My Stand-In: Uncut

i still hate tong

I absolutely loved this series. Was it full of drama and toxic? most definitely. However each character executed their roles perfectly.

Abusive situations end differently for everyone. You absolutely do not need to forgive your abuser, however Joe decided that he wanted to. Should he have taken more time for himself to think? Absolutely but we don’t live in a perfect world.

Ming was a narcissist and verbally/emotionally abusive to Joe and did not have much of a personality change in 2 years. We did however see flashes of a different side of him after Joe died, he was extremely sad and remorseful.

Throughout the year of knowing new Joe it was shown that he didn’t change much at all until Joe finally revealed who he was. He then started the process trying to make things better. I believe that he made a good first step towards it and the last two episodes solidified that.

I 100% believe that Ming will be making it up to Joe for the rest of their lives.

Can an abuser actually show remorse? I think it depends on the situation. In this case yes but he would have to work for it, which he has been doing. The apology made this even more true imo.

I think a lot of people who hate these themes of BL want everyone to leave a toxic situation and be done but that’s not how it works all the time. You can call it gullible, stupid, cornered, whatever you want to use but ultimately the choice is the abused.

Anyways i still hate Tong there’s no redeeming him in my eyes 🤣 but if you want to watch give the show a chance! x

Read More

It’s so frustrating

Spoilers ahead





Wtf?
You would think someone that was given a second chance in life to live in someone’s body after he almost died, will do things differently in this new life . He makes the same choices. Goes back to the same job , gets entangled with the same person.
Just why y y y y y y y?
I hate Ming. But I’m more frustrated with Joe. How can Joe expect a different outcome in his second life when he is doing the same things that got him killed in the first place?
Also why is it always impossible for the mc to be with someone nice, someone who respects them, someone less toxic? Why must the mc end up with ml even when the ml is like the worst person in the whole show?
I’m so fng mad 😡

Read More

Amazing, unique storyline

The story is so interesting and entertaining. Emotional damage in every episode, but it was so worth it. The acting was top tier, the chemistry was amazing, the character depth was there, the spicy scenes were well done. Ming *was* a red flag but he was so well-written and you could really understand his position as the series progressed. I felt like the actor for Tong was a bit weak, but otherwise a top tier show. So worth watching. I especially loved Poom as Joe. Pepsi also once again did a great job as a director.
My only real criticism is how they wrapped up the plot in episode 12. The ending felt weak, with all conflict resolved very fast and not incredibly logically. But given the rest of this amazing show, I am so willing to excuse this weak point.

Read More

Joe. Joe, Joe, Joe . . . WHY?

Ahem. This is actually the first review i've ever written. Honestly I LOVED this drama. BUT. Some parts made no sense.

When Joe got a second chance I thought he would leave. Like, fly to a different country, change his name and start selling coconuts or smth. But NOOooo instead he goes back to the fvcking SAME place with the SAME toxic-ass people. Almost every single decision he made was stupid.

1) He gave his virginity to a guy who was so drunk he could've slept with a freaking bag of chips.
2) He was called a "stand in" because ming is in love with a guy who looks like a deflated balloon.
3) He is then KIDNAPPED and his entire career is fvcking destroyed for TONG. Like? HELLO???

He freaking DIES because of Ming and then GOES BACK to the SAME person to be a stand-in. AGAIN!!! But at this point, hes literally like a stand-in bitch FOR a stand in bitch. I cant even be mad at him because his entire character is so sad. I know he went through a lot but it was depressing to watch him. In every ep, he looked either sad, confused or conflicted for the entire thing. (But Poom is actually SUCH a good actor. His eyes were so expressive)

I was PRAYING that Joe would get himself together and freaking stand up for himself. He was getting pushed over by so many different people. THINK FOR YOURSELF!!!! Not people who want to get in your pants!!! (Sol, Ming, looking at you) And when he finally did, he then proceeded to try and get out of a MOVING CAR. GURLL . . .

