This is rather good. For once, someone accidentally tripping into someone else's arms is believable - someone finally thought of a scenario where that made sense.
I have such a close connection with the mains in this series, and feel every ounce of their emotions. I've always said that I love those who are desperate for love because they are isolated by a handicap, like the deaf character in Moonlight Chicken, and Sea captures this sentiment with some deft and sensitive acting that veers away very tactfully from the maudlin approach in many of these series dealing with disabled individuals. P'Aof has really highlighted the duality of someone suffering from a debilitating illness, where they are very needy, but need to be treated as people with an independent and equal status with everyone else. This is a mature series that is so much above the mostly juvenile BL's coming out of Thailand.
I'm really impressed with Jimmy who I thought wasn't even capable of acting in Vice Versa, but has come off like a totally capable actor. He was ok in Bad Buddy, but he really has come a long way in this series. I thought of him as a doctor who took on acting as a hobby, but I have actually come to think of him as one of the better actors out there after watching him in this series.
Thank goodness the jealousy arc is cut short, but I felt so different with how they handled it. I really hate those scenarios with the crazy ex's whether female or male because of the frivolous way they usually bring these scenario's up, and they mostly feel like filler, but I felt almost a pang of anguish with August taking Day away from Mhok. I really was overjoyed at how they turned that around by the end of the episode. You should never love a disabled person out of pity, or pretend to love them and the end of this episode was a great absolution of August's mistake - what a clever plot contrivance. That was really well done.
Were you paid to write this review? If not, you should have been.
BTW here is the manga for anyone that's interested. It's way better than the series, because as etoks is saying, stripping the sex out of this waters this down to such a degree that it feels almost asexual by comparison. For a story that is at its core, intensely erotic, this really greatly diminishes the intent of the story: https://manhuascan.com/manga/my-personal-weatherman-official/chapter-1
Were you paid to write this review? If not, you should have been.
I agree for the most part. I find mangas are the only place I can find explicit sex mixed with a really engaging storyline. It's impossible to adapt them in Japan. The mangas are like pornos with actual plots. Where in the world can you find that, let alone in Japan?
Were you paid to write this review? If not, you should have been.
I am judging these shows with a much lighter standard, perhaps. It's in nothing like the movies I love like Tarkovsky's Solaris, or Tokyo Story by Uzo. I think for BL's this is pretty good. I think it seems pretty staid for you, I understand. I think it's not for everyone. And if I would have directed this there would be intense sexual scenes throughout because that was what these actors were meant for, but it's good for presenting the idea of this without being explicit. I imagine it's probably the Japanese penchant for restrained representations of sex that make this no where near reaching the level of physical intimacy that this requires.
This show is a rare gem, even among the many well crafted Japanese BL's. Really a tour-de-force in sensuality mixed with singular characters that were so gripping to watch in an effortless seeming drama with many complex subtleties. There was a nice ebb and flow to this production between this heightened eroticism, and scenes of domestic tranquility which were both captivating in their own way. This is a couple that truly came to life, and was entrancing to watch. Their characters were also highly developed and the production really spent a lot of time working on the backstory to flesh out the characters, and make us really believe in the their motivations. Both the main actors did a perfect job in capturing their characters, and Higuchi Kohei has a face that was rendered by an artist's palette, full of fine chiseled features that was just a show in itself. Really a spectacular drama, and I am dreaming of a season 2. I could watch these characters for dozens of more episodes with all their complex, and off-beat interactions.
This is the episode that gives us the backstory of Mizuki's obsession with Yoh. It's still not clear what that fascination is but perhaps it's the contrast with Mizuki's friends who are belligerent, and are typical bullies, taking advantage of Yoh at the first opportunity. Mizuki was drawn in by Yoh's sincerity, and his awkward bashfulness was endearing - not to mention his obvious beauty.
Yoh relates directly why he likes Mizuki, and he's always the more communicative one of the two. It seems like he's straight, and only fell for Mizuki because of his striking beauty. I really dislike the trope that this attitude embodies, but it is done so well here that it doesn't become a problem. If there is a man that could attract straight men, and turn them gay that would be Mizuki - he has an otherworldly handsomeness mixed with intense sexual charisma.
I really like Manju's husband in this episode. He's able to bring out the humor of Yoh's situation in one of the most comical scenes I've seen in a BL. He's very stable, calm, and serious, but has a wonderful sense of levity that contrasts so well with that. He seems like the perfect husband, and would be a great help to Yoh in figuring out his relationship, even if he was wildly misunderstood by Mizuki. I think the reason we don't even worry about Mizuki's jealousy of him is because it couldn't be more misplaced and ridiculous. In general, the level of frustration we normally experience with miscommunication and the jealousy issue is virtually non-existent because of the way they're handling it in this series - with a lot of tongue-in-cheek scenes that take a playful look at these tropes rather than taking them at face value. This is really one of the best BL's to come out of Japan, and every episode has had wonderful acting, skillful directing, and excellent and innovative screenwriting. Bravo!
