I don't understand the guest celebrities are saying Hyun Joong could have done this, said this, etc. I say the same thing goes for Si Yeon. They say maybe all she may need is a few words from Hyun Joong but leading up to the lunch, it was not a very reassuring atmosphere. She kept framing his behaviour as odd and weird. If I were Hyun Joong, I would think she was distancing herself. I don't see Hyung Joong as someone good at communicating either knowing his family background, especially with the death in the family, and how he navigated life as his mother recounted.
So the revelation at lunch about Hyun Joong's family was unexpected and Siyeon was struggling to process it. Imagine the man who lives with the fact who can't even breakdown in tears. Then she attends a party and ends up having a difficult time dealing with the rollercoaster ride she put herself on and was unable to sleep, more or less, until the next day. Why not comunicate that she was not ready to party and decide for herself to take a pass? Why not make arrangements to sort it out with Hyun Joong the following day, so that her being sluggish and out of sorts will not lead to further misunderstandings? If she could not make heads and tails of it by the morning, just talk about where her head and heart is at before they met with the counselor.
Neither of them can read each other's mind therefore they need to talk and it's a good time as any to learn to work together. Can we get relationship experts, not some matchmaker or celebrity, to give informed commentaries? How about 2 experts (for insight) for every 2 celebrities/matchmaker (for the ratings/clout) should be a good balance.
I have never read the material from which this series was adapted. However, I would say the casting of Rabin was genius to a fault. He just has chemistry with Ashtine that's really hard to overlook. Boy has that 'IT' which is magnified when he is in the same frame with Ashtine. It is no discredit to Andres, for sure.
I wish for another project where Ash and Rabin headline. If any is already in the works, I'd love to support it.
As for the script, I would not comment on it since I did not read the original material. I would say however, that there are times the dialogue delivery takes me out, and I struggle to stay immersed. Sometimes it's the pacing, volume or inflection by which the lines are being delivered that get me stuck.
Nonetheless, I love the cast so much that I feel invested in supporting Ang Mutya ng Section E. Jayjay is my kind of girl. I hope I see her heal from her past trauma or even have moments where she gets the help she needs. It is a good message to send viewers, and I need my Jayjay healthy.
Can we have more Man 30 with his pair and Man 19 with Woman 13? They all have that positive energy I can't get enough of.
TBH, I don't need to see more of Hyewon's story. It is enough to show her having a tough time. All the issues with her past need not be fodder for views. It is her conquering them that I am more interested in. Seeing her build herself up for a dating experience would be more worthwhile. A rise from the ashes trumps a down-in-the-muck story.
I see trouble brewing for 7 (Jae Yeon) and 18 (Joo Hee), which is unfortunate. Jae Yeon comes across as sincere and straightforward with his feelings, yet despite his unwavering stance, Joo Hee gravitates toward 24 (Sang Gyeong), drawn to his humor. I wish that when she sat with Jae Yeon, I could have seen her apologize profusely—after all, he waited 2 hours for her. Perhaps the editors omitted this moment, which I won’t rule out. However, if her choice to not join him in the couples area wasn’t about formally breaking things off but rather about escaping the Couples area, then what exactly made staying there so burdensome?
After a 2-hour wait, I'd be chomping at someone's fingers, but Jin Ju manages to be so cute and adorable! Feed the woman when she says she's starving. LOL
Jin Ju and Jae Yeon are so cool!
Jae Keun (3) has such a bright and pure energy that I can’t help but root for him—but not with Hye Won (19). She sets off my spidey senses. Maybe she’s been hurt too much, making her overly cautious, but carrying that much emotional baggage can make a lasting marriage difficult, especially if she’s also hesitant or unable to stand up for a truly worthwhile relationship.
This man needs more projects. I enjoyed him in The Trunk and was hoping to watch more of his work. Any new projects? Edit: Now I am confused! Netflix lists him in The Trunk cast at Jo I-Geon. Then in an article Jo Yi Geon. Can his page be adjusted so works be listed under one name please?
Team Beat in a sinkhole to the end. I wanted a better picking round but it was slim pickings once again for Yugyeom and Yijeong. Being lucky and popular is part of an idol's skill and the other teams had their choice of players who had both. I wish the best for the players who succeed till the end. Debuting is the start where everything truly gets real in the K-pop business.
