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The Hong Sisters Have Finally Returned To Wonderland..
For most watchers first looking over the drama, Yeo Jin Goo ( Hwayi; A Monster Boy and Moon Embracing The Sun) would seem to be one to steal the show from his legendary roles in numerous dramas and movies , yet, instead, it is IU ( My Mister and The Producers) ‘s role as the angel-faced yet foul-mouthed owner of the hotel, Jang Man- Wol who instead quickly steals the show from Jin Goo in her glamorous frocks.
From inspired attires straight out of Daphne Du Maurier’s gothic modern romance tale , Rebecca ( 1938), to Katherine Hepburn’s little black dress in a favourite film of the Hong Sisters, Breakfast At Tiffany’s ( 1961), IU
truly embodies the mature and complex core of a cynical female lead who is shaped by her own experiences and choices rather than merely love itself.
Yet whilst the casting of the show is fairly diverse with fellow Kpop costar P.O being cast as the giddy hotel receptionist and Bae Hae- Sun as the strict housekeeper of the hotel, some of the roles within the show (especially the storywriting ) felt slightly lacklustre in comparison. ( Particularly P.O and Kang Mi- Na’s romance as their respected characters, which did have some bittersweet moments in particular to P.O’s character, but Mi Na’s character Soo- Jung had little relatability despite her tragic circumstances).
Admittedly this isn’t entirely the fault of the actors as one noticeable flaw which arose in the drama was how the Hong Sisters had added little complexity or emotional value in regards to the respected storylines of some of the other characters (excluding Man Wol of course). The biggest example of this arose with Jin Goo’s character, Gu Chan-Sung.
Man Wol was supposed to be the fiery ‘Yang’ to Chan Sung’s level- headed ‘ Ying’ personality within their relationship, there was little to actually express or delve into Gu Chan- Sung apart from the evident plot roles. His father dies several years presumably after his first scene in a flashback in the show , yet Chan- Sung neither really expresses anguish nor heartbreak at this fact. Whilst there is the arguable emphasis that Chan-Sung is too rational to break down over these matters, this is greatly contradicted within the scene when Chan- Sung simply loses his composure at a bus stop over thoughts of Man- Wol. Undeniably a heartbreaking scene and a moment of brilliant acting from Goo, this scene just doesn’t entirely add with the intended composure of Chan Sung who in several episodes prior, who didn’t bat an eyelid to the return of his mother as a ghost.
This also moves us onto the other problem of Hotel Del Luna; how the storyline played out. Ironically, Hotel Del Luna’s biggest problem wasn’t trying to adhere to the typical cliches, but instead trying to overcome them at the last minute. Obviously, there is nothing wrong with a drama doing this, however, where the evident flaw lies for Hotel Del Luna is that rather than only doing this a couple of times to mark a red herring by diverting the audience’s attention ( and then deliver an actual plot-twist by moving onto the expected becoming the unexpected), the Hong Sisters tried to do this at every given opportunity during the storyline. Without spoiling anything, I will say this. The novelty of the storytelling becomes less effective when you did this too often, and so whilst Hotel Del Luna was certainly interesting within certain character plot-lines ( particularly Jang Wol’s past), some of the show for a major part felt anticlimactic and disjointed in the long run.
On a more positive note, however, Hotel Del Luna’s magic is greatly brought to life through fairly good CGI and storytelling upon this element. Whilst not entirely touching new ground in the face of predecessor shows like Goblin , Hotel Del Luna still brings its own element of dark fantasy through traditional Korean mythology being brought into modern Seoul. From disturbing evil spirits, bartender ghosts like Kim Seon Bi ( Shin Jung- Geum) to deities such as the mysterious Mago ( Seo Yi- seok) with unpredictable plans of fate for our main characters.
Additionally, whilst the finale of Hotel Del Luna has caused a lot of debate amongst drama fans, the bittersweet ending was surprisingly appropriate for the drama . Overall Hotel Del Luna was an enjoyable watch (although perhaps flawed by some elements of the storyline and certain characters’ contributions to the show )-the elements of dark fantasy, traditional mythology and IU’s stellar performance as the twisted and cynical Man- Wol will keep you captivated. Although not flawless, definitely worth a watch.
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Hiiragi sensei is an amazing character, my fav of all time. Such a deep character.
Loved the story, you need to rewatch this drama to really understand it, and to see all hints!!!
Love the cast, these young actors/actress will be great in future roles. Finally some new good faces.
