LightHouse74

I placed spoilers at the end of this review.

I love doing comparison reviews when a BL series is edited into a movie. It’s just bizarre I had to wait over 1 ½ years to do this one. What is even more bizarre is I had to use a VPN to watch the movie edit of a Viki original series on GagaOOLala. This is especially weird considering that Viki released three other Korean BL series (one of them also a Viki original) after this series which all were quickly edited into a movie within the same year of its release.

The movie/series: This had an interesting storyline. The script was simple but good. I love how they used Woo Jae’s web-based novel to mirror the main couple’s situation. This helped explained both main characters’ feelings. It had nice cinematograph but the flash back scenes in the beginning was a little confusing because it was not clearly marked. The acting was good with the usual exception often seen in Korean BL series/movies.

The movie: The movie has a different starting point because they edited out the opening credits and the first 2 minutes from the series beginning. Overall, the move version was ok. They did a great job editing it into a cohesive movie. However, they made a few poor editing choices with the scenes they cut out. I know this was probably done for timing purposes, but the storyline did not have the same pacing it had in the series. On a good note, it did not affect the relationship and story progression in anyway.

Random Notes:

I strongly recommend watching the series version (on Viki if you can) because the pacing had a nice, even flow to it. Another reason is the movie’s English subtitles on GagaOOLala were very bad (I did not take points off for this).

(Added on 2/14/2025): The movie version is finally available on Viki, well in my region. The English subtitles for the movie are definitely a lot better on Viki than on GagaOOLala.

******Spoiler Alert******

Although it was a bit extreme, I get why Woo Jae left. However, I don’t fully understand why he showed such hostile anger towards Yeon Woo. Especially considering he is the one that left without telling Yeon Woo.

The usual exception of course were the kiss scenes. I don’t need the actors to suck each other’s faces off, but at least kiss with some emotions. if the actors are not willing to do a proper kissing scene, have them kiss each other on the check or them hugging. Again, not every BL series has to end with a big make-out/kiss session.

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The best out of all of them!

I placed spoilers at the end of this review.

The series/original movie: This had an interesting storyline. The script was simple but good. However, I’m the first to admit it had some weak parts to it. Although it had one story element I’m not a fan of, it does make sense in this series. The cast was incredible with their characters. There was only one exception which is often seen in Korean BL series/movies. As for the 2020 movie version, they did a great job editing the episodes into a cohesive movie. There were a few scenes that were deleted or cut short. There were also a few major scene placement changes towards the end of the movie. My only complaint was they removed the internal monologues from the two main characters. Both had beautiful cinematography, but the coloring in the movie version was more vibrant.

The director’s cut movie: The biggest plus for me was bringing back the internal monologues that was missing in the 2020 movie. Just like the 2020 version, they did a great job with the editing. There were some scenes that were deleted and some major scene placement changes towards the end of the movie. There are a few added scenes in this version. In my opinion, all of the changes greatly improved the quality of the movie. I also enjoyed the added behind the scenes footage at the end of this version of the movie.

Random Notes:

After watching all 3 versions, I strongly recommend watching the director’s cut because it incorporated the best qualities from the series and 2020 movie.



******Spoiler Alert******

The usual exception of course was the kiss scene. If they are not going to show an actual proper kissing scene, I would have settled with a kiss on the check or them hugging. Not every BL series needs a make-out/kiss session at the end.

Although it had a three-year time jump, it does make sense with this storyline.

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Makes you appreciate what you have

This had a great story concept. I’ve always wondered about the personal stories associated with the objects found in second hand shops. The only problem with the script is it does fall short on the execution with the first two storylines. However, it did a great job transitioning into the next storyline. The series has an outstanding cast that did a great job with their characters. It also had beautiful cinematography and great music.

Very Brief Storyline Review (Don’t worry, no spoilers):
Bond and Relationship (Episode 1 & 2) – This was ok. The main problem is they tried to pack in too many story elements in this section.

Memory of Happiness (Episode 3 & 4) – This was ok. The script felt incomplete which made it lacking something.

Road to Regret (Episode 5 & 6) – This story was a lot better than the first two. However, there was a miss opportunity in completing Got’s storyline.

Our Soundtrack (Episode 7 & 8) – This was a good story and was the first one that felt complete.

Love Wins (Episode 9 & 10) – This was a great story that also felt complete.

