Mademoiselle Noir

Good but not a very satisfying ending

(Spoilers regarding the relationship)

This drama came along just at the right time in my life when I very much needed some comfort. For that, thank you, Record of Youth :)

This drama had the most wonderful, non-toxic, respectful, kind, and not-cold ML. For the majority of the drama his and the FL's relationship was beautifully communicative, healthy, fun, flirty, and understanding. They also had great chemistry together and had their own separate lives and goals apart from each other.

I wasn't truly mad about the break-up like I thought I would be. That probably had to do with how the drama wasn't solely focused on the romance. It was more slice-of-life with a slice of romance. Lol. Pardon my lame joke. That being said, I can understand why many reviewers and commenters were upset by it. I get it. I didn't like the break-up either. I think she should have held on.

Now, aside from the romance, I loved the side characters. Hae Hyo's story was very well done in particular. And the commentary on the difficulties right from the start of being born into a poor family versus having an advantage right from the beginning was hard-hitting. He started several feet in front of Hye Joon in the race of life. Of course it would be almost impossible for him to catch up or pass him when he lacks the support and resources he has.

I hate when those in power say "Pull yourself up by your bootstraps." Easy for you to say. Sure, it's possible for someone from the poorest family in the poorest neighborhood going to the poorest school to become a millionaire someday. But, it's close to impossible. Possible, but close to impossible. And you can have all the talent and drive in the world but if you don't have connections it's almost impossible to get many jobs. They always ask if you know someone in the company/industry. And if you do you always have an edge over even the most hard-working candidate. It's sadly why the cycle of poverty continues. Generally, the rich stay rich and the poor stay poor.

Anyway, in conclusion, I found this drama very soothing as well as true-to-life a lot of the time.

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A good time but could have been SO much better

I wouldn't have even known this had existed if not for MDL. That's how it popped up on my radar. You guys were seriously obsessed when it was airing. Lol. But despite the intense hype, the FMV's, and the fanfiction at the time, I didn't watch it. Granted, months later, I caved. This was one of the few times I decided to follow the masses like a fellow zombie to see what was so interesting.

Was it worth it?

Overall, yes.

I'm a sucker for anything with dystopia. This was at least in the realm of realistic dystopia, which I definitely enjoyed. The imagery was spectacular, the soundtrack was grand, the plot was unpredictable (thanks to one ML in particular), and the acting from the two ML's was no joke. Kang Yo Han as a character was just epic! Ji Sung (Kang Yo Han) nailed every scene he was in. He embodied the complex judge. And Park Jin Young did an excellent job too as Kim Ga On. He was just as good here as he was in He is Psychometric, if not better.

In my opinion, the first 10 episodes were enthralling perfection. Spot on. Highly recommend.

Now, after that was where the problems hit (though I did have some before but they were mostly ignorable, mostly). Not enough for me to hate the drama or want to drop it. But, enough to make me highly annoyed at times.

Rant incoming:

What was always annoying was the forced romance with the FL, Yoon Soo Hyun. That didn't work. At all. For one, we as the audience weren't given enough to care about her, or like her with Kim Ga On. And, for me, it was over the moment she admitted her true character. She admitted, aloud, that she confessed her feelings to Ga On every time he cried and was at his lowest and in emotional turmoil. What kind of fucked up person does that? Seriously, wtf? That is the definition of manipulative! And the drama frames it as romantic! Which it's NOT, in case you're wondering!

And, look, the chemistry just didn't work between him and her. She was like a sister, a mother, and a best friend rolled into one. Not a potential love interest. Sorry, not sorry.

Not only that, but him "falling for her" came out of nowhere, wasn't convincing at all, and felt like the writers just decided to shoe-horn in a Straight romance because "every K-Drama needs one."

When Soo Hyun died, I felt nothing. Because they didn't make me care about her.

Hot take, but not really:

This drama would have been bordering on fucking amazing if they had decided to buckle down and follow through on their Bromance-that-honestly-goes-beyond-Bromance and make Kang Yo Han and Kim Ga On be in a relationship. I said it. The chemistry between them was already absolute fire and you can't tell me some lines and scenes didn't make you think "Hmmm.... that seems questionably not straight..."

