puwupy

The proof that excellent acting can make a series shine

I didn't have much expectations for this series, to be honest. I saw the excellent reviews, sure, but I'm used to other series being greatly praised by the fans for the simple fact of being BL, so I started watching without much biases.
I was expecting the series to revolve more about gaming and gamers, given the title, but other than that the plot was pretty good. They managed to combine the elements of online courting with real-life issues too. The characters were explained without forced elements and without getting unnatural dialogues, which made the series much easier and more pleasant to watch. The only thing that was annoying in the plot was the presence of love triangles, which I really can't stand in general, but I can say it's more of a personal preference than an actual flaw in the story.
Above everything, though, the acting was amazing. Both the lines and the expressions of the actors felt vivid and real, to the point that sometimes their gazes got too intense and I felt like they were looking straight at me. Any kind of scene, from the funny ones, to the flirty ones, to the sad and angsty ones didn't look much different from events that could happen in real life.
In conclusion, it's a recommended from me. It might not be one of those series with over-the-top plotlines, but it has the kind of fascinating charm that makes a story stay in your memories for a very long time.

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Comforting and cute

This will be added to my list of my personal comfort dramas. It's unexpectedly cute and fluffy, the two leads are absolutely adorable and it's wonderful to see in a setting like the quarantine for the global pandemic.
It's been a while since I felt 0% frustration while watching, too. I'm used to rom-coms having at least one or two events that make the characters get into unnecessary conflict for the sake of drama, so it was very refreshing and satisfying to not find any of that here.
The acting was excellent too, both from the leads and from the side characters. I got so immersed in the story I didn't realize I was finishing the whole thing in one go.
The portrayal of the safety measures against COVID-19 were very accurate and clear too, so I'd say it's also a good reminder for those who are practicing social distancing. The harsh situation isn't watered down either, and the portrayal of the fear and anxiety of the characters was perfect.
I highly recommend watching this!

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A cute rom-com with important themes!

I saw this drama being recommended as "a drama with a plus-sized FL who isn't wearing a body suit and who doesn't lose weight at any point of the story". I can confirm that it fits this description, and I'm so happy it was produced! I really hope to see more stories like this one in the future.

- The main character is just SO lovable. She immediately caught my heart with her enthusiasm and overflowing positivity! For the entire story I wanted to root for her and found myself wishing I had a crumb of her optimism. On top of this, she is also a more complex character than it looks on the surface, and she has actual flaws rather than being 100% perfect, which made the story feel more complete.
- All the roles felt distinct and important in their own way: beside a few on/off appearances, I never felt like any of the secondary characters were irrelevant. The dynamics between different characters also felt fresh and interesting.
- The over-the-top moments here and there were very fitting, actually! They made each episode more entertaining.
- The secondary female characters had varied roles and weren't used as mere tools for jealousy/rivalry arcs. There's a lot of positive feminine energy in this story and I loved it.
- The story tackles multiple themes like self love, self image, and mental health. I never felt like any of these were taken lightly: they were able to talk about them with a good balance, never turning any of the episodes into a lecture and never feeling like they were thrown in "just because".

I wanted to keep this review vague because it's just 8 episodes of about 25 minutes each and I don't want to spoil too much to anyone interested in watching. All I want to say is that, as soon as I finished it, I immediately forced my mother to watch it with me one more time - it's cute and fun, and made me feel full of energy after each episode. Recommended!

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Me? A hopeless romantic? Maybe so!

When I started watching I wasn't sure I would like this series, because the little I saw here and there about it seemed to hint at destined lovers/reincarnation (which are tropes I usually don't like) and a historical setting (I tend to enjoy much less a story when it's set in the past). I ended up enjoying this series so much that, even a whole week after finishing it (and watching multiple other series) I still can't stop thinking about it.

