niel

delivered...nothing?

it is i, the niel.

i could tell you the entire plot in about a paragraph. it's about 8 episodes of the same thing, with forced scenes of conflict to show the actors' "range". if you're here purely for goonery, skip to the last minute of literally every single episode. the lighting was giving clinical. the set was giving ikea showroom. this delivery man never worked. how are any of you making any money? also, he should've been fired for entering someone's apartment uninvited (multiple times). it's giving creep. if you want nothing, watch another channel entirely, because this is just beyond-nothing-boring. tehe!

best,

the niel.

Read More

i'd drive off a bridge too

it is i, the niel.

uhm...it was actually really good, but it honestly took me a long time to finish. it felt more like an actual show than a bl, which made it difficult to binge watch in the same way you can with a lot of (plot-lacking) bls. the acting is the real stand-out of the show. some of the best acting i've encountered. also, in a pleasant turn of events, there were female characters that were a real, substantive, and complex part of the story (thank you). it's a rarity to have likable female characters that are essential and relevant to the plot. because the acting was so good, the villainous characters oftentimes irritated me so much that i had to take a break. i'm still pissed off by that one evil guy's face (sorry to that actor).

the main couple's relationship was one of the most intimate relationships i've watched in a bl. they were not toxic, which is what i like to see in these shows. the issues and questionable choices were influenced by external factors, and didn't manifest in harmful behavior towards their partner. in fact, there were many points where both characters tried to put their partner first, but not at the expense of their own well-being. genuinely one of the few bl relationships where i could understand why they were together and were obsessed with each other (positive).

this was one of the few bls that was intentional about their music, which did not feel suffocating. it was tonally correct, and it added to the atmosphere of scenes. the sets were gorgeous, the lighting was beautiful (heavenly), the shots were well-done, and the costumes seemed period-accurate and looked great.

when the ending of the show was approaching, i wondered how they were going to 'resolve' everything. the answer is: they kind of didn't. i had a lot of new, unanswered questions after the show ended. even though it's been so long, i hope that they do a season 2 (they said they were going to). as much as the ending was confusing, it did fit with the logic of the universe and the larger tone of their story and relationship. i'm not mad at it.

because the show is quite long and dense, the rewatch value would have to be slightly lower for me. i could still see myself revisiting it after a longer rest period (maybe). (๑ᵔ⤙ᵔ๑)!

best,

the niel.

Read More

deranged!!!

it is i, the niel.

i don't really know where to start, but i was gripped the entire time. one of the most convoluted bls i've ever watched, but the plot was plotting. i was more invested in the plot than the romance, given how much focus was directed towards storylines and characters outside of the main couple's direct romance. the plot drove the romance, rather than the romance driving the plot (rare in bls).

every character was given the right amount of screen time and development. the pacing of the show very good. there were no moments where i thought to myself "let's wrap it up and move on". i didn't feel exhausted by the intensity of the plot, even though there were times when i felt worried for the characters' outcomes. it was a little messy in the final 2 episodes, but sure. amazeballs.

the music was crazy, but so was the entire show...so it fit perfectly. the overall audio was better than most thai bls. the writer of this show threw so much at us, but somehow, everything worked. the glow of jinta, perfect. the sad violin music, incredible. the 50,000 characters introduced all throughout the show...i knew personally by the end. the characters' personal headshots used in the transition slides, sublime. it granted!

best,

the niel.

Read More

pleasantly simple

it is i, the niel.

i'm writing this review after my second time watching this show. overall, i really enjoyed watching this series and thought the cinematography was beautiful. i think while watching, you need to keep in mind that the conflict/themes shouldn't be thought too deeply about. just follow the story and enjoy the characters' dynamics. the actors had great chemistry, and everyone involved was super talented!

but...i'm here to share more than just that. i think a lot of viewers can find relatability in these characters, but at times, i wanted both of the main characters to go about their decisions differently. i really disliked how a huge part of the plot revolves around white lies. this particularly annoyed me about daun's character, because he was very likable and charismatic otherwise. this particular conflict does seem rushed, which is why i think the length of the drama is more comparable to a movie. on the other hand, siwon oftentimes confused me.

in bls, i largely think that stories push for relationships that would seem to "fix" all of these characters' issues as individuals without really acknowledging the problems once they get together. in some ways, i like the comfort and found daun's acceptance of siwon to be natural and fulfilling, but i almost think that siwon is the type of character that needed to focus on himself so that he could truly love himself. at times, i just felt sad for siwon because of how desperately he wanted to be liked by everyone. in these shows, i just always wish characters could find fulfillment within themselves in addition to their partners.

i did really like how "mundane" a lot of the issues were. the dynamic both siwon and daun had with their parents was both straightforward yet complex. the show highlighted their lives at home in a way that clearly showed their differences, yet how similar their struggles were. the development of their romance was very subtle, which is what i enjoy! the music was pleasant, and the acting was nice. would i rewatch this? yes! i had honestly come back to it again because i was thinking about it months afterwards, even though it hasn't been the most incredible thing i've watched. it's very comforting and easy. boom!

best,

the niel.

