Reviews

Sort of tricked into somewhat completing the series

The series had a good introduction and followed up well on the suspense, until around halfway through at episode seven. Then it abruptly just nose-dived from the initial uncovering of the truth, which was pretty lackluster despite half of the episodes leading up to it. It continually only worsened with characters making odd decisions that made no sense. It's hard to describe but they spent so much time building up the ML/FL, only to have them look like blubbering fools for the rest of the series. The further diving into the truth also begins to develop large plot holes that weren't pieced together very well. I found myself becoming more and more disinterested with each latter episode and ended up not liking any of the characters at all. Because seven episodes had already been invested, the rest of the episodes were sped through with aggressive skipping just to get to the full unraveling of the mysteries (with exception of a few historical flashback moments). The slight twist in the end would have made the plot halfway decent if it weren't for all of the items mentioned above.

Read More

10Dance: The Score Card

Takeuchi Ryoma: 9/10
Machida Keita: 7/10
Takeuchi Shirtless: 999999999/10
Machida Suited: 100/10
The Kisses: 9/10
Machida finally agreeing to kiss another man: 999/10

Takeuchi’s Dancing: 9/10
Machida’s Dancing: 7.55/10
Doi & Ishii’s (Underrated) Dancing: 8/10
Choreography: 7.99/10

Chemistry: 7/10
Heat: 8/10
Spice: 5/10
Syrup: 1.5/10

Latin stereotypes (offensive): -100/10
Latin stereotypes (well-meaning): -10/10
Every gratuitous mention of Cuba and Havana: -25/10
Every comparison of those repressed Brits and Japanese to those hot-blooded alcoholic Cubans: -10/10
That particular comparison of the Queen to Fidel Castro as the erstwhile embodiments of Britain and Cuba (wait, I need to throw up): -101/10

Script (there was none) : 0/10
Cohesion (there was none): 0/10
Characterisation (thanks mainly to Takeuchi’s acting): 5/10
Story (as it was not told): 2/10

Cinematography (except the Latin parts): 7/10
Cinematography (the Latin parts, aka, the Tropicana filter): 2/10

The Can’t-stop-thinking-about-them Score: 9/10
The Ending (aka, Sequel Baiting, aka, Edging): 5/10
Not having a 10Dance in a movie called 10Dance: -5/10

Reader’s Digest:
DO SAY: Dance is neither about technique nor stamina. Love is what makes it whole.
DON’T SAY: Then make it whole!

Read More

Might disapoint you if you believe everyone saying it's a masterpiece

Hear me out, I'm not saying this was crap. I liked it, it was a nice watch and I looked forward to it every thursday.

But I kinda believe that the reason the rating is so high is because of 1: The NC scenes, 2: The popularity of the original manga/anime, 3: the acting

I have to say, the NC scenes were truly incredible. Not only because they were explicit or special (Use of Honey as lube, crying s*x...), but because the rythm and camera shots truly made us dive into their intimacy. The acting was also amazing, specifically from Boom as Akin who killed it all the way.

Now, the story itself was a bit all over the place. Specifically in the beginning before they get together, Akin keeps going back and forth in the way he treats Jin, both their actions kinda come out of nowhere and the evolution of the romance doesn't really make sense. It gets better after they become a couple though.
In general, it isn't that much different from any other BL in term of process and storyline.

For the adapation aspect of it, I have to say I'm SO GLAD for how it turned out. They were pretty loyal to the original plot, but they took the amazing initiative to change Jin's character for the better. If you haven't watched the anime or read the manga, you might have been taken aback by the nonconsensual kiss in the beginning, or the slight toxic treatment when Jin ignored Akin cuz he was sick. Well, I agree it wasn't the best, but oh god how happy I was this was the only aspect to be worried about, when you know Jin in the original story constantly r*pes Akin and is overall a controling piece of sh*t that sometimes has a sweet smile which apparently is enough to forgive him. So yeah, this was such a good choice from the screen writer/director of the drama.
On the other hand, I was pleasantly surprised in the beginning when I saw they had decided to change point of view and take Jin as a main character instead of Akin. But then it seems they forgot about this whole idea as the story went on. It was disapointing how everything was always about Akin and we rarely got to dig deeper into Jin's character. It makes sense in the manga since Akin is the main character, but since they took that initiative of change in the drama, I wish they had gone all the way.

