Reviews

Not sure what happened here, but if anyone is looking for some advice whether to watch this drama or not....don't bother. I literally made an account on mydramalist JUST to vent how frustrated I was with this drama.

Aint going to lie, the first 12 episodes are pretty good and suspenseful. But then it just went downhill. It's as if the director/writer of this drama either changed to some freak and decided to kill off the entire cast. I'm sorry but that is just a lazy excuse of any creative writer could think of.

First the villain is way over powered, absolutely making no sense whatsoever. Then introduce some Jedi S**t, where he can control everything and everyone. Then make him invincible and to top it off after spending 12 hours watching the first 12 episodes, start killing the entire cast.

The writer is a sadistic freak that needs help. Shake my head....have you even looked at that genre? It's almost everything in the list. I feel like the producers just wanted to check off everything on the list. Love - check, Comedy - check, Crime - check, Thriller - check , then after, kill everyone; now you get tragedy thrown in the mix too. What makes it even more stupid is that, not 1 person decided to outsmart the villain. Really??? Honestly, if this guy was as evil as everyone makes him out to be, then why would anyone even trust him.

Don't waste your time with this. I'm just so angry I wasted my time with this.

Music and Cast are pretty good. Everything else...is a flop.

I'm done my rant, have a good day. Hope other agrees with me.

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Entertaining & Good Chemistry Ongoing Review (Happy Ending Answer)

SLOW START:
I am amazed that the drama follows the book's slow pace in the first 4 episodes. I was expecting less development of the CSS's family. The first 20+chapters of the book are boring so I thought they would just sum it up quickly, but they did drag it out a bit in slow motion. This will discourage some people who are used to quick-paced dramas. If you don't like wordplay or family (in this case females) bickering, then the first episodes will be painfully slow. However, the drama doesn't need to be abandoned because the later episodes will be better after the "main" characters come out. That being said, I have a feeling that the drama will be developed in a similar way.
It's a slow beginning, but they did try to make it entertaining. I think it's worth giving it a chance to develop the narrative (which although slow, is well-acted and filmed). The cinematography looks amazing so far.

If needed, you can skip the first 4 episodes: they are about a girl who was left behind as a baby because her family had to go to war. She was abused by her aunt and grandma. The story begins as her family returns home to find her grown up without education and fine manners.
The ML LBY came out in the first episode. He "met" CSS's hand. And the face-to-face meeting doesn't happen until episode 6.

PLOT EXPECTATION:
What this story is not about: politics & war (there is some, but it is about 1/4 of the story ... the other 3/4 is about women's and family drama). So it's always good to keep your expectation consistent with the perspective that this novel is about a girl, who is the main character; she has 3 suitors; her character matures as she makes her choices.

For those who expect a quick meeting of the main leads and a fast-paced romance, this isn't the drama. They don't "meet" right away. It's going to take time for her to like him. If you have seen The Story of Minglan, it's the similar vibe in terms of family drama. The focus will move from CSS's family drama to another family drama (the emperor's).

ACTING:
So far I really like the acting and funny moments (including the wordplay). It's a different type of drama. It feels like an artistic rendition rather than the typical C-dramas. If you like ZLS, this is a drama in which she shines because she can act in different stages of growth. LW's acting is not shabby either.

As you watch the drama, look out for the details in the words between the characters. The beauty of this novel/drama lies in the details and words and the interaction between people.

CHEMISTRY:
All the MLs have chemistry with ZLS. The looks (eyes) between them and her show how much they like her.

ENDING:
Happy Ending in the Novel. They didn't get married only talked about it in the epilogue. No actual ceremony. Let's hope the drama will script it in.

EPISODE REVIEW:
ep1:
The old lady who came to fetch CSS said, "If your parents love you, why did they leave you?" - This is the same question that CSS must have asked many times: it makes her feel unloved and orphaned.
When LBY heard the uncle say that CSS was without parents all her life, he must have already felt connected with her through their shared background: both grew up without parents.

ep 1-4
Not as good as could have been because of the excessive bickering. It sets up the storyline. Can skip over the high-pitched overdramatized bickering if you don't enjoy it.

Just finished ep6:
Amazing! They changed the novel. I love the change! It's more exciting/entertaining and makes more sense that she met all 3 on the same night! She still hasn't seen his face clearly, but he saw hers.

7-8
Episodes 7-8 didn't disappoint. Again, the script deviated from the novel, but it's all positive. VERY entertaining. I thought the cinematography and storyline had a Disneyesque quality: the filming of LBY with the black cape (a repetition from previous scenes) from low to the high angle from the back makes him look like a Disney character: intimidating, intriguing, and foreshadowing. The real voice of FL added to the fun and childish scenes. I feel she made it very believable and entertaining to watch.
TBH, I enjoy watching this drama more than reading the book. Although I laughed sometimes while reading, the drama brought out more of the comic element by providing not just the regular rom-com but also sophisticated irony, contrast, etc ... The director gave it a vibe of Disney's Cinderella and "Sense and Sensibility".

EPS 15-6
Again, I am impressed with the screen adaptation and the director of this drama.
An excellent screen adaptation of the novel to include more interactions among the male leads. I love that they are more central to the story and being shown at the same time so the audience can see how they treat her and how she reacts to their perspectives.

Jane Austen's vibe is obvious and consistent as the actors curtsy to each other and politely nod their heads. The director is able to get the actors to perform their roles perfectly. It's funny but not to the point of being ridiculous. The humor has a tasteful vibe. When the grandma's dramatic role is not being overplayed as in eps 1-4, she also has the vibe of JA's old dames.

