Mademoiselle Noir

Started off cute but was ultimately a disappointment

First off, my rating is a lie. It's actually a 6.5/10 for me. But because it's a Thai GL, and I want to see more of them, I don't have the heart to rate it any lower.

Now, as for my thoughts:

In the beginning, it had everything I wanted: A Pan FL, easy chemistry between the two FLs, a love triangle, and ALL the tropes that come with a Queer Thai Engineer series. Like, yes, give me tripping on air and getting dramatically saved by the FL's soon-to-be love interest, who holds her for a suspiciously long time!

But then, near the halfway point, my perspective shifted. While I liked that the conflicts were--so far--minimal/easily resolved, I felt they could have done well with extending the do they like each other/pining phase. It felt almost "too easy" for these FLs.

This problem would come back to bite the drama later during the last few episodes when conflict after conflict and misunderstanding after misunderstanding popped up. It seemed like the writers intentionally made Manaow and Gyoza's start to their relationship so easy and sweet so they could put them through the wringer at the end while banking on all their good times together to get you through it. Unfortunately, it did not work. At all. And don't even get me started on the horrible villain and her scheme and the nail-in-the-coffin trope that had no reason to be there.

By the end, I was just . . . *sigh*

It saddens me to say this, but I would skip this one, my dear MDLers. It's just not worth your time.

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Deep yet Shallow

Fittingly for a drama called The Water, it was rocky seas, smooth tides, and then back to whitecaps galore, before, finally, the storm passed.

How many more water references can I make? Lol.

Okay, to really get into my thoughts: I admired the overall maturity present here, particularly when it came to the business aspect. The hotel empire wasn't simply a backdrop for the FLs' romance. It wasn't just a major source of conflict, but running it took front and center stage, from front desk employees having to maintain a standard appearance and dealing with guests, to having meetings to arrange partnerships and public promotion events.

I found myself invested in Nam and Lada's efforts at work and found their romance to be a needed shake-up for both of them after having to deal with such high pressure/expectations. I loved seeing the normally serious and composed Nam awkward and shy, and the normally high-energy and talkative Lada torn and tongue-tied. They were truly sweet together.

I even found the deception plot to have a lot more depth than I expected.

But . . .

Compared to The Earth (it's impossible not to compare them), which, if I take my rose-colored glasses off, I can acknowledge had its problems, I think The Water failed to deal with its serious/traumatic topics well, let alone achieve a romance so dazzling you'd be blind to it. When the finale came, I found myself feeling a bit bitter about it, to say the least. Yes, everyone was happy, but could/should a pretty bow really be tied on it after everything, and should EVERYONE have been so at peace after such severe manipulation and abuse? I would argue no!

I had many a good giggle and was entertained but not blissfully charmed. That's the best I can put it, I think.

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Waters that should and can never meet, meet

"The sea had never called to me.
But you were wading out into it.
And, suddenly, I was up to my knees."

This drama draws you into Jin's world of perpetrators, victims, and bystanders, where he lives his life according to expectations and doesn't get involved or let himself be "swept away" by feelings. And as he is this way, the tone of the drama itself is unnatural--a blanket of passive and offness over everything.

But then he meets Haruki, and from their first meeting, there is a strange kind of unsettled draw and fascination between them as they "cleanse" themselves at the water fountain.

Haruki, dealing with abuse at home, covers up his bruises and fear by playing the troublemaker role. But then, he is caught . . . By Jin. And Jin's unwillingness to pry and admittance of pity is foreign to him.

And as Haruki edges himself into Jin's world, Jin finds himself becoming attached; caring. He doesn't advocate for himself, dream, or even express his emotions. But he's willing to risk his future crumbling for Haruki. He doesn't cry for himself but for Haruki.

Waters that should and can never meet, meet. And Jin is swept offshore as he becomes "weaker." But he is not "weaker," no. The more he's with Haruki, the more he lets himself feel. And it's a needed revelation but also terrifying.

Again and again, I was troubled and moved beyond words. From Haruki inviting violence upon himself just to sit waiting on the steps for Jin in hopes he'll pity him once he sees how badly he's beaten enough to invite him inside (and admitting it to him on the spot) to Jin yet again resorting to his fake smile or an easy lie to keep his desires and relationship with Haruki a secret.

They can't rescue each other or run away; they're not adults. And even when they age, discrimination still puts up walls in front of them. They don't live in a fairytale, but they're happy just staying together, even in a reality with limits.

