Romeo and Romeo and Juliet (2025)

acting based vertical series

Overall: they needed to narrow the focus to the main leads/their relationship development. 35 episodes 1-2 minutes each, episodes 1-5 are free on the Shortime app and you can watch on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnoGS9rLwwY on Shortime app which also has: Please Teach Me, Falling For My Boss, The Secrets of Male Students, Accent, Influencer Love and Buddy Boy. App information is below.

Content Warnings: past bullying, abuse, mental health struggles

What I Liked
- caring moments
- good kissing

Room For Improvement
- love triangle/needed to narrow the scope to be on the two leads
- a few unclear flashbacks
- cliche power of love healed trauma
- should have cut the love triangle or the past trauma
- bad redemption arc for a character

My Watch For Free Plan (updated Feb 2025), should take about 3 days
1 friend referral code = 20 (1 time bonus) My invite link is https://playground.shortime.app/en/invite/NKNIWI - the code is NKNIWI (those are all capital letters, that's the capital letter i)

On the Rewards (popcorn bag icon page)
- check in = 5 (increases over 7 days up to 25)
- turn on notifications = 30 (1 time bonus)
- create a login = 20? (I did create a login because otherwise you only get 1 Always Win box instead of 3 per day, I think this was 20 popcorn)
- do the 3 random popcorn from the daily Always Win box = 30 (I'd normally get 5-15, around 30 in total)
- Watch Ads, watch all 10 ads each day, have to wait 30 seconds in between ads = 110

When you run out of popcorn while watching, you can watch 5 episodes each day with ads

Note that there are other 1 time bonuses like following on social media

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Great! —— under the right circumstances.

I’ve come to appreciate vertical short-form video series. I get better visuals if my only option is to watch on my mobile (vs. my tablet). I can get my drama fix in as short as 30-40 mins. (for free too, if I have enough bonus points in the Shortime app). And the limited cast works for me as a non-native (it sometimes becomes difficult to keep track of who’s who with a large cast).

That said, you do have to be prepared to accept the trade-off. The plots of vertical short-form video series can’t be too complicated, or the show would run the risk of not being able to satisfactorily resolve conflicts given the short run-time. This typically results in the use of clichés, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing —— it makes sense to start off with stereotypical plot points that we’re familiar with and can therefore understand without the need for a lot of exposition (again, given the short run-time), which then allows for focus on execution (I WOULD consider it bad if you’re already giving me a clichéd plot, and then executing poorly).

Overall, I’d say that Romeo and Romeo and Juliet is a good show given the limitations it had to work with (and compared to other vertical short-form video series that I’ve watched). The story gave me enough background on the characters’ motivations (except maybe for the Mom, but I couldn’t care less about her 😅). The script didn’t call for extreme highs and lows, so the actors didn’t get the chance to showcase their range, but they delivered the appropriate emotions really well. The music isn’t anything to write home about, but again, it was appropriate enough to give me a good viewing experience. Finally, given the short run-time and the relatively uncomplicated story, I can definitely see myself rewatching it (there are days when eye-candy is exactly what you need).

My one gripe (I just HAVE to say it) has to do with the dead fish kisses. They're jarring, and totally takes me out of the story whenever they happen. I get that it’s a way to make the latter, more passionate kisses stand out (and the latter ones WERE really good) but c’mon, there are ways to deliver a short, sweet, lingering kiss without it turning into a dead fish kiss! (Like I said, my one gripe, shutting up about it now. 😆)

In short, this would be a great watch IF:

- You have limited time for watching, and you want to get to the end sooner rather than later.
- You’re looking for something uncomplicated and not too heavy on the heart.
- You’re watching on your mobile.
- You don’t have difficulties with / strong objections to vertical short-form video series.

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