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Beautifully filmed adult and bittersweet BL story but not exempt of flaws in the writing and ending
I liked a lot the premise of the story, with the amnesia trope at the centre of the show. It is interesting to see the couple at various stage of their relationship, as well as their behaviours before and after the amnesia plot device. The main default for me is the ending which felt a bit too easy given the context. I had some trouble to believe that they were able to move through some of their past and present issues as at the end it does not seem that the characters have evolved that much. I was clearly team Ritsu and maybe that is why I am a bit frustrated by the conflict resolution and the discussion leading to it.The two main male leads interactions felt comfortable overall: they did not shy away from physical touches as it is often the case in the Japanese BL productions where even a simple kiss seem to be an unattainable target. It is not the best performances I have seen but they do a more than honourable job together. The secondary characters are totally transparent which make sense given their little screen time in this short length drama.
I found the soundtrack quite lovely with the heartfelt opening & ending songs and matching the overall nostalgia and wintery vibes of the series. The production value was great with some beautifully filmed landscapes scenes. I highly appreciated the artsy atmosphere with the sketches and drawings scattered all across the story.
I would recommend this to people looking for a BL story a bit different, with some real adult and bittersweet vibe but not too explicit. It is a short watch despite some flaws in the writing and its ending, so it is worth giving it a shot.
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Skip it, do not loose your time with this
This Special drama is totally dispensable: it is made of a lot of reused clips from the main series. You will learn nothing more: there is overall one new scene that could have been easily integrated into the TharnType drama itself.I do not understand the decision to have one SP episode dedicated to Lhong. It could have been interesting if the story has deepened his motivations or at least shown us an interesting storyline. Unfortunately, it is just a pity party for an unlikable protagonist: I cannot phantom why the writer thought it would be a good narrative choice to try to make us care for this specific character.
I would not recommend this to people, even though it is quite short (about 15 minutes), it is really not worth loosing your time.
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Cute moments but problematic issues brushed under the rug
A cute sequel to the TharnType series which allows the viewer to get a lot of fluff moments with the two main characters. The show is still deeply flawed but not for the same reasons as its parent drama. Indeed, all the problematic issues faced by the protagonists in the past are brushed under the rug. There are some resolutions and redemptions storylines but it feels overall rushed and undeserved.Regarding the acting, there are no stellar performances but it is obvious that the leads are more comfortable playing the cute and more comical scenes rather than having to act and sell deep dramatic narrative arcs. There are some references to another show in the same universe "Love By Chance" and I must say that the cameos of two actors playing in it (Saint and Mean) made me want to discover it and learn more about them.
The production of this Special Episode is a bit better than in the previous show. It remains quite average but the editing feel less choppy with a better flow of the script. I also appreciated a bit more the soundtrack with some nice ballads.
I would not recommend this to people unless you are a fan of Mew and Gulf pairing and want to see more of the TharnType couple.
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Platonic BL story: archery, trauma and friendship. Sweet but quite forgettable ^^
The story is quite simple and straightforward witch each protagonist dealing with his specific challenges and growing a friendship together. There is not a lot happening but it is never boring.The casting was ok: the two main leads are really handsome idols which makes the show a very charming ride to follow. Acting-wise, I did not feel totally the romantic chemistry that was supposed to be portrayed. For me, the actors' performances were more featuring a strong friendship (quite similar to the ones in some K-pop boyband groups) than a sizzling romance.
I liked a lot the OST of this drama. Especially the opening which is such a cute pop song with an old school vibe: it was un-skippable! The production was quite good with a lot of pretty scenes showcasing the actors: it almost looked like they were producing a MV rather than a series. I particularly enjoyed the archery scenes as well, those were particularly soothing.
I would recommend this to people looking for a sweet bingeable BL drama in a school setting. It might be triggering because of some traumatic experience depicted in the show but it is mostly a very pleasant watch not that memorable.
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BL Enemies-to-lovers, a lot of angst and quite a bit of steamy and cute moments! Truly enjoyable!
The story is classic in terms of plot but manages to stay truly entertaining all along its 10 episodes. It is not innovative "per se" but it will provide you all the feels, oscillating between angsty and cute moments. Some narrative arcs are slightly less inspired, and the humour is a bit of a miss in some scenes, but those minors flaws should not prevent you to enjoy the ride!War Wanarat Ratsameerat playing Mark was astonishing in his role. He is such a good actor, emoting so well that I was fascinated by his candid performance. His pairing with Yin Anan Wong (playing Vee) was convincing...but I think War would have chemistry with anyone as he seems so invested in the character he portrays. All the cast did a good job overall but it is clearly War who shined the most.