What also annoyed me to no end were the "fallouts" between Kim Ga On and Kang Yo Han. Whenever they "broke up" (for lack of a better phrase) it was because Kim Ga On was manipulated by someone/the writers decided to do a 180 on his character. I was yelling at my screen when he bought into things. And Kang Yo Han having no one to lean on anymore physically pained me. Pained me!

Lastly, the plot itself outside of the terrible romance and "break up's" got a bit too muddled and complicated during the last few episodes.

The acting and connection between the ML's definitely saved this drama when it got near the end. That, and the pure badassness of the first 10 episodes. Lol.

I may sound like I hate this drama. But, I really don't. I really enjoyed it. Or, at least, most of it. I seem that way because I'm pissed off that this could have been a 10/10 but wasn't.

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It had its flaws, but I loved it all the same (very minor spoilers)

Overall an enjoyable watch with real characters with real flaws, as the title says.

The crude humor can be a bit much at times but at a certain point in the drama they dispense with resorting to it. The rest of the time I was laughing or smiling hysterically. The jokes usually hit well, and I loved the "All by myself!" bit. In particular when any of the brothers were involved it was a good time. They played off of each other and the sister incredibly well.

I commend the actors for doing such a good job.

The FL was a bit hard to love at first. She was a fun character but was dense for quite a bit of the runtime. She kept assuming things and then getting pissed at people when she found out things weren't like she thought. It got annoying when all she had to do was ask/talk to people. However, she did have her own moral compass that she abided by (such as being protective of anyone who was Gay by making sure to not reveal their sexuality) and I grew to root for her in the end.

The ML himself was fun to watch. If you don't like childish ML's you won't enjoy him though. The SML on the other hand was incredibly difficult to root for in the slightest once his character was revealed. Yes, he did redeem himself later but I really don't like how they made him into a villain for so long. It just didn't work for me.

I must admit that the brothers stole the show often. They were all just the right amount of silly, arrogant, and/or sincere.

Finally, I would be remiss to not bring up the fantastic job this drama did at normalizing LGBT+ people. I really appreciated and liked how they had one of the brothers being Gay and working at a Gay bar be just another part of the story. It was the set for not just him but also just for his siblings and others to come by and tell their woes and other important parts of the plot to occur.

The Gay characters' stories were handled respectfully and not for the sake of laughs because of who they were but rather just the silly things they said/did. You know, like normal people. And not only that but they showed the different realities for them. Some have supportive parents but struggle because of their own self-hatred, others are completely comfortable with themselves but struggle because of their unsupportive parents and/or are worried about the judgement of everyone around them. Coming out was also treated with care and the idea of outing someone was judged by the characters as being horrible, as it should be.

This past year I got to witness a mainstream drama, Nevertheless, include a Lesbian Romance with one of their side couples and show how representation could be easily put into dramas and be well done if we were only so inclined and studios/companies took a chance. I'm happy to go back a couple years and find another drama, Love with Flaws, that in spite of being older managed to do (I would argue) an even better job.

For a good time, I will be coming back to this drama. And to cry, I will be coming back to this drama.

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Oh what a tangled web we weave, inside this box where we continue to deceive

Definitely an out-of-the-box type of drama. No pun intended.

This is not a drama for most people. It is not something casual, generally pleasant, or easy. It is a drama that makes you feel uneasy and does not offer simple or generally expected solutions/problems or even characters you can always feel okay rooting for. Even the ending doesn't quite sit right. But, that's what I think they were going for.

Ritsu was definitely not-so-secretly the real main character as well as the twisted thread connecting everyone. He was by no means a moral person and was often difficult to root for though. Despite that, he was quite fascinating and I ended up feeling sympathetic toward him later on.

I think the main draw is how bizarre and eerie this drama is. You can tell just by the music that something is always off.

