Well this was a VERY PLEASANT surprise!
I’ve been watching BLs almost non-stop since I started about a year ago. Most of the ones that are deemed worth watching by netizens are typically 10-12 episodes long (sometimes longer!), with each episode running for about an hour (again, sometimes longer!), which meant that I’d have to set aside around half of my day if I wanted to binge-watch a show. And y’all know how tough that can be when you have a life outside of BLs. 😅
I then turned to vertical short-form video series in order to get my BL fix in a shorter amount of time, which meant I had to trade-off substance —— the plots of such series have to be simple enough so that conflicts can be resolved during the short run-time. This often necessitates the use of clichéd / stereotypical plot points (which is the case here) that we’re familiar with and can therefore understand without the need for a lot of exposition, not necessarily a bad thing since this then should allow for focus on execution (I WOULD consider it bad if you’re giving me a clichéd plot, and then executing poorly).
That said, I gave the story points for not wasting my time with useless side characters and scenes that don’t move the story forward (there are so many Thai BLs where at least 10 minutes of each episode could be considered filler). I also gave the acting high marks given how natural the interactions felt (even though the actors didn't really get the chance to showcase their range ---- that's an issue with the writing, not the acting). The music wasn’t anything to write home about, but it served its purpose well enough.
Yes, the sound effects and product placements typical of Thai BLs are still there, but I feel like here they were done a hell of a lot better than in many other Thai BLs I’ve watched. My one complaint has to do with the subtitles —— apart from the grammar errors in some, I wish they’d stay on the screen long enough to be read so I don’t have to keep rewinding and pausing.
In short, this could be a great watch for you (as it was for me) IF:
- You’re new to BLs, or
- You have limited time for watching, and you want to get to the end sooner rather than later, or
- You’re looking for something uncomplicated and not too heavy on the heart, or
- You come in with a good understanding of the trade-offs, and don’t have strong objections to vertical short-form video series.
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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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This review may contain spoilers
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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Short Run + No Context = Zero Sense
I have so far only submitted reviews for BLs/dramas that I truly enjoyed, to help like-minded folks find their way to the same shows. But today, I'm making an exception. Consider this review an "enter at your own risk" sign.
I have no issues with accepting whatever premise a writer puts forward in order to appreciate a story within the bounds of that premise. But Twins gave me no context, so its ending made zero sense to me. I didn't know whether to view it through the lenses of a psychological thriller or speculative fiction, and because of that, I was left confused at the end.
I can forgive an ending that I don't necessarily like if I at least enjoyed the journey that got me there , whether it's a full-length BL/drama or a short form series (A Balloon's Landing, The Best Story, and I Fell In Love with Someone of the Same Sex are a few examples off the top of my head). But this story fell flat --- weak character development, acting that failed to create emotional resonance, music that did nothing to underscore what was happening on the screen, and just an overall lack of energy (among other things).
Total run time is 11 mins. 35 secs. Needless to say, I won't be watching it again. You can choose to still watch it, since it won't take up too much of your time, but I personally want my 11 mins. and 35 secs. back. Lots of other things I can do with that time.
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Accept the premise, and the story might just touch you...
In order to be able to appreciate a story, I try to start by accepting the premise presented by the writer. If a story is supposed to be set in the real world, then I will judge its merit using real-world logic. But time travel and causality paradoxes are concepts that are too big for my average brain to handle, so when presented with such stories, I give real-world logic the day off.
That said and done, I actually liked this story. Its complexity was enough to hold my attention without losing me in paradoxes or pointless side characters and plots. It's certainly not the run-of-the-mill drama that we seem to be flooded with these days. Add to that the fact that the acting was done well enough to deliver the story (Choi Jae Hyeok played Kwon Jeong U in Ball Boy Tactics, so yeah on the acting...), and you have a nice bite-sized drama to enjoy while you're in between things (like appointments, or during your commute, etc.).
I DO wish for 2 things, though:
1. That someone somewhere finds this drama and fleshes it out. I feel like it has the potential to develop into a truly engaging story if given more run-time.
2. An explanation for Se Gye's deep attraction to Na Bi. I can overlook the time travel paradoxes (mostly because i don't know enough about it to question it in the first place), but attraction is a real world phenomenon, so my simple mind needs an explanation for it. It's a minor gripe, though, and the lack of it didn't necessarily compromise my experience of the story.
Total run time is about 36 minutes. I personally think it was worth the time I put into watching it.
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This was an AWESOME roller coaster ride!
The MDL blurb doesn't do this collection of stories justice, and it didn't do anything to prepare me for the experience! I was squealing like a school girl at the sweet moments in the first story, laughing at the antics of the characters in the second (that tissue scene with a side character had me laughing out loud!), tearing up with the third, and cringing from second hand embarrassment with the fourth (at least in the first few minutes).
And that wide spread doesn't just apply to the tone of the stories. You'll see it in the ages of the characters, their life stages (from almost high school graduates to working professionals), and the situations that they have to deal with (from how to handle a parting of ways to how to handle coming together after being apart, from dealing with a growing attraction to dealing with a drunken confession).
I loved the variety, I loved how the characters came alive through skillful acting (no, the actors probably won't win awards for the work that they did here, but that doesn't nullify the good work that they DID deliver --- credit were credit is due), but most of all, I loved how none of the stories felt underdeveloped despite the short run time. I feel like I was given enough scenes and characters and well written dialogue for me to be able to relate to what the mains were going through (which to me is really the point of watching shows --- I don't have to know what happened / will happen like a year or a decade before or after, i just have to be able to immerse myself in the moment in time covered by the story). And it was all packaged in beautifully framed scenes that made clever use of lighting, angles, and effects.
My poor heart was pushed and pulled in different directions in the span of 1 hr. and 24 mins., but Close to You gave me more value at a tenth of the total run time of most BLs. I'd happily go through the experience again!
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