Blkittykat

A wonderful story, and a better sequel

Don't we just love it when anything defies all expectations? I'm not a fan of sequels, that's the truth but every so often, there's a gem that gets me to change my tune and I am glad to report At 25 in Akasaka S2 is one of them.

Because we see, the problem with sequels is that they tend to fall into the same drumbeat we've come to expect - the relationship with no real progress even after ten years, the couple who just can't communicate despite promising to actually open their mouths and talk every second episode in the previous season, or the love (who doesn't incite any) interest who just refuses stay off screen - the options are endless.

But thank goodness they knew what to write. No awkward moments between Shirasaki and Hayama like they started dating yesterday, no unnecessary love triangles and rivals, and no misunderstandings that had anything to do with their relationship - actually, no misunderstandings. We need to recognise how precious that is in sequel land, we don't get this often!

The actual conflicts stemmed from the main focus (save Shirasaki and Hayama of course) of this season, something that actually made sense in the grander scheme of things. Their careers.
How do you balance a romantic relationship once you stop working together is a good base, but they developed that into dating as two very public figures, into how do you mediate the fact that you're actually rivals in love and turned up the heat by focusing on their personal struggles as actors besides just having to compete with each other!

It is inspired storytelling in a lot of ways, though the idea behind the conflicts are simple, they are layered in a way that escalates the tension with each episode. The reactions of both the leads were also in tune with their personalities we discovered back in S1, with a bit of change, which credit to actually writing them as characters who can grow. They're not perfect, they change and develop as actors and humans throughout the ten episodes, right up until the ending and it was great.

Coming to the characters, Shirasaki and Hayama were completely amazing. Though there were some choices they made that I specifically didn't agree with, they weren't anything huge, and most importantly - those choices made them more flawed, more human. There's no awkwardness in their relationship (thank you again), it felt mature and grounded, they talked to each other, understood each other, what more do I want.
I also enjoyed Sakuma and Yamase, they provided some great perspective to our leads and were part of some great relief scenes.
Rounding out the roster is an incredible new character - Kuroki Keita - who.. well, did wonders for the story plot wise and character wise.
I love the way this show kept surprising me.

My only real complaint would be that Shirasaki and Hayama got a lot of chances and room to grow as a couple, but not as many as I would've liked to just take in just how great a couple they already were. By that I mean I would've liked more scenes of their playful and flirty interactions.

I very much enjoyed this sequel, it was truly well done and if you loved S1 (I did), chances are you'll love this just as much or maybe even more! Totally recommend.

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Not my crush!

It's always great when you start a drama for one reason - and come out with a plethora of other likes. I'll just list them here because there was a lot to like about this.

1) The comedy - I started this for the comedy. I didn't have many expectations to be honest, keeping in mind both the trailer and Hi! By My Luck (the previous part of MuTeLuv) didn't quite have the kind and amount I expected respectively. But this one was actually good. Firstly, the entire cast brought the laughs, main or support. Second, the comedy didn't rely entirely on one type of comedy, they tried multiple genres and most of them worked!

2) The romance - I loved Parn and Nani in this. Don't know if it was the characters or the actors chemistry, whatever it was, they were a treat to watch on screen.

3) The characters - The great thing about comedy is that you can have several characters with varying personalities and have them all be funny. I especially loved how Wutkrai and Fay were written, four episodes is not a lot to have great characterization, but for four episodes, they did great. I wish Ploy and Phu had a bigger impact on me, but it happened in a different way than I thought it would..

.. finally. 4) The cast - I am impressed.
First with Parn. I've seen a bunch of her work, and she really brought some nuance and depth to her character that I very much appreciated.
Then Jaoying, I really liked her as Fay, the perfect mix of supportive friend and knock some sense into you onlooker. There was something about the character and her portrayal that made Fay so likeable.
I also thought Joke as Father was good - he was quite hilarious when it came to that.

Before I close out this section, my penultimate mention is Prem. Oh my sweet boy. His work on his last few previous shows had me convinced he could not act but he somehow proved me wrong here. You need a skill set to do comedy and he may have that! Again, his character didn't quite leave much of an impact on me, but I have a bit more hope now that with the right script and the right to move his face, he can bring something to the screen.

