Reviews

"Who Kissed Me" is a 'best friends to lovers' type of romance based around a peculiar female main character that has an... obsession? a thing? for kissing, although she has never been kissed before - until a strange, foggy night. I recommend it to anyone looking for a light-hearted romance.

Personally, I found Yoon Sol's interest strange, but if you look at it lightly, if you don't actually take it serious, it's easy to brush aside. She has a very bubbly, energetic personality, although she's oblivious to many, many things - as your usual young female romance protagonist. Hae Young, her friendly and shy best friend, is just as charming as the male leads you find in this type of troop. The rest of the cast was okay.

There are many aspects to appreciate in this little web drama: even if the premise was weird, it's original; the drama is fun, entertaining, even if it can become frustrating since it was easily predictable; the attention paid to a certain side couple was interesting and fresh (and I wish they had done another couple's experience while they were at it) and... I have to say it... that kiss scene... I never care for those but I can't write a review without slow clapping that kissing scene. Best off 2020 so far (as if we're that far into 2020 lol).

(Sort of Spoilery part!) One thing that threw me off was Hae Young's character development. Although it did happen, and we did have key moments of said development shown to us, the way the writers closed off the narrative oh-so-neatly in the last episode left me with a bittersweet feeling. Other than that, the pacing was good.

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Ultimately flawed.

The show had good intentions, but ultimately flawed.

With so many variables and ineffective challenges, there is no way they can say they found the absolute best physique or specimen out of all contestants.

In my opinion, it's not a show entirely focused on actually and accurately finding the perfect body.
Many good contestants and top athletes were eliminated too early without having the chance to showcase their true abilities, and also some developed injuries which also did not help.

The team challenges sets were incredible. And while were most exciting and fun to watch, did little to actually single out the best of the best. Rather I saw it as them wanting to slash down on contestants.

My biggest gripe was the final episode. So much momentum and excitement was built only to be letdown on the finale. Not because I didn't like the finalists, but I felt the challenges were lazily put together. I expected a lot more especially for the chance to win a quarter-million dollars.

Some, if not most of the games were just to create a wow-factor or to stir excitement, rather than set out to actually determine the best physique among contestants. If that were the case, there would be more one-on-one challenges.

It's a good watch to burn time and but I wouldn't take this show too seriously because there's just way too many variables and too many flaws.

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Good drama

My ratings for the series out of ten:
Recommended series: 10
Acting: 9.75
Directing: 9
Music: 10
Chemistry between the main characters: 10
Dialogues: 10 It was very meaningful, the series helped personal growth 🩵
✨️ It's worth watching again (I think I'll watch it many times)
Overall series rating 9.75 Highly recommended ✅️
It's one of those beautiful series that stays in your memories💘🌈 I laughed and cried with it and learned
It's a series that I eagerly waited for the new episode every day.
I liked the characters in the series, each of whom had their own story and you could relate to them.
The chemistry between the couple in the series was great.
I liked the process of the series
The dialogues were great and it showed personal growth, that is love, sacrifice, goodness, selflessness, and many good and bad truths...

⚘️ A memorable series that I love and will love ⚘️
Don't get tired of the series team for such a beautiful series 👏🏻
I will definitely watch this series again 🌸 because I will definitely miss it 😭
✅️Recommended series

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Tissue Rate (aka how much I cried); 2.5 out of 5

- I give it a 2.5 out of 5 for how much I cried for this drama is mainly because I'M a emotional/sensitive person and most the times when I cried for this drama, it was because I felt bad for the main girl character Tian Sanqi

Wow this drama was so gooodddd! I would 100% recommend. Not only this is a quick and short type Chinese drama, but also the storyline was definitely an interesting one. I love the many plot twists that were apart of this story. The plot twist were what got me on my feet this whole drama.

I really thought I wasn't going to like this drama but because I was in quarantine and I needed a new drama to watch, I was like okay I'm going to watch this drama because I kept seeing clips of it on Youtube and trailer teasers as ads. Not gonna lie the first-two episodes definitely were the best, I was laughing so loud; my mom had to quite me down because I was watching this at night lol.

Story; This story was a super light heart storyline, personally I got super confused whenever they would show the scenes from 8 years ago when they were 10 years old (I'm just going to leave it like that because I don't want to spoil anything) but it later all came together nicely. I love the chemistry between the two main leads, BUT I didn't like that for the first few episodes, how he mentions he was her friend and was going to protect her but then ends up bullying her. I felt so bad for her (thats kinda why I cried; out of feeling bad). On top of that I'm glad the second lead Bai Yifei got a happy ending with He Ruoyao instead of giving us second lead syndrome with the first main female lead. What really kept me going was the crime and investigating scenes, I love how Sanqi was this strong female lead who didn't care what anyone thought about her.