- The overall production is amazing. The camera angles and the transitions are beautiful and so are the colors: every episode demanded my full attention from the beginning to the end and made my eyes hungry for more. I often felt like every single frame of every episode could be turned into a painting of its own.
- The story was articulated very well. I know that this is an adaptation from a novel, which probably means that there were parts that needed to be removed or made shorter, but I didn't notice at all as I watched. The first episode establishes the characters and the setting beautifully, so much that I couldn't help devouring the rest of the series, all without ever feeling like the pace was too slow or too fast at any moment.
- The performance of all the actors for main and supporting characters were perfect. I was completely immersed in the story and that's mainly because of how natural everyone was in their respective roles. Nonkul and Bright definitely take the crown as the protagonists: their facial expressions, their body language, everything felt so raw and real and beautiful that I was unable to look away whenever they were on screen. Their chemistry was also impeccable, definitely among the best I've seen in any romantic series or film.

My favorite part of the entire series was the romance between Jom and Yai. It gave me the best fuzzy feelings whenever the two interacted, and I felt my heart sting whenever they went through any hardships. I never thought I'd be this moved when hearing two people being so loving to each other.

Unfortunately the story is incomplete and it shows, which is the only reason why I couldn't give this a full 10, but I'd be very happy to see a sequel. In the meantime, this is the first Thai series that encouraged me to read its source material, so I'll make sure to read it.
I highly recommend watching this series when you can!

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I thought I would like it a lot, I ended up liking it even more than that

I saw snippets of this drama here and there on the Internet before I was finally able to watch it, but the little I saw was already pretty intriguing and I was ready to enjoy myself. What I wasn't expecting was me falling in love with it.

There is something very charming about this story, and I believe it revolves around genuine feelings of love mixed with a hint of secrecy. The plot develops quietly and while it doesn't have much in terms of suspensful and thrilling moments, it captured my heart with the character dynamics and the perfect pacing of the events.
The main character, Baram, is open and honest when singing as much as he is secretive about his true feelings in any other moment, and seeing his emotional journey as it develops quietly inside of him was just wonderful. His friendship with Hantae has an unconventional beginning and Hantae himself seems to be his polar opposite: he always seems straightforward with his feelings and his ideas, always ready to take action and go forward. These two protagonists suit each other so well that their chemistry exploded like fireworks from the very beginning to the very end.
I loved the production quality of this drama a lot more than I thought I would as well. Every set and every outfit loos so pretty, not to mention the camera angles.
Special mention to the OST, which was just amazing. It might sound like a given since this drama revolves around music a lot, but the songs really stand out a lot.

This one for me goes hand in hand with Semantic Error in terms of Korean BL dramas that are just perfect in my eyes. I really recommend this drama to whoever would like to see a sweet romance develop slowly but steadily!

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Excellent bromance for an overall very disappointing drama

I started watching because this is one of the danmei drama adaptations I've seen being recommended the most. I was also encouraged by the rating here on the MDL page for the drama.

I can say that I understand why I saw it being recommended it so much. For anyone who is a fan of BL or bromance dramas/series, this is gold: the two main characters are great actors and have excellent chemistry with each other. While it doesn't get as shameless as in other dramas I've watched (namely Word of Honor), this show still makes it very easy for me to read between the lines and consider it a full-fledged love story rather than a bromance. Shen Wei would make it very hard for anyone not to fall for him whenever he lets go of his calm and collected attitude to help Zhao Yunlan in any way possible, and the Guardian himself is unable to act all cool and detached for long before starting to care for Shen Wei deeply.

