WingedBean

Comedy is Subjective

Comedic Thai stories are usually a hit or miss for me. This, unfortunately, falls into the miss pile as the comedy didn't quite land for me. I wish the story had more heart and less comedy. The fight scenes were also not that well choreographed tbh. I could tell that they were fake. That they weren't quite hitting or choking each other. I shouldn't be able to tell that as a viewer.

The kiss scenes also aren't the best I've seen. They aren't the dreaded dead fish kisses, but something was missing. With that said, I think the acting is pretty decent. When the comedy is pushed back, allowing for more serious scenes, you can see the actors' acting skills shine. For rookies, they are pretty decent, I'll give them that. No one was stiff or unbelievable in those scenes.

I have their upcoming series 'Roommate Chaos' on my To Watch List, so I look forward to seeing more of their work then. I liked the comedy in that trailer, so hopefully that will land. And the kissing shall be better

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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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Now this is how you do a bite-sized series

If you just heard someone scream, 'OMG this is so fucking cute!' It was me. This was indeed, hella cute. The plot is well-paced with no over-the-top dramatics or misunderstandings—just a simple, yet well-done enemies-to-lovers academic romance, with a little twist.

My only gripes would be
1. I wish is that we'd have gotten a little more time with them at the end. Like, have them properly establish the relationship b4 it ended.

2. The kiss scenes weren't it. They were giving dead fish, and me no like that. I understand that they are pretty young, and this is a high school series. Thus, I don't require them to be out there eating each other's faces. However, it doesn't mean you give me dead fish kisses. Nuh-uh. My School President has, I believe, 2 good examples of what I'd have liked to see.

PS. Thank you to that one babe with the BL account on YouTube. She kept mentioning her love for SeaKeen so much that I was like, 'Fine! I'll look them up.' I realised that I'd already added 'Weirdo 101' on my Plan to Watch list coz I thought the concept was interesting and cute. Now, after seeing them act, I'm even more excited for the series to drop. May GMMTV not fuck it up

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"He was just so rude to you!"

The standouts in this show are the
1. The acting - The two main women were incredibly good in their roles in this show. The resilience of their characters is nothing short of admirable, likely even breathtaking

2. The critique of the justice system - I think this got swallowed up in all the noisiness of the 'who dun it' mystery, but the story does show us how the legal system fails its people.
For example:

a. Mo Eun - They saw that she killed and didn't seem remorseful, and quickly wrote her off. Sure, she didn't do anything to disprove their assumptions, but had someone taken a minute to wonder why she did what she did - rather than write her off as a psychopath - likely, none of this would have happened.

b. An Yun Sun - A victim of the 'fundamental attribution error.' Her fault was that she was too smiley and didn't cry. They saw a woman who didn't act the way she was supposed/expected to once her husband died, and they (the people doing the investigation) quickly assumed that she was guilty. And then did everything to prove themselves right

c. Prosecutor Beak - This man pissed me off the entire show. If I were to list his crimes, I'd say he was guilty of having tunnel vision and confirmation bias, largely against Yun Su. He saw her smile, found that sealed orphanage record, and immediately decided she was guilty. He did everything to prove that she was guilty, sending her to spend the rest of her life in prison.

The anger I felt in me when he admitted that he (1.) sent her to prison simply because he believed she was guilty and (2.) when he admitted that he'd had doubts of her guilt in the 1st round but buried them to find anything to prove her guilt... Oh Lord. And in the end, he got to keep his job.