Read More

one's short, one's goofy

it is i, the niel.

the actors did a good enough job with the material present. really hard to say if they're actually any good because the script was not substantial. the short one is kind of grumpy, but he's a good cook, which is fine. his best friend is another college student his age, but i think it might be his mother in costume with the way he acts towards the short one. they have another friend who is always watching gaming livestreams? i dunno, ipad kid. with the cop, they were trying to give "golden retriever bf", but it was giving "how do you do your job?" because he was only good for minor misdemeanors. very little conflict in the show. it's as pleasant as it can be with no real script, no real plot, and no real chemistry.

i watched the whole thing, it was nothing. i've already forgotten it. it filled the time. pip pip!

best,

the niel.

Read More

well, that was a lot

it is i, the niel.

i honestly feel so overwhelmed after watching that. compared to the first season, there was so much more depth and complexity with these characters, which at times felt heavy. in terms of production, you can clearly tell that there was time devoted to this series. it was essentially double the length of the first season. if you're looking for something easy and light, this is not the show for you.

at points, the background information being told to the audience almost felt like too much for us to handle. i did enjoy the fact that we were able to explore why these characters are the way that they are and backstory about the majority of them, including a lot of time devoted to the supporting cast. that especially made it feel like i was watching a regular kdrama, not just a bl. after watching the first season, i could already tell that these characters were well-written. the way that they expanded on them was very helpful. by the end, i came to like almost all of them, because i was able to empathize with and understand them. that's when you truly know that the writers did a good job. though, the multiple conflicts and side plots made me feel slightly drained at times.

the story itself was a lot to keep up with. each episode was a painful watch, and i became increasingly frustrated with both of the leads at times. it felt as if they were so desperate to communicate with each other, but simply started amplifying disagreements and pushing each other away. the ending does address this, but only slightly. look, i get both jiwoo and seojoon's perspectives, but sometimes it dragged on and on. i'm sorry, but both of these leads needed to make up their minds. seojoon would say one thing, then do the complete opposite. also, jiwoo shutting seojoon out for essentially the entirety of the show and suddenly all is well at the end? would you really want to be treated like that by a long-term partner? breakups are messy, yes. but to me, jiwoo most likely needed to grow on his own, because their relationship felt codependent/unhealthy based on the behavior when they weren't together.

would i rewatch this? i put this as a high rewatch value because for me, this would make sense for someone who wants the angst and pain of a drama, rather than an oftentimes entirely romanticized series. don't get me wrong, obviously this is a romanticized relationship (lol). however, the issues that they explored were way more realistic, but had more depth than what i often see in this genre. at times, i wanted seojoon to simply live his life without feeling the need to chase after jiwoo. to me, the clear boundaries/wall jiwoo put up would've been a hard no. this is something i have always felt conflicted on, though. i think that characters like jiwoo oftentimes need a push outside of their comfort zone by some external factor, with respect to their boundaries. i'm not implying that seojoon did anything morally wrong/criminalizing. i just wish they were able to thrive separately, and seojoon didn't feel the need to go the extra length after being shot down dozens of times. on the other hand, this would be appealing to a lot of watchers, but i genuinely thought that he needed to have some self-respect at times.

after reading that, you're probably wondering why i still put the rating so high. i honestly believe that this was a solid show. me disagreeing with how characters made their decisions or other elements does not detract from the fact that the writers had a clear idea in mind, the actors, again, delivered their lines well, and it was overall an enjoyable watch. the chemistry between the leads is solid, and even though they frustrated me, i still liked their personalities as individuals. they were likable people, when they weren't being dramatic about their relationship.

the fact that i felt frustrated in this case indicated to me that something was being done right. there was an overwhelming number of conflicts, yes. were they all resolved? for the most part. the music was pretty nice. there was a plot, but i felt like the story wasn't entirely there at times. i think this could have benefited if there were a third season, which sounds ridiculous, but with the way that they introduced so many new characters and different sub-plots, you'd probably agree. toodles!

best,

the niel.

