the kick scene in this version is one of my faves. the way she kicked him with the dirty shoe he cut up and threw…
Definitely! Although up until that moment they'd made it so Thyme wouldn't be "getting his hands dirty" by doing something cruel. They seemed to be wanting to make it like Thyme was just standing by to let others do the dirty work. For him to cut up the shoe was not a good look in that regard.
(On the other hand, he was sparing her a worse fate that would have been waiting for her if she'd had to go into the stadium. So maybe he was doing her a favor.)
But with all that said, incorporating the shoe slicing into the scene and having it lead to the kick was pure genius.
I loved the opening -- that narration by Thyme that pays tribute to the girl who changed him. Those glimpses at scenes to come ... wonderful. Within those first moments I knew that this was going to be a fantastic adaptation of BOF.
And we can start with the FL, the absolute best FL of any adaptation of BOF that I've seen. (Sorry, Shen Yue ... I think this version's avoidance of campy humor makes this FL more compelling.) Scrappy and cute. You can already see that Gorya will be beautiful after the inevitable makeover.
The casting of Thyme and Ren is totally on point. Bright is ideal for the ML and Ren is suitably mysterious and beautiful as the SML. The fact that they cast a new actor as Ren is smart. His newness helps to accentuate his character's mystique. When he's onscreen it's hard to take your eyes off him. Bright might be hoping they don't share too many scenes together. :)
Which leads me to Win, where I think my familiarity with him makes it hard to see him as a playboy. If I'm honest I don't think he's as gifted an actor as Bright. He has more work to do, and I just feel like he didn't seem to inhabit his character in the same way that Bright's fit him like a glove.
M.J. is okay. Maybe he'll have a chance to stand out later in the series. For now he seems a little out of place in the quartet.
That final scene was just *chef's kiss*. They incorporated the kick brilliantly, and yes, you could see in Thyme's eyes that he was already falling in love with Gorya. It gave me goosebumps!
Based on the trailer I knew this would be the super-deluxe BOF adaptation and the first episode seems to confirm that. GMMTV has given us another reason to look forward to the weekend!
Lastly, I think they split the episode into five parts to accommodate all the sponsors. Holy Hell, did you see that graphic during the final credits? Not sure what I think of Bright selling laundry detergent and cat food, but whatever pays the bills, I guess. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I love how it sustained a delightful story over 10 episodes by being completely character-driven, without relying on a villain to cause fake drama due to misunderstandings.
I like how Ida's personality changed over the course of the series due to Aoki's influence and the support of Ida's friends. I'm struck by how different the Ida in Episode 10 is from the one we met in Episode 1. He's an example of how falling in love can let you feel secure enough to open up parts of yourself that you've kept hidden.
As for a kiss, I guess I'm just surprised that there wasn't one after the beginning of the last episode made the question of their first kiss such a focal point. By then they'd held hands and been on a date so I figured they were foreshadowing a final kiss, even if we'd see it only through a distant camera shot or in silhouette. (Is it possible that they originally included one and made a change in post-production?)
Well, at least there wasn't a high-5 lol.
Japanese BL is really coming into its own. I hope 2022 will bring us a lot more!
Rewatched the first four episodes after having first finished the series months ago.
This beginning part really is brilliant. Park Ji Hoon and Bae In Hyuk are both terrific and have amazing chemistry.
If only the So Bin romance hadn't later mucked up the works. Ah, what could have been. Like so many great series it collapses at the end, losing its nerve in order to appeal to a mainstream audience that gets uncomfortable when anything is unpredictable.
Why do some studios cater to an international audience for a handful of episodes and then retreat into some channel where most of the world can't keep watching? If they don't want us to watch it, please don't subtitle it! It's really mean to make us fall in love and then dump us unceremoniously.
I'm "coming out" as one of the viewers who didn't like Kiyoi to start with but who now feels as though I've started to understand him. Episode 5 helped a lot. I think what really touched me was when Kiyoi tested Hira by calling Hira's number and then hanging up, while saying to himself that if Hira doesn't call back right away, it's over.
That moved me so much, because it seemed like such a fitting depiction of vulnerability, fear, and self-anger. We can't choose who we're attracted to, and much of Kiyoi's hostility toward Hira could come from being impatient with himself for having such feelings for Hira in the first place -- on one level liking Hira's attention, but ultimately wishing that Hira himself would better fit the role of a suitable boyfriend, and respond to Kiyoi as a person instead of an idol.
Having been on "the other side" of this argument, I won't be on the attack here when I see that someone still thinks Kiyoi is nasty and beyond redemption. I don't want to be associated with the self-appointed Thought Police patrolling this page. Life is more interesting when opposing views are shared and I'm okay with having my beliefs tested.
The situation here has reminded me of what happened early on over at the Bad Buddy comment section. After the first episode there was a commenter who was so over the top in his disgust for the series that it seemed irrational, and his venomous attacks on the people who disagreed with him were really mean. It made us all wish he would just get the hell out. That person was a disruptive and rude presence and I think he deserved to be asked to shut up and leave. On the other hand, from what I've seen here most of the people who have had their dissenting views about Kiyoi and the series have been making their points sincerely.
