2
8
1
This review may contain spoilers
Taiwanese production at it's worst...
While I have no great expectation on a short episode (4 to 8 minutes), low budget series, if you do a BL and have intimate scenes, do them right. This was more a shitshow then everything else. The story was predictable, the characters were boring, the acting was bad and they avoided kissing as much as possible. Production value was so low it was almost subterran.There is not much to say except this was a huge disappointment.
If you have not seen it, just skip it, it's a waste of your time.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Again, a very underwhelming GMMTV production...
This seems to be again one of the fast produced GMMTV productions without much thought or deepness. The story is weak, even the first episodes started really awful imho, but in contrast to most GMMTV productions it gets better. Of course lazy writing was prevelent. Why give us a military coup in a country, but not going through with that storyline? It just resolved itself without us knowing exactly what happened.Of course the characters are also cliché BL, part childish, part pubertal behavior with actors way over 20. Yes, after a horrible start this series got better, but it's not enough to make me like it. It's one of the series I will only remember of not even being medicore. Also the production quality is nothing compared we have seen from GMMTV this year. It feels like they just created the series to fill a slot and that's it. While I wished for Winny & Satang to have a strong series, this was just a disappointment.
Should you not have watched this, just skip it. Better to watch all the recent JBLs (except Takumi-kun) and you will have a much better experience, more fluff (except the Yakuza series) and especially more story. So, I will wait for "School Trip" which bring me amusment and tingling sensations. 🤣
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
a real chinese BL, an emotinal rollercoaster
After the first four episodes:While I am not a fan that this show starts with the ending in the first scene, it's ok when the story makes up for it.
The dynamics of the characters is interesting, including marginalized people like a nearly deaf boy is also a plus.
While the story may not be as polished as I prefer it, it is much much better compared to all the Thai crap we get now. We get a serious mature story with some funny and fluffy moments as well. Acting is also good and cinematography is also well done. The only downside is a still one-dimensional abusive father.
So far this show is a must watch and done very well.
Update:
First, we were lucky to get this BL completed, after the snafu after 4 episodes. Why they need to get censored so heavily while all the thai shows are shown in China without censorship is beyond me.
Second, the only flaw of this show is that Tan is able to speaks too fast and too easily after getting his hearing aid. If you have not been able to hear, it would not be that easy to learn to speak.
After watching the first four episodes I thought we got the outcome of this show in the first episode, but that's not the case. It was just a flash forward to happy times but this show is mostly not happy at all. All leads did an incredible job conveying their characters and emotions to give this BL a realistic feel.
It was an emotional rollercoaster with lot's of very sad moments, especially the disgusting Father of Qi Lu who is abusive and such an disgusting asshole that words can't describe him. Both couples are leads here and both couples had their own story and neither was an add-on like in some other shows. The final left a bit to be desired story-wise and it is a bit confusing to know what really happend to Qi Lu if you don't read the text AFTER the credits. I would have wished they would have altered Tan for the final scenes, because he looks the same. The first couple sacrifices for their partner and the second couple have their happy end a bit earlier after overcoming some traumatic past of Liu Ming Yang.
Overall this show was a must see and due to the acting I rated it with the highest rating even when story-wise it was not perfect. Regardless the show was well thought out, well scripted, amazingly acted and with great execution, cinematography, OST and casting. I also appreciate the inclusion of a handicapped character, who is a minorty of a minority.
If you have not seen it yet, I highly recommend it even if you need some tissues over the course of the twelve episodes.
Was this review helpful to you?
An unpopular opinion: I hate this!
What a overblown rating again... The story is sooooooooo trashy, I can not find other words for it. It's like one of the 1000 episodes telenovelas. The story is just melodramatic and with excessive pathos. Everything is either black or white without any shadows. Everyone who is bad is absolutly bad in a two-dimensional way, with no nuance to their characters at all. The father may have some nuances but of course he is right and his son is wrong. But the finale is just ridicilous....I can't fault the series with the production quality, besides some rare audio problems. Costumes were fine, staging was good, music was good and even the acting was good in the way what the script & director wanted them to do.
So for me, it's on the same level as The Next Prince. Differently bad, but bad. It's a real pain to watch this.
Update: This review is only valid for the UNCUT version, not the crap ONE31 (GMMTV) puts out on their Youtube channel which even cuts story elements which makes every show much worse. MDL does not have a policy to ALWAYS put uncut and cut versions on the page, sometimes it's done and most of the time it's not for unknown reasons. If you watch a series only on youtube, don't bother with reviewing them because you don't get the full experience.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Cringe and cliché and highly overrated!
