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Good representation, but also a horney teen 90s early 2000s medley
It started off as a crossover between American Pie and 10 things I hate about you and then it turned in to Sex Education meets go back couple... With the slightly odd supernatural time travel theme.While there is some second hand embarrassment and cringe that had me wondering if I should drop it at times, the well done representation and issues done mostly right made up for it. As this is one of few places where you will hear the words gender non binary, consent, fat-shaming, menstrual cramps... This drama does indeed make way for a whole bunch of people within the LGBTQ+ community.
What I loved most about this drama was just how naturally they showed, sex, double standards, sexism, desire, lack of desire... Mens idiocy and the right to choose. As well as consequences, as actions do have consequences and unless you travel in time there are no do overs.. So basically damage done is damage done as well as different people will react to the same situation differently and that is ok too.
What annoyed me about this was the teenage boys being showed as d***, the premise of a mother forcing her kid to take an oath of celibacy with a ring (that just creeps me out no matter what the reason), and the moaning... it can get to be to much. Oh and the bundles of second hand embarrassment.
I am a little bit conflicted about the the male voice talking about issues that affect mostly women as both the writers and directors credited to this project are all cis men but on the other hand, most feminist know that chances of being heard increase when men do the talking and it was kind of nice to see them put the responsibility to do something about it on the men who benefit from the system instead of letting it just be (mostly) woman's issues. But still I would want more woman and trans representation among the people behind the camera. That said they probably are just that we do not know about it...
Enough about the stuff behind the scenes, all in all it was a decent watch, it kept my interest, some of the twist where less predictable than others and well they did manage to address a whole lot of issues and be educational without compromising the entertainment value of the show. So if you watch this be were of the first few episodes. It does get better.
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Lots of Cabbage Layers of Conventions Done Educational
This is a story about Cabbage and Conventions as we get a window in to the oh so easily forgotten A in LGBTQIA.A big part of this drama is educational, this could be due to lack of representation and basic awareness the A in LGBTQIA as well as the existence/difference between the orientations A-Sexual, A-romantic etc. Showing viewers both the journey to come to terms with ones sexuality, outing, family pressure and what not.
We also get to meet a bunch of people who are trying to find their own place in the world and the balance between having to shut them selves in a cave, succumb to society pressure, accept the things they can not change... Find happiness and a way to live in a way that is true to themselves. As well as the all time dilemma Is it possible to both have both family and a career one enjoys. What actually makes a family? Is it living together, romantic connections or could there be more ways to create a family? Or does romance just complicate and ruin things?
This and a lot more is covered in this drama with great lines that question conventions over and over again from different angels and basically makes you go boom take that... Normative society that keeps putting people in boxes, as nobody puts Sakuko and Satoru in a box.... However they may be able to put them in a cabbage patch.
Cabbage is your friend and you will probably feel like eating cabbage once you watch this so if you do not like cabbage, can not afford to buy cabbage, or just do not want to buy in to the cabbage convention of this drama I suggest you ignore the cabbage and watch it for the lines, female leads smiles and slight grumpiness of the male lead.
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Steamy, Spaced out Hot Romance...
Woow this was something I had never seen before, yes it does have some cliches here and there after all it is a romcom but it is a fast paced spaced out romance that truly feels like it is from somewhere way out of this world... oosing with creativity, fun characters, artistic stuff, emotions and to be fair there is not a lot of plot, but who needs a plot when there is steam and deodorant?The male lead is as obsessed with the scent of the female leads, he may come off a bit too forward , scary and to be perfectly honest a bit of a pervert/sex offender. Which should have raised a huge red flag... and send people running, but it is done in a way that ensures the viewers see those actions in a horror movie fantasy type way and not really as part of his character, I know this sounds completely off, but you will have to watch it (the whole drama) to see that he is actually one of Dreamlands most green flag male leads out there... . Seriously there are very few male leads that are as considerate, tuned in, self aware and able to reflect on their own actions as this guy,
The female lead is timid (for good reason), but she is smart, uses actual words (and scent) to communicate, honest and lovable. She experiences great development and breaks out of her shell the further in we go but she does not lose her introverted core or bra for that matter and I love her for it.