Other than that, the drama is so good. If youre thinking of watching it, then do it

(I'll add more later maybe, im too lazy for this)

Read More

Ming WAS a red flag.

the total conversation was about Ming. lemme tell you. Ming was a rich brat, UNTIL he met Joe. he def mistreated him. he was unecceralily possesive over him. he do shit without even thinking. BUT im telling you, he changed. well, im not siding with him cuz he is a shit. he mistreated Joe, just to feel bad about it after his death. i mean Joe is a whole green forest. he took care of the other Joe's mother as if it is his own mother. i thought he would do some revenge shit, but he was calm. Ming meanwhile changed. the only Ming i loved was in the last episode. even tho, the whole series had some toxicity in it, it was good. some time, i would wanna just smack Ming but some time, i would feel sorry. mahn, I would've killed that guy, if I was Joe. he manipulated his dad to ground him,faked being sick, well he didn't fake it tho. and at last but not least, he didn't even try to tell his while shitting plan to Joe. bruhh. i was like, where's my slippers?

the amount of toxicity in the series is crazy. but i kinda loved it. the ost was not ma fav tho.

the chemistry of Up and Poom is just 🔥.

im looking forward for more series in the future.

Read More

2022 is seared into my brain. I hear that reused tracking Pepzi and Khom

Rated= 7.5 ~ 29.5/50 ~ 5.9
Scene // Mage fighting hard in the Crumbling Castle with a Battle Axe

Ahh Hello Thailand, we finally meet again. Ever since KinnPorsche I've been extra vigilent around Thai BL's. My review still exists as a testiment to how much I did not like the KP experience or the crew surrounding the production.

This is not KP, thankfully. I really enjoyed this one. But God has a sense of humour and I swear, I heard about 3 to 4 different backing tracks that were also in KP. I've only watched a few Thai Bl's in total so reusing tracks is common there? I don't know.

(Having said that, I've just learnt that one of the directors and screenwriter from KP were involved here. Ahhhh. So that's why most of the characters are abusive f**ks)

But moving on, this show has a very interesting concept which pretty much goes unexplained. It's hinted that it's perhaps a karmic slapback and since I consider myself a spiritual person, I kind of like the idea.

Joe is a stunt man for super celeb, actor Tong because he resembles him from behind. Where Joe is sweet and professional, Tong is lazy and narcissistic and it quickly becomes apparent that Joe is the reason that Tong is so famous. All of Tong's most famous scenes are because of Joe's talent but as a stunt man, he's only ever seen from behind and we find out later, he's also never credited either.

The series opens with Joe's stunt scene that goes wrong, resulting in his death. He wakes up two years later in the body of another man, also called Joe. After this initial set up, we have 3 or 4 episodes of a flashback, how he falls in love with Ming, and Ming pining after Tong, and the abuse and injustice he faces that leads him to taking on the deadly job that results in his death.
I don't mind flashbacks as long as it's done in one go and thankfully, this show did that. We got our story set up, the flashback, and then back to the present to show us the progress and conclusion.

This creates an interesting karmic impact for me. Joe didn't want to die. He was forced into a dangerous job with no one willing to protect him only control him. His voiceover thoughts are shown to be even angry about his situation. Joe 2.0 however did. We discover that Joe 2.0 also worked in the industry as a model and attempted suicide on the day of Joe's death after being used by his boyfriend. Alone with his mother, his body was in a coma for 2 years while his ailing mother took on loan sharks to pay for his bills. Joe was a lost soul and here was a body the owner didn't want but who's mother was doing everything to keep alive.

When Joe returns to the land of the living, he quickly finds himself back in with the group he wants nothing more to do with.
Also interestingly for me, his lover Ming feels an instant connection to him whereas his friend just accept it's another guy called Joe. But it's his friends that quickly accept that this new Joe is still the old Joe and it's Ming who needs a little more convincing.

