More royal politics than romance
As someone that had been waiting for The Next Prince for nearly 3 years, I was super excited to watch it when it started airing. I thought that the sets and costuming were fantastic, and I loved the overall plot. I do think many people went into this thinking it would be a lot more romance-focused than it was, but I thought it was a great balance. While the romantic conflict was fairly predictable and repetitive, I thought that the way the romance was incorporated into the larger plot was lovely. Plus, the side characters were super fun to watch too!Khanin (Nunew) is a fencer living in London with his father, when suddenly everything he knows is turned upside down with the arrival of Charan (Zee). Khanin learns of his royal heritage, and is told he must return to the kingdom of Emmaly to compete for the crown. With Charan as his bodyguard, Khanin makes the journey to Emmaly (with assassins pursuing him) in order to train for the royal competition. As Charan helps him train, feelings begin to develop between them, and even though a relationship between a royal and his bodyguard is seemingly impossible, Khanin is determined to make it work.
This show is definitely more focused on the royal competition, family/political issues, and Khanin's journey into royalty than it is about the relationship between Charan and Khanin. Personally, I was totally fine with this. I understand the expectations people had going in to a ZeeNunew show, but I thought that the balance was great. I especially loved that this meant there were fewer relationship issues between them, allowing us to have more happy moments with them as a couple and explore the relationships of the other characters a bit more. I was left waiting for the lesbians to get any screen time (they didn't really), but I loved Ramil and Paytai's (JimmyOhm) storyline. The third couple did feel a bit thrown in unnecessarily, but they were still entertaining. I think a lot of the hate for this show is due to slow pacing and lack of romantic conflict, but I thought it was still quite enjoyable, especially if you're aware of what this show is truly about. Watch this one for the political tension between royal families and the competition for the crown.
Was this review helpful to you?
Love or Obsession?
The Trunk was a lot more than I expected it to be, and I mean that in a good way. Contract marriage plotlines aren't typically something I go for, but this one seemed interesting enough to get me to watch it, and the shorter length of it made it especially easy to watch. I didn't expect to get so hooked on it!Han Jeongwon (Gong Yoo) is currently going through a divorce that he doesn't want, and he's so desperate to keep his wife that he will do whatever she wishes to convince her; however, she insists on signing him up for a one year-long contract marriage with a woman of her choosing, and tells him that if he makes in through, she'll take him back. Jeongwon agrees, believing it the only way to win back his now ex-wife. The contract marriage should be straightforward, but it's anything but. Between the anxious drug addict main character, a contract wife with too many secrets, a controlling and manipulative ex-wife, and the ex-wife's new boytoy, there's bound to be conflicts. Things escalate further when the characters are towing the line between falling in love and convincing themselves obsession is the same thing as love.
This show did a great job at portraying the relationships. What I thought was super interesting was the dual timelines: one starting at the beginning of the contract marriage, and one about 5 months into the contract where the police are investigating the found trunk in the lake. The back and forth allowed for some excellent foreshadowing and parallels, though it did feel like they could have tied it all together a bit better. I thought that the contract wife's storyline was super interesting, but I just wish it had been a little more worked into the show. I actually quite liked the ending of the show, though it wasn't what I had expected for this one. I would say that it's best if you watch not just for the romance, but more for the rich people drama. Overall I'd say it's worth the watch considering how much they manage to do with only 8 episodes.
Was this review helpful to you?
Enemies to Lovers DONE RIGHT
This show was incredible. A true enemies to lovers, complete with a beautiful slowburn and tension all the way through. Yin and War did an INCREDIBLE job as the leads, and knowing that this was made by the company they started themselves only makes it better. I almost started rewatching this show before it even finished it was so good. Even with the longer episodes, it was able to hold my attention for every single minute, and had me excited to watch every week.After a brief encounter, it seems that Jack (Yin) and Joke (War) hit it off. When Jack goes to the bank for a much needed loan to pay off some debt collectors, he's surprised to see that Joke is the branch manager. What he doesn't know is that Joke is lying - and actively trying to expose the bank for its corruption. Joke gives him money he stole out of the safe, but the cops are quick to catch on. Joke, feeling bad, confesses to being Joker, an infamous thief that exposes corrupt businesses, and goes to prison. However, this leaves Jack with no way to pay off the debt collectors. Flash forward 5 years and Jack has been forced to become a debt collector himself, and has sworn to get revenge on Joke if he ever sees him again. Joke spent his last 5 years in prison coming up with every way he could make Jack forgive him. Upon his release, Joke immediately searches for Jack to apologize, only to be confronted not with the sweet young Jack he once knew, but a Jack dubbed the "Grim Reaper" by the locals. Regardless, Joke attempts to get close with Jack and help him out of the debt collector hell he's been forced into, while Jack swears that if he tries to get close to him again, he'll kill him.
