Mademoiselle Noir

Impressing and Special

I'm giving the male couple a 10/10. If I had to rate the female couple, I would give them an 8/10, and I would give the male and female couple a 7/10.

I do admit I may have a bit of a bias in regards to the Straight couple. As someone who only some years ago came out as Bi, I have been trying to find all the LGBT+ content I can. I have seen so many Straight romances, and the world of tv and film mostly consists of Straight romances, so I have seen every Straight trope and relationship dynamic under the sun. In a way, I find myself bored with Straight romances. Because I've seen it for so long, am always publicly presented with it, and live in a majority Straight world. So, while this premise is unique for the other two couples, I have seen rather similar scenes play out with a Straight couple before (Love Alarm would be the most recent comparable example).

The two guys acted the best compared to the two other couples (I'm not knocking the others' acting, they did a good job overall, I just thought their chemistry and actions didn't feel as natural). Their tension was palpable. It felt as though there was this constant pull between them. It was as though they kept taking turns inhaling and breathing out for each other.

This short is very short (of course, because it's a short film). I only wish I saw a little more. I would have loved to have seen what happened 5 minutes before they went inside to escape the rain. What were they talking about before? Were they hanging out? Or, did they just run into each other?

But, then again, the fact that this short film leaves me longing for more just speaks to how good this was. I think the point of it was to leave you with some questions. So, consider me happily annoyed that not everything was spelled out and handed to me. Lol.

Surprisingly the limited dialogue made it much more interesting. They were able to play more with tone, spacing, and atmosphere. It was also very interesting to see how the 3 different couples' actors changed up the lines in small but subtly beautiful ways. This has to be the best short film I have seen in years.

Also, one final compliment: The sound team did an amazing job! Every sigh and movement felt heightened, which made every moment feel precious and not wasted, and the rain was perfect background noise.

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Scandalously Bad

Arguably, the first K-GL to make it to a mainstream platform, this came out of the woodwork!

And how did it fare compared to K-BL's first popular offering of Where Your Eyes Linger in 2020, which gradually led to a K-BL wave and even real irl representation on the screen in the form of the reality dating show His Man, which has run for multiple seasons?

*grimaces*

Yeah, unfortunately, I believe the K-GL wave is going to be set back because of this trash.

I went in with hope. And again, with this being a milestone drama, I tried to give it grace.

They did try.

But did they really?

Because much as I wish I could say there are redeeming aspects to Scandal Love, I can't think of anything positive to say other than the two FLs had a couple of legitimately good moments together and it was an effort to produce/put out a mainstream K-GL.

I even find myself questioning whether this was "subtle" product placement, given how on-the-nose the writing was and how many times the two girl groups in this universe were name-dropped, and promotion/marketing was treated like character growth.

The sound design was poor, AI/stock footage shots were very obviously AI/stock footage, the dancing was laughably bad, the music sounded like it was royalty-free, and never have I ever seen actors/characters SO uncomfortable existing on the screen! Their faces were always twisted in pain/they looked like they were cringing with every line, begging the ground to swallow them whole.

Seemingly, no one wanted to be here except Mr. Creepy Ceo (who, I might add, switched from supportive mentor to voyer villain on a dime), funnily enough. Which go-figure it was the dude licking his lips, trying to mog the camera, eyeing the FLs/their potential romance like a steak he couldn't wait to devour, because this shit felt like cheap porn without plot except there was no porn AND no plot!

And to top all this off, of course, there were constant character inconsistencies from episode to episode and even scene to scene! One moment, one of the FLs is sad, and the other is bitter, and the next one's supportive and adoring, and the other is cold and distant, and then both are suddenly super duper happy and optimistic and besties and/or in love, with NOTHING in between to justify the sudden shift. You're just supposed to go along with the drama's mood swings, I guess! The only theory I can come up with for this nonsense is that the editor fell asleep in the middle of editing, and their vindictive black cat took over the keyboard!

Don't even get me started on the plot because tell me how they managed to drag such a lame, bare-bones story about a K-Pop girl group who gains a new member out of nowhere, has millions of followers, and is also about to be forced to disband, across ten episodes with an average runtime of 40 minutes each? That's not a compliment!

Low budget, few actors/sets, and not much time to rehearse/shoot can be understandable reasons as to why a piece of media doesn't live up to expectations.

But this is just inexcusable!