The voting usually leaves me disappointed so I will not hold my breath for a Team Beat win. Set aside the player and coaches popularities, the material Team Beat's starting lineup worked with are easily an audiophile and music lover's playlist pick. Both 'My, My, M'y and 'On & On' sound global, fresh, and now. They need to be released. Their YT view counts are not reflecting how good the songs are. Not sure how well the Latin genre does in SK. There have been few K-pop songs flavored with it but the low recognizability of Latin stars along with their bodies of work lead me to believe it has yet to take root.
I knew for sure with the original songs Team Beat can burn down the house which El Capitxn DID! Excited about these new songs after hearing what each team had to offer. My ears were favoring ON & ON over MY, MY, MY. Performance wise, the individual skills of the remaining 9 put a ceiling as to how far things could be taken.
*Kairi's swagger surprised me the most. He was on fire in On & On. *I love Woongki since TOO in Road to Kingdom. I love seeing him as a main character in Team Beat.
The other teams gave their best to represent the song they were given. So episode 7 was a good watch on the whole.
I was laughing-crying when watching some episodes because sometimes you can really see when the “interview”…
I watch on iQIYI and in ep8 they have edited in a clip at 12:53 timestamp of Doha walking the dorm hallways. It was captioned "[DOHA looks quite healthy in the dorms]".
Then there is a frustrated Zai speaking to staff and you can hear the staff laughing when they told a frustrated Zai "Everyday sick!" Atp it seems that Doha has missed a couple of days of practice with the SMOOTHIE team not knowing what was going on with their Polaris. They were never told apparently that Doha fell quite ill in Mission 2 and has been taking a lot of medications.
Doha openly shared his condition with his How You Like That members who spoke Korean. Unfortunately this was neither communicated to the SMOOTHIE team by Doha nor the staff. It may be a comfort or language issue since this team spoke Chinese, Thai, and English.
Bottomline is that a little explanation from the staff at the first day of absence could have immensely helped Doha and the situation.
With the current developments, I am considering dropping this show. I cannot speak on racism or mistreatment but I have observations.
The pressure on Sun Ying Hao to give up his position in the mission. The proliferation of injuries. Ji jun, Ying Hao, Xing Xing, and adding Guanyou (see reference in a comment below). The staff for days not advising Doha's team of his ailment and leave his teammates wonder why he wasn't coming to practice then evil edit him walking the dorms with sucker in his mouth. The camera work highlights the performance with Korean trainees more. The highly controversial ep2. The absence of even 1 foreign or Chinese judge. The Korean judges in ep1 referring to Korean trainees as "our pride" make it seem like the foreign contestants are being othered even though this is supposed to be a Korean-Chinese talent search. This International vs Korean moments should have been cut out since it does not serve the premise of Starlight Boys.
As a "GUIDER" I would think providing direction, discovering talent, fostering dreams, and nurturing both sound mind and body for the duration of the show would be where the judges' sense of accomplishment would lie. I would love to see more of those where participants are receiving actual lessons. I mean sure epic performances are a must since this is a show after all, but not to the extent of hurting what would be bread and butter to these trainees which are talent and overall health.
The live audience for a Korean survival show is so predictable whichever one you are watching; no matter if there are 101 or 49 trainees. I usually lean towards a different direction compared to the audience who seem to be readily swayed by how a trainee looks or the many formula/cringey moves the trainees fall back on for votes. There's just so many abs shots, hearts and winks I can take in an episode.
These candidates mostly have above average aesthetics that I get to focus more on how well they fare with the missions. It just is disheartening when a sincere performance borne from hard work is not rewarded handsomely. Or talent falls back behind looks for a Polaris position.
The episode where Guider Eric played with the boys is what I keep rewatching. If there was more of those I bet us fans would not be getting enough of such episodes. The moments where trainees are getting actual help are the highlights for me. These moments should not be treated like fillers. They are the actual gold mine.
I've been wondering if I am missing something that the studio audience is seeing in EP 4. The camerawork was more dynamic for the starting than the bench team. The fan service moves I can really do without. I find it misplaced and quite off putting. I just wish there was more sincerity when given a chance to perform on the stage since such opportunities are hard to come by. But I know it is going to be a South Korea group who most likely will be doing the SK circuit. Thus I wish all participants the best.
Been enjoying this drama and went in here to see what is going on with the episodes since it has been stuck on 4. Just have to say was surprised about the negative reviews.
