3
This review may contain spoilers
Disclaimer: I actually watched the movie version in 2022 and series version 2023 but never did a review for them. Well, better late than never. I placed spoilers at the end of this review.
The series/movie: This was a great series. It had a very charming storyline and incredible script. I like how they were able to successfully connect multiple elements and characters together. It also did a great job of giving you just the right amount of information of the characters backstories. The cast did an incredible job with their characters. The acting between the main leads was good with the usual exception often seen in Korean BL series/movies. The cinematograph and music was good.
The movie: They did a great job editing the episodes into one cohesive movie. There were no new scenes added, some scenes were edited differently, and a few scenes were deleted with content editing. The good news is all of the changes did not impact the quality of the movie. They did edit out the opening credits which is usually with the movie versions.
Random Notes:
Although the changes did not impact the movie, I preferred the series version. I like the English subtitles and content editing better.
There is a second season that I DO NOT recommend watching. Yes, this is just my opinion but it basically ruined all the best parts of the first season.
******Spoiler Alert******
Although it was not that bad, the actors still looked very awkward during the kissing scenes.
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Full title on Influduction’s YouTube channel: [Eng Sub] Director Cut (ดูยาวๆ) EP1-8 Ghost Host Ghost House รัก เล่า เรื่องผี.
The original series version: This had a great story concept, but not a perfect script. However, this did not stop me from enjoy the series. The best part is this was a ghost story that incorporates the BL couple development. Unfortunately, this is one of those script that starts off strong but unravels as the series progresses. The last episode was also a bit of a letdown. The acting was decent considering most of the cast members were newbies. The cinematography was good, but the special effects and make-up could have been better. See my full review on the original series for more.
The Director Cut version: This version of the series simply edited all 8 episodes together with a running time of 6 hours and 26 minutes. This is similar to Korean BL series that are edited into a movie version. This has the same content as each individual episode on their YouTube channel with no added or deleted scenes. Weirdly, this did not include the additional footage from the Special Director Cut Clip 1 episode. Overall, they did a decent job editing the separate episode together into one cohesive movie. There was some editing with the opening credit to remove the GMM25 and Vibie logos. They also blurred out the various logos on the bottom, left hand corner throughout the movie.
Random Notes:
For English subtitles, watch with the subtitles/close captions off because this already incorporated them into the movie.
The channel’s original name was Vibie Gen when this series was first released.
There is a Special Director Cut Clip 2 episode on their YouTube channel that was released May 23, 2025. I’m not sure what the point was because it’s no different than the footage seen in episode 4.
I didn’t try to create a page for the new director cut version. I didn’t think it was worth the time and energy for something that most likely get rejected. However, please let me know if someone is successful getting one accepted and I will move this review to that page.
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Slightly Above Average
Overall, this was an ok series with a just above average script. I liked how it gave each lead’s perspective on what happened in the past and how it related to their present-day actions. I also liked the epilogue at the end of each episode because it gave much needed information about the past. The script was good in that it made me care about the characters which is the only reason I kept watching. Well, the fact that it was only 6-episodes helped too. The main problem is this took the misunderstanding story element to a somewhat ridiculous level. There was also a lot of wasted screen time. For example, they give us a long flashback within the first episode for no reason. I thought the cast did a wonderful job considering what they had to work with.Random Notes:
This is one of those series you can wait to watch until you have some time to kill and have nothing better on your must watch list.
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This review may contain spoilers
Definitely better than the 2017 movie.
I placed spoilers at the end of this review.This was such a charming and heartwarming series with a well written script. It did a great job introducing the characters and explaining their backstories. I also think this goes beyond the usual BL storyline. However, you should skip it if you are looking for hardcore romantic scenes. The romance in this series is more subtle with a nice even pace. The only character I found hard to like was Okami Maya, but I think her character added an important part to the story. The cast was awesome and did a great job with their characters. There were only two exceptions to this. The cinematography was great, but had some shacky camera work at times. As for editing, my only complaint is the flash forward and back was a little confusing because they were not clearly marked/indicated.
Random Note:
Although the 2017 movie (Silhouette of Your Voice) adaptation of the manga was cute, everything felt very rushed with an almost nonexistent BL storyline. I actually wrote in my movie notes that this would have been better if it was a series.
The similarities between the series and the 2017 movie storyline ends after episode 5. Episode 6 picks up where the movie ends.
