RoseQ

Having the right support matters

I was intrigued by the trailer, and I really enjoyed the series. I expected more in the terms of the mystery and suspense. I do think the pacing of the series was a bit off – it started very intense and then kind of simmered down. I am not really sure what bothered me with that kind of pace, maybe just that it was so different from what we usually get.

I wasn’t expecting such serious topics to be addressed through the series. I was honestly expecting another silly high school drama with a bit of mystery. However, topics of mental health (depression, suicide, pressure), the structure of society (following the rules) and LGBTQ+ issues are heavily present throughout the series.

I know that when it comes to mental health, the suicide of teacher Dika and his depression were supposed to be in the center. But I think that what we really need to talk about it Akk. Why? Because the thing that weighted so heavily on him was the pressure that him and others put on him. It’s something we see so often in today’s world, yet we very rarely realize when that pressure becomes to much someone. Often, the realization comes after it is already too late. I really like the way his struggles with trying to do his best were portrayed.

The structure of society is extremely present through both what is going on at school – the protest, the prefect club, the way they treat those who think differently – and in the books we see Aye read. Another thing that I found interesting was the philosophy class where all the thinkers believed in very different things from what the school expected from their students. I also really liked Wat’s “you are what you consume” speech.

As for LGBTQ+ struggles, the series focuses mainly on the teens (but not exclusively). I think the struggle of coming out and / or being openly gay in an only-boys school was shown really nicely. The doubts and the hesitations from Kan and Akk were really on point. Akk also struggled with the fact that being gay might ruin his image of a perfect son, a perfect student.

As for actors, I think they all did an amazing job portraying their character emotions and leading us through their stories. I love the friendship between Akk, Kan and Wat. The three are a mess together, but in a good way. I love how supportive they are of each other as well.

Akk & Ayan: There is no doubt that First and Khao have an amazing on-screen chemistry and that played their roles amazingly. Their romance is enemies to lovers kind of love, but it is done really well. I really like the fact that neither of them was abusive to the other or was bullying the other just because they “hate” each other. The way they supported each other long before they were official really warmed my heart.

Kan & Thua: I think Neo and Louis are a great pairing, they always deliver. Kan is a character that seems very unserious at first glance, but paying more attention, we can see how caring he is and how many details he notices. He also becomes more confident, more self-assured through the series. Thua was someone I felt a lot of empathy for at first – not only is he the target for many jokes for being openly gay, but also has his crush occasionally avoiding him to not start any rumors. However, none of that excuses what he did in the end. To be honest, he is maybe the only character in this whole series who I didn’t wish a happy ending for. But Kan deserved one, even if it was with Thua.

Ending was maybe a bit of a letdown. I really expected something bigger behind the whole Suppalo curse story. But at the same time, it felt kind of realistic to end the way it did. Kind of realistic being a very broad definition, of course.

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Great potential, but it's too short

The story is interesting. I have seen other series where we have debtors and creditors, but never as the main couple. So, it was quite an original storyline. I do wish it was longer though, especially as the ending seem very sudden and rushed. The location was absolutely stunning and the OST was very catching. The BTS clips were cute and funny as well.

I really enjoyed the sound effects whenever Sun (Prem) did something silly. It really made me focus on what is he going to mess up at that time. I absolutely loved the color scheme of Athit’s (Boun’s) clothes in the series as well. The beachy vibes and colors fit him incredibly well. And Prem rocked the orange hair!

I swear that whoever decided to put Prem into the role of a wanna-be tough guy deserves a raise. I wasn’t sure what to expect, I always see Prem as a cutie, no bad boy vibes. So, seeing him in such role was interesting. I absolutely loved how they made him the absolute worst debt collector who is scared of the debtors, ghosts and cockroaches. It was an interesting combination of traits that he pulled of incredibly well.

Athit was interesting as well. At first, I thought he is very serious and responsible, someone who has no time for fun. But then he played Sun, tricked him into his trap, and we got to see a more mischievous and free spirited side of him that I enjoyed as well.

I am a sucker for side couples, but I wish there would be less of a focus on them through the series. It’s already quite short, so having so much time spent on the side couples was a bit annoying as it ate into the screentime of Athit and Sun. Which might also why I find the ending very rushed and making very little sense.

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Tian’s character growth was done so beautifully!

