Blkittykat

Campy Vampires

They most certainly did not take anything they created seriously, and that may be why I enjoyed it more than I thought I would.

The entire feeling of this series was unseriousness. I could never take anyone or anything they did seriously because it was always over the top and accompanied by loud music to create a comedy effect. It worked because this was by far, the best series the leads have worked in together.

I don't want to be the one comparing their previous works to this one, first off, because story wise, the three couldn't be more different. This is the only series, by the way, which had an actual story and a proper setting, and although most of it was completely ridiculous all the time, and although it had a ton of inconsistencies and “because the script said so” moments, they managed to keep the campy vibes throughout, so it didn't matter that the plot didn't make sense, I doubt they ever wanted it to make sense.

Even the characterisation felt better this time around, no more whiny, bratty or stone faced characters who have the emotional depth of a puddle. Despite being written as comedic characters, they managed to have some kind of personality, and sort of likeable ones at that. This extends to all the other characters as well, even in the moments where they came off a little over the top, I believe it was just to enhance the comedy, but character wise, they were written to have much more depth than I anticipated.

One thing which I absolutely hated though, was the lack of consent. It also happened so many times over, in almost every NC scene. Non con kissing, doing things while the other person is unconscious, it was atrocious. The series would have been better off having removed every one of these scenes, I reduced my rating significantly because of those.

Overall, since it had around 8 episodes and a truck load of characters and storylines, not much should be expected when watching it. Watching it primarily as a campy comedy may work though, where else will you find vampires with no powers using red wine as a blood substitute?

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I was promised food..

This may be one of my lowest rated J BLs. Sucks when something promising turns out that way. Nevermind that it was riddled with clichés like the returning ex, subpar communication, break ups over silly reasons just to reconcile, no, the biggest problem I had with this was somehow none of the above.

It was the leads. I still can't figure out why they liked each other, except for a small love at first sight moment. What came after was a cute beginning which then dove into the cliché landfill, only to come out with underdeveloped characters and an underwhelming relationship. It certainly didn't help that one of the male leads was so hot and cold, he was sure of what he wanted, until he wasn't.

Now all of this could have been slightly salvaged, if they had chemistry. IF. They did for a while, too bad it was just in the last couple of episodes. It's a jump from not being able to understand why they like each other to believing they do, and it just didn't work.

I'm not really angry about the lack of food, (although it would have helped the rating) because there were tiny moments I guess. It sucks though, because I can appreciate a good love at first sight story, but they didn't quite nail it here.

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I am my own worst enemy

Have you watched Khemjira?
Are you interested in a discounted version?
Well let me introduce you to My Secret of Seer - now with an extension pack including a karmic debt, love triangles, and a shirtless rabbit ghost!

I'm serious, this is like a badly made version of Khemjira and I don't know how else to explain it. If you've watched them both, it's very easy to make the connection, the only difference may be the fact that Por Khru himself needs protection and the one who can do it is Khem. Everything else is pretty much the same or very similar.

We've got the karmic debt that won't stop chasing Win, our seer, and it's definitely going to catch up to him before he completes 26. The solution? Seek someone out with great karmic energy (I think). He finds this person, Phleong, almost immediately but then this isn't really brought up again until episode 8.

Because the only thing consistent about this series were the dreams Win had where he was haunted by discount store Darth Vader. Otherwise we spend the episodes watching our seer and his friends trying to establish themselves as influencers, get invited to ghost podcasts or go ghost hunting in places haunted by ghosts who are irrelevant to the plot.

There are several plotlines that run parellel to Win's struggles to find out who is haunting him, including ones where his friend tries to harm him because his crush has a crush on Win, unnamed employees who get major screentime dealing with relationship problems that Win can somehow handle - I don't know a lot of it was nonsense.

There are several characters who are seemingly important to the plot pop in one episode and disappear the next, completely irrelevant in retrospect of course. It was all so weird and disjointed.

After all that, was the romance even good? It SUCKED. The leads had zero chemistry and zero personality. Phleong's only dialogue was "I don't believe in ghosts" and for being a good seer, Win's favourite dialogue sure was "I don't know". He didn't know anything.

