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Start for the comedy, stay for the drama and end with frustration
So back in 2018, there was a tv show called "Legend of Fu Yao". And it was pretty great. Good story, interesting storylines and characters. Good acting. It had it all going for it. It got a little messy with some side stories, but the main plot was worth it so I watched that show for 60+episodes. And I got rewarded with the final episode wrapping up the final plot leaving behind gaping plot holes, in a weak conclusion that took 10 mins and a 45 second shot of the "Happy Ending for the heroine and hero". I was so angry. And now, whenever a promising show with everything going for it, pulls a "quick, conclusion without a satisfying ending", I call that "Pulling a Fu Yao". And that's exactly what this show did.They pulled a Fu Yao. The first 21 episodes are worth it. They've got good pacing, a reasonable plot and the actors are interesting to watch. I don't even mind that (SPOILER ALERT), they don't end up together, something that is actually foreshadowed in episode 15 when Wang'er shows Shiyi the last episode of his play "The Heiress" and his female protagonist doesn't end up with her Prince. But Shiyi and Yanyi's split happens ridiculously quickly with very little build-up, and Wang'er's contribution to it seems stupid considering that he fesses up to it as she's leaving, but by then she's had enough.
The final scene of them ALMOST meeting and missing each other is just CRUEL to the viewer.
I don't think I'd watch all of it again, but I'd watch certain scenes that I really enjoyed. And the only reason I'm not more annoyed at this drama is that I only had to sit through 24 episodes to get a dissatisfying ending, and not Fu Yao's 60+
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1This review may contain spoilers
Confusing start but great conclusion
…. I actually liked it lol. Went into this thinking I was going to get dollar store Bad Buddy lol but honestly they are only minorly comparable.Destiny Seeker is technically about rival dorms, but frankly it seems like literally no one takes that seriously lol.
The first episode was confusing as hell. There’s this sudden time jump in the middle of the episode and three years have passed all of a sudden. I swear to god, it was so sudden, I thought it was an elaborate daydream.
It would have been better if they approached the first episode in a linear fashion. Personally, I also think they could have done a job establishing the rivalry between the dorms as well. They basically just show two seniors argue a little and that apparently makes a bitter rivalry.
Instead, I think they should have shown the viewers all the ways that the two dorms compete. Show a montage or something of the next three years, in which the leads are separated and forced to pit against each other even though they are actually kind of friends.
Songkhram said he had been pursuing Ai for three years and we didn’t see any of it. Instead of some of the filller padding they added to the show, it would have been better to at least briefly establish some of the missing gaps in the narrative.
Anyway, once you get passed that, it actually settles down into a pretty standard “rivals” to friends to lovers pipeline. And surprisingly high heat… which I was not expecting at all lol. Despite being high heat, there was actually proper, expressed consent and it wasn’t toxic at all. Shocking but it’s hard to come by.
This story really shines in its leads. They have great chemistry, a solid rapport and it is clear they must have run proper workshops to get them comfortable with one another.
The plot is basic but pretty sweet. I liked that they briefly went the “secret dating” route, but they were literally so obvious that their whole friend group knew already. Good twist on a common trope.
It’s a pretty easy watch, I would recommend toughing out the slightly confusing intro because overall it is a pretty cute story.
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The story comes in waves, at times there is a feeling of melancholy and helplessness of the situation while at other times you will be jumping in your seat from excitement!
Intrigues changes all the time, what was once a dear friend or ally becomes an enemy and vice versa. It's a very complicated story with a big cast which might make it difficult for some western viewers to follow if the series is not watched at a high frequency.
Watching the acting in this series is a treat, the characters become very much alive and they are deeply written. You will always understand why a character behaves as he or she does. There are always motives behind their actions, and even if you might hate a character for some action they did, you will often find yourself later also feeling pity for them because you will see their reasoning behind it.
One of the most popular series in China, give it a try you won't regret it!
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To start off, I had no desire to watch this drama. I had heard great reviews raving about the chemistry and how great the story was, but I still regarded this drama with little more than a passing nod. I had never seen any previous works by the leads and clips I saw never seemed to catch my interest. In addition, despite it being a very popular story line, I do not typically enjoy contract relationships (don’t hate me!), business dramas, or incredibly mean and arrogant male leads. However, I was craving a romantic comedy and was running low on options, so I figured I would give it a try. And I am so glad that I did!!!
