07222023

Love Syndrome is more demented than amnesiac

When not one, not two, but THREE couples are a result of sexually assaulted victims falling for their assaulter, you know you’re in for a toxic mess.

Despite this series’ low rating, I gave it a go as I’ve seen Lee Long Shi in “Even Sun” and Frank paired with Drake in “Between Us”. Can't say I'm a big fan of both butttt I did enjoy them to some extent in said series. What’s interesting was seeing Lee Long ‘top’ here when he was the ‘bottom’ in Even Sun. I have to say his ability to do both makes him one of the more unique BL actors, not to say that not being able to fulfill both isn’t unique, but it doesn’t limit his acting or typecast him. (Also, I want to see a series where Fort Thitipong and Lee Long Shi are brothers because wow, they give me similar vibes.)

Before diving into the series, we need to understand that there’s a ‘Bad’ Day and a ‘Good’ Day (I honestly love that the character’s name is “Day” and they stretch the 'bad day' and 'good day' in him).
‘Bad’ Day is ruthless, jealous, and combative. He was born the day his parents were killed in a car accident that left him and his beloved younger brother, Night, orphans. Bad Day is a former mafia member who dropped everything bad about him two years ago. Good Day is the result of Day getting away from Bad Day and closer to Itt. He is mild-tempered, soft-hearted, responsible, and a bit of a pushover. Despite being the ‘Good’, he still possesses a dark side which is his openness and willingness to groom his boyfriend into becoming solely dependent on him.

This brings us to Itt, ‘Good’ Day’s boyfriend of two years. Right from the jump Itt is painted as a spoiled man-child who has an irritable cake obsession. Cake was his drug, he had to have it right then and there otherwise everyone suffer from his tantrums and inability to function, particularly Day. Despite Itt’s childishness and immaturity, he’s adored and babied by his peers, friends, and parents. Although Day has admitted to bending Itt into the role of a codependent boyfriend, it’s been revealed that Itt’s parents sheltered and spoiled him relentlessly growing up; never pushing him to do more nor asking him to help more with the family business. Cooking was also out of the question as he once burned down their kitchen. Therefore, when Itt, a grown man, lacks the basic survival skills it’s impossible to blame him or any party entirely. Itt’s codependency also allows him to accept abuse on an unhealthy level and I don’t care how many times a character says Itt is selfless, he’s the most selfish character.

Since Day suffers from memory loss and has returned to a character viewers aren’t familiar with, his growth, or lack thereof, is fairly acceptable. However, Itt has never truly grown. Itt doesn’t take responsibility for much of anything and this is because his friends and parents are always on his side. He shouts and raises his voice at Day every other four to five lines. Everyone but Day gives him more credit than he deserves and victimizes him on an unconditional level. The only time they called his childishness out was when he demanded cake and asked Peace to sleep beside him. I wish Itt’s cooking skills were developed and shown over the series and not him waiting until the final episode to show interest in learning because at this point we’re supposed to believe he’s been responsible for Day’s meals for months. I mean, did Night end up cooking all of them, or did Itt order delivery? Because we never saw Itt grocery shopping either and he clearly hasn’t shown any improvements when they went shopping with Bell.

The supporting and side characters were fine for the most part but they were too nosy and the amount of gossiping they did was excessive. There were a lot of times when I wondered why Gear and Night felt the need to control the direction of Day and Itt’s relationship. As a brother and friend, it’s acceptable to help but manipulating (i.e. Ball) is a different story. It gave the mains outs and excuses not to talk. It also skewed some situations i.e. when Day punched a wall because he couldn’t remember, friends miscommunicated that to Itt as Day punishing himself for punching Itt when in reality Day never felt bad for punching Itt on the racetrack because let’s be honest, was dumb and irresponsible on Itt’s part. The common person knows better than to jump in front of an oncoming race car at high speed. The part that further pissed me off about it was that Itt specifically asked Nan to be in the car with Day and still decided to put all of their lives in jeopardy. Had Nan not noticed and Day not braked, Itt would be 4-6 feet underground. Or had Day swerved, he would have crashed or flipped the car with him and Nan in it and they, too, could have been one with the ground. I’m so upset that when Day brought this up, Itt took ZERO accountability for it and never understood why he was in the wrong. Gear and Night also never asked why Itt did that, they just assumed that Day was in the wrong--he was, in the way that he overreacted and resorted to violence but I have to say Itt asked for it when he put all three of their lives at risk.
I also despise how selective the support characters are when it comes to over and under-sharing. When Day woke up with his memories of Itt wiped clean, he never got answers because everyone would just say ‘Curious? Figure it out yourself”. But then they would blame and get mad at him for not remembering. Day just couldn’t win as he was surrounded by Itt’s supporters.
Sometimes I questioned if Night was Day or Itt’s brother.
Speaking of Gear, I don’t understand his hostility towards Day in Night and Day’s house, especially when he once abused Night and knew Day hated him for that. Gear is a guest but he oversteps like he owns ¼ of the house.
I’m a huge fan of Nick. I love his humor and wit and wish there was more of him. He’s Itt’s best shield. I thought he and Neil were a compatible couple. Neil isn’t overly jealous of Nick’s flirtatiousness and understands that it stems from a cry for attention as the son of a mistress.
Nan and Mac…hmmm…at this point, I can’t gauge if they’re the second or most toxic couple but I’ve seen them being compared to Vegas and Pete from KinnPorsche and well…if you know then you know. Nan is Day’s henchman who instantly strikes us as someone who always has the upper hand and is quick on his feet. Despite his small screen time, he’s not a man to be trifled with. Although he doesn’t use his fists as often as Day, he’s proven to be just as good a fighter but with big brains. Aside from running a racetrack with Day, Nan’s toxic trait is to punish Itt’s molester, Mac. Mac is someone who went to high school with Itt and stole Itt's girlfriend, Meen, in the name of actually having a crush on Itt. As adults, Mac throws an out-of-the-blue confession at Itt while forcing himself onto Itt. Witnessing this, Day beats and shoves Mac into Nan’s arms and insists that Nan does whatever pleases him. And so Nan did, on top of threatening Mac with a non-existent video. Like DayItt and GearNight, Nan and Mac’s abusive relationship alas blossomed into ‘love’.

Guest roles and their purposes:
Meen - utilized to show us that Itt is bi aka gives Day more to be jealous of.
Kim - creepy guy #1 to prepare us for creepy guy #2, P.
Kamol - the mafia boss who never felt like a mafia boss. His motto is ‘killing creates an endless cycle of revenge so manipulate people to off themselves instead’

