just watched the first episode and i'm really enjoying it so far, but i can't be the only one who thinks the two main leads look like they could be siblings?? like they have the same face it's kind of distracting how similar they look lmao
this is slightly unrelated to the actual series itself, but i had a lot of thoughts after reading some of the comments. as a huge fan of both msp and kieta hatsukoi, i can understand why a lot of people are disappointed in this adaptation so far. knowing what gemini and fourth are capable of as actors, their performances here are definitely not their best. additionally, knowing how good the original source material is, its a little disappointing that the story and writing don't really translate well here. that being said, while i think a lot of the criticism for both the series and gem4ths performance is valid, i also think that the long think pieces that people are writing in the comments regarding the pair's lack of skinship or gemini's lack of commitment to the bl industry are a little unnecessary.
personally, i have always found the idea of a "bl industry" in which actors are essentially sold as couples to be a little strange and parasocial. they're actors! they're meant to work on projects with people and then move on. i think especially in the case of gemini and fourth, it's extremely strange that two friends who were both barely 18 at the time, one of which had worked on only one project prior and one of which had no previous projects, were immediately thrust into that parasocial system and expected to be tied to each other for the forseeable future of their careers. that's tough! i don't feel like it's a betrayal for either of them to want to leave that system, and i don't feel like that that makes them stuck up or intolerant or anything.
my school president is my absolute favorite series of all time and gemini and fourth's performances and chemistry are part of what made it so great. that being said, i would be totally happy if they decided to not work together again! i think they did a great job with both msp and moonlight chicken, and i think that if they start to split ways after this series, that will be ok! they're both clearly talented, and for one reason or another, unfortunately, they weren't fully able to showcase that talent in this particular series. i guess my point is just that criticizing the series is completely valid, these two actors in particular have had a lot of pressure and a lot of attention extremely early on into their career, and i think that is somewhat reflected in their performances.
anyways, if you read all that, here are some things i actually really like so far about the series! i think mudmee is ADORABLE and perfectly cast. gmmtv gaining pahn as an artist will 100% be the best thing to come out of this series. in general i actually really like her and half's whole storyline and think it's being handled really well! i know a lot of people aren't here for the overacting or wacky comedy, but i love it!!! gimme all the weird corny faces and sound effects I LOVE IT!!!! while i think the ost is a little stuffed, the opening and ending songs are super cute!!!! gem4ths voices blend together really nicely as always. anywhoooo i will keep watching this series because i still think it's pretty fun and cute despite its flaws.
you guys, june's character's name is luna which means moon in spanish and view's character is named aylin which roughly means "belonging to the moon" in turkish THEY ARE LITERALLY GOING TO BE THE DEATH OF ME LIKE ARE YOU KIDDING ME??!?!??!?ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ˜
also looking forward to seeing where the side couple is headed! i feel like neo's side pairings have had a tendency to steal my attention in the past, so i'm excited to see if his storyline here lives up to that. while i adore mark pakin, i think the role switch was probably for the best, because aungpao is a perfect fit for dynamite! his comedic timing is really really solid, and while i usually don't really like "stalker-ish" type characters, i feel like he plays it in a way that comes across as more charming and cute as opposed to off-putting. i was really shocked to learn that this was his first major role and i'm super excited to see what else he has in store going forward!
i'm actually really pleasantly surprised by this one so far! i think gmmtv comedies are very hit or miss, but i feel like most of the jokes in cooking crush really land. the humor feels really similar to fish upon the sky, which i wasn't a HUGE fan of, but i felt like its humor was a really strong point, so it makes a lot of sense now knowing that both shows have the same director/screenwriter. i know people wanted more serious dramas from offgun like not me, but to be completely honest i think their chemistry is at its best in a more lighthearted context. also its really nice having them as (at least for now) a non-toxic couple for once lol.
koki did a really amazing job as A-kun this episode! i'm a huge fan of him and his idol group, so i started this drama mainly just to see him and definitely did not disappoint! especially for a rookie actor, i thought his performance was really great and emotionally moving. i'm hoping to see him in more dramatic roles like this going forward!
i only started watching bc i love tanaka koki (the actor, not to be confused with tomoda koki the protagonist lmao) so its a bit of a bummer that he hasn't been featured yet other than at the very end of ep 1. that being said, i've actually been enjoying this so far! i haven't read the manga, so i don't really know whether koki and the angel are meant to be platonic or romantic since i've seen conflicting comments, but either way i think their dynamic is really nice and fun to watch, so i'm looking forward to watching the rest.
