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will bls ever evolve past universities and the f-word?
the show starts with an interesting sequence, and had one of the most cool plots imo but it set things up too slowly for my taste and then collapsed under its own weight of trying to fit too many things into 10 episodes. If they cut out the fiancee drama and the side couple (which i liked and wanted more of) and had just focussed on the parallel worlds then they could've had a much better run. it would've also been awesome to see bossnoeul carry the show on their own which i think they could've been capable off and if not; it would've been good practice! i would've also loved to see more scenes between bossnoeul as actual people instead of just becoming their default personality traits of 'oh no are you ok? please let me take care of you' / 'im so innocent please take care of me'. Moreover because the characters felt so 2D all the NC scenes felt very detached from the overall story and did not feel deserving or fulfilling either.the things i liked:
wimxjin <3333 they were so cute honestly. it wouldve been nice to get more of jin's mind reading but oh well. however they also suffered because of the draggy writing and short screentime.
the cinematography is insanely good like damn the production team really went off! there's so much nice lighting and complicated shots i loved watching it! i especially liked it when they gave phu the warm colours and cir the cool tone colours.
The things i disliked the most was the random fiancée story line like...c'mon. we've seen this a million times. and the whole 'i've loved you secretly from afar since the day we met'-story line is also so cliché and just turned the show into just another university BL. they should've stuck with what they had in the beginning 'these are actually all memories and lives from other versions of us', but alas!
I also didn't like the scenes about consent because it just fell flat and seems kind of tone deaf when Cir is lying the whole time about who he is. I don't think the couple's break up was resolved in a satisfying manner with Cir essentially making an influencer apology video and that's the end of their break up. Phu was presented as a naive and innocent young boy with no experience in love but i think he wouldn't have folded so easily for Cir especially because in the immediate scenes after the reveal Phu was like 'please stay away from me' and really marked his boundaries very clearly. why the f*ck would he backtrack on that so easily? that scene really bugged me. and also the singing again? thai dramas: please stop with the random singing scenes. it's not necessary for an emotional scene unless it's a musical. and the flute scene??? that was random as hell. and the fact that phu is an art student but has zero art supplies with him??
in general, the series could've been great but like so many other bl series it didnt live up to its potential
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This review may contain spoilers
I tried to enjoy it
I'm rewatching FUTS (shocking I know, especially after the initial rewatch value I gave it) and actually the first 7 episodes are completely fine especially when you skip the shipper-scenes (I still hate those people). After that it's just downhill. See below for my initial review.Let's start with the good (no spoilers):
I love Phuwin and Neo as brothers: it's so silly and their dynamic really does feel like they're real life brothers.
I also adore Louis and Pond as brothers: I really did not expect it but it's very cute and very different from Phuwin and Neo's pairing as brothers which makes a nice contrast between the characters.
I also adored neo x louis but that's because I also saw them in 'the eclipse' together. Seeing them here as a more silly and innocent couple made me laugh a lot (it made up for the time I wasted with pond x phuwin) and it felt refreshing.
the ensemble cast of Neo's friends was great: I loved how they gave phuwin's character advice and helped him build confidence.
The supporting sidecharacters were tbh the saving grace of this series because there was nothing enticing about the plot.
I liked Louis' voice for the OST and Mix too!
The bad:
everything else. Especially the story for the main couple. there is no valuable message or meaning that FUTS wants to convey to its audience and instead it just tries to throw a mix of well-known faces at you and hope you don't see that the characters have no chemistry with each other. The script is corny and cringe and the drama is unoriginal and bland.
(spoilers)
Oh gee another jealous ex-girlfriend who stirrs up drama at the end? Who would've expected that? Not me!