Jack and Joke were absolutely wonderful to watch. I love a good slowburn and this one delivered in every aspect. Starting off with a full episode on the backstory of them was brilliant, and watching them go from beating each other up to slowly realizing they shouldn't be enemies, to a clear romantic tension between them was FANTASTIC. The action scenes were some of the best I've seen in a Thai show, and you could tell how hard they worked to make the fights good. That, combined with the tension of the heists Joker pulls off makes for one of the most entertaining watches ever. It'll have you on the edge of your seat the whole time and hit you with unexpected twists at the best times. The relationship development is perfect too, with issues that aren't too drawn out and a beautiful ending for the characters. ABSOLUTELY worth watching!!!
Was this review helpful to you?
An unfulfilling short series
I was really excited to start The Bequeathed because it seemed like it had everything I liked wrapped up into a short 6-episode series. It wasn't until I started the final episode that I realized there was no way they could wrap everything up as cleanly as I would have liked. The twists in the story weren't all that surprising, and I felt that I wasn't too invested in ay of the characters.Yoon Seoha finds out she has inherited a family burial ground from a recently deceased uncle whom she had never met. Meanwhile, she finds out her husband is cheating on her and she likely didn't get the job promotion she thought she would. When a man claiming to be her half-brother starts fighting her for this burial ground, it seems like Seoha's life is spiraling out of control. No matter which way she turns, it seems that only hardships follow, and though she's suspecting everyone around her, she can't help but feel like it may be her family's own bad karma.
When it comes to crime K-dramas, there's a high bar. I love a good mystery, a good investigation, and a good, well-thought out killer. Unfortunately, this one just didn't quite deliver. While it was a very enjoyable and quick watch, I felt that something was lacking the whole time. I found Seoha difficult to sympathize with, as she always threw the blame on the closest person and never seemed to think things through. If they wanted to focus on the police investigation, they could have done that too, but that also felt like it was only peripheral even though they attempted to flesh out the cops working the case as much as they could. I think this story would have been a lot more compelling if told from the perspective of the lead detective instead of Seoha, or if Seoha was a bit more likeable as a character. Still, it was a fun show and an easy watch because of its length.
Was this review helpful to you?
Only good if you're a big fan of EarthMix
Out of all of EarthMix's projects, this one is by far the worst. While the two have great chemistry, who thought that this plot was a good idea?Win (Mix) is in a car accident with his sister, Lin, and when he wakes up he's in his sister's body. He then embarks on a journey with his former friend Korn (Earth) in order to retrieve holy water to return to his body. Along this journey, past issues between Win and Korn resurface and as the two learn to get along again, feelings between them emerge - but does Korn have feelings for Win, or does he only care about the body his soul is transported in?
The entire conflict of this show being "is he into me or is he into me because I'm in my sister's body" is crazy. What even. Regardless, watching the relationship between Win and Korn change was very enjoyable, and the fairly slow burn friends-to-lovers was fun to watch. But thank god it was only 10 episodes because I don't think I could have watched much more.
Was this review helpful to you?
They couldn't have come up with a plot that didn't involve falling in love with a dog...?
Definitely a cute, short little show with a unique concept. I think reincarnation plots can be very interesting but this one was a little...different. Normally I would advise just getting past any of the weirdness that this entails, but this one was hard to move on from.I would have rated this higher if it weren't for the fact that any time you remember those people used to be his pets. Any time you think of that, any kind of romance that was going on feels a bit odd. Best watched if you don't think about it too much!
Was this review helpful to you?
Cute, but nothing special
When the rich kid is forced to live on his own and support himself he ends up living with the landlord of his apartment complex...who is also his subordinate at work. Interesting dynamic between them but I feel like they could have done a lot more with it than they did.As is typical of Korean BLs, I feel like the characters didn't have a lot of room to grow throughout the series. I wish instead of unnecessary breakup plot points, the writers would allow the characters to properly develop over the course of the show. Overall a fun and easy watch.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
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.
Was this review helpful to you?
All Action, Nothing Else
Mercy For None started off with a bang - intense action scenes, including killing off who you thought would be the main character in ep 1. However, I soon realized that they seemed to care a lot more about making the fight scenes bloody and violent than they did any character development.Nam Gijun left the bloody gang life 11 years ago and hasn't looked back; however, after hearing of his brother's murder, he's pulled right back in. According to the police report, a simple gang of runaway kids killed his brother, but Gijun knows better than to believe that. It seemed that the two gangs were getting along up until now, but Gijun's return brings back memories of what happened 11 years ago, and it seems another war now appears inevitable.
The fight scenes in this show were honestly great. The effects and fight choreography were so interesting to watch! However, it seems like that's the only thing they cared about. I was super excited to see some growth from Gijun, or at least some more backstory to see how he became such a cold blooded killer. Instead, we just get Gijun killing people again. and again. and again. If you're here for the action scenes, you'll love this; if you're looking for something deeper, this one misses the mark.
