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Excelente química, péssimo roteiro
Love in The Air é uma série muito gostosa e fácil de assistir. Ela tem uma trama chiclete (pra não dizer clichê) e personagens fáceis de entender. A química entre os atores é incrível e provavelmente uma das melhores coisas aqui.Entretanto eu continuo não gostando de nada que venha da MAME. E apesar de ser mais sútil, todas as problemáticas das outras obras dela continuam aqui. Rain e Sky são os "passivos" da relação e a construção desses personagens é a típica construção de uma personagem feminina estereotipada. Eles são geniosos, imprudentes, atrevidos e no final dos seus arcos precisam ser salvos de um grupo de homens que tentam (ou ameaçam) estuprar eles.
Já os "ativos" são apresentados como dominantes, perigosos, ricos e homens bem sucedidos que sempre conseguem o que querem. O fato de ambos trabalharem para a máfia em NADA tem relevância na história e só é apresentado ali pra criar esse ar de periculosidade nos personagens.
A trama não se aprofunda em nada e a decisão de dividir os casais em dois arcos é um erro. O problema é que o primeiro arco é mais leve e sensual, com um romance rápido e quando o segundo arco chega, a impressão é que a série pisa no freio e repete as mesmas interações do primeiro arco.
Eu gosto muito do tempo que eles levam para desenvolver o Sky e os traumas dele. Mas ambos os finais são desnecessários. Eles criam um vilão aleatório para ameaçar o Rain e a volta do ex do Sky é algo que não me agrada em nada.
Não é uma série ruim, longe disso, mas tampouco é uma obra prima como dizem. As atuações são bem medianas, a direção não tem estilo e a história é uma tanto rasa e simples. Ela funciona por repetir a mesma fórmula das outras séries da autora e por ter atores que entregam ótimas cenas de intimidade.
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Could be amazing but it's to lazy and mediocre for it
It's impressive how GMM-TV can take a promising story, great actors (some, not all) and a creative director, and still deliver a disappointing and lukewarm result.To be fair, this isn't the worst series they've released in 2024 (one of their worst years in my opinion) nor is it a bad series.
But it's a series that wastes so much of its potential in repetitive scenes, incomplete arcs and a lack of courage in telling an original and bold plot.
I don't understand why they would create a story about hitmens and be afraid to explore this narrative. Films like The Wanted, Assassin Babes, and even Mr. and Mrs. Smith (I know they're spies but it's a dynamic that would work very well with Bison and Fadel trying to kill Kant and Style after discovering their betrayal) manage to bring comedy, action and a lighter tone to this violent narrative.
But here, Bison and Fadel's profession is simply a detail. At no point does the series attempt to explore the nature of their work - all we have are cut-up and overly censored scenes that never manage to create the atmosphere that a story about assassins requires.
There is no world-building, the character of Mother and the corporation they "work for", as well as the services they perform, are mere extras in the narrative.
Until episode 7 - one of the best of the series - all we have are the same arcs. Bison and Kant flirting and having the same conversation about relationships, sex and more sex. And Fadel and Style in a game of cat and mouse.
What bothers me is how shallow the series is and every time a deeper moment arises, they immediately crack a joke and ruin the moment.
It's the support group for people in mourning that Fadel attends. It's Bison's desire to get out of this life. It's the murder of their parents. It's the discovery of Kant and Style's betrayal.
All of this could carry more dramatic weight and deepen the narrative. But these moments last for minutes and in the next scene everything goes back to comedy.
The relationships here don't work for me. Bison is not even remotely the hot-headed and out-of-control character they describe. Kant and Babe have zero chemistry as brothers - even Babe is a character who only exists as a crutch to justify Kant's actions, even that bullying and teacher plot is completely disposable. There is nothing authentic about Bison and Fadel's murder scenes - and it's embarrassing how stupid the scene is where they try to kill the man who killed their parents at a crowded event with a gun and dressed in a giant bear costume.
And how forget about the amount of stupid decisions the characters make?! They could poison the man's drink, but they decide to shoot him. The police set up an ambush but there's no police officer at the front door to stop them from running away. Kant knew they were murderers and what was his first move? Involving his best friend and introducing his house, work and brother to Bison.
Another point in the script that tires me is the inability of the scripts to create connections that are not completely random. This is the case of Babe's bullying that only appears so Kant can talk about his past. It's the couple that Fadel and Style meet who have a problem with cheating that will talk exactly about what they are going through. It's a random character who appears to talk about Bison's family. It's the random attack at the bowling alley to show that Kant really likes Bison. It's all so shallow, without nuance, without construction, it's simply thrown there without the slightest connection or meaning just because the script needs these connection points that honestly could be really good work but are wasted.
If the technical part was still good it would be overlooked. But the direction doesn't stand out, the performances are good and Dunk is actually a little better here than his usual terrible performance. But that's it.
The photography is absurdly ugly. I haven't seen a high-budget series with such crappy photography since Pit Baby. The lighting is bad, the colors are faded and muddy. And the sound!!!! It's scary how bad the sound work is in this series. The noisy, the interference and external sounds, one could swear this series is a college project.
