Omg, did you watch the same ep I'm watching? She took chuck chuck back because Moira wanted him to starve to death.…
I like this series too but I too thought this episode has some problems. We see different issues however. I saw more issues with the editing and what I would call storyboarding, you know the timeline they set usually before they write the script?
I agree with the other poster: I don't have an issue with the dognapping. It was there for a reason: the writers have established that Chuckchuk is Ace family. Moira wanted to kidnap the dog to hurt Ace back (just like he hurt her). I am not sure if there was a plan, evil characters like Moira act on impulse. The sister had a change of heart. I think this is all part of the Disney allegory we get with this show. The evil characters behave like evil characters in a Disney movie.
The dognapping also served to show us that Ace relies a lot on Sky and that Sky supports Ace. It sort of help character development in that sense. Could they have come up with other ways? Yes! But a dog being kidnapped is so Disney-esque that I don't blame them for it. It was a great idea. Maybe it wasn't executed in the best way but it was not a bad idea IMO.
Unlike you, I enjoyed the improv part. I think some of it was probably scripted and some was not but it had me smiling.
I agree that Aki could be much better. He is good and he is getting better but he sometimes doesn't know what to do with his eyes or smile...
I had a LOT of issues with the birthday party scene. I though the little "emotional" monologue from Sky was weird. Like it was there because the writers wanted yet another Disney moment but it didn't felt natural. They could have had Sky talk about the cake and make a good analogy about the cake and their relationship and join the theme of food with the theme of love, but instead they went for a very cheesy monologue.
The editing in that scene was also bad. They put themeleves in a bad position by having people dancing around. It was obvious when they pasted over and cut something because you can see it in the background. At one point, Ace has his hands around Sky's neck, then the next second they are on his hips. There were also people hanging out outside who looked like they are part of the production crew. The place also did not look like a large venue but just a house. The camera failed to emphasize the cake that Sky had made.
I think what made me mad about that scene was that it was a wasted opportunity.
My issue with the storyboarding is that I think when they set the timeline they should have shot some scenes to make it clear how long it has passed and that the dog had been out for a while. I also think that the previous episode had some issues with that as well. In this episode, the advertisement scene should have come at the very end of the show or somewhere during the first part. I didn't like how confusing it was when they introduced it... I think they could use those scenes to tell backstories of the side characters instead of just pure advertisement. Just in general the pacing of the episode is weird, and I think they need more scenes to tie things up better. It feels like a lot of the scenes are disjointed.
Maybe the next episodes will be better.
For me this episode was not terrible but it wasn't the best.
No. I don't agree. It was bad but it was not BORING as hell. Also, the performance of the main actors is not robotic. So, let's not compare it to Oxygen :)
And yet this is rated 7.4 while the Oxygen has an 8.6. I do not understand. I suspect that younger viewers don't…
Your points about covid are true but I took it as he went out and talked to people and asked around to try to find him and that's how he got it. IDK Maybe he went to a gas station to get gas and got it from someone there... Maybe I just automatically assume certain things.
I personally wouldn't call all of these issues lazy writing but maybe unimaginative writing? The show was very original but it did reuse some tropes that we have seen before, and the dad getting sick and dying was probably one of those.
I don't agree that his family would have not blamed him. I think the resentment would have been there, even if you assume that they are educated enough to understand that COVID is not contracted by simply going outside. I took that whole part of the story as being more about how they resented him for forcing the dad to break quarantine. Remember, in Metro Manila it was different from here in the states, you could not travel at all outside your town or region. We have to assume that the dad when looking for him and had to break the law in order to do so. The family resented Cai for putting the dad in danger, even if all the science and epidemiology pointed out to that not being how he contracted the virus. I just think it was natural for the family to resent it, even if they still loved Cai very much.
I say all of those things are simply "cheap shots" from the writers to create drama, but I am always careful how I judge those cheap shots because different cultures seem to have different tolerance for this. In my experience, Pinoy dramas and Thai lakorns tend to use these cheap shots a lot to create drama and make you emotional. In the case of Thai Lakorns, I personally hate it, but for some reason with Gameboys (and My Extraordinary) it works well. Why? I think it is all about the acting and directing.
You know, this makes me think of He's Coming to Me. Have you seen it? It is my #2 favorite BL of all time after Lovesick, but I really hated the climax. The climactic scene was overtly dramatic, the acting was subpar (except for Ohm and Singto) and the whole thing was like watching a trainwreck in slow motion. For me, even the most cringe-worthy scenes in Gameboys (OK, there is a lot of them LOL) are way more watchable than that.
In conclusion, if I had to rate this show by the individual elements, I would say CASTING gets an A++++. The actors made the difference. Editing gets an A+ (a lot of Thai shows could learn from the fast pacing of this show), Directing gets an A- and Writing gets a B.
make sure you give it a lower rating because this is IMO unfairly rated at 8.6 when it should be an 8 or less.
