sayratial

I’m kind of disappointed with the plot, even though I have to admit I had some fun watching the drama overall. I definitely skipped a few scenes that felt unnecessary or dragged out, but there were parts that were really entertaining too. The whole parallel world premiere idea had so much potential, and I was genuinely looking forward to where the story could go. It could have been something really great if it had been written better, but they just had to ruin it with that plot twist.

So here’s what happens. Cir gets into an accident and wakes up claiming he’s from another world. He says that in that world he’s Phu’s boyfriend. At first, this sounds interesting, even a bit romantic in a weird sci-fi way. He knows everything about Phu, his favorite food, his habits, tiny little details that would make sense if he really was his boyfriend in another universe. But then they decide to hit us with the twist: he’s not from another world at all. He’s just a stalker. All that knowledge about Phu? Not because of some deep soul connection across worlds. Just years of watching him. It honestly threw me off.

Are we supposed to root for Cir after that? Because I couldn’t. I tried, but that kind of manipulation just isn’t something I can overlook, especially in a romance. And Phu being so naive didn’t help either. He’s sweet and innocent and it felt like Cir was taking full advantage of that. The dynamic shifts from romantic to uncomfortable once you realize what’s actually going on. This kind of twist might have worked in a psychological thriller or even a crime drama. I would have loved it there. But in a love story? It just made me feel uneasy. Stalking isn’t romantic. It’s creepy. And trying to pass it off as passion or devotion just feels wrong.

I know Cir’s mom was terrible and did so many horrible things, but just because your mom is a bxtch doesn’t mean you’re justified to be one too. Traumatic upbringing doesn’t give anyone a free pass to manipulate others. That part of his character might’ve added depth if it had been handled with more nuance, but here it just felt like an excuse to excuse his behavior.

And I kind of didn’t care about the side characters. I’m pretty sure the writer didn’t either. The friends and second couple were clearly thrown in for comic relief, but they didn’t relieve any comedy. It all felt forced and flat. Also, can we talk about Ozone for a second? He’s Cir’s brother who just randomly appears so Cir can freely be weirdly obsessed with Phu , and then they leave him with the mom at the end like that’s totally fine? What was that?

That said, I’m not going to lie. The chemistry between Cir and Phu was undeniable. There were so many cute and spicy moments that really worked if you could forget about the whole manipulation thing for a second. Their interactions had a kind of natural spark to them, and I found myself enjoying a lot of their scenes together despite everything. It’s one of those rare cases where the actors manage to carry the emotional weight even when the writing doesn’t support it.

The one thing that really stood out, though, was the production value. The cinematography was beautiful. There were so many visually striking scenes that I kept noticing throughout the series. One of my favorites was the contrast between the warm orange and cold blue lighting in their apartments during episode three. It was such a pretty and subtle way of showing the differences between their lives and emotional states. The color grading was just really well done in general. And the camera work felt intentional, not just point and shoot. Even the song choices added a lot of emotion to the scenes. The NSFW moments were surprisingly well shot too. Not over the top, but still intimate and engaging.

Overall, I wouldn’t say it was a bad watch. I was entertained, and there were definitely elements that kept me engaged. But the story could have been so much better. There was so much potential in the parallel world setup and they wasted it on a twist that just made everything uncomfortable. If they had leaned into the sci-fi element or given us a real reason to root for Cir without making him a stalker, this could have been something special. But unfortunately, it just ended up being another story that almost got there but didn’t quite stick the landing.