Masaki Suda was a monster... they choose one of the most brilliant j-actors.... such a versatile actor. In the last episodes he was outstanding. He need to win an award for this drama, no this drama need to win a lot of awards.
Loved the music <3 This played such a big part in this drama. And loved the ending <3
Rewatch value 10/10 of course.
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A Dry Story Based on Actual Event
Under the Microscope is a story adapted from the Silk Case, one of the six cases under Ma Boyong’s historical textbook. The author has also written numerous well-loved novels, among others, Secret of Three Kingdoms, Luoyang, and The Wind Blows from Longxi. Like the other dramas, the mood of this drama is serious albeit with subtle humor. It is a departure from the usual stories of royalty, noblemen and aristocrats, and instead looks microscopically into the issues faced by the commoners during the Ming Dynasty.The tax and financial system during the Ming era was a very complicated subject, and the story revolves around a tax called the “ren ding sijuan” (silk by head count). Shuai Jiamo (Zhang Ruoyun) accidentally discovers a silk tax entry on the county’s account book with a questionable amount. He deems it erroneous and requests the county official to rectify the error but is told he needs to appeal to higher up. While attempting to do so, he meets all kinds of obstacles, including attempts on his life; someone is trying to prevent him from appealing and digging deeper. Together with his only friend, Feng Baoyu (Fei Qiming), they are determined to get to the bottom of it despite putting themselves in great danger.
Shuai Jiamo is a young mathematical genius with signs of autism. To him, math always tells the truth and he doesn’t allow a speck of inaccuracy in it. Because of his obsession, most people regard him as an idiot, except Feng Baoyu who thinks Shuai Jiamo very special and would do anything for him. Zhang Ruoyun is an incredible actor. As the autistic Shuai Jiamo, he is genuine and very believable.
To readjust the tax amount on the account book, Shuai Jiamo is told to bring his appeal to court. While in court, he meets Cheng Renqing (Wang Yang), a talented but morally and ethically questionable lawyer working for a shadowy character to try to throw Shuai Jiamo’s case out. He has been successful, but Shuai Jiamo and Feng Baoyu do not give up easily despite getting thrown into prison and their life being threatened. Wang Yang is a veteran actor, and has a charismatic aura. With a smirk on his face and a sharp tongue, his performance is on script and has no holes to poke.
All the other actors give a wonderful and believable performance. I particularly love the Magistrate Fang character (Hou Yansong). Seemingly lazy and useless, he turns out to be the hero of the people and the actor Hou Yansong has performed with full marks. I also like the Feng Baoyu character who loves gambling and is a real friend worth having for anyone. Fei Qiming’s portrayal is outstanding, bringing out the essence of the character convincingly.
My Verdict
This is a true story based on a historical event but not a drama for everyone. Some of the characters such as Shuai Jiamo and Cheng Renqing (written differently but with same homophones) were real historical figures. Shuai Jiamo’s obsession in math and in going to court to correct the tax errors can bore many viewers unless one is very interested in the complicated and confusing Chinese bureaucratic and financial system during Ming Dynasty. To add fireworks to a dry story to make it more palatable for entertainment consumption, some ninjas and wuxia sword fights are added. The scene when Cheng Renqing comes to the rescue of Shuai Jiamo and Feng Baoyu in the nick of time on the beheading tables by throwing out two knives is simply hilarious and unreal.
Though at the end of the drama, it seems everyone receives their justifiable rewards or punishments, it doesn’t feel right to me. Despite all the heinous acts by the villains, the ultimate culprit’s punishments seem like just a slap on the wrist compared to what Shuai Jiamo and Feng Baoyu receive for pointing out the problem -- some of the culprit's wealth is confiscated while the good guys are beaten and imprisoned -- this is probably quite realistic.
In the real event, Shuai Jiamo’s and Cheng Renqing’s fates were not as rosy as shown here; they were both sent away in exile for stirring up "trouble". In other words, the best way to deal with any problems at the local level was to punish those who pointed out the problems. As always, the drama depicts the aristocrats are the ones suppressing and stealing from the people, and the government the enhancer and the gestapo police -- a satire of wealth inequality, the world is never fair nor just.
Overall, this is a dry drama based on a real story full of ironies and paradoxes. The acting is very good and the script writing is tight and logical but too bad, as much as I have enjoyed it, the drama doesn’t make a compelling story for most casual viewers.