There is a huge lack of tension, the action and fight scenes are absurdly amateurish. Nothing has any consequences, it's all sugarcoated. They try to give importance to the death of Fadel and Bison's parents and all the series does is show a picture of them. The same happens with their relationship with their Mother. It's clear from the first scene that she is the villain and this whole "revelation" is predictable.
The only time we really see them acting like hitmen is at the end and even then they act much more like spies and young people seeking revenge than professional killers.
All of this, added to this canned American aesthetic, the soundtrack and costumes that are beyond caricature and a script that doesn't have the balls to get out of this cliché, results in a series that's kinda fun to watch but extremely disappointing. It's boring, it's predictable, it's lazy and has no personality whatsoever.
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This show is just a excuse to show Joss shirtless
Maybe it's a bit of a pickle on my part, since I love vampire stories, but the lack of creativity and originality from whoever wrote, adapted and directed this series is noticeable.The Golden Blood is unfortunately a generic, poorly produced and extremely repetitive series. The narrative had great potential and it's true that the main couple has excellent chemistry but nothing here works.
It's a fun and easy-to-watch series but it's also a series with an obvious script that follows the same old paths. The performances are mostly pretty bad - I believe due to the script and direction - and at no point does it manage to create that sense of danger, suspense and sensuality that they try so hard to evoke with the countless scenes of Mark in his underwear, which is one of the best aspects of this series.
The photography is, without a doubt, one of the worst parts here. It looks like the series was recorded on a iPhone Pocket in 2019 and they forgot how to colorize the images. Everything is bland, lifeless, with overexposed lighting and a really boring shoots.
There is nothing vampiric about the narrative. If you change the word "vampire" to "immortal being" the story is the same.
None of the symbols and mythologies seen in vampire stories appear here. They don't burn when walking in the sun - they even go to the beach in swim trunks -, they don't sleep in a coffin, they don't need an invitation to enter a house, they are not repelled with crucifixes, garlic or holy water. Silver or a wooden stake through the heart are not even mentioned.
The situation is so critical that you can count on the fingers of one hand how many scenes there are of a vampire drinking blood from a human's neck.
Nothing, absolutely nothing here is suitable for a vampire story. What we have are undefined characters who spend the episodes doing the same thing - Thara grumbling about a danger that doesn't exist and talking about protecting the golden blood; Tonkla being forgettable and Nakan repeating the same lines in every episode and doing nothing manacing.
The whole final revelation just destroys the entire narrative. If Nakan wanted to defeat Thara, why didn't he kill Tong when he kidnapped him? If Thara needs the power of the Golden Blood to destroy other vampires and she's already captured several others in the past, why does she need more? All of this just makes this Golden Blood nonsense ridiculous. In the end, the blood isn't that powerful if she's already taken it before and still need more all the time. And why does she want to defeat other vampires? The series doesn't even talk about other vampires or any conflicts between them.
The ending is pure embarrassment and it seems like they simply gave up trying. It's Nakan dying for "his special someone" that we never even saw. It's Tong giving in and then crying for Thara to free him. It's Thara repeating the same speech about wanting to defeat vampires that we never saw. It's the terrible CGI and fight scenes. It's the fact that these are the weakest and easiest vampires to kill that I've ever seen. It's the serum with the golden blood. It's Tong becoming a vampire at the end and NOTHING changing in his life.
One of the few good things here are the kissing scenes and Tonkla's death, which is really moving.
But it lacks all the magic and enchantment that vampire stories carry and the impossible love between two different beings. It lacks the threat, the fear, the difficulties and limitations of being a vampire. It lacks a more interesting and daring aesthetic, an imagery that suits this vampire narrative. It lacks a world construction that shows the conflicts, how these vampires live, how they organize themselves, the role of the corporation in this society. It lacks interest in creating a narrative that escapes this commonplace.
Unfortunately, it is a very flawed and lazy story.
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THE BEST BL ever made (:
I finished watching this series almost a month ago and honestly I can't stop thinking about Gelboys. It is without a doubt the best BL ever made.I'm a bit biased to say this since I think Boss Kuno is one of the best BL directors today, but here he once again surpasses himself and delivers one of the most authentic and interesting series ever made in this industry.
Nothing is chewed up and regurgitated to be consumed easily. What we have here is an original story, full of personality, color, life, desire and excellence.
Every frame of this series is a photograph. The scene composition, the construction of the set, the costumes, the editing, the way Boss captures Thailand is mesmerizing. He shows a real, dirty, messy, alive place. The cinematography makes us feel like we're inside this chaotic world that he creates.
This is without a doubt the series that has the most authentic and realistic representation of teenagers. The way they use social media, the language, the way they dress, the confusing feelings and the embarrassing moments. There are no villains or big kidnapping plots, rich and manipulative families, destroyed secrets, here everything is real, everything is very easy to identify with.
I love how much the series references these influences. The music, the trends, the behaviors that every teenager has when they are in love, the confusions, the game of interests.
And unlike some other series that seem disconnected, here everything makes sense. Boss creates this colorful and maximalist world, full of stickers, graffiti, motion and fashion. The costumes, the sets, the nails and even the editing are full of personality and create this universe so visually rich and interesting.
