3
5
Better than I was expecting
There are a few negatives that I'll cover first, in what was otherwise a strong series.
I don't think Park was the right actor for this role. He's made to be a campy villain - in the last episode "real" Apo had 10 times the weight that "fake" Apo had.
I don't like it when ukes are infanilized and feminized. If a male character is going to be feminized, then he needs to OWN it. Why did they dress him in middle-aged woman's clothing? He looked like a society matron. His character was so weak and lacking in agency that the only time he takes decisive action he accomplishes absolitely nothing except getting run over by a car and meeting a much more interesting version of himself, which was proof Park has it in him if the role is right.
The villain of the story was so obvious from the first time the character appeared onscreen, but I forgive this for how much I enjoyed the performance - I really want to see the actor playing a full-on evil character.
Big surprised me in this. I've always been obsessed with him physically, but his acting in this was really strong, managing an actual character arc and a very wide range. Also, he was shirtless so often in this that even I was satfisfied. That man has an absolutely beautiful body.
But let's talk about the secondary couple - who stole the show more than secondary couples usually do. That was a strong premiere for Pan - but Jeng absoutely has leading man energy and should be in way more series. He was mesmerizing as the misunderstood villain in Friend Forever, and he was a standout in this series.
I thought the writing was very solid and character-based. It wasn't full of silly coincidences and misunderstandings - people acted like people act, and the story was coherent, with attention to action and reaction rather than using weak plot devices to push the "plot" forward. Even the supernatural powers in this were used consistently, and while they certainly factored into the story, they weren't abused, and they didn't suddenly disappear when it was convenient.
I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this series - the acting was all-around strong, the writing is good, and there's plenty of eye-candy and for once, a BL doesn't shy away from the physical aspects of love - but also handles it tastefully and with restraint.
I don't think Park was the right actor for this role. He's made to be a campy villain - in the last episode "real" Apo had 10 times the weight that "fake" Apo had.
I don't like it when ukes are infanilized and feminized. If a male character is going to be feminized, then he needs to OWN it. Why did they dress him in middle-aged woman's clothing? He looked like a society matron. His character was so weak and lacking in agency that the only time he takes decisive action he accomplishes absolitely nothing except getting run over by a car and meeting a much more interesting version of himself, which was proof Park has it in him if the role is right.
The villain of the story was so obvious from the first time the character appeared onscreen, but I forgive this for how much I enjoyed the performance - I really want to see the actor playing a full-on evil character.
Big surprised me in this. I've always been obsessed with him physically, but his acting in this was really strong, managing an actual character arc and a very wide range. Also, he was shirtless so often in this that even I was satfisfied. That man has an absolutely beautiful body.
But let's talk about the secondary couple - who stole the show more than secondary couples usually do. That was a strong premiere for Pan - but Jeng absoutely has leading man energy and should be in way more series. He was mesmerizing as the misunderstood villain in Friend Forever, and he was a standout in this series.
I thought the writing was very solid and character-based. It wasn't full of silly coincidences and misunderstandings - people acted like people act, and the story was coherent, with attention to action and reaction rather than using weak plot devices to push the "plot" forward. Even the supernatural powers in this were used consistently, and while they certainly factored into the story, they weren't abused, and they didn't suddenly disappear when it was convenient.
I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this series - the acting was all-around strong, the writing is good, and there's plenty of eye-candy and for once, a BL doesn't shy away from the physical aspects of love - but also handles it tastefully and with restraint.
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