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ITS JUST A GAY BUSINESS
This is a trap - a Business Gay Performance, and im a sucker cause I fell for it.As a KPOP fan, i loved the concept. Also, as a KPOP fan, i felt disrespected.
Like some of the other Korean BLs out there, i dont know why they couldn't just add maybe 5 or 10 more minutes in each episode to make the story a little bit more cohesive and enjoyable. Its such a waste cause there are so many hints that this could be a good show.
Its the story of an idol Eden, being selected and paired with Jihoon to be in a duo, What 's unique is that they are marketing the group as a gay lover - supposed to be just a business concept, only for the pair to really fall for each other.
There are too many characters and too many subplots but everything felt rushed. They spent so much time with the antagonist, when they could have used that time to build up the chemistry between the main leads and show us when or how the two exactly fell for each other. In episode 7 and 8, i kept checking the runtime cause it feels like the show is just rushing to go to the end and yet I still havent seen what I wanted to see between the 2 leads. Unfortunately as i feared, the show ended too soon without giving any satisying ending. This is a problem with translating a 40-chapter webtoon into an eight 15-minute drama.
It is such a shame really cause the leads are very charming - and Nine kept reminding me of a young Seo Kang Joon. They were both amatuer-ish but they both did enough to be likeable. a few times I was on the verge of really caring about their characters but the show just didnt show enough to make me really reach that level.
I wont forget that cringy scene in the plane where they were both holding hands and sleeping head to head with a smile on their faces looking so uncomfortable when they both could very well be sleeping comfortably in that cushy business class seats even if they were holding hands.
From the onset it felt like a small project conjured up to promote the idol group. The "Business Gay Performance" using homosexuality as a concept was a little bit offensive if you think about it and at first i was thinking they were trying to mock and expose it, but by the end I felt even more ashamed of myself for being a fool and falling for it, even though they were clearly saying FROM THE BEGINNING that this is a Business Gay show and nothing more.
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Season 1 was fun and engaging, this one is just a snoozefest - i cant remember how many times i dozed off while watching the entire season. This whole season is a continuation of season 1 which could have been done in 1 or 2 episodes. Scenes in each episodes are stretched far too long, just boys trying to be cute, with zero sense to what they were saying and doing.
There were so many things to hate:
1) almost all students in this boys school are gay with very few straight characters who dont even matter;
2) gay teacher who engages in online chat with student;
3) forced coupling (lukmo and yok);
4) oversexed high school student (book and frame);
5) i thought the jean issue would never end;
6) inconsistent characters (Nine, Rodtang, Fing)
7) absent parents who allow high school kids to live on their own with almost no supervision, parents who let other people care for their kid in the hospital, and those parents who are present but were mostly annoyance;
8) did i say the whole season was stretched far too long, the pacing was so slow, there were so many filler moments and just boys staring and sweettalking to each other that doest add to the whole story. By the end of this series, im also almost annoyed with the 2 main leads.
Just run away, skip this series. Just read the plot summary and be done with it, no need to torture yourself by watching this.
Im only giving this an overall 5.5 just because Ohm and Boom are so cute.
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Loved the Series, Hate the Format
I dont care what others say, i reallly hate this 2minute vertical series format - something that is designed and meant to be watched on your phones especially for short attention spanned viewers.Its a shame really because this series was actually good and could have been great. Ther story was simple but ample enough plus eventhough a lot of the cast is unrecognizeable but they all did a really good job. The main leads are really good looking and are very likeable plus they really did a good job. The music could is good too.
The format just didnt give the show enough time to breathe. Sometimes there are scenes when i felt like i missed or skipped something, The pacing felt rushed. I also dont understand why it has to be vertical. Didnt the makers know we can flip the phone sideways to make a wider view?
Imagine if this was a proper series, at least an 8 episode with 20 to 30 minutes each. They could have developed everything properly and gave us viewers enough time to bask in all its glory. It could have been so much bigger than it is right now but instead of being a great one, it felt like an easy to watch series that is also easy to forget.
I dont blame the creators for wanting to capture the GenZ audience and realeasing it in this format. Maybe there really is a market for this because there is already a few of these type out there. What im sugesting is if they want to keep doing it like this then maybe just release a fuller version of the same series in a more traditional format.