I also love that ZLS can bring out the little girl vibe. Although she is young (but not that young), she brought out the innocence of a 14-year-old at times and makes you feel like yeh, I could believe in her silliness, idealism, and audacity. I think her real voice and acting make the role so believable even though she doesn't look 14 years old.

17-18
If I were reading Episodes 17-18, I would be fast-forwarding them to the next best parts. It's so painfully slow to wait for next week's episodes! I guess the story is not moving fast enough because it's still evolving around similar plot lines and conflicts: engagement, family fighting, LBY's unrequited love, CSS still needs to fight for herself without getting new skills.

It's like a video game level: she's not getting any extra skills or new conflicts to move on to the next level.
However, it's fun to see the dynamics of different families.

In these episodes, we can see that she's going to have a tough battle against the Lou family. Everyone can see it except CSS. Why? In her insecurity (worrying about not being able to find a suitable husband - Lou is the only one who asked her to be his wife), CSS thinks this is as good as it's going to get for her. She's a young teen. She's full of insecurities due to abandonment and lack of love. She doesn't know what love is. She is only concerned about having independence through being married to an easy-to-manipulate husband who will support her projects. But she doesn't realize that behind the husband is actually a formidable family.
These episodes are fun to watch to see the dynamics of Chinese families. The princes showed up in episode 18 in which you can see the contrast between the crown prince and the 3rd prince. It's foreshadowing who will rule at the end.
The next episodes will be more fun when she becomes engaged to LBY. It's a new plot line involving a new mentor (empress) and a matchmaker (emperor). It will be less frustrating to watch because CSS is getting new skills and love from her mentor. She has a stronger fiancé who supports her.

19-20
Breaking up is hard to do so CSS refuses to accept the verdict that she has to give her fiance, Yao, to the He daughter. Yao and CSS promised to stand against the world. Here we see that Yao actually has a backbone. His relationship with CSS has matured him and inspired a devotion that stands against the bullying of his family. It's a foreshadowing of a decent man and friend that he will become at the end of the story.
In this episode, we see that the relationship between mother and daughter is progressing ... also more disclosures about LBY's past.
One thing I noticed about this director is his use of repetition to emphasize the point: My favorite part about these 2 episodes is the last scene: LBY said, "No need to fear. I am here!" This is a repetition of what he said when he rescued her before. It just emphasizes his devotion to her.

21-22

Finally, the plot moves on! I felt too much time was spent on the first engagement. I would like to see more time spent on CSS and LBY's story. At least now, we are heading in the right direction!
She breaks her engagement with Yao. From here on, LBY will become the main man in her life. This marks the beginning of her exposure to life in the palace.
She overheard a conversation about overthrowing the crown prince. LBY saves her and starts to become involved in her life.
Overall, the plot is moving on. I wish they would not drag on with the grandma's scenes. At this point, I tend to get impatient and fast forward her scenes.
The emperor, on the other hand, is a lot more humorous. His involvement in LBY's love life is hilarious... the scene was fun to read too.

23-24
The script modified the story but it sounds reasonable. Here is where the LBY asks the Emperor to represent his parents and ask for CCS's hand in marriage. She took a chance and said yes. Why? She was touched by his sincere declaration that she is a special lady who is fit to be his wife. No other will do.

25-26
Excellent job in both scripting and directing. Really loved these two episodes, especially the humorous ending of 26! This was not in the book but the script again exceeded my expectation. I loved the way the director showed humor, not just through words but also through the filming angles and the closeup of movements!
In episode 25, CSS had to deal with the gossip and LBY helped her to silence the vicious girls. She realized then that she is solely dependent on him to give her power. And by relying on him, she loses her independence.

27
The hilarious episode shows LBY taking over Cheng's family in a military style.
28
Love doesn't conquer all ... Adjustments and compromises are required. I find this scenario to be very realistic. Romantic love is balanced with conflicts and character development. I like how smoothly the script transition the story to the Palace.

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Rough path with some sweetness and the ending that lost focus…

A Shoulder to Cry On delivered quite a few good messages that would resonate with teens and young adults, and even a few lessons that can change the perspective of the adults, as long as they are willing to think about these topics after the episodes end. A nice step into a different direction in a well known high school set up.

That said, is this truly the deep and complex psychological story as some people claim it to be? Depends on what you compare it to. It’s not as sweet and silly as many high school and university BLs, and there is an attempt to add layers to the characters, especially on Tae Hyun’s side. So compared to other K-BLs, one could see it as something more. If you look at it in a broader manner, sadly it’s just another enemy to lovers trope with trauma as a cherry on top.

Yes, it does tackle some serious and important topics like childhood trauma, lack of emotional support, repressed feelings, guilt, resentment, forgiveness. Yet, all on surface level. It’s like a weather talk - just a starter for the conversation.

I think the biggest disappointment for me comes from how black and white they tried to present really complex situations and how fast they moved away from them without truly putting time and effort to give a proper resolution, which was especially obvious in the last two episodes. How to put it… it lacked nuance. It made me feel like the production team does not trust the audience to handle difficult topics so they made them as approachable and simple as possible. God forbid someone finishes an episode with conflicted feelings about the characters.

Personally, my favorite part of the plot was Da Yeol’s doubts about his path. It’s an issue most young people resonate with and many adults still struggle with. It was best written, paced and concluded part of the story and I wish the drama focused on it a little bit more.

Then we have the acting, which was fine during the teen daily life scenes, and questionable at best during the emotional scenes. There were a few moments I could see Shin Ye Chan tried to convey strong emotions, but it just did not translate on screen. Similar issues happened with more “heart wrenching” scenes from Kim Jae Han. Realistically speaking, for debut roles, these were quite challenging, so I’m; not exactly surprised by the end product.

