5
This review may contain spoilers
The Noble Idiot trope needs to die!
If I'm honest, this show is a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde for me. I think this is due to a mix of script and production issues. Let's break this down.
First of all, the Thailand location, fight club and street racing are largely set dressing. The show does include some nefarious plots that might not go down well with censors. Being set in Bangkok allows them to play the NIMBY game. The real A-plot is the OTP's romance.
Before we start, I have a confession. I'm not a big fan of Esther Yu. As far as I'm concerned, this show is tailor-made for her. She did good. Having said that, some of her antics can be annoying. The good outweighs the bad.
The ML is handsome with a strong bad boy vibe. He is a street fighter/boy racer hybrid. You won't see many young idols being able to pull this off convincingly. Kudos to him.
The FL calls the ML her brother, but they are not blood related. They did grow up in the same household. Their dynamics changed fairly quickly after they reconnect.
They got separated when the FL's parents divorced and the boy went to Thailand with the dad. The man remarried and had another daughter. His current wife is a kind hearted woman and the little girl is cute. Their story is perfunctory though.
In a similar vein, the fight club stuff and some of the street racing are there to add colour and grit to the ML's backstory. The races are fast and furious. However, most of them are computer generated and repetitive. It does the job. The plot moves along and the ML gets in harm's way constantly.
BTW, I'm sure most of the show is shot in China. Some B-rolls and key scenes were shot on location.
As if on cue, the dreaded mid show break-up with bonus Noble Idiocy hit us, hard. I know he loves her deeply and he always has her wellbeing at the forefront of his mind, but to break up at that juncture when she was so vulnerable is just cruel. It is the textbook definition of a Noble Idiot.
He even told the FL after they reconciled that he just wants her to be happy. The FL has the perfect comeback. She told him that she can never be happy without him. Zing!
What is worse is they were separated for SIX years. I can accept 6 months. I get that he was making long term plans and recovering from his injuries, but that will be for naught if the FL falls in love with someone else. What happens if she is seriously ill and he is not by her side?
The writer tries to explain it all away by having everything falls into place magically. She also drops us into one of the sweetest and most romantic storyline in recent memory. Yes, I have watched enough dramas to know that we need angst and dramatic tension, but I think it could have been done better. All his mates chastised him. Calling him out for pushing her away and making unilateral decisions. It is angst for angst sake.
The writer knows full well how people should behave. For instance, the partner of the FL's mother promptly married her even though she told him they should break up because of her heart condition. Good on ya, Chris. The wife of the FL's alcoholic father is a saint. She stood by him through thick and thin. So why can't the FL be trusted? To just blame the ML's stubbornness is fairly self serving. I am annoyed that the writer displays such double standards.
The only reason I can think of is so that they can stretch the show to 29 eps. Am I too cynical?
I know this review sounds negative. In fact, I actually quite enjoyed this series. My Romance Tragic half loved it. The Rational Critic side wants a quiet word with the writer in a dark alley. ;) I am frustrated that a very good show got dragged down by some questionable narratives.
I know it will sound crazy, but I would seriously suggest you watch the first few eps to get your bearings and work out who's who. Then skip to EP.22 and watch to the end. You won't miss much.
These last few eps are really the heart and soul of this drama. All the swoon worthy moments. Skinship that feels natural. Everything you need in a romance drama are lovingly curated in a neat package. The rest are fillers.
To say I'm conflicted is an understatement. When it is good, it is AMAZING. Some production issues and rehashing of old tropes did drag the show down a bit. It could have been the best drama of 2025. It was THAT close. Peace.
First of all, the Thailand location, fight club and street racing are largely set dressing. The show does include some nefarious plots that might not go down well with censors. Being set in Bangkok allows them to play the NIMBY game. The real A-plot is the OTP's romance.
Before we start, I have a confession. I'm not a big fan of Esther Yu. As far as I'm concerned, this show is tailor-made for her. She did good. Having said that, some of her antics can be annoying. The good outweighs the bad.
The ML is handsome with a strong bad boy vibe. He is a street fighter/boy racer hybrid. You won't see many young idols being able to pull this off convincingly. Kudos to him.
The FL calls the ML her brother, but they are not blood related. They did grow up in the same household. Their dynamics changed fairly quickly after they reconnect.
They got separated when the FL's parents divorced and the boy went to Thailand with the dad. The man remarried and had another daughter. His current wife is a kind hearted woman and the little girl is cute. Their story is perfunctory though.
In a similar vein, the fight club stuff and some of the street racing are there to add colour and grit to the ML's backstory. The races are fast and furious. However, most of them are computer generated and repetitive. It does the job. The plot moves along and the ML gets in harm's way constantly.
BTW, I'm sure most of the show is shot in China. Some B-rolls and key scenes were shot on location.
As if on cue, the dreaded mid show break-up with bonus Noble Idiocy hit us, hard. I know he loves her deeply and he always has her wellbeing at the forefront of his mind, but to break up at that juncture when she was so vulnerable is just cruel. It is the textbook definition of a Noble Idiot.
He even told the FL after they reconciled that he just wants her to be happy. The FL has the perfect comeback. She told him that she can never be happy without him. Zing!
What is worse is they were separated for SIX years. I can accept 6 months. I get that he was making long term plans and recovering from his injuries, but that will be for naught if the FL falls in love with someone else. What happens if she is seriously ill and he is not by her side?
The writer tries to explain it all away by having everything falls into place magically. She also drops us into one of the sweetest and most romantic storyline in recent memory. Yes, I have watched enough dramas to know that we need angst and dramatic tension, but I think it could have been done better. All his mates chastised him. Calling him out for pushing her away and making unilateral decisions. It is angst for angst sake.
The writer knows full well how people should behave. For instance, the partner of the FL's mother promptly married her even though she told him they should break up because of her heart condition. Good on ya, Chris. The wife of the FL's alcoholic father is a saint. She stood by him through thick and thin. So why can't the FL be trusted? To just blame the ML's stubbornness is fairly self serving. I am annoyed that the writer displays such double standards.
The only reason I can think of is so that they can stretch the show to 29 eps. Am I too cynical?
I know this review sounds negative. In fact, I actually quite enjoyed this series. My Romance Tragic half loved it. The Rational Critic side wants a quiet word with the writer in a dark alley. ;) I am frustrated that a very good show got dragged down by some questionable narratives.
I know it will sound crazy, but I would seriously suggest you watch the first few eps to get your bearings and work out who's who. Then skip to EP.22 and watch to the end. You won't miss much.
These last few eps are really the heart and soul of this drama. All the swoon worthy moments. Skinship that feels natural. Everything you need in a romance drama are lovingly curated in a neat package. The rest are fillers.
To say I'm conflicted is an understatement. When it is good, it is AMAZING. Some production issues and rehashing of old tropes did drag the show down a bit. It could have been the best drama of 2025. It was THAT close. Peace.
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