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You need courage to take the next step
This movie with its simple love story has fast become one of my favourites -- a story about two very ordinary men who fall in love with each other and take the first steps into a relationship.I love how the film shows us the insecurities that come with having a crush on a man as a man, the questions that come with getting to know another person -- will you like me, too? Do we have a chance to come together? Will I take the step into the unknown?
And at the same time, both men as well as us get to experience the giddiness when we feel that our feelings might be reciprocated.
We get to see how these two men, who seem to be very different in their hobbies and lives, try to find the courage to open up to each other -- only then the relationship may move forward.
The film makers obviously had to make do with a low budget, there are some sound issues in outdoor scenes. But they did not need much more -- as I said before, this is a simple love story of two ordinary men, who could be our neighbours, our colleagues, ourselves. Accordingly, the use of places, of light that is already there makes the film feel very real.
I also love the sets, which are lovingly filled with small details: There's the changing date on the white board behind Koiwai's desk. There's the small detritus of the life of a working person in Yamashita's room. There are the messy bed sheets near the end of the film.
I'm looking forward to rewatching the story of these sweet and gentle people.
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It's never sentimental about it; there's no pathos at all. It just shows the people as the are. It also never tries to explain what people are thinking or feeling, why they act the way they do -- which is especially exceptional for Chu-san. I can imagine that a lesser film would try to explain him to the "normal" people (i.e. the ausidence), either directly or through the mouth of a character.
This film does neither. It shows us how Chu-san lives his life, what is important to him and where he clashes with the world, who shows no sympathy for him at all; with the exception of the son of the neighbour family.
Following the way the story is told -- unsentimental, but with great sympathy -- the acting and editing stays natural and even understated throughout.
If you can watch this film, then I recommend you to do so!
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What happens when everybody tries to to their very best at a wedding
A wedding should be a couple's best day of their life! This is what drives not only the bride and the groom, not only the wedding planner -- but everybody who is invited (and one who is not invited).We get to see backstories of the couple and a few of the guests, who all want to make this day special, while they have their own aspirations. I love the aquatic theme that's going on while they tell their own stories -- even though it's never quite clear why it this theme, not another. (If you know, please tell me!)
The film also takes its "Chekhov's Gun" very seriously, but no need to pay extra attention, you'll see when it's used.
These sincere and genuinely nice characters do their all to make the wedding the best wedding of all time -- and overshoot their goal; this is where most of the humour comes from. I waited for things to go wrong horribly. But this is not the kind of comedy, and it works!
There was a bit of sexism in the beginning -- the long-suffering husband(-to-be) who wants to please his partner, and the "guy outing" (what are guys up to when they are alone, hehe... not that funny, all very innocent though) -- but the groom and the ex-boyfriend are so cute and nice that I can forgive them. There was also a story arc with a bit of "diarrhea-is-funny", I don't mind that kind of humour, other viewers might.
A bit disappointing is that the female characters are not only in the minority but also much less interesting then the men (with the exception of the wedding planner).
All of the actors made their characters come to life -- and I fell in love with all of them. Especially notable was the scene where the fathers and old schoolmates entertain the guests, what a choreography!
There are two storylines that happen simultaneously but are shown after one another; I wonder if they couldn't have been shown as they happened or if this would have been too much? I suppose it's the latter, because overall the pacing was excellent, fast scenes and slow scenes followed an easy rhythm, according to the story.
I wasn't bored for a second, I laughed a lot -- and there were a few heartwarming moments. The ensemble plot and the multiple points of view with their backstories show us a wedding that will be memorable for all of them, the couple, the guests, and the staff of the location.
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So, I'll just point out only some aspects:
* Trigger warnings for explicit depictions of excessive violence, suicide, human trafficking, drug use rape and forced sex work.
* The movie is very slow and quiet, except where it's not.
* The movie is definitely not fluffy. But heartwarming all the same.
* There's a love story that is told in less than six minutes, from beginning to the end -- and I still cried for both lovers. (But it's still not a romance movie.)
* The young boy actor was impressive.
* A lot of the story is told not in dialogue but in silence. The movie expects the viewer to pay attention not what the characters say, but what they do.
* When people are victims, over and over, all of their lives, is there a chance to get up again? -- The story can be read as some social commentary. But maybe not.