There are also a bunch of nice friendships, collegial interactions done right and a feel good aura all the way through..
The pace of this drama is rocket fast! So you may need to buckle up! and each episode provides a unique show of intimacy/ sex scene I am not going to say it was tastefully made even if there is use of rice, fruit and a whole lot of steam... but it is not rated R either in anyway as the most nudity we get is a sweaty chest iside a push up bra and a guy in boxers... Okay a whole lot of moist, sweat and symbolism.. But definitely more funny than sexy in anyway possible qualifying those scenes to the WTF Quirky Sex scenes hall of fame only topped by Ashes of Love...
So if you are in the mood for a decent relationship, good chemistry and something different where office rom com meets horror and fantasy this is definitely a good place to find it. Just make sure you can handle the sweat. Also the leads are indeed HOT in every way possible... I honestly think they were burning up in this...
Another way to define this would be to say that it is a bit likeStrangers From Hell when it comes to creating fantasy vibe without being an actual fantasy drama but instead of murder and horrible colleagues and friends this one shows the polar opposite... Romance and, good people and Fluff....
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It can be hard to find Joy in an unfair world but Joy is indeed here...
This was... Surprisingly good, though it got off to a slow start once it got going it had a pretty good mix of playboy falls in love and life is not easy... giving us a window in to the daily lives of immigrants/ foreign workers... work permits can be tricky. though the movie has a whole lot of lovely cliches it feels a bit refreshing to have two poor leads instead of the usual rich/poor I also adore. Bundled together with some more issues here and there such as domestic violence and I am sure something more... But I seem to have forgotten...The male lead has a whole bunch of red flags, he even wears a red shirt to warn us. As he pretty much both stalks her and tries to guilt her in ot stuff at times... But the chemistry between the two leads is phenomenal, and he does experience some type of development. But as usual fun to watch, but in real life this can be pretty tricky.
I think i may have gotten a crush on the female lead, I am not going to say she is a very good actress overall but there is something about her that has me hooked. The more I see her the more I want to see of her. And honestly her character here is one of her best ones. She is both smart, human and kind but without coming off as pathetic.
But what I love most is the cringey lines meet good lines ...
”Choice is only for the rich”
The words "I love you" said over and over again in the most peculiar way...
“ I have no plans of being your future but I can be your now”
Oh come on... m... right... we all know how that is going to end...
The friendships here are pretty good too. So are the views... Hoodies and Umbrellas are also used pretty decently.
Definitely one of the better Pinoy Rom Cos I have seen, you just get passet those first moments av meeh...
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Aggravating and a bit confusing
This movie is one of those who made me feel a lot of anger and frustration partly because society sucks, partly because of the way they chose to show that society sucks... While they did a great job showing the obstacles set by society as well as internalised homophobia and kids can be ***. I found part of the story telling glitchey and a bit lacking. This could be intentional or could be due to budget or issues with the editing causing this very important movie to loose a few points and not live up to its full potential. As I felt that there was just so much left unsaid. While other scenes just felt unnecessary.That said I do think this is a story that needs to be told, as they do bring up a lot of angles that rarely get space in media about the complexity of issues regarding rule of law, vs rule of society. For example they talk about the how gaining the right to wed will on the one hand give same sex couples the same lawful rights as hetero couples, however registering that marriage will make way to new problems such as having ones kid. stamped as part of a gay family forever... Is it okay to let ones kid stand in the frontline in a not so inclusive society?
So while I do appreciate the issues seen, I am not 100% sure about how they went about showing them... making me settle for an 8 star rating, so yes watch it but beware it is not perfect and will probably aggravate you for more than one reason.
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So sweet, so sweet, so sweet....
Finally a cute, fun GL, ok short and probably a commercial in disguise as a film this was both sweet, entertaining, fluffy.. pretty much all the components of a rom com in 10 short minutes. This little love on set, hot and cold type of deal was highly entertaining and just enough to grab my attention.I am impressed!
Though I did find the dubbing a bit off and annoying I would gladly watch this plot turned in to a full length drama too... But who am I kidding, that aint gonna happen any time soon.