The problem of this drama is just... everything else. The story felt very chaotic and hard to follow from the get-go to me, to the point that I had to stop myself from dropping the drama altogether after the first two episodes. The events of the story are not very appealing, so even when I had to feel worried for the characters or excited to see what would come next, I wasn't able to feel much. Unfortunately the same goes for the cast other than the two protagonists; even the most important secondary roles didn't feel much relevant nor interesting. Even the main villains of the story felt more annoying than actually charming or threatening in any way.
All of this was made worse by a very fragile worldbuilding, with obscure rules for supernatural and sci-fi elements that often made me ask "why isn't this character using their power on this occasion?", "if that character had been able to do that all along, why didn't they do that sooner?" and similar.
The pacing of the story was also off, with elements of the plot and some characters that would have benefited from having more time to better explain their situations, and moments in the story that were made unbearably slow and detailed for no real reason.
If all of this wasn't enough, a huge flaw of this drama was the production, which felt... cheap, for the lack of a better word. I usually don't mind lower budgets at all and I hardly even point it out when I notice it, but this time around it was just too annoying. The CGI and other digital effects made me feel like I was watching an early 2000's movie, most of the props and the costumes looked too fake for me to suspend my disbelief, and often times even the audio quality was bad and distracted me from the story further.
While the acting of the main characters was very good, I can't say the same for the rest of the cast. The best I can say for them is that it was decent most of the time for some of them, but in many instances I felt like the acting was too exaggerated and dramatic, or just very stiff and unnatural, depending on the actor or the scene.

I chose to give Guardian a 7 out of 10 because, despite struggling toward the end, I was able to watch the entire thing, and I actually enjoyed myself when I was focused on Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan. They're the only reason why I would recommend this drama to anyone: it's a good bromance and the fans of the genre will definitely love it. My only warning is to lower your expectations in terms of plot and setting: if you're looking for a good fantasy/sci-fi drama, you should look elsewhere.

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The beauty of life

It started as a series with a premise I've already seen before: the main character finding out that they are able to go back in time and deciding that they'll change their life for the better. What I didn't expect was for this show to quickly become so charming and beautiful as it went on, with a finale that confirmed it as one of the best Thai series I've watched in my life.

The development of the story starts as quite simple and easy to follow, but it steadily grows and becomes more complex as the episodes go by. I was convinced that this series had the potential to be fun and cute, something that wouldn't captivate me all that much but still enjoyable. I was so wrong! Kawi's efforts to change his future for the better start because of his feelings for Pear, but his actions and words slowly influence more and more people in his life, all with their own struggles that need to be overcome. Just like that, the plot becomes less superficial and seeing its transformation is just marvelous. It might start as a simple series, but it involves many important themes that were explored with the right attention and care, so this might not be the right show if you're looking for something light-hearted!
Similarly to the plot, the characters develop and grow as well, showing more complexities and more nuances to their personalities and their individual lives, as well as the connections they have with each other and with the environment they live in. Kawi and Pisaeng are definitely the two characters that are shown the most in this sense, but also Pear, Mark, and even Not are portrayed as actual people rather than props for the plot and the protagonists. I don't believe there was a single role that could be considered simple and one-dimensional here; all the actors had a lot to work on and they did an amazing job.
I had already seen both Krist and Gawin in other series in the past and I was well aware of their acting skills, but I wasn't expecting them to complement each other so well as a fictional couple. They are a great fit for their respective roles and make a very tender couple with a great dynamic.

If you like series that put a lot of care and attention to the details and the character introspection, this might be for you. It's not really a slice-of-life, but its small universe gave me the same feeling as one, and the message it conveys is one that isn't found often in media. I absolutely recommend giving it a chance!

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A very underrated roller-coaster!

I was a little hesitant about starting this series, because I don't get along too well with historical settings, and I'm also not familiar with Thai History. I was afraid I would not be able to understand this story as well as I wished to, but in the end everything turned out well from that aspect and I was able to enjoy the story without much trouble.

The story mainly revolves around family rivalries and the fight for power in the Song family. Most of the characters fight to either protect Tian from ill-intentioned people, or to steal Tian's money or power for themselves. Tian's sexuality is a dangerous secret that fuels the motives of the people around him, contributing to making the life in the Song household even messier. This is absolutely NOT a light series to watch (I've read somewhere that its specific genre is lakorn), every major action of the characters leads to more problems that need to be solved with other great actions. It was a lively plot that kept me engaged from the beginning to the end, definitely recommended if you like drama! I also liked how the negative feelings and actions of the characters often led to more negativity and problems, while positive feelings and deeds led to better outcomes. The Karmic energy is not always mentioned but it's a recurring element of the story and I really appreciated it.
I also appreciated the fact that, rather than a BL, this is actual gay representation: there are actual problems and struggles of gay people that are shown on the screen and they were all tackled very well.

