KHarganne

The pilot gave me hallmark christmas princess movie vibes. I can't wait!

I feel like the mdl summary gives a bit too much away. I expected the events outlined there to happen in the first episode or 2 as the hook of the show, but instead they are revealed as the penultimate conflicts! Because of that I kept waiting and expecting things and it kind of felt like I had been spoiled about the mystery of the mc's pasts.

Anyhoo, this is a nice short watch. The actors had good chemistry and I was rooting for them throughout, however I thought Achi was a bit too smug and seemingly guilt-free in the first ep.

Fun list, thank you for sharing!

The blurb up there is pretty vague. Can anyone share a more detailed summary? Is this just a slice of life about college friends? Thanks!

Does anyone know why Da-ge (Unknown) could be explicit (kissing, confessions, etc) and be released but Sha Po Lang couldn't even as a bromance? Was Da-ge released via Taiwan or something?

This series was not to my taste. Kawi was unlikeable at the start and even though he does grow and learn throughout the show, I still found him frustratingly self-centered until the final episode. The flavor of conflict (malicious gossip, cruel “friends,” messy relationships, drinking and partying, etc) was not up my alley. I thought Pisaeng, Max, and Pear were all very interesting characters though and they were what kept me watching. I wish there had been more angst/cosmic horror about how Kawi was manipulating people's lives through his time traveling.

I really liked this show. I was swept away by the feeling of "I have lost everything and everyone I have ever known or loved, but you my darling are still by my side." I have read several reviews now saying that this kind of cosmic horror at their situation and them mourning their lost friends and family was noticeably absent from the series, and looking back yes I agree (hindsight is 20/20). BUT while I was in the thick of it watching the show I didn't notice because I was so immersed in the growing codependency between the mains. I liked the dreamy and chaotic feel to the first few episodes and I enjoyed the more blue emotional heaviness found in the later half of the series. Yeah, loved this!

I think a lot of the plot holes came from how finding your portkey partner was described in ep 1. The association took such care to lay out a clear explanation on how portkeys worked, but then continually through the series it didn’t work like that. For example, portkey partners usually are close to each other: this works for Tess and Pakorn who were high school friends/crushes, but how are Lay and Puen’s og lives close at all? Then, partners were supposed to feel some kind of spark that would absolutely let them know when they found the other, but this didn’t seem to happen with our mains: they spent nearly two years faffing around before they were certain about being partners. Then towards the end there was the unusual plot twist of only Pakorn (and thus Puen too) swapping bodies: the original description made it seem like this was impossible, that the swap had to take place with both partners. Then, there is the plot hole that if both partners dreamed, then that means Tess saw the same place that Pakorn saw but for some reason Tess never went to find it (thus leaving Lay to struggle alone for a month after Pakorn swaps back).

There are also various conflicts that were kind of like plot holes or shallow reasons for plots, such as the matching machine in ep 2 that failed our mains and then was never tinkered with or talked about again, or the little fallacy of critic Third loving the boys’ first film but then all other reviews calling it a flop, or the very shallow issue of Puen not revealing his real name even though that should have been pretty much the first thing potential partners talk about (yes, he has plot armor for why he doesn’t, but the “plot hole” point here is that that plot armor is wimpy). It felt like quite often there would be conflicts that would crop up out of nowhere and that these often played out in direct opposition to something that had been explained earlier in the show.

Yep, I am joining the group of people who do not understand the low score at all! This show was really entertaining. It gives slapstick sitcom vibes in the first half of the show and then transitions to melodrama in the second half. The show parodies a lot of lakorn/soap opera elements while also showing us some behind-the-scenes to the industry. There are a lot of classic bl tropes included which I enjoyed (but I can see how others might be tired of them). Definitely give this show a try if you want an easy watch with some crass adult comedy and many lewd scenes!

There are a few cons depending on what you like in your drama: The first episode is very loud and a bit off-putting if you don’t like telenovela-style drama. Manager Praew is equal parts a frustrating stereotype but also an enjoyable scheming villain: she and her sexy evil minion Ban reminded me of Yzma and Kronk. The most divisive aspect of this show is Ming and Ning’s drunken dubcon plot line which is brushed aside as okay because they get together in the end. This series is very much a guilty-pleasure “ignore all real-world morals and just enjoy the soap opera” type of show.

