LightHouse74

??Why??

This was consistent with the series which is not a good thing.

The episodes were cute but not that interesting. Although I appreciated some of the topics discussed, the script was underdeveloped and felt like the actors were mostly improvising their lines. The acting was ok and there were some audio/sound problems.

Random Note:

I don’t understand why they felt the need for the special episodes. Both episodes could easily be edited down to 15 minutes and added onto the last episode of the series.

This explains the confusion on the number of episodes it had on Viki when the regular series first aired. It seems this was filmed around the same time as the original series but was meant to be released around the holidays. I guess someone at Viki screwed up.

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Perfect with One Exception

I was hesitant about watching this series because of the parallel universe concept. This type of storyline can get really confusing, very quickly if the script is not done correctly. Thankfully, Episode 1 proved this would not be the case. The script executed this very well (minus the product placement). They did a really good job making slight changes to create the parallel universe. Usually, I don’t like time jumps, but this series handled it well. It also helped the story progression. The acting was very good and the cast did an awesome job with their characters. I will admit the relationship development between Talay and Puen can be a little strenuous at times. However, it was very refreshing to have them actually talk out their problems like two adults instead of them brewing/sulking over things for 6 episodes. The cinematography was done very strategically in helping the audience understand the character switches between Talay/Tess and Puen/Tun. The sets and the locations they used throughout the series was great.

The only exception that was not perfect was the product placement. At first, it was not that bad. Unfortunately, it gets worse from episode 7 on. There were times I just skipped the scenes.

Random Note: I thought it was funny how the passwords were from previous BL series.

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It’s a Struggle to Watch

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

I have mixed feeling about this series. This is mostly due to the inconsistent marketing material for this series. The description, poster and opening credits make this seem it should be a fun and light show but it’s not. It was also a struggle for me to finish this series. It did not need to be 18 episodes.

The positive: It has a great cast. I give them credit for doing their best with the material they were given. The production value was also great. It’s obvious this series had a big budget because the sets and locations were great. It also had beautiful cinematography and great audio.

The negative: The main problem is the script. I don’t know how much it mirrors the Korean original story (Persevere, Goo Hae Ra), but this script is a complete mess. I think the main story line is the characters are trying to break into the music industry. However, this gets watered down by the numerous different storylines introduced throughout the series. Another problem is the series loses its light and whimsical feel in the middle of episode one. I love dramas with comedy elements, but this series does not do it well. There is no smooth transition between the comical and dramatical elements of the script.

The in-between: The music is great, but it should have been better considering this is a series about the music industry. You hear the same 4 songs over and over again which gets boring. There is a lot of misuse of screen time which I had to skip. The ending is ok, but at least it was a happy one.

Random notes: The house used as Piano’s childhood home is the same one used in Mama Gogo (Annie’s house) and in 21 Days Theory (Q’s house). This is the first time for me to see the same location in three series back-to-back. One thing that may help with watching this is trying to spot actors that stared in various BL series. This kept me entertained.

******Potential Spoiler Alert******
Why is Lay Talay Sanguandikul shown under the character Sun in the opening credit after this character dies. They should have changed the credit to reflect the character Ray after episode 5. The English dialog on the train in episode 6 was very awkward. It was basically two actors regurgitating lines from a script in the hope they don’t screw the lines up.

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Sweetly Simple

I placed spoilers at the end of this review.

Edited on 9/8/2024: This is an updated version of my original review to match my current writing style for BL series that were edited into a movie version.

If you need something to left-up your mood after watch an overly serious/dramatical series, this movie/series is for you.

The series/movie: This was a very cute series. It has a simple, but good storyline. However, the script does have many weak elements to it. The cast did a great job portraying their characters and the cinematography was beautiful. I really enjoyed the songs that were used and felt the music really helped set the mood the scene it was used in.

The movie: They did a great job editing the episodes into one cohesive movie. They only added one random scene in the movie which did not add anything to the storyline. I think it was done to add more minutes to the movie. The only negative aspect is they cut out the behind the scenes and bloopers shown at the end of episode 8.

Random Notes:
I recommend watching the movie version because the editing made the storyline flow much better. However, you will be fine watching the series version too. If you do watch the movie, don’t forget to watch the end of episode 8 for the behind the scenes and bloopers.

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

The time span for Yoon Do Gun and Choi Jung Woo’s relationship development was too fast. They should have swapped the time span of the competition (1 month) and the time they were apart (3 months) around.

The ending had a very quick conflict resolution and felt a little rushed.

It was very weird how everyone forgave each other very quickly.

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Just Skip It!!!

I acknowledge this review will have unpopular opinions. Sorry, but I need more than a good-looking cast for a series to be good.

The positive: It has beautiful cinematography and the acting is great. In fact, the actors did such a good job that I disliked many of the characters.

The negative: The main story is nothing new. Two best friends get drunk, have sex, and have to deal with the aftermath. The only “new” element is both of the leads are men. As for the script, it was horrible. I found very little redeeming qualities with Yiwha and Fai’s personality. The overall cast chemistry/vibe was off. They are supposedly good friends but it does not seem it during the series.

