Jairen

silly but heartfelt

When I was kid, I was very into Kamen Rider Black even before I had seen the actual series. Around when Mighty Morphin Power Rangers debuted, as I was watching that, my uncle got me a set of Viet-dubbed Kamen Rider Black VHS and later Kamen Rider Black RX VHS as I had a lot of Kamen Rider Black toys and figurines. I'm not exactly sure what it was about Kamen Rider Black that I took a liking to, but I just thought he was so cool. Other than the Black series, I've only seen Kamen Rider Kuuga. There are so many Kamen Rider series I've yet to see, so why did I pick Ex-Aid as my starting point? Mostly because I'm familiar with the main lead actor Hiroki Iijima, who I've seen in "Bokura no Shokutaku". Also, the gaming theme merged with medicine seems like a cool idea. The series was very colorful and fun. It consistently kept me engaged and curious enough to want to keep binging. I will keep the review short, but I mostly just wanted to say that Kamen Rider Ex-Aid definitely reawakened my childhood love for Kamen Riders and I will be slowly exploring more.

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● REVIEW
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[ --LIKES-- ]

✔ Visual effects that would've been bad or cheesy for other series actually work well for this series due to the video game aspect.

✔ The characters all had interesting back stories and great development. I like that they all had a reason or motivation for why they act they way they do.

✔ I never felt bored. Lots of action and something was always happening. Very fun, I really enjoyed the gaming theme a lot.

✔ Very catchy opening OST.

✔ For a such visually bright, colorful and silly show, there are lots of heartfelt moments. We explore theme of friendship, family, loss/grief, guilt, and more.


[ --DISLIKES-- ]

✖ Part of this is partially due to the fact that I am an adult now, but fakeness/plastic-ness of the costumes and weapons in addition to the colorfulness makes everyone just seems like a living toy. And maybe that's the goal, to sell more toys, but these Kamen Riders definitely felt different to the ones I've seen before. I also don't like the bulkiness of some of the form, but that's just a me thing.

✖ There's a lot of side stories and movies that further explore the stories that I wish was part of the actual main series.

✖ A lot of the character interactions are a result of the Bugster viruses, so I wish there was more bonding time while doing normal, everyday activity. I know for a big chunk of the series, most of heroes weren't friends so there isn't much of a reason they would interact outside of their hero work, but having some quiet slice of life moments without the hero stuff would be cool.


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● NOTE
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I'll always conclude my review by saying that ratings and reviews is not really a indicator of whether you may enjoy something. We all have different criteria and standards. Don't let a bad rating, review, or comment discourage you from watching something. My advice will always be to give something a chance if the premise interests you, and only use the ratings/reviews to determine priority if you have a list, or if you're deciding if you want to continue it due to time limitations.

♥ Thanks for reading my review! Feel free to comment or hit me up if you want to discuss anything ♥

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Good themes and lessons

I saw this series didn't have any reviews at the time of writing this when it's been out for almost a year, so I thought I would write a quick one. I found this series after seeing the music video "The Way You Look At Me(Cover)" of Ben&Ben. I liked the story in the mv, and Barbie and David had nice acting, so I searched for a drama they starred in and the poster for this one interested me. At first, 40 episodes seems daunting to me, but at less than 30mins per episode makes it more management for my brain. I have not seen the original that this is a remake of, so I went into the story blind. While the romance and action were nice, it was more the theme of family, forgiveness, and moral values/principles that I liked. Very good series, it was worth the time to watch.

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● REVIEW
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[ --LIKES-- ]

✔ The female lead is a strong one with some great values. Other than surviving the attempts on her life, she also imparts some lessons to the male lead. Several time in the series, she is not afraid to scold the male lead in the way he sets an example of the kids, how he treats women, and his view on masculinity/homosexuality, etc.

✔ Male lead is also pretty cool, taking care of everyone. He also has a likable temperament. He acknowledges whenever he is in the wrong, strives to do better and better himself.

✔ While there are conflicts in the relationship between the male lead and female lead, I never felt like any of that dragged out. They are both pretty reasonable. I think an example that comes to mind is when he found out she was a woman. He hates liar but at the same time, he recognized all the things she has done for him and his family. He was angry for a bit, but quickly forgave her. I know many other series where lying has been a bigger issue.

✔ The kids were great too and also great actors/actresses. There's a lesson about family being more than blood relations and that's heartwarming.

✔ Happy ending! Had to mention this because you never know with these series where both characters are always actively being targeted.


[ --DISLIKES-- ]

✖ I'll admit there were some parts that wasn't super interesting to me, like some Frank's scenes or some of the plotting scenes between characters. I feel like the story could be a lot more condensed in general.


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● NOTE
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I'll always conclude my review by saying that ratings and reviews is not really a indicator of whether you may enjoy something. We all have different criteria and standards. Don't let a bad rating, review, or comment discourage you from watching something. My advice will always be to give something a chance if the premise interests you, and only use the ratings/reviews to determine priority if you have a list, or if you're deciding if you want to continue it due to time limitations.

