The Rebound

In the first couple of minutes you already have a clear idea what the show is about and you get pulled in from the start.

I don't think the show ever has a point where it gets boring, but there are some writing decisions I don't agree with.
It felt like they had a secondary couple just for the sake of having a secondary couple. As soon as the secondary couple got together the writers just ditched them, which I think is a shame.

The way the portrayed being an outcasts with a brain that works a bit differently and how you should treat a person like that, I felt could use a bit more nuance. I wouldn't say it was portrayed in a bad way, but it wasn't in a good way either. It felt like they infantilized the character, which just didn't sit right with me.

Overall I think "The Rebound" is good and I would recommend other people watch it.

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gay boys play b-ball and fall in love

I am well aware that objectively this show was, erm, NOT good. But this was a sports romance Thai BL pulp with everything I could have asked for given this sub genre. More, actually, since MeenPing are both great basketball players and the team component really did form part of the connective tissue of the show (vital in a sports romance IMHO since these are band-of-brothers narratives).

Meen has his shirt off within the first two minutes which is all I needed but he's still pretty great as the sullen secret-keeper against Ping's cheerful survivor - childhood sweethearts torn asunder and now reunited. Then Frank sweeps in to give everyone a bad case of second lead syndrome.

I always try to judge BL for what it is AS BL, and what it’s trying to do within its own territory and purview. This did exactly what it claimed on the tin: gay boys play b-ball and fall in love. That was all I wanted from it. Sure there was random kidnapping and a light bought of mass murder, but what’s a BL in 2024 without a touch of the mafia? You do you little pulp, I’m disposed to be pleased.

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More to it than loads of topless guys

If seeing loads of flesh is you thing then this is certainly the BL to go for - whether it's Meen and others having their tops off at any oportunity (I'm not complaining!) or guys just wearing towels, boxers and even something I've never seen before in a Thai BL - naked asses in the shower. Plus It's got its raunchier moments as well with Meen and PIng in the shower together, having sex under the covers and Frank pleasuring himself.
However beyond the baiting the basic story is more interesting than your average BL although it's not without its faults for example Prince and Jedi are prominent in the first half but after suddenly in one scene where their 'situation changes' they take a total back seat. The final episode did a good job with much of it not being predictable.
Although Meen and PIng have great visuals they're not the most charismatic perfomers and Ping still needs to develop more as an actor as he tends to look ike he's acting rather than being natural.
On the other hand Earth as First does great for arelative newbie and the girl who plays Lin foes an excellent job.

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I liked this, but there were so many things that got to me.

First, Zen was annoying with blaming Ryu all the time, even when he didn’t do anything wrong, Yea your mad/upset at him from what he did in the past, but that doesn’t mean you blame him all the time, If I didn’t know better, I would think you hated him for how you are acting with him. Though he did start to get better, but still…. Oh, and let’s not forget how he never once talked to Zen about him leaving with Atom to go to school, till the last game… I say they lost because of Zen telling them that he was leaving for Phuket… Are you STUPID! You don’t tell your BF you are leaving him before you start playing a game! Argh!!

Also, what the heck is with Lin, you are so damn nosy asking things you should not be asking, bitch it’s none of your business so shut the hell up and go away! Just because you like him, yet it didn’t really feel like it too much to me, at first, I didn’t know it was Ryu I thought it was Zen she liked, but anyway just because of that reason it not reason enough to ask the things you did, and to keep pushing him to answer you about his mother, what the hell!

Oh, also her thinking her dad forgot about her mother… do you have eyes at all stupid! Leave it to Ryu to have to tell you. If you haven’t guessed I didn’t really like Lin much. She just irritated me throughout the whole series.

Let’s not forget Atom, yes, we got you liked Zen, but you should not have been all over him for a pic, knowing Zen was uncomfortable with it, and knowing full well he had someone that was NOT you. Also making sure you stay the night, ok fine, as long as you’re sorry ass sleeps on the floor and not the bed of someone who is dating someone and that someone being the person you confessed to, but oh no that’s not how it goes down, but it makes it all the more worst you go and kiss him, WTF man!

Another one that I did not like, Ryu’s mother. That bitch needed an ass kicking more the once!!! All you think about is money, you looked well enough off when Ryu’s dad was around, but oh no you had to get more so him doing what he loves wasn’t good enough for you… yet you get bad at Ryu when he comes to his dad, but you are the one who kicked his dad out not caring about his or Ryu’s feelings… Enough about this bitch… I’m getting irritated typing about her.

How about so good now? I liked the chemistry, Meen (Ryu) and Ping (Zen) always have good chemistry, but not just them… as a whole I am meaning to, how that the others characters connected to each other. I loved the grandma; she was just so loving and supportive. A lot of shirts being off, either in the showers or even on the court. Yum! The last scene them in bed… Oh man talk about pounding the fun way! If only er got to see more than just what we did….