Other notes…:
- The mafia arc was done so poorly, it was over within 1-2 episodes
- The acting is passable, not great but not bad. In some scenes, one actor would overact as the other underacts. Frank’s acting can be dry at times, especially the non-red eyes and tearless crying.
- The script is…fair at best. I wish there were more industrial terms but meh
- Continuity error is a big one (the biggest offense is when Itt took the car to the waterfall but they kept cutting back to the house showing the car parked in front (establishing shot, I get it but c'mon now!). The first mistake I can laugh at but the second or third just tells you no one in editing was paying attention. And no one can convince me that was Gear’s car because it simply wasn’t.)
- The editing: they overused fade to black one TOO many times. The rectangle/zoom out in the middle was also used TWICE; it screams basic editing skills.
- Some camera angles need to go
- The comedy was satisfactory but lackluster editing killed it. And I’m not saying they should have added those overused sound effects but a change of song would have suffice. There were a lot of times when Nick delivered iconic, and I mean ICONIC, lines but background sounds never backed him up. It’s bizarre to laugh at a joke with soft, romantic music playing, just sayin’.
- Again, the misuse of music and sound throughout the show; they don’t match what’s happening on screen. (i.e. Itt passing out in the car due to Day’s speeding for one.)
- Opening song was chef's kiss though!
- Seeing that Lee Long Shi is a former Muay Thai trainer, I expected good action, and he and the series delivered! Although the pool table scene didn't quite work as Day was trying to pocket the 8-ball from two different angles but hey, at least we got comedy and romance out of it.
- Itt always has something of the five going on: he’s angry because cake, he’s happy because cake, he’s crying, he’s sick, or he has a bruise(s)/cut(s) on his face. (It’s ridiculous that they turned his running away into a camping trip for one but secondly, of the eight people present he’s always the one getting hurt. Like getting his jaw body-slammed and a leg cramp--there’s always something wrong with Itt.)
- Every. Single. Time. Day remembers something, Itt’s go-to reaction/response is ‘You remember?’. Istg, doesn't he have anything else to say? Seriously like no…he was just telling you what he remembers… The only time we didn’t get to hear it was when he had his panic attack.
- Day’s cast-off party was creepy, cringe, and a hot mess. I'm aware that its purpose was to reveal how sick all of the characters are and make Itt question whether he's Day's equal partner or property but I'm sure there are better ways to go about it. (Also, love that Itt was aware of that, however, he never got a direct answer because TOXIC RELATIONSHIP. Then again he said Day was his as much as he was Day's so...match made in heaven I guess...)
- Why is everybody gay?
- Why is everyone so taken with Itt other than his good looks?
- Why are all the villains men who are or were interested in Itt? Mac, whatever-his-face-long-hair-guy-who-pissed-everyone-off, and P.
- Why were characters introduced but nothing came out of them? Why wasn't Salmon a recurring character (he was one of the few healthy relationships Day had with literally anyone. And hello English-speaking Lee Long Shi!)?
- Why were issues created but never resolved or brought up again? What happened to the four teens that broke into the barbershop? Did Day ever replace Bell's stolen items as they never attempted to recover them? Why weren't the police involved in any given issue (SA, kidnapping, physical violence, attempted murder, stalking, you name it)? And why was Itt afraid of taxis, I don't think that was ever explained.

All said, this series isn't for everyone but I for one enjoyed it despite all the eye-rolling and frustration I went through. After episode 8, everything was redundant and even more unhinged but somehow it kept me glued to the screen. I wouldn’t recommend this series to the light-hearted but to the sickos such as myself, it's one of the must-watches!

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We are never getting back 2gether

I’ve seen mixed thoughts on this series but due to its high rating and it being considered one of the more popular Thai BLs, I figure why not check it out? Big mistake. It took me roughly three months to complete this series. Episodes 1-6 were tolerable at best but afterwards, I had to finish the series on 2x and even then I was still fast-forwarding through them. This series was passable in 2020 but not so much in 2023.

I share a lot of other reviewers’ sentiments so I won’t go into detail but whether it was the acting or storyline, I cannot feel the romance let alone bromance between the leads, Tine and Sarawat. They’re both attractive but their characters are not. Other than looks, I can’t confidently say they like anything else about each other. Tine and Green had more chemistry than Tine and Sarawat, then again everyone seemed to have chemistry until you throw Sarawat into the mix. For a very popular guy, the show really gave him nothing. No charisma, no personality. Except for throwing cheesy lines around, he doesn’t change at all for someone who’s finally got with the guy he’s been crushing on for a while.

The leads’ brothers are a good twist and addition but rather than having them engage naturally with the leads, they’re mostly used for shock value and then pushed aside to live their very limited lives. Mil and Phukong’s relationship was a waste of screen time as their relationship basically went from 0 for the longest time to suddenly 100 in the finale.

The only cute relationship was between Man and Type. Despite getting little screen time to develop their romance, I thought they really stole the show as the best couple. However, like all the other couples, the biggest issue with this series is the lack of communication and poor character development. Initially, Type was introduced as this calm and composed guy that Man ran into and has a crush on. But once he was revealed to be Tine’s ruthless brother, you really see a cold and mean side to him. So for someone who seems peaceful yet tough, I wished he had stood up for Man or had an explanation why he chose to go with Beam over Man given that Man was clearly teased and insulted at the celebratory party he was invited to as a guest. When Man confronted Type about it, he basically dismissed it and said he never wanted the luxurious life Beam was trying to sell him…okay, then why leave with him? Why save the jerk’s face? Perhaps you wanted to talk to him in the car and scold him for his behavior towards Man? But nope…nothing. Kind of disappointed but they are still the best couple either way.

The music was unmemorable so that’s usually either good enough or not bad enough, even the ones sung by the characters. I’m aware of a season 2 or sequel but I’m saving it for last resort. The bottom line is 2gether started out fun but by the end of it, there’s really no direction for it. It was just checking all the tropes and creating conflict for the heck of wanting to make more money and hitting 13 episodes.

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Would re-watch earlier episodes but would never sit through the whole series twice.

Before “The Eclipse” I wasn’t a fan of First Kanaphan Puitrakul. Saw him in “Not Me” and “F4 Thailand: Boys Over Flowers”, and although I recognized his acting skills, there was something about the actor I just couldn’t bring myself to like. So when I saw that he was the lead of a series, I was skeptical if I should even check it out. However, after seeing positive reviews and high ratings, I decided to give it a shot, and man, was I in for a pleasant surprise! His head student prefect role was soooooo perfect for him! He really did an amazing job! And Khaotung! Their chemistry was so good I immediately shipped them! Khaotung’s opening ost too, is fire! The only song/music I liked from the whole series.

The Eclipse, like many BLs, had a strong opening and many good episodes. I particularly like the authenticity and dynamic of Akk’s friend group and the Jam gang. I love that Khan, Akk’s friend, brings a different perspective and challenges him when necessary, and does it in a respectful-prefect manner. I love that the Jam gang was passionate about their beliefs and protested in a civil manner; they were mindful of only protesting when students were on break, etc.

Ayan started as a very woke and rational character in the earlier episodes and his arc to find the truth behind his uncle’s death was extremely interesting. Though of course that’s swept under the rug when his uncle’s notebook gets stolen.

The plot, character chemistry, and script were brilliant, for the most part, but as we head toward the end, that's when things took a turn for the worst.

“The Eclipse” biggest pitfall is that it tried too hard with its plot twists and dropped too many hints that you could see the tropes they were going for coming episodes away. Thua’s PREDICTABLE arc in episode 11 needs to go. I know it was done for shock value but it was so out of character, out of place, and downright ridiculous. That scene alone is a 0/10. We’re only reviving it to 7.5/10 because of FirstKhaotung. And I’m sorry, Wat’s idea to save them from that madness stunk and made 0 sense! So people aren’t okay with two classmates dating in real life but are cool with said classmates putting on an act that they’re dating for a short film?? What??! And why did it matter if they filmed the short film when it was a made-up lie in the first place? The other students and teachers weren't going to see it anyway since it wasn't an in-school contest?? Besides, I doubt their homophobic school would want to see the film's end results anyway???

That teacher Chadok and teacher Dika's relationship was so obvious I was deadpanned the whole time it was revealed. My biggest question is what is Thua and his stepfather’s relationship truly like? What bad things happened when teacher Chadok was head student prefect? All we saw was that as a high schooler, Thua’s stepfather was locked inside a room. What kind of curse is that?? And if Thua and his stepfather didn't get along because he’s gay, then does that mean Thua’s stepfather hated Chadok too because he’s gay? Or was that not known back then?