The characters, for the most part, are very well written and with multiple facets that make them very intriguing. I'm not just talking about the main characters (Tian, Jiu, and Yang specifically), but also the secondary roles, especially the female characters: I've rarely seen so many female characters being so active, with a good characterization and not too stereotyped, especially in a BL, where female characters are usually barely there in the first place. The relationships are also very well explored, especially the family bonds: Tian and Yang's brotherly love is displayed in all its beauty and it was amazing, and the relationship between Tian and his parents was very well explored as well.

In "To Sir With Love", while Tian and his sexuality are the main fuel for everyone's decisions and actions, his moments with Jiu are very few and short. Jiu doesn't even show up before the second episode, and their moments together only last a few minutes until a few episodes in (episodes 6-7 or so, I believe?). Their lack of screen time surprised me since I was expecting them to be on the screen more than anything else, but in the end things worked out fine regardless: they have very good chemistry with each other and they were able to deliver very intense and powerful moments anyway. All I want to add is a little warning for anyone who is looking for passionate kissing scenes or anything like that: I suggest looking somewhere else for that.

My only complaints about this lakorn would be these:
- some of the actors were acting with too much intensity. I don't know how else to describe it: at some points they really felt like caricatures of their own characters, with exaggerated expressions and movements that didn't feel natural in the least.
- sometimes the events and the elements of the plot were changed and flexed based on convenience: characters being there to eavesdrop or spy on others just in time, wounds getting better or magically disappearing depending on what did that character need to do, and certain tasks being completed without enough care and precision. I felt like I could see where the writers wanted the plot to go a little too easily because of this.
- the ending was not very satisfying to me. I felt like some of the conflicts of the story didn't get resolved properly.

I feel like I didn't describe how much I liked this series as well as I wished to, so I really want to stress it: I LOVED IT. I especially recommend it to anyone who likes soap-operas, and even anyone who would like to watch a BL for the first time and isn't looking for something too romance-focused.

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Beautiful and heartwarming

This felt like a reward after watching multiple Korean BL dramas that left me unsatisfied at the end for whatever reason.
The plot flows nicely and it's easy to understand. The characters aren't explored as much as I'd like in terms of personality, but they're explored just enough to make the story work. The chemistry was also wonderful. Last but not least, I was more than happy to finally see a Crown Prince who has more of a sweet and caring personality rather than an insufferable one (like in most period K-dramas I've seen in the past), which deserves a special mention of its own.

If you're looking for intense and elaborate plots this is not for you, but if you'd like to watch something beautiful and full of warm and sweet moments, then this will be worth your time!

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Good ideas at the base, poor execution

After watching the whole series, I feel mostly frustrated about the whole thing.

The idea at the base was interesting enough for me to go and check it out for myself. This is clearly a slow burn, so unlike other people I wasn't annoyed at the pacing of the story at least for the first part, but rather at how it felt like all the actors were being dragged by the plot, rather than them making the plot live. Often times I really felt like I could see the writer pushing this or that character to say something, do something, or react in a certain way, not because it made sense, but rather because they wanted it to happen regardless.

The biggest offenders of this were Pai and Itt, which makes it kind of a big deal since they're the main characters. I was expecting their relationship to develop in something more fond at some point, but it just... didn't happen. Even when they referred to each other as friends, I couldn't stop feeling like I was watching two strangers acting nice to each other for no reason. They made me wish multiple times that Waan, Pure, or Folk were the main characters instead, since I found their acting way better in comparison, and that made their stories more interesting as a consequence. They're also the only reason why I gave this series such a high rating overall.

The first few episodes seemed pretty good to me, and I was immersed in the story up until the second part of the story, when the characters are university students. At that point the events in the story feel like something between pure fluffy fanservice or plot devices that were added to stir up some drama. Again, the lack of chemistry between the two leads didn't help making it any better: I was tempted to just skip their scenes and focus on Waan, Pure, Folk, and Beau instead.