And the final reveal was the worst of the lot. It made no sense and was such a terrible explanation to close out what was truly an awful series. The acting was bad, I didn't like any of the couples and I was bored out of my mind.

Do yourself a favour - if you're looking for a good, scary BL with shamans and past lives and the sort, just watch Khemjira.

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Light On Me - version Noir

The similarities between those two ends at the four leads, there is quite literally no comparison between the two in terms of themes, or cinematography or story, but both are, in their own rights, some of the best K Dramas I've seen.

This stuff is DARK. Messed up and will mess up your head with a hundred thoughts. The plot is all over the place but so intricately and most importantly, flawlessly connected, that even though it takes around six episodes for all the dots to connect, you can step back and take a look at the bigger picture in the last two and just sigh in awe. The story will keep you on edge, it never got boring even for a second and I truly envy everyone who gets to binge all eight episodes because this is not something you can wait patiently for.

The characters: simply brilliant. The way they were written, of course, but some of them were brilliant as is. The four leads are four very distinct characters, they might share some similar traits but at the end of the day, they're very different. Writing them in such a way not only made for a great plot, but also made for some very interesting internal struggles for the viewers. Trust me, everyone I watched with had a minute deciphering the actions and motivations of the characters.

The acting, the cinematography, the music: all brilliant. They used so much symbolism to foreshadow major plot points, which once again alludes to the moments when you look at the big picture in the last two episodes and just go.. wow..
There were so many plot twists and surprise reveals, one after the other and just wrapping your head around everything that's going on can easily take an hour after each episode, but it is so worth it.

There is one other similarity between Light On Me and Secret Relationships though, now that I think about it, one of the characters is an absolute cinnamon roll and I love him.
Irregardless (he is genuinely amazing), watching this gave my brain some great exercise, I already feel a gaping hole and it hasn't even been an hour since I watched the finale. This is truly one of the best dramas I've watched in a while, scratch that, one of the best dramas I've ever watched.

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This just might be the best of the Girl Next Room series. It’s funny, wholesome and just so pure. This series also boasts an excellent cast with Mild, Off, Mek and Apple. Sort of like a mini Ugly duckling Dont reunion. If only Victor was part of the cast. After waiting patiently for ten weeks I was finally able to watch this series and I was not disappointed. If you told someone that this series is just Mild and Off screaming for 45 minutes, you would probably be right!

THE STORY:
The story follows Duchess aka Danglek, whose only goal in life is to get rich. She does just that once grown up, but now longs to be accepted into the Rich club, to affirm her status. She discovers that entry into the Rich club is by acceptance only, and also that her childhood crush, Khunkao studies in the same university as her. She also bumps into Krathing, who she views as a chatter box and an irritant. She though has a secret. She was poor before. When Krathing discovers this, he begins to extort her for money in exchange for keeping her secret. The rest of the series follows the aftermath of these events.

THE ACTING:
I mean? Should I say anything? The cast is perfect in every way. Off and Mild could literally play themselves and the story wouldn’t change. The characters are spunky, sweet, extremely likeable and just very well written. Even the Richy Angels ( The mean girls ) are not that bad. Every character is perfect. I feel like I have to mention Apple. From Ozone, to Honey, to Yuri/Yuki, she has range man!

THE PRODUCTION:
I can say without doubt this is the best of the anthology.

THE OST:
Nothing that great.

THE NEGATIVE:
Why is everyone so obsessed with being rich man? I’ve got to side with Krathing on this one. Not all rich people are nice. The obsession to get into that rich club and the obliviousness about it’s actually is astounding! Also, the way they treated Duchess in episode 4 was disgusting.

THE ENDING:
I KNEW IT!!!!! I KNEW IT! I knew that Khunkao and Krathing were related. I knew Krathing was the one who bought her the glasses. Swoon. Oh man, that was the sweetest ending ever. That hug!! So cute. Ugh, when will I find love like that.

While this series has several characters from the other parts of the series, it can easily be watched alone. Hope everybody watches this series and hope this review was helpful. Thank You!

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Hello Stranger is what you imagine a quarantine love story to be like and it delivers. Most hate to love relationships are filled with toxicity, but this relationship is filled with mutual respect and genuine care and concern. The second of its kind, Hello Stranger is a sweet story about first love and new experiences. The pacing is consistent and the storyline, though predictable, is realistic and refreshing.