Undoubtedly the production was a massive improvement compared to other short k-bls. Longer episodes allowed the story to have a more even pacing without too many things being painfully rushed (putting aside the final conclusions). While it still lacks in comparison to mainstream dramas, it’s on par with other web dramas, which is far better than what we’ve got until this point from Korean BLs.

Improvement from makeup artists needed though.

Overall, it’s great to see a longer format and I’m glad it was given to a story with an actual plot that at least attempted something more than “sweet teen romance”.

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THE BEST ASIAN BL EVER MADE

THE GODS THEMSELVES BLESSED HER. F*CKKKK, WHO TAUGHT SAMMON (writer of Triage) HOW TO WRITE.
Triage absolutely caught me unawares. Now, I have watched BLs for 8 years (since 2014) and in that period I have watched over 370+ BLs, BLs from every area of life, from different countries and genres. I can proudly say that Triage is my best BL ever made or released (followed closely by The Untamed at number 2).
I was not ready for the phenomenon that is Triage, like I started this series and it was kind of slow in episode 1 and 2 but I am not the type of person that usually drops a show if I don't like the first few episodes and I can say that was the best decision of my life with regards to BLs, I absolutely love how well knit this series is and how realistic it is, the social issues that it handles and addresses and how it does this without being cliche or boring.
But what amazes me the most is how this woman managed to tie the entirety of Triage to Manner of Death, like her brilliance in all of this, I don't know how I will ever lower my standards for Thai BLs. THIS SERIES WILL NEVER BE DEFEATED IN THAILAND
Anyways, let me get to the review proper.

If you have read my reviews in the past, I review series in 8 standard areas/categories.
1. Introduction
2. General Review, Themes and Specific Issues
3. Story Arc and Storylines
4. Characters and Casting
5. Acting
6. Misses
7. Production
8. Rewatch Value

Introduction
In summary, this series is more about how interconnected the lives of different characters in the series can be without them knowing, it is about an abuse of a position of power and trust, it is about the complexities of love, it is about the desperations of life and how life can hand us such a bad set of cards, it is about the weaponization of poor disparity to keep the oppressed in an oppressed position. Along the line of all these things, we get to witness two men fall in love, in what might be one of the purest forms of love, a love that nurtures and guides, a love that doesn't judge, a love that grows us and develops us.

If I say this series took me by surprise which was what made it all that more pleasant to watch because I had ZERO expectations from it, but it absolutely SMASHED!!!! every possible barrier. Like when this series was being made, all the gods of earth were in the room with them because that is the only thing that can explain the execution I got from this series. I saw one of the videos on twitter, they literally had doctors on set with them to teach them what certain procedures should look like, the precise places to perform a surgery etc and I had a medical student as well as a doctor who watched the series who said their medical procedures were really spot on.
The series was so mature in how they handled their storylines, their concepts and issues, they did not make caricatures of any characters, they did not attempt to villainize any of the characters out of stereotypes (I was particularly worried they would do that to Mai, but the mature way the addressed Mai, Heart and Tol's relationship in the series).
LIKE FUCKKKKKKKK, these people really gave me such a good time in the series, that just thinking about it makes me smile like a child and giggle. I am almost tempted to say this series had no flaws but I won't lie the slow start in episode 1 and 2 is kind of a flaw because it may dissuade the impatient viewer from continuing with the show and making them miss the gem that they will get in the rest of the series.

Alright I know I am sounding like a broken record, so it's time for me to move to the next segment.


General Review, Themes and Specific Issues

For a general review, Triage is a sleeper hit, because Triage was such a refreshing breath to me, I had intended to give up watching BLs in October of 2022 (I don't know why I had a specific date) but the series just had the IT FACTOR, it was refreshing to see detail in that sense, as well as the amount of detail paid to medical terms, autopsy, surgery etc.

I was pleased with the level of suspense they left us with after each episode, like they dropped tidbits of knowledge that make you eager to learn more by the next week, and there was a certain level of complexity with the amount of attention devoted to the mystery. Knowing each character's driving forces and having the utmost suspicion for each one

I loved the series for so many things, they always made me laugh and roll over with laughter with how in love Tol was with Tin, how much of a bxtch Tin was to Tol, sadness with Rit when he discovered his information, sadness for Tin when Tol and Fukfang both died. This series made me feel all the emotions possible, joy, happiness, sadness, rage etc.

Now to the themes and issues addressed, there were so many real-life issues addressed in the show that if I decided to touch on everyone, I would exhaust my word limit on the review, because Sammon is just that good of a writer, she knows how to handle issues, but here are a few that I have identified and picked out:

