Zii3

Cute & Sweet With Earnest & Thoughtful Characters.

Edit Jan 2024: increased my ratings after re-watching with proper subtitles after the international release. These two boys do actually put effort into communicating with each other, and keep trying even though they are interrupted at almost every turn. I think the only thing that didn't interrupt them was an animal, lol.

A simple but very well done childhood friends to lovers story with good acting, soft cinematography, and no unlikable characters. Lots of mutual uncertainty and sweetness. All angst is resolved by the end.

An easy watch with eight 20min episodes. Also known as "I Cannot Reach You".

In the USA, I first watched it in Nov 2023 with fan subtitles, which were obviously awkward but better than nothing. In Dec 2023 it was released internationally and became available on Neflix and I re-watched it. The proper subtitles made a big difference! It noticeably increased my enjoyment and satisfaction with the characters, their bond, and their efforts at navigating their complex feelings with each other. Though I tried to give the dialogue a pass in my initial review because of the circumstances, I have now raised my rating a full star (to 9/10). I will watch again.

Read More

Great Sci-Fi Idea But No Character Growth.

GENERAL SPOILERS below.
What the hell was the point of what they went through? The relationship arc could have been the exact same even if there had been no cyber lover. You could just jump from 7min into the movie to the last scene because the characters are pretty much emotionally and psychologically at the same point regardless of the stuff in-between. "Happy ending" my foot. *They didn't re-learn to love each other, didn't even put any effort into doing so*, but somehow they're back together at the end anyway. Mutually grieving the loss of their happy early days does not equal a good reason to stay together.

I wasn't able to root for any of the characters because they were unlikable without enough reasons/examples to make it understandable why they were that way. I did end up feeling the most pity for Wen, but that didn't translate into liking, and I really couldn't understand the last couple of choices he made for his own sake at the end.

The ideas in the movie are definitely new and intriguing. That's what kept me watching all the way through. Unfortunately, the exploration of themes felt shallow to me. The main characters started, stayed, and ended sadly reminiscing about the beginning of their relationship. They were stuck regretting that their relationship was no longer like that *without actually doing anything or taking any steps to make it better going forward*. Even at the end! Lots of regret but very little shown of their growth (individually or as a couple). That's what frustrated me the most about this story.

The sci-fi stuff does require a lot of suspension of disbelief but they do an okay job world-building their own rules with what's possible.

The timeline is so unrealistic. It took 2 days to "love" a cyber "person" with no real personality of their own; he was like a 1-dimensional puppy. The story jumps around abruptly and simultaneously doesn't give enough build-up to either the past human relationship or the current cyber one.

There are some hot intimate moments and there is kissing and making out. Unfortunately, the intimacy lacked emotional depth, so it felt flat and unsatisfying to me.

The audio track was really low quality. Most of the time it sounds like listening through a phone call or under water, especially whenever Wen played music. It's bearable, but definitely noticeable. It's so bad I'm wondering if it was an issue with where I streamed it from or if it is indeed the original sound? (Found on GagaOOlala Nov 2023).

Other than the idea of the plot and the decent acting, this felt like a waste of time.

Read More

Lead Actors Are Great, The Rest "Sucks".

Vampire BL. A General Spoiler on the ending only. Acting 8.5, Chemistry & kiss 10, Plot & script 3, Cinematography 5, Music 6, Rewatchability 2.
Pointlessly stupid choices by ALL of the characters at least once, and an unnecessarily sad ending. Left me with an incredulous and irritated "WTF, WHY???" feeling. Most of the contrived angst could have been so easily avoidable.

I can't recommend this unless you are a fan of the lead actors (as I am). Watch them in Roomates Of Poongduck 304 instead, which is a fun and better fleshed-out series. Then after that, maybe watch the kiss scene here as an extension of those characters in your mind. It's at the beginning of Episode 8. I would have found that immensely more satisfying than how I felt watching this whole series. I will say Kim Ji Woong's visuals really work well as a vampire though!