Whoever edited Wat’s “The Eclipse” short film…why is it more of a trailer and why did they include clips from the series and thought we’d appreciate it? We know the characters themselves didn’t film some (all) of the shots when we’ve seen the positions of their camera. The whole scene was cringe.

All in all, I would definitely rewatch some of the earlier episodes but you couldn't pay me enough to sit through the whole thing again.

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I guess encouraging one to cheat can be considered 'director's style' now???

*rant incoming*

Ever since ITSAY, I've never really liked Teh. Always thought he was too fixed in his ways and was a complete jerk and coward. So when I watched IPYTM, I was not surprised he cheated on Oh-aew. I always thought Oh-aew was too good for him anyways. But what I hate the most is how despite being caught cheating, Teh had the nerve to gas-lit and avoid answering detailed questions by saying stuff like "I don't know. I don't want you to think about this". You don't want your boyfriend to think about your growing feelings for your senior/director? What?! Then Teh proceeded to try to lessen his guilt by saying he wouldn't see Jai again after their play if that'll help but the thing is...it's not like he had a choice? Jai was planning to move to New York once he was accepted there anyway...? And didn't you say if Oh had any questions about the play then to ask you..? Instead Oh knows better than Teh that there was no actual kiss scene because he was there! Teh really undermines Oh and all because Oh never had a lifelong dream career.
And Jai, the senior/director, knew what he was doing, admitted to planning everything where Teh would develop feelings for him, and he then had the audacity to call it 'director's styling' when confessed to and confronted. I'm sorry, but if this is your directing styling, you're not going to get far as a director without catching cases! And was this May's way of handling things and she's just passing it down to Jai?? I don't understand. We know deep down Jai has feelings for Teh, because when Teh and Dream were practicing/rehearsing/working on their 'about to kiss' scene, Jai broke it up. Knowing it's his own jealousy, he then projects that feeling onto Oh when Oh is going to confront him about the kiss between Teh and Jai. Jai's initial reaction, seriously, was "Teh is an actor and will have to kiss other people so don't be jelly". You're talking to a former acting student Jai.

I have to say the first episode was borderline fun to watch but as the show progresses to this year by year every new episode, this season started losing its charm (if it had any to begin with). And as our timeline gets farther and farther away from ITSAY (with the exception of ep 5) there were fewer and fewer callbacks to the first series. We don't hear about their families and colleagues were acting like Teh and Oh met and only started dating freshman year of uni., after three years of dating and knowing each other even longer than that, Teh still can't be truthful to Oh unless he needs to roast Oh in front of friends and colleagues. I'm so done with this man. Teh's arc was also hard to get through, he looked depressed and pouty 90% of the time.

I also hate that since ITSAY, the characters would try to confirm if their crushes were mutual by touching thighs even when their crushes were in relationships or pursuing someone else. Oh did it to Teh after Oh and Bas were closer to being a thing than ever and after Teh admitted to kissing Tan. Teh did it to Oh when Oh was in an established relationship with Bas. Then Teh did it to Jai when he was in a 3-year relationship with Oh.

I would have given this sequel a higher rating had it focused more on Oh and his four friends but..that wasn't the case so.

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In between the GAP was madness

GAP was a waste of time. I watched episodes 1-3 normally, 2x episodes 4-6, 3x 7-9, and skimmed episodes 10-12 so basically I’m dropping this at episode 9 though I saw the ending. I understand that this is one of, if not the biggest GL series from Thailand right now but the show did not need 12 episodes to tell its story. The plot was interesting but the delivery was unhinged.

Pros:
- The plot
- Some of the outfits were cute. Sam’s outfits, house, and car fitted her lavish lifestyle.
- Ampere Suttatip Wutchaipradit & Yo Tassawan Seneewongse

Cons:
- The actresses. Rebecca is a good “Mon” but I cannot invest in Freen as “Sam”. Nothing about Freen screams ‘I’m a hardass, rich b*tch that everyone fears’. Even Freen’s RBF (resting b*tch face) is NOT intimidating. Instead, she looks as if she’s always pouting. Her speech and voice color is also not terrifying. I have nothing against the actress as I simply don’t know her but she did not make a good ‘Sam’.
- The characters. I hated all of them but Tee, Yuki, Noi, and Kirk. Nop is okay but that’s kind of it. He has no life outside of Mon’s story. Then again, no one really did. Mon’s stepfather was cool but the way they kept pushing Mon towards Sam was just odd. Mon’s mom is the show’s scapegoat, in order for Mon and Sam to be together, Mon’s mom makes poor decisions after poor decisions that would force them to be together.
- I detest that Sam was coined as someone who always says the opposite of what she means because WTF was all that firing and work-related things in the beginning about then? When does it begin and when does it end? Does her indirectness apply to work, too? If that's the case then all those employees who got fired need to come back. How is anyone supposed to take her seriously when she’s an indirect person? Do you just get to decide what she means depending on your relationship with her and hope for the best? I don’t get it. I mean, no wonder Grandma and Kirk didn’t take her seriously when she wanted to call off the engagement. You can’t take her for her word. Stupid.
- Sam is friends with the trio that bullied Mon when they were younger. Okay, small world.
- Sam and Mon don’t consider biting lips, making out, and having sex cheating on Kirk. Oh, okay…I guess it’s not cheating if it’s same-sex or as Sam liked to claim ‘girl friends do this’. I don’t remember suckling on my friends’ lips but whatever you say Sam. Because of course, we’re also supposed to take everything you say at face value, right? Righttttt.
- Sam appears to care about her business but does absolutely nothing to expand or grow it. We don’t even see her applying her talent or skills. She rejects Kirk’s idea of a joint business just because. She threatens to fire employees who do not bring her and her company good or successful work ideas. She hands out tasks that we never see come into play. I’m shocked her company lasted five years when the employees are clearly the brain of the company but they’re being fired left and right for anything and everything. The work environment she’s built is purely toxic and she didn’t get enough shit for being a horrible boss.
- There are always talks of working but we never see them work. Sam clearly doesn’t care about work once she’s got a taste of Mon’s lips.
- Mon is frustrating to watch. She’s like a little robot with pretty privilege. The girl has three, maybe four, expressions at most. She forgives everything right away after some late nights crying. I don’t know why she’s seen as someone amazing or great. She completed one project and never kept up with it; her co-workers had to update the audience and her of her finished work. Make it make sense.
- Mon and Yuki both are sucky friends though Yuki at least seems to care about Mon. Mon is painted as kind and gentle but she always belittles or scoffs at Yuki’s problems. It beats me why Mon has friends at all.
- Sam is the biggest hypocrite. She made the rule that fired two employees at the beginning about dating (and why did Mon act like a kid who didn’t understand the concept of office romance? She asked even after she was told and warned about it three times!) then she started dating when she hasn’t called off the engagement with Kirk yet. Kirk can’t keep secrets from her but she has no problems stringing him along. She calls Yai and Chin’s cheating ‘immoral’ but sees her cheating on Kirk as fiction because she ‘doesn’t love him’. Guess I missed the part where it’s only cheating if you have romantic feelings for more than one person even if you’re engaged or married. I thought the show and characters said Sam was clever. Clever, where?
- Yai, clear as day, condoned cheating twice (and it's not just Yai. All of Sam and Mon's friends and families did. Not a one told them they were cheating on Kirk. All of them suck. All of them are horrible.). “You can’t help who you fall in love with” might be true but you can always control your actions. Being a homewrecker because of a crush isn’t an excuse. It’s a crime, thank yew very much.
- This part bugged me the most. Sam slut-shamed Mon, loud and clear. In public, in front of Nop, and how was this cleared up? Sam who was clearly angry and jealous at the time twisted it later on to say that she wasn’t done talking. That it was meant as a compliment because the slut Sam shamed Mon with is a pretty, clever, and hard-working individual just like Mon. Gee, thanks? There are plenty of pretty, clever, and hard-working women out there that aren't cheaters or sluts but I guess if the only one you could think of was a slut then we’re taking it. It’s not like you were mad when you said it, you were just jealous. Though I personally might have said Oprah, Mrs. Obama, Reese Witherspoon, Tokiko Shimizu, Tam Debhakam, or my favorite actress Yaya to avoid misunderstandings. The best part is, Mon forgave Sam right away because Sam said she was ‘jealous’. Oh, my freakin…I couldn’t deal. I had to pause the show before I punched my computer screen.
- The dinner scene in episode 9 was borderline unnecessary. One, Sam had it set up by the housemaid as per Sam’s apology to Mon. Why couldn’t Sam just pull out three placemats and one 1800s candlestick to showcase her sincerity was beyond me. Two, the production team refused to and purposely chose not to shoot the table itself and it gave low-budget reasoning. Three, the revelation was so poor I almost choked on air. Mon’s ‘wow’ was giving fake energy. Nothing about the table was wow but the 1800s candlestick.
- The GAP between Sam and Mon in terms of age and social status is interesting but we never felt it. I never feel that there is a gap of eight years because they’re both emotionally and mentally 12.
- This is just me nitpicking but Sam was holding the photo album of Mon in episode 9 and while talking to Mon’s parents, it vanished into thin air…? Where did it go? It was nowhere in her proximity when the camera zoomed out. Continuity error.
- The music wasn’t terrible but wasn't memorable either.
- This show should have been about Tee and Yuki. With Tee’s senses and logic, and Yuki’s communication skills, we would have gotten GL series of the year that wasn't this but I digress.

