RoseQ

The characters were super relatable

Let’s be honest, the plot was not anything new or exciting, but I think the execution was done well! The plot was given time to develop, the friendships had time to form, and love had time to blossom. It’s definitely a slow-burn with a sprinkle of love triangle, maybe even a love square. The cinematography was beautiful, the locations were very picturesque. The music, the lightning, the camera angles… Korean series have definitely mastered that.

Noh Shin Woo & Woo Tae Kyung – the two are a hot mess. I think they are both so relatable. Tae Kyung is an introvert, does not have any friends, and doesn’t do well in social situations. He does often come across as cold and closed off, but I think it was often just his nerves and not knowing how to act in given situations. Shin Woo has a crush, and he does not know how to handle it. He has been hurt in the past, so he built walls to protect himself. He is awkward and comes across as rude, but in reality, he simply doesn’t know how to act around his crush. I really like how they take things slow, going from enemies to friends and only then to lovers. It is not rushed. This is a first love, first relationship for both after all.

Shin Da On – he is an over achiever and a people pleaser. He is friendly, approachable, always smiling and hiding his true feelings. I think his struggle to maintain his status, the idea of him that others have, has been done nicely, especially in the latter episodes. It really showed the painful reality of trying to achieve the expectations of others. Da On trying to be good and helpful to everyone did contribute to certain people feeling like he was leading them on, like they meant more to him. And I really appreciate how that was pointed out.

I do think that Shin Woo and Tae Kyung were not given enough time as a couple. I really wished everything would have been resolved sooner and we would get to see them being all cute and lovely for a bit longer. I also think certain people were forgiven too easily. What that person did is horrible, especially considering the society and the school environment. Another thing that bothered me is how it was implied that we can decide who we will like. That’s not how it works. Just because someone is being nice to you or has feelings for you, you can’t just say “I am going to like that person too” and be done with it. I found that very strange and not really making any sense.

I think it was good that they addressed and showed negative aspects of being gay in all boys’ school. It is definitely not all sunshine and rainbows and people are not nearly as accepting as we would all like them to. So I think it’s important that such things get addressed from both the positive and negative side.

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The ending surprised me

I don’t even know what I liked about it. There was a lot of things I didn’t like, I can tell you that, but I am finding it hard pointing out what I liked. The music was nice. The basic plot was interesting, but the execution was not good. The production value and acting were not the worst I have seen, but they weren’t amazing either.

As I said, the plot had potential. But they didn’t really develop the characters enough, both the main two characters and the side characters. There was a lot going on that either didn’t make sense, was not properly addressed or it was just added in without any explanation. The flashback being shown a few times was unnecessary, especially for such a short series.

Kim Jun Ho & Choi Min Hyun: one is a vampire who is dying for killing a human, and the other is a human with pure blood that can turn a vampire into human. Jun Ho is someone we are supposed to feel sympathetic towards, but I found him very unlikeable most of the time. He had some good sides, but he was very hot and cold towards Min Hyun. I also hated how he strung Hae Soo along for hundreds of years. Min Hyun was sweet, but extremely naïve and with no regard for his own safety. Even after knowing the truth, knowing everything, he would still do whatever he felt like doing. I can understand why his brother wanted to know where he is 24/7.

The ending was not what I expected. And I really liked it, it made a lot of sense due to everything that has happened both in the past and present. I do wish it would have been done a bit differently, but I am not going to complain too much about that.

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One fell first and the other fell harder

This has been on my PTW for a while, and I am so happy I finally got around to watching it. The plot is nothing special (unrequited love rivals to lovers), but I really loved the execution. The pacing of the story was very nice as well, it didn’t seem rushed, and it didn’t drag on. The twists were nicely placed, allowing the story to progress at a consistent pace.

Gao Shi De & Zhou Shu Yi: their dynamics are interesting. They both appear to be talented and intelligent, sporty, but also quite competitive. They come from different backgrounds, but that didn’t really play a big role in their story. I liked their dynamics, because even if Zhou Shu Yi tried to pull pranks on Gao Shi De, none of them would cause serious damage. And Gao Shi De just went with it, knowing full well who was behind them. He fell first, but Zhou Shu Yi was the one that fell harder. They say you realize what you have once you lose it, and we would see that. Their relationship developed at a nice pace. I like the fact that the two have know each other for a long time. The two actors have great chemistry and I think they are both great at portraying emotions.