THE STORY:
The story is one that’s we are all familiar with. Boy meets boy, they seem to dislike each other. They are then forced to work on something together. Then they fall in love. What is unexpected is how realistic it feels. That akwardness of working with someone you just met and who you also slightly dislike is evident in the first episode, but that disappears by the second episode, indicating that they’ve spent time together and are now more comfortable. Mico seems to learn what it is like to step outside his comfort zone and his four point life plan. Xavier seems to learn what it’s like to be Mico and that not everyone is who you make them out to be. The emotions are raw and real and you feel as though you are living their story because it is just so relatable. Through each other, they’re learning about a whole new world, full of love and laughter.

THE ACTING:
So people are saying that the acting in the first episode was a bit akward, I think that may be due to the situation. Imagine working with someone you dislike. I would think that’s the reason for the akwardness. The acting really took a turn for the best in episode 2 though. This is one of the first Pinoy series I’ve watched and this is on par with any and all other series’. The chemistry though! Xav and Mico’s chemistry is through the roof. Overall the acting is very consistent.

THE PRODUCTION:
This is the second series after Gameboys to follow the internet and quarantine love theme, and the production has been handled extremely well. Phillipines has recently started to create more BL content and I believe that this series is definitely the benchmark for future Pinoy series’.

THE OST:
So if you read the translation for the OST’s lyrics, you would know how well it goes with the series. One line of lyrics literally translated to English mean
“ No matter what anyone says, I know our love is true.”
That, according to me genuinely encapsulates what this series is about.

THE NEGATIVE:
None.

THE ENDING:
I can’t believe Xavier asked for Mico to be his partner! That just made this series more perfect :). God, that ending was everything I could have possibly asked for. I’m going to keep this short: You won’t be disappointed by this ending.

This honestly is one of those series’ that is unabashedly life’s greatest pleasures and a genuine joy to experience. Whether you like sweet, sickly romance or aching hearts, this series has something for you. Hope everyone gives this a try because it is so worth it. Thank You!

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A Sea of Dissapointment

Not quite sure what happened, but going from strong start without any real story to weak ending with an actual story seems outlandish.

I don't understand because, this started out with as many NC scenes as there were panoramic views of the beach, scenes of them eating and drinking and diving into the ocean.. “what's the story there” was my thought as I watched the first three episodes and would you know it, I was hooked. There was essentially nothing going on, just a whole load of chemistry carrying it through but I wasn't complaining. Great scenery, good banter, it had summer romance written all over it.

Then why is that the minute some real story started to creep up, it felt like the writers just threw up their hands and went “we'll just have Mahasamut sit around and look good, while Tongrak  does the same, and maybe add a dash of drama every now and then that will end up having no real impact on the viewers or the characters themselves?”
Episode after episode of scenes that added no real depth to the story, and all of a sudden, a couple of episodes where a very heavy backstory is unraveled all at once, only to be resolved all at once and much too weakly.

The major thing they had to unpack though, the very basis of the complex relationship between the leads, they conveniently left that up to the finale until it felt like a lame attempt to create the drama that never came in the previous episodes just so they would have a reason to separate. What should have been an intense and complicated arc based on traumatic experiences Tongrak has gone through his entire life was reduced to something of a childish outburst and was, of course, resolved much too quickly and weakly.

So many characters who were, to put it quite bluntly, useless. Their sole purpose was to either come onto the screen to irritate us and the leads, I mean Tongrak's cousin? What did she do other than cause drama?
Or some characters like Palm, Mahasamut's brother were reduced to comedic reliefs when I would have much rather watched a character like him as opposed to Rak's cousin.
A villian who's scenes actually made for good character development for Tongrak, which was then immediately subjected to whiplash by everything else that followed.