In conclusion: in this drama you can find some sweet BL moments if that's all you're looking for, but I'd suggest you looking somewhere else if you're in search of a satisfying story.

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Best use of three episodes

I'll never get tired of saying this: the TV series that are written so that there are no regrets at the end of the last episode are the best. When I saw that this drama had only three episodes I felt a little worried, because often times the writers seem unable to decide "how full" the episodes need to be; it's always either series that feel empty, or series that are so full of unfinished business by the end that they feel like they were supposed to be much longer.

"I became the main role of a BL drama" feels just right from the beginning to the end. The characters are introduced little by little and nothing is spoonfed to the viewers. They also felt detailed enough to not make me feel like I'm looking at cardboard cutouts (something pretty hard to achieve with so little screentime). The plot is also well-made and interesting, nothing felt like it was dragging for too long and nothing ever felt rushed. Perfect pacing!

Overall this can be finished in less than two and a half hours. It's fun, it's well-made, and it's not demanding in terms of plot. Very good way to spend a free evening!

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Good food for thought

I really like the setting of this short film. It offers the possibility of a future where gender transition is actually supported by the government, but it's always inside the limits of the gender binary - not only on a biological level, but also on a social level.
Yi An is almost 17 years old and will soon get his one-in-a-lifetime chance to choose the gender they will want to be for the rest of their life. As they interact with their best friend Wen Hua and their crush Zhou Yang Kai, their doubts keep increasing.

The events are kept vague, but also detailed enough to let the viewer reflect on what is happening in the film and make their own conclusion, which I liked a lot as I believe it mirrors the uncertainty of Yi An's feelings toward themself, toward the choice they're meant to make, and toward the people around them. I don't want to include spoilers, so I'll only add this: I believe that when the film ended, we got all the information we needed about the characters and their thoughts, and that anything else would have been unnecessary.
The actors all did an amazing job (Hsiang En Hung as Yi An, Audrey Fong as Wen Hua, and Ptero Li as Zhou Yang Kai). Props to Hsiang En Hung in particular for being able to portray Yi An's inner turmoil so beautifully.

I really liked the music used for this short and the camera angles. I also really liked the idea of using both a masculine and a feminine voice for Yi An's thoughts/narration, alternating the two or even using both at the same time.

It's a nice little piece of art. Recommended!

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Unlocks at the end, with some regrets

I am normally picky with stories that involve transmigration in their plot, but I chose to give this one a chance since the premise seemed interesting.
The initial idea is pretty simple: during a chat with a friend, the 29 years old Tae Myung Ha shows empathy toward a minor character in their friend's novel, unsatisfied with how unhappy he is in the end. We are then showed Tae Myung Ha passing out and later waking up as his 19 years old self, in a reality where his favorite minor character of the novel, Cha Yeo Woon, is a student in his same high school. From this point onward, Myung Ha starts seeing mysterious instructions and prompts, just like in a video game, all focusing on one main quest: "Make Cha Yeo Woon happy". The penalty in case he doesn't succeed in the span of 300 days is "death".

Most of the story keeps its focus on Tae Myung Ha doing his best to fulfill the missions he receives, which makes it mostly light and fun to watch. Myung Ha shows such care and empathy toward his "bias" that it was hard for me not to feel endeared at all their interactions. Cha Yeo Woon melts slowly but steadily under this kind of attention, which is oddly rewarding to see.
My interest in the plot and the many events stayed high the entire time, which is why I chose to give this drama a higher rating, but I can't say I was entirely satisfied with the execution. It was easy to dismiss my doubts and many questions at the beginning, as I kept hoping for everything to find its right resolution eventually, but in the end I had to realize that while enjoyable, the story also left me with multiple unanswered questions. Even now I feel like multiple elements of the plot were introduced specifically to cause conflict, even when there was no valid reason for them to occurr. I'm not going to explain in detail what I mean since I don't want to spoil anything, but the final episode in particular has a completely different tone compared to everything else, which really made me wish to see more.