* The sombre tone is lightened by the group of neighbours, whose loving antics are hilarious.
This is not a movie I will rewatch any time soon, it's just too intense for that -- maybe in a few years. But I can recommend it for anyone who is not disturbed by the themes mentioned above and wants something different that engages the mind.
It's probably best if you see for yourself.
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Not really about psychological cases
I must say that the title and the first episode deceived me as to the content of this series.I thought that this would be a more light-hearted series with interesting cases, like the one in the first episode, cases that actually could be considered psychological.
Mostly, cases in following episodes were based in familial conflicts, poisoning etc. -- they also felt samey after a while.
I did not care for the court intrigue at all, and so I needed about two months to get through the second-to-last episode.
I also wished that we got to see more of Gye's family, I think the characters could have been really interesting but they remained rather one-dimensional. Overall, I enjoyed the interaction between the family members.
One last addition: The poisonous plant ("Dansacho") shown seemed to be Cyclamen, which is native to Europe and to the east up to Iran, NOT Korea. If it is, the symptoms are not what characters experience in the series. That fact makes me question the reliability of other medical practices in the show.
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A court / crime drama that combines serious cases with slapstick humour.
Does the combination of serious cases and humour work? Yes, for the most part.If you don't like the Japanese style of comedy and typical Japanese acting, then this show is probably not for you.
There are a few scenes when the slapstick comedy is a bit too much for me, but I thoroughly enjoyed the puns.
Things I liked:
* The cases are not too simple -- although the clues are usually quite obvious, it's not always clear on the details, so they stay interesting.
* This does not matter actually, since the main point of attraction are the lawyers and their team of paralegals and how they interact with each other.
* Especially Miyama and his "boss", Sada, who absolutely do not like each other at the beginning, start to respect each others strengths, even though their professional ethics differ.
* Regarding Miyama, the show manages to balance on the fine egde between making him eccentric and unlikeable -- usually landing on the side of eccentric. I think the humour in this show makes his quirks endearing rather than obnoxious.
* A huge plus is that there's no romance plot. Yes, there are two people with enormous crushes on another person, but these are only played for laughs, and it's very clear that the other party will never be interested.
One minor thing I did not like as much: The prosecutors' side stayed too one-dimensional; I would have liked more development for them.
Recommended!
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Mellow and relaxing; painting together on a hot summer day
What I liked:* The general atmosphere of the movie was relaxing, they managed to capture the feeling of sitting in nature on a hot summer day and falling in love perfectly.
* The storyline is a good fit for the length of the movie.
* All three main characters, especially the bodyguard. They all manged to convey their feelings without trouble. I liked the bodyguard's reaction to that suspicious person, his worry and gradual acceptance of what is to come. Also, I love that it remains unclear what his feelings are exactly -- loyalty, friendship, romantic love? Sometimes things are muddled and it's good to leave it open.
* Although I'm usually wary of timeskips, that one at the end worked. In my opinion, showing what happened directly after the return would have felt very differently to the rest of the movie. Good choice, there.
What I did not like:
* The last ten minutes or so feel weirdly paced, in contrast to the majority of the film, which is pretty slow. I think they tried to convey a sense of urgency, but why then this strange flashback to the conversation between the lady and the bodyguard?
Overall impression:
It's a nice romance, with okay-to-good pacing, nice scenery, and well acted. The story is captivating and although it is on itself quite predictable, the characters and their actors make it something special.
There are some questions that remain unanswered, sometimes I liked the ambiguity, sometimes it would have been nice to have it a bit clearer.
[This is a slightly edited version of the review I posted on Viki.]
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Things I liked:
* The story has two of my favourite tropes (emenies-to-lovers and accidental/forced roommates), which are are really well done. The boss/employee vs. tenant/landlord dynamics give good balance to their relationship. Overall the plot is a bit predictable but the characters' development and the interaction of the team members make it enjoyable.
* The team members were great, they provided both comic relief and an outsider's point of view for the developing relationship. They were also quite cute.
* Kang Woo Jung's acting was brilliant -- I hope he'll get the chance to act in productions of different genres, so more people will see him.
* Both lead actors seem comfortable with each other, which makes the intimacy between the characters believable. (It's sad that I have to say this -- but in some Korean BL dramas the actors seem so uncomfortable!)
