J-atty

The value of friendship

This has to be one of the best Thai productions for this year. It surpassed expectation because Thai productions have a penchant of doing everything over the top. There were a little but easily forgiven in the overall outcome of the series portraying the beauty of forgiveness and friendship forged out of love.

The entire cast portrayed each character with infinite dedication and they truly shined. Displaying each charachers nuances to bring forth their individuality. While Sky and Nani proved the quality of actors they are, it is Mark who showed his versatility and stole the show. Mark has shown how great an actor he has grown to be, be it drama or comedy, he nails it.

While the series is based off of a Korean show School 2013, I was glad to view this on its own merits and not as a comparison. The rainbow of emotions, from dark to bright, was felt. The production did well and I especially loved the 'gay' bromance. They teased with conversations and moments that bordered on them actually being a couple, but within the last 5 minutes of the final episode, we got as close as we are going to get.

Shin staring intently in to Saint eyes, he says
Shin: " I don't like you. I love you."
Saint, caught a little off guard, responds
Saint: "Yeah, I love you, too, Saint"
They both pause, silently holding each other's gaze under the shared umbrella, recognizing and admitting what they truly feel between them.

It's may only be a matter of time.

Plot: Two schools, arch enemies, are joined and so ensues the chaos. Teenagers at their worst will create havocand that they did. The Shin and Saint on opposing sides, clash regularly mainly due to pasts hurts that can not be easily forgiven. Backed by Ken and Thui and their respective crews, the voilence is constant as each is easily aggrivated by every perceived slight. Grappling to take control of the teachers are at a losz and must use unorthodox methods to help direct them in the right direction. Eventually, the battle is won but not before the entire school goes through the very painful process of rebirth. The end result is very emotional as each lowered their pride and held on to each other for support and protection.

Criticism: The repetitive sequences of the clashes became tedious as the script struggled to create reasons for each encounter. Basically the same conversation was had. 16 episodes was too long and with better editing 10 - 12 would have been enough. Some storylines dragged on for no apparent reason.
The students were allowed to show disrespect with no real consequences. A teacher chastices herself infront of the entire class, becomes depressed and resigns before the school year ends. She is repeatedly begged to return and only does so on the 4th or 5th try. While it makes for good tv (insert copious amounts of tears flowing by said writer), in reality, what kind of message does it send to the student body? Sone charactets were one dimentional (Jeng, Principal's assistant) and became a bore. After physically abusing his son for many years, a teacher has a conversation with him and immeduately he stops. Realistically, after one conversation with no apology to his son(which would have been another cryfest), was a message that was missed. The fight scene at the end: no words to describe that mess. Why take a bromance and insert bl language to create hype? While I liked it because SkyNani have a beautiful connection and play off of each other effortlessly, the quality of the acting should bring the buzz.

This was a very good watch and I believe I would rewatch this many times. I'm going to watch the original also. The music used complemented the scenes well. Would love to see Sky, Saint, Mark P, Kay, Mark J in more projects. Honorable mention, Shin's sister was adorable and Saint's father, despite his unfavorable first appearance, brought the warmth to Saint's lonely life.
One of the best.

Read More

A Different Perspective

This is exactly that, a different perspective but with the same ingredients. They meet in college. Weather the rumors as they move in together. Classed as a romance, this is definitely a drama with a very serious take on the prejudices of being different. In contrast with the later released 'in your feelings' series, this is the thinking version. With equal screen time, both sides of the relationship is revealed between a gay man and a fearless woman who refuses to cower to her male counterparts.

In both their relationships, at one time or another, they both deal with the consequences of not using a condom. In the pursuit of love and happiness, they both act unwisely. Their fierce bond tested from the fallout, they separate. One beaten by her jealous abusive lover, the other waking up too late to recognize what he had. They can only call each other. No one knows them as intimately as they know the other. Life has it's way, maturity comes and permanent choices are made.