I am more than just impressed with the story! I was worried that the whole premise of the show will be how Tian falls for Phu (and vice versa) because of Torfun’s heart that Tian got through the transplant surgery. It’s what we usually see as it goes with the whole romanticized idea that love and emotions come from the heart. I was over the moon when Tul, Tian’s friend, said that our emotions come from the brain when Tian expressed his worries that his emotions might actually be Torfun’s emotions.

The series is filled with extremely powerful and masterfully done imagery. I think some of the most memorable scenes are the ones where we see the comparisons between Torfun’s and Tian’s lives as well as the parallels between Tian’s old and new life. I think this is where we can really see how much progress Tian has made, just how much he matured and became a better version of himself. He went from this spoiled rich boy who didn’t value anything, to a very down-to-earth, grateful person who started to see value in little things. It was not an instant change, but a process that we got to follow through the series.

Phu & Tian: their relationship was really a slow burn relationship. I really liked the fact that they avoided pretty much every single cliché plot twist that we usually get in BL series. Instead, the actual conflicts came from just life running its course. It was refreshing to see. They both had their secrets, I guess we could call them that, that they weren’t ready to share with each other quite yet. Which is understandable, especially with them slowly developing feelings for each other. I think Earth and Mix have an amazing chemistry, they can portray a lot just through a gaze or a simple touch.

I think the cast in general did an amazing job with this series. The friends, the villagers, the kids… they all made the story flow so nicely. I loved how supportive they were of Phu & Tian’s relationship. I loved the fact that the friends who were the biggest shippers were actually straight – we didn’t get your usual everyone is gay series, which is another cliché in BL series.

The OST, the ending and even the sounds of the flute were perfect as well. I expected the series to make me cry at some point, however, I did not expect tears in pretty much every episode. It just shows what a great job everyone did when it came to portraying emotions. Tian’s guilt (even if misplaced) is something I could really feel at times.

It’s a must watch. Just keep some tissues on hand.

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Clichés done well

This was my first GL and I absolutely loved it! The storyline did seem a bit cliché, but I am a sucker for such stories (age gap, social gap), so I did actually really liked that. The chemistry between Freen and Becky is absolutely amazing!

The storyline is very good, even if it is a bit slow at times. There are certain areas that I feel like could have been done differently – in particular, the side characters / couple as we don’t really get to know much about them, but I found the little interactions between Tee and Yuki absolutely adorable. Also, the character of Cher and the way she treated Sam were amazing. She didn’t get much screen time, but she totally stole the show. I am kind of disappointed that we didn’t get much of a story relating to Nita, I think it could have been used for a conflict in a better way.

I do like what the show did with the representation when it comes to lesbian characters. However, there were still some problematic sides to how they did this. I hate how comic relief trans characters are a norm in BL / GL dramas. This is a problem I have with many dramas, not just Gap, but that doesn’t make it any less annoying.

Lady Sam is a complex character. She does appear very cold, reserved and arrogant, but getting to know her story, we can quickly tell that this is her way of surviving. She is independent and strong, but at the same, she falls victim to her grandmother’s manipulations every time. And that does make a lot of sense – Sam finds family very important, and with having no one else but her grandmother who also raised her since she was a child, she doesn’t want to lose her as well. Even if that means sacrificing her own happiness.

Mon is absolutely adorable! At first she seems to only be cute and sweet, but as the story progresses we also see her more mature side as well as her becoming more confident in her relationship with Lady Sam. I did find Mon’s idolization of Lady Sam a bit annoying and a bit problematic. I really like what they did with the public information of Lady Sam being mostly fake, which put both of them into an equal position when it came to getting to know each other. Sadly, Mon was still idolizing Lady Sam to the point where she forgave her some very hurtful things way too quickly. She does come across as a bit of a pushover.

Kirk is a character I cannot skip. He has his flaws, and he has made some dumb decisions, and while some were led by good intentions, others were led by his arrogance. But with where he is coming from and with the support he has, we couldn’t really expect anything else. I don’t think we can say he was manipulated by grandmother in the same way Lady Sam was, but she definitely holds some sort of power over him as well. Kirk wasn’t necessarily evil, but I think he was arrogant and entitled. But he did kind of come through when it mattered, even if I think he could have done better.

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Foreshadowing was done so masterfully!

