MelonIceCream2100

A heartwarming and sweet story of a love that beats all odds

I didn't have any big expectations before watching this, but just like most viewers I was pleasantly surprised (and satisfied).

POSITIVES (for me):
• Quite simple story and plot but effectively showed a 𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗳𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 imo.
• 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝘀 ftw! Who doesn't like BLs that depict a caring and supportive love between the leads?
- Main leads also had some depth, character development, and moments of misunderstanding, vulnerability, communication and reconciliation.
- I especially loved a certain emotional moment of Zi Xiang repeatedly saying Shao Peng's name (you'll understand it's significance more if you've seen the drama).
• 𝗚𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆. Agreeing with similar comments I've read, I love that they showed Shao Peng being able to find someone who accepts him for who he is, including his disability and the challenges that come with it. The show also didn't make the character's disability disappear or lessen by the end, giving a message that disabilities do not hinder anyone from experiencing stuff that physically healthy people "normally" experiences and that includes love.
• The 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆 is chemistry-ing! Despite a more wholesome overall vibe, the show didn't shy away from showing our main leads having romantic moments and that includes dates, holding hands, forehead bumps, kisses, and intimate scenes. The acting and directing was able to make me feel that they deeply love and care for each other, making me genuinely wish for their happy ending.
- Speaking of chemistry, even the second couple oozes them lol. Their dynamic is more on the "spicier" side, and honestly if they would have a side-story/special episode/s I'd eat that up lol.
• 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰 𝗯𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗲. I especially liked the moments with Shao Peng's dad and mom as well as the second couple.
• Main characters had their own motivations outside of the relationship.
- They also didn't feel like typical uke/seme stereotypes at least to me.

LESS POSITIVE/MIXED FEELINGS (and some personal gripes):
• I felt 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻'𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗲𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵.
- I couldn't really understand why the cousin(?) was after Zi Xiang (or maybe i just wasn't paying enough attention and missed something. I guess i ended up not caring enough about him or his motivations 😅). I wish we saw more of his background and maybe a flashback on the incident that happened when he and Zi Xiang were kids.
- The resolution with him was also done a bit too simplistic imo, but i honestly don't know how they could have done it differently and i don't necessarily dislike the way it happened.
- The ex-fiance didn't really serve much purpose other than drive some development for the main couple's relationship. That or i missed something again.
- I was ready to hate on Zi Xiang's dad for being a strict perfectionist, but then they went with the "he's only strict cuz he cares for you" route and i ended up unsure how to feel about his character. He was pretty much the reason why Zi Xiang has a kinda low self-esteem and acts a bit "rebellious" so im not completely convinced with how they justified his character.
- They also showed a potential third couple(?) but wasn't able to expand more on them.
• 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗱. Not necessarily of the main leads or the side couple/family members, maybe more of the background characters. But tbh it didn't bother me too much bc they play little role on the story anyways, im fine as long as the main characters' acting are good enough.
• Some 𝗸𝗱𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗮-𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 of falling, catching, princess-carrying and looking straight into each other's eyes for romantic effect. Might be considered cliche for some but idc i love me some dreamy shoujo anime-like moments lol.
• 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲𝘀 aren't the best and can be improved more. It gives a bit more of a lower-budget production vibes, however the story and chemistry overshadows it for me.
• Despite having genres such as "crime" and "thriller", those aspects weren't really a main focus and more of a backdrop for the characters and story. Personally it wasn't a big deal for me, but some viewers may expect to see more of those genres and not have those expectations met.

OVERALL THOUGHTS:
A recommended watch if you're looking for a heartfelt romance and relationship. It has good chemistry from both the main and secondary couples. It also has a respectful depiction of a character with a physical disability. Some aspects of production and acting performances can be improved and some side characters may not be compelling enough. I gave this one a solid 9 for the romance and chemistry, inspiring and uplifting message, and good rewatch value.