******Spoiler Alert******
Although I’m still salty about the trick camera angle kiss, I still preferred it than the kiss in the movie. This is probably an unpopular opinion, but don’t incorporate a kissing scene if the actors are not going to do it properly.
The only other complaint is the hug at the end looked very awkward.
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Overall, this was a funny and enjoyable series. Although the story concept was good, the script quality was not consistent and had many aspects that did not make sense.
The positive: They did a great job with setting up the series. Overall, this is a comedy with some undertones of a drama. The drama aspect did take over, but in a gradual way. I really liked the client’s mini storylines and how they overlap into the next episode. I just wished this was done throughout the series. The cast was great and did a wondaful job portraying their characters. They also did a great job with the visual special effects which were incredible. Because this was mostly a comedy, the special effects make-up was perfect and fit this type of genre.
The negative: The main weak area for me was the show pacing. It started off very strong, but became tedious and unnecessary long towards the middle of the series. They also relied too much on flashback scenes to fill screen time. This could have been a 16- or 18-episode series max because there was not enough content for a 22-episode series.
The in-between: It had cute opening credits.
Random Notes:
The location used for Ong’s family home was also used in “Baker Boys” (Punn’s house), “Enchanté” (Theo’s house), “Cutie Pie” (Lian’s house), “The Eclipse” (Ayan’s house), and “Star & Sky: Star in My Mind” (Khluen’s family home).
The location used for Hut Café in episode 12 & 13 was also used in “Dark Blue Kiss” series.
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Random Notes:
Mata’s house is the same one used in the series “I’m Tee, Me Too” (Watee’s house) and “Lovely Writer” (Gene’s garden house).
Pang’s family house was also used in “Lovely Writer” (Nubsib’s family house).
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Looking for the next door to open.
This was such a heartwarming and inspirational series. The main theme for me was don’t give up when your life plans go off course. The is also a recurring underline theme about second chances. This series really knew how to grab you attention in the beginning and had a nice pacing. The script did a great job balancing out the main character’s storyline with the supporting characters personal storylines. I loved the individual athletes/clients stories and how they tied into the main character’s story. There were some romance elements between some of the supporting characters, but none of them were overpowering. The cast was excellent and did a great job with their characters.Random Note:
This is listed as The Old Dog, New Tricks? on Netflix.
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This review may contain spoilers
Happy I didn't skip this one!!
I placed spoilers at the end of this review.I almost past this up because I'm not a fan of the friends with benefits/fake boyfriends to lovers story concept. This is one of the rare cases I'm happy I changed my mind. Again, I'm not a fan of the main story concept but the script actually handled this aspect very well. I also liked that the script was not very predictable and did not have cookie cutter characters. It was also great to watch a mature BL series. However, the script still had a few misplaced elements that were a bit puzzling to me.
One of the positive aspects in this series was the amount of diversity in it. Although it's not explicitly started, it is implied that Yoryyak is bi- or pansexual which was not made into a big deal. There was also an established BL couple that showed the ups and downs of a long-term relationship. They also had a wonderful story conclusion. It was great to see asexual representation with Plakao. Unfortunately, not much was done with this character. I didn't expect a full storyline for him, but at least a little more than what they gave us. Nevertheless, he had a nice story conclusion too. Another positive aspect was the overall way they addressed the topic of mental health. They addressed this issue with good sense of respect and care. The only problem was the unrealistic way they resolved it in the end. The main negative aspect for me is they felt the need to give a character a redemption story ending. Not all characters need one. As for the entire cast, they were amazing and did an incredible job with their characters. The cinematography was amazing, but there were some poor editing choices with one scene.
Random Notes:
As always, I love seeing familiar locations from different series. Ter's condo was also used in My School President and Good Old Days. The café is the same one used in Baker Boys (Café name was Sweet Day), Enchanté (Also called Sweet Day), The Eclipse (Shares the same name in this series, Café for all), and Twins (This was not a GMMTV series and had no name). Yes, I'm fully aware that I'm a geek about this.
******Spoiler Alert *******
I like that Wandee's reasoning for the fake boyfriend had to do with him getting the scholarship and not to get Ter jealous.
It was great that the series got the dreaded break-up subplot out of the way quickly in episode 7. I know they still considered themselves fake dating, but their fake break-up was more emotional than some of the cursed real break-up scenes that we receive in the second to last episode in other series.
The sexual assault scene in the beginning of episode 9 had a poor music choice. They picked music to make this appear cutesy to down play it. This is interesting considering they did a great job handling the same thing in the previous episode.
