I FINALLY UNDERSTAND THE HYPE
If you're considering watching this at all, DO IT!As someone that had never watched a Chinese drama before, I had no idea what to expect when starting The Untamed. I have had it recommended to me countless times but always put it off because of the length of the series. Finally, I figured I should go ahead and give it a shot - and I immediately fell in love with it. This is one of the best series I have EVER seen, and I don't say that lightly.
There's no way I could ever give a proper summary of this show without spoiling some major plot points, but this story explores the world of cultivators, where warring clans bring about questions of honor, loyalty, and trust. Wei Wuxian is our main character and is wonderful to follow not because he is without faults, but because he has many. Throughout the (admittedly, messy) timeline of this show, the viewer watches Wei Wuxian face hardships that make him question time and time again if he is doing the right thing. After you watch him promise to "live with no regrets", you see it constantly become more difficult for him to do so.
There is nothing better than a show that properly delivers a complicated protagonist that makes the viewer question if they agree with their actions. This is done exceptionally well in this show. Additionally, I found that the political issues between clans were very interesting and engaging, bringing up complex topics where you can see both sides. This adds to the complexity of Wuxian's character extremely well. Wuxian is constantly battling between maintaining order by doing what everyone wants him to, and diverging from the status quo to do what he thinks should be done - and this gets him in a lot of trouble. Plus, the relationship between Wuxian and Lan Zhan is just wonderful; I know a lot of people weren't happy that this isn't explicitly queer, but believe me, it may as well be. I was worried that because this is a much longer show than I'm used to that it would get boring and repetitive, but it never did. Each story arc connected to the next perfectly, and continued to build until the very last episode. The only issue I could see people having with this one is the time jumps, which as long as you're paying attention, I don't think are too bad. Same with the names of the characters, as many of them have multiple names. As long as you can get through that, this show is absolutely wonderful. It's beautifully emotional, visually engaging, and will have you staying up late to watch another episode. Deserves no less than a 10/10.
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Almost Good
I LOVE OffGun. I think they're a fantastic pairing and I will watch pretty much anything they're in. However, I was honestly disappointed with the Trainee. This show took so long to get good, and just when you think there's going to be developments in their relationship, you get nothing but crumbs. Additionally, the side couple had the worst trajectory I've ever seen in terms of relationship development, and overall it left much to be desired.Ryan (Gun) is finishing college and in need of an internship. When there's an interview mix-up, he ends up interviewing for the directing team at a production company where he meets Jane (Off). Somehow, he gets the job - and hates it. Jane is extremely strict with high expectations of Ryan, who has never worked a day in production. Jane is frequently yelling at Ryan, to a point of Ryan being in tears. However, slowly the two of them start to understand each other more, and Ryan soon realizes he's developing feelings for Jane, though Jane remains guarded. You also have Tae (Sea) and Ba-mhee (Piploy) who seem to have a failing relationship, as Tae never has time for her. But as Ba-mhee starts spending more time with her mentor Judy (Kapook), she realizes what it's like to have someone take care of you.
The relationship between Ryan and Jane was SO SLOW. Not your typical slow-burn slow, but slower. I wish they would have condensed the first 10 episodes into about 6. There's just so much potential for that relationship dynamic - sneaking around the office because the relationship has to be a secret, the repercussions of a mentor dating his intern, the backlash they could face, etc. Instead, we get none of that, and instead are left with the same issue for the entire show: Ryan likes Jane, and Jane won't tell Ryan how he feels. There's so little time for them to be happy that the show feels incomplete. I think if I didn't watch this weekly I would have liked it more, but it was just frustrating to watch most weeks.
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Missing Romantic Conflicts
This show was not what I expected it to be. From the description and trailers, I expected a lot more romantic tension and miscommunication between the leads. Instead, this story ended up being a lot less about the relationship and more about family circumstances.Dokrak (Bonnie) agrees to help her brother Kawi (Sing) win over Pam (Emi) by drawing her postcards. Everything seems to be going well between Kawi and Pam, but as Dokrak and Pam also become closer, it's clear that Dokrak has feelings for her. As Pam insists on learning more about Dokrak's strained relationship with her family, it's hard to tell what Pam's motives are - her feelings for Kawi, emerging feelings for Dokrak, or personal gain. Once Pam and Dokrak become closer, the two will have to choose between keeping the peace or revealing their feelings.
