Candid Charms of TayNew
"Cherry Magic," the Thai adaptation of the popular Japanese BL series, introduces Achi, an ordinary employee who discovers an extraordinary power on his thirtieth birthday – the ability to read minds through physical contact. Portrayed by Newwie, known for his role in "SOTUS" since 2016, it's evident that he has grown as an actor, delivering a commendable performance. His chemistry with Tay, who plays the charming colleague Karan, brings freshness to the screen, particularly for me who's accustomed to seeing Newwie with Earth (my last BL with Newwie starring on it)Tay's portrayal of Karan is engaging, although lacking a point of comparison since I haven't seen him in previous dramas. The storyline follows Achi's struggle to navigate his newfound ability, especially after unintentionally uncovering Karan's feelings for him. While the Thai adaptation stays faithful to the original premise, there are moments where the pacing feels sluggish, making some parts of the series less captivating.
One aspect that stands out is Newwie's handling of intimate scenes. Despite his experience, there's a noticeable awkwardness that detracts from the authenticity of those moments. However, it's worth acknowledging that this could be a result of various factors, including character dynamics and personal comfort levels.
Overall, "Cherry Magic" offers a decent adaptation for fans of the BL genre, with strong performances from its leads. While it may falter in pacing at times, it's a refreshing addition to Thai BL dramas, showcasing both familiar faces and new talent in the genre.
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JUST TAKE THE 10 STARS MAN
Did this drama make me-Happy? Giggle? Squeal?
Anxious? Cry?
Happy-cry? Sad-cry?
Fulfilled? Content? Satisfied?
YES IT DAMN WELL DID
Mature? Yes; Sensible? Yes; Perfect? DEF FOR ME
I can't believe I'd been sitting on this absolute gem of a show. I didn't realllly wanna watch this because- idk, idk why. Maybe the superpower-trope made me not wanna watch this. But guys, the superpower trope is done really well in this one, it's goood it's goood - there's no trouble over it. I AM SO GLAD THAT I HAD EXAMS RIGHT NOW AND GOT THAT FEELING OF WATCHING ANYTHING AS LONG AS I DIDN'T HAVE TO STUDY, and I just used a wheel-picker to select what drama I'd watch. SPLENDID PICK. Stop hesitating and watch this yall
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This review may contain spoilers
A nice adaptation but could be better ??
✨ Spoiler Alert ✨As someone who absolutely loves the Japanese adaptation, I could not help myself by comparing every nanosecond of the Thai adaptation to the Japanese one because for me the Japanese version is pure perfection. While it is unfair for them that I am comparing the two adaptations, I know they mostly based the series from the manga which is the original source and I kept trying to remind myself that while watching this series because some elements and decision makings in the Thai version I am not that fond off that the Japanese adaptation did better. 💁♂️
Let's start with what I like: 🙃
GMMTV choosing Tay and New as the pairing for this version and for me that's probably the smartest because the pairing has the this kind of faces that just suitable for office set up/environment (and if not them, the second pairing I can see is Jimmysea but that's just me). New's acting here is not his best acting to be honest but he did a really good job portraying Achi's clueless and innocent expression and Tay as Karan is where I am a bit confused with because Tay looked like he held back a lot from doing so much more but that is probably just me because I knew what Tay is capable off.
The adding of the much more side characters (the boss and the female manager(?) really bring the office environment much more livelier than the Japanese version and I appreciate that even though the characters are not necessary at all for plot in my opinion.
The casting of Junior and Mark as the second couple. this for me is probably my favourite part of the whole series because I have mixed feeling of the casting they did for the second couple for the JPN version. their chemistry is really nice to see as a couple and not realizing it, I mostly stay for them instead of the main couple.
Let's move on to the what I dislike: 😔
One main problem of this series is the pacing, watching it, I did not expect them to cram the plot where Achi had to go to another department and Achi and Karan getting married because the JPN production made a whole movie for that. This is a problem because for some reason Achi's character development in this version is much more tone down for my liking. this is just a miss opportunity because they didn't need to cram the whole plot in 12 episodes that some characters' growth are cut short. The pacing was really nice until episode 7 I believe where every drama and climax got thrown at the same time.
talking about cramming, I HATE the choices to make Rock and Pai a thing because in the JPN version Fujisaki(which is JPN version of Pai) decided to be single because that is what best for her and that idea alone is such a fresh air in this story where everyone ended up with someone. one thing about gmmtv I don't like is they keep making having a partner is the end off all thing, which is stupid. This whole subplot of Rock and Pai is just so unnecessary personally because they could have spend those time improving Achi's growth as a person instead
one finale little thing is how Karan(Tay) somehow got overshadow a lot in this series by other characters, maybe it is a me problem but I just can't get involved with his as a character which is weird because he's there for like every second of the series.