So yeah, overall worth it, but I definitely wouldn't call it a masterpiece

Read More

It's all mess here

So it was all mess. Nothing particularly good I would say kind of a waste of time. Thank god it was short series or it would have been the worst outcome. Though genres are romance, comedy in the end it turned out to be a real headache. The FLs character isn't likable or I'll say I didn't like her decisions. The main love story between leads is the failure of the show and wait what? twisting rom-com like a thriller, action isn't a good thing at all. I mean the last twist damn I was frustrated because of it.

The things I liked were the second couple (I would have loved if they were leads) well they definitely were show-stealer, the friendship of the trio was admirable. Liked the character development of some characters. So there wasn't anything better than this for me. Well yeah, it does have visuals so you can watch it for it.

So overall it wasn't that good though it's a short drama, I won't recommend it for sure!

Read More

Awesome ?

Okay so i bet everyone has noticed in ep1 that this isnt a continuation of S1 HOWEVER,

Yes its a different plot for the villains but the main 3 couples (Ling boss, wen li and chuyan) still have the small little details from season 1. Like the drunk driving, contract marriage, pi dan (doggo), the swimming pool thing and all the other small little things.
From this drama, it is super obvious that their chemistry is way better than season 1 and that this season is as funny or even slightly funnier than season 1. the ONLY thing that is lacking is the plot for the bad guys. Jiang jie did almost nothing but childish acts to destroy ling yi zhou via xialin and soon enough shes out of the game. then fu weining... all he does is says that the weather is hot 24/7 and ends up locking them in a cooler warehouse.. and end of story for the bad guys. Unlike season 1 where the little girl and the half brother of ling yi zhou scheming with xialin's new assistant, season 2 is just 2 people tryna destroy them and almost passing the 'bad guy' plot..
Anyways, the theme song is the same. Only 1 or 2 songs are introduced in season 2 and the ending is short but satisfying.
Worth the watch, most likely gonna watch again!

Read More

Color me surprised!

I am honestly awed by this series, that actually managed to get worse with every passing episode. And now you'll ask "Why are you watching, if it is that bad? Stop judging and drop it".

Well the answer is simple; Hate-watching. This is such a badly written series that it is fun to criticize and see how bad it can get.

Now, to the people actually wanting to know what is wrong with it and if it has any redeeming qualities, I will quickly mention the good and the bad.


The good:

+ Some of the actors are watchable:  Even though the cast is filled with some very popular actors, unfortunately, most of them are not as good as usual. Despite that though, they are still caring this drama that lacks in everything else.

We have Lee Jae Wook (Han Tae Oh), Choi Jin Ho (Kang Joong Mo) and Choi Hee Jin (Kang Hee Joo) that are doing -mostly- a good job. Then we have Lee Jun Young (Kang In Ha) that is okay. After this series, I am honestly not sure if he is a bad actor and I thought he was good in his past performances or he is good and he was just not that great in this series.

+ Kang Hee Joo: Most people like her, others don't understand why the majority likes her. Well I am here to answer that.
Kang Hee Joo is the only one in this series that seems to have a character -and an actress that can support it-. Besides her gorgeous looks, she is the only one that is actually consistent and has a personality. Is this personality not really "great"? Yes. She is naive, persistent and toxic at times. But she feels real and is great to watch.


Now we will get to the bad (yes that was all the "positive"):

- Plot: I don't have lots of things to say. This is just a very badly written series. Characters are purely unlikable and change personalities (like Tae Oh being a genius, but suddenly turning dumb), romance is cringy and unnecessary -and I am being very kind-, actions are not really explained or make sense (like ruthless FL that appears so strong and has all these great ambitions -even gets married to benefit herself- and when her mother asks for money, she turns super weak and cries when she could just get rid of her one way or another-) and let's not forget that this basically turned into a makjang halfway through (people playing dead, actual murders, evil dad coming back, fake allegations leading to death sentences etc.)