Characters; My favorite character 100% was the father lead who was Zhao Cuo's dad. He made me laugh so much during this drama. I love that he sticks up for Sanqi and didn't care that she wasn't from a a rich family but she was from a small village, I love how they respect and treat her well unlike the other dramas I've seen with the father lead wanting the son to marry a rich family's daughter.

Overall, I would 100% recommend this drama, if you're looking for a good laugh alongside a cute romance storyline but also with crime and mystery cases to be solved.

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16 chapters would have been enough

This drama is nice and warm. Is very romantic and has a lot of cute moments. Main characters are endearing and they develop well. Also, the relationship is nice, there is no much drama regarding it; is very straight forward and not problematic. Music is good. The general aesthetic and styling are awesome. However... it's very slow paced and the plot feels like running in circles at times, because there are not many subplots, mainly in the second half. After they get together there is no much left to be told, but, it goes on... It was a little hard to finish for me, but it was still enjoyable

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When I was the most depressed

I am a Jisoo fan from day one but wont stop me from saying that this one was nearly a disappointing drama for me. The story is something that would have been interesting a decade ago. When you got an amazing cast at your service, the makers should have been a bit more productive. This series stands between mature and cliché. The dialogues were good and were executed brilliantly. There is no wrong in a complete melodrama format but it becomes a headache if you can't bring realistic aspects to it. Character portrayal like Yeji's aunt and Carrie was cringe at times. The father of the brothers was one to applaud.

The saviours of the drama is indeed the cast. I liked Ha Seok vibrant acting. So bad that he is not used well. He could make any role. Im Soo Hyang is really the soul of this drama. There is something peculiar in her acting. Her way of dialogue delivery is a textbook to other actors.

Coming to Jisoo, been a fan of him since Angry Mom, and five years apart, he is still the sad boy. Dude just needs to change his agency.

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A Faithful Live-Action Adaptation of Anime Magic

In the depths of "As Long As We Both Shall Live," we're beckoned into the heart-wrenching life of Saimori Miyo. She's a girl born from the chilly, loveless grip of an arranged marriage, and her existence takes a cruel twist after her mother's passing. Her father's mistress and her daughter, Kaya, step into the scene, relegating Miyo to a life of servitude. In her family's eyes, she's the daughter with no merit, bereft of the psychic abilities that bless her stepsister.

Miyo's journey is one of pain, a painful marriage born from a painful upbringing. Her betrothal to Kudo Kiyoka, a military captain known for his rumored cruelty, seems like a sentence to torment. But here, expectations take a drastic turn. Miyo's new husband defies the grim rumors, revealing a heart brimming with kindness. What follows is a marriage drenched in joy and eternal bliss, defying the dire predictions.

"In As Long As We Both Shall Live," I discovered a transcendent live-action adaptation of the anime world that resides so deeply in my heart. It's a meticulous mirror, near perfectly reflecting the source material. As I ventured into this cinematic realm, it felt uncannily familiar. Lines and scenes from the anime echoed in my memory, etched as if with indelible ink.

The movie's pacing is an art form in itself. The anime's early episodes delve deeply into Miyo's life, her struggles, and her lack of psychic gifts. It carefully constructs her world and the emotional maelstrom that surrounds her, revealing supernatural aspects later on, around the fifth or sixth episode. The movie, however, unveils these wonders from the start, a clever dance that balances Miyo's quiet existence and her inner demons with the revelation of a gifted world.

Music is the movie's beating heart. It weaves seamlessly with pivotal action scenes, enhancing their emotional impact, and eases into gentle melodies during the blossoming romance between Saimori Miyo and Kudo Kiyoka. The score is more than a soundtrack; it's a guiding force, leading us into the depths of their evolving relationship.

The movie is a symphony of masterfully filmed scenes, each a visual masterpiece, leaving you entranced by their sheer beauty. Attention to detail is awe-inspiring, capturing the anime's essence and translating it into breathtaking cinematic art.

From the very first frame, the movie bewitches your senses. It's a mesmerizing dance of music and visuals, drawing you into its tender embrace. The scenes are meticulously chosen and sequenced, submerging you into the narrative's profound depths.

The storytelling in "As Long As We Both Shall Live" is a precision symphony. Action sequences, woven seamlessly into the gradual growth of a profound connection, add layers of depth to the characters. I'd love to delve into more detail, but spoilers are best left avoided.

