Eliot_Rulez

Boring as hell ...

How can such a short series be so boring? Strongberry is not back with a solid BL. The finale was split in two parts, just a cash grab because it added only 7 Minutes more to episode 12/1... What a waste of money. They even did not complete the story of the side couple. So this series has only 12 episodes where the second one is extended to around 23 minutes.

So overall, while the actors are cute to handsome, they were as good as the script let them. The story started with a nice premise but it got boring fast, because there was not much character development for a long time. The also added the kinda "bad" woman for too long imho. I don't like people medling in other peoples affair. Especially bad for the side couple, they are "floating" in the air and we don't know if they did get together or not. At a positive note, they did really kiss :)

So this is a medicore show which did not kept me interested past the 6th episode. For a KBL it's quite disappointing, but after "The Idol" it's an slight improvment.

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The not a BL continues...

I have no clue why MDL says it's the "Side Story" when it clearly is not. This is chapter 2 of the series and it continues from the last series. https://kisskh.at/profile/11366851/review/475568

The premise is different this time... There is a new young man seeking out the tutor, but he has an ulterior motive which gets revealed in the end, but the story is not finished when this series ends. So I hope there will be another three or six episodes to complete the whole story.

While it's not a a side story, this also turns it up a notch. More story, better NC scenes and much better chemistry between the two actors imho. It did not feel akward in the least and both actors did a great job. So, if you have not much experience, you should watch it regardless, because you may learn some things. Otherwise it may be too much for the fangirls, because it's pure and raw without fluff.

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A school BL which is not stupid or superficial...

This is a sensible series about self discovery and jumping over each others shadow, with a lot a emotional baggage and finding together in the end.

What makes this series special is we have a clear gay guy from the start and one with a dark past, but also someone who does have a sexual relationsship with the friend of his brother. Of course that's not an ideal solution, they have been "forced" together not because of love but to cope with their their world. The older one loves his brother without a chance of having a relationsship and the younger boy was bullied because of this feelings for another boy. Both compensate with sex to overcome their loneliness.

Kanata enters Akiras world in an unexpected way and that begins to heal Akiras broken heart but also induces the fear his past will repeat itself. Akira has a to overcome his baggage and Kanata has to face his unexpected feelings. After many struggles both decided in the end to stop running away and face each other.

While not perfect the direction was a very sensible one, showing the struggles of both characters. But the end could have been better with a bit more punch and as so often we don't get a real kiss. Both ML struggled a bit with their performances but it was not really a deal-breaker. Production quality was also nothing I can complain about. Everything was put into frame with a deliberate focus. Overall I enjoyed this mature approach compared to all the thai crap (Duang with You for example) so much more. So yes, I would recommand all of you to watch this!

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I do not like trashy soap opera style BLs....

This series has the same problem as "Love in the Moonlight", with the exception that it was not painful to watch, just cringe. The overdramatized bad guys/gals and the excessive pathos was still the same. And what also obvious, they can't do action right. While it looks nicely coreographed especially in the beginning, you see that the punches do not connect in the slightest. I won't write about the shooting scenes which were just embarrassing.

The only positive I have to say is that DaouOffroad are very good when they act alone or in a serious setting, their chemistry just works. Also the other actors were not bad, but I don't like the overacting and over-dramatization. They could have done this in a serious more thriller-like setting and then the story would have had much more impact, But no, they went the thai way which in this case is bad way.