- Time skips: One of the worst -if not the worst- decisions of the writer. We have so many time skips for no reason. First episode, we are literally getting to know the characters. They have this great plan to rise in power and suddenly boom 5 and 10 year time skips where they have achieved so much and are in these high positions and we don't know how and what happened in between.

- Characters: The characters are generally very one dimensional or they tend to like completely change personalities. That aside, another thing that bothered me is that some characters appear, seeming important or promising, and then they suddenly dissappear like they were never part of the plot -or writer remembers them when he needs them for the plot to move forward-.

- Root for who?: I felt like the scriptwriter wanted the audience to root for Tae Oh and Hye Won, and here I am rooting for Hee Joo and even In Ha at times.
All characters are super unlikable and they try to pass as this "male and female lead are the good ones". My dude, they are not. Tae Oh kissed his best friends wife and did everything in his power to destroy a conglomerate family and for what? For nothing. And Hye Won? She married In Ha just to get power and cheated on him with his best friend! And did she actually get any power? Yes (when the script said so). Let's not forget how she tried to take advantage of everyone and always put herself first...

- Draggy or fast paced: I am not sure! This seriss felt super draggy at times. I was sooo bored. Other times, it felt like it needed so much more time to develop the "plot" and the characters.

- Romance: It is so cringy and unnecessary. FL's incapability in acting aside -she looks like someone forced her to be there-, the interactions between her and Tae Oh are so cringy. They have zero chemistry.
Also, I don't understand why and how the whole "falling in love" happened. First of all, female lead is just purely unlikable as a character. Secondly, they barely have any interactions. Like when did he fall head over heels for her? Lastly, the romance is just sooo unnecessary. It is just a plot tool that is used in some cases to make Tae Oh do things he shouldn't be doing...

- FL is unnecessary and badly written: Oh look, another female main character that has nothing to add in the series. Writing wise, she is supposed to be manipulative, ambitious and self-centered. But she literally does nothing. She gets privilages just because script says so and out of the blue. She is just there helping other people with their plans. The only thing that she does is marrying In Ha, but even that was something he initiated.

- Clichés: Many and I mean many clichés. We have the typical chaebol fights for the "throne", the typical sad backstories/dysfunctional families of the main leads, the typical bad "siblings" and many others.

- Hong Su Zu's acting as Na Hye Won: Su Zu's performance is one of the worst if not the worst I have ever seen in a Kdrama by a female actress all these years. There it is, I said it.

After reading many comments like "She will get better, it is her first main role" or "Don't be harsh with her, it is her first role" and completely disagreeing, I want to express my opinion.

Firstly, the crew responsible for the casting should have seen that she is incapable of acting, especially since she would act as the freaking female lead -emphasis on lead-. So why she was chosen? Either, they really liked her looks or there is another reason (connections, being popular -or  impossible- all other candidates were worse). Now, no one can convince me they liked her acting, because she just can't act.

Even if there were connections involved, the director should have helped as much as possible to get a good result or just try to guide her. And I don't know if he did, but it doesn't seem so. Not even a single frame of her compliments her. Even when she is sleeping she looks tense.

Moving on, actress takes the other half (and more) of the blame. She should just not have taken this role, if she knew she can't do it. This is not a support or guest role to get familiar with the whole acting process and learn. This is a main role and more so in a series with some big names.

The thing that irritates me the most is that it doesn't even look like she is trying. She has a puppy eye expression no matter what is happening. Seeing something that can ruin her life? Puppy eyes. Someone is literally chocking her? Puppy eyes. Like come on!

It's not like she is good at being serious and she lacks in the emotional scenes. She lacks in every single scene, no exception.