Finally - Nani! My gosh. He can do serious and comedy! His comedic timing was perfect, his character was written quirkily enough that you immediately like him and his soft and sweet side was on full display for four episodes. Plus the styling? Wow.

Of course there were a few things that I think could have been better. They weren't bad, per se, but they weren't exactly to my liking either. It's a me thing, so you may like them, but I'll just mention so all the information is in the review.

1) The story - now I didn't have much expectations from the story even going in, I just needed it to be coherent, which to their credit, it was. I just didn't like the way it flowed. Especially the last episode. It just felt like a Hail Mary they threw in to quickly wrap the story up, and while some of the plotlines were incredible (maybe not incredible, but they were good), a lot of them just didn't hit the right spots.

Not many negatives there I guess, so if you're looking for a fun, albeit slightly alarming plot, give this a try.

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The loop to find happiness

We know the drill. You have the worst day ever. Everything goes wrong. You make the silliest mistakes or the worst choices. Feels like the universe is out to get you. Eventually, you end up reliving it all over again. Only you're not lying in bed at 2AM, scrolling through the 'worst moments of my life' highlights reel in your brain. You're literally living it. Over and over again.
We know the drill with time loops.

But what happens if the time loop is your horror movie, which somehow transitions into a rom - com, only for you to end up realising that.. your time loop is not yours to control after all?

Some Day With Someone took that exact trajectory, and has become one of my favourite time loop stories in the process. Without giving too much of the story away (it's a good story), this had everything you look for in a groundhog day feature, while also being heartfelt and grounded.

I loved that the FL, Mesa was so relatable. I loved that I could personally relate to her on so many levels. I loved that the ML, Ben was the dorkiest sweet pie ever.

The humor was understated, the romance slapped and the acting was wonderful.

I walked into this expecting a quintessential - finding true love - kind of story but this was so much more.

I hope you like this when you watch it, because I kind of want this review to have convinced you to give it a try! I kid, but seriously, give it a try :)

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Overthinking - the 13th addition to the list

Overthinking is overrated. Do not do it.

This drama is a perfect example that shows you why you shouldn't do it because what should have been an 8/10 episode arc with minimal drama or angst turned into a minefield of bad decisions and unsaid feelings.

As ever, we started out perfectly - something that many J Dramas do without fail. We got a clear setup, a solid introduction to our leads and not much delay in seeing the plot take center stage. Episode after episode, we saw Suzume and Keishii check things off of Suzume's "10 Things to do Before I Turn 40" list, and we see their relationship blossom as an intersecting plot.

Their growth as a pairing was truly spectacular, it wasn't one sided, they communicated, they were both serious and fun loving, and the direction it was headed in made me believe that this would be a very wholesome series with one episode of angst. I was wrong.

There was an exponential downfall around episode 7 where all the things I admired about them just vanished into thin air. They didn't speak to each other for around three episodes at one point! Misunderstandings, miscommunication and SO MUCH OVERTHINKING. Three to four episodes of unnecessary angst and parallel plotlines that added nothing of substance except to the audience's annoyance. By the time the finale rolled around I was kind of tired because I had just spent 1/3rd of the series slowly falling out of love with two people I adored.

This needed around four episodes less than it actually had, and a much better second half. It was frustrating after a point, and not to say I'm disappointed.. because I'm extremely disappointed. And slightly angry.

If I could, I would probably skip episodes 9-11, and just watch the finale to wrap things up. I don't think doing this will cause any confusion either because not much of substance happened in those episodes. It's a shame really, because remove them from the equation and this is a brilliant drama. But unfortunately, this has become a mid, slightly forgettable piece of work and I wish it weren't.

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"Hi"! - my (un)likely love

I'm just so happy to see Sea and Keen together on screen again.

"Hi" by my luck follows Err, our self proclaimed "race horse" and high achiever as he braces for life with new competition in the form of Mawin, our "dark horse". Both of them qualify for a highly competitive, high stakes math camp - and the payoff is a scholarship to a school of their choice. But plot twist! Err's confidence was also shaken with Mawin's appearance in his life, and he's been consulting an online fortune teller on the advice of his friend.