That list would be incomplete without Vie and Mook though, because why? Just why-
As characters, they added the bare minimum, but as love interests? Why? Their pairing is one of the worst I've ever seen, in terms of romantic connection, friendship, just as two human beings, the equation between the two of them annoyed and appalled me endlessly. Just.. why-

For all they didn't really manage to do well, the series got one thing right. Not the series, Fort and Peat got it right. They had chemistry in spades and laid it all out on the table. This could have been pulled off perfectly with just Fort and Peat, just saying, because every scene that didn't involve them, didn't really have my attention.
And I guess they got two things right, only halfway on the second one though: the scenery. Just beautiful. The island setting really did elevate the experience.

It's a shame though because when nothing was really going on, they reeled me in, and suddenly they had way too much going on without anything really happening, giving us something over - dramatic yet boring. It ended weakly despite starting strong, and it's a whole lot of wasted potential.

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Because you came looking for me, before I came to find you

Take notes because this is perfect execution on all fronts.

Choi Yi Jae, at the lowest point of his life as he sees it, chooses to end his life, only to meet Death who is angered with his flippant attitude towards her and is now putting him through a punishment of undergoing 12 reincarnations, each person on the brink of death, Choi Yi Jae is given the chance to save their lives. If he succeeds, he gets to live out the rest of their life, if not, he goes through his trial again.

And punishment it is because he has to not simply find a solution to prevent their imminent threats, but also go through the feelings of sadness, betrayal, pain, helplessness and more when his reincarnation eventually succumbs to their situation. Choi Yi Jae nevertheless goes through his lives with his personal agenda and goals, but with each passing lifeline, his attitude towards life slowly shifts as does his personal goal.

It's such a great beginning honestly, not just with the story, but the execution and the cinematography. And most importantly the cast. Wow. Seo In Guk is honestly such a good actor, plus each of the actors who play one of the reincarnations is brilliant at picking up on the little quirks that Seo In Guk brings to his character so that it looks like each of them is actually Choi Yi Jae. Just the guest cast is stacked, Choi Si Won, Sung Hoon, Kim Kang Hoon, Jang Seung Jo, Lee Jae Wook, Lee Do Hyun and that's just the first part. I haven't even gotten to Park So Dam yet, every expression and dialogue of hers carries the weight of her character. Every single one of them just brings something great to the table.

This was a really good 4 episodes, the plot honestly wrote itself and I can't wait for the next part.

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All bow down to the Air Dolls!!

Believe me when I say that this took me by surprise because damn this was INCREDIBLE. It's a story with the perfect blend of comedy, coming of age stories, identity, influencer culture and supernatural elements - and of course, pure unfiltered chaos.

The story itself is definitely the strongest of the lot until now, it may or may not have been just as predictable as the previous ones, but the way the story could've so easily gone in so many different ways and still been just as good.

But would this story be just the same without all the brilliant performances in it?!!!
I am floored, I literally feel like I saw a whole new dimension to every single one of the actors in Diva Deva Mata. I knew beforehand that some of them were good actors but it is amazing how just four episodes can absolutely turn a good performer into a star.
All of them served, served, served!!

Fluke my god! Been forever since I've seen him in something and he killed it as Nivea!!! The perfect balance of fierce, strength and poise, Nivea herself was all that and more, but it felt like Fluke took it upon himself to give her so much depth and vulnerability. Nivea's strong sense of self and inbuilt leadership skills aside, her chemistry with the rest of the Air Dolls was chef's kiss.
And how can I forget?! Nivea's chemistry with Bank!!?!! Pause, stop and let me take note because where did that come from and why was it AMAZING?!!! I will talk about Marc later on obviously but their chemistry? Through the roof - you can't tell me they didn't end up together because they managed to summon all the flirty, snarky and sweet energy I can imagine.

Lego!! Lego, Lego, Lego. That charm and grace, everything just screaming this person is awesome. And Inkgy was awesome!! The way she was always willing to be there for her friends but also be there for herself, just an all round great person!! Her bond with Fews was so weirdly realistic - they seemed to be the closest but they argue and fight and snap at each other but at the end of the day, they're back in the thick of it, I feel like I've seen this kind of relationship a lot. And Lego my god, amazing.

Yacht wow, I feel like Fews probably had the least amount of well rounded writing within the Air Dolls, but it says something about his performance when despite that, Fews ended up becoming one of my favourite characters. She's smart and grounded and a little on the shy side but when there's a need to be there and be brave, Fews is there! Again, her nemesis/friendship with Inkgy was such a highlight, I just think Lego and Yacht had incredible chemistry.

