Maggi64

I am so glad you are liking Cherry Blossoms. It's getting a bad rap cuz everyone is comparing it to Semantic Error. All they have in common is that they are both BL's and both Korean. Otherwise, they are intended to be very different shows. The goal of Semantic Error is to crackle with energy and humor. The goal of CBAW is to evoke a subtle, gentle air. Since both achieve their goals, both shows are a success. It's just that CBAW takes more patience to settle in and sit with you. But it is definitely worth it.

Also, one should not compare it to the manwha, which is too long to condense into 8 episode show. They had to cute some scenes for the sake of brevity. I read the manwha and think they made the right choices about what they cut, and in all, just made a fine show. So, Ximmich, you and I have the same taste. We certainly agree on My Beautiful Man!

Yes, it does feel rushed. I read Semantic Error novel too (it's translated up to the final couple of chapters), and whenever you read something it feels rushed in the live action. The Korean shows are waaay too short. The Thai shows, on the other hand, are way too long and crammed with filler for 14 episodes at 45 minutes each. But the Asians general stick to source material in ways Americans don't . I have seen Americans change plots, endings, delete crucial characters and just take wild liberties with a text in general. So I appreciate the Asians. One that sticks to the manga word for word, act for act, is the Pornographer, because it's very short to begin with. It's free online if you have not seen it. Like the show, it's R rated :)

Yep, and a better question is why didn't they know before?

But it's nearly exactly like the manhwa. They cut some things for the sake of brevity and added a camping scene cuz it was a way of getting a lot of narrative info into a small space, but all the other plot points are the same. Also, the boys characters are the same. One is sweet, shy, and quiet and the other is strong, stalwart and reserved. The tone of the show is perhaps different, but that's all. It is, overall subtle, tender and graceful. I actually think its done a terrific job of creating its own aesthetic.

Yes, I think the prospect of Haebom moving is a good catalyst for Taiesung to finally take action. Also the coincidence of being in the same class. But I am wondering is how, exactly, it was possible for none of the friends to know that they lived in the same house. The mother remarks on how Haebom never had a friend over to the house, which means, implicitly, that Taesung has had friends over. After all, he's uber popular. Of course, the friends know by the camping scene, but earlier they did not know and were, in fact, asking "what's your relationship?" I wonder if the manga addresses this.

At any rate, it's a small thing and I love this show overall. It's a quiet, graceful, tender show. It's just not fair to compare it to Semantic Error which was designed to be energetic and funny. They had 2 different goals and each show succeeds in its own goal. But since they are both Korean BL's people compare them. Ugh.

Exactly, I watched episode 3 and it did not "tackle" this as the other commenter said. The casting choice simply makes no sense. It's just a cheap way of alluding to the fact that there is a reincarnation plot at hand, and that the guy has a sibling.

clickbaitty, lol, great word! But hey, I started to fast-forward through Fah/Thorn 3 episodes ago. And that's saying something cuz I ordinarily love the trope of childhood buddies becoming lovers. This show managed to make even that boring. It began with a lot of promise for all 3 couples, then deflated each couple one by one, beginning with Fah and Thorn fizzing out once they kissed (around episode 4).

Yea, it's getting weaker. We were waiting for Dome and Vee's resolution, and Saen and Aii's and once we got that, there's nowhere left for the show to go. Now they are gonna just drag it out to be12 episodes like all these Thai BL's drag on too long.

They could learn something from the Japanese and Koreans about how to do a BL that's short, concise, and impactful.

DOME & VEE -- still rocky, but this episode shows a light at the end of the tunnel.

SAEN & AII -- I still hope Aii does not go.

FAH & THORN -- I could not care less and fast-forward right through all their scenes.

That's a really cool theory. Alas, judging by the obvious plot progression thus far, your idea is too creative for the screenwriters to have possibly conjured. They are just going with the obvious for this show. It's not bad, but not great either. I'd call it merely ok.