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SHORT AND SWEET
Four (technically five) short easy to watch, fun and sweet episodes.I enjoyed every minute with Sky and James although i have to say that the time spent with the girl characters to provide comic relief were all wasted - time that could have been better spent in further developing the 2 leads' love story.
However with that said, even though i am left wanting to see more, i still feel like the story of James and Sky is complete enough and i am glad they didnt leave any unfinished story. This is a good series and i felt like my heart was lifted after the last episode.
Kudos to the team and to the actors. Overall rating 8.0.
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WITHOUT THE BL, IT IS A LOSER
I really wanted to like this series. I tried it because of the BL element but what we get is only about 25% of BL goodness and 70% of annoying trio of negligible main characters. What about the 5%, you asked? It is for Lee and Sing who are like the not-so-good fairy godmothers.Lets talk about the LOSER so we can get him out of the way. Yes, I understand that the main character IS a loser but Oh is a whiny and perverted character and even if he is bullied he is just hard to feel sorry for. What's worse is when he goes home his mother bullies him too (telling him he is good for nothing) and everything is setup to be a light comedy scene as if nothing bad is happening at school. No bullying should be comedy. And even fter the makeover transformation he still feels like a Loser.
I wrote about the female lead initially but in this edit can we just pretend she never existed.
The saving grace is the BL element. Yes, plus points for Sun for being definitely gay and eventhough In's character is confused and confusing, Pluem's cuteness kind of overcomes the negative parts. And comeon, his singing voice is just golden. No kissing scenes and the ending for these 2 was not as satisfying as i hoped for but i forgive them for continuing their story in another series. InSun deserves a series of their own.
Rewatchability 6.0 - if you are a BL fan just watch the InSun supercut. Total score 6.5 just because of InSun without them its a 4.5.
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FULLY BLOOMED
I have to commend the show for showing us that short series doesnt have to feel rushed. With 11 episodes of about 12 minutes each, the series was beautifully developed and delivered with just the right pacing.I loved that almost all scenes (and characters) felt important with minimal fillers, sprinkled with just the right amount of cuteness, sillyness, adult kissing (and lovemaking) and a few obligatory shirtless trap scenes.
It also doesnt hurt that we got two very good looking and capable leads. Im not sure if it was intentional but the awkward acting of Jo Kyuk Joon somehow worked for his mysterious emo character, and Kang Eun Bin is like a younger Kim Min Jae, and i mean it in a good way.
On the other side, the series reminded me of the anxieties i felt while watching all other beauty transformation series that tried to deal with leaving an old life behind and trying to live with a somewhat fake beautiful identity to get acceptance - only this time, we see it from a guy's point of view. Or are we?
Cha Si Won can be played by a male or female actor without needing to change any of the script. The series was trying to say love is love and it has no gender, by emitting (or ignoring) any mention of homosexuality. However that for me was the weakness of the show - because in reality, same sex relationship isnt all rainbows and butterflies, and it could have added another layer to the love story of SiWon and Da Un. There are so many BL series nowadays who prefer to take this route and to be frank, it acts as a double edge sword that can sometimes work but sometimes can undermine serious gender issues and over romanticize the idea of an unconditional love.
The fact that they showed the mother feeling scandalized by being portrayed as a bad mother and yet has no concern about having a kid being in a same sex relationship, may prove to be a little too unrealistic and unrepresentative of the situation on the ground.
To be honest, what we have here is a shortened watery version of My ID is Gangnam Beauty.
Would i reccommend? Yes, definitely.
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The only problem is the continuity of the show. Is continuity too hard to remember by the writers? In the previous series:
1. It was revealed that the friends knew about PeteKao in the Kiss series, why the F did they forget about it in this series?
2. Kao was intially portrayed as a photographer in Kiss me Again, even being able to take a job because of it. But then here they showed Pete as the photographer and Kao was acting like he didnt know how to use professional camera, even asking Pete to teach him.
3. The houses - pete and Kao's houses were entirely different from the other series. I know Pete is rich, but then here they are kind of showing that Kao is not as rich. Did they become poorer to end up selling their house from KissMeAgain?