OMG, what a crap story. 🤣 Yes, yes, many will disagree with me but I'm sick of the "but I'm a man" lines and the 180° turnaround two episodes later...The story was weak, the over-acting cringe. Why did it have to been Ms. Wad and not Mr. Wad? To be gay is not a new thing.
Happily I could got through with it with lots of skipping the BS.
The only highlight was Vee's grandma. Also the martial arts scenes started strong, but in the end even their quality declined. The "bad guys/gal" were one-dimensional and from a pennybook without any depth. But all characters were a lot like that, one-dimensional. There is some growth for both Vee and San but only on a minuscule scale from a bad outset imho.
I personally prefer "Lost in Translation" as the much more enjoyable show, even when this show was not perfect either. If I were you, I would skip this show and watch the former outing or when you like fancy costumes and an historical/fantasy vibe I would recommand "Meet You at the Blossom" as a much better experience.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
fun to watch, but a lot of cliché
The weakest point of this series is the storyline. The pacing is off most of the time. Either it's too slow or it's too rushed, espeically in the finale. Also the stereotypes are not my cup of tea. We have a "model" who does not like anything besides eating and earning money with least effort as possible. The chef who looks stern and unapproachable but can cook exceptional well. There is an ultra-capitalist who thinks everything can be bought with money and a physio-therapist who thinks helping others is his call even when he is annoyed with his lazy friend.These characters are ingredients for a show full of cliché and little character growth. What is nice about this show, it's not overly silly or over-acting comedy. But there are scenes where you ask yourself "WTF?", like kicking a competitor out because the kitchen is not clean enough but five minutes later fucking in the same kitchen (Did anyone clean afterwards?).
While it would have been nice if we could see characters with more nuances and more depth, it was overall fun to watch. First eat before watching, otherwise you will get hungry for sure, because all the dishes they serve look really amazing. Then turn your brain off and just enjoy the ride and the drama. At least the characters all had a variety of emotions and could act on them. Also the chemestry of all couples was top notch, even when sniffing your partner may be a bit cringe, but who am I to judge? 🤣 One bonus point goes to the OST, because I think they did better than most shows and not used "canned" music for the background and the songs were nice as well (6->7). Overall, better than I would have expected, but not good enough for a really good show, but it was entertaining at least.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Typical GMMTV show with many spicey scenes but not much substance
After the first three episodes I did expect a more mature story with dark streaks and interesting twist. But as usual when watching a GMMTV show in most cases you get disapointed. The lead couple at least compensated with great chemestry and some sensual moments which really were done well.Would it not have been for the lazy writing this show could have been actually good. It seems like for GMMTV BLs are just a mass market product where the focus is pleasing aesthetics (actors and filming) and a shallow story which does not require much brainpower. The most annoying thing is, all characters are really flat, there is no character development at all, there are always some clichés involved and there is always a bit of sillyness or childish behaviour, unnecessary story elements or elements not explored enough.
The first BL side couple was of course cute but Fluke was a bit stiff at times. The second BL side couples did not really have a story at all, it just "happened". And then is Dr. Ter, first rejecting Dr. Wandee, then forcing him and then he finds a girl - WTF?
The conflict between Yoryak and his fathers felt strange, because if you hold a deep resentment against a family member both would struggle to solve it. Most of the time the characters are not overly mature, so to have a nice ten minutes chat and it's solved is a bit unbelievable. Also the nightmares of Yoryak were not explored deep enough, we did not see any therapy session and so his resolves feels out of place for me, As I said, lazy writing.
Overall it's not a bad show, but it lacks in story-telling.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
What Campus...
While I don't mind low-budget productions, an empty campus without any other students is just ruining the premise of the title. And what's with the over the top lipstick in the opening scene (and other), but forgetting to face-powder the one actor in the next? I don't really feel a professor who gives "love" advice. And finally why end a series with a cliffhanger? Sometimes I was reminded of Thai shows with the silly sound effects which are still annoying as hell.This was an easy story but I guess the third person could have been spared and they should have more concentrated on character building. So few cast was a downer for me, but at least we get sensible kissing scenes which don't look forced at all.
So, this is an ok show with some length in the story telling and for me some unneeded scenes and a cliffhanger. I suppose an ex will come up in Season 2, if there is a Season 2.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Why is it sooo bad?
Oh my god, that script.I can't help it but thinking this is script has nothing to do with real gay life.
A man confessed to a boy (just visually, not implying the boy is not a man) and the man get a confession from a girl and then decided to date her even when he is loving that boy. Where does that happen? In a heterosexual woman writers fantasy? Then all the drama with the ex who is just an asshole happens and it felt sooooooo forced. And then they cut kissing scenes especially in the finale where the kiss is part of the story. While I have no problem with cutting fan-service, it's a no go if it is relevant to the story.
