I'm surprised not to see any mention of how the most fully formed relationship in this series is the (eventual) friendship between Baek Hyun and Kang. Due to their age difference it would be wrong to call it bromance, but at the very least it's about a boy who slowly comes to trust and bond with the father figure he desperately needs.
I think it's interesting that the two most momentous turning points have to do with grief -- Kang's mourning of his teacher's death and Baek Hyun's vigil at his grandmother's bedside after her surgery. Baek Hyun was deeply moved by his teacher's outpouring of grief. I think it made him realize that men are allowed to cry openly and that he could let his own emotions show in asking Kang to stay with him as he sat with his grandmother.
I also like how the very first scene of the series is a combative confrontation between these two guys, and the very last scene is an almost identical situation where they're now utterly elated to see one another.
My poor Seungyun. You and Ahoon were the only bearable characters this season, and you were both relegated to…
I like your analysis a lot.
I agree that Hyunho was always a good person before he met Yeondoo, and I like your observation about his circle of friends. I wrote a brief review of Season One where I said something similar. They all support one other, admit when they're wrong, and are willing to apologize. If Hyunho was obnoxious and a true bully he wouldn't have lasted even a day with that crowd.
That's one reason his "woe is me" arc in Season Two bugs me so much. It should have been short-lived, like all of his friends should have gathered around to support him and remind Hyunho why he likes Yeondoo and why they like him.
I'm not too concerned about the posted pic being how Yeondoo met Hyunho since she did it by accident, and life is filled with these turning points that seem small but end up leading to momentous change.
One of the reasons Hyunho was first drawn to Yeondoo was her honesty and sincerity in wanting to make amends for the photo post. It made him want to do nice things in return, like finding her missing backpack. If the photo post had never happened and she'd just joined their class as another student, it's possible he would have eventually picked up on her good traits, similar to the way Seungyun did. Ara made it sound like the post by Yeondoo was the only way she could have met Hyunho, and that's the reason she did it. That's how people like Ara view the world: "Since I lie and cheat to get what I want, I think you do too."
Season Two has frustrated me and apparently many others! People talk about "Second Male Lead Syndrome". I think there's also a "Second Season Syndrome", where writers forget what made the first season so good and pack the second season full of phony drama that clashes with what took place previously, or even undoes it completely.
After watching Steven Zhang's fantastic performance in Huckleberry Friends I'm having a hard time adjusting to him in his role here. I don't know how to put it. This series feels more slickly produced and therefore more removed from how people are in real life.
I'd probably like it more if I hadn't seen that other series first.
My poor Seungyun. You and Ahoon were the only bearable characters this season, and you were both relegated to…
Sorry to hear this. I really like both Seungyun and Ahoon, and a case can be made that Seungyun is more compatible with Yeondoo.
I've wondered what was the purpose of Ahoon's character? I was thinking maybe he's there as a way of introduction, and then have Season 3 focus on him and a new group of students.
I have to ask ... before the season ends do they try to make Ara look sympathetic, or even have everyone more accepting of her? I hate when a series cops out like that.
Everyone watch Bright speak about Sarawats POV whilst watching the last ep with Jennie: https://youtu.be/q66EmW1m_gIThe…
I don't think Bright was fully comfortable playing the character. That could be one of the reasons why things got weird once Sarawat and Tine were supposed to be a couple.
During the flirting stage it was like two bros kidding around, but after that it had to look like it really meant something.
I don't blame him for wanting to do damage control. I do blame him for wearing too much lip gloss. :)
Thank goodness we have you to give us "the real truth".
I won't try to bring up any points in disagreement. I'll just say thanks for the review because I clearly needed someone to dictate the facts to me about this series. What have I been thinking with all my silly, groundless criticisms? The greatness of 2gether turns out to be absolute. :)
Lots of cobwebs on this page, which is understandable given its vintage.
I've started the series and after 4 episodes I'm enjoying it. The production has a "School 2013" feel to it, and I think the story itself would have fit in well with the "School" franchise.
Man, though, what a bunch of incompetent and shady teachers at that school! They all band together and walk through the halls like a herd of cattle, just to spy on the one person who's trying to do something good.
It's definitely fun to see some future stars getting their start here.
Only dropped to 8.6 and two of my top 5 BL Red Balloon and Right Or Wrong only got 8.2 and 8.5…
I think a lot of the people giving '2gether' a score like 9.5 or 10 are smitten with Bright and Win and are grading on a curve. Or they want to get back at all of us who are giving it a low rating.
Red Balloon might be too artful for the average BL fan, and Right Or Wrong is mainly about domesticity and creating a family, with leads who don't do fashion modeling on the side.
Both of these series are about telling a compelling story rather than promoting the actors and selling skin products.
BTW I feel like MODC went downhill on the last few episodes too (ep8-10), not only on the very last as much people…
LOL I'm glad I read your comment before posting one of my own, because you're saying exactly what I was thinking.
Once the guys are together it's a challenge to keep the story interesting. You need writers who really have a vision. That's why so many Season 2s fall flat.
You should, if only because that high-five at the end is something that will live on in BL history.
Maybe it will become a metaphor for the really stupid and hilarious things that happen in future series: "Wow, that finale was almost as bad as the 2gether high-five!"
On the downside, once you see it you can't un-see it. :)
The way 2gether fans have been aggressively demonizing and degrading casual intimacy and physical affection between…
They need to make the argument about porn, because they figure that nobody in their right mind will defend a position that BLs need to include graphic sex.
I like how you phrase it: demonizing casual intimacy. The 2gether cult is so hellbent on defending the series that they won't give an inch on that, claiming that it's perfectly normal for a relationship to lack it.