I liked their friends a lot too. They might have not had that much screen time, but they really showed themselves to be supportive and understanding. They had good advice to give too. Peu Shou Yi was an interesting character. I really want to learn more about his story, there seems to be an intriguing past. And Gao Shi De’s mom is so sweet! I really liked her too.

The locations were beautiful, as was the OST. While some of the scenes take place in dark places, the screen didn’t get too dark and I was still able to see everything that was going on, which is an aspect that is often overlooked.

I do think the series was a bit short though, but it wasn’t too bothersome.

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Is it love or is it obsession?

I like the plot, it’s something interesting and new, but I feel like them leaving a lot of things unsolved at the end (not sure if season 2 was planned in advance) was a bit annoying. I also think that the shortness of the drama leaves a lot of important things out which did make it hard for me to understand certain events and actions of the characters.

Go Yoo Han & Choi Yeon Woo: I am not sure how I feel about their pairing. They both have things they have to deal with – conditions, family drama, obsessions. Go Yoo Han appears as someone who doesn’t really care about his future, is not very sociable and can be very persistent. Choi Yeon Woo is an introvert, and I believe that had a lot to do with the fact he is a mono. Monos are known to kidnap and even kill their probes, so he is doing his best to avoid meeting his probe and turning into a monster. The focus is on the development of their relationship, which I really liked. We saw how they both struggle (especially Choi Yeon Woo) with what their relationship could potentially turn into. I think the actors did an amazing job portraying the characters. The visuals were on point as well, I just couldn’t take my eyes off Go Yoo Han, his eyes were so captivating. And him wearing the mask only directed the attention to his eyes more.

I am a bit confused on the relationship of monos and probes. Are they meant to be like soulmates? Is that something that both of them feel intensely or only the mono? Is it even love or just an obsession in most cases? There are a lot of questions that I am not sure how to answer and I wish would have been addressed more in the series.

There have been some heavy topics addressed in the series, but they were not given much thought after they were mentioned, done. I am guessing it’s due to the shortness of the series, but with what Choi Yeon Woo has done towards the end… I really wish it would have been talked about more. And for Go Yoo Han to not take it as lightly nor as something almost positive.

I found the locations and OST beautiful. I found the color rush effect with the colors flashing around the screen distracting though. And the fact that the first few interactions between the two main characters were almost a copy-paste of one another seemed like a waste to me.

It was a nice watch, but I feel like it had the potential to be much better.

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Don’t concern yourself with the misunderstandings and prejudices of others.

The series was very enjoyable, but it felt a bit choppy at times. The series covered a lot of events that happen over a longer period of time which meant that a lot of the backstory was left out. Things seemed to move very fast at certain points of the series. I think making this into either a two-season series or adding a few more episodes would be the better option.

Jo Taesung & Seo Haebom: I found the two adorable. They seem to be quite different from one another, but they are a good match. Taesung appears colder and can be quite scary when he wants to. Haebom is a sweetheart, he is very forgiving and kind. The height difference between the actors made the couple appear even cuter. I really liked the fact that Haebom is the older one, even if only a few weeks / months. Haebom’s character growth in the series is amazing. He went from this shy kid who feels like a burden and just wants to make friends to someone who can express what he wants and what makes him happy.

I really liked the fact that the two characters respected each other’s boundaries. We can see this especially from Taesung. And the fact that he both addressed and apologized for what he did wrong, was a surprise. A good one. Something we don’t really see in many BLs. The apology doesn’t make things right, but Teasung really regretted his actions.

I enjoyed the OST and the intro and outro sequences too. The locations were beautiful, the warmer colors really suited the series nicely. But the shortness of it made things really rushed and there were a few times when the scene transitions didn’t fully make sense.

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It was sweet but also short and confusing

The movie is quite short, so everything seems a bit rushed at times. I know it’s supposed to cover events that mostly happen over the span of a bit more than 24h with some extra scenes later on, but it still a lot of things that they tried to squeeze in. There have a been quite a few scenes that left me confused on what is happening exactly or what do they mean.

I found the couple, Min Soo and Seok Yi, absolutely adorable. I really liked their interactions, the little touches and looks. They were hiding who they truly are to one another, but you could tell if you looked closely. I also liked the fact that the two are an already established couple who has joint plans for the future. Ones that they have previously discussed and have also discussed during the movie. Their conversations actually had meaning to them. And their chemistry is amazing! For an older Korean BL, I was quite surprised how passionate the two were with one another and how much they showed on screen.

The side characters, side “couple”, left me mostly confused. I don’t really think they brough much to the story. Things wouldn’t be much different if they left the two out.