Read More

pardon???????

it is i, the niel.

wow, that was weird. i could tell that there would have been a lot that they could've accomplished if the episodes were longer and the writing was better. the concept of this story is cool, and it definitely alludes to mental health at some points while also mentioning certain neurological conditions towards the end. the universe itself is a bit confusing as far as logic goes.

to me, these characters weren't likable, at least on-screen. i had a hard time coming to understand a lot of their motivations until the very end of the show, where they just unloaded information onto the audience and expected us to take it from there. i don't know why they waited until the end to explain why on earth yoohan would have that much knowledge about colors and the colors' individual histories when he seemingly didn't do anything(?) outside of interacting with yeonwoo. him being an idol trainee was so random and that was barely explored. they do briefly nudge us in the dialogue how the entire show is centered around yeonwoo as a mono, but they totally could've given us different perspectives instead of random pieces of information about yoohan. how did he know where yeonwoo lived? how did he even find out where yeonwoo was staying at the hospital? any additional info on yeonwoo's mom? why did we only find out about yoohan's family in the last episode? why was literally everything okay at the end within 3 minutes?

as for some production details...overall, it was fine. the audio wasn't bad. imo the ost was played way too often. it made the show feel too cheesy, and i found myself cringing every time a typical drama/bl cliché happened. seriously, those moments could've been nice, but it was just too much. they had a decent variety of filming locations, and the sets were nice. as with any drama set in a high school involving uniforms, the styling was giving the bare minimum. they kept the cast of characters simple enough, and they all had distinct personalities. however, why was the aunt completely okay with yeonwoo after he returned?

this leads into my overarching thoughts on mental health. if you don't want to read into it too deeply and take it for what it is, that's fine. but also, i could tell that they were trying to add in elements of mental health issues/social commentary with how monos/probes were represented. the whole dependency on probes for finding joy/meaning in everyday life and obsessing over the fear of them leaving kind of reminded me of certain personality disorders that are oftentimes villainized in media, such as BPD. what annoyed me about this was that they didn't really try to explore this aspect of yeonwoo's character, aside from acting as if this was just a normal occurrence. after both yeonwoo and yoohan returned, they glossed over those details even though in every episode, we were literally fed constant information about yeonwoo's fears/obsessions. even if it wasn't their intention to represent mental health, it hit me too late into the show to actually comprehend the beginning properly.

overall, i just feel frustrated and unsatisfied after watching this. literally what????? i would've probably preferred reading the web novel. the acting was a bit stiff and the main couple's interactions with each other made me cringe. i get it, this is set in high school, so there isn't a lot of room for growing outside of that small bubble. however, the concept of this story could've made for an interesting show! instead, it felt shallow and lackluster. i don't think i'd rewatch this. would i recommend watching it in the first place? my gut says sure, but honestly no. maybe if you watched this when it was released, it would've been more spectacular to you. but now that there are significantly better bls out in the world, this gives nothing. it's short, though, so that's a plus. ciao!

best,

the niel.

Read More

bro what

it is i, the niel.

this was a quick and easy watch that you can finish in one sitting. the story and the characters aren't complex whatsoever, so if you're looking for something to think deeply about, this is not the series. the actors did a decent job with what they were given, though i found eunho's character to be a little *too* goofy/useless at times and the overall dialogue was sort of nothing.

i understand why heon was into eunho, but i don't really get how the connection developed in such a short period of time. that being said, i don't think there was much of a connection between them at all, frankly. it was just simple, going-with-the-flow type of feelings that brought them together. the characters didn't have depth to them. there wasn't much conflict, aside from the general time-traveling issue. also, the lady who kept appearing at points was so vague; i'm surprised eunho had any clue about what to do. this show would've excelled if the episodes were longer and they had more dialogue/budget to work with. i liked the idea they were heading for, but it fell short.

the music was generally pretty good. the audio felt off at times, but it wasn't unbearable. again, i can't really say too much about certain technical aspects because it's such a short watch and is overall fine. the scenery was gorgeous, but it was lacking in the sense that there were a lot of plot points that would lead them away from where they were staying, but they never really left that one set throughout the majority of the show.

i felt sorry for geum, especially at the end. i appreciated how dedicated he was, but they didn't really pay any mind to his character as a whole. additionally, the ending was nice(?) but it didn't make sense. if they had more time to add details into the story, i wish heon would've been able to interact with elements of his life more than he had. the resolution was odd, and we didn't really get to see what happened when they indicated time had passed.

would i rewatch this? probably not. if you're bored and looking for something quick, go ahead. a 5 feels generous, but i think that's how most people would feel after watching it, lol. i'll probably forget this show in a few days, though i still have so many questions while typing this. whoops!

best,

the niel.