The storyline with Ter in the last two episodes did not sit well with me. If the end game was to have him and Taemrak together, they did a horrible job with making him likable. They should have toned down his pursuit with Wandee. It felt like they didn't want to fully commit in making him a bad character.
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This review may contain spoilers
It was consistent
I placed spoilers at the end of this review.Overall, this was not a bad continuation of the main series. Unfortunately, it did mirror some of the positive and negative aspects with it. The script quality was not consistent, but successfully connected the storylines and characters from the main series.
The positive: Once again, they did a great job with the supernatural and suspense thriller elements. All of the actors were incredible, especially the child actor. They all did a great job with their characters. The cinematography was stunning and had incredible special effects.
The negative: Although it was toned down a lot, the comedy element was still off. There were also some odd background music choices and annoying sound effects that didn’t fit the mood of certain scenes.
The in-between: The romance element between the main couple was still a hit or miss for me.
Random Note:
Don’t stop watching after the ending credits because there is a bonus scene after it.
I liked how they incorporated the last bonus scene into this special episode.
*****Spoiler Alert******
The ending was a lot better. There is defiantly a hint another series is in the works set in the same universe.
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This review may contain spoilers
Both versions are good in their own way.
I placed spoilers at the end of this review.The movie/series: For a low budget production, it was an enjoyable and cute series. It had a great story concept, but the execution was not the greatest at times. It had a good script, but it was a little disorganized and had some inconsistencies. Although it had one of the most annoying story elements to me, it was used in the correct way and had a purpose to the story. Because this was a low budget production, it had some audio and camera issues. The majority of the actors did a great job with their characters. There are a few big differences between the series and movie version involving the editing. I noted these in my spoiler alert section.
The series: I watched the series on Viki. My main criticism is the series wasted a lot of screentime in many of the episodes by using too many flashback scenes. There were also a few flashback scenes with a flashback scene which was not needed. Another miss use of screentime was many of the episodes started with reshowing the previous scene from the last episode which added up to 4 minutes of wasted time. The episodes on Viki are actually around 35 minutes long and the last episode is only 28 Minutes long. After the closing credits of each episode, they show you behind the scenes footage and actor interviews. They also did not edit out the in between credits.
The movie: I watched the movie on Ultimate Troop’s YouTube channel. Overall, they did a good job editing this into a very cohesive movie. Even the parts that were edited out within the same scene was not choppy and had a smooth transition. It was able to weed out one unneeded side storyline from the series. There were a few scenes that were deleted that I wished they kept, but I understand they had to take time into consideration. However, the material they edited out had no negative impact on the movie.
Random Notes:
The series on Viki had better English subtitles, but the movie on Ultimate Troop’s YouTube channel had better sound quality.
You will get a great experience with either version you decide to watch. I will stick with the series version when I rewatch this. I just like the scenes that were edited out for the movie version. I also know what parts I can fast forward, lol.
******Spoiler Alert******
The differences between the series and movie:
They cut all of the scenes involving Prem Warut Chawalitrujiwong’s character (Puen) which was not a big deal for me. He’s a great actor, but this was an unnecessary storyline that was used to fill screen time for the series.
They also cut out most of the scenes with Nut’s brother Note (Tonnam Piamchon) and boyfriend Tar (Get Sorawut). I understand they had to do this due to timing, but I enjoyed their scenes, Note’s interactions with Nut, and the additional info the scenes provided.
There is no 1-year time jump at the end in the movie version.
The series ended with a small cliffhanger involving the side BL couple (Note and Tar). Maybe they were planning on doing another series involving them as the main couple, but I’m guessing that fell through.
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This review may contain spoilers
A Ghost of a Good Time
I placed a potential spoiler at the end of this review.I am a sucker for supernatural storylines and this was really up my ally. This is one of those series that has a great script that successfully connects multiple storylines and characters together. They did a great job in the beginning of the series with introducing the characters. It also had a few twists that I didn’t see coming through out. I enjoyed watching this but admit some of the sections felt rushed and the last episode was a little off. The actors were great and did an incredible job with their characters. The special effects and cinematography were awesome.
******Potential Spoiler Alert******
Although the ending was mostly happy with most of the characters, the set up was not the greatest. There is a time jump forward, then backwards, and then back to the jump forward. I know they wanted to create suspense with this but wished they did a better job with it.