This is definitely a provocative series -- and I'm sure its creators meant it to be. I bet they'd be delighted to know that it has stirred strong opinions on both sides. The best works of art don't lend themselves to easy interpretation, and those who love this series should be proud of its ability to get a strong reaction out of people from all perspectives. One thing for sure, we've all kept watching because Utsukushii Kare isn't a confection to be easily consumed and forgotten the next day. It makes us think, and even when my own thoughts included the opinion that Kiyoi was an irredeemable a&&hole I still looked forward to every episode.
I already succumbed to the urge to rewatch. Oops! It was just as exciting the second time around. I really enjoy…
I was glad they didn't spend a lot of time on a plot thread where White needs to slowly come to the decision to impersonate Black. I can imagine a lot of series spending one or two episodes on that alone. For me that would be a snoozefest.
Logically I think Todd is the most likely suspect for the big betrayal because none of the other guys was startled to see that "Black" is alive and healthy. Todd is the only one who knows the whole story.
We still haven't met Dan (who, based on the poster, seems destined to be paired up with Yok) so the jury's still out. But I agree that Todd is the prime suspect at this point. Maybe his ultimate goal is to wipe out both brothers along with the rest of the crew.
You could either A. Scroll through all the comments and you will find many good explanations behind Kiyoi’s…
I've read several of those comments. To me many of them come across as excusing an abusive husband who beats his wife, all because he feels "jealous" and you can see the hurt in his eyes.
A series that requires reading the book version in order to understand it is not a successful series. I think anyone who needs to cite the book to make a point is conceding this.
S&M just doesn't appeal to me, I guess. I recognize that Kiyoi and Hira are in a kind of dance where it's not clear who is leading whom, but by taking the "S" role Kiyoi has his level of disturbance more on display, breaking social norms. As someone who was bullied when I was younger I find him very unlikeable for it, and it's dismaying to see his behavior excused or even romanticized.
I'm going to keep watching because I'm curious how they'll bring this train into the station. What revelation will make the sympathy for Kiyoi suddenly pour from my heart? The series on its own is quite compelling. For now I just think the happy ending would have to be that Kiyoi and Hira part ways and never see each other again.
I hope someone who's a genius at analysis will write a masterpiece of a comment that lets me see a sympathetic or even passably likeable side to Kiyoi. What an arse. If there really are just six episodes for this series then it has a lot of work to do.
Dropped it. I have loved the other School franchise dramas but this is such a schematically written kiddie show that I feel condescended to. From the beginning the FL was annoying AF and then the "suicide" stunt by the writers put me on a downward slide that I never recovered from.
Yo Han's acting got better though. That's a plus, but not worth 16 episodes of torture. So that's that.
I know I might be in the minority, but about that mixture of kinky stuff and product placement I'm certainly not…
It's the most seamless accommodation for product placement that I've seen in a Thai series, and I appreciate how much thought they put into that. Those manufacturers make this series possible.
To thank them I'd like to buy their stuff but due to lack of access it could only be the printer. Can't swing that. :)
High key want pat to pummel wai till he’s nothing but a heap of blood and mangled skin.;)
It seems we tend to forget that the very first scene in the series was Pat's gang ready to pummel Wai, who was alone. And later on Pat's gang picked on Wai in his workplace where he was without his own crew and bound by an employee's duty to treat customers with respect.
There's plenty of blame to go around. I think hating on any of the friends individually is pointless because they all have nasty tendencies and contribute to the pack mentality.
Guy is not his supervisor. He is kind of his senior but not that much. They are assigned to a common project,…
I too have liked that the guys are good-looking but not godlike. Thanks for mentioning that.
And that's a good point about the dynamic between Guy and Nut. I don't mind a coworker hitting on me if I'm also attracted to him, but if I'm not then it would make things really uncomfortable, I would have advised Guy to be more subtle to start with. :)
5 
6 
2 
(On the other hand, he was sparing her a worse fate that would have been waiting for her if she'd had to go into the stadium. So maybe he was doing her a favor.)
But with all that said, incorporating the shoe slicing into the scene and having it lead to the kick was pure genius.
And we can start with the FL, the absolute best FL of any adaptation of BOF that I've seen. (Sorry, Shen Yue ... I think this version's avoidance of campy humor makes this FL more compelling.) Scrappy and cute. You can already see that Gorya will be beautiful after the inevitable makeover.
The casting of Thyme and Ren is totally on point. Bright is ideal for the ML and Ren is suitably mysterious and beautiful as the SML. The fact that they cast a new actor as Ren is smart. His newness helps to accentuate his character's mystique. When he's onscreen it's hard to take your eyes off him. Bright might be hoping they don't share too many scenes together. :)
Which leads me to Win, where I think my familiarity with him makes it hard to see him as a playboy. If I'm honest I don't think he's as gifted an actor as Bright. He has more work to do, and I just feel like he didn't seem to inhabit his character in the same way that Bright's fit him like a glove.
M.J. is okay. Maybe he'll have a chance to stand out later in the series. For now he seems a little out of place in the quartet.