Spoiler:
The finale was also bad: Pheen has a plan and of course he does not tell his husband. We all know, he can't die, because a BL has to have a happy end (very few exeptions), so he left for a long time, hurting Than again (and again). The reason: Because he needed to change his name, so he can disappear. WTF? Is that, because he don't want to face the consequences of his actions? And he was already married, so he could have taken the name of his husband. And of course everyone dies, so there are no real consquences, no court session to exploit all the bad things the characters did. It's a lazy and cheap way of story-telling.
Edit: Of course the whole inheritance arc did not make any sense, because: if Pheem was decleared dead Than would have inherited the whole company with all the hospitals. Because he was the last legal heir before any uncles and cousins. So Pheem changing his name would not let him get away from his family background because his man would own EVERYTHING. And would be richer than he alone was. And because Than would then be famous Pheem could not be with him. So the writers had no clue what they wrote about and this makes no sense whatsoever.
End of Spoiler

So considering everything, this is not even a medicore show and I know many will hate me because I think so. But that's what I felt when I watched this and sadly this is also one of the shows I will never watch again, because it's a waste of my time.

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far better than the original...

While the original dragged on for ever this version is very compact. The "Ai" and "Rak" characters were played very similar while the "Kaishin" and "Mut" characters are quite different. The japanese version is less fluff and more animalic in the first half. The story plays out in the same fashion with the difference that the GL "to be" couple is far less abnoxious.

Now that MDL changed the episodes there are two special episodes after that but MDL could not be bothered to add them in the index yet. I felt the finale was a bit disappointing even with an happy end for all. The acting was far superior to the original series, the chemistry was there and they did not hold back in the NC-scenes either. Production quality was also high but less polished to the original series, so imho it felt more "natural".

Overall I prefer this compact version compared to the thai version which felt boring most of the time. So, if you didn't like the original version, chances are high, that you will be more comfortable with this version.

Update: Because MDL does not have an entry for the special episodes I like to mention them here. They are much more finale then ep 10 imho. Which rounds up the series nicely.

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Very strong start but loosing it in the second half...

This series started very strong with the vibes of "Cherry Magic" and "Old Fashion Cupcake". It was really cute to watch. In the second half the series lost it's way with the hardcore denial of Suzume to allow him to be happy. The team expanded the manga in a meaningful way and I liked the episode with the co-workers children and the overtime work (because of a mistake of one of the co-workers). But most of the other episodes streched out the story without more substance. It would have been so much better when Suzume & Keishi would have grown naturally into a relationsship without the "denial" of a relationsship. Maybe they liked to be true to this aspect of the manga but for me it felt excessive. Otherwise they made the whole "marketing department" much more realistic and believable compared to the manga.

While they denied us the kiss during the rain they at least did it properly in the finale which is a big plus compared to most other JBLs. The actors were choosen perfectly and I liked their version of Suzume much more. Keishi is more like the manga but more reserved. I don't think there was a problem with their chemistry. It was more mature and respectful. Suzume was acted (& directed) overly shy which irked me a bit, especially because this would not be his first relationsship, so this aspect did not make much sense for me. Considering his age, he should have handled that situation much more mature even when he acts childish in some aspects at his home.

After such a strong start it was a bit disappointing in the end. I wished they would have cut this series to the typical 8 episodes without the dragging out... but on the other hand the extra storylines added personality especially for Suzume and a realistic atmosphere. It has many cute and some fluffy moments and some moments where you might get angry. Production quality was top-notch and overall it was worth watching.

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A slow burn with a happy but unfinished finale...

While this is a short series, it started extremly slow to pick up pace in episode three. Then in culminated in drama, miscommunication, non-communication, angst and fear. The Finale is slow as well. For reasons unknown, the obvious side-couple don't get an happy end - would it have hurt to add an episode more or extend the finale by ten minutes? So, I'm a bit disappointed that they left that open even when everyone knows what is obvious...

In typical KBL tradition, this was filmed really well, the actors did a superb job and made this an excellent series. They even have a quite long NC scene which is untypical for KBLs. Of course many of you will get frustrated with Jiwon who suffers from a traumatic past, which we only get to know about in passing. He does not talk to anyone about this and that makes him so hesistant to form a relationsship for three episodes that some may have questioned his motives. But being a "star" in Korea with a "scandal" about his harsh training and mental/verbal abuse by his trainer and the public itself, did leave a deep scar. So I get it why it's so hard for him, why he thinks about Jeongu and his carrer and why some of the viewers will not be that happy about the storyline. For me all that makes sense even when it slows down the progression.