I held off on writing this review, mostly because this was my introduction to Asian dramas, Thai dramas and BL dramas in general. I didn't really have any expectations going into this, so I wanted to give myself time to watch some other series and get a good point of reference when it came to the review. Having said that, I think this was an amazing introduction into the BL world for me.

The storyline is nice, there are however some shortcomings and there are certain things that were left open or without an explanation - like the motivation behind the inside man. I thought of almost everyone else except him, but I still don't know why he decided to betray the main family. Also the family relevations about Porsche (and Chay) was a bit too much and completely unnecessary. It could have been and it should have been done differently.

I love how much though was put into the side characters as well. I was ready to just remember everyone by bodyguard 1, bodyguard 2, friend 1... There are a lot of side characters and I think it's amazing how I had no troubles knowing exactly who is who, how they are, picking up some of their traits. That takes a lot of work and dedication, so kudos for that. The chemistry (and not just romantic) between the actors was great, they all did an amazing job portraying emotions, often only through their expressions. And I think saying the visuals of everyone were on point is an underrated statement. OST was amazing as well!

Another absolutely brilliant thing was the foreshadowing - there were a lot of little hints about what is happening or what was going to happen throughout the series, but I feel like I didn't fully register all of them as I watched the series. It was only when things actually happened that I was like "oooh, so that's what that comments ment!". This is also why I rewatched the whole thing pretty much right after I finished it. I really wanted to see how many such details I missed.

We get to see 4 couples in the series: Kinn & Porsche, Vegas & Pete, Kim & Porchay, and Time & Tay.

Time & Tay: they are Kinn's friends who are already a couple when the series starts. All I am going to say is that Tay deserves so much better. At first, I wasn't really sure if their actions and comments are meant as a joke or are we supposed to take them seriously, but episode 12 cleared all of my doubts. The two probably got the least screen time between all the couples, but they slayed it.

Kim & Porchay: This is one pairing that I found really interesting. Porchay is probably the most innocent person in this whole series, while Kim seems like someone who could rule the world with very little effort. Kim is the youngest and doesn't live with his family, he is an artist, but at the same time, he knows much more about what is really going on than Kinn. So the duality of his character was quite interesting to watch, especially in comparison with Porchay who was delighted to meet his favourite singer. I do really feel for Porchay though, he was practically abandoned by his brother (even if Porsche was trying to ensure a better future for his brother) and was left in a very vulnerable position. Their relationship is kept to a bare minimum, but it was one that really stuck with me.

Vegas & Pete: from the first interaction show in the series, it was foreshadowed that the two will be together. I do think their relationship does begin very problematically, including what precedes it, but at the same time, I just cannot hate Vegas. He grew up in a very messed up household and was taught to obey his father. I think that true Vegas comes out when he is taking care of someone, which is shown in his interactions with Macau and later with Pete. I do think he finds it hard to completely leave behind what was engrained into him by his father. Pete does appear as a very superficial character at first, he is fun and silly, and that's it. But as the story progresses, we get to see a lot more of his personality. He is wise, strategical, caring, supportive. I think this is what makes him a great match for Vegas who needs someone who will show him love, who will love him for who he is as a person, who can see through his shell.

Kinn & Porsche: they are the main couple. Their relationship was quite messy at times and it lacked communication when it was the most important. Kinn as a character does seem very cold and ruthless at first, but after hearing him talk about his life, we do get to see a different side to him. As he and Porsche get closer, we do get to see his caring side more. Porsche is... wild. I don't really know how else to describe him, but I think he is perfectly imperfect. He gets himself into trouble constantly, is kind of clumsy, noisy and is good at messing things up. I feel like this is what makes his character so human, so realistic. I was amazed by how much a single expression from Porsche (Apo) could tell us about his feelings. The amount of raw emotions put into some of the scenes left me speechless.

I do have to make a comment on questionable consent. There are a quite a few spicy scenes in the series which were done really beautifully. I urge you to check the BTS where the actors talk about them. It's very refreshing to see such mature outlook on NC scenes. But back to the consent - both Kinn & Porsche's and Vegas & Pete's first time are a bit problematic for different reasons. I really appreciate that we got to see that Porsche and Pete were wary of what has happened afterward. I think it's important that such issues are addressed, because it shows that what has happened was not necessarily completely consensual, which can lead to trauma.

The 18+ rating on the series is justified. Not because of action / violence scenes, not even because of the NC scenes. The characters are extremely complex, there is a certain level of maturity needed to really understand everything. And many people, even when they are 18+, are not capable of that.