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Ambitious premise but an execution that failed to give it justice

I decided to give this a try because the premise sounded interesting and despite the not so high rating, I've read comments saying they enjoyed it and that it was an emotional story. I don't really have much to say other than my expectations weren't met.

• If the acting and chemistry were better then maybe I would have given this a higher score but that aspect wasn't satisfying enough for me. But for the sake of appreciating the staff and cast's efforts as well as the fact this was made in 2022, I tried to be generous with the score.
• Production was too obviously low-budget.
• Ost was okay but nothing memorable or impactful.
• Characters and their motivations as well as attraction towards each other weren't convincing or compelling enough.
• Too much plot holes affected my immersion to the story and characters.
- There were some moments which seem intended to elicit an emotional response to the viewer, but I didn't really end up feeling anything other than frustration about the characters' actions.
• Time loop thingy was too confusing for my smol brain.
• This could have been better but eh my generous suspension of disbelief can only do much. It might have been more acceptable when there weren't much Korean BLs yet, but now there's much better shows to watch and waste your time on.

There honestly wasn't much for me to hold on to other than that one scene where I saw a 2019 kpop song's mv (if i saw correctly it was for Seventeen's HIT?) playing on an arcade machine when the setting was supposed to be 2007 (now that somehow made me chuckle and probably the only highlight of the show for me lol). And for that moment alone i added a 0.5 to make it an overall score of 7.

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Some questionable plot points, not as good as the main story

I usually don't take special episodes as seriously as their parent series (as most of them are usually fun bonus side stories or re-imagination of the main stories) so while I have some mixed feelings about this special being a sort of continuation, it didn't have a big impact on my enjoyment of the main story (and I can just pretend the special isn't the ultimate "ending" unless they don't make a second season 😢).

𝗪𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴: 𝗹𝗼𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱

POSITIVES (for me):
• With a returning cast, the 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗺𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗽𝗮𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆, tho i think the main series is still stronger in that aspect.
- I think Yin (Jack's actor) was able to show more of his acting chops here, especially in one particular scene of him crying alone (i honestly teared up a bit bc i felt bad for him, and i don't cry easily most of the time) as well as during the face-off with Carbon. War (Joke's actor) is still effective as usual, as well as most of the side characters (especially Aran, Tattoo and Hoy)
• 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝗰𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 in my eyes. While im no expert in that regards, judging as an ordinary viewer i didn't have any complaints.
• 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝗰𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀 (yay!). I'm a simple bl watcher, I love seeing bl couples being lovey-dovey with each other no matter how cringe or silly they may seem. I needed this sweetness amidst all the action chaos lol.
- I loved that scene with Jack and Joke in the bar, kinda parallels their first time meeting.
- I also like that Jack's family (esp his dad) seem pretty chill about their relationship and all, avoiding unnecessary "disapproving parent" trope.
- I also liked how despite the fortune-teller's not so good prediction about their wedding/relationship as well as some unfortunate events that did end up happening, their love remained strong. Might be cheesy for some, but ugh i love it when bl couples have an unwavering love like this. It's fiction after all and who doesn't like to see a "til death do us part" type of love in their romance stories?
• The 𝗵𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿. If you stopped watching the episode before the credits, then please watch it again! It gave me some relief after that scene. At least it means this isn't the real ending of it all (right? RIGHT??? Please I hope it's the director/writer's way of telling us "yes we'll make a season 2 cuz we won't let it end that way" 😭)

