dodoubleg1785

Much better than I expected

Honestly, I was fully prepared to not enjoy this as much as I did simply for the fact it was centered around basketball. Or, so I thought. (Nothing against the sport, I just don't watch it.)

But this series was about so much more than that. Even the basketball parts, I found myself interested and invested in because the storyline was that good. It wasn't your typical school rivalry sports drama but more about the personal journey of the individual characters and the way their attitude affects their game and their team.

Also, usually when there are multiple love stories going on, it's easy to pick favorites or be more invested in one over the others. But here, I was equally interested in all three of the couples because they each had a different dynamic going on. All while there were solid friendships and platonic relationships that were so fun and wholesome.

The communication, while missing in some areas to create drama, was very much on point and the characters were all honest with each other and themselves most of the time. It's so refreshing to come across a drama that doesn't rely on misunderstandings as their main source of conflict. There was also no real "villain" either which is a testament to how good the story was without that riffraff.

My main complaint with this series is that the couple with the best tension had an open ending and we never got a release out of all that build-up. I would almost prefer they don't do all that if they are not going to resolve it but it still made for some cute moments.

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So much going on without anything actually happening.

While I wouldn't say this was bad, it really lacked in a lot of ways for me.

This was all over the place as far as storyline, as if the writer or director or someone just couldn't decide on what story did they want to tell. Was it a university drama? Was it a countryside drama? Was it a rich boy/poor boy drama? Was it a workplace drama? Was it a winning-over-an-opposing-parent drama? No one knows because this series had ALL of that at some point.

And that's all just withing the main couple. Then there are secondary couples that tackle secret crushes, questioning sexual identity, using someone to get closer to someone else, violence rumors, school bullying and the list goes on and on and on..

Yet, with all of this going on, there seemed to be a serious lack of development between the couples / characters. It played almost more like a sit com where every episode was a standalone thing and there MAY be a hint or undertone of slight progression of relationships. But the constant change of story direction made it hard to get invested in which is unfortunate because they could have had a solid series if they just focused on one thing and did it well.

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Toxicity with self-awareness

I already know this review is going to sound like a b*tchfest but I need to get it off my chest.

First and foremost, it really is a shame that people have badmouthed this series so much. I highly doubt the writers, directors or actors would ever see all the negativity verbatim but an overall reception of a series could make it hard for them to find more work or even the motivation to try again. And, really, if you can't give "constructive" criticism, then just don't say anything at all.

That being said, this series certainly wasn't the best I've ever seen nor was the plot anything out of the standard drama of university students navigating adult life for the first time. I think a lot of people who were badmouthing this series forget that these characters are young adults who have never been in romantic relationships before. All they know is friendships and sex with no bridge in-between. Having feelings other than that is foreign to them and so of course they are going to botch it up royally.

Seriously, I'm getting so sick of people saying relationships in dramas are "toxic." It's a DRAMA, not a romantic comedy or an action or any other genre where you should expect anything else. But at least this drama recognizes and addresses the "toxic" traits. How many times did a character point out that jealousy is the driving factor and you should just ask the other party about the events instead of overthinking the worst? How many times did Sher remind Fah that their AGREEMENT was a friends with benefits situation? Sher was right to keep getting aggravated and fed up with Fah whenever he got jealous because there is no room for those feelings in a FWB dynamic. Them finding love through all the hurt and struggles is still believable because, again, they do not know why they acted the way they did since they never felt this way before. When they took some time to themselves to really think about it, that's when they realized the feelings involved were deeper than just physical intimacy.

It's also a shame that for such a heavy drama, pretty much every actor was brand new to the scene. This was a first role for 90% of the cast and yes, it shows. Would the series have been better or well received with a more seasoned cast? Honestly, I don't think so. In a way, their amateurism added to the fact that these characters were experiencing life lessons/feelings for the first time. In that regard, I think they handled it fairly well though there was certainly room for improvement which I hope they get the opportunity to try again.

Even if I personally don't think it has much of a rewatch value, I do think it is worth a shot. If nothing else, it was highly entertaining which is all I can hope for as well as the main purpose of these shows. The way some people criticize them with comments like "that is so unrealistic" or "that is such a bad way to handle that" make me think that those people thought they were watching a how-to video instead of a work of fiction meant to entertain.

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I wasn't prepared..

Normally, I will look at reviews before watching a series, not necessarily to get spoilers but I do want to mentally prepare myself if a show will have a happy or sad ending. And, well, I didn't do that here and I'm kind of regretting it.

