Wing3dBean

Expectations unfortunately not met

Dance is neither about technique nor stamina. Love is what makes it whole

🕺🏻OK. Let's start with the good🕺🏻
The acting - The guys killed it. I have seen Keita before in Cherry Magic & Alice in Borderland and was excited to see him back in the BL realm. I knew he was good and my man; he did not disappoint. No notes
Ryoma is a new face to me, but he was amazing too. He expresses emotions so freaking well. It just grabs you. I could feel how much he hated Sugiki in the beginning, when he started wanting him; I was there with him—in that desire, denial, and confusion. And when Sugiki broke his heart, I felt that too. When he cried, when he made the choice to go back to competing after the heartbreak, when he struggled to walk away from Sugiki's honor dance, when he finally faced him on that floor. I felt it all. Hat's off to the man

The chemistry - My God!! It was palpable. Everyone has mentioned it, but that scene in the train... *fans self*. And the kiss scene towards the end. Also, I was mesmerised every time they danced together

Their type of dance matched their personalities beautifully - Sugiki does ballroom. Idk much about dance, but from what I saw in this, it's a very controlled type of dancing. Beautiful to look at, but rigid in its execution.
On the other hand, Suzuki is a free spirit. He also walks, breaths, moves like sex, and so is his dance style. It's fun and sexy, while Suguki's is very restrained.
Suzuki wants to have fun in his life, but Sugiki is very controlled and by the book. He knows what he wants, sees the goal, and will stick by it, everything else be damned.
How they dance spills into their personalities. Or is it vice versa?

The cinematography and the grandeur of it all - Are we surprised though? It's a Netflix production. You know the production budget be budgeting

🕺🏻What I didn't like🕺🏻
The title says it all. The movie did not match the expectations set by the trailer
When you watch the trailer, you expect the movie to be very sensual, very sexy. You expect their relationship to be very emotionally charged. A love that stems from hate, passion (for dance and Suzuki's hatred for Sugiki), desire, and an unwitting respect for each other's craft. I was at the edge of my seat waiting for such a story

Unfortunately, when you get to the story, this all kinda... fades away? A lot of the story is told in silence (?). There are a lot of looks to the other person, facial expressions, but very little in the way of actual communication. As the audience, you kinda have to connect the dots and guess what they are feeling and thinking. That removes the 'punch' of what this story could be

Their romance — if you could even call it that — doesn't progress much, and so by the end, everything feels unfinished. They kissed on the train. I thought things would get steamier, but they went their separate ways. Only to meet 2(?) months later in the UK with Suzuki thinking about how he wants Sugiki's eyes on him.... And then they break up

Girl... What?? What happened in the 2 months??? I have read some comments by the Manga readers that allude to what happened after the train, leading up to the breakup, and after, but if you're going to make a movie, shouldn't you include what happens in the source material in the show? I feel like cutting out major details does a disservice not only to the viewers who may not have checked out the book, but also to the readers who may want a better portrayal of a story they love

The ending was also very.... Ugh. It's open-ended. Not a fan of those. I hear it's because the manga isn't complete. Perhaps the manga shall end n we'll get a sequel. Hopefully, a better installation than this one

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For The Reverse Harem, Sub ML Loving Girlies

There's always something that draws me to a drama. For this, it was an edit I saw on Twitter. I saw Jianglai on his knees, looking up at Shanbao with those pleading puppy dog eyes, and they had me. Hook, Line & Sinker. Then I found out there was a reverse harem element to it and... Yeah, there was no hope for me. I was going to see this to the end. And that, I did.

🫖What I Liked🫖
🥰The Female Lead - They told me that I was getting a cold and cunning female lead, and they delivered. Throughout the show, Shanbao remains clever (and manipulative), maneuvering not only the men seeking to woo her, but also the tea business, and her very complicated family dynamics. Not once did I feel like she fell back and let the ML run the show. True to her family's traditions, the women are at the helm. And that's where she stayed till the end.

🥰 The Male Lead - Now, if we start talking about my love for male submissives, we'd spend all day here. All you should know is that they have a very special place in my heart. And my 'God, when?' prayer is still very much alive and well in this aspect.
Aside from the perfectly submissive man that Jianglai is, he's also smart and useful. My fear going into this was that he'd 'hide behind her skirts', always waiting for her to save him. Not only can he stand on his own, but he's also clever, ambitious, loving, dedicated, and cares about her business. Lu Jianglai's puppy-dog eyes may have brought me into this show, but his taking the time to learn about the tea business and help out where needed, without having to be told, won me over.

🥰The 5th Sister - Would I say I loved YunShu? No. But she was by far the most interesting of Shanbao's sisters. Miss Ma'am had me suspicious and freaking out for like 22 episodes. A true definition of a snake in the grass. She was also really smart. I respect smart characters, regardless of whether they are the villain or not.

🥰The sisters' relationship - In the beginning, it was tumultuous, at best. Over time, however, it evolves into what true sisterhood is. All the ladies grow, understand each other, and change, leading to a united Rong family. The kind that their ancestors had created and hoped for, for their future generations.

🥰The tea tidbits that were shown at the end of some episodes - I'm from a predominantly tea-drinking country but we have NOTHING over China. I mean, I didn't think we had anything close to them, but those tidbits showed me just how vast the difference is. The history of tea in China is truly vast and rich. Incredible

🫖Things I Didn't Like/Appreciate🫖
👵🏻Grandmother - Listen, I am all for respecting your elders, but this woman.... Yo! She had me heated. She was out here, increasing my blood pressure from how utterly horrible she was. YunShu and I might not have agreed on a bunch of things, but I was squarely on her side when she mentioned that their grandmother was basically the root of all evil. At least in their family.