I wanted so much more from this relationship. I was super excited to see Emi and Bonnie together, and while I loved their portrayal of these characters, everything felt too easy for the relationship. I wanted more conflict with Kawi, more angst, and more hardship for the main two. It just felt like after they were together, the relationship immediately had no impact on the story. This show definitely revolves more around family issues for both characters, and their relationship fades into the background after the first few episodes. While I thought they had great chemistry (and hope to see them act together again), I do wish we could have gotten a little more relationship drama and a little less family drama. Still a fun watch, but left me wanting a bit more.
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Incredible Thriller to Binge
I think some of the low ratings here are from people that expected this to be a BL because Fluke is a main character. It's not. But it is an amazing thriller series that will have you constantly wanting to watch the next episode.Dan is a new transfer student to St. Lawrence all-boys school. He quickly learns of a kid named Trin who went missing the year prior, and the other students found it strange that Dan sat in the exact desk that Trin did. Dan begins looking into Trin's disappearance a bit more, with the help of his friends, and it seems as though things are more complicated than he thought.
However, Dan has more pressing matters than Trin's disappearance. A shadow figure keeps appearing in his dreams and attempting to kill him. This worsens, and begins to happen even while he's awake. With the help of his friend Nai, who can see ghosts, Dan tries to keep his reality separate from his dreams - though the ghosts and shadow man make this difficult. As these encounters worsen, Dan realizes these visions may be tied to Trin after all...
This show had me on the edge of my seat every episode. Watching the main character start to lose his mind in his attempts to distinguish what's real and what isn't was truly a highlight for me, and Singto's performance as Dan was outstanding. The effects were good, and the twists and turns the storyline took were absolutely excellent. The only reason this wasn't a 10/10 was because the ending could have been wrapped up a bit better, but overall it was excellently done. However, if you're looking for a new BL with Fluke, this isn't it. Still, give it a shot if you like thrillers/supernatural horror/etc.
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A Business Gay Performance
This show is not good. I'll start there. However, it is hilarious. If you watch it like you're watching a badly scripted SNL skit, it's AWESOME.The plot is Nine and Mill are debuting together in a group with the concept of "business gay performance," which is essentially fanservice. Naturally, the two of them realize that they have feelings for each other as well. The pacing of the show is totally off, the script is bad, and the acting is worse. It's basically them acting out poorly-written fanfiction. It's never as queer as you want it to be, and instead you're left laughing at the absurdity of the show. I enjoyed watching every episode of this and laughed real hard at it. Don't go in with high expectations. It's probably only worth watching if you're a fan of onlyoneof, in which case the plot seems very fitting considering the group's concept.
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Bringing Back Yearning!
I was super excited to see a historical drama from GMM, and I'm so glad it turned out as amazing as it did! The romance was so soft and sweet, though not without its challenges. The directing was incredible, and the backdrop of the time period really tied it all together. While the show was sometimes a bit slow or the conflicts a bit repetitive, it was still an amazing watch!Rati (Inn) was born in Siam/Thailand but grew up with his father in France, and now works as a translator. At the beginning of WWI, Rati travels to Siam to teach the nobles French as France attempts to recruit Siam's help in the war. While there, he meets Count Thee (Great), and the two quickly become friends, though it's clear from the beginning that there's more feelings than that. However, their love seems impossible with everyone against them.
Great and Inn really surprised me in these roles! I watched them before in Wandee Goodday and really enjoyed them together, but this was so different from that show that I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I ended up LOVING them as Rati and Thee! They did a great job portraying the longing and heartbreak of their characters. The conflicts were very predictable (of course there's an arranged marriage, parents finding out about their relationship, etc. etc.) but I still quite enjoyed them and thought they were done very well. I wish we got a little more on the issue of France and Siam - the biggest issues seemed to be that Rati would have to return to France, as opposed to the political issues of their relationship. Still, it was a great watch and I would definitely recommend it if you enjoy historical dramas!
