YellowToiletBrush

Perhaps it was the lack of expectations going into this that made this watch so enjoyable. This had the recipe for potential disappointment i.e. idol group turning to acting, teen-centric theme, new leads, a predictable storyline. Glad this wasn't eye candy, fan-fodder, BL cliche stuff and was actually well-scripted and beautifully filmed (lighting, cinematography, musicality), with well-thought out characters.

I personally really liked Pemika, Po and Thame's characters. And while i understand the purpose of Bifern's character, it sometimes felt a little too scripted and propaganda-ish, although I liked how they gave the character a chance to articulate the emotions fans feel and the complex relationship they build with their idols. It gave audiences a peek into the fandom universe and fan psyche.

The pacing was comfortable with good control of emotions throughout the entire series, not too dramatic, not too mellow, with a peppering of light-hearted moments. The leads also had good chemistry and I liked that the show wasn't overly focused on them and their romance and actually fleshed out the relationship of the group's members. Some of my favourite parts were when Thame was trying to win his members back, the press conference and conversation between Thame and Gam, and the scene when Po asked Thame if he felt tired. The dialogue between the two leads was also very poetic, and their romance had a nice build up with an underlying tension of unstoppable attraction mixed with a pervasive fear of exposure. The process of them falling in love was just beautiful to watch.

Aside from some strange choices in plot design (e.g. how they somehow managed to keep Thame apart from everyone in the company despite the upcoming concert, and the rescue mission), this was a very enjoyable watch that would tug at your heart strings.