I did not read the source material, so I can only judge this on its own merits. It was pretty good, for me. All of the actors were so charming and natural. I loved every performance, from the leads (Hee Su was just toooooooo adorable), to the friends and the sisters. Even the sister's ex-boyfriend who got a terrifically emotional scene in the last ep (why, I don't quite understand, but he was still quite good in that scene).
Even without reading the original, they should have spent more time on Hee Su and Seung Won. The aforementioned ex-boyfriend scene was just one of the many subplots that got more time than the leads - but still I found it sweet and endearing. It was the innocence and raw naturalism of the performances that drew me and in and kept me invested. Not a perfect BL (what is?), but one I might revisit just to come back into the same orbit as these charming souls.
I don't hate them half as much as most commenters here (in fact, I like the straight couple a LOT), but I do agree... a tennis tournament is NOT the point of this series. Glad there's only one more ep to go.
Sweet and innocent. Felt more like a series of montages than a fully fleshed out story. Lacking in character depth and development. But I enjoyed their blossoming romance and how affectionate they were, even platonically. A bit confusing with the "i have a girlfriend, I don't, I'm getting married, I'm not" but overall an enjoyable fever dream of a romance.
I didn't care for the first episode. A lot of elements that just personally drive me crazy. So far I don't like any of the main 3 characters. And fake romance is one of my least favorite tropes. I'll watch one more ep, to see if it improves, but not holding out much hope for this one.
Blueming was fantastic. Sorry this one does not live up to its standards.
That was a boring first episode. It felt so lifeless. Flashbacks and recalled dialogue within minutes after seeing the original scene. Unnecessary, poor storytelling that shows you the director does not trust the audience to understand the characters. And an epilogue that added absolutely zero. I'll watch one more ep, but I don't expect it to get better.
So many of these verticals end up feeling like 50% of the movie was edited out and we're left with the scraps. Or it's just a montage, and you never really get the true depth of the characters. They did a decent job here, but ultimately I didn't know enough about any of them to really care and it all rushed past in a blur. My least favorite performance from Kim Seong Hyuk., who has been so good in other BLs. He did not have any feeling at all for the Shakespeare parts. Might have been a decent full-length series, but this one isn't really worth wasting your time.
This one has an odd, schticky, slapstick vibe that's not my fav, but I've liked all the leads in other shows, so I'll give it a shot, but I'm not expecting much.
Also... did they need to tell the story through flashbacks? Feels like it could have been told in a linear fashion just as well.
Atmospheric, minimalistic yet evocative and intriguing. Not sure what the ending is meant to imply. Fengyi Xing was excellent and so adorably cute. Nothing major, but a well done short.
Wow this one really got me. Great story. Excellent acting. Great job making the basketball play look real. I was moved, edge of my seat, feeling all the feels. Fandy Fan can do no wrong in my mind, and this was made 7 years ago. He just gets better. Berant Zhu was equally impressive, so intense. Loved the coach, and the Dad too. Highly recommend, especially if you like sports movies.
Got too ridiculous for me to continue. When someone (or in this case two) are so obviously a red flag and the lead doesn't see it, I just can't. Glad you're all enjoying.
LOOOVED it. Not a typical feel-good HEA type of story, but beautifully filmed and acted. And ultimately satisfying in its conclusion.
I didn't recognize Fandy Fan at first, with his gorgeous wavy hair. But his infectious smile is still the same as it was in HISTORY. He should be a bigger star.
I had some problems early in the story, (Gu Tian Yu went along with everything far too easily) but got wrapped up in its rhythm and the slow-burn evolution of this bromance. Some editing issues as well, later on in the story, but nothing major.
Yes, this is BROMANCE. There are inidications it might become more than that, but no true BL elements at all, save for one "fall into a kiss".
I'm not quite certain where this fictitious bay of whales is, but you can drive from one end of taiwan to the other in 8 hours. Why it took multiple days to get there is unclear - and my little nit-pick for the movie. Otherwise, beautifully done.
Ridiculous premise, but some cute and fun moments. Not great, but not horrible. A bit too much going on, so lots felt dropped or unaddressed. LIked the setting, and focus on ADULT MEN, even though they did act childish quite a lot of the time, Decent to good acting. But all in all, this felt forced to me. A good idea that just was't executed to its highest potential. I enjoyed, but won't watch again. 2nd couple were gorgeous. Give them their own series!
Aside from the cute leads and his brother, I'm not sure what kept me coming back to this one. * Age gap student/teacher doesn't really bother me, but not my favorite, especially when you play the student like a 12 year old. * His tantrums would have been tolerable if he didn't have them so often. * The acting ranged from good to awkward. * I was a bit (pleasantly) surprised how quickly they got into bed. * Second couple had a better storyline, but I just didn't believe a second of the chemistry between them. * A lot of life advice given. Every episode seemed to have someone counseling another with "chicken soup for the soul" type of cliches. * The happy ending felt contrived and the epilogue unnecessary. A decent watch, but not one I would recommend highly.
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Even without reading the original, they should have spent more time on Hee Su and Seung Won. The aforementioned ex-boyfriend scene was just one of the many subplots that got more time than the leads - but still I found it sweet and endearing. It was the innocence and raw naturalism of the performances that drew me and in and kept me invested. Not a perfect BL (what is?), but one I might revisit just to come back into the same orbit as these charming souls.
Hope you all enjoy the rest.
Ridiculous - but still kinda sexy.
Blueming was fantastic. Sorry this one does not live up to its standards.
Also... did they need to tell the story through flashbacks? Feels like it could have been told in a linear fashion just as well.
I didn't recognize Fandy Fan at first, with his gorgeous wavy hair. But his infectious smile is still the same as it was in HISTORY. He should be a bigger star.
I had some problems early in the story, (Gu Tian Yu went along with everything far too easily) but got wrapped up in its rhythm and the slow-burn evolution of this bromance. Some editing issues as well, later on in the story, but nothing major.
Yes, this is BROMANCE. There are inidications it might become more than that, but no true BL elements at all, save for one "fall into a kiss".
I'm not quite certain where this fictitious bay of whales is, but you can drive from one end of taiwan to the other in 8 hours. Why it took multiple days to get there is unclear - and my little nit-pick for the movie. Otherwise, beautifully done.
* Age gap student/teacher doesn't really bother me, but not my favorite, especially when you play the student like a 12 year old.
* His tantrums would have been tolerable if he didn't have them so often.
* The acting ranged from good to awkward.
* I was a bit (pleasantly) surprised how quickly they got into bed.
* Second couple had a better storyline, but I just didn't believe a second of the chemistry between them.
* A lot of life advice given. Every episode seemed to have someone counseling another with "chicken soup for the soul" type of cliches.
* The happy ending felt contrived and the epilogue unnecessary.
A decent watch, but not one I would recommend highly.