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Nothing happened?!

We got like 20 minutes of new footage with nothing really happening. We simply get to see where everyone ended once the boys graduate, that's it. It's mostly just a recap of everythign that happened during the two season of the series.

This makes it hard for me to rate! I like the acting, but with there being no new story and mostly just old footage, there is no story to judge or rate. Rewatch value - none, you can just watch the series and get the less choppy version of events. It's not a terrible movie, I enjoyed the new scenes, but with there being so little of them, I have almost nothing to judge or rate.

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What happened to the chemistry?

I absolutely loved the first few episodes of the seires. The sparks were flying between Sarawat and Tine, I really enjoyed their interactions as well as their friend groups. This includes the later flashbacks to - Wat had some great wingmen on his side, that's for sure! However, as the series progressed, I felt like the spark between Sarawat and Tine was gone. There was very little physical contact between the two (no kissing, no hand holding, no cuddles) once they became official, which was kind of weird as such things are very important in a relationship.

Sarawat & Tine: As i said, the first few episodes were amazing. I think Wat had us all fooled at first, I loved the plot twist relating to their relationship. I did find Tine a bit childish at times, especially in how he choose ti deal with Green, but he also pulled through at some crucial moments. I know Wat was supposed to be this mysterious and cool musician, but I did find him quite cold at times. The amount of sorrow and pain I felt when Tine broke down crying... Win did such an amazing job with that scene. Also the whole boobs thing - why, just why?

Man & Type: Seeing the two actors, I think we all knew this was going to be a side couple we will all love. I think this was one pairing that I didn't know I needed, but I absolutely love. Man does seem like a bit of a manchild at first, but he does show his more mature side once he and Type start getting closer. I did enjoy how persistent he was, yet he never went to far. I especially enjoyed the moments Type realized he has feelings for Man. It was adorable! The dinner scene was so painful to watch though, I think the actors did an amazing job portraying the emotions.

Mil & Phukong: I was very on the fence about this couple. I love both Drake and Frank as actors, they have great chemistry together too, but I wasn't really sure how the whole thing with Mil going after Tine and hating Wat will play out. Especially with Phukong being Wat's brother. I do appreciate that while Phukong was crushing on Mil, he did not let that completely blind him about Mil's mistakes and bad intentions.

Dim & Green: I like them individually, but I don't like them together. I feel like they are not a good match, it's like they are suffocating each other and they do not handled their issues well.

The conflicts were very typical - lack of communication, misunderstandings and girls getting in the way - but I wasn't really that bothered by it. They are cliches, yes, but they are not something that would make me give a low score to a series. I think my scoring is quite high because I really loved the actors which often outweighted the less satisfying parts of the series for me. I'm biased, I know.

The ending left a lot of things unsolved and unfinished, but I didn't let that bother me as I knew there is season 2 out that I watched right after I finished episode 13.

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Uea did really meet a good person in King

I have been so looking forward to this series! I do admit that I expected a bit more from the NC scenes as they have been really hyped up and as the series is produced by the same company as Cutie Pie. I am not saying that NC scenes are the only thing I want from such series (most of my favorite ones have no real NC scenes), but when half of the trailer is the two main characters “enjoying” each other, you do end up expecting more from it. The chemistry between the actors is amazing though, you can feel the sparks fly as the two look at each other. And there were a lot of looks passed between the two.

King & Uea: With every new episode, my heart breaks more and more for Uea. He really went through a lot of pain and heartbreak in his past (and even now). Uea is very clearly not used to others caring about him and his emotions, be it his family or his ex-boyfriend. I noticed he finds it hard to say what he wants, especially in terms of non-sexual aspects, from his relationship with King. It’s like he doesn’t want to burden him. I really hope that King can be that good thing in his life going forward. It shows very early on that King can be very caring and maybe a bit too possessive for the stage of their relationship. But I do think that having someone so protective and attentive is what Uea needs to heal. I do really appreciate that the two have an honest conversation about what they expect from their bed friends agreement, especially the part about the consent that can be revoked at any time. I do like the sassy side of Uea, it really makes me think he is comfortable enough around King (even before they get together) to tease him. And with his past, him being this comfortable around someone means that the person must have done something right. We could see that he was much more guarded around others.