And then again, ill say it one more time TayNew is reason enough for me to watch the show, so im giving it an 8.5. Please, if anybody can tell me where to buy Pete, im in desperate need of one.
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Off really looked like a matinee idol here, and Gun is such a believable actor. And that train scene?!
No cheesy high school-like scenarios. The story and the lines are well written for the age of the characters. Thoroughly enjoyable. This is the first Thai BL so far that i wished there were more than 12 episodes, i almost didnt watch the last episode cause i didnt want it to end.
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TOO SHORT!
Its not short and sweet, it is too short! I need more!I love watching short series because netflix trained me to binge and its a torture to wait episodes weekly. However, the fact that i am wishing there were more episodes or at least longer ones is a testament that i fell in love with these characters and i would have love to see more, and to know more about their issue and characters.
Things i love:
1. Pacing
2. No mention of the word gay or homosexual or whatever their preference is.
3. No unnecessary dragging of the conflict. They were both adult enough to discuss and solve it.
4. Just the right amount of intimacy, and nooky nooky.
5. And lets not kid ourselves, Jang Eui Soo is so sexy even his hair deserves its own series.
Like i said, i want more. Maybe they can release an extended version. Will i recommend? Definitely!
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Heartwarming and Heartbreaking
This is one of the few BL mangas that Ive read, and this is a very faithful adaptation with very little seasonal modification. To be honest, im not even sure if we should consider this a BL drama. This is not for everyone - so be warned.The series feels funny at the beginning but its masking a very sad, serious and depressing tale.
Koki saw an angel just as he was passing out after being stabbed. He woke up and recovered and when he went home he saw the angel - now devoid of his memory and with broken wings, the feathers falling off and is affected by koki's feelings. While spending the days trying to figure out how to heal the angel's wings, theyd'd discover the truth about themselves and become each other's strength. Later on they decided to date - and just as things cannot get any better, the angel felt that his wings are healed and is ready to fly, suddently diappearing. Was he really an angel, did he really appear to Koki, or was he just an imagination? Upon a visit by Koiki's mother, she saw a small feather - and that gave Koki the strength and hope that the angel wasnt imagination after all. he was real - and he will live his life. Or did he?
I was dreading to watch the last episode- after all, we all know from the start that this is a temporary setup. Seeing Takashina disappear and Koki realizing he is gone for real broke my heart. He knew that once he helped the angel heal his wings he will be gone for good and yet he cannot NOT help him. He loved him selflessly.
If not for the supernatural angle, the story between the main leads is a little suspect and can be uncomfortable at times- Koki was an adult man and Takashina is actually just in middle school so the age gap is a little concerning. The casting, however, is perfect! They pacing is as fast as the manga and everything was focused into advancing the story.
But like i said in the beginning, this series is heartwarming and gives hope, but it is also equaly heartbreaking. Its not for those looking for light and racy scenes, and if Im being honest, the ending could be translated into different things, but when the angel said he could have taken it slower - it could have meant Koki died too soon or he did eventually took his own life anyway.
Either way, im giving it a 9.0 for being different and for making me feel all lthese feelings i never thought id want to feel.
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Fluff, fluff and fluff filled with so much fillers and sprinkled with a few unneeded NC17 scenes.
This is hard to write - there was a lot of hype and i must confess that i fell inlove with the series in its first few episodes that i kinda overlooked all its shortcomings. It has all the elements of a Domundi series - extra rich leading men paired with very young (immature) boys; the extra super cute boys; and the almost obligatory sex scenes. However, through all the sheen and all the beautiful faces, it is an overstretched storytelling aimed to check all the BL boxes and offers nothing really new.
First let me discuss the good things i loved:
1. The very good looking cast - Thomas, o Thomas, where have you been hiding all this time (he actually caught my attention in that ill-fated The Middleman's Love Story but since he was just almost just an extra there i immediately forgot about him) - this series has poised him to be a star. Kong is just adorable. Do i need to mention how cute Por and TeeTee are? And of course Save ang AuAu.
2. Marakot's Babe!
3. If you put your critical thinking hat off, this show can be really enjoyable - Its just light and easy series to watch. And oh, have i mentioned Thomas?