It is not the same as reviewing it. Just "add" it to your watch list, say you dropped it (if you did! I did!), then do the star rating... Takes 10 seconds.
My friend had the same thoughts while watching the show. She especially hated that grown Solo can’t warm his…
We simply dont see the world with the same eyes.
If I had written this I would not have used milk but coffee or tea. Something that truly can be made differently...
I have decided to drop the show anyway at least until it finishes airing. I did like Kao but this Solo thing just keeps annoying me too much for me to watch.
And yet this is rated 7.4 while the Oxygen has an 8.6. I do not understand. I suspect that younger viewers don't…
I know we are not in the Gameboys board but I am curious to know what specifically bothered you about Cairo's family attitude about COVID??????
I have not properly reviewed Gameboys partly because I think I was too emotionally affected by the show to write an objective review. I know that Gameboys has its flaws, even in the acting side but it is a well written show overall. So I had to think about this inconsistency about Pearl that you have noted.
So I thought about it. Now, I would need to rewatch but this is how I see it: Pearl did not sabotage Cai and Gav relationship. She is loud and obnoxious and has a very "dominant" personality. She was simply joking when she called Gav "honey" (or whatever is that she called him). So I think her behavior was consistent with her character.
There are other things I criticize about Gameboys, most notably Kokoy's constant smiles, the cold-hot tsundere thing we got from Cai at first, the plastic wall kiss (I am one of the few that didn't like it but I understand why they did it), the over-use of Pearl as a way to mend Cai and Gav's relationship (I wish it came from them) and the introduction of characters to only add conflict. In this sense, we agree with one thing: I wish Pearl had been introduced as a friend from the beginning....
So those are just some things I can think about that I didn't like. Still, compared to Thai BL, Gameboys is near perfect ;)
You also have to e careful in that some people just simply dislike something when everyone else likes it. Is like a natural reaction to the hype. One of my friends is exactly like you in that sense. He waited 3-4 months to watch 2gether because it was too hyped (then loved it more or less), and is now refusing to finish Gameboys because it is too hyped. :)
One more thing. I don't know if I mentioned this to you but I liked Gameboys because being from Puerto Rico and being in my 40s, I actually have lived through that same homophobia that you are talking about. It may not exist in CA but it exist in the Midwest in the USA and the deep South and it exist in a lot of parts of the USA. I hope you try to be a bit more understanding of how this plays a key role in the queer experience. I think any narrative that includes at least a reference to such issues is a narrative that is more universally appealing to the queer community. Of course, not all BLs need to have this but it is nice when it is included or at least alluded to...
And yet this is rated 7.4 while the Oxygen has an 8.6. I do not understand. I suspect that younger viewers don't…
Interesting POV. I think that Pearl is on one hand loud and obnoxious but on the other hand she is precisely how SOME (NOT ALL) my female Pinoy friends are. She is very "pinoy". I miss my Pinoy friends, so I like her.
I am saddened to hear you think this about the Gameboys fandom. I am a huge fan of Gameboys but I am not like that. :)
Not them pulling a HIStory: Obsessed in episode 4 lmaoBut seriously though, I’m really impressed with how this…
I am with you. I am liking this thus far. Fiat's characters is interesting and I actually like the dynamic between the two leads. Marc Pahun is not a great actor but he is not terrible. The other guy is a little better but not amazing.
On the positive, JJ is a decent actor and I think that Marc is very easy on the eyes. He is not gorgeous but is sexy and it shows.
1 
I agree with the other poster: I don't have an issue with the dognapping. It was there for a reason: the writers have established that Chuckchuk is Ace family. Moira wanted to kidnap the dog to hurt Ace back (just like he hurt her). I am not sure if there was a plan, evil characters like Moira act on impulse. The sister had a change of heart. I think this is all part of the Disney allegory we get with this show. The evil characters behave like evil characters in a Disney movie.
The dognapping also served to show us that Ace relies a lot on Sky and that Sky supports Ace. It sort of help character development in that sense. Could they have come up with other ways? Yes! But a dog being kidnapped is so Disney-esque that I don't blame them for it. It was a great idea. Maybe it wasn't executed in the best way but it was not a bad idea IMO.
Unlike you, I enjoyed the improv part. I think some of it was probably scripted and some was not but it had me smiling.
I agree that Aki could be much better. He is good and he is getting better but he sometimes doesn't know what to do with his eyes or smile...
I had a LOT of issues with the birthday party scene. I though the little "emotional" monologue from Sky was weird. Like it was there because the writers wanted yet another Disney moment but it didn't felt natural. They could have had Sky talk about the cake and make a good analogy about the cake and their relationship and join the theme of food with the theme of love, but instead they went for a very cheesy monologue.
The editing in that scene was also bad. They put themeleves in a bad position by having people dancing around. It was obvious when they pasted over and cut something because you can see it in the background. At one point, Ace has his hands around Sky's neck, then the next second they are on his hips. There were also people hanging out outside who looked like they are part of the production crew. The place also did not look like a large venue but just a house. The camera failed to emphasize the cake that Sky had made.