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Decent story but not really for me
This is the story of the 4 friends who tried to make it in the big city... As well as had to face a whole lot of pressure, obstacles and what not... One is a marketeer working with coffee, and probably as obsessed with coffee as I am. One is a bubbly girl with a bunch of secrets, One is a CEO and one is obsessed with things money can buy. As they guide us though the hardships facing young women in the workforce as well as that of city immigrants as well as relationship stuff.The story itself as well as it's execution and the way they wrapped things up was actually pretty decent so I really should not complain and should have rated it higher than I did... However I found myself annoyed at several characters, bored at times and though I did fall in love with one of the couples one. I like to call the coffee couple and the friendships they were just not enough to make me fall in love with the show as the annoying elements outshined the good.
Give em a series about the coffee couple and I am in, would love to see more of those two, But could honestly just skip the rest as it was not really my cup of coffee....
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Subtle Cotton Candy Sweetness... but not so much Vice or Versa...
The vise versa universe is not very vice and not very versa as the differences between the universes are few enough to be noticeable but not enough to be worthy of the name or actually ,mean anything... more than the right to marry. a part of me thinks this is a good thing another part of me thinks they could have done so much more with this subject without overdoing it. They could show how absurd gender conventions are, or I do not know... I just feel that this part could have been done better... It is kind of sad to think that our society is so hard on celebrities that they seem to need to go to another universe so they can set a foundation for love... Shows some pretty decent criticism towards Idol culture without making that criticism too obvious either... So I guess if you like to read in between lines and appreciate the subtle approach to well known subjects this is not bad... I am struggling to decide if it is subtle in a good way or just under developed.This drama probably has one of Thai BL Dramalands best cameo appearances, done right featuring a lot of well known faces in fun roles. Making it worth a watch just for the cameo. That said the leads are pretty good on their own too. Showing decent chemistry and eat the fish instead of dead fish kisses... or is it steam the fish kisses.. Whatever they are tehy are indeed lovely.
There are a few draggy parts in the middle, and one of the supporting characters is highly annoying making me wonder is it the actor, the script or the combo that makes me annoyed whenever I see him. I truly feel bad for the guy who seems caught in these highly annoying character roles. There were a few sides torys that seemed to have a lot of potential, that I would have wanted to see more of too... So I guess there is quite a bit of waisted potential in this.
Other than that this was a fun and enjoyable watch that I do indeed recommend to Thai BL lovers out there... Not very demanding ... except for the first episode, that one is very confusing and not so well made.. but the rest is pretty decent and highly bingable.
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In heaven love comes last.... or will have you killed
In a world where love not only does not come first but is is completely prohibited and punishable by death (annihilation of ones soul) , we are taken on a journey that proves that you can forbid love all you want but it won't stop people from falling in love and obsession... As open or not people will scheme, betray, sacrifice and what not in the name of obsession and love... oh and some power too.. I can not help but draw parallels to other loves who are forbidden in certain parts of the world and wonder how this drama passed the Chinese censorship... Still I am glad it did as I found it pretty interesting to see what happens when mr. upright, self righteous, by the book, bully iceberg is unavoidably drawn to ms, smart but naive cheerful, justice seeking sweetheart... Did I mention they lived in a world where love is forbidden.. yet they inevitably do fall in love... Which leads to a lot of cranberry, blueberry, strawberry and black current syrup splatter (different shades of blood), a bunch of misunderstandings, and one disaster after the other.
As mr self righteous seems to think he knows best... when he obviously is just a control freak... But I still love him... So basically what I got was a drama that is frustrating, interesting and at times a bit draggy...
What I like about the drama is that it has me wanting to choke a whole bunch of people, making Homer Simpson hands to the screen over and over again, without being overly annoyed by any character, nope just pure anger and hate from me.I also like a lot of the scenery but will admit that they could have paid a bit more attention to detail as the CGI is less than perfect and at times I got to see parts of the wing I should not have seen...
I am also happy that I waited to watch this part till after part 2 was released and am now looking forward to part 2...
