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Hot Priest but boring story strangely slowly-paced despite its interesting thematic.
Despite its interesting premise, the show was overall disappointing. The storytelling managed to be boring which is very strange as the thematic and concept could have been super cool and exciting. The first episode was pretty intriguing with a strong horror vibe but the story became a train wreck overtime with some disconnected storylines and a lot of (over)explanations regarding the plot.The actors were doing an OK job but were not helped at all by the wonky scenario. Indeed, it was very difficult to understand some of the characters' actions but also in particular to believe in the relationships between them. The bonds formed between the main female lead and the 2 main male leads seemed to become super strong too quickly which also led to some scenes feeling very flat.
Clearly the series is lacking in many ways but still, there are some positives: the foreign actors acting was not atrocious (-which is pretty rare in K-drama universe), the visual FX were suitable, the fighting scenes were quite nicely produced, and Cha Eun Woo with his insane visual is real eye-candy in his role of priest Johan.
This 1st season is more of an introduction with some world building but unfortunately lacks strongly in characters development. Due to its strange pacing, it provides little excitement for the next season.
I would not necessarily recommend this to people unless they like one of the main actors or the main actress.
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A beautiful epilogue to the story with a strong and important activist point of view !
More than a SP, it can simply be seen as an episode 11 which serves as a beautiful epilogue to the story with a strong and important activist point of view ! As I have already written in my review of the drama, far from being preachy, it opens the door in a mindful way to reflection on the place of gay relationship in Japanese society.All the qualities of the series can be found in the epilogue : the outstanding chemistry between the actors, the sentimental and sorrowful music, the un-skippable opening song of the introduction generic... I like how water was once again an essential element of the storytelling.
I would recommend this to people that have seen the main series. Do yourself a favor and don't miss the epilogue of this amazing and poetic drama.
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Indie Chinese BL: interesting premise but flawed in terms of production value, editing and writing
This Chinese drama did almost not made it through, it was first stopped while airing after 4 episodes by the Chinese platform on which it was being released...and then it was picked up for full release by another international distribution platform. That in itself picked my interest and after watching it, it is a real BL story (not disguised at all as a bromance) so of course it did not pass the censorship and explains the release issue.Regarding the drama itself, there is a very indie and artsy vibe that I appreciated for some aspects. I liked for example the art school context and the opening generic. I also enjoyed some of the relationship evolution that feel quite gritty. But there is also to my eyes a lot of production issues. The low budget is very clear : it gives a raw aspect to some of the scenes but it explains a lot also regarding the limitations of the series. The director is using too much fish eye effect, most of the time there is no clear reason nor need for it, it is not flashback-driven and seem to be used to hide the poverty of the background/sets. The editing is really odd between scenes: you jump out from one to another and it feel a bit amateurish. The camera moves are also sometimes a bit odd.
If I liked the premise of the story, the artsy context in which the characters are evolving, I was a bit disappointed by the way the script resolved out-of-screen or too quickly a lot of the conflicts and issues. Some situations seemed very dangerous and complicated but their resolution was kinda anti-climatic. The acting was not bad but not transcendent. Guo Jia Le, playing Qi Lu, had the most interesting character growth. He had also a believable chemistry with Zhang Xuan Yu, playing Qin Xiao. I was unfortunately less convinced by the chemistry of the secondary couple: it could have been much more interesting but it was a bit of a letdown (not sure if because of the acting or the script).
I would recommend this to people looking for a Chinese BL which does not shy away from what it is and do not disguise it as a bromance. It has a strong indie flavor which is not an issue in itself but the low budget is clearly felt and there are quite a bit of editing / production issue. There are some interesting and gritty parts in the script but the way the story unfold is far from perfect. I think it is quite comparable to the Chinese BL Addicted in terms of production value. So if you enjoyed it, you might as well want to give a shot to this one.
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Loved the introduction but lost interest halfway through
I had so much fun at first with the series but I unfortunately lost interest halfway through it. I feel there are a lot to love in the series regarding the webtoon vibe with the over-the-top fight scenes, the banger OST, the exciting colorful production and the likeable gallery of characters.Unfortunately, I found the story quite lacking. I found the overall narrative arc for the characters very expected with little to no surprises. The morale felt very one note with some redundant aspect inherent to the genre. Don't get me wrong, I found quite touching some of the storylines relating to the Study Group members but it is a shame it was often in spite of the main character Yun Ga Min. The latest was so much less interesting than all his companions that it was a bit of a shame.