So overall I feel sad for the actors who did their best, even if they are inexperienced and felt a bit stiff at times. We can only hope the next series will be more realistic and not just fantasy. It's not the worst show this year but still bad alone from the storytelling. If you have not seen it, you can safely skip it.
Was this review helpful to you?
Still wholesome...
Many reviews complain, that season 2 is really close to season 1. Because there is not a timeskip you should not expect that Minato will change so soon. He is still childish, overthinking, overreacting, anxious, frightened, timid and overly shy. Yes, for western cultures this is annoying, but you should see the context and that japanse culture is different. At least I think in the finale he realizes that he can't be all that anymore and has to make a step forward.To have the "side couple" play a more active role is also a positive for me and and at least here the adult steps out of his confort zone and he's trying.
So for me, this was really a very good BL and I hope they will continue with another season where we would see a more grown up "Minato-san" and how his life changes with Shin.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Something different from GMMTV...
Sometimes there is a mircale and GMMTV does take a risk and does something different. The first couple Kant & Bison did not catch most of the viewers, because it was not a romantic meeting of two persons. Kant did approach Bison for a reason, because he had a deal with the police and he wanted to clear his name. While Bison was fully in it from the beginning, Kant was just a calculating bastard :) The other couple is different. While Style did it first to get a car and help Kant, he pursued Fadel on his own after a while. Something klicked and he did forget the car and was serious for a change.I would say Khaotung delivered a top notch performance, while First was mostly solid. Joong did the most usual as in any other show (starting off distant) and Dunk was much improved even when his over-acting sometimes was annoying and cringe. But this is only from the view of their relationsships. As hitmen they did not deliver at all.
Other than that, the story of the "Mom" was a bit shallow and not very indepth. It was over in an episode and I don't know I felt underwhelmed. The rest was ok, production quality was, as usual, excellent. Other than that I had not much connection to the whole show... something felt a bit off. I can't explain it, but I was not really in it. For me it was ok, the NC scenes were of course what the fangirls expected and they did not disappoint. Some people will of course tell you, that this is the best show ever, but of course, it's not. I guess lazy writing prevails which is typically in GMMTV tradtion. It's ok and GMMTV did take a risk, but I guess it payed off. At least for the actors it was a good development not playing the same stuff all over again, which I think is positive, but the story itself is lacking.
Edit: Also the tattoos are lacking... especially when you compare with people with real tattoos, so that was also a cost optimizing option to use foils instead painting.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
What an action firework...
While this series has sci-fi elements, it's more a spy thriller with suspense, Who betrays who is the question. James Bond would search for a superweapon, they search for a supermutagen which turns a human into an nearly invincible superhuman,The story is interesting, the plot-twists not always expected and good acting. This series has outstanding cinematogrpahy, VFX and action/fighting sequences. I have not seen such good VFX and fighting scenes in a series, but I guess it was expensive as hell, so we get only four episodes. That's the reason this got a 10 from me.
If you dig action but expect an interesting story as well, this is for you!
Was this review helpful to you?
Nice blend of comedy, fluff and drama.
I have not much to say, just I was very entertained with this series.The story is of course not the best, but the acting is top notch. The only downfall is the kissing of MLs which, in typical traditional japanse style, is a dead fish kiss. When you can overlook this point, you get a nice blend of comedy and serious elements, solid story telling and some fluffy scenes. Production quality was top notch, intro & outro song fitted also very well and overall it's really entertaining.
So, if you have not watched it and you need something more on the light side, this is for you!
Was this review helpful to you?
Short, lot's of clichés but cute
While the story is ridled with clichés, they are not cringe. The chemistry between the two lead actors is great. Also Jeon did improve compared to his previous outings.There is not much to tell you about this short series, I felt entertained and the 80mins were not a waste of time. So, if you want to turn your brain off, wind down from a hard day, this show will calm you down, you will get some grins out of it and overall it's cute to watch.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Much better compared to Middleman's Love, but stil lazy writing
Some positives first: chemistry, costumes, and the better episodes later in the series, not romantising to try kissing a sleeping person and calling it out, sensible intimate moments, some fluff, making the writing in a book play out.Some negatives: Cringe, forced funny moments which were not funny, weak writing and no "battle" at all, bad adlib for the chinese actor, weak ending.
Maybe it's my guilty pleasure but I personally found it not that bad compared to other shows and they outdid themselves with the visual presentation. Lazy writing still prevails in Thai shows, so that was a given, but an improvement of the last show for the MLs.
Was this review helpful to you?
