Reviews

A High School Return of the World’s Toughest Guardian Angel

I’ll drop the bomb now.. “High School Return of a Gangster" has got to be one of, if not the most ENTERTAINING, MEANINGFUL, and IMPACTFUL "FEEL-GOOD" series of 2024. Dare I say.. even a masterpiece!

I did not read the original novel, so I’m not sure how faithful it stayed to its source material but when looking at the drama’s storyline, although the concepts aren’t new or fresh, it felt as if the writer cherry-picked some of the most interesting genres, tossed them into a pot, and weaved a compelling tale free of plot holes with exquisite pacing, a steady flow, an unpredictable factor, solid worldbuilding, and impactful characters who had their share of character development. Not to mention, it had the most thought-provoking ending I think I’ve ever seen in cinema.

Originally derived from a BL novel of the same-ish name, I was initially hesitant to give this one a go due to its supposed straight-washing. Although it would’ve been nice if the drama retained its BL elements, I was pleasantly surprised by the BROMANCE. It’s subtle, but I can see just how impactful scenes of two people maintaining 2-second eye contact could be if you cast the right people to portray the characters. That being said, Yoon Chan Young and Bong Jae Hyun practically BREATHED the characters to life and embodied them in such a way that made me resonate with their thoughts, feelings, and actions.

On the topic surrounding the cast, I’d like to give a round of applause to the casting team. Don’t underestimate the capabilities of the younger actors who made up 90% of the cast! We did NOT get botched crying scenes or actors who were there just to look good for the camera. The entire team oozed with NATURALNESS, CHARISMA, and delivered an IMPECCABLE performance throughout.

Looking at the characters, we have the unlikely du— I mean, three MUSKETEERS that practically STOLE THE SHOW: The nerd (Choi Se Kyung), the fighter (Hong Jae Min), and the lover (Song Yi Hyeon). Throughout the series, we see steady development for each character, as well as a natural relationship development between the three leads. What I like about these three is how they’re REALISTIC in the sense that they’re FLAWED. I despise dramas that depict specific characters as simply black or white. I like characters who can pack a punch— characters who have some substance, and that’s exactly what we see in this drama. On top of that, the writers gave us a K.O kind of redemption arc for Hong Jae Min (still recovering from this).

As for the experience, this drama scored 10s across the board for cinematography, production, and soundtrack. We got a diverse selection of songs ranging from the classic 80s vibe to the modern, upbeat ones. All of the songs fit the scenes well and are definitely ones that I am adding to my next shower playlist! Also, for the first time in a long time, I watched a drama that had me eagerly waiting each week for the episodes to release. Although it was torture, the revelation was worth it!

Overall, DO NOT KNOCK IT TIL YOU TRY IT. Although I understand that some people are avoiding this drama to boycott the whole straight-washing of a same-sex original work, it’d also be unfair to miss out on such a hidden gem that delivers in all aspects, even making up for the missing BL element with its ambiguous undertones.

Read More

Best Thai BL in a long time....WATCH!

The endless cycle of being pawns in the power game of dating....to put everyone on hold forever and manipulate them like hell, just in case that one person says a half-yes and gives me the rush .....I guess a lot of us can relate to that, no?

BL-needle score: 8 - Reasonably high BL-ness. But this is less of a BL, and more of a story about Boys who fall, fail, and rise in Love

This is the most un-BL, un-Thai, Thai BL I have watched in a loooooong time. I guess I can't stop gushing about this show now. The messy screenplay will make you relive all the painful/ blissful (depending on which end you were caught in, or possibly both?) memories of your intense love failures and wins....the unimaginable highs of that one nod from them, and the bottomless pit of pain of seeing them happy with someone else......be warned that it can be triggering if you haven't made peace with some of those memories...and even if you have, you might just feel flooded with them memories nonetheless.....it'll make you cry, laugh, and reel from all of it...Yes, it is THAT good

But in the end, this was so GOOD MESSY!!! The last episode was long, at times terrifying, and then finally completely melted me......oh! the angst, the almost-heartbreaks, the tension....almost killed me....ha ha! I loved loved loved this show...frankly, even if this had to have a heartbreaking finale, I would still love it ....maybe even a tiny-winy bit more than a happy ending (that masochist in me...lol) ..but mighty glad that it's a happy one....I can breathe again...