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This review may contain spoilers
I wouldn’t call it a masterpiece, but it was pretty close.
I placed spoilers at the end of this review.Overall, this was a very interesting series. The general story concept was great, but the script quality was not consistent. However, it successfully connects multiple story lines and characters together. The ending of the whole series was ok, but it was a little lack luster. However, I liked how they tied up everything in the end.
The positive: The series had a very strong beginning and really knew how to draw you into their world. The areas that the script did very well in were the supernatural and suspense thriller elements. The actors were incredible and did a great job with their characters. The cinematography was stunning and had incredible special effects.
The negative: The big miss for me was the comedy element. It would have been fine if this was your usual series with a high school or college setting. Considering this was supposed to be a more mature series with the police setting, the comedy seemed very out of place. A lot of the humor came across as very juvenile.
The in-between: The romance element was a hit or miss for me. There was just something off with the romantic relationship with all of the characters. The relationship development between the main characters in the beginning was also a little off, but it did get better as the show moved forward. The only two characters I didn’t like were Yai and Dao. The character Yai was very annoying, immature, and unlikable during most of the series. As for the character Dao, she was very irritating.
Random Note:
Don’t stop watching after the ending credits in episode 12 because there is a bonus scene after it.
The location used for the coffee shop scene in episode 4 is the same location used for the restaurant scene in episode 8 of “Step by Step”.
I did not take point off for the obvious money grab maneuver they used for the last episode. I like how all of the series they made at this point address many social issues, but this has tarnished my viewpoint about Idol Factory a little.
*****Spoiler Alert******
Although the ending had one of my most hated story element (time jumps), this is one of those times it made sense and served an actual purpose.
The reunited scene with Tharn and Phaya was a little anticlimactic for me. I would have liked to see a grander way for them to meet again.
The bonus scene is open to interpretation. I don’t know if it was a hint of a second season or the only way for Saint to find a way to make his usual guest spot. Either way, it was cool.
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The Review Section: This 4-episode documentary was really good and focused on various social issues in Taiwan at the time. I love learning about what the LGBTQ+ community/culture is like in different contraries. I only had two minor problems with the series. The first is the production quality is ok, but not great which is why I didn’t rate it an overall 10. The other complaint is the English subtitles. The timing was too fast at some points and missing at times.
The Full Series Description
Episode 1: Back to the Start
The description on MDL is actually about this episode.
Episode 2: My Own Stage
There are men who have jumped out of their gender boundaries and embraced "drag" all over Taiwan. However, every drag queen sees this art differently. Some are proud of being drag queens, some see drag shows as a profession, and there is a group of youngsters who do not want to be categorized. They just want to get rid of all definitions, put on makeup, and become the shiniest dancer on the stage.
Episode 3: Seeing an Angel in the Dark
“Hand Angels” was founded four years ago. Their arrival was a wake-up call making people start paying attention to the sexual needs of disabled people. More importantly, these “angels” have been long-awaited within the disable community hoping for a deeper understanding of this issue.
Episode 4: A Path to Happiness
How hard is to start a family? Whether it is a gay or straight family, people go to great lengths to achieve their dream home. The appearance of surrogacy supposed a turning point for gay couples. However, the controversial figure of the surrogate is still illegal in Taiwan and most part of Asia. In the last episode of “Queer Taiwan,” we explore the issue of surrogacy from an objective point of view.
(Source: kisskh, GagaOOLala)
This series is a precursor to GagaOOLala’s Queer Asia series which include Queer Asia-Japan, Queer Asia-Vietnam, Queer Asia-Philippines, and Queer Asia-Hong Kong.
Random Notes:
It would be really cool if GagaOOLala did a 10-year follow-up on all of these series.
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This review may contain spoilers
I placed a spoiler alert at the end of this review.Overall, this series was ok. I like the story concept, but it was not executed very well.
The positive: The series does have many cute/sweet moments. I enjoyed the show within the show aspect by seeing behind the scenes of the fake lakorn (Prince of Love). I also thought the opening scene in the first episode was very smart. It was nice how supportive Mueng and Mrs. Wan was with Ashi. I also like how Ashi and Punn’s relationship progressed. It also had a great theme song.