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Great start till it takes a turn to the snooz fest
This was just soooo good until they started healing and then it just became a never ending flow of tears (not mine) and slow mo conversations to the sound of emotional music that did not seem to end...But to the good stuff!
The leads, all three are fun to watch and have great dynamics.. did a good jobb portraying the different emotions and types of relationships. I especially loved the long lost brother sister bickering, fun, playfulness. But also the friendships,
The parents here are awful, in an entertaining love to hate type of way, the onely remotely competent parent figure in this whole drama are those not connected by DNA. No Wait there is a single mother here who is deffinetly motherhood goes too but she does not really have much to do with the leads and has way to title screen time.
The way the story unfolds is really good, it delivers some pretty decent twists, and show the whole human behind the suicide. A complex web of emotions, circumstances and of course pain, done right. I could relate to many of the characters on many levels. And would say this is one of the better portrayals of the subject even though it does have some iffy parts as well. However seeing it is a delicate subject that is to be expected.
I also love the way the past relationships unfold with all the complexity they give...
So the first 9 episodes or so would have easily gotten 9,5 stars, if only it did not turn awkward and then all healing on me... taking away all the fun, bitterness, intrigues and suspense I was enjoing so much... making me want to forward scenes and wondering if it will ever end...
There are no less than 2 really cute dogs, nice cinematography from time to time too. A bunch of plot holes and situations that make no sence att all too...
So episode 1-9 9,5stars
episodes 10-13- 6 stars..
= 8 stars. but If you love healing then you are sure to love this, if you don't I suggest you just watch the first 9 episodes and skim the rest or ask someone about those last 4 episodes...
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Not so Deep After All...
This movie is the typical desperate girls/s take/s desperate measures to survive in a world that feeds on the week... meet a bunch of insomniacs that figure if I can´t sleep any way why not make some money out of it which marks the start of a beautiful friendship... in true Bee Gees ah ah ah ah staying alive spirit.The movie is ok not very good and not very entertaining and lacks substance but it is not bad either. It does indeed show some lovely friendships and more or less i interesting twist, I would say twists but I am not sure if there is more than one twist or maybe a twist and a half... There is a bunch of darkness here and there, some stalking, some fluff and even a pretty decent kiss somewhere in there.
It is easy to find on Netflix so if you don´t have anything better to do, want to use it in a challenge are curious about the cast, have a crush on the cast etc... then I say go for it! t is not poorly executed or anything, so your crush is likely to stay intact. If you are in need of something good or highly entertaining I would suggest you look elsewhere.
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Love is... Cringe... Cowerdley... .
This is a movie you watch in-between stuff to completely shut off your brain and just watch the joys and hardships of friends to lovers while being surrounded by dead people, mental illness, co dependence and living with a mentally ill parent. Some parts portrayed better than others but mostly cringe and with horrible acting from most of the side characters... 80% of this movie makes NO sense at all, dude can't to anything because he is color blind... and keeps losing his jobs... + is taught "to feel color with emotions" as if he was a 2 year old. Just got on my nerves. There is just so much cringy dialog that I almost had to throw up. While some parts were actually pretty good, reminded my of past (painful) experience that are rarely shown on film that way... Yet ruined by the poor acting, odd choices and the oh so bad acting by the side characters.That said I love watching Belle Mariano and Donny Pangilinan (the leads) on screen together I just do! They are fun, their acting varies in quality but Belle has this thing where she can convey frustration, stubbornness, and sweetness really well. She is probably one of few people who can portray a girl throwing herself at a guy without seeming the least bit bathetic. So kudos!
So if you can shut off your brain, ignore all these annoying elements and love these leads I say go for it, have fun! If you have never seen these leads before, and want to watch something good, go watch something else.
P.S. may be a slight spoiler: I am also critical towards the messages this movie tries to convey... it over simplifies things and seems to try to tell people that they must get their s*** together on their own before they deserve to be loved. I am in no way advocating for co dependency, but there should be some thing in between, giving up on oneself just to support a person or leaving the person when they hit rock bottom so they can get their S''' together.