Personally, I prefer the JPN version and if you never watch it, I highly recommend it BUT this version also is nice even though there are a lot of improvement that could've been made which is a bummer because this is like first TayNew BL series in three years I believe since Dark Blue Kiss. my final say is it is a cute adaptation and they did a fine job with what was given (the time limit, the script, and stuff). would I recommend, sure if you are curious, watch it but if you are someone like me who adores the JPN version, do not expect much. 👔🐳
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I didn't have faith in TayNew and I was wrong to doubt them
A soft charming warm hug of a show about crushes and mind reading and self worth that really worked for me. With no-fuss execution from a consummate team and an OG lead pair (proving why they remain eternal and deserve to grow up).Look, here’s the thing, Cherry Magic is a great Thai BL in its own right - not comparing it to any other iteration. But even when I do compare (and I've seen all the Cherries and read the manga) it stands strong.
I, personally, like the Thai BL slightly better than the Japanese live action yaoi, but I think that’s because I just really enjoy Thai BL's style and I LOVE TayNew (who may be my favorite OG branded pair still in operation). Also all the kissing was both present and better in this version. As it should be from Thailand.
Highly recommended.
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It started with a bang but went off like a whimper.
Honestly it started off beautifully. The premise was powerful, the setup felt almost perfect, and the story had so much potential. But somewhere along the way, it didn’t fully live up to what it promised.I don’t think the issue was the story itself. It was more about the depth of the characters and their emotional bond. Karan, the main lead, truly gave his best his emotions felt sincere and grounded. But when it came to Achi, the relationship often felt uneven, almost one-sided. I kept waiting for a stronger sense of mutual belonging, for deeper reactions, for that emotional pull that makes you feel the love and it never fully arrived.
There were moments where the story could have taken more powerful turns, moments that demanded depth and emotional intensity, but instead they felt softened. Maybe that was intentional perhaps the creators wanted to keep the tone gentle and light. But given how strong the concept was, I couldn’t help feeling it would have been much more impactful if they had explored the emotions more deeply.
That said, everyone has different tastes. If you enjoy soft, subtle romances, this might still work for you. For me, it started with a spark but slowly faded instead of burning brighter.
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Very Qute!!
What a lovely take on the 'Cherry Magic' franchise! It stayed true to the manga plotline while interpreting it in the Thai context. I loved how the plotline embedded within it the cultural significance of community, the commute within the city and how ordinary commuting route could bring joy., The regional (northern) Thai dialect also added to the budding romance between the protagonists. Unlike other GMMTV shows, the product advertisements didn't feel forced (thank gawd!). GMMTV also has the tendency to add Bird Thongchai's songs to inspire nostalgia to their shows; and one of his songs juxtaposed with a moment where one of the protagonists performs a karaoke was so well done! I loved how the original song played later in the same episode at a very well curated cut scene. I hold the Japanese live-action Cherry Magic (2020) quite close to my heart, and this series did a very good job.Was this review helpful to you?
TAYNEW IN A PERFECT ADAPTATION
This series is really cute. Super comfort and sweet❤️ I loved everything about it and it has definitely become one of my favorite thai shows!I didn’t have high expectations, but I was wrong, it’s really a good adaptation of the manga and the japanese version. Personally, I like this one more than the japanese one, that I found cute but nothing more. Karan and Achi will always be in my heart❤️their relationship is so sweet and cute and Karan is really a green flag, I couldn’t stop smiling the whole time.
It's also a really funny series, as well as sweet, and it's really worth watching!
AND I LOVE TAYNEW SO MUCH, I fell in love with them with this series. Thank you, Cherry Magic.