The show features some really stunning acting by all the four leads - New, PJ, Leon and Pide...but the real magic of this show was its art of storytelling, because at the end it was a very common coming of age story of four teenagers, who go through lust, love, friendship, angst, jealousy and pain as they inch towards being grown ups.....the screenplay, direction, editing and cinematography does a stellar job, alongside their acting to make this a compelling tale!

An extremely well-made and well-acted series, with a very satisfying end....I wish this team makes more in the days ahead....

WATCH, without any doubts whatsoever!

Read More

Cute at first...but falls off

I had pretty much completely bought into this drama in the first two episodes — the main female lead was timid but not a pushover, bright but not stupid, and the main male lead was stoic but not rude, smart but not condescending. It was really quite a cliche dynamic but it was still enjoyable to watch especially because there were moments where they were equally hilarious and chaotic despite seemingly having such opposite personalities.

As the drama went on it it did start to drag a little with the very typical "does he like me or not" and the "I'm going to step aside for my 'friend'" — but that wasn't my main gripe with it. In fact, I like a good slow burn and I never thought these misunderstandings got too extreme and frustrating.

One thing that did get increasingly annoying, however, was how the main male lead's "social awkwardness" manifested when he got jealous; the number of times he consciously CHOSE to sabotage the female lead's work...it got very frustrating and was neither cute nor amusing especially when it was played off as an inability to express himself.

I also found both of the side ships either boring or over-the-top annoying; one of them didn't have any stupid miscommunications but the side characters also didn't have any sort of backstory or personality. The other one had a female character who was very clingy, a male character who was essentially the same as the male lead, and just no sensible development between the two of them.

Overall it was kind of a light-hearted watch and there were elements of a healthy relationship and great communication, but it was also a drama that just felt very trope-y and average.

Read More

Thrills, Feels and R.I.P.s on the Journey!

AJTL is a crazy ride from start to finish. It’s got action, drama, and just the right amount of feels to keep you hooked. But seriously, what’s with the writers? Did they roll dice to decide who dies next? They really said, “Let’s make them suffer.”

Ren Ru Yi, or Ren Xin, is a total boss. Starts off as a badass assassin with major trust issues, but watching her open up and actually work with people? Love that for her. Ning Yuan Zhou? At first, all serious and mysterious, then boom—clingy and adorable. No complaints, though, because it’s hilarious. The side characters? Not just extras. Even the annoying ones, like LTG, somehow grow on you. And the princess? She carried the plot like a champ.

The acting is solid. The main actress knows her stuff, and the male lead—yeah, he’s newer, but he killed it, especially with the chemistry. And the music? Straight fire. The soundtrack slaps, and LYN, who also plays the male lead, sings it, which is just a flex at this point.

This show is a whole mess, but in the best way. The story keeps you guessing, the characters actually feel real, and the emotional damage is free. Would I recommend it? Hell yeah. Just don’t get too attached—this show does not care about your feelings.

Read More

horror series with horrible characters

Overall: though I appreciated that they tried something different, its release was clouded by lack of an official international release and delayed episodes. Airing 10 episodes about 45 minutes each on Fix Entertainment's YouTube channel (need a VPN set to Thailand). Here is the first episode part 1 link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sNsxNokJwc

Content Warnings: murders, deaths, attempted murder, rape, attempted suicide, torture, blood, gore, jump scares, mental health struggles, kidnapping, gaslighting, sexual assault, coercion, slap, homophobia, non con video recording, manhandling, manipulation

What I Liked
- unique premise
- twists and turns
- intimate scenes were fine (but they were between awful people so I didn't get into them)

Room For Improvement
- many characters were stupid ie telling a murderer that you know what they did
- trope of saw someone hug and thought they were cheating
- trope of extremely drunk and then active participant during sex
- the kid slept way too much (he's 5 so might not be in school, but I've never seen a 5 year old sleep/nap that much)
- really hope there isn't a happily ever after for a certain character because what he did was beyond awful in episode 9
- they never had an international release, made no sense why they geo restricted it to Thailand on YouTube
- that they delayed an episode by a week and then delayed the finale with no word on when it would be released

Read More

Didn't Work For Me

I didn’t like this, unfortunately. It just didn’t work for me. All it really had going for it was the great acting, some nice visuals, and solid chemistry between the leads. That’s it. The plot and story were just bad. I found myself skimming through a lot of it, to be honest.

