exactly what I always wanted ?
I absolutely adored this show from start to finish. Something about the mix of tone was just so compelling to me. While the underlying romance (and other relationships) was so strong and taken so seriously, the rest of the plot wasn't afraid to have fun and lean into tropes in the best way. The action was fun and bombastic, the reincarnation lore was fantastical and epic, the friends were bright and funny, and the chemistry was truly off the charts. I know not everyone will appreciate the way this style sometimes undercuts it's own tension, but I really enjoyed the way the show didn't let itself get bogged down for long.Of course, I have to give accolades to the cast. Billy is, of course, a wonderful actor (as always). Phaya always has his heart on his sleeve and Billy's ability to show that in every moment is really quite beautiful. Especially as a new comer, Babe is incredible. Easily one of my top actors (I'm lying to seem less biased, he's the top). Nothing ever felt forced or put upon between these two, and the characters were crafted so completely that they could be understood without words from start to finish. It was a really exceptional performance. (Of course, there were many, many wonderful performances from the supporting cast as well).
My only faults with this show were some minor pacing and story issues. I would have liked to see a bit more care and craft in the way information is revealed, especially regarding Phaya and Tharn's past lives. Art's arc in Ep. 7 was so wonderfully done in subtle flourishes and circling narrative, it was disappointing to see the main characters get a less thoughtful info dump of a flashback. In general, I think the writers could have trusted the audience to pick up on clues a little better, as characters frequently repeated information that, at that point, had become pretty obvious. But this honestly didn't affect my enjoyment of the story all that much.
I am absolutely looking forward to the upcoming special episode and whatever BillyBabe have coming next! I certainly wouldn't complain if that happened to be a season 2 ;)
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maybe if you're really bored?
I was so excited for this title because I love circus and acrobatics... but there is not nearly enough of that to keep me watching. With so little effort and budget put into the host club, it's really just the thinnest of gimmicks to differentiate a show without enough plot to stand on it's own. While the cast seems mostly competent and there's a decent (if slightly weird) sense of chemistry, this story doesn't really seem like it has any interest in exploring that. Instead, the plot just kind of moves around perfunctorily without any real sense of character or motives.I'll admit, I'm not really interested in giving this show second or third chances. The show started out with blatant plagiarism of the kpop group OnlyOneOf in episode one--which the production team later admitted to and apologized for--and it's soured the experience for me. Combined with the way this appears to be one of the shows where Cheewin's got no strong sense of direction or vision? I'll pass. There's plenty of other shows to keep me busy. But maybe if you're just looking for background noise?
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Strong start that fades away into a lack of character work and plot
Hoo... what to say? I really loved the beginning of this show. After episode one I truly believed this was going to be one of my favorite series this year. Unfortunately, since then, it's spun it's wheels into nothing. Though the characters aren't necessarily static, they never gain much more emotional depth and seem to make decisions because the script tells them to. While fun, colorful, and pretty watch, there's nothing to sink your teeth into story-wise. I found myself dispassionately watching "life or death" battles because the struggles never seemed grounded. It's a shame. The actors seem talented and the concept is interesting it just... isn't willing to go there.-The Full Review-
STORY:
Truly the biggest let down of this show is the storytelling. I remember watching the first pilot trailer and thinking "Wow, how mysterious and magical! I can't wait to learn the details!" Well, it's episode 6 and the details never came. It seems to be an entirely vibes-based plot with a evil politician who has done.... something and a few WU who were expelled from the order (their relationships with their former brothers and sisters are barely explored) and a regular guy possessed by a monkey god--a plot that will cease to have stakes Remarkably fast. The character conflict is paper thin and never explored or scattered across brief flashbacks and unearned dramatic vows. Boring.
Truthfully, this is an ongoing problem with GMMTV works. They have a tendency to rely on the chemistry and history of the couples to fill in the details on the plot. And, well, I haven't seen High School Frenemy. I enjoy Sky and Nani but I would not describe myself as a stan. As a viewer with very little experience with these people and their "lore" the plot doesn't evoke anything. They're just fated because they're fated. I'm sure if these are your guys it feels super special and real... but I don't know them and I don't know why they care. Niran and Pete don't have any reason to be doing all that, or at least not one I've been made privy to as a viewer.
ACTING:
For what they are working with, I am generally impressed. The characters are believable and unique and interesting in their interactions together. I don't think any performance particularly stands in a negative way. I am already a fan of Godji, Krist, Nani, Great and Phuwin, so it was an easy sell for me. Sky is a new face, but I enjoyed his work. I found he has great ability to handle stillness and silence while still being compelling, which is not always easy to do. I would have liked it if he had... a bit more to do.
That said, it comes across a bit kitchsy and overdone sometimes. Nani (Pete) in particularly gives a couple of speeches about always being there for each other that feel off in part because of the cheesy dialogue, in part because of the unearned moment, and in part because Nani just fails to believe in what he's saying. It's not all hate though-- his monkey acting is very fun and lively, and the moments of conflict between Pete and Niran are electric.
PRODUCTION:
It's amazing how one single production can have you see "Wow, a real budget!" and "Oh dear..." sometimes in the same episode! I think the creators could have been a bit smarter in how they used their money, not always relying on hit-or-miss effects. Color, light, angles, and (real) fog could do a lot to bridge the gap between glowing CGI orbs. It's better than most, do not get me wrong--it's not incompetent by any means. But it is still somehow lacking a visual identity in many scenes--especially with the Monkey or in the Fog, there's a lot of blank space that makes it look mismatched to the colorful and maximalist main plot.
I do think the team is super successful and creating an atmosphere, especially for the rituals. I would actually like much more of that busy, eclectic, colorful, street life/night market feeling to surround even more of the show.
INTIMACY:
Not romance genre, but I'd like to take the space in my review format to comment on the SkyNani of it all. I don't actually care about queerbaiting, in fact, I'd prefer they queerbait a little harder. If you're going to sell me a soul binding, I better see those souls Bound. Instead, it is mostly cliches without character incidents to support development. Honestly, having not seen HSF, I don't really get it. The chemistry is a bit lacking in comparison to some other bromance and censored works. But, I suppose, even PangWave took most of S1 to get crazy, so perhaps I am just jumping ship too early. I don't know. The fandom hyped the relationship-whatever it's capacity-so high and I'm just not seeing it myself.
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