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This series couldve been amazing, sadly terrible writing ruined it.
I wish I could give this above 3 stars, but I just can't. The only reason its even that high is because of Ashing and Mangkorn. It was so just bad..The plot was super confusing and made almost no sense most of the time. I felt like there were so many loose ends at the end that they never explain. It's really disappointing because the premise of the show was very interesting and honestly with better writing I feel like this could have been amazing even with only 6 episodes for the show. The side couples story line wasn't confusing and I actually loved their story, but we got so little of it 🥺
As much as I love Boun and Prem, I barely cared about their pairing in this story. They didnt flesh anything out and it didnt even feel like they had romantic feelings for each other till the last episode. Then all we got was an accidental kiss and two sniff kisses. It just felt like a weird choice to me especially since the side couple kissed.
I'm the type of person that feels kissing isnt always necessary for the story, but it just really irritates me when BLs do an accidental kiss or a one-sided kiss as the only kiss for the couple.
Honestly, Ashing and Mangkorn are the only thing that got me through this and kept me watching. I'm just really sad they got such little screen time cause their story was super cute!
For me personally, I would never watch this series in its entirety again. As I said before, it was just so bad I wouldnt put myself through this again. I would, and probably will, rewatch Ashing and Mangkorns moments because I loved them.
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Started pretty brilliant, halfway or so through started falling apart
I LOVE the premise of this. God how I love it! Unfortunately, between a director who has, in the works I've seen, been pretty choppy about putting scenes together and a writer with no drama experience on paper, it has seriously fallen apart in ways that make it only watchable for the action and fx... The dialogue became downright "12 year old fanfiction" level corny and the core emotion, as well as the actors depicting it moment to moment, gets rather lost when, you know, you don't put the scenes together logically.It had massive potential. Japan could seriously take this and do something magnificent, I think. It is YET ANOTHER instance where anything remotely involving sci-fi elements becomes a handicap simply because it's airing in Korea and in turn made by people who grew up with this odd inability to take notes from over 40 years of badass content worldwide. I just want to sigh.
I'm still giving it a 7 because Park Sung Woong and (weird Japanese 90's hair aside) Choi Jin Hyuk and Jo Dong Hyuk all kill their scenes and Park Sun Ho is awfully cute in this... though made a bit of a wimp overall except for one episode he was allowed to be a bit strategic. The worst offense is Bradley: Jang In Seob's character. SO MUCH POTENTIAL and I really like that there's a backdoor to communicate with these people because of their hyperadvanced chips... in the end, though, they really didn't imagine enough for the guy or the genius Susan (Jang Seo Kyung's character) who supposedly gets a slightly sinister smile turning humans into machines, like they took a psycho genius from a mental ward and made her a police agency doctor...
They give SUCH underdeveloped backstories that behold, here is character-as-prop #1... and 2-32 are over there. It's sad. They should've stuck to the characters and honored the talent they hired.
That said, I don't really regret watching if only because hey... they're kinda smoldering hot a lot of the time, not gonna lie. It took me this long to realize that Jo Dong Hyuk (Tae Woong) is who played the super sexy painter in Love Affairs in the Afternoon. I love that the 4 men-Park Sung Woong, Choi Jin Hyuk, Jo Dong Hyuk, and Park Sun Ho (who I'd seen in Best Chicken as the lead but otherwise only in support roles) are all attractive in totally different ways. Bradley (Jang In Seob) is definitely more support material but he looks pretty handsome in this, too... pity there weren't more females, but that's pretty much every OCN story of this kind and really anything revolving around crime and police/detectives/investigators... Guess that's one reason I have so much affection when they DO put females in high positions. At least let us dream of slightly more equal roles. The character of Jung Hye In, Mi Na, is kind of a wimp, too-flexible, yes, but they didn't have her using her different build the way anyone would, well, anyone trying to avoid horrible injuries. Suppose she's not that 'anyone' in this. Her role in Graceful Family-which was much more female-centric-was far more powerful than this where she was literally programmed to be a damsel detecting distress of the one they -really- wanted most of all to be their star case for this.
