Great! —— under the right circumstances.
I’ve come to appreciate vertical short-form video series. I get better visuals if my only option is to watch on my mobile (vs. my tablet). I can get my drama fix in as short as 30-40 mins. (for free too, if I have enough bonus points in the Shortime app). And the limited cast works for me as a non-native (it sometimes becomes difficult to keep track of who’s who with a large cast).That said, you do have to be prepared to accept the trade-off. The plots of vertical short-form video series can’t be too complicated, or the show would run the risk of not being able to satisfactorily resolve conflicts given the short run-time. This typically results in the use of clichés, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing —— it makes sense to start off with stereotypical plot points that we’re familiar with and can therefore understand without the need for a lot of exposition (again, given the short run-time), which then allows for focus on execution (I WOULD consider it bad if you’re already giving me a clichéd plot, and then executing poorly).
Overall, I’d say that Romeo and Romeo and Juliet is a good show given the limitations it had to work with (and compared to other vertical short-form video series that I’ve watched). The story gave me enough background on the characters’ motivations (except maybe for the Mom, but I couldn’t care less about her 😅). The script didn’t call for extreme highs and lows, so the actors didn’t get the chance to showcase their range, but they delivered the appropriate emotions really well. The music isn’t anything to write home about, but again, it was appropriate enough to give me a good viewing experience. Finally, given the short run-time and the relatively uncomplicated story, I can definitely see myself rewatching it (there are days when eye-candy is exactly what you need).
My one gripe (I just HAVE to say it) has to do with the dead fish kisses. They're jarring, and totally takes me out of the story whenever they happen. I get that it’s a way to make the latter, more passionate kisses stand out (and the latter ones WERE really good) but c’mon, there are ways to deliver a short, sweet, lingering kiss without it turning into a dead fish kiss! (Like I said, my one gripe, shutting up about it now. 😆)
In short, this would be a great watch IF:
- You have limited time for watching, and you want to get to the end sooner rather than later.
- You’re looking for something uncomplicated and not too heavy on the heart.
- You’re watching on your mobile.
- You don’t have difficulties with / strong objections to vertical short-form video series.
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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.
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I wasn’t ready, I ran out of tissues…
I LOVED how this series felt like a breath of fresh air. At the same time, I HATED how fatalistic it made me feel —— like a hamster doomed to tread on the same track over and over again…STORY: 10 - It was great coming across a story that’s different from most of the BLs that I’ve marathoned. It intrigued me so much that I was actually able to watch it all the way through, without being tempted even once to skip to the end (which I so often do if it’s not an ongoing series). While the episodes were relatively short, not a whole lot of time was wasted on things that were not critical to building the story, so I felt like I was given enough to be able to relate to and understand the characters.
ACTING: 10 - I’m not sure I’m qualified to speak to the quality of acting, but I certainly know how the actors made me feel. I felt Jae Woo’s hate and rage as he pounded on the gate of the killer’s house, his desperation as he tried to get back into the hotel on Jan. 30. I felt Ji Hoon’s confusion and disbelief as he pieced everything together, I felt my own heart breaking as I watched him say goodbye to Jae Woo and return to his own room to cry over their parting, knowing what he was about to face. I bought Hyung Jin being youthful and carefree in 2007, and then tempered by maturity in 2022.
MUSIC: 9 - One of the reasons why I got into watching dramas (whether BLs or otherwise) was because I would often pick up good music that’s made even greater by the emotional connection established with specific scenes. Unfortunately, I didn’t get that here. I still gave it a 9, though, because the music was appropriate enough and served the purpose of helping to evoke specific emotions. It was eerie or melancholic or tender when it needed to be.
REWATCH VALUE: 9 - Like others who’ve submitted reviews, my only reason for not giving this a 10 in this criteria is because it would be emotionally draining for me to watch it too often. My heart won’t be able to take the strain…
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