Err has gotten advice previously on how to pass a sports examination and the entrance test for math camp, and his newest query is how to get the scholarship. His fortune says - make Mawin fall for him. At least that's how he interprets it, because his fortune teller is kind of vague.

And while at the camp, he and Mawin get closer. They were classmates and they were roomates and Err doesn't feel comfortable following through with his interpretation of the reading the closer he gets to Mawin. Because despite himself, they've grown close, friends.. maybe even more.

Without going into too much detail, I'm glad the fortune teller aspect wasn't exactly what I thought it would be and not as influential in the plot as the premise made it out to be. Because it was wonderful to see the relationship between Win and Err grow ever so slowly before it suddenly bloomed, showing us both their personalities and exactly why they would be a good pair.

Sea and Keen were as wonderful, maybe even better, as I remember them in Only Boo, and their cute chemistry truly worked for this kind of story. It was a very 'enemies - to - lovers'/'first love' kind of story, and they were a perfect choice.

That being said, this is a perfect weekend watch for when you're looking for something short and sweet, and perfect re-watch while we all wait for Head 2 Head ♡

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To judge me by the color of my bones

Green Bones is a cinematic masterpiece from start to finish, certainly, in terms of plot, acting, cinematography, but most in terms of leaving the audience contemplating upon and questioning their beliefs and morals.

The concept of green bones - that when one's remains contain the green bones, it is a display of their innate goodness. The concept in itself dictates that there is no way of knowing of a person is truly good during their life. But this is the belief that one of our leads, corrections officer Xavier Gonzaga lives with. After a past experience that left him believing there is only absolute goodness or absolute evil in the world, his entire worldview is shaken when he takes up his first assignment. Even then, he is resolute in his beliefs and carrying his prejudice, which has grown to become his safety blanket, he starts off on a path to ensure that our other lead, Domingo Zamora, never leaves the correctional facility.

But this steadfastness only lasts a while, because unlike he trusted, there is no way to tell if a human is good or evil, and there is no absolute on either end. We, along with Xavier, learn about Zamora's past, and all the decisions that led to him as he is in the present. The more he learns, the more he discovers, that Zamora may consider himself a bad person - but there is no way to judge him on the deeds he considered have made him a bad person.

All of this culminates in a harrowing last 30 minutes that changes Xavier as a person, and leaves the audience contemplating on the complex nature of humankind.

This was not an easy watch - it was mentally taxing to witness, not simply because of the scenes, but in their deeper understanding. It keeps you guessing and on the edge, and leaves you feeling completely drained. And honestly, it is worth the watch. It asks important questions, but doesn't really answer them, no, because they are for the audience to contemplate on. The acting completely complements this complex conundrum - both Dennis Trillo and Ruru Madrid give it their all.

I would highly recommend , but fair warning - this is not something that is an easy watch, and it surely lingers on your mind.

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Chuckles uncomfortably

I watched forty episodes and I still can't tell when one of the leads fell for the other lol.

This started with just the strangest teacher - student relationship which somehow transformed into an even stranger master - servant relationship.

All through the episodes I kept coming up with quips for whatever was going on, because each episode was essentially a one short with no real continuity to the next episode for most part. The only consistent was that the student was a massive bully and the teacher never really stood up for himself.

And strangely enough, what I expected to be the most inappropriate aspect of a student - teacher relationship (the fact that they are in a relationship) didn't end up being the most inappropriate aspect.

It was just strange, their first conflict came from a misunderstanding that was never really resolved and their second conflict would've been solved much sooner if one of them would've bothered to clean the house more thoroughly, which just seems kind of stupid. And they tried to convince us that the two of them somehow fell for each other amidst all that, but I'm not buying it. Like I said, I couldn't even tell when the teacher fell for the student and it should have been inappropriate for that reason much sooner but it was for so many other reasons before it was for this.

It's a very short, vertically filmed series, so if you feel like scrolling for a while, give this a try.

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Fool me thrice..