Representation wise, the complicated love hexagon we got offered some non-heterosexual people as well. We had two Bisexual ML's to my surprise, I saw the tags but I assumed it was only one. It was a nice twist for me. Ritsu was very obvious (lol) and I suspected Satoru and was glad they actually confirmed it instead of keeping me guessing.

With Ritsu you are either going to feel for him or dislike/hate him. Either way, if you are looking for a very interesting watch maybe give this one a go. Just, look at all the tags first for any trigger warnings that may be damaging for you.

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It's Complicated . . .

I began watching this series many months ago. I got bored sometime around the first episode and forgot about it. Then, I watched a story video of RamKing on YouTube about a month ago. And I was intrigued. So, I looked up this series, remembered I had tried to watch it before, but decided to give it another shot anyway.

Bohn and Duen are fine, at first. Until Bohn decides to be insanely jealous if anyone other than Duen's close friends interacts with him. It's not healthy, and he does it 3 or more times. It gets annoying to see him repeat the same stupid mistake over again, learning nothing. Also, Bohn decides to pursue Duen, seemingly out of nowhere. Don't get me wrong, I don't hate them. I just didn't find their dynamic to be too terribly intriguing. Also, the whole joking about who's top/bottom got annoying fast.

Mek and Boss had the husband-wife name thing, but at least for them it felt more like nicknames they had for each other for a long time. So, it didn't come across as forced.

I'm not going to just say negative things about Bohn and Duen, don't worry. They do have some really cute moments, especially with the kids. This couple needs better communication skills though. So much conflict could be solved by a simple conversation right away and/or a quick apology.

Basically, the main reason to rewatch this (for me) is for RamKing. And secondly, for MekBoss (although that is heart-breaking for a very long time). Mek and Boss have a really touching relationship. I was moved by Mek's devotion for Boss. And Boss's loyalty as soon as they begin a real relationship.

It's difficult at first to get over the dubbing on Mek's voice at first, but it's worth it.

Ram and King had a lot more chemistry, no stereotyping, and they didn't have the "I don't like guys, I just like you." It was very real and exceeded my expectations of how natural an on-screen couple could be. The progression of their relationship was very smooth. And, unlike the main couple, King didn't pursue Ram out of nowhere. He found him strange, so he tried to talk to him, and then he became interested in him as a person. Eventually, he realizes he has feelings and only voices them at the very end of the show, finding them returned. Even though Ram doesn't talk much to King, or much to anyone in general, he conveys a great deal with his actions and the few words he does use. Also, I got a real kick out of him dragging King with him to eat to thank him. Lol. King helps him with his schoolwork, expecting nothing in return though, which was really sweet.

Also, the contrast and similarities between them are very interesting. King talks to his plants, is really smart and helpful, and is afraid of dogs. Ram is talented at boxing, has tattoos, loves dogs, and speaks very little out loud. He comes across as a deep-thinker who uses his words carefully to express himself. At the moment, I can't think of a relationship like theirs that I've seen before.

Personally, I'd first watch compilations/scenes of RamKing before I'd rewatch the series. My Engineer doesn't suck. It's just that the main couple taking up the majority of the screen-time doesn't hold my attention enough.

If I had to rate Ram and King's story, I'd give it a 10/10. But I really want a separate series with them! Please! Give it to me! Or, at least give me a second season of My Engineer that continues their relationship as a side couple. I just need them!

If I had to rate Mek and Boss's story, I'd give it a 9.5/10. Just because the husband-wife name was annoying for a bit. And Boss was a bit too unintentionally insensitive at times. Please don't recast Mek if you make another season! If you're going to do Mek and Boss again, you have to have the original actor! Or, just don't include them. He's too good to replace!

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Three is a magic number

This is a rare case of not only poly rep but good poly rep and not only that, good Queer poly rep.

Our three leads don't enter into their three-person marriage knowing exactly what they want or having all the necessary information at their disposal. Polyamory is something new to all of them that they are discovering/exploring together.

And guess what? They're not perfect at it. They don't have firm boundaries around intimacy or have the best idea of how to approach things that convey respect for all parties involved.