This deserves the same level of awareness as the later released version. The acting is superb. On a smaller budget, the story is engaging, entertaining and very intense. His admission of losing an important love and the ensuing breakdown is felt. Had this been released much earlier, my belief is that this adaptation would have garnered more praise for the different perspective.

Good watch.

Read More

And the award goes to

Certainly not them. This was so painfully disastorous that it was laughable. Pat was the proverbial door mat. No, paddle ball. The more Elyes would hurt him, he would pull away, only to come back for another rap, to pull away again. Not that I cared. They were all distasteful except for Pat's female co-worker, Kim and Run. There really was nothing of interest that would warrant 12 episodes.
Elyes - controlling, obsessive, manipulating, condesending, whore
Pat - idiot
Kim - loyal fwb
Run - didn't know the meaning of his own name. Stuck around in an abusive relationship in the name of love. A loyal idiot
Fei Long - abusive, controlling, despicable, insecure, obsessive, coercive
Thiranai - ineffective petty clown

Base line: poor script. Terrible acting. Sub par apologies for hurtful behavior. Misleading messages delivered in the resolution of issues. Really not worth the effort. Rewatch - never.

Read More

It's Worth It

If you get to see this, I can guarantee that you will be pleasantly surprised. It was light and funny. The premise was unique in that the consciousness of Heechan interchanged every 12 hours. Taekin's body day and Heechan's by night. Taekin's need of him was to help save him from a narcissistic abuser. Along the way, Heechan fell in love with his old class mate, Min-jae. Previously a loner, it took but a minute for him to recognize what he felt and accept. Min-jae never forgot him.

Their interactions and conversations felt right for them. There is an easy flow between them and it comes across well here. The heavy bits in between didn't feel overly contrived and blended well enough to keep the story moving. The unwanted ex and psycho were inserted and extricated with ease, tho a bit clumsily.

Now to the not so good. 1.5 minute episodes no matter the story will not give seamless fluidity. Yes, the choppiness is there. With a regular series, a break would indicate a necessary switch in mood or tone. Here, with every break, it's a given you don't know what's coming next which at times dimmed the enjoyment. A big plot hole: If Taekin was unconcious after the accident, why would he be in Heechan's home and not the hospital? Why would Heechan have Taekin's old phone? Why wasn't his parents looking for him? It's never explained. These things just are. Yet, I will still recommend it. After Match Play, I would put this second. It was nice.

Read More

Could be better

Here's the thing, it's a decent story with but was limited by the 1 min timing.

Plot: Student can read everyone's minds except the one he is interested in. His love interest hides behind glasses, cigarettes and being popular. Enter the third element. A troubled school mate also is attracted to the mind reader. Jealous, the love interest creates a situation whereby the troubled teen has to live with him.

The plot was not original but had promise. The 1 min episodes did not work in its favour. The script was choppy to cover everything in 30 episodes which made for a rushed fractured viewing. The acting was okay and the attraction was felt between the two leads. Had this been developed smoother, the story would have been received better. Match Play seems to be the benchmark of shorts with Please Teach Me, another okay watch.

These short shorts, unless fully thought out and planned before filming, do a disservice to the art of producing a story worth viewing. Actors, who have promise, are forgotten immediately as there is no room shine or capture your attention. It's an okay watch with little to no rewatch value.

Read More

The Prince and The Lying Princess

What started as a very engaging series derailed itself with a fairytale ending. The good parts were the roles of Nara and Junichi. They actually captured my attention every moment they were on screen. The pacing was nice except for just a little too many flashbacks.

What messed up the storyline:
Makiko manipulating everyone at any given time.
Naoto willingly going to jail to protect someone who doesn't and never will love him.
Junichi using the nurse as a place holder for the one he wanted. At the end, she says she loves him. He is even forced to admit that he loves Makiko. She deserved more respect than that.
Makiko wanted to sleep with her ex-husband then changes her mind when Junichi shows up.
Makiko lying to her ex-husband the entire time without telling him the entire truth. Here I wonder if all fingers pointed at him, would she have allowed him to go to jail for her wrong doing.
Junichi basically inserting himself in Keisuke's life since childhood.
While I understand Makiko's pain, she was rewarded for everything at everyone's expense.
The most unrealistic end to a series about reality.
The last 15 minutes left a sour taste.