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All in all, I don't regret watching it caue it teached me something important about people not only beind bad or good.
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Everything New twist and turn come in life , youngsters want their life Perfect But everything came different types of problems, and how to solve and Improve themselves...
This drama best example for that....
Story :-
The drama is based on Xu Zechen's novel of the same name. The story follows a group of young people living along the canal, from getting to know each other to growing together, parting ways, and eventually reuniting. It highlights their deep sense of cultural identity and the inheritance of national spirit. As the younger generation along the canal rapidly grows into pillars of various industries, they give back to their hometown and society through their actions, showcasing their commitment and dedication.
Everyone watch this drama , Best drama Ever for New generation ......
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The story starts out interesting, and to be fair, it had a lot of interesting ideas in it. A lot as in: too much. I always find it a bit painful when I realise what a show could have been, if it was just executed differently. There where some good plots started, but it all felt like 'so much to do, so little time'.
I did not really feel the romance in the story. To not reveal too much, lets speak of boy A and boy B.
I do understand why boy A liked her, because there is some development and some logic to it. I know love isn't always logic, but still. And to me it felt like boy B just out of the blue decided he loved her too.
And the boy she starts a relationship with.. arg... he just goes for it like: bang! I can appreciate that there is some action and he knows what he wants. But to me it felt like he nearly forced her into a relation she wasn't sure of she wanted anyway. I would have felt really pressured and uncomfortable. Isn't there something in between the 'I can't say my feelings' and 'you showed some interest, now you are mine until death do us part'.
And then the girl herself, she is a totally different story: make up your mind lady! The plot just keeps switching and switching and in the end it didn't feel like the choice was actually made...
The parts where she is 'writing her novel' were plain boring. I honestly think this whole subplot could have been erased. It was there that the acting was the most awful and the wigs made it even worse. To me it symbolized what a horrible story she actually must have writing, because the plot she wrote was worse than the plot(s) the actual drama had. Thankfully she had a change of career!
The Gumiho part was a nice twist, but it did make the story more confusing and forced in its plot.
There was only one scene I laughed. And it was a scene where she was crying. Because, you know... one of the boys she liked said he liked her like a little brother! (and not like a girl like she wanted).
Dear Bunny (horrible nickname), if you dress up like a boy, act like a boy, say you are a boy.. you can't expect straight boys to fall in love with you and develop feelings for you other than that of a brother or a friend. The rare exceptions who do develop feelings are what I said they are: rare.
I love the idea of people falling in love no matter there gender. But a straight boy normally doesn't feel attracted to another boy. And if he did say he was attracted to you, you would have a completely different problem: what if he only likes boys and he finds out you are a girl...
Anyway.
The music. Uhmm.. I just watched the last episode and I can't remember it. But it didn't bother me, so that's a pro.
I somewhat enjoyed watching it. But that is not enough. I normally love gender-benders! This one.. well.. this one was just there. I started really enthusiastic, watched it, got a little bored, skipped a little, watched again, felt confused, felt more confused, felt confused but also a bit amused by the confusion and then I was relieved the ending was there, because I couldn't take any more episodes, but at the same time I realised it should have had a few more to just explain all the story lines, and... well.. you understand.
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A must watch!
Some may call this a feminist drama, however the storyline and the acting makes this a MUST watch drama.The flow and the narrative touches our lives in every way. The storyline also relates to many of us.
The 3 main leads are characters we can somehow identify with people we know. Their challenges in life may be common and they are portrayed very well. A few rightly placed comical moments provide a relief in a serious situation. Standby your box of tissues though.
In conclusion, we live on decisions we made and are responsible for our own action.
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The lack of affection is sad
Not a fan.Bad bits:
1. Tine and Sarawat - might be the least convincing romantic pairing I've ever come across. Before becoming an item there was (a little bit of) potential, but once they got 2gether they displayed zero affection- it was bizarre. Are they supposed to be in a loving relationship at the end? If so that makes me sad! I liked the actor who plays Tine but the actor playing Sarawat sneers a lot, gives off an arrogant vibe and seemed uncomfortable in the role.
2. Bit troubled by the portrayal of Green's character (rapey, or what? the one "obvious gay" character doesn't need to be forcing himself on frightened straight men...) and how he was treated (like shit). It is a light-hearted drama but that was a bit of a dodgy storyline- and just inserted as a device to get the leads to fake-date.