The two leads and their magnetic chemistry with each other are the best reason to watch this very short series. Seven 10min episodes and the eighth episode is 20min. It's obvious why they were cast in Roomates Of Poongduck 304 after this. Their kiss is realistic and full of passion and there's even a brief morning-after scene, which is uncommon in Korean BLs.

The story is very generic and the only surprises are how stupid and unrealistic character choices are. There are also an untenable amount of plot holes because the world building is so poorly done.

There's not enough time spent building up the connection between the lead characters to warrant the deep love they have. The "explanation" of the lead vampire's past, which drives all his current decisions, was barely touched on and left a lot of remaining questions. Like, what lead up to him being in that state in the first place? The female friend, and certainly the male vampire "friend", are arguably unnecessary. The time on them would have been better spent focusing on the emotional and relationship arc of the leads.

Also, MJ Koontz's review is absolutely hilarious:
https://kisskh.at/profile/soundinfinite/review/195237

Read More

NEW Take On 18 Yr Old, Bodyguard, Rich-Kid-Poor-Kid Story!

Overall 8.5 rating. Story 7.5, Acting 8.5, Chemistry 9, Music/Audio 9, Cinematography/Lighting 9, Rewatchability 6.5, Secondary Characters 9, Suspension of disbelief required is moderately high, Emotional angst level (mostly resolved) 9, Character emotions & psychology make sense.

Not a typical highschool, bodyguard, or rich kid poor kid story! The dynamics and interactions between multiple characters really kept my interest and the script was mostly written well. What didn't work for me is mentioned in the "general spoiler" section at the bottom of this review.

I really liked how they showed the class divide between Nuengdiao's world and Palm's through everyday examples; in both big and subtle ways. It really ties into the psychology of Nueng and Palm and their actions/decisions throughout the series stay true to character and are believable (especially for 18 year olds in love).

There is a definite magnetism between Nueng played by Phuwin and Palm played by Pond. There is a lot of great physical tension between them as they fall for each other, then a lot of skinship and some very emotional kisses.

This series had a fantastic secondary cast. Both of the moms are wonderful (yet very different from each other), Uncle Kit is an antagonist who feels like a real person (not just a one-dimensional "villain"), Chimon as Ben is charismatic, and Perth as Chopper is phenomenal with inner conflict and emotional depth.

I especially loved the dynamic between Chopper and his dad (Uncke Kit). They were both completely emotionally convincing in some very high-tension scenes.

Sound and silence were were utilized really well to enhance emotions and tensions. There were 3 songs I loved and have added to my playlist. Many of the songs have English lyrics so it was easy for me to tell how well they fit the scenes. What was odd is that there were 2 or 3 times (brief) where instrumental Christmas carols were used as background. That seemed really out of place to me and mentally took me out of the moment each time.

Pond and Phuwin are strong actors and easily had me invested in their characters quickly. They felt a little bit flat or not quite comfortable, however, in scenes that required panic (of which there are a couple). It wasn't a big detraction, but it was noticeable to me.

I really appreciated the little scene about gun safety that was added in as the young adults were training.

I will likely rewatch this at some point. I'll probably view episodes 1-8 and 12 the most frequently.

GENERAL SPOILERS below

My biggest issue with the story was how unrealistic it was about some very common-sense things. Some examples:
A very wealthy family has members who are injured or threatened yet no professional bodyguards are hired, at all? But then late in the series they are? Things pertaining to safety come up multiple times so this had me rolling my eyes.

When various people are shot the first, second, and third instincts are NOT to apply pressure on the wound to slow bleeding. Facepalm.

Palm refuses monetary payment or assistance multiple times yet later in the series is somehow able to obtain what he needs when he needs it.

Read More

Naito Shuichiro Makes It Watchable

Cute premise and starts out fairly strong then becomes less interesting for a couple of reasons. You might enjoy this if you're looking for something kind of cute, awkwardly funny, light & easy, and with one really good lead actor.

