Jack & Joker: U Steal My Heart! (Uncut Ver.)

Yin & War. Period

Disclaimer: Please don't ruin all the fun by trying to look for logic in this show

BL needle score: 8.5 - Very strong BL-ness

This starts and ends with - Yin-War :D...so, if you are not a fan of Yin-War or OTT Thai dramas that do not try to tax you with a lot of logic and deep intrigue, it is very likely that you will not like this...on the other hand, if you are, this is a treat. Also, the transformations (make-up, dresses, and body-language) by Joke (War) for each of his heists/thief acts are terrific...:D

Jack (Yin), a kind-hearted angel who wants to build a school for the children in his community meets Joke (War), who is a school drop-out and a notorious thief who gets away with innovative theft (ok, don't raise your expectations about the 'innovative' part), to take from the rich and give back to people a la Robinhood....Joke meets Jack and is taken by him...he wants to help Jack and gets him money by fraudulent ways....long story short, Joke confesses his crime to save Jack, lands in jail repenting heavily, and ends up abandoned by his family, while Jack has to works as the henchman of the local Boss to pay off his debt.....while pretending to watch out for boss's business, he saves poor debtors from Boss's army by paying on their behalf. From there on the story is about how Jack and Joke take back their power, and lives from Boss, aided by friends, family and the community.

This has action, drama, romance, and comedy- an all-round pot-boiler to keep you entertained.....and more importantly, a looooooooot of Yin-War....Yin-War fighting, Yin-War bantering, Yin-War watching out for each other, Yin-War fighting for each other, Yin-War romancing, and YES!! Yin-War KISSING...so if that's what you are here for, you are going to be very happy.

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Friendship, Love & Second Chances

‘’Jack & Joker: U Steal My Heart!’’ is a story about Joke, who, using his exceptional disguise skills, robs wealthy oppressors and redestributes their riches to aid the poor and struggling people. On the other hand we have Jack, a kind hearted young man, who wants to open a school for the poor. After their first blessed-turned-cursed meeting, Jack swears to never allow Joke near him. However, after several years they meet again as an ex-con and a debt collector. Despite the past, they have to collaborate with one another on a grand heist.

Personally, at the beginning I thought that this was just a fun drama that I will watch and go on with my life, but now, I changed my mind. First of all, the cinematography is stunning and very pleasing to the eye. The locations are chosen very carefully and it shows. It showcases the realities of those living in luxury and poverty very well. Second of all, the acting is brilliant. At some point, you just forget that they are acting, because of how natural and convincingly it is played (the hospital scene in the 11th episode, I’m talking about you). The whole cast took time to understand the characters they are playing and are doing their best, which at the end of the day just makes the whole drama shine among others. And lastly, the chemistry. Let’s be honest, the drama can be exceptional, but without the chemistry between the main characters, it’s just bound for failure. Thankfully, this is a great example of what a good cast looks like. I’m not that familiar with YinWar, so I was curious about how this would turn out, but I am definitely far from disappointed. They feel comfortable which each other and it shows.

The story itself is making you want to know more about what’s going to happen next. It’s a drama done with love and by people who actually wanted to tell you a good story about friendship, love and second chances. I absolutely love the balance between the funny moments and the more serious ones that occur in this drama. I rarely cry on TV productions, but seeing Joke break into pieces on the hospital floor just hurts so badly I nearly ended up in the same state by just watching him.

Before I finish, I just want to say that War’s acting is one of my biggest surprises this year. This man is simply outstanding. I’m definitely looking forward to his next projects.

Also, am I the only one who just loves the friendship between the piglet’s group? Watching their evolving friendship, them being there for each other whenever there’s a need makes them such a comfort zone for me.

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obviously not a romance-focused series

first of all i want to say thankyou for everyone involved in this series-yinwar, actors, director, producers, staffs, everyone. i might be new in this fandom (less than a month, i'm here after eps 9) but i'm very grateful and thankful i'm not late. big applause to yinwar, for believing in the story, potraying jack and joker, invest their own money..

it is indeed a successful series. hopefully i'll still be here to see them enjoy the view of northern light. hope to see more of their works, either as a partner or individually. a big thankyou as well for other actors and staffs involved. they made this series possible.