1. Medical Malpractice and Organ Harvesting - Seeing a BL cover an issue as serious as this and as underrepresented in mainstream media was so exciting because this is a real-life issue we battle in the real world. From the improper administration of drugs to patients to the illegal removal of patient's organs, the series touched on an epidemic that has plagued the lives of so many persons who have had a need to use health facilities especially where the person cannot afford the most expensive of facilities. People don't understand the pain that comes with having your organ stolen but the series handles this pain so beautifully it could not have been better.
2. Relationships that build each other - I think in Thai media and media at large, we have been exposed so much to a love that is always toxic and destructive, that we have started to adapt to this as a form of "healthy" relationship. One thing I loved in the series was the fact that Tin never once judged Tol for his actions, instead he worked with him to try and do better, which is more important than most in a relationship that you are developing each other. Another angle in which I saw this was with Tol to Mai, we can all clearly see that Tol loved Mai in the previous loops (else why would he always die because of her), but I love how much when he found out about the reason why she was dating him, he didn't become bitter or vow to destroy her, no he understood why she did what she did and helped to ensure her mother got the appropriate care she needed, this is what I mean by having relationships when you edify each other.
3. The Effect of each of our actions: This is best portrayed in Tin and Tol and the drunk guy that was saved in the last episode. The effect of choices, every decision we make, no matter how remote or isolated it is, has an adverse effect on tons of lives, take an example, Tol saving that man's life now, impacts not just the man, but his family as well, who only God knows might be the sole bread winner of the family.
Tol said that is in-line with this -"Because someone doesn't love his life, doesn't mean there aren't those they love and that love them back. Saving a guy's life can make a lot of people happy "
It goes to the fact Tin was so blinded in rage about his sister that he forgot one of his core oaths as a doctor, DO NO HARM, his actions hurt someone, whether or not he sees them or not. Tol just talks about making them happy but me, my thoughts take it farther, not just their happiness but the overall impacts on their life
4. Wealth Gap and Oppression of the Poor - One of the most important themes of this series is how the voice of the poor is often robbed from them, we see Rit who initially commits suicide is led to those actions because his rich and more powerful friends' asides treating him like shit, steal his ideas and get away with it because the society is built to favour the rich and powerful. We also get this in Mai, who basically forced to enter a relationship she does not want to be in because it can pay her mother's bills, again portraying how expensive the health system is but also how it oppresses the poor from getting vital healthcare.
5. Mental Health: I felt almost foolish at the finale for hating Doi all through the series, the way she handled Doi's mental health, she didn't do something that writers and the world likes to do often and that is treating mental health as a crime. I always asked myself what Doi's motivators were and I wouldn't lie, I hated him for his interference in the series but I must say, when it was unveiled that he has mental health issues with him in the psych ward, damn, I was so happy with the writer becasue she shows often times, what these people need is the appropriate help not hatred
6. Senseless Injustices - Another prevalent issue or theme in this is the uncontrollable nature of injustice, asides Rit and Mai whom I have spoken about in number 4, we see uncontrollable injustice with Tin's sister and I think this specific theme is important because I understand how bad it can get when some of these injustices happens.
7. Forgiveness because there was a lot of forgiveness going around, from Tol towards Mai, Rit to Tol etc.
8. Bribery and Corruption - Honestly on this theme, I don't think I will go so much into it

So that is everything on general review, themes and specific issues.



Characters/Story Arc and Storyline
1. Tin, for Tin we see Tin have to come out of his shell, his dislike for humans and his judgemental high grounds to actually develop a conscience, fall in love and try saving people. At the start of the series, we meet an already broken person in Tin without realizing that he is broken, although we get a first hint of this where he is being kinda bitchy about treating a drunk person but the story arc of Tin has him maturing, seeing that life is not always what it seems to be especially with him discovering that Tol was not actually drunk and he had judged him too much. From his attempt to save Tol, we see Tin slowly change as a person on a whole he becomes softer not to only Tol, but those around him as well. His character development was really great to see. Seeing the efforts Tin put in on his side to being there for Tol broke me😭😭😭😭, man legit studied a course he has no background in, just to stop Tol from cheating.... This is why I always say, it's the tiny things that matter.... This is such a positive example of passing across what a healthy relationship should look like.... Working to build each other up.
Also Tin being an ER doctor makes sense, when you explain it like this, he is an ER doctor, prolong their lives long enough to see other doctors. Because his personality doesn't mix well with other humans, and as an ER doctor, most patients are not in a state to be able to talk.

2. Tol is a rich boy, who it pretty and has always gotten what he wants, this of course makes him a spoilt brat who doesn't appreciate anything beside him. It makes him ruin his friendships with people without realizing that he is doing so, it makes him lazy and naive (the attempt to cheat in the anti-fraud exam.... the irony of cheating on anti-fraud). I mentioned it earlier but I love how his dynamic with Tin through the series, why did I particularly love this because Tin corrected Tol with love rather than judgement, he took his time to teach and explain why each of the imperfections and flaws. I think we get to see Tol develop from this immature self to ultimately being the one that has to save everyone in this final loop. If that is not character development, I don't know what is.
But can we take a moment to acknowledge how cursed Tol is with love, I mean my guy, women are using him for his money and the man is cursed to either watch him die or he watches the man die, like my dude should just give it up. But Tol was so in love

3. Jinta, our ultimate hookup master, lol, this man needs to be taught what privacy laws, because the way he just drops in it is funny, Tol trying to cover his eyes from seeing him and Tin do the deed got me. Jinta's hookup service is extreme because it is literally do or die, either you get him to be with you or he dies and you never get him back, the terms of his deal are simple, which is hillarious to see him stress Tol like that

4. Heart and Mai, surprisingly, I did not hate Heart and Mai, I love the clarity that the series gave to them both, Heart was not made to be some deadbeat guy who was using his girlfriend to defraud someone, instead you could see him actively trying to be better and available for her and Mai couldn't be blamed either, society put her in the position of having to trick Tol for the sake of her mother's life.

5. Gap and Sing were just adorable, watching Gap get jealous all the time was so funny to see because he was sulky about it. I liked how in this current loop; they are already together.

6. I hated Sak and his Lackey


Now on a general, I love how they tied their stories together and created parallels
1. If you followed the memories carefully, you would notice that the Tol and Mai fight, where he throws her and she gets cut, it's a replica of Heart and Mai fight, so since in the previous loop, he is in the knowledge of everything and he is already with Tin, balance is struck by having Heart and Mai have the fight instead.