I found the soundtrack a bit too overpowering with numerous pop songs or ballads that were there to accentuate the storytelling but lacked subtlety and nuance in the way they were showcased. The production value was good enough but nothing remarkable.
I would recommend this to people looking for a well-acted and angsty BL enemies-to-lovers story with some hot scenes. Be mindful of the triggers as the show contains elements of non-con / dub-con relationship as well as domestic violence.
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BL Romance from various unrequited loves perspectives: frustration level is high!
The drama is centred on a friends-to-lovers trope with a lot of pining. I found quite interesting the fact that the story was shown from the unrequited loves perspectives for the several storylines. It is quite nice to see the romance from the point of view of the unloved/pining character without knowing the inner thoughts of the recipient of those intentions.Unfortunately, this narrative choice is not enough to make the story great. The script is indeed deeply flawed as it is impossible at first to support the hero acting as a doormat and to understand why he likes the other main lead who is really treating him quite bad in their friendship and is full of red flags.
Women characters and development are another weak point of the series. Most of the women are either seen as crazy or as disposables to be used and thrown afterwards. A couple of them intervene in side romances: those relationship are overall cute but quite transparent and uninspired.
The first half of the show is really painful and unbalanced in terms of developing the relationships. Despite all of this the series is terribly addictive: it frustrates you as you find yourself wanting to knock some sense into the main leads but at the same time you are really curious to see how they are going to be together. The second half of the show is much better story-wise thanks to the flip in the dynamic of the main duo.
There was some real good acting in this series: I found the performance of the main actors (Gun and Off) particularly nice. Their chemistry together was shining and they carried the numerous emotional scenes. They were not helped at all by the scenario which was making the characters quite antipathic or annoying...and still they managed to emote and provide some saving grace to the show.
The soundtrack was ok but not really standing out, as well as the production which was rather average with some real cringe moments. Product placement was (as it is often the case in the BL Thai dramas) super present and repetitive ad nauseam.
I would recommend this to people loving the main actors Gun and Off and more specifically their pairing. Be aware that this show can induce a high level of frustration for the viewer because of the annoying behaviours of the main protagonists.
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Disconcerting movie: boring at first but heart-warming and emotional in its second half!
This movie was a bit disconcerting to me: I was not sure what the narration was trying to accomplish with its numerous storylines and characters. Its first half was pretty boring and generic in my eyes and the second half positively surprised me. Indeed, I was able to finally immerse myself in the plot and to be concerned by the characters' lots. There was a couple of scenes that were tears-inducing but it was not over-the top: they were well-played and made total sense in the context of the story.The ensemble cast did a suitable job overall but it is clearly the pets that are the stars of the film. I was super impressed by the emotions they were able to transmit and all the tricks they were playing. It must not have been easy (both for the human actors and the production team) to manage all the scenes with the various animals. I really hope that the various pets were not hurt and were well-taken care of during the filming.
While the production was classic and colourful, the OST was not memorable at all: I do not remember even one song.
I would recommend this to people loving stories showcasing pets and in search of some heart-warming feelings. This does not revolution the genre and is a bit strangely paced in its set up but it will make you go through some emotions for sure.
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Basic youth rom-com lacking in a lot of ways...
The movie is a basic rom-com starting though with an interesting and quite refreshing concept, the love story happening in the 90's and being told in the present through the perspectives of other characters.However, the plot was too soapy for me, especially in the last third of the picture with some non-sensical plot lines. It was really difficult to be invested in the romance which did not start on healthy basis and was full of already overused tropes.
Given the title, I was especting some real gangster vibe from the male lead, but it was not believable and more absurd than anything else. Overall, the performance of the actors was average at best but I'm not sure if the blame is on them or rather on the storylines making it very difficult for their acting to be taken seriously.
Production value and OST had nothing special going for them. It could have been so much better in terms of dialog, realisation and story...
I would not recommend this to people. There are much better youth romance movies than this one.
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Some nice teaching moments but too formulaic and predictable overall
A school drama with a quite exciting and gripping premise. Unfortunately, the story became very quickly similar to a lot of Japanese school dramas which made the show overall very predictable. Almost all the plot twists were expected. It was also a bit too formulaic with each episode focusing on one healing moment for a given student, some catchphrase and one big speech. A few of the teaching moments were quite profound and could resonate well (especially with a teenage audience). However, there was as well a lot of weaker storylines resolving themselves a bit too easily given the topics treated by the series.I had some real trouble getting attached to the characters (adults as well as the teenagers) and I think it might be linked to the writing. As explained above, the drama was a bit awkward in its approach trying to bring some good feels, to discuss absolution and to provide life-lesson talks. It was sometimes over simplistic and or/too quick to make it totally sensible. The ensemble cast was okay but there was no real stand-out. I also found the acting of the main lead unequal and over-the-top for some part.