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Not perfect, but memorable

I'll be upfront and admit I did not go into this with an open mind, AT ALL. I went into Deep Night fully expecting to find something cheap and surface-level that would make me cringe and regret hitting play. I'd probably end up rating it a 6-6.5/10 and say it was a tasteless, eye-candy watch.

Well, you know what? Shame on me!

This drama had glaring flaws, for certain. The main ones were the villain FL, who screamed like a banshee for no reason and was just plain annoying/idiotic, loud and out-of-place sound effects, and the central roadblock problem for everyone playing out in too similar a way each time.

But it also had highlights as bright as spotlights. And I'm not just talking about the amazing acrobatics, stunning performances, and intense chemistry between the MLs, oh no.

Quietly, a theme of breaking down prejudices and shifting perspectives unfolded, particularly on the part of Khem. He went on a long, difficult, growth-filled journey. From judging hosts, never wanting to be associated with the Deep Night club, and allowing his jealousy and lack of understanding of his boyfriend's career to overtake him to admiring the hosts and noticing their efforts, taking pride in Deep Night and working to make it succeed, and accepting and respecting his boyfriend's work to the point of feeling fully secure in his relationship and cheering him on without any reservations.

My own perspective shifted along with him as I found myself feeling emotional near the end, wishing the best for everyone and wanting the club to do well, not wanting to let these characters that had wormed their way into my heart go.

I wish I could explain in better detail just why I found this so worthwhile. All I can say is that I think you should give Deep Night a chance; it might just surprise you.

Note: .5 out of my score is extra just because, I really wound up loving it, dammit!

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A bewilderingly wonderful watch

For a not-very-anticipated drama with a confusing synopsis, this managed to pull out all the stops. This. This is what A Shoulder to Cry On WANTED to be. It had tension, kept its focus, kept the conflict simple and unfolded the details of it bit by bit, and pulled the main leads and their complicated feelings together at every turn. And, best of all, their yearning was evident and put into action.

I recommend you go binge it right now!

Criticism: My only real gripe was the music. Many times, it was ill-fitting or came out of nowhere very loudly and interrupted an otherwise impactful moment. Other times, a scene could have done with silence to allow the audience and the characters to sit with their feelings.

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Spoiler that shouldn't be a spoiler ahead because it's a Trigger Warning!

I'm just going to jump right into it:




Waii rapes Apo. And afterward, a "romance" blooms between the two. It is not a scene featuring questionable consent. It is undeniably rape. Apo says no and tries to fight back; Waii doesn't listen and restrains him. You may be asking hopefully, "Is it condemned?" I'm sorry to tell you, it's not. The drama doesn't treat it as the horrible act it is, not at all. Not only does Waii face no consequences for what he does, but romantic music is played over it, and it's even used in a flashback later. Apo also takes almost no time to forgive Waii, as if he stole his homework rather than forced himself on him against his will. Now, it is each survivor's right to be affected by their experience in different ways and heal from it however they see fit. However, this drama did something unforgivable and extremely damaging by not properly framing rape as wrong. If you can stomach the experience, I would recommend watching The Effect. It properly shows how horrifying and violent rape is and its effects on someone, including not only trauma but also the conflicting feelings that may come as a result of someone you love hurting you in a way you never thought they would.

After reading all of this, you may be wondering, "Why in the Hell did Noir watch this?"

I started this for the Bi/Pan FL. Every time I asked for Queer FLs, this drama kept getting recommended to me, always tagged along with the phrase "problematic content." I wish now I'd looked into this drama more so I knew what to expect and could skip that horrible scene. So, if, like me, you do decide to watch this drama for the rep alone, let me save you: The rape scene takes place in Ep 4 1/4. Unfortunately, I can't remember what episode has the flashback.

What also hurts me inside is seeing the year this was made was 2017. It was only 5 years ago that this mindset of using rape as a plot device for romance was perfectly acceptable.

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Secret softie triad leader + adoring nerdy lover boy =A damn good time!

With violent knives and tender eyes, warm lighting and cheeky lines, and ridiculous fibs and intriguing police ties/gritty triad crimes, Sammy's Children's Day left me wanting . . .

Wanting more!

Because with chemistry this intense AND a story with this much potential, closing the chapter here would be a grave mistake on the part of the creators.

Was the dubbing admittedly egregious at times, and some aspects (such as awkward background actors and disjointed cuts) subpar? Yes. But I still loved it, dammit!

Maybe I am upset at its conclusion, but for me, that just speaks to how good this drama was.