Oh Club Friday, I should've gotten used to the fact that all the stories with that label are burning garbage, but here we are..

I mean, it's not bad storytelling by a long shot, it's just that everything that happens and almost everyone in it is.. trash. That's about it and watching horrible people be horrible people has some weird appeal because I ate this up. I hated it, I hated all of it and yet, I binged three episodes and watched the last one without subtitles.

Sometimes, you just want to watch it all go down in the worst possible way and I got that. Mom and son are in love with the same man, mom doesn't know her son and her husband are hooking and no one knows if this guy actually likes either of the people he's seeing! You've got other characters who are also interested in the leads and undoubtedly bring the chaos with them, I mean, it's so messy and messed up but so entertaining.

Since it's told from the perspective of one of the leads (the son), I thought the narrative was very well done without it seeming too far off and descriptive, in a way that he couldn't have known. The acting was good, the mess was messy and I happened to watch this right when I needed something terrible, so it was great.

Maybe it's worth a try, or maybe not, but it was strangely enjoyable. Even despite the fact that there wasn't a single kiss. You would think there would be at least one, but no! They always went straight for the neck, like vampires!

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ALL THE FEELS

I was not ready for this. The angst, the romance and the chemistry! I was not remotely prepared for how emotionally taxing this would turn out to be, especially considering the fact that this is a prequel.

It reminded me of small, indie productions. Ones that are set around a particular location that holds significance to the leads, with rich emotional backgrounds that may not be fully explored to facilitate smooth storytelling, but you can still situate it to the leads and their actions. The music they used, the cinematography and the bright yet blurred colours, it was beautiful. And above all, the tension. I've noticed it many times, but the way it's filmed just increases the already solid romantic tension between the leads two-fold.

The use of random and ambiguous dialogues at certain points really accentuated just how much of their relationship was the same way, there was a lot of certainty, but it was encompassed in chaos and heartbreak.

The ending made me want to revisit Unintentional Love Story so bad, it's the perfect set up to watch it again, now knowing the backstory between Ho Tae and Dong Hee, watching how it changed and how it will change again. Plus, Gong Chan's cameo, I mean, it was incredible and just made me want to revisit it that much more.

This genuinely served, those yearning gazes, genuine chemistry, paired with an emotional story and a romantic lens made for such a touching story.

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Anguishing Allure

The journey of Lada and Earn in rediscovering their spark was a painful one for them and us, but at the end of that path, there always seemed to be a glimpse of hope.

Misunderstandings, parental pressure and prejudice, scars of the past, rivals in love, these were just a few of the obstacles the leads had to overcome in order to resolve their issues and discover that they never stopped loving each other, but no one makes it easy for them, least of all themselves.

It was frustrating through and through to watch, but that was part of the formula, part of the experience. I found myself saying multiple times that none of this would have happened if they had just had communicated like they constantly did before it all went down and out, but all the drama and angst was part of the appeal. When one thing began to get resolved, the next problem cropped up, and that's just how it went along.
Weirdly enough, this is something I've seen a lot, but it's been quite a while and it took some getting used to before I was able to sit back and enjoy the drama as it came, because it kept coming.

Until that happened though, it was the chemistry between the leads that kept me in it. A healthy relationship and not, the leads definitely had enough chemistry to move the story on even when it seemed to be stalling. The acting was extremely good from the both of them, all their emotions were on full display and you could feel their pain and sadness as they did.

It was good, a good balance between romance, drama and slight comedy. It may take some getting used to, some of the scenes may seem extremely over the top but stick with it, and it may be a happy ending for the viewer as it was for them.

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As advertised

This was as advertised, literally nothing else happened.

Both couples are shown after a year of dating, with Yi coming back to Thailand and meeting with Plaeng, and Gene and Nuea navigating their relationship after a year of dating.

They decorate the café for Christmas, teach each other how to make coffee and play the guitar and discuss stuff that happened over the past year and also what they have in store for them in the future.

There are two episodes, the first featured Yi and Plaeng, the second featured Gene and Nuea. Besides a ton of cute moments and a lot of conversations, there wasn't quite much else.