Somewhere Only We Belong (Episode 11 & 12) – This was a great story. I loved how they incorporated the other 5 stories toward the end.

Random Note: The story hints in the teaser trailer for the first 2 stories were more interesting than the actual stories we get in the series.

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Don’t let the first episode scare you off.

This had a very cute, weird but cute, story concept. I started watching this with the mindset of a sitcom. I know it’s a comedy, but watching it as a sitcom made it more enjoyable for me. Although it had a few weak points, the script was very different and uplifting. The first episode is a little bizarre due to the heavy stalker element of Toh. However, this element is toned down in following episodes. I usually don’t like series with a big cast, but they did a good job with keeping you interested. I actually remember who they were and started to care about them. The group dynamics of both groups was great and they were very supportive of each other. Their teasing can get a little out of hand at times, but they were always there when someone needed it. The actors were incredible and did a great job making you care about their characters.

Random Note (Added on 3/4/2023): I strongly recommend watching this on Idol Factory’s YouTube channel, if you can, instead of Viki because the English subtitles on their channel is definitely a lot better than the ones on Viki.

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The best one out of the 4

I placed spoilers at the end of this review.

I stand corrected, this is the best one out of the compilation series. However, I may be bias because I love sci-fi storylines.

The positive: Although it had some elements that did not make sense, the script was good. The pacing was great and did a decent job introducing the characters’ backstories with one exception. I like the underline analogy about relationships in general. The two lines from episode 6 that sticks out to me is “You are an independent entity.” and “None of us own anyone.” The actors did a great job with their characters and portrayed them very well. Had very good cinematography, graphics, and music.

The negative: The script had some underdeveloped section which were only minor problems. It did take some liberties with the AI concept which some may not like. They also didn’t do a good job explaining the backstory with Chu Yi Ping’s dog. The script has one of my most hated story elements, but it actually made sense for a change. Again, this was only a minor problem for me.

******Spoiler Alert******


My main criticism is the length of the time jump. I’m not against it in this story because it did serve some purpose, but 7-years seemed too long.

Their first few kisses were predictable, but still cute.

I sort of understand the dog and Ever 9 comparison they were trying to make but it was weird and seems like a stretch to me.

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A full course meal that’s worth it in the end.

I placed spoilers at the end of this review.

This was a very interesting series. The first few episodes may scare some individuals off, but it’s worth sticking around. The way they introduced all of the stories was very compelling, for me at least. The overall theme is that learning, self-discovery, and individual evolution is an on-going, never-ending process. However, there were so many other little lessons incorporated into this series. In essence, the only constancy in life is change. Although there were some week elements, the script was still excellent. It spent the right amount of time introducing the backstories of most of the side characters. It also had the right amount of drama and quirkiness that I’ve become to love with series from Japan. All of the actors were outstanding and did a wondaful job portrayed their characters. They also did a great editing job with the flashback scenes.



******Potential Spoiler Alert******

I don’t necessarily agree with Kai’s methods, but everything he did was for the benefit of others.

It was very smart with switching between Gaku’s personality of 2023 and 2024 in the beginning of the series which is the reason that compelled me to keep watching.

The friendship development between all of the characters was great. I also love the undertone bromance in the series.

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Did a better job than the original.

This remake did what the original didn’t for me. It kept me intrigued enough to continue with the series.

Yes, I acknowledge this review will have some very unpopular opinions.

I placed spoilers at the end of this review.

Overall, this was a pretty good series. Is the script perfect? No, but it managed to keep me invested in the story and characters. I liked this version because it had the perfect type of horror, suspense, and psychological thriller vibe. It really did a great job grabbing my attention and keeping me interested throughout. One minor complaint is it had some missed placed humor and romance elements that really didn’t fit in with the rest of the series. Fortunately, there were not many of them. In many ways, this is like an old school horror movie because many of the characters made some stupid decisions. For me, that just added to my enjoyment. I don’t normally note this, but the opening credits were mesmerizing. I thought the cast did an outstand job with their characters. It was also cool to see Saint Suppapong and Orn Patchanan work together again, both were in “Let’s Fight Ghost”. The cinematography, special effects, and FX make-up were awesome. Most of the music was fine, but there were a few times it had some odd background music choices that did not fit the mood of the scene.

Random Notes:

Warning! This has some gory scenes, but not that bad. However, I have a high tolerance level with gore because I grew-up watching horror films of the 80’s and 90’s.

