Where Your Eyes Linger!!! It's so good. You can watch it officially on Viki.
So true! Where Your Eyes Linger is so confidently directed and acted, it's like a world apart from 2gether.
Plus the chemistry sizzles. If anybody thinks Bright and Win had chemistry in 2gether, you should see the sparks that fly between the leads in this series. With just a fraction of screen time they make you believe in long-suppressed desire between them that won't be held back much longer.
I’m not sure the problems between Bright and Win can be blamed on the director, the editor, the writer, casting…
I like your analysis.
If an actor is fundamentally uncomfortable doing scenes of m/m intimacy, he'd have to be very skilled in his profession to be able to make the audience believe he was in character and that his character was excited, even turned on, by his beloved. Bright is not such an actor.
It wouldn't surprise me if the high five was *not* the director's first intent, and that it was only after a few takes where he saw that the chemistry for a big, emotional finale wasn't there between Bright and Win, that they talked it out and came up with the high five as a compromise:
"Well, yeah, you could just put your arm around him, but the script has you doing that in earlier episodes. We need something that says this is a new beginning."
"Um ... how about a high-five?"
I mean, the high five is just so f'in STRANGE that I've come to believe that there has to be a unique explanation to go with it. It's hard to imagine that the director (with BL credits in his CV) really thought that a high-five was a legit way to end a BL series. I hope a BTS video surfaces someday that shows how the scene was filmed and what decisions were made on the spot.
I've gotten flack on Twitter for saying that Bright should stay away from BL in the future, but honestly, it's for the sake of his own career as well as for fans like me. If he does another BL and delivers another detached and wooden performance, people will start to think he's just another pretty face who lacks talent, who might also be a tad homophobic.
I'm up to the fifth episode and so far both the ML and FL are petty and obnoxious. But like always I'm curious to see how they go from being antagonists to lovers. It's fun to see how a series pulls that off.
Noooooooooooooooooooooooo..... We said no to contrieved, stupid jealousy plots in the penultimate episode!!! MekBoss…
I don't mind it as much if it all happens organically, as opposed to having (ahem) the sudden appearance of a character who's never been part of the series, whose sole purpose is to create conflict.
Bohn/Duen - their conflict is character-driven and not too surprising since they're both rookies at dating. Bohn was stupid to take the teasing as far as he did. I imagine that the inability to communicate is a big factor for most of the break-ups that happen in the world.
Mek/Boss - at least Fon is a character we've met already, and Boss's failed pursuit of her was part of what got him and Mek together. To have her show up again when she and Boss never had closure doesn't feel as manipulative as it would if Boss had told her he was in a relationship now and she still kept chasing him.
(Also, I wonder if Fon drove herself to the campsite and was calling Boss from there.)
Ram/King - Offhand I can't remember another BL where "gay panic" in the guy who did most of the pursuing was introduced as a factor. It's an interesting route for the story to take and I'm curious to see where they go with it. I don't want to see Ram get hurt though.
Tara/Frong - I expect the doc will find the necklace (because that *has* to be what he went off to do) and the end of the series will be a beginning for them as a couple.
I think the pair most doomed is Mek/Boss. Bohn/Duen are the leads so it wouldn't make sense for them to be apart at the end. Maybe Ram/King will conclude on a hopeful note rather than a decisive one, but I have a feeling it will still be a hopeful one.
Anyway, I'm not saying I loved what this episode did but for me the series has built up enough good will that I'm willing to trust that things will (mostly) turn out well in the end.
Omg you where able to express how I was feeling about how GMMTV really messed up a really good drama they had…
And something else that is strange -- GMMTV hasn't been so afraid of m/m affection in other series.
I've heard that the first episode of the BL series that took over '2gether's' time slot (The Shipper) has already shown more physical affection between two guys than the entire '2gether' series. Unfortunately 'The Shipper' doesn't have subtitles yet so I haven't been able to watch.
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.
5 
6 
2 
Plus the chemistry sizzles. If anybody thinks Bright and Win had chemistry in 2gether, you should see the sparks that fly between the leads in this series. With just a fraction of screen time they make you believe in long-suppressed desire between them that won't be held back much longer.
If an actor is fundamentally uncomfortable doing scenes of m/m intimacy, he'd have to be very skilled in his profession to be able to make the audience believe he was in character and that his character was excited, even turned on, by his beloved. Bright is not such an actor.
It wouldn't surprise me if the high five was *not* the director's first intent, and that it was only after a few takes where he saw that the chemistry for a big, emotional finale wasn't there between Bright and Win, that they talked it out and came up with the high five as a compromise:
"Well, yeah, you could just put your arm around him, but the script has you doing that in earlier episodes. We need something that says this is a new beginning."
"Um ... how about a high-five?"
I mean, the high five is just so f'in STRANGE that I've come to believe that there has to be a unique explanation to go with it. It's hard to imagine that the director (with BL credits in his CV) really thought that a high-five was a legit way to end a BL series. I hope a BTS video surfaces someday that shows how the scene was filmed and what decisions were made on the spot.
I've gotten flack on Twitter for saying that Bright should stay away from BL in the future, but honestly, it's for the sake of his own career as well as for fans like me. If he does another BL and delivers another detached and wooden performance, people will start to think he's just another pretty face who lacks talent, who might also be a tad homophobic.
Bohn/Duen - their conflict is character-driven and not too surprising since they're both rookies at dating. Bohn was stupid to take the teasing as far as he did. I imagine that the inability to communicate is a big factor for most of the break-ups that happen in the world.
Mek/Boss - at least Fon is a character we've met already, and Boss's failed pursuit of her was part of what got him and Mek together. To have her show up again when she and Boss never had closure doesn't feel as manipulative as it would if Boss had told her he was in a relationship now and she still kept chasing him.
(Also, I wonder if Fon drove herself to the campsite and was calling Boss from there.)
Ram/King - Offhand I can't remember another BL where "gay panic" in the guy who did most of the pursuing was introduced as a factor. It's an interesting route for the story to take and I'm curious to see where they go with it. I don't want to see Ram get hurt though.
Tara/Frong - I expect the doc will find the necklace (because that *has* to be what he went off to do) and the end of the series will be a beginning for them as a couple.
I think the pair most doomed is Mek/Boss. Bohn/Duen are the leads so it wouldn't make sense for them to be apart at the end. Maybe Ram/King will conclude on a hopeful note rather than a decisive one, but I have a feeling it will still be a hopeful one.
Anyway, I'm not saying I loved what this episode did but for me the series has built up enough good will that I'm willing to trust that things will (mostly) turn out well in the end.
I've heard that the first episode of the BL series that took over '2gether's' time slot (The Shipper) has already shown more physical affection between two guys than the entire '2gether' series. Unfortunately 'The Shipper' doesn't have subtitles yet so I haven't been able to watch.
I think people are mostly voting for their favorite series
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.