Cute and fun, not until something bad happened
It had an intriguing yet refreshing start as a BL watcher for years. The story is not different from the rest of the BLs but there’s something unique about this show -and that is maybe the way that the visually stunning cast executed their roles perfectly despite being rookies in the industry.I love the intimacy of the two couples; it devours their feelings into each other and lets them grow into themselves. The first-morning bed kiss with Fan Ze Rui saying “Good morning baby” was still one of my favorite kissing scenes. Then, they gave us the first bed scene on EP 07 which was unexpectedly followed by a set of devastating episodes. From EP 08 onwards, I was attacked by a series of needle pins into my heart. Why does Bai Zong Yi have to take the blame, be put into jail, and risk his life during the 4-year time skip? I hate it!
He has a bright future awaiting him, with the dream of becoming a doctor to help his family financially. At that moment, I just wished that he hadn’t met Fan Ze Rui. People inside a gang have a hard time falling in love with someone outside their circle. The violence and angst from these episodes are too much for me to handle.
For having the main couple lay low, we got the character development and bloom of romance from the second couple which was lovely. They did pretty well on serving another chemistry with their sassy and unaffectionate romantic feelings to becoming clingy and affectionate towards the end.
The essence of the drama mainly focuses on the love story of the main couple which I was hoping to see more kind of replenishment and rehealing process from all the things that happened between them and their family. Yet, I am also convinced that the production already did their very best to offer a good enough ending for the stories of the characters. I am also happy to see various stars from the previous BL romance that are having their cameo role in this drama. To be honest, I was expecting that the main cast from HIStory 4: Trapped may also have their appearance as they almost got the same kind of genre, but it didn’t happen. All of the actors in this project raised the quality and entertainment factor of the drama which brings a huge impact to the overall savority of the viewers.
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Ain’t that happy and ain’t romantic at all
I get the way that they’re trying to show us some artistic vibes through literature, but obviously, they failed to give us a better execution of the concept. This is too average to become a hit and I don’t follow the angst as it was messy from the very beginning.Kim Jung Hyun is an annoying character who has an annoying attitude. Han Tae Young’s positive vibes somehow lighten up the mood but still not enough to save the entire show. The conflict presented in the story was not properly concluded in good shape. They just became co-workers in one company, sunset viewing on the rooftop while holding mugs. Ain’t a happy ending at all.
Yet, despite the huge amount of flaws and criticism, the show itself is not as bad and just plainly an average one. I don’t have any high hopes since the start but I’m hoping for at least having a nice conclusion towards the life of the main characters and not just by simply having them romanticize the present.
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Lighter yet complete version of the original
An unexpected remake project of the most controversial yet popularized BL story in China. Its power and influence remain the same as fans still acknowledge anything “Addicted”-related things. I salute all of the people behind this show and reproducing the first banned gay show in their country. Yet, they need to take some precautions by cutting out the intimate scenes and filtering out the romance between the two main characters. And this is pretty enough for fans who want to see the continuation of the drama into the series.Gu Hai and Bai Luo Yin still hold the record in my favorites list as they have such notable and distinguished characteristics in both the novel and the first live adaptation series. Although they literally romanticized toxicity as a form of love, I can’t help but feel astonished by their love story every now and then. I remember reading the book with too much focus as I can feel how painful and dramatic each turn of events is towards these characters. Of course, Johnny Huang and Timmy Xu play a big role as they paved the way for most of the international audience to indulge in this story. They have such a firm and strong chemistry that leads me to imagine their faces while reading the novel.
After banning their show way back in 2016, fans left nothing but sadness. The first thing that came to my mind when I heard that earlier this year, a remake version will be released, is the question “can they match the standard set by the first version?” The answer I get is both a YES and a NO. It’s a YES, in a way that I can see that the production is following the main storyline of the novel with lesser tension and leaving out some significant scenes that may target their project again by the Chinese community. And NO because, despite the efforts, I feel like they’re always something lacking that leads me to feel bored sometimes. This may be due to my expectations that are too high for the remake project to satisfy me.
The nostalgic feeling adds spice to the show and it's hard for me to focus my attention on the remake and avoid reminiscing the scenes from the first version. Nevertheless, I feel grateful that they made this drama lighter and minimized cruelty to the characters’ perspective. If a sequel is possible, I am just wishing for them to continue sticking to the main storyline and avoid unnecessary cut-offs as much as possible.