This drama was incredible. The chemistry and the acting by all the characters, even side characters, was fantastic. The story line was perfectly paced, great soundtrack accompaniment, interesting and dimensional subplots, a romance worth swooning over. I was hooked immediately and binged the entire season in 2 days. No episodes did I feel were just filler, everything was intriguing, and contributed to an all around great story and truly memorable story. I cannot recommend this drama enough. If you have doubts, as I did, give it a two episode try and I hope that you will find it just as entertaining as I did. Happy drama watching :)!
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This is an original fantasy, wuxia drama featuring many new faces in the entertainment world. The CGI is wonderfully done. In fact, I will go so far as to say that the CGI in this drama exceeds those of Ice Fantasy. It is not overly done and the scenes moved fluidly without any odd pauses when CGI was used; lending it a more believable air for a fantasy drama. The story is wonderful and it keeps you wanting more at the end of every episode. My congratulations to the author!
Acting/Cast: The hero in the acting cast is Zhang Ruo Yun who acted as the male lead, Feng Tian Yi. He's relatively new to the entertainment world but those of you who had watched Wuxin: The monster killer, Legend of Green Hill Fox and Fifteen Years to Wait for Migratory Birds would have noticed him. In Novoland, his acting is considered the best amongst the leading cast. His leading lady, Guan Xiao Tong (as Yi Fu Ling) may have acted in more dramas than him, but her acting left much to be desired. She's not very good in expressing herself and often have a rather stiff face; giving her acting an air of immaturity. The second male lead, Liu Chang as Bai Ting Jun was equally bad with expressions and together, they form what I called "The Frozen Faced Couple" in this drama. Ju Jing Yi from SNH48 surprisingly acted well in her role as the jealous rival of the female lead. Despite her first time acting in a notable role in a drama, her acting surpassed that of the female lead. Chen Ruo Xuan as the bumbling genius inventor Yu Huan Zheng is another good actor, providing the much needed supporting role and the unexpected heroism for the drama. The mature actor who acted as the Regent uncle to Feng Tian Yi is also another actor deserving kudos for his acting.
Music: Good enough but I'll go out in a limb here by saying that I am not a fan of TFBoys and their songs.
Rewatch value: I find myself absolutely sucked in by Zhang Ruo Yun's strong, obsessive, brilliant and assertive character in this drama. His love for Yi Fu LIng/goddess is so all encompassing. The way he looked at her, the way his lips briefly lifted at the sides as he considered her, the way he 'tortured' her, the way he literally inhaled her and wish to possess her.....Zhang Ruo Yun had created a very sensual and possessive chemistry based on his acting alone! Thanks to his acting, it made the sub-par acting of the female lead more tolerable. I would re-watch all the parts in this drama where he interacted with the female lead.
Overall: In summary, this drama would have scored a higher rating if the role of the female lead and second male lead were given to more experienced actress and actor who can actually act. However, the unique story keeps you wanting for more and managed to grab the audience's attention until the end. A good production that deserves more recognition than the other bigger budgeted fantasy-themed drama featuring big names such as Ice Fantasy, Legend of Chusen and Demon Girl that were airing at the same time this drama was aired. If you are hesitating which one to go for, I recommend that you give Novoland a go!
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Great Chemistry, Questionable Plot Execution
This drama was a mess and parts of it didn't make much sense, but I enjoyed it mostly because of Mos and Bank.What I didn't like
This 8 episode drama had too many plot points packed in, none of which were fully developed. We had:
Child acquaintances
Dealing with the loss of a parent and a new step mother
Enemies to lovers
Playboys falling in love
Working together on a work project
Arranged marriage that the main character didn’t want
Studying abroad opportunity
Love triangle with the friend coming back from overseas
Going to the same university but in different faculties
One person falling in love with the other years before they actually fully met
Date rape (whatever happened in the first episode)
Any of these plot lines or maybe even 2 or 3 of them fleshed out properly would have given us a great drama but because they decided to include all of those plot lines, the drama was all over the place.
The editing could have been improved because scenes didn't seem to fit together and some felt unnecessary. There were also enough cliché shots to make it noticeable (like focusing on some kisses too long, the rain falling randomly during the fight and the lights at the claw machine). Some of the kisses were really good, but others not so much.