Read More

ehh?!?!?!!!

it is i, the niel.

the music was fantastic. it was so weird and didn't really fit in any scene. i don't care what anyone says, it was perfect. the story? nonexistent. the characters? barely any dialogue. there was no build-up to anything, but an attempt was made. this sort of storyline would've clearly worked better if it wasn't in a miniseries that literally had 30 minutes of total runtime.

in most stories, you get exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and then a resolution or conclusion. this show practically had none of that. somehow, still more compelling than 2gether (see my review). there's nothing i can even say about this show because there's not really a story, but it's a perfect late-night watch when you're borderline delirious and can consume any media. will be rewatching this again.

i don't know. 10/10. deserves a 1, but it's perfect.

chef's kiss!

best,

the niel.

Read More

the presence of a green rolex?

it is i, the niel.

the story was giving kiddie pool it was so shallow. definitely a premise i don't oftentimes see in shows because it's so face-value that you can tell it was clearly a nothing webtoon adaptation. there were like 4 characters, none of which we really cared about. the love interest was particularly annoying in his pushy pursuit. borderline harassment. he kind of calmed down towards the end in the sense that he became nothing of note. watchable if you're bored and want something to fill the time. it's a quick and easy watch and the story isn't hard to grasp because you don't need to read into any deep or complex themes.

sometimes, you just eat a sad pb&j. it's not great, but it's not the worst, and it leaves you less hungry. that's what this show was. sure.

auf wiedersehen!

best,

the niel.

Read More

if you're a p1ece, sure

it is i, the niel.

this review is inherently biased in favor of p1harmony. it was ambitious, but weird and incomplete. fnc dedicated actual money and resources to this, and i think everyone involved gave it their best shot. some of the members of the group delivered better performances than others, though none of them were glaringly bad. the actual actors in it did a good job. i did think that the story was interesting, and i wanted to see where it was going. unfortunately, it has an intentionally wide open ending to leave room for further lore development as the group releases stuff (though, the stuff they've released since hasn't answered any questions i've had since the completion of this film).

it was a very unique and interesting way to debut. i think it was an overall fun watch if you're okay with a non-ending. with that being said, i don't see any reason for anyone who's not already a fan of this group to watch this movie. i don't think it stands alone as a sci-fi film, but it's pretty fun if you like the group.

gawrsh!!!!

best,

the niel.

Read More

evergreen e-evergreen

it is i, the niel.

i originally watched this show as it was airing, so my memory of certain things may not be entirely accurate. this was certainly an attempt on their part. goofy characters and not much build-up, not much pay-off, but we were given some unintentional funny moments that made the show worth finishing. for example, we got jay's "yup, it is the j from san diego" (though they caption it in english as santiago, lol) that i still reference years later. half of the characters are thrown in and don't really contribute to the plot at all, like the two who appear at the company's gym and don't have much dialogue.

the ost was very amusing. you could tell that the whole production was very low-budget but the actors genuinely seemed into their roles. eden kind of had useless vibes at certain points, and i was left wondering if he would actually grow a pair and speak up for himself. the story as a whole wasn't entirely cohesive, nor was it a smooth watch. you could tell that this was one of those bl shows that was based on a webtoon and they left more up for the audience's interpretation than they should have. as other reviewers have said, everything felt rushed. it genuinely felt as if they didn't have enough time to make the dialogue or the storyline work, or the kpop group didn't have a proper schedule to devote time to getting into the roles.

compared to other bls with real kpop members in the same group, it was interesting to think about the aftermath of their personal relationships as coworkers. i say this because there wasn't much physicality happening in this show, but there was just enough to leave you kind of wondering how these guys can make eye contact with one another in their normal lives. lol.

would i recommend this show? not necessarily. but also...kind of? watch it with a friend so you can have inside jokes with them. if you want something short and rushed at the end, go for it. if you want to see the wackiest hair dye job (slay) you've ever seen on a side character, this bl has it. hope to see the actors in more roles in the future. would i rewatch it? probably not.

gotta commend onlyoneof for sticking to their group concept of "almost gay"!!

best,

the niel.

Read More