adjective_boy

Unfortunately infuriating

[I will tag where the spoilers begin]

What can I even say about this show. A vampire plot that lacks any real vampire aspects, special effects that were laughable at best, and a script that was missing any kind of depth all rolled up into one show. The acting unfortunately fell flat, and I don't know whether to blame the lack of chemistry between the actors, the script writing, or the directing but I think I could blame all three if I wanted to. Every episode of this show made me more upset than the last, even though I kept trying to see if it would get good. All I wanted was some classic vampire romance - the fear of being bitten, the tension in a kiss scene, broken trust because of a vampire's true desire - and instead I got a college basketball tournament, a half-baked evil vampire, and a relationship lacking any real tension. I really hope that the fault lies in the crew and not the cast - I wanted to like JossGawin, but truly could not get invested in them as a couple during this show.

Tong (Gawin) has been raised in an orphanage. When he goes off to college, he ends up helping his friend at a job, where he unknowingly works with a bunch of vampires. It is quickly revealed that he has golden blood, irresistible to vampires because of the special powers it gives them. Mark (Joss) is a vampire tasked with protecting Tong from other vampires, but soon their relationship becomes more than that of a bodyguard.

*Spoilers start here*

I truly don't know how they went SO WRONG with this plot. I can get over bad special effects or clunky dialogue, but oh my god this show was actually infuriating. You're telling me Tong gets attacked by Mark because of his blood and this causes ZERO issues with their relationship? There was no real conflicts besides the whole "does he love me or does he just love my blood" which wasn't even well thought out! And then Neo's character dying out of nowhere, without any kind of "let's turn him into a vampire to save him"??? That's the oldest plot in the book!! Why was the basketball tournament so important in a VAMPIRE SHOW??? I really think there was no need to set this show in college - it adds nothing to the actual plot and instead just feels like an excuse for GMM to reuse one of the sets they've used before. Mond played the only character that I actually liked, because at least he was INTERESTING! Joss and Gawin really gave me nothing to work with here. They were always crammed in a tiny bathtub together, or Gawin was staring at Joss shirtless (which, I get it, but why is he shirtless THAT often), and somehow they STILL didn't have chemistry. I was hoping that at least during the makeout scenes when there wasn't any awkward dialogue that the relationship would have some tension, but somehow that STILL fell flat. Even the "twist" in the real villain was predictable from episode one.

This one just fell SO flat for me. While there wasn't any one thing that made it bad, the combo of a lot of small things made this show hard to watch. I really wanted to like it, especially because I think vampire plots are super cool, but I just can't recommend this to anyone.

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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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KristSingto is Back!

I am so glad that GMM not only brought back one of their old pairings, but actually let adult actors play adult characters (and not just students). I wasn't quite sure what to expect from this show, especially because I had only seen clips of SOTUS at the time (and 2016 was a different time for BLs for sure), but I was very pleasantly surprised. While it may not be the most intense or life changing shows, I was thoroughly entertained.

News reporter Padtaphi (Krist) has gained himself tons of fans through his show, but public opinion is quick to turn on him when the cameras keep rolling a bit too long - throwing a coffee in the face of another reporter is never a good look. Once he's fired from his show, he's desperate to find another producer to work with him on something else, but it seems no one wants to work with him. That is until producer Tamtawan (Singto) shows back up at the studio after years of being abroad and agrees to take the job. Naturally, this producer just happens to be Padtaphi's ex-boyfriend. The two of them must work together if Padtaphi wants a career in broadcasting again, but it seems that Tamtawan may have other reasons for taking the job too.

I really enjoyed the premise of this show. With it being only 10 episodes, I do think it was a little rushed and would have liked to have a little more time where the two leads aren't getting along. I also love a secret office romance, and wish we had a little more time before everyone found out about them. Still, I found the show to be super fun and entertaining, and was very surprised with how much I loved watching Krist and Singto act together. Hopefully they continue to do more shows together, because this one was definitely a fun one.

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CUTE!!!

I honestly had no intention of watching this show, but decided to give it a shot when it started airing and oh BOY am I glad I did! This show was unexpectedly good - the characters are realistic high school boys with the exact type of problems you'd expect high school relationships to have, and this realism really makes the show enjoyable. I think that Kim and Mon (ChokunAston) stole the show, but I really loved all the characters and would highly recommend this if you're looking for something cute and lighthearted.

Shane (Mick) is top of his class and the first pick to be a tutor for Kit (Luke), who has never cared about school. While Shane is attempting to get Kit to care about his grades, Kit tries to get Shane to loosen up and have fun. As the two try to teach each other, they become closer and feelings begin to emerge. Meanwhile, Mick's friend Kim (Chokun) has always had bad luck with love, with most of his relationships ending before they can even really begin. It's love at first sight when Kim sees the new transfer kid Mon (Aston), and even though his friends fear it will end within a day, this crush blossoms into much more as Kim and Mon get closer. However, all relationships come with problems, and navigating the end of high school while figuring out a relationship is never easy.