Their first time is not really what I hoped for. I don’t mind a one-night stand storyline, but I do mind it when one of the participants was barely able to stand a few minutes before while the other one seems to be fairly sober – he drove them to the apartment, so unless they are promoting drunk driving, he was sober enough to know and to do better. Uea was not really okay with what happened, his actions show that. King does get some minus points in my books for that. But at least he learned his lesson out of it and did better the next time Uea was drunk.

Let’s talk about Jade for a moment. I love Yim in his clueless and adorable roles. But saying that Jade is only that would be criminal. He might appear quite clueless at times, or maybe he just doesn’t stick his nose into things that don’t concern him, but he is the type of friend everyone wants. He is extremely supportive of all his friends and wishes the best for them. And he is nowhere near clueless enough to not see when the ones he cares for are uncomfortable. I think him being soft spoken makes it easy for him to react without others taking it as something negative, as something aggressive. He knows how to stand up for people, in either a very assertive way or in a more hidden manner, depending on what the situation calls for.

I do have one major complaint. The series seems extremely choppy at times, there seems to be a lot of time skips that sometimes make it a bit hard to follow the story. There seems to be a lot of development in a very short time or not enough development in longer time periods. I did find that a bit confusing at times.

The OST is amazing too! I always have the theme song stuck in my head after the episode ends. It’s very catchy.

Also, can we please show some appreciation to both Uea’s aunt and later King’s mom? After everything Uea has been through with his mom, the interactions between him and the two women had me in tears. They were happy tears, but there were tears.

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Plot? We don't know her.

The trailer looked really promising. It looked really interesting, and it seemed like we will get some forced proximity between our main leads, which I was really looking forward to as it has been a while since I watched a BL like that. The beginning of the series was, sadly, all over the place – we were introduced to a crazy number of characters who I didn’t get the chance to really tell apart, for whatever reason everyone and their mom is babysitting a niece or a sister or is leaving her with “friends” and strangers! What are all these little girls bringing to the story, to the plot?

There is no actual story to follow. There are also many inconsistencies with what is going on to the point that it becomes annoying. Like Tin meets his sister and then asks two of his friends to take her to his place – but he is going there as well, yet he takes much longer than the three of them! And the sister and other kids are waiting outside the house for Tin while Park and the rest of their friends are inside, yet not one of them said anything to the kids?

Also, how old is Tin supposed to be? At times, it seems like he is still a high school student, talking about what major he should pursue with his friends. He is childish enough to fit the age group well. And then at other times, he seems to be older, as someone who should already be in university or maybe even done with it. Especially considering that Park is working and seeing had to get a degree first, their age gap might be quite big. But that doesn’t really make sense to me with relation to their childhood. It’s confusing.

To be honest, I am way more invested in Pao and Khana. I think the two of them will make an interesting couple. Especially with them being so different, there is this idea of Pao being a golden child and Khana being the black sheep. I am excited about seeing more of their dynamics. I do get a sense that Khana doesn’t think himself good enough for Pao, which is why even after they have their moment, it feels like he is not happier.

I don’t like how the series addresses some very serious and sensitive topics. For example, the whole family situation with Khana when he seeks shelter at Park’s house was dealt with awfully. Yes, he is an adult who has probably done this before, but he is still the victim in this whole thing. Has been since he was a child. And to see how Tin (and even Park at some point) treat him is wrong on so many levels. Being cute afterwards does not make things okay.

It does deserve the recognition in one aspect though - I like how they adressed the fact that LGBTQ+ people are often held to a higher standard than others. It's true and it often seems that the world is just waiting for them to make the smallest mistake, so they can be condemned for it.

I am ready to drop this one. I really wanted to like it, but I am just not feeling it. The main couple lacks chemistry, the story is getting boring and very repetitive. There is also nothing really happening, no new developments in their relationship. I really wish they made Pao and Khana the main couple. And it would be nice if they didn’t include that many kids with no meaning to the plot.

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Adorable and sweet

I found Ana and Fuse adorable when we were introduced to the two of them in Love Mechanics. The cast didn’t change, which was surprising, but in a good way. Vee and Mark are not part of the story, but they do get mentioned quite a few times. That’s okay though. The storyline is a bit different, but that’s understandable, especially with this being done by a different company. I am not familiar with the novels, so I don’t know which storyline is closer to the novels, not that it really matters to me.