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Disappointing, I really expected more

I really expected a lot more from this special episode, but I ended up being really disappointed. The episode takes place 2 years after either the time the two started dating or 2 years after their break ended. I am honestly not sure. But that is not even the problem.

Nubsib & Gene: I really thought the two are over the whole not talking about problems. I guess not. If I found Gene’s awkwardness adorable in the main series, I found his actions towards Nubsib pretty annoying in this special. The two have been together for two years (at least) and he is still this cold towards him. Like how? Why? They didn’t really feel like they were in a long-term relationship, which seems to be a theme I started to notice in many special episodes.

The plot is a mess. We were introduced to some new characters that really had no purpose in the grand scheme of things. We saw a lot of old characters who, again, didn’t really have any real purpose. Except helping Nubsib and Gene make a fool out of each other. Don’t even get me started on Gene’s plan… he crossed many lines with that. Writer or not, that was too much. Then we also got to see Aoey, only for his story to have no real conclusion once again. Why even include him then? Same goes for Mhok.

All in all, it left me annoyed and with more questions than conclusions. It also didn't conclude anything that was left open in the series.

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The characters balance each other nicely

I like how realistic the series felt at times and the fact that it lacked unnecessary drama and jealousy fits. The two main characters are adults and their interactions and lives fit their roles. The locations for the series were really beautiful and aesthetically pleasing, the spaces of each character really seemed to fit them well.

Park Ki Hoon & Han Ji Yu: I found the two adorable! Han Ji Yu seems to be quite wild, easy going yet a bit awkward at times. Park Ki Hoon is an introvert who doesn’t do well in social situations, and that shows. I really liked how they kept their personalities throughout the series, there were no drastic changes. Sure, cold male lead became softer and more caring, but he still kept some of his traits. I do like how drama free the series was. It was a bit of a slow burn, but it felt realistic. The two are adults who didn’t rush into things. Even with having a crush on one another. They balance each other out really nicely. Han Ji Yu being a foodie and how he enjoyed pretty much everything he was eating was such a mood.

I am not really a fan of the fact that Han Ji Yu was shown as pretty much alcoholic. And the whole reason why Park Ki Hoon hates alcohol was delivered in a very cold, stoic manner. It was quite anticlimactic. Including how he was then suddenly cool with not only people drinking around him and in his restaurant but with him drinking as well.

I loved the friendships shown in the series. Park Ji Ha is an absolute cutie, the typical always single, in and out of relationships, kind of friend. His friendship with Han Ji Yu is amazing, they are the kind of friends that tell you just how things are. I also really liked the friendship between Park Ki Hoon and his friend / employee Choi Wan. It felt more formal, but the two had a close relationship and Choi Wan was doing his best to get his friend to open up a bit more. Kim Yuh Ah was a great addition to the group.

There was some humor to the series too. Which I liked. I really loved the opening scene, actually I really liked the whole first episode. I was hooked! Sadly, I feel like things got very rushed after the 2nd or 3rd episode, instead of focusing on the whole persuasion to work together part which was promised in the series description.

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A great continuation of the story from SOTUS

I liked how the stories of most characters from the first season continue in the second season. The seniors all graduated and have entered the working world, while the juniors are leading the hazing of the new freshmen and getting ready to do their internships. The majority of the series takes place during Kongpob’s internship in the company that Arthit works at. I think this kind of progress with the storyline was really nice, as we get to see all of them settling in a new stage of their lives.

M and May are finally official! Yay for that! But nay for some of the comments M had. At one point he told her she should get fat so the other guys will leave her alone, and that really bothered me. It has so many implications behind it – from saying bigger people are not attractive to putting the blame on May (which can be further extended into victim blaming). I know the series was filmed a few years ago, but such comments were already problematic then.

We got some new couples too, which I was really excited about. Especially because no other ships were sailed in the first season. Which is kind of realistic for university life, but still. One of the couples and its future are strongly hinted at, while the other couple has a date at the end. And Prae finally got herself a gorgeous girlfriend!

Kongpob & Arthit: I found Arthit, Mr. Sun, adorable in the first season. His reluctance and struggles about not being ready to come out are all very relatable and realistic. Kongpob is more confident and while he struggles to, he is a lot less shy about it. I guess it has to do with his upbringing as well. What wasn’t realistic was how the two were with each other. Not in public, but in private. They have been dating for two years, and yet they act more like it’s their first week of dating. It just made them look so distant from one another, like the two barely know each other. I also think that a lot of their conflicts and issues could have been resolved with simple conversations.

