This review may contain spoilers
A shining example of storytelling at its finest.
I always admire effective and successful short story writers because it’s so much more difficult to make an audience care about characters and their circumstances when you have a limited number of pages (or in this case, episodes) to tell the story with. So if I’m crying at the end of 3 episodes (when I barely feel anything at the end of other dramas that run for 8-12 episodes, except maybe impatience), then I’d say that the story was effectively written.
STORY: 10 - Yes, the story’s rather clichéd, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. I’m thinking that that’s probably why the storytelling could be effectively done with just 3 episodes. Most (if not all) of us have experienced young love, we know what it’s like and can relate to a lot of what Best is going through without needing a lot of exposition.
I also very much appreciate the lack of filler scenes and interactions that don’t really help move the story forward. Even the product placements didn’t feel awkward or out of place, like in oh-so-many Thai dramas.
For those who are despairing over the ending (like me a few hours ago) and are desperately looking for some form of closure (again, like me a few hours ago), you should read the MDL review written by LABCAT. That REALLY helped me calm down. 😅 That said, I DO still hope that someone out there somewhere will green light a second installment of this story.
ACTING: 10
1. Like I said, I cried at the end, and I very rarely cry.
2. It’s a small cast, but they all carried their fair share of the burden of telling the story. Even the extras (like the girls who asked for a pic with Best, or the audience during the festival) were effective (unlike the extras in other dramas who could just as easily have been replaced by potted plants).
3. In most of the Thai BLs that I’ve watched, there’s usually 1 or 2 characters whose acting is a little over the top. Thankfully, there are none of those here.
So, in summary, the 10 stars is for drawing out the sappy in me with the well-chosen cast.
MUSIC: 9 - I’ve watched so many Thai BLs where the singing had me watching through my fingers and cringing with secondhand embarrassment. This is 1 of only 2 BLs I’ve watched (so far) where that didn’t happen. I also quite liked the other songs in the OST.
REWATCH VALUE: 9 - Not the full 10 only because I’d rather not put my heart through the wringer too often. But this is one of the very VERY few shows with a heartbreaking ending that I would watch again —— like whenever I need an emotional purge.
It has a total run-time of 2 hrs. 3 min. 21 secs. In my opinion, it’s more than worth the time that I invested in watching it.
STORY: 10 - Yes, the story’s rather clichéd, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. I’m thinking that that’s probably why the storytelling could be effectively done with just 3 episodes. Most (if not all) of us have experienced young love, we know what it’s like and can relate to a lot of what Best is going through without needing a lot of exposition.
I also very much appreciate the lack of filler scenes and interactions that don’t really help move the story forward. Even the product placements didn’t feel awkward or out of place, like in oh-so-many Thai dramas.
For those who are despairing over the ending (like me a few hours ago) and are desperately looking for some form of closure (again, like me a few hours ago), you should read the MDL review written by LABCAT. That REALLY helped me calm down. 😅 That said, I DO still hope that someone out there somewhere will green light a second installment of this story.
ACTING: 10
1. Like I said, I cried at the end, and I very rarely cry.
2. It’s a small cast, but they all carried their fair share of the burden of telling the story. Even the extras (like the girls who asked for a pic with Best, or the audience during the festival) were effective (unlike the extras in other dramas who could just as easily have been replaced by potted plants).
3. In most of the Thai BLs that I’ve watched, there’s usually 1 or 2 characters whose acting is a little over the top. Thankfully, there are none of those here.
So, in summary, the 10 stars is for drawing out the sappy in me with the well-chosen cast.
MUSIC: 9 - I’ve watched so many Thai BLs where the singing had me watching through my fingers and cringing with secondhand embarrassment. This is 1 of only 2 BLs I’ve watched (so far) where that didn’t happen. I also quite liked the other songs in the OST.
REWATCH VALUE: 9 - Not the full 10 only because I’d rather not put my heart through the wringer too often. But this is one of the very VERY few shows with a heartbreaking ending that I would watch again —— like whenever I need an emotional purge.
It has a total run-time of 2 hrs. 3 min. 21 secs. In my opinion, it’s more than worth the time that I invested in watching it.
Was this review helpful to you?