now i want to talk about things i remember. this is me after finishing the series earlier this morning hahaha. plot holes. it's something that's been bothering me. i can't mention every plot holes i found but for sure i'll try to read others' opinions and to see if i can find new facts to make this story whole in my head. maybe the first one is- the couple ring. people said it's the fake ring joker made during that robbery scene(?) i guess it's correct? but again, some plots aren't explained explicitly. sometimes i just don't have the memory nor ability to pick up all the cues and connect them. and some other plots that maybe i just don't remember the details well lol

i loveee the osts! no complaint ofc. acting? amazing. storyline? mindblowing. at first i didn't expect this series to be this heavy and action-focused but hey, they did it! at the end we only get some tiny bit of romance haha but for me it's pretty acceptable but ofcourse i want a bit more of romance, especially after everything jack and joker went through. i also love the character developments!

this is def my fav series of all time! i knew it even before eps 12 airs lol but yeah, highly recommended for people who want to watch bl but not too much romance involved, includes action and comedy as well! at least it's not too heavy because we can still laugh here and there between scenes lol

even though it might seems like there's not much of jack's pov, but for me, both povs are perfect. i love how they potray jack and joker in their own ways. jack struggling with almost everything in his life but still helping people instead of focusing on himself, and joker struggling to ask for jack's forgiveness, stealing while actually his intentions are good. their communication might not be so smooth but it's better than nothing.

so, maybe that's all for now. love the angst as well hahaha hopefully we can see more of heavy plot bl series in the future!

rewatch value 9.5 because it's on iqiyi and i don't think i can handle the stress of thinking about the whole plot lol

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I went into Jack & Joker expecting a fun action BL, but I ended up getting so much more. It had the perfect mix of action, comedy, romance, and emotional moments, and I was hooked the whole way through.

The biggest standout for me was War. His acting was honestly on another level. Every emotional scene felt so real, and he conveyed so much without even saying a word. He completely disappeared into Joker's character, and I couldn't look away whenever he was on screen.

Yin and War's chemistry was exactly what I hoped for. They balanced the lighter moments with the heavier ones so naturally, and it made me root for them even more.

The special episode absolutely destroyed me. I genuinely wasn't prepared for Joker's death, and I just sat there staring at my screen wondering why they would do that to us. Then the post-credit scene happened... and seeing that he was actually alive made me lose my mind all over again. I went from heartbroken to relieved in the span of a few minutes.

The performances, the chemistry, and the emotional payoff made it such an unforgettable watch. And War? Yeah... he absolutely owned this role.

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Too Much Potential, Too Little Payoff...

I feel like this drama is either a hit or a miss. I can totally understand why some people love it, but unfortunately, for me, it was a miss.

I think the biggest problem is that I went into this drama with really high expectations without actually knowing what to expect. I quickly realized it was going to be a slow burn... but after 7 episodes that each lasted between one hour and one hour and a half, there was barely any progress. I actually enjoy a good slow burn, but the problem here is that the romance was pushed completely into the background. So if you're looking for a beautiful love story that slowly grows stronger, I don't think this is the right drama.

The most obvious issue with this BL is the episode length. The first few episodes completely pulled me in, and I could see so much potential. The story seemed to know where it was going. But around episode 5 (or maybe even before), everything started losing its direction. I genuinely felt like I had to sit through every episode because they were so long while barely moving the story forward. Seriously, everything became so over-the-top and unrealistic. It tried to mix comedy that wasn't really funny, thriller that wasn't thrilling, and romance that was almost nonexistent.

I'm sorry, but I was bored. The constant plot twists became so ridiculous that they made me want to scream. It's frustrating because the story had so much potential, but I feel like it got ruined by trying to stretch everything out just to make more episodes.

Honestly, what frustrated me the most was how the romance lost all its impact because it was buried under a plot that became more and more absurd. I got so tired of it that I ended up watching a cut version that focused mostly on the main couple... and, surprise, most of their scenes lasted five minutes at best.

I didn't even watch the final episode, and I honestly don't think I ever will. I truly believe that if the story had been condensed into just six episodes, this BL would have been so much better.

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interesting

First, of all this series does a great job displaying as social commentary for poverty and being in debt and just how hard it is to get out of debt. It also displays the realities that poor youth face where they are disadvantaged from the start due to financial issues and how that affects their ability to see a brighter future. But the series also has a bad guy that became bad because of the situation he had faced growing up under the control of those in power. His character is a bad guy but also you can understand why he got the way he did to some degree. This series does a great job showing how desperate a person gets for money, safety, and love.

Second, the characters are interesting and the acting is done well, even when its supposed to be over the top acting for some characters, like Rose. we see themes like found family, filial piety, sacrifice, and seeking penance from several characters which gives them a strong bond that makes the story make sense. the characters make sense as friends by the end of the show. they have a common theme, not just thrust together by circumstance.