Had the series focused on Sam and Mon working together, building their relationship in a natural way, and less on their childish love life, I think the balance would have kept the show more realistic, less repetitive, and enjoyable to watch. The build-up of their relationship was no fun at all and they failed to show us just how important the company is to Sam. This was a big miss and one I’ll never want to see again.

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Moonlight Chicken is a hidden gem

You know the acting will be phenomenal based on the cast alone, but Khaotung (Gaipa) was my favorite of them all. His scenes were just purely fun, sweet, and/or very emotional. Man made me cry like a baby twice. Of the eight episodes, 5-7 did get a bit draggy because of the repetitiveness in the main arc, nonetheless, it was still an enjoyable watch and I love the order in which certain things were revealed i.e. Alan’s entrance, the identity of Wen’s stepfather, and Ms. Hong’s death. I also like that the timeline was clear and that all eight episodes happened within a six-month to ten-month period.

What I liked/enjoyed:
- The reality and hardship economically post-COVID. It’s a no-brainer that everyone was heavily affected by COVID-19 in one way or another. But what made Jim’s Chicken diner different was despite Jim being poor and a single guardian of an 18-year-old teenager himself, he was able to empathize, sympathize, and cater to the unfortunate out of the kindness of his heart. Not only is his chicken rice recipe simple, but it’s also affordable, convenient, and fulfilling for the middle and lower class. His kindness spoke volumes throughout the whole show.
- I love the entire cast but Mark and View’s coupling takes the cake. Salaeng and Praew are naturally fun to be around and are very supportive when they, themselves are struggling; set to be first-time parents with a baby on the way. I also love Saleng’s relationship with everyone, he was the perfect friend, employee, boyfriend, and support everyone needed. Probably would have been a good son like Gaipa had his parents been alive. He also seemed like a really great dad from the one scene of him playing with his baby in episode 8. I love that although he had to be put out of his job at the diner, he didn’t forget to pay Jim back and still kept in contact with everyone. It truly showed that Moonlight Chicken wasn’t just a workplace but a home away from home.
- Gaipa and his mother’s backstory was both heartwarming and heartbreaking. Normally, funerals for side characters are rushed but in this case, the show highlighted the impact that Ms. Hong, a side character, had on not just Jim, his family, and the diner but the whole community. While Gaipa mourned, you can feel just how much the Hongs were loved and respected by all.
- I know some find it weird or unrealistic, but Wen rooming with Alan after they’ve broken up is probably the one thing I like most about this series. During lockdown and quarantine, it wasn’t uncommon to hear that couples who lived together do and did break up. I thought Wen living paycheck to paycheck was a reasonable enough reason to keep living with his ex; especially when his ex is the breadwinner and they’ve agreed to be friends. The only problem was Alan took this as a possibility of them getting back together despite being told it wouldn’t happen countless times. To be fair, it was completely understandable because, in Alan’s case, he was still in love and actions do speak louder than words. If Wen hasn’t moved out by now then obviously it wasn’t really about Wen falling out of love but something else. Like another man (Jim) for instance. The reality is Alan can afford to think this way because he isn’t financially restrained like Wen is. If Wen leaves, Alan’s capable of paying all of his bills just fine but if Alan leaves, Wen will have to look for another roommate or cheaper condo. We got a glimpse of that when Wen had to ask their friend, Gong, for help and ended up renting a condo (hello Ohm’s room in ‘Bad Buddy’ xD)
- All of the characters’ growth was noticeable and lovely but Li Ming’s growth is the most impressive. Once he knew what he wanted, his confidence and responsibility surfaced and he was able to sell his future plans to his mother and uncle despite their doubt. Li Ming really showed them that he wasn’t as unprepared or unmotivated as they were led to believe. Not only did Li Ming plan the next four to six years of his life, but he’s been working towards it. He was dedicated and ready to walk his own path and his family couldn’t be more proud and supportive.
- Jim and Li Ming fight as any uncle and nephew would but I had so much respect for Li Ming when Jim said ‘Don’t raise your voice at me’ and Li Ming instantly piped down and apologized. That scene was beautifully done and showed that deep down Li Ming has a lot of respect, love, and gratitude for his uncle. He’s just frustrated because of the lack of communication and the pushing and projecting from flawed adults. It was brilliant of Li Ming to recognize that what Jim was projecting onto him was in fact Jim’s dreams and Li Ming calling his uncle out for that was great.
- The fact that Heart was deaf. I love the representation here and I thought Gemini did an excellent job. He was really convincing. I loved that the show stressed the fact that people tend to think deaf people are also mute when that’s not always true. I love that not only was Heart finally understood by his family but also accepted by Li Ming’s friends and family. His parents learning and becoming pros at signing, Wen communicating with him through sign, and Li Ming’s mother's openness to learn and attempt sign were all very wholesome.
- The communication between some characters was great whilst others were realistic.
- I love it when characters drop names without telling us who they are right away. It keeps the audience guessing and gives the characters some history and substance. Or when children are introduced and you have to do some connecting the dots. i.e. Beam’s ex-girlfriend’s daughter and Jam’s stepdaughter/Li Ming’s stepsister.
- The portrayal of Jim’s stubbornness that stems from age and fear. Jim being set in his ways as an older, more traditional guy is so lifelike. Although Jim isn’t as expressive and agreeable as Li Ming would like, it’s clear that Jim is trying his best to build a good reputation and connections for Li Ming’s sake.
- The reality of being able to accept gays as friends, co-workers, or neighbors but wouldn’t come around to it when it’s family. Although it sounded homophobic, Jam made it clear that her concern was about how her son would be viewed and mistreated by others if they found out his orientation, and not that she was repulsed by it. I did like that she had at least three conversations about it with Jim and Li Ming. It showed how much she was bothered by it.
- The revelation of Ms. Hong’s death. From the marketplace to the hospital and finally temple/funeral. The transition from Gaipa and Saleng walking, talking, and joking around to the discovery of Ms Hong was so well done. Khaotung’s acting in the hospital scene, it was clear that he’d been given the bad news and his crying was so heartwrenching!
- The cinematography and setting were aesthetically pleasing. I love the color palette and it was really giving Hainanese. (I love Li Ming’s little lion dance too!)
- Aof’s cameo! xD