3. The music is not my taste.
Good bits:
1. Fong [Tine's friend] - for no particular reason - he just seems a sweetheart.
2. Man [Sarawat's friend] - he only had 10-15 mins on screen but made a better romantic lead than Tine/ Sara.
I should have stopped watching a third of the way through - I stuck with thinking it would get better, but it never did. I saw reviews for "still together" declaring it an improvement, and I'm a glutton for punishment so gave it a go. I thought it was marginally better, but not good enough to stick with so I dropped it (very proud!) before finishing the first episode.
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1
1
1Season 2 said I will do better and it did (for the most part)!
In times when season 2 usually ends up being a disappointment, this one was actually better than its predecessor. The story was stronger, the acting by both leads improved, and their communication and chemistry were far better. The only thing that disappointed me was Shirasaki 2.0. His problem wth an inferiority complex with Hayama was almost the same or a little better if I am being nice. And I might have been okay with it, but he sort of projected on Hayama and it entirely didn't sit right with me.Season 2 starts with Hayama and Shirasaki in their dating era when they are not working on the same set together. The narrative explores the difficulty of being in a relationship under the constant pressure and scrutiny in the entertainment industry, issues of professional ambition, jealousy and personal insecurities that arise when private relationships intersect with public careers. And for the most part, it did manage to do it.
Starting with the characters, Asami Hayama is the kind of character who feels too much but only lets very little slip through. At first glance, he is a perfect example of calm and composed and someone who has life in control. But once you dare to look past that exterior, he is fighting his own demons. His internal conflicts shape him in meaningful ways, both good and bad. While I acknowledge that he withheld emotions to a fault, however, this also gives him a certain steadiness. He isn't impulsive with emotions.
Shirasaki had its moments, but overall it was a hit-and-miss for me. Starting with the positives, his acting journey was impressive. He is new to acting world and the way he adapted and was more open to feelings than career-hardened characters was nice. What I have complaints about from him is being Hayama's boyfriend and that inferiority complex from season 1. This whole 'I need to prove myself or qualify to stand beside someone who already treasured him without conditions' didn't work for me. This race in his mind made him look fragile and insecure and in all the wrong ways.
I supported his outburst but the way it was delivered nullified the impact and effect of it. The way he projected his insecurities and made it about him rather than considering or understanding Hayama's feelings rubbed me the wrong way. I guess they say it right, words matter but so does the tone.
Coming to the chemistry, it was way better than Season 1 and it shines brightly in some moments. There were fewer communication gaps and internal monologues. They had their sweet soft moments where all the colours shine, whether it is attraction, fear or longing. It might be more enjoyable for me due to them being an established couple this season. I would have liked more moments of them together, digging deeper into their relationship and themselves a bit more.
Acting-wise, both the leads were really good. Nihara Taisuke, as Shirasaki benefited the most with BL under the BL concept. Komagine Kiita was good too. I enjoyed the role of Kuroki Keita, played by Natsuki Omi. Shoma was better than the previous season but we have a long way to go for him.
Production and cinematography were beautiful and clean. I liked the set design and overall, it elevated the tone of the story. I loved the close-ups and directing sequences. Another plus point from a visual perspective was the shift from their in-drama characters to their “real-life” versions (still on screen, of course xD) was surprisingly smooth.
Overall, while it is not perfect with pacing a bit slow in the middle, it was definitely an enjoyable watch. Even though the leads fumble their way sometimes, their relationship feels grounded in real human flaws. I would recommend it if you liked season 1 because it was better than that in my books!
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This review may contain spoilers
Watchable but not amazing
Although Taiwan is the probably one of the most progressive country when it comes to same-sex relationships, there have not been many BLs from Taiwan recently, compared with a more conservative country like Thailand. The last Taiwanese BLs I watched are the somewhat forgettable Because of You and Make Our Days Count (which is remembered for the poorly executed bad ending).This BL is rather safe, story wise. We know whom we should ship and no one really expects a bad ending here. A pastry chef (Yi Fan) falls in love with a singer (Kai En) whom he collaborates with, and there is a subplot about Kai En's ex, Soda, who is about to marry his boyfriend (Noah).
Strangely, the story of Soda's past and his relationship with Noah is more interesting than the romance between Yi Fan and Kai En. It's not just a matter of personal preference here--the love between Yi Fan and Kai En is given a tad too little attention. Yi Fan quite suddenly professes his love for Kai En. Kai En has to make a decision as to whether to risk his career as a singer to be with Yi Fan--they key moment when the decision is revealed is barely shown. Yi Fan and Kai En are supposed to be the main couple, and they are given enough attention as individual characters, but the relationship between them almost seems to have been snipped by editors at some important moments (though this can't really be the case).
