Strong ideas and messages, weak execution.
"Like a Palette" is one of the books by Zezeho that I really enjoy, so I was looking forward to the series. But as much as the series is faithful to the book, the way it was brought to life is rather weak. At first glance, it seems like your typical student romance series with the senior-junior romance trope. But it delves into some ideas that set it apart - the self-discovery, self-acceptance, and the impact of societal prejudices, particularly transphobia. The series handles these sensitive topics with care, depicting the struggles in a respectful and impactful manner. Unlike many other GL series that shy away from explicitly naming the characters' sexual orientations, this series boldly embraces and celebrates lesbian identity. By doing so, the show normalizes and validates same-sex relationships, challenging the stigma and misconceptions surrounding LGBTQ+ individuals.One of the refreshing aspects of this series is the portrayal of a supportive and loving family environment. The main character, Jane is surrounded by a circle of family members who offer unwavering support and encouragement. And the mom is definitely a positive character which is different from the typical moms we see in most GL series. And I like the jazzy OST.
While the series is commendable for tackling these important issues and the underlying positive messages, the execution falls short in some areas. The acting needed a lot more polish. Jane, portrayed by Thongfah Alicha, is the star of the show, but Thongfah’s somewhat unnatural performance diminishes the impact of the character, hindering the emotional connection. Her dialogue delivery sounds weird too. Even Prigkhing’s good acting can't help much. But the rest of the cast deserve praise for making this series more bearable. And Prigkhing-Fah's on-screen chemistry is somewhat lacking, making Dai-Jane's dynamic less convincing.
On top of that, the pacing feels a bit choppy, with certain scenes and plot developments lacking coherence and smooth transitions. And while the cinematography is okay, the visual storytelling fails to give the key plot points the impact they deserve. There were quite a few times I wasn't only cringed at Jane's acting, but also the awkward camera angles.
Overall, Like A Palette has the potential to be an engaging series, but the execution and acting just don't meet the mark. While it may not be a flawless series, its bold approach to storytelling and commitment to addressing vital societal issues make it a noteworthy addition to the genre.
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A pastel mess.A cute GL that made me smile… and side-eye the direction hard
This series is undeniably cute . Like, tooth-achingly cute at times. The chemistry wants to work, and honestly, the entire cast does a really good job acting and thy try to make some awareness about transgender issues and same gender relationships. Their emotions feel sincere, the shy looks land, and the realization arc between the leads is something I genuinely enjoyed as a fem×fem sapphic🌈💗One thing I absolutely loved and I mean loved is that the show clearly uses the word “lesbian.” No vague dodging, no euphemisms. Say it with your chest. That alone earned major points from me.
That said… whew. The direction is very silly and weak. It feels like the director straight-up missed so many important moments that should’ve deepened the story and the romance. The plot itself is pretty much just flooding —nothing special, nothing memorable, just events happening without much impact.
My biggest gripe is the relationship progression. After they get together, it feels awkward and fake 😐. They’re sleeping side by side like an old married couple, barely touching. Girl?? Newly together couples are usually clingy, hugging, leaning, always finding excuses for skin contact. That intimacy just wasn’t there, and it completely broke the illusion for me. The actors could’ve sold it—but again, this feels like a directing failure, not theirs.
Final thoughts:
Cute? Yes. Well-acted? Absolutely. Groundbreaking plot or convincing romantic direction? Not really. I liked it, I wanted to love it, but the weak direction held it back hard. Still, for sapphics who enjoy soft GLs and appreciate clear representation, it’s worth a watch—just keep your expectations pastel, not bold. 🎨✨
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This review may contain spoilers
Good story, decent acting but sub-par editing and film production in general
The series had decent pacing and very good story, however, the editing was lacking in so many ways. wayyyy to much silence, lacking in music and music chosen often just didn't fit the scene. more so, they were some sound effects as it fits into the gnre of the series but they just stopped using them?? many scenes would've been improved with jsut some sounds and music.It's not just that, the way some scenes were filmed was just odd. camera angles didn't suit or it was too zoomed out or not enough angles and shots.
At first i thought if the two mains had better chemistry and everyone had slidhtly better acting series would've been so much better. but then i came to the conclusion while it could've made some eps better, it could NOT in any way carry the lack of good editing and filmography.
It was doomed.
also some scenes oddly felt like low production like what's going on.
spoiler:
that before the last scene on the sofa:
felt like they had good chemistry and it was such a good moment but tell me why thE HELL is the camera zoomed out so much like it's not the time man, you gotta zoom in for that. i get the far away view, i see the vision but it should've been mixed in with some zoomed in shots.
maybe the were working with one camera idk.
would've been better if the whole scene was in closer view in that case.
it was so so so a very promising story but the execution OH BOY. it's not THAT bad but damn like some scenes whew-
for that i cannot recommend re-watching BUT if u haven't watched it and are okay with sub-par editing go for it.
the editing doomed the show. itwas so sad cuz the design team did such a good job for the into just for the editing team to throw it away.
it was consistent it makes me wonder if the editing team got changed mid-way. idk man. just sad. i didn't notice in the earlier eps.
also sadly the chemistry wasn't that great between the two mains also, i feel like the make up on Jane wasn't like, good a lot of the time? idk, i feel like they did her dirty. didn't notice anyone else having make up like that.
lipstick shade was often off and scenes where she's in bed u can see she's in full on make up,, like they could've given her a softer look but alright.
i know i criticize the series a lot but honestly even after all this it was good. the story does carry it. would've given it a 4.5 otherwise but the story carried it fr.
still in the end it turned out to be sub-par. but it had SO MUCH POTENTIAL.
edit:
also there's a lot of random story-lines that got abandoned. last eps was just odd. idk like dynamic shifted a bit but we didn't see it happen.
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"Whats the matter with you, b*tch?"
Its a question Jane's best friend asks her at one point in the series and I happen to strongly agree with this question. Her character sure is.. interesting. Incredibly naive, like she was just born yesterday kind of naive. But that's ok, you expect some personal growth from characters as the series progresses, which she does, slightly..A "slice of life" kind of series with GL, that unfortunately lacked a lot of story in my opinion, I didn't mind that it was chill with only a hint of drama, I still felt it needed something more going on. There are plot elements that should have explored more to give the story substance.
I felt there was aspects of the story that should have been introduced earlier on instead of the "filler" elements that somewhat plagued a decent % of the series earlier on, which was an odd choice in my opinion for a series so short. Thankfully the last half does improve somewhat. Not to say it doesn't have its moments, the phone-call scene is hilarious. But good individual scenes sadly doesn't make up for the show as a whole.
The two leads are good together on screen, its cute and sweet, whilst majority of the other stories and scenes with the other characters were severely lacking in my opinion, overall it has some highs, a lot of "skip" moments and in the end that makes it just a somewhat enjoyable, but slightly tedious series to watch. I'd recommend it if you enjoy a mostly-no drama "slice of life" series, with an air-headed lead, some humerus moments here and there, that has GL sprinkled throughout.
I think a lot of the problems I had with the show, could have been solved with more episodes to evolve the story as it goes on (the ending feels a bit rushed as well) and if they had injected some better story elements into the first half.
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Good series I think you'll like it
The story is good for where the story take place as high school girls and is refreshing to watch their acting and they are like little kids but in a adult version which is okay to watch this series fully,Overall good series but it's short so the story is cut to chase to get the whole point but totally watchable and i enjoyed it
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