This central role was played by Hwang Min Hyun, whom I feel has improved since his performance in Alchemy of Souls. He felt less bland but still it seemed a bit like a miscast for the part. He felt (like most of the Study Group members) too old to play a young high school student. This was a source of concern but not really that problematic in the grand scheme of all. However, what is an issue is that even if I full recognize his acting has more range than what I have seen in the past, it was still a bit too robotic to my taste. Fortunately, I must say that I was much more convinced by the acting of the other cast members who appeared all throughout the series.
The production was very good. You need for sure total suspension of disbelief. It is part of the genre as it is an adaptation of a webtoon which does not aim to reach realism or very profound social criticism but rather to provide some exciting fighting scenes, hyping the hero and his friend with a lot of slow motion sequences. The OST was really nice : a lot of good raps, with an energizing opening song that I liked a lot.
I would recommend this to people that are looking for an action / shonen-like story within high school background. If you enjoyed series as The Uncanny Counter, I feel this could be a good series to test out. I had some real good laugh at first and I enjoyed some storylines. I just felt the hero arc was too predictable and remained relatively one-note which reduced my interest in the series as the story progressed.
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Unfortunately, totally missed the mark on friends-to-lovers trope I adore...
Friends-to-lovers might be one of my all time favorite trope in fiction. On paper, this BL had everything to seduce me but it failed miserably in doing so.Why ? Simply because it failed in its execution of one of the most important part of friends-to-lovers series : the set up and build up of the relationship. It flied so fast that there were not enough angst to make the romance compelling, not enough time to establish the stakes...The deal was done much too quick. The story should have been constructed very differently in my opinion and the repetitive flashback with very average kids acting did not help at all...
Once I mourned the fact the relationship in the drama was not going to be as I wanted it to be, I must admit that I enjoyed the series more in its second half, it was quite average and expected in terms of storyline but I still wanted to watch the conclusion.
I would not recommend this drama as I have very lukewarm feelings about the series. Chemistry was good overall and some of the NSFW scenes were hot. However, the writing failed at establishing properly the stakes of the romance and the acting was a mixed bag without any memorable outstanding emotional moments. On paper : it had everything to hit me right...In reality : I had to mourn what could have been...
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Cute matchmaking show for DoMunDi TV production to find its next HIT BL pairing *_____*
This entertaining and cute tv show is a matchmaking competition between DoMunDi TV's 3rd generation actors in order to find their next HIT BL couple pairing. The winners will get the chance to play the main couple in an upcoming DoMunDi TV production BL series.It was a super charming watch: I was surprised by the many romantic and fluff moments, it felt even more "real" than the last dating show I saw (aka. Single's Inferno S3). There are of course some cringe factor and awkwardness linked to the very matchmaking point of the show in the context of work. As the actors are pairing together trying to find their "ideal" partner / the best fit for working as colleagues, it is somewhat bound to be awkward but in the most sweet way.
I quickly got much more invested in the show than what I was expecting. I was rooting for some pairings and very excited to see the finale decision from the judge pannel. The conclusion was super satisfying to me and I will be watching the winners' next series for sure. If the objective of the producers was to make these new faces lovable for the viewer and to create a curiosity toward their new series: objective is accomplished !!!
This show is not without flaws. The production value is pretty average, you can feel the budget limitation (the finale gave very refreshing schoolplay vibes for example, in a nice way but no "finale" budget clearly). Not all the cast members are at the same level and there are clearly some obvious favorites (at least to me, which I totally was onboard on anyway). I certainly wish that some of the missions would have been more fleshed out and to have seen more acting work. They could have done more to make it interesting on that aspect and to develop also the talents of the participants. I wish to have seen more of the interactions of everyone but given the limited number of episodes they still managed to make us know all of them.
I will recommend this to people that are looking for a different kind of TV show. It is low budget but very charming. If you like BLs series, it is interesting to witness the creation of new couple pairings.
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Just plain : the overall show felt totally empty
I'm disappointed by this 4th season of Single's Inferno. Compared to previous season, the novelty factor is not there anymore and the storylines lack excitement and romance. The paradise dates felt even worse than before and except for one or two fun challenges, the overall season felt very empty and plain. There was no suspense, with an ultra-predictable ending with unfortunately no couple I was rooting for, except one that I found very cute. Some couples formed felt very fake, almost like choosing each other by default, to not finish the show alone...The panel is the saving grace of the show. I honestly wanted to see more of their reaction as they were filling the void despite the lackluster and uneventful season. The cast might be lacking some variety, except one or two people, it seems that it is mostly become a show for public appearance and building some influence rather than sincere try at romance. The wild cards were not exciting enough to the point that I am truly thinking that there is no use to have extra people coming into the adventure.