LESS POSITIVE/MIXED FEELINGS (and some personal gripes):
• 𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘁 𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝘀 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 (𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲) 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀. I mentioned in my review of the parent series that im kinda used to questionable, melodramatic or cliche plot points from my local telenovelas so those don't bother me too much. But I still couldn't help notice some of them here:
- The proxy(?) wedding. I can see how the idea of using a cardboard Joke for the wedding might look a bit silly for some, but not for me. Without giving too much details, i have seen birthday parties where a life-sized cardboard representation of a deceased loved one is displayed and interacted with as if it was them. It allows those left behind to somehow feel as if their loved one is still there. (for context, im from asia and while it's not some sort of cultural or spiritual norm/tradition, i personally seen this applied irl so it didn't seem too absurd for me).
- However, the event in the episode is a wedding and im not sure if this idea is appropriate for the mood of the occasion. Similar to some comments I've read, im wondering how the "you may kiss" part was done, like did Jack also kiss the cardboard? Or is the whole sequence just an imagination/fantasy/depiction of how it'll look if Joke is present? If i apply enough suspension of disbelief tho, it's quite a touching gesture of their undying love. But I believe not everyone shares the same amount of suspension as i do 😅
• 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗯𝗼𝗻 aka the secondary(?) villain. While I hate his character since the main story, I honestly liked the actor's performance and I don't mind a one-dimensional psycho *sshole villain as long the actor did a good job playing them. However he felt a bit too over-powered and stereotypical for me. Like does that guy even have any weaknesses? Unlike the boss for example, his own greed and overconfidence led to his downfall. I would have liked if we saw a bit more of Carbon as a character, but he ded anyways so eh moving on.
- Speaking of Carbon, I kept wondering if Jack would have been able to save Joke when he and Carbon fell on the water. Unless there was strong currents, couldn't he have dived down to save Joke? How did Joke drown/disappear anyway? I don't remember it being showed in detail. Did he and Carbon struggle and he was overpowered and lost consciousness? (wc may then lead to him "drowning" but eventually being saved/washed away to dry land) Also, how did Carbon die? Compared to Joke, I don't remember him having a gunshot wound. Did he drown to his death? Was Joke somehow able to kill him while in the water? Was he eaten by piranhas lol? Or did I perhaps miss something? Hopefully we'll get some answers if a season 2 is made.
• Everyone (except Jack) seems to move on a bit too fast about Joke's "death". I think this was more of a limited runtime issue, like maybe they could have added more scenes of them mourning for him etc. especially Joke's family.

OVERALL THOUGHTS:
If you want more of Jack and Joke's moments, consider giving it a try. When it came to the acting and production, this special somehow maintains the quality (imo). However, story and plot-wise some questionable decisions were made. And be warned that the ending may not satisfy you. But stay after the credits, there's some hope for a second season (i don't mind how long it takes as long as they improve or regain the quality from the first half of the main series. If it ends up being a sh*tty second season i also won't care as long as i get to see Jack and Joke have a happily ever after 😭 kidding i do hope they give us a quality second season). I gave this an 8 with consideration to my bias towards the main story and the lead couple. Without it, probs a 7 or 7.5

Unrelated side note and personal gripe (not necessarily on this page but an overall observation on MDL): Is it just me or are some MDL reviewers such wackos? Why give low ratings for simply disliking how a story went, having bias against a show/pairing or some petty inter/in fandom fights but not putting into consideration other aspects of a show/movie such as acting, production, music etc.? Is it really okay to rate stuff this way? At least give credit where it is due.

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Not a masterpiece, but interesting and worth watching for the acting and chemistry of the main leads

A bit of a late review, I only saw it recently and I watched this with no prior knowledge of any of the actors so I had no bias (tho I did know it had the same director as another Thai bl that i recently saw and loved, wc is I Feel You Linger in the Air), but thanks to this show I've sorta fallen into the YinWar rabbit hole lol.