She was supposed to guide the sisters. Help foster their relationships not just for their good but also for the good of the family legacy and traditions. But no, she made 1 mistake back when she was young, and her embarrassment over that became every generation's problem after that. Not only did she become like those rich snobby nobles, but she, a woman from a matriarchal home, becomes patriarchal - the biggest sin of all IMO. Believing that the man, the match between her daughters and some man determines their success as a family. She had zero faith in her family members

That person who called granny a 'dusty bag of bones' was on to something. She's entirely horrible, callous, and so judgmental towards her family. Let's not even start on how loudly she insulted a child of 4/5 years. I'm too young for a blood pressure medication prescription.

📚The story from episode 26, but largely from ep 30 - I would try to leave a note after every episode or every 2 episodes. However, after episode 25, I stopped. Clearly, that's where my excitement for the show started waning. But I think the biggest letdown was from ep 30. I don't quite know what the point of Jianglai's 2nd (and apparently OG) family was for.
At 1st, I thought they wanted to highlight the sad reality of the women from this time. The Rong family is obviously the exception, being matriarchal in a patriarchal society.

A quote that stuck with me from this arc was said by the duke's wife. It partly states
"Even if her father committed a grave mistake and disobeyed her grandmother's orders, as a daughter, she should kneel and beg again and again. Even if it meant not eating or drinking, starving to death. She should have sought her grandmother's forgiveness."
It clearly shows how the women of this time were expected to pay for the sins of the men in their lives. And were even punished for them. I thought that this was the point. To show the stark difference in how the Rong family treated both their men and women, and how the rest of the world did.

However, as the arc unfolds, things get weird, with the biggest issue being that Shanbao and Jianglai no longer work together. She seemed to be making decisions for him, doing that whole 'I'm hurting him to protect him from him/myself'. I fucking hate that trope. And then it was a family drama/murder mystery.... It was a lot, and for what?

All in all, I didn't appreciate those last 7 episodes. It felt like they used it to increase the viewer's anxiety about whether Shanbao and Jianglai would make it to the end together. Instead of all that, we should've gotten the final ACTUAL wedding, and a glimpse into the sisters' stories with their men. Namely, Yunshu & Bai Yi Sheng, Xiang Ling & Zhu Sheng (Jiang Lai's deputy. I'm making the executive decision that they belong together), as well as YunXi & her baby daddy ( I forget his name)

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It was great, but it's not without faults

👻What I Enjoyed/Liked👻
1. A1 cinematography & production - So incredibly well done that I can confidently say that it's among the best that I've seen this year. Also, the village setting was so well done.

2. The inclusion of Thai culture, outfits, shamanic practices, etc. They were all so grand and beautiful. I haven't seen another Thai show that includes this (granted, all I watch from Thailand is BLs), so this was super interesting to see

3. The overall story - This doesn't get a 10/10, but for the most part, the story was well done. Throughout the 12 episodes, they gave us a lot of background info on the characters and how they all connected to each other, making everything feel cohesive. By the end of the story, there aren't many loose ends

4. The acting - I think the cast, the main 4, are largely rookies, and they did a really good job. I have seen cringeworthy acting in the BL scene. These four, they deserve their flowers. I hope to see them get even better in the future

5. The NC scenes in eps 7 & 8 - Aside from the fact that they were so very hot, I feel like they suited the couples perfectly. Chan & Jet are more playful, and so was their scene. Peem & Khem are more angsty and slowburn, and their scene reflected that beautifully.

👻What I Didn't Like/Areas That Could've Been Worked On👻
1. Ramphueng should've received an apology. From her backstory, we see that they wronged her 1st. Her revenge - crazy as it was-, was justified. What that family did to her was horrible. In episode 12, they make her apologize, but why didn't they apologize to her, too? For over 200 years, no one ever said 'sorry' for playing a part in the unjust death of her and her son. Khem and his mother should've apologized to her for the parts that their past selves played in that

2. Does anyone know if Ramphueng went after all the people in that family (including the 1st wife and polygamous husband), or was it just Khem and his mother? I mean, Khem testament (as Krongkhwan) was the one who put the nail in the proverbial coffin of her death but... what happened to the other people throughout the years?

3. Khem/Namping's crying scenes - When he has to sit and cry silently, it works. It's great. But when more emotions are needed, like he needs to be on the floor sobbing, it doesn't work. IDK if this makes sense, but during these intense crying/emotional scenes, as a viewer, I can tell that he's acting (and that it's not going well)

3. Khem & Peem don't have much in the way of facial expressions - Peem is stoic, and Khem is either sad, faking a smile or on the verge of crying. I don't want to judge too harshly since perhaps this worked because that is who the characters were. However, in the future, I'd love to see Keng and Namping use their facial muscles more in whatever show they'll be on. As per the latter half of the last episode, we see that they are clearly capable of it, so let them use them.

4. Khem was always the damsel in distress, and surprisingly, doesn't have much vigor to stay alive - This might be the thing that pissed me off the most. We started the show with Khem wanting to find a way to survive past the age of 21, then his friends suggested that Peem might like him, and suddenly, all he could care about was whether Peem liked him back?! Sir?!?!?!?! WHAT HAPPENED TO THE PLOT??? Listen, I understand that this is a BL. That they are meant to fall in love but... Priorities man. Vengeful ghosts 1st, romance later. Also, him up and leaving after Grandma Si died.... Come on now

5. The timeline - I might be horrendously bad at math, but I believe that the mid-1700s were at most 275 years ago. Where did the 400 years that they kept talking about come from?