Was this review helpful to you?
Cute!
Being honest here: I only watched this because I'm a fan of Omega X. However, I was pleasantly surprised by how good it was! I'm always going to criticize the typical format of KBLs, because there's rarely enough time to actually accomplish what they want to do with the show. I feel like this show had the perfect amount of romance, plot, and conflict for the time that it had! Was it the best show ever? Maybe not. Was it super fun to watch? Absolutely.Na Aejoon (Kevin) is a high school teacher and long-time fan of idol group A-One. It just so happens that his bias, Choi Siyeol, ends up doing a variety show at the high school Aejoon works at - and asks specifically for Aejoon to show him around. Aejoon tries to play it cool around Siyeol, making sure he doesn't know that he's a fan, but when Siyeol starts flirting with Aejoon, that becomes much more difficult. However, Siyeol's motives for flirting with Aejoon aren't clear, especially as conflicts with other group members resurface.
Like I said, I mostly watched this for Kevin (and he was ADORABLE in it), but I ended up really enjoying it! If you're looking for a short, cute, and fun show, this is definitely a good one to watch. I wanted more for the side couple but, again, this show was short. If you like idol romance, or are just a fan of big height differences in couples, give this one a try!
Was this review helpful to you?
Comforting, Sweet, and Lacking Major Conflict
I love MilkLove, and am happy that GMM has decided to give them more shows. I especially appreciated that their characters were actually adults this time (because as much as I loved 23.5, they have no reason to be playing high schoolers). While I enjoyed the overall premise and LOVED the relationship between the main characters, it felt like something was just missing. We had a little family conflict, a little relationship conflict, but it all felt so predictable that nothing felt too major.When Wan (Milk) leaves her corporate job and takes over her recently-deceased father's grocery store in a small town, she doesn't seem to fit in well with the locals. However, with the help of town-favorite Ph.D. student and handywoman Maewnam (Love), Wan slowly adjusts to this new life. The more Maewnam helps Wan, the closer to two become, and feelings quickly develop between them, though Wan is hesitant to enter into anything too fast.
The best part about this show was definitely the relationship between Wan and Maewnam. Milk and Love KNOW how to do a cute, sweet, loveydovey relationship and they nail it every time. However, I felt like if we either had one large conflict, or fleshed out some of the smaller ones a bit more, this would have been overall more engaging. It seemed like most issues were resolved within two episodes, and while that might be partially due to the 10 episode length (seriously GMM what's going on with that...what happened to 12?!), I still felt like at least one of these issues should have been made a bigger deal. Regardless, this is a lovely, comforting show with a sweet romance and lovable characters.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Should've stopped before the ending
[I will tag where spoilers start]I LOVED this show. Truly, I think the world building, magic system, and characters are phenomenal. The villains were fun to watch, and all the twists were super exciting. I had a couple issues around the romantic conflicts, but not too much. This would have been a near perfect score if it weren't for the final episode.
Naksu, a skilled mage and assassin is found and cornered. With nowhere to go, she uses a forbidden technique - the alchemy of souls - to switch her soul into the body of another. In her now body, named Mu-deok, she ends up serving as a maid for young master Jang Uk, one of the few young masters to have not progressed in his magic learning. After a rocky start, the pair becomes young master and maid in public, but teacher and pupil in private, as Mu-deok teaches Jang Uk the secrets to be a successful and powerful mage. However, it seems there are people that want to ensure Jang Uk never reaches his potential.
*Spoilers start here*
Watcing Mu-deok and Jang Uk fall in love was super fun. I thought that some of the conflicts (like Mu-deok feeling insecure/not good enough) were a little unnecessary, but didn't take away from the overall romance. However, I was truly upset by the ending of the show. I know that there is a second season, but with they way they wrapped up s1 I honestly don't even want to watch s2. They had the ability to wrap everything up perfectly, and instead we got a murderous rampage, major character death (followed by resurrection), and ANOTHER soul swap. Genuinely, I think I would have enjoyed this WAY more if I stopped about halfway through the finale. It felt unfinished, even if there is a sequel. If they wanted to bring back Jinmu for one last evil act, why wouldn't that come earlier? Who does an identity reveal with FIFTEEN MINUTES LEFT IN THE FINALE! It felt so rushed and so out of nowhere that it wasn't even enjoyable. I feel like they could have set up for a second season SO much better: hint at someone knowing her identity, leave some things open ended, hint at another villain, etc. Instead, they took all the best parts the finale had going for it, ripped it away, and set up a cliffhanger for season 2. Frankly, it felt lazy.
That being said, the show was still very well done. Maybe if you go into it knowing there's a season 2 it would be better, or just know that the ending is not at all satisfying.
Was this review helpful to you?
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.
Was this review helpful to you?
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!
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
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....
Was this review helpful to you?