There is sexual content thus the R18 rating. I do suggest to honestly evaluate if sexual acts and nudity is a major concern for you. If yes, this may not be a show you could tolerate. Is there a lot of such imagery, in my opinion, not really. You can skip and still follow the story. Are these integral to the development of the story? So far, I would say no. However I do see the reason why such scenes were included. I still maintain they were not necessary.
Is it porn? Objectively speaking, no. If you talk about porn, it has 2 components: first the depiction of a sexual activity; and, second the objective is to elicit arousal. It is my belief the scenes were not put in to serve this end.
Was it badly lit as many have asserted here. Yes, lighting could be better. I sense it was for dramatic purposes but the treatment leaned into it too much.
Bottomline, the show has promise. The female lead Jeon Jong Seo I worry a little bit since her facial expressions have a tendency to fall flat not just in this role but in her previous roles. There are enough hints as to how she became the way she is. I am hoping she delivers more in the succeeding episodes.
The rating also is for the violent content this series has. From what I have seen so far, it has not stretched as far as Game of Thrones, Vikings. or The Girl in the Spider's Web. Shows I have trouble sitting through some scenes. Watch at your comfort level, I always say. It is there for consumption but not necessarily for everyone.
This season I am amazed at how the young ones Seungjin and Hwi have expressed and conducted themselves. Just goes to show age does not matter in love nor is it any indicator of wisdom, maturity nor ability to communicate. There is so much to unpack this season for sure.
This will be a third round of watching for me. Now I am planning to give it a review, I am rewatching. I remember this being bittersweet for me. Let us see how things go this time around. Looking forward to everything. Here we go!
If N°3 PICTURES wants to air before paying for all talents and workers, then they should have been upfront this was their intent. All they need to say is, "We are proposing you to work your tushies off and put up the initial costs of all that we need to get this project to the finish line plus foot the cost of money the time in between filming and postprod wraps until it airs and show profit. But do not worry, we will pay you when the money is in the bag. For sure! You can trust me on that. We could even execute a contract to make everything legit and make you feel assured, if that's what it takes." See? How hard could it be to say that. Do they think they will have many people working tirelessly at ungodly hours, leaving family and other commitments behind to work gratis?
So the revelation at lunch about Hyun Joong's family was unexpected and Siyeon was struggling to process it. Imagine the man who lives with the fact who can't even breakdown in tears. Then she attends a party and ends up having a difficult time dealing with the rollercoaster ride she put herself on and was unable to sleep, more or less, until the next day. Why not comunicate that she was not ready to party and decide for herself to take a pass? Why not make arrangements to sort it out with Hyun Joong the following day, so that her being sluggish and out of sorts will not lead to further misunderstandings? If she could not make heads and tails of it by the morning, just talk about where her head and heart is at before they met with the counselor.
Neither of them can read each other's mind therefore they need to talk and it's a good time as any to learn to work together. Can we get relationship experts, not some matchmaker or celebrity, to give informed commentaries? How about 2 experts (for insight) for every 2 celebrities/matchmaker (for the ratings/clout) should be a good balance.
I wish for another project where Ash and Rabin headline. If any is already in the works, I'd love to support it.
As for the script, I would not comment on it since I did not read the original material. I would say however, that there are times the dialogue delivery takes me out, and I struggle to stay immersed. Sometimes it's the pacing, volume or inflection by which the lines are being delivered that get me stuck.
Nonetheless, I love the cast so much that I feel invested in supporting Ang Mutya ng Section E. Jayjay is my kind of girl. I hope I see her heal from her past trauma or even have moments where she gets the help she needs. It is a good message to send viewers, and I need my Jayjay healthy.
TBH, I don't need to see more of Hyewon's story. It is enough to show her having a tough time. All the issues with her past need not be fodder for views. It is her conquering them that I am more interested in. Seeing her build herself up for a dating experience would be more worthwhile. A rise from the ashes trumps a down-in-the-muck story.
After a 2-hour wait, I'd be chomping at someone's fingers, but Jin Ju manages to be so cute and adorable! Feed the woman when she says she's starving. LOL
Jin Ju and Jae Yeon are so cool!
Jae Keun (3) has such a bright and pure energy that I can’t help but root for him—but not with Hye Won (19). She sets off my spidey senses. Maybe she’s been hurt too much, making her overly cautious, but carrying that much emotional baggage can make a lasting marriage difficult, especially if she’s also hesitant or unable to stand up for a truly worthwhile relationship.