So no, for me, "don't be harsh, this is her first role" isn't an excuse for such a horrible performance. We have seen child actors doing better. We have seen other actors doing better in their "first roles". If she had some good scenes, I would understand. I would ignore. But that is not the case.

Of course, threatening the actress and posting hate comments on her account is a big no. She is human too.

I do think that if she chooses to continue acting, she should do proper training, because this is not it.

Ending: I didn't expect the series to suddenly turn good in the end and, well, I was right. The ending was as expected. Evil In Ha gets his punishment, while male lead Tae Oh -that was also not the greatest person out there- and love interest Hye Won get their happy ending...

All in all, a very badly written series with some questionable acting performances and barely any redeeming qualities. Ideal only for hate watching.

Read More

Averagely Above Average

Idk how to describe this but somehow it was an average series with a twist. It wasn't too cliché or basic and I didn't get bored. It did kinda get stretched out a bit but nothing to steer me away. It's a simple show, but nothing you should dismiss. I wanted to smack Jin a few times, but what's a drama without some emotion? lol I think all the cast has potential to succeed and this show was a great start! It's pretty underrated but please give it a watch. I'd recommend to anyone new to BL as this isn't too cheesy or dramatic with pretty decent visuals. There's one ship I wanted to set sail but it failed which is ok (I guess).
Enjoy...

Read More

'One day, just one day, if only I could see you again. Farther, deeper, take me away, pull me.'

In one word this drama is raw. I am writing this review a minute after finishing the drama and there are all these emotions that I need to let out. It has been an amazing journey, and by the end I could truly tell how attached I got to the characters.

STORY: 8.5/10
We follow Gil Soo Hyun, an FBI officer whom is back in his home country and receives an offer from the police to join a special investigation team. He joins Oh Dae Yeong and Jin Seo Joon as they embark on solving missing cases with special circumstances. I can't say much about the story since the drama is episodic, which means we are met with a new case in (almost) every episode. I would also point out that Soo Hyun's background story is a key point, and slowly unfolded as the drama proceeds.

My rating is not higher because it's difficult to rate a drama with a different setting for each episode. I found some episodes to be extremely intriguing, while one or two in the middle of the drama were rather predictable. The beginning however, was phenomenal, as we got a two episode cameo from the very talented Kang Ha Neul who brought so much life to drama. Some cases are very unique, like the painting one. Watch the drama to find out what that's all about ;)

ACTING/CAST: 10/10
My gem, the great Kim Kang Woo. I cannot praise this man's acting enough. Somehow I feel like he's an unappreciated actor in the Korean industry - correct me if I'm wrong. I first 'met' him in Haeundae Lovers, where he played the role of a prosecutor. That is obviously where I fell for him, and I have been anticipating his upcoming projects ever since. Kim did a phenomenal job in Missing Noir M as he portrayed a strong and competent character despite his wounds. Would the drama be the same without him? Probably not.

Park Hee Soon portrayed the talented police officer Oh Dae Yeong. This is the character that brought life to the drama, through his 'feeling like feeling' and phone ringtone. Overall the impression you'll get of him will be one of delight. He also has the cutest relationship with his wife, which also brings colour to a dark themed show. I also loved him for loving the victims with all he had.I like that he went from All About My Romance to OCN's Missing Noir M. It was nice to see him in a new light.

Jin Seo Joon was portrayed by the rising actress Jo Bo Ah (congratulations on the dating news!). Jin (as officer Oh calls her) is a hacker, and you can tell the team wouldn't get too far without her. She is highly intelligent, and I loved seeing her. The only complaint I have is that I wanted to see more of her. In a very male dominating drama, I wish she would've have gotten more spotlight. She deserves all the praise, and Jo Bo Ah as an actress has come a very long way since Shut Up! Flower Boy Band.

Another lady is the medical examiner Kang Yoo Yeong (Park So Hyun). We also see very little of her, but again - she plays a vital role as she is the one who conducts autopsies.