What I disliked/wished was different/included, and noticed:
- Jim and Beam had more chemistry than Jim and Wen.
- Gaipa pursuing Jim is cute but surprisingly for someone who's really into Jim, Gaipa doesn't come around a lot. Yeah, he's busy helping his mom and keeping her company but he mostly, if not always, drops by only at his mom's requests and not because he misses Uncle Jim's face.
- Some events in episodes 5-7 could have been shortened or cut out entirely to focus, explore, and revisit older scenes.
- Jim consistently saying ‘no’ and bringing up what he said before their one-night stand was great, a man of his word, however; there were way too many back and forths about it on screen. They could have cut out one or two rejection scenes and implied it in a passing conversation with another character.
- It’s clear that Jim likes Wen and even misses him at the diner. However, whenever there’s an opportunity for Jim to initiate contact first, out of desperation, Wen would call or show up and we’d get the same rejection scene but in different clothes. If viewers enjoyed the mains together then sometimes a separation would do everyone some good and make a reunion 10 times better. It’s boring that Wen was the only one trying to make them work.
- The comedy was present but not emphasized enough to be memorable
- I wish there was a scene where Heart confessed to his parents that he was the one who broke the bottle OR there’s a short scene of his father drinking from the same bottle he and Li Ming secretly drank out of and wondering why it’s somewhat watery. That would have been a good callback.
- The reporter clearly said they were moving into 2023 on New Year's Eve, however, when Ms. Hong passed away, a couple of months later, she was written to have passed in February 2022. I suppose they filmed in 2022 and forgot to change the year on the printout.

This was a slice of life and I for one enjoyed them immensely. This is a definite watch and rewatch.

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The Gifted is a gift

When you have Nanon, Chimon, Jane, Gun, and Sing as main actors, the acting can’t get better than this. From the main to the guest actors, everyone delivered.

I love all the powers and potentials. I have to admit the ending, particularly Pang vs Supot the Director, was predictable but in a fantastic way! It was reasonable and possible despite this being a thriller, supernatural. In a way, there wasn’t anything unrealistic about the way the Director took down Pang. If Mr. Pom said the Director was smarter than everyone then the Director had to be smarter than everyone. I love it when credit is given where it’s due, even if it’s the villain we’re talking about.

I love that depending on the characters’ arcs, we aren’t overwhelmed with the whole cast but get to see their relationships with other certain characters. The only complaint I have is that I wished there were more to Jack and Jo other than they excelled in chemistry and had a psychic connection. They never got their own episode and disappeared for a while so I seriously didn’t remember their names until episode 11 or so on.

Pang is the optimal main character. He’s the first of the lowest class in history to make it into the Gifted program. And he fights for equality despite receiving the best treatment as one of the Gifteds. Using his power only for good makes him a lovable character.

My favorite arc is Punn's. Not only did Gun play five different personalities beautifully, but his whole episode was super well done and written. I loved the artwork of five trees that represented each personality and that internal fighting! Wow!

My favorite character had to be Ohm. He was adorably hilarious and his potential was both fascinating and interesting! Mon is also one of my favorites and her action scenes are admiringly enjoyable.

Wave’s backstory was a nice twist and plentiful explanation for his present self at Ritdha Wittayakom High School. Although I don’t condone a romantic relationship between a teacher and a high school student, I’m glad it wasn’t all romance but actually about an abusive teacher using a student’s intelligence for personal gain. Wave outing his teacher was so satisfying!

Pang and Wave teaming up was something I expected but not as a duo. I thought Wave would be included in the Pang-Namtarn-Ohm gang but I understood why the other two were omitted. It was made clear that Namtarn was always for the Gifted program and Ohm just couldn’t be trusted due to his forgetfulness. In the end, Pang cited this as it was just him believing he was smarter than everyone else but I wholeheartedly believed he had really good reasons to leave Namtarn and Ohm out.

Namtarn and Claire’s potentials are super cool and Claire's episode was just fun. From her sassiness to acceptance and friend-zoning Korn. Initially, I felt bad for Korn but after Korn's episode, I was happy Claire chose Punn. Punn can be so smooth when he wants to be!

People tend to complain that there’s not enough time in a day (and I agree) but I liked that Korn found his power burdensome. His wanting to just sleep was so relatable and realistic, I loved it.

I highly enjoyed this one and am definitely looking forward to also binging season two. This is a must-watch, rewatch, and gift to viewers!

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Stepsiblings though???

Story: The story made sense sometimes and didn't other times. Before I dive in...clearly evil stepmother was a flight risk??? The twists were interesting, but the executions and revelations were weaker than I'd like. Shinji being Kiichi was nice. I do have one big complaint and it's that they reused multiple 'flashbacks' so much that they started to lose meaning, and it felt like the show was just trying to meet their screentime quota. How many times are we going to get the 'park' moment with Kiichi and Anzu? Makiko's family came over so often but that's the only scene Kiichi and Anzu shared? The pacing was unbalanced towards the end. Maybe someone who read the manga can explain this part to me, but why did he make her edit his stuff? What about her gave off 'experienced and good editor'? I do LOVE the message that the series sent from both sides, family will defend and do things out of consideration for family. Anzu would read at the park so Yuzu could play, Yuzu would play longer so Anzu could read longer. Makiko was protecting Kiichi (from arsonist accusations), Kiichi was protecting Makiko and Shinji from it, and Shinji vowed to work harder than he ever has to make up to Satsuki, who was like family to him.

Acting/Cast: The acting was stiff and exaggerated from the whole cast in terms of expressions. I think Claire was probably the most natural one. I think Kudo (Kiichi) did his 'violent' scenes well, but Nagano (Anzu) happened to be the opposite of him. I thought the 'fork' bit was a nice touch BUT when Kiichi's hand was shaking, showing he was putting strength into hurting Anzu, she effortlessly stopped him with one hand. Kiichi doesn't look malnourished, so what was up with that? I wonder what happened to Anzu's knife, too? Makiko's acting was great in the beginning, but towards the end, they were conflicting and unnatural. Yuzu... Don't get me wrong, I like happy and go-lucky characters, but she was way too dumb for my liking. She heard something in Shinji's jacket and, knowing it was Makiko's doing, doesn't say anything to him...? What was the point of Makiko catching Shinji and Yuzu on the bridge when nothing came out of it? Osamu has to be the most useless father I've ever seen. How he managed to have two daughters is beyond me.

Music: I don't think I enjoyed any music from the show, but I questioned a lot of the sound choices. The part where the nurse saw Yuzu leave the record room, the sound was whatever, but I did like the green lighting on Yuzu and the nurse. If I had to pick one song I like, it's probably the intro, and even that isn't saying a lot.