That final scene was just *chef's kiss*. They incorporated the kick brilliantly, and yes, you could see in Thyme's eyes that he was already falling in love with Gorya. It gave me goosebumps!
Based on the trailer I knew this would be the super-deluxe BOF adaptation and the first episode seems to confirm that. GMMTV has given us another reason to look forward to the weekend!
Lastly, I think they split the episode into five parts to accommodate all the sponsors. Holy Hell, did you see that graphic during the final credits? Not sure what I think of Bright selling laundry detergent and cat food, but whatever pays the bills, I guess. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I like how Ida's personality changed over the course of the series due to Aoki's influence and the support of Ida's friends. I'm struck by how different the Ida in Episode 10 is from the one we met in Episode 1. He's an example of how falling in love can let you feel secure enough to open up parts of yourself that you've kept hidden.
As for a kiss, I guess I'm just surprised that there wasn't one after the beginning of the last episode made the question of their first kiss such a focal point. By then they'd held hands and been on a date so I figured they were foreshadowing a final kiss, even if we'd see it only through a distant camera shot or in silhouette. (Is it possible that they originally included one and made a change in post-production?)
Well, at least there wasn't a high-5 lol.
Japanese BL is really coming into its own. I hope 2022 will bring us a lot more!
This beginning part really is brilliant. Park Ji Hoon and Bae In Hyuk are both terrific and have amazing chemistry.
If only the So Bin romance hadn't later mucked up the works. Ah, what could have been. Like so many great series it collapses at the end, losing its nerve in order to appeal to a mainstream audience that gets uncomfortable when anything is unpredictable.
That moved me so much, because it seemed like such a fitting depiction of vulnerability, fear, and self-anger. We can't choose who we're attracted to, and much of Kiyoi's hostility toward Hira could come from being impatient with himself for having such feelings for Hira in the first place -- on one level liking Hira's attention, but ultimately wishing that Hira himself would better fit the role of a suitable boyfriend, and respond to Kiyoi as a person instead of an idol.
Having been on "the other side" of this argument, I won't be on the attack here when I see that someone still thinks Kiyoi is nasty and beyond redemption. I don't want to be associated with the self-appointed Thought Police patrolling this page. Life is more interesting when opposing views are shared and I'm okay with having my beliefs tested.
The situation here has reminded me of what happened early on over at the Bad Buddy comment section. After the first episode there was a commenter who was so over the top in his disgust for the series that it seemed irrational, and his venomous attacks on the people who disagreed with him were really mean. It made us all wish he would just get the hell out. That person was a disruptive and rude presence and I think he deserved to be asked to shut up and leave. On the other hand, from what I've seen here most of the people who have had their dissenting views about Kiyoi and the series have been making their points sincerely.
This is definitely a provocative series -- and I'm sure its creators meant it to be. I bet they'd be delighted to know that it has stirred strong opinions on both sides. The best works of art don't lend themselves to easy interpretation, and those who love this series should be proud of its ability to get a strong reaction out of people from all perspectives. One thing for sure, we've all kept watching because Utsukushii Kare isn't a confection to be easily consumed and forgotten the next day. It makes us think, and even when my own thoughts included the opinion that Kiyoi was an irredeemable a&&hole I still looked forward to every episode.
Logically I think Todd is the most likely suspect for the big betrayal because none of the other guys was startled to see that "Black" is alive and healthy. Todd is the only one who knows the whole story.
We still haven't met Dan (who, based on the poster, seems destined to be paired up with Yok) so the jury's still out. But I agree that Todd is the prime suspect at this point. Maybe his ultimate goal is to wipe out both brothers along with the rest of the crew.
Hats off to the OffGun Army for taking appropriate action. ^_^
The rooster humor was the best.
Does anyone know if the tattoo on Singto's arm is real, or is it there for the series?
A series that requires reading the book version in order to understand it is not a successful series. I think anyone who needs to cite the book to make a point is conceding this.
S&M just doesn't appeal to me, I guess. I recognize that Kiyoi and Hira are in a kind of dance where it's not clear who is leading whom, but by taking the "S" role Kiyoi has his level of disturbance more on display, breaking social norms. As someone who was bullied when I was younger I find him very unlikeable for it, and it's dismaying to see his behavior excused or even romanticized.
I'm going to keep watching because I'm curious how they'll bring this train into the station. What revelation will make the sympathy for Kiyoi suddenly pour from my heart? The series on its own is quite compelling. For now I just think the happy ending would have to be that Kiyoi and Hira part ways and never see each other again.
Yo Han's acting got better though. That's a plus, but not worth 16 episodes of torture. So that's that.
To thank them I'd like to buy their stuff but due to lack of access it could only be the printer. Can't swing that. :)
There's plenty of blame to go around. I think hating on any of the friends individually is pointless because they all have nasty tendencies and contribute to the pack mentality.
And that's a good point about the dynamic between Guy and Nut. I don't mind a coworker hitting on me if I'm also attracted to him, but if I'm not then it would make things really uncomfortable, I would have advised Guy to be more subtle to start with. :)