That's got to be 2k$ PER night for multiple nights, right? Because there is no damn way 2k$ alone is covering surgical bills plus tuition. Who taught this kid how to art school? I was once a broke art student, I would've had that dude paying top dollar for the privilege of just looking at me. Choking me would've paid for grad school. Somebody play that song "Fancy" for him & get him on the right track.
Also, if you're going to tackle a subject like this, you really need to be bringing "Dangerous Drugs of Sex" energy. Fully-clothed kisses & some light wrestling is just a teasing bore. At least deliver on that front if you've got no budget for production.
"Tucker & Dale vs Evil" meets "Cabin in the Woods". If you've seen "Tucker & Dale", this remake holds few surprises; the jokes & sight gags are practically beat-for-beat, the cultural tweaks aren't enough to make it feel fresh, & it doesn't quite nail the earnest sincerity that made the original so hilarious. However, the cast is fun, there is a lot of energy, & the supernatural shenanigans sort of pay off in the end.
You know, Cheon & Cheol, I feel like if you just confessed your love to one another, you might not be having all these problems.
This sequel takes all the same beats from the first but the repetition is not only less humorous, it makes the first two-thirds a real chore to sit through. The first movie was clichés galore but it was mostly fun & it was part of the charm; the sequel is just painfully predictable. I fast-forwarded through a number of scenes. I think I enjoyed the third act here more than in the first movie, & I liked the cast just as much, but I wouldn't watch this one again.
That being said, I would absolutely watch a third installment, & I think that's just really down to the cast. They're a fun group to watch, even if the material isn't quite up to snuff.
By the end, I just wanted Jae Yi to murder everyone. I don't think the movie necessarily wants you to side with her but watching this hardworking, ambitious woman routinely being told she doesn't rate while having her agency constantly undermined by a narcissist who insists he loves her got grating quickly. I had zero sympathy for Mantis; she told him in a dozen different ways that his "simping" was unwarranted, unwelcome, & unasked for—as well as harmful & hurtful to her (& everyone else, including Mantis himself)—& he kept not hearing her while seemingly remaining baffled as to why she didn't just fall into his arms. I was never convinced he ever actually saw her, as either a person or a professional, & it's even more pronounced when compared to Cha Min Kyu's feelings for & treatment of Bok Soon.
I didn't particularly care for any of the characters in this movie but Jae Yi was far & above the most layered & interesting. All the others were tiresome or obnoxious or forgettable.
Overall, the movie was a downgrade from its parent story.
The series is the typical mindless trash that makes up the bulk of the Thai BL industry but the NC scenes are unapologetic & plentiful, & it's blatantly obvious the producers are aware that's the main reason anyone's watching & are just leaning into it. So, if you stuck it out through the likes of "Venus in the Sky" & "Be Mine Superstar" for the sex, set your expectations accordingly & work that FFW button.
I will say, it's kind of nice to see sex presented as a raw fact, & serving as the foundation of the main relationship, rather than gilded in romantic fluff like a Harlequin novel & treated like a precious gift, or else like a shameful aspect that must be overcome to facilitate "real" love.
Terrible series, even in comparison to Lee Long Shi's other awful shows. The most interesting aspect is watching an attempted murder be somehow more ridiculously handled than a supposed rape. One star for PerKan; their story had gusto. & stamina.
Also, where did Mud go? I guess I'll just headcanon that someone cared enough to ask why he thought he saw what he saw, took him to the hospital for a medical evaluation, & they discovered a massive tumour pressing on his occipital lobe, so he was sent to the US to have surgery.
Just a real nothing of a series. It's as if it's its own fanfic of itself, the kind that would be tagged "fluff" & absolutely nothing else. Which is fine, if that's what you're into, but I found the MLs boring & their story tedious.
I remain fascinated by the ladies. That one-liner about saliva exchange in their final scene was perfect. I kept watching the show just for the girls, & I would watch a spin-off series of just them. The glimpses we got of their relationship & their personality dynamics were more engaging & tantalizing than almost the entirety of that of the boys.
Lee Long Shi has starred in several awful projects but this bit of retro trash doesn't even have the good grace to be as entertainingly silly as "OMG! Vampire!" or as unapologetically twisted as "Love Syndrome III". & holy hell, I'm actually kind of missing Frank; I wouldn't go so far as to say he & Lee had great chemistry but Frank at least had personality. Or maybe it was the hilarious wigs. I don't know but it was better than the excruciatingly vapid dullness that Arm brings. Lee is trying so hard to sell this love story, it actually looks physically painful.
At this point, I almost believe that "Red Peafowl" fell victim to whatever horrific curse or intense blackmail is clinging to Lee Long Shi. His career just makes no sense unless it's almost entirely under duress.
It's all very stupid but...is anyone going to check on Mud? My major takeaway from all that nonsense is he needs to either get off the sauce for good or get his eyes checked or both. Just how drunk was he that night? I have been blitzed to blackout in my life but never to the point where my mind imagined a graphic, violent rape that was not happening. I'm unsure what that particular scene was about, whether it was what was being described to Mild or what Mild was imagining based on what he was being told, but it's apparent Mud believes that's precisely what HE saw so...Mud, bud, you ok?