In terms of production value, I think that Inferno is much nicer than Paradise. The dates in the city hotels are really an error : they hold nothing compared to the charm of the island and I don't see the point of being in closed doors at a bar for a "reward" rather than on a beach watching the sunset...They really need to work on this aspect and to make dates in paradise really heavenly and swoony, and their stays in Inferno really be hell !!! The long make-up session and change of clothes in Inferno make no sense...The cast need to have more challenging time on Inferno, in order to bond and to make the fact of going in Paradise much nicer.
I would not recommend this season to people as it was really lackluster. The best cast member had little screen time overall and most of the romances lacked sincerity. I'm not saying that participants should only have pure intention and cannot be there for clout...But there should be at least some sincere romance (with sufficient screentime) for me to really get onboard. Here, at the end, only one couple convinced me and I wish the show would have been even more focus on them. I still will watch a 5th season because it is nice to be able to watch that kind of show when airing to discuss it with people. With the panel comments, that honestly became the best part of the watching experience.
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Platonic friends-to-lovers BL, quite disappointed by the acting
I'm quite disappointed by this BL series. Friends-to-lovers is one of my favorite trope, especially in an high school setting. On paper, this series had everything for me to like it but unfortunately I did not appreciate the drama as much as I would have wanted to.The biggest flaw of the series resides for me in the acting. It was honestly very lacking, there is not that much chemistry between the two main males leads and both their acting feel very green. One is really too much overacting and on the contrary the other one tends to not show enough emotions and downplaying everything too much... It is a blessing that their romance stays very platonic because the tension is not there, it felt already awkward as it was, so I'm pretty sure than more skinship would have make it worse to me.
The soundtrack was good with a very catchy ending song (which was maybe used a bit too much but that I enjoyed nevertheless each time it was played). The production value of the show was pretty good as well with some nice school moments very well captured.
I would not recommend this to people because I feel that are better BL stories out there. If you really enjoy Japanese school life drama and/or friends-to-lovers trope, you might want to give it a go. It is mainly the acting that decreased a lot my enjoyment of the show and appreciation of it is pretty subjective after all.
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Empty trainwreck
Nothing worked with this.Budget? What budget ?
Dialog? Cringe at best.
Editing? Atrocious.
Story? What story ?
OST? Painful.
Cast? Mmmmm...at least they somewhat committed (even if poorly) ?
I have no idea on why I completed this series given how bad it was...I did not even have the slightest hope that it would get better...And it certainly did not. Not going to lie, it was somewhat entertaining to witness how bad a drama can be and on so many levels.
I would not recommend this to people. It is a trashy show which consists in 10 minutes episodes loosely bound together by an almost completely nonexistent "plot" (if you can even call it that).
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Deliciously torturous and angsty : Baek A Jin is a predator you don't want to cross the line with !
This drama, full of angst and passion, is centred around Baek A Jin, cruel heroine, femme fatale using men as pieces of chess, beaten by life and that decided very early that people are tools to be used to elevate herself from her misery. As her journey unfold, full of unhealthy relationships and oozing toxicity, I couldn't help myself to be captivated and root for her until a breaking point. It was like watching a dangerous predator on top of the food chain, fighting all nails out but with a layer of charm and some cracks in the armor that even more entrapped me into her craziness. The main appeal to me was to see how she navigated her relationships as well as her place in the world : sometimes ascending and sometimes failing.The story took my breath away at several point in time, there were real peak and valleys and it was impossible to look away from the magnetic female lead.There were some madness and brutality to the story that made it utterly fascinating. When the show ended, I felt exhausted having lived through a rollercoaster of emotions. Do I wish there had been a bit more time for the ending as well as even more room for some of my faves relationships? Certainly but I found this super satisfying and audacious.
The casting of this drama was really good. Acting was on point. Watching the performances, I cried, I was upset, I was happy, I even got the butterflies...and I also crashed hard. The three main roles (Kim You Jung, Kim Young Dae, Kim Do Hoon) did an incredible job at portraying their broken characters. From the get go, their triangular relationship felt twisted, full of thorns and manipulation...and therefore extremely interesting. In addition to the main characters, the support cast was excellent with some shining guest stars : Hwang In Youp (for whom I started the series), Kim Ji Hoon, Hong Jong Hyun and Jung Woo to name a few that really impressed me. Honestly, not sure how fair it is to consider them as guest roles given their importance depending on the arc.
