PoetryInMotion

Thank you for your hard work <3

"This is a somewhat silly love story about a group of hardworking, good-hearted high school students"

Is that not the best tagline you have ever heard? I know this is bold to say when only one episode is out, but this is starting out so incredibly charming and lovely that I have a feeling this will become an all-time favourite.

I don't speak Thai either, but my guess is that it might have been one of those linguistic nuances like the difference between "I will" and "I'm going to", as in he was talking about entering Aek into the contest as something that, while it hasn't happened yet, is a decision he's already made firmly. It's not quite as bad as just entering him without a word, but still pretty obnoxious for the stage of familiarity they're at right now.

I admit I can't say I'm 'looking forward' to this show - I don't spend the week anticipating the next episode like I do with some - but then whenever Sunday evening rolls around, I'm more than happy to sit back and relax with this. With DSN, I need to be in the right mood before watching so it won't annoy me too much AND I need to be sufficiently fed up with anything else I could be watching, which is why I'm now 3 episodes behind. But the consensus really seems to be that Leon/Pob is getting unexpectedly good, so I might have to brave that show again.

I don't think they specify, but Thai students start university around 18, so Aek would be late teens to early twenties at most, while Aue is probably in his late twenties - culinary school takes about 3 years, and then working your way up to main chef slash restaurant owner probably takes another 5-6 years at least, though his parents seem to have money which could have sped up the process of him being able to own a restaurant.

I found myself releasing a breath I hadn't realised I was holding during today's episode. Something about this series just works for me. It hits a sweet spot where enough is happening to keep me engaged, but doesn't overwhelm me emotionally which other shows sometimes do - which, by the way isn't a bad thing either, I just like having options.
By this point it's clear that edge-of-your-seat excitement isn't what this show is going for - having said that, I felt that this week's episode was edited a bit more snappily. I didn't mind the pacing before, but admittedly this was an improvement. There was even something charming about the second couple's interactions this week, which redeemed them slightly from the awkwardness in the last episode.
And on an utterly shallow note, that dark gaze that Chef Aue has could melt a glacier. Thank God I'm already sitting down while watching.

IDK, I just like this a lot. It's a calm watch, but I feel that at least in the case of the main leads, there's a lot happening under the surface even in the quiet moments.
Aek and Aue's situation is a delicate one. First of all, Aue is older - not uncomfortably so, but enough to be significant, and also Aek's boss. There's a fine line here between making his romantic interest clear and being inappropriate. And from Aek's perspective as well, you wouldn't want to risk misinterpreting something and overstepping boundaries. So it makes sense to me that they're choosing their words carefully and taking the time to gauge the other's reactions. Aek perked up noticeably and talked faster and more freely after Aue gave him permission to use his first name. I also liked that they threw that little self-aware joke about the long stares in there.

I have to say, I could do without the secondary couple. They don't have that spark that the main leads have and their story premise isn't very compelling to me, never mind the fact that they're the inferior actors. From what I gathered, they're also trying to use poetry to forge an understanding between the two characters, which is notoriously difficult to translate, so that's most likely also a big factor in my lukewarm reaction to those two.

Also, this is now episode 3 of a BL absolutely brimming with sharp objects and no one has cut themselves yet - that MUST be some kind of record.

You joke, but I actually caught myself physically bracing myself during some of the more energetic chopping and had to remind myself that at least the knives most likely won't be an issue this time around lol.

Zung is really something else. He's objectively very good-looking, obviously, but he's also got actual sex appeal, which is not at all the same thing, and oodles of it. I'm riveted. No need to stop yourself singing his praises on my account. ;D

But yeah, the product placement...actually insane. I didn't mind the black tea one quite so much because I thought it was kind of neat how they worked that in with the restaurant creating specials that would complement the flavour, but I want to burn the entire scene with the delivery men. WTF even was that.

TBC as of now - but that's the assumption I'm going with, it seems clear that they had some sort of very close relationship

For my personal preferences, this is the only BL airing at the moment that's worth my time. But even if the pickings weren't so slim, I'm sure this would be a highlight.

There're a few small things I could pick apart, but I'd much rather bask in the INSANE chemistry between the main leads. Nothing's even really happened between them yet, but you could cut the tension with one of those beautiful expensive professional kitchen knives. No wonder Aek turned his entire career path on its head - Aue and those dark eyes of his could make people do all kinds of crazy things, I'm sure.

SUPER intrigued as well by the evil probably-ex-girlfriend also being the evil chef rival! Now there's a dynamic. Can't wait to learn more about that.