Overall, it was a beautiful story about the struggle between self preservation and self sacrifice. At first, Jin Ho is all about self preservation and willing to trick Min Hyun into feeling for him in order to turn human. Then, as Jin Ho himself starts to catch feelings, he questions whether his "life" is worth the risk to Min Hyun's life. Meanwhile, Min Hyun struggles with the idea of losing Jin Ho and is willing to take the risk to try and help him with little regard to his own safety.

It may be a short series but it is filled with deep themes and potent emotions that leave the viewer wanting more. That being said, I wish the ending had been a bit different but I sort of see what they were going for. But it doesn't make for a high re-watch value for me, unfortunately.

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Cute short series

This was probably the 3rd or 4th k-drama I've seen that has the overall storyline of a big city boy goes to the countryside and meets a farm-boy. But even though the trope is becoming fairly popular, I can see the reason for it and still quite enjoy them.

This was no exception as I thought the story was cute, the acting was good and the pacing made sense. One thing that stood out to me in this one was that I found myself laughing so much more throughout, mostly because of Ye Chan's antics and bumbling nature. He is just so clueless and it's absolutely adorable. It made for some great chemistry between the two leads because Yul's reactions were just as comical.

While the series was nothing groundbreaking for me, I would still rewatch this for a feel good short engagement when I need a pick-me-up. Highly recommend.

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Contrary to popular opinion, I thought this was actually a great length for this story. A lot of people have said they wish it was longer but let's keep in mind that when BLs are longer, it's not because of the content we like to see but the more frustrating stuff that I personally can't stand. I wouldn't want to drag out the misunderstandings or the horrible treatment of Light. This movie gave enough to show that it happened, why it happened and a swift and reasonable resolution.

The actors were good in their roles though nothing really stood out to me as far as outstanding or overly bad. They were pretty average though that's not meant as a negative thing.

I liked the change of pace from the lighter, fluffy BLs and was glad to still receive a happy ending after such a dark, more mature plot. To me, it makes the happy ending more worthwhile and meaningful.

I would definitely rewatch this and look forward to doing so again and again.

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Late to the game

I'm watching all of the History Series out of order though seeing as they are all self-contained short stories, it's not a big deal.

What is a big deal is that I wish I hadn't put this on the back burner for so long in favor of other series that ended up being mediocre. This was so good that I am sure to watch it again and again when I want a short, palate cleanser in-between the longer series out there.

The story was fast paced yet still had enough substance to it to keep the audience engaged and entertained. The idea of rebirth yet reliving the same life, as if given the chance to correct one single mistake is complex but handled well enough here. Sure, there's no real explanation as to why or how he was reborn except for maybe the hand movement that Cai Yi Jun did by the riverside though we don't know why it works. Is she a witch or something?

Anyway, if you don't overthink it too much and take it at face value, this was a great watch. The chemistry between the two leads will surely satisfy the more mature audience out there who are tired of the dead fish kisses and lack of connection between leads. I like the forceful ardor of the lead though I know it could be off-putting to the more sensitive viewer. I'd just say look at the title of the story and there shouldn't be any surprises.

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Mixed feelings

This is a really tough review to write because I have such conflicting feelings about this series that I don't know if I can really explain why. I hated almost every character at one point or another, even if they had redeeming moments/story arcs and yet I couldn't stop watching. I wanted to sympathize with the main couples and then they did horrible things that made me dislike them for their choices.

Some of the acting was amazing while other performances were not as such. A lot of times I was wondering if the actor was just having a hard time portraying an actor on screen because they are essentially playing a person who is then playing another person. But overall, the stories were involved enough to distract away from that most of the time.

Speaking of the stories... Here's my takeaway from the different arcs.

Ep 1-5: Managers Suck. I was wondering the entire time if I'm supposed to feel bad for Pan and it's not until the end that you realize that his brattiness toward his manager is completely justified and that he was indeed the victim. But it sure made him annoying at times. However, this was one of the occasions where the acting was very good in my opinion. I'd seen this couple in Secret Crush On You and in that series, I really disliked Seng's character. I saw a little bit of it here but that was when he was putting on a face for investors. Seng's acting in this with all his different sides and emotions was really well played.

Ep 6-10: Managers Suck the Sequel. Honestly, the entire time I wanted to strangle Toon and Pla or at least have them do it to each other. I get that Gus was pretending to like Bew and all but even when he apparently is legit in love with him, it felt so fake to me, I was waiting for the next "behind the scene" with one of the managers to show that it was still an act. And after all the horrible stuff that he and the 2 managers did to Bew, why was Bew the only one made to feel like he had crossed the line in the end and be the one to apologize? Such bullshit.