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Fantastic chemistry with questionable story progress
A good one for a remake. They did better than the original drama based on Thailand. This Korean version is more cute, light, and fun. As usual, casting actors with eye-candy visuals add more excitement to the audience. The main casts nailed their character by executing an incredible and appealing chemistry. At first, it was too bland not until they became intimate with each other. Both couples delivered impressive kissing scenes that were too aggressive and soft at the same time. I lost count of how many times I kept replaying their kissing scenes -one of the best executions in a Korean BL.Yet, despite all the good factors, it is hard for me to confidently give it a higher score as it has flaws that are too obvious not to ignore. The sequence of scenes felt too rushed, skipping from one scene to another without a proper explanation of the whole details of each scenario. Fast-phased it feels like they are cutting a lot of scenes and the ending is not beautifully made for a conclusion of a drama. The actors saved the show from at least having a decent overall score in general.
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The wind that blows me into your love
A happy-to-cried-with kind of drama. For subjective reasoning, they literally made me into tears ever since the pilot episode. I just love it when I find myself indulging in a series that talks about the romance between two individuals with sincerity and a little bit of tension roaming between them. The main couple’s love story may have taken too slow to progress but one thing is guaranteed; they became each other’s person of support.Im Han Tae is another Oppa that added to my favorite list. He got the masculine vibes of a teenager who is both hot and cute. His smiles and positivity are so breathtaking. People can literally be their best version of themselves when they are wearing a smile on their faces. I want someone like Im Han Tae who will always be on your side.
On the contrary, Han Baram’s soft personality led other people to take advantage of him. He is so fragile that I even dislike him for letting his old music teacher plagiarize his song. These episodes were an eye sore to me. His first love actually wins my irritation and frustration. Good thing that they actually had a nice closure to settle the past and the present issues between them.
Light BLs with no dramatic plot twists and toxic characters are easily been tagged as my favorite genres nowadays. Sing My Crush is another drama that gives me butterflies that are solid and demure. There may be some flaws in the show but the critical thing is that I enjoyed the overall outcome. Thank you for bringing a genuine and appealing love story that made me once again, fall in love with the concept of love.
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Star studded casts that uplifted the show
This has to be a battle between loving it or hating it. I got mixed emotions from watching the show; sometimes I felt too excited and sometimes too bored. Doom -the character of destruction, is the only new flavor of the story and the rest has the norms similar to what I’ve seen from a fantasy-romance drama.I’m a big fan of the actors playing in the drama. Yet, this isn’t enough to save the whole show from being average. They are excellent actors but their characters are a little bit off. This may be because of how overwritten the story progress is. I am happy that the last few episodes are actually better than the earlier episodes.
The story of the side couple that features an awkward love triangle is better than the main couple. However, the end game isn’t acceptable since one has to let go and the other wins like nothing happened between his closest friend. On the contrary, the main couple's story started too shaky but ended up too smoothly. I rated the score not too low and with much appreciation for the efforts and production quality. A bonus point is that Byun Baekyun once again sang the OST of a drama that mesmerized me and literally fits the magical and romantic vibes of the story.
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Kim In Sung made his star debut
It managed to be entertaining and above-average, simply because of Kim In Sung who is worthy to be the main character. Without any source of background information, this boy debuted with such a remarkable portrayal of his role. I watched this because of Zuho from SF9 but he literally stole my focus solely to him. Kim In Sung blows me away with his ethereal beauty and most especially how he uses incredible facial expressions to deliver the right emotions needed in his scenes.Seo Han Joon is a lovable man but too attached to his first love. He doesn’t deserve to be treated so badly by Jo Yoo Jae after his confession. I somehow wanted Han Joon to be paired with his boxing club member. Yoo Jae acts too immature for his age. Nevertheless, as long as my boy Seo Han Joon is happy, I am happy too.
The story is not as good as I anticipated but it is not particularly bad at all. There’s one character in this story who is absolutely annoying -the one with the bandana who acts too childish that doesn’t fit his looks.
The last episode is too random. Kim In Sung chooses his boyfriend over his ill mother who is lying in front of him just because Jo Yoo Jae may leave him again. I hate it. This is what happened when one is giving too much love to the other pair. Can’t he understand that there’s an emergency situation going on with Han Joon? Hmmm… Another thing is that even in the finale, the drama failed to give us a kissing scene! Oh please. They ruin the romantic scene of the couple playing on the swing and watching the night stars over their heads.