The negative: The main problem is the script was not the greatest. It is surprisingly bland considering the multiple conflict scenarios that it had. I also need more than a bunch of random soft porn scenes incorporated into a series to make it interesting. I was not a fan of how the character Punn was portrayed. This character appeared very childlike for someone that is about to graduate college. It was not too bad, but it did get annoying at times. I’m going out on a limb and say this is not the actor’s fault. I feel this was either how the character was written, how the actor was told to play him, or a combination of both. This may be an unpopular opinion, but I didn’t like the secondary couple storyline. It started off interesting, but took a wrong turn in episode 6 for me. After this, I was not fully invested in their storyline.
The in-between: It has a great cast. I give them credit for doing a great job considering the weak script that they were given. I originally did not like the fighting mangers aspect, but it started to make sense as the series continued. Although it became over the top at times, it at least created some interest. As for the main couple storyline, it was not fully developed in some areas. They also get a very weak story conflict in the last two episodes. There is a lot of misuse of screen time and filler scenes which I skipped. The ending of the whole series was ok, but at least it was a happy one.
Random Notes:
Overall, the series was not horrible and had enough stuff to maintain my attention. I just don’t see myself ever wanting to rewatching it.
Punn’s bedroom is the same one used for Jaya’s bedroom in the series 55:15 Never Too Late.
******Spoiler Alert******
It would have been better if they just kept the scheming manager scenario up to the end instead of introducing the half-baked story conflict for the main leads in episode 11. It was ridiculously weak and made no sense. The resolution, although happy, was just as weak.
Punn and Ashi’s relationship progressed at a nice pace. Their dating relationship did not happen too quickly or too long. However, we don’t get a lot of detail with their backstory. We learn from a few random flashback that they knew each other in high school, but we received no real details about it.
My main criticism with the secondary couple is what happened in Episode 6. Muang slept with Naming knowing that Naming was very drunk. For me, this was not ok. Muang was sober and knew what he was doing. At least Naming was rightfully pissed off and told Muang that he took advantage of him. Another problem is this had a very weak resolution which leads to them dating out of nowhere.
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Not a Traditional Sequel
This is not a sequel in the traditional sense which didn’t bother me. It’s a sequel in the same way that the first few seasons of the HIStory franchise was a sequel, in that it only shared the name. However, there were two links that sort of connects this to the first season (see 1st couple description).This series was ok, but had problems with the execution due to the script and editing. As for the script, it was inconsistent. It had many great moments that was mix with some poor/questionable aspects. It also does not help that the first episode has a very dark and bizarre beginning with no gradual transition from dark to light subject matter. This episode continues to be confusing, for me at least, because they try to introduce all the main characters in a very short time span. The story progression and pacing was better by episode 3. The cast was great considering what they had to work with. Unfortunately, the character development is off with many of them. The relationship development between two out of the three couples was ok. As for editing, they should have alternated the flashback scenes at the end of each episode between all three couples to help the views understand all of the characters motives. We don’t get to see the flashbacks involving the other two couples until episode 8 which did not help the story progression.
Couple Breakdown (Don’t worry, no spoilers):
1st Couple (Lee Hyun and Kim An): This couple had the only loose links to the first series. They are both in a class with “Marriage and Family” in its title and have a scary mystery element. The relationship development was odd but at least the series gives you hints about their past relationship from the start with flashback scenes. The only real problem is the mystery story element does not get a complete resolution and left some aspects completely forgotten.
2nd Couple (Min Woo and Ma Roo): This had a very basic romance storyline. Their relationship development was ok, but was tedious at times. There were no major bad elements that made me not want to know how they end up.
3rd Couple (Joo Hyuk and Sung Min): This is my least favorite couple. Joo Hyuk was too aggressive at times and played too many mind games. This made their relationship development too cringy for me. I found myself skipping forward some of their scenes. It does get better by episode 8, but it’s a case of too little, too late. I found myself not really caring or being invested in their storyline.
Random Notes:
Once again, the synopsis on VIKI does not match the actual content of the series.
Don’t blink. Kim Tae Hwan and Han Hyun Jun’s cameo in episode 5 happened so quickly that my brain almost didn’t register it. It was cute, but added nothing to the series. It’s interesting that they didn’t attempt to make a connection from their season to this season. It was also weird that the cameo of the lead actors from Private Lesson had a bigger cameo and actual lines.
Although I’m not bothered that this is not a true sequel, I would have loved to see a storyline continuing a possible relationship between the characters Kim Nam Jun and Min Jae. I always felt this was a missed opportunity in the first season.
You can see the Boom mic and other production items throughout the series. The most noticeable one is in episode 5 (time stamp 14:04) in the upper left-hand corner.
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