* I also like that we get to see a glimpse of the struggles some gay men go through -- unluckily falling for a straight man, the fear what would happen if you're outed at work, how people will judge you for being with another man. Yoon Seo Bin was good at portraying all of these with a side of internalized homophobia. This topic was there throughout the show, sometimes just as an undercurrent, sometimes more obvious, but it never distracted from the sweetness of the romance plot.
Things I did not like:
* The acting of both main leads was a quite muted at times. Especially in the scenes when their characters argue with each other, I did not feel the emotions as much as I could have. I think stronger body language and facial expressions would help. They are both really good at expressing their emotions with their eyes, though, so it's not a question of talent -- either they just have to practice a bit more or the director did direct them that way. (Or is it something more ... chemical, at least concerning facial expressions? With the entertainment industry as it is, I wouldn't rule it out.)
* I wish the show would have made Jae Yoon's motivation for his decision in episode 7 clearer -- either by characterizing him better in earlier episodes or telling the audience outright. I think Jae Woon's actions come across as more tropey than it was intended.
* Also it would have been nice to get more of Ho Joon's backstory earlier and not infodump everything in one (though very heartfelt) speech.
All in all, one of the better K-BLs I've seen, and very comfortable to watch repeatedly.
[This is an updated version of the review I posted at Viki.]
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Good for a one time watch
"Friends-to-lovers" is usually a trope I like very much, and they did it justice until Zheng Ze Shou and Fu Li Gong got together. From then on, it was rather cheesy and the conflicts too clichéd for me.The acting by the main couple was excellent, especially when they were still figuring out their feelings or what to do about them.
I also loved the two fathers and Nikita. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of the second couple; especially Yuki's actor stayed bland, he mostly had the same gentle smile, whoever he looked at and however he felt -- I noticed it the most when he was fighting with the laundromat owner. It really didn't help that he didn't get any backstory (we only know his father was Japanese and died when Yuki was a child, which makes Yuki's "ohayou" even more pretentious).
The song that was used for the opening credits got on my nerves (it also was non-sensical); and the piano background music was distracting from what was happening on-screen.
It's a shame that the female roles did not get more development. The sister is unfortunately the stereotypical little sister (even though she's somewhere in her early twenties), the little girl has no personality whatsoever, apart from being a bit sassy. And Nikita's character, who was so cool and mysterious and generally an impressive woman with her own business, was ruined by that stupid and unnecessary crush.
I did like that we got to see two lawyers working together, and it was an excellent idea to have them be divorce lawyers in a romance -- the drama was strongest when the cases made Ze Shou and Li Gong think and talk about love and marriage, and reflect on their own love story. I wish the writer had used this also to resolve the conflicts of the second half. Together with maybe more time to show the father's side (because I think it's not very clear why he reacts the way he does). this would have made the second half better.
Overall, the story's flow is good, it's done well -- though not so good that I'd want to watch it a second time.
[cross-posted to VIki]
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Came for the comedy, stayed for the mystery, enjoyed the friendship.
The tl;dr:* Good pacing overall, nice balance between mystery and comedy
* Fine acting, distinct personalities and interesting background stories for the main cast
* No Romance!
* Strong female character, who unfortunately gets pushed out of the plot later
* Important message; good portrayal of diversity (considering it's Chinese)
* Ear-catching OST
The first episodes start with a strong comedic vibe, which is sometimes even stapsticky, after which the drama progressively gets deeper into the mystery of what happened three years ago.
I liked how this change happens gradually, the audience gets lured in with seemingly simple detective cases, and glimpses into the background stories. Only slowly the bigger picture begins to emerge, and it's not until the very end that we know all of the important elements. And on the way to the story's climax, the comedic elements are not lost -- the whole show feels well-rounded in its pacing and in the balancing of the different elements.
There are no episodes that feel dragged out, nor does the story ever feel rushed.
All of the main characters are incredibly well portrayed. Usually with costume dramas, especially those set at court, with all these similar uniforms and hats, it takes at least three episodes until I know who is supposed to be who. Not in this drama! Not only have the members of the Judicial Court all distinct personalities (more on that later), but each character has his (or her) very own body language. Even when they do nothing but sit or stand around, it's possible to recognize each and every one of them, even from behind.
No Romance! Always a plus, if the writer doesn't force a het romance into an otherwise engaging story, just to prove that there is no homo-romantic attraction between the main characters.