Ming is pretty obsessed with Joe. I feel like Ming is the sort of character that might push people's buttons. He's obsessive and controlling, at first. But as the relationship develops his need for control over others softens into taking control of his own situation and proving to Joe that his feelings are real and Joe will always be first in his life. This may not be agreeable to some people. Much like how I feel about our next character.

Tong is not a likeable character and although he does get his comeuppance, at the same time, there's almost a forced forgiveness arc at the end. I didn't want to pity him but I did anyway. I would have liked to have seen him quit his job or recognise Joe in his past works as an act of penance but we weren't shown that so I'm still left a little reluctant to forgive the character for his meddling and bullying. What he did was not exactly something you can just brush over with, don't do it again and all is well. I prefer to see real actions that give me a reason to feel comfortable with this character much as I do with actual people.

That we are shown at the end of the 'light' never being truly on the first Joe's work, left me feeling sad that even though Joe was able to rebuild his life with Ming by his side, his first life was still left as a tragic story. I dont feel comfortable with that kind of ending and knowing that Tong is the reason for it and never being shown a correction, just makes me feel pouty about it.

Then we have Sol who honestly, for me, just felt like a slimy creep. He was that guy who's crushing on you but doesn't know when to back off. And to top it off at the end, he tells Ming when he found out that Joe was gay, he thought Joe was taking advantage of him and only realised he liked him when he went to Korea to be an idol. I LOL. What a jerk. And then he walks off all rejected into another potential pairing,, you know, like a 'stand in'? No. Go sort yourself out first my friend.

Always wanted to be with someone who would use me to get over their heartbreak and, fingers crossed, they fall in love with me instead.

Overall I did enjoy it. It was nothing too intense. I felt pretty relaxed through most of the plot. Perhaps more of a refreshing reprieve from the 40 long anxiety ridden torture that is most c-dramas LOL

I unfortunately didn't feel the chemistry between the leads but that may just have been me. They were one of those couples that I find cute together but don't feel any heat between them, despite the sexual tension in some scenes. They gave their all in those sex scenes though. Thought the sneezing during orgasm was a bit silly but I guess the writers needed something that only Ming would know lol

I think what dampened any kind of enjoyment between the pairing is just simply, most of the characters in this show are assholes and Joe is that really sweet character that's just persistently walked over. He does get angry but he never shows it so at the end, I can feel the 'sweetness' of problems being solved but I feel reluctant about.

I at least didn't get the visceral rage I felt with KP and it's crew but I can't say I agree with their world view that seems to be coming across in their work.

Overall, it's a short enjoyable watch but not sure I'll be rewatching it.

Read More

stop hating on Ming

To be honest, I personally think it's good that Ming got a happy ending with Joe. Of course, he did a lot of inappropriate things, including lying and manipulation. However, let's remember Ming's phone call to Joe before his stunt scene where he died. If he was a bad person, he could have found a replacement for Joe, he wouldn't have had to cry and wait for him to come back. Despite this, he still believed that Joe would return. It's sad that Ming had to lose Joe to appreciate him. Unfortunately, many people in life don't appreciate something because they don't think about loss.
If we were to talk about a BAD CHARACTER, it would be Tong. I really can't stand him. I think he saw that Joe had a crush on him, so he took advantage of that fact.
- He deliberately married May for a comfortable life.
- He ran up debts that May's family paid off.
- Because of him, Joe almost died.

I also thought that so many people hate Ming, but compared to other characters from other series, he really wasn't that bad. It was shown how he undergoes an internal change and how much he loves Joe and how much he is willing to sacrifice for him. I just thought about Vegas from Kinnposche, who was a terribly evil character (my favorite 😂), and yet I saw that many people were happy with the positive ending for Vegas. So why should I hate Ming? :(

Read More

Guilty pleasure : highly entertaining despite its flaws

A very entertaining guilty pleasure BL series : I found the premise pretty interesting and there were some crazy developments that really kept my attention all along the show.