The tension between Kiichi and Anzu was real, but I don't know how I feel about their romance. They are, after all, stepsiblings when they fell for each other. Makiko and Osamu getting a divorce doesn't relieve me of that knowledge. Granted, Anzu liked Kiichi before they became step-siblings but the attraction couldn't have been there as adults and stepsiblings. What's weird is no one, not even the characters, seemed to have caught that or wanted to bring it up. I thought at one point Shinji was going to tell Nanami that Yuzu is just his stepsister, but when he didn't and said she was not into him, I vomited a little in my mouth.

As one can tell, I had more questions than answers. I don't think this series is bad, at least not the first couple of episodes, but would I rewatch or recommend it to friends and family? No.

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The Middleman’s Love was a deal breaker

As a fan of ‘Bed Friend’ and the character Jade, I wanted to love this. In fact, I did for a little while.

Episode one was not a strong opener but I have a soft spot for cringy and slapstick comedy so it was bearable. I highly enjoyed episodes two to four, five started falling off but it was still tolerable. My biggest complaint would be the introduction of the second or even third couple if we count KingUea. This was a sequel/spin-off of the second couple from ‘Bed Friend’ so why introduce a new couple? It might be nitpicking and introducing new couples isn’t a crime but the new couple got so much screen time (I skipped most of their later parts because it was so repetitive and unattractive to watch). Their romantic relationship was also poorly developed and executed.

What the show did well:
- The comedy. It was my cup of tea and I enjoyed Yim as Jade. Some of the better execution would be when Jade was standing in front and middle while they were deciding what to eat as a group. He told everyone to come closer like he was ready to whisper, but he ended up shouting. I laughed so hard
- The consistency between Jade’s relationship with King and Uea. Jade and Uea being the lovey-dovey giggly besties is one of the better parts of the show. Jade’s constant butting heads with King was also great. I only wished his friendship with Gun was more apparent like in Bed Friends. They were inseparable at one point and in Middleman’s Love, they hardly hung out together unless it was a group/company hangout.
- Jade’s family is so precious. The introduction of his brother was funny and his sister is just a ray of sunshine.
- The shot of Jade’s family having dinner in episode 3. They shot it through the door to make it look like a live picture-perfect family. That was brilliant.
- Tutor covering Nunew’s song…OMG, can we get an official cover?

What the show didn’t do so well:
- As comedy was the baseline of this series, continuity errors and bad editing are bound to happen. But there’s only so much you can do before it becomes unforgivable. When Jade introduced the dog to Mai, there was a time when he was supposed to be squatting down beside the dog, but an editor decided to insert a blur, close up of the dog, and in the back, you can see Yim’s shoes as he walked by before they cut back to Jade still being next to the dog. That part stuck out like a sore thumb.
- I don’t know if perhaps Tutor can’t drive in real life or it was a lack of budget but every time Mai and Jade are in the car, they never move. Even when Tutor was ‘driving’ the scenery through the windows remained the same. That was awkward.
- The timeline wasn’t clear and the pacing didn’t seem to match it whatsoever
Jade’s fear of flickering lights in the daytime was never explained…
- Tong and Gus’ relationship shouldn’t have happened. Their amount of screen time didn’t contribute to the main storyline. Their personalities were also swapped halfway through the show. Gus went from a nice, friendly guy to a pouty kid who isn’t easily pleased. Tong wasn’t easily pleased or expressive but was all of a sudden very intimate and clingy. Gus’ relationship with his mother came out of nowhere and went nowhere.
- The NC scenes. Once Mai and Jade got together, they lost their spark and sweetness. The sexual tension heightened and the show attempted to become Bed Friend 2.0.
- Mai’s relationship with his family gave me mixed signals. Sometimes he'd be sweet on the phone with his mom. Other times, he seems annoyed with her. For some time it sounded like he had a falling out with his father and even brother but it was never clear. They also seemed like fine people by the finale episode.
- I'm not going to talk about Jade's uncalled-for, unexpected outburst at his family's lunch gathering because what was that? There was no build-up for that as far as I'm aware.

Though I’m happy to see Uea again, I’m glad this series only has eight episodes.
Unless you’re a fan of the actors, MaiJade, or clumsy comedy, I can’t imagine you’d enjoy this one very much.

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Night in Paradise was a dark place

This one came highly recommended by my brother who hardly goes out of his way to watch Korean shows/films so I said why not? I have loved Tagoo since Inspiring Generation anyway and Cha Seungwon has always been a favorite. Glad I watched it, it didn't disappoint.

This movie was dark, graphic, and violent, yet artistic and a great watch. The action and dark humor were right up my alley and a great reflection of the movie's overall atmosphere. I presume everyone who's seen this film knew or had a clue that Yang was behind the accident that killed Taegoo's sister and niece; however, I didn't expect the main characters' deaths. It was a nice twist as it made it different and realistic. The ending was satisfying and one of those rare moments where the cycle of revenge has come to a complete stop as all parties involved are deceased.

I loved the cast and characters. They were all different and distinctive in their own ways. Taegoo seemed like a fun, considerate, and kind boss, only wished there was more of him and his gang. Jaeyeon is an intriguing and badass character. At first, I thought she was the cliche Korean heroine type who sees herself as an equal to men but in truth, she adapted quickly and realistically and simply didn't give a flip because she was dying. I mean, with her gun skills, I'm surprised she's not more arrogant. I only wish we knew what she was dying of. I like Taegoo and Jaeyeon together, I think they would have made great friends if not an understanding and passionate power couple. In the short amount of time that they've known each other, they cared and put their lives at risk for each other. Since Jaeyeon was destined to die shortly anyway, Taegoo could have saved himself and skipped town but he went to her anyway because she once told him she didn't want to be alone. And Jaeyeon brought all of Taegoo's villains to justice before ending her own life. She could have ended her life sooner but she endured her pain just a bit longer to fully avenge Taegoo.

The action was great and the angle they were shot in was perfect. I genuinely felt every knife wound Taegoo got. When he struggled to free himself out of the car, that was an intense and satisfying scene.

If you like mafia, gang, action, and crime films then this one is a must-watch.

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The Luminous Solution was the solution to an uneventful Friday

Despite its low rating of 6.3, poor subtitles, and all the honest reviews on here, I for one enjoyed this series. I thought it was well made, down to earth, and clever in subtle ways. Right away, the series title is incorporated as the main cast is introduced. Thana, Patis, and Mai’s scenes were ‘dark’ and/or ‘light’ representing “Luminous” and Ryou’s was ‘Solution’ as he’s working on his school project.

I enjoyed the characters A LOT, flawed as they were. I love the bantering and different personalities of the main and side characters. I liked the uniqueness of the plot twist though I have to brag that I had a clue that was the case since episodes 2-3. Solely because the older and younger casts' timelines moved at different paces. I think it was episode two or three where Mai and Ryou had a time-lapse of a few days whereas it was the same day for Thana and Patis. As the series progressed, I saw more and more similarities between the older and younger characters (for example Thana and Mai having a habit of biting. Thana and Mai hate being alone and are afraid of loneliness. Thana and Mai smoke. Patis and Ryou are clear about who they like and want to stay friends with Naphat/Nack. Patis and Ryou are 'perfect' in the eyes of others, they're smart and hardworking. Patis considers Thana as his only family while Ryou has a distant uncle and auntie. Mai has a closer relationship with his parents, Thana does too except his dad has passed. The wooden stickhouse and wooden figures), then I started questioning why the older and younger characters hadn't had any direct interactions yet. That's when it hit me that they were most likely the older and younger versions of each other. I guess figuring that out earlier on made the whole series less confusing, messy, and more enjoyable.