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Such a Cute & Comfortable BL Series
I think that everyone knows Cherry Magic from Japan because of how popular it was. Recently, I knew about the Thailand adaptation and it was portrayed by the popular BL couple, Tay & New.Since I already knew and watched the original series for a multiple times already, I know the things I need to expect and the standard that must be met. Watching this Thailand adaptation made me feel good. They met and exceeded the standard of Cherry Magic that I set. In the story, there were some alterations, and I felt like this adaptation is more light than the Japanese adaptation. Both Tay and New are great portrayers of the main characters. Frankly, there were moments wherein I felt like they became monotonous on their acting, but regardless, did a great job. Junior and Mark also did great as the second characters of this film. Their own story added an extra flavor to the whole series. Jang and Sing's story as a couple is also good and added an extra juice to the plot of this series.
In totality, the Thailand adaptation of Cherry Magic was satisfying. Yes, no one can beat the Japanese adaptation because the chemistry of the main characters there was extraordinary, but this adaptation served what they need to serve and did their best in their own accordance.
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I was pushing this one away and I regret it.
Alright, this was soooo good, but really different than I expected. I was afraid it was gonna be to sexual, due to the title of this series. But it really wasn't. The whole thing was super cozy and cute, I really like how sweet their relationship was and how caring they were over each other, I don't really like how rushed everything became at the ending but that's alright, it's just a series anyways. I'd definitely recommend this and I personally regret waiting to watch this one!Originally I didn't think I would enjoy the concept but the power was not as cringy as I expected, and they also didn't make the power thing look low budget, what a lot of 'power' bl's do have.
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Very heartwarming
I loved the Japanese drama and immediately wanted to watch the Thai version too. I love how it stays true to the original story in many ways while also putting it's own spin on it, and framing it from a Thai cultural point of view. It even pays homage to its Japanese routes in many cute ways.There are some useless additional plots that are skippable in my opinion, it feels like they were just added as filler. I also didn't love Pai anywhere near as much as Fujisaki because she was just a creepy BL fan stand-in half the time instead of a real person within the universe. When she was just herself she was fine though.
The main and secondary couple are both adorable and the final episode was especially sweet. I also loved the friendships between all the office workers, there were so many cute friendship moments which I really appreciated. Highly recommend if you like wholesome, fluffy romances with happy endings.
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Not bad but too stretchy
I have to admit two things.First: I have yet to find a re-adaptation from another country that is better than the first adaptation of any source material be it a mange web toon ... Etc. especially if the first adaptation is done pretty well.
Second: I love Cherry magic Jap. ver. So freaking much and I only watched this ver. Because I love the cast and I saw many good reviews but tbh I know for sure it won't raise to the bar of the original but I'll not hold this against it by any means.
So long story short, despite knowing that it's lacking as a re-adaptation, I'll try to judge it as a drama by itself without comparing it to the original.
Now like most Thai dramas, the main problem I have with them is that they drag at the end, and this one is no exception, I enjoyed till about ep7... Maybe 8... Let's say 9 to be fair, but the last 3 ep were completely unnecessary for me, I was skipping a lot, and not because it's bad or anything, but the story got boring I loved some scenes but they weren't enough to entertain me for the last 3 eps. The only reason that kept me going was PaiRock and if the only reason I continue watching a BL is the straight couple in it, then something is wrong 😂
The main couple are gorgeous, I loved them together.. TayNew never disappoint, Jan and Sing were adorable too and I love Jan so much that I wanted to see her more and more here, Song's character Rock is also fun to watch, but sadly the second couple were too lame, I didn't like Jintha, not because of anything but I couldn't see why he fell in love with Min Like, what happened you blink and they are together, with no reason at all, also I didn't think he was "cute" or adorable with his nervous introverted personality. Also Mark did his best and I love him for that but by no means he fits the character IMO.
Now I like this drama generally and I loved TayNew ver. Of the characters but I wish it was a little shorter.
But to be completely honest, if I ever needed to suggest Cherry magic, I'd definitely go for the Japanese ver. Not this one.
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O Poder de Decifrar o Amor
Um "sopro de ar fresco" define esta obra. Em um gênero marcado por toxicidade, o enredo foi subvertido de forma madura e respeitosa, detalhes que se refletem na relação de Achi e Karan. Aqui a magia não é utilizada não como um truque barato, mas como uma ferramenta sensível que explora as inseguranças reais, o medo da rejeição e a ansiedade social. A delicadeza em utilizar o poder para entender os sentimentos do parceiro, em vez de explorá-lo negativamente, é fantástica. Apesar de não sentir aquele "algo a mais" cinematográfico que me fizesse pausar a cena para admirar, a história foi quase que terapêutica; me fez refletir sobre a coragem necessária para ser vulnerável.Was this review helpful to you?