So no on a rewatch for me.

Read More

Gangster whaaat?

It seems to be the mo to produce super short shorts with very little if any cohesiveness at all. Don't get me wrong, the story is good, the production is terrible. Added to this, the 2min, vertical viewing is a big deterrent. Then throw in one of the worst translated series. What do you get..... disappointment.

Plot:
Gangster meets idol trying to get away from someone trying to kill him. Upon meeting, he's attracted to him. He offers him money to be with him for 3 months. Yada yada yada, they fall in love. Now throw in a harem of guys willing to serve the Gangster. The idol getting drunk an passing out numerous times. The gangster's brother and father continuously at odds with him. An ex lover trying to kill him.

Instead of 70 × 2-min episodes, why not make a full length movie. The storyline is good. The acting meh. The production cheap. Jarring choppy scenes. If 10% of the translation could be believed, script needs major rewrite. Attraction between the mains, believable. There was just too much wrong for this to be salvaged. Had potential but was lost.

Read More

Only reason to watch.

Let's see:
Episode 9 - 32:54 to 36:01

That's it. No need to watch anything else.

Tutor and Yim have a connection. It is apparent. What is not apparent is why why why do they do shows that do not bring out the best in them. I'm reminded of Mos and Bank, but I digress. It's like they put a large amount of actors names in a bag and chose randomly.
Then in another bag they put a few mixed scripts and did they same thing. What is unfortunate is that TutorYim keep getting either the bad scripts or bad directors. I like them. I like them together. In and out of the fantasy world, they click. What doesn't click is the lackluster crap that eventually comes out.

A series such as this had too many couples to keep track of in and out of the fantasy world. I must admit after seeing Jack and Chat here, I lowered my expectations. Playboyy kinda left a wtf taste in my mouth. The only reason I watched was for the both of them but I was real about it. That was just to see how far they would go for shock value. Again, I digress. The erratic jumping between 3 worlds, coupled with the different relationships in each and writing alter egos proved to be too much. After episode 5, I found myself using this on a Monday to go to sleep.

If you like convoluted fantasy stories with a slightly erotic but more dramatic bed scene, refer again to episode 9, this is for you. The way Tutor looks at Yim alone will help get you through the episodes. Focus, Mark and Gems were decent enough. I was hoping for so much better, at least a better storyline, but that's just me. Others seem to love it. I will give them one more chance if they do another series.... because I do like them together.

Read More

Royal Pains

It was decent but ZeeNuNew storyline of Charan and Khanin was leaning to boring and pedestrian. The pomp and ceremony was there but one needed to check their pulse after ep 3. Their meetings for want of a better word was just as bland as Charan's expressions. Khanin's fire was a short match, the spark didn't excite any interest one way or the other. If darling sweet bubbly Chakri was not a part of their lives, one could ff and not miss anything.

What kept me watching?
Ramil and Paytai, Wasin and to a lesser degree, Calvin and Jay and Ava. They made the experience bearable. Their storylines were far more interesting and played well. Personally, I would have felt more satisfied if the king had died before seeing Khanin's win. The many lives lost over the years due to greed was disheartening. Keeping a father away from his child as a chest piece, this he should not be rewarded for. Ava, desiring her father's approval could have been done differently. She fought for a seat at the table for all womanhood and once she received his approval, she quickly reverted. Poor message.

The ending was too long with nothing worth that time. Possibly two clips of Ramil and Paytai enjoying a moment of true happiness and Prince Tharin meeting with Calvin and Jay to get a ground level pov on the environmental issues could have been added.