Don't even get me started on the messed up premise of the show, that they never even full addressed/ explored. Like I'm all for a dark storyline, but it needs to be done well.
What I liked
Mos and Bank's chemistry. I'm talking about the way the look at each other and the natural skinship that Mangkorn and Yai had in the series. Just beautiful.
The conversations about equality and same sex marriage in Thailand, even though not always well incorporated, these conversations are still important.
The OST is amazing, though it might not capture the vibe of the show, Bank has a beautiful voice.
The drama itself is visually pleasing in terms of the contrasting of colours Mangkorn and Yai wear, the expensives cars and the pretty locations.
So, if you are watching this show because you saw how adorable Mos and Bank are in their interviews and vlogs, then this show is worth a watch to support the actors or even if you want something to pass the time and don't want to think too much, then watch it. However, if you are watching it for a logical plot and good progression of the storyline, then I'd say skip it but watch ep 7. It's so cute.
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Cute, Sweet, Precious, Inspiring, Touching
I consider a drama good when it captures my emotions - it makes me laugh as well as it makes me cry - it touches and relates to me. Unlike those crappy dramas that I cannot wait to jump to the final episodes to watch the conclusions, with good dramas, I carefully watch every minute of every episode and relish every moment without wanting it to finish; I want more of the story. Legally Romance is a story like this - a captivatingly good story with amazing acting and memorable characters.I picked up this series randomly in between releases of new episodes for Royal Feast and Dine with Love. The title, in both Chinese 才不要和老板谈恋爱 (literally means don’t want to date the boss) and in English Legally Romance, sounds cliché. Initially I thought it was an office romance in a law firm. Turns out, for two-thirds of the drama, it's a youth romance of law school students. I am taken by surprise how enjoyable this drama is. This is another version of the Michael Fox’s Back to the Future movie (1985) whereby in both productions, the main leads go back to their youth and try to change their choices, hopefully getting a different and better outcome.
Qian Wei (Song Zuer) is a feisty, struggling but upstanding and smart paralegal assistant for Lu Xun (Huang Zitao aka Z.Tao) who is a partner of a renowned law firm. Lu Xun is wise, mature and intelligent. He was also Qian Wei’s classmate from law school. She attributes all her current hardship in life to Lu Xun being always on top of her throughout her college years, from academic grades, to winning all competitions in debates, student council etc.
On that fateful day, Qian Wei gets into an accident and in her unconsciousness, she dreams she goes back 11 years ago to her first year in law school. The dream is actually her subconscious mind that gives us the backstory. There, back to 11 years ago, she vows to start over in her second life and to work doubly hard to win back everything that she has lost to Lu Xun, and to right every choice she has made before, hoping she can change her fate and have more favorable outcomes in the future. She also meets her ex-boyfriend whom she vows she would never date this time. Most importantly, she wants to help her father so that she can avert his untimely death. However, she hasn’t anticipated something that she has missed all these years: Lu Xun is in love with her. This time, she notices everything Lu Xun does for her, from blood donation to fixing the streetlamps to distributing public notices clarifying her innocence etc, all done without telling her; he has always been there for her, protecting and loving her, quietly.
The drama is inspiring as our main leads strive to help the vulnerable with their pro bono legal services. To them, even when something is deemed legal, it doesn't mean it's ethical or right morally. Though a lawyer's role is to protect his/her plaintiff's interest, it should also be done ethically without unduly harm done to the other innocent parties. This is the stance our main leads are upholding firmly throughout.
Though this drama makes me grin from ear to ear most of the time, there are moments that touch me so hard that make me shed my tears. And here is the most touching letter from a father to a daughter.
Song Zuer is a first-class actor; she is cute, beautiful, natural, real and so convincing. As Qian Wei, she brings out the wittiness as well as the silliness of the character. She makes the character so enjoyable to watch and to relate, at the same time, very heart-felt and touching when it comes to her love for her father.