Fuse & Ana: I like how even though Ana has liked Fuse for a while, he turns the situation around, so Fuse ends up being the one pursuing Ana. It’s quite obvious that Ana didn’t have much luck in love and relationships by now, so maybe that’s the reason he never actually tried to go after Fuse. Fuse on the other hand is just sick of love around him, so he decides to get himself a man too. Honestly, kudos to him. He knows what he wants, he just needs to find the right guy. When the two are together, they are just so sweet. It’s just so much fluff going on, almost to the point of it being too much. And Fuse’s whiny voice when he calls P’Ana? It had me aweing at the screen almost every time. Their communication is also pretty good, they talk about most of their problems and are pretty honest about it. Sure, there are certain shortcomings, but they are not that bothersome.

I do sometimes find it hard to believe that Ana is a few years older than Fuse. He doesn’t seem very mature when it comes to dealing with relationship problems. Fuse seems to be much more assertive on the topic, even when it comes to his parents. It might be due to Ana’s past, him feeling like he isn’t good enough for anyone. But when Fuse is all cute and whiny, I can definitely see how Ana is the older one.

I think saying that the story gets a bit choppy at times or seems to be extremely fast paced at certain times is understandable. It’s an ongoing issue I have with shorter series – there is just not enough time to cram everything in, to give the relationship time to develop, so it ends up being kind of rushed. Or it makes me feel like there is a lot of background stuff that we are missing. I do feel it got a bit better towards the end though.

I absolutely love Khamphan! He is representing all the single people with friends who are crazy in love. I do feel sorry for him though, feeling so left out and his friends not even realizing that. I just want to give him a big hug. He might smile, but he is hurting.

And to give credit where it’s due, the scene with both sets of parents in the last episode was something I was really happy to see. The conversation about the two choices they had is one that is very important. They are the only choices a parent has in such situation, and I wish more parents would make a better choice.

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… And I hope you will linger forever

A little warning: I don’t know enough about Thai history and the historical period the series is set in to comment on the accuracy. I felt like a lot of it seemed as if it could be accurate, but I have no knowledge if that’s true or not.

I am absolutely amazed by this series! I loved the trailer and all the teasers, but the series itself… that was a masterpiece! The plot was interesting, it wasn’t something that we have seen often in BLs. And the plot twists were very well thought through. Some were expected, but a lot of them were quite surprising. The historical setting was beautiful, I really loved the house and its surroundings that we got to see. The OST is beautiful and full of emotion, just like the series.

We get to see a lot of different relationships, both good and bad ones. They did a great job portraying the differences between the rich and the poor. They also addressed a lot of important topics, but one I want to stop at is the relationship between a couple, and what is and is not okay. It was a big step in the right direction (and I truly wish this would be the standard) when it comes to validating relationship trauma. Both Ueang Peung and Fong Kaew suffered under Robert, even if they came from very different backgrounds. And I am glad that their pain was validated, that their trauma was seen.

The series was incredibly heavy on emotions. I felt emotionally drained after each episode, but I think that is a good way. It shows that they portrayed those scenes incredibly well. There was something that has us on the edge of the seat in each episode.

Yai & Jom: the two of them were destined to be together. Jom travelled to the past, and he struggled with adapting to the period he was thrown into. I do think his struggles, especially with things that are now seen as normal or forbidden, really made it appear believable. He is heartbroken, but that doesn’t change the fact that he is a warm, caring, and loyal person. Yai seems almost trapped in his life. He’s similar to Jom in the sense that he too is very caring and soft. I liked how Jom brought out a more independent side of Yai, a side that was daring and has bit dreams. And Jai helped Jom mend his broken heart, he showed him that there’s still hope and beauty in life. Their story was a slow burn, but it was so worth the wait. Bright and Nonkul have amazing chemistry. The way they looked at each other, the small touches, how they always tended to gravitate towards one another… beautiful.

Eeang Peung and Maey are one of the side couples. I found the two adorable, I really liked their relationship and the way the two seemed to have been together for a very long time. The support they showed to one another was amazing. I also liked Fong Kaew and Khamsaen as a couple, they went through a lot and might seem very unlikeable at first (I still hate their present selves and what they did to Jom), but both grew a lot throughout the series.

I really liked a lot of the side characters. No matter if they were good or bad, the actors playing them really nailed the roles. Ming is the kind of friend we all want. James has a lot more dimension than I expected. Lek was a cutie, even if he was very spoiled.