Also, I have to wonder what happens to all those wonderful dishes after the shoot - if no one ate them, I might cry a little.

Chef's Table also immediately popped into my head during the food shots! Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous.

I've successfully logged in with a German account and a VPN to watch VIP episodes for Light On Me. I think it should work with a US account also. Just make sure to delete cookies beforehand.

Nah mate, I'm out, I'm not up for crying on a damn Monday lol. I'll see what you guys say after this finishes airing and then decide if I'll watch.
BUT! Extremely cool that this is a mixed Korean/Thai production. BL as a genre has had some neat little innovations like this one recently and I for one am hyped for it.

Y'know, it's strange, people have said that to me as well :D

I'm with you - it's an impressive and important ability and I can 100% see why Aek caught Chef's attention, it's just that raw talent alone might not be enough - really good chefs train for years and years, after all. At minimum, I would have expected Aue to ask if Aek knows how to handle his knives before letting him go nuts in a restaurant kitchen. :) Though I guess it's not too big of a leap of inference that someone who can pick out single ingredients by smell alone might have some culinary experience. It's a small niggle at best in an otherwise super intriguing show.

This is good so far. Yes, it's a bit slow, so my attention did stray a bit, but I'm willing to let that go since it's the first episode and we haven't entered into the thick of the plot yet. Great chemistry between the main leads, the food shots are GORGEOUS and I love the premise - though I do have to say, I can't tell if the fact that Chef Aue gave up an entire station in a professional kitchen during opening hours to a complete stranger on little more than a whim is merely a hyper unrealistic oversight by writers who just don't know what a fast-paced and finely tuned environment a restaurant kitchen is, or if it's supposed to tell me something about how unconventional his character is. A fine sense of smell alone does not a good chef make, so his immense confidence in Aek's abilities seems misplaced at the moment, at least with what he knows about him.

Only sort of - remember she still hid and didn’t want to show herself to him during the school fair? They only fully made up in ep16!

Just means they can be friends again! Because after she spread the photo he told her he never wanted to see her again.

Can I just say, I'm honoured that what I wrote inspired you to write me such an in-depth analysis in response. I have nothing to add. The way you carefully dissected things here - I salute you. If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times - I love this series for its ability to get people invested, to want to think, analyse, and discuss. I'm honestly deeply disappointed that the person I was originally responding to deleted their comments, because now one half of the conversation is cut off and that's sad to me.

I must admit that in the beginning, I didn't think this series would reach the depths it has. Now that I know the quality of the writing, I'm going to rewatch from the beginning with even sharper eyes, because I'm sure that there were hints along the way that Tae Kyung was always at least intrigued by Shinwoo even when their relationship was strained. It's a bit like the turtle and the hare - his crush on Da On was intense but short-lived, while his relationship with Shinwoo built slowly but steadily over time and prevailed in the end because it had actual solid foundations in that the two complement each other perfectly.

I Told Sunset About You is fantastic, but very angsty. The HIStory series is also very good; Crossing The Line is my favourite and Make Our Days Count is great but you MUST skip&ignore the last episode if you don't want heartbreak.

I think they got together while walking home in ep16. I took Tae saying that they both can’t say anymore that they haven’t dated anyone as him telling Shinwoo he accepts him and wants to get together!

Oh wow, oh god, how ABSOLUTELY wonderful. I'm so happy, this ending was perfect in every single way.

I LOVE that they didn't push So Hee and Namgoong together. For one thing, I adore them as BFFs (Namgoong-So Hee anti-homophobia protection squad FTW!), and on a more personal note, that means I can continue shipping Namgoong and Da On in peace, so double win. So Hee and Da On's resolution was perfect as well. Them agreeing to be friends like that and helping each other out is honestly the best way this could have gone and I'm glad for both of them that they managed to turn an incredibly toxic situation into something positive.

Speaking of Da On, that boss walk down the corridor, asserting himself left and right? YES KING. He's had it in him this whole time, what with the way he's so good with words and seeing him use that to advocate for himself? PEAK satisfaction.

Finally, Shinwoo and Tae Kyung? I don't even have words. I love a relationship dynamic where the people bicker like an old married couple but you know they're seriously committed to one another, so I couldn't be more satisfied, especially because the series did SUCH a good job with the buildup - this resolution feels so deserved and perfect. Also, TWO KISSES, PEOPLE!! Freakin' YAY! And remember that the beach scene is 2 years in the future, so they've been dating for two years and are STILL super lovey dovey - like, I could scream.
They're so happy, I'm so happy...that's all!