I wish the script would have been as rich as the royals were dressed. The action scenes could have been carried through the episodes to liven up the viewers experience. Overall, not bad but could have been better.

Read More

Red or Black, Fan Xiao is loved

I thoroughly enjoyed this series from the first episode to the last. This was truly entertaining, the main requirement of any production. Fan Xiao has set the standard for the most likeable villain. He plotted his way into Shu Lang's life and suffered for it. While his intentions were diabloical, he did free Shu Lang from the parasites of his life. Unfortunately, he in turn, became the main destroyer to his happiness and peace.

I felt no pity for Shu Lang's ex boyfriend and brother. They were both expertly played with and discarded. The fall out due to the duplicity from Fan Xiao destroyed his pride. He did say, "If you are lying, keep lying, don't ever let me find out." Ultimately, the bond between them would see them run through the gamut of emotions and whoever stood in their path. Fan Xiao's retribution was always sure.

The characters were beautifully brought to life by one and all. Li Hua showed himself to be the most loyal friend to Fan Xiao and was just as humorous. This would not have been the same without him. Yun Qi, Hao Yi Ran and Kou Wei Long did great. The 15 episodes each held a moment or moments that would make it not feel tedious to view. Some portrayals did border on melodramatic, but that's China. The budget and production was on a bigger scale than most which proved to be an asset. Script was a bit expected but not completely so. The deftness at which Fan Xiao smoothly schemed his way through needed to be told.

This should be viewed as a fantasy and not with morality to be enjoyed. They did well. Loved it and can't wait for the special.

Read More

Who doesn't love good Honey

Jin and Akin have taken us on a roller-coaster ride, and I liked it but...... The true story was lost in the overdramatic acting at times. From their first meeting, Jin has had an agenda, and his purpose never shifted. How to bag Akin? How to be the one who can make Akin the happiest? I will say that after the first nc scene, he had nothing to worry about. Akin was giggling like a teen with his first crush. Racing heart beats, shy hesitant looks, and my man Jin made full use of the kryptonite, honey. I'm sure the demand for honey must have skyrocketed after that episode. We were served and, I must say, served very well. Jin's members (tongue, fingers and.......) should be framed and held in high esteem for eternity. The award winning honey should be glass encased. Viewed but never touched. A population surge, we do not need.

Jin gave new meaning to the term green flag. He came in every sense, he saw and he conquered. He knew that getting through to Akin would take loads of patience, perseverance, flexibility, and vision. He walked beside him, holding his hand every step of their journey. He gently drew him out of his shell and understood him. He allowed him to express himself, validate his feelings, and made him feel safe. His dreams always included Akin at the center. He teased the inner freak out of Akin and was up for the challenge. He was that good.

From being an high strung pampered introvert, Akin matured over time to be a strong, thoughtful decisive lover. Yes, he was a handful, but good actors usually are. Once the reality of his position in the acting world hit, he changed his agenda from ego to lover. Jin had quietly entered his world and gave his life the much needed assurance he craved. He was loved and would be truly loved for himself and not the adoration he had known as an actor. Akin's strength was bringing each actor he worked with to a higher level. It worked well with Jin as Jin loved him. Johnny, on the other hand, should have been left alone. Though, being a perfectionist brought him unwanted pain. He doesn't know how to do mediocre.

Two times Akin let me down. The night after the 'rape' scene and when he was going to be blackmailed with the picture. Firstly, the night after the 'rape'. Unless his anatomy was acting a role and disconnected from his body, he must have known if he was violated from recent activity. Drugged or not, a quick clench would let him know. Either way, confront Johnny instead of running away and continuing to act with him. I didn't like Jin saving him. A good kick to the groin by Akin was needed here. Secondly, why did he feel that taking on the blackmailer by himself was the best way to go? There are different levels of dumb. He chose the highest level. If he wanted to protect Jin, discuss with him what is the best option. But it did make for an anguished nc, which is good tv.