Now the things that i find a little eyerolling:
1. Teerak is just too bubbly of a character for me - almost like he is living in his own Glinda bubble. This very child-like behavior also makes me think that the guy is not ready for a mature relationship -he is like a 13 year old boy wanting to be an adult all of
a sudden. The kiss-me-on-the-hair antic is ok at the beginning but it turned too cringy and borderlined overacting - imagine having a college dude acting like that in real lfe - it can be really really annoying. Plus, that fake girlfriend angle, can you really imagine Teerak having a girlfriend - the dude is a walking flower dashed with a few drops of mist and with its own ray of sunshine. THe girlfriend angle IS SO UNNECESSARY.
2. Can somebody please tell these recent wave of writers that a teenage-looking boy isnt believable as ultra successful CEOs or high level executives? They just arent. Even if you are from a rich family, it takes a certain pedigree and maturity to actually run a company. Muenfah is still just a baby. Somebody in Domundi has a fetish for hot looking young CEOs, i get the appeal, but a line has to be drawn somewhere - and they didnt have to use the same character type in every show.
3. Mike is too good for this role and too out of place in this series - im sorry to say but he looks too old to portray a college student next to the other members of the cast.
4. The school project exhibition. After making Muenfah an impossibly young college student/business owner the series came up with a story line for Teerak that he and his friends are suposed to present (and exhibit) their big big project - only to come up with Teerak's strawberry eating fox figurines in that snow-filled forest (which by the way they didnt even bother to make a snowy background), Joy's crochet keychains, and Punlee's silkscreen printed shirts. Really? They are college stidents and thats all they can come up with? And they passed with flying colors? Muenfah is closing big business deals and thats the arc you come up with for Teerak?
5. With the materials and footage that they had (and lack thereof) they could have compressed it to an 8-episode series and it will still be an enjoyable compact series. If they really needed to make it a 12-episode series they could have elevated the 2 other pairs to secondary lead status because for heavens sake they already casted 3 (or 4) very good looking pairs but did not utilize them all properly. I would have loved to see more of Real-Hia, Babe-Dom, and my babies Punlee-Klaijai (i could have used more of that flirting scene at the coffee shop).
Overall, its an easy series to watch. I would love to see more from these actors in the future, but Domundi has to spend a little bit more money for good script and extensie acting workshops. Will i recommend? A big-fat YES! WIll i rewatch - just to ogle at those cute boys.
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Extended Fan Service Special Episodes
I was only asking for maybe a couple of episodes just to tie up the original series properly, but instead we got 5!Its an obvious attempt to correct the shortcomings of 2gether and im glad that the relationship between Wat and Tine doesnt feel like bromance anymore. What i appreciated even more is the better screentime for Mil and Phukong, for Man and Type, and yes even for Dim and Green, oh and Boss and Pear.
Its supposed to be an easy to watch teeny boppy romance so lower your expectations and just enjoy the ride.
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Queen Go Hyun Jung
If there's one thing to summarize the entire series - it is to establish Go Hyun Jung as the queen.This gripping and dark slowburn thriller is an exaggerated study of genes vs nurture - is someone pre-disposed to be something because of your blood or do we actually have the freedom to shape what we want to be according to our freewill and upbringing?
Okay lets backtrack a litlle bit, because there was a bit of backlash when the show was airing when they revealed that the copycat killer is a trans character but we also have to understand that this is an adaptation and the same backlash happened during the airing of the original french series which it was based on. Yes in the original the copycat was also a transwoman.
I know the progressives hated that twist and most of the question hovered around the reasoning they had to demonize a transwoman. I have a little bit of theory about the reason and i know a lot of people will hate it. Here it goes - a boy was brutally abused by his father and a woman came to save his life - yes the killing was sloppy and irresponsible but to his eyes it was also empowering and it set him free. He idolized the woman who defeated the demon for him and he fashioned a new life to MIRROR the life of his saviour - thats why he chose to become a woman. Was he actually a transperson or was he just copying the queen mantis? That is the mystery. I didnt see it as an attack to the trans community.
