Not for everyone, definitely not for me
This review will likely make some people unhappy, but I did not like this show at all. I managed to finish watching because of completionism, but every week felt like a punishment.Firstly, I have to give credit where credit is due. This show was visually interesting and not something we see a lot of. Personally, it was the type of aesthetic I don't find pleasing, but it was definitely different. It had many wide shots, which, although stunning from the composition perspective, made me feel distant from the characters. I appreciated the change in POV that happened between episodes to show various perspectives; the technical execution of production was on a very high level... It was just not enough to save this for me.
Acting was very well executed and believable; the whole feeling of the show was quite raw.
In short, if you're looking for escapism, look elsewhere.
As for the protagonists, I could not for the life of me feel any connection to this group of teenagers, which I found to be really unlikable. I simply did not care about any of the protagonists. Over an hour-long episodes just tired me out, probably because of a stark difference from my own teenage experience. It was the main reason, I felt completely disconnected from some Western shows like Skins or Euphoria. I was annoyed for the duration of almost every episode.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Entertaining Joke.
Let me precede this by saying I liked this show; it was fun to watch, and I've quite enjoyed it. It was entertaining, but not the masterpiece some opinions made me believe it would be.I do appreciate the effort and work put into this, especially considering it was a passion project of War and Yin, and for that they really deserve a lot of praise.
They both delivered amazing performances, but the show lacked properly built intimacy between their characters. For the record, by intimacy I don't mean NC scenes. The script spent so little time on building the foundation for their relationship that it just didn't work as a love story. In all honesty there was less screen time allocated for them being together and communicating than some unnecessary although fun thievery.
I really appreciate the accurate portrayal of people living in or near poverty levels. Most dramas show us beggars in designer clothes, living in spacious homes or apartments and driving new Toyota. The show portrayed economic struggle and social issues, lack of opportunities, education, and the necessity of going into debt really well. Thanks to this, the motivations of the characters entangled with these problems were easy to understand.
That being said, the plot, though interesting, was very uneven quality-wise. After a relatively long period of establishing the environment, there was a lot crammed all at once into the second half of the show. As a result, the pacing was all over the place.
I'm not one to nitpick on the "realism" of action shows, but some choices in this script just didn't make any sense. The prime example being the whole "ring of power" premise for the Four Horsemen.
I try not to take things too seriously if the show itself doesn't, but these last 2 episodes? They've lost the plot completely. Playing a game of Monopoly to decide the level of influence? The collars? What in the squid game is this? The big bad boss ended up being a very one-dimensional villain considering how much time was allocated for establishing his presence.
It was simultaneously too much and not enough to make this show great for me. I would call this the case of putting form over substance or maybe a show that fell victim to its own ambition.
Was this review helpful to you?
Earth and Mix playing themselves
Let me just say I didn't like the OG Japanese version of this show at all. I consider the Thai one a big improvement. This is not the type of BL I rewatch, but a solid, enjoyable show while it lasted. Huge advantage for this drama was how it showcased Earth's and Mix's versatility as actors.I knew what I was getting into plot-wise, so I really appreciated how they modernized and / or toned down some dialog or plot elements due to cultural differences. P'Krit as Kongdech, aka the boss, did everything in his power to make his character endearing. I really admire a seasoned, well-known actor being involved in this project. The questionable workplace behavior aside, some of his scenes were pure comedy gold. Overall impression is still very much positive.
That being said, I think this show would benefit from being a little bit shorter—10 episodes would suffice to tell the same story in a more concise way.
As for the music, the Suckling song will forever be on my playlist.
Was this review helpful to you?
I absolutely adored this show.
Similarly to other people, I was not expecting anything special going in. After watching the pilot I was convinced thi will be just another run-of-the-mill university show to kill time. Boy, was I wrong!Perfect 10 liners quickly became the highlight of my week, and all worries about the number of episodes just vanished. This show's structure is simply amazing, as it shifts focus to another couple every 8 episodes while maintaining the peer group's integrity and highliths the importance of the characters. We start with a relatively angst-free part and slowly go more in-depth with other couples and the protagonist's problems. Perfect 10 liners perfectly realized found family trope and a I loved watching them being a support group for all the shenanigans.
Physical comedy is top-notch, as expected, but the show doesn't shy away from more serious themes.
As for the acting, I have no notes. Everyone perfectly embodied their character, but I have to mention Junior and Mark especially, since Faifa and Wine stole my whole heart.
If you had your doubts about watching, give it a try.
Was this review helpful to you?