I loved Vice Minister Shangguan from the first minute -- finally, here is a female character who is not a simpering, love-sick and annoying girl but rather a strong woman who fought for her right to have her own life. In a sexist society (other characters even comment on this), she opposed her parents' will and got into a position of power as an official. Her office which is overflowing with scrolls and paperwork shows how hard-working she is. She must have had a hard time navigating Palace politics, as a woman and sole vice minister -- always on the outlook for people who want to sabotage her and her work; and we get to see glimpses of how she did it in the first episodes.
I also loved how her appearance underlines her character -- she's wearing sensible clothes, her make-up is modestly done.
All of which make the one thing that's really bad about the drama even worse: When things get serious, she's getting shipped off, for her safety, or, as Li Bing would put it, "for her own good". Why? She's certainly not weaker that, say, Cui Bei. She's not less experienced in intrigue than Wang Qi or less clever than any of them. So, why? Only so that when it gets serious, she can't "steal" the spotlight from the men. Plotwise, it would have been very much possible for her to be an important part of the team.
This is the one reason I deducted half a point from the rating for the category "story".
One big point in the drama's favour is that it shows us how important it is to see others as a human being -- what it does to a person if they are dehumanized (whether revered as god or reviled as monster) and how it makes us more human if we are kind to one another. Connected to this is that the acceptance of diversity can only strengthen us. (Which makes it even more regrettable that Vice Minister Shangguan is not part of the team!)
The team of Ming Jing Hall are very different people, not only is the boss half-human, half-cat, there's also the superstitious ex-soldier, the "diplomat" with a fondness for cross-dressing, the bookish man who always brings bad luck, the bumbling country boy and even a foreigner!
(That's one aspect that I found astonishing, there was actually very little nationalism in this drama; usually Chinese dramas are all about how great and heroic the Chinese people are -- here they are the aggressors towards another country, while the presumed antagonist just wants ... well, that would be a spoiler.)
Only by working together, by not just accepting each other but also recognizing each other's strengths and quirks, can the team solve the mystery and get justice for those who have been wronged.
Overall, this is an engaging and well-acted drama that made me laugh, and made me cry, and had me on the edge of my seat until the last minute of the closing credits.
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Weird, remarkably consistent -- and can make you think if you look beyond the Pork Blood Soup
For vampire Pun, only meeting Yo makes his own life meaningful. Only when they are together, during the all too short span of a human life, there can be happiness. Pun will enjoy every single second with Yo, it doesn't matter if these seconds are good, bad, or deeply absurd.For those who seek help in deciding if they should watch this series, this might be important to know:
* Take all of your ideas what a vampire story should be like, and put them away, because this story either discards them or at least subverts all the vampire tropes.
* Almost all of the characters are weird in some way. If you can't handle "cringe" (whatever that is, because I still don't understand the word), then this might not be for you.
* Blood Pork Soup sometimes feels like the main character of the show. This is what brings the group together.
* This is not a fast-paced romance. At times, it seems as if this show is not about the romance, but about the absurdity of life. Which also means that sometimes it seems that nothing is happening at all. Relax, follow the flow of the drama, enjoy every scene on its own, without expecting it to advance the story -- and you'll enjoy this show.
* Pun is, and that is important to notice, usually at least an unreliable narrator -- inconsistencies in what he says are not plot holes. Take everything Pun says about himself or other vampires with a grain of salt, he has his reasons.
* You *will* get a common trope used in stories about humans and immortals at the end.
* And last, watch the trailer https://youtu.be/5ekNPUazAmA. For a trailer, this one is pretty much accurate. If you like what you see there, you might like the series.
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Now, the things I love about the series:
1. The series tries to do something different.
While I can love a tropey rom-com, I don't want only that. I love when somebody does something new; when tropes are discarded or subverted. Actually, I was deeply sceptical before I started watching this serie, because I DON'T like vampire stories and their tropes. Dark and brooding, cruel and mysterious, erotic blood-sucking included? No, thank you. But this one is different. This is colourful, and bright, and everybody enjoys the absurdity life can bring.
"Different" always gets bonus points, even if other aspects might not be good.
2. The characters are weird, and so, so loveable.
Pun, of course, the good vampire who loves Yo and Pork Blood Soup, who once wore braces as an accessory, whose assortment of colourful umbrellas shade us from the harsh sun of reality.
