Reverse with Me: Uncut

The Feeling Of Dread Is Real

I want to start by saying, despite the title. I thoroughly enjoyed Reverse With Me. I put off watching this series due to its average rating, but I am happy to report that it is one of my favorite GLs this year.

As stated in the title, the feeling of dread is very real in Reverse With Me. The series' premise sets the viewer up to always wonder when and how the foretold tragedy will occur, and how present-day actions will change the future. I found myself often holding my breath, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

But don't let this turn you away. Along with that feeling of dread, Reverse With Me nails the romance. Natt and Pitcha have excellent chemistry and embody their characters well. They give us enough to believe that they do care for each other on a soulmate level.

Apart from the time-travel elements of the series that drive the story, I admire how they were able to tell the backstories of all the key players. I find that GLs try to tell us a lot in a finite amount of time, and I do believe that Reverse with me found the right balance in how much they showed us. I am especially fond of how they constructed Kliaokhluen's backstory. It felt authentic, and I did not once think she was overreacting to her circumstances.

I want to end this review by urging you to give Reverse With Me a chance if you have not watched it yet. It is a good mix of romance, fantasy, and drama. I hope to see Natt and Pitcha in a series together again.

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An amazing premise and start...

Overall an interesting magical story, however I personally enjoyed the first half way more than what they actually cooked.

THE GOOD:
- The premise is very interesting. The magic. The moral dilemmas.
- The vibes are on point. From how things are shot to the music to the lighting. Everything is put together really well to create a very cozy and magical vibe.
- The leads fully deliver. Pitcha holds most of the screentime focus, and she uses it amazingly, delivering a very emotional and rich performance. Natt has less focus, but still has a strong aura and some nuance.
- The second couple actually tackle some complex issues and take them seriously. Some rare representation.

THE BAD:
- The romance was nice, but personally I would have liked to watch them fall in love. It goes from "i dreamed about you" to "we are engaged" in 0.000001 seconds which feels like a big rip off to be in love because of visions of the future? Unearned romance.
- All antagonists are handled in an absurd way. Writers have no teeth as usual. By the end I feel sick about how much it wants to gloss over actual crimes.
- Repeated uses of the same tropes that didn't even make sense the first time. This seems to be a pattern when dramas want to use "crime" to spice up a series, but don't bother to make criminals actually behave like they are real people instead of just behaving in ways that are convenient for the plot device the writers want to force in.
- Age gap is pretty significant and never even acknowledged.
- The "rules" of the magic are arbitrary multiple times throughout, especially when it matters. This unfortunately robs us of any sense of stakes and really flubs what was very interesting moral dilemmas and tense conflicts by just handwaving the established rules.
- A lot of the plot that feels mysterious and interesting in the beginning is never developed. Maybe the novel had more to explain this? There seems to be an implication there are entire other lives or something?

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