And finally.. NEO!! I know Neo can do comedy and I know Neo can act, but Kat? Kat was written for Neo. I laughed and laughed and laughed everytime Kat was on screen and you can tell it's a great performance when in between laughs you're also feeling sadness and empathy for what a character is going through. Much like his character, Neo's scenes were supposed to just keep things light hearted but both brilliant writing and acting made sure that Kat was so much more than an afterthought. The friendly rivalry she had with the rest of the Air Dolls, the unhinged chaotic side with her "followers" and the chemistry with Mick.. I guess you can tell I loved all the leads.

They were amazing. In their own ways and in their own way as a group, they were all amazing. And the best part is, we got character development without having to entirely uproot their friendship or dynamic.

Even the side characters and all the actors who played them were amazing. Pompam, do I have to say? Gives an amazing performance everytime, I'm always entertained. Same with Golf, don't see her as much but she always slays in her roles.
But my breakout stars among the supporting cast have got to be Marc and Mick!! Oh wow.
Marc first because where did this performance come from?! Between the subtle facial expressions in the background and the perfect amount of chaos and his chemistry with Fluke?! Stop it.
And Mick! He did so well! Just wow, everything he did as Pat was top notch.

Of course there were things I could've done without - the dirty humour for one thing, which is something I will probably never understand but luckily, the positives very much outweigh the negatives here.

And this was so much fun, I was clutching my stomach, tearing up with laughter the entire time and honestly for four episodes, they covered a lot and delivered a complete story. I'm impressed.

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So, I have to admit I was very excited for this because it was a long time coming after Love Mechanics, but man am I disappointed. This was not the only En of Love series I have a problem with, all of them were rushed and not upto the standard of some others, but this one is just meh. That’s the problem, it’s just meh. Now despite the fact that there were only 4 episodes, quite a bit of story was able to be told and I can appreciate that, but something was just off about this series, from the very first episode. This series is not problematic, but seems to be riddled with problems, if you know what I mean.

THE STORY:
Just like the others, rushed. I understand that there was a need to fit a huge storyline of three novels into 11 episodes, but this series would’ve benefited greatly from creating something like 2moons2. By that I mean making a twelve episode series, with each couple getting their dedicated screen time. This would’ve allowed us to maybe make more sense of the fact that all the relationships moved at the speed of lightning. Neua and Praram are cute, but that’s all. The fact that half their relationship unfolded on a public forum doesn’t really help their cause. Do these people really not know the concept of privacy or private chats?! Besides all these, what was the need to bring in conflict in the last episode, just to have it resolved in seconds? I will say though, Em and Pralak would be a good couple.

THE ACTING:
Despite the fact that they had an episode dedicated to the fact that Prom and Benz underwent acting classes, the final product is underwhelming. The acting mostly fell flat and comes across as akward, owing to the storyline of episode 2. I will admit that they do have chemistry, but that’s not always enough. Benz is a special case. As Pralak, he is awesome, but when he’s playing Praram he just seems so... stiff. Once again the supporting actors stole the show. That seems to be the theme with this series.

THE PRODUCTION:
As specified before production would have benefited from having twelve episode with equal airtime for each episode. The casting I can’t complain about. The actors all fit their character descriptions and that’s a positive.

THE OST:
The OST actually suits the theme of the series very well so props.

THE POSITIVE/NEGATIVE:
What can I say. This series is like Goldilocks. Not very good, not very bad, just existing in the middle. There are no problematic aspects, but that’s just about it. The story itself is very short so it comes across as something ordinary that could have been better. Now that’s not bad at all, just not noticeable enough.

THE ENDING:
Once again, what is with the conflict solved in sixty seconds?! Not just that, but what was that ending? Like everything in this series, it was also just meh. Also who says congratulations for a birthday? It’s like saying congrats on being alive for so long! Sorry, it’s just been a very tiring episode, but good news, they did get together. ( What am I even saying? ).

I usually say that you should try it out at least once, but this series is totally upto the viewer. So may like it, others may not. All I can say is if you find the synopsis interesting give it a try. I can’t promise you will love and neither can I say you will hate it. At the end of the day it’s your decision. Leave a comment about your thoughts. Thank You!