Overall, it was a nice series with great acting, trying to be more realistic and not in fairytale land. If you have not watched this yet, you should, because it's one of the best this year had to offer.

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A story of discovery but with no real kisses...

Of course I have to rant again, because in this story kissing has a deeper meaning especially in the finale. And both can't do it which sucks. That's a clear de-ranking for me.

But: We get a more realistic story, about disovering feelings one of the MLs did not know he had, about a stupid decision which could have ended a relationship before it began and about how to come together even with all the hurdles in their way. If you don't talk about what you're feeling, it always creates problems. The story was sensible told, some scenes are very emotional and feel realistic. For me, the pacing was off. The first half was very fast paced and there happens a lot, the second half is very slow, too slow imho.

Production quality was superb, even with some bonus landscape pictures which were really pretty and interesting. The intro song is also so "non-BL" and they hired veteran Erina Koyama for the rest. She did a bunch of soundtracks and a lot of BL soundtracks (also for "Love Is Better the Second Time" S1 & S2). You can listen to her work on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpPc7Q4cYWyynGkVls-ugLw

Overall an interesting story, more realistic as I assumed in the beginning. The only downfall for this series are actors not committing to their roles, even when Mr. Oku Tomoya was already in "Minato's Laundromat" S1 & S2. It's especially disappointing because this time the kissing is story relevant. Also the pacing is off in the second half where the story streched too far. Still, I liked the series. It's not top notch, but still good.

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The strongest couple imho has the strongest special...

Arthit and Daotok move together after Daotoks grandmom passed away. Shortly after the bracelet grandmom gave him broke, Daotok sees all the ghosts again and Arthit has the worst nightmares imaginable.

While being cute this special has also a bit of story and not every superstitious thought might be wrong. I think this was especially Ngerns best performance in the whole series. Of all the special this one stands out the most. And of course this special also had the perfect ending with a marriage proposal, so everything a fan would like to see.

Production quality was impecable, everything had a nice flow and while the ghosts in the main-story did not have a satisfying end, here it has. For all the fans this is a must watch!

Note: I would wish MDL would have a consistent naming policy. This is "The Sun from Another Star Special Episode" while the special with Tonfah & Typhoon is called "Fourever You Part 2 Special EP: Beside the Sky". This is very confusing and when you don't know both names you will not find it easily because "Fourever You Part 2 Uncut" also has the arcs not listed.

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Not a BL

The most positive thing I can say is, it does speak about LBGQT issues but only very superficial without much depth. The show was not a BL nor does it include much of any romance. While the struggling of Idol trainees included some entertainment, overall it was very bland.

This show only makes the point that excessive alcohol abuse is a bad thing, but nobody needs a show to know this. And maybe that friends do things for their friends even if they don't like to? I am a bit confused about that. If someone is forced to do something he doesn't want and has an emotinal outbreak about it, but then decides to do it anyways because of his friends, I don't get it. Yes friends are important, but to self-sacrifice himself for his friends is not a good solution either and does not lead to his happyness overall.

As a BL fan u can skip this show for sure and for anyone else it does not offer much besides light entertaiment, but you won't miss a thing if you have skipped it.

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Much better than part 1...

While "New" often directs the actors as childish and cringe (Earth has to be played as a toddler), "New" was this time in the second row just producing and executive producing. The new director did tune down the childish and cringe behaviours of the direction but there is still some unnecessary childish stuff left including the stupid sound effects.

What me irked the most are the inconsistencies between season 1 and season 2. Johann bought a café in season 1 but it was not seen in season 2 at all - why is that? Of course we also did not see the bar which was also bought by Johann. This does not make much sense without any explaination. I have no idea if the novels have the same inconsistencies but for me it breaks the whole story arc. You may say it's nitpicking but for me it's a huge deal. The series does not feel in the same universe anymore.