Ep 11-15: This is why "reality TV" is so ridiculous. With the right editing and careful nudges, it is no longer "real" but a show within a show.

Ep 16-20: From the very beginning, I feel like half of the characters did a complete 180 out of nowhere. P, who up to now has been a nice, supporting person is suddenly a demanding producer and Achi who was this over confident serious actor and was good at everything could barely make it through a scene. I feel like there are completely different stories going on which would be fine if they weren't supposed to be the same people as before. And yet, somehow, I'm very intrigued and impressed by how Talay is played up "the bad guy." Within just 5 episodes, I wanted to cheer him, curse him and everything in between. He was made out to be this caring seasoned actor who was looking out for the new guys until he needed them to make a series. I mean, I get it.. there's a lot riding on the series and making things work and I understand why he had to be as hard on them as he was, but I swear there were times I thought the character was bi-polar. And yet, it still worked... don't ask me how.

I think the best I could say is that it is worth a watch but be prepared for a roller coaster of emotions and also be prepared that not all of them get a happy or even satisfying ending.

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Another "Middle of the pack"

While this wasn't the best show I'd ever seen, it wasn't bad enough for me to drop it. To be honest though, I'm still trying to figure out why.

The show gets repetitive... like, SUPER repetitive. I feel like they had the same conversation in every episode. There were so many situations thrown into the show that just never got resolved or mentioned again after their initial introduction and the main couple's reaction to it. It was like the writing team sat around a table and just listed off a bunch of "cute moments that new couples have together" and they tried to squeeze them all in without any real context or purpose. Then when they try for some serious drama (mainly everything surrounding Ai's parents) it's even more frustrating because they STILL don't resolve the issues, meanwhile they were pretty big and vital to get some closure.

What I did like, however, was the honesty between the main couple throughout. As far as they were concerned, there wasn't a whole lot of the typical misunderstandings and miscommunication you normally find in these kinds of BL stories. Nhai was very honest and upfront about his confusion from the beginning, not wanting to give Ai hope while Ai constantly checked in to make sure Nhai was okay. For all of the reason and sense this show was lacking, they definitely made up for it with the MC's relationship.

I was kind of disappointed that they set up side stories with the rest of the group of friends but then they were just completely forgotten like everything else in the series except the MC. I realized after the fact that there was already a series centered around Ton's relationship though it looks like it is not quite the same seeing as it was made by a different studio and cast. To be honest, I don't know if I can watch it now having seen this first. Which is a shame because they were my favorite set up side couple. And who knows what ever happened to In and Nine's set-up because, again, they were just dropped out of no where. It's okay if they don't get a whole lot of screen time but, damn, if you're going to introduce their potential story-lines, then stick with it. Now, again, they may very well be planning to make side stories or separate series with these characters but I have no idea.

The mother... really, just.. that's all I can say. Like.. WTF was the point of that whole mess?

A part of me thinks that a lot of the issues I had with this series could have been due to lack-luster translations because even the best ones I could find were not great. That's the catch with these kinds of shows that the dialogue could really either save it or hinder it and, unfortunately, I think it was more the latter in this series.

All that being said, I enjoyed it enough to finish it. Mostly because I was waiting for some resolutions which never came, but there is still the special episode to watch so maybe there will be some loose ends tied up there. Fingers crossed though I won't hold my breath.

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Prepare to be frustrated

Part of me wishes I'd seen this before Not Me because I loved that series and Off and Gun were so great in it. On the other hand, I hate to compare series to each other, especially when they aren't even remotely similar. But I went into this series knowing they were both great actors and excited to see what they did earlier on.

I know practically everyone is saying it but it's true... this series is frustrating as hell. Seriously, I don't understand why Third was so infatuated with Khai. From the moment they met, Khai didn't hide his selfish nature or his usage of Third to handle his dirty work without so much as a "thank you." It's hard to believe that someone would be so in love with that kind of person but let's suspend our belief for a moment. (or, in this case, 11 out of 12 episodes.)

Even the moments that were supposed to be considered "sweet" were cringeworthy. "Having you here has made my life so much easier.." Is that supposed to be romantic? Third certainly thinks so. Then, halfway through, they basically switch roles and we're supposed to feel sorry for Khai while thinking Third is actually capable of not feeling anything? Then the big fight at the end, Third actually asks, "Why didn't you tell me?" regarding the kiss with Ching Ching when he spent that whole time cutting Khai off. I just wanted Khai to say, "I was trying to but you were shouting at me and throwing shit at me and wouldn't give me a chance to get two words in!"

