut. It covers serious issues how children can be over protected because they are seen as different, controlling relationships, deceit in a relationship, and single parent families. but not in the torrid c drama way.
I can not think of anything negative. If you are British you will understand this. This is not just any old drama, its the Marks and Spencer of drama's. Enjoy.
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An inclusive and worn series that deals with many topics
What we have to appreciate the most is the fact that the series focuses on a poor family (It reminds a lot of an italian novel of the nineteenth century, with all the tragedies), instead of usual rich engeneering students and doctors.The stories of many characters are interwined and interesting, expeccialy Li ming and Heart one (the main reason to watch the series, in everyone's opinion).
On the other side, I don't like the fact that Wen and Jim story starts with love at first sight and sex. This could really be avoided because it ruins the plot and gives a bad impression about the series at the first episode. However, Wen will do everything to conquer Jim, starting by working for him.
Then we have Saleng, portaied by Mark (always starring the funnies second character), forced to marry his wife Praew after getting her pregnant, but not having enough money to marry her and to rise his future son.
Another thing I appreciated about him is the fact that he expeesses his support to gender equality. He doesn't matter what will be his son gender, he will grow up them the same way (no gender role).
Than we have Li ming (Jim nepew), that finds himself working for the parents of Heart, a deaf teenager that have been forced to stay home since he lost hearing (3 years) due to an accident.
With Li Ming we finally have a character that, being poor, doesnt see a future ahead of him, so he decides that he doesn't want to sign up for university but he rathers work. Finally a characters where most of the teenagers can find themselves.
Then we have Gaipa. Gaipa story should have been developed better because it is really interesting. Gaipa is in love with Jim and has a really good relationship with his mother. He helps her at work and she comforts him a lot. Their relationship is really touching.
Unfortunately Gaipa story is not happy. We all hope that one day he will find happiness with Alan (Wen ex). We feel Khaofirst sexual tension 😏
The series, beside of showing what people with financial probles have to deal, shows also what people in same sex relations deal. It also reflects disabilities.
In conclusion, what makes this drama amazing is its inclusivity and all the problems it faces.
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I don't know
Only finished because of Li Ming and Heart they're such cuties. Almost fell asleep while watching the main couple's conversation but overall it's really interesting and the couples chemistry is amazing. Shout out to Alan and Gaipa, I love them with my whole heart.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Heart and Li Ming carried the entire show
To be honest, I would probably have dropped this series if HeartLiMing wasn't in it. I have nothing against the actors that play the main couple, but I just wasn't really interested in them (dramatic storylines aren't really my thing). They did have really good chemistry, though.On the other hand, Heart and Li Ming quickly became my favourite pairing EVER on a BL series (and, mind you, I've watched a few already). Their relationship is so cute, warm and unproblematic, that I could rewatch their scenes over and over and never get tired of them. There's something comforting about a ship that doesn't have any drama in it - and the only drama that happens doesn't have anything to do with them, but rather with Heart's parents and how they treat their son.
You know what, I'm not even mad we got an angled kiss. GeminiFourth steal the show every time they're onscreen together, and they bring a lot of dimension to the characters they play. Gemini's acting is especially commendable, because he had to convey the emotions and thoughts of a deaf character, while not being deaf himself. His facial expressions were top-notch, his body language amplified, and his gestures a lot more animated, which made it very easy to understand Heart, even when the sign language wasn't translated.
Fourth is a great actor as well - he nailed the gentleness of Li Ming, his determination to communicate with his friend, and his joy every time the other managed to talk.
I love that this series took a different route than most Thai series and decided to go with a darker, more realistic tone for the story. I also liked that the two couples balanced each other out, the main couple's relationship being a lot more convoluted and messy, and the secondary couple's being mostly smooth, innocent and pure.
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