I just want more scenes of Lin Xiao Yang & He You Mei. Every single thing about them, from their differing personalities to their interpersonal dynamic to their clothes, is just so much more interesting than the main CP. I think it's because they are much more mature & self-assured; even He You Mei, for all her weird manic pixie energy, seems to have a pretty solid grasp on who she is & ownership of her own (prob messy) choices in life. I sincerely believe their relationship, platonic or romantic, would weather any storm, & if they did date, they'd unapologetically defend tooth & claw their love & their right to love one another.
Meanwhile, the boys keep basically unravelling at every small hiccough. I know that's the point of their story, it's just such a tedious & predictable thing to watch. & I'm still not convinced Han Tuo's feelings aren't just childhood hero worship of a boy who made him feel included that he's mistaken for eternal romantic love. Everything about Han Tuo just screams "abandonment issues", & watching him be jealous over his boyfriend's nephew was both silly & pitiful. Does Lu Jun Xi really want to spend his life managing the exhausting emotional dependance of an obsessive, jealous, developmentally arrested man?
Who knows. Lu Jun Xi's general lack of personal agency would be frustrating to watch if he wasn't such beige wallpaper. Characters who let their lives be constantly dictated by the wims of others are a chore; I hope Lu Jun Xi grows a bit of a backbone before this enterprise comes to a close.
Even in a show of already subpar calibre, & almost irrespective of whether a rape was committed, episode six was atrociously, spectacularly tone-deaf.
Not that I would expect the Wattpadverse that is the foundation of such BLs to handle so complex & weighty a subject as a victim falling in love with their victimizer but, still, there are better ways of telling such a story than having the victim's circle gaslight him at every turn while simultaneously having him refuse to hear "the whole truth" he obviously wants to know just because the run time needs some Manufactured Drama to pad itself. Frankly, I don't care what the explanation is, or if Mild was raped by Knight; the real "truth" is that Mild needs to run far the hell away from that entire group of people. Hanging about with twats who tell you that your rape happened for a reason & was a good thing is exactly how you end up a podcast episode about death cults.
Humans are complicated. Trauma bonding happens. In real life, there are rape victims who partner with their rapist. These are stories that are as worthy of being explored as any other, no matter how uncomfortable or distasteful they may seem. "The Natural Phenomenon of Madness" was a difficult & conflicting watch regarding rape and affection but after observing this mess of a show unfold, I feel I may have been a bit harsher on that film than warranted. It at least had a grasp on its problematic subject, a nuanced narrative, & characters with layers. Most importantly, there was a palpable atmosphere of this-is-rather-fucked-up throughout proceedings. "Doctor's Mine", meanwhile, seems eager to make the point that whether or not Knight raped Mild is fundamentally irrelevant, which is certainly a choice.
I can't tell if Mud is just a straight-up sociopath, or if the character is unduly hampered by the actor, the director, or the source material. The last time I saw a character so smirkingly triumphant about their sibling's rape was in an episode of "Criminal Minds". I've spent the whole series thinking his on sight bullshite with Knight was rooted in some petty jealousy, & in hindsight...seriously, is he just mad fuckboy Knight never chose him? What is your deal, Mud?
I would love for intense, manipulative Han Tuo & experienced, possibly calculating Zhan Wen Sen to get together. I would like to see more of Lin Xiao Yang & He You Mei & their oddly intriguing, high-energy dynamic. I want to watch pops have that stress-induced heart attack all that paternalistic yelling is going to give him so he learns a liberating lesson about having just one precious life to live. The central love story here feels tedious but everything else around it is holding my attention.
Once again I ask, will there ever be justice for Lee Long Shi? His whole career has me convinced he's somehow made a powerful enemy in the Thai BL industry. He's an engaging actor, he's handsome, he seems like a personable fellow, as well as a hard worker and a good colleague, so why in the hell does he keep getting saddled with the absolute worst projects? This BL is probably the best of the bunch & that's...really sad.
If it isn't an enemy, he has to be carrying some kind of curse. It just boggles my mind that he hasn't been snapped up by any of the better production houses, or at least been made some independently wealthy auteur's small screen muse. Where is this man's Tim Burton? Why is he being punished with dreck scripts and awful partners? How much longer must he endure this performance purgatory? What kind of hellacious Faustian contract did he sign?
Well, on the plus side, at least he's free of Frank. & Frank's wigs.
Zhan Wen Sen wasn't on screen for five whole minutes and I already ship him with Han Tuo. Self-assured, assertive, accomplished, and handsome to boot? Yes, please, more of that, and less of the dishwater dull blushing maiden trope. I hope the character doesn't turn out to be an asshole, and that there are delicious scenes of Han Tuo adoringly fanboying all over him to feed my fantasy.
The NC scenes between the MLs are very watchable. The series itself is tediously predictable, just a string of tired tropes & comfortable cliches. It has more actual story than, say, the lovely Japan travelogue disguised as a show that is "Season of Love in Shimane", but that's a low bar.
Honestly, if you're seeking unapologetic NC scenes where lust & hunger & mutual desire are given unfettered room, just watch them both, & don't worry overmuch about the "plot"; it barely matters anyway.