2. Similar to how Tin also died at 10:55pm July 18th similar to Tol's time of death in the loop. Notice the cause of death is always linked to a party? Since the first cause of death was him chasing after Mai at the party, he threw to appease her, Tin's death was at Tol's party for his accomplishment because in this loop, Mai's party couldn't exist and be the cause of death... So now it's Tol's party that has replaced it and is the cause of death

3. The crossing of the loop with Tol seeing the memories, thus why Tol was physical in one of Tin's loops just made so much fucking sense, because in Tol's view, he is seeing how far Tin went for him, literally battling days of no sleep, just to have a way to save him and if you link if to the previous episode 4, it is shown to be a driving motivation for Tin... if you go back to episode 4 where the OG Tin seeing Tol scene happened, the music is the same as the music in episode 11, the conversations are also the same... Word for word.... The scene also makes sense now, on why Tol was so intimate with him in the scene when they didn't have a relationship yet.... Also, if you noticed, Tin "woke up" in episode 4, right when Jinta switched the memories in episode 11... LIKE THE FUCKING ATTENTION TO DETAILS!!!!!!!!!!!

4. Using their parents to get to each other

5. There was no scene that was left unexplained, every part was carried fully

Casting and Acting.
1. Tee Thanapon Jarujitranon is a FUCKING ACTOR!!!!!! The way he portrayed one important factor in his search for Jinta, so he can bring back Tin.... It's very important because Tin has had a cool and measured approach because he started trying to save Tol when he had no feelings for Tol, but subsequently those feelings developed and that's why his death in episode 6 pained him more.... But with Tol, we see that he is already in love with Tin when Tin dies, so the way they portrayed his anxiety to get his lover back is so great and realistic...... Like the utter desperation he displayed to Jinta as well as when he was still in his ghost form at the beginning of the memories and Tin was trying to save his life.... His reactions 🥺🥺🥺🥺, when he is back to the past, we can see the desperation with which he tries to reunite with Tin, including faking the medical emergency (to a literal doctor), Tee is able to embody all of this, including the great love for Tin, which is beautiful

2. Tae was absolutely awesome as well as Dr. Tin, he gave the sassy and bitchy vibes completely well, his sequence in episode 6 after the deaths of Tol and Fang was so painful to watch, the tears and all. His gentle smile when he sees Tin. He absolutely delivered his scenes as well. His struggle to save Tol was palatable to me, I felt his frustrations in episode 1 and 2, I felt every disappointment of his because he was communicating it so well. I love how he characterizes Tin as a flawed human who was also in need of fixing.

3. The entire burial scene of Tin was really good acting from the cast, it felt like someone really died, the tears and crying didn't seem forced

Misses (There are none to me, so here are funny bits instead)
1. Tol assaulting Tin in his sleep (joking), so he can get him to remember him
2. Tol trying to block Jinta's eyes from him and Tin
3. Tin saying Nosy/Rosy
4. Tol trying to fake drowning (a medical incident to a doctor)
5. Gap thinking sing wanted to have sex in the medical room

Production
On production this series definitely put total thought into all aspects that they needed to make sure they are a 100% and they did their assignment on that, from the medical scenes to the acting etc. Like the open heart surgery, it was way too real, the irony of that scene was that right before they showed it, I was dragging them that they won't show it, they would just skip the scene and show us hours later, next thing I saw a blade cutting someone's skin and blood gushing out and I was like "alright, too realistic for me" but yes, scenes like that accentuated the series for me.

Rewatch Value
Heck I am rewatching this show this night

Again, I must say I absolutely love this show. It is the Best Thai BL ever

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It had everything to be the best series

I'll try to be as objective as possible and English is not my native language, so sorry if there are mistakes.

The proposal of the series is really good. The themes addressed in each episode could have a greater positive impact, however, the series is short and the episodes didn't have enough running time for the plot to be better developed. As good as the cast is, good acting alone is not enough.



EPISODES BL 1, 4, and 6

Episode 1 WOULD YOU BE MY LOVE - The main couple has a lot of chemistry, that is unquestionable, but the bullyng scenes are very disturbing. In my opinion, they focused much more on the bullyng scenes, than on developing the relationship between Sun and Ozone.

Episode 4 ONCE UPON A TIME - Really the themes covered are very strong, but the story was very poorly developed. Ballon and Mek keep their relationship a secret and "apparently" talk about everything. Ballon values his family very much, and Mek is hurt that he feels left behind because he only has Ballon. A lot of things happen during the course of the episode, they even get to break up, and as much as in the end they stay together, there isn't even a dialogue between them, it doesn't show how they resolve their conflicts, so it doesn't convince me.

Episode 6 VS LOVE - In my opinion, this was the best story of all. The proposed theme was well covered, it is very straightforward, and unlike some of the previous episodes, the ending is conclusive.


For me, among the BL stories, the story in episode 6 was by far the best.



EPISODE GL 3

Episode 3 REMEMBER - Summarized in a few words "I betrayed you and lied to you, but I still love you" is about that. At the end we don't know what happens to the characters.

It started well, but in the end it was the worst episode of the series.



HETEROSEXUAL EPISODES 2, 5 and 7

Considering that most people watching this series are more BL fans, the theme proposed in these, has less impact, because it is not BL and does not address the themes related to it.


Episode 2 RHYTHM'S HEART - I didn't feel any chemistry between the main couple. There is nothing interesting.

Episode 5 BREAKUP ZONE - The story is about long-time friends who end up developing feelings for each other. In my opinion, the acting was very weak. As friends, they are very cute, But as a couple, there is no chemistry and the kissing scene would be better if there wasn't.