Even if it does not revolution the genre, it is an easy watch with a nice pacing and actually taking on some important and societal issues (even if clumsily at some points).
I would recommend this to people that are looking for shows similar to Gokusen and Dragon Zakura as well as to the manga "Assassination Classroom" for example. However, if you have already seen quite a few Japanese school dramas, this might feel redundant.
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Good thriller with an interesting fantasy twist. Refreshing yet somewhat predictable.
A quite good thriller with an intriguing concept. The first half of the series was a bit slow and not that exciting despite the interesting thematic. The story required indeed at first introducing quite a bunch of characters as well as putting in place a lot of setup payoff. As a viewer, the second part of the show felt much more enticing as it was able to reap successfully all the elements built up in its first part.Overall, the show became more and more addictive with each episode passing. However, it is to be noted that even though the excitement was picking up, unfortunately, the reveals were less surprising as most of them were predictable. What the series gained in terms of thrills, it also lost it as well in terms of freshness and unexpectedness.
Regarding the actors' performances, most of them were good (with a specific mention to Lee Joon Hyuk who really impressed me in his role). In my opinion, the only flaw in the casting was Kim Jee Soo: the actress did not exude enough charisma and I had real trouble believing in her acting...and therefore to be invested in her narrative arc.
One of the very strong points of the show was its grey characters. Nobody is really black or white and it is a pleasure to discover them layer by layer. It was also great to follow the two main leads forming a brilliant (and consistent!) duo. They were smart and making all over the episodes logical decisions. I was particularly happy to see a competent cop for once, quite an unusual sight in K-drama world.
Directing-wise, I loved some of the choices done around the concept of time and to exacerbate the mystery. I also found that the OST as well as the background sound were matching really nicely the drama.
I would recommend this to people looking for an original thriller with a fantasy twist and a nice ensemble cast. If you like novels from Agatha Christie, you could really enjoy this as well.
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Great heroine, amazing friends-to-lovers story but a bit rushed ending
A great rom-com and sport drama with one of the best heroine ever! I loved the relationship between the 2 main leads: it was an exceptional friends-to-lovers romance captivating all along the show.The personality of the heroine was amazing: she made the show for me! The hero was also really swoony with some moments that make your toes curl! The second couple story was interesting as it gave an interesting counterpoint in terms of adult romance within a group of friend. Their evolution is nice to follow as well. The actors' acting was great, above all Park Seo Joon who is radiating pure charisma and brilliant in his more emotional scenes.
The main negative for me that decreased my interest on the show were a couple of secondary storylines which I feel did not bring added value to the main plot. Especially in the last third of the drama, I would have preferred we spend more times with the four main characters to develop deeper and conclude better their story arc (in terms of relationship, professional achievements and dreams) rather than on the storyline of the owner of the building. The last episode would have been much more satisfying in that case, rather than feeling a bit too rushed because of that specific narrative arc taking so much place.
Overall, despite this, I was quite satisfied with the ending and still think that it is a series worth too watch thanks to its spunky heroine and its jaw-dropping hero.
I would recommend this to people who like a strong heroine, friends-to-lovers trope and are looking for an addictive fun romance with some (quite unexpected for the genre) deeper moral around dreams and adulthood.
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Tale of the Nine Tailed: An Unfinished Story
1 people found this review helpful
No plot but cute instants with our favourite cunning fox
This very short length series of 3 episodes of 10 minutes shows some "slice-of-life" moments of the best character of the series "Tale of the Nine Tailed": that is to say Lee Rang.Kim Bum is as always a delight to watch and he acts with a nice sensitivity given the shortness of the episodes.
There is not that much of a plot but it is lovely to see this very cunning fox interacting with 2 of his favourites "pets" (Ki Yoo Ri and Kim Soo Oh) and showing care and love for them.
I would not necessarily recommend this to people and it is clearly not a "must-see" unless they have seen the parent series and like a lot Kim Bum's character.
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Sport rom-com with a slow burn heartfelt romance that gives you all the feels <3
This drama tells the story of 2 students at a sport university who are trying to become professional athletes. This is a super addictive rom-com with an amazing pacing. Sometimes, romance scenarios can feel a bit dragging (especially toward the end of a series), which was not the case here. The writers clearly managed to spread in a natural way all the content of their multiple plotlines in order for the building of the romance to feel totally genuine during the full 16 episodes of the show. This is a romance with a heartfelt slow burn that will for sure gives you all the feels.I found the chemistry between the female lead and the male lead exceptional. Their friendship evolving into something more was really cute, fun and also incredibly sincere. All their little gestures towards each other were properly convincing and heart-warming. Nam Joo Hyuk performance as the main male lead is fantastic. His puppy look when chasing after the heroine can only make the viewer heart melt.