The live-action adaptation leaves no room for doubt. The cast is impeccably chosen, embodying their characters to the core. The film's dedication to the anime is visible in every frame, transforming it into a cinematic journey that feels like a masterful recreation, in the best possible way.

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In a sentence this drama is:
A bittersweet love story that will have you both smiling and crying by the end of the drama.

We start off with a 17 year old Sakutaro Matsumoto AKA Saku crying his heart out and then we switch to a 34 year old Saku who is searching for a place in the past where he can finally let go of his beloved Aki's ashes and the pain of his memories. Ultimately, he does all of this to move on seventeen years after her death. He is trying to escape a meaningless life filled with emptiness.

As he searches for that place he recalls the events of his past and it's like we are able to watch two drama's. One about his past and another where the present catches up to him.

The pace is perfect, nothing was rushed or is too slow, this is an important factor which I feel makes a drama the all the more enjoyable. Leading on from that, the time of the past and the future is perfectly interwoven together making a perfect crossover by the end of the drama. You really feel a whole drama instead of two parts... The past and the present become one and it's like the two pieces complete and merge together.

But don't get me wrong. It's a happy drama. It's a sad drama. Just like the present and the past is merged, so are these feelings of happiness and sadness.

The rewatch value is a six because some are brave enough to go through this roller coaster of feelings however others cannot... I belong to the latter group...

The acting in this drama is phenomenal, you can really feel the emotions, the characters, the essence of the past and the hope for the future. This is aided by the soundtrack which enhances the feelings experienced through this drama... And whilst some may dismiss this drama as a simple terminal disease love story designed to make you cry. It's a lot deeper than that. This is a story of acceptance, moving on and questions how to get over the death of a loved one.

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Suspense

The multiple timelines really brings everything together, and this is the first CDrama I watched that wasn't some happy and chill romantic comedy related to divorce or high school. Very dark, thrilling story, with everything coming together at the end, making it pretty hard to rewatch but amazing the first time around. The suspense is real, with amazing music and cinematography and actors that make the characters feel so realistic. I don't usually write reviews, but this piece of art really stuck to me and I rank it among the same tier as TV Shows such as Game of Thrones (earlier seasons), and it truly felt like an adventure watching it with my native chinese parents who understood it better than me most likely. Of course, there were some tiny plot points not explained in the end but they were not too important, and everything truly tied together and made the story bittersweet, as it truly was dark and sad with some hidden and obvious messages towards the end. WATCH IT 10/10

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Confusing, Critical, Cringe, and Comedy!

I was genuinely interested in this movie because of the summary. To confess, I have not read the manga and watched the anime. I am not a fujoshi but I kinda knew what I was getting myself into.

Confusing - Now I really can't get the point of the movie, is it fanservice? is it the message that fat chicks can't get hot guys? I can't take away any point from this movie. It was purely filler content to pass away some 90 minutes of my life.

Critical- I do agree that being slender grabs eyeballs but making that a criteria for dating felt derogatory. Anyway, I'm placated by the ending given to the MC. Also, well, it could have been a fat princess in the school drama segment instead but that would miss the point of this movie.

Cringe- Can't separate cringe from these type of themed musicals. What really was biggest cringe is the exaggerated weight loss scenes and the fangirling scenes.

Comedy- It was the only good point of this movie given that the quality of production was low, acting was amateurish, story felt random. I laughed hard many times.

"Boys! Please Kiss Him, Instead of Me" is something utterly absurd movie to watch when you are utterly bored and even if you don't, you wouldn't have missed anything.

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I should probably begin with the disclaimer that I love everything to do with aviation, from airports to airplanes. Hence, it is not much a surprise that I enjoyed Tokyo Airport so much. The drama portrayed the everyday processes that have to be dealt with in getting passengers and aircraft safely off and onto ground relatively accurately. I definitely learned a lot about the aviation industry.

But more than just being technically pleasing, Tokyo Airport is truly carried by the viewer's connection with the characters and the human drama that unfolds. In just a few episodes, I became very attached to many of the characters, each of them with their own personality quirks and faults. In a way, because of the wide variety of characters and the way many of them play their own part in the drama, Tokyo Airport contains something for everyone (in an airport setting, of course). Romance, thriller, family, comedy, etc, this drama has it all.

Plot-wise, some of the scenarios are a bit of a stretch to a rational mind, but it's not the scenarios themselves that I really enjoyed. Instead, the characters' reactions to the scenarios and difficulties thrown at them are what really make this drama enjoyable. If you're willing to keep a suspension of disbelief, I think you'll find it (excuse the terrible metaphor here) a heartwarming flight that you'll be sad to leave in the final descent. At the very least, I certainly was.