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An action packed, emotionally invested ride

Japan never really shies from the depiction of things as they are as far as I'm concerned, whether it be the mundane or something as high octane as this. One other thing they never fail to do is bring in a level of emotional depth to the story, even if it is as action packed as this one.

A third thing Japanese movies and dramas always do is lean into the technicalities of things. And though the movie hits us with a ton of technical terms, not understanding any of them is okay. I didn't, but all the audience really needs to know is that the people doing the work know what they're doing and they're doing it well, because even with all the abrupt cuts and quick shots, this movie was always about the people on the train.

What we got was a fast paced and thrilling movie that felt grounded in many ways. The huge reveal that is inevitably present in such titles didn't come as a big surprise to me, and though the motive for the crime felt a little incredulous, it did produce it's intended emotional effect.

I thought the actors did an incredible job that complemented an already solid script, neither party needed to carry the other and for the entire runtime I was at the edge of my seat. I tend to have complaints about certain or sometimes all characters not getting enough screentime to complement their sudden growth, but I don't here.

If you are a fan of action thrillers with heart feel, I highly recommend.

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When I First Met You

Before everything else, let me clarify some stuff. I know this is a remake, and I have not watched the original or any of the other remakes. I do not know why I decided to start with this one.

I knew the entire plot before I even started the movie, not because it's predictable, but because I found out what the entire plot was a while ago, around the time the Thai remake came out. So again, I do not know why I decided to watch it.

But I watched it, and it was pretty sweet.
Though the love story left me unfulfilled, not the ending, their love story itself, more often than not there's a bittersweet tone to first love, full of unfulfilled promise and the longing look of yesteryear.
That's what this movie felt like, a nostalgic lens on your first love, which doesn't quite leave an impact as itself, but does make you look back fondly on your first love.
That's a win in its own way.

The actors did a good job, it's the first time I'm watching either of their works and I know Jin Young has acted before, and that it's Dahyun's debut, and they both did a very nice job.

There's not much else to say, it was a nice flashback disguised as movie and it wasn't half bad.

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A sweet show that always had me confused

I've never watched a casting show that felt so much like a dating show, let's just say that. The show is to find a new pairing amongst the eight contestants so they can star in a BL together but this is a show that truly must be watched to understand just what I'm talking about.

There isn't much to say when it comes to variety/reality television, you're mostly hingeing on the charm of the contestants to pull through and on some occasions, drama. This didn't have drama, which for me was a huge plus (not a fan of unnecessary drama). Actually, there were some dramatic moments and I did not like how they were framed, but for the most part, both the series and the cast were calm and chill.

The cast were awesome, they were nice and friendly individuals who actually seemed to develop some great bonds with each other through the show and I love to see it.

The Auntie Squad was amazing.
A good panel always adds something great to a show and they were brilliant. Accurate representation of each person watching the show and the interactions between them just felt so natural and fun. I do wish Poom had live translation to help him seamlessly talk to everyone, but that's also great because towards the end you could see that they could understand each other without the translation, showing just how much they had gotten to know each other.

Overall this was a very nice, albeit confusing concept for a show but this is the first time I'm seeing such a basis, so I can appreciate that and recommend it as well, because it was a very nice watch.

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A tale of youth, friendship.. and love

This show had me in my feels, I'm not going to lie.

Above it all, this is about real people and real feelings, and I appreciated just how well that came through. As the hosts put it, “people tend to be drawn to the dramatic side of reality, but their stories were beautiful.”

Each of the participants were endearing in their own ways, a mix of different personalities, with different life experiences, thoughts and views. Living together, working together, sharing responsibilities, discussing finances, it tends to bring out all different sides of people, and despite being a dating reality show, they depicted all of this in good detail.

The romance didn't take a backseat to this though, it was up and down, and toyed around with the minds of everyone involved and the viewers but don't believe me if I say I didn't find it adorable. It was adorable. Whether I was frustrated, or confused, or ecstatic, these were relationships worth watching, seeing them grow into themselves and grow their romance.