The production value was really good, with some masterfull directing and striking visuals for some of the most brutal scenes. The dramatic scenes were properly filmed, and even if I think some of them could have been even more worked on, the intensity of the story felt properly translated for sure. I loved the OST, daunting (especially for the end generic) and very fitting for the series.
I would strongly recommend this to people that enjoy twisted tales featuring very dark character. If you are looking for fluffy and heart warming romance, this is not the drama for you. Neither if you are looking for a regular "heroic" revenge arc. This is not the point of the series. It is about manipulation, survival and I could not help myself to feel fascinated by the charming predator that is the heroine. As the male leads, I felt under her trap and until the end was properly enthralled by the drama. If you enjoy thriller, psychological titles, revenge series, this is an excellent pick !
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Frightening chase, Wi Ha Joon amazing performance shook me
I truly enjoyed this action movie. It has a really simple but efficient concept, focusing on a frightening cat-and-mouse chase between a serial-killer and a deaf woman. With very few characters and plot points, the film manages to keep the viewer on its toes during the dark pursuit.The scenario relies a lot on people making not so smart decisions as well as a lot of police incompetence which might make your blood boils...There are a lot of successful jump scares and action sequences are really well-done. As one of the character is deaf, the surrounding noises and sounds carry a particular importance on the story. It amps the viewer's anxiety as the filmmaking manage to make the watcher understand how it is to be in the shoes of the victim.
The casting was really good, especially Wi Ha Joon who delivers a shockingly horrifying performance. I only saw him in two other roles playing overall good characters so the shift here truly astonished me. Jin Ki Joo acting as his main counterpart was also very solid in her role.
I would recommend this to people looking for a thriller that will brought you all the feels in a very short time. It is very dark and efficient in providing thrills with some good jump scares and action sequences. It might require some suspension of disbelief given the reaction of some characters that might seem completely stupid. But, honestly that did not bother me because I found the story gripping enough to not care about the script flaws. I just went on a scary ride and enjoyed it for what it was.
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Epic but flawed, I wish the forbidden romance would have been even angstier
This historical drama, full of mystery, grabbed my attention from start with its very dark story involving both fantasy elements and intricate family relationships. There is a couple of bonds that are quite taboo that provided in the first half the angst I enjoy so much. Unfortunately, I was a bit disappointed by the pacing and some writing choices regarding the forbidden romance. Despite this, I truly enjoyed the ending, it might feel a bit rushed in terms of plot but it left me a really impactful and memorable impression.I was mostly satisfied with the cast with maybe one exception : Jo Bo Ah. Her chemistry with Lee Jae Wook was really lacking to me. I believed much more in Lee Jae Wook's acting than Jo Bo Ah, that's why I am singling her out. Outside of her character's relationship, the heroine role in itself was pretty annoying. It was alright at first but as the show progressed she felt more and more bland, rather useless. I'm not sure if the main issue is with the script or the actress, but it clearly was the weakest point of the drama.
The production value was the strongest point of the series. The OST was simply amazing and the making was solid as well. Overall the combination of visuals, beautifully filmed fighting scenes, epic music and shocking violence was a great mix. However, the editing felt as some point a bit choppy with some shift between episode that could have been better.
I would truly recommend this series to people looking for an historical drama focusing more on angsty relationship with an hefty amount of horrific mystery rather than deep political content. I loved the dark side of this story and its intense finale despite the writing flaws.
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Great performance of Nam Joo Hyuk that could not save the drama from script and pacing flaws
The premise of this drama is super interesting. I loved they decided to go for a very dark tone to explore the vigilante concept. I was positively surprised how far they went into the violence and the choices made by the "hero". The introduction of the story hooked me but I was unfortunately very disappointed by the pace and the writing overall. It felt strangely slow and not as gripping as I would have wished.The writing did not convinced me. Maybe it is because the series was too short but I found the side characters lacking development and the way the events unfolded felt rather predictable. The hero was a bit too omniscient but without enough details to support the fact he was so ahead most of the time. Some of the relationships he built along the way were pretty compelling but would have benefited from much more screentime to make their bonds believable.