POSITIVES (for me):
• 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗼𝘇𝗶𝗻𝗴 without needing to be overly sexual. One of the main things that keep me watching a BL is if it can make me care about the main characters and their love story and I can kinda excuse plot holes, weak stories or low-budget production as long as the leads' acting are believable, compelling, and can convince me that they are indeed in love with each other. I don't need a lot of love scenes or kiss scenes as long as I feel their love or yearning for each other, if that makes sense. I saw it on this pairing. While they had a slow burn, enemies to lovers romance, it felt worth it when they finally got together and i was rooting for them (and tbh kissing/intimate scenes aren't my no. 1 motivation in watching a bl and i won't even freaking care if there's none or limited but omg the kissing/intimate scenes here got me silently screaming and blushing like goddeym i had to keep pausing not bc it's bad or i don't like it but i had to compose and calm myself lololol).
- The main characters had a moment of connection before the timeskip and main story happened (aka at the beginning of the show). Even a brief connection is fine, bc at least it made me feel that their attraction towards each other makes sense. Bonus points if there's a sorta "destined for each other" element later on.
• It doesn't follow a usual student or officemate couple that's typical in a lot of bls and instead 𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗱𝘆𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝗰𝘂𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗲𝗳/𝗲𝘅-𝗰𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗴𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗲𝗹 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱-𝗻𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝗯𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿. It also makes me more interested to watch bls that present different types of couples with no defined uke/seme or top/bottom "stereotypes".
• I also like that both of the 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 (whether those motivations can lead them to making good or bad decisions). For instance, Jack had his own dream of building a school to help the local children, while Joke is trying to change and make amends from his past as a thief and finds love/purpose along the way.
• 𝗝𝗼𝗸𝗲'𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗴𝘂𝗶𝘀𝗲𝘀. I was looking forward to whatever character he became next. The acting for each of them were good as well, not overacted nor underacted.
• The 𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝘂𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵. I especially liked Aran, yeah he was presented as an arrogant and spoiled rich kid at the beginning but he did have some sort of development and I was looking forward to see more of him. The rest of the gang were fun as well, tho I had mixed feelings about Hope and Save.
• The 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗰𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀, especially the one at the hospital. I felt bad for Joke but can understand and feel Jack's frustrations as well. War and Yin are honestly good actors. The actors for the side characters also did well imo.
• 𝗕𝗮𝗱𝗮𝘀𝘀 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗺𝗮 (i kept on wishing she wouldn't die bc in stories like this you would expect one major family member to get hurt or killed for emotional effect). Bonus points bc she's a shipper like us lol and was helping Jack and Joke reconcile most of the time.
• 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗲𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 for a show of this type. And tho im not an expert in action scenes but they were believable enough for me.
• 𝗚𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲. There's a lot of scenes that i have an urge to see again due to good acting and/or chemistry, good action sequences, or they're just plainly memorable to me.

LESS POSITIVE/MIXED FEELINGS (and some personal gripes):
• 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘃𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀. They are sometimes be a bit cartoonish/cliche, especially when they do the evil laugh lol. Also im not sure if we're supposed to empathize with the Boss at the end, like he's done lots of evil things, ignores his own son, and almost killed the MCs but now we're supposed to feel sorry for him cuz he misses his wife? Idk.
- Also what's with Jack and Joke making out right in front of Boss' salad during the hangman game lol? I get it was a quite emotional and meaningful moment since they thought it'll be their last time together but lololol i kinda chuckled why boss was just letting them do whatever when he's already itching to push that button and off them all. Like did he have a moment of humanity and let them have a final goodbye or is he secretly also a shipper like us and enjoyed that moment? Lololol just kidding.
• Related to the villains, 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗮 𝗺𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗱𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗲 at times. There are moments of telenovela-ish quality in plot and even in the dialogue. Tho tbh it didn't bother me much bc im used to watching local telenovelas with much worse plot lol.
- The whole fake engagement/dating(?) thing with Rose and Jack. Don't get me wrong, I don't hate Rose, I thought she was pretty cool especially after Jack rejected her but the whole subplot could have been shorter i guess? Idk, i know this was slow burn and maybe i was just looking forward to see Jack and Joke finally get together and confess their feelings to each other.
- I also felt that Hope and Save were forgiven too fast/easily. First, hope was pretty much beating up joke/jack and the rest of the gang in the earlier episodes then the next moment they're working together? And save betrayed them by being boss' spy (tho he had his own reasons for doing so wc is pretty understandable) but by the end everything's alright. Idk, i guess this was where my generous suspension of disbelief came in handy.
- I can't say much about the missions thingy bc im dumb but I've seen some people complain how they were a bit childish. Idk, i thought they were fine for a bl, i mean i wasn't expecting some next level, 4d chess type of mind games. But i guess they could be better?
- Speaking of mind games, the whole idea of the ring being a trick/deception by the four horsemen was a bit ??? Idk if i find it unrealistic or that those rich a-holes are just really that twisted and wicked and powerful to pull it off. I'm not even gonna delve into the details of how and when they even started pulling it all off (like did they already know boss will plan to steal it? Or did they start when it was already stolen? Eh? Another use for suspension of disbelief i guess 😅