The acting of most of the main characters can be a little unnatural, which is understandable because most of them are inexperienced actors. Only David Chiu, who plays Yi Fan, has quite a bit of experience acting, and it shows. Yi Fan is someone who does not always say out what he is feeling, but David Chiu still manages to sufficiently convey his emotions.
The series is ok is almost every way and exceptional in no particular way, so the audience is going to neither very upset with it nor very impressed. It can be cliched in the way it portrays gay people's wish to be able to be treated like other ordinary people, but the delivery seems heartfelt.
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Amazing in all aspects
This drama is all-around amazing. The approach this show takes on topics like family, friends, love, parenthood are incredibly deep and promote great viewer reflection. Each of these topics are covered from several perspectives and the viewpoints are all so nuanced. Ren Meguro's acting is unimaginably realistic, especially near the climax of the show starting from ep 10. His gaze literally transfers his feelings as a struggling father through the screen. (This was even after he fell ill in the middle of the filming schedule) Every second of the show is packed with the efforts of the cast and the crew and the show is totally worth rewatching multiple times. The plot is so intricate, the sets are detailed, the acting is dynamic, and the music is matches perfectly. Couldn't recommend this show enough.Was this review helpful to you?
Who Is the Third Person?
This is a story fictionalizing and romanticizing the actual historical events and characters of the late Tang Dynasty during the reign of Emperor Wuzong (r. 840 – 846). Apart from a few actual historical characters such as Emperor Li Yan (Wuzong) himself and the eunuch Qiu Shiliang, most of the other characters and events are fictional, though certain events are inspired by actual account based on historical records. Adapted from a novel, the overall story is fascinating and nail-biting, at the same time heart-wrenching when it comes to the fate of the Emperor and his romance with the only woman he loves and trusts.Probably in order to pass censorship, the names of the characters have been slightly altered: Tang Dynasty has been changed to the fictional Xing Kingdom, the Emperor’s name from Li Yan to Qi Yan, and the eunuch’s name Qiu Shiliang to Qiu Ziliang. Such changes unfortunately have not been totally incorporated in the initial few episodes where the names Qi Yan and Li Yan are used interchangeably, bagging the suspicion that they were done haphazardly in the last minutes. Nonetheless, by episode 9, everything finally settles down and the names straightened up.
The Story
In a fictional setting mirroring the reign of Wenzong towards the end of the Tang Dynasty when the eunuchs have gained full control of the palace, the Xing Emperor and his ministers attempt to dispose of the evil head eunuch Qiu Ziliang (He Chengming aka Mickey He) to regain control, but the scheme fails. Prime minister Wang Ya and his whole family are executed. His two young granddaughters escape death and are separated. The younger girl loses memory and is adopted by Cheng Xi (Xi Xue) of the Ziyi (Purple Robe) Bureau and renamed Cheng Ruoyu (Zhang Yuxi). She’s being trained as a sword fighter. Her older sister vows revenge, changes her name to Qiu Yanzhi (Xuan Lu aka Lulu Xuan) and becomes Qiu Ziliang's adopted daughter, waiting for her time to pounce. After the death of Emperor Wenzong, his younger brother, Qi Yan (Cheng Yi) is installed by the eunuch to the throne and Cheng Ruoyu is assigned the duty to protect the Emperor. Since then, Qi Yan has been a puppet emperor with no power as all the military power is in the hand of the evil eunuch. Here, the two sisters cross path in opposing camps without recognizing each other, but somehow they have an unexplained liking and bonding to each other. They join hands secretly and overcome many deadly schemes by the eunuch. Qiu Yanzhi finally finds out Cheng Ruoyu’s real identity in episode 34.
Throughout the drama, one question arises repeatedly: Who is the third person? It feels as if there’s a hidden force, planning the grand scheme of things and playing everyone like a pawn. Viewers are left guessing and the mysterious figure propels the story along.