And yet, somehow, I found I could not stop watching.. which I'm still trying to figure out how they did it. I mean, the acting was great, even if they were working with a bad plot.

I do like how every episode is the title of a movie and the episode poster is a recreation of said movie poster. There were other artistic touches that stood out to me that were neat, like how most flashbacks began with a film reel.

The only side characters I really cared about were Two, Un and Shane. There was nothing wrong with everyone else, per say, but I could take or leave them.

Overall, it's not the best series I've seen but it was still enough to keep me watching and entertained, even if it was in a frustrated state.

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Conflicting emotions

This series is probably the hardest for me to rate as of yet. It was really good at times and then it takes multiple turns into "shaking my head" territory that was really the main reason a few stars got knocked off.

First off, for a series called Never Let Me Go, there was a whole lot of letting go. It's one of my least favorite tropes where one lead claims they don't love the other anymore because they think they are doing them a favor. That happens here at one point. Another time, Neung leaves Palm by leaving a note and saying "don't follow me." Of course, Palm follows and they reconcile, only for Palm to turn around and do the EXACT same thing, leaving a note and saying "don't follow me." And this is after he knows how much it hurt him to be on the receiving end. There were just so many episodes centered around one of them leaving, the two of them sulking and then getting back together. Really, once in a series is enough.

Besides which, there was a whole lot of interesting plot going on otherwise that I felt like the writers could have easily done without the constant push and pull dance. The family business and side characters (mainly Ben and Chopper) could have had more going on which would have been perfectly fine as filler. I found them interesting even with the small amount of screen time they got and would have preferred to see other sides of the feud through their eyes instead of the same old same old with the main couple.

Even the uncle was fairly well written and used effectively. Although in the beginning of the series, he's bitching about running a casino instead of the hotels then when he's in change, he's trying to turn the hotel into a casino. And a lot of the conflicts (other than the main couple's romance) is resolved with an off-the-cuff remark or short discussion after spending the entire series as the main plot.

With all that being said, I still really enjoyed the series and thought there was a lot of good in it. The acting was great and I, personally, noticed a huge improvement in Phuwin and Pond's performances. I'd just finished Fish Upon The Sky before this and so it was super noticeable how much further they'd come in just one year. I have yet to see a series where Perth doesn't give a great performance. Whether he's a main character or side character, he fits the roles well.

Personally, I don't know if I would watch the series again, seeing as it's frustrating for a good portion of it and there weren't any surprise twists or anything unexpected that would tempt me to watch again for signs of it. You know right off the bat who the bad guy is so there's the satisfaction every time someone calls him an "asshole" (of which there are a lot).

I'd still say it's worth a watch, even if not a re-watch.

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One word summary: Beautiful

Really, everything in this show was simply beautiful. The story, the relationships, cinematography and the acting and everything in between. Even the imperfections in each character were beautiful because of the history behind them. They were realistic portrayals of flawed human beings. Even so, the show had so much heart, and not the soft, superficial kind.

Speaking of Heart, right off the bat I have to say Gemini did a phenomenal job in his role. Like, mindblowingly so. For a young, relatively new actor, he gave the best performance in this show in my opinion. I was more invested in Heart and Li Ming's development as both a couple and as individuals than anyone else in the series. Without having seen any trailers or info about the show beforehand, I didn't even know Gemini and Fourth were in it so when they first showed up on screen, I was a little worried it would be the same as My School President, but it was anything but. Honestly, these actors get a better chance to shine when they are taken out of the school setting and placed in more realistic and mature scenarios.

Speaking of casting, while I loved Earth and his character, I had a hard time reminding myself that he's supposed to be near 40 in this. Like, he's not even 30 yet, nor does he look it, so why would they constantly try to make him seem as such? They did the same thing in Tale of Thousand Stars where he was supposed to be near 40 and I just call "bullsh*t." I mean, realistically, in the BL drama category, the actors have a very short lifespan as they start to approach 30, now the writers/casting directors want us to believe these guys in their 20s are actually 40? I'm torn because I loved Earth's performance and I like him as an actor overall, but I think the story would have been just as good if they said Jim was, say, 30-32. It still provides the age difference storyline without taking it too far out of the realm of possibility.

All of the relationships, not just romantic, were complicated and some were strained while others were so tight knit giving a balance throughout the show. The friendship between the diner staff had me feeling envious while the less than perfect relationship Li Ming had with his mother was very raw and, honestly, refreshing. I know some see Li Ming as just a moody teenager but he was just so very REAL. When he was having the conversation with Jim about his feelings toward his mom and whether he actually loved her when she's essentially a stranger, I wanted to applaud the writers. So many times, the characters just blindly love and follow their parents even when they don't deserve it. Just because someone gave birth, doesn't make them a true "parent." It's a messy and complicated type of relationship that is sometimes considered even more taboo to bring up in conversation than talking about sexuality but they handled it really well here.

