Laughable Heists full of plot holes. Great Leads chemistry is not enough to save the day.
Subjective Gut Rating: 7.75Objective: 8.0
The greater the expectation, the greater the disappointment. This is what happened to me with “Jack & Joker: U Steal My Heart!”. I really like the general premise of the drama, with a focus on the social and economic inequality and struggles of people who live in Suphanimit. I thought this might be a somewhat serious drama that gives me a different Thai BL, amongst the sea of rom-coms and school dramas. I was expecting a drama similar to “Not Me” with excellent chemistry between the leads, Yin and War. Unfortunately, this is definitely not “Not Me” but I do like the chemistry between Yin and War. I just can’t believe it’s rated higher than “Not Me”.
However, just relying on chemistry alone is not enough to keep me interested. It was a slow start for me. I enjoy learning the background history of the two leads. Their relationship also develops slowly but evenly paced. I don’t need a lot of skinship (not that I don’t like it) but the emotions and chemistry are there. And that’s enough for me. War’s acting is amazing and I look forward to his future dramas. Yin is not quite there yet especially in earlier episodes, but I see improvement along the way.
I also just can’t get past the cheesy and uninteresting heists, and numerous plotholes. Joker is supposed to be Robin Hood. Stealing from the rich and sharing the wealth with the poor. He’s supposed to be a genius mastermind that’s hard to catch. But the few heists that he cooked up are laughable. They’re not well-thought out and basically just wing it and pray for luck to be on their side. The comedy isn’t working for me. Many commented on the tone change from serious life-threatening injuries and threats, to comedic moments of fighting like you are invincible and can pull a rabbit out of a hat anytime to solve the problem.
I thought the villain was a worthy, cold-hearted meanie, but he turned out to be an over-the-top clown. What’s with the Four Horsemen? What’s their background? Are they powerful only because they have money? There are plot holes and easy forgiveness/redemption everywhere. I question Jack’s intelligence in blindly believing in the boss for 5 years. Does he never question that the boss is a big bad wolf, just by what he’s been ordered to do to those in debt? Yet he continues to blindly believe the boss will help him out of the goodness of his heart? The fight scenes also aren’t very believable, the taekwondo fights are definitely better than the gangster fights.
It is partly my fault because I can’t turn off my brain and just enjoy the chemistry of Yin and War. I really enjoy their stories, their fight for independence, and their development, bond with their families and healing. I want to see them rise up to the top and live happily ever after. There’s so much good, but overshadowed by poor writing. Luckily, there’s always grandma and the little sassy girl to provide me with comfort.
If you are looking for a high quality, serious drama about social change like “Not Me”, then this is not for you. But if you are fans of the leads, and don’t like a sillier plot and enjoy the ride, this is OK. I debated whether to rate this by rounding up to 8.0 or rounding down to 7.5. Ultimately, I was bored at the end and was finishing the last couple episodes, just to finish the drama. Therefore, it’s a 7.75 rounding down to 7.5 for me.
Completed: 11/26/2024 - Review #520
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Love this show so much!!!!!
Was The best show I have ever watched, have recommend it to all BL fans I know. So was not ready for the ending. Will rewatch again and again. Like I love YinWar so much TBH this was the first BL series I ever cried while watching. I want more of YinWar so badly. I loved the story line and the plot. I had so many different emotions throughout this . I feel like I could watch this with my family. The music as well was so good their outfits, the tension,the other actors/charcters, the outfits, the hair makeup every thing was AMAZING.Was this review helpful to you?
Maybe It's Not For You, But It Was For Me
Jack & Joker is an extremely clever series. It criticizes real world situations by cranking them up to 2000 and extrapolating the situation in order to highlight how stupid and messed up it is.Which, of course, might not land well with everyone, I get that. The way it does things might read to some as mockery and stupid humour and that's okay.
Nevertheless, I think the way it balances itself between humour and criticism; fun and sadness is the sort of delicate harmony you need in order to tell a story like this: about the common tragedy of everyday people suffering under the hands of the rich in late stage capitalism.
It's perfect in what it does. At least, to me.
You believe these characters and you like them even when you disagree with them and their actions because you understand them. You relate to them and empathise with their struggles.
And maybe it's not the most orthodox BL out there, for sure. And it's not a umami taste on everyone's tongues either. But I think that's exactly why it's so good: it does its own thing and it does it spectacularly well.