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Logically, I know they didn't do anything truly incredible. On the surface, this story has been told before. However, I found a surprising amount of emotional depth here.

From the beginning, with a shared pain, the leads are able to see through the other in a way others aren't able to, hear the words they're not saying. Before they even got together, the connection between them felt earned.

The way Hyun Seung approached Song Ah not just with good intentions but with a level of sincerity most men would not dare to show. He didn't play games, beat around the bush, or do things in half-measures; he loved honestly and fully, even when he had no hope or was given less in return. It was truly refreshing to see a ML take a chance with his whole heart.

I also appreciated the showcasing of a mature as well as flawed working woman FL. Song Ah put her career first and love life second. Some may say this made her selfish. However, she knew how she prioritized these aspects of her life, and rather than attempt to be someone she wasn't, she was honest with herself and Hyun Seung, made her goals clear, and took accountability for her shortcomings. And knowing herself as a person who struggled to express her feelings, she took steps to push through the blocks in her mind as well as make efforts suited to her affection style.

I felt I learned and grew with these two. I'm so glad the rep made me check She Would Never Know out!

Side Note: Can we talk about the respect Hyun Seung had for Song Ah?! He didn't take things into his own hands to remove her from a potentially dangerous situation. He respected her agency, stood to the side, and asked, "Do you want me to?"

My hearrrrt!

By the way, can we take a moment to talk about the height difference between these two?! Because it was . . . Ahhh! Maybe I'm starting to realize I sometimes have a thing for it . I mean, Extraordinary You and Abyss also had me swooning.

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The end will make it or break it for you

Another case of simple is best. Korean BL's are tragically short right now. But that doesn't mean they can't fully utilize every minute they have and make something great, even on a low budget.

This pulls you in from the start. It has natural acting, smooth transitions, good camerawork, and a moving story. The emotional build-up in particular is spectacular.

From the beginning, we know in our hearts how this story will end. The point of watching it unfold is to see the light that came before the dark.

The ending will either make or break the experience of watching this drama for a lot of people. For me, I found it fitting. It was real and sad, yes. But it was also hopeful. Jae Woo can't save Ji Hoon. But in another timeline another Jae Woo is going back to the same room to call Ji Hoon and will travel through time to meet him. In a way, they will always be together in this world.

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Simply Smashing!

Self-aware and kooky as all get-out! That's what Hometown Romance is!

It's a drama with real color! And not just in the outfit choices, but with the upbeat, animated intro, the cheesy music, the landscape, and even the energy of the leads. And the comedy? It gave Me and Thee vibes meets the setting of Meet Yourself, which tells you how positive I felt about it!

Klao and Si were each their own special brand of ridiculous that melded together into a delightful romantic duo that schmoozed each other so hard they repeatedly fell again and again until they just decided to succumb and become that couple who makes heart-eyes in public and flirts like there's no tomorrow and they're still in their honeymoon phase.

Not once did I feel like it dragged or that there was anything inserted just to pad the runtime. Every character and conflict was uniquely charming.

And I loved how full of life Klao's community was. Well-meaning neighbors showing up at your door at all hours to chat, who, once they quickly grow fond of you, are all too willing to throw a legendary dance party in your honor, complete with homemade alcohol.

If you're looking to be entertained with a show, look no further! This one will hook you from the jump!

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I was impressed, and I think you will be too

Watching this all at once makes me believe releasing it in one day was the right decision. It flows and feels like a movie, not a drama. I don't think you'll like it or appreciate it as much if you just see an episode or two a week.

This. This is top-tier. If Romance is a Bonus Book is a love letter to books, Blueming is a love letter to films.

It manages to capture "a feeling" in every scene, and the cinematography is everything. Semantic Error went for a style similar to its original work, with bright colors and loud music and graphics. This was toned-down, with warm colors, unassuming music, and subtle cuts.

Both are great, just in different ways.

I loved how, at its core, this was about opening up to someone. Finding a person you can share your insecurities with who won't look at you differently because of it, someone you can comfortably be vulnerable with.

Sexuality wasn't even a topic or issue because it was of no importance to the story being told. It wasn't the point. Seeing people onscreen actually declare their sexuality is great for representation. Having it be a non-issue is also great. We can tell stories with LGBT+ people without necessarily making it about them being LGBT+. Straight romances and stories aren't generally about them being Straight; it's about the story.

When I reached the end of this film, I realized it had never come up. And my reaction was simply, "Oh."