Yep, I liked all the Thai's you mentioned as well. But what's uwma? And what does "TT" mean in your phrase "we don't speak about kissable lips TT"? I am so bad at all these abbreviations, lol

I thought might be it, but it's still bad logic on the part of the casting director. If anything, the past lover would look like her past sibling, not the current sibling. At any rate, I agree with everyone else that this show is getting weaker as it goes on rather than stronger. I am watching Cherry Blossoms After Winter right now and it gets better and better.

It is a quiet, tender, gentle show -- and not intended to be like Semantic Error (so it's absurd to compare them). It just sort of sneaks up on you and before you know it, you're invested in the characters. Especially in how the bigger, masculine boy protects and cares for the diminutive, sweet boy. The dichotomy is great. Indeed, the only thing it has in common with SE is that the boys are opposites and opposites attract.

I love both Semantic Error and Cherry Blossoms. I don't hate First Love, but it's kind of meh. Boarding House is better cuz it's intended to be merely cute and goofy, and nothing more. So if you go at that way, it succeeds. First Love, however, wants us to take it seriously as some kind of serious love story and thus it does not work. But hey, it's better than Kissable Lips, which was the weakest of the Korean BL's. At any rate, I am just happy that Korea has 5 BL's out this season. Not all are great, but none of them are verily bad either. You know, like those Thai BL's that are manufactured off an assembly line (Enchante, Physical Therapy, etc). Korea is getting up there with Japan's BL's these days. Yay!

But I don't get how it is part of the story. How was it tackled as you said? Did I miss something?

I already complained to customer services that it's grossly immoral to not pay translators when they are a profitable, global corporation. It's sickening and I wouldn't have subscribed in the first place if I'd known this. I told them I am not resubscribing. You should tell them too.

What the hell just happened? Why would the past woman look just like the guy's present sister? Wouldn't it make more sense to look like him? At first, I actually thought, oh no, he fell in love with the wrong person and it was supposed to be the sister with whom he'd fallen in love. Else why cast the same actress? I am wrong, so it's not a spoiler, but still, what the hell is up with casting the same actress to play both roles?

REQUESTING A SPOILER:

Can someone who's read the manwha tell me if the ensuing dramatic conflict will be the mother finding out about the boys' affair? Because I cannot figure out what the show will do for the next half. It won't be about them falling in love, cuz the show started with them already in love and the tall one even saying it aloud to his friend. It also can't be the journey toward the kiss, cuz the preview told us that's coming in episode 4 (the previews give away so much for this show that it's not a spoiler to say so).

There are 4 more episodes after the 4th one where they kiss. So where does the show go after that? I mean, what is the dramatic conflict that must be resolved? I like getting spoilers cuz I believe art is about the journey not the destination, so you can't spoil the destination for me.

I think Semantic Error's Season 2 will also come up with a whole new narrative. But let's hope that, unlike Color Rush's Season 2 (which was such a disappointment), it is just as good as the 1st Season.

yea, but the only reason we even know there's a time jump is that SangWoo's hair is now parted in the middle. Otherwise, it could be a week later. At any rate, it was a more satisfying ending. Before the credits the ending was too much in the middle of them in the act of hugging and did not have a feeling of a finale. This ending however, had that feeling. Perfect.

EPILOGUE

The show's perfection, but I know many are missing the final 4 minutes cuz they come after the credits roll. I had missed them myself until I read a comment here about the "epilogue" and I asked, "What epilogue?" Then I went back and watched it. And it was a far more satisfying ending with a note of closure, while the scene before the credits felt like it had ended things too abruptly. Indeed, I even thought, wait, they can't end it like this. They need a scene that has more of a final oomph, which the scene after the credits had.

I am certain many are missing the final scene in the same way they missed the final scene in Follow My Sunshine and thus assumed that Van died when it was, in fact, just a bad dream. I gotta wonder why editors choose to put final scenes after credits roll? What's gained by this? If anything, it loses viewers, doesn't it?

QUESTION

Is there a law that Korean guys have to be in a K-pop band before beginning careers as actors? LOL. Cuz these guys, like all others I've seen in Korean shows were in K-pop bands.