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A fanservice episode

I really liked how the story in the special episode was a continuation from where we left of in the main series. And the fact that they didn’t go for the cliché wedding scene was even better. I did find the audio a bit weird at times, the background noises being too loud. But I wasn’t too bothered by it as I use the subtitles anyways.

There was no real character growth or much plot progression (which is fine), but there was a lot of fanservice moments throughout. The special episode felt like it was meant to be just that – fanservice, with the two couples getting frisky whenever possible. The friendships between Rain and Sky and Payu and Prapai were shown too. I really liked how the scenes between the two friend pairings were incorporated into the story, especially the gossiping between Rain and Sky while the other two just observe them. This also opened the possibility for flashbacks that got to be incorporated into a story in a very clear and fitting way.

Am I annoyed by the lack of communication and misunderstandings as plot drivers for the special episode? Yes, I am. It could have easily been avoided and the boys could have just gone to a joint vacation. No extra drama needed.

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Thank you for picking up my trash

This was a watch and a half! I mostly really enjoyed the drama, but I feel there are certain little plot holes or events with no real conclusions left in the end. I loved how clearly they differentiated between the scenes of their first lives and their second lives. Seeing there were a lot of flashbacks or parallel scenes, that was something I liked.

Kang Ji Won was both on a path of revenge and path of self-discovery. She used to be very meek, someone who was living in the shadow of her best friend. Yet things changed once she died. At first, there was a lot of little acts of rebellion which soon grew into something bigger. Ji Won realized that the only way to be happy and to be free of those who hurt her is to change. Change herself and change her faith. They really worked on showing her a good person, someone who hurt when she caused pain to others, even when it was well deserved. She grew into that person. She became more confident, stronger and someone who stood up for both herself and others. But in the final stages of her revenge, it was like she lost all the good parts of herself. I am not sure how I feel about that. In a way, she showed that she really had had enough of it, that she will not let herself fall victim again. But in a different way, I hated how this meant she had no empathy, no her good-person attitude in those scenes.

Park Min Hwan has no redeeming qualities. The man never learns. He is selfish and self-centered, he doesn’t care about anything or anyone except for himself. And money. That might be his one and only love, and he is willing to do anything to get it. In both timelines. He never shows regret and is not capable of having feelings for anyone. Even his “feelings” for Ji Won were never real, he simply found it convenient to have her around. He never appreciated her when he had her. But once she became unattainable, unavailable, he wanted. Not because he loved her but because he refused to admit defeat or admit that she can be happy without him.

Jung Soo Min is another character that has no redeeming qualities. To put it simply, she was obsessed with Ji Won. To her, it was either she has Ji Won or no one has her. Her only way of achieving that was to isolate her, tie her to herself. In a way, Soo Min was jealous of Ji Won, but I think it was mostly her need to better than her while making sure Ji Won is always there to lift her confidence up. Soo Min, similar to Min Hwan, only ever truly cared about herself and her status in the world. I must say that Song Ha Yoon, the actress who played Soo Min, did an amazing job. She made us hate the character, but it was easy to see how much work she put into portraying Soo Min in the way that she did.

Yoo Ji Hyuk was a confusing character to me. What exactly was his point? Look, I’m a sucker for a good romance plot but I just wasn’t feeling him suddenly realizing he wants to be with Ji Won. He spent most of the series playing her errand boy, doing everything and anything she asked for or needed. She needed money to execute her revenge (and some extra support at work), so they threw in a rich manager who would do all that for her. And while it might be cute to some extent, I found it a bit annoying by the end. I feel like there was a lot more potential for plot development related to Ji Hyuk that just wasn’t explored properly.

I have similar feelings about some other characters. Like Oh Yoo Ra who I found absolutely unnecessary. I get that they wanted to throw another ex into the mix, but her whole wannabe gangster attitude towards everything and everyone was just not it.

Seeing it’s 2024, can we please agree to stop with the makeovers where everyone just loses their glasses? It’s stupid and annoying cliché. Glasses are hot and there is nothing wrong with people deciding to wear glasses instead of choosing an alternative.

There were other scenes and characters that made very little sense to me, but I don’t feel like getting into it. So, why am I still rating this drama so high? Because I loved it. It kept me hooked from start to finish and it had some absolutely amazing scenes, characters and acting. The good outweighs the bad for me.

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