There were a few lines, especially from Kongpob, that hit me right in the feels. Arthit is really struggling with being in love with a man and not feeling like he is good enough for him. Kongpob is struggling too, he feels like his boyfriend doesn't care about him as much as he does and feels like he is the only one carrying the relationship. And that is exhausting.

The fact that Arthit knows absolutely nothing about Kongpob’s family after being with him for two years is crazy to me. Like do they never talk about their homes? What do they even talk about then? I am kind of disappointed that we didn’t really get any coming out to the family scenes. I feel like Kongpob is very close to his family from the way he talks with his parents, and I truly believe the two would be supportive of him. Especially knowing he’s seeing Arthit.

I feel like there are a lot of loose ends left. Maybe they were leaving things open in hopes of another season, but it was still kind of annoying. Or they could at least hint at their future plans some more or in a clearer manner. It did leave me a bit confused.

The bonus scenes were absolutely adorable! They even made me smiles after the emotional rollecoaster that some of the episodes were.

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Can we be lovey-dovey now?

So, this takes place three years after Pat and Pran got together. So, between the 11th and 12th episode of the main series. Others think the two broke up, but Ink, Pa, Wai and Korn know the truth. I am a bit confused if their friends know that their break up is fake. Wai and Korn know the truth, but no one bats an eye when Korn teases Pat about his boyfriend and then continues to talk like Pat and Pran broke up. It does make me a bit confused.

I’d pay to see Korn take on the role of one of the dwarfs in Snow White. Which one would suit him best though? There is no Naughty. Maybe Grumpy? They both have a short fuse, but Korn seems to be more cheerful than the dwarf.

I both love and hate them giving us another take at their iconic scenes. Elevator scene, fake fighting, curtain drop... Sure, it means nothing changed between the two and it brings back a ton of memories and feelings, but at the same time, it does come across as just a little bit lazy writing. I am not complaining too much, I really enjoyed the episode.

I really love how Pat and Pran seem to have stayed the same. It doesn't feel like the Our Skyy 2 episdoes were filmed 2 years later, but more like they have been done all together. I am really enjoying their bickering and their lovey-dovey moments, even if they are not that many. And Ink and Pa are absolutely adorable together!

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Leon and Pob, why?

The synopsis says that this takes place 3 years after Leon and Pob parted ways, so I don’t think I am unreasonable to want more of them. They got very little screen time, and it was mostly them almost meeting each other, but not actually meeting. Which kind of sucks. I hope we do get to see their series soon.

Story wise, nothing much actually happened. We got some info on what everyone has been up to since we last saw them, but that was it. I was really bothered by the twins trying to kidnap the lovebirds to take them on a vacation. And why does Leo have a gun? That part made very little sense, but at least their stupidity was called out.

I did like the fluff we got. Leon and Fiat are still adorable together, and madly in love with each other. Their friends are still crazy. So, nothing changed.

I do want to know more about other characters as well. They all seemed very interesting, especially because the story is set in the same universe as Love in the Air. I would love to see more from the twins, no matter how crazy their ideas often seem to be.

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Confusing, but it had me coming back

The trailer looked really interesting, and I was excited to give a try to a BL series that seems more complicated and with a crime related plotline. I am a sucker for a good mystery. The beginning was a little jump into the past to let us know what and how it happened, which was nice as it put some things into perspective.

However, what happened going forward made me quite confused. I have questions, a lot of them. I feel like we were bombarded with a great number of people all at once, so I found it very hard to keep up with who everyone is exactly. It got a bit easier as the story progressed, but there were still characters that I didn’t know where to put throughout the series. But no matter how confusing it is, it does have its charm. I was looking forward to watching new episodes. So, they must have done something right.

Ken is… a mess. I am not really sure what they were trying to do with his character. I understand his personality and the way he acts, but I feel like the writers couldn’t decide how they want him to be – is he supposed to be this badass character who can handle whatever gets thrown at him or is he supposed to be character in constant need of saving? He got almost chocked to death in like half of the episodes!

Mr. Lue is interesting. At times I think he might be Din – either some sort of reincarnation of him or a heavily operated on version of him. But then at other times I think he might be just someone who got involved with Din in the past. (These were my thoughts watching the series. I now know what is and what isn’t true). All I was sure of was that he likes Ken, a lot. And I think the actor is doing a great job showing emotions through his eyes.

The chemistry between Boom (Mr. Lue) and Haii (Ken) is amazing though. They look so good together! The scenes between them were very tense, but in a good way. I do hope they get another series together. Also, yay for giving mature roles to mature actors.