Besides: wtf was up with the weird fan shipping thing??? i get that they're supposed to represent irl BL fans, but in the end in FUTS the shippers get rewarded almost??? like there are no consequences AT ALL for their invasive and obnoxious behaviour. Instead they are "proven" right because Pi and Mork end up together. Although Mork is supposed to be in love with Pi, he doesn't step up to protect him at all when it comes to the shippers because he's selfishly using it to chase after Pi and disregarding and violating every boundary Pi sets. It's disrespectful to the person he supposedly cares so much about. If anything, it's not Pi who's obsessed with Nan, it's Mork who's obsessed with Pi! Instead of spending time on the shippers, the series should've spend more time on developing Nan or Mork, yk the actual love interests? All we know about Mork is that he's the best friend of Nan and madly in love with Pi for years. But where is his personality? Like let him be funny, let him be actually caring and thoughtful towards not only Pi but also others, because he wants to be. LET HIM HAVE OTHER FRIENDS AND HOBBIES INSTEAD OF ONLY CHASING PI!!!
also i must say: i don't think pond acted very well in this series but im going to blame it on the script and directing bc this story just sucked and im sure he can act and isn't just a pretty face.
final verdict: don't waste your time. watch a different series.
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i need to go to the dentist now: THEY'RE TOO SWEET
This drama is a freaking guide on how to not be toxic!!!Although you would think that would mean there is no conflict - the opposite is true! But it's not driven by petty moves or misunderstandings, it is driven by complicated emotions like uncertainty about your work stability, loneliness, ambition and more.
Of course there are some classic tropes like the accidental kiss/confession, the drunk walk home, secretly taking care of each other, but they are executed very well!
This drama offers a mature and refreshing look on office romance, secret dating/fake marriage and bets which I really liked!
The side couples were also great and gave me major 2nd lead syndrome!!!
Some of the episodes do focus a little too much on the banking aspect and some of the scenes felt a bit draggy, but since it's part of TXN character I understand why it has to be in the series.
Overall i had a lot of fun watching so I highly reccommend this series!
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mr heart: an overdose on fluff
i think one thing that K-dramas get right is the heartfluttering moments and the tooth rotting fluff, and 'Mr. Heart' wasn't an exception! It's your typical college romance BL with not too deep of a storyline tbh which did eventually make the finale less satisfying for me. Also because each episodes is only 10-15 mins. long and the series only has 8 episodes the writers really had to make sure thye used each minute well to showcase the main couple. This was well done imo, but i would've loved to see more of Sangha's own life (his family, friends etc.) besides Just Jin Won TM. Especially the loanshark storyline could've been fleshed out better and more cohesive because it kind of came out of nowhere.Overall, I really liked the production of the series and the small cast was great! There were a lot of cute moments between the two leads and the side characters were very funny! I do think they overused the weird 'French' (?) music. Sometimes i think it wasn't necessary to use so much background music, or at least if they had to use background music use a different tune? maybe some peaceful piano?
Anyway, it was a fun low-stakes watch and i would recommend it as a beginner BL series :)
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Did not disappoint
It's not officially adapted as a BL because of censorship so I will not judge it on that (but i totally wish there was a real bl version of this series)This series is so so so much fun! I love the fantasy/historical aspect of this series. The mythology and sword fighting was very cool. I do have to say that i found it hard to stay focused times and I have dropped it many times before picking it up again after a month or so, but that's alright because this series has 50 EPISODES EACH OF 40 MINUTES LONG!!!! WHEW.
I think my second longest drama series i watched was extraordinary you (32 episodes). so. i was seated.
I also loved the ensemble cast of the younger generation from i believe episode 45 onward (Lan sizhui, etc. i forgot their names).
i dont have much to say that others havent already said, so go watch it! it's great!!!
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Old fashion? No, a classic
a beautiful (but short) series tackling the process of adulting and reigniting the flames of passion for life, work and love.The story is a typical office romance for BL: one of them is in love and the other is oblivious to the advances until the breaking point and then they get back together after a tearful confession (looking at you cherry magic ;) ). A classic trope which can be seen as overdone or cliché but OFC was anything but that due to the unusual conflict/drive of the story: how to deal with having a midlife crisis?
The maincharacters were charming and compelling and the chemistry between the two leads was amazing!
I also liked the interactions between the ensemble cast. The script was also amazing, the confession reeally tugged on my heartstrings and Nozue/Togawa's expressions were both so beautiful.
My favourite quote is: "You must use your regret as fuel to burn for the motivation in the future"
(i paraphrased that)
I can't believe this series only had 5 episodes? They deserved more!!! I do think that some of the editing/cutting was at times a bit weird and confusing when switching between the past and the present but overall the series was of high production.