It's the kiss of a beer bottle's edge against your cheek, brown flecks and sharpened edges raining down on you in a beautiful but painful shower.

This is a drama of consequence that I would beg you not to ignore.

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Masterpiece! Just watch it!

This, and its sequel, are incredible! I haven't seen romance done this well in a long time. I'm not putting any spoilers in here, but if you want to go in absolutely blind with no clue about what happens, don't read my review. Either way, I encourage you to watch this movie.

I'm just going to write this review with both Seven Days: Monday-Thursday and Seven Days: Friday-Sunday in mind. I'll probably post this same review on the second movie.

So, how is this different compared to the LGBT+ movies/series I have seen so far? Well, there weren't any stereotypes, basically no silly misunderstandings, and no people interfering in the relationship. It was so refreshing!

It's a bit difficult to describe just how much these movies made me feel and why they're so amazing. I'll give it my best shot!

This story can basically be summarized as being about the slow and quiet exploration of a developing relationship between two people (Seryo and Yuzuru). While there are actually two movies that take the time to show this story, I personally consider them as being one. I wouldn't mind in the least if it were just one long movie. I understand that would make it around 4 hours long, but it's just that good!

For people who don't care for slow movies, you probably won't like this. And, if you're looking for intense "drama," this isn't it. There isn't any action to speak of, and it isn't missed or needed to make the story more interesting.

This movie (I'm just going to say movie instead of saying movies or this movie and its sequel, as it's getting annoying to repeat myself, and I already said I consider them one movie anyway) was the perfect length. It didn't feel rushed. And it didn't feel stretched out. It felt like, just as Seryo and Yuzuru took their time, the movie also took its time.

The actors did such a great job expressing their characters' emotions. There are scenes where they don't talk very much and only rely on their facial expressions to convey what they're feeling. You can sense when they have a revelation, are confused, etc., just by the look in their eyes or lift in their brow.

Also, their body language/physical acting was great as well. There is a gentle air that they carry around each other. And, when they lean in close to each other you feel the hesitancy as well. They aren't forceful with each other. And they don't suck each other's faces off. Lol. When they hold hands, touch each other's faces, or kiss, they don't rush. There is always this slow reaching toward each other as though they're being careful of the other, and they're always in the moment together.

Other than the initial premise not being realistic, the way their relationship/feelings developed was. It wasn't love at first sight or one person chasing another to try and make them love them back. It was two people dating each other because they wanted to.

There aren't very many side characters, and the ones that are there have very few scenes/lines. Because they aren't important. And they aren't the focus. It's all about the relationship between the two leads. And, when I say there isn't action, I mean that this movie contains mostly talking, not doing. This movie is all about feelings. It's about learning about someone, being open to someone, and love itself.

It's filled with quiet, reflective moments of the characters by themselves contemplating their relationship. And quiet moments together of discussing each other and their feelings.

There was an intense vulnerability to Seryo and Yuzuru. Just when you think they're going to keep their thoughts to themselves, they let something precious slip. They speak openly about attraction (including attraction to each other), dating, their future, and what they think of each other. The only "misunderstandings" consisted of when one of them took the others' words to mean something different from what they meant. But, those moments were short and/or resolved and were just a natural continuation of the reflective and deep nature of the characters.

The only thing I would say is that some retouching needs to be done to make the quality of the film on the screen a bit better. Sometimes it was a little blurry. But that may have just been because I had to watch it on YouTube.

In conclusion, this movie is everything. I could keep gushing about it forever.

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Acting, even in front of you

The pacing of this drama was a near-masterclass, at least to me. With an exciting lead-in, the MLs' relationship seemed to move at break-neck speed (on the surface) but was full of reflection, fear, and carefully said words. Many might disagree, but I found the flashback episodes a perfect "interruption" to dive deeper into both their current mentalities and past states, which put actions taken when they met again into a whole new light. I felt excited seeing everything laid out and awaiting their next interaction, armed with all the new information presented to me. In particular, I loved the execution of Asami's story.

Final note: I must say, the love scene? Felt like I was watching living, breathing art comprised of two people brimming over with feelings, desperately needing and reaching for each other, physically connecting, all while begging with their eyes, "Please, stay. Please, be here with me." Take notes, other dramas! Take notes!

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"Who are you acting for?"

This second season . . . Blew the first out of the water and up into the clouds; expanding and pulling on insecurities and self-doubts, passions and dreams, that were already there and/or just beginning to show themselves.

And there was such a perfectly natural progression of both leads' lives/story that you'd swear every moment was mapped out since the start.