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Out of nowhere, a gem !

It's been quite some time since the Philippines gave the world of BL ground-breaking series like ”Gameboys” or ”Gaya sa pelikula”. There were actually some good series like ”Daddy Love”, ”Love at the End of the World,” and ”Papa, What is Love?”, although I wouldn't call these ”BL”, but rather ”gay” series. And now, all of a sudden, out of nowhere comes a BL gem entitled ”The Day I Loved You”.

What seems to be quite a conventional enemy-to-lovers and love-triangle high school BL series in the first episodes, suddenly turns into a heartbreaking drama, so viewers should be warned not to start watching this with false expectations.

The main characters are Nikko (Tommy Alejandrino), a nerdy boy, president of the school's book and bible clubs as well as the dance troupe, his best friend Justine (Rabin Angeles), who's had a crush on Nikko for a long time, and troublemaker Eli (Raynold Tan), who is being adored by all the girls and who bullies Nikko at first. When Eli is caught breaking into the school, the director punishes him by forcing him to join the dance troupe, with Nikko teaching him to dance.

Step by step, Eli gets closer to Nikko, with Justine enviously trying to obstruct their evolving relationship. Shortly before the school's prom, both Eli and Justine ask Nikko to be their partner at the prom, and at that very moment, Nikko breaks down whose health deteriorates rapidly. He suffers from ALS and knows that he won't have much time left to enjoy a ”normal” life, but he stays positive.

Nikko falls for Eli, the ”bad guy”, and under his influence Eli drops his bad behaviour, and finally even reconciles with his mum who lives abroad and had sent him back to the Philippines because of his permanent shenanigans. Eli tries his best to make Nikko happy by fulfilling some of the wishes on his bucket list. Justine finally accepts that he won't be Nikko's lover, and he gives up in a heartbreaking scene. He proves that he is Nikko's best friend when he teams up with Eli trying to support Nikko.

Things become even more dramatic when shortly before the prom Nikko can't move his legs any more. He is desperate and about to give up, and it is Eli who persuades him to return to his joyful, positive self. I don't want to spoil too much about the final episode here, but what I can say is that it's an emotional rollercoaster like the entire second half of the series, and although the ending is more bittersweet than happy, there is even a slight chance that there may be a season 2.

The story is well written (by Easy Ferrer), with a good blend of comedic, joyful, sad, tragic, and emotional scenes. Some viewers were obviously not prepared for the serious story in the second half of the series as they expected a lighthearted rom com, but life isn't a bed of roses for everybody, so this series is more true-to-life than most high school BL series which only revolve around the love affairs of guys trying to find out whether they're straight, gay, or whatever. Integrating a character with a disease as serious as ALS into a BL series is courageous and requires sensitive writing, but it works in this show.

Apart from the unique plot, it is the actors who make this series worth watching. Tommy Alejandrino, who was awarded ”best actor” for his main role in the 2022 movie ”The Baseball Player”, is a very good actor who brilliantly manages to bear the main burden of this show. Raynold Tan has been reduced to his good looks by some viewers, and he may have some room for improvement as an actor, but he does a good job as does Rabin Angeles, who is a newbie like Raynold. I would love to see these three in a season 2 or in a completely new series together again. Most of the side characters are good in their respective roles, too. As a dedicated fan of Kaleb Ong, I would have wished to see more of him in this series, but you can't always get what you want...

The directing (Easy Ferrer) is good and the production is technically better than many Filipino series, which doesn't come as a surprise as it was made by Regal Entertainment who have given us (among many other, non-BL productions) the Ben X Jim and B X J Forever series which were harshly criticised by some viewers, but I'm probably one of the few who actually liked those series very much for their colourful stories, very good acting, and the inclusion of all the colours of the rainbow, and clear political statements about the pending SOGIE bill.

All in all, ”The Day I Loved You” is a beautiful BL series with a unique plot and good actors who I am sure we'll see more often in the future. Viewers should be warned, however, that the series' second half is dramatic, if not sad, so if you expect nothing but shallow entertainment, this isn't a series for you. But if you're keen to watch good entertainment with a serious message, you'll love it.

You will find all my reviews of BL series and movies, including those on productions from countries not covered by mydramalist, like Myanmar, Singapore, or Vietnam, here:
https://www.wattpad.com/user/DominicKebre

Country: Philippines (2023)

Episodes: 10 à 20 mins.

Director: Easy Ferrer

Cast: Tommy Alejandrino, Raynold Tan, Rabin Angeles, Kaleb Ong et al.

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