Divided by kingdoms, united by hearts.
A historical love story of two princes-turned-kings and how they continue to love each other despite their complicated title as rulers. Both of their background stories were saddening; Shu He lost his mother, and Zi Ang lost his entire clan except for his brother. A few years later, they meet each other, and the beginning of lies and deceptions. I love the chemistry and build-up of their characters in every single EPs.I just wish to see more martial arts scenes without the basic sword fights. Yet, I fully understand that they are more focused on the story rather than the fight scenes. The crown prince's role is too hateful, especially when he is the reason why the sixth prince's fingers were badly injured and stopped him from playing the arts anymore. Politics can corrupt one’s mind and turn their roots to evil.
The way I was flabbergasted by their first kiss in the middle of arguing was too memorable. No more China’s bromance and BL-censorship, we win. EP08 was probably one of my favorite endings from the show. The time when they realized that their royal status was a hindrance to their relationship and decided to let go.
Eventually, both of them became ruler of their respective nations. This is the most exciting yet traumatizing part. The show’s title, “Kill to Love,” is extremely presented when Zi Ang annihilated Shu He’s kingdom, then holding him like a caged bird. His obsession with being reunited with Shu He is the only thing that matters to him the most. Building a replica of the sixth prince’s residences was actually so romantic.
At the end, Xiao Shu He chose to die, with Duan Zi Ang embracing him and then following him to the afterlife eventually. A tragic ending, yet a very reasonable one for such a complex love story. Both of them died at the end, but at least they were finally able to rest peacefully from the chaotic world of power and desires.
Was this review helpful to you?
Lovely, but not as deep as what is implied in the title
I love Japanese BLs and their addiction to soft, tender, and somehow heartbreaking love stories. At first, I understood that the title is connected to one of the camera’s elements for capturing a nice photo, which is the passion of one of the MCs. Yet, as the story progresses, it slowly loses impact as it inconsistently maintains a well-balanced pacing.I know that both characters are gentle in their own ways, but I also want them to be more aggressive or express more emotions, especially when they are reunited after the three years' time skipped. The lack of romantic scenes, with the ending of the story right after they finally became a couple, was a wasted opportunity.
I want them to kiss so passionately, and we almost got it from the finale, yet they decided to cut it to the exciting part. The chemistry was underutilized. Nevertheless, both actors performed well. They are both so handsome and pleasing. The rooftop scenes were always so beautiful with the touch of sea and clouds as the background view.
The rooftop was their sanctuary.
Was this review helpful to you?
High contender for BL of the year but unexpectedly tripped midway
Its enemy-to-lovers trope, idol setup, and overall appearance evoke K-Drama vibes. GMMTV made the best decision to bring their boy group into acting, as all five of them performed well in their respective roles. The concept was already unique for a Thai-BL, which made them different from the rest.I want to re-experience those butterflies in my stomach moments when I watched the first few episodes when Thame and Po are just starting to flirt and get to know each other. Its sequence of having two parts of the story per episode was clever. Every EP begins with Thame trying to win back the hearts of his members and the last part focuses on Thame and Po’s romance. It covers my favorite moments from the show. One is when Thame memorized Po’s number. Second was the very long phone call with Thame learning Po’s favorite song overnight to play it to him. And of course, the jealousy scenes.
Throughout these EPs, I am patiently waiting for Friday to come faster. Not until they ruined Jun’s character and used him to align the romance between the main couple. I hate that they made it so evident that Jun admires Po to some extent. But select the latter to conceal his feelings and reason out of helping his dear friend Thame to realize things. I know that ThamePo will be the end game but they can make a better conclusion to Jun’s story.
Right after this EP, we’re back again with the same issue of who stay and who should leave Mars. It was too dull and repeated, together with the break-up scenes. The downfall from having a perfect ten to nearly reaching an 8-9 score was dissatisfying. At least the concert at the end was good enough for me to realize that this show still deserves a 9/10 for the overall impact.
A few more notable elements were the set of beautiful OSTs and Est and his greatness in delivering his role as a soft and gentle lover. He is so pretty even when he cries that I want to see more of his dramatic scenes in the future.
Was this review helpful to you?