6. Peem should have had a longer chasing arc - He was so mean for so long. He should've had to struggle and prove himself for longer to win Khem's affection and trust

👻Random Thoughts👻
a. Those villagers were so cool with all the ghosts. If it were me, I'd have left and never gone back😂

b. We largely saw Khem interact with ghosts that wanted him ☠️. I wish we saw his interactions with nice or at least neutral ghosts. Like the ghost mama in ep 1, who simply wanted to save her son

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They had me for the 1st 13 episodes, then they lost me, and never got me back.

I am sorry to anyone who chooses to read this review. I do not think I'll be very coherent.

The best way to explain this drama from my experience watching it would be 'Pretty Aesthetics, Boring Plot.'
Here's how I watched this show -
🍉I consumed the 1st 13 episodes in one day like a woman starving.
🍉Watched episodes 14 -23 with the feeling that something was missing.
🍉Skipped episodes 24 - 28 to watch episodes 29 and 30.
🍉Skipped episodes 31 - 34, fast-forwarded through episode 35, and the finale

My thoughts about the characters
🌞NXG - I think she was a decent character. There's nothing about her that's particularly outstanding. She's a simple girl just trying to navigate life and find where she truly belongs. Her only 'fault' is that she comes from an extremely rich family. This inadvertently makes life harder for her, largely due to the jealousy of those whom she unfortunately considers friends. There's also her terrible taste in men (one man), but more on that later.

🧑🏻‍⚕️LYS - He is perfect, which makes him boring. IMO, he was the most interesting when he was in basically one-sided conflict with NXG. I genuinely disliked him and wasn't rooting for him till the balcony to hospital arc with NXG.

His beautiful face and long legs were not enough to make me disregard his bullying and abuse of power towards NXG. His reasoning - which held no water btw - be damned. Once he apologized and changed for the better, I did forgive him for it. But I never forgot. He eventually became the perfect textbook boyfriend. Fantastic for NXG, a snoozefest for me

😤ZX - He was draining, OMG. Self-pitying, self-hating, insecure, and so, so mean to the supposed love of his life. I spent most of my time on this show wondering why NXG liked him in the 1st place. Was it all because he was tall and (they thought) he had a pretty face? Coz, honestly, he had no redeeming qualities.

When they were in college, he would insult her with every word that came out of his mouth. He didn't believe her when she got wrongly accused, nor did he stand up for her. Let's not forget how he made her walk in heels coz he didn't want to pay taxi fare for both of them. She could've simply paid him back.

He also never said 'sorry,' not that it'd have made up for anything, but that's the bare minimum he could've done. For example, when he found out the truth about the interview call situation, he sent her good research materials for her thesis. Thoughtful, yes, but where was the actual 'sorry'?

Here's a note I wrote about ZX after ep 12

"Ep 12: Now we finally get the back story of why he was always so mean to her. I feel sad for him that he's this heartbroken because of his unwavering trust in Ye Rong. However, I'm not that sorry for him.
I cannot forget how cutting his words were. How they've always been. And sure, Ye Rong lied to him and those around him coz of her insecurity, but that doesn't negate the fact that
1. He liked NXG but never made a move to ever ask her about her side of the story. His blind belief and willingness to stand on the sidelines as she was insulted and slandered is his fault
2. He also never made his stand clear. He knew both Ye Rong and NXG liked him. But he was always in the middle like an idiot. Never outrightly choosing one. He'd side with Rong, but never quite enough to fully claim her. Never correcting her when she loudly claimed him b4 everyone, but never giving her the security she needed

Sorrows, sorrows, prayers to him."

Clearly, I hated the man, but found him interesting. No other character elicited such strong emotion from me.

😒Ye Rong - All I'll say about her is that jealousy truly makes you such an ugly person. I mean this literally because I only realized how pretty the actress playing Ye Rong was in ep 35. I hope that she became a better person after moving to Shenzen. That she never found some other poor, innocent girl to cut down with her words, simply because she never felt like she was enough. Like she couldn't measure up to whatever one-sided goal she had in her head.

About the story in general
I really loved the story in those first 13 episodes. I think the pacing and conflict were great, plus NXG's new experiences from college, moving on to adult work-life, and friendships kept things interesting. However, once the conflict with LYS takes a back seat, the plot loses its momentum.

They are pretty, they communicate, work together seamlessly, and their immediate families love them - they are perfect, and I was bored out of my mind. My mind couldn't help wandering as nothing about the story was holding my attention anymore.

Random Thoughts:
🤔One gripe in other overall sensibility of the plot...: What do you mean that someone went to school, got a degree in finnace and you move them to administration?? Why was everybody okay with that? I know it's a drama, and forced proximity had to be applied to make the romance grow.
However, my brain refuses to compute that no one found it odd or complained about the blatant misuse of power. I'd rather they'd fired her than that. Like, would you move a marketing graduate to engineering? Someone from procurement, to admin, or HR? Engineering to sales? Finance to the legal department? That shit pissed me off the entire show.

🏂🏾Oh, another thing, did anyone think that the Changbai Mountain arc felt like a super drawn-out AD? Lowkey, I felt like it was a govt sponsored AD. Something interesting about that arc is how they incorporated a 2024 trend in that episode where LYS & NXG's cousin were competing. The editing style showing how cool they were is very much reminiscent of a video I saw back in 2024 on Chinese netizens taking pics on snowy mountains

🍊That juice they (mostly the women) kept drinking during gatherings, which was another very obvious AD, reminded me of Minute Maid. I don't even like those juices, esp the orange flavour, but now I'm craving some

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Put Your Phone Away & Pay Attention

You know those shows that you can watch while scrolling through your phone? The kind you can easily look away, and even without understanding the language, look up again and be able to piece everything, or at least most of it, together? This isn't one of those.

This is a show that demands your attention, which was fantastic for me since I really needed a good reason to put my phone away.