I know it may not seem like I liked this from the way this review is, but overall, I did like it, it just had a lot of things that annoyed me and all, but it was worth watching.

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a strong start that doesn't quite nail the landing

I've been following MeenPing since AiLongNhai and this is, without a doubt, their strongest show yet. I love seeing them more comfortable and natural in their acting with experience, and I think P'Golf's style really suited their strengths. The plot was goofy and outrageous, but mostly very, very fun. That said, it kind of fell apart at the end and crashed into a rushed and unsatisfying ending. I wish the last few episodes had managed to maintain the pace and charisma of the first.

-The Full Review-
STORY:
As an All For The Game lover, I have absolutely no room to speak on loving dumb gay-mafia-sports plots. I don't really have any issue with the pacing--as I think making "the big game" more important than the mafia reality is always a stellar choice, especially for less serious shows. I also didn't really mind the throuple-baiting because it was funny! And I will let shows get away with a lot if it's entertaining, even if it feels like a missed opportunity to do something more daring and interesting.
My only real issue with the plot of the show is how it lost focus on the team and then shoehorned back around to The Team Above All. I love Frank, and Atom is an interesting character, but I think a strong version of this show focuses on Ryu and Zen's relationship with their team and their coach. Most of the team was benched after a couple episodes, which made the family scenes at the end fall pretty flat.

ACTING:
I was very pleasantly surprised! It's really been a treat to watch Meen and Ping grow over their careers, and I think they are starting to making some really good choices in their acting. There's a playful banter that they hadn't really nailed yet in their previous works that helps carry the relationship now. Aging them down, surprisingly, also brought out a lot of depth in the characters--especially when we got to see their idyllic, sweet middle school bond. I still don't think we've seen the best of them, and I look forward to seeing what they bring next.

PRODUCTION:
Honestly? I think the production design was so good. My honest to god only complaint is the Tharntype-like room design (Do you think they like basketball?) and the pretty sloppy SFX wounds. The tone brought out by the lighting and soundtrack felt so nostalgic of early 2000s American sports movies and really made such a unique experience in BL. The colors and costume design where vivid and purposeful and really hit the mark. I love P'Golf's bright and neon worlds so much.

INTIMACY:
I didn't expect to like this one as much as I did. MeenPing aren't usually very high heat (or when they try to be, it... gets a little shaky). But I thought the casual intimacy, especially through athletics, really, really worked for this show. Every time they reconnected mid-game and fell back into sync was genuinely moving and natural. The way they orbited each other really stood out and built a very strong foundation for their relationship. I liked it a lot! I don't wish to talk about the finale. I am pretending that one didn't happen.

In all, MeenPing still have me in a completely inexplicable choke hold, but I am happy to be here! I love seeing their progress with each new series and hope they continue to improve. I will be watching whatever comes next. :)

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The definition of Cuteness Aggression

It was cute and whimsical and all around cringe to the point that it gave me cute aggression... Def my second fave of Meen and Ping. I wouldn't say I like sports dramas usually, but I liked this one. It reminded me of all the high school romcoms I watched in the late and early 2000s. So, if you want something fun and cute this is it. I will say the only thing I did not like was Atom's character he just never gave up and it was starting to annoy me. I will also say I wish we got more of a redemption for Ryu's mom but I mean it's a 12 eps drama so there is that. Are we also never addressing the M-that happened or are we turning the other way because I guess Ryu's mom could make it disappear right?

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Give it a chance guys?

I could be only person, but I LOVE this series. Mostly I don't like this kind of bl's but this one is one of the best so far.
To be clear, I did not expected the end :D it was pretty crazy but like, why not. (Don't mind it at all, could be more in the whole series). My rating is 10 bc why not ;)
I love those two actors, I did saw another series with them but this one is the best one yet. Even if it's not my cup of tea.
Those who like like action, passion to do what they want and they are willingto do everything for it, romance,.... watch it.
GIVE IT A CHANCE.

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Le début

"The Rebound", une série que j'ai attendue et que j'avais hâte de regarder depuis que la bande-annonce est sortie. Mais j'ai évité de placer de trop grandes attentes en elle, de peur d'être déçue....et ce ne fut pas le cas. Car pour l'instant, cette série est mon coup de coeur du moment: scénario fluide, générique, personnages attachants, l'univers sportif très présent et représenté sous deux facettes différentes, et surtout la backstory de Zen et Ryu qui m'intéresse énormément, avec la backstory de Ryu et Que. Malgré quelques petites incohérences (comme dans l'épisode 1: le fait que Zen ait réussi à tracer Ryu....???) Et les temporalités dans les épisodes pas souvent claires (genre, dans l'épisode 2, il y a une scène où Ryu se saoûle avec Que, et la scène suivante il est devant la maison de Zen. A ce moment-là, je me demandais: "euhhh....on est quand, là?"), "The Rebound" est un petit joyau qui brille peu à peu🥰💝

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molte sottotrame casuali non ben gestite, ma comunque gradevole. Ok la sottotrama del basket

Non è proprio un bl, ma una serie sul basket con anche dei risvolti bl: le scene che riguardano il basket sono tante e comunque devo dire anche ben realizzate.