Rainbow after the rain
Once again, we have another Japanese BL with an uncommon fictional story but with realistic settings. They have their genre that no other BL-producing country can top. I remember how excited I was when this was announced with Ito Asahi as the main lead. Hiroki also thrilled me since he starred in another BL show. The set of casts is so pretty but the MVP of the show must be no other than, Jun Muto. His manliness fits his role as a kind corporate man. He is gentle, calm, and kind. I was even shocked to know that he is also an idol. He can be cute and handsome at the same time. His acting skills were also outstanding.I’ve seen similar shows with the same email conversation setup but this show has more spice. They both have partners who refused to have sex with them and the context of their emails is just pure honesty since they didn’t know each other personally. Most viewers will agree that the best episode of the drama has to be when they finally recognize each other after seeing the female wooden statue in an uncrowded museum. The cinematography and execution were super romantic!
As mentioned in the show, the proverb from its title means that misfortunes happen simultaneously. This applies to both of their struggles to reawaken the spirit of love from their respective pair. The tension even became higher when Hagiwara directly said that he wanted to have sex with Nakarai, and Sei just casually agreed with him. It was not the best intimate scenes I’ve watched but made my whole attention focus on them due to their sexiness and the context of their characters’ story.
Cheating and the messy ride of waves from the four of them. This was a roller coaster of dwelling on emotions and anticipating the outcomes of their actions. In the end, Kaori and Hagiwara decided to break up and I love how well-written their conversation was at the cafe. The same goes with Fujisawa and Sei who manage to release their real feelings and realization after a serious communication.
I love the overall aspects of this high-quality BL. The real-life situations can indicate that people are lustful but we do not romanticize an act of cheating. The same goes for how some people have their own choices of not having to rely on sex to satisfy their desires. The aftermath leads them to walk where their hearts are happy to go and leave their unmoveable current situation.
Sei and Kazuaki being together at the end was a happy ending. After all, these two satisfy their needs, not just in sex, but most importantly from the constant love that they were thirsty to acquire from their previous relationship. The rain does not always signify sadness.
Was this review helpful to you?
The SkyNani Effect
Let’s begin by saying that I’ve never watched the original Korean series and solely started binge-watching this after falling in love with several SkyNani edits on social media. And now I understand the hype and became obsessed with their whatevership. This is a bromance with a silent ‘b’.When we get into the drama’s plot, we have several: tension, character development, bonding, lessons, and, most importantly, love confessions. This show gives me butterflies more than other BLs that aired last year. Saint and Shin are like a broken couple that reconciled and defines that love is sweeter the second time around. Sky showcases how years of experience hone him as an actor. There’s no doubt that he is the main character here, alongside Nani, who also carries out an outstanding performance. Their chemistry is top-notch!
Of course, the success of the series will never be complete without the excellent roles of each of the cast. Everyone nailed their characters. Mark Pakin is also the MVP as he portrayed Chadjen in the most realistic way possible. As a fan of South Korea’s school series (from 2015-latest), the primary goal of their shows is to convey to its audience the heartwarming youthful life of the students. Which, this remake version delivered it with a gratifying overall quality.
Most of us, the viewers, are students once in our life. I know that at some point, we can relate to the story. Personally, during my high school years, school is my home of peace. I will never make it without the friends that I shared joy and laughter with. Teenagers are too young to know everything and the best way to survive is by surrounding yourself with the right people. High School Fremeny is that school-based GMMTV drama that allows me to indulge in the nostalgic feeling of being a student once again.
To Saint and Shin, thank you for the beautiful story of your “friendship.”
Was this review helpful to you?
Great concept, weak plots
It's an interesting supernatural idea that limits the power to see the future in the span of 4 minutes only. But with a plot that should make the audience in awe but diverted to having a messy ending. This is another typical Be On Cloud’s project that only showcases a high-quality start with an extremely disappointing finale. I understand that the script is trying to give us shocking revelations but the execution was poorly done. If they had enhanced most of their scenes during the last two episodes, everything about this drama would have been a chef’s kiss.I highly appreciate and am well-devoured by Bas’ extremely outstanding performance as Korn in this series. He stole the show and uplifted the drama’s charisma. The presentation of his role was flawless. The love triangle of Korn, Tonkla, and Inspector Win is way more entertaining than the main couple. They nailed their characters and stole the spotlight even playing as supporting casts. But I must say that Bas and Bible’s chemistry as siblings is so cute that I want to see more of them as sworn brothers in the future.
The intimate scenes are also the best! It was tremendously romantic and amorous. Fuaiz and Bas made the finest sequence of passionate acts in the show. JJ became the third wheel here and I liked it better since the two mentioned paired above were explicit and intense.