I think what made me mad about that scene was that it was a wasted opportunity.
My issue with the storyboarding is that I think when they set the timeline they should have shot some scenes to make it clear how long it has passed and that the dog had been out for a while. I also think that the previous episode had some issues with that as well. In this episode, the advertisement scene should have come at the very end of the show or somewhere during the first part. I didn't like how confusing it was when they introduced it... I think they could use those scenes to tell backstories of the side characters instead of just pure advertisement. Just in general the pacing of the episode is weird, and I think they need more scenes to tie things up better. It feels like a lot of the scenes are disjointed.
Maybe the next episodes will be better.
For me this episode was not terrible but it wasn't the best.
I personally wouldn't call all of these issues lazy writing but maybe unimaginative writing? The show was very original but it did reuse some tropes that we have seen before, and the dad getting sick and dying was probably one of those.
I don't agree that his family would have not blamed him. I think the resentment would have been there, even if you assume that they are educated enough to understand that COVID is not contracted by simply going outside. I took that whole part of the story as being more about how they resented him for forcing the dad to break quarantine. Remember, in Metro Manila it was different from here in the states, you could not travel at all outside your town or region. We have to assume that the dad when looking for him and had to break the law in order to do so. The family resented Cai for putting the dad in danger, even if all the science and epidemiology pointed out to that not being how he contracted the virus. I just think it was natural for the family to resent it, even if they still loved Cai very much.
I say all of those things are simply "cheap shots" from the writers to create drama, but I am always careful how I judge those cheap shots because different cultures seem to have different tolerance for this. In my experience, Pinoy dramas and Thai lakorns tend to use these cheap shots a lot to create drama and make you emotional. In the case of Thai Lakorns, I personally hate it, but for some reason with Gameboys (and My Extraordinary) it works well. Why? I think it is all about the acting and directing.
You know, this makes me think of He's Coming to Me. Have you seen it? It is my #2 favorite BL of all time after Lovesick, but I really hated the climax. The climactic scene was overtly dramatic, the acting was subpar (except for Ohm and Singto) and the whole thing was like watching a trainwreck in slow motion. For me, even the most cringe-worthy scenes in Gameboys (OK, there is a lot of them LOL) are way more watchable than that.
In conclusion, if I had to rate this show by the individual elements, I would say CASTING gets an A++++. The actors made the difference. Editing gets an A+ (a lot of Thai shows could learn from the fast pacing of this show), Directing gets an A- and Writing gets a B.
If I had written this I would not have used milk but coffee or tea. Something that truly can be made differently...
I have decided to drop the show anyway at least until it finishes airing. I did like Kao but this Solo thing just keeps annoying me too much for me to watch.
I have not properly reviewed Gameboys partly because I think I was too emotionally affected by the show to write an objective review. I know that Gameboys has its flaws, even in the acting side but it is a well written show overall. So I had to think about this inconsistency about Pearl that you have noted.
So I thought about it. Now, I would need to rewatch but this is how I see it: Pearl did not sabotage Cai and Gav relationship. She is loud and obnoxious and has a very "dominant" personality. She was simply joking when she called Gav "honey" (or whatever is that she called him). So I think her behavior was consistent with her character.
There are other things I criticize about Gameboys, most notably Kokoy's constant smiles, the cold-hot tsundere thing we got from Cai at first, the plastic wall kiss (I am one of the few that didn't like it but I understand why they did it), the over-use of Pearl as a way to mend Cai and Gav's relationship (I wish it came from them) and the introduction of characters to only add conflict. In this sense, we agree with one thing: I wish Pearl had been introduced as a friend from the beginning....
So those are just some things I can think about that I didn't like. Still, compared to Thai BL, Gameboys is near perfect ;)
You also have to e careful in that some people just simply dislike something when everyone else likes it. Is like a natural reaction to the hype. One of my friends is exactly like you in that sense. He waited 3-4 months to watch 2gether because it was too hyped (then loved it more or less), and is now refusing to finish Gameboys because it is too hyped. :)
One more thing. I don't know if I mentioned this to you but I liked Gameboys because being from Puerto Rico and being in my 40s, I actually have lived through that same homophobia that you are talking about. It may not exist in CA but it exist in the Midwest in the USA and the deep South and it exist in a lot of parts of the USA. I hope you try to be a bit more understanding of how this plays a key role in the queer experience. I think any narrative that includes at least a reference to such issues is a narrative that is more universally appealing to the queer community. Of course, not all BLs need to have this but it is nice when it is included or at least alluded to...
I am saddened to hear you think this about the Gameboys fandom. I am a huge fan of Gameboys but I am not like that. :)
A) It is Milk
B) Being dependent is not cute
I am curious, are you a woman?
On the positive, JJ is a decent actor and I think that Marc is very easy on the eyes. He is not gorgeous but is sexy and it shows.
This show is much better than Oxygen.
I also want to know if Man gets to see his dad again.