For me this show is a lot better than the original - first and foremost is the acting - Go Hyun Jung's Jung I Sin is so different from the original and made the role her own, her acting was subtle and so much scarier - that scene when she pulled and strangled the first suspect (which is not ont he original) is etched in my mind as it was so calculating believable awesome and terrifying. Jang Dong Yoon also did an excellent job as Cha Su Yeol who showed so much more vulnerability and his dynamics with Jung I Shin is much more believable compared to the original. The support cast also did a good job.
I also liked how they changed the ending a little bit which made it more effective like when Jung I Shil overpowered and stabbed Seo A Ra ,and when she actually prevented her son from killing her father (which kept him from becoming a criminal himself) and did it herself through that fire. And that open-ended ending - were they hoping to do a season 2?
The makeup to deglamorize Go Hyun Jung was also spot on and perfect for the character.
Would i reccommend? Yes the acting alone makes it worth it. Would i rewatch? Probably not as the topic is too heavy for repeated viewing. Overall i give it an 8.
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Wonderful People in a Wonderful World
"In the middle of life's journey, I got lost and wandered. No matter how much time passes,losing someone precious to you will always be lonesome. I will try to keep going. If i keep going, one day the pain will lessen. I hope all those grieving find comfort. I hope the world will be more friendly to those in pain. I hope a beautiful world will come while you overcome your pain."I never thought a story of revenge and salvation can be this satisfying.
Full on heavy drama shows are never my priority to watch. With so much content nowadays, you have to have a list of priority and this initially wasnt in my top, but i ended up eagerly waiting for each episodes. This series is anxiety-inducing but is also satisfying and inspirational.
The first episode hooks you in. The perfect perfect casting of Kin Nam Joo and Kim Kang Woo as perfect husband and wife Eun Soo Hyun and Hang Soo Ho, and parents who tragically lost their kid due to a an accident. The accident and the justice system's inability to punish the criminals made Soo Hyun take matters in to her hands - destryoing her once perfect life by killing the man responsible for the death of her son. This is the story of her (and her husband's) disappointments, healing, salvation and triumph.
The series also introduced us to Gwon Seon Yul. A man-child seeking revenge to those who have destryoed his family - with a surprise casting of Cha Eun Woo. The character needed the depth of someone who has lost everything in life - someone you are supposed to despise but is too good looking to hate. He fits the bill perfectly and I am pleasantly surprised with how well he acted in this series - i never thought Id say this but with the right direction he has finally proven something and has indeed become an Actor here.
Fanatics beware this is the part were i say some things you might hate. The story, to be quite honest, is not really unique - in fact a lot of times it verges on the typical melodrama soap opera. The overall plot is predictable and we can see from a mile away who the real culprit is. The attempt to make Seon Yul's character the fadeaway villain is also not convincing - like I said in the last pharagraph Cha Eun Woo is just too good looking to hate and you know all their efforts for a fakeout is not believable. Also, I am sorry to say but for me, the pacing too can sometimes be a little slow (I watched most of it in 1.25 speed) with a lot of emphasis on quiet, thinking scenes.
With all that said, this is still a very satisfying and inspirational series and the series finale was executed beautifully - tieing up Soo Hyun and Seon Yul's storeis perfectly and leaving viewers with a feeling of hope that no matter how dire their cumstances are, good things are still bound to happen and that no matter how hard life is, thare are still wonderful people and this is still a wonderful world to live in.
Maybe a hard sell for a rewatch, but seeing it one time is enough to send its message. Overall its a 9.5, especially for the acting and direction. A show most reccommendable to watch.
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However, this series has also created some of the most annoying characters on TV, ever - Aim, Jeed and Earn. Its not that these characters were written to be antagonists of the show - the characters, the way they were acted and the artists - were all annoying. Id like to scratch my tv everytime I see Jeed smirk on screen. These 3 characters were so unrealistic and unbelievable in their parts that everytime I see them on screen I just want to click fast forward. Grace was a villain and to say that i li ked her more than Jeed is just a testament of how annoying this Jeed character is.
Ive rated rewatch value to 6 because it is just painful to watch 36 episodes. If its 36 episodes of Phun and Noh being cute together, i would have rated it a 10. I give this an overall rating of 8, again, just because of Phun and Noh and if i can remove the Jeed, Aim and Earn from the whole series I would have given this series an overall rating of 10 - so just keep your remote handy and click when you see Jeed and Aim and Earn.
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