There is a bonus scene after the ending photo montage in episode 12 which is very ambiguous.

I don’t know how much this mirrors the Korean original series because I dropped that one after the 2nd episode. That series had a bizarre mix of comedy, romance, and suspense that didn’t work for me. It simply didn’t have the type of horror and suspense vibe I was hoping for.

Sophida and Yoshi’s apartment was also used in the “Peaceful Property” series, “Wandee Goodday” series, “Only Boo” series, “My School President” series, and “Good Old Days” series.

I’m 90% certain that Dr. Beam’s childhood home was also used in the movie “My Boo”, “Leap Day” series, “Bake Me Please” series, “Shadow” series, “Sing Again” series, “Mama Gogo” series, and “21 Days Theory” series.




******Potential Spoiler Alert******

Personally, I like that the romance storyline was not a main focus of the series and did not overpower the main storyline. The one time they kissed was, um, well something.

I was able to overlook the stupid decisions with the exception of one. I’m not an infection control expert, but it made no sense to quarantine the individuals that were infected with the ones that were suspected to be infected. You’re telling me that a building that big did not have another area that could be used as a second quarantine area.

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Outstanding

This was a very intriguing series that had me hooked by the first episode. I was confused at first because there was a lot going on, but it was a good type of confusion that made me interested in what was going on. If you get confused like me, just rewatch the first 15 minutes of episode 1 and you should fully understand what is going on. The script has well-crafted with many twists and turns to keep you guessing. Just when I thought I knew what to expect, it surprised me. It was also very successful with connecting multiple elements and characters together at the end. The cast did an amazing job with portraying their characters. It also helped that all of the characters were well written. It had stunning cinematography. It was a brilliant idea to use the different screen formats to establish the changing time lines to reduce possible confusion.

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It Falls Flat on Many Levels

I placed a spoiler alert at the end of this review.

Thankfully this just had 10-episodes. That being said, this easily could have been a 6-episode series instead.

Overall, the series was cute but was really not that interesting. The ending was very lackluster and anticlimactic. The main story concepts are ok, but the script is greatly underdeveloped and falls short on execution. There were many times it seemed they just had the actors improvise their lines. For the most part, the acting was ok. There are a few actors that excelled from the others. The rest of the actors are not bad or good, they just need to work more on their skills. After a while, I found Plengrak and Duean Yi’s storyline exhausting. Especially the second to last conflict they threw in. See potential spoiler alert at the end of this review if you want more info. It also has too many supporting cast members. There are some audio/sound problems throughout the series. The cinematography is good, but there is a lot of misuse of screen time. The few songs in this were good.

Random Note:
I did not have high expectations before watching this series, but was hoping to be proven wrong. Unfortunately, I was not. The quality of MFlow’s previous productions are not the greatest. They always fall short when it comes to the script and production.

I could be wrong, but I’m sure the “movie” in episode 3 was Second Chance (an earlier production from MFlow Entertainment).

The English subtitles on Viki are ok, but they kept spelling some of the characters names wrong midway through the series. I was getting confuse at first as to who they were talking about.

******Potential Spoiler Alert******

Plengrak and Duean Yi’s relationship conflict in episode 7 was the most annoying. Instead of letting Plengrak explain what was going on, Duean Yi was very immature. This also had a half-baked resolution that does not make sense.

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You don’t have to see the first season (I didn’t) to watch this one because there is a recap of what happened with the two couples from the previous season. The first episode is a little confusing because they tried to address the sci-fi aspect with one of the couples from the first season. However, the rest of the episodes are easy to follow as the series goes on. They also did a good job creating a connection between the two couples from the first season. The story concepts are not new, but the script handled the content very well. I like the cast, but the acting is ok. As for production, the series suffered from very odd/bad background music choices. The music often did not match the mood of the scenes. There is a suggestion of a third season at the end of the last episode by introducing two new characters (couple?).

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Perfect from Beginning to End

This series was very enjoyable and had a very refreshing take on the reborn storylines. It did a great job grabbed my attention. The script did an interestingly good job at setting up the key points of the storyline. It also did an incredible job connecting the events and characters from the two alternative timelines. All the storylines, including the romantic ones, had a nice even pace. I normally hate this type of story element, but this is a good example how and why you should use a time jump. It was also done in a very creative way. I have a minor beef with the very end of the series, but it made sense with all things considered. The whole cast did a phenomenal job bringing their characters to life. Kudos to Takahashi Issei for playing two different versions of one character. I would imagine it’s not easy play a character that was reborn as someone else and then pretend to be that person but still have to portray the other person’s personality. Another incredible element was the perfect editing, cinematography, and music.