OVERALL THOUGHTS:
An interesting watch with good acting and chemistry from the main leads. Some plot points might need suspension of disbelief and some characters and dialogues can get a bit stereotypical or cliche sometimes, but overall if you're not hyper critical about such stuff and just want to get a different experience and see a not so typical pairing with good chemistry, interesting side characters, some good enough action scenes and nice production values, it's worth watching. I gave it a 9 for the main couple and the overall atypical premise, but if the acting and chemistry was less compelling, it might be an 8.5.

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An interesting depiction of grief, love, and yearning for yesterdays long gone

I never thought that a first love type of high school "BL" story with a supernatural twist about a "living corpse" boyfriend could make me cry like this one did.

POSITIVES (for me):
• Both main leads' 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 enough. The director and actors knew what they were doing. The emotional scenes were able to pierce my heart and give me an unexplainable feeling of pain. In short they were able to make me empathize to the characters and the experience they were going through.
•𝗡𝗼 𝘁𝘆𝗽𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗕𝗟 𝘂𝗸𝗲/𝘀𝗲𝗺𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗼𝘁𝘆𝗽𝗲𝘀. Despite being set in highschool, there's no naive, pure uke or a super popular heartthrob seme. The uke(?) is cold and distant but not unlikable or boring, and his character makes sense bc of his upbringing. The seme(?) is a bit of a typical friendly, more optimistic character but in a realistic way.
- Tho the leads have opposite personalities, they kinda balanced and positively influenced each other so their attraction made sense (opposites attract as they say).
• Despite not having very big impacts on the story, some 𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴. I especially liked their friends (the pres, vice pres, and psychic classmate) as well as Koichi's family and wished to see more of them.
• 𝗘𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗸. Every time I hear that piano bgm i can't help but feel a sting in my chest. The opening and endings songs also suit the story well despite having a more "upbeat" sound (i love me some misleading OPs and EDs, very anime-like lol).
• Despite the emotional theme, it 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗱 𝗺𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗱𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗮 or telenovela-ish way of presenting the story. No fillers, no unnecessary conflicts or present time misunderstandings, no unnecessary characters that hinder the couple, etc.
- Because of this, it managed to have a 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗾𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗿𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲.
• 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗳𝗹𝗮𝘀𝗵𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀 that weren't too confusing or "trying too hard to be deep".
• Cinematography is not grand but fits the vibe of the story.
• It's not a surprise or last minute tradedy type ending bc as early as the first episode our lovely white truck of doom makes an appearance and throughout the rest of the drama there's a somber mood so I already knew how it was gonna end (and I 𝗴𝗼𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝘂𝗽 𝗳𝗼𝗿). So if you're not a fan of "bad endings" then I suggest rethink before watching instead of later complaining that it was "too depressing".