Except for Bhu Bhudis, the whole cast is new to me so that was nice. Means I get to know more actors/actresses! I see that this is Mig Teerapat Prongaroon's acting debut? I have to say that this man has the talent and potential to make it big if he stays in the industry and away from scandals.
Gun Napat and Bell Ratchata are straight-up adorable! Gun just makes me happy whenever he smiles. I love his interactions with just about everyone, especially with the nurse, Dr. Praem, and the older lady patient he saw twice. I do have to say that he does need to work on being less twitchy when it comes to serious/intense scenes but otherwise, I was in love with his character from beginning to end (and honestly, I would have thought Mig is the more experienced actor as he had more range but Gun’s acting isn’t terrible, at least not for his character).
I like Mig and Gun as a couple, they're cute as heck! The only thing that didn't seem right was the lack of natural physical contact. It might have been the director's choice or lax writing but a lot of it feels like what you'd witness in an acting class and not in real life. When they hugged or comforted each other, it felt like they did it because it said so in the script. And when you expect physical contact between two characters who have been madly in love for 10 years, you get nothing. (i.e. Patis coming home and crashing on the bed after a long day and night at work. Seeing Thana tuck Patis in would have been nice. Or the part where Patis bawled his eyes out and instead of staying and crying, hugging it out together Thana left to cry outside.) So lots of missed opportunities to showcase what I would think was a long-term healthy relationship.
I thought Bell did great. Dena, Safe, Tontae, and Bank were also all great.
Kanda and Pie being mother and son wasn’t that surprising either. I mean if she’s the younger woman we saw in the beginning then clearly Pie was either her boyfriend’s ghost played by Dome Woranart or her son who looks exactly like her ex-boyfriend also played by Dome Woranart.
Once again, the cast and characters were a plus for me. However, I must admit that Thana and Mai got super ugly. Hated the attempted rapes and Thana, for some reason, is always doing things he’ll be sorry for. Guy never learned.

Other than the lack of consent in some parts, my biggest issues with the show had to do with the director and editors’ choices. For one, they never made Time’s age clear though I’m assuming he’s 18/19 given that he drives a motorcycle and well, that fire exit scene. The show used terms like ‘student’, ‘homeschooled’, and ‘self-educated’ to hint at his age but we never got a solid number.
Secondly, there were A LOT of ‘romantic’ scenes that were played back to back to back to back and at one point it got annoying; I didn’t need to see Mai pulling Ryou towards him four different times from four different angles, thank you very much. Also, a lot of the close-ups on the faces were mostly awkward, especially when facial expressions weren’t key.
Thirdly, they play the same ‘mysterious’ song every time Kanda is on screen, and my goodness, please stop. Kanda’s repetitive theme song is not hitting when it’s being overly used and adds nothing to the scenes!
A lot of these episodes are about 1 hour and 15-20 minutes and seriously they would have been sweeter if they just cut back on the repeating and slower parts. The series having only 6 episodes was a good choice. I don’t mind open-endings but I don’t like that there’s a bigger chance Thana and Patis will get back together within a month :/ The idea of a secret cafe was interesting but its execution was mediocre at best so personally the show would have been better off without it, and as a slice-of-life-only series instead.

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Manner of Death bored me to death

The beginning was promising and as a crime/thriller fan, I was truly looking forward to this series. I tried not to set my standards too high as it's a Thai series, however, it still fell short. Nothing against Thai series, I just don't believe crime/thriller is their strong suit though it could be because I've been watching meh-tier projects. Or I'm dumb and can't comprehend what they're trying to convey to their audience.
Their surface ideas are always fascinating but deliveries never live up to said ideas. After episode 3, I watched the rest on 2x out of obligation and to see who the murderer(s) is/are. Can't say I was surprised. Thai series tend to lean towards shock value and that's usually when everything falls apart. And I'm not even going to discuss the romance between our leads Bun and Tan because wtf. Halfway through the series, I found myself saying 'huh?' and 'what?' a lot. A lot of it made little to no sense. The timeline was unclear and why was everything 10 years ago?? The acting was decent, I don't remember much of the music... I thought Bun scoffed too much, it was almost every other two lines, or at least felt like it. Tan was alright, kind of unmemorable, he wasn't my favorite character so I didn't give him much thought. I liked That and Sorawit but only as friends, brothers, or partners in crime. My favorite character has to be the hacker guy.

Some of the more glaring parts that didn't make sense:
- Inspector M believes Tan killed Tan's relative-close-like brother Pued out of pure jealousy. I mean, possible so whatever, but then he went on to accuse Tan of and these are his words "cruelly locked him [Pued] up." I'm sorry, Inspector M, but what clean place with nice big open windows suggests that he was 'cruelly' locked up? Not only that, Pued was wearing nice, ordinary clothes. In what galaxy is a kidnapped hostage given clean clothes and good, normal living conditions with no locks or bars? And then Bun went on to say that the place was in the middle of the woods so how could anyone hear anything? Bro, did you not see all the open windows and other houses that were within 20 steps of it? It's not like the shack was in the middle of nowhere, it had an open view with walkways and houses around it??
- So Por sent his men to kill Tan but when Inspector M confronted him on the same day (hours later) he explained it as his men possibly having an issue with Tan that he wasn't aware of. In what genres do minions ever go out of their way to try to kill their boss' sibling and aren't punished for it? Not only was this a horrible excuse, but when Inspector M asked to talk to Tan, Por essentially said 'You can't, I sent him on a work trip and he won't be back for a month' and Inspector M bought his story??? So you're telling me, Big Boss' minions tried to kill Boss' brother between 1-2 AM and say 7-10 AM that same day Big Boss sends the same little bro on a business trip? Huh? Make it make sense.
- The police claimed to have shot Tan because he shot the 'hostage Dr. Bun' and resisted arrest. Crime fanatics know if there aren't bodies, there are usually no deaths. Still, the police ignorantly settled on 'Oh the two bodies must have been carried off within minutes/hours' but if you looked at the body of water, it appeared to be more of a large lake or at least the water was still for the most part...? Next thing we know the police show up at the hospital, a very public place, to arrest Dr. Bun - the man they referred to as the 'dead hostage' to the media. What on earth, why? I mean, we know why, but why in public? Anyway, putting their dumb plan aside, what crime were they going to arrest him for exactly? Surviving? Deceiving??
- The part where Pued and Rung were discussing the 'plan' for Bun was a little murky. As far as we know Rung had no real plan for Bun? Unless we're talking about the threatening, blackmailing, and scaring Bun into dropping Jane's case as Rung was also the one who told Pued where to hide?
- Tan cuffing Bun to the staircase and then leaving him with no food, water, or even his phone to take care of a risky situation was not only dopey but shortsighted. What if he never came back? Bun would have died as he never bothered to find a way to free himself. I literally screamed 'kick/break the wooden stick' every time he was on screen lol. What's dopier is Bun was not a little bit angry or annoyed about getting cuffed for hours. I mean, even the nicest man would have something to say about it? Also what person who isn't a cop goes around carrying and has cuffs on the go? Are we supposed to believe it was premeditated? Tan's shortsightedness?

