This review may contain spoilers
Singto and Krist did not disappoint
Let me start of by saying, I admit that I am 100% biased toward Singto. I think he's a fantastic and versatile actor. Admittedly, I was not a huge fan of Krist in SOTUS and, besides it being groundbreaking at the time, I do not understand the hype around their ship. I personally thought Singto had much more chemistry with some of his other on-screen partners besides Krist. So, when Singto joined GMM and there was talk of him getting paired back up with Krist, I admit I was a teeny bit bummed. Never-the-less, when this series was announced, I was really looking forward to it regardless.
And, honestly, I didn't think I would be back-peddling as much as I am now upon finishing this series. I don't know if Krist has been getting acting lessons or if the reunion lent itself to lost familiarity (not unlike the characters in the series however I'll get to that parallel in a second) but the chemistry and overall acting from both of them in this was seriously impressive. I'd already been impressed with Krist's performance in Be My Favorite when he was opposite Gawin but at the time, I chalked it up to the fact Gawin could have chemistry with a tree.. seriously, he works so well with everyone.
But Krist really won me over in The Ex-Morning. He was brilliant throughout the series, with or without Singto. (I feel like some actors are only as good when their "pair" is on screen with them in the scene as if they can't hold their own as a solo actor which is one thing I hate about shipping culture.. but I digress.) They fed off each other so well, making their lines feel so natural, often to the point where I wonder if they were improvising.
It could have also been the script, mind you, as this was a solid story overall. It was an office romance but with a history and backstory told through flashbacks. While the flashbacks did not happen in order, I feel like they happened at the right moment when they were supposed to to show the parallels of their past with their present. It was really easy to follow and it was clear at what point in their relationship the flashbacks happened which I thought was great editing. Speaking of parallels, I feel like this was, in part, a love letter to their fans with the way their characters were together then one left, then came back... it mimicked their IRL career from their ship days in SOTUS, going their separate ways, then Singto coming back to GMM for their ship to set sail once again. Not to mention the many SOTUS references throughout (the engineering shirts at the costume party, someone pointing out that Phi used to be a hazer, the pink drink and the flat out mention of SOTUS being a series they watched together, just to name a few.)
The ONLY reason this wasn't a 10 for me was mainly due to two things... one being the constant use of phrases like "If this were a series then this would happen" or "what do you think this is, a rom com?" I know these lines are meant to be funny and ironic in a way but it's so overused and, especially in this series, they used it A LOT. Instead of adding to a scene, it just takes away from it, in my opinion. Like, we know this is a series and we know this is fake.. you don't have to try and sell this idea that it's real.
The other main gripe I had was the introduction and resolution of some plot points. The whole thing with Paul felt disjointed and the climax of that storyline seemed to come out of nowhere. Then you had the side GL that never really developed into anything even with all the lead up to it. At some points it felt like the cat was completely forgotten. And even Aou's character could have been fleshed out more as we never really got a sense of his motivation until the very end when we learn he just wanted to be on top at the station. He seemed too villainous to be just a simple professional rival but apparently that's all it was. I also thought there would be something wrong with Phi's mom instead as she seemed to be forgetful and maybe they were going to give her Alzheimer's or something. I mean, I'm glad they didn't, but it seemed like an obvious point they were trying to bring to our attention but then never did anything with it.
I'm actually surprised this wasn't 12 episodes as I feel like just 2 more episodes could have wrapped up those plot points a bit more. They certainly had an engaging and interesting storyline to work with, much more than a lot of the 12-14episode series that are out there. They could have easily filled up more time just by ironing out those wrinkles and filling the holes.
But really, other than that, what they did give us was a fantastic storyline which was executed extremely well. I actually find myself looking forward to the next Krist/Singto series, hoping they keep with this new momentum that they served to us here.
And, honestly, I didn't think I would be back-peddling as much as I am now upon finishing this series. I don't know if Krist has been getting acting lessons or if the reunion lent itself to lost familiarity (not unlike the characters in the series however I'll get to that parallel in a second) but the chemistry and overall acting from both of them in this was seriously impressive. I'd already been impressed with Krist's performance in Be My Favorite when he was opposite Gawin but at the time, I chalked it up to the fact Gawin could have chemistry with a tree.. seriously, he works so well with everyone.
But Krist really won me over in The Ex-Morning. He was brilliant throughout the series, with or without Singto. (I feel like some actors are only as good when their "pair" is on screen with them in the scene as if they can't hold their own as a solo actor which is one thing I hate about shipping culture.. but I digress.) They fed off each other so well, making their lines feel so natural, often to the point where I wonder if they were improvising.
It could have also been the script, mind you, as this was a solid story overall. It was an office romance but with a history and backstory told through flashbacks. While the flashbacks did not happen in order, I feel like they happened at the right moment when they were supposed to to show the parallels of their past with their present. It was really easy to follow and it was clear at what point in their relationship the flashbacks happened which I thought was great editing. Speaking of parallels, I feel like this was, in part, a love letter to their fans with the way their characters were together then one left, then came back... it mimicked their IRL career from their ship days in SOTUS, going their separate ways, then Singto coming back to GMM for their ship to set sail once again. Not to mention the many SOTUS references throughout (the engineering shirts at the costume party, someone pointing out that Phi used to be a hazer, the pink drink and the flat out mention of SOTUS being a series they watched together, just to name a few.)
The ONLY reason this wasn't a 10 for me was mainly due to two things... one being the constant use of phrases like "If this were a series then this would happen" or "what do you think this is, a rom com?" I know these lines are meant to be funny and ironic in a way but it's so overused and, especially in this series, they used it A LOT. Instead of adding to a scene, it just takes away from it, in my opinion. Like, we know this is a series and we know this is fake.. you don't have to try and sell this idea that it's real.
The other main gripe I had was the introduction and resolution of some plot points. The whole thing with Paul felt disjointed and the climax of that storyline seemed to come out of nowhere. Then you had the side GL that never really developed into anything even with all the lead up to it. At some points it felt like the cat was completely forgotten. And even Aou's character could have been fleshed out more as we never really got a sense of his motivation until the very end when we learn he just wanted to be on top at the station. He seemed too villainous to be just a simple professional rival but apparently that's all it was. I also thought there would be something wrong with Phi's mom instead as she seemed to be forgetful and maybe they were going to give her Alzheimer's or something. I mean, I'm glad they didn't, but it seemed like an obvious point they were trying to bring to our attention but then never did anything with it.
I'm actually surprised this wasn't 12 episodes as I feel like just 2 more episodes could have wrapped up those plot points a bit more. They certainly had an engaging and interesting storyline to work with, much more than a lot of the 12-14episode series that are out there. They could have easily filled up more time just by ironing out those wrinkles and filling the holes.
But really, other than that, what they did give us was a fantastic storyline which was executed extremely well. I actually find myself looking forward to the next Krist/Singto series, hoping they keep with this new momentum that they served to us here.
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