He's so frustrating, but what makes me angrier is that Baek is an unfortunate reality of the people we have in law enforcement IRL. People with biases who will send others to prison just to prove that they are right. Or just so they can win. It's all about ego, not the human behind the accusation.

d. The investigation team - Victims of group thinking and authority bias. When Beak came in to say that Yun Su was for sure guilty, they all went with that line of thinking. Which is crazy because in the 1st episode, they clearly had nothing on her. She was weird, yes, but weird doesn't equal guilty. And throughout the show, none of them had a single disagreeing thought with Beak. What he said went. I still can't believe that they let that old man walk around after he'd assaulted a prison guard and stabbed Mo Eun

e. So Mang - Yet another victim of a flawed justice system. Money greased hands, and her rapsit was not only allowed to go free, but to continue tormenting her and her family, leading to their deaths. And their lives would have just been swept under the rug like yesterday's trash had Mo Eun not come back for revenge. Had the women not worked together, no one would've cared or remembered. That trashy boy and his parents may have actively led to her and her father's deaths, but everyone who turned a blind eye helped quietly nudge her onto that rooftop.

f. The prison system - The amount of bullying that goes on in there is crazy. Idk how, but prisons everywhere need to find ways to keep all that from happening. Or at least minimize it. Idk if increasing guards would help, but the ratio of prisoners to guards is always crazy low IMO

3. I think the women were written rather well in this show. Apart from An Yun Su, who remains good throughout the show, all the other women who had a lot of screentime were nuanced humans.

i. Mo Eun looks like a psychopath at 1st but she isn't.
ii. The main prison guard actively fights against her bias against the criminals in her care. Wanting to see them as and treating them as human, even though she fails at times.
iii. Yun Su's probation officer, like Yun Su, is a little naive and too smiley. But her heart, which matters in this case, was always in the best place. Instead of letting her work with criminals taint her, she tries to help and gives the benefit of the doubt. This specific case needed that


🚨Things I Didn't Like/Thought Could've Been Better🚨
1. The pacing - It's not all bad. Actually, the 1st say 4, maybe 5 episodes are well paced. The last 3 or so episodes also did a great job keeping my heart racing. However, those middle episodes.... I was so frustrated and was super close to dropping the damn show.

2. Decisions made in the middle episodes - Especially by Yun Su. She made very little sense. Somebody explain to me why

a. She kept visiting that house, even taking her kid, without considering that the tracker actually logs her location.
b. When she finds out he died, she goes back to that house and lets herself be seen as if she is not among the most infamous criminals at the time. Her face was everywhere!!!
c. When she becomes a fugitive, she keeps the most obvious feature about her - her hair - open for everyone to see. Logic dictates that when you're on the run, you hide your most obvious features!!! Cover up tattoos, switch up piercings, cut your hair, or tie it up if you cannot cut it. Maybe even dye it. But no. She keeps her super long, beautiful, wavy hair just flapping around in the wind

How no one in the streets ever saw and reported her is beyond me. She didn't need to be an expert in all this. I get that. But in this age of technology, and for someone who said she's watched all episodes of CSI, she was being hella dumb.

3. The ending - Like many reviewers and commentators, I'm torn about the revelation of why Yun Su's husband was killed. It really does seem like such a weak reason. However, if I look at it from another angle, maybe it makes sense. As shown in many dramas, there is a lot of classism in Asia. They pay a lot of attention to one's reputation.
Now, if you consider how the lawyer and his wife saw themselves as better than the artist and his plagiarism statement as tarnishing their reputation, then the anger could make sense. Someone they deemed lesser than threw figurative mud at them, making them lose face among their peers. To them, that was unacceptable.

4. The lack of justice (regarding the villains) - In my perfect world and perfect ending, that lawyer wouldn't have died. He'd have had to go to prison. That reputation he cared so much about would have gone straight to hell after a very public trial.
I hate that the wife seemed like she'd get away with it, or rather, have a lesser charge. After all the women (especially Yun Su) went through, that was annoying to see.

5. The prosecutor kept his job.

Final Thoughts
1. This was an engaging watch, albeit a little frustrating in the middle.
2. There was no standout music in this tbh. Aside from that song that played in the finale, you know the scene showing the scenery in Thailand and the credits on screen? Yeah, that one. I regret not looking for it.
3. I wouldn't rewatch this tbh. Not only am I not huge on rewatching shows, but thrillers and mysteries especially lose their appeal to me after the 1st watch

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They had me until the last 40 minutes

I rather liked how the 1st half of this movie tackled the plot largely surrounding these two girls. From the struggles of identity, parental bullying (looking at you, Jane's mom), to the very difficult realities of friendships with large socioeconomic differences. I thought they did that so well. The acting was also good, and that underlying tension that was always present in the girls' friendship... Loved that.