This is a beautifully written revenge story with brilliant characters. Such stories often fail because they are filled with dumb characters who risk the plans and lives (both their own and others') in their stupidity. No one here is like that. They know what the plan needs, and they stick to it, executing it as needed.

Xie Huai An's smarts are something to be admired and feared. I totally understood why his enemies were afraid of him. He will not face you on the battlefield with a sword. But he'll plan your defeat and your death, largely from the shadows, and you'll never see it coming.

I loved watching the growth of Xiao Wen Jing / Zhang Mo. From a spoilt, angry puppet emperor to a worthy young man. One who not only understood the plight of his people but was also able to make lifelong friends. Unfortunately, the Tiemo arc (more on that later) ruined his character growth a bit for me.
He'd grown so much as a person & come to trust Huai'an, but the plot throws away all this character growth, turning him back into his former cowardly self for shock value. I admit, I was shocked, as they wanted, but also felt disappointed

I commend all the actors for their effective portrayal of emotions. This show is heavy, and it always has this feeling of death and sadness hanging in the air. I loved that whenever the characters had to express their emotions, I, as the viewer, could connect with them

The story gave us two main villains, Yan Feng Shan & the King of Tiemo. Yan Feng Shan's arc was much more interesting to me. The amount of maneuvering and cleverness used in this arc was... breathtaking, for lack of a better word. The Tiemo arc wasn't bad per se, however, I did feel that as from ep 21 (or there about) the script relied a lot on plot armour to keep Huai'an alive.
There were so many times that he could've died in this arc, specifically from ep 21 to 24/25, yet he miraculously survived. I mean, he did survive while facing Yan Feng Shan, but here his escapes were less believable in their overall 'miraculousness'.

I'm not sure about the ending; it looked like he died. Idk how he'd have survived that explosion, unless more plot armour was applied. And while I would have loved for him to stay alive, I think that part of me was prepared for his death.

Xie Huai An was clever and brave, but also angry and incredibly sad. He rarely smiled, and when he did, it was always a sad smile. It always felt like his heart, his very soul, were very sad and very heavy. If he died, I'd take consolation in the thought that he finally got to rest

Points To Note
1. The rewatch value isn't that high. Not because the story isn't worth rewatching, but because I feel like this is one of those stories that works best the 1st time. A rewatch could work to help you pick up on a few factors that you may have missed in the 1st round, but the suspense and intrigue will no longer be there. Because of that loss, I wouldn't find myself rewatching this.

2. About 30 minutes after completing the Netflix version, I found out that this show has a special episode. The special episode very clearly insinuates that Huai'an is alive, just staying hidden in Yulong Ridge. We don't see his face, but the alcohol given to his friends and the voice of the guy in that cell belong to Huai'an. I'm sure he's still busy plotting and strategizing in there for the good of the realm.
But part of me wishes that he would've, instead, fulfilled the wish that his sister had for him. To sit under a (what I believe) plum blossom tree with a fat cat in his arms. With Ye Zheng & Zhang Mo bickering around him (This last bit is purely my wishful thinking)

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Is this how sports fans usually feel? I hate it

If the title wasn't clear enough, my faves didn't win.

💪🏾Next time, contestants from all the countries should be chosen fairly. Some countries were very obviously more stacked than others. It's like they were setting some of them up to fail. I mean, I know you have to fill the numbers, but the differences in strength were so glaring

🇹🇭Thailand & 🇵🇭Philippines - I rooted for them since they had black contestants. Namely, James & Robyn. Did I think these teams would win? No. But as Issa Rae said, 'I'm rooting for everybody black. '

PS. I wanna add a note here that representation truly matters - I'm speaking about James. I've been watching Thai BLs for about 3 years now, and in all this time, I've only seen 2 black characters in these shows.
The first time was in 'Triage', and the other time was in 'I Will Knock You'. Seeing James on such a huge show -and killing it btw, heels and all - felt so good. I hope all the black and dark-skinned Thai pple out there saw themselves in him. I mean, I think he's a pretty big deal over there already, but he deserves this, too

💪🏾Australia - I liked them coz they were strong. I've seen pple hating on them, saying they were loud and rude coz of all the cheering and cursing, but to me, they looked like any other Westerners. I'm not a sports person, but they acted like what regular sports pple that I'm exposed to act like. They fumbled really badly in that rope game - I think that they should've replaced Eddie with Katelin. Had they strategized better, I genuinely think they'd have been in the final match. N probably would've won. Also, Dom, my favorite of all the Aussies. I need him to give me just 5% of his positivity

💪🏾Mongolia - Before this, I knew very little about this country and its people. Truthfully, I still don't. However, I started rooting for them after perhaps ep 2(?). They are definitely the opposite of Australia, but that quietness hid such strength. They were reserved and respectful, and so incredibly smart and strong. Their sportsmanship is truly one to be admired. While some teams ( I won't be mentioning names👀) were busy posturing and being rude to other contestants in the name of the game, they largely minded their own and stayed real nice throughout. I hope to see them again in the future. where they'll win. I'm genuinely so sad that they didn't win😭

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This was Incredible. I'll Never Do It Again

Let not the rewatch value fool you, I will NEVER rewatch this. Once was simultaneously perfect, but also too much. I cannot handle sitting through this story a second time.

When I saw Netflix add this to the 'coming soon' line-up, I expeditiously added it to 'my list' simply because of Tseng Ching Hua. So far, I've seen him in 5 shows, and he hasn't once let me down with his incredible acting skills. The man is incredibly talented — and the fact that he's beautiful to look at doesn't hurt either.