Random notes: This is the second BL series that I almost dropped. As to date, this is the first series I regret watching and wished that I had dropped it. Tul and Max are outstanding actors and have great on-screen chemistry. Unfortunately, this series does not do them justice. I strongly recommend watching them in Manner of Death instead.

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

Has a beautiful and heartfelt storyline about being careful with your own actions and words with loved ones. It has an excellent script with a few exceptions. There are a few discrepancies in it, but not enough to distract you from the series. They did a great job interweaving the two different languages which is not easy. The acting was wonderful and they did an awesome job interacting with each other.




******Potential Spoiler Alert******
My only criticism is the ending. It was too ambiguous and was a bit of a letdown.

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I placed spoilers at the end of this review.

I normally don’t’ like time shift storylines, but this had an interesting story concept. It had a good message about being careful with your choices in life and don’t live your life on how others think you should live it. The series handled each character’s story very well. However, I do have some complaints about the end. See the potential spoiler alert at the bottom if you want more info. The actors did a great job with portraying their characters. The series also did a great job shifting between the past and present. That is not easy to do and could have made this series confusing.




******Potential Spoiler Alert******
The ending could have been better. The series makes it seem they all went their own separate ways. It would have been nice to see the group meet-up at the end of the series to confirm that they are all still friends. The storyline between Paul and Pipu was too weird for me and wish they went a different direction. I also wished that Paul had a happier ending.

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Cutely bizarre which just became bizarre at the end.

I placed spoilers at the end of this review.

I enjoyed most of this series despite its flaws, but I am a pushover for supernatural storylines. That being said, you should probably skip this series if that does not interest you. This was an interesting and bizarrely cute series with some cool story ideas. The script was light, fluffy (most of the time), and quirky. Unfortunately, the implementation of the ideas was not the greatest at times. My main problem was the end of episode 11 and episode 12. This is when it just became bizarre. Some of the comedy aspect didn’t really hit the mark and there were sections/things that didn’t make sense. Although I liked it, the mystery/suspense aspect was not incorporated very well and seemed out of place. The overall story pacing was good, but there was a lot of wasted screentime. The acting is ok (not horrible or great) considering many of the actors were new.

Random Notes:

Maybe I enjoyed this because I already went into this with low expectations. I was not a fan of the screenwriter/director’s last series (I Will Knock You) which I dropped.

The subtitles are ok. Sometimes the lines get mixed up with the words of the song that is playing in the background which was confusing.


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

I would have loved to see more of the ghost story element. You do see the girl ghost a few times, but nothing about her backstory.

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Need To See This Version

Disclaimer: This is an edited version of my original review I posted on the cut version of this series.

This series is not for you if you don’t like paranormal story lines with a side of sci-fi. If it is, you are in for a treat.

I love this series even with the bittersweet ending. It had a great original storyline and script. The cast did an awesome job with their characters. This had a great music and beautiful cinematograph. was great and the special effects were used very strategically. I liked how they incorporated several nods to Lovely Writer in some of the earlier episodes.

Random Note:

I strongly recommend watching this version if you have access to it. As I stated in my original review, the editing of the free cut version was horrible. They cut a lot of scenes which made some of the episodes disconnected and/or confusing. The cut version had many scenes missing that were needed to help the viewers fully understand and appreciate what is going on. They also cut scenes involving the backstories of the side characters.

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My review for each section of this series is based on the following criteria:
- Did it add anything to the original series
- Was there either an absence, advance, or regression of character/couple development
- Was the story concept interesting
- Script quality

The script was ok and had some cute moments. However, it’s not that interesting and became tedious at times. The acting was good but this section didn’t have the same magical elements that both main series had. It also did not add any story, character, or couple development with both main couples.

Random Note:

This crossover concept is not cutting it for me. If they were going to do this, at least create a better script. I wished they stuck with the 2-episode per couple concept that was originally promoted. Yes, this section was kind of enjoyable but wished it had better story/couple development.

There was also a missed opportunity by not having Drake reprise his character from A Tale of Thousand Stars. It would have been funny to see Pat meet Rang and say “Hey, you look like someone I know.”

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Interestingly Cute

I placed spoilers at the end of this review.

So far, this is the best one out of the compilation series. It was very cute and interesting.

The positive: Considering the short running time, this had a well-developed script. It did a great job slowly introducing the characters’ backstories and the pacing of the main story was perfect. The actors did a great job with their characters and portrayed them in a very likable fashion.

The negative: The only negative aspect for me was the conflict scenarios were too predictable. However, this was a minor problem for me.



******Spoiler Alert******
Even though it had the one story element I hate (love triangle), it wasn’t that bad and was resolved quickly.

Sorry, I already knew that the mother would become a source of a conflict after the first scene. Thankfully it to was quickly resolved.

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Another Surprise

I placed spoilers at the end of this review.