The most disappointing thing for me was that the sincerity of character attraction felt one-sided by the actors. Naito Shuichiro acted in-crush then in-love so convincingly. You could see the intensity and depth of emotions in his eyes and his face was full of nuanced reactions. Compared to him, Seto Toshiki felt miscast as the main character. He did okay at the beginning with the simplicity of being in awe of his idol and nervous, but his portrayal of deeper emotions fell flat. He became more and more of a disappointment to me as the series went on. (Also his bleached-orange hair didn't suit his timid/self-conscious character and was distracting; poor judgment on someone's part.)

The story itself became more boring as it started to rely on clichés to keep it going. If it wasn't for Naito I probably would have stopped watched sometime during episode 6 (out of 8).

There were more physical interactions to build tension than there were affectionate ones after the characters fell for each other. I might not have felt the lack of physical closeness as much had Seto been able to match the affection and desire Naito showed with his eyes.

I did think the end credits were very clever as they they showed a little bit more of the background scene with every episode.

There were multiple moments of second-hand embarrassment that made me cringe and want to fast-forward, but I am fairly susceptible to that. There were a few non-cringe comedic moments too.

Read More

Fun For Comedy, More Bromance Than Romance

Purposefully absurdist. It's very much like a manga with exaggerated behaviors, facial expressions, and vocal exclamations for comedic effect. It's odd, goofy, and sometimes borderline cringe from the ridiculous situations created. I was in the right mood for it, however, and found myself laughing out loud at least once every episode.

GENERAL SPOILERS BELOW.
The story did an interesting job in giving examples of different types of love. But two major things didn't work for me.
First, the main character isn't very likeable (though the actor makes him fun to watch!). He's hard working, positive, and kind with clients so you see why other people may be interested in him initially. But he's not that thoughtful with the people close to him, and he doesn't show character growth in this regard, even when it's pointed out to him (repeatedly). He's a good natured bumbling idiot who wants to keep the peace and avoid confrontations.

Second, mutual romantic love is in very short supply. It supposedly comes to fruition at the end for the lead, but his interactions with his lover don't support this. It starts like a bromance and ultimately stays feeling that way. For that reason the ending landed a bit flat for me.

I rated the acting by all highly because even though it's exaggerated, it is conciously done by the actors for comedic effect, and they succeed well in what they're aiming to achieve. The actors playing the main character and the boss were especially dynamic and enjoyable to watch.

Music didn't distract but there was nothing specifically memorable either.

Read More

Potentially Frustrating, Character Study, Sweet & Angsty, Dreamlike, Great Chemistry.

(General spoilers only.) The atmosphere and sweet tension are alluring but there is more character based angst than a viewer might initially expect. If you like character studies and growth you might enjoy this. Love is the main theme and catalyst, but this story is about more than just romance.

Very General Spoilers below.

Things that frustrate some viewers (but didn't frustrate me, as I explain further down):
- Vague sense of time and non-linear flashbacks.
- Night continuously struggles to understand his own feelings and then communicate them.
- Dream is avoidant as a self-preservation mechanism.
- Love triangles.
- The ending is positive but a bit rushed (this one I agree with).

I like character studies and there is an interesting symmetry between Night and Dream: Night mentally "runs away" while Dream physically runs away. They often hinder themselves from getting what they truly want because of their personal coping mechanisms for fear. I found watching them navigate that interesting, pretty realistic, and meaningful.

I thought the actors did a great, naturalistic job, and got me emotionally invested in their characters. The magnetic pull of affection and attraction between Dream and Night is palpable.

Namwan, Night, and Day seemed kind of unlikable shortly after being introduced to them, but as more of their character was revealed, the more I was able to empathize with, and like, them.