Can anyone tell me why after his mother's death Kou changed his surname from Tanaka to Mabuchi? I didn't understand…
i’m not sure if it’s any different in the drama, but in the manga, after kou’s parents get divorced he goes to live with his mother while his older brother stays with his dad. because he was living with his mom, he adopted her surname, mabuchi. after his mother’s death, he moves back in with his older brother and dad, but chooses to keep the surname mabuchi because it connects him to his mom. futaba knew him before his parents got divorced, so she knew him as tanaka. hope this helps!
?? at least give a reason why you think it's bad...
what i'm saying is that by arguing that this particular story does not accurately capture the queer experience of high schoolers, you imply that there is ONE accurate telling of the queer experience to be had, which is untrue.
whether or not a story is relatable is completely subjective, and you have every right to not relate to this story and find it untrue to your experience, i totally get that. there are several queer dramas that i don't personally relate to and therefore have trouble connecting with, but i know many other queer people who do find those stories relatable. i guess that's where my major issue is, the assumption that no one else will relate to a story or that the writer doesn't understand the group of people they're writing about, simply because it isn't relatable or accurate to you.
i'm assuming the wording change in your reply was meant to be snarky or sarcastic, but i do genuinely appreciate it. my initial comment may have come across as overdramatic or sensitive, but there is a lot of animosity towards women within the bl community and seeing overgeneralizations like that can be frustrating as a queer female fan. especially because i rarely see people criticizing straight male directors and writers on bl projects to the same extent as women. i don't think your initial comment was intended to be hateful towards women in any way btw, i'm not trying to imply that, just that thoughtful wording is important. so if you were being genuine about the word change, i do legitimately appreciate it.
?? at least give a reason why you think it's bad...
while i don't really personally agree with your points about the acting and writing, i think it's perfectly valid criticism for you to have. that being said, i am genuinely curious as to why you chose to bring up the director being female as a criticism for this series in particular?
it's pretty well known that a solid chunk of bl content is written and directed by women, and while i would agree that they can and has lead to inaccurate and oftentimes offensive portrayals of gay male characters and relationships, i find the notion that "no 25 year-old woman knows the thoughts of gay closeted high school boys" to be somewhat limiting. i think people are perfectly capable of writing stories that respectfully portray people in groups they are not a part of, including non-queer people writing queer stories. there are several well written and directed bls with young women at the helm, many of which you yourself have ranked highly, such as blueming, utsukushii kare, and old fashioned cupcake. in terms of this drama specficially, while it may not be an accurate portrayal of your queer experience, that doesn't necessarily make it inaccurate queer representation overall. as a young queer girl myself, i personally really relate to amane's struggle of having feelings for a seemingly straight friend, as well as him feeling the need to overcompensate for those feelings with humor.
don't get me wrong, i would love to see more openly queer writers, actors, and directors working on bl projects, and i think it's very frustrating that there aren't more working currently. that being said, i don't think it's fair to say that a (likely) non-queer woman is innately unable to tell an accurate or genuine queer story.
could someone explain why people are surprised that this is adapted from a manga written by the author harada? i'm not familiar with their work. are people surprised because this author's manga is usually sexual or something and they weren't expecting their work to get adapted, or is the author themself controversial?
UGH I'M SO BUMMED WE ONLY GET TWO MORE EPISODES AFTER THIS!!! every episode is just so lovely and well paced, definitely one of my favorites of the year!!
i'm really happy that we're starting to get more bl characters who actually say out loud that they're gay/acknowledge being queer! amane seems like a really lovely protagonist so far and i think takato is doing a really great job! (obviously ryuji is really great so far as well but i haven't seen as many people talking ab amane so i wanted to give him a shoutout!!)