Episode 7 50% MY PUPPY LOVE - This is not the strongest story of them all, but it is good nonetheless. The story deals with the theme of friendship and first love. There is not much interaction between Bean and Thankao until the end of the episode, but watching it makes us relive our school days, when we started to like someone, and admire that person from afar, how we were shy to approach them... and also about the friendships we want to keep for the rest of our lives and conflicts over their misunderstandings. We can feel the tension and shyness between Beam and Tonkao and the sadness between Beam and his friend when they are fighting.
It is a cute and funny story, well worth watching.


Among the heterosexual episodes, only episode 7 is good, mainly because of the good acting, the characters are expressive and have chemistry.



Overall, it had everything to be one of the best series, because it approaches several different and very specific themes. The proposal is good, but the plot failed.
I will watch again only episodes 6 and 7.

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This drama is really cute. The love triangle can be a bit tiresome and frustrating, but isn't that the way love triangles are.

I really liked Lee Min Ki in this because he was so funny. The expressions on his face and the gestures, it's hilarious.

Plus, you do get the "who will she pick" tension, so the final outcome is much anticipated.

Also, the scenes with the cooking made me hungry too, so better bring some munchies.

It's 34 episodes and that can be an investment in time, but it's well worth it.

The only low score I've given is for rewatchablility; not because it's not worth a rewatch, but rather because I only rewatched certain episodes I found particularly cute and not all 34 in a row again.

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If someone told me that Tsuchiya Tao and Mamiya Shotaro would make such a good couple before seeing this movie, I wouldn't believe them. The characters they usually choose in dramas and movies are so different from each other, I couldn't even imagine them being in any way compatible. The description didn't hint at anything different, either; recycled, stereotypical J-love triangle with a female character that goes "ehhhhhhh~~" every 2 seconds. But what we got was so, so, so much better.

The first 15 or so minutes of the movie is nothing out the ordinary and is exactly as the synopsis says it is. Tsuchiya Tao so far, as Yukina, fits the cast of Every Japanese Shoujo Heroine™. The REAL fun of the movie starts when Yukina and Kei meet Sakaba (Mamiya Shotaro's character) and try convincing him to be a pilot in the club again. What ensues is a hilarious scream-off between Yukina and Sakaba, owing to their headstrong personalities and loud voices, which is both extremely cute and displays the incredible chemistry between the two characters that never goes away throughout the duration of the movie.

That said, don't watch this expecting a cute romance; there isn't one. One-sided, sure (I won't say who), but definitely nobody becomes a couple at the end of the movie. I was a little disappointed at first, naturally, but in figured that in the grand scheme of things, it doesn't really matter- it didn't matter to the two people involved, anyway. Yet, I hope there is a Part 2 so that my hopeful little heart is in peace.

Tl;dr: If you're a fan of cute comedy and amazing chemistry (that is only sometimes romantic- emphasis on SOMETIMES), you will love this movie just as much as I did.

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This show was so lighthearted compared to other historical dramas

I remember watching the trailer for this show on YouTube about a week before it came out and getting really excited because I honestly love historical dramas.
When I first started watching the show, it was a little slow in the first place however I never judge a show by the first episode because it takes time to introduce characters and the setting and ended up getting excited for a new episode every week as I fell in love with this show.

-Story-
I loved how this show took its time laying out the story episode by episode. I truly enjoyed how everything came together and how the characters ended up in the end as it seemed very natural and not forced upon. Whenever there was a flashback, puzzle pieces were connecting in my brain and I found myself following along in hopes of guessing the ending before they revealed it haha.
-Acting-
Loved both the FL and the ML in this show and especially loved their chemistry. However, as many pointed out, the ML's acting wasn't top notch as some drama lovers expected. Nonetheless, I felt the ML's acting improved throughout the show and really portrayed his character well. Not only did the male lead portray his character well, but I'd like to shed some light on the actors of the fellow historians who I would like to thank for depicting and channeling their characters so well, that I constantly found myself laughing whenever they were all together, always finding something to get worked up about.

There are so many other things I could write about for this show and how lighthearted it was compared to other dramas but these were the main points that really hooked me into coming back each week for a new episode

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Unforgettable Collaborations, a Mastermind Villain, Nail-Biting Plot Twists, and a Beautiful Romance

This drama is one of the best dramas out there if someone is looking for a lot of thrill with nerve-wracking plot twists and cliffhangers and a drama with well-structured crimes as well as investigations then then you have reached your station. One of the best things that makes this drama stand out is how real the drama looks for example here the ML doesn't just magically solves cases but rather goes through various iterations again and again making sense out of the evidence and drawing various plans, this is what that is usually missing from most crime-thriller dramas. Another aspect is that the characters all had their own lives instead of all working on the same case for the sake of the plot always surrounding the ML Instead all had their own share of things to take care of many were investigating other cases many helped ML solve the cases through their own domain expertise which is also different than another other drama out there which made this drama look more like a real-world situation where we sometimes collaborate with someone other time with others, sometimes someone asks for help sometimes you get help from someone, if someone is injured or takes holidays we have their replacements. So for me, it felt more like watching a separate world through the camera lens. Wait there is still a lot more😂😂.
The plot revolves around the police department, NFS, and firefighters, and here we see cases that involve all three of them working together or at least called together on sites which later turns into collaborations. Each place has a set of repeating characters which we can consider the main characters yet they can also change given the circumstances It doesn't mean that any of them lack substance rather all will end up becoming your favorite For example here Doha was an addition that I really like his collaboration with ML just makes sense they are a perfect duo just like how we saw Jindo dog and Bulldozer together in S1.
The cases are much more extreme in S2 than in S1 making us think how the hell are they gonna do, whether they will make it out alive or not. These cases will keep you up all night until you complete the whole drama😂😂. There is also slight romance in the drama, not many scenes but it will surely melt your heart whenever you see them together in any scene. Both ML and FL have their own love language and their own way of expressing it. Oh man at this rate I will keep on going all day long talking about them😂😂 let's move on.
This drama also has one of the most brilliant villains who made all the best of the bests in the drama (like Jin Ho Gae, Kang Do Ha, and Yoon Hong, etc.) run around in the palm of his hands. He was the main mastermind pulling all the strings from behind but no one could even speculate even the crimes he drew let alone his identity or his involvement. This man literally used the whole country as his playing field and our character as players to play with. He was always working on many things at once unlike the normal villains who give their all in only one crime until they fail and move on to another, he on the other hand always had his hands full of plans to execute.
Although S2 is a little bit behind S1 but cases shown here are better than S1 and it also has much much better collaborations between the different teams, departments, and characters. The lineup at the end of S2 seemed too overly powered to me where all the best of the best were working together so I don't know if S3 comes out any of the villains would even last a single episode😂. I would really love to see the actors working together again, especially the ML and FL. I don't know if there will be another season or not but all I know is that this drama created a whole different level or standard for other crime thriller dramas to work towards.