For the side characters who played a big part in each story, you'll find them in the cast list. Among the known actors and actresses is the very cute Shim Yi Young (Ji Yeon, officer Oh's wife), Yoon Ye Joo (Ellie from SBS' Angel Eyes), L.Joe (from the boy band Teen Top) and Park Hae Joon (Mr. Chun from Misaeng).

MUSIC: 10/10
Their main OST called Lucid Dream (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzF4DODg-K0) by Kim Yuna, and featuring rapper Olltii has seriously become one of my favourites ones. I listened to this while waiting for new episodes. I'm also an avid supporter of Korean rappers, and knowing that Olltii (Show Me The Money 3) featured in this song was very exciting. Lucid Dream is dark, filled with amazing vocals. It fits the drama perfectly.

REWATCH VALUE: 9/10
I think I'll rewatch this drama when the withdrawal symptoms arrive. Being episodic, it is quite simple to click on whatever episode and watch. Though you need to watch the whole drama the first time since you'll miss out on the protagonist's story if you don't.

OVERALL: 9/10
I cannot recommend this enough. My sister always tells me Korean dramas are boring and repetitive, and for people like her, this drama is a definite counterargument.

Read More

I've never written a review for anything before, nor, am i very good at writing them, but, i just had to say something about this movie...

This movie, was beautiful, it brought me to tears. It's a bittersweet love story about a girl, in 2008, who drops her cell phone during an earthquake, and a boy from 1912 finds it. They are able to talk on the phone, and start to have feelings for each other.

There was this one scene in particular, that really moved me, and not to give away any spoilers, i will call it "the gift from Erizen and the old lady/little girl scene" when you watch the movie, you will understand. It was beautiful, and very touching. I've re-watched that scene a few times, and it still makes me tear up...


I'm going to end my review by saying that you should definitely watch this movie, you will not regret it.

Read More

Cutest Couple - Great Acting by Main Leads - Little Cliffhanger

Let's start : I was thinking that whether should I write the review about "No Boundary" or not! But (yeah) here I am. Sorry I won't beat around the bush and will get right back to review. Many of you people or there might be all of you prior to watching the drama may have went through the comment section well there was a time where I dropped some great dramas while going through the comment section. So, let's do it.
1. Story : (9.0)
As the descriptions say the drama is exactly the same. But elaborate more I would say the story is about love between {Zhang Yi Shang} God (heavenly maiden) who was once a general and {Darren Chen} a soldier who fights with demons to protect his city. I won't spoil to much but the story consists of too cute moments between them and some crime cases which they both solve together and there's another part of the story that has to be completed in the Season 2 which will be hopefully air in the future. So for me (9/10) for the story.
2. Acting/Cast: (10/10)
When I watched the trailer and I didn't know about Zhang Yi Shang and Darren Chem, I have never watched their single drama! That may sound confusing but I have really wasted my time in lots of drama till to date. That's 750+ dramas in total. The main cast acting was astonishing, there wasn't a single moment I regretted watching this drama besides the story only thing that kept me going and wants me to wait for the next season is Darren Chen's and Zhang Yi Shang's acting. That was flawless till the end. Well other cast also did well but the main lead was perfect. They are also my favourite couple right now. So (10/10) for acting.
3. Music : (9.5/10)
I am not big fan of Chinese Soundtracks but the intro of the drama is really thrilling and the violin instrument is mesmerising when the drama kicks off. In drama soundtracks also fit to the scenarios. So (9.5) :)
4. Rewatch Value : (9.0)
I would give it 9.0 cause I have just downloaded the drama up to Episode 18 from the site. I will download the rest of it in coming days.
In the end I would say if you are not a fan of Zhang Yi Shang and Darren Chen then I would say just give it a try if you don't like then simply check not interest in the rating section cause that will not effect the rating of the drama. For me it was also the first drama to watch of them but they both got me stick to screen till the last moment of the drama. They have less screen time together in Episode 29-31 so that really hurt me anyways that's all to my review.
Thanks for reading :) Give big love to this drama. Love Yourself. PEACE.