♥ Thanks for reading my review! Feel free to comment or hit me up if you want to discuss anything ♥

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Fun, quick watch

I just needed something light and short to watch as I was working and came across this series. There really isn't much for me to say about this series, as again, it is relatively short and the story is pretty straight forward, so I won't be writing an as in-dept review like I usually do. With all that being said, I ended up really liking this series. It was fun and interesting. Also a huge fan of the Nameless Kids so I love the opening theme music.

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● REVIEW
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[ --LIKES-- ]

✔ There are a couple of relationships going on and one of them is between two male friends, so that was nice to see some LGBTQ content in here. What I really liked thought was some of the dialogue surrounding it. Very progressive. There's actually a quite a few progressive and/or heartwarming conversations throughout.

✔ I enjoyed the friend group. They all looked out for one another. Even when they fight, it's out of concern and they are quick to apologize and make up.

✔ I love the vibe. I don't really know how to explain this one well, but I just enjoyed the overall coastal setting and the days of youth before going off into the bigger world. Maybe it's the inner southern Cali surfer boy in me, but it hits a certain feel/vibe. The trouble they get into, obviously, is dramatic, but the idea of getting into hijinks with your buds as kids is something relatable.

✔ With the given time, they did a good job of setting up the relationships and dynamics between the characters.


[ --DISLIKES-- ]

✖ Nothing really comes to mind that I disliked. The worst I can say is that the humor/comedy element was just ok for me.


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● NOTE
-------------------------------------------

I'll always conclude my review by saying that ratings and reviews is not really a indicator of whether you may enjoy something. We all have different criteria and standards. Don't let a bad rating, review, or comment discourage you from watching something. My advice will always be to give something a chance if the premise interests you, and only use the ratings/reviews to determine priority if you have a list, or if you're deciding if you want to continue it due to time limitations.

♥ Thanks for reading my review! Feel free to comment or hit me up if you want to discuss anything ♥

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Cute Rival/Friend Dynamic and Light-hearted Series

I originally tried to watch this last year but the subs were very bad. It has gotten a lot better. Not great, but understandable for the most part. Maybe 10-15% where the sentence structure is weird/backwards or the grammar is off. I'm glad I revisited this because this was a very fun, cute, and light series. Great leads, great friends. Nothing overly dramatic and no big misunderstandings. There were times where I felt like things were cut, but overall, I enjoyed it.

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● SHORT REVIEW
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[ --LIKES-- ]

✔ I really liked the rival/friends dynamic. Nothing too serious. Cute interactions, and great chemistry. Initial kisses did feel awkward, but hey, there was passion. And the nc scene, the kissing was a lot better. Maybe the initial awkward kisses was intentional? Idk. Still loved their chemistry.

✔ I enjoyed the friend group (Ohm not included). Despite the rivalries going on, it seemed mostly just for fun and no one was taking it seriously. They still supported and helped each other and remained civil.


[ --DISLIKES-- ]

✖ Huge time jump so we don't really get to see the process of Songkram or Ai falling in love. They both are already crushing on each other after the time jump. Would have been fine if they included more flashbacks.

✖ They could've done a better job at showing Ai's frustration with Songkhram in episode 7. It did feel abrupt. Maybe he felt overwhelmed in the moment and that's where that annoyance came from? But they didn't build it up well enough. Or maybe something got cut or lost in translation. It doesn't really matter too much though because the conflict was quickly resolved


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● IN-DEPT REVIEW
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[ --STORY/PLOT-- ]

The story was pretty simple and straightforward. Very light and cute. There was no huge drama or anything overly dramatic going on, which I liked. Even the rivalry between the dorm between wasn't all that serious. They still hung out with one another. Just a lot of playful banter and bickering, mostly between the two dorm heads. Otherwise, it was just all fun. It the rivalry concept reminds me a little of Bad Buddy, but this series is not as dramatic and deep. It keeps everything pretty light-hearted. I think the most dramatic thing was Ohm's reaction to Ai when Ohm was left out of the Sandbox project. He seemed very ungrateful to the two people who helped him when he was in trouble. Ohm got his feelings hurt once and forgot all about the kindness Ai has showed up. Other than Ohm though, all the other friends were great. Even when everyone was split between rival dorms, they supported and helped each other, like with tutoring. Even when the two boys were competing to win Ai's affection, they still remained friends, which I loved. Also, it was funny and cute. I really enjoyed all the pairings and their dynamics. Ai's mom and Songkram's dad were also both great, supportive parents, which is always nice to see.

[ --ACTING/CAST-- ]

Going in, I wasn't familiar with the cast, but I very much enjoyed their acting as I loved their interactions and chemistry. Wanted to punch Ohm for his behavior, which is a good thing. Going forward, I hope to see more of all of them. Not really much to say here other than they all did a good job.

[ --MUSIC/OST-- ]

Ok, so while I was watching the series, I don't think there was really anything that stood out to me. Not really bad, but also not memorable. The only song I looked up was the one from Bank, which was ok. I don't think it's something I'll add to my playlist though.

[ --REWATCH VALUE-- ]

This was a relatively short, fun, and light-hearted series, so it's something I could easily rewatch again. And I probably will. I didn't expect to like it so much, but I do. It was fun to watch.