But they learn and they compromise. And they come to see how perfect their three-piece Lego set is for them. How they can hold equal space for more than one person in their heart. How they fill in each other's gaps and bring out the best in each other. And above all, after many trials and missteps, they commit to their love even in the face of legal challenges and society's judgment.

Sannin Fufu holds a special place in my heart, without a doubt.

For those looking for poly rep and even more desperately than that, good poly rep, I would without hesitation recommend this.

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A fun drama with one flaw I had to overlook to rate it this high

(Spoilers regarding one character in Ep 8 specifically)

I went and watched it! It was as grand and ridiculous as I thought it would be: Amazing cinematography, epic music, great atmosphere, excellent acting, fun villains, a plot that is always moving forward in interesting ways, convenient solutions that know they're convenient, slow-mo shots that go on too long on purpose, constant murders, a badass pigeon, a FL that doesn't exist to be a love interest, and a cool Italian-speaking ML that is always one step ahead. It was an incredibly fun and bloody drama that heavily leaned into Mafia stereotypes that had jokes that made me lose my mind laughing. What's not to love?

Well, there's one thing.

Regarding Representation: Okay. The elephant in the room. The representation (Ep 8). Hwang Min Sung, CEO of Shinkwang Bank, is Gay. He has physically abused his exes in the past but wasn't punished because they were afraid of being outed. His character is very over-the-top but I had no problem with them leaning into that. It's the style of the show and all the characters are oddballs, villains and protagonists alike. That wasn't what I found problematic.

What I Did find problematic was Vincenzo's behavior. He has to pretend to be interested in Min Sung and reacts Very negatively to the prospect. The very idea of pretending to be interested in a man makes him shudder. And he freaks out multiple times while going on dates with him. He is not called out for this nor is it addressed in any way.

They did that for comedic purposes, which really upset me. That, and it doesn't even fit with the way his character normally is. Unless it's something that offends his "Italian sensibilities," he doesn't really care and will pretend and do whatever it takes. This tells us, the audience, that the writers really wanted to include this joke about his disgust/horror at pretending to be Gay.

In summary, we got a Gay SML here. But, we were treated to some problematic behavior on the part of our ML in regards to that SML. I'm disappointed. Not to mention, the jokes about any male affection continued from then on.

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The FL owns this drama

This FL consumed the screen. I know this is a strange word to describe a person, but she is such a full-bodied character. When she speaks you can tell she's truly thought it through. Her words and actions have an indescribable weight to them.

A bit off-topic: Not gonna lie; I simped so hard for her. The hair, the boots, the intelligence, the strong will . . . She was just . . . everything.

The "grand scheme" of the drama was undeniably over the top. But, at the same, it could be quite grounded.

The villains were this drama's weakest point. Too often they were cartoonish and made ridiculous decisions that were to their own detriment. Its strongest point was its characters and their motivations/emotions (tagged along to that is the amazing acting, of course). What made me put off finishing the last two episodes for about a month was my desire to wait until I had the proper amount of time to savor the richness of the characters. Seeing the wide range of emotions that would flit across someone's face within seconds left me in awe.

Would I recommend this drama? Definitely! I would just tell you to keep your expectations moderate and not to binge-watch it.

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Come on. Really?

Where do I begin?

This feeds into every stereotype you hear about polyamorous people: They're greedy, selfish, wishy-washy, manipulative, and just "bad" people. The FL, Ji Soo, is the perfect embodiment of these stereotypes. Ji Soo knows she leads people on, lies to them, and cares more about herself than others. She readily admits it to her best friend, Hyeon Woo, out loud multiple times. I think it's worse to be fully aware of your bad behavior and do nothing about it than to be completely ignorant of how your actions affect others.

The story itself also pushes back against validating polyamory at nearly every turn. That will become clear later in this review.

Little polyamory lesson coming from someone who practices monogamy but knows a decent amount about it: Polyamory is when you engage in multiple romantic and/or sexual relationships with the consent of all partners involved.