Best lines of the script:
"Did I mean so little to you?"
"You were never supposed to mean anything at all."

Johnny, being a royal pain, should have understood his role from the beginning. A clown will always be a clown, whether he wore fancy clothes or not. I did like his unknowing confession. He knew what he was and the lengths he would take to reach his dreams. Still, don't overreach your position.

What was a big plus for me in this series other than the chemistry and the benefits of honey, was the different difficulties being presented over the course of years. They were together but with the core nemesis still trying to break them as an ongoing thread. It could have become a hindrance if it became too convoluted. It gave the series a realistic passing of time. The secondary actors all did well enough to make it credible. I would have preferred that the series surrounded the battle of an aging actor vs a new actor replacing him. A neurotic Akin would have made must-see moments. Their interractions at this point was electric. Jin winning the award caused the best friction between them. Everything else felt lackluster.

Adding the multiple stories that were solved within an episode or two kind of made it less engaging. We would have still got the honey scene at the end when they got together and would end with a bang. In the other nc scenes, it felt like a decline. Didn't they know that you always save the best for last? Their character growth would be double and not more one-sided as it happened. Jin came in strong and stayed that way throughout. His sole purpose was to be at Akin's side. They way to do it was to become an actor to catch his attention and once that was achieved, follow Akins instructions. Akin is the only one shown to evolve.

The nc scenes aided a lot in the popularity and were done for adults. Boom's go-to crying for sympathy was becoming a little tedious. His baby girl antics, though cute but unrealistic, for a grown man. The ending unbelievable as the entire script felt like a soft breath leaving your lungs. No impact whatsoever. Smart has grown as an actor and adapted well to the script. Smart and Boom made good. This was enjoyable, a little too sweet and not enthralling enough. Should you go watch? Yes, if only for the sweet taste of honey.

Read More

Different Kind of Happy

Very rare a series can pull off both stark grittiness and tender love as this did. This is not about a romantic tender love but of two people meeting at the worst times in their lives, needing what only the other could give and held on.

Chihiro stuck in a cycle of exchanging sex for being taken care of by whomever, all in the name of 'love'. He couldn't get past the betrayal he endured when his secret lover dumped him and got married. Aimless and jobless he sleeps around, not caring what tomorrow brought. Until he met Keito.

Keito, abandoned, abused and mutilated, mired in the sex trade by Maya, a drug addicted sex peddler. Maya keeps undocumented and forgotten youths hostage with the threat of violence due to his erratic behaviour. Keito, broken by his circumstances, doesn't have a desire to escape, until he overhears Maya agreeing with a customer that Keito can be killed if they wish. Here, the spark for life is ignited and runs away. Hired to retrieve stolen items, he meets Chihiro.

Their meeting is as voilent as their surroundings, but something attracts Chihiro to Keito and he is unwilling to let go. Keito is cold and blunt. Chihiro is still a bit niaive but completely open and honest. Somehow, they fit. Through unorthodox methods, Keito saves Chihiro by showing him how much he is worth. Chihiro, over numerous events, reciprocates the love through his loyalty and care.

The stark brutality is ever present and not for everyone. The scenes are graphic and Maya's offensiveness can be off putting. The series is still very beautiful for it's points of views and the telling of it. The actors did a brilliant job and truly embodied their roles. Even to the point of evoking sentiment where needed. The production was perfect with the depiction of the cold sordid environment to contrast their love as it blooms. Against all odds, love can grow even here.

Definitely worth the watch. Japan didn't disappoint.

Read More

Good guys don't win

Two things irritated me. The vertical filming and the expected outcome. The narrowing of the screen would put a greater strain on your eyes to watch. Not a very good idea. Watching like this did not enhance the plot or the enjoyment.