I do not like the “villains” though. They seem very cartoon-like, they don’t really fit into the series that well. Also, it’s a bit annoying that they don’t always continue the next episode where the one before ended.

And while certain things were kind of obvious and easy to predict, there were certain plot twists that I did not expect. There are characters I thought were connected to the villains when they were actually good guys. I really like it when a series tricks me into seeing a character differently than what they actually are. That is a good quality for any sort of mystery / thriller show.

The ending seemed kind of rushed though. It was very abrupt. I am not the biggest fan of the ending either. However, I do like the fact that the “good” guys didn’t get a free pass for their criminal actions. Often, that gets overlooked. I was happy it was different this time.

The OST fits the story very nicely, I really liked it.

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A long commercial with cute TutorYim moments

Another TutorYim mini-series! It does look like a long commercial, but I love that we are getting some more cute moments between the two actors. And it’s so short! Their chemistry is great, and I love how Yim’s character got caught taking the picture. It was such a cute little scene. And Tutor’s character is so slick! I see what he is doing. And I’m liking it!

I know there was not much time or opportunity to really develop the characters, but I really like the cheekiness of Tutor’s characters. I find it absolutely adorable. And Yim is excellent at pretending to be clueless. Super cute!

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Lhong does NOT deserve a redemption arc

I feel like the line above should be enough to explain why this special deserves one star. Actually, I would go into negatives if I could.

What Lhong did to Tar is not excusable. There is not a single bad thing that could have happened to him in the past that would make me think that his actions can be explained. He is evil. That’s it. Giving us a sob story about his past does not change the fact that he not only completely ruined the life of a teenage boy, but also continued to blackmail and manipulate the said boy. Let’t not forget him ruining his friend’s happiness again and again. And trying to kill the said friend’s boyfriend. Yeah, yeah, he hesitated. Does not mean he is a good person.

I am honestly so pissed that someone (aka MAME) had the audacity to think that he deserves a second chance. Or that the viewers would care about his sob story. No. The only thing we care about and are still upset about is the fact that he walked free. There were absolutely no real consequences for his actions. Sure, he lost a friend. Boo-hoo, go cry in the corner. What he should have gotten is either a life in prison or in some sort of mental hospital.

I do have to give it to the actor though. He is really good at switching the emotions in his scenes. And I do think he did a good job portraying Lhong. It does take talent to make you hate someone as much as we all hate Lhong.

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A guide on how to go from bad to worse

Why do I do this to myself? Like I disliked the first season. And yet, here I am, suffering through another season of TharnType and their dysfunctional, toxic relationship. Also, when I talk about characters, I am talking about the characters and not the actors who play them.

I feel like most of the series was a repeat plot of the first season – jealousy, a lot of it, and the two of them being bad at talking with each other. There was no real character development in the first season, so going into the second season that is happening 7 years later, I had high expectations. My mistake, I guess. I really expected a more mature couple that knows each other and can trust each other. Yeah, that’s not TharnType. Honestly, how did they even make it this far in the first place? And the fact that the two are not even public with their relationship?

Let’s talk about the whole Tharn & Type and Leo & Fiat mess. Honestly, I cannot hate Fiat. He was supposed to be the villain of this story. And while there are many things that I don’t think were okay, he is too cute for me to hate him. He can be quite unlikable at times, though. I really love his “friendship” with Leo. Leo is an amazing character and I really loved how he was keeping Fiat in line, preventing him from truly becoming a bad person. Even if his reasons might have been a bit selfish. One question though – who in their right mind would agree to Type’s stupid plan of getting Fiat to confess his feelings? I could never forgive someone for putting me through that, especially if they claim they love me. The way our “mature” couple handled the whole situation, on the other hand, was a mess. No communication, of course. Some violence. And a lot of tears. It’s like a repeat of season one, I swear.

We got two more side couples. They weren’t show that much, but I think they were adorable. But maybe not that memorable. I do not like how Khui and Seo suddenly became Tharn’s and Type’s neighbors again. It makes no sense.

And while on the topics that make no sense (or even less than usual), what’s up with the whole monk thing? It’s like they ran out of plot and had to throw something completely random in, so they had enough material for 12 episodes. It just doesn’t really go well with the whole flow of the story.

The OST was nice though. I also liked the way they included the problem of homophobic work environments and how hostile they can turn. Let’s not get into how Type could have done things better. I don’t have enough energy for it.

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