It took me nearly 6 months to read all of it. The story is split into past and present, and you alternate a few chapters of past then a few of present, and so on. Then in each chapter there are stories in stories in stories. I don't love that style of writing (I want to follow the main plot line, not have to pause that to read other chapters) so I was very slow at working through each segment. The story is fantastic though and it was worth the read! I feel like the horror elements were better in the novel.

I have a pdf of one of the fantranslations. I can dm it to you if you would like to read some before trying out the official print bound!

*blush* I will never look at olive oil the same again

Really fantastic show. As others have already discussed the ending, I want to point out one other element I thought wasn’t handled all that well: Mhok’s backstory and how his prison sentence should still be affecting him throughout the show. Day is given quite a bit of screen time to consider his past —he faces the badminton club, makes up with his friends, settles things with his college— and this takes a weight off his shoulders and allows him to begin looking towards his future. Mhok doesn’t do this: we never see him face anyone from his past and so while I do think we see him grow a lot as a person, he somehow feels a little untethered from the real world. It is like his character grows to exist solely in a bubble around Day. Even Day's mom at one point says that Mhok has gotten a little too over-invested in Day and she is worried what the lack of space will do to Mhok. I think a really good way to have grounded Mhok would have been for us to see him check in every now and then with his parole officer, and that would provide him a space outside of the bubble that him and Day are in for Mhok to discuss his fears, concerns, and his plans for the future.

Last year Jaehyun did agree to star in Bungee Jumping Of Their Own which is a gay drama. The show was cancelled before it got very far into production, but it does show he is open to working in gay roles!

Absolutely loved this!

This Thai version managed to nearly perfectly address three issues I had with the Japanese live action: 1) how mind reading gives Achi an unfair and invasive view into other people, 2) that being in love is not the same as appreciating/taking advantage of someone’s care for you, and 3) Achi tells Karan about the mind reading early on so Karan has time to get used to it and they don’t just fight/break up over it. I really enjoyed these changes! However, in terms of casting and art direction and cinematography I definitely preferred the Japanese version. If I could take this version of the plot and rework it with the Japanese cast and crew that would be my ideal adaptation!

Is this actually abo like the novel? Or is it pared back?

I have seen some comments compare this show to Make Our Days Count because of the violent endings to both, but I don’t think that is quite comparing apples to apples. MODC was so shocking because viewers were completely unprepared for it: the ending was never hinted at in any of the trailers or promo for the show. There is some minor foreshadowing sprinkled throughout the show —Xi Gu has a bad habit of running out into the street without looking, but usually Hao Ting is there to pull him to safety— but this is not something you notice until a second watch through (after you have already seen the ending once and know what to look for).

However, the ending for Stay With Me was shown in the trailers and if you have read the source novel (“Are You Addicted?” by Chai Jidan) you knew what was coming. There is also a lot of foreshadowing built up throughout the series as you learn more about Wu Bi’s mother’s death and how there is still bad blood in the industry and family. This show often uses cinematic mirroring/parallel storytelling to compare Wu Bi and Su Yu’s relationship to others, and with that in mind it isn’t unusual or unexpected for Wu Bi to repeat his mother’s biggest act of love. So, I won’t say I am thrilled with the ending of Stay With Me, but it was expected to an extent so it didn’t hurt as much as MODC did. I hope they continue with a season 2 so we can see the rest of their story!

This is my favorite drama from the past year or two. The main characters are so well written, and I love that they are capable of self reflection and that they can change their views when presented with new information (they aren’t stubborn to the point of frustration). If you like slow burn rivals to friends to found family to lovers, you have to give this show a try!!

The movie is sexually graphic (shows breasts and butts, on-screen sex and blowjobs; no visible genitalia though). The movie is not physically violent, but the characters are manipulative and paranoid at times. I personally didn't find the movie to be very dark, but it was gloomy/moody/depressing because it touches on real fears you have in relationships (being cheated on, not being trusted, not getting close enough, not keeping a healthy distance, etc).

What a sweet show, mood lifting for sure! This is one of those shows where you yearn to have as wholesome and supportive a relationship as the mains.