Moon Lee is also another actor that I wanted to watch. Just coming from binging both seasons of 'The Victim's Game', I wanted to see more of her acting. Who knew that her character, Chiang Hsiao Tung, would rip my heart out the same way that Chiang Hsiao Meng did in the previous shows? Ok, why do her characters have such similar names?
PS. I also just realized that I've seen her before in the movie 'I Am the Secret in Your Heart'. But seeing that I chose to wipe that entire story from my brain —because what the hell was that ending?—, I should be excused for forgetting her.

As for the plot in it's entirity, it's hard for me to write a proper review.

All I know is that my heart felt heavy throughout the 10 episodes. As the other reviews say, this isn't an easy story to get through. I went in thinking that it was a simple run-of-the-mill serial killer plot, and 2 episodes in, I knew I had to pace myself. This wasn't a story I could sit and binge in one or two nights. It took me almost 2 weeks to complete this 1st instalment, as all I could handle in a go was one or two episodes.

I literally finished watching 2 animated movies, one anime, and 2 seasons of 'How to Train Your Dragon' in the time it took me to complete these 10 episodes. I needed some palate cleansers after them.

When my heart wasn't feeling like someone was ripping it out and tap dancing on it, I was angry. Save for Chiang Hsiao Tung and Li Jen Yao, I was angry at everyone. From Li Jen Yao's mother (there's a special place inhell for mothers like her) to his dad (he should've been burned at the stake, to the teachers, the corrupt cops, plus other law enforcers, some of their schoolmates, and the parents of those disgusting boys. Everyone made me angry.

No matter how many times Li Jen Yao tried to save himself from drowning in the mess that was his life, they found ways to keep him down. To push him further in and suffocate him. And then they did the same to Hsiao Meng, all because she fell inlove with someone they deemed less than. Trash that they could bully, play around with, and throw away. Honestly, episodes 8 and 9 hurt in ways that I cannot begin to describe.

All in all, this is an incredibly well-done story, albeit a hard one to get through. The topics highlighted are important, and in a way, I have a deep respect for the actors, screenwriters, directors, and everyone who worked on this story. They did not pull any punches, and my heart and soul are black and blue from it.

PS. Some scenes made me sit and wonder how the actors, especially the two main ones, got into and out of the headspace required to express those emotions. Yoh....🙆🏾‍♀️

Now, I'm off to part 2. A part of me feels like it'll be cathartic, the other part feels like they'll just hurt me more. I feel like they aren't done wringing my heart out just yet

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Honestly, Eat The Rich

After watching 'The Elixir', I was hella sceptical about watching another zombie film. I mean, 'All of Us are Dead' and 'Kingdom' (both seasons) and 'Happiness' are some of my holy grail zombie shows, and 'The Elixir' was gonna do me like that? Nah, I was traumatized.

I didn't wanna see another non-Korean zombie show. My trust was broken. That, coupled with the fact that I've been disappointed by some of the main character's acting chops in BLs b4.... my expectations were on gasping for breath on the floor. Despite all that, I was genuinely impressed by this.

What I Liked
🧟The overall story is what carries this. As a fan of zombie shows, I love how fresh (and sciency) this concept is. IDK who worked on the script, but hats off to them. They honestly made this story so very interesting to watch. If some things were done differently, I genuinely would have rated this as highly as I did 'All of Us are Dead.'

What I Didn't Like
🧟The acting - I'll not be naming names but yoh...! I was right. Some of these BL boys.... Please send them to acting school. My two cents are these: we know that actors can get by with good looks. It's been done over and over and over again. BUT!! With Netflix investing so heavily in Thailand, and companies obviously wanting to get themselves a piece of that pie, wouldn't it be better to have their actors do better so they can represent them - and Thailand - well on the global stage? Some of these guys have been acting for years, and they are still so stiff. HOW???? How can you not express more than 2 facial expressions? Oi🤦🏾‍♀️

🧟‍♀️We lost Lilly too early - She was one of the better actors in this (one of the best TBH), and I hate that we lost her to Zombieism when we did. IMO, she should've had a bigger role.

🧟‍♀️🧟‍♀️ - Why were the girlies written like that? - If it wasn't Fah with the phone, it was Mook(?) who let's an obviously unstable friend out, leading to unnecessary deaths. And let's not forget about little miss horrible, Prao. Seriously, does anyone know why she was so mean to literally everyone? Good Lord! Oh.... Also, Ning, I don't like a know-it-all. I just... If I rant about her, I'll never go to sleep, and it's already 1:20 am

🧟All the anger management issues and dumb decisions - I understand that it is a high-stakes, high-stress situation. But did we need to keep arguing that much? Not only did it waste time, but it also cost lives. In terms of dumb decisions, the pple in this show acknowledge that they've seen zombie movies before. Now, with that in mind, why would you
1. Start running after a friend who's been bitten in the name of saving them?
2. Ditch the survivor group to go find your bitten friend to apologize to them?
3. Start a fucking cheer routine in the name of trying to get your friend back? Isn't silence the ONE cardinal rule of any zombie world?
Bro... The number of times these pple made me want to punch my TV. Lawd Jesus *rubs temples*

🧟Continuity Issues - Some of those scenes needed better consistency

Random Thoughts
a. Tutor, I did not know the power that you hold. You beautiful, beautiful man. Whoever styled his hair, tell him to keep it like that, always
b. I kept expecting to see Noeul. Zee&Nunew were present, so were Keng&Namping as well as Max&Nat, so whenever I saw Boss, I expected Nouel to pop out, even though I'd gone through the cast list and seen he wasn't in it😅
c. I really would like a 2nd season. The final ep ended at a really incredible point - Full zombie son, half zombie mother, and human daughter... That is such a cool place to start the 2nd season from. Plus, let's not forget the pple on the roof. It's been a month since they were left there. Clearly, they were able to restrain Non, but how have they survived (if at all) for an entire month? What have they been eating? Will the Patron be exposed for his misdeeds? His secret is known by a lot more pple now, so I'd love to see what they'd do with the info.
Basically, there's so much good content they could give us in season 2, but... Will we ever get that 2nd season, or will Netflix make it another 'All of Us are Dead' situation?