Good message, carried out a bit... hmm... poorly. I still enjoyed it. The action is generally really fun. It took til 14 and 15 to get my personal "from episode 2 or 3" goal accomplished, but they did it, just slowly so as to frustrate me. The ending was a bit anticlimactic for me, too. That said, though, I'll also say this: they did well w/Park Sung Woong's character, one really marked moment of the finale-well, 2 for many, just one w/him and the head of Argos for me, that showed what perhaps we needed more of-focused energy... but his character was pretty good, mostly (the director-writer-producers-editors just didn't really let things unravel in the right order), but in turn they were lousy about keeping an air of mystery for other characters we shouldn't see through so very plainly... that alone dropped its score but the writing/direction were the main flaws. The acting made up for a pretty decent bit of it, but there are hundreds of shows I'd recommend before this, probably a good 50 action shows I find superior just from SK-add Japan's movies and you will have tons more. Sci-fi is still a weakly executed genre in SK... but they're working on it.
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Not what I expected, but I loved it
I went into this show knowing nothing about it other than having seen some promo photos of the two leads. It's been a while since I've watched a female-centric drama, and overall they're not usually my thing, but I love the heck out of this one.Both actresses are adorable, well written and well developed. The storyline has a few interesting twists, but nothing really stays unresolved for too long. My absolute favourite thing about the whole show is Detective Jiang, who clearly knows what's going on, but can't prove it. And the women know that he knows, and just continue to wind him up. It makes for a really fun almost!friendship between them and him. I hated Zhou Heng with all of my heart, but I'm pretty sure I was supposed to.
From what I've read, there was originally a simple happy ending for the two leads, but this got changed when a season two was agreed. The second half of the last episode is clearly a set-up for season two - if you want to just accept the happy ever after, stop after the first half of that episode.
I don't hate the ending at all - in fact I'm really intrigued by it, and am anticipating a lot of good things from season two (if it ever happens).
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Exceeds (my) expectations at least
Strengths: The development of Solo and Guitar's relationship is nice as they each face different challenges in life; the cinematography and music complement the story well. The story of Kao and Phu is also cute.Weaknesses: The series could have done with less fluff at the start and given more time for resolution in the last part; the addition of a practically redundant set of characters (Khim, Khem, Perth and Petch) that challenges even the editors who have done a rather good job with the editing overall.
Overall: I like this quite a lot though it has several weaknesses.
I have not read or heard of the novel prior to watching the first episode, but my expectation after watching the first episode was that it would be a sweet and lighthearted BL, full of fluff but still cute enough to satisfy a BL fan. For a few episodes, this seems to be where the series is headed. However, the story of Solo and Gui also takes a more serious turn later, which is both a good and a bad thing.
One problem is that the earlier episodes with more fluff could have been condensed and the story with the slightly more serious turn from the point Gui's foster mother falls sick and passes away could have been given more space for development. A BL with a simpler story would simply end with Solo and Gui becoming officially together after some episodes of childish jealousy on Solo's part. However, it is interesting how Solo and Gui stand by each other through more difficult moments in life and how their relationship is strengthened as a result. The story does turn out to be rather moving without causing one to cru.
The way the relationship develops is a pleasant surprise. However, while I appreciate the way the story moves on the the problems experienced by the couple, the final episode leaves me feeling ambiguous. Perhaps Solo is really being unrealistic in thinking that he can run away with Gui (given that his sole source of money is his father), but I also admire his determined rebellion against his father (which Gui chides him for). In fact, Gui's willingness to make a bet of sorts with Solo's father and arranged fiancee to leave Solo isn't that great a thing either--why should he willingly break up with Solo if he fails his internship?
Of course, it turns out that Solo's father isn't as cold as he appears to be (an overly convenient means of resolving the crisis quickly in the last episode). Neither does he really disapprove of Gui. But it remains that he can and will break up Solo and Gui if he really wants to. The same father has someone stalk his son and report to him everything the son does. Yet, Solo's father is supposed to really love his son. This vision of familial love offered seems to me rather disturbing.