When I first saw Huang Zitao in Episode 1, like many viewers unfamiliar with the actor, I thought, "What's wrong with his hair?" I believe some viewers even get turned off by his outrageous mullet hairstyle and drop this wonderful gem prematurely. But, oh boy, Huang Zitao is charismatic! After the first episode, I grow to like him and by the end of the drama, I love this gorgeous actor. He is genuine, his acting is natural and very believable. As Lu Xun, I love his dynamics with Qian Wei and their exchanges are so adorable that I don't want to miss a moment of their scenes. I particularly love the moments when he sends her love letters in the form of origami which are mistaken as his sarcasms and are returned in an undignified way – she throws them back at him. Being feisty, Qian Wei tends to push Lu Xun around and he goes along with her all the time. I love how he loves her but always gives her space. Even in tense moments, Qian Wei is still so silly and Lu Xun still so funny. Their interactions are simply adorable and hilarious. If you want to watch Huang Zitao's kissing scenes, this drama is full of them.
The whole cast is amazing, including the actors who play Qian Wei’s good friends and ex-boyfriend, both Qian Wei’s and Lu Xun’s parents, and the second couples. There are also the unethical and greedy antagonists who turn murderous. Bravo to the production team.
The plot starts in Episode 1, temporary stops in the middle of Episode 2 when Qian Wei returns to the past where the backstory explains and the plot builds, and then continues from Episode 23 when she returns from the past. Some viewers lose interest after watching the first episode because they find it boring or confusing. If that is the case, I would suggest to start from the middle of Episode 2 when she goes back to 11 years ago, bringing with her today's experience and wisdom. There's a lot of flashbacks of what she has done then when she was younger and what she would do this time to change the outcome.
My verdict
This is a delightful and sweet youth drama with unexpectedly well storytelling and plotline. The story is cute, the characters are lovable, the romance is sweet, and the acting is commendable. Don't be deceived by Huang Zitao’s wild haircut. Once you get through the initial shock, you'll start to love his mullet hairstyle. I do. As both Lu Xun and Qian Wei are excellent speakers and they are very eloquent in debates, therefore they speak very fast especially when they fight. Non-native Mandarin speakers may find it hard to keep up with what they are saying. Huang Zitao is also a singer and he sings the ending song You are the Rest of My Life which is very good. The other OSTs are equally good and unforgettable.
The story reminds me of the song, I See the Light, from Tangled, a Disney production, when the lyric sings ".... suddenly I see ... Now that I see you". For more than 10 years, Qian Wei doesn’t see Lu Xun while he is around her, quietly watching her, loving and caring for her. Now she notices all the things, big and small, that he has done and are still doing for her; she sees him.
If you get a second chance to live your life again, would you want to change anything for a different outcome? If so, what would it be?
This is a MUST WATCH! If you love to laugh, you'll love this drama. Don’t miss this great story.
TWO THUMBS UP!
P/S Don't miss the epilogue at the end of the final episode after the end credits. It is life after a few years later ....
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1NOT a BL but a proper queer movie
I find it important to make it clear that this is not a formulaic BL aimed at a (mostly) female audience, who enjoy watching pretty men get it on. Yes, men fall in love in this movie and yes, there are sex scenes, but this is where the similarities to BL end.This movie explores gay relationships and gay life in today's Japan without being overly dramatic, but also without any of the "Love is Love and it'll all be good in the end"-sugar coating we see in most BLs.
During the Q&A session at a film festival, the director Matsunaga Daishi said that he deliberately cast queer (amateur) actors in some roles (eg. Kosuke's friend group) to further LGBTQ representation.
Suzuki Ryohei is simply stunning in his portrayal of Kosuke. He manages with sometimes minimalistic expressions or what should be mundane tasks, such as drawing in his eyebrows, to portray a man, who has learned to navigate a world which is hardly accepting of the LGBTQ community. A man, who has armored himself with success and a seemingly hard shell, but who shows vulnerability and his true self in places and among people he knows he is welcome.
The movie isn't perfect. There are aspects of Kosuke's and Ryuta's relationship I wish it had explored in more depth, but it is impactful and (as I said before) Suzuki Ryohei's performance alone makes it very much worth a watch.
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both main characters were so smart, levelheaded, understanding, sweet, vulnerable, and yet they were so confident and they never put the other's needs before themselves.. love is great, but self love is important? love doesn't mean "devote your whole existence to the other party"?
I'm worried I'll never watch another "similar" romcom again ;) this is not "original", but it's literally the only acceptable way to deal with cliches... a character driven story...