The cinematography was just *cheffs kiss*. They chose a lot of pretty lighting whether it's from the sunlight hitting the characters in the face, or the streetlights, so beautiful.
This series is a must watch!
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so attracted to this
A great dramaseries!the chemistry between the two leads was amazing and i love me some well-executed slowburn. I think it's one of the better BL's out there with also a great side couple and hilarious sidecharacters (Charn's ex is still killing me).
The story had me hooked from the first episode and immediately showed us some action and laid the foundation of both characters: Charn is the opportunistic, corrupted and devilishly handsome (but also just devilish) lawyer whose heart only beats for money and Tinn is the protecting and caring uncle of an adorable little girl Tonkhao and who would die for the ones he loves.
i also think it's interesting to show how the justice system kind of works because oftentimes yes, those with money and power own the path of justice and use it for their own good...which is why we need to continue to fight and show them that we do not agree.
the pacing was just right in this series though i wished there were more episodes of just anything of these two characters because i just love them a lot.
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it missed flavour
a friend told me to watch this and i had planned on doing so because i knew it was one of those staple BL's.It's not bad but it's also not great and there are tons of BL's with much better storylines and acting.
The 'fake dating' trope is a trope that's used so often in dramaseries and in BL and it can be repetitive but it can also be executed well! However, that is not the case for 2gether, but I think this is partially because of the lack of chemistry between the two leads? I felt nothingggg. I think they could've utilised the fake dating a little bit more by exaggerating it and showing us overly affectionate people as is normally the case for people who don't know how real couples act...alas! in the end it became a boring series which tried to be appealing but just did not satisfy especially the whole 'ex-girlfriend/crush' trope.
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The real MVP of this superb tale is...
Before I start I want to get 2 things out of the way:1. What an amazing series! GO WATCH IT!!!
2. @ mix and earth: STOP EYE-F*CKING EACH OTHER IN FRONT OF THE CHILDREN!!! /half joking /light hearted / positive
This was a BL that was on my list for a longgg time. The unusual themes of death & guilt got me interested at first because it's not something that is typically portrayed in a BL series. I also think that because it is not a BL centered around high school/university it also set 1000 Stars apart. The finale was so so so good and I felt satisfied with the ending. The tale ended and I cried SO hard! In short, the show did not disappoint!
The love story is a perfect slow burn and comes with all the comedic elements of one with the classic 'will they won't they?' and this creates a nice balance with the serious moments! Amazing writing! And of course, the director is the amazing Aof!!!
Some of the plotpoints I was able to guess, but it wasn't bad because it felt more like I was just lifting the curtain that the director put there for me to discover so that was nice!
The whole cast was great! At first I didn't think I would be a big fan of earthmix, but goddamn their chemistry??? every time they made eye contact i felt like i should look away and give them some space, or perhaps a room. Haven't had that before with some other acting duo.
The ensemble cast was also great, I mean we got Drake, Champ, White whom are all great actors in my book! They do comedy very well!
And the kids omfg they were so cute i could eat them up!!!
But, of course, the real MVP was Dr. Nam!!! He is literally the best wingman and best phi for Tian EVER!!! The amount of times he made me laugh with his clever quips and jabs at both Tian and Phupha!
Gosh he worked so hard to get them together and it all worked out in the end! (although the flirting with other girls was a bit weird but i'll let it slide bc i like him too much)
The OST also really fits the country vibe and made me so emotional...the voice matched very well with the emotions.
Would I rewatch it? I don't know because I think I'll cry too much again.
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a heartwarming series!
First off: THIS WAS SO CUTE!!!The cast, the story, the acting was all just so marvelous!
I thought I didn't like overacting, but michida was just the perfect blend of goofiness and cuteness. And what about Ren? He was also the perfect fit for his character!!!
The chemistry between all of the characters was so great and natural, it really felt like a bunch of best friends! I also think that this is such a good BL for beginners and veterans alike because it is just SO well made!!!
This is one of those BLs that keeps you coming back for more!
The story and the main point of conflict is also very original and refreshing and although it's another highschool romance it didn't feel cringe to me which I often find that highschool romances have because the writing doesn't feel authentic. Kieta hatsukoi's writing feels VERY authentic!!!