In general, 4Minutes is a pretty average BL drama with a fascinating start that loses its spark from the dissatisfying scenarios established in the end. Nevertheless, the acting from everyone was great and set up a unique storyline that distinguished them from other BLs from this year. Nice work!
Was this review helpful to you?
In Kim Yoo Jung, I trust!
Another win for Kim Yoo Yung’s filmography! Ain’t the best but still performs pretty well. Her influence and her previous projects captured my interest in adding the show to my list. She always delivers her characters with her utmost acting performances. Indeed, one of the most versatile actresses in the entertainment field.Story-wise, it has uniqueness but can’t help but get bored from time to time. Yet, one thing is for sure, I enjoyed the touch of comedy, especially from the supporting cast. If I have to pick the most intense and memorable scene, it has to be the ending of the third episode. I was screaming and clapping my hands from the tension when Do Do Hee realized that the death of Madam Ju was not caused by a health incident but more a case of murder in which one of the family members was the suspect. The execution was that good to keep me energetic the whole scene.
Then, many things happened, some are good yet some are just average. Jumping to the finale episode, I liked how they concluded the story of each character. A happy ending for the couple and the people around them. But I get too emotional from two characters. First is the oblivious mother who lost her son at the hands of the true evil personality of the story, her husband. She misses him so much but it is too late for her to save her son. Regret and moving forward are her only options. The second and the most wholesome finale was when Jin Ga Young saved a little girl from her abusive father. This particular scene burst me into tears knowing how she has the same past as the girl she accidentally met in the present. I love this scene.
I rarely watch Korean dramas nowadays since I felt like I would never experience the same wave of feelings from the K-dramas in the past, especially from the 2016 era of K-dramas. Yet, My Demon is one of the few dramas that I gave a shot and never regretted it. It is fun, cute, chaotic, and has a lot of emotion to offer. Song Kang’s acting also improved a lot too. I am not satisfied with the fantasy element but at least I enjoy the comedy and a little bit of romance from the show.
Was this review helpful to you?
Casually good for a historical BL but felt bored from the lengthy episode
Not a big fan of time travel as the root cause of everything in a drama but seeing a historical Thai BL for the first time ticked my interest. Especially when a beautiful couple of handsome guys play the main characters. They have the right amount of chemistry and they did a pretty job of portraying their roles.The overall distribution of the whole drama package was just a neutral rating for me. Yet, they created a memorable scene wherein they drive their uniqueness in flourishing the olive oil massage scene with matching orchestra music in the background. It gives a sensational and erotic feeling towards the time traveler guy.
With all these, I am happy to see them end up together in the present time. But with the special clip shown during the credit roll, maybe a second season is possible which will be going to focus on the more distant past and letting the audience witness once again, another historical love story from the two. Yet, I am not sure if I will watch it or not because honestly, I hate feeling so bored watching a specific show, which I felt during the airing period of this drama.
Was this review helpful to you?
Toxicity never ends
Stunned. GMMTV did a great job of pulling another project with wild and extremely intimate scenes with numerous actors. There were too many problematic characters and I am well-entertained by the messy turn of events now and then. Yet, the plot twists weren’t as impactful as I expected them to be but at least they show how to properly deliver a complicated Western-like way of living. Almost all of them taste each other lips, not by a simple smack but literally in an assertive way of kissing.This show also served as Force and Book Redemption acting compared to their previous projects with bland and non-sense storylines. I guess that they perfectly fit bad boy characters and they survived with the help of the other actors who did a great job playing their respective roles. Mark Pakin once again, ate this show. He was too fragile, bold, and crazy in love with someone who didn’t even consider him a romantic partner. Boston is all about lust and I am happy that in the end, Nick realized how important self-love is, and chose to cut ties with Boston.
All of them have their red flags but if I were picking my favorite character, it would be either Sand or Plug. Although Sand is another man who is admittedly weak for Ray, compared to the rest of the gang, he is probably the least person who will cheat when he's in a relationship. Plug, on the other hand, left me an impression despite his short screen time. The boy was too sincere to be in a serious relationship with Yo, the bar owner. Maybe, he stole my attention because of his handsomeness and being someone new in the industry.
The OST is a banger too. It has an energetic vibe and upbeat music that fits the tension between the casts. The angst was somehow dynamic and cool but I still believe that they can do better. Subjectively speaking, I was hoping that either of the three couples would end up together in the finale since it was more mature and acceptable. But in reality, you can’t hide the fact that such people exist, those who re-entered a toxic relationship and tried to fight the pain of the painful past within themselves.
Was this review helpful to you?
