This was mediocre. HORRIBLE subs aside - and they did make the story unintelligible at times, it was a low budget, familiar story with very few new elements. There were huge story problems, side couples who suffered from a lack of screen time, and a basic premise that was ridiculous. Rival dorms? Honestly, who gives a sh**?
What saved it was the natural, comfortable relationship between the two leads. They seemed genuinely enamored, especially Bank, who has a cute, sweet innocence that should make him a big BL star. And these two were obviously willing to go farther than most. While the kisses were mostly terrible, they were quite extensive and there was copious amounts of tongue. The steamy scene was done well, and for once I actually felt like the moaning sounded like pleasure instead of agony. I liked how comfortable they were together, how affectionate and physical. Even the side couples were treated like adults who actually were intimate, instead of the typical chaste pairings (not that there's anything wrong with that, but it's not very realistic in today's world). Still, physical intimacy is not a substitute for a good story. I wish more time was spent on that.
Shout out to Ai's mom. She was a strong presence and a great ally. And... I HOPE they fired that hairdresser. Aside from that horrible mullet, Bank's hair looked like it had been hacked with a lawnmower, as did several of the side characters. Even after 3 years of being apart from his boyfriend, he returned with the same bad haircut. Poor thing. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone, nor will I watch again. It's not BAD, just nothing to really recommend here.
This was okay. I liked the concept and the unique setting. Loved the secondary couple (who did not get enough screen time) and all the neighbors and friends. But found the two leads wooden. Tae Joon especially. They looked very uncomfortable, especially when hugging. Every single time, Tae Joon held him in exactly the same way, grabbing him by the neck in a way that made me cringe. And Won Young would then rest his head on his shoulder and look off with so little emotion. They had reams of dialogue this way. Hey, Director... how about having them say these things into each other's eyes... so the emotion can be conveyed properly? Some of the typical BL tropes that I can normally forgive seemed so childish between these two adult men. Did we really need the "splashing each other with water hoses" scene? Did we need TWO "tend for the sick boy in bed" sequences? It was all a bit too familiar when they could have given it unique and unusual angles, given the characters and setting. All in all, a decent series but not one I will watch again. Not bad, but just average.
I liked this, despite some really major and annoying script issues. One scene to the next there were inconsistencies. We have to work... let's get a beer. We've got a big deadline... but only one person works and the rest leave. Lame.
My biggest issue was an app developer hiring an illustrator and then expecting that illustrator to come up with the story for the game. That's not the way it works. I really hate it when screenwriters don't do their research. If you're going to set a series in this world, at least find out how it operates. Also, major problems with the webtoon Producer who did nothing but criticize Wan (saying he only drew in one style), then about-facing and saying his drawing has improved... when it's in exactly the same style featuring exactly the same main character. And then when Wan says he can't join the project the Producer just ignores him and says let's meet again and get beers. What?
I didn't quite understand why Wan didn't immediately start dating KiTae after he conessed. Yeah, I get it, he was hurt before but he's been crushing on the guy for 7 years and finally gets a confession and then he's going to play hard to get? Didn't seem in his character, or believable to me. I felt his character changed quite a bit after the confession. And then KiTae's "anxiety" issue suddenly appears out of nowhere.
Despite all that, I liked the characters. Lee Seung Gyu is gorgeous, even with the big nostrils. Too bad he cant cry on cue, but many can't. I really liked the end credits with the game simulations. They brought it all together nicely. They made an adorable couple and their kisses were pretty darn hot, I must say. I might watch bits and pieces to see these cuties (and their quirky co-workers), though probably won't watch the whole series again. Cute, but flawed.
This was pretty good. I liked the characters a lot. Good backstories and goals that made for some compelling dramatic moments. They were both such tender, fragile characters that you truly felt for them. The leads are gorgeous and though, at times, wooden they have moments when they rise to the challenge. What was Kyung's problem? Jealous? It seemed forced and random at times. Then the last 2 eps really fell apart. 2 different 2 year skips? And seemingly very little has happened to them in the interim. They haven't even kissed after 4 years? Ridiculous. It even takes 4 years for Tae Hyun to say he likes him. Not buying it. The matching pajamas just felt so juvenile. I know it was meant for comedy, but felt a bit too fan service-y for me. But I was rooting for them all along. I might watch an ep of two again, but don't think I would invest in the whole series.