LESS POSITIVE/MIXED FEELINGS (and some personal gripes):
• Depending on how much suspension of disbelief you have, 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘁 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗲𝘀 may affect your immersion as a big amount is needed here. Some details of the accident or Koichi's "living corspe" condition were confusing, unrealistic, or weren't completely explained (i won't go into details bc I'm confused myself but im sure more hypercritical or sharp minded viewers won't help but notice them).
- However, bc I didn't want to spoil my experience and immersion, I just excused the unexplainable stuff as supernatural logic lol.
• Depending on your preferences, you may find the drama to 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 "𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗰" 𝘀𝗰𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀.
There's no such things as lovey-dovey cuddling or cute dating scenes. There also weren't enough scenes of the leads' dating period prior to the incident. Honestly I didn't mind much as the overall vibe of the drama wasn't meant to be sweet and romantic and it wasn't just a love story after all.
• It 𝗺𝗮𝘆 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝘀𝗹𝗼𝘄-𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗱 and uneventful for some (or maybe even boring) as there weren't much big or dramatic occurrences. We also spend a lot of time on the main character's thought process and recollection of the events.
• Production values are not grand or exceptional, but they were appropriate enough for the setting and story.
• Rewatch value may be on the lower side, unless you want to experience the suffering again. Personally I may rewatch whenever I want to have a good cry lol.

OVERALL THOUGHTS:
Despite not being perfect, I settled with a score of 10 mostly due to personal bias and this show's emotional impact on me (it reawakened my crybaby side and even got my rotten brain to do some thinking lol). I won't call it the best BL I've seen but it's definitely one of the most memorable among Japanese BLs. It reminded me once again that losing a loved one is an inevitable reality which, like Mitchan, all of us may have to face one day. And just like him I believe the pain, longing and desire to hold on will not be easy to face but our beautiful memories of those yesterdays can become our strength in facing new tomorrows.

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An okay watch for some laughs (or if you're not a hypercritical fan of the JP og or EarthMix)

(This review was copy-pasted and edited from my comment on this page)

The og 2018 JP ver is a special show for me as it's one of the first BLs I've watched (tho I'm not sure if it was even intended to be a traditional "BL" in the first place, it's more of an office comedy slice of life that have LGBTQ+ main characters. Also there wasn't much BLs back when it was released so this show was kinda one of the firsts and a "classic" if you may among JP BLs) so i made this review and my first time doing so. I've also only recently knew EarthMix after watching ATOTS (wc im late to but really liked a lot btw) and seeing their cameo in the jp s2. So I was kinda looking forward to see this and finished it a while ago with mixed feelings. I'm only gonna share my views about this adaptation and if you're interested i think it's better to watch and judge for yourself.

POSITIVES (for me):
• I do commend the 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 esp. the leads and the chief. So far I only know of earthmix as Phupha and Tian so it was refreshing to see them playing different roles.
• It had 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗱𝘆 𝗯𝗶𝘁𝘀 and I had a good laugh. I was already expecting the silliness and cringe bc I've seen the og version. However some of comedic bits didn't hit as much (such as the zoom effects wc compared to the og kinda fit more) and I guess it's not easy to exactly pull off the slapstick/kinda absurd comedy of the jp ver but i can understand that this is a different version so it didn't bother me as much.
• I also thought they did 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝗲𝘁𝗰. from the og 2018 ver to fit the current time, also appreciate showing some of Thai culture.
- I like the chief's character here a little bit more than the jp s1 ver. I think they gave him more depth and showed his sort of "moving on" arc, wc is a bit similar to the s2 chief (that i prefered more).
- The ost is pretty catchy as well, i liked that opening theme lol (but it doesn't beat "Revival" by Sukima Switch).
- The VR rejection. I thought it was creative and more modern, i probably would have liked it less if they did it copy paste like the og and end up being less memorable.
- I also like how they 𝗴𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗛𝗲𝗻𝗴/𝗛𝗮𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗮 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝗼/𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗶 𝗮 𝗯𝗶𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽. If i remember correctly in the og they don't know each other prior to the main story, plus i think they communicated more here (wc is a bit lacking in og s1 but was more present in s2).
- It was 𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗛𝗲𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗻𝗼 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗲𝗳 during the wedding arc and he actually tells Mo about it. It was one of the things that was frustrating in the og bc Haruta never cleared it to Maki during their "breakup" that he doesn't actually want to marry the chief.
- Mo's dad accepting Heng occurred much earlier (in the og he was more strict and only accepted Haruta in s2). Tho it might feel a bit too fast or simplistic how he accepted Heng but idk this is just my preference bc I like that they got Mo's parents blessing earlier.
• 𝗧𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗸𝗮 𝗞𝗲𝗶-𝘀𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗸𝗮 𝗼𝗴 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗮'𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗼. Just like Earthmix cameo in olr s2, I just like it when crossovers happen lol. And it also felt like a nod/appreciation to the og version.
• 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗲𝗳'𝘀 "𝗛𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗻𝗲𝘆". Just like "Haru-tan" in the og, it's as silly, over the top, and oddly adorable and cringey as ever lololol.