Warning: There is slight disconnect between the marketing and the actual content of this series. However, this was a good thing (for me at least). The official trailer and show description suggested this was going to be mostly a very light and fluffy romcom, but had a nice amount of drama too. That being said, this series had a more interesting storyline that I anticipated.

The positive: The script is not perfect, but it was entertaining and not too predictable. They did a good job explaining the past history of Yi and Diao’s friendship and family relationship. Although there is one to many storylines for an 8-episode series, they did a nice job layering them and didn’t leave any loose ends. The cast was great and did a great job with what they were given considering some of the flaws with the script. I also like how supportive Yi’s father was with Diao. Overall, the cinematography, special effects, and CGI was good.

The negative: The main problem was the story continuity from the previous series (Cutie Pie) involving how Diao lost his childhood memories. The new storyline was a little far-fetch, but at least it was interesting. Even though it was a drastic difference, this was only a minor problem for me. The script had a lot of comedy that seemed missed placed and not very funny. There was also the random introduction of side characters in the middle of episode 6. Although the product placement was subtle, it still became annoying at times.

Random Notes:

Once again, I was pleasantly surprised because I was not a fan of Yi and Diao’s storyline in Cutie Pie. I liked their backstory in this series. You don’t have to watch Cutie Pie before you see this. They did a great job at making this a standalone series.

Interesting that they were able to get the same child actors from Cutie Pie, but not the same dog.

I thought it was hilarious that the dog was dressed like Chucky from Child’s Play in episode 3.



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

The consistence problem with how Diao lost his memory made Yi and Diao’s storyline in Cutie Pie make no sense.

I was worried that Yi’s only reason for faking his amnesia was to try and win Diao back and happy that it wasn’t. It was part of it, but it was not the main reason.

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Was hoping for a better prophecy

I placed spoilers at the end of this review.

Overall, this was a decent series. The script was nether horrible or outstanding, just ok. There were times the script was on point, but then just introduced information or scenarios without any context about it. It also had some unnecessary story elements considering this has only 10 episodes. I wish it focused more on the crime storyline which felt forgotten at times. This also had inconsistent pacing. I understand there were only 10 episodes, but some things happen at a supersonic speed in just one episode (Episode 3 for example). The surprise twist towards the end was not much of a surprise to me. I was able to predict this by the first episode. On a positive note, the cast was great. They did a great job with what they were given. The script did a great job tying up all the storylines together in the end. However, this had one of the most bizarre forgiveness scenes I’ve ever seen. Unfortunately, I developed a serious case of second couple syndrome with Ton and Pong. I want more scenes with them which would have been possible if the production team used their screentime wisely. I was not a fan of the background music. There were times the audio was to load and/or didn’t match the overall mood of the scene.

Random Note:

The episode names/cards are from the 22 cards of the Major Arcana section of the tarot set of cards.

This is another GMMTV series that had a good story concept, great cast, and production quality, but missing a great script. Again, the script was not horrible or outstanding. It was just decent.

The location for Kan’s condo was also used in the series “Only Boo”. The location used for Pong’s condo was also used in the series “Happiness”, “Peaceful Property”, “Wandee Goodday”, “Only Boo”, “My School President”, and “Good Old Days”.



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

There was a love triangle that served no purpose. It was randomly introduced without any context involving a character they briefly introduced in episode 1. This was one of the few times I was thankful this was all done in one episode.

There was also the predictable returning ex, but this actually served a purpose to the storyline. Although Thap’s ex was mentioned a few times, this still felt random. Again, thankfully this was wrapped up very quickly.

I was able to guess that Kan was involved in some way. To me, the hints throughout the series were not very subtle. What’s a little attempted murder between friends. Because you didn’t succeed, it’s all good. The scene with Kan and Thap in the last episode was just weird.

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The Healing Power of Chocolate

This review is going to be like the special, short and sweat. This had such a heartwarming and interesting story. The script was simple but good. The main theme for me was, just like creating a good recipe, you have to find the right balance when you are creating friendships. My only complaint is this was too short and needed maybe one more episode. The cast was incredible and did an outstanding job with their characters.

Random Notes:

The symbolism of Hong Sa Jang’s store was very smart and loved the transformation of the storefront in the end.

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One Suspenseful Ride

Warning: If you are looking for an average and fluffy BL storyline, this series is not for you.

Overall, this was an awesome series. Then again, I am a sucker for suspense filled paranormal storylines. I also loved this series because it was a paranormal/mystery drama first with underlining gay storylines incorporated into it. The script was excellent and had me immediately hooked by the first episode. This had so many twists and turns that will keep you guessing what’s going to happen next. However, I’m not a fan of how the series ended. All of the actors did an amazing job with portraying their characters. The cinematography and special effects were outstanding. They also did a great job using different screen formats to establish the changing time lines to reduce possible confusion.

Random Notes:
My only criticism is the ending was too ambiguous which left too many questions unanswered.

Don’t stop watching after the ending credits in episode 14 because there are additional scenes after it.

Although there are no standardized directions on giving it, the way Brother Anurak used the Rorschach inkblot test was very random.

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