I liked that this series tackled dark and real themes such as human trafficking, drugs, offenses against minors, and murder (reason #1 I'm giving it more than 5 stars) but when people started dropping like flies and no one really gave af, it became silly and absurd. Initially, Bun would be surprised and shocked to see his acquaintances' lifeless bodies but at one point he seemed numbed and emotionless. Out of sight, out of mind, I suppose. The way he thought of Pued as a close friend but still made a ludicrous comment about Pued being a ghost was odd. And I don't understand why Tan turns serious junctures into flirty, obnoxious moments. The sex scene came out of nowhere and it wasn't a pleasant surprise (seriously skipped it). I wasn't sure if it was the adrenaline rush from them breaking into Inspector M's truck and stealing the laptop or what but I was not expecting sex after committing a crime when I thought discovering the content inside the laptop was first priority.

Speaking of priority, I believe that's what's killed the series for me. The characters' priorities were inconsistent and all over the place. Bad guys suddenly became good and good guys are hidden bad guys. Call it twists if you will but Idunno I didn't feel that our protagonists were desperate enough to get to the bottom of all the murders and mysteries happening around them.

And this is just me nitpicking but why do whenever these characters drive, they can never keep the steering wheel straight? All those little weavings aren't good for your car sir!

On a positive note, I highly enjoyed the last two episodes where they showed us what Rung really did to Jane. Not sure how I feel about Pued's first reaction being to film it but at least it counted as evidence in the long run. Rung and Jane had a nice sisterly-loving relationship; Jane having her sister's birthday as her password was sadly beautiful so when Rung threw their sisterhood away for her greed it was very heartbreaking. I feel horrible for Jane. I don't think she truly got her justice but at least some of her offenders were charged for multiple crimes against multiple victims.

All in all, it wasn't the worst but wasn't the best series. I would recommend it to those who are into shows with multiple villains and plot twists but I myself wouldn't re-watch the entire serie.

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Discovered this film/series since early 2010s and have watched it thrice a year!

I've been in love with this film/series for years and have always seen it at least thrice a year. I can't name one bad thing about it. The action is excellent and fire. The cast is fantastic, including all the extras! Usually, extras don't try since they figure they won't appear on screen but that didn't happen in Crow Zero. Every extra looked like he/she belonged! I can't praise this film/series enough. Even after all this time, I never found it cringy or that I needed to skip parts. I always sit through the whole film like it's my first time. Crow Zero to this day, 10+ years later, is still one of my all-time favorite films.

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Of the 13 Thai BLs I have completed, YinWar had the best chemistry

I want to say I loved and hated this series. I loved the leads' chemistry, the dynamic friend group made up of seniors and juniors' engineers, the unpredictability, the comedy, and the randomness. But what I hate most are the two jarring offenses right from the jump.

Immediately, one of our leads, Vee, cheats on his girlfriend by having s*x with a junior, Mark, who's so drunk out of his mind that he mistakes Vee for Vee's friend. So right away Vee not only cheated but took advantage of another student, for what reason? None... Or I suppose he just wanted s*x that night and it didn't matter if it was with his gf or anyone who'll drunkenly 'beg' him for it. What I haven't seen many mention is how Vee never once, throughout all 10 episodes, admitted or acknowledged that he, too, cheated on his girlfriend on 3-5 different occasions! Yes, he didn't give her crap when she cheated but he never said it out loud to anyone or even himself. So we can't gauge if he considered himself a cheater or not. Although the show tried to justify cheating with cheating, what they did do a good job of is making you forget Vee cheated on his girl. Then they included a whole segment where Mark tortured Vee to the point where you feel bad and sorry for Vee (it was the only time in the series where I cried lol).

The show also did a good job telling us idiot Vee was going to put Mark through hell per random fortune teller at the market. And every time Vee did something dumb, I always, while rolling my eyes, tied it to the fortune teller lol.

What the show didn't do a good job of is the series title. I found myself asking 'What on earth is YinWar's drama called again?' so many times. The engineering/mechanic part is like 15% of the series give or take. The characters said 'engineer(ing)' more than we actually got to see them doing engineering-related stuff.

If you can get over the cheating, nonconsensual sex, and cringe-acting at random moments then trust me, you're in for a really good time. War/Mark's puppy face guarantees it.

Usually, friend groups are a hit or miss in these BLs (esp large groups) and although I can only remember Bar, Kan, Yiwaa, Nuea, and Fuse's names, I enjoyed all of their moments. I was weak with the comedy timing from both parties: seniors and juniors. I liked that the seniors were protective, responsible (taking drunk friends home after a crazy night, addressing and pushing Vee to face his demon), had lives outside of uni, and took on leadership roles. Although the comedy duo in Vee's group doesn't make convincing engineering students their singing, dancing, and chemistry made them a great addition. I have to say Nuea pursuing Mark, and Yiwaa trying to couple them up was a bit aggravating but I get it. I'd want Mark for myself too or at least make sure he's loved and well taken care of. I do question how Nuea got out of Mark's room that night though. He just sort of faded and was replaced by Kan and no one ever mentioned it again lol
As for Mark's friends, I liked that they all had their quirks. Such as watching anime, eating everyone's leftovers (I was getting tired of seeing food go to waste in Thai BLs lol), loves napping, like checking out girls, and Fuse who actually tried to keep everyone focus and on track with their schoolwork.

Like every show, this one has its ups and downs but the cast's chemistry really drove this series for me and evidently, I forgave everything it ever did wrong. I'm even hoping time passes by faster so I can go back and rewatch this and relive all of its chaos and glory!

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Easy to watch but doesn't mean it was flawless

Right off the bat a lot of the story didn't make sense but somehow from episodes 1-9, I found it super easy to watch. Mostly because there was more 'telling' than showing so conflicts, emotions, etc. moved at a quick pace. Episodes 10-12 became extremely hard to watch and took me four days to complete. Despite it being nice and easy to watch, the show had many, many flaws. But I'll only list the four biggest ones otherwise I'd be here all day.

1. The setting; a public high school for rich kids or kids whose parents have good connections. Wtf
2. The characters are supposedly high school seniors, 18/19, but act like uni dropouts. For instance, underage drinking wasn't considered an issue as there were multiple drinking scenes
3. The leads' relationships with their parents fell far from reality. Towards the end, Palm talks about how his mother was dead and he had this questionable(?) smile on his face. I swear if there weren't English subs, I would have thought he was talking about how nice the weather was. I understand that the hospital was far away, but Palm made no effort whatsoever to save his mother and just abruptly declared that she was dead. That would be understandable if we saw him check for a pulse, or listen for any breathing or a heartbeat but we saw none of that and he did none of that. Instead, he screamed 'mom' 10 times and shook her arm a few times and somehow the show believes that's good enough to convince us this 18/19 y.o. knows when a human being who's just been shot is really dead?? Okay, Dr. Teenager.
4. Why did a French and Chinese gay couple decide Thailand was the perfect place to get married when it's not legal in the first place...?

Finally. Rather than saying 'Yay everything's been resolved, let's overwhelm our audience with happy love scenes from our leads' the show took that 'No we need a separation to show that the leads really do love each other but just didn't think they were good enough together' route. That might have been fine but the leads were literally separated in the final episode for a little over 10 minutes, not to mention during those 10 minutes, they played a 2-minute and 20-ish seconds flashback of Diao and Palm together! It didn't feel like they were separated, it felt like they had made plans for an island getaway but Diao had to delay his flight a day or two for some last-minute business meeting. Unlike its strong opening, it had a weak ending. A lot of their conversations at the end also fell flat and contradicted a lot of what they said and did in previous episodes.

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