Night DOES have character growth but the process is messy and everyone, including himself, gets hurt. A lot. But Dream contributes to that too. Both Night and Dream are young and still figuring life out, so that came across fairly realistically to me.

I didn't mind the love triangles in this so much because they really do serve a purpose in propelling Night's character growth forward. Especially since there aren't that many episodes in which to tell this story. Night has to get to a certain point emotionally and mentally so he can gain clarity, self-resolve, and purpose in the whole of his life.

The cinematography and editing felt dreamlike in a way that I was surprisingly not annoyed by. There were partial flashbacks that, after awhile, would be returned to with more of the flashbacks shown. They also aren't shown in chronological order, so they add to the *feel* of the past relationship without having to tell the full story. It was slightly confusing at first, and then it drew me in and I was able to roll with that and the unspecified time skips through the series. Reminded me of how it feels when just waking and mentally replaying bits of interesting dreams and trying to remember what connected them. It wasn't linear but it all tied together in an atmospheric way. I'm not sure if I've explained it well, but it worked for me.

My only disappointment with this show is I wish the ending had had more to it. It was sweet but just too short to fully balance out the tension from the whole series and the recent heavy feels. If the show had frustrated me, as it did some viewers, then the ending probably wouldn't have been enough to soothe that and leave me in a good mood.

The reason the professor gives for not passing Night's thesis is realistically ridiculous and requires suspension of disbelief.

MEDIUM General Spoilers below.

If the following resonates with you, you may find this story moving, as I did. If not, you may find Night, and even Dream, annoying (as some reviewers do):

Being unfamiliar with, and confusing different types of love. Never seeming to be able to meet parent and teacher expectations. Not receiving approval or emotional support from family members. Sibling rivalry. Worrying about and being stifled by societal norms. Severe insecurities about self-worth. Being so scared of more failures that it hinders trying for desired things.

Dream's biggest flaw is his main coping mechanism of running away and ghosting.

I may not rewatch often, but I know that I will want to watch again.

Read More

Two Friends Moaning On Every Bite Of Food.

If you like watching other people eat while exclaiming their exaggerated pleasure loudly then I would recommend this, otherwise there's not much there. It's kind of cute but I mainly found it annoying. 50% of it is over-the-top "OMG" noises when eating and 40% is yelling/screeching so the 10% when anybody talks normally I had to briefly turn the volume up for before turning it back down again.

EVERY bite of food (or drink) is the SAME level of moaning/squealing inducing "orgasmic", lol! Rice with mayo is just as amazing as a gyoza with kimchi and cheese, or a sip of beer, or a sundae, or ramen with vegetables, or a plain baked sweet potato, etc. It's ridiculous and boringly repetative. The only thing that got a normalized "yum" was the corn soup (likely because it had an emotional tie-in with the characters' joint history).

General Spoiler below.

The movie also felt like only part of a story. It's a slow burn bromance that barely grows before the movie is done. The characters individually come to some conclusions about how important the other is to them in a way that is alluded to vs spelled out. With each other, they confirm they will continue on together as they have been without really saying why. And that's it. The movie does stop at a good pausing point, but that's not very satisfying as an ending.

The acting is decent except Aki is vocally childish. There's not much plot or script that isn't noise for the actors to work with so it's a bit difficult to ascertain their talent.

Cinematography was good and soft.

Read More

Slow. Sky and NC Scenes Are Reasons To Watch.

The sceenplay is weak and slow. You could probably watch Ep 1 to get started then skip to Ep 5 or 6 without too much trouble because Ep 2-5 are repetitious and extremely slow burn. Ep 6 is when things start to get somewhat more interesting and emotional. I'm speed-watching about half of this and don't care that much about the two side couples.

The screenplay should have spent more time on the backstory because there's not enough weight and reason behind the brief flashback we get to believably be the crux of Venus's fallout with Sky.