Yo, who is obsessed with aliens and fascinated by the weird, who likes wearing his beaded bracelets and, of course, loves eating Pork Blood Soup.
Kamsai, whose main goal in life is to have a Pork Blood Soup stall, and who is the most pragmatic of them all at the age of 16.
Yam, Yo's little sister, who seems to be a no-nonsense kind of person but ultimately gives in to the weird obsession of Yo's, and who is the one who has a good sense for people and is the first to point out the attraction between Yo and Pun.
Shin, of course, who is hard-working, always full of energy, and who seems to have a slight humiliation kink.
And then there are the side characters; the alien-obsessed Pak and her mute girlfriend, the nosy but courageous auntie, Gyoza and her elderly grandma, the small and cheeky landlady.
3. The series is consistent:
When I watched the series for the first time, I waited for the plot to fall apart very episode. It didn't. Actually, after rewatching, I can say, the plot and the worldbuilding is remarkably consistent -- there are no glaring inconsistencies, no obvious plot holes. I do wish the writer had put more obvious clues about Pun's backstory in earlier episodes. As it is, the last episodes reveals *two* crucial pieces of information about the past and has to resolve all of it in half an episode -- this might be one of the reasons some people find the ending rushed.
I also have to mention that this is one of the few Thai BLs that actually give us dates! The main story starts shortly before Valentine (episode 1, the couple's discount at the food stall) and ends shortly after Songkran, then there's a time-skip of a year, after which follows a montage over the next fifty-four years (this can be easily calculated). So, and I think that's something a lot of people haven't noticed, the main part only takes just over two months -- that's actually not that long.
I also feel that the characters are consistent in their actions. There wasn't a scene when I thought that someone was out of character. Even the side characters had, well, *character*.
Look at Chalui / Luis for example. He's part of "UFO and the gang" (Yo's college friend group) -- if you observe him, he's obviously not as into alien hunting as Yo and Pak. He rolls his eyes continuously, he doesn't want to get involved with that vampire nonsense. He points out that their thesis in the next semester will be a solo project -- and consequently, disappears from the moment the break starts and doesn't appear again. (And, let's be honest, friend groups at college form and disband all the time.)
4. Something that also impressed me were the props and sets.
Seeing the Pun and Yo's rooms, they fit their characters. None of those soulless condos and houses for the super-rich that look as if they were just rented spaces for a series. I can see Yo and Pun *living* there, surrounded by all the things that are important to them. The roof-top restaurant, too, evolves over time, from a neglected space to a place where our group regularly meets and eats their pork blood soup -- props were added over the course of the series, changed places, were *used*. That shows what you can do with a small budget, if you know what you want.
5. The music.
Most of the songs are sung by Boy YourMOOD, who also plays Shin in this show, they are as up-beat and colourful as the whole series. And I encourage you to pay attention to the songs at the opening and closing credits!
6. The plot, in all its consistency, leaves some questions unanswered. (Yes, I'm still at "things I love")
I don't mean the important questions -- the main plot itself is resolved in the end; we get to hear the reasons for the main obstacle, we know why Pun acts the way he does. But there are some minor plot points that are left open -- I won't talk about them here, I try to keep this spoiler-free.
The thing is, I like it when I can think and theorize more after a show has ended. When I can have my little fantasies about what happened before and why, about what someone did or said between scenes, about what will happen after the last scene. Bonus points for that!
7. Below all of the quirky weirdness, there lie unexplored depths of existential questions.
Throughout the series, it feels as if the mood is just one turn away from shifting into the dark.
The drama asks: What to do when everything falls apart and the thing / the person that gave meaning to your life is gone? What will you do when you are the one who will outlive them all?
And: How much do you let yourself be defined by what you are? Can you go against your very own nature? Against what everybody else says how you should be? How long will you be able to defy expectations?
And: What makes a good life? Can happiness be a bowl of Pork Blood Soup?
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The acting by all of the actors was not something exceptional, but we've all seen much worse in Thai BLs. Both main actors did a good job -- especially Pun's besotted stares and Yo's laugh whenever he was embarrassed or confused were very well done. The comedic timing was usually spot-on for me, and where it wasn't. it seems mainly be a strange editing choice. Somchai could have had more range -- the clapping and laughing got samey after a while, but in other scenes the actor was good enough to make everybody hate his character. Special mention goes to Mild who played Kaemsai, what a remarkable scene in episode 11! And she was only 16 when they filmed; I'm looking forward to following her acting career.