However, once we get to those last 40ish minutes, they lost the plot, and me.

1. Tong - When he is 1st introduced, specifically when the badminton birdie gets stuck at his window, we get a sense that perhaps Ann likes him. That scene made me get this pit in my stomach. I really REALLY did not want the story to go that way. And for a while, they make you believe that they won't. Tong acts decently. He hangs out with the girls and Ann's siblings as an older brother figure would.

And then Jane sees them that fateful morning, misunderstands, tells her mother, and Ann & Tong say nothing....??? Why? Why did they decide that the plot of a teenage girl still in high school and the 35-yr-old man needed to be a part of this plot? Ann's mom tries to basically sell off her daughter to this man, and no one in the apartment says anything?

Are underage marriages an issue in Thailand? Because that's the only reason I could see for them to add this plot twist. It felt so random, out of place, and kinda just there for shock value. Like 'hey, Ann doesn't have quite enough to deal with, let's add this on there'. WTH??? To me, Tong never gave that predator vibe either, so... I'm disappointed that the story went that route.

2. Ann's conclusion (or lack thereof) - Like the scarf she was about to hang to dry, Ann left and was never heard from again. I understand why she ran. With a life like hers and especially a mother like hers, I don't blame her. However, my brain cannot stop wondering, "Where does a teenager go?" "Where does a young, beautiful, teenage girl, with no money, no relatives to turn to (that we know of at least) go in the Bangkok streets?"

At 1st I thought she jumped, but upon realising that Jane and the rest of the passengers would have at least heard the splash or seen her do it, I scrapped that thought. But where did she go? What became of her life? Did she even manage to survive out there on her own? The story just abruptly cuts off her story after that cruise ship scene, never allowing us to see her again. I don't understand the 'why' behind that decision.

3. Jane's dad's infidelity - Man, I'd even forgotten that Jane's mother was married. That's how little her parents' marriage was highlighted in the show. But I guess they felt the need to pick up that one detail they sprinkled back in the 1st half when they were having that neighbourhood party. I didn't see the point of that whole mini side plot. To show us that Jane could go through problems, too? You know, aside from her mother always insulting her and calling her fat? That her family (her mother, really) could be poor too? I cannot wrap my head around this

Other thoughts:
a. I hope Ann's mother rots in some very lonely type of hell. I hope her remaining children grew up, supported each other, and left her. Left her alone and never looked back. Seeing Earng become the new Ann and learning that her mother never tried to find a job but went back to gambling broke my heart.

b. I'm not sure I quite like what the story insinuated about Tong. Despite that random side quest with the relationship, perhaps not the relationship with Ann, I did quite like him. But that statement right before the end. The statement about being the lookout while the person off camera took the bet... I really don't want to think that he became a corrupt cop. Or perhaps started gambling like Ann's mom

Conclusion: I think had they just stuck to Ann and Jane and the navigation of their feelings, identities, communication styles, and socioeconomic differences, I'd have rated it higher

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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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What A Ride This Has Been....

Before this drama came into my life — very unannounced btw, I was convinced that Ming (My Stand-In), was the worst love interest to ever exist in the BL world. Then Fan Xiao strolled into my life with his perfectly coiffed hair, his synced at the waist suits, and skinny cigarettes, looked me straight in the eye with a sneer and one raised condescending eyebrow, and was like ' Bitch, you thought..?'

This drama had me glued to my screen every Sunday, because in a sea of mostly fluffy and comedic shows, it offered something different. Something new. It offers up a kind of love that you don't really want IRL, but it's so engaging in fiction.

Fan Xiao (FX) - He is crazy. He actually describes himself as that in the end. He's controlling, manipulative, and cruel — a lot of which is caused by his horrendous family and upbringing, all of which thoroughly skew his view of the world and people in general. When he meets Yu Shu Lang, he approaches him through this lens, and while things work out in his favour in the beginning, they quickly unravel and crash. Because of who FX is, this unravelling and crashing of his plans and relationship lead him down a path of appalling cruelty to the person he claims to care about the most, all in a misguided effort to keep him by his side.