The actor Tod playing Sky is surprisingly good, noticeably better than everyone else once the script actually gives him something with some layers to work with. He's got micro-facial expressions and nuances in face, body, and voice, especially when things are more emotional. He successfully tugged hard at my heartstrings even though the script is not well written. He has potential and I would be interested to see him act again, especially with a better script.

Once Sky and Venus get together there's even less plot but they actually act like boyfriends (unlike a lot of BLs where one partner acts disgusted by anything physical). Sky is in love and horny and they have a lot of sex. And a lot is shown. Someone commented somewhere that the show could have just been called "Sky in Venus", lol.

The two actors are pretty comfortable with each other but the chemistry feels one-sided; Tod successfully conveys attraction and desire (outside of intimate scenes as well as during) but Cheque struggles with this.

Cheque as Venus is pretty flat. It kind of works for the character (who's cautious and has his defensive walls high) but it's obvious that he's a newbie actor. He's not awful, but because he's lacking nuances he gets boring.

I may watch the intimate scenes here as a bandaid of sorts after watching an unsatisfying BL series with disguised homophobia (any where the "boyfriend" thinks physical, or even romantic, intimacy is gross).

Read More

Comedic Melodrama Odd Mix, Worth 1 Watch For Leads.

General Spoilers only. The interactions of the two lead actors make this worth one watch. They are endearing even when their characters are written frustratingly. Without them I would not have enjoyed this series much. It starts as a romantic comedy, then spins into a melodrama, then whip-lashes back.
Story: Ep 1-7 are 7.5/10 but Ep 8-10 are 5/10. Acting 9, Chemistry 10. Nothing great or distracting about cinematography or music.

The story itself is trope heavy but mostly cute, though the character Shang Zhou is rather pushy (the cliche excuse is that he's never learned how to communicate feelings). There's a lot of tension with physical (and mental) attraction between the leads.

The storytelling starts to fall apart in episode 8. Up until then it's very obviously a comedy with an over-the-top feel. It's not my favorite type of humor, but Hsiao Hung as Shun Yu has very dynamic facial expressions with a good sense of comedic timing and did make me laugh.

In Ep 8-9 the melodrama starts to build and gets really heavy. It does pull at heartstrings thanks to the acting, but it’s also annoyingly unnecessary. The angst requires a lot of plot contrivances in addition to miscommunication. The dialogue doesn't sound natural or realistic because the plot obviously needs certain things to remain un-said.

In Ep 10 it's like a switch is flipped and all of a sudden we're back to romantic comedy without a care in the world for realistic technicalities. The bits with Shang Zhou's mother were weirdly contrived/written and completely awkward. The only thing I liked was that we got a good amount of screen time with the leads being happy together, though I had to just throw up my hands to roll with it.

I would easily watch the lead actors if they were in another show together, but I probably won't re-watch this one.

Read More

Well-Crafted, Practically Perfect Romantic Drama With Rom-com Feel.

I loved the strong female lead; both the actress and the way her character is written. The actress had great comedic sense and portrayed a wide range of emotions with nuance. Her eyes are very expressive. The male lead is well matched with her and they have great chemistry. He was good at acting stoic as the character with emotions underneath the surface. I couldn't always tell what the emotions were, but I could see they were there. I also had second lead syndrome (for the actor and the way the 2nd male lead was written) and I liked the way the triangle was sorted out in the end.

Consistent build of emotions and tension through all 8 episodes. Did not fast-forward through anything, even the third time I watched it. The blend of sweetness/cuteness, humor, desire, pining, love, and angst lead to a very satisfying experience. There's a lot of well done comedic moments, many of which nade me chuckle or laugh out loud. I'm especially impressed with the consistent undercurrent of emotional angst that was built on easily believable emotions, perceptions, and misconceptions based on story situations. Yet the plot never felt forced. The angst was so well balanced with feel-good moments that it didn't make the series feel heavy, even though there was a lot of it. It was satisfactorily resolved, so it hurt perfectly!

The ending is a clever twist on a common rom-com cliché and was very satisfying.

