FreshKicks

The anger I saw was over the character being conveniently used by the writers to invent a crisis. In every episode except her "disappearance" one she was this witty, more-mature-than-an-adult child genius, but when her mom couldn't pick her up from school she had a meltdown and went into hiding.

It was a poorly conceived character who happened to be a little girl. I have no problem with little girls. My sister was once one, and so was my mom. What I don't like is manipulative screen-writing and this series was overflowing with it.

If I dislike the inclusion of a stock character and she happens to be a little girl, am I a misogynist? That term loses its power when you use it in such a misinformed way. The girl was a child savant in one scene and then a broken pile of tears in the next, and it was all for the purpose of the writers creating a crisis for the two leads to respond to together. It took up an entire episode and then the little girl's emotional issues were never visited again. She was back in savant mode.

People like me were complaining about the lazy writing, not the fact that the character was a female. Give me an f'in break.

Duean is a POS.

I will watch this for Nuea. What a hottie!

That band, though .. they all looked like they'd picked up those instruments for the very first time after the director called "Action!"

Hottie.

I have a gut feeling that Bear and Bomb will never share a “real” boyfriend kiss and will keep things to a peck here and there.

There was a major recasting, probably because the series was so delayed.

It's an odd duck but I don't hate it. There's a lot of wasted time, no doubt, and it was pretty funny that the mangy student orchestra sounded like the Boston Symphony when they started to play, but I'm curious to know how the couples pan out and there are some seriously attractive men in the cast.

I love that Kan/Phet from "Brothers" has a supporting role. His presence is on another level. When he's onscreen I can't take my eyes off him.

I'm no longer certain that Rain and Phayu will be paired -- not with that girl showing up at the restaurant and getting her own "side story" no less. But it seems Phayu eventually gets a rival for her attention and maybe the ironic twist will be that he ends up with that guy as his match. That storyline would get my stamp of approval haha.

As for Rain, he might end up with the guy with the hot bod that they show checking him out in the shower in the trailer. Noh's acting is so stiff, though.

The director seems to be striving for profundity in just about every scene, and the instrumental score on the soundtrack sounds like it's intended to drive that home. This might also account for the almost kabuki style of performances that we're getting so far. These characters need to loosen up and become more like real people.

So far I'd say 7/10 is about right. It's not the worst but it has a long way to go to break into 8/10 territory.

I just love this series. There were misunderstandings in this episode that actually got cleared up! The casting is so on point. Every side character is as worthy of the wonderful main couple.

Nuea!!! I feel for that boy so much. What a sweetie. It's one scene after another where he acts so patient and caring, they really need to give us his love story after this.

She went WAY overboard. It was so frustrating to watch. What business is it of hers? Her whole "fraternity brother" bullshit is wearing thin. Butt out, girl. It's none of your business.

Seriously! I was thinking that maybe the positive reception for this series will inspire them to revisit the other stories as well.

In this episode they foreshadowed "Future", which is Fuse's love story. I'm pretty sure that the med student he approached to ask to tie a thread will be his costar.

I sure hope that Nuea's story gets retold too. What he said when asked why he likes Mark -- so touching. He is such a good egg.

I came here to comment about that final scene in the Ep2 Director's Cut as well!

It puts a different spin on everything that follows. Mark becomes officially complicit in Vee's deception of Ploy in a way the original version suppresses a little conveniently.

I was going to drop this but then, well, Jun shirtless.

Wonderful comment. I would guess you're probably the kind of person your friends can confide in because you listen and don't judge. I strive for that in my own life. Asian dramas, BLs included, are teeming with flawed people, but somehow Vee gets OD criticized. It's so over the top that I think the people doing it really ought to examine themselves for a minute and explore why that is.

Whenever they show Kamol's back tattoo I wish it showed a kitten instead of a tiger.

Is it me or is the whole BDSM factor slowly fading? Maybe the series is aiming for a theme where Kim slowly tames Kamol and makes Kamol less thirsty for the rough stuff.

I'm becoming invested in Baiboon and his future adventures.

It's underrated just like you say. This is a nice review! You make me want to rewatch it.

You're right. That's exactly where my own interest started to fade. Not only all the magical solutions, but the sudden ultimatum that if Tin dies, that's it -- "No loops for you!" (Any Seinfeld fans here? tee hee)

You're right about another thing, though -- the rest of the series puts it in a class above.

I thought it was excellent overall, but to me the last couple of minutes in the clock tower were kinda anti-climatic and blah.

I am disappointed that we never got to see how Sing and Gap became a couple. They just suddenly were one in that last loop. I know the metaphysical explanation for that, but they were bickering so much for most of the series that I was looking forward to seeing how that wall would get broken down.

Insane Doi was a little over the top. He even had an evil laugh. The only thing missing was him twirling a moustache.

Boy oh boy are we in for it now.

Is it too late for the manwha author to take back the broadcast rights?

You read my mind.