This review may contain spoilers
Day is Awful, Mhok is Great, Series was Okay....
Now to be fair, I started watching this right after finishing "I Feel You Linger In The Air" (which had me in tears - something extremely rare for any piece of media to do). Given how highly this is rated, not to mention the great premise, I jumped at it. I figured I was already on the emotional rollercoaster, might as well go for broke...but yeah...no.
Mhok:
Early on I adored the interactions between Day and Mhok. The banter was top-notch and really made me fall for Mhok's character, especially with the backstory he was given. I had seen the actor before in Bad Buddy and his performance in the beginning of this show didn't disappoint and left me eager for the next episode - at first. It didn't take long for everything I loved about the character to be washed away, leaving Mhok as nothing more than a plot device for Day. While we saw fleeing moments of his spunky personality, it was rare and completely non-existent by the end.
Mhok is like the most well seasoned steak that was waved in front of us, then is taken to the sink to have all the spices washed off after we've been teased with it. By the end of the show he's not even recognizable as the same character from the beginning. You can cry character development all you like, but all I saw was character assassination - right down to his very wardrobe. Out of everything I didn't like about this series, this, in my opinion, was the worst offense. How did he go from a bad boy with fart shirts and jeans that had more holes than fabric to a pitiful caricature in polo shirts that begs a jerk to take him back and thanks them for their mistreatment? Come on....they did his character so, so dirty.
Day:
I'd like to say they did the same character assassination to Day, but honestly, he started as a brat and ended as an even bigger brat who wouldn't know how to apologize if it hit him in the face with a brick. The way he treated everyone was just awful. Disability or no, you don't treat people like that and he never once took accountability for his actions or treatment of others. He simply has no excuse other than being an petulant child incapable of maturity unless the plot called for it.
Example: This guy seems to be really into Mhok, then suddenly it's 'haha, fooled you I'm actually crushing on an old friend and I don't like you at all because you aren't my type.' Wait, what?! I was so confused. Episodes of building up their obvious mutual attraction - for what? Then to make it worse, he nearly instantly FORGIVES said friend for kissing him out of pity, yet heartlessly dumps Mhok because he didn't want to take a job in another country which would force him from Day's side? He says it's because Mhok pitied him but I never saw that at all and, again, the fact he'd dump and then block his number for three years for one lie (which he had good reason for) while practically insta-forgiving being pity-kissed and led on by his crush is laughable in a bad way. Like, you can be mature about the guy who literally used you, but not with the guy who actually loves you? Uh-huh. Make it make sense, writers.
Honestly, by episode 06 I was already so over the show and had to force myself to watch to the end - all because of how awful Day's personality was. Honestly, how can you act like you're into someone, to then only show interest in someone else, to then hurt the person you first showed interest in, only to turn around and change you mind 'just because', then continually hurt that person over and over again while claiming to love them? That's just toxic and Mhok deserved better.
Side Characters:
While Mhok initially stole my heart, Night stole the show - with what few scenes they gave him. He did NOT deserve all the BS from his mom and Day. None of it was his fault. Honestly, if he and Phojai had this show done through their perspective, I'd have rather have watched that because they were AMAZING and had fantastic chemistry. Such a waste. It's sad when I care exponentially more about side characters I barely see than the main couple. Also, the mother was such a horrible, controlling piece of work. Literally the worst, just like her youngest son. I get where she was coming from, but wow did she take it too far to the point it was cringeworthy and really in bad taste. Also, just a small rant but I have to say it - it bothers me to no end that Day can be fine with his mother pitying him and treating him differently, but Mhok shows a single moment of weakness (the weakness is wanting to stay with Day) and that's just too much? Again, make it make sense, writers.
Overall:
Honestly, there's a lot more I could say. The ending, the father, the time skips, the excessive amount of product placement for that tea and berry milk....sigh. All that said, I don't blame the actors at all. They were on point and did great with what they were given but what they were given was just bad. That said I didn't really feel any chemistry between Mhok and Day at all - it just wasn't there and the intimate scenes were pretty stiff and cringeworthy more often than not. Mhok really tried, but it seemed as if every time Mhok kissed him, that Day was afraid of getting cuties or something. I haven't seen kissing that stiff since Seven Days (which was, admittedly, still the worst kissing scene I've ever watched in any media so far). Again, no shade to the actors, it happens and for the most part everyone did a great job with what they were given. Also had no problems with the music and the cinematography was on point as well.