The mostly instrumental music fit very well and there were some beautifully shot scenes. The script and dialogue are very natural and didn't have any clichéd lines (at least none that I remember).

Ep 7 is from the ML point of view.

Read More

Better Upon 2nd Viewing.

Updated Jan 2024. I watched this again knowing that I had found both characters really unlikable the first time, and was actually able to appreciate the story more. So I've raised my rating from a 4.5 to a 6.5.

While both characters are morally dark grey (cheating and coercion/dub-con/stalking), Otomo does have character growth. The changes are incremental and very subtle until the end when his actions suddenly make the extent of his internal growth obvious. Upon second viewing, I was able to empathize with his character a lot sooner (40min before the ending instead of 7min before).

Imagase, on the other hand, has no growth and is not fleshed out. He was just as 2-dimensional in my second viewing as he was in the first. Also, it's hard *not* to feel like whatever misery he feels, he brought upon himself (multiple times). He may be kind of pitiable, but I still struggled to sympathize with him because he was just one thing on repeat: an obsessed gay man who was very insecure about his straight friend/lover whom he kept pushing into an intimate relationship.

The way Imagase is written remains my biggest dissatisfaction with the film.

As with the first viewing, I was not that invested in the characters because, first, they aren't likeable, and second, because their connection lacks depth and affection (there doesn't seem much reason for them to like each other except for maybe being able to be comfortable around each other, which isn't nothing, but there's not a lot of that shown either). However, already knowing what I didn't like about it, I found the second viewing more mentally intriguing and enjoyable, and was able to better appreciate how the cornered mouse metaphor came into play throughout the story.

Another thing I was able to roll with better the second time around was the very loose sense of time. The movie somewhat disjointedly jumps from scene to scene and exact markers of time (days, weeks, etc) are never mentioned. Knowing where the story was going allowed me to string things together in my head. For the first watch, it was like reading a book with chunks of pages torn out at random; I could piece the story together, but it felt like multiple scenes were missing.

The sex is very realistic and the atmosphere created with light, colors, and cinematography was very well done and cohesive.

GENERAL SPOILER On The Ending:

......

It is an open ending, but I think the pattern of what will happen is pretty clear, only this time there's more hope for stability in it. The only thing left in question, in my mind, is when.

Read More

Weaknesses Kept Pulling Me Out Of Immersion.

Slow yet mentally intriguing. I really wanted to like this but the frusterating and unbelievable aspects kept accumulating and pulling me out of being immersed in the story. Mentally I was really intrigued by the premise and curious about what would happen so I kept watching. At 7 episodes in, however, it was not really engaging my emotions.

Update: I completed the series on 11/19/23 and episodes 8-11 were the best to me. The story was more focused and things did start to get emotional, mainly due to Bright's acting as Yai. There's also a little less stupidity by characters overall. I did love the change in family dynamics with the mother, that was one thing that was written well. The intimate scenes were full of love and emotions and beautifully shot. I appreciated that the eroticism of undressing each other was frequently included.

Ep 12 was rushed, choppy, not explained well, and thus not very satisfying. The set up for a second season was interesting though and I will probably give it a try out of curiosity if it gets made.

The director and screenwriters have worked together before and their weaknesses are consistent throughout their work. This series is their strongest work to date though. Maybe it helped that they had a whole book as source material to work from.

There's a lot of telling vs showing. It's like we get the highlights but the stuff in-between is skipped over so sense of time is really muddled (and not in an intentional way). Characters will say things like 'we've been together a while now' or ''you've been avoiding me for a while' or 'since this time' and we see the most recent example of being avoided but not the multiple times leading up to the current conversation. Because of this, the emotions of the characters feel rather shallow and mercurial because we don't get to experience the building of their emotions in-step with them.

We see Yai's process of falling for Jom over multiple episodes, but not the other way around. Yes, Jom has to go through some things/emotions before he can fall for someone new, but Yai is obviously drawn to Jom like a magnet and that doesn't feel reciprocated.