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And, at last, the not-so-good.
Because everything cannot be perfect, and we can love something while also be aware of the flaws.
I already pointed it out earlier: There are two crucial plot points that answer questions that are central to the whole plot; and we don't even get real hints before that. While rewatching, I noticed that, at least for one of those plot points, there are actions that make much more sense now that I know what I know -- during the first time, I felt that there was something ... not quite off, but strange about them, but I couldn't put my finger on it.
In my opinion, it would have been possible to place more and stronger hints in earlier episodes, without revealing everything. It might also have made the series more palatable for the people who felt that it was "too slow" or that "nothing is happening".
To everyone who made it to the end of this review, I say:
โบกมือลา ... แล้ววันหน้าพบกันใหม่ --- Wave goodbye ... and meet you again in the future.
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This review may contain spoilers
Set in a fantasy land with a timetravel/body swap trope at the centre, "I'm the most Beautiful Count" balances three (Western) genres: comedy, romance and political intrigue. It starts out as a simple comedy, slowly adds romance and lastly edges into the political plot -- I liked how the script never forgets any of the three and usually manages to combine them nicely.The romance was maybe too underwhelming for some -- the focus is on the revolution plot for quite some time, and we don't really get the two main characters be lovey-dovey together, which, in my view, wouldn't quite fit them anyway, since they do love to bicker with each other. I liked that they made it clear that even after declarations of love there will be misunderstandings and a continuous re-balancing of boundaries. I also liked how the script acknowledges that you can love one person dearly while still being attracted to another -- it's the decision if you'll want to act that makes or breaks a relationship. (That being said, I think Prince!Worradetch should have just taken all three of the men -- Kosol, Banjong and Jade -- into his harem.)
The comedy was there on-and-off throughout the series, and I liked its use until the start of the last episode. Mainly it was Prince!Worradetch being extra again and again, and their surroundings having to somehow cope with it -- but I felt that it never laughed *at* Worradetch, only with him.
While the plot about the revolution is not ... revolutionary, I found it to be solidly done for the most part. It took over much of the runtime during later episodes, as is only right, and there were some narrative tricks used to make a rather straightforward plot more interesting. For a while there I thought that we might even get an ending that was not a happy one -- but unfortunately they pulled the rug there from under our feet, and not one time, not two, but three times! And while the first one was an almost-clever plot twist, the second just cheapened the emotions they made us go through -- and the third diminished the taste of victory and justice in favour for unhinged comedy. (There is a reason why in old fairy tales the villain *always* gets punished.)
Those two last rug-pulls are tied into how the screenplay flips the mood on its head in the last episode -- we go from light-hearted plot with serious messages to silly comedy that forgets all the hardships and all the bad things that happened before, just to make a happy ending with glitter and rainbows. That was *not* needed at all. A victory that acknowledges the sacrifice that was needed to get there tastes even sweeter, don't you think?
Another great let-down were the female characters. We have our main characters who want equality and justice for *everybody* to live how they want. And the screenplay? Gives us exactly *two* women who even are in more than two scenes or so -- and one of them only appears near the end of the story. The other has exactly one reason to be there: To be the jealous antagonist for Worradech's romance arc. She doesn't contribute in a meaningful way to the revolution other than to look pretty and cook meals with chili paste. Was it really too much to ask to give her at least *one* other character trait or purpose?
On a technical side, this drama was well done. They obviously only had a limited budget -- and clever use of locations and filming angles made the world richer looking than it was. (An advantage of setting this in a fantasy land, no need to be too fussy with historical accuracy.) Fighting scenes and anything that needed a crowd looked slightly empty with only a handful of extras, and that might be the reason why there's no huge battle scene -- but I'd rather the producers and writers look for clever solutions than rely on CGI (or worse, genAI). And I think they did well with their solution, the final takedown fit Worradetch and his companions' characters extremely well, I think.