Yu Shu Lang (YSL) - To the rest of the world, he's just a regular dude. However, to Fan Xiao, he's the Bodhisattva himself come to life. Like FX, his upbringing was also not the best. It was pretty traumatic tbh. However, instead of turning him into some jaded scum of the earth fellow, he became self-sacrificing — especially to those he cares about. This is easily seen in how he treats his ex, his leech of a brother, and, to an extent, Fan Xiao.

🌊What I Liked🌊
1. This is a very well-told story. It's engaging and, for the most part, very well paced. It doesn't lag, and neither is the plot filled with nonsensical filler scenes that pass the time

2. The characters are very smart. FX uses his smarts to manipulate YSL and those around him for his benefit. Do I commend it? No. But you've got to hand it to the man. He knew what he wanted, did his homework, and used his crafty little brain to get it. It all bit him in the ass in the end, but I was still hella impressed

YSL is also impressive in his own right. I've been reading BL manga & manhua/hwa for just as long as I've been watching BLs. One thing I find unfortunate about the genre is how dumb the uke are usually written/portrayed.
YSL is not dumb. He might have ignored his instincts at first, but when those red flags and inconsistencies started blaring at him, bro got to the bottom of things. He's also very proactive in his life and job — he never relies on his rich, younger husband to help him out or further his career. He can stand on his own without FX.

3. Yu Shu Lang fights back - It should also be acknowledged that despite all he goes through (read the cruelty of FX), he still has a backbone. Despite all that FX does to cage and control him, YSL always fought back. Even when things looked bleak, he tried to find a way to get away from his insane boyfriend (ex, really, but FX never accepted that). Most Ukes you encounter (in books for me) usually just sit and cry. Or give up after 1 or 2 tries. YSL kept fighting.

4. The redemption - It takes a lot for Fan Xian to put a stop to his madness and finally leave YSL alone. But when he does, he follows through. Not fully — the man was truly obsessed — but he does his best. Not only does he repent, but he goes out of his way to not only try to give YSL the life that he had before him, but also to make it better and ease his loneliness and financial burden. Even when they find each other again, he does his best to leave him alone. He does secretly stalk him, so you know... gotta take what you get with this one.

5. I hear that we'll be getting special episodes sometime in the future. No idea when this will happen because, as of now, filming hasn't started. But whenever that happens, I'll be sat. I wonder how many episodes they'll give us

6. The chemistry - These two work great together. They were able to create such palpable tension. Their sweet moments — albeit largely shown in flashbacks — are beautiful to watch

🌊Things I Didn't Like/I'd Have Changed🌊
1. How The Eventual Breakup Happened - I find it unfortunate that YSL never quite managed to free himself. In his attempts to flee/leave, Fan Xiao was always 3 steps ahead of him. He got free because, in the end, FX allowed it.

If I'd been the writer of this story, Fan Xiao wouldn't have been the one to press 'send' on that email. YSL would've done it. He'd have sent that email with tears running down his face and curled up on the floor, sobbing. Because he loved FX and he knew what that email would lead to, but he'd have done it. Because at the end of the day, it was either his life or Fan Xiao, and he chose himself

2. Yi Ran, the actor who plays YSL, is very stiff — both in posture and in acting. From his actor page on this platform, he seems to be a pretty experienced actor. So I'm left wondering if this is how he acts in all the other productions or if this was a deliberate choice by the show's directors or producers. I've seen some of his clips where he's doing a live with Yun Qi floating on Twitter, and he's very expressive IRL, so, once again, I wonder where the disconnect is. Yun Qi is brand spanking new to the scene, so I'll cut him some slack. I will say, however, that for a new actor, he was pretty decent.