The script tried to be introspective and cute. I said tried. Pa Rang sees Tae Min seduce a guy and just as quickly dumps him after having fun. Yu Bin, kind and friendly, openly shows Pa Rang he is interested but guess which one he chooses. No brainer. When will shows stop portraying the good guy as a loser? Is this supposed to make it more interesting? It didn't. All three had issues but it is Yu Bin who fully understands his and keeps trying without looking for pity.

The acting was done well enough. The 2 seconds that Pa Rang's mother was onscreen did more for the story than everything else. The despair, the pain, the words uttered before she jumped were portrayed very well. Tho the script had too many references about drowing and sinking and looking up from the bottom. Ok, we get it.

The expected outcome: Pre-planning to die on the same day his mother died, Pa Rang goes to jump. Yu Bin recognizes something is off and tells Tae Min, who instantly knows where to find him, he rushes to save him. Yu Bin - see what I mean about the good guy. Tae Min, who supposedly loves him so much, didn't know. Tae Min reaches in time, pulls him off of the box he stood on and tells him he loves him so much. No intensity, like standing on the wall, but a box next to the wall. Lazy writing.

The theme of Pa Rang planning his death could have easily shown to change by him falling in love with Tae Min and by seeing how Yu Bin keeps pushing no matter his limitations and finally facing up to his father about how he blamed him for his mother's suicide. As is, there was no electrifying moment that warranted the cost of paying to see this. It's now available on YT for free as a full length series combined but for how long, no one knows. I will not watch this again. The irritating background music was not to the show's benefit. Everything felt dull and monotonous.

Read More

Where is the warmth?

This was good but I'm not too sure if this was good enough. The similarities between this and Love is Poison stops at: they are both eccentric successful lawyers with private investigators partners. Don't look for anything beyond that. Which I was grateful for. I enjoyed the format of one continuous story running concurrently with a new short story every two episodes. The differing reasons behind every divorce or separation were varied, thought provoking and harsh. The brutality of their resolve was not sugar coated and Hajime ensured his clients needs were met.

Then there was his sister. She was dying and enthrusted her daughter to his and his partner's care. The usually stoic and closed off Hajime began to thaw and let others in. Two of the most heart wrenching moments were because of her death. The daughter being present when it happened and his release in his solitude. The battle to gain custody of his niece began.

I can not find fault but still I felt something was missing. The acting was great. The stories interesting. The mannerisms suited to every character, tho the secretary can be a bit irritating. The ending as it should be. I think I didn't quite get Hajime and Kai's real connection. It was there but felt matter of fact. He felt more to be a helper than a helpmate. The focal point of the series was how and why divorces happen. I felt while watching them for the entiety that they interacted as already divorced but cohabitating. The lack of intimacy that would make their conversations precious. I'm not speaking of nc, but moments where they felt right together.

As I said, it was interesting. If you get your hands on a properly subbed version, go for it.

Read More

How To Stay Undead?

I'll make this short. It was very entertaining from beginning to end. Though I've seen many ghost/ ritual stories, this was a cut above the rest in the same vein. Specifically the occult without reincarnations. The actors delivered for the most part. Pavel was good in his role. Graphics, make up and special effects set the scenes which made it credible. This is the best I've seen of Michael and TopTen as a cp. Finally in sync and comfortable interacting with each other.

My criticisms lie in the structure of the story itself. Thup moving from victim to resident spiritual advisor to boyfriend to procedural advisor. How many hats? His methodical way of thinking seemed to outshine those who have been officers for years. Singha's questionable protection practices. Singha losing it at the end and going all crazy instead of trying to free them. While it is said mentally ill people do possess superior strength when in psychosis, but like he outsmarted and overpowered every one until the end. Victor / Bom did a spectacular job.

I'm not a fan of Pooh and his acting abilities. It's on the short end but here it was passible. His nasal monotone does not help. The script was well chosen to suit Pavel's. I will also suggest that Pavel next to Otto gives a more believable dynamic that Pavel with Pooh. It's underwhelming, with Pavel carrying the weight.

Overall, very intriguing and entertaining.

Read More