Not in the king level of a show but enough to land you a smile
I must say that Lee Junho and Im Yoona’s pair are top-notch. They have already shown their romantic tension ever since their Senorita exceptional performance on a music show. That’s why when the drama was announced with them as the main lead, I immediately added this to my watchlist without even knowing what the story was. Lee Junho always made his series worthy of binge-watching effortlessly seducing the viewers to fall with his character’s charisma and vibes.They never failed, although I must say that the overall impact of the show is literally not that great. It was good enough for a fun time show with its light and romance elements but they failed to be consistent. I found myself fast-forwarding some episodes and I felt only one thing that time -boring. However, the finale episode uplifts and justifies the flop of previous episodes.
I came across a comment that the show lacks plot twists yet I feel like the show doesn’t need a more dramatic kind of appeal but needs more scenes to give to other side characters. I was hoping that the flight attendant lady would be promoted already in the last episode but it didn’t happen. In general, if you’re watching a soft and fun series, this is enough for you. But if you want more dramatic actions, you will entirely feel less about it. Nevertheless, King the Land gives me a Hermes smile with their quality of producing the whole show.
Was this review helpful to you?
Too average and bland
It started in a cool way; from having such a light and refreshing concept that features the way of living of three to four teenagers. However, it sticks in that way -no character development, intense and impactful plots, and even the ending is just a mere average one.Sehun is the reason why I added this show to my list. Although, I didn’t wholeheartedly feel disappointed since Go You is such a fun character. Yet, I feel pity that they wasted such a good foundation of his role. The rest of the cast feels too reserved.
The girl acting is too unpleasant; she’s just wearing a poker face the whole period of the drama. Her eyes can’t literally deliver the right emotion needed for the specific scenes. Nevertheless, I still appreciate everyone’s acting as it is not too bad compare to some dramas I watched. But again, I rarely feel disappointed watching a Korean show with a poor delivery of acting from its cast. My favorite thing from this show is the OST. It is soothing and lovely to the ears, and somehow reminds me of Meteor Garden.
Was this review helpful to you?
Promising start -artistic and beautiful, yet the romance gets annoying after
The first few episodes were so great, they introduce a fresh, new, and an amazing fantasy storyline. From the cast itself, I knew that the acting will be marvelous and they show cleverness in acting as I expected but sometimes Ahn Hyo Seop forgets that he’s supposed to act as a blind man. I already watched a lot of Korean historical drama and most of them bored me at some point, the same goes with this drama but I’m grateful to witness a historical inserting magical powers and believes that make the story more colorful.The best part of the show is how they highlighted the traditional skill of drawing and painting. The gathering or competition among many painters was my favorite episode of all time. The way they executed the variety of brushing techniques, the sound of papers and brush, the big factor of being able to draw an art that has different kind of impression, and the quality effects of each drawings was really a masterpiece. I have so much fun watching the episode so much plus the three best friends call sign is so hilarious and cute (troublemaker, nuisance, and frown).
The early episodes were light and comedic but then it gets serious and dramatic. It was during EP12 when I started to hate the romance from the story. Obviously, they failed to emphasize the love story in a more pleasant way. Perhaps it became another cliché story that let either one of the lovers affects the people around them just because of their undying love on each other. The girl does risky things even thou she or her beloved people can be killed any minute. Then the boy sudden change of heart is odd, I hate it when he’s loyal subordinate man sacrifices his life just to save the father of his girlfriend. Where is the years of planning for vengeance? The same goes with the girl, the antagonist was right when he called that the reason why her father was killed was simply because of her desperate love for his boyfriend.
On the other hand, I love how the second and third prince rivalry story were given an open ended story. The second prince shows explicit facial expression on acting as an antagonist, it was good. The third prince was one of my early favorite because of his cuteness and innocent character. Every royal family in a drama always have to fight for the throne all the time. The demon and all other mythical creatures explicit in the show is something I am really happy about.
Another part of the show that I love the most is the music (OSTs, background songs). Byun Baekhyun proves that he is one of the most incredible singer in the industry. Hearing his song is a beautiful perfection fit for the concept and cinematography of the show. All of the music are cool, especially the background song plays when the characters are painting during the competition, a soothing and elegance vibes.
Overall, it was really good but only the romance during the last few episodes affected my enjoyment of watching. The ending is okay as well as the epilogue. The cast are the reason I started to watch the show but I fell in love with the story which was a great experience for me as a viewer.
Was this review helpful to you?