Third, I wold have liked to have seen more affection from the possible 3rd pair, but the little crumbs we did get were good. But the series made up for any missing affection from side pairings when they gave use 2 pairings that loved each other without any sexual assault (which we all know happens ALOT in these types of series). The two established pairs were loving to each other even during conflicted moments.

This is such a good found family type of series. The main character can't see anything good in himself until he meets the group of people that changes him for the better. There's plenty of action and laughs. Great series overall and the main actors did amazing. They have great on screen chemistry. I hope to see them in more BLs together. And i hope they even get out of BLs and do well in mainstream series.

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Jack and Joker definitely stole my heart!

I want to begin this review by saying there are so many mixed reviews attached to this drama- PLEASE don’t let those reviews make you turn away, give it a shot! Try three episodes before forming an entire opinion, I promise this gets better as it goes. Go into it blind, don’t let others sway your thoughts. It’s a fun watch and very enjoyable.

Now, there are so many factors I want to address but i’ll begin by addressing the acting. The actor that played Joke did an incredible job, the emotions being displayed on scene were so raw and honestly just watching him as a character develop was so lovely. Personally, he was my favorite character throughout the whole drama. The acting alone carried the show beautifully and there definitely is a found-family trope with how the show brings characters together.The friendships, the connections and relationships made me so soft.

Can we talk about how FUN this drama was? It felt like a journey from start to finish and it had me feeling every emotion in the book. Every heist left me on the edge of my seat and for me- even when I took breaks from watching this drama I'd always find myself thinking about it- it definitely leaves an impact and the more you watch it the more you don’t want to put it down.

Alright, let’s address the plot. It’s undeniable that there are some plot-holes or in my opinion some of the plot points felt incomplete, however, to me that didn’t bother me too much or affect my personal enjoyment. What I do admire is that they tried to give every character a moment in the spotlight to develop, however, I just wish this drama had more time.

I feel like it would’ve been so much more fleshed out if they just had more time to play with, but that wasn’t a bad thing for me. I like fast-paced dramas and this to me was fast-paced. I was going through a major drama slump and it cured it, it kept me focused.

In my opinion I did wish for a different ending. I can't get into it because I want this review to stay spoiler free but that didn’t take away from me enjoying the rest of the drama. There were some factors that i’d consider as ‘unrealistic’ and to people that may have caused some complicated opinions but I didn’t mind it. Don’t go into the plot with the idea of it has to be top-notch quality and super realistic because it isn’t but, that to me does not take away from enjoyability.

Every character has their faults- no ONE is perfect. Everyone is caught doing an action that is wrong but what’s so special to me is the way they bounce out of their faults and try to develop and better themselves. As someone who normally watches shows with a high emphasis of interest with characters and character development this drama fed my interest. This drama definitely has beautiful subtle details and it was beautiful to watch.

To me if I had to rate enjoyability it’s a 10/10 no doubt. Since I do have my own issues with the plot it did drop it to a 9/10 but it’s still a drama i’d recommend greatly. I probably will catch myself missing this drama for a long time and would wish I could wipe my memory to rewatch it.

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Your actions have consequences... (unless you're filthy rich, of course!)

MY SHAYLAAAAAAAAAAS!!
I don't think I've ever attached to characters so quickly as to Joke and Jack. Like honestly. They're everything to me and they were everything to me from the start. Their slow burn was so well done for me personally and with everything going on around them, just made a lot of sense, too. Their chemistry had me in a chokehold, even when nothing much was happening between them yet. And I was ready to murder everyone who hurt them... If they didn't get their happy ending with their school, I don't know how I'd survived!

The plot was... The set-up and premise was SO INTERSTING, with Joker as the Robin Hood type thief who comes with his good intentions just to learn that his actions still hurt people (and sometimes the ones you don't want to hurt at all) and Jack as the poor kid who gets disappointed by the world again and again and yet never loses his kindness. The gap between the rich and the poor, the privileged and the ones that never get a chance to even. I think we should've stayed with that until the end. It would've worked better with the kind of underlying message that your actions have consequences (unless you're rich) they were trying to send, too. But around episode 7 (it all started with the silly ring thing), they started to throw unnecessary layers and absurd games and whatnot on top of it just for the sake of having more drama and action scenes, so it just became... a bit non-sensical and deteriated too much from what made it so good in the beginning. It also leaves the side characters underdeveloped for the most part (not grandma, though, she's the captain of our ship). Still, this show is a good reminder why we should eat the rich, be so frfr. The way they just play with peoples' life without a second though and laugh about it... Disguuuuuuuuuusting!!! I really, really wish they'd leaned more into it (and preferable in an even more serious way) and also the aspects of what greed and (lust for) power does to a person, but well...