They also broke with the story telling. In Part 1 all four couples were intertwined which made the story more dynamic. The forth couple in this case were Tonfah & Typhoon, not prominently featured but we knew there was something wrong, but we couldn't put a finger on it, till it was revealed in Part 2. But this interactions between all the couples is missed often in the last two parts. For themselves the parts with Arthit & Daotok and Suea & Dueannao are good, but they don't feel natural in the grand picture of the whole series.

The whole production was not thought through. Either tell the story in parts per couple or tell them together. The mish-mash did not help the series at all. It may be easier to follow but I don't feel a production should make it easy for the viewer. If you can't keep up with a story when it involves more than two people you need to concentrate more and such series always have a "previously" part, because that's what the US series did, because they can't be bothered to remember. For me it's a timewaster, I know what happened a week before and I don't want to know what will happen next week. For this series "Suea & Dueannao" should have been the beginning of Part 1 with their school time and then we could have had Hill & Ter and Johann & North. The Suea & Duennao arc could have been sprinkled in the Tonfah & Typhoon and Arthit & Daotok arc. But of course what do I know about story telling? 🤣

So overall even with all the problems it was a "good" show. It was not stellar, but it was entertaining for the most part. Arthit & Daotok did give us something different alone from the beginning but had flaws executing the story till the end and nobody liked Arthit turning into a red flag for two episodes. Tonfah & Typhoon was cuteness overload with a basic evil dad background. Thai scriptwriters always have a problem to alter the original work to make it better than the original. That is a strength of many JBLs where a medicore manga is turned into something different, for example "Our Youth" where 50% of the original was scrubbed and 50% was newly written for the series. But I suppose we can't have it all. Lazyness trumps the thai screenwriters and fangirls (and fanboys) don't care about the story anyways as we can see with all the 10 reviews here on MDL.

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An unsual love story...

There are still productions out there which are not full of crap.

This is one of the examples. It begins quite harmless and gets more emotional with every episode.
While concentrating on the main couple with only some minutes with side characters, the story can develop between two people, their feelings, their fears and their understanding each other.

It was a very nice story with some fluff and both actressess did a very good job. Also the production quality was not bad either even when I guess they had not that much of a budget. Overall a series to recommand.

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Could have been better but it lacks chemistry so badly...

I'm not the biggest fan of a love triangle but I'm even less a fan if the chemistry does not match the story.
While we all know this is a low budget effort, they should have at least tried to have at least good chemistry to elevate the story. But they failed miserable.

It felt all detached and shallow and for me neither Doha nor Woohyun gave me the vibe that they long for each other. For me they felt steril and they could not convince me at all. I don't care about a high polished production but even in the worst thai productions at least the chemistry between the couples comes through even when everything else fails. First Woohyu loves his teacher and when he get rejected (of course), he seems to turn to Doha. But never ever I had the feeling this was the pivotal moment when his feeling changed. It just happens because the script said so. And of course they are together even when they are 8000km apart... yeah for sure.

In this series they fail with everything. While not cringe or stupid, it's just boring.and unbelievable. Cute/handsome actors can't make up for the story if there is no chemistry at all. I expected more from a South Korean series, but not every series can deliver. So this is the first big disappointment in 2025 and if you have skipped it, you don't miss a thing.

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A lot of clichés, a lot of forced drama and not really the vibe of the early 2000...

I could not get into this series from the start... I did not feel the connection with the characters and for me it was just a standard BL with a cliché story. I expected it to be much more difficult for any gay couple to get together in the early 2000, it felt too easy and ordinary.

Of course we needed also drama in the finale with an attempted murder which made no sense for me. Was it done just to make them come together sooner and stir an emotional reaction in the viewers? Was it really necessary? Could it not have done any other way? I don't like such extremes in any series.

So for me, it was on ok show, but nothing which could spark any enthusiasm in me. For a chinese production it felt disappointing for me, at least when I compare it to recent productions which are all way way more interesting. If you want to watch it, you can, but if you don't it's nothing you would miss.

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