I came here to check this series before watching after seeing this recommmend on YouTube. Found out it's from…
Hello Stranger is one of my favorite BL of all time. Gaya Sa Pelikula is very good as well. I also like a couple of others, but I agree the quality is not as good as in Thai, Taiwan, Korea or Japan. But I love the Philippines (just got back from vacation there), so I'll always give them a chance - even if I drop them quickly.
Just watched for second time. Seung Ho is just so charming I can't resist. I loved all the meet cute moments at the beginning and the "just misses", although I guess in reality those meet cutes were actually staged by Gitae. I love how they make you think Gitae is just this cute, fluffy fan boy and then SURPRISE. It made perfect sense to me why they would be attracted to one another and why they would be good for one another. How Gitae went from dorky waiter to assassin is a mystery, and there is some really sloppy editing and holes that could be filled. But all in all, this is extremely satisfying to me (who loves action and BL equally). I'll watch again.
Cute, fun little concept. Obviously moves very quickly as they try to establish everything in about 15 minutes, but I'd watch a series based on this. Joey is adorable and Dick has an amazing body. Like the VERY adult behavior. Anyone know if there are plans for a series?
I started the series, but had trouble getting all the episodes and finally got around to watching the movie version and seeing the end of the story. I must say that I thought the series was okay, and the movie is exactly the same (with maybe one added scene), but seeing it in one viewing, it became apparent how choppily it was edited, how little substance they actually give you, and how much is merely implied or just forgotten. I realized that each episode (now strung together) gave you one or two new pieces of information and then became a music video montage of the boys. Watching it as a movie, I got tired of all the montages strung together and really wanted more substance. I think they needed about 20 more minutes to really flesh it all out and give the characters time to truly establish themselves and their goals. Obviously, Eun Kyu is "straight" and falling for a man for the first time, but they kinda gloss over it, aside from a few "what am I doing?" lines (which could be misconstrued as, i shouldn't fall for a coworker, or even my life is screwed up... which it is). The love triangle was not really supported well. Then it rears its head and becomes a fist fight, seemingly out of nowhere. However, I fell for these boys pretty hard. They are adorable and charismatic. I wanted them to get together and I was happy when they did. The minimal intimacy was fine for me with this story (although I'll always take more kissing if I have the choice). For super light fluff, I enjoyed it and would probably watch again.
I guess I should have known from the title that this would be a tear jerker and Ep 4 certainly brought the tears. Thoughtful handling of such sensitive subject matter. More than many other enemy to lover BL, this one handles their evolving relationship better, too. You still feel the tension and the distance between them, while watching them grow closer. They aren't immediately falling all over one another, giving off full-blown "I'm in love with you" vibes while pretending to still hate each other. This feels natural and realistic. This is a DRAMA with BL side story. I'm all for it.
HOW OLD IS HO TAE?The subtitles said that Ho Tae was in cram school for his GED, which would mean high school,…
I had the same thought.... he's waaaaay too old to be in high school. I'm assuming they meant some kind of college degree, but who knows. He's gonna end up with cafe guy, so high school age would not be appropriate.
Ep 6 - letting the tongues fly. I love how the 3rd couple had to watch a video (I'm assuming porn) to know what to do - and both of them were so giddy. Too funny.
PS: Who's the hair stylist on this show? Are they blind? A couple of boys look like they've been sheared like sheep.
Eh. Not sure about this one. Fuse is so desperate it's a bit much. He goes with Ana without even seeming to think about it. "Flirt with me," and next thing you know they're a couple and he's whipped. I'm not buying it. Feels like this was thrown together overnight. I'll give it one more ep before I decide to drop.