3. The last few episodes felt rushed - From ep 13, things started unfolding at wrap speed. Perhaps it's due to the budget, which affects the episode count, but it felt like chunks of the story were skipped over so they could complete the story within the allotted episode number. Even the last episode felt rushed. ABO Desire had 16 episodes, Revenged Love had 24. I think this should've had maybe 18 episodes. That would've allowed them to show us what all that happened from when FX went to jail till they reconciled

4. The kisses could've been better - Based on the tension and the sheer amount of kissing that was going on in this show, they could've done so much better. Part of me wants to say that maybe it's because it's a Chinese production and that's why we got what we got, but I feel like I'm settling. Not to compare but.... Revenged Love, anyone? They were so good.
Also, I feel like anyone who takes the job of making or acting in a BL (or GL) should commit. If kissing is needed, as a director, direct those scenes in the best way possible and let them shine as needed. As an actor, give it your all, or let others take your spot. Do not shortchange your audience

5. Episode 12 straight-up traumatized me. I didn't deserve that

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An entirely unnecessary season

When season 3 was hinted at at the end of the second season, I remember being hella skeptical. I, like many others online, thought that Netflix would ruin a perfectly good story. And we were right. The plot in this 3rd season made very little sense, and the ruined beloved characters.

👨🏻‍⚕️Arisu - He felt like the same person. Nothing about him was different. He was there to be his good guy, brilliant self, and that is what he did. Not even Kento Yamazaki's amazing acting could save such bland, boring characterization

🧗🏻‍♀️Usagi - They did her so dirty that it fucking hurts. I fail to understand the logic behind her trusting this random professor whom she met 2 weeks ago (as per the plot). I can understand her confessing her dreams to him - sometimes it's easier to talk to strangers about hard things than to do so with close friends or family.
But straight up trusting him enough to go away with him? To constantly protect him in the games and at times, pick his side over her husband's??? Hell nah. This isn't the Usagi we knew. She was loyal and trusting of Arisu. That's why they survived both seasons - because they trusted each other regardless of what was going on around them. This sudden shift, over a stranger no less, makes no sense

👩🏻‍⚕️Ann - Why was she here? To add another familiar face to the cast? She had no involvement in the plot. And it was never explained how she knew what was going on with the new borderland 'kidnappings', nor how she could see the psycho guy in blue.

🙍🏻‍♂️Psycho guy in blue (I forgot his name tbh) - His logic about bringing Arisu back to the bordelands was out with the birds. As someone mentioned, citizens do not participate in the games. Sure, some people stayed at the end of sn 2, but we never saw them in the new games, which suggests that they don't play.
If asked, I would say that perhaps they worked behind the scenes or maybe as plants in the games to further chaos - as we saw at the hotel in season 2(?). His whole thing with Arisu was framed as though he would actively participate in all games like the new borderland visitors (victims really). That doesn't quite work with the previous story and world-building. So, his whole plan to force Arisu to stay so he can be their entertainment was utterly nonsensical.

👨🏻‍🦽‍➡️Ryuji - And the award for the 'most selfish character goes to....🏆' *crowd boos*. His obsession had already led to the death of one woman. And now, he wants to drag another woman, Usagi, down with his madness. Also, can someone explain to me his weird attraction (?), obsession (?) with Usagi. Bro seemed like he was in love with her, and for the life of me, I still cannot figure out how that happened or why. Also, how was the man able to swim and even hold on to a struggling Usagi in such raging waters? My belief refuses to be suspended.
Another thing, when you think about it, his story doesn't quite add up. At 1st, we were told that he was obsessed with the borderlands. Then, towards the end, it changed to him being curious about the land of death, the land beyond the borderlands. This feels like terrible writing. Like they figured that they wanted to up the stakes afterwards and couldn't be bothered to make everything fit.
Also, if he was that curious about death, why not simply off himself? A smart person would know that once you truly die, there's no coming back. No coming to prove his research, receive awards for his studies... nothing. So what was all that for? Nway....The man who plays Ryuji is fine AF👀

The other new characters - I didn't quite connect with any enough to remember their names, but I will say that they weren't well-developed. Which is unfortunate, coz some did have great backstories. Namely, the drug addicted guy, the poor, bullied student, and the SAHM with the abusive husband.
The anime girl felt like she was there for the shock factor. Her backstory was confusing. The Mafia guy felt like he was written to mimic the guy who ran the hat shop with the friend, and the siblings were so badly done. The brother died for nothing