One of the main lead was a pretty gentle stuntman with not any survival instinct, the other was a rich heir with a crazy side, full of red flags. Their relationship was quite toxic, with an intoxicating push and pull factor between them. It was not healthy, frustrating at time, but mostly highly entertaining. The last quarter of the series felt a bit more tame and I wish the ending would have been a bit less "easy" on some character, but overall I'm satisfied by the wild ride the scenario took me on.

The acting could have been better, most of the support roles were not as well acted as I would have wanted...With the exception of Porsche, the actor playing Sol which managed to make his character endearing to me all along the series despite the repetitive aspect of his role. The two main leads Poom and Up had a good chemistry between them but I still think it is not the most sizzling I have seen in a BL and that their acting in some of the more emotional scenes felt a bit lacking at time.

I would recommend this to people that are looking for an exciting and wild BL. There are some bonker elements in the story and it is a very fun ride. I feel the story lost a bit of steam in its last quarter and that acting could have been better for some part. Nevertheless, I have no regret to have watched it : it is a good guilty pleasure show !

Read More

Cinematic Perfection

I can't believe I haven't written a review for this series yet even though I've seen it at least 5 or 6 times now. (I'm honestly not exaggerating on that 10 for a rewatch value.)

This series was just so well done in every aspect, it's hard to pick where to begin.

The story was unique and *gasp* it made sense! And while there was never (spoiler #1) any explanation on how or why Joe's soul ended up in another body, honestly, it didn't matter in the end. Enough happened that made me completely forget about "how" and "why" in a trade off of emotional twists and turns that completely wrecked me.

Now, I'm not usually one for angst... but after seeing this, I realize I'm not one for immature, teenager angst that is more frustrating than entertaining and almost always easily avoidable. *This* angst had me hooked on the line from the get-go and I couldn't break free until the very end. (I mean this in a good way.) The roller coaster Joe goes through as the parallels of his past life run alongside his new life are just so well done and portrayed that we feel like we're getting all the dizzying airtime right along with him.

Speaking of.. this was a rare case of phenomenal editing and visually stunning shooting. The way they took opportunities to either show Joe's reflection in a subtle but "remember, this is what he looks like to everyone else" kind of way was so well done. It was neither in your face or "blink and you miss it." And it wasn't too often as if they thought the audience would forget or be stupid about it. It was handled very well at peak plot points to hit us right in the heart with the reminder and it was hella effective.

The acting.. honestly, if I want to be a bit picky, I could knock off half a point for some of the supporting cast (Looking at you, May, Sol and Tharn) but really, they weren't all that distracting and I think it actually helped their characters a little bit to be "less than polished" so I can forgive it. But everyone else? Such great performances by literally everyone else. (Spoilers ahead) My god, I want a guardian angel like Wut... He really was the best grounding support to Joe who really needed it. And when he found out the truth and punched Joe before hugging him, that was a full on weeping moment for me even though I don't shed tears on series that often. But the combination of his hurt, his relief, *our* relief that someone finally knew the truth, and Joe's surprise and anguish was just a combination of emotions that basically reached in through the chest and squeezed the heart.

Even Tong was such a convincing a-hole that we just love to hate on him. Really, every time he showed up on screen, everyone in the watch party was like "Go away, Tong." And Up and Poom in the lead roles were nothing short of perfection. Whenever Joe lost his sh*t, it was heartbreaking and when Ming did yet another SMH thing or said something that made you want to slap him, it was perfectly delivered, none-the-less.

As far as Joe and Ming as characters... they really had so much going on while not being overwhelming to the audience. It was not hard to keep up even when a new development was introduced as everything boiled down to two (spoiler-y) simple concepts: Ming fell in love with Joe's back just never realized it was Joe until it was too late and; Joe was a simp for Ming from the get-go which made him powerless to stay out of Ming's orbit. Ming's personal growth and character development was so satisfying, it was one of the best I've seen in series ever. Even when he was painted as a villainous a-hole, we can't help but love the idiot. And he gets a redemption arc that feels natural and makes me forgive everything from the past after seeing it through his perspective. (Also, rewatches helped understand his actions more and more but not in a "I missed that the first time around" kind of way. More like a "Ahh, these were hints where if you know, you know" kind of way.)