The Acting
In the actual historical record, it is said that “Li Yan was silent, intelligent, and decisive, not showing his emotions easily”. Who is better to take up this role than Cheng Yi? He fits this description to the dot. I have to applaud the production team in selecting Cheng Yi for the Qi Yan character. As I get to know this actor better, Cheng Yi is really the perfect choice for this miserable role as the puppet emperor. Like in his previous dramas, Cheng Yi has the quality and ability in bringing out the helplessness and hopelessness his characters are facing, making them authentic and believable. With a suave look most viewers would squeal, and walks swaying side to side in his emperor robe, Cheng Yi evokes Qi Yan’s resignation and sickly health that digs deep into the viewers’ hearts. His acting is remarkable with every facial expression and sad look in his eyes, capturing all the subtle emotions hidden within Qi Yan. As a royalty, Qi Yan is arrogant but at the same time suspicious of everyone around him. Though surrounded by people, he is lonely. Most of all, like in all Cheng Yi’s other dramas, he brings out the best suppressed emotions no others can; no one can replace Cheng Yi in acting as this complex and yet miserable character.
As a lonely person at the top perceived by many as a villain, Qi Yan finds a soulmate in Cheng Ruoyu. I’m not that familiar with Zhang Yuxi’s acting but here, she is convincing as a talented sword fighter who has a pure heart. It is this pure heart that Qi Yan has fallen in love with.
I have always enjoyed Hang Dong' s acting. Here as Prince Guang, he is authentic and believable. According to historical record, Prince Guang later became the emperor after Li Yan died. Three quarter of the way in, viewers still don’t know if Prince Guang a protagonist or an antagonist because Hang Dong is that good in hiding his emotions without betraying his role in the drama, leaving viewers continue guessing.
Last but now least, I’m impressed by He Chengming’s acting as Qiu Ziliang. The blinking of his eyes when he is suspicious and furious, the cunningness showing in his eyes, his every move, bring up fear and hatred of the character for the viewers.
Official Sound Tracks (OSTs)
As usual in most Chinese historical dramas, the OSTs are beautiful with touching lyrics, reminiscing the longing, love, resignations, and hope for the kingdom.
My Verdict
This is a wuxia romance story of Tang Wuzong with a little comedy. There are intrigues and mysteries at every turn. When one thinks everything is revealed and that’s that, things change and assumptions all out of the window. There’s always this mysterious “third person or party” lurking behind the scene. No one knows who he/she is, friend or foe. Every character has his or her own agenda and most motives spur on with revenge. Subtle comedies are dotted lightly here and there to balance the intensity of the plot, giving viewers a much needed breath of air.
According to some viewers, many scenes have been edited out. This could explain why there are some plot holes and logical flaws. Nonetheless, the story overall is still intact and rather well-told. Don’t miss it.
TWO THUMBS UP! Bravo!
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Unrequited Love, Fast Feelings That Slowly Lost Its Spark
The first few episodes were surprisingly fast paced. I have a soft spot for high school crushes slowly turning into romance, especially when there are unrequited feelings involved, so I was immediately interested. I was actually surprised that Saeki confessed in the very first episode instead of dragging the confession out for half the series.The story itself is simple, light and refreshing, focusing more on the awkward emotions of being young rather than filling the story with unnecessary drama. The chemistry between the leads feels natural, the acting is convincing, and the soundtrack fits the youthful summer atmosphere really well. I am always happy to watch another high school BL, so I was definitely enjoying it at first.
Episode 4 hit me particularly hard because the situation reminded me of something that happened to me in real life. My best friend and I had been inseparable since primary school, but one day my parents suddenly told me we were moving more than 2,000 km away to another state. This was before I started using social media, so keeping in touch was not easy and we eventually lost contact for more than 10 years before finally reconnecting. It was heartbreaking because, as children, we had no control over decisions like that. Our parents made them for us.
That is why Toda leaving without properly saying goodbye to Saeki really got to me. Knowing you are leaving is one thing, but disappearing without giving the other person a chance to say goodbye can hurt even more. Sometimes a goodbye cannot change what is going to happen, but it can give someone closure. Being left behind without an explanation is something that can stay with you for a very long time.
Episode 5 was another one I enjoyed. I loved the flashback showing how they first met when they were younger, and I especially liked the handwritten note. In a world where everyone sends texts, there is something much more meaningful about someone taking the time to actually write something down for you.
Episode 6 was probably my favourite. The beach scene was genuinely beautiful. They finally opened up about their feelings, cried together, confessed what they had been holding inside and ended the moment with a hug. It felt very honest and emotional without needing to be overly dramatic. That scene really worked for me.
My main criticism is that these actors just cannot kiss.