It was a story of personal growth and growing with someone you love.

If Romance is a Bonus Book is a love letter to books and ThamePo Heart That Skips a Beat is a love letter to love, then S2 of At 25:00 in Akasaka is a love letter to acting.

I was compelled not just by the characters but by the various roles they played.

The cinematography? Left me speechless!

It was . . .

It was a grand play I'd been dying to see that left me standing and clapping, eyes sparkly and watery and mouth open in wonderment long after the actors left the stage.

I do so hate to see the curtains close, but I know they must.

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Where did it all go wrong . . .

*cracks knuckles and sips coffee*

Right. So . . . I called Pit Babe S1 "that girl." She's messy and toxic, but attractive and fun to be around.

S2, on the other hand . . .

S2 did allow for some theorizing about powers and plans and plenty of fun, cringey moments, and breadcrumbs of intriguing side couples to enjoy, but . . .

How to pit this kindly but also crudely because I'm upset at the last-minute, dumpster-fire of a finale we were "treated" to with loose ends enough to tie shoelaces and character choices so inconsistent you question your sanity/eyes on top of the very not-put together other episodes we got before . . .

Pit Babe S2 was "that girl" if she became your roommate, found AO3 and dived a little too deep into it, and then got wasted at a party one night, came home, and started loudly telling you about her latest idea for a fanfic while banging cupboard doors open and closed looking for a cup and tripping over all the carpets before passing out mid-conversation before waking up a minute later to tell you the ending she somehow came up with while passed out before finally passing out for the night on your couch and then you wake up the next morning to her groggily making coffee and after making eye contact with you forcing you to sit down and read said fanfic she told you the night before and it is kind of hilarious but also ridiculous (just like the situation you're in) and you feel kind of bad for that girl/your roommate so you smile and say "it's nice."

Does that make sense? Is that hard to understand? Is it satisfying?

Congratulations, you just vicariously experienced the finale of S2 of Pit Babe with me without even having to watch it!😁

Do I recommend it? *simultaneously shrugs and sighs*

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Mixed Feelings, But Still Good

How do I talk about this? This is a tough one. I'm sure I'm not going to make sense when I try to talk about this.

First off, the aspects that were fantastic as ever and generally we all agree on: The shots, colors, lighting, acting, and music is great. And the OST is pure gold!

Now, onto my own personal take:

On the one hand, IPYTM did make me very emotional and I was able to relate to some of the struggles the characters were going through. I loved and hated how this drama made me feel at the same time. It was purposefully soul-crushing at many points. I knew this wasn't going to be an upbeat and easy sequel though.

From the first episode and on they really hit you with how it feels to feel and/or be alone and out of your element in a new place far from home.

On the other hand, I think my biggest criticism happens to be everyone else's: They should have shown this drama more from Oh-aews's point of view, or at least half of it.

ITSAY was Oh-aew and Teh's story. But, at the end of the day, it was mostly from Teh's point of view. And that was fine. It was meant to be that way and it worked. Unlike others, I wasn't fuming mad about this being from Teh's perspective, however, I felt like we missed out on something by not showing more from Oh-aew.

I distinctly remember thinking at the end of episode 1 that the story was going to continue on showing Oh-aew's life/struggles for a while. And I was really excited about that. The camera angles and tone certainly seemed to suggest it. But, that's not what happened.

I Promised You the Moon was never going to surpass I Told Sunset About You. It was either going to continue the story in a meaningful or somewhat meaningful way, or not measure up to it's predecessor at all.

For me, I found this meaningful but not on par with ITSAY. I didn't feel angry. I just felt something lacking, but, it wasn't enough to leave me completely unsatisfied.

I think I'll give this an 8/10.

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Polyamory Lite

It was refreshing to see a drama featuring a polyamorous relationship not end in "finally making a choice" or a sad breakup, especially as we get so few titles featuring polyamory as it is. For that, I give them credit!

However, I did find the presentation of the relationship to be rather surface-level, with very few moments of romance or real, quality time spent with Kita and each of his partners. I kept waiting and hoping to see more depth. The drama seemed more focused on side plots and outside obstacles interfering in the "33% Club," though.

I can understand already having the relationship between the three and Kita established and so not delving much into their backgrounds, but for the polyamory to play such a major role in the story and not actually illustrate/prove how strong the connections are to make them so committed . . . Made me find the drama lacking.

It's not bad by any means; it's light and fun, but, for me, it just didn't take itself seriously enough when it mattered.