Read More

excellent visuals, actors deserved better writing/editing (watch suggestions)

Overall: there was quite a bit of potential but the choppy storytelling/editing hurt the series a lot. The last few episodes were better so that week break seemed to help. Aired 12 episodes about 45 minutes each. YouTube cut version https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzTP1IMPICl6R_dsvgKnBAMp6htoQwswK (episode 1 uncut was 47 minutes 29 seconds which is what I added up the cut parts on YouTube minus the breaks between parts so there wasn't a difference in episode 1, later cut episodes removed NSFW) and iQIYI Thailand only uncut version with delayed English subtitles https://www.iq.com/play/battle-of-the-writers-episode-1-21ue1zzg12c?lang=en_us I rated the cut version a 7 and uncut 7.5.

Content Warnings: non con picture taking, threat, stalking, non con kissing, drugged, non con touching?, injured/clubbed, violence/blood, manipulation, sexism, homophobia

What I Liked
- aesthetics/visuals
- good/realistic that she wouldn't give out his phone number
- tropey falls but they were cute
- supportive group of friends
- sweet moments
- good intimacy/NSFW scenes were well done

Room For Improvement
- with dreams, flashbacks, fast jumps, re-telling scenes from a different perspective, etc the series feels extremely choppy both in modern day and in the Xianxia parts
- the writing felt very contrived, the characters didn't act like real people and what people would say/do, also inconsistent characterization with the guy in black who started by being self assured and then suddenly was nervous/anxious, a character who was multilingual chose to speak a language that no one else could understand in the beginning
- having the panda face paint/jammies on the Chinese character felt a bit iffy
- completely not needed to character assassinate an established queer couple, there were multiple other ways the writers could have achieved what they wanted
- comedy sound effects detracted from the humor, the magic mushrooms in episode 3 were cringey and not funny
- the manipulation/lying by a character in episode 9
- random marriage in episode 11
- wearing socks (on feet) in NSFW scene
- no international release for the uncut version, only available in Thailand (deducted a half point for this as the uncut was better)

Watch Suggestions (it was really challenging in the beginning episodes so I included the Xianxia parts and then also included some sweet/steamy scenes)
- episode 1 part 1 beginning to 2 minutes (zero explanation of why one was blindfolded...)
- episode 2 part 1 beginning to 2:15 (pinned against tree, sword won't harm soulmate)
- episode 3 part 1 beginning to 3:10 (got something in his eye), 6:43 to the end (seem to be in school???)
- episode 3 part 2 beginning to 3:05 (talking about a character, gets a royal decree to kill the other guy? then flash forward then flashback???), 4:13-4:45 (2 other random characters talking to the guy in white), 10:10-10:30 (short fight)
- episode 3 part 4 10:50 -13:12 (introduced a noble genius character who becomes the demon guy's master???)
- episode 4 part 1 beginning to 1:25 and then jump to episode 4 part 2 at 2:55-3:12 to see the end of this scene (flower from his hair)
- episode 4 part 1 8:10-end, roasting a chicken blew out dust from his eye (same scene as in episode 3 part 1)
- episode 5 part 1 1:50-4
- episode 5 part 3 beginning to 3 minutes, 5 min to end
- episode 5 part 4 6:17-6:32
- episode 6 part 1 3:30-6:45 and episode 6 part 3
- episode 7 has a random couple introduced but they kiss at 16:30
- watch episode 7 uncut 29:50-33:15 steamy scene and then 33:30-42:30 for Xianxia kissing
- watch episode 8 part 1 3:45-7
- watch episode 8 part 2 2:40-4, 6:15-end
- watch episode 8 part 3 6-7
- watch episode 8 part 4 4-5:50
- watch episode 8 uncut 16-18:55 for a steamy scene
- watch episode 9 uncut 27-36:20 for a very steamy scene and then 43-end
- watch episode 10: part 1, part 2, start part 3 at 7:45 and part 4 at 4:30 (watch ep 10 uncut around the steamy parts for more steam)
- watch episode 11: part 1, part 2 beg to 3:30 and 11:45-13, part 4 beg to 1:45 (the elevator kissing might be a bit longer in uncut)
- watch episode 12: part 1 (watch the uncut until 10:30, they cut 4 minutes of NSFW here), part 2 and part 4 5min to the end