This woman labels her loving multiple people as wrong, which it's not. She doesn't need to feel guilty about not being able to choose between two guys or date "normally." What she DOES need to feel guilty about is sneaking around behind their backs. It is not correct polyamory if you are not informing them. They think you are exclusive and you are lying by omission.

When Tae Oh and Ji Ho finally know what's going on and are able to give informed consent, we get a brief glimpse of what could have been. When she is with one partner unexpectedly she informs the other out of consideration, she attempts to give both men time out of her day, and she equally expresses love and physical affection.

But then, it's ruined again. She kisses Hyeon Woo—without his consent, I might add—without asking her partners beforehand, talking to them about what she's going through, or taking their feelings into consideration. And the cherry on top of this is that she never tells Tae Oh or Ji Ho what she did.

The end sees her breaking up with both of them because she feels they shouldn't continue when they each want to exclusively be with her, and she ends up dating Hyeon Woo while seeing other guys casually.

This left me frustrated for so many reasons. For one, there isn't much, if anything, to indicate she loves Hyeon Woo. When she goes to bang on Hyeon Woo's door and ends up kissing him, she's only thinking about how much she misses her best friend and wants him back in her life so they can do the activities they enjoy together. She's not thinking about how she feels differently about him now; she just kisses him out of the blue and says she was doing it to see if she liked him. Then he tells her that he wants to date her and that if she wants that she will need to break up with her boyfriends. He says he's not okay with her seeing other people while she's with him. He is very clear about this. This leads to my second reason, how in the hell do they expect me to believe he magically came around?! How? He is very firm about it just being them and then comes around out of nowhere. Out of nowhere! My third reason: what the people who made the show wanted to say. I think them going for her dating Hyeon Woo while casually seeing other guys was to give less endorsement of polyamory. They couldn't show her seriously dating two men and equally loving them. They went for the option that is closer to a "normal" relationship. Also, so they could continue to call her a "bad girl" for what she's doing. Basically saying, "She's messing around. Isn't that so bad of her?" And my fourth reason, Tae Oh and Ji Ho were starting to like each other (not romantically) and seemed pretty content staying dating Ji Soo together. It would have made sense for them to tell Ji Soo they want to stay as they are, not just go along with the breakup.

Okay, for my own peace of mind, I'm going to rewrite the end of this drama. Fanfiction/directing incoming:

Ji Soo goes to the restaurant to drink soju, feeling upset about the absence of her best friend (she doesn't kiss him). Her ex still shows up and says everything he did before, she is moved by her boyfriends' verbal defense of their relationship, and the fight still happens. But on the walk back to her place she takes both their hands and tells them, "I know we haven't finished the project yet and we said that's when I'd make my decision. But . . . I love you both. Equally. I can't choose between you, Tae Oh and Ji Ho. Please understand. I want to keep dating you. Can we stay together? Just like this?" Tae Oh and Ji Ho look at each other and then at Ji Soo. They give slight smiles, and she pulls them in for a hug. The guys look awkwardly at each other but then also embrace. The next day the video still gets released, and things look grim for all of them. She feels guilty, but Tae Oh and Ji Ho both comfort her individually, reminding her that they decided to fight. Getting courage from them, she stands up to the boss and puts her job on the line so they can stay on the project. While Ji Soo is shown giving a presentation, Ji Ho smiles to himself, noticing how lovingly Tae Oh looks at her. The project is completed successfully, and Ji Soo still hands in her resignation.

Flash forward to three months later, and we see Tae Oh dropping her off at her new job. He gives her a kiss on the cheek as she opens the car door. She sits at her desk and begins to work. The camera focuses in on her right, where there is a framed picture of her, Tae Oh, and Ji Ho at the park laughing together. Later she has lunch with Ji Ho at the cafe where they met. While waiting for their dessert, he holds her hand across the table. Finally, they are shown having dinner all together at her place. Tae Oh and Ji Ho bicker over the dishes they made, and Ji Soo laughs at them. Cut to credits. The end.

I feel better now.

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Stupid . . . But also stupid fun!