This series is also so rewatchable because of the comedy and charming characters.
I only wish we'd gotten more screentime with Ida's dog mamatero <3
Anyways, GO WATCH THIS!!!!!!!!
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An extraordinary series
I'm going to keep it short.This series has a very interesting plotline and interesting world which is what got me hooked in the first place. I think they execute it very well although some plotpoints could be explained better - but it did not bother me.
The cast is so great, i loved seeing every interaction between the side characters but also between the main characters. there wasn't a single moment where i was bored or indifferent towards what the characters were feeling. I felt very deeply for these characters and wanted so badly for them to have the happy end they wanted and deserved.
Go watch this!!! It's a classic and a staple K-drama for a good reason!!!
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A worthy sequel
I'll keep it short as this is a follow up for AoY s1.The story was pretty original although the ending felt rushed and could've used a few more episodes. I do like that the ending is so ambiguous and open to interpretation but it also felt anticlimatic. I also felt like the show forgot that it was supposed to be a slice of life show and I feel like it could've used some more comedy to contrast with the darkness which is something AOY 1 did really well and which is also why it made me cry so fk hard. In this series the stakes simply felt lower and not as severe which is a pity and unused potential. All in all, it was a good story that held itself well until the end but could've used some more pep.
The Acting was consistent and I ended up really liking Choi A ra's acting as Jo Eun!!! I did miss Kang yina and park jae wan though but the new boyfies were also very fun to watch :D The epilogues were also awesome and it was great that it was different from the first season, although the breaking the 4th wall sometimes became a bit too meta.
Lastly, the music was fun but I wish there were some more new theme songs.
Shout out to Im Seong Min - that is the most down bad man i have ever seen who is also simultaneously drowning in the Nile.
the same applies to Song Ji Won but at the same time she's self aware? delulu is the solulu i guess?
Also the whole cast is so fk pretty it's unfair. like fr idk at which boyfie to look but Im Seong Min's actor and Lee Jin Gwang stole my heart this season ngl
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Too tame
I want to start this review by saying that I don't mean that 'there weren't enough NC scenes'. That's not what I mean with too tame before y'all come for me!!!Let me first start with the good things.
I loved the cast! I especially thought that Nut shined in this - I can't believe it's his first acting series! He really knew how to show all the nuance and roughness that was Jun.
In one episode you think he's just a heartless d*ck but then in the next you realise it was all a façade to hide how he really felt. And moreso than what was in the script, but the incredible editing (props to the editors!!!) and the acting choices made by Nut when he didn't have lines gave even more insight to Jun's character which I absolutely loved. I can't wait to see him act as Jimmy's little brother in 'my magic prophecy' EEEEEEEE!!!!
And the rest of LYNKN was there too I guess.
But imo they also underutilised sammy and drake LIKE CMONNN THOSE ARE SEASONED ACTORS!!!! I wish they'd gotten a bigger support role
I also adored the villains in this: well played miss Pemika, well played. I don't agree at all with the character but damn if she isn't that girlboss office siren? Hats off to you miss, she devoured that villain role.
The costume department was really good most of the times and really builds that idol image for all of MARS, although for Nano they leaned a bit too hard into the 'quirky main dancer maknae' aesthetic for me and less into who the character really was? For all the other characters it was great;
Thame - cool, popular boy clothes per his leader status but also his more down-to-earth nature
Dylan - streetstyle per his rap background
Jun - not that distinct but i remember him wearing a lot of beige pants and timeless clothes like soft sweaters and cardigans, which reflects his personality of prickly and thorny on the outside but soft within and also just fits with who he's trying to become (movie star and all).
Pepper - cleancut, well dressed - at times basic, but it fits his all rounder status; he's very palatable and easily fits in everywhere
Now let's get to the part where I thought it was too tame. The story.
It was alright, I mean Po is literally living that y/n life and I love that for him! That being said, there's a reason why wattpad self inserts are just that...they're not that good.
The story and pacing started out great for the first half:
We are told all the members have things they want to achieve (producing own songs, acting in a movie as the lead, pursuing a relationship, being more than just the dancer) but then as Thame and Po get together that all just doesn't get handled anymore and every conflict that made the characters and the world they live in interesting, just falls away.