Read More

Moments of brilliance, buried in mediocrity

I approached "Love in the Big City" both eager and guarded, as one who steps into a garden rumoured to bloom with rare flowers, dreading the thorns beneath. And indeed, my patience soon withered/waned under its oppressive sorrow and despair. A suffocating pall of misery clung to the gay characters. The very air seemed heavy and coagulated. And yet, I cannot, in good conscience, deny the actors their due. Their performances were of such distinction, such disciplined passion, that they elevated the poor script

Of those who graced the stage/screen, Nam Yoon Su did shine with a peculiar radiance. His readiness to partake, without the least restraint of feigned modesty or hesitation, in the delicate and tender manifestations of carnal affection between men, was an uprising against the profane doctrine of homophobia, gnawing ever at the fabric of society. Each kiss, each quivering proximity, was a venture into the "forbidden" and a courageous unveiling of a man's innermost self before another. Stunned I stood, for here were men, yielding mutually and entering the blessed harmony where desire is met with desire, or flame answers flame. Few were the sights that could rival the fair and beautiful scene

Having paid homage to the commendable virtues, I must, with sober and judicious mind, now dissect the manifold imperfections of "Love in the Big City." The narrative faltered at its threshold. Therein, a "straight" identifying woman, she whose eyes roved with lecherous and unbecoming intent on men, trespassed into the charged social space of a gay bar/club, a haven purposed for the free and boundless flowering of same-sex desire (31:07 of episode 1). This is no mere lapse in judgment, but a flagrant assault on the sanctity of single-sex spaces

What cause had the authors and producers for the unceremonious reference to HIV? HIV is not divine chastisement or a gay disease. The military doctor's diagnosis presumed a manner of transmission he himself deemed improbable. "Are you a top or a bottom? The truth is, the chances of spreading HIV to a sex partner are low" (39:50 of episode 5). Whence we may conclude that to afflict a gay character with the blight of HIV, while all else in his life proceeds unimpeded by the ravages of the disease, notwithstanding its low transmissibility or the accessibility of "curative" measures, is to commit an injustice altogether superficial, contrived to stir the blood of the audience and cast aspersion on the inclinations of gay men

Methinks it a wearying contrivance that "straight" identifying women are the sole passage through which the lives of gay men are revealed. A stranger to the sting of homophobia befriended a gay man and claimed the right to utter his sorrows. Is his voice feeble? Can it not speak for itself? Or is it that the ears of society are closed to the truth, unless it be spoken by one it takes to be "safe" and unthreatening to the established order? Be that as it may, the time is ripe for gay men and gay women to gather in brotherly and sisterly concord and recount the trials and joys of their lived experiences. They could find in one another a steadfast, compassionate friend

Evermore were the gay characters denied the solace of a blissful end. I marvel not. From the dawn of civilization, gay existence has been granted provisional legibility within the public sphere on condition that it be sentenced to a life of bitterness, celibacy, or exile. The possibility of societal tolerance rests on the disavowal of collective joy/happiness, the desexualization and deradicalization of same-sex physical intimacy, and the proscription of a viable, enduring future

There is an urgent need for narratives in which gay joy/happiness is the norm, however much they strain against the limits of the prevailing regime of plausibility. It is in their defiance of said plausibility that we can affirm the radical banality of gay flourishing, a mode of being so simple and unremarkable in its presence that it precedes the demand for justification

TL;DR I have, after deliberation, settled on a score of 6/10

Read More

Yes, from the very first episode the main female lead, Go cheok Hee will come off as a bratty and annoying person, however that's how most of the time dramas start off with characters. It is very obvious that the person will start to grow and learn to be better. therefore its better not to jump to conclusions by watching only the first few episodes.