LESS POSITIVE/MIXED FEELINGS (and some personal gripes):
• 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗲𝗳'𝘀 𝗲𝘅-𝘄𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗮 𝗱𝗮𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗲𝗿. I can see how having the chief divorce his wife bc he's secretly gay and not even explaining it well to her can be questionable in today's standards, but Choko-san was one of the best characters in the og imho, I'm honestly not opposed to the daughter but her character felt a bit weaker. However i do think she was important in thai ver chief's self-love and moving on arc so maybe this is just my bias towards choko-san lol (also we didn't get an age gap couple representation like choko and maro/newyear in thai ver).
• Heng's character in this ver 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗲𝗹𝘁 𝗮 𝗯𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗼𝗼 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗼𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝟯𝟬+ 𝘆𝗿 𝗼𝗹𝗱. The og Haruta is a lazy, irresponsible and kinda dense character but he didn't feel innocent or "pure". Yeah he was pure and kind but not in a "baby-like" way? Idk if this even makes sense lol.
• 𝗠𝗼'𝘀 𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗛𝗲𝗻𝗴. I can understand him being insecure about what Heng's mom said about Chi, but I'm a bit confused about him being worried about other people's views. In the og it was a bit more understandable bc as far as i know Japan is more conservative regarding lgbtq and it was set in 2018. Maki was also unsure if Haruta can even be in a relationship with a guy because he used to be "straight" (and i don't remember Heng being shown/suggested as a "straight guy who likes girls with big boobs" unlike Haruta lol). However in the thai ver, it was pretty clear to me that Heng was willing to be ina relationship with Mo depsite them both being guys and there wasn't homophobic characters if remember correctly, so i was just a bit ??? about Mo's reasons.
• 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗻𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮 𝗯𝗶𝘁 𝘂𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗿𝘆 imo (i honestly don't mind dance numbers if it makes sense in the story, like for intance if the show is about idols). I do think it made sense during chief's proposal and the coworker's wedding but the one in the last ep felt like filler to extend the runtime. Preferably they could have made them shorter.
• The whole 𝗮𝗺𝗻𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗮 thingy (wc btw was also done in a similar way on the jp movie but instead of Heng/Haruta is was the chief and was also as weird and silly as it gets lol) as well as other questionable plot points that I won't go into detail (bc im not smart enough to analyze everything lol). I was honestly wondering how they will resolve the wedding arc and they did this. Idk, i know it's fictional and I'm generous in suspending my disbelief but it was just a bit too silly for me 😅

OVERALL THOUGHTS:
It wasn't a perfect show or adaptation, I actually didn't mind most of the changes and I quite enjoyed this ver, but if I watched it with no prior knowledge/bias about the og ver or the actors, there isn't much special about it and I feel it could have been improved more. Just like the og ver it's good to watch without thinking too much or if you want to have some laughs. I rated it an 8 considering my bias towards the og and familiarity with the actors, but without it this could have got a 7.5 from me.

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