The acting from all the characters, both main and supporting, was perfect. Props to Cha Joo Wan in particular for his performance as Cha Yeo Woon, which granted him access to my list of perfect puppy-like characters. I also really enjoyed Oh Min Su as Chun Sang Won way more than I thought I would in the beginning.
The production is very good. I wasn't expecting much since it's a short series, and I'm used to Korean BL having a smaller budget compared to other dramas, and yet the shots looked amazing from the beginning to the end.

In conclusion, I believe that this drama will be enjoyed a lot by those who are more interested in the romantic side of the plot, rather than the supernatural one. Regardless, I recommend giving it a chance!

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They gave us more, just as I hoped

In this second season there are double the episodes that of the first, so at first I was worried that things would become too monotonous if they kept the same atmosphere the entire time. Luckily that wasn't the case!

I was happy to see that, rather than keeping the same formula without changing things here and there, they chose to expand Nomoto and Kasuga's respective worlds (namely their interactions with other people at work and other personal connections they don't have in common), and their shared meals and encounters also started to include more people and different experiences along the way. The two new secondary characters were a great addition that won me over quickly and helped to keep things fresh and entertaining.
Their relationship didn't exactly need to change, and nobody at any point says that there was any need for it to happen, but it naturally develops and grows into a different shape that is still unmistakably THEM. Once more I found myself laughing, crying, giggling, squealing and kicking my feet for these two.

Just like the first season, this second season also introduces multiple important themes related to feminism, mental health, and LGBTQIA+ identities and rights. Some matters were shown and explored properly, while others were only mentioned briefly without any further explanation about the topic, which I found a little disappointing, but it didn't ruin my enjoyment overall.

This season can be enjoyed on its own without much trouble, but I highly recommend watching the first season for the full experience.

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So simple and yet so memorable

This story mainly revolves around Moo, a boy at his last year of high school who dreams of becoming an idol. Since this dream is making him neglect his studies, however, his mother decides to make him go study in the countryside for his last few months of high school. She also forbids him from following his dream at least until he graduates and gets a place at a university.
In an unfamiliar place, lost and alone, Moo quickly grows attached to Kang, who works at a restaurant near his apartment building and is kind and helpful to him from the start.

I will never get tired of saying this: the content of the story matters, but the way it is told matters way more, and I believe that Only Boo is just another proof of that. The story is simple and it's mainly about Moo's crush for Kang and his continuous efforts to win his heart, all while he still chases his dream of becoming an idol and tries to keep up with his exams. While the details about Moo's new life are little, it's clear that they were crafted properly: I've never felt like anything during the story was useless or out of place. There were parts of the story that I wish were showed more, mainly Kang's passion for art and his trauma, which I've felt were introduced and then resolved too quickly and easily, but the story flows very nicely as it is and I can't say I missed that aspect too much while watching.

Among the cast members, Keen is with no doubt the one who shone the brightest from the beginning to the end. He portrayed a very cheerful and lively Moo and his facial expressions and body language were on point all the time. It was also a relief to notice that he's actually very good at singing and dancing, making him just perfect for the role. Unfortunately I can't bring myself to say the same for Sea: I don't know if it was just because of the character, because Keen looked so alive in comparison, or if it's just how Sea is; what I know is that he looked very stiff to me all the time. I had the impression that their couple worked so well because Keen did most of the work to make it believable on camera, rather than for their efforts combined.
The secondary characters all contributed to the general atmosphere of the series, making it a true delight to watch. Moo's new friends Potae and Payos, Kang's best friend Neth, even the principal created both hilarious and heartwarming moments that contributed to make me devour the show in less than three days. Big props to Aun and Ashi for their chemistry as the secondary couple of the story, although I didn't feel as captivated by them as I was by the main couple.

The OST is very good; it features multiple songs from different GMM artists in the first episodes, and then introduces new songs by Keen that I found very beautiful. Believe it or not, nobody plays the guitar in this series!
The production was very good as well. I really liked the bright colors and the bright environment, which definitely contributed to make the story feel warmer and cuter overall.

I highly recommend watching this. It's not a cinematic masterpiece, but it's so cute and heartwarming that I believe it will stay in my memory for a very long time.

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