I'll just describe the characters a little more.... ryan... he's confident, maybe even arrogant and cold, but I love that he shows duk mi his "vulnerable" side.. and he doesn't "push her around".. he asks, he doesn't demand.. he apologizes when he's wrong, and he's not "above making a mistake"... and you can tell that he still wonders "am I asking too much", but she doesn't say no because he isn't asking for something grand, and she's just so precious and I LOVE a confident female lead... strong doesn't equal to mean or a bully, and sweet doesn't equal to a pushover who cries while apologizing for nothing...
also, his goofy playful side... I LOVE that side~ unlike dominic, he only wants "duk mi" to see that side ;)
ps, my rewatch value is just a 1 or a 10, so for this, I'll definitely rewatch it one day. just not the last 2 eps ;)
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One of the best thai bl this year
This was a journey, an experience, that will forever stay with me. I absolutely loved this series. The cinematography, directing, production level, acting, story - marvelous, beautiful and stunning.STORY:
This series is a fiction, subtly yet un-subtly, calling out all the problems and flaws in the BL industry from toxic tropes, stereotypes, overcontrolling script writers to the cruel treatments of their casts, amongst other things. The story is about Gene, a professional BL writer, desperate to break out of the BL genre and try writing something else for a change. But his overbearing publisher refuses him to do so and downright coerces him into writing yet another BL story following his last successful novel that's in the process of being produced into a series called 'Bad Engineer The Series'. Sitting through the audition for Bad Engineer is where he meets Nubsib, who's apparently a sheep in wolf's clothing. Nubsib is auditioning for the series and manages to snag the main lead role. It seems to be Gene's and Nubsib's first meeting, but apparently not because they actually met as children around 14 years ago. They've got history, but it looks like Nubsib is the only one who remembers.
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I have watched a lot of Thai BLs to last me a lifetime (not really, it's never enough) so I know if a series was going to disappoint me halfway into it. Lovely Writer did not disappoint. At all. What got me into the series was the plot. If you've got a good and interesting plot, trust it to grasp your attention. Add to it a well-acclaimed, accredited and well-loved director to the mix? It's bound to be good, like really, really good. And then of course, you have the actors and actresses that brought their characters to life like no other; their emotions, personalities that was made their own... it was /chef's kiss/.
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INCOMING SPOILER ALERT!! EPISODE 9 (i can't stop talking and thinking about EP 9. It's a masterpiece in all sense)
Episode 9 was too good. It was downright cinematic. The blockings for some of the scenes were amazing - it was art at it's finest, in just one episode. Storyline was on-point, characters well-portrayed, cinematography a masterpiece and a rollercoaster of emotions! There were no dull moments or awkwardness in between~ It was all amazingly done!
The way this episode showed how problematic homophobic norms were passed down from one generation to the other, that living as a gay person means living in fear and judgment, that accepting oneself as being gay is not "normal"... It needs to stop. This episode also showed how it's all funny and amusing until one of your children is actually the one being called funny and amusing. It's interesting and nice to see how they showed the parents being entertained by the gays on-screen but when it's someone from the family, the table's suddenly quiet and all hell breaks loose. Not many people could fully understand how heavy and nerve-wrecking the scene at the family table actually was, because I could never. But the emotions that ran through each and every one of the characters, I could at least dare to slightly fathom the weight of the confession scene as well as the confrontation scene later on. I am genuinely impressed and touched with each character, and letting the characters to freely speak their minds without inhibitions. It's a wake-up call, and it's about time.
Aside from the heavy scenes of this episode, there were the soft and steamy ones that I, not gonna lie, ABSOLUTELY loved! There were so many of my favourite scenes in this episode, and of course, many domestic ones that I've embarrassingly found myself squealing to. No regrets though 'cause SibGene are so adorable and beautiful together.
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Also, in terms of my fav characters in this series, it's got to be Gene, Nubsib, both their parents, and Hin. First off, kudos to Gene. Absolutely loved his character development. He seemed so unsure of himself at the beginning of the series but after knowing who he was, he chose to accept himself and face it head on. I'm amazed at how brave of a man he was. He was the epitome of confidence, being honest to himself and choosing not to be a coward, even from his own family. He knew what could happen if he admitted to his relationship with Nubsib but he still did it anyway because he knew it was the right thing to do, and he wanted to be honest with both himself and his parents. Really, Gene deserved the world, but the world didn't deserve him. And Nubsib, raising standards every step of the way. He's the consent king and nobody can tell me otherwise. Always making sure he's not forcing Gene to do anything he didn't want to do and telling him he's willing to wait for him if he's not ready... where do I get myself a Nubsib, huh?