While the actors all delivered a solid performance, let me point out that I loved Nut here: He was able to switch easily between the effusive Prince and the more reserved original!Worradech. The other actor who impressed me was Lee Asre, who played the slave "Jade", who was often seen just kneeling in the background and still never fell out of his role. He showed his character's development well through his body language which relaxed incrementally with Jade's growth of confidence.
Overall, I loved this production despite its flaws. I found it engaging, never boring; and it delivered a thinly-veiled political message with its comedy, which is my favourite style of story.
Before I come to my concluding three questions, let me makes two quick detours:
Detour 1:
Prince / Worradetch calls themselves กะเทิย "kathoey". Now, I'm not Thai, so this is all from my observations from a distance, but from what I've seen and understood, กะเทิย is a concept that doesn't fit into our neat Western boxes for identity, it is something quite different. A gay man can be กะเทิย, as well as an effeminate man -- it's a spectrum that reaches up to what we call "trans woman" in the West. So, while Prince says "ฉันเป็นกะเทิยค่ะ" "I am Katheoy" they are using ฉัน, which is usually a "female"-associated pronoun, but can also be used by men. So, it doesn't mean that they say "I am a (trans) woman" (in the narrow Western sense).
They are simply กะเทิย -- that's why I prefer the term to use as it is, and not try to translate it to a Western term that will not fit in most cases.
Detour 2:
To have a drama with a katheoy character in a main role is rare. To have them be shown not as the butt of the joke but as a competent, complex human being who succeeds outside of the "assigned" careers of fashion, entertainment or beauty, but in politics of all things, is even rarer.
Actually, I only know of one other drama like this, and that is "ผู้ใหญ่ลีศรีบานเย็น" ("Headman Lee of Sri Baan Yen").
So, while I know that webtoon fans were upset that the screenwriter decided to tone down the political side and set the adaptation in a fantasy land, for me it is already a feat that "I'm the most Beautiful Count" was adapted as a drama at all. It's one thing to be a webtoon with a (relatively) small readership, it is quite another to be a drama made by an established production company and published on a major streaming platform.
This is why I am not at all disappointed -- it's much less risky to have the main characters (the good guys) push for the abolishment of the monarchy that way. For those who don't know, Thailand has one of the most restrictive lèse-majesté laws in the world. In 2023, the party who won the most votes in the election was even dissolved by the courts because they had campaigned for a less restrictive law. So, I cannot blame the production company and their writer at all for erring on the side of caution, even if that made Thai fans of the webtoon upset.
(iirc, they were upset by more than that, but I can't remember the specifics.)
Was it good?
It was well-acted, the romance and the revolution plot line were nicely balanced, and the crew used their budget well to tell a story that should have been much grander in scale. However, the drama also had a few major flaws.
Did I like it?
I thoroughly enjoyed all of it! Even the two rug-pulls and the ridiculousness of the last episode couldn't detract from that. I might even rewatch the series.
Who would I recommend it to?
To those who like to see a kathoey character in a major role. To those who don't mind over-the-top ridiculousness and are able to see the political messages behind the comedy.
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This review may contain spoilers
Road trip drama
"The End of the World With You" is, at its core, a road-trip movie -- in drama form, with a romance and instead of just one character dying, it's the whole world.And the world here feels very real -- the way the drama is filmed, acted and edited makes everything feel very grounded. There's no flashiness; sets and colours are as realistic as they can be, and as a viewer, I felt the heat of the sun, the refreshing water, the lushness of a Japanese summer.
As usual for the genre of "road trip", it's about reflecting ones past, bringing up regrets and giving character(s) their last-minute character development. And there's always the question in the background: Will we believe in a miracle?
The miracle, so much can be said, is heavily implied here but not fully confirmed. I like it when a story like this one stays open-ended, others might not be satisfied.
It took me years to start this, several days to get through the first two episodes. First because others talked about it being "hard to watch" and "toxic" (and I should have known then and there that this opinion is utter rot, the word "toxic" is as much of a bad sign as "heart-warming") and then because it seemed as if this would be another BL about lost-and-found-again love told only from the perspective of the "uke" character. But near the beginning of episode 4 I saw that this would be more.
The drama started to really go into the road trip part: picking up new party members, encountering different strangers and situations, and going deeper into the past of the four characters, which (of course) are intertwined. During this second half of the drama, Ritsu undergoes a very subtle character development -- maybe a bit too subtle for the average Western viewer. He has to confront his decisons of the past, whether good or bad. He has to face the results of his decisions -- especially what his actions towards his then-lover did to Masumi. With typical Japanese restraint, both of them quietly resolve their tension and understand each other's feelings with the prospect that their lives might end in a few days.