Also, my lord, could Minami, Toko, and Yu be possessive of Kita!

For positive polyamory rep, I'd still recommend it! Sannin Fufu is coming in at #1, though!

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Pomp and Circumstance + Wasted Potential

This drama was ambitious. Grand in scale with elaborate costumes, set designs, beautiful locations, and the actors spent time not only learning choreographed fight scenes but also fencing and archery as well. All this to make the background of Emmaly rich and small details stand out.

The leads didn't take long to find their footing with the plot, and the side characters were built up for great things, too. Only they failed to follow up or utilize what they had at their disposal. Princess Ava, in particular, felt wasted as a character. The only Princess set to compete, facing gender discrimination among countless men, and I can count the number of scenes I recall with her with just two hands (her lightly teased romance also was never elaborated on, and she barely appeared in the finale). And Prince Ramil, with his lightning relationship with Paytai and compelling struggle with his abusive father, while surpassing the level of intrigue of the leads many times, felt only half-explored.

Some episodes felt well-rounded, with time split fairly evenly among the cast, allowing them to have their highlighted moments and developments. However, other episodes seemed to forget some characters existed, as Khanin and Charan danced around each other, and the plot stalled.

Even the rage of the protesters and those wronged by the actions/inaction of those in charge felt muffled by the tie-it-up-with-a-bow conclusion.

By the end of it all, I felt placated by sparks of something grand and the breadcrumbs that led to nowhere.

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Falling Star

I nearly didn't watch this drama. But just within the first episode, the character of White caught my interest. I found him a complex and sympathetic individual, trying to convince himself he's comfortable alone when trauma from his past is what was really holding him back from allowing himself/others to get close. And with each week, I grew more and more attached to everyone else in his new friend group. They all had such vibrancy, and while common for their age, well-portrayed struggles. Questioning your sexuality/not understanding your own feelings, feeling like you don't fit in, feeling left out from your friend group, hiding a crush on a friend, etc.

Lune and Star clicked so well with their shared hesitancy to let people fully know them; the build-up and fall-out from them lying to White was emotionally devastating, levity and oddly enough, rationality in the friend group was found through Jewel (along with some sweetness with his romance with Tan) in the middle of everything, and Sera, what should have been a wrench thrown into everything, was a surprisingly mature addition that only widened my view of Lune.

But then, they fumbled the bag. They did a complete 180 with Star's character and had her become a possessive, controlling, and uncommunicative partner to Lune, guilt-tripping him, misunderstanding him, and refusing to see reason or listen. Lune, who has been hurt before and hurt others before, tells her he wants to be a better person and tells her specifically how he wants to do that, and what does she do? Give him a painful ultimatum and accept his apology while taking zero accountability herself.

In the end, I felt the need to take a whole point off just for how Star's character ended up.

I'm kind of disappointed in myself for getting attached and invested, only to be let down.

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A teen drama but also a sort of heavy slice-of-life

(Spoilers at the bottom regarding a character's sexuality)

Such a down-hearted and sweet ML. He's such a good-natured person that he sometimes lets things slide or doesn't stand up for himself enough when he should though. But, he is true to himself and his morals, and he does stand up in his own way later on. 

The big "misunderstanding" was annoying but the payoff was perfect. The lesson was genuinely learned and the FL was apologetic and did better afterward.

This was a teen drama but also a sort of heavy slice-of-life. It's slow, but purposefully so. These are teenagers dealing with typical problems/more serious problems but also bigger things out of their control that they shouldn't have to face. It covers emotional/physical abuse, overdemanding and anxiety-inducing parental pressure, divorce, child abandonment, a form of self-harm, peer pressure, a victim choosing for themself how they handle things, bullying, etc. 

It's about being more present in life, realizing what you can and can't control, and accepting what is and isn't your fault. Parental pressure and abuse is never the fault of the victim, but maliciously taking out that pain on others is. And you can understand why someone would act that way because of their horrible environment but it doesn't mean you condone or forgive the behavior. Life circumstances can get in the way of us and being with our loved ones but it doesn't mean the relationship is lost.

We do the best we can and we still struggle. But there are moments to cherish in our past and moments to look forward to in the future.

Regarding Representation: We had a Gay SML, Jung Oh Je, who had unrequited feelings for one of the MLs, Ma Hwi Young. He didn't have a lot of screen time but he was a calming presence and his character had an impact, particularly when the drama was airing.