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Ok I just need to write a review of this, I mean seriously this is one of the best movies I've seen in my life, damn! this is too good.

This film is quite smart, it plays with your mind and emotions from beginning to end, this is a roller coaster of emotions. From the very beginning I was totally blown up and so many times while watching the movie I just found myself -literally- open mouthed because I just couldn't believe what I was watching. Too good.

They tell us the story step by step without missing details, so we don't get the whole bunch of information abruptly and it keeps you hooked up to the story.
One of the things that I loved the most about this, was definitely the ethical-moral question the whole movie sets. Who's right? who's wrong? who has the right point of view about justice? The film won't answer these questions, it just shows different points of views and it's all up to you to decide who's right or wrong...
The ending is an open ending but not a bad ending at all! it's really hard to make an open ending good, but this one was pretty good. I loved the very last scene so much.

About the acting... Ikuta Toma is a great actor, he deserves every single acting award that exists in this planet. His acting was superb! Actually everyone did a great acting job.
Camera and directing work it's perfect for the film, the colors and the tones and use of the light gives to every moment a special feeling.

Music was pretty accurate to each scene, in some scenes I just felt that music was another character of the movie. :)

This movie is based on the novel "No Otoko" by Urio Shudo :)

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The start of the new decade might be slow for Japanese dramas but in this year 2020 we got some of the funniest and wildest WTF plot in recent years, like the stalker masochist CEO in "Konootoko ha Jinseisaidai no Ayamachi Desu", and in this drama Uchida Rio portrays a woman who has intimate relationships with 5 different partners. When I said wild I don't mean the same goofy, meme worthy material you find in most Japanese advertisements, what I mean is the subject it tackled may be offensive to some especially if you are a person who always take everything seriously even if it's comedy.

This is by far the funniest Japanese drama I've seen this year and the reason for that is language they use is too graphic. There are moments where I can't believe the dialogue that coming from these characters, I cringe but then laugh out loud after. The setting is also another plus points for me given that I love anime, they work in CG Production Company for games and anime. You see them working hard but there are times where they are just slacking off and fooling around, and I don't blame them as working conditions in this industry is one of the worst. Like for example they rushed one project so that one of their colleagues won't miss his date, but not really it's just a usual appointment with a girl in a sex shop where he is a regular customer. LOL

It's more of a character driven than story driven plot, characters are not railroaded to certain goals or events, it's just these characters, their funny interactions, their development, those are what made this such fun drama. The cast are composed of quirky individuals, the female lead who is addicted to sex, the virgin friend boys love fanatic, the ex girlfriend obsessed muscle man, sex shop naive patron and this office fling playboy. Each episodes consists of segments where each explores the lives of these characters. We follow them in a slice of life way in which most of the time are just wild and WTF moments.

The acting is good for the most part, you don't need award winning acting for this type of drama anyway and all of them are good in comedy, their comedic timing is almost perfect. The chemistry between these actors is excellent, in which their characters compliments each other really well. The opening song at the beginning is as wild as this drama goes.

Conclusion In today's world where people are easily get offended by everything they see and hear, it seems this type plot wouldn't feel right, but just give this one a chance and you will see characters who respect and support each other for who they are. How I wish I have colleagues such as them.

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For the casual western viewer, this period Chinese melodrama poses some real challenges. However with patience, an earnest desire to comprehend the production, and a good rewind button, the rewards are worth the effort. Ancient China, court intrigue and courtly etiquette, an evil plot, assassins, beautifully handsome young actors and actresses, and a bit of comedy for the groundlings, Love is More than a Word is a tale unfolding upon the screen as if in stunning calligraphy upon an unrolled parchment. The sets and staging are amazingly brilliant and lush in color, the costuming and makeup likewise breathtaking, the huge cast and extras all very convincing in their various rolls. Few stories of this homoerotic genre are told with such obvious material investment; one can easily believe the budget for this production was immense. Director Chen Peng has previously had a success with another similar production in this genre, Like Love, an unpretentious, lively and light-hearted tale of a college romance between a brooding, menacing undergrad, An Ziyan, and his endearingly ditzy but earnest classmate Maiding. But despite its enjoyable playfulness, where Like Love lacked for budget and production quality, this much more impressive effort shines brightly.
Not for the culturally feint hearted, the complex plot and obscure cultural touchstones make this wonderful little film a genuine effort as I have previously stated, but if you have the time and a willing heart, you won't be disappointed.