[ --FINAL THOUGHTS-- ]

Again, there really wasn't anything deep or dramatic going in this series. Just two guys who secretly crushed on each other and are part of rival dorms. Their interactions was very fun and cute to watch. The friend group was great, minus Ohm, but Ohm was mostly just Ai's friend anyway. Although it's not really anything unique or special, it doesn't mean it's not enjoyable. There really isn't much to say about it other than it's cute and fluffy and light. I loved it.


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● NOTE
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I'll always conclude my review by saying that ratings and reviews is not really a indicator of whether you may enjoy something. We all have different criteria and standards. Don't let a bad rating, review, or comment discourage you from watching something. My advice will always be to give something a chance if the premise interests you, and only use the ratings/reviews to determine priority if you have a list, or if you're deciding if you want to continue it due to time limitations.

♥ Thanks for reading my review! Feel free to comment or hit me up if you want to discuss anything ♥

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someone will love you for who you are, quirks and all

I don't know if I've watched any other collaborations between countries aside from this one. If I have, it's not coming to mind, so I will assume this is my first one. I liked it. The story was enjoyable, the leads were cute together, and this series made me really hungry. I liked seeing the sharing of culture and language. Also, I am a huge otter fan, too...very relatable.

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● SHORT REVIEW
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[ --LIKES-- ]

✔ I enjoyed the chemistry and cuteness of the main couple.

✔ The second male lead was also very likable. Genuinely good guy. Adorable how easily he gets drunk.

✔ The dynamic between Mahiro the chef and Gaku the researcher guy was fun and cute to watch as they developed.

✔ I enjoyed the cinematography of the bubbles and the rooftop scenes.


[ --DISLIKES-- ]

✖ For a researcher, I felt like the professor's concern for Tae Oh lacked any real scientific foundation. Maybe it's the illogical part of a parent's fear kicking in, but wanting to break up a couple based on just a children's book and one person's experience is extreme for me.

✖ Not enough otters.


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● IN-DEPTH REVIEW
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[ --STORY/PLOT-- ]

There was a lot of things in this series that I enjoyed and found really cute, otters aside. Our female lead gets hangry whenever she is hungry, which I found cute. It was also cute when our male lead was internally deciding if she was angry with him or not when snapped at him due to being hungry. Our male lead's thoughts and behavior was very cute in general. Very golden retriever energy. I enjoyed the pair's chemistry. From him sharing his food suggestions to their interactions, it was all very cute. The second male lead who got drunk super easily was also cute and funny. I loved the dynamic between the baker and the researcher guy.

Story-wise, my only real criticism is that plot with the storybook. While I understand that parents worry about their kids and that Tae Oh is like a son to the professor, the professor trying to break up the couple due to a storybook is very unlikely/unrealistic behavior. Idk, I guess I just feel like he's a researcher and would want more scientific evidence than one person's experience.

Other than that, I think everything else was either fine or cute. I saw a lot of criticism about the female lead's character but I didn't think she was frustrating at all. Yes, she is hesitant, shy, awkward, indecisive but it didn't really annoy me. A lot of the time, I understood her concerns. Plus, when you have an ability like hers to read mines upon eye contact, it can be scary. It's already scary enough to put your heart out there without the ability, reading thoughts makes it harder. And much more when suddenly, you can't read someone's thoughts because he's thinking in another language. Personally, female lead was very cute and considerate.

[ --ACTING/CAST-- ]

So the over-the-top anime dramatic acting style in romcom is actually pretty common in Japanese series, but it's also present in other countries' romcoms too. Some people like it and some people don't. I don't mind it, but maybe because I am use to seeing it. I don't look at that and think it's bad acting. That's usually a director's choice, usually for dramatics or comedy. So with that said, I very much enjoy the lead actors. They were both very cute. Both also very pretty people. I also enjoyed their chemistry and interactions. The supporting actors also did a good job.


[ --MUSIC/OST-- ]

Not sure if there were other songs, but the only song that I remember is "Omoinotake", which I liked. There really wasn't any scene where I felt any of the music was out of place or anything like that so the only thing I can really say is that there is at least one song that stood out to me, which I just mentioned. Is it something I would add to my own playlist though, not really.

[ --REWATCH VALUE-- ]

I wouldn't rewatch the entire series but I would probably watch like the few beginning episodes again for their cute interactions.

[ --FINAL THOUGHTS-- ]

I hope to see more collaborative works in the future and there may be some already out there I need to check out. I came in not really knowing what to expect and while it didn't blow me away, I still enjoyed the journey. I would say to give this a try. You may like it, you may not. I fall into the group that liked it. Overall, very cute, very funny, very sincere.

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● NOTE
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I'll always conclude my review by saying that ratings and reviews is not really a indicator of whether you may enjoy something. We all have different criteria and standards. Don't let a bad rating, review, or comment discourage you from watching something. My advice will always be to give something a chance if the premise interests you, and only use the ratings/reviews to determine priority if you have a list, or if you're deciding if you want to continue it due to time limitations.

♥ Thanks for reading my review! Feel free to comment or hit me up if you want to discuss anything ♥

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