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This review may contain spoilers
Jack :): Joke
Look started with a bang and not going to sugar coat it, it had a ton of weaknesses. A lot of things that didn't work for me personally, the fact that next to YinWar I got so attached to Hope and Save , and there were times when you will be screaming YOU HURT MY BABY PLEASE JUST TAKE ME BACK TO HIM FFS and then you'll get some crumbs at some point that were never quite satisfying but hey, I figured it was because of the length of the season being only 12.The second thing was at times the writing is weak and other times it's good and most side characters , not all but most, if you get attached, the characterization was weak.
Even Carbon's character should have been a lot more frequent because it was chaotic and entertaining like Hope.
Look, who doesn't love yet another iteration of their favorite established couple?
It's YinWar , they have chemistry! And I waited so long after being left with some major proverbial blue balls when that video of them came out that gets you excited holy shit YinWar are going to be in this crime fiction bl! Just to realize it's was merely a promotion for their concert.
And then this happened at long last, and yes it's natural to have high expectations.
I'm a sucker for enemies to lovers, slow burn, crime fiction, all of it!
But my main issue with this particular story was that at the very least one of them should have been proper 'bad' especially Jack, because that whole thing where he's actually trying to help people afflicted by Boss, instead of actually being a loan shark made his character weak because it was just Joke's character then who started fucking up. But even his character for the most part remains the same good vs evil thing.
Another thing that wasn't working for me, the whole school thing. It would have been okay if it was just something they did sparingly but they didn't.
So I m seeing a lot of divided opinions about the special episode, which I'm just going to tell you this: you want something cutesy with YinWar don't watch the special and stay delulu for as long as possible. I didn't and now I'm fucking suffering. Anyway jokes apart for me personally, holy shit, it was damn dark and SO MUCH ANGST! Freaking loved it.
Also I felt bad for Boss's son too even though he was spoiled and awful to Joke and the rest along with Hope, I didn't mind so much, though again his character is weak still I got into it and feel bad about all the bullying he received even from the friends.
I didn't ship him with tattoo. Just again weakly written characters.
What I did like the whole games bit and the loan shark arc because half the time it's a bunch of hot people doing some pretty decent action, getting severely beat up, or crying. Angst and hot people getting bloody. Is my jam.
And the fact that it goes from dark and angst to crack levels of comedy. Love all the cutesy wholesome stuff . These folks even nailed the sound track.
Also the whole arc with Grandma, and even Joke's family and his father, loved it! Angsty but goodie.
And now for my opinion on the special episode which I'm just going to call finale.
I was HEARTBROKEN.
I just had a bad feeling when Nang gave the predictions about them being fated and when Joke said something like no matter what happens and where I end up, I will find my way back to you. I knew that was sus ! I was fucking terrified.
The MOMENT Carbon and the casino folks started beating the shit out of the friends, I knew it. Knew what would follow when Carbon practically pulls joke away and by then I was already crying and then he takes Joke near the water and I knew something was going down and as expected.
I knew it would happen and still a veteran like me I was crying .
Just gets worse from there.
Just watching Jack just suffering was damn so painful to watch and experience.
The way he got so fucking delusional it breaks your heart.
And then even I have no idea what the post credit scene even made me feel tbh.
I just remember screaming and additional tears.
That is all.
End of Rant/review.
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Jack & Joker 2024 Masterpiece
I've been so invested in this series; Every single episode is worth watching. The casts, the plot, the dialogues, the setting, everything is so perfect. This series literally made me speechless. I highly recommend this series. The chemistry of the characters are overflowing. The plot of this series is so so so out of the world✨... They left a mark in my heart and I don't think I would be able to forgot this series. One of the best BL series that was ever made.Was this review helpful to you?
The fun campy action thriller BL of my dreams
When I was a kid, my father used to take me to the theater to see all of the big budget Hollywood action flicks he could find. Explosions. Hot women. Quippy one-liners. Fast cars. You name it. It was exciting, and fun, and something my father and I really bonded over, though there was always a small nagging suspicion in the back of my head that something was missing. As an adult, watching Jack and Joker, I realized that it was that I never got to see myself portrayed in said stories.So imagine my absolute glee when I popped in the first episode of Jack and Joker and it starred two complex interesting characters, who just so happened to both be men, and not only that, but they were blatantly into each other. Each episode proceeded to just wow me in how natural it felt to have two queer leads in a complex story of family, class disparity, crime, and sentimentality. They really build a world you can live in in this story, and you find yourself really caring for the various colorful characters, from sopping wet tech guy Tattoo, to the lovable sassy Toi Ting. Is this a deeply Thai drama? Yes, which means you've got your typical pacing issues in chunks of the story and lots of over the top campy humor moments complete with a bunch of obnoxious sound effects. But behind the usual trappings is a deeply human beating heart and a story of a downtrodden community brought together because of the Love and Passion of two men with hearts of gold.