The way they hint at his real feelings is nicely subtle in the background. Even when he doesn't have lines, if you pay attention and follow his stare you notice who he's looking at. And he has a very openly thoughtful yet guarded expression to him that speaks of someone who is figuring something out within themself that they are scared of.

I think they did a good job. Realistically the outing likely would have gone much worse but I think them toning it down helped in showing acceptance of someone's sexuality as being the right and natural thing. Even Ma Hwi Young wasn't really a jerk about it in the way he would be about anything else.

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Doesn't follow the typical easy drama format

(One minor spoiler regarding the couple)

I'm surprised by just how good this drama was. I thought it would be on the same level of ridiculousness as True Beauty but it's actually very real, sensible, mature, and genuine.

The ML is not like the typical cold and jerkish MLs who only later become "good" guys who are really still jackasses who don't apologize for their mistakes. He is nice to who he wants to be nice to and isn't to others. Simple. The rest of his "coldness" is just his sarcastic and dry humor he naturally has. He also doesn't fall for the traps set by the opposing FL like so many other MLs do. Not once. In fact, he catches the lies very easily and isn't fooled by crying or anything. That was so refreshing to see!

The misunderstandings between him and the FL are very few and are resolved quickly. He doesn't generally assume she had bad intentions or believe what others tell him about her outright.

Sometimes I got a bit annoyed with the FL but I understood why she still struggled with confidence issues and standing up for herself. And though she grew slowly I was proud of her journey.

The message is also incredibly well executed. We can diet to lose weight and get plastic surgery to "fix" our face but that won't necessarily make us confident or make everyone leave us alone/treat us as normal. In fact, it can bring more attention to us than before and cause new issues we never considered.

And there is nothing wrong with wanting to be skinnier or getting plastic surgery, just like there is nothing wrong with Not wanting to lose weight or Not getting plastic surgery. But understand that it won't make life perfect. It won't "fix" you. Your mindset is the biggest problem. And while you may be struggling with just being okay with yourself it isn't okay to push your insecurities onto others by rating their faces or judging them based on their looks.

Just a side note: There wasn't a kiss until the second to last episode and I didn't find myself caring one bit. I didn't even realize it until I finished the drama.

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Nothing's Right . . . With this Drama

Okay, let's make this quick!

👏🎬

IT. WAS. FRUSTRATING.

😫

From the overall writing and samey expressions to the circular conflicts and overdramatic soundtrack.

And this ML had to be the most frustrating ML I've seen since God knows when! If there was an easy path in front of him, he would first sigh deeply, yell at it repeatedly, turn around only to look back at it wistfully, and then take a sharp left right off a cliff.

I don't recommend it. There's no reason for me to. If you want something kind of similar plot-wise, go watch Love Mate instead! It's not perfect, but it's WAY better!

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There's toxicity. Nevertheless,

I started this without meaning to. I was just going to watch a couple minutes out of curiosity, probably forget about it, and move on to watch episode 8 of Romance is a Bonus Book. But, I watched the whole episode. Nine minutes somehow turned into over an hour.

It intrigued me. From the artistry, great lighting and camera work, really cool creations, just enough subtly, to the right amount of flirty.

They had me. I was short on time. Nevertheless, I started this drama.

And you know what? I don't regret it. While I ended up disliking one of the main characters, Na Bi, I was still able to enjoy this by rooting for who I did like and just observing the character as a person I didn't necessarily NEED to like or understand. I could just find her interesting at the very least.

I was rooting for both Na Bi and Jae Eon in the beginning. Unlike most people though, by the end of the drama I was there for Jae Eon, not Na Bi.

While Jae Eon is declared to be manipulative and toxic, the really toxic person was Na Bi. And the ending only solidified that for me.

So what did I love about this drama? I loved that it was very out-of-the-box and didn't tell a typical K-Drama romance story. I also loved the soundtrack, the side couples, the representation I wasn't expecting to get that was incorporated into this very popular drama alongside the main couple and treated as normal all the while, the physical art, the acting, Na Bi's backstory, and the metaphors surrounding Jae Eon.

You know what upset me with the reaction to this drama? The level of absolute hatred for Jae Eon while Na Bi got little to no criticism. She was either seen as the victim, someone who was just being too easy and going with the flow, or someone who was just a bit toxic.

I have to wonder: Did we watch the same ending? Did we hear the same internal monologues?

Because I have no idea how anyone can walk away from this still viewing Jae Eon as the "evil mastermind," or "monster" who simply got his hooks in the naïve Na Bi.

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