The order of filming does not determine the amount of skinship the two actors have. Just because they filmed the…
Um, when a production is in rehearsal or actively filming there are a lot of script changes done on the spot. It's a script, not holy scripture. The director is god, so he can make any changes he wants to on the spot.
I'd love to see a BTS of them filming the scene where Sarawat and Tine do the high-five, so we can know for sure whose idea it was to stage the most laughable moment that this series will be remembered for.
Please stop complaining that there was barely any kiss scenes and no sex scenes. Love isn't just about the physical…
... but wanting them to be more physically affectionate isn't the same as saying we want "sex and heated kisses." How about holding hands? Or a light kiss on the lips? My god, when they were outside looking up at the stars they didn't even put their arms around one another. That's what we were looking for.
So please stop claiming that the people criticizing the show are doing it because they want hot and heavy sex aka porn. That's a cheap and lazy debate tactic -- after all, who's going to argue in favor of porn in a BL series?
The answer is: NOBODY.
So who do you imagine yourself debating with when you say the people disappointed by 2gether want "every single BL drama" to have "sex or heated kisses"? When you insist on always bringing explicit sex into the argument it doesn't shut down your opponent, it just makes you look incapable of defending your position intelligently.
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I think it's interesting that the two most momentous turning points have to do with grief -- Kang's mourning of his teacher's death and Baek Hyun's vigil at his grandmother's bedside after her surgery. Baek Hyun was deeply moved by his teacher's outpouring of grief. I think it made him realize that men are allowed to cry openly and that he could let his own emotions show in asking Kang to stay with him as he sat with his grandmother.
I also like how the very first scene of the series is a combative confrontation between these two guys, and the very last scene is an almost identical situation where they're now utterly elated to see one another.
I agree that Hyunho was always a good person before he met Yeondoo, and I like your observation about his circle of friends. I wrote a brief review of Season One where I said something similar. They all support one other, admit when they're wrong, and are willing to apologize. If Hyunho was obnoxious and a true bully he wouldn't have lasted even a day with that crowd.
That's one reason his "woe is me" arc in Season Two bugs me so much. It should have been short-lived, like all of his friends should have gathered around to support him and remind Hyunho why he likes Yeondoo and why they like him.
I'm not too concerned about the posted pic being how Yeondoo met Hyunho since she did it by accident, and life is filled with these turning points that seem small but end up leading to momentous change.
One of the reasons Hyunho was first drawn to Yeondoo was her honesty and sincerity in wanting to make amends for the photo post. It made him want to do nice things in return, like finding her missing backpack. If the photo post had never happened and she'd just joined their class as another student, it's possible he would have eventually picked up on her good traits, similar to the way Seungyun did. Ara made it sound like the post by Yeondoo was the only way she could have met Hyunho, and that's the reason she did it. That's how people like Ara view the world: "Since I lie and cheat to get what I want, I think you do too."
Season Two has frustrated me and apparently many others! People talk about "Second Male Lead Syndrome". I think there's also a "Second Season Syndrome", where writers forget what made the first season so good and pack the second season full of phony drama that clashes with what took place previously, or even undoes it completely.
Yes, it's been a tough quarantine! You'd think the BL gods would be kinder given the circumstances.
I'd probably like it more if I hadn't seen that other series first.
I've wondered what was the purpose of Ahoon's character? I was thinking maybe he's there as a way of introduction, and then have Season 3 focus on him and a new group of students.
I have to ask ... before the season ends do they try to make Ara look sympathetic, or even have everyone more accepting of her? I hate when a series cops out like that.
During the flirting stage it was like two bros kidding around, but after that it had to look like it really meant something.
I don't blame him for wanting to do damage control. I do blame him for wearing too much lip gloss. :)
I won't try to bring up any points in disagreement. I'll just say thanks for the review because I clearly needed someone to dictate the facts to me about this series. What have I been thinking with all my silly, groundless criticisms? The greatness of 2gether turns out to be absolute. :)
Cheers.
I've started the series and after 4 episodes I'm enjoying it. The production has a "School 2013" feel to it, and I think the story itself would have fit in well with the "School" franchise.
Man, though, what a bunch of incompetent and shady teachers at that school! They all band together and walk through the halls like a herd of cattle, just to spy on the one person who's trying to do something good.
It's definitely fun to see some future stars getting their start here.
Red Balloon might be too artful for the average BL fan, and Right Or Wrong is mainly about domesticity and creating a family, with leads who don't do fashion modeling on the side.
Both of these series are about telling a compelling story rather than promoting the actors and selling skin products.
Once the guys are together it's a challenge to keep the story interesting. You need writers who really have a vision. That's why so many Season 2s fall flat.
Maybe it will become a metaphor for the really stupid and hilarious things that happen in future series: "Wow, that finale was almost as bad as the 2gether high-five!"
On the downside, once you see it you can't un-see it. :)
I like how you phrase it: demonizing casual intimacy. The 2gether cult is so hellbent on defending the series that they won't give an inch on that, claiming that it's perfectly normal for a relationship to lack it.
I'd love to see a BTS of them filming the scene where Sarawat and Tine do the high-five, so we can know for sure whose idea it was to stage the most laughable moment that this series will be remembered for.
So please stop claiming that the people criticizing the show are doing it because they want hot and heavy sex aka porn. That's a cheap and lazy debate tactic -- after all, who's going to argue in favor of porn in a BL series?
The answer is: NOBODY.
So who do you imagine yourself debating with when you say the people disappointed by 2gether want "every single BL drama" to have "sex or heated kisses"? When you insist on always bringing explicit sex into the argument it doesn't shut down your opponent, it just makes you look incapable of defending your position intelligently.