Truly, the best word to describe this show is "cute" and I mean that in the sense that every couple was adorable! This show reminded me a lot of s1 of Heartstopper, mostly because of these new relationships and high school problems plus some super fun and cute editing in the show. While none of these couples were known pairings or anything beforehand, they all did a WONDERFUL job portraying these characters. It might not have the deepest or most intense plot ever, but the lightheartedness of the show was such a breath of fresh air. I'd highly recommend this one if you're looking for something on the lighter, more fun side!

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S1 had a better ending than this.....

When Netflix announced they'd be making s2 and 3 of squid game, I wasn't thrilled. I personally liked the open ending of s1, and wasn't sure how they could come to an ending that felt satisfying. And honestly, it seems like they couldn't.

Season 3 picks up right where s2 left off, after Gihun's failed attempt to raid the control room. Then, we're put right back into the games. Compared to s2, I did feel like the games in this season were a bit more high stakes and I was more invested in some of the characters at this point. Plus, the story with the detective really picked up in a fun way. But still, this season didn't wow me.

*Spoilers for the ending start here*

I understand the whole point of the baby being born into the games, but it felt like such a predictable way for things to go. You already hate the kid's father, so that part didn't even feel emotional. I thought it was so obvious what was going to happen at the end of the last game, and I was exactly right. It felt like such a stupid move too - Gihun's entire goal is to fight back against the system, try and destroy the games from the inside, etc. and NONE OF THAT HAPPENS! Instead he sacrifices himself for the baby which, again, I understand why he would make that choice, but the entire setup of this last game just felt so odd to me. To totally ruin the main character's initial goal by forcing him to sacrifice himself, leading to the games continuing on just not in Korea? I did enjoy Inho's moment of returning Gihun's items to his daughter, but it still just felt like such a waste of an ending. I really wish I just watched s1 and ended it there. And I definitely won't be watching any spin offs if they decide to continue making them....

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Predictable, but still fun

Kidnap was a solid show that, while fairly predictable, was a fun watch. I did hope for a little bit more on the whole...yknow kidnapping aspect? But overall I enjoyed it and am very glad that GMM has announced Ohm and Leng as an official pairing after watching this.

Min (Ohm) works as an action stunt double, and with his sick brother, he's in need of some quick money. His agent sets him up on a job to earn a lot of money fast, but it involves kidnapping a rich kid named Q (Leng) for ransom. Min thinks this will be a quick job that he can forget about easily, but when he's told to kill Q instead, Min takes him and hides him. Naturally, Min is going to get in serious trouble if the client finds out Q is still alive, but keeping him quiet at Min's house isn't easy either. The two start to get to know each other and become wrapped up in the drama of Q's father's police investigation with mafia-like criminals.

Min and Q's relationship was very fun to watch develop, and I didn't think any issue was overly drawn out. I did think that pretty much every conflict in the show was predictable - it felt like we were going around in circles where Min and Q would take turns with the whole "we need to break up so you can be safe" thing. I also felt like this was one of the least convincing "poor protagonists" ever. You're saying you need money but you have TWO large houses?? I get he was trying to sell one but still, it felt a little off. Overall this show was a fun watch and the main couple had great chemistry. Even though I felt like it didn't do anything too new, I enjoyed it and am excited to see what Ohm and Leng do next.

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TayNew DELIVERED

Peaceful Property was not a show I expected to like all that much if I'm being honest. Based on the trailer, it looked to be a monster of the week-style horror/comedy ghost hunting show, and I wasn't sure that the jokes would land all that well given the language barrier. However, this show was so much better than I expected!

Peach (Tay) and his sister Pangpang (Jan) are struggling to make ends meet after Peach lost his job as a chef due to a car accident that left him unable to work in the kitchen. Pangpang has been trying to make it as an influencer, which ends up working in their favor when Home (New) discovers their ghost hunting show. Ever since the accident, Peach has been able to see ghosts - which is exactly what Home needs after inheriting multiple haunted properties from his recently deceased grandfather. Home is trying to sell the properties asap, and needs Peach's help to exorcise the ghosts; Pangpang plans to film everything and start up their ghost hunting business. Peach and Home don't get off to a great start, but through working together on the exorcisms, they start to understand each other and bond more. However, it seems that there's a lot more hiding in the secrets of Home's rich family, and he has unknowingly dragged his new friends into a bigger mess than any of them could have expected.