It is still one of the best BLs I have ever watched, but the last episode wasn't totally satisfying for me. It…
totally agree, i think the ending was good as an episode but it didn't really feel like a solid conclusion? like sort of how ep 3 also ended on a nice note but their overall issues weren't really solved. i feel like they would have benefitted from one more ep tbh
personally, i have always found the idea of a "bl industry" in which actors are essentially sold as couples to be a little strange and parasocial. they're actors! they're meant to work on projects with people and then move on. i think especially in the case of gemini and fourth, it's extremely strange that two friends who were both barely 18 at the time, one of which had worked on only one project prior and one of which had no previous projects, were immediately thrust into that parasocial system and expected to be tied to each other for the forseeable future of their careers. that's tough! i don't feel like it's a betrayal for either of them to want to leave that system, and i don't feel like that that makes them stuck up or intolerant or anything.
my school president is my absolute favorite series of all time and gemini and fourth's performances and chemistry are part of what made it so great. that being said, i would be totally happy if they decided to not work together again! i think they did a great job with both msp and moonlight chicken, and i think that if they start to split ways after this series, that will be ok! they're both clearly talented, and for one reason or another, unfortunately, they weren't fully able to showcase that talent in this particular series. i guess my point is just that criticizing the series is completely valid, these two actors in particular have had a lot of pressure and a lot of attention extremely early on into their career, and i think that is somewhat reflected in their performances.
anyways, if you read all that, here are some things i actually really like so far about the series! i think mudmee is ADORABLE and perfectly cast. gmmtv gaining pahn as an artist will 100% be the best thing to come out of this series. in general i actually really like her and half's whole storyline and think it's being handled really well! i know a lot of people aren't here for the overacting or wacky comedy, but i love it!!! gimme all the weird corny faces and sound effects I LOVE IT!!!! while i think the ost is a little stuffed, the opening and ending songs are super cute!!!! gem4ths voices blend together really nicely as always. anywhoooo i will keep watching this series because i still think it's pretty fun and cute despite its flaws.
whether or not a story is relatable is completely subjective, and you have every right to not relate to this story and find it untrue to your experience, i totally get that. there are several queer dramas that i don't personally relate to and therefore have trouble connecting with, but i know many other queer people who do find those stories relatable. i guess that's where my major issue is, the assumption that no one else will relate to a story or that the writer doesn't understand the group of people they're writing about, simply because it isn't relatable or accurate to you.
i'm assuming the wording change in your reply was meant to be snarky or sarcastic, but i do genuinely appreciate it. my initial comment may have come across as overdramatic or sensitive, but there is a lot of animosity towards women within the bl community and seeing overgeneralizations like that can be frustrating as a queer female fan. especially because i rarely see people criticizing straight male directors and writers on bl projects to the same extent as women. i don't think your initial comment was intended to be hateful towards women in any way btw, i'm not trying to imply that, just that thoughtful wording is important. so if you were being genuine about the word change, i do legitimately appreciate it.
it's pretty well known that a solid chunk of bl content is written and directed by women, and while i would agree that they can and has lead to inaccurate and oftentimes offensive portrayals of gay male characters and relationships, i find the notion that "no 25 year-old woman knows the thoughts of gay closeted high school boys" to be somewhat limiting. i think people are perfectly capable of writing stories that respectfully portray people in groups they are not a part of, including non-queer people writing queer stories. there are several well written and directed bls with young women at the helm, many of which you yourself have ranked highly, such as blueming, utsukushii kare, and old fashioned cupcake. in terms of this drama specficially, while it may not be an accurate portrayal of your queer experience, that doesn't necessarily make it inaccurate queer representation overall. as a young queer girl myself, i personally really relate to amane's struggle of having feelings for a seemingly straight friend, as well as him feeling the need to overcompensate for those feelings with humor.
don't get me wrong, i would love to see more openly queer writers, actors, and directors working on bl projects, and i think it's very frustrating that there aren't more working currently. that being said, i don't think it's fair to say that a (likely) non-queer woman is innately unable to tell an accurate or genuine queer story.