This show is just so enjoyable in a unique way. I really love this shadow-play element where the two artfully mask their feelings for each other, and I have no idea why they mask them, but it feels right somehow. I don't know why Segasaki can just order Tanada around, but it makes sense in that he's using his phony contract to prevent Tanada from seeing his manga artist friend out of jealousy. What is Tanada talking about as far as hating Segasaki who he obviously is totally in love with - it's his code language for saying he is a figurative slave to Segasaki because of his love, and that is what he's afraid of. It's like everything is the same as in the normal BL but with a new way of expressing it, and I like the playfulness of the way the go about doing that. It's really a very clever, and artful show with two mains that feel perfect for each other, even if they are such an odd couple. I really like the extreme sensuality / erotic charisma of Segasaki. Tanada is also very fiery and has his own magnetic sensual aura that seems to play perfectly with Segasaki's. This is one of the sexiest BL's ever, and I'm just loving every minute of it.
I’ve been trying to figure out what makes me love this drama so so much and I think so much of it is down to…
Out of curiosity, where do you see those stats on GagaOOLala? I can't seem to see them anywhere. I'm also surprised that this is so popular, even if I personally love this series. It seems like it wouldn't be the kind of BL that most people would like. It's a little quirky, and seems more like an eccentric show rather than something mainstream. An erotic manga artist becoming the personal "slave" of a weatherman is a strange premise. I love the show but it's just not something I would have predicted to have become a big hit.
This was rather enjoyable. It wasn't daring but avoided so much of the nonsense I've seen in BL's this year [and most other years], including things like toxic girlfriends, clownish trans characters, and horrible plot holes. I could point to dramas like Never Let Me Go, or Vice Versa that were just riddled with countless issues. Part of why this is good is that it doesn't involve things the director, and screenwriters couldn't handle like complex action sequences or time travel. Mame really kept it simple and didn't involve the audience in her usual dance of sociopaths that weave a tangled web of psychological melodrama. I love the purity of Lom and Nuae in this, and the simplicity of the plot really brings out a sort of enlivening freshness in this BL. It also helps that this wasn't 12 episodes long - too many BL's just drag out their limited source material for no reason other than to fill air time to meet some weird programming schedule. Lom's wardrobe was just beautiful, whether he was wearing suits or jeans with a t-shirt. I could look at his boyish good looks all day, and I think Nuae just complemented him so well with his superb acting. Everything was shot beautifully in this drama, whether at the various weddings or in the countryside in Chiang Mai. This should have been enjoyable, even if it's not exceptionally written. It doesn't have any great depth, but was always entertaining, and leaves something akin to bucolic nostalgia with its sensitive and warm portrayals.
Every second of this episode I'm waiting for someone to do something, just to be interrupted by more miscommunications ad nauseam. This series seems like it's in complete stasis with no one making headway with anyone. Just as Lee Jun makes it through one miscommunication he is stymied by a new one [that Jun is going back to America soon]. I can't understand why the writer would think this is enjoyable. Intermixed with this is a lot of playful banter like at the restaurant, but most of the leads make snide comments towards each other that makes the levity become tinged with a sort of bitchiness which is really unappealing.
Only two episodes left and let me make a prediction: they are going to wait to the last few minutes to resolve everything, and we are all going to feel rushed by the resolution. This is really a disappointing series that misled many of us with something that seemed very interesting in the beginning. It's befuddled, and misguided. It's bad comedy mixed with bad romance. Good luck getting through this.
I have low expectations for BL's, so I am quite happy with attractive male leads, and a plot that mostly makes sense. I think it is a difficult thing to go against one's parents wishes, especially if you consider the dynastic families in Thailand. It's a pretty big obstacle in the way of the romance of both lead couples, and it was highlighted pretty well in this episode. It would be normal for the parents to go after their kid's significant other if they didn't suit their dreams for their kids both financially and in the social sphere. Marine's delimma was portrayed in a very effective way this episode. I'd rather see our main's overcoming struggles like this than the usual rape trauma, typical in most Mame productions. As far as the main couple, I think the acting is definitely good from both Sunny and Pak - Pak is really exceptional. This is more than I would expect out of most dramas, and the NC scenes were definitely a big plus. I'm really enjoying this production. I understand all the negative comments, but if you lower your expectations, this is really a rather enjoyable BL. Sunny in the black t-shirt and jeans - I'm going to be rewatching that for years to come.