However, I was less impressed by the secondary characters who were not very interesting. Except for the three friends of the female and male lead, I had no sympathy at all for a large part of the secondary cast. The secondary female lead was awful but at least the actress did a great job incarnating the role. On the contrary, the secondary male lead role could have been much more exciting but was overall disappointing due to the actor's acting which felt very flat.
Generally, all the adults 'storylines (the families of the heroine and the hero, the professors and coaches..) were clearly not the most captivating part of the series. I found myself a bit annoyed as they were often creating more trouble / pain for the leads than helping them. Still, some of the conflicts created allowed growth for the characters and great acting from the two main actors, so it was all worth it at the end.
I would highly recommend this to people looking for an amazing romance with a well-executed friends-to-lovers trope and who appreciate a slow burn story.
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A gut-wrenching youth drama! The "Weak Hero" trope done right!
An excellent drama carried by brilliant actors with such a good and realistic acting. The story is portraying the strong friendship between young people confronted with the violence of the world around them...whether at school or in their entourage.The episodes are short (about 40 minutes) and fast-paced; and yet at the heart of the action are more contemplative moments, full of sincerity with a sensitive OST giving an almost "old-school" feel. The brutal scenes are filmed skilfully and seamlessly, the strong images leave an impression of discomfort, the story is simply gut-wrenching: be prepared for a turmoil of emotions!
The trope of the hero who gets his ass kicked, the narrative of the weak who confronts the bullies, and who gets up to face adversity are here highlighted in a masterful and credible way. The spectator can only tense up in the face of certain situations and fears (often rightly) for the safety of the protagonists. The uncertainty regarding the survival of these characters to whom the viewer has become attached is one of the greatest strength of this show.
I would recommend this to people who like to read GTO or The breaker, love well-built youth drama and that are not triggered by topics such as bullying, domestic abuse and scenes of exacerbated violence.
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A feast for the eyes, epic tale not without flaws but worth it for the journey it will take you on
I was expecting a lot from this Chinese Wuxia drama : the fact that Tian Jia Rui had one of the main role in a series directed and written by the very talented director Edward Guo really hyped me. Overall, it successfully managed to keep up with my high expectations and likely set the bar super high for any other future Chinese wuxia drama I would watch.I loved the story thematic with the narration focusing a lot on the concept of dream and reality, it was truly an epic tale supported by an impressive production value. In the middle of a lot of action, mystery and investigation, the heart of the story is foremost about companionship and found family, as well as different kind of love. The evolution of the relationships between the characters (especially between the two main male leads but also with some of the secondary roles) was probably my favorite part of the show.
The costumes and the cinematography were impeccable. A real feast for the eyes, with a lot of details and superbly impactful. Every set felt so real, rich and purposeful with a minutiae that I rarely encountered. You can really feel the director vision and specific touch when watching the drama and that's something that completely fascinated me.
The acting was another strong point : the cast was pretty good with a great dynamic with each other. This for that matter can be witnessed in the ending generic of episodes which consists of them dancing together on a choreography on one of the main song of the drama. I was once again super impressed by Tian Jia Rui : he got even better than in "My Journey To You" despite the challenges inherent to his role, from "Didi to Gege", very different from his debut one. I got very attached to the main characters (and even some of the more minor ones) and it is a proof of the overall good performances of the ensemble cast. In addition to Tian Jia Rui, I will keep an eye on the future work of Neo Hou and Yan An. The acting of this trio was on point, together or separately in addition to be such eye-candy.
Of course, the series is not without flaws. I wish the lore and powers were more consistent and that there had been less magical objects conveniently appearing for the sake of the plot. I also found the shift in tones a bit jarring: especially in the introduction arc, there is some over-the-top humor that felt a bit flat and strange in the middle of the angsty parts. It fortunately got smoother and more balanced as the story unfolded. The script also took time to set up the stakes, with some situations and storylines being a bit repetitive in the first part of the series.
Other than that, some of the fight sequences lacked of rhythm and dynamism: they were all beautiful but sometimes to the detriment of the pacing (or even the logic) of the conflicts. Editing could also have been better regarding transition between scenes or even between episodes. The OST was quite good (with maybe one of the song being overused) but music was a bit abruptly inserted into some sequences. I'm pointing it out because all the remaining of the production was so flawless that those minor flaws were even more striking.
I would recommend this to people looking for a Chinese Wuxia drama with a super strong cinematographic vision and high production value, good acting and gripping story featuring different kind of love. Shift in tone was a bit unbalanced at first and introduction arc could have been better paced, but once the set up of the relationships between the characters is done, you are in for a captivating journey that will tug at your heartstrings.
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