This was lovely.

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Dared to Death but not quite Daring

Right off the bat, it was quite smooth both in terms of pacing/cuts and the leads' wit/mouths. I liked how cocky Jade was and how particular Inspector Kamin was, and the natural, friendly competitiveness that sprang up almost immediately between them. They had fun banter and gave pushback for bad behavior.

This duo made for a good buddy-cop type of dynamic, which is my jam.

However, fight scenes could be awkward, and I do think it took a little too long for the stakes to be amped up. Not to mention, they spelled some clues/events out more than they needed to, in my opinion. An air of mystery is more attractive, you know? I think if they had thrown in some fake-outs and leaned into heavy deception toward the audience, that would have improved things massively.

Now, the finale didn't make or save this drama for me, but it did kind of earn it some brownie points for how crazy-chaotic/fun it got.

Overall, a good effort on the part of the production. It was just lacking in some areas.

In other words, it has issues, but I still liked it. Whether you will as well, depends . . .

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Jazz for Two Might be for You

This drama and the characters truly shined the most in tension-filled moments where it felt as though all the air had been sucked out of the room. I also rather appreciated the consistency of the character's flaws/toxic behaviors, with there also being guilt and growth. Also, the fake-out conflict being resolved through thoughtful perspective and acceptance? Loved that. More not dragging things out for added drama and instead having a main lead think rationally, please!

Based on this drama's description, I expected less than average—to not be excited at the prospect of seeing the story progress. I was glad to find I could lose myself in Jazz for Two for a while.

All this praise aside, I wish the curtains closed more smoothly on this drama. At least ten extra minutes were desperately needed to tie up the side character's stories as well as allow a smoother transition as to where the main leads ended up. When the credits started rolling, I legit thought I was being punked. I was like, "Come on, there's got to be five more minutes left, right? Did I skip ahead?!"

All in all, I would recommend it. Just keep your expectations moderate.

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Enemy to Near-Lover Conversion

What a journey Blank took me on! I went from not recommending the first season to now saying I'd recommend the second one.

I saw quite an improvement since S1. Anueng, while still messing around and acting cute, acted more her age, which made me feel far more comfortable with her relationship with Nueng. She also bit back and had more sass to her.

Nueng also gave Anueng's feelings more consideration, expressed herself more, and found enough strength within her to stand up and fight for her and Anueng's relationship.

The chemistry between our two FLs also got stronger. Intimate scenes were truly intimate, and even short phone calls had me blushing.

I also felt this season finally managed to strike a pretty decent balance between being truly mature and melodramatic with soap opera twists. It wasn't perfect, but it was done well enough that, at the very least, I was consistently entertained. I found myself fully engaged in S2.

Also, can I just say, I think this was one of the rare times I found the trope of getting in an accident and falling into a coma to actually work. It allowed needed time to pass so Anueng's family could come to terms with Nueng's presence in her life and, even if they weren't glad she was dating Anueng, at least see how she cared for her and would stay by her side. I'll admit its effectiveness here impressed me.

I'd be downright pleased if we got more Sapphic stories like this.

If you're desperate for a solid GL that isn't only seven episodes with a total runtime of 45 minutes, look no further!

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Messy and Gory Fun!

I will be the first to say that this drama was downright confusing af at times, and it often felt like they were digging their heels in down to the last second, trying to come up with ways to fill the runtime. But for someone like me who is not a Horror fan to like a Horror drama and a gory Thai one at that? That is an accomplishment.

This was all kinds of fucked up with a confusing-ass final "twist." But I kind of loved it? They had me biting my nails, covering my eyes and peeping through my fingers, and shouting at my screen, "You dumbasses!" every week. And you know what, it was fun not to have high expectations nor be bored but simply just be entertained watching things get messy, more shit be revealed, and how impressively realistic and nasty the effects could get.

Amid all this, I do think there is a message to be found here. I didn't see it until the end, though.

These teenagers did objectively terrible, even "evil," things to another teenager. A difficult truth to accept, though, is that evil people, or those who do something evil, are not evil 100% of the time. A serial killer can have saved a puppy from getting hit by a car. Does this now make them a good person? No. This just goes to show that people are complex creatures who cannot be boiled down into simple black-and-white categories, as much as we would like them to be.

I absolutely recommend this chaotic disaster of a drama. Mind the gore, though, because there is gore. And face stuff! Watch out for the face stuff!

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