4
4
beginning was slow, ending was rushed (watch suggestions)
Overall: the initial premise was good but the execution was lacking. 12 episodes about 15 minutes each. Aired on Viki and GagaOOLala (country dependent).Watch Suggestions: (if you want to see the lead interactions and avoid a bunch of drama)
- read the synopsis
- watch episodes 6, 7 and 8
- skip episodes 9 & 10
- watch ep 11 5:35 to the end
- watch ep 12 13:30 to the end (or can watch all of it for a ton of drama that was quickly resolved)
Content Warnings: coercion/blackmail, non con picture/video taking and sharing, slap, 2 more but I'm keeping this spoiler free, one involves an animal
What I Liked
- the beginning was funny and I laughed at 1 fight scene
- visuals
- a few sweet moments
- production value*
Room For Improvement
- the leads don't really start interacting until episode 6 and halfway thru is waaayyyy too late, they had a few seconds in episode 2 and then towards the end of ep 5 but by then I was shipping the one lead with 2 other characters, I didn't really care about all the other stuff that they put in, there just wasn't enough time to do the romance well and with the additions of a love rival, family drama, work struggles etc.
- 6 antagonists was too many for just 3 hours of run time, also most/all antagonists did not have adequate consequences for their actions
- it is totally realistic that someone understands more in a language than what they can speak; however, it was not realistic that every single Korean character could understand Thai in the first few episodes, he should have spoken a few words in Korean to side characters but had his assistant, manager and dad understand Thai, also why was he wearing the translation device when they established that he understands Korean??? (also a character used the translation device to understand him but then later didn't and magically knew Thai, and that taping was live but no one translated into Korean what was said in Thai, how would the audience know what the character said?)
- *it was choppy at times, episode 1 ends with talking to a director and then the beginning of episode 2 is a character in a totally different place/time, two guys in a van talk to a character and then suddenly he is driving a motorcycle, in episode 7 it's complete daylight then the next second it's total darkness, etc.
- comedy sound effects, silly background music
- convenient writing (with the phones in ep 8), someone is injured then magically healed, cliche of overhearing something but ghosting/not communicating
- ending was extremely rushed, things were said but earlier never shown, everything tied sloppily with a bow
- with the series title, they should have had the setting be a cat cafe
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a little bit dangerous and a lot romcom cliches
Overall: the trailer promised a grittier/darker series but it's like the directors/screenwriters never talked to each other. The first two episodes were what I was expecting, then it went full romcom (i.e. multiple accidental fall/stares), then some danger towards the end that didn't make sense. 12 episodes about 45 minutes each. Aired on GMMTV's YouTube channel.Content Warnings: bullying, punches, violence/beaten up, non con kiss, non con video recording, cyberbullying, manhandling, attempted murder, drugging, attempted sexual assault
What I Liked
- that Sailom was book and a bit street smart as well in the beginning
- Sailom's friend group
- Kang's grandma was amazing
- sweet moments
- a couple funny moments
- production value
Room For Improvement
- too many romance tropes like the accidental fall and catch/stare (there were at least 3 in the first 7 episodes)
- odd pacing/plot, enemies part was too short and then rushed into becoming boyfriends
- the writers made Sailom too reluctant once they started dating/too many near kisses, made it feel more like a bromance, several kisses were uncomfortable to watch
- the comedy sound effects should have been left out, they didn't fit well
- Kang did not have a good enough villain origin story (not that any reason makes it okay to physically injure another human being)
- didn't root for the second couple because of the bullying at the beginning
- Kang's character was very inconsistent, I didn't want him in a romantic relationship because I felt like he'd bail again at the first sign of trouble
- Saifah was too stupid, there could have been a really interesting side plot/character there but his character was poorly written
- nonsense/because the writer said so stuff (some examples, that gang boss's "plan" in episode 11 made zero sense, what that police officer said, there was no reason given for Saifah trusting Name so much)
- not sure what was being hinted at with the student/teacher but they mostly disappeared
- some scenes were too dimly lit
- too many flashbacks especially in episode 6 and 11
- jumped to the past/present repeatedly in episode 7 part 1
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This review may contain spoilers
the power of friendship
Overall: some of us are lucky enough to have at least one friend who supports us, tells us like it is, who loves us and who we learn and grow with on our life's journey. This movie tackles several heavy issues that plague our world and yet it isn't depressing, because there is joy in the friendship between Jang Heung Su and Koo Jae Hui. Aired on Viki www.viki.com/movies/40843c-love-in-the-big-city Make sure to watch to the very end.Content Warnings: suicidal thoughts, unwanted outing, homophobia, sexism, cyberbullying, bullying, vomiting, voyeurism, beaten up, hate crime, drugging, rape off screen, past attempted suicide off screen, abortion off screen, blood, intimate partner violence
What I Liked
- acting (I cried several times which rarely happens)
- their friendship/bond thru the highs and lows
- tackled real world issues in a realistic way without feeling preachy
- production value
Room For Improvement
- the flash forward to start
- voice over towards the end
- wished there was more time to delve deeper into the issues brought up
Differences between the movie and the series (besides different actors)
- the movie has them as equal protagonists with shared screen time whereas Jang Heung Su is the protagonist in the series and it's about his life journey
- the movie centers on their friendship whereas it plays a role in the series, but is not the core of the series
Is it BL?