My rating is generous, admittedly, but it's my honest rating. Hear me out!

Was this drama well thought out? No. Did the finale make any damn sense on paper or on the screen? No. Did the side couple's romantic storyline develop naturally? Not really.

But was it fun? Did I have fun?

Hell yeah, I did! It was STUPID FUN! From Plawan sniffing Chef Oab like a damn dog at every opportunity and both of them getting off on the scent of "oh-so-erotic" basil/each other constantly, to millionaire, tycoon-suit-wearing Methas becoming JJ's all-too-willing sugar daddy in like the span of a week though JJ doth protest but he really protests too much.

I recommend between your high-quality romances and thoughtful titles, you partake in this non-serious, turn-your-brain-off drama.

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All the benefits with none of the downsides!

This was a colorful, snappy, office rom-com with enough steam to fog up your chic, librarian glasses!

I knew the leads had chemistry, but even I could not have predicted just how palpable the tension would be, nor how sultry the FLs could get. The looks they gave each other were downright devious and screamed: "Come hither, lover."

Lal and Wine were also intriguing on their own, both being capable, powerhouse career women, bearing the weight of their respective teams on their shoulders while struggling to value themselves.

While Wine was both intimidating and demanding, at the end of the day, she was just trying to do her job as best she could, and even got a little self-conscious about her reputation in the office. She wanted to express herself more and open up, but was afraid of changing/making herself a target again.

And Lal, while confident and quick-thinking, too easily put her health and happiness last on her list of priorities.

It was great to see them both grow and learn from/lean on each other.

And beyond that, the office politics and projects weren't just there for show. They contributed to and even pushed the plot forward.

I would also be remiss not to mention how they dared to go further, utilizing their office setting to highlight the real, underdiscussed struggles of women in the working world. How women have to perfectly conform to their boxes, dress just nice enough but not too nice, wear enough makeup to not look "tired" but not too much, and act polite enough but not too friendly, for the chance of maybe making it and maybe, just maybe, avoiding unwanted attention from their male colleagues. It's a delicate balancing act that shouldn't have to be attempted. And, related to this topic, it was so refreshing to see so many women supporting other women and making choices that were best for themselves rather than "going along to get along."

Really, a very relevant and thoughtful drama.

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Gritty Realism

This was an epic cinematic blast of a drama. I'm going to recommend this to everyone I know, whether they watch Asian dramas or not! If they like action, I'm forcing their ass down on the couch next to me and prying their eyelids open with my fingers. So what if it has subtitles? You will fucking love it!

I loved how realistic they took this. They didn't make her unbelievably badass, completely cold, or even fully determined right away. She quickly wants to get revenge but doesn't process exactly what that means. And she's also scared. But bit by bit, in just the first episode, she builds some courage.

In particular, I found the training and fight scenes well done as Yoon Ji Woo is shown to have weaknesses in that she is not as large or muscular as the other men, but she has grit, a bit of talent, and she's not afraid to hurt others and understands what it will cost her.

This was one of the best strong female leads I've seen.

I highly highly recommend watching this if you haven't already.

How I wish I could watch this on a massive theater screen *sigh*

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Had potential to make a statement, but didn't have the guts to do it

The acting and music is great. And it does hit you with a lot of emotions. However, I was unable to sympathize with the FL after the threat she made and carried out. I couldn't see her in a positive light after that and that affected the rest of my experience with the movie constantly trying to get me to like her and feel for her and framing her as a good and sympathetic person. I just couldn't.

The actually in love couple (the two ML's) could have ended up easily and happily together if she had just done the right thing. And the ending we did get didn't satisfy or clarify anything. It's clear who Jon Wae was actually in love with. He said and constantly showed who he loved and valued more. See all the dates where he immediately went running to Dong Hwa afterward, etc, etc, etc.