I know a lot of people would have liked a longer series and honestly, I get it. It was so good that instinctually, we just want more of it. But as far as the overall plot, I think 8 episodes was perfect. It didn't need any filler with silly storylines like miscommunication or misunderstandings that tend to go on for multiple episodes.

This is a good series to have on hand when you need a pick-me-up from the weight of the world. It will definitely get a rewatch from me, that's for sure.

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Orchestra of heartstrings

Honestly, it's no surprise that a story that began with a heart transplant would tug at the viewer's so much. I don't think I've ever gotten more teary eyed in any other series I've watched to date but I don't regret a single moment of it. This show was outstanding from beginning to end. Quite frankly, I'm rather speechless to be able to point out any specifics. Suffice it to say, this was beautifully done from the storytelling to the cinematography to the acting and everything in between.

If I really had to nitpick, there were a couple of things I could have done without which is the only reason it's not a 10 rating for me. Some silly little things like how the rangers are always in camo but then when they are out in the sunny daytime hunting down guys in the forest, they are in black so they stand out like a sore thumb... like, that's the whole point of having camo, guys. And the fact that the mom wants Tian to go to the US to get a teaching degree when he'll be coming back to Thailand to teach and they have completely different curriculums. The whole thing doesn't make sense and it just prolongs his future even further. I'm also not a fan of the kids-having-to-live-their-lives-for-their-parents trope though I know that's "a thing." But when Chief is literally telling Tian to live for himself and do whatever his heart wants and yet throwing him back to his parents to fulfill their wishes, that is one heavy oxymoron in a single breath.

But, like I said, this is really pulling at threads here because the show had so much good to it that the bad is easily forgiven/forgotten.

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A round of applause for this cast

Going into this series, I was a little worried I'd get confused with the body swap but I was glad that Korn and Non knew right off the bat that Win was in Lin's body so there was no hidden identity between the mains. It was portrayed really well and some of the panning shots where one moment it's Lin's body and then it's Win's body were done really well. They did it just enough times to remind us of the situation but it was also used really well to bring out comedic sides of the story. (Like when Lin locks herself in the bathroom and then just after when Win is experiencing PMS in the car by arguing and getting emotional, all the while Korn is sitting there like "WTF is happening right now?" Yet every woman watching the show is in stitches because, well, you know... some of the best comedy comes from the truth.)

Speaking of which, I know this is a BL, but I was so incredibly impressed by Jan's performance. She was two completely opposite sides of the spectrum.. the hot-headed Win and then the mild, meek Lin. By the time Lin woke up in Win's body, we really didn't see much of Mix's ability to play that side of Lin before they fixed everything back to normal. But honestly, I don't think it was needed since Jan did a stellar job that really no one needed to compete with.

I'd read reviews and comments before starting where everyone was badmouthing the Aunt, Uncle and Mother. The Aunt and Uncle were obviously horrible people from the moment you meet them but I found I watched the series waiting to see what was wrong with the mom to make everyone hate her. Just know, you don't find out until the very last episode and don't bother trying to pick apart or overthink her actions throughout the show because it barely hints at her mistake. And that's the thing.. it was a mistake which she regretted almost immediately. Win also made a mistake by jumping to conclusions instead of simply asking and listening. Korn made a mistake by not telling him the truth sooner. Everyone makes mistakes.

This was a great blend of drama, comedy with a hint of adventure going on. I especially liked how it was set out in the country instead of in the middle of a city. The cinematography was beautiful and it makes me want to go see it in person. BL lovers should definitely give this a shot, it was so good.

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Good, light-hearted fun.

From the synopsis, I thought this series would be heavier than it was but I found myself laughing along with their banter and antics and thoroughly enjoyed the series from start to finish. The plot is nothing groundbreaking, by any means, but I enjoyed watching this cast interacting with each other which was the main thing that stood out to me. Most sub-plot issues were resolved fairly quickly while there was still the underlying main issue of the families not getting along to help drive the story forward.

The chemistry between the main leads held my attention, no matter what they were doing (fighting, scheming, being cutesy, etc) and even the chemistry between the friends was a lot of fun to watch as well.

Overall, the show was on the lighter side of the drama spectrum. I'd definitely watch it again whenever I'm looking for something fluffy without being juvenile.

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