The execution of the final part of the series regarding Solo's father and Gui's internship can possibly have more finesse. Although the series has more than just hinted at the problem that Solo's father would present, his return to Thailand seems timed to suit the structure of the story than anything else. In short, the problem isn't so much a weak story but weak storytelling skills. By the end of Episode 11, we can anticipate how the crisis involving Solo's father is going to be quite suddenly resolved in the final episode. To be fair, it didn't feel all that rushed when I was watching it. Nevertheless, everything just gets resolved too conveniently--instead of solving a problem, it turns out that the problem has never been much of a problem to begin with.
Where storytelling is concerned, the story of the second couple, Kao and Phu seems better, but the story may seem a little hackneyed at first, with Kao being the persistent guy who goes after and melts a seemingly cold Phu. Nevertheless, there is much to love about Kao--he may be persistent and borderline stalkerish, but he doesn't really go overboard. The actor has brought the character to life, especially with a nice scene in Episode 11 where Kao sees Phu before the latter leaves for England: beneath the bunny make-up, we can see that his smile isn't fake or false but a sincere attempt to look happy while saying goodbye, and it isn't exaggerated when he is unable to sustain the smile and starts crying.
Perhaps the biggest weakness of the series is the inclusion of the siblings Khim and Khem and their relationships with the doctors Petch and Perth. While their part of the plot isn't bad as a story, which are better intertwined. Khim is the only tenuous connection with the BL couples as she happens to be Gui's colleague in a cafe. Because the focus isn't on the siblings and doctors, events in their parts of the series happen abruptly and with insufficient attention. Just look at what is going on and we can see that there is potential for a separate series:
1. Perth has a secret crush on Petch
2. Petch has a crush on Khim
3. Khim has a serious illness
4. Khim is a fujoshi/yaoi fan, and Petch feigns romantic interest in men to motivate her so that she has something to live for (OK, that sounds weird)
5. Not knowing that Perth has a crush on him, Petch tries to fake dates with him to give Khim fodder for her fujoshi imagination
6. Perth is upset when he finds out; he refuses to help Petch
7. Khim's brother, Khem, mistakenly thinks that Petch likes him and falls in love with Petch
8. Petch kisses Khim, Khem sees it and almost falls out with his sister.
9. Petch and Khim end up together
10. Maybe Perth and Khem too...?
Couldn't the same space have been used for Solo/Gui and Kao/Phu instead? The effect would have been better--I wish there had been more exposition on the backgrounds on Solo and Gui in the first few episodes (e.g. Gui's relationship with his foster mother, Gui's struggles as a student who has to work, Solo's loneliness and tensions with his father).
Despite some obvious flaws, Oxygen isn't really awful at all. The cinematography and editing manage to conceal and even make up for some of its flaws. To its credit, it doesn't seem as disjointed as a series like Kiss Me Again (a series with a BL couple). I also love Solo and Gui as a couple. The way they care for and respect each other is quite unusual in BLs, which often rely on a more conventionally masculine guy protecting a weaker one or being the center of attraction. The series also has a lot of cuteness (human puppies and bunnies) mixed with more serious events that make the love between the couples more touching.
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Light Comedy for a Rainy Day
There is nothing in this drama that hasn’t been done before, but it has its charm with absurd humor, likeable characters, and almost no plot to speak of. This drama’s strength lies in good comedic timing and very expressive main leads, from whom you can’t look away.Characters: From the minute the main leads are introduced, there’s never a dull moment with them. Su Xiaohe is cheerful and quick-witted. She doesn’t fall for the usual romance clichés and her having fun with situations that are usually full of drama is immensely satisfying. Mo Xiuran, unlike her, is not the brightest bulb, but he makes up for it with his unwavering self-confidence and a good heart buried beneath layers of narcissism. The other characters are also all very likeable. They’re not developed much, but they all left an impression on me and I’m going to miss them.
Comedy: Mo Xiuran is a cat prince who suddenly finds himself in the body of a young general. This leads to various ridiculous situations, which sometimes leaves you choking for breath from laughing too hard and at other times wanting to hide under the table from second-hand embarrassment.