I couldn’t stomach the first episode and dropped the series, then got convinced by fans to give it another shot. Thanks for that cuz I truly enjoyed the show. Yes it’s familiar high school shenanigans but so well acted that it rose above. Fourth is amazing. I did not sense a false moment from him. Gemini bugs me for some reason but I admit he is a strong actor as well. Most of the secondary cast was equally strong. Notably Satang and Ford. I am pretty sure they gave ford that crying scene in Ep 11 as an audition for a starring role If you can cry convincingly, you can star in a Bl! Haha. They are good singers but I grew tired of a full song or three per episode. I’m sure the teen girl audience loved it but I prefer a story to a montage or music video. At the end far too many group hugs but that’s a minor quibble. I loved the easy, natural intimacy between the leads. The subtle touching, tickling their chins etc. it showed a welcome comfort not in most Bls. While the kissing was limited, I will say it looked natural and romantic. A few minor missteps but overall a strong show.
Did you already watch My School President? Both Fourth and Gemini are so strong!
Ok thanks everyone. I went back and watched MSP. You were right. After 2 or 3 eps I was all in. A few problems but overall I enjoyed it. Thanks for the recommendation.
2 episodes in and it's just okay. I'm not a fan of time travel love stories. Someone is destined to be hurt. We'll see how they handle it here. I do like the fact that he's reunited with his friends and they get to act like teenagers all over again. And I like his protective Uncle feelings towards his new friends. I have a crush on Cooper, but he tends to overact. Still, I'll stick this one out just to watch him and his amazing abs but I'm not expecting much.
Wow. So I am definitely in the minority here. I HATE Chers character. He’s a complete idiot. I couldn’t care less if this guy finds love. And Book is overacting way beyond what’s needed. I suppose that’s partially a directors choice but he’s doing nothing to endear me to this character either. I can’t stomach it. Dropped.
What saved it was the natural, comfortable relationship between the two leads. They seemed genuinely enamored, especially Bank, who has a cute, sweet innocence that should make him a big BL star. And these two were obviously willing to go farther than most. While the kisses were mostly terrible, they were quite extensive and there was copious amounts of tongue. The steamy scene was done well, and for once I actually felt like the moaning sounded like pleasure instead of agony. I liked how comfortable they were together, how affectionate and physical. Even the side couples were treated like adults who actually were intimate, instead of the typical chaste pairings (not that there's anything wrong with that, but it's not very realistic in today's world). Still, physical intimacy is not a substitute for a good story. I wish more time was spent on that.
Shout out to Ai's mom. She was a strong presence and a great ally. And... I HOPE they fired that hairdresser. Aside from that horrible mullet, Bank's hair looked like it had been hacked with a lawnmower, as did several of the side characters. Even after 3 years of being apart from his boyfriend, he returned with the same bad haircut. Poor thing. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone, nor will I watch again. It's not BAD, just nothing to really recommend here.
My biggest issue was an app developer hiring an illustrator and then expecting that illustrator to come up with the story for the game. That's not the way it works. I really hate it when screenwriters don't do their research. If you're going to set a series in this world, at least find out how it operates. Also, major problems with the webtoon Producer who did nothing but criticize Wan (saying he only drew in one style), then about-facing and saying his drawing has improved... when it's in exactly the same style featuring exactly the same main character. And then when Wan says he can't join the project the Producer just ignores him and says let's meet again and get beers. What?
I didn't quite understand why Wan didn't immediately start dating KiTae after he conessed. Yeah, I get it, he was hurt before but he's been crushing on the guy for 7 years and finally gets a confession and then he's going to play hard to get? Didn't seem in his character, or believable to me. I felt his character changed quite a bit after the confession. And then KiTae's "anxiety" issue suddenly appears out of nowhere.
Despite all that, I liked the characters. Lee Seung Gyu is gorgeous, even with the big nostrils. Too bad he cant cry on cue, but many can't. I really liked the end credits with the game simulations. They brought it all together nicely. They made an adorable couple and their kisses were pretty darn hot, I must say. I might watch bits and pieces to see these cuties (and their quirky co-workers), though probably won't watch the whole series again. Cute, but flawed.
PS: Who's the hair stylist on this show? Are they blind? A couple of boys look like they've been sheared like sheep.