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Tough Topics Bound & Highlighted By Tight Storytelling

Often, when I finish a book, movie, or TV show, I go on and on in the review talking about why and how much I either loved or hated it. Other times, like I this case, I have no clue what to say or where to start. Because words fail me. I truly don't know if I have the words to explain why and how much I loved this show.

I started this coz I was in a romance slump. I wanted something darker and above all, something that would make me think. And BOY did I get that. The production is high value as with many Netflix shows, the acting is incredible, and the plot is well-paced and engaging — the plot did lag a bit in the middle, and I thought that the characters were being a bit too reckless, but perhaps that's to make things more intense.

I think what made me fall in love with this story is the issues tackled and the characters themselves.

🔬Fang Yi Jen - I do not know much about autism, let alone asperger syndrome. However, what I know from other TV shows I've seen is that those with this illness are usually utter geniuses or used for comedic relief, or a combination of both. Compared to the regular person, Fang Yi Jen could be considered a genius.

However, instead of this story highlighting that, it chooses to highlight how this condition, unfortunately, makes him both a bad husband and father. Because of how hard it is for him to interact with pple and understand them as a 'normal person' would, he ends up lashing out, when the 'normal' thing would be to be patient — i.e., in the car with his wife and their crying baby.

When his negligence of his daughter in favour of his job ends up getting her hurt, he serves his wife with divorce papers and leaves, never looking back again. He thought he was saving them from himself, but that ended up hurting them even more. He neglected his daughter when she was young and till almost adulthood. If she had never gotten involved in those murders, would he have ever looked for her again? Likely not.

Eventually, he does try and does change for the better, but that does not mean that the poor girl and her mother never suffered. My heart broke so much for them. I loved that by the end, there seemed to be hope for him and his daughter. Fang Yi Jen is still Fang Yi Jen, but where he'd have ignored her before, he takes extra care and time to show up. He also says thank you. This is a personal opinion (observation?), but I feel like most pple only say thank you to strangers, never to those close to them. He now takes the time to say thank you, not just to Hai Yin, but also to the captain, and that one friend (?) he had in the lab section of the police force.

📰Hsu Hai Yin - Lord, did I HATE her in the beginning. She was all for the story. The real people and feelings behind the hard-hitting deadline be damned. However, once she learns the truth about the deaths, after her interaction with the twins' stories, she starts to change, thankfully for the better. This time, it's not just about the hard-hitting headline.

She starts to care about the people she's writing about and how her stories affect not just the subjects, but also others who might be going through the same thing. I do like that she was the one person who seemed to understand Fang Yi Jen the most. He still acts like himself, but instead of demanding that he be 'normal' he takes him for what he is. And eventually, her giving him the space to be who he is leads to a very beautiful friendship.

👧🏻Chiang Hsiao Meng - We feel the most impact in the last two episodes and I cried. Okay, I didn't fall to the ground sobbing, but balancing tears were wiped severally times. She was so, so sad. Her life after her dad was filled with considerable pain. Watching her in the hospital with the mum, then again when speaking to her dad was.... my heart was hurt.

The societal issues were also a huge part of why I liked this plot. Like Hsia Meng, most of the characters were also neglected. They felt like they no longer had a place or a voice in this world because those who were supposed to care for and love them abandoned them when they were no longer of use. Or no longer fit into the mold they wanted — aside from perhaps the story with the twins and Liu Kuang Yung. The twins were a story of jealousy and invisibility, and the latter was about guilt. I'll say that of all stories, I found Liu Kuang Yung's the hardest to empathise with

Rewatch value is an 8, as I feel that this could be a hard story for many to rewatch. Especially once you tie in all the victims' stories and why they chose this path over staying alive and fighting to see another day.

Not sure how to properly end this, so I'll finish with this quote from one of the directors
"In The Victims' Game, there's a group of people who want to let go, and there's a group who also suffers from pain and oppression, but still believes in the value of life. They're trying to bring back those who wish to give up. We hope that the series can make their voices heard when they're still alive."

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No woman (no one really) deserves this

Let's be honest: If Hae Jo was played by Oh Jung Se (or any other non-conventionally attractive actor) and not Woo Do Hwan, NO ONE would have perceived this story as anything close to romantic

When I started it, I genuinely thought that it'd be a great drama. One of the best of 2024, however, everything was ruined by the romance btwn Hae Jo & Jo JaeMi. It was the textbook definition of a toxic love with a toxic, selfish, and cruel man. Hae Jo is not only horrible to the supposed love of his life, but also utterly horrible to his adoptive mother/older sister.

Maybe they were trying to frame this as he has a hard time expressing his feelings, so you need to look beyond what he says to see what he really means, but that's a heck no for me. I would not want a person who uses my insecurities to hurt me, -simply because they are going through something or they are trying to save me from themselves -, in my life.

He insulted JaeMi in such cutting ways and abandoned her much too much. He also ruined her potential love life for selfish reasons, knowing he was going to die. And to reiterate, he was also really crappy to his adoptive mother/older sister. Basically, he is a shit man who ruined the show for me

The only positive here is that Eo Heung & Jae Mi didn't get married. Jae Mi didn't love that man, and Eo Heung, while he did love her, his reasons for wanting to marry her were wrong. I'm glad (for him) that they went their separate ways. It allowed him to finally get under his mother's thumb, stand up for himself by himself, and find himself

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You have to guess what the characters are thinking because they're certainly not going to tell you

You know what this movie made me think of? The 2023 Korean Netflix movie, Ballerina. I did not like that movie. See... Ballerina and Tee Yai: Born to Be Bad suffer from the same problem - a lack of dialogue. They give you great actors, incredible cinematography, interesting action scenes, but very little dialogue. You spend most of the time trying to guess what the actors are doing, how they're doing it, and at times, why they are doing it.