It's become a mess. There are too many love interests for Lee Jun who doesn't have the sex appeal of an idol, although he is charming as a naive bumpkin. The miscommunication trope is very annoying, and just destroys the levity of the series. Is the completely silly arranged marriage supposed to be taken seriously? I guess it is. Lee Jun has killed off any sense of romance in the series because of his misunderstanding. Why is he so clueless? Choi Jun doesn't even have to explain it's a fake relationship with his fiancee because the whole thing is screaming fake relationship, but, ok, let's explain it to clueless Lee Jun anyway because he has a very low emotional IQ, or whatever. We need to break through this stupid miscommunication molasses that slows the story down to a crawl.
There is no way this series was thought through. It needs like 4 or 5 more episodes and every episode should be an hour long to accomodate all the extra side characters, and confusing tangle of love interests for Lee Jun. This not going to end in any satisfying way. I'm hoping for a mega-wonderful climax where Lee Jun ends up in a four way relationship, otherwise this is going to be a below average BL with nothing going for it except for casting several attractive actors.
This is one helluva sexy BL. I love the sexual tension between the ML's, and there is a dark energy that is kind of tantalizing without being overpowering. I have no idea what the line between them is and why they just don't eat each other up every day. Could a casual misunderstanding about cleaning the bed sheets have led to them to not having sex for weeks - that's where the weird Japanese quirkiness comes into play.
There's this coldness mixed with total desire coming from Segasaki that makes things rather mysterious. He also wants to be affectionate with Tanada while still treating him as a slave which is so bizarre. I believe Tanada doesn't want to give in to him completely because he doesn't want to just be a slave. It's such a weird dynamic for a relationship that you would probably only find in a Japanese manga. Why doesn't Segasaki just take Tanada whenever he feels like it? It's because you know the slave contract isn't real, and it was just some excuse to get Tanada to move in with him in a kind of messed up way. I think both these guys could use some therapy, but nothing serious. Or you could just consider it a kind of eccentric/atypical relationship that is analogous to many strange relationships we find in the real world.
I actually find myself enjoying this series. I like the interactions between Lom and Namnuae. Pak just lives inside his character, and I think he's the about the biggest draw for this show other than Sunny's unbelievable good looks. The plot is rather bare, but I find the pacing is rather good. I think it's always at least mildly entertaining. This is Mame's most tame series, and it's good she's trying something different. It's nothing spectacular, but it's passable.
This is a little dark, and the whole relationship is complex. I don't know what to make of his squeamishness about having sex during the rain - is that a weatherman thing? I don't have any problem with the Dom/Sub kink, and am more interested in the fact that we had some hot sexual scenes in a JBL. Well manga artists make very little so this is a plausible scenario, and he probably agreed to it, in part, because he is attracted to Segasaki. I'm willing to give this time to develop and I like the acting - the mains are also very beautiful which always helps.
I think we’re all missing a point and a key flaw in the writing. If I found myself in love with a man who was…
That’s the main issue I have with the plot. But perhaps he will tell him next episode and this will become a minor plot flaw. It’s just that Lom seems cruel at this point for not telling Nuae. That’s contrary to the what we see his personality is really like - he seems very warm and compassionate.
Tell him the reason already. This is annoying. Until Lom does tell Pak that his wedding is a sham, no one can sympathize with his character even if he's very charming. I don't like this delayed gratification technique, especially when it is so transparent. Pak, on the other hand, is very believable and someone we can all empathize with - he's caught between loving Lom and knowing how he can't ever be with him. He's being cruelly tortured by someone who actually loves him, but who can't explain anything. It's the old miscommunication trope, and it's here in one of its worst forms. I'm enjoying everything else about this including the moms who capture the Thai dynastic family culture to the tee. Marine and Yiwa are a sensational couple and may be the best girl love pairing I've ever seen in a BL. Sunny's acting is just perfect for his role even if the script is very tedious at this point, and Namnuae is just superlative - he's shy and reserved when he has to be, and righteously indignant whenever Lom oversteps his marital obligations. Namnuae's acting just captures his charcter perfectly and the character is much better written than Sunny's Lom. He's stepped into the role like a total pro. Overall the direction and acting is at a very high level, and is the most enjoyable thing Mame has produced except for her dragging out this miscommunication nonsense to the point of absurdity.
"Except for the lack of wacky sound effects, this was at the level of a Thai drama -" " I think the acting was…
What an ironic comment. I'm actually someone that loves Thai culture, and history. I'm probably one of the only people on here that would even read a Thai history book, and was just reading about the origins of the Thai people in the Guangxi province (although Hunan is still a possiblity). I am actually familiar with most of the provinces of Thailand, even the far less traveled areas. It is amazing how many beautiful provinces there are, and how many wonderful temples in the most obscure and secluded areas of the country. Thai cuisine is about my favorite, especially since I love spicy food.