- there is m/m romance in it but Jang Heung Su is not in a relationship at the end, it does end on a hopeful note though
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a strict CEO and a freewheeling guy
Overall: I enjoyed their dynamic but I needed less of the scheming woman cliche. 30 episodes less than 2 minutes each. Aired on Swipedrama app (also has I'm Your Pet). It took me 3 days to watch the series for free, which is really good for these vertical series. Note - episode 1 starts out as a preview and then goes into the episode. App information below.Content Warnings: non con video recording, manipulation, mention of past intimate partner violence
What I Liked
- opposites attract dynamic
- laughed when he agreed to keep something a secret and revealed that secret a minute later
- sweet/caring moments (under the table footsie was fun)
- the 'say please' part in ep 17
Room For Improvement
- cliche wannabe girlfriend character and failed redemption arc
- wanted something at the very end that would have wrapped up the story nicely
How to Watch For Free
Day 1: check in, ad after check in = 7 coins, 3 ads = 9 coins, watched episodes 1-12 (free to watch), 13-15 used coins, 16 & 17 (when I ran out of coins I touched outside of the coin packages and then I could watch an ad to watch 2 more episodes 18 & 19). I then got the 6 coins for watching 5, 10 and 15 minutes but something glitched so I only watched up to episode 19 for free on Day 1. There are other ways to get coins (ie sign in, social media, get notifications) so you could watch more. Leftover coins day 1: 2
Day 2: check in, ad after check in, 3 ads (17 coins plus 2 from day 1) - watched episodes 20-22, then watched 23 & 24 daily ad, checked in 5, 10 & 15 min and watched 25 & 26
Day 3: watched a few ads to finish the series
App Notes: unused bonus coins seem to last for a year, episodes don't re-lock, you can't skip to different episodes (must watch them in order), no wait time between watching ads is nice
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56 minutes (not a BL)
Overall: I generally give indie productions some leeway but the very ending of this was...a choice... not really sure what message they were trying to convey. Watched on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNtNapJNVeQContent Warnings (it's complicated but I'm keeping this spoiler free): intimate partner abuse, held against will, non con touching/sexual assault and something else
What I Liked
- easy to follow plot
- tried to talk about mental health issues
- they uploaded to YouTube and added English subtitles
Room For Improvement
- randomly couldn't swim
- I did not agree with all of the messages around mental health issues, society/the environment is not 100% to blame, biology plays a factor as well
- that ending was not what I was hoping for, it wasn't a funny joke, were they trying to say that pushing/ignoring boundaries/sexual harassment of a coworker was fine???