Anyway, I could probably go on and on about this series but for the sake of not breaking down every scene with why I love it, I would just say do yourself a favor and watch this series. But, forewarning, it is not for the faint of heart... this will hurt but it will also heal. The payoff is definitely worth it in the end.

Read More

Come discover the magic of Poom/Up

BL Mystery Action with Poom & Up (and I ship them) ヽ(♡‿♡)ノ

PLOT: Joe, a stuntman, is Tong's stand-in, performing all his action scenes (and more). He begins an strange relationship with Ming (the young heir to a large group), Tong's future brother-in-law (and clearly also in love with Tong). But he painfully realizes he's just a stand-in for Ming. Ming, incited by Tong, causes an incident that leads to Joe losing his contracts. Joe leaves with a foreign stunt team and dies in an accident. He wakes up in the body of another Joe, who also has connections to the film industry.

+++ Poom and Up are fabulous actors, full of nuance and micro-expressions. Their chemistry is fantastic, and I've become a die-hard fan of this pairing :)
+++ The story is coherent (if you accept the soul transfer :))
+++ The direction is efficient and well-paced; the sets, costumes, props, etc., are all up to the project's standards. The action scenes are convincing and well-executed.

### Sol, played by Porsche, is not convincing (acting skills, costumes, lack of charisma), and he's not the one I'd get a SLS from :)
### The role of the agencies, producers, etc., is unclear. I know there's a lot of power, influence, and money involved in these circles, but here, it's particularly confusing. Joe's agency, especially, is completely useless!!
### I regret that Tong remains unpunished for what he did. He's a nasty piece of work, but he's forgiven everything because he's going to have a child :( :(

=> Almost a masterpiece (a few flaws) thanks to the magic of Poom-Up (´♡‿♡`) (´♡‿♡`)

**********************************************************
BL Mystère Action avec Poom & Up (and I ship them) ヽ(♡‿♡)ノ

PLOT: Joe, cascadeur, est la doublure de Tong dont il assure ttes les scènes d'action. Il entame 1 liaison avec Ming (jeune héritier d'1 gros gpe), futur beau-frère frère de Tong (et visiblement aussi amoureux de Tong). Mais il prend douloureusement conscience qu'il n'est qu'un remplaçant pour Ming. Ming, incité par Tong, provoque 1 incident qui fait perdre ses contrats à Joe. Celui-ci part avec 1 équipe étrangère faire des cascades et meurt ds 1 accident. Il se réveille ds le corps d'1 autre Joe, ayant aussi des liens avec les cercles de tournage.

+++ Poom et Up sont des acteurs fabuleux, tout en nuances et micro-expressions. Leur alchimie est fantastique et je suis devenue une die-hard fan de ce couple :)
+++ Story cohérente (si on accepte le transfert d'âme :)
+++ Réalis° efficace, rythmée, les décors / costumes / accessoires / etc. sont à la hauteur du projet. Les scènes d'action sont convaincantes et bien travaillées.

### Sol, joué par Porsche, n'est pas convaincant (acting skills, costumes, manque de charisme) et ce n'est pas avec lui que j'aurai un SLS :)
### Le fctt des agences, producteurs, etc. n'est pas clair. Je sais qu'il y a bcp d'enjeu de pouvoir, d'influence, de finance, ... dans ces cercles-là, mais ici, c'est particulièrement confus. L'agence de Joe, en particulier, ne sert à rien !!
### Je regrette que Tong reste impuni pour ce qu'il a fait. C'est un sale type, mais tt lui est pardonné parce qu'il va avoir un enfant :( :(

=> Presqu'un masterpiece (qq flaws) grâce à la magie Poom-Up (´♡‿♡`) (´♡‿♡`)

Read More