Gene's and Nubsib's parents, who would've known they would be the most supporting people in those two men's lives? Especially Gene's father. He really wins best father of the year. I love this series for not only showing the main lead's story but also the supporting characters so we could understand each one of them, at least a little bit. Gene's mothers are besties for life, their fathers are best bros, their brothers are bffs, what more is there to ask for?
And then we got Hin. Hin, the character we thought was going to betray Gene but pulled a 180 degree on us and called us stupid by actually sacrificing his passion and love for writing to protect his friend. You can't find a more genuine and honest friend than Hin. We all wished we had a Hin in our lives.
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Starting from the first episode, each and every scene were played and directed so well, I wondered, "why was this so good already from Ep 1?" Was it the unique plot, the well-known director, the amazing actors, or all of the above? Fyi, it was the latter, just in case someone was still wondering. But what I especially loved was the shade thrown on the BL stereotypes and all the other toxic labels. This series was not following your typical BL from the get-go and I loved it. This mindset carried on, and it didn't stop until the end where they performed short plays from famous Disney fairytales. It was their way of saying, BLs are fantasies too, don't mix fiction with reality. And also that two men can play these cheesy fairytales perfectly well. And they killed it, too. It was 10/10!
And the chemistry, you can't NOT talk about the chemistry between Up and Kao. It was phenomenal. Everyone knows this by now, and even if you don't like either of them (i don't understand you), you can't deny their chemistry. Up is an exceptional actor. His portrayal of Gene was splendid, especially the way he shows every emotions through his face expressions and body movements. Every little movement or gesture had a meaning, a purpose behind it. That's how much of an amazing actor Up is. And Kao has improved SO MUCH from the beginning. He's done so well with Nubsib and brought his character to justice. The way he looked at Gene with love, respect and fondness is out of this world. The way he showed his frustration, anger and jealousy was so strong, I felt it too. His feelings for Gene was unrivaled. A serious round of applause for the both of them!! There's no Gene without Up, and there's no Nubsib without Kao. Up was the perfect Gene, and Kao was the perfect Nubsib.
And of course, another round of applause for the rest of the cast and crew! The beauty of this series is that no matter what is talked about, no matter the difference in pacing, mood, purpose, and TEA, it still fit perfectly in their world called Lovely Writer. And as many people have said, this series has raised bars and standards for any BL drama. They've all made something top-tier in this industry, and they deserve all the love and admiration.
I love how Lovely Writer depicts the good side of LGBT relationships, but also the cruelty of society that's against it. LW does not only show the joys of being in love but also the struggles. This series is a fukken masterpiece, exquisite in every component. I can't praise this series enough. I don't think I can enjoy a BL series with a weak plot anymore. Back then, I'd watch anything as long as it's BL but now...
So far, to me, it's one of the best BL this year. No, dare I say, it's the best BL I've had the pleasure of watching in my entire life.
There are a few people out there who dropped this series after watching the first or second episode. Trust me, I was dumb enough to have thought about dropping it too, but I pushed through and look where we're at now. Watch the series guys, give it a chance.
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this is a drama with a story that i doubt i will ever find it again, i love it as much as i hate it, and i have this kind of mixed up feeling while watching it, what they did is really bad and wrong but i really want them to be together and happy bcuz they suffered enough for their whole life and their relationship is really beautiful (exclude the crime).
i will recommend it to everyone who wants something different and unpredictable, it's dark and heavy though but it's a great drama, the music is good too, overall i love it, but i won't rewatch it, i don't want to endure the same torture i had while watching it. you will understand what i'm talking about if you watch it.. enjoy.. :D
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Glad I stuck with it
After the first couple of episodes I was tempted to give up on this one. I thought it was lacking in lots of ways and really wasn’t keen on the flashbacks. I kept hanging on because I liked the actors and wanted to know Amber’s backstory. Also, it’s a long time since I watched a Taiwanese BL and I like the vibe. With a small budgets they rely heavily on the story being good as they don't have the money to gloss over / disguise a bad one. In this, they literally walk you through some scenes (the slow motion car crash for example - no spoiler - it's the very first thing you see) to tell the story. As a viewer, it is perfectly do-able to fill in the gaps and makes a refreshing change after being spoon-fed so often. It was imaginative with the way they framed the shots too - it’s a bit like reading a comic. Some of the things I initially felt were lacking in the production I decided to embrace as part of its charm. I sped through the flashbacks which are mostly at the beginning of each episode. By ep 6 I was into it, and after that it just got progressively better.Cast/characters:
I really liked Tannie Huang as Yu He. She's a bit in your face and surprised I didn’t find her irritating – but it was cute her being unfiltered and direct - came across very human. The way she behaved after discovering Amber’s secret was a disappointment to me but it was (sadly) the most realistic reaction. It was true to her friendship with Ah Le and maybe turned out to be the catalyst everyone needed in the long run. I liked how honest she was about her feelings and thought her relationship with her brother was really touching - esp during their conversations in episodes 9-10. The actor playing her brother is also in Plus & Minus but I'm finding his role in that a bit limp, so wasn’t expecting to like him so much in this.