Ci sono molti personaggi e sottotrame che non sono gestite proprio benissimo (sottotrame che spuntano dal nulla e si risolvono in maniera altrettanto rapida e casuale), tuttavia non c'è nessun difetto veramente grosso e la serie si lascia guardare per lo più gradevolmente.

Ryu: buon personaggio, anche se speravo che il motivo per cui ad inizio serie si era ritrovato per strada e a che fare con malviventi e scommesse illegali fosse un motivo migliore, ma questo è un problema che riguarda anche il personaggio della mamma.

Zen: la recitazione dell'attore che interpreta Zen, comunque carinissimo, alla lunga mi ha un po' infastidito perchè fa sempre la stessa espressione in ogni scena (tipo strizzare gli occhi). Anche il personaggio di Zen presenta diversi problemi: davvero non si rende conto che Atom ha una cotta per lui? davvero si butta in un covo di malviventi pericolosi senza chiamare la polizia o perlomeno comunicare la propria posizione a qualcuno?

Atom: buon personaggi fino ad un certo punto, ma poi non capisce che deve fermarsi e diventa invadente e anche un po' inquietante.

Ton (l'allenatore): buon personaggio, che insegue anche lui il suo "rebound".

Shogun: personaggio molto secondario, ma lo voglio segnalare perchè mi è piaciuto molto.

la mamma di Ryu: preferisce che il figlio frequenti malavitosi rischiando la vita tutti i giorni piuttosto che farlo giocare a basket, poi dal nulla va a vedere mezza partita e cambia del tutto opinione, personaggio incomprensibile, scritto veramente male.

la nonna di Zen: bel personaggio, ma la malattia e la guarigione con annesso torneo per racimolare soldi per l'interveno arrivano un po' dal nulla, come del resto molte altre sottotrame.

Que e la sottotrama malavitosa: di solito evito di guardare bl con questo tipo di risvolti, preferisco che la serie si concentri sulla storia d'amore, e comunque sottotrama buttata lì che non porta da nessuna parte.

ci sono poi tanti altri personaggi secondari, soprattutto, ma non solo, del club del basket, che non hanno una grande caratterizzazione, ma che comunque hanno tutti un loro momento nella serie.

Come detto ci sono molte sottotrame gestite male: molto male ad esempio la faccenda di Puket nel finale: è servita solo per fare una scena di addio tra Ryu e Zen e poi si è risolta offscreen dopo 5 minuti.

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Почти спортивное аниме

итак.
это могло быть лучше.
общий отзыв: если убрать отсюда нелепых мафиози и полуголых школьников, то выйдет почти спортивное аниме с теплой командой друзей, душевным тренером и подростковой романтикой.
что понравилось:
1. я фан спортивных произведений, поэтому мимо этого пройти не удалось. и спорт здесь хорош, как мне показалось. за играми наблюдать интересно.
2. второстепенные персонажи — команда, менеджеры и особенно тренер(актер украл мое сердце еще на моменте оста). они все получились приятными, типичными подростками из аниме, хотя их раскрытия мне не хватило.
3. каст. каст главных героев меня немного раздражал, но все остальные способные и симпатичные. да, особенно тренер(!)
4. душевность команды. спортивных дух, командный дух, все эти вещи, которые нравятся мне в любых спортивных произведениях здесь были, хоть и местами кринжовые.
5. съемка. красиво, уютно, тепло. цвет делал человек с руками из правильного места.
что не понравилось:
1. криминал здесь как будто совершенно не уместен именно в том виде, в котором его показали. какие-то мафиози, которые в своих делах и чувствах не разобрались; школьники, которые пытаются влезть в их дела и что-то там порешать; друг-брат главного героя Рю, который поступает как мудак по обе стороны, пытаясь спасти то ли себя, то ли Рю. и эта красная кровь, которая выглядит до ужаса ненатуральной...
2. обнаженка. эй, они вроде школьники? почему за три серии нам показали шесть голых задниц подростков? и Рю, вечно разгуливающий без футболки, тоже меня тревожил.
3. скомканный сюжет. все линии сюжета непонятно куда привели, да и откуда шли — тоже не ясно. будто не хватило двенадцать серий для такого количества сюжета.
4. темп повествования. сначала ра нас скидывают горы информации, а потом показывают длинные бесполезные сцены взаимодействия ухожера гг и его бабушки. раскрытие персонажей? ну только его и раскрыли, считай, остальные второстепеннки остались ни с чем.
итог: смотрибельно. захотелось посмотреть спортивных аниме. смотреть можно, если хотите чего-то не особо серьезного, но хотите баскетбола, очаровательных актеров во второстепенных ролях и красивой съемки.

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