Plot: Forget it exists. Just take things as they go and don’t think about anything. At first, the story seems reasonable and the drama avoids or parodies many clichés, but near the end, it drops the ball. The established rules of magic contradict themselves, the most awful romance clichés are brought into place, and some character choices are really questionable. The ending is really adorable and sweet, though, so the drama does leave a good memory in the end.
All in all, I enjoyed Be My Cat a lot. It was drama-free, humorous, and a pleasure to watch. I didn’t expect much due to all actors being newcomers, but it surprised me in a good way. I’m glad to have given it a chance.
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Delicate portrayal of Love and Friendship
What happens when 2 friends start living apart in their own life full of struggles and hardships, with a lot of dreams and ambitions to be fulfilled. Soulmate manages to tell the story of this friendship that changes or develops the characters over the course of their lives. The beautiful chemistry of a great bond is elegantly displayed by Kim Da Mi and Jeon So Nee.In essence, the film focuses on the story of the characters' personal journeys and transition from adolescence to adulthood. The movie captures beautiful stills of Jeju Island and the nostalgic BGM makes it more pleasant to watch.
My Rating : 7/10
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A Man Who Defies the World of BL Season 2
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Amazing Continuation, Slight Mood change
One thing I noticed with this season is the mood change.While it still has plenty of jokes and quirky humor, it's definitely toned down to make way for more emotional story lines (Even if those do have humor in them Aswell). The main lead is still amazing and gives the show so much life, along with the amazing opening theme. (Although I found their new fits weird, anyone else?)
I think the only story line I wasn't really into was the girl/boy one (unironically). Mostly because I feel like compared to the other storylines it lacked a lot of cohesion, but otherwise the story was still very funny and well-made.
I'm glad they've confirmed season 3, it's going to be great to watch, and hopefully they don't split them up at the beginning of the season, it feels slightly like a cop out. That was prob my only other issue is that rather than adding story beats across the entire season, they opted to give us a little story in the beginning, and then nothing until last episode.
If I have one hope for next season, is that they keep them in a relationship, but also try and use the protagonist skill to identify classic BL tropes to his advantage in his relationship, I think that's a very cool concept.
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A story of discovery but with no real kisses...
Of course I have to rant again, because in this story kissing has a deeper meaning especially in the finale. And both can't do it which sucks. That's a clear de-ranking for me.But: We get a more realistic story, about disovering feelings one of the MLs did not know he had, about a stupid decision which could have ended a relationship before it began and about how to come together even with all the hurdles in their way. If you don't talk about what you're feeling, it always creates problems. The story was sensible told, some scenes are very emotional and feel realistic. For me, the pacing was off. The first half was very fast paced and there happens a lot, the second half is very slow, too slow imho.
Production quality was superb, even with some bonus landscape pictures which were really pretty and interesting. The intro song is also so "non-BL" and they hired veteran Erina Koyama for the rest. She did a bunch of soundtracks and a lot of BL soundtracks (also for "Love Is Better the Second Time" S1 & S2). You can listen to her work on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpPc7Q4cYWyynGkVls-ugLw
Overall an interesting story, more realistic as I assumed in the beginning. The only downfall for this series are actors not committing to their roles, even when Mr. Oku Tomoya was already in "Minato's Laundromat" S1 & S2. It's especially disappointing because this time the kissing is story relevant. Also the pacing is off in the second half where the story streched too far. Still, I liked the series. It's not top notch, but still good.
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Wonderful drama until it all fell apart in the latest episodes
Story: It was all rainbows and unicorns (as a rom-com SHOULD be) until writer decided to go into MAKJANG territory and destroy all the hard work she put into creating this story (last minutes of ep.16 was just an ordeal to watch) The story has so much heart in the beginning, with endearing characters who despite not being blood-related helped/supported each other in difficult times, they were like the perfect family that everyone dreams of.Chemistry between the leads was on point. They made a beautiful couple and even when Jun was revealed to be a high-schooler, I didn't mind at all (I know many people were bothered by this detail, I wasn't one of them), I stood by them and hoped for a beautiful resolution to their love story. I'm still angry at the writer for giving everyone the happy-ending they deserved except our main couple. Jun faking his own death for 5 years, him coming back into Rara's life and acting as nothing has happened was just appalling. I just can't with this one...who in their right mind thought it was a nice way to wrap up things?