My favourite part though will always be the friendship. The kind of bond you develop living in such close quarters and dealing with such big emotions can't quite be described coherently, or at least I can't, but I will consider that this may be one of the biggest and best things they'll all take away from the experience. The way they could all talk to each other openly, give advice respectfully, take another person's feelings into consideration.. there are so many moments I can point out where the kind of friendship they developed simply warmed my heart. Through all the confusion and the heartbreak, the bond never wavered and I loved it.

I must also mention the hosts, who were wonderful. They were watching it as we were, and their reactions were so similar to the way anyone watching would react. It was also very interesting to see their perspectives and thoughts, to see them discuss everything with thoughtfulness and sensitivity.

It's strange how a reality show can leave you wanting more, but between the lack of the dramatic drama and the general wholesome vibes of the cast, it's understandable why this feels as genuine as it did. And I appreciated it all.

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Luck in 10 digits

The most useless yet important thing I take away from this mini-séries is the fact that phone numbers are sacred. Not in the 𝘐 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘭𝘶𝘤𝘬 kind of way, but in the 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘯𝘶𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘦 kind of way. I guard my phone number like treasure, no way I'm changing it for anything!

Hello, Is This Luck?' follows Na, a medical student and extern who faces nothing but bad luck. She's always getting overlooked at the hospital despite her skills, she's tossed about all the time by the universe which seems intent on hurting or irritating her, and her love life is an absolute mess. That's when her friend tells her that his life changed after a phone number change, so she decides enough is enough, and changes her number - in a bid to improve her love life. That's when things shift, and she finds herself caught in a love triangle between her original crush and a new love interest.

The premise is actually super cool, definitely got to be one of the two most innovative ways to merge technology and beliefs. There are also a myriad of ways they could've gone about the story, and for once, I'm not really angry with the way they chose to do it.

The actual problem with this series is Na.

The series would have been way more likeable if Na was written to be a better character. She's kind of selfish and rude, and does nothing but blame her circumstances and situations, without actually taking a look at herself and how her actions affect those around her. At the beginning, you think you understand why Na is so frustrated - she's so often overlooked at a job she's worked her entire life for, only to be reduced to the role of a pushover in the eyes of her peers, a rude intern to the nurses and doctors, and a person who fetches coffee to her superiors. Her personal life is also terrible because she has only two friends, and the cute guy she has a crush on can't remember a single thing about her, not even her name.
It's frustrating for sure.

But the walls begin to crack down the more you watch, and you realise that from the very beginning, she's not been the greatest person. And it's so ironic, because the very first thing Na says is that 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴.
And her actions definitely determined her life, but I guess her philosophy does not apply to her? Because everything that happens to her is not because of what she does, it's because of rotten luck.

I really just had the hardest time liking Na, especially considering that the other leads were much better people. Well.. other lead. Because Nine (Na's original crush) is not a very well developed character. He's cute.. and that's it. I didn't understand why Na, or anyone, liked him romantically but I guess there must have been some charm that we didn't get to see.

The lead we are introduced to finally was my favourite character. Leemhai is smart, sweet and sassy, and amongst characters who are not at all developed or very badly written, she is an exemplar of how they could have been. She's not some perfect epitome of humanity either, she did many things I did not like, but it was much easier to root for her than anyone else. Leemhai was initially introduced as a competitor of sorts, but to relate to her as a love interest, her character needed good writing, which I thought was done better than the rest.

But overall? Good concept and story, not great characters. Yes, it was probably played up for the comedy, but it is possible to write relatable characters and still have them be funny. It's especially jarring when your lead is the least likeable person in there. Watching the finale, it was easy to guess where the story was headed, in retrospect it was definitely headed that way all along - towards the journey of self discovery. It was always about Na finding and growing into herself and they kind of did it. Very unsatisfactorily. I'm all for becoming a better person but why don't we get to see it?!

I know this seems like a lot of negatives, but it was not all bad. There were some genuinely funny moments, it was really nice to see Leng on screen again and the chemistry was actual fire. My girl Janhae is finally getting her recognition, her acting was incredible here. And Jingjing has been a pleasant surprise in any production she is a part of.

So in conclusion
1. Don't expect too much comedy
2. Don't expect too much romance
3. Don't change your phone number

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