Apo - my dear lovely Apo - has very few lines, especially in the 1st half. I think we were at minute 40 something when he said something and I asked out loud -to an empty living room - 'wait, is this the 1st time he's spoken?' Then I remembered that no. It was likely the 3rd time (in 40+ MINUTES!) - the other two times were at the temple and in the train.

He spends his time looking (glaring) at people and shooting them. I mean, that's cool, but also, WHAT IS HE THINKING???
We know why Tee Yai became bad, but why does he STAY bad? He sees that his friendship with Rek is strained and fraying, so why does he keep pushing and dismissing his friend? He keeps robbing, but why and to what end? What does he do with the money? What does he gain from all of this?

Tee Yai's bestie, Rek. He's very different from Tee Yai. Yes, they rob together, but whilst Tee Yai is ready to kill at the drop of a hat, Rek holds back. Rek also doesn't seem to enjoy their robbery lifestyle and has new priorities once Dao comes into his life. Basically, you clearly see that the relationship btwn Rek & Tee Yai is strained and that something's gotta give.

But they, once again, do not take you through that thought process and the conflicting emotions. Decisions are made, and you sit there like 'oh, I guess that's the choice you made'. Things happen, and you simply have to accept that they did. You don't know how or why they happened, but they did, so just roll with it. Just go with it, babes. Don't ask any questions

All in all, the writing, the script, and maybe even the post-production are at fault for what this movie is. A lot was left unsaid - and as per the credits, a lot was cut-, and I think that was to the detriment of the plot. They give you interesting characters, but don't care to flesh them out enough for you to care or root for them. Perhaps it is, as one commenter said, that this movie would have been better were it a series, or even a miniseries, to help us understand and connect with these characters better

What I'd have given to know more about
👱🏼‍♀️Dao - A prostitute in love with an infamous wanted criminal? Life dealt her some very complicated cards. Plus, can you imagine if we got a glimpse into her thoughts about brothel sex work and the violence that surrounds it?
👮🏼‍♂️Jakkrarat - Is he righteous or corrupt? Maybe he's morally grey? Or perhaps he's an overworked cop experiencing unnecessary pressure from his superior, and that's what turns him bad?
👨🏼Kid (Khit?) - He was a rich kid who shot his a-hole of a dad n went to join a wanted criminal's gang for (seemingly?) sh*ts and giggles. I want to know what pushed him to do that

Sigh... So many questions, so few answers.

Random side note: The number of times I said 'This man is so fine, Jesus' every time Apo came on screen.... That man is so goddamn fine. Christ! That long hair with a goatee is definitely a look that I'd like to see replicated in future movies/series👌🏾

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If your friend group is like this..., LEAVE!!!

This show was such a delight to keep up with week after week. THE DRAMA?!?!?!?! It was sooo fucking good. The characters were messy and human, and above all, the story had meaning and a message in all the characters portrayed.

As for the couples -

1. SandRay were the best couple to me. Not only are FirstKhao pretty AF, but their chemistry is just beyond everything. Their acting, especially Khao, who had such emotional scenes, is top-tier. I love that they found their way to each other after all their trials and tribulations - mostly due to Ray and his drinking problem. I became a FirstKhao stan after this

2. TopMew - ForceBook were much better in this show than in 'A Boss and A Babe', especially Book's character. He was more mature. As for their story in this show, that's complicated. Cheating is something hard to get over, and I genuinely don't know how they'll deal with it.

3. TonNick - Who knew that NeoMark had such range? Anyway, I'm so happy that Nick finally chose to love himself over loving Boston, who never treasured or respected him as he deserved. My heart really broke for him in the last episode, but some lessons do need to be learned, albeit the hard way.
As for Boston, I feel the punishment was deserved. He spent all his time plotting against his friends and putting his selfish needs above all others. Finally, his selfishness left him with no one in his corner.

4. As for Cheum and April... They were kinda meh. And Cheum wasn't a good friend either, especially to Ray. She always favoured Mew more, and Ton wasn't even anywhere in her view.

5. Finally, Yo n Plug, I wish they had more of a role to play. I'd have loved to see their relationship dynamic and the inner workings of dating while trans or dating a trans character. Maybe someday trans characters will get better roles in BLs and not just like comedic relief or the random bar-owning friend.

6. As for Mix's appearance in the ending scene...interesting. Very interesting

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I Think About Them Every Few Months

What would you do if it were the end of the world and your 1st love, the toxic ex who utterly ruined you, came to find you and promised to give you a pill that'd help you quietly unalive yourself instead of waiting to be roasted alive?

At the end of the world with you took me by surprise. I was lowkey convinced that I'd hate the story since everyone said that it was toxic AF. While this is partly true, the story is so engaging and tells the story of a complicated love in the most engaging way that I loved this by the end.

See, the history between Masumi & Ritsu is utterly toxic, mostly because of Ritsu. He's selfish AF both in the past and also as the world is ending. He ruined Masumi. BUT!! Whether we like it or not, this is a story about their 2nd chance as the world is ending, and it is so well told.

I like to think about this story as one of those 'The heart wants what it wants' type plots. Are they good together? No. Are they toxic? Yes. Would they likely be MUCH better off if they simply walked away and found other people? Absolutely. But then again, the heart wants what it wants, whether you, the audience, like it or not, they'll stay together and figure things out, one mess at a time.