Rara could have move on and been married, you know it's been 5 fuck*ng years and you expect her to welcome him open arms and to forgive him just like that *oh wait, it's exactly what happened* (she thought he was dead for God's sake!!!)
I would be furious as hell and dump him on the spot (even if the guy was the real Lee Jae Wook!)
Before leaving, he should have told her the truth. Period. Rara would have probably been devastated at first but she could have given him the emotional support he needed and they could have faced it together like real couples would do. In concealing the truth, he's showing he didn't trust her, he's treating her like a little girl.
DoDoSolSolLaLaSol's revelation was about the only good thing in the latest episodes. It was beautiful, I admit, it made my heart flutter. Knowing he fell in love at first sight and all the things he did to keep in touch with her was just so precious and romantic (he was indeed her star/guardian angel) but writer had to ruin that lovely concept with the nonsensical and outdated illness plot ughh
The best ending imho: Show started with a wedding that fell through and should have ended with our main leads wedding. Coming in full circle. Writer may have thought it was too cliché?!? Still I'd take this 'cliché' ending over the infuriating one she has given us.
Edit: Writer could have include the wedding in a last epilogue for example. Just a thought.
Finale Rating: 6.5/10 and I'm being generous (8.5 from first episode to 13)
Acting:
Top-notch acting from everyone. I was most wary of Go Ara but she pleasantly surprised me with her bubbly, fun and optimistic character.
They are the reason why I stuck with this drama till the end. They deserved better. Writer failed them big time! And she ruined LJW first leading role *angry* (writer is blacklisted from now on!!)
To think it's from the same team behind 'Shopping King Louie' which is one of my fav dramas ever *I just can't believe it*
Rating: 9.5/10
Music:
OST was nice and I quite liked it.
Rating: 8.5//10
Rewatch Value: No, I won't go through this one a second time. Drama ended when Jun crashed the fake wedding and they went to the beach.
Rating: 3.5/10
Overall: For those wondering why I'm so harsh with the writer and the drama in general...It's because it could have been a great drama, it had so much potential in the beginning and I trust the writer because I watched all her projects (there's only 2) and enjoyed them a lot. I just feel cheated in the end.
Finale Rating:7.5/10 (mainly for the actors fabulous performances)
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Started great and then fizzled out
It started out strong. Smart and independent FL. Powerful but not overbearing and super BF material. Their chemistry was good and the balance between romance and other genres was great. Somewhere after ep. 20ish it lost its original spark and FL started becoming too emotional. ML was awesome all the way through- the character was written well and the actor did fantastic!The story really fell apart during the last 2-3 episodes. All reasoning fell out the window and things felt clumsily wrapped up. The investigations always required some suspension of disbelief with the flimsy “evidence” and leaps of logic but I was willing to let it slide. The big climax and ending was just too cringe though. I am still sitting here and asking how no one else suspected the antagonist when he was so not low key about his attempts at influencing the court and the young puppet king. So much eye roll. Ultimately I started this as a 9, it dropped to 8.5 midway and by the end, we’re at 7/7.5.
The only thing I’m walking away from this drama with is that I’m glad to be introduced to a great new actor and I’m excited to see what he does in the future.
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The drama is easy to watch and it’s also short, so it's worth watching at least once. I won't be too critical, as I didn't have high expectations for it. The ending is happy, so it's not that bad.
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like itttttt!!
At first, I thought it was going to be boring, just about fighting and how to deal with bullies, because this genre isn't really my type. Yet, in this show, I even enjoyed the fighting scenes-they were really good and exciting. I loved all the characters, even the villain; they just made me love the show even more.What l liked most was the main character's personality. Besides that, I can relate to him in terms of grades, and I admire how he never gave up.
He's always the one to motivate the group and rescue them. Plus, he's so cute, especially his little smile-llove it so much! I truly enjoyed the show and loved every character in the study group, as well as their acting. (The villain has my heart!)
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