Final Thoughts
🃏What was supposed to be the message of this season? It felt like they were going for this profound message, but I for sure did not leave this season with an understanding of what that was😭
🃏They did hint at a possible fourth season in the finale, and I pray to God that that never happens. If you think I'm watching an American version of this, you're solely mistaken. I'm all for actors and people behind the scenes having jobs, but please not with this story. The people in those boardrooms and writers' rooms will continue to desecrate this story further and... No. Please, No.
🃏The games in this installment were also rather boring

Ps. I will say that it was nice to see the season 1&2 characters at the end of this season. If only they all remembered each other. I think that's the one thing I'm sad about. They all formed beautiful friendships during the course of those games, only to forget them😔

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Great start, mediocre progression and ending

The other day, I was scrolling Reddit and came across a post where the poster was making a list of dramas where the FL was just as into the ML as he was into her. The poster argued that their list stemmed from them being exhausted of dramas where the ML was always chasing the FL, while she all but ignored him or acted as a spectator in the relationship

Now, granted, the post was about straight couples, and the shows in question were Chinese dramas, but if the post were to encompass all kinds of dramas, this specific show would 100% not be included in that list.

Shizuma spent so much of his time chasing. He is very much the devoted husband who will do everything for his partner, even though his efforts almost always go unnoticed and unappreciated. Minato kept running. He was so hot and cold. Even his confession to Shizuma in the 2nd last episode felt like pulling teeth.

You could argue that Minato did that cause of his trauma, and I'd say back that in the year of the Lord 2025, therapy (actual therapy, using love to therapize yourself as this show does) is more accessible than it's ever been. Find that before finding a partner. As clearly shown here, skipping that very important step leads you to deeply or constantly hurt the other person.

Also, the show kept hinting at this huge secret about Minato's background (and thus his trauma) only for the whole thing to be sorted in like half an episode. All that buildup for nothing. You couldn't even feel the impact of it because of how quickly they 'resolved' it.

All in all, the show had a great premise, but it was unfortunately ruined by a lack of proper direction. Once Shizuma finds out about the whole bet thing, everything falls apart. I'd say the show tried to do too much with too little

📷The 2nd couple... eh🤷🏾‍♀️ They are very forgettable and don't add much to the overall story. If I had to define their role in the story, I'd call them 'explainers.'
📷The kissing and NC scenes... *insert deep sigh here*

Random question:
Uhh.. does anyone else get bugged by the fact that these characters wake up with perfectly styled hair? There is no bed-head with these people.

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Chaotic & Humorous... If Only The Ending Was Different

I have loved how consistent this story has been for the last 4 seasons. Mob does not want to be in a BL pairing, and he does all he can to avoid it. It's straightforward — they tell you what you're getting, and they stick to that. As a BL reader, watching all the tropes I've read about for years come alive on screen was such fun. And Mob's way of avoiding all the tropes/cliches was often hilarious and at times, absurd. But that's who Mob is, a funny, weirdo.

While I've enjoyed all four seasons, I'd have liked a different ending. The story says that he 'defies the world of BL'. He's been consistently doing that all along. I'd have liked an ending where the conclusion was that he actually managed to do it. Despite all the flags around him, some of which he had accidentally raised himself, he succeeded in staying 'unpaired' to the end. He finally won against the world of BL.

I feel like they used the author deciding his fate as a cop out. I felt that back in was it season 2 or 3 at the airport with Kikuchi, and I feel that now with the Hatano ending. For a character who was so smart and always thought things through — even though most of them were about how to escape all the romance — that ending with Hatano was lackluster.

How do you rationalize him avoiding him all this time, never showing any inclination to liking him, them having zero chemistry, then suddenly Hatano falls into his arms, and he agrees to wait for him for 3 years? Yeah, nah. You could argue that this is BL logic, and if it were any other character in the show, I'd have agreed, but not with Mob. That type of logic does not fit the type of character we know him to be.

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