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fashion industry romance with a side m/m couple
Overall: I enjoyed the fashion industry setting, but it became very soap opera like in parts and dragged at times. 10 episodes broken into 2 parts for 50 minutes per episode total. Aired on WeTV https://wetv.vip/en/play/honrgjq1uhtv8gn-Intern%20In%20My%20HeartInformation for the age gap: first met when he was 8 and she was 21ish, in the present he is 20 and she is 33, based on how this played out I didn't include it as a content warning
Content Warnings: near suicide, non con touching, bullying, non con picture taking/sharing
BL Relevant Scenes
1a 9:45-11
2b 17:15-end
3a 5:15-6 & 19:30-21
4a 14-16:30
4b 6:30-7:40 & 14:10-15
5a 12:30-14:15 & 18-20
5b beginning-2:15 & 13-18:10
6a 5-6:10, 8:40-10 & 18-19:30
6b 8:50-10:30, & 12:10-13:40
8a 21:30-23 & 32-end
8b beginning to 3 & 8-13:30
9a beginning-6:30, 8:20-12, 20:30-23:30, 26-end
9b 21-26
10b 18-18:40 & 20-21
What I Liked
- sweet moments
- friendships (though he shouldn't have touched the guy when the guy didn't want him to)
- character growth
Room For Improvement
- exposition dump
- comedy sound effects
- cliche see something and don't clarify what it is
- stupid decisions/unrealistic actions
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enjoyed the movie version more than the series version
Overall: this is a condensed version of the series which was 12 episodes about 40 minutes each = 480 minutes. The movie version is 125 minutes long and I liked it more than the series version because it cut out boring side couple stuff and stuck with the focus of Ai and Nhai. You can read my full review of the series here https://kisskh.at/profile/blcompilations/reviews/233757/ I'm going to point out some differences.What I Liked
- left out the cute rooftop/coupon scene and there might have been other cute scenes they left out as well
- better ending with the stargazing instead of that random store/shoe tying scene
- had transitions between scenes to help make it feel more cohesive/time had passed (though it can feel a bit choppy)
Room For Improvement: if I had edited this I would have changed a few additional things and then I would have rated it an 8.5
- in the flashback (which I would have shortened) cut out the dads being awful to Ai, the dads lied to him and he has a right to be angry/confused
- added back some of their cute scenes
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What I Liked
- the sci fi/future aesthetics
- the actors did a good job
- making viewers think about differences between gender, sex and sexual orientation, I find this graphic useful https://au.reachout.com/articles/the-difference-between-gender-sex-and-sexuality
Room For Improvement
- things were just a little too open/not clearly stated, for example, Yi An asks Zhou Yang Kai if he'd like Yi An to be a woman but Zhou Yang Kai doesn't actually respond clearly either way. The ending is fairly open as well, I guess we can infer Yi An's choice but showing Yi An making the selection would have been good so viewers were clear about the decision.
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watch this short masterpiece (on GagaOOLala)
Beautiful, realistic, brilliant. I don't even have words to say how well done this short film is but I'll try without spoiling anything. This story and characters felt extremely realistic and relatable, these are people I could meet in real life. All three/four of the actors did an amazing job, it was especially great to see Huang Chun Chih again (lead in HIStory 3: Make Our Days Count). This is an exemplar of how to do a short film well. You have a narrow plot/idea that you want to convey with only a few characters/locations.My only complaint is that it's too short and we need a whole series or a full length movie to really delve into the glimpses that we got here. Watched on GagaOOLala.
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short and sweet
Overall: this is a cute food based series (and I would categorize it as BL/slice of life, I also have a more broad definition of what BL is). Watched on Youtube, here is the playlist https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOHd2AnMfkDHd7XAEZKFt7iZ00IsC9uNl The videos have English subs.Content Warnings: none? maybe spying on another person?
What I Liked
- the premise was cute
- enjoyed the baking/cooking (and they even include recipes at the end, but they are in Japanese)
- those dream moments and the sister interrupting were hilarious
- color grading and overall production value
- good outro/credits and the song (by Imase)
Room For Improvement
- wish it had been even 1 episode longer or that they would do a second season
- the subs frequently miss spaces between words, but I could still understand them pretty well
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This review may contain spoilers
It was rocky
Overall/FYI: I was hoping for a bit of fluff (at least in the beginning) but it starts off angsty and we have poor communication and lack of character growth with the cliche ex girlfriend causing problems. I'm torn between 6.5 & 7. I paid $7 USD to watch on Upstream.Content Warnings: side character death off screen
What I Liked:
- nice to see Beshie again and the BL references (pillow, his shirt at the end, posters on his wall)
- it was good that Beshie had some public service announcements/education things but it felt preachy at times
- good throwback to the massage scene in season 1 and they had a cute moment
- I was glad they communicated in episode 1 but how long did they go before having that conversation? Too long I bet.