Once again, the best thing that happened in this BL is the introduction of Kim In Sung who made his impact on the industry. I hope I can see more of him in plenty of projects. I became a fan!
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Turning low budget into good-quality production
For a short BL drama in the late 2010s, this is absolutely a good one with a nice portrayal of gay individuals who happened to be part of an infamous gang. The main characters have strong chemistry and their acting is top-notch. Despite having been easily detected that the production has a low budget, they made every part of it to be worth it and presented such a good quality of storytelling.I thought that the ending may give us a tragedy but I am happy that they can survive ad start a new life outside the brutal world of gangs. Yet, I feel like it is more of an open-ending one since I can visualize that the gang may take their revenge on the couple. Anyways, this is good for a short K-BL; not too strong but not too bad as well, just average.
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Hate It
What the heck is this? Too bland, too boring, and too narcissistic. The only good thing about this show is the guy in the pilot episode who was rejected by the main character during their meet-up date. He is so handsome to the point that I wished that he was the main cast here.The script is too shallow that I don’t even get entertained by any single scene presented in the show. It was cliche and overly romanticized. The bad thing is even the main characters can save their own show. They are lacking in terms of chemistry and those kisses aren’t enough to change how I feel about their love pair.
The team leader is annoying; he was hurt in his previous relationship yet still chooses to go around and have some casual fun with people who are looking for a serious relationship. The other guy is kinda annoying as well. He is too clingy that even went overboard and crossed the boundaries as colleagues by touching his boss without any form of consent. That’s it! I am too devastated with this BL hahaha
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The concept of time, has been overly used
Pairing Shin Min Ah and Lee Je Hoon is such an amazing on-screen couple to watch with. They are two of the finest actors in the industry and they did well portraying the right emotions of each of their characters which are perfect for being the main leads of the show.The thing is, I am not a big fan of time travel, and maybe the main reason why I felt bored watching the whole show. Yet, there are other dramas with similar concepts that hooked me. So I guess, it all ups for the flow of storyline to spice things up. Which, Tomorrow with You failed to accomplish.
They have their flaws that are too obvious to just let them pass by. And the ending, it is too bland for an end.
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Sex education but make it asian
Western-like setup that discussed a variety of sexual issues in a conservative country. Yet, being conservative is a good thing too but there are tendencies that these people seem to degrade others just because of how showy they are about themselves. And this drama brought these issues to life. I like almost everything except for the time-machine concept as I am not a big fan of this kind of genre.I guess everyone will agree with me that Fluke Pusit delivers his role in the most perfect way. Army and Jo is my favorite couple with such an interesting storyline and overflowing chemistry. They are the ones who brought me to start watching this show after seeing their locker room clip of eating each other. GMMTV, give these two their own BL show.
The OST also ate! Fluke Gawin’s Sweet but Naughty is such a perfect song for the drama. The English lyrics are too cool as well as the melody and rhythm that it has. Been LSS every time I watched each episode.
There’s nothing more to say than the fact that I actually enjoyed completing the show. It is not that very impactful but enough to say that they nailed the performances and elements that the viewers are expecting from them. It’s time for everyone who takes a serious note of how important sex education is, which was the whole message of The Warp Effect.
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A deep and intriguing tale of common strangers to lovers
Not your typical school set-up Korean BL. I was astonished by the dramatic vibes and gloomy feelings presented in the show. Im Ji Sub is the man! He was the reason why I decided to watch this show as he already managed to catch my attention during his minimum screen time in the Love Revolution web series. He is spicy and hot with such splendid visuals; it’s hard not to fall in love with him. It’s a good thing that he knows how to act genuinely.The thing I most liked about Jae Won is that he never let Ji Hyun be out of place when the freshman boy joined their surfing club. Yet, to be honest, I didn’t like how Jae Won came back to his ex-girlfriend after an incident happened when he was traveling with Ji Hyun. But to understand, it was all about Jae Won’s traumatic history that lead him to create a distance between Ji Hyun. Although the last few episodes are too shaggy for them to reconcile, it still feels good to see them both back on being lovey-dovey.