I felt like this movie chickened out of the two ML's being together because of the year this was made in. I have no proof of this, I just suspect it. They couldn't actually have them clarified to be together, just the two of them, in the end because South Korean audiences wouldn't have been able to handle that. So, over half-way through the movie they made it a three-way relationship, but not really. And at the end they suggested that maybe all three were together in the end or just single and friends. This way things can be passed off as Jon Wae still having been in love with Ho Jeong (FL) the entire time and Dong Hwa (ML) was just an "experiment" that he wasn't serious about.

This wasn't like 3 Will Be Free which was a legitimate polyamorous relationship with a Bi ML at the center of it. Nowhere near its level. Not at all.

Basically, the movie should have ended about halfway through.

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A mixed bag that I enjoyed but you might not

Don't let my ratings fool you up above. I still have a lot of criticism.

The stories varied wildly, so I don't have much to say about the drama as a whole. Rather, I'm going to be talking about each of the different couples and their two episodes centered around them.

I like this concept for a drama with a lot of couples, and I was excited to see where it would go.

First Couple (Ep 1 & 2):

The first couple (Tue & Ake) started things off very well for this drama. Having just two episodes wasn't a problem in telling their story and the actors did a great job in developing believable chemistry. There were some plots holes about the Muay Thai boxing aspect, but I still enjoyed their episodes a lot. They make you forget about the plot holes and inconsistencies really.

I would rate them a 8.5/10, with the added .5 just because the tension was insanely palpable. I really enjoyed this couple.

Second Couple (Ep 3 & 4):

The second couple (Sun & Nuea) was a disappointment. At first, it seemed like there was some pretty good humor with their story and they had good chemistry. However, the direction the actors were given made some scenes annoying or just too cheesy. The second episode contained the majority of these problems along with Sun & Nuea acting very out of character by the end.

I would rate them a decent 7/10. I almost want to give them a 6.5/10 but I feel that would be a little too harsh as I still generally enjoyed my time watching them. Unfortunately, I would have to label this as the weakest couple in Y-Destiny.

I will say that Nuea is just a fashion icon who seems to be able to rock anything. My goodness! He is far too attractive for his own good.

Third Couple (Ep 5 & 6):

The third couple (Mon & Team) was pretty good. They were definitely better than the second couple. I found their cheesiness and shyness charming instead of cringey like I did for Sun & Nuea. Plus, their chemistry was much better. I thought they had believable chemistry, were cute together, and had a great kissing scene. I would call them the averagely good couple in Y-Destiny though.

I would rate them a 7.5/10-8/10. I think they deserve AT LEAST a 7/10 rating.

Fourth Couple (Ep 7 & 8):

The fourth couple (Pao & Thurs) was one of my favorites. I got emotionally attached to them and found both Pao and Thurs interesting and enjoyable on their own and together. We didn't get to see quite as much of their interaction as I would have liked in their first episode though, as the beginning didn't start with them right off the bat. However, this problem was easily and quickly resolved in their second episode with them having much more time together. I loved their chemistry and they were really sweet and funny together. It wasn't the masterpiece that is He's Coming to Me, but it was a very fun, charming, and emotional watch all the same.

Compared to the other couples I mentioned I would say they are leagues above the second and third couple for sure. And also the first couple, though with not as big a gap in quality/enjoyment.

They are definitely a 9/10 in my book. Definitely an 8.5/10.

Fifth Couple (Ep 9 & 10): Welcome to my Favorite Couple!

The fifth couple (Puth & Kaeng) was a huge surprise for me. I found myself adoring them and their unique story. I want them to have their own miniseries or something. Please! I don't want this ship to die yet!

Puth and Kaeng are THE most intriguing couple in Y-Destiny. Fight me. I realized that before I even saw the sixth and seventh couple. But, I knew it and called it early. And, I was right I felt so bad for Kaeng. He tried to change himself to make Puth interested in staying with him, even if it was only for sex. He just wanted to be around him, even if he couldn't date him. He must have caught feelings long ago but had been holding back his confession. And the fact that all he wanted before their "relationship" was about to end was for Puth to act like he loved him during their last night together just destroyed me.

My only criticism is that I wish we got to see a couple short scenes from Puth's point of view to see more how he felt about Kaeng. But, I was very happy with what I did get to see.