The first episode was intriguing and gave me some hope, I was actually looking forward to the next one. But it just went downhill from there. Each episode got worse plot-wise. I don’t mind men crying (actually, I like it), but I do mind the main lead going through some new trauma every single episode, over literally nothing, and then the issue just gets dropped like it never happened, just to make space for the next. It got tiring. I considered dropping this way too many times but stuck around purely for the leads.

And seriously, if your NC scene is the best scene, that’s not a good sign.
Speaking of, the way this show handled sexual assault was disgusting. It was used as a plot device and then brushed off like it was just cheating??? No. That’s not cheating — it’s rape. Whether they end up sleeping together or not doesn’t change that. And of course, like always, the predator faces zero consequences. The whole Johnny arc made me so mad I literally dropped the show when it was airing. I only came back a month later because everyone kept calling it a masterpiece. (and too many smart boom videos on my fyp)

Also, sorry but… I found Jin a bit creepy too.

So yeah, all I have to say is: the plot was TRASH.

But, credit where it’s due: the acting, especially Boom was great. The leads had really good chemistry, like they genuinely fit. The visuals and cinematography were mostly nice. Some of the outfits were nice.
And Naru was an absolute cutie. I just had to say it.

Read More

Watch it! Not bad at all!

For a short drama (with only 3-4 min per episode), the flow is not bad at all. You can't compare this with 45min long episode dramas. A lot of details must be cut in order to keep the story straight to the point. Male leads were cute. Female leads were okay. I really enjoyed the drama. As long as you keep expectations low, you will be able to fully enjoy each episode. It's a typical love story with a rich guy and selfish mother-in-law...But I still like it...The male lead is totally my type, so cute! Watch it if you like these types of dramas with the ML regretting and trying hard to get his old love back...

Read More

I thought it'll be better but it's still good :>

As the heaadline says. I thought it'll be better based on the high ranking it had at the beggining. To be honest it's like almost every other thai BL. There's this story about a boy who fell in love but then for whatever reason had to leave and "forget" but then he met the guy who he was in love with again and the guy fell in love too. I think I've already seen that somewhere lol
But it was actually not so bad and my ranking is pretty high.
The acting was really good! All the actors did great job. I don't pay much attention to music in BLs but it wasn't bothering so I guess it's good. I'd rewatch it if I was bored but it definitelly wouldn't be my first or second choice.
Overall the series is pretty cute and good to watch because it wasn't toxic or whatever. No one annoying or something like that. Tbh I don't really like these cute BLs and I am always cringing way to much and it wasn't much different with this series but that's simply my problem and not the series' so yeah...and i wasn't cringing all the time, just at the end with all the moments, you know what I am talking about it if u already watched it lmao
Also I am really excited to get to know Fah more and to see his story :)))
Definitelly watch this BL, in my opinion it is worth it even though i expected a little bit more. Enjoy and have a good day <3

Read More

Most Perfect F4 Cast

OMG so sad it's over but it was so good. There was a lull in the middle but that's honestly par for the course with the source material and other versions.

The fact that the series had this fresh, unique feeling was everything I wanted. I was prepared to bitch and moan about everything I thought I was going to hate. This show literally made me smile watching it. I cannot express enough how well done this version is and how they have been able to give us what we need and take out many things we don't without sacrificing the story or the elements that make it the phenomenon that it is. Class struggles, self-doubt, self-worth, friendship, love, family, happiness and how it's defined...I could go on...

I fell in love with each F4 member! That's never happened in any other version!! I really like Gorya's family in this version. Her family is usually some of the worse characters for me. They do a better job of Thymes atonement in this version than in any other version, so I really like that as well.

I also want to take this time to thank the director and the writers, O Patha Thongpan,
Mai Aticha Tanthanawigrai, Manow Waneepan Ounphok, PingPong Suwanun Pohgudsai and Jarinee Thanomyat. What they have been able to do with source material that is 30 years old and the multiple versions that we as fans have loved and hated, they have made a show so fresh, fun, current and just so good!!

Also, shoutout to the wardrobe department... Loved the lewks!! Especially on Kavin, Mj and Ren. I was not fond of Thyme Zoo shirt but otherwise...I am a girl whose loves a sweater and the sweater game in this series is REAL!!!

Really loved all the shout outs to the other versions of this series in subtle and not so subtle ways. That's how it's done people!!!

Read More

This is a solid movie.

It