*Kairi's swagger surprised me the most. He was on fire in On & On.
*I love Woongki since TOO in Road to Kingdom. I love seeing him as a main character in Team Beat.
The other teams gave their best to represent the song they were given. So episode 7 was a good watch on the whole.
Then there is a frustrated Zai speaking to staff and you can hear the staff laughing when they told a frustrated Zai "Everyday sick!" Atp it seems that Doha has missed a couple of days of practice with the SMOOTHIE team not knowing what was going on with their Polaris. They were never told apparently that Doha fell quite ill in Mission 2 and has been taking a lot of medications.
Doha openly shared his condition with his How You Like That members who spoke Korean. Unfortunately this was neither communicated to the SMOOTHIE team by Doha nor the staff. It may be a comfort or language issue since this team spoke Chinese, Thai, and English.
Bottomline is that a little explanation from the staff at the first day of absence could have immensely helped Doha and the situation.
The pressure on Sun Ying Hao to give up his position in the mission.
The proliferation of injuries. Ji jun, Ying Hao, Xing Xing, and adding Guanyou (see reference in a comment below).
The staff for days not advising Doha's team of his ailment and leave his teammates wonder why he wasn't coming to practice then evil edit him walking the dorms with sucker in his mouth.
The camera work highlights the performance with Korean trainees more.
The highly controversial ep2.
The absence of even 1 foreign or Chinese judge.
The Korean judges in ep1 referring to Korean trainees as "our pride" make it seem like the foreign contestants are being othered even though this is supposed to be a Korean-Chinese talent search. This International vs Korean moments should have been cut out since it does not serve the premise of Starlight Boys.
As a "GUIDER" I would think providing direction, discovering talent, fostering dreams, and nurturing both sound mind and body for the duration of the show would be where the judges' sense of accomplishment would lie. I would love to see more of those where participants are receiving actual lessons. I mean sure epic performances are a must since this is a show after all, but not to the extent of hurting what would be bread and butter to these trainees which are talent and overall health.
The live audience for a Korean survival show is so predictable whichever one you are watching; no matter if there are 101 or 49 trainees. I usually lean towards a different direction compared to the audience who seem to be readily swayed by how a trainee looks or the many formula/cringey moves the trainees fall back on for votes. There's just so many abs shots, hearts and winks I can take in an episode.
These candidates mostly have above average aesthetics that I get to focus more on how well they fare with the missions. It just is disheartening when a sincere performance borne from hard work is not rewarded handsomely. Or talent falls back behind looks for a Polaris position.
The episode where Guider Eric played with the boys is what I keep rewatching. If there was more of those I bet us fans would not be getting enough of such episodes. The moments where trainees are getting actual help are the highlights for me. These moments should not be treated like fillers. They are the actual gold mine.
There is sexual content thus the R18 rating. I do suggest to honestly evaluate if sexual acts and nudity is a major concern for you. If yes, this may not be a show you could tolerate. Is there a lot of such imagery, in my opinion, not really. You can skip and still follow the story. Are these integral to the development of the story? So far, I would say no. However I do see the reason why such scenes were included. I still maintain they were not necessary.
Is it porn? Objectively speaking, no. If you talk about porn, it has 2 components: first the depiction of a sexual activity; and, second the objective is to elicit arousal. It is my belief the scenes were not put in to serve this end.
Was it badly lit as many have asserted here. Yes, lighting could be better. I sense it was for dramatic purposes but the treatment leaned into it too much.
Bottomline, the show has promise. The female lead Jeon Jong Seo I worry a little bit since her facial expressions have a tendency to fall flat not just in this role but in her previous roles. There are enough hints as to how she became the way she is. I am hoping she delivers more in the succeeding episodes.
Also, there's a post clarifying the rating further which is worth a read. https://kisskh.at/discussions/the-queen-woo/129651-clarification-of-how-r-rated-shows-work-with-tv-ott?pid=3123201&page=1#p3123201
The rating also is for the violent content this series has. From what I have seen so far, it has not stretched as far as Game of Thrones, Vikings. or The Girl in the Spider's Web. Shows I have trouble sitting through some scenes. Watch at your comfort level, I always say. It is there for consumption but not necessarily for everyone.