This was one of the most adult and intensely human stories we got to see in Y-Destiny (the other being the seventh couple). Loving someone so much that you will change/adapt yourself for them, no matter how it hurts. Seeing that pained me, in the best way possible.

Also, their chemistry and "scenes" are absolute fire! Good grief!

9.5/10. I'm not kidding. Damn this was so good.

Sixth Couple (Ep 11 & 12):

The sixth couple (Sat & Choke) was looking to be a favorite of mine. The fact that it was basically a remake of 13 Going on 30 had me intrigued from the start. And the first episode was very well done and didn't shy away from the more down-hearted/upsetting aspects of it's story. Especially regarding the lifestyle Sat realized he was living in the future and the toxic "friends" he had. Sat & Choke had great chemistry, maybe too great. Lol.

However, episode 12's plot twist of Choke already having a boyfriend was absolutely unnecessary and made his actions toward Sat seem really weird and not as sweet as they were before. I mean, what was with that kiss then?!

Other than that I also wanted to say that I liked their use of animation and I enjoyed the fact that English was incorporated. Also, the actor who played Sat did an amazing job capturing the behavior of a young boy in a grown-up's body, and Choke was insanely flirty, in the best way possible.

I WANT to give them a 8/10. But, because of the plot twist not making sense or working, I feel forced to give them a 7.5/10.

Seventh Couple (Ep 13 & 14):

The seventh couple, well really it's like two separate couples. There is Masuk & Tir, and Masuk & Jia. But, Masuk ends up with Jia so they're technically THE couple. I was continuously heartbroken in the best way possible during these episodes. Masuk & Tir's love story is truly tragic. I understood how Masuk would value Tir more than anyone else as he is the one he loves and therefore would want him to leave the theatre, but at the same time I understood how Tir was the type of person to do anything he could to help/save others because he has a lot of love for everyone and values their happiness above his own and therefore would stay to help the kid (who turned out to be Jia's nephew which was actually a pretty nice plot twist).

I liked how Jia wasn't trying to take advantage of Masuk's grief, but gave him all the time and respect in the world. He valued any affection Masuk felt he was able to give, respected that he would always love Tir and he would never/should never replace Tir, and was willing to wait for him to be comfortable.

Jia wasn't very present in the episodes, but that was the point. He was willing to leave space for Masuk to be with Tir. He was meant to be a patient, loving, and calming presence in Masuk's life. And, I felt they got that across very well.

I would rate episodes 13 & 14, and the combined couples and their story a 9.5/10.

Couples 5, 7, 4, and 1 were the ones I enjoyed the most, in that order. My least favorite couple was the 2nd one. Couples 6, 3, and 2 I still enjoyed. Just, not as much as the others.

As far as the final episode. I'm not going to lie: I thought it was major cringe for almost half of it and showed some of the couples' partners being controlling of their SO (which I was not happy to see). There were some cute scenes though and I liked the conclusion with each of them making a short speech. The last episode was basically filler, but at least I got to see a few scenes with some of my favorite couples that were pretty nice.

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Blown Astray

It was a charming fairytale set in the modern day that also, unfortunately, left me feeling disenchanted many times.

Much as I adore FreenBecky, and I believe they gave their all in this project, I found their romance lacking.

Every location was beautiful, and it was fun to see just what new place they'd go to/how they'd make do in dire circumstances, but at the same time, so much time was spent on the run and with the traitors scheming that could have been better spent developing the FLs' relationship. They shone in the quiet moments spent learning more about each other. And when later action scenes/conflicts felt more dramatic than serious, and were easily predictable, with all sense of suspense sucked out, I found myself losing interest, much as I didn't want to admit it.

I'd almost suggest a drastic rewrite, spending half of the allotted time in Thailand and the rest in Madelin, making a large part of the plot about sneaking back into Madelin, with Lom in tow. This also would have allowed for more opportunities to develop this fictional country, introducing customs, culture, food, etc. And . . . Let Princess Blew shine in her element.

I guess I wanted more grandeur and grace, if you will.

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