I have come to terms with the fact that Thai shows almost always add stupid (and imho not even funny a lot of the times) humour and cannot stay with a serious undertone for too long even if the story demands it. I honestly don't understand why, but well... At this point, I'm just gonna look past it. You get so much emotion in exchange, it is usually worth it. I just wish it wouldn't take away important time from the plot, which it often does. Especially here, where so many plot points suddenly came up and were dropped, but instead we get Jack barking in 5 different dog breeds... What's the point?

The happy ending fell a little flat for me, I don't know why... I just wasn't as elated as I thought I would be after all we've been through. Maybe because the plot was all over the place for the last 4 episodes, there were so many lose ends and questions left unanswered, but then boom, all good. Like don't get me wrong, they've earned and deserved it, and I'm so happy for them, but I expected it to hit differntly.
Either way, despite all of that, nobody can ever make me dislike this show and Jack & Joke will forever own my whole heart. (Alsoooo, give me more slow buuurns with this kind of tension, ahhhhh!!)

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just incredible

from the very first episode of this show I knew it was going to become my favorite BL, and I was 100% correct. this review is going to be all over the place because I dont even know where to start. everything about this show is just perfect. the casting is so well done -- each actor fits their character so nicely and I couldn't imagine someone else in any of these roles. specifically, the actors playing tattoo, Arun, carbon, and hope did an amazing performance and executed their roles so well, I could tell they were all committed to their characters and there wasn't one scene I felt like they were lacking. and of course, yin and war as jack and joke. I don't even know what to say about them because both of them are such talented, passionate actors who could not have done a more incredible job. every scene between them was passionate and energetic. I was on the edge of my eat every time jack and joke were alone together because yin and war's chemistry is something I don't think I have ever seen before. what may have been small or boring moments in other dramas with other actors were exhilarating because the natural chemistry between them was SO apparent. in particular I want to talk about war. he delivered an Oscar worthy performance as joke, especially in episode 11. I could literally feel the emotions coming off of him because he was completely immersed in his role as joke. as for the plot, I was a little worried because the episodes being an hour/hour and a half long each leaves a lot of room for many boring fillers. jack and joker did not have that once. I truly cannot think of a time while I was watching jack and joker that I was not glued to my screen, even in the more funny parts which I still loved. I think it had a perfect balance between being serious and comedic. everything flowed together pretty coherently, however there were a couple confusing parts/plotholes in the last two episodes but that's bound to happen and they were very minimal so it didn't influence my rating or love for the show that much. jack and joker is ABSOLUTELY one of the best if not the best BLs released this year. I hope that yin and war have even more productions to each other, because jack and joker is something so one of a kind and I do not think any BL will top it for me for a very long time (if ever). thank you yin and war for this absolute masterpiece of a show that I will rewatch 100000 times <3

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A masterpiece

I actually stopped writing reviews, but for this show, I feel like I need to share my thoughts. This will just be me praising every aspect of the show, so..don't expect much.

I usually don't rate Thai BLs that high. Jack & Joker is actually my first 10/10 Thai BL. While I normally struggle with the episode length of most Thai shows, I enjoyed every second I spent with Jack & Joker. I prefer much shorter shows and I paused J&J after 20 minutes, when I first started it around the premiere. :'D Because I just couldn't bring myself to watch sooo long episodes. But then I came back shortly before the finale and I don't regret it at all! I didn't think in any moment, that this scene could've been shorten or cut or written differently.

Every character adds something to the story and they all grew on me. I will miss them so much. The comedy bits made me laugh so much, and while they toned it a bit down towards the last episodes, I love that they didn't get rid of it completely. Yeah, sure, it's not a drama for everyone. Maybe some people prefer only serious shows and will think the comedy is misplaced, but for my taste, it was perfect.

The cast is A-MA-ZING. Everyone got casted soo well. They fit their role perfectly and I couldn't imagine any actors for it. The acting is great, the OSTs is beautiful and the story kept me interesting through every episode, which really isn't easy with that length!

It's definitely not a romance focused show, but it has some romance, it has one of the best NCs I've watched (listen..I watched 452 dramas so far, I think I have definitely a ground to judge this.. :D) and the combination out of action, romance, spicyness and comedy was just like I like it.

I wouldn't want this show any other way and I am more than pleased. After LM I craved more YinWar and I wasn't disappointed. Hopefully we won't need to wait another 2 years for their next show!

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