Their first kiss was unexpected because it was basically a kiss through a mask 😷 I honestly never seeing that before. I did not hate it, but I definitely did not like it either. It was just... unexpected.
Then every other kisses feels like a dead fish kiss with no passion or movement at all. I’m currently watching over 20 airing BLs, so maybe my expectations are just too high, but if you take on a BL role, then you need to fully commit to it.
I would honestly rather they not kiss at all than give us an awkward kiss where they just press their lips together and freeze. If you’re going to include kissing scenes, then commit to them and make them believable.
Overall, I think this BL started much stronger than it finished. The beginning moved at such a fast pace that I was really invested, but somewhere along the way the story started to drag and I felt like not much was happening.
In the end, this is a light and wholesome BL with some genuinely emotional moments, but for me, it is not one of the best Japanese BLs out there. I enjoyed watching it, especially the earlier episodes and the emotional scenes, but I was hoping for a little more by the end.
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This review may contain spoilers
excellent premise and actors let down by bad writing (minor spoilers in content warnings)
Overall: the trailer totally hooked me but the writing just wasn't there. This is basically a classic Thai BL romance with window dressing. Aired on YouTube.Content Warnings: death, suicide, mental health struggles, grief, manipulation, non/dub con kiss (fake sleeping), non con touching (sleeping), punches, fight, homophobia, non con photo/video taking and posting, unwanted outings, blackmail
What I Liked
- acting and chemistry, especially First and Khaotung (hope to see them as leads again either together or separately)
- promising premise with mystery elements
- flirt and cute moments
- Akk's parents
- good OST and opening credits
Room For Improvement
- that a main drama was private school students being angry about wearing uniforms, this fell flat and would have been better if it focused on bullying/homophobia as many private school students everywhere have to wear uniforms
- too few plot twists and too late
- the writing was a let down, was Ayan even investigating most of the time? A teacher wearing louboutin shoes? Why weren't the 3 students just expelled? Random bonfire on a beach? Why on Ayan tell Akk that at the end of episode 10 at probably the worst possible time? I still don't really understand a character's motivation in episode 11
- Akk was reluctant and Ayan was aggressive for too long, Ayan consistently violated Akk's boundaries, he was being disrespectful not supportive
- two slow burns, would have been better with a fast burn and a slow burn
- what two characters did in episode 11 is close to unforgivable but they have no consequences and all of a sudden everything is totally fine
- hugging and thanking that character in episode 12 part 1 was bizarre
- very angry/sad about what Ayan told Akk's parents in episode 12 part 2, that's not his place to say especially without first discussing it beforehand with Akk
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Watch it for the actors Not the plot it's a mess
I've waited for this drama for two years since I watched the many trailers of this drama two years ago and it spoiled almost the entire drama, I was so happy and anxious for its release and it kept being rumored to air every few months since then and never materializedAfter Mysterious Lotus casebook drama and the Huge success it gained from the amazing acting skills Cheng Yi portrayed in it this drama was due to air and used that huge success of the main lead to its benefit
it's like YouKu Knew if this drama aired solely on its own Schedule it wouldn't get any ratings and would fail miserably
so It worked
Fans are very happy with Mysterious Lotus casebook and Cheng Yi's great success they became very eager to watch his next thing even though this drama was a rushed drama production after Stay with Me drama that had the same two main leads as a couple
the promotions weren't big nor there were any but leaked behind-the-scenes videos a lot of them before its release
We watched the drama with a lot of expectations but it kind of disappointed us as old fans from two years ago
The Plot
1-Very weak draggy and boring plot with a typical Angsty melodramatic story
2-Very annoying obnoxious characters who keep hurting the main couples for very poor reasons
3-Very Typical ending with a happy ending just because we need to wrap up things
The Actors
the main leads were amazing acting wise, Cheng Yi is truly the king of whump and hurt scenes
he can make you feel very sad and emotional every time he appears, he delivers his character beautifully and that's why I watched the drama just for his amazing angsty scenes and even the romantic ones were very touching
The chemistry between the leads was on point
the side characters were annoying most of the time but the actors did their jobs very good can't complain about the acting
The production
Very low production to the point of the actors using their own real-life clothes
Cheng Yi wore his actual real-life clothes in the drama and was shown many times recently wearing the same outfits in public
And some other low production quality from cinematography to sound to special effects
The overall feeling from this drama is that it's okay drama Not bad Not very good
Just okay
If you love the actors you will watch it and feel happy watching it no matter how poor the plot was
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