Moreover, the conflict that is present just doesn't translate as well - the stakes the audience is given just do not feel relatable to me at all, and given the company that produces it, it just feels hypocritical and tonedeaf? @GMMTV you are aware that you are one of the main sources keeping this kind of culture alive in Thailand right? And I'm not saying that i don't participate in it or that it's immediately bad, but the point that they are then trying to make just doesn't land because we are still in this situation in real life without a real structural change!
And there's also no change in the thamepo world! Sure, MARS leaves their company and gets to perform together using their old name and everybody's back together living happily after...but for the other artists at the company nothing changes!
This story is trying to present itself as 'punk' exposing and dismantling the system, and portrays the protagonists as going against the system and changing it, but they don't! In the end, they get dumped, a new boygroup fills the void and will probably at some point have the same issues about creative control, romantic relationships, career paths etc. and nothing changes.
Now I get that this is just a romcom and not every series has to have a serious message and be life changing or pioneer lgbt activism, but with the tone they set in the first episodes and the seeds they sowed I expected them to really lean into it and have a fierce message to change things, but in the end they decided to play it safe which is so disappointing.
I am also aware about the double standard for queer media and that it is often held to a higher standard, but you know what's the worse thing about this whole thing?
It's the fact that the episodes after ep 7/8 completely bored me. I literally skipped through some of the domestic fluff and the crying scenes because it was boring. And normally I love domestic fluff, but for thamepo the fluffy scenes did not feel like a reward after the hardships of pining, it just felt like fanservice.
The crying did not feel like a release of emotions between the characters but it felt fake and I could feel very little sympathy for the characters.
I saw many people praising thamepo for having a mature storyline because of the lack of drama and so on but like...it is a drama series. And what's a drama series without the drama? I want to be entertained!
Besides, a storyline doesn't just become mature because of a lack of drama, it should also discuss mature topics and the series also fell flat on that - but I'm going to blame this part on the lack of time.
I would've liked it if they dedicated a few scenes to show how Earn's treatment of Po would affect Po's relationship with Thame. We know that Earn wasn't physically abusive but it is presented that he was emotionally neglecting Po for a while, manipulating him into doing free work, and in general being toxic. That had to have an effect on Po's worldview! I mean we begin the series with the fact that Po is clearly still not healed from his break up with Earn (he has all the couple stuff, pictures and even EARN'S CLOTHES IN HIS DAMN CLOSET).
Maybe he would feel like he had to be perfect because otherwise thame would leave him just like Earn or that his view on love has become warped and that he sees it as a transactional thing. That people do nice things because they want something from you (this could also be an arc for thame). Or maybe how Earn's abandonment would affect Po's self-esteem and how he gets that back because of Thame - but we don't see that kind of growth.
No, they kiss and are basically married now.
That being said I do hope they get married, i wish thamepo all the best <3 they are a very cute couple
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i love that this is canon
I love love love that this is the concept they came up with for jimmyxsea's characters. it's so freaking chaotic and unusual i love it so much! This special episode totally leans into the goofy side of Vice Versa and it's the first time they showed a same sex couple with a child (although there was a small plottwist of course) which is so great and honestly yes: Jimmy and Sea are totally husband and dad material so this is satisfying to see.all in all, if you missed vice versa after it finished: go watch this for a bunch of nostalgia <3
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This review may contain spoilers
if it aint broken dont fix it
I love office romances and I like that this BL used the age-old tropes of boss/employee+enemies-to-lovers (although that was a bit shortlived) and forced proximity/cohabitation.I think they could've exaggerated the headbutting a bit more when cohabitating and have it mix a bit with work life because for me, the characters acted to cleanly and too well-behaved. Overall I didnt have that many complaints about the story or the pacing considering the amounts of episodes!
I liked the music although sometimes it felt a little bit loud.
The ensemble cast was also fun to watch and the male leads were handsome and had pretty good chemistry!
One big minus point for me though was the big confession scene and backstory reveal in the final episode. The dialogue felt lame, stiff and not realistic. It didn't properly convey the emotions of the characters and the whole drama of SJY finding out the true identity of JHJ ended with a bellyflop instead of a magnificent dive into the inner turmoil of the characters :/
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