The visual is only the good element
It took me too much time to get into the show, the first few episodes are absolutely a no fun for me, but midway of the series, it was getting entertaining and enjoyable. This is when the mother appeared in their house, since then I am smiling throughout the main couple’s screen time. My favorite scene is the accident kiss, it was too cute and good.Having such two handsome main actors, the show has the potential but unfortunately failed to execute the whole story.
Factors why I give the show a low rating:
- Poor acting
- Less workplace details
- Rough and messy transition
- Cringe and annoying side characters
- Too ordinary plot
- The insertion of unnecessary and excessive b-sounds
- SIDE COUPLE that has NO CHEMISTRY. The café owner is good but he’s partner is not fit for acting cute. I am watching their scenes with a totally no-emotion-facial-expression.
- Forgot to explain the past. It is when a flashback of Jin Yu Zhen meeting Shi Lei has seen but after that, no explanation has given.
- The title “I DO” is given to the side couple during the last episode and the main couple way of saying I Do is by the new rules created by Jin Yu Zhen.
Anyways, although I have a lot of complaints about the show, I have probably a good time watching it. If only they manage to show us more maybe my rating will be good enough.
Was this review helpful to you?
Warm, Cute, & Fun!
Although it is a typical school youth rom-com drama, yet it established a good reaction to the viewers. The story is cute and I love how they offer different stories every episodes. I also love the different characteristics of the cast feauture in the story.Joo Young, the main character, it took me 5-10 episodes before I enjoy his character. Maybe because it is too childish for me but it's understandable too cause some guys are really like that during high school. Park Jihoon really did great in his acting here. The female lead on the other hand, Wang Jarim, is kinda cold and straightforward girl. It's too new for me that the girl is the one who's cold and the boy is the one who's clingy and nosy. At first, I don't really feel the butterflies watching the love story of the two leads but after they went to byung hoon's province, their scenes are starting to look so lovely.
For the other cast, Kyung woo is the cold yet supportive friend of the main lead. I don't really like that he play the feelings of Yeseul just to took away his attention to Jarim. The same with Min ji. Kyung woo and Min Ji was my favorite characters from the start of the series but in the last few episodes, I feel so bad to their actions. Jung Sang Hoon deserve to someone who loves him truly.
In one of the episodes where Byunghoon's bday was not able to remember by his friends, I do cry on it. It is really painful that you're friends forgot your special day. I love Byunghoon's funny and hilarious personality. His smile showcasing his braces is too cute!! Then we have Ahn Kyung Min, the eyeglass friend. He didn't give a backstory in the drama but he's too cool for stating facts everytime about his friends life problems.
Best girl Oh Ah Ram, the snorlax of the gang. Strong and mature character. The girl who always been the intellect of the group. She's always there to solve failures committed by her friends.
The other characters, Jinhee, Going Jisoo, and the rest also adds flavors to the flow of the show.
I know there will be a season 2 the way they end the final episode. Overall, it was enjoyable to watch. The OST's and soundtrack is fit to the concept of the show and I love the clean and classy cinematography.
Was this review helpful to you?
Soulmates can either trap you in the concept of love or make you deeply fall in love
A Thai BL that caters to a unique concept that builds a strong foundation for the show. Few people who experienced a rare hearing-loss condition whenever it rains bring excitement to me as a viewer during the first few episodes. These people can only hear one or two people with the same phenomenal situation which they referred to as soulmates—giving the drama a high score with the concept alone.Yet, the consistency isn’t there. During the last half episodes of the show, I get tired and felt bored watching. The plot twist is just so-so. The repetitive flashback from each episode to the next one is just too overly done. I just wished that they just give us a 20-30 mins duration time if they can only show us too many scenes that are already been used before.
Nevertheless, the cast is a total eye candy and somehow saves the show. Jessada is such a cutie and I hope I can see more of him in other future projects. They are so white and clean that made me realize how locals and celebrities from Thailand have such a big gap in skin color. The acting is merely average and that’s fine. I like Lomfon's character the best. He is on the edge of confusing his own feelings and I am happy that in the end, he got to find what his heart truly feels like. The production may be planning for a second season since the last scene speculates a possible third party to the second couple as Saengthian suddenly experienced hearing loss as well.
What I love about this show is how they emphasize that the term called “soulmates” are just a word that romanticizes people’s idea of love. It can also be turned into a concept of getting trapped in a relationship with someone who you don’t sincerely love and choose to stay just because of being attached to the fantasized idea of a soulmate.
Was this review helpful to you?