I could spend hours talking about every aspect and every detail of what I loved about this series. The subtlety, the development, the creativity here are high points. And how innovative and refreshing it is to watch a BL that doesn't infantilize its characters or repeat the same old aesthetic.
Truly, a work of art.
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Could be better but still is a masterpiece
There's no denying that Japan knows how to create a simple series, but so full of emotions and beauty that it's impossible not to fall in love. And here it's no different.The series does have its problems, and the lack of romantic development, the camera trick to hide the kiss and the lack of scenes of them as lovers is something that really disappoints.
However, none of this takes away from the merits of this series. The script is full of nuances, it has a slow development, but it allows the characters to develop naturally. And what characters! Kohei and Taichi are so real, so passionate, so fun, so interesting and brilliantly played.
The acting here is the strong point. Both actors (as well as the rest of the cast) deliver a visual performance and the chemistry between them, the looks, the gestures, everything is impeccable.
The direction and cinematography also deserve to be highlighted. The series is beautiful and the scenes are very well composed.
I understand those who say that the series dragged on and created too many problems until they got together, and I agree with that. But at no point did the series leave me bored or frustrated.
Taichi teaching Kohei how to say his name in sign language, Kohei telling the teacher's jokes so that Taichi wouldn't be left out, Taichi saying he loves Kohei in sign language, this series has such beautiful and silent scenes, but they carry so much weight and devotion that it's impossible not to fall in love with them.
It has its problems, but it's still a masterpiece and a series that shows people with disabilities in a respectful way, in a light and stylish plot and with exemplary performances.
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Simples but captivating
It's a very interesting series and a great story for Daou and Offroad, who have undeniable chemistry and deliver an excellent work here.The story reminds me a lot of First Love, Again and I like how it's developed. It's a simple story, but well executed and what really stands out here is the interaction and charisma of the main actors.
The direction is a bit weak, especially in the action scenes and the more dramatic moments. The series has a soap opera-like feel, especially in the cinematography, which is quite flat and waist the beautiful sets they have.
And one of the only things I don't like about this series is the villains. There's no need for them, they serve no purpose in the plot and the whole discussion about stealing the stone becomes repetitive and tiring. The series could benefit from a secondary couple or better development of the other characters instead of insisting on all this drama of the uncle and the impostor trying to steal the stone.
It's a fun project with great actors, a well-structured story and despite the poor production, it's a series that delivers an excellent result with a couple that exudes chemistry.
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Uma versão barata de Not Me
Não é uma série boa, mas é aquele tipo de série que você só desliga o cérebro e aproveita porque se começar a pensar muito o negócio desanda.Os atores são todos muito carismáticos e a história tem um ritmo interessante que não te deixa entediado e todas as interações do Sprite com o First são o que realmente funcionam nessa série.
Mas o roteiro é uma bagunça e isso vai ficando evidente com os episódios. É uma série muito crua e não existe nuance, não existe construção e tampouco desenvolvimento. Os tópicos são jogados em cena e resolvidos com uma facilidade que não me agrada.
E esse é o problema. Falta de desenvolvimento, excesso de personagens e tramas que não acrescentam nada e um roteiro cheiro de furos e conveniências. Só um exemplo aqui: Sprite e Zee são ambos estudantes, mas a gente nunca vê eles na faculdade e nunca há qualquer menção sobre como o Sprite consegue acompanhar as aulas dos dois. É algo irrelante pra trama, mas serve para mostrar o nível de descomprometimento com a história.
O casal secundário mal tem tempo de tela ou construção. O terceiro casal só existe porque eles queriam cenas de dois homens sem camisa se beijando. Toda a traição do Ko, o drama com as fãs do Zee e o vazamento da foto com a Salmon, o pai alcoólatra do Jack, a mãe doente do Tom, a briga com o Tong, os problemas familiares do Zee e Sprite NADA disso é desenvolvido ou tem qualquer impacto na trama. E eles simplesmente jogam isso e depois resolvem de qualquer forma e ta tudo certo.
É uma série que funcionaria se não se levasse tão a sério. Mas com um roteiro péssimo e uma história que enrola até o último minuto com os personagens tomando uma decisão mais burra que a outra, fica difícil de defender. Começa muito bem e divertida, mas se perde totalmente na reta final.
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It's a slowburn series without much emotion or drama but it has solid performances, beautiful landscapes, a natural and interesting construction and beautiful photography.
I love the characters and especially Fifa's storyline and all the character development.
But the ending really displeases me. It lacks emotion, it lacks closure. Even if there is eventually a second season, many storylines are left open here and the story simply ends out of nowhere.
Fifa and Hem's relationship is in this ambiguous field, there's not even a kiss. Fifa's dream of going to Japan is somewhat shallow and the story never delves into the whys or creates connections with this desire of his and his reality.
It's a very interesting and contemplative series, but it lacks action. Perhaps if they had shortened the scenes of the characters standing in beautiful natural landscapes and used that time to develop the narrative better, the ending could have been more interesting.
Regardless, it's worth watching.
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