Overall, the whole story is actually pretty interesting, funny, and many scenes make you squeal. It's nice and light, not too dramatic, like the second female lead isn't your cliche evil person who plays dirty tricks on the main female lead. same for the second male lead.

The music is really nice and goes well with the moments. I personally really liked this drama, finishing a drama is really hard for me, and I usually drop them when I don't like them or I think they're dragging, but this drama wasn't like that. It's really enjoyable. I love all the characters and I hope you will too.

Short review but hope it helped.

Read More

THOMAS!

Fluff, fluff and fluff filled with so much fillers and sprinkled with a few unneeded NC17 scenes.

This is hard to write - there was a lot of hype and i must confess that i fell inlove with the series in its first few episodes that i kinda overlooked all its shortcomings. It has all the elements of a Domundi series - extra rich leading men paired with very young (immature) boys; the extra super cute boys; and the almost obligatory sex scenes. However, through all the sheen and all the beautiful faces, it is an overstretched storytelling aimed to check all the BL boxes and offers nothing really new.

First let me discuss the good things i loved:
1. The very good looking cast - Thomas, o Thomas, where have you been hiding all this time (he actually caught my attention in that ill-fated The Middleman's Love Story but since he was just almost just an extra there i immediately forgot about him) - this series has poised him to be a star. Kong is just adorable. Do i need to mention how cute Por and TeeTee are? And of course Save ang AuAu.
2. Marakot's Babe!
3. If you put your critical thinking hat off, this show can be really enjoyable - Its just light and easy series to watch. And oh, have i mentioned Thomas?

Now the things that i find a little eyerolling:
1. Teerak is just too bubbly of a character for me - almost like he is living in his own Glinda bubble. This very child-like behavior also makes me think that the guy is not ready for a mature relationship -he is like a 13 year old boy wanting to be an adult all of
a sudden. The kiss-me-on-the-hair antic is ok at the beginning but it turned too cringy and borderlined overacting - imagine having a college dude acting like that in real lfe - it can be really really annoying. Plus, that fake girlfriend angle, can you really imagine Teerak having a girlfriend - the dude is a walking flower dashed with a few drops of mist and with its own ray of sunshine. THe girlfriend angle IS SO UNNECESSARY.
2. Can somebody please tell these recent wave of writers that a teenage-looking boy isnt believable as ultra successful CEOs or high level executives? They just arent. Even if you are from a rich family, it takes a certain pedigree and maturity to actually run a company. Muenfah is still just a baby. Somebody in Domundi has a fetish for hot looking young CEOs, i get the appeal, but a line has to be drawn somewhere - and they didnt have to use the same character type in every show.
3. Mike is too good for this role and too out of place in this series - im sorry to say but he looks too old to portray a college student next to the other members of the cast.
4. The school project exhibition. After making Muenfah an impossibly young college student/business owner the series came up with a story line for Teerak that he and his friends are suposed to present (and exhibit) their big big project - only to come up with Teerak's strawberry eating fox figurines in that snow-filled forest (which by the way they didnt even bother to make a snowy background), Joy's crochet keychains, and Punlee's silkscreen printed shirts. Really? They are college stidents and thats all they can come up with? And they passed with flying colors? Muenfah is closing big business deals and thats the arc you come up with for Teerak?
5. With the materials and footage that they had (and lack thereof) they could have compressed it to an 8-episode series and it will still be an enjoyable compact series. If they really needed to make it a 12-episode series they could have elevated the 2 other pairs to secondary lead status because for heavens sake they already casted 3 (or 4) very good looking pairs but did not utilize them all properly. I would have loved to see more of Real-Hia, Babe-Dom, and my babies Punlee-Klaijai (i could have used more of that flirting scene at the coffee shop).

Overall, its an easy series to watch. I would love to see more from these actors in the future, but Domundi has to spend a little bit more money for good script and extensie acting workshops. Will i recommend? A big-fat YES! WIll i rewatch - just to ogle at those cute boys.

Read More