Also, this is the follow up to the finale of Coffee Melody, and in retrospect, it's a choice. The finale did have some updates on all the characters, but I would have preferred them in the special as well. It's just a weird production, a finale that didn't feel like one and a special that didn't feel like one either.

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A return to teamwork thrillers

I'm incredibly glad to see the return of investigative thrillers, and with it some great teamwork. Crash is innovative in some ways and follows the formula in others, creating the perfect balance. While maintaining the formula with the episodic arcs, typical rich boy villains and fathers, the very basis of the TCI (Traffic Crime Investigation) team was a very new concept.

Add to that an ensemble of dynamic characters, and subtle comedy, I was sold after the first couple of episodes. Despite the simplicity of the solution for each case, the teamwork displayed by the TCI squad made each of them worth the watch. That's what set this show apart from many other investigative thrillers for me, there was never a hint of distrust among the team, even when they weren't a team.

I was a little dissapointed with the main villains once again being rich jerks and their corrupted parents, but the direction in which they took the story, and the character arc of each individual, protagonist or antagonist, definitely made up for that disappointment.

I've missed my crime dramas with good teamwork (I realise I've used that word so many times, but it's true! It's really good), and Crash nailed it. Despite starting on a slow note, each episode picked up the pace with the fast plot, attention to detail and yes, incredible teamwork. It very much reminded me of some older crime shows and I can say with confidence that this is very much an underrated title. An underrated title you should give a try.

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The highs and lows.. of a wedding.

This is what I would categorise as an ensemble comedy, where each character gets their time to shine. Because this wedding was not only about the bride and the groom, it was about everyone who came together for them, and then a few more.

From the groom, to his boss eager to make a comeback, and the bride and her father wanting to display his skills, their friends nervous about the wedding performance, juniors and seniors wanting to make an impact on the wedding and the world, teachers, mentors, and family. And the wedding planner. Each character had a purpose to fulfill, closure to attain, goals to achieve, and all of it came to a head on this wedding date, and of course, chaos and hilarity came with it.

I loved the in depth look we got into not just the wedding trade, but the traditions of modern day Japanese wedding and the role of everyone part of the ceremony and reception. I didn't quite understand the need of the roles of the ex and the random thief, except for maybe comic relief (which I still think was unnecessary).

Funny, chaotic, maybe tapering off a bit for a while, fun nonetheless.

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Historical Accountancy

I'm pleasantly surprised by this movie. I won't go as far to say that it's perfect, but for being two hours long, there wasn't one dull moment.

The trope of being thrust into unfamiliar situations is usually one well done, and when the lead experiences it here, he rises to the occasion as one would expect, doing it better than I expected. With his rag tag group of friends and advisors, and adversaries unexpected, from all directions, it's up to our hero to gain the support of those he meets and turn their accounts around.

I especially loved the setting around accountancy and finances. Watching them come up with various solutions, and seeing how they handled the financial records was fascinating.

The principal takeaway though was the sense of family the lead created with all those around him. Not just with immediate family, the lead's persistence and positivity won over people left and right, making for a surprising and enjoyable watch.

Although it is foremost a comedy, I found it to be so much more as I watched on. This is the kind of title that can be watched on a lazy afternoon, and I assure it will keep you engrossed.

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The story of a man and his school meals.

This is the saying "good food, good mood" in cinematic form. I've always thought there's a correlation between the enjoyment of food and the environment we choose to consume it in, and I liked seeing that as a movie.

The story revolves around junior high teacher Amarida Yukio and his love for school lunches. We watch him navigate his enjoyment of school lunches, his relationship with the others in the school and the feeling of enjoying food in general. He also has a rival in the form of his student, Kaminou Gou, to see who can come up with the more creative way to eat lunch with the dishes they are presented with.

I laughed, I cringed, I was moved by something I had no backstory about, even though they did (two seasons and a movie prior), and somewhere between the childish rivalry to see who can enjoy food more and the pure instict to just enjoy good food, I saw the development of a wonderful mentor/mentee relationship.

Eat well, in your favourite environment and then give this movie a try :)

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