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Those Foolish Humans

This was an incredible series. It did a good job grabbing the view’s attention in the beginning, but started off a little rocky. However, this is one series that gets better after each episode. The script is interesting from the start, but it felt like something was missing. This changes by the 5th episode and everything starts to make sense. Some of the characters were unlikable at first, but the script did a great job explaining the reasoning behind their actions. There are also a lot of twists and turns that keep you guessing what is going to happen next. Although there is a slight romance element with some of the characters, it did not overpower the main storyline. The cast was excellent and did a great job with their characters. This also did a great job with the cinematography, special effects, and make-up.

Random Note:

There is a possible hint of a second season because the last two scenes can be interpreted as a cliffhanger. If this is the case, I can’t wait to watch it.

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Had So Much Potential

I placed spoilers at the end of this review.

For the positive side, the series had some cute moments and can be enjoyable at times. I also like the supportive dynamic of Cher’s friend group. Now for the negative side. The story concept was nothing new which is not a bad thing if it was well executed. Unfortunately, this is not the case. The whole script came across as a ruff first draft that someone forgot to proofread. It also had some very poor/weird director choices. The pacing with the main leads’ relationship was too quick. Everything felt rushed from the very beginning of episode 1. All the storylines were haphazardly introduced and incomplete. Most of them received half-baked resolutions or were completely forgotten. This also had a weird mixture of comedy and drama. The comedy sections fell flat and the drama sections turned very dark at times. See the spoiler alert at the end of this review if you want more information. The actors were good considering what they had to work with. I admit this was hard to gage because of the poorly developed script and bad director choices.

Random Note:

There is a big disconnect between the marketing and the content of this series. The official trailer, description, and opening credits suggests this is a light and fluffy romcom. It’s not uncommon for a comedy to have a little drama, but not the type they introduced. I also think the series poster makes no sense.

It had cute opening credits.

I see a lot of acting potential with Force and Book. They just need better managers to fight for them. Unfortunately, this is the second BL series they were in that had a poorly developed script.

******Potential Spoiler Alert******

There was no lead up to how the main leads formed their relationship which happened in a matter of minutes in episode one.

I appreciated they tried to introduce some important subject matters, but it did not do it tactfully. The subject matters were mostly treated as a story gimmick or after thought.

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It’s Ok, but the series was better

The movie/series: Although the storyline is basic, the script was well executed. It was not overly dramatic and gave a more realistic viewpoint about the LGBTQ+ community. The actors did a wonderful job portraying their characters. The cinematography and graphics were great. The series wisely used all of its screen time. The opening and closing credits for the series was very cute and fun to watch.

The movie: On the positive side, they did add a few new scenes. Overall, the move version was not as good as the series. This is why editing is very important. They did a decent job editing it into a cohesive movie. However, they made poor editing choices. The main problem for me was key scenes were cut from the series. I’m assuming this was done for timing purposes, but I felt most of the cut scenes helped with the relationship and story progression. There was also many scene placements that was changed throughout the movie which didn’t help.

Random Notes:
The series was another BL office romance from 2023 that a really enjoyed watching. I just wish the movie version retained the same magic the series had.

I strongly recommend watching the series version. The added scenes were cute, but does not compensate for all of the cut scenes. As for my rewatch value, the 1 is for the movie version. The series is definitely a 10 value.

The movie didn’t clearly mark the college flashback scene which was 4 years ago.

The colors are not as vibrant in the movie version. The picture appears dull.

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Strong beginning; Weak ending

What the description on Netflix and MDL, even the move itself, fail to note is this is loosely based on events during a 2003 SARS outbreak in Taiwan. Unfortunately, this is one of those movies that grabs your attention within the first few minutes and then just leaves you with a very abrupt ending. It just leaves you with too many loose ends and no overall resolution to events. This is sad considering the actors were wonderful portraying their characters. Even with the sudden ending, it had great cinematography and pacing. However, the editing can make viewers uncomfortable which I think was the purpose.

Random Note:
It felt like the writers did not want to fully commit to a sad ending or that they lost steam at the end and gave up.

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