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Operation: Blue Lightning

Operation: Special Warfare is a co-production between CCTV, Penguin Films, Bona Films, Xiaoyao Films and Ram Films. This big budget production that involves extensive use of modern Chinese military hardware and facilities was filmed in Northwest China, including a segment at Taklamakan desert in Xinjiang.

Directed by Liu Ting and based on the original screenplay written by Duan Lian Min, himself a former member of the Chinese military, having served as a platoon commander. He has written many military-themed novels and screenplays as well as directed dramas and films of similar genre for which he has won numerous accolades. He is currently attached to the Political Department of the Chinese Navy serving as a director and screenwriter for military productions.

The drama follows the journey of young recruits of the newly-formed anti-terrorism special forces of the People’s Liberation Army, called the Blue Lightning. Central to the narrative is the growth of both the individuals and the collective as the new recruits come of age during their experiences of military training and real life combat situations.

As with any military-themed C-dramas, expect a fair amount of jingoistic propaganda and patriotic flag-waving which is par for the course when the production requires extensive support from the military and CCP during the filming process and to get the greenlight for distribution release. In addition to action and adventure, the drama features youth themes, slice-of-life elements and subtle hints of romance. There is some violence and gore but nothing too terrifying for viewers.

What I Enjoyed

Usually modern C-dramas tend to be lengthy with too much fillers. The military-themed ones are a hit or miss, case in point My Dear Guardian which turned out to be a little bit too fluffy for my liking. This one, however, manages to avoid all those pitfalls. It’s only 35 episodes in length instead of the usual 40+ episodes, doesn’t contain nearly as much fillers as most others though they are still present, and on the whole is more intensely dramatic rather than fluffy or comedic in its storytelling approach. Throughout the course of the drama, I did not really feel bored at any point in time because the drama surprisingly incorporates quite a number of interesting sub-plots and side stories to the main narrative at a very engaging pace, with a nice balance of action, drama, introspective and emotive moments.

This production showcases a number of modern military hardware in greater detail than I have ever encountered. How accurate or up to date they are, I have no idea, but I feel pretty convinced. For the most part, based on my little research, the depiction is consistent with the standard equipment used, such as the QBZ-95 (or Type 95) automatic assault rifles favoured by the PLA as well as their commando sub-units. Additionally viewers will get to observe countless UAVs and armoured ground vehicles on display in the drama, which I find quite fascinating.

In terms of the technical aspects, the action planning and choreography, as well as the special effects are worthy of mention. This drama showcases many action sequences involving firefights, explosions, as well as both armed and unarmed combat. These scenes are not confined to a single location but take place across multiple venues. One memorable segment features a suspenseful game of cat and mouse across the Taklamakan desert in the dead of night between the Blue Lightning unit and armed terrorists. I’ve also enjoyed the somewhat refreshing depiction of the military training comprising the so-called Devil’s Week competition, sniper competition and squad leader selection tests. That said, certain aspects of the training concerning “physical torture” do appear incredulous. I’m unaware of the authenticity but in a land that invented Shaolin martial arts, I guess anything is possible.

One of the major reasons for watching this drama is of course the cast, which is headlined by Vengo Gao who plays the Captain of the Blue Lightning, Qin Guan. If the drama is about the military, whether in a contemporary or historical context, you can count on this man to deliver an utterly convincing portrayal of the characterization. He not only looks and sounds the part, but his entire being exudes military commander vibes as well. There is absolutely no question whatsoever that without him, this drama would be lacking in so many ways. From the cold, stoic persona to the physical prowess in executing his stunts, Vengo totally slays his role.

Hu Bing Qing plays the FL Ning Meng, one of the young recruits of the new anti-terrorism team. My first time seeing her in entirety instead of previous guest appearances, I think she’s very talented and showcases strong performances particularly during her emotional scenes. I also quite like her nuanced take that helps inject a sense of vulnerability to humanise the role of a female soldier.

The drama’s soundtrack features 5 songs, with the patriotic opening theme being the most upbeat and energetic of them all. My personal favourite is the ending theme performed by Hu Bing Qing herself, the love ballad You and Me. Full listing as follows:

Flaming Lady 烈焰巾帼 - 金志文 Jin Zhiwen
Xiang Yang 向阳 - 黄霄雲 Huang Xiaoyun
You and Me 你和我 - 胡冰卿 Hu Bingqing
My Comrade 我的战友 - 钟强 Zhong Qiang
Fearless 无畏 - 王晰 Wang Xi

What Fell Short

I think the most glaring aspect would be the villains. We are never going to get a C-drama that depicts profoundly layered or morally grey terrorists, because the Chinese military and censors would never sanction it. As far as the powers that be are concerned, stories of this nature are straightforward - good guys versus bad guys are simply portrayed as black or white. Hence in this drama, in relation to the overarching plot concerning the terrorist organisation, S Group, the antagonists are merely written to be the stereotypical one-dimensional cardboard caricatures - bad-tempered, cold-blooded, power hungry and striving for world domination. The terrorist leader is even shown at one point chomping on cigars by the poolside surrounded by bikini-clad femme fatales where the only thing missing is a huge furry cat.

Final Thoughts

I would categorise Operation: Special Warfare as one of the more fascinating and well-produced mature military-themed dramas that I have seen recently. It’s the kind of show where viewers can enjoy with a relaxed mind and without the need to exercise too much brain cells. A final note though - do be forewarned, the subtitles available on WeTV are auto-translated (at the time of writing) and may not be of the usual high quality.

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