The second couple were sweet and funny and wholesome. They didn’t dominate the story and I didn’t feel I wanted more or less of them but was glad they existed. Lin Wei Jie is so fricking cute.
In love with Eric Lin's performance as Amber. His acting was understated - and the character came across painfully lonely in his self-containment.
I don’t want to slag Lukas Huang's acting off because I got a strong sense of Ah Le as a character - I was convinced of his good nature and he carries this reassuring solidness - but the scenes in which he needed to convey extreme emotion seemed a little pained - particularly during the scene with his mum in the final episode. That conversation though was really moving – the words just kept rolling out of him. Really beautifully written.
The relationship between Amber and Ah Le is so gentle and pure - it's the main reason I liked this drama so much. Pre final episode (which I loved every minute of) my favorite part of the show was in episode 11 - their conversation and hug, followed by the teddy-shaped coffee. It felt like a real interaction and comforted me.
Also loved the music.
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This review may contain spoilers
Loved It
Three things you should know about me: (a) I don't cry while watching movies and tv shows.; (b) I don't clap at the end of the last episode of a tv show; and (c) I rarely ever re-watch a drama. Once Again nearly made a liar out of me with (a) and did with (b). I thought, 'Why am I clapping? I don't clap at the end of dramas.' smh As for (c), well, I could start re-watching right now and I just finished the last episode 5 minutes ago. In other words I truly enjoyed Once Again.This is a great family drama. The storylines are nothing new. If you even watched soap operas, there's definitely nothing new. The writing had heart though. Lots and lots of heart. It was funny. It was sad. It was annoying and even made me angry from time to time. The writer did a good job with character development. At approx 35 minutes per episode the story moves quickly. The production team did an excellent job at keeping the story fluid.
The cast is fantastic. Honestly, I started the drama because I really like Lee Sang Yeob. Of course I was happy to see a few faces I recognized not just because they've been in dramas I've watched, but because they stood out in dramas I've watched. I loved the bromance(s) between the stunt guys. The 3 child actors were very good as well. Everyone pulled their weight. At no point did it feel like any one actor was being supported by the other actors in the scene. It was truly an ensemble in every sense of the word.
The music was pretty good. I tend not to pay attention to the music unless it annoys me, but I actually liked the themes. I liked everything (ok almost everything) about Once Again, which is why it has a high re-watch value.
In all fairness here are a few cons: (1) continuity. (Oh boy there are some glaring continuity issues, mostly surrounding scenes with food. A sausage re-grew itself. It was almost gone and 2 seconds later it was back. Personally, I wouldn't mind a neverending sausage. ) ; (2) relationship between Ga Hee and Hyo Sin (most probably ship them, but not me. I was happy to see an older women with a younger man as we ALWAYS see the other way. However, it's obvious that she was just lonely and he saw her as the caring mother he wished he had. It would have been more honest if while separated they realized they should just be friends and dated other people.); (3) Jae Seok's fake laugh. (JS is such a great character. I loved him. But that fake laugh was just awkward and annoying.); and (4) food. (OMG will Once Again make you hungry. I wanted fried chicken with every episode. I'm thinking about getting delivery from a Korean place now. Watch it with snacks. Seriously. ) I've tried to think up a 5th con, but I can't.
Obviously my cons don't outweigh the pros. I enjoyed Once Again from episode 1-100 (or 50 as it shows on streaming sites). If you like family dramas, a little mischief, a bit of heartbreak, I think you'd enjoy, too.
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