The casting is pretty good overall. I was really impressed by the performance of Nam Joo Hyuk: he was really frightening in Vigilante mode...His gaze shifting from his "regular" persona at the police academy to his vigilante mode was amazing. I also appreciated a lot the other male main roles: Yoo Ji Tae and Lee Joon Hyuk. All three are excellent, even when I felt the scenario give them not enough to work with, they somewhat gave it their all. Unfortunately, I really disliked the sole female character of the series, played by Kim So Jin. I am not sure who is the most at fault here: the screenwriter or the actress, but clearly that character was horrendous.
The production value of the series is high. There are a lot of well-executed fighting scenes. It is very comics-like with the good guys being outnumbered by the villains but still making it through...and those sequences are very enjoyable to follow. The soundtrack was okay but not memorable to me.
I would not recommend this to people unless you like one of the main actors or the source material (which I have not read). The idea is good but the writing does not support it properly and the pacing felt oddly sluggish given the low number of episodes. Though if you are a fan of Nam Joo Hyuk, you need to watch this drama because he is brilliant in it. Be mindful if you have any trigger, it is very violent.
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Failed at maintaining its steam
This BL is centred around Il Jo and JeongHan, cousins, engaged in a forbidden and toxic relationship. At first, I must admit I was invested in the story with its high level of toxicity, power imbalance in the relationship, and very hot scenes. The cocktail of "full-on overpowering toxic Chaebol" main lead and "Damsel in distress" main lead is quite a classic one but adding up that extra level of cousins forbidden love made it an entertaining mess !
However, past the halfway mark, the drama became more and more mundane with the story falling into the pit of many tropes and character archetype I usually dislike. Noble idiocy, miscommunication, one protagonist being a repulsive childish obsessive character, one being annoyingly meek...a lot of it ircked me and halfway point it got impossible for me to vibe with the romance. I also was disappointed in the lack of exploitation regarding the cousins aspect of their relationship. Instead of being a motor for angst and turmoil of feelings, it felt like a side gimmick. The characters were not acknowledging it in a way that made proper sense.
Acting-wise, it was a bit of a mixed bag. I was quite convinced by the chemistry but felt that the emotional scenes were lacking. Having said that, the actors were not helped by how caricatural the roles were written, so I will mainly blame the script for the moments that felt very flat to me.
Production-wise, it is very clear that budget was limited but it was good enough to convey the story. I enjoyed a lot the main opening/ending song of the soundtrack. It was emotional and raw, the beginning of the series was embodying it perfectly and I wish the scenario would have kept the relationship in this torturous zone, full of darkness and unhealthiness, instead of developing the romance in a very frustrating, run-of-the-mill way.
I would not necessarily recommend this to people because at the end, it just feel pretty mundane and frustrating to me. The way the characters behaved irked me too much to enjoy the relationship. However, I must admit if you are looking for a short steamy BL featuring a domineering bossy Chaebol, it is a good pick (at least in its first half that I found quite gripping). I guess I just was disappointed by how things turned out.
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Definitely more show than substance
This BL drama follows the journey of long lost Prince Khanin coming back to the country of Emmaly to take back his place in the royal family under the protection of devoted guard Charan. The premise is not that innovative, it is very much a mix of "The Princess Diaries" and some dystopian YA novels, but in the BL genre, it feels at first definitely fresh. Unfortunately, it really does not hold up and is rather disappointing.There are some big pacing and writing issues. The drama is incredibly slow and repetitive as it takes 75% of the series to get to the main point of the story : the tournament whose result would determine the fate of the monarchy in the fictive country of Emmaly. The world building is pretty poor : there are details but it overall feels very "Disney Channel movie" with oversimplified economics and politics issues that are resolved in an unrealistic and immature way. The enemies are obvious from miles away and their overall arc is pretty much expected. Production wise, they clearly had the budget but it is proof that having ressources cannot save a bad and lacking scenario.
In terms of the various romances, the only one that interested me (even if the finale could have been more convincing) was the secondary couple played by Jimmy and Ohm. It was the most outstanding one and the less cringe, with a solid chemistry. They could have had more screentime given the fact that the 3rd couple played by JJ and Net was completely useless and here to promote their new pairing, without bringing much to the plot. The main couple played by Nunew and Zee was just a let down for me...Not sure why I was not interested, but while far from catastrophic, their more sensual scenes felt very one note...
I would not recommend this to people unless you are a big fan of one of the actor(s). If it were not for some of the most spicy NSFW scenes, I honesly think it could be seen as a kid show given how oversimplified and limited the writing is. Not that kids cannot have good written shows (they should for sure) but it really gave me that overall feeling that I can't shake off. Do yourself a favor and just watch an edit of the secondary couple storyline, rather than spending your time watching the full drama.
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