Intimate scenes are the best element in the drama. The outdoor beach night getaway and the sequence of romantic connection giving their all best to kiss and touch each other was wholesome. They win me every single kiss except for Jae Won being kissed by his slutty ex-girlfriend.
Supporting characters are fine as well. The bar boss who stands as Ji Hyun’s temporary mother in Seoul has such a warm and direct personality that will always be ready to stand up for you. Ae Ri is your supportive best friend despite being a bad influence, you can still feel that you’re grateful for being beside you. The same with Ji Hyun’s best friend, Joon Pyo. I condemn how Jae Won still choose to be friend with Tae Hyun who is a walking red flag since episode 1.
I enjoyed the complete episodes but there is still something lacking in terms of excitement and overall impact that made me rate this drama with an average score only. Yes, it was a good show but not the best drama that I’ve seen this year.
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It’s all about the alcohol and not the romance
The simplicity taken in this show has come to the point that it tasted bland. The potential is misused as the drama solely focuses on the algid bloom of romance that takes too long to execute. It takes more than half of the show to let the viewers know exactly why the lead actor hated liquor that much and his reason for not appearing in any television guestings. This is not a good way of letting the audience feel the sensation of every scene from each episode before the ending.Despite the captivating visuals of the main couple, I think that they need more acting experience to carry out their roles perfectly. I got the feeling that it affects the affection needed from both of their characters. The kissing clips are not that passionate. I want to see more fiery and exciting performances from them since I was astonished by their good looks and physique.
Regardless of the cons of the show, it is safe to say that it is not that worse compare to some K-BLs out there. I somehow enjoyed it without any doubt. I just hope that the production and the actors themselves can see where the show lacks the most and try to improve it for their next individual projects. All the Liquors is a show about characters that can and can’t live without drinking alcohol but takes us into viewing their significant stories that revolve around romance and life in general.
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Love-Game concept wins, simultaneously playful and delightful
It was one of those short yet enjoyable K-BLs who did a great job of establishing a savory story using appealing visuals and charming chemistry. The beginning isn’t as cliche in contrast to the norms of using high school memories as the roots of romance. Yet, the show began with the same kind of setup but exceptional since they directly told us the feeling that the main characters had just right at the start.Those seven years of losing each other are indeed painful. In Shin Ki Tae's shoes, I can feel how upsetting it is to lose Lee Wan without confirming their mutual feelings. Lee Wan also suffers and misses Ki Tae after running away. He slowly moves on not until the man shows himself again after all those years.
The reconnection after seeing each other again and being oblivious at work has gratifying progress in the story. Their acting was genuine along those kissing scenes that were truly sensational. The actor starts to release their characters’ excitement of being in love in terms of a smooch.
I would also like to cheer for the connectivity of the plot to the timespan of seven years. Ki Tae has anxiety that Wan may disappear again from his life without any trace left. It is a reasonable emotion since it is hard for someone you like to vanish eventually. The birthday present Wan prepares for Ki Tae was so damn cute. Drawing all those memories he failed to share with him during the separation is priceless.
Sticking to the whole game-and-love concept is the best asset of the show. Those special epilogues on each episode are just as beautiful as the overall impact of the drama. Incorporating gaming designs as their visual attacks are commendable.
Our Dating Sim is the kind of feel-good BL that tops the list of similar genres by showcasing a clean narrative of the script as well as presenting catchy visuals.
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Average historical show with an alluring performance from the cast
It’s always been politics, the throne, and love stories when it comes to Korean historical drama. Despite the norms that the show presented, it isn’t much of a cliche since they manage to pull an attentive storyline that triggers the interest of the audience.The best element of this drama is the portrayal of all the characters, immersing their great acting skills. From the main characters to the supporting ones, everyone is firm with the emotions that their characters need to build from time to time.
D.O. is such a cute and handsome man. With his expressive facial gestures and engaging way of delivering his lines, he surely deserves to hold the title of one of the best idol-turned-actors in the industry. Also, Nam Ji Hyun once again nailed her role. No doubt, she and the rest of the cast performed an excellent presence in the story.
The plots are predictable but still satisfying to watch. The comedy here was good too, the same with the heartbreaking scenes. The ending isn’t that extravagant compared to other historical shows. But I guess this is their charm here, making it as simple as it is. Overall, this show is a light and feel-good drama to consume.
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