Even so, I honestly don't get why this is rated as highly as it is. Maybe I just have bad taste, I don't know. All I know is that the series was just okay. I mean, I've watched worse, probably even enjoyed worse.... I guess I simply had too high of expectations and at the end of the day simply wasn't able to connect to the main character in any positive way.
Mhok:
Early on I adored the interactions between Day and Mhok. The banter was top-notch and really made me fall for Mhok's character, especially with the backstory he was given. I had seen the actor before in Bad Buddy and his performance in the beginning of this show didn't disappoint and left me eager for the next episode - at first. It didn't take long for everything I loved about the character to be washed away, leaving Mhok as nothing more than a plot device for Day. While we saw fleeing moments of his spunky personality, it was rare and completely non-existent by the end.
Mhok is like the most well seasoned steak that was waved in front of us, then is taken to the sink to have all the spices washed off after we've been teased with it. By the end of the show he's not even recognizable as the same character from the beginning. You can cry character development all you like, but all I saw was character assassination - right down to his very wardrobe. Out of everything I didn't like about this series, this, in my opinion, was the worst offense. How did he go from a bad boy with fart shirts and jeans that had more holes than fabric to a pitiful caricature in polo shirts that begs a jerk to take him back and thanks them for their mistreatment? Come on....they did his character so, so dirty.
Day:
I'd like to say they did the same character assassination to Day, but honestly, he started as a brat and ended as an even bigger brat who wouldn't know how to apologize if it hit him in the face with a brick. The way he treated everyone was just awful. Disability or no, you don't treat people like that and he never once took accountability for his actions or treatment of others. He simply has no excuse other than being an petulant child incapable of maturity unless the plot called for it.
Example: This guy seems to be really into Mhok, then suddenly it's 'haha, fooled you I'm actually crushing on an old friend and I don't like you at all because you aren't my type.' Wait, what?! I was so confused. Episodes of building up their obvious mutual attraction - for what? Then to make it worse, he nearly instantly FORGIVES said friend for kissing him out of pity, yet heartlessly dumps Mhok because he didn't want to take a job in another country which would force him from Day's side? He says it's because Mhok pitied him but I never saw that at all and, again, the fact he'd dump and then block his number for three years for one lie (which he had good reason for) while practically insta-forgiving being pity-kissed and led on by his crush is laughable in a bad way. Like, you can be mature about the guy who literally used you, but not with the guy who actually loves you? Uh-huh. Make it make sense, writers.
Honestly, by episode 06 I was already so over the show and had to force myself to watch to the end - all because of how awful Day's personality was. Honestly, how can you act like you're into someone, to then only show interest in someone else, to then hurt the person you first showed interest in, only to turn around and change you mind 'just because', then continually hurt that person over and over again while claiming to love them? That's just toxic and Mhok deserved better.
Side Characters:
While Mhok initially stole my heart, Night stole the show - with what few scenes they gave him. He did NOT deserve all the BS from his mom and Day. None of it was his fault. Honestly, if he and Phojai had this show done through their perspective, I'd have rather have watched that because they were AMAZING and had fantastic chemistry. Such a waste. It's sad when I care exponentially more about side characters I barely see than the main couple. Also, the mother was such a horrible, controlling piece of work. Literally the worst, just like her youngest son. I get where she was coming from, but wow did she take it too far to the point it was cringeworthy and really in bad taste. Also, just a small rant but I have to say it - it bothers me to no end that Day can be fine with his mother pitying him and treating him differently, but Mhok shows a single moment of weakness (the weakness is wanting to stay with Day) and that's just too much? Again, make it make sense, writers.
Overall:
Honestly, there's a lot more I could say. The ending, the father, the time skips, the excessive amount of product placement for that tea and berry milk....sigh. All that said, I don't blame the actors at all. They were on point and did great with what they were given but what they were given was just bad. That said I didn't really feel any chemistry between Mhok and Day at all - it just wasn't there and the intimate scenes were pretty stiff and cringeworthy more often than not. Mhok really tried, but it seemed as if every time Mhok kissed him, that Day was afraid of getting cuties or something. I haven't seen kissing that stiff since Seven Days (which was, admittedly, still the worst kissing scene I've ever watched in any media so far). Again, no shade to the actors, it happens and for the most part everyone did a great job with what they were given. Also had no problems with the music and the cinematography was on point as well.
Even so, I honestly don't get why this is rated as highly as it is. Maybe I just have bad taste, I don't know. All I know is that the series was just okay. I mean, I've watched worse, probably even enjoyed worse.... I guess I simply had too high of expectations and at the end of the day simply wasn't able to connect to the main character in any positive way.
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