- there were some good scenes such as when they have honest conversations and the winter scene
Room For Improvement:
- this was basically a re-do of season 1 but much less enjoyable and a worse ending
- they should have put a condensed version of season 1's ending at the very beginning to remind the viewer how things ended. Then at a minimum shown some fluffy montage moments at Lolly's house so we get a sense that time has passed (ideally I would have liked 1 or 2 mostly fluffy episodes at Lolly's house. I could also see some friction/drama happen at Lolly's house too). The way they started this season was so confusing, there's an angsty scene and then who knows how much time has passed until the next scene. The conversation with Beshie was just telling the plot instead of showing what all happened.
- that odd love triangle, they could have made it a poly relationship but didn't
- many non logical/odd things, I don't have the energy to list them all
- I really disliked some of the camerawork, especially the 360 shot towards the beginning
- they did not act like two people who love one another. What an odd greeting (covid is not an excuse). Who doesn't look at the other person at all when having a serious conversation?
- did not appreciate the two minute horror movie trailer at the start and how the episodes don't start until around 6 minutes
- the episode 1 ending was probably supposed to be a cliffhanger but I had no idea what was happening so it had zero effect on me
- I had to contact Upstream because it said the last 2 episodes were expired even though I never watched either of them, luckily Upstream fixed it in a couple of days
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This review may contain spoilers
Had potential and then a poor ending (minor spoilers)
Overall: I thought this low budget production was doing a pretty good job but I was disappointed in the last episode (perhaps there will be a 2nd season but ???) It's a quick watch though so you could give it a try especially if you are into tattoos :PContent Warnings: a slap, non con/dub con*
What I Liked
- I thought the acting/chemistry was pretty good between the two leads
- though the production value is lower, there was a few nice surprises like the scene when it cuts from one location to another with the same action in episode 4
- nice music
- some really sweet scenes like the car wash scene
Room For Improvement
- *non con/dub con, similar to Check Out: Special Episode there is a situation where the pursuee is extremely drunk and the pursuer is either sober or only a little drunk. There are also a few words that are unsubbed and I'd really like to know what was said at that point. But yeah, someone who is very drunk cannot give consent and he was definitely showing resistance...
- what was with the personality transplant in the final episode? And I'm not a fan of cliffhanger endings.
- no matter how angry you are, slapping/punching someone is not okay unless in self defense (which this was not)
- production things like a few blurry shots, too loud background noise, some of the night scenes don't have enough lighting
- fyi vegan brownies don't have eggs lol
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This review may contain spoilers
A short story about confessing to a crush
Overall: a short (10 minutes) story about a webtoon writer and his crush. You can watch it on gagaoolala.Content Warnings: none
What I Liked
- Yoo-seong's shirt "keep cool, don't run..."
- the chicken costume was cute
- I liked the boss's character
Room For Improvement
- we aren't given any background on how or why Yoo-seong developed the crush on Tae-woo
- it's an open ending, sometimes I don't mind them but normally I wish there was more resolution. We really have no idea how things turn out at the end of this.
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Cute 15 min film
Overall: short & sweet. Able to watch on GagaOOLala for free https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/3498/delivery-boy-2019 and also officially on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CL6MbI2dHzwContent Warnings: none
What I Liked
- fun jokes/lines such as, I'll bring the glue to put together your broken heart
- the symmetry of Eric wearing the jacket at the end that Chun Ho wore at the beginning
- loved the song he danced to towards the beginning
- his friend Jasper is amazing and that last shot is hilarious
Room For Improvement
- it would have been fun if Eric actually spoke the language and heard what the Chun Ho said when the bag of oranges fell (and we find that out later on)
- some improbable moments/lines
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This review may contain spoilers
Confident Guy Goes After Who He Wants....Yessss!
Content Warnings: noneOverall: so refreshing to see a confident guy going after someone who isn't ridiculously reluctant/nervous, hope they can develop this story into a longer series or pair these two up again
What I Liked
- I think they both did a nice job acting and have good chemistry, those smirks and eye movements
- I find confidence to be very attractive and Kong is such a refreshing character
- likewise you can tell that Film is receptive from some of his facial expressions
Room For Improvement
- I'm grading this on a curve because I think it has a very small budget, it would be great if this were a whole series and more fleshed out
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