Or it might not, and that is the main crux of the drama and of life: We know we will have to die, but it's not certain when. Masumi and Ritsu will probably die tomorrow, but maybe, if a miracle happens, they might not. We, the viewers of the drama, will probably live longer -- but maybe, if a disaster happens, we might not.
The question is, how will you go on regardless?
Was it good?
It was made with care and a limited budget. It's surprisingly realistic for such a fantastic scenario.
Did I like it?
Yes, and much more than I thought I would. I loved the subtle and understated character development of Ritsu's.
Who would I recommend it to?
Actually, I think every BL fan should at least try it and see for themselves.
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A conflict based on miscomminucation, the inability to face your own insecurities, or external influences that stop one of the two main characters to act and resolve the conflict on time: This all has been done before in many, many dramas and novels. So, in order to stand out, you need to be meticulous in the writing and in the execution. The crew for this production was not.
There was much potential in the imagery -- the sterile house vs. the perfectly manicured garden, which Ha Yeonwoo crashes into, vs. the wide spaces of nature. There was good potential in the non-linear story-telling, so that we only get to know of their back story bit by bit. There was some potential in the meta-narrative where the feelings of our protagonists are mirrored in the feelings of the fictional couple.
Unfortunately, none of it was used well. It starts with the writing itself: The meta-narrative and non-linear story-telling interfered with each other and reduced the potential significance of each. Parts of the flashbacks seem at odds with each other -- at first there was something about a sweater, and later about a kiss; and both times I had the impression that this was the last time they had seen each other. Some scenes in the later part added nothing to the story (like when they broke into the museum) -- and considering that the whole runtime is just under two hours, the screen writer should have asked themselves: What story do I want to tell?
And in my opinion, the screenplay is the base for everything else -- if it already doesn't work, then the rest will struggle.
The thing is that "the rest" also doesn't work well. The cinematographer had an eye for nature shots (those were great) -- but that was it. The house, the garden and the world outside had interesting lines and light to use. None of it had any significance on screen.
Scenes were edited to be too long or ended abruptly. Microphones were seen on screen. At times, there were some audio issues. And let's not talk about the "kiss" in the "rain" at the end. (Not that I don't mind closed-mouth kisses per se, but here the camera held and held, until it felt awakward for everybody.)
Most of the time, the actors tried to save the mess, and I do think that their abilities were the only thing that made me sit through this film. But even they dropped the ball near the end -- if you are that uncomfortable kissing your (male) colleague, then you should make sure to either not act in a production that requires kissing or at least make sure that it's not as obvious in the finished product.
Overall, I have the impression that most of the crew didn't want to be there and rushed through everything just to get it done. I wonder if they are able to take pride in the product?
Was it good?
No. There was potential but none of it was used.
Did I like it?
I liked two aspects; the rest was ... meh. It was short, though.
Would I recommend it?
No.
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Whichever aspect I consider -- story, acting, the pace, the set design, the message, how music and silance are used -- there is nothing I would want to change.
"Our Dining Table" is a gentle, slow-paced romance, tied together by simple but delicious food and an energetic little boy.
Both young men are missing something in their lives -- Yutaka is the more obvious one; since the story is mostly told from his perspective, and his loneliness and his problem with eating in a group is at the centre of the story -- but Minoru is also alone in his own way: Caring for a pre-schooler as a 23-year-old, he is only met with incomprehension from his peers, and so has lost most of his social circle.
While I was interested in Yutaka's story about how he found his own family, as well as delighted by Tane's overwhelming cuteness, it's Minoru who makes me come back to this drama. I love watching his face, and especially his eyes when he looks at Yutaka, and how their expression subtly changes over the course of the story, from interest to happiness to resignation and finally, to a gaze that is so full of love that it almost feels intrusive to watch him.
And it's not only Minoru's actor's ability that elevates a lovely story to something special -- it's all of them. The child actor, of course, but also the father's actor, who infuses the character's silliness with genuine fatherly love for his sons.
"Our Dining Table" is one of two dramas I choose to rewatch whenever I despair of humanity.
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