While the show did start off very episodic, it perfectly transitioned into drama that spanned for longer. It managed to use the first few ghost hunting adventures to help flesh out the characters themselves, making the twists in their relationships and backstories more interesting and engaging. I love a found family, and that's exactly what this show delivered. If GMM wanted to, they easily could have made this a BL - Tay and New were absolutely wonderful in their arcs and the tension between them was excellent. Even though some of the twists were expected, the way they were done still left me surprised, and there were plenty of instances where I had no idea what was coming next. A really fun watch overall!

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Breaking the Cycle

Let Free the Curse of Taekwondo does a fantastic job portraying both of the main characters as complex and flawed individuals, emphasizing the role that trauma plays in the victim's life. While I do think that the time skip was a bit early and that I would have loved to see more of the high school days of the characters, I think that for the time they had in this show it was absolutely beautifully done and worth watching.

Juyeong is sent by his parents to study taekwondo in the countryside, where he lives with his instructor and the instructor's son, Dohwe. While Dohwe is very closed off at first, he slowly warms up to Juyeong. However, the abuse that Dohwe has suffered at the hands of his father quickly become apparent to Juyeong, and Juyeong is unlikely to escape the house unscathed either. The two boys start to develop feelings for each other while trapped in an abusive household, which leads to complications as things escalate. This story also explores the lasting effects of this trauma in both characters - where one is determined to run away and forget the past, while the other tries to cling to it.

This show manages to address two vastly different ways of dealing with traumatic events, and instead of portraying one as right and one as wrong, shows them as simply to different methods of dealing with the past. I found that both of the characters felt justified in their actions the entire time, even if it wasn't what I wanted them to do. The misunderstandings between the leads didn't feel like poor communication, but rather both of them trying to protect the other in the only way they knew how, which made the relationship much more interesting. I thought the chemistry of the main actors was wonderful. My only complaint was that it felt like some parts of the show were a bit rushed - I really wish we could have spent more time with them before the time skip. Otherwise, this show was absolutely worth the watch and the heartbreak is worth it in the end.

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A good direction

Anyone that watches danmei adaptations is aware of the censorship this typically comes with; however, Meet You at the Blossom manages to get around this and delivers on the romance aspect of this wuxia. Unfortunately, I still found this show a bit lacking in the non-romance department, which was in part due to the characters themselves, and in part due to the 12 episode limit.

Jin Xiao Bao is nearing marrying age, and is determined to find the most beautiful woman to make his wife. During an unexpected encounter, he watches Huai En face many men single handedly, and instantly falls in love with her. However "she" is actually a man. Huai En is perfectly fine with Xiao Bao being in love with him - but it seems he may be motivated to keep Xiao Bao close for other reasons than his own feelings. The two enter into a relationship claiming they will always forgive the other no matter what, but how far can this promise extend?

The relationship was fun to watch develop, with cold Huai En slowly warming up to Xiao Bao. In this style of drama, I was very used to a relationship being built purely on tension due to censorship issues, so to get an actual relationship in this show was very refreshing. One of my biggest complaints though is that Xiao Bao is utterly useless. Huai En is a great cultivator and very intelligent. Xiao Bao is.....neither of those things. I just wish that Xiao Bao could have stood up for himself once in awhile, instead of always relying on others. I actually really enjoyed the political issues in the show, and thought they were the perfect level of complex for the length of the show. I do think that we could have benefited from a bit more time with the characters to watch them grow, but there's only so much you can do.

In all, I just hope that this opens the door for more danmei adaptations produced by companies willing to keep the romance. This was a short watch with the perfect amounts of romance, heartache, and betrayal, but would have benefitted from a stronger lead character and slightly less toxic relationship.

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A Heartfelt Revenge Drama

This drama really surprised me with how much it was able to do in the short amount of time it had. Reading the description, I was a little worried with how much background and world building we might have to go through, but honestly there was the perfect amount of information given to the viewer to make things make sense, but not too much exposition where it felt like they were overexplaining things.

Song Yi Heon is a high schooler who has been horribly bullied for years, and decides to take his own life. As he is jumping off an overpass, 47-year-old gangster Kim Deuk Pal sees him and saves him - except, as he catches Yi Heon a truck drives by and kills Deuk Pal. In a strange occurrence, Deuk Pal's soul is transported into Yi Heon's body. Deuk Pal wakes up in the body of this high schooler, and decides to get back at the bullies and sort out Yi Heon's school and family life (while also attempting to pass high school classes).