I've seen a LOT of Thai dramas, the flaws in this didn't bother me in the slightest, but I know not everyone will enjoy the pace and tone of this beast of a project. But I had a blast from start to finish. It was just so much fun. I loved the characters and their dynamics. I loved Jack and Joker's slow burn romance. I found the world and story, though deeply campy and flawed, super engaging.
Art is beautiful because it is imperfect, and this show moved me deeply despite its flaws. If you are thinking about going into this, ignore the hype, ignore the haters, and just try and enjoy the show for what it is. It's the fun campy action thriller BL of my dreams, and maybe it could be yours too.
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This review may contain spoilers
Jack & Joker: U Steal My Heart! — When Fate Refuses to Grant Mercy
I hated the ending. And yet, I cannot deny how powerful it is. This is not a story designed to comfort you. It is designed to break your expectations, and in doing so, force you to feel everything the characters feel: hope, fear, love, forgiveness, and finally loss. It is not a happy ending. But it is a true one.A Story Written Under the Shadow of Death
From the very beginning, this drama warns us. The shrine. The rituals. The Chinese symbolism. The Four Horsemen. Death is everywhere in this story: not as a shock, but as a constant presence. Fate is not something you escape here. It is something you walk toward, step by step, with open eyes. We still hope. Just like they do. That is what makes the fall so painful.
Bad Choices Do Not End Well
Jack and Joker are not innocent. They live outside the law, driven by survival, loyalty, and regret. Stories often redeem such characters with miracle endings. This one refuses. The world they chose does not forgive them and neither does fate. This is not cruelty. It is consequence.
Why the Open Ending Hurts So Much
There is no promise of a second season. No reunion. No final explanation. We wait until the last second, hoping they will meet again. But “Be Happy” confirms what our hearts refuse to accept: he is truly gone. The silence after that moment is the real ending.
Why I Needed to Watch It Twice
The first time, I felt only pain. The second time, I saw the signs. Everything was already telling us how it would end. We just didn’t want to believe it.
Final Thought
I will never like open endings like this. But I will always respect stories brave enough to choose truth over comfort. Jack & Joker didn’t betray me. It prepared me. And I just wasn’t ready.
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Forever in my heart
Jack & Joker: U Steal My Heart! is something very special to me. It was the first series where I truly understood what phenomenal chemistry is. YinWar never betray fans' trust. I truly enjoyed every second watching this series and find it comforting in its own way. The only thing I wish fo is that there were more OSTs released. I will always cherish this series!Was this review helpful to you?
? I’m STILL not over Jack & Joker ?? ?
Okay listen… Jack & Joker is one of the best BLs I’ve ever watched and I will stand by that FOREVER. Season 1 had me hooked from the start — the tension, the longing, the stolen glances 😭🔥 Like?? Their chemistry was insane and the emotions felt SO real.But THEN… they dropped that special episode and I swear I almost cried just from seeing them again. It felt like it was going to end in total heartbreak — I was already mourning — but somehow… they gave us just enough hope to heal my heart 🥹💞 It was emotional, yes, but not devastating. It was like the writers knew we couldn’t handle pure sadness, so they left us with a little spark of “maybe things will be okay.”
Also the acting?? Underrated. The vibes?? Immaculate. The soundtrack?? Straight to my playlist 🎶💔
If you’ve ever loved someone so deeply it hurts, this series will speak to your soul. I love Jack. I love Joker. And I love their story. Please give this series more love because it deserves the world.
⭐ 10/10 from a forever fan — Arianna 💗
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I LOVE THIS BL!!
this serie was amazing!! the actors were acting rlly good and the story is perfect.for the music tho i didn't rlly like it but igs that doesn't really matter as long as the serie is good.
i will definitely watch this bl again!! this is also one of my top 3 favorite bls cuz i found comfort in the characters and i can't get over it this deserves a 10 for my opinion.
for the ppl who haven't watched it yet. i recommend it!
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