Visually appealling, the characters are interesting, the romance is 100% skippable. Not a bad way to while away some lazy hours, although the titular creature is simultaneously integral to the plot & feels like an afterthought most of the time. The horrendous creature spends the last third of the series slaughtering a ridiculous amount of people yet no one really seems all that fazed by it. Sure, no one wants to die gruesomely but they also have paperwork & important meetings, spouses to thwart & sundry war crimes to commit or avert. These are very busy people.
Also, if you're going to tackle a subject like this, you really need to be bringing "Dangerous Drugs of Sex" energy. Fully-clothed kisses & some light wrestling is just a teasing bore. At least deliver on that front if you've got no budget for production.
This sequel takes all the same beats from the first but the repetition is not only less humorous, it makes the first two-thirds a real chore to sit through. The first movie was clichés galore but it was mostly fun & it was part of the charm; the sequel is just painfully predictable. I fast-forwarded through a number of scenes. I think I enjoyed the third act here more than in the first movie, & I liked the cast just as much, but I wouldn't watch this one again.
That being said, I would absolutely watch a third installment, & I think that's just really down to the cast. They're a fun group to watch, even if the material isn't quite up to snuff.
I didn't particularly care for any of the characters in this movie but Jae Yi was far & above the most layered & interesting. All the others were tiresome or obnoxious or forgettable.
Overall, the movie was a downgrade from its parent story.
I will say, it's kind of nice to see sex presented as a raw fact, & serving as the foundation of the main relationship, rather than gilded in romantic fluff like a Harlequin novel & treated like a precious gift, or else like a shameful aspect that must be overcome to facilitate "real" love.
Also, where did Mud go? I guess I'll just headcanon that someone cared enough to ask why he thought he saw what he saw, took him to the hospital for a medical evaluation, & they discovered a massive tumour pressing on his occipital lobe, so he was sent to the US to have surgery.
I remain fascinated by the ladies. That one-liner about saliva exchange in their final scene was perfect. I kept watching the show just for the girls, & I would watch a spin-off series of just them. The glimpses we got of their relationship & their personality dynamics were more engaging & tantalizing than almost the entirety of that of the boys.
At this point, I almost believe that "Red Peafowl" fell victim to whatever horrific curse or intense blackmail is clinging to Lee Long Shi. His career just makes no sense unless it's almost entirely under duress.
Meanwhile, the boys keep basically unravelling at every small hiccough. I know that's the point of their story, it's just such a tedious & predictable thing to watch. & I'm still not convinced Han Tuo's feelings aren't just childhood hero worship of a boy who made him feel included that he's mistaken for eternal romantic love. Everything about Han Tuo just screams "abandonment issues", & watching him be jealous over his boyfriend's nephew was both silly & pitiful. Does Lu Jun Xi really want to spend his life managing the exhausting emotional dependance of an obsessive, jealous, developmentally arrested man?
Who knows. Lu Jun Xi's general lack of personal agency would be frustrating to watch if he wasn't such beige wallpaper. Characters who let their lives be constantly dictated by the wims of others are a chore; I hope Lu Jun Xi grows a bit of a backbone before this enterprise comes to a close.
Not that I would expect the Wattpadverse that is the foundation of such BLs to handle so complex & weighty a subject as a victim falling in love with their victimizer but, still, there are better ways of telling such a story than having the victim's circle gaslight him at every turn while simultaneously having him refuse to hear "the whole truth" he obviously wants to know just because the run time needs some Manufactured Drama to pad itself. Frankly, I don't care what the explanation is, or if Mild was raped by Knight; the real "truth" is that Mild needs to run far the hell away from that entire group of people. Hanging about with twats who tell you that your rape happened for a reason & was a good thing is exactly how you end up a podcast episode about death cults.
Humans are complicated. Trauma bonding happens. In real life, there are rape victims who partner with their rapist. These are stories that are as worthy of being explored as any other, no matter how uncomfortable or distasteful they may seem. "The Natural Phenomenon of Madness" was a difficult & conflicting watch regarding rape and affection but after observing this mess of a show unfold, I feel I may have been a bit harsher on that film than warranted. It at least had a grasp on its problematic subject, a nuanced narrative, & characters with layers. Most importantly, there was a palpable atmosphere of this-is-rather-fucked-up throughout proceedings. "Doctor's Mine", meanwhile, seems eager to make the point that whether or not Knight raped Mild is fundamentally irrelevant, which is certainly a choice.
If it isn't an enemy, he has to be carrying some kind of curse. It just boggles my mind that he hasn't been snapped up by any of the better production houses, or at least been made some independently wealthy auteur's small screen muse. Where is this man's Tim Burton? Why is he being punished with dreck scripts and awful partners? How much longer must he endure this performance purgatory? What kind of hellacious Faustian contract did he sign?
Well, on the plus side, at least he's free of Frank. & Frank's wigs.
Honestly, if you're seeking unapologetic NC scenes where lust & hunger & mutual desire are given unfettered room, just watch them both, & don't worry overmuch about the "plot"; it barely matters anyway.