I loved seeing that Ritsu had already started trying to find his way back to Masumi. He knew he'd fucked up and was trying to find his way back. The world ending (and the 'dead kid' on his living room couch) was the kick that pushed him to finally get moving. As for Masumi.... I wish him the best. The best being that this time, Ritsu has actually changed and values him. No more cheating or threats to out him

PS.
1. The NC were also so freaking hot and surprising - JBLs tend to be quite chaste. We need more moaning in BLs, no music
2. If the world didn't end, I'd give em 6 months and then check in. I don't trust Ritsu
3. If you're looking for more 'the heart wants what it wants' type stories, I suggest ' My Stand-In (2024)' My Personal Weatherman (2023), My Beautiful Man (Sn 1 - 2021, Sn 2 - 2023, & the movie 2023)

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Captivating Yet Frustrating

This 2nd installment both captivated and frustrated me to no end. Coming off the high of the 1st season, I was looking forward to this season. How could they outdo themselves from the absolute phenomenon that was the 1st season? Unfortunately, I was not impressed as I'd hoped.

🔬Fang Yi Jen - At the end of season 1, I was impressed by how he had changed, or rather, by the changes that he was making, especially with the people closest to him. His greatest desire was to have those around him understand him. By the end of that season, he had already started making steps to involve himself in their lives. However, in this installment, he seems to have reverted to his season 1, episode 1 self. Throughout the series, he doesn't talk to his friends. He remains closed off and keeps secrets, although those around him are actively trying to help him. It was frustrating to watch
Now, idk much about autism, so I cannot speak to how autistic people interact with those around them. So with my limited knowledge, I'll say this: it felt like the screenwriters didn't know what to do with Fang Yi Jen. They didn't know how to make him 'interesting,' so they stalled his character growth.

📰Hsu Hai Yin - How she is listed as part of the main role in this is beyond me. Miss girl had so little to do with the overall plot till the last 2 episodes. In this installment, she gets a new job with the most suspicious guy ever and largely does nothing about it. Is this the same Hsu Hai Yin from the 1st season? The one with the inquisitive mind and tips and tricks to help her get to the bottom of all her cases? Where did she go, and who was this passive person who replaced her?
All she had to do was open her mouth, talk to Yi Jen, and this case would've been solved in 5 episodes. I wonder why she kept quiet. Part of me thinks it was to save her job. Because I refuse to believe that part of her saw the good and trusted in Ming Cheng. She didn't know the man, and she's not a very trusting person.

🫧Hsiao Meng - I liked her story arc in this. She facilitated death in the 1st season, but now, she's helping with the aftermath of it. It's also kinda nice to see real-life consequences of her actions. School is hard, and finding a job is harder after what she previously did. Her name and face were everywhere. Sure, she was manipulated before. Someone took advantage of her immense sadness to put her in the middle of all the murders in season 1.
But life goes on. And society isn't that forgiving, making it nearly impossible for her to integrate. I love that she found her way through it all, though. I was scared for a minute that she'd be taken advantage of - Thank God it didn't happen. The last two episodes gave us hope that she might go into the same field as her father. She has his smarts. Yi Jen has thoughts about it, even though he never quite voiced them

🔬📰Yi Jen & Hai Yin - I am confused by the relationship between them. In ep 2 (?) Hai Yin mentions that they aren't romantically involved, I think, because Yi Jen said that he cannot handle that. So.... what exactly are they?? She looks like she 'like likes' him. Their dynamic gives romantic, but their words said something different. At the end, once everything is sorted, they talk about their relationship. Saying that they are good now.... I just... somebody explain to me like I'm 3yrs old and tell me what's up with these two.

🔬🫧Yi Jen & Hsiao Meng - Their relationship frustrated me to no end. Yi Jen would not tell her that he was in trouble & Hsiao Meng kept lashing out and also not talking about her feelings. It was so frustratingto see. I just wanted them to talk. I had so much hope for them at the end of the 1st season, only to witness this. But at least they finally talked. Like in sn 1, I took something life-threatening to bring them back together. The end of the story shows how beautifully their relationship has grown and evolved. Hopefully, they don't argue again and wait for something life-threatening to bring them back together.

👮🏻‍♂️Chang Keng Hao - The following is what I wrote about him in my notes, probably 4 episodes in ' The prosecutor dude is being a POS to Fang Yi Jen for no reason. So far, we know he hated the old teacher. We don't know why, but he's clearly taking it out on Yi Jen. He tells Yi Jen of the coincidences in the teacher's cases, but when Yi Jen says he wants to investigate it, he shuts him out. Yi Jen has already been shown that he isn't the killer, so why does he keep nagging him about the teacher if he won't let him help? Out here being an annoying little bitch.'
Clearly, I wasn't a fan. With the end of sn 2, they seemed to hint at a 3rd season. This time, with Chang as the main character and the police force as the new victim of his hatred. IDK if I like him enough to watch him as the new protagonist.

The Murders
I liked the story in the 1st season more than this one. The murders are more gruesome in this installment, though. Something that I rather appreciated. There was this really disturbing beauty and precision to how they were done. Unfortunately, the mystery didn't hold till the last episode. I clocked the 1st murderer early, and they gave away the 2nd serial murderer too soon. All I'll say about these murders is that Hsiao Chia Ying was the real victim here. I don't like how dismissive she was about the death of the other boy, who was accidentally killed by young Ming Cheng.
The story says that the saddest part about her life was carrying her mother's secret about how she killed her father. It should've also been highlighted how hard it was to have to hide her love for her father and the parts of her that were like him, which were all good by the way. I understand her mother's feelings towards the dad, but putting such expectations on her child was terrible. The mother did so much to avenge her daughter and clear her name, but at the end of the day, she was the one who made her child run away, unfortunately putting her in that horrendous position

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