I was honestly worried that we would get too much with the whole soul-switching thing, but they discussed it the perfect amount for this show. I loved how Deuk Pal's gang ended up getting involved in Yi Heon's life, and how Yi Heon's family businesses all tied together with it. The twists and messiness of this show was perfect, because they still managed to have everything tied up nicely even with just 8 episodes. I do wish we could have gotten a little more time with high school Yi Heon before his suicide attempt, and that we got more drama with some of the characters involved in Yi Heon's personal life, but overall this was a fantastic watch. The goofiness of an adult not understanding high school kids' lingo and style paired with the intense fight and drama scenes worked perfectly. I would highly recommend this one to anyone who enjoys gang/revenge/high school drama shows. It checks all the boxes and does it well.

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Cute and Sweet

I originally wasn't planning on watching Only Boo, but I kept seeing people talking about it and they finally convinced me. While it may have not been the most innovative or exciting show, it was a very fun watch and a really cute romance. Don't expect too much from the plot or characters, but just enjoy the little romance between the main characters and you'll have a good time.

Moo (Keen) is sent to the country side by his mom to focus on school instead of focusing on idol auditions like he has been. His mom says he needs to finish high school before he can think about becoming an idol. However, Moo refuses to let go of his dreams. While in this new school, Moo meets Kang (Sea), a curry rice seller near his apartment. Moo very quickly develops feelings for Kang, and has to partition his time between school work, secretly practicing for idol auditions, and flirting with Kang. However, even after he starts winning Kang over, Moo realizes there a lot more problems to come in this relationship if he wants to be an idol.

Truly the best word to describe this drama is "cute". A high school romance between Moo and Kang develops slowly and eventually turns into a relationship between them, but still has its ups and downs. I think the characters could have had a little more depth, and I wish we got even more back story of both of them to really flesh out their characters more. For a lot of the series, they felt a bit one-dimensional. I also think that the conflicts towards the end could have been sped up a bit just to get some more time with Kang and Moo together. Overall, an easy and fun watch!

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What makes a good killer?

A Shop for Killers is a very unique take on the contract killer plotline. It was a show that I was very excited to start, especially as a fan of Lee Dongwook, and it was very entertaining all the way through. However, I felt like there were a few parts of the show that felt off. The first bit will be free of spoilers, so I'll mark where they start.

The opening scene of the show has Jeong Jian, our protagonist, getting shot at in her home. A very striking opening scene that had me excited to see both what happens next and how we got there. However, it's the latter that I have to complain about. This show jumps back and forth a LOT between the present and the past. Jian has an uncle, Jeong Jinman, who seems to be up to some shady business. These jumps to the past allow us to understand what exactly that shady business is, and how it concerns her. However, it is very non-linear in its storytelling. I think the one thing that bothered me the most about this wasn't the fact that we kept jumping between times, but the fact that they replayed scenes we had seen before so many times to orient the viewer in the timeline, but it was just excessive and unnecessary most of the time. The replayed scenes were so much longer than they needed to be, especially because this is an 8 episode series. If you've forgotten THAT much of the show when it's so short, it's probably because you weren't paying attention.

Another fault brought about by this non-linear storytelling was the fact that the viewer didn't get to learn the truth alongside Jian, but rather knew before her. You learn very early on about Jinman's career as a contract killer, but you have to watch a confused and scared Jian learn this WAY later than you do, at which point it doesn't pack the same punch. I will say though, watching Jian go through so many emotions in the span of just a few days is an incredible watch, and the actress did a great job portraying her.

**Spoilers start here**

My last and biggest issue with this show was the ending. What a copout! You get to watch Jian go through all this internal turmoil of should I kill or should I not, how could I ever run this business, etc. just for all that to go out the window because Jinman is ALIVE?? The entire story could have been avoided. You could argue that that's what makes Jian such a tragic character, but I thought that leaving the storyline right before they introduced Jinman at the end would have been a perfectly fine ending - a young girl, left to figure out the world with no one on her side. Could Jian become a killer like Jinman? Does she have what it takes, or is she only fueled by the rage that her parents' and uncle's death caused? I guess these questions don't really matter, because she doesn't need to be on her own anymore!

Overall, it was a good show and an engaging watch. Besides some issue with the storytelling and the ending, it was very interesting to watch the plot unfold both in the past and present. Frankly, I think this could have have spanned two seasons, with one season being all about Jinman and one about Jian, but the back and forth didn't get too messy. Worth checking out if you like short and dark thrillers.

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Wanted it to be better

As a huge fan of crime/legal dramas, I was really looking forward to this one! Especially since one of the main characters is a lawyer, I was thinking we would get some good courtroom/law scenes that we just...didn't get. I understand that the plot of this one was about figuring out how to catch a killer that has way more power than the victim, but a lot of it just felt like it had been done before in so many better renditions. Plus, the relationship didn't seem to develop all that smoothly? It seemed like at one point they hated each other and then all of a sudden they were together? It felt like a show that could have been done really well if given the proper time and budget, but it just fell a little flat in both the romance and the murder storylines.

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