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Plus Kisses Minus A lot
This drama has a lot of potential as it has pretty ok actors, nice cameo, sweet second couple a decent story to tell and not an overly annoying character in sight...However instead of communicating with each other most characters seem to choose kissing. As in some dramas you find yourself thinking now kiss... this is a drama where you find yourself thinking now talk... And please say something else then " We Will Always Be Together" as I kept wondering when - We'll Always Be Together from Grease would start playing. FYI - It didn't.
The story development is more or less non existent... Kiss I like you( for some after 20 years) Poof that person is dining - kiss, , poof that person died- kiss, poof we are camping-kiss, kiss- lets break up,I hate you-kiss, I love you- kiss, the world is ending-kiss, you do not respect me- kiss, lets get married-kiss, lets get a divorce- kiss, and so on and so on.. First or second couple other couples doesn't really matter everything seems to come out of nowhere and you are never more than a scene away from a kiss or make out session. The kisses where the type where they look like they are trying to eat the other persons face better than dead fish but not really as fluffy as other kisses can be.
Still it was an ok watch, nothing I recommend but nothing I regret spending time on either.
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Over the top but interesting at times
Well this clearly was not really my cup of coffee... It was an ok watch but I did hit that double speed button once or twice and found myself struggling with watching it.... Why? Well let's start with the 3 mains:1. Ms, emotional wreck/cry baby... would probably get emotional from seeing a person she has never met drop their ice cream and will burst in to tears 10 times an episode. Do not get me wrong, it is important to be in touch with ones emotion and I am all for people crying. However this is just over done making me want to have a good talk withe her about how to re-direct those emotions. She also finds comfort in others misfortune... Yes she feels for them but also uses it to cheer herself up... my problems are not as bad as that guys so I should just put myself together... She is naive as **** and keeps getting doupet by the world... Do not get me wrong she does have her fun moments, sweet, caring to the point of obsession, but after seeing her cheer her up with others misfortune I felt that she was not that genuine after all... But I do like her at times she has a beautiful smile and does show an interesting personality from time to time...
2. Mr Playful Jerk on the outside, fluffy marshmallow on the inside... A kid who was never really loved and acts like a 2 year old who has not had their nap... immature but still the boy is very pretty and has the greatest character development of them all... He is overall a person that it is easy to open up to and feel comfortable with.
3. Mr arrogant Icicle on the outside, mature cotton candy on the inside... A Super Physical therapist, mature, good looking and what many would think waaay out of number 1s league... is actually kind of awkward and falls for her kindness and says the words " Should i give you some advice?" over and over again without actually waiting for the other person to answer. This is walking a thin line between funny and just over the top. he is however extremely mature and listen up! He seems to respect and trust the person he. crushes on... a rare gem in Dramaland. But also kind of dull...
The three have these Reply 1988 moments here and there but just not as good...
Non of these seem to have great chemistry....
Then there are some more over the top characters with repetitive lines, over the top behaviour... Making this the perfect drama for you who do not mind over the top characters as it does have some pretty awesome friendships, no one brings out your anger and all seem to have a story to tell...
This may not have been my cup of coffee but I can not give it less than 7 because I can see it is a pretty good drama, but just not for me... For those who wonder why I did not drop it, I was curious about how it would end and if I would get SLS or not...
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Not so innocent but very loving
I may be strange but starting a series with a steamy shower scene the first 10 minutes does not really spell innocence... Not that they have anything to feel guilty about it just seems more adult...There is not much to say for the pacing and cinematography as they tend to be kind of meeh... And there is not enough time to really get to know or build up the characters of this short series. However! The story itself has a lot of potential if they just had more time and probably budget?
What I love about the series is that the little we do get to see of each character is lovable and that they do manage to show a person with a mental illness as a competent human being worthy of love, not inspite of their illness but for who they are (including the illness) letting them be themselves..." Isn't he a part of you too... "
The acting was pretty good, and could not have been the easiest acting task to show... It may not captivate you or keep you on your toes... at times it does become slightly confusing too.
Annoying characters: non
Bingeabilaty: High this is way to short...
Fluff: medium
This is definitely a title I would recommend, that is worth a watch.
P.s. Do not mis the special Not that Innocent, it makes the story more complete
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