At the same time, the way the story is directed and shot is super slow. I would have dropped this series if I didn't have the ability to watch at 1.5 to 2 x the speed. And even then I still skipped through some bits. So the script could have fit in more examples of the main characters interacting and growing their connection with each other.

There's also a huge lack of self-preservation instincts in an era that was even less accepting of queer relationships, which is unbelievable enough to pull me out of the fantasy they are spinning. Especially since they are depicting social sentiments in a serious manner and in-line with an older era. So to have a 20 year old young master (Yai), with a very strict and traditional father, and frequently in the spotlight, who is not at all paranoid about showing affection out in the open or in broad daylight (but will jump apart and act nervous when caught), is ridiculous to me.

GENERAL SPOILERS below.

Example, in a later episode Yai's dad confronts him about his relationship with Jom and tells him his man has been watching them. Yai is alarmed and nervous and says "we never do anything explicit in public". Yet, even knowing the above, the very next day he has his arms half around Jom & is holding his hands out in the porch on the river in broad daylight when, gasp, someone "unexpectedly" comes upon them. JUST like someone did before at that exact spot. It's so reckless it's just dumb and obviously contrived by the writers. It makes the characters seem way less believable AND of low IQ to boot! *Facepalm.

Other things that keep pulling me out of the story:
Jom is acted pretty woodenly and he comes across as a simpleton the way he's written, directed, and acted (seriously, the amount of times he's asked a question and takes 10 to 40 seconds to answer while there's not much going on in his face or behind his eyes is frustrating).

Yai is supposed to be 20 but isn't written or acted like he's that young until a much later episode when young naivete and determination bubble up.

Robert is reportedly able to be charming because he's won over Yai's father, but all we and everyone else sees is a very obviously bad man, which makes that important plot point unbelievable. (And it's a missed opportunity to make in interesting two-faced, charismatic but dangerous antagonist.)

Read More

Satisfying In All Aspects!

(No spoiler until the bottom of the review)
This is the most fulfilling series! The acting, script, cinematography, music, production value, everything! The show is not 100% perfect, but it still FEELS like a 10/10. The mood it set, the tension that was built, the deep bonding between characters... it hooked me immediately and kept me enthralled throughout. I didn't fast-forward through anything, it was all worth watching.

Everyone is perfectly cast! Gun especially did a fantastic job as the two twins White and Black. His energy, the way he carried himself, and the look in his eyes were so distinct between them. Phenomenal acting. All the characters, even the secondary ones, felt like fully-fleshed people. The script, acting, and directing all supported this. I became invested in almost all of the characters! And I loved the different group dynamics.

I loved how this was done: It's hard to describe but it felt like the focus was on the slowly built bond and trust between White and Sean, NOT on the romance of it. Yet when it did become romantic, it was immensely powerful because of how carefully their connection had been built up. It felt so real/realistic and filled me with warmth, happiness, and satisfaction.

The politics of the story was interwoven very well with the plot. I appreciated that it often gave arguments from opposing viewpoints and mostly didn't feel too heavy-handed or preach-y. Instead it was easy to invest in the group's goals and root for their cause, even if they had disagreements amongst themselves (or with others) on the best way to go about it.

Most of the time I wasn't conscious of what the background music was doing. I like that because it means it was an effective support and not a distraction. Whenever I did notice it, it fit perfectly to enhance the emotions I was already feeling.

I already know this is a show I will watch again and again, at least once a year. It has filled my heart full of feelings and prompted some thoughtful thinking.

GENERAL SPOILER on the ending:
I liked the ending. It felt like a natural lull in a story that would continue. A time when our beloved characters are in a good spot even though their fight is not over. They still have goals they want to accomplish but we are able to be hopeful with them. It felt like a satisfying end to the show but didn't feel like an end to their story. Beautifully done.

Read More