4
This review may contain spoilers
The Noble Idiocy 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. I have watched some of her shows. Her persona doesn't always vibes with me. As far as I'm concerned, she did good in this show. Having said that, some of her antics can be annoying. The good outweighs the bad.
On the other hand, the ML is handsome with a strong bad boy vibe. He is a street fighter/boy racer combo. You won't see many young idols being able to pull this off convincingly. Kudos to the ML.
As I mentioned before, the backbone of this drama is our leads' love story. They are not blood related. They just happens to grow up in the same household.
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 some grit to the ML backstory. The racing part can be fast and furious. However, most of those scenes are computer generated and repetitive. It served its purpose, moves the plot along and delivers the ML into harm's way.
BTW, I'm sure most of the show is shot in China. Some B-rolls and key scenes were shot on location. Ask no questions, my friend. You just roll with it.
As if on cue, the dreaded mid show break-up with bonus Noble Idiocy was delivered onto us. 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 lost and confused is just cruel. It is Noble Idiocy by definition.
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't be happy without him. Ouch!
What is more nonsensical is their separation lasted SIX years. I can accept 6 months. I get that he was making plans to look after the FL in the long term and getting his health back, 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? That shoe doesn't fit well on the other foot.
The writer tries to explain it all away by having everything slot 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.
This is where I find the writer having double standards. She knows full well how people should behave. For instance, the BF 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.
Yes, she is "only" twenty years old then, but she has a good head on her shoulders. 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 sounds negative. I actually enjoyed this series very much. The Romance Tragic half of me loved it. The Rational Critic side wants a quiet word with the writer in a dark alley. LoL
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. The easy flowing skinship that feels real. Plus bonus flashbacks. Everything you need in a romance drama are lovingly packaged in a neat package. The rest are fillers.
To say I'm conflicted is an understatement. When it is good, it is AMAZING. Then you have the rest . . a real grab bag. They are not hanging offences, it does drags the whole show down a notch. It could have been THE best drama of 2025. 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. I have watched some of her shows. Her persona doesn't always vibes with me. As far as I'm concerned, she did good in this show. Having said that, some of her antics can be annoying. The good outweighs the bad.
On the other hand, the ML is handsome with a strong bad boy vibe. He is a street fighter/boy racer combo. You won't see many young idols being able to pull this off convincingly. Kudos to the ML.
As I mentioned before, the backbone of this drama is our leads' love story. They are not blood related. They just happens to grow up in the same household.
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 some grit to the ML backstory. The racing part can be fast and furious. However, most of those scenes are computer generated and repetitive. It served its purpose, moves the plot along and delivers the ML into harm's way.
BTW, I'm sure most of the show is shot in China. Some B-rolls and key scenes were shot on location. Ask no questions, my friend. You just roll with it.
As if on cue, the dreaded mid show break-up with bonus Noble Idiocy was delivered onto us. 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 lost and confused is just cruel. It is Noble Idiocy by definition.
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't be happy without him. Ouch!
What is more nonsensical is their separation lasted SIX years. I can accept 6 months. I get that he was making plans to look after the FL in the long term and getting his health back, 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? That shoe doesn't fit well on the other foot.
The writer tries to explain it all away by having everything slot 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.
This is where I find the writer having double standards. She knows full well how people should behave. For instance, the BF 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.
Yes, she is "only" twenty years old then, but she has a good head on her shoulders. 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 sounds negative. I actually enjoyed this series very much. The Romance Tragic half of me loved it. The Rational Critic side wants a quiet word with the writer in a dark alley. LoL
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. The easy flowing skinship that feels real. Plus bonus flashbacks. Everything you need in a romance drama are lovingly packaged in a neat package. The rest are fillers.
To say I'm conflicted is an understatement. When it is good, it is AMAZING. Then you have the rest . . a real grab bag. They are not hanging offences, it does drags the whole show down a notch. It could have been THE best drama of 2025. Peace.
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