It is easily possible to criticize Thai BL's without being a xenophobe. That's just a ridiculous assertion. I actually like many Thai BL's as well, including Moonlight Chicken, which even more ironically, I just recommended to someone in a post above. I even said in that post that most of the Thai BL's have better acting than in this BL, so you are entirely mistaken in your thinking I'm a Thai hater of some kind.
I have such a close connection with the mains in this series, and feel every ounce of their emotions. I've always said that I love those who are desperate for love because they are isolated by a handicap, like the deaf character in Moonlight Chicken, and Sea captures this sentiment with some deft and sensitive acting that veers away very tactfully from the maudlin approach in many of these series dealing with disabled individuals. P'Aof has really highlighted the duality of someone suffering from a debilitating illness, where they are very needy, but need to be treated as people with an independent and equal status with everyone else. This is a mature series that is so much above the mostly juvenile BL's coming out of Thailand.
I'm really impressed with Jimmy who I thought wasn't even capable of acting in Vice Versa, but has come off like a totally capable actor. He was ok in Bad Buddy, but he really has come a long way in this series. I thought of him as a doctor who took on acting as a hobby, but I have actually come to think of him as one of the better actors out there after watching him in this series.
Thank goodness the jealousy arc is cut short, but I felt so different with how they handled it. I really hate those scenarios with the crazy ex's whether female or male because of the frivolous way they usually bring these scenario's up, and they mostly feel like filler, but I felt almost a pang of anguish with August taking Day away from Mhok. I really was overjoyed at how they turned that around by the end of the episode. You should never love a disabled person out of pity, or pretend to love them and the end of this episode was a great absolution of August's mistake - what a clever plot contrivance. That was really well done.
Yoh relates directly why he likes Mizuki, and he's always the more communicative one of the two. It seems like he's straight, and only fell for Mizuki because of his striking beauty. I really dislike the trope that this attitude embodies, but it is done so well here that it doesn't become a problem. If there is a man that could attract straight men, and turn them gay that would be Mizuki - he has an otherworldly handsomeness mixed with intense sexual charisma.
I really like Manju's husband in this episode. He's able to bring out the humor of Yoh's situation in one of the most comical scenes I've seen in a BL. He's very stable, calm, and serious, but has a wonderful sense of levity that contrasts so well with that. He seems like the perfect husband, and would be a great help to Yoh in figuring out his relationship, even if he was wildly misunderstood by Mizuki. I think the reason we don't even worry about Mizuki's jealousy of him is because it couldn't be more misplaced and ridiculous. In general, the level of frustration we normally experience with miscommunication and the jealousy issue is virtually non-existent because of the way they're handling it in this series - with a lot of tongue-in-cheek scenes that take a playful look at these tropes rather than taking them at face value. This is really one of the best BL's to come out of Japan, and every episode has had wonderful acting, skillful directing, and excellent and innovative screenwriting. Bravo!
Only two episodes left and let me make a prediction: they are going to wait to the last few minutes to resolve everything, and we are all going to feel rushed by the resolution. This is really a disappointing series that misled many of us with something that seemed very interesting in the beginning. It's befuddled, and misguided. It's bad comedy mixed with bad romance. Good luck getting through this.
There is no way this series was thought through. It needs like 4 or 5 more episodes and every episode should be an hour long to accomodate all the extra side characters, and confusing tangle of love interests for Lee Jun. This not going to end in any satisfying way. I'm hoping for a mega-wonderful climax where Lee Jun ends up in a four way relationship, otherwise this is going to be a below average BL with nothing going for it except for casting several attractive actors.
There's this coldness mixed with total desire coming from Segasaki that makes things rather mysterious. He also wants to be affectionate with Tanada while still treating him as a slave which is so bizarre. I believe Tanada doesn't want to give in to him completely because he doesn't want to just be a slave. It's such a weird dynamic for a relationship that you would probably only find in a Japanese manga. Why doesn't Segasaki just take Tanada whenever he feels like it? It's because you know the slave contract isn't real, and it was just some excuse to get Tanada to move in with him in a kind of messed up way. I think both these guys could use some therapy, but nothing serious. Or you could just consider it a kind of eccentric/atypical relationship that is analogous to many strange relationships we find in the real world.
It is easily possible to criticize Thai BL's without being a xenophobe. That's just a ridiculous assertion. I actually like many Thai BL's as well, including Moonlight Chicken, which even more ironically, I just recommended to someone in a post above. I even said in that post that most of the Thai BL's have better acting than in this BL, so you are entirely mistaken in your thinking I'm a Thai hater of some kind.