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How to ruin your life (and everyone else's)
This show was FULL of twists and turns, and even though it was only eight episodes, it was jam packed with drama. If you made every single wrong decision you could, this is how it would end up.Bambi wants nothing more than to be famous. She doesn't seem to care how or for what even - she just knows she wants to be in the spotlight. To do so, she figures she needs to surround herself with other famous people. When a video she posts online gains her a solid following, she decides to join a cram school full of people she sees as useful - a well-known BL actor, a politician's son, a businessman's daughter, etc. However, they still don't seem to see her as on their level. Bambi is determined to do whatever it takes to make it to the top, and when she's told that gaining something will always cost something, she's ready to pay whatever price necessary, even if that means dragging everyone down with her.
I loved watching Bambi stumble into this world of billionaires and famous folk that she can't possible keep up with. Every decision she makes is a foolish one, and it ends up biting her in the ass. She's out to prove that "taste" isn't something you're born with, but something she can build her way to. However, most people don't see it that way. I do think that a lot of the storylines were left a little too open-ended and frankly, I'd love a second season. Some of her mistakes only started to have repercussions at the very end of the short season, so seeing it play out more would be great. So while this drama was a super interesting watch (and the actors did an incredible job) I can't rate it any higher due to it feeling unfinished.
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Surprisingly Predictable
Overall, I thought Knockout was a solid show. I really enjoyed the boxing plotline, and I'm glad there was a good evil villain. However, I felt that none of the twists were all that surprising, and that I was never fully invested in the story because of it.When Keen (Nice) loses his father, his father's friend tells him that if he ever needs help, he should call him. Soon after, Keen learns of his father's debt and the debt collectors won't leave him alone. In a desperate moment, he calls his dad's friend, who sends Thun (Gunner) to help. Keen learns of his dad's friend's boxing gym, and starts staying there along with Thun. Keen becomes the gym's promoter and starts setting up fights for Thun. The two develop a relationship while navigating the debt collectors and other drama in the boxing world.
This show would've been better if I had waited until it all came out to watch it I think. The twists just weren't quite interesting enough to keep me fully invested. That being said, I really enjoyed the couples in this show and thought it was a fun watch. If you like boxing and action, it's worth giving this show a chance.
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Great Characters, Messy Plot
Obviously, when GMM announced a Taming of the Shrew adaptation about hitmen with Firstkhao, it felt like they designed a show just for me. I had super high expectations going into this, and the actors delivered. I found myself super invested in all four of the main characters and both couples felt well developed and explored. Unfortunately, the plot (especially towards the end) felt like it was missing something to tie it all together.Kant (First) is blackmailed by a cop to investigate two brothers running a burger joint, since there's reason to believe these brothers are actually hitmen. When Kant learns that the younger brother Bison (Khaotung) is his one night stand from the other night, he sees an easy way in. However, Fadel (Joong), Bison's older brother, cotinues to get in his way of pursuing Bison. Bison, who clearly has feelings for Kant already, convinces him to set Fadel up with someone to get him out of their hair. Kant bribes his best friend Style (Dunk) to help, but it winning over Fadel seems nearly impossible. As the two friends get closer to the pair of brothers, they start falling in love for real. When the pressure of the cops and the fear of the hitmen collide, Kant and Style have to figure out a way to save their love and themselves.
The Heart Killers starts out mostly as a romcom, but with hitmen. It's fun, it's oddly light, and the random bowling alley dance scene didn't even feel all that out of place. As the story ramps up, it's clear they wanted a bit of a darker vibe, but totally missed the mark on it. I feel like if they set the tone in the beginning, it could've worked a lot better. It also felt like the last few episodes were rushing to get in all the plot, and left aspects of the story feeling unfinished and unsatisfying. I think it's been super fun to watch GMM try out more genres, but it seemed like their ratios of sexy scenes to plot-relevant scenes was a bit too high. That being said, it was still a super fun watch and a great performance from all the actors involved.
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SO different from the description
This show being described as some high schoolers getting into illegal business does not describe what's actually going on here. It's not about some little petty crimes these high schoolers commit - in fact, I'd argue it's not about the crime at all. This show is about the downfall of Oh Jisoo, our main character.Oh Jisoo is a high school student that fully supports himself. He's got no family or friends to lean on, and no drive to seek help. He takes care of himself; however, he needs money to do that. Jisoo runs a protection service for sex workers, but remains anonymous to his clients. He sends in help when it's needed, takes a cut of the pay, and never has to meet his clients face to face. However, when Gyuri, a girl from school, starts learning of Jisoo's activities, she wants in. You watch Jisoo, who was doing just fine on his own, slowly crumble as everything he has built falls apart with no way for him to right his wrongs.
I was super excited about this show, especially because of the high ratings, but was fairly disappointed. The first 8 episodes felt like minor conflicts were being drawn out for no reason, and honestly I wasn't really rooting for a single character in this. However, I will say that the ending was perfect and the last episode kept me very entertained. For a shorter series, it was a fairly enjoyable watch, but I found myself not paying attention to large portions of it because it felt like a lot of conflicts didn't matter. I do think if you go into it knowing that the true story here is not about the sex work or the crimes, but about watching our main character fall apart over the course of the show, it would be a much more engaging watch. Every issue he faces builds on top of the last, and with no ability to resolve his problems, Oh Jisoo slowly loses his mind.
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More romance than fantasy
I expected this to be a fantasy romance similar to Tale of the Nine Tailed (also starring Jo Boah), but was a bit disappointed in the lack of fantasy elements! The plot revolves around Hongjo (Boah) who is given a spellbook from Shinyu (Rowoon) and decides to use the love spell to make her work crush fall in love with her. Naturally, things go wrong. Meanwhile, Shinyu desperately needs her to cast a spell to cure his disease that is seemingly incurable, and worsening. After the first few episodes though, these fantasy elements seem to be totally lost! While past lives and family history get brought up, I thought there would be a lot more going on with the spells/generational curse/etc. than there was.Watch for the romance and it's a fantastic show. Rowoon and Boah have great chemistry as the main couple and are super fun to watch. But if you wanted to watch this for the fantasy elements, they're not there in much capacity when compared with other fantasy romances.
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Slowburn rivals to lovers?? Count me in.
Bad Buddy is a show that I didn't expect to like as much as I did. While it looks like a classic, cheesy, Romeo-and-Juliet style romance, it's done exceptionally well.The relationship between Pat and Pran starts off with what seems to be them hating each other - except that's what the character's want everyone to believe. Not only do their parents forbid them from being together, but (naturally) architecture and engineering students could never date due to their rivalry. This forbidden romance between childhood best friends that have finally been reunited is just an enjoyable and sweet watch. The conflicts throughout the show make you enjoy the characters' arcs, and watching them go through issues with their families, friends, and school.
Bonus points for including women as actual characters with personalities (let's go lesbians!!!)
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This review may contain spoilers
AMAZING
This review might be a bit lengthy because I have a lot to say about this show so here we go.I was super excited for Moonlight Chicken, mostly because of First but also because everything I've seen by Aof has been amazing. The hype around this one was just crazy, especially for an 8 episode series, so I was a little worried that it wouldn't live up to my expectations. It surpassed them.
It tells the story of Jim (Earth), who runs a chicken rice shop with his nephew Li Ming (Fourth). One night after close, Jim sees Wen (Mix) still at the diner, passed out from a night of drinking. The two hook up and as much as Jim wants for it to not be complicated and to stay as a simple one night stand, of course it gets complicated. While Jim and Wen work things out, there's still Gaipa (Khaotung) who has been in love with Jim for some time now, and Alan (First) who Wen broke up with after a five-year long relationship. In short, things are messy, complicated, and wonderful to watch.
In terms of the unmessy events, we've got Jim's nephew Li Ming (Fourth) and Heart (Gemini) who end up becoming friends when Li Ming has to work for Heart's parents to pay off a debt. Heart became deaf three years ago, and while his parents still refuse to learn sign, Li Ming is quick to learn it to communicate with him better. The clearly intentional lack of subtitles on the signing was a brilliant move; the viewer is put in the shoes of the parents (and other characters) who do not know sign and must rely on Li Ming's translations (when he gives them) or use context to figure it out. Coming to the realization that I didn't know what Heart was saying, and watching the same realization cross his mother's face when they get into an argument, was a wonderful touch on this already amazing series.
The storyline between Jim and Wen begins as plenty of BLs do: with a hookup. While I'm not typically a fan of this trope, I've never seen it done as well as it was here. Jim telling Wen he only wants a one night stand that is uncomplicated leads him into an entire mess that he seems to just want out of.
I might be biased because he's played by First, but I thought that the introduction of Alan added an entire layer to the story that was missing from the first few episodes. Seeing a five-year long relationship that crumbled and ended with a simple "I don't love you anymore" was devastating, especially because only Wen felt that way. Alan, trying desperately to hold onto the relationship, couldn't stop Wen from seeing other people. Wen, who still hadn't moved out of their shared apartment months after the break up, got mad at Alan for still treating him like his boyfriend--even though it seemed that Wen was still hesitant to let go too.
This show was an extremely emotional one, and it was done extremely well. There are four separate but important dynamics between characters. There's young love (HeartLiMing), stale love (AlanWen), unrequited love (JimGaipa), and new love (JimWen), all of which allow the viewer to sympathize with different characters at different points in the show. The way this show is shot was beautiful, and the intertwining of the characters' lives wasn't rushed at all even though it was a shorter series. In fact, this being a shorter series cut out any unnecessary scenes or conflicts, which meant every scene was important.
The parallels between characters help to enhance their interactions and showcase the different sides of them. Wen yells at Alan for not taking his break up words seriously--then Jim says the same thing to Wen. Alan yells at Jim for taking his pen because it doesn't belong to him--and then laughs and tells Gaipa it's fine that he took it. These little hints at past actions help to round out the story and keep the viewer looking for easter eggs in every scene. Beautifully done, wonderfully written, and worth a watch (and rewatch).
My only complaint: I want more AlanGaipa screen time. And honestly more content from this show in general.
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Little Substance
When I saw the trailer for Break-Up Service, I was hoping for something similar to Peaceful Property, where the show starts off silly and episodic and slowly turns into a more cohesive story. However, I felt that Break-Up Service never fulfilled what I wanted for an overarching storyline, and instead felt predictable and lacking substance. The romance took so long to develop, even though I feel like it could've been an interesting office romance plot if they had started it earlier. The romantic conflicts were pretty pointless, and while I enjoyed the main couple, their storyline didn't even feel all that important until the end. I just wish the storyline was less predictable and that the show was a little less episodic, especially since some episodes I found myself totally not invested in the couple they were trying to break up.While this was a light and fun watch, it didn't feel like anything special. I really like Off, which is why I watched it in the first place, but just felt that this show missed the mark.
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Who can get away with murder?
I will always eat up a revenge thriller, and The Manipulated was no exception. I had so much fun watching this! I absolutely LOVED the main character's story, and seeing Doh Kyungsoo as the villain was absolutely INCREDIBLE. That man can really play a psycho! While I would agree that the beginning of the show had a greater punch than the last few episodes, I still thoroughly enjoyed this one from start to finish. Framing someone for a crime they didn't commit is always so interesting, and the way this was weaved into the whole plot was so fun!Park Taejoon is an extremely hard working man. As he prepares to open his botanical-themed cafe, he works as a delivery driver to make extra money. When one day he finds a phone ringing with no owner, he does what any other respectable citizen would do and returns it - and it doesn't hurt that the woman offers some cash for him as a reward. However, he had no idea that this simple act would be the beginning of his downfall: the following day, police barge into his place and arrest him for the rape and murder of a woman. Even though Taejoon has never even met this woman, and has his whereabouts from nearly minute around the time of the murder, it seems no matter what he does, he'll be found guilty. Taejoon is determined to figure out exactly why he was the one charged with this murder, who really did it, and who he needs to find to get revenge.
I genuinely had so much fun with this drama. The entire concept being centered around this idea of horrible rich people paying a man to frame someone else for a crime they committed was so interesting. I loved the way that Taejoon's attitude changes throughout this show, and it is super fun to watch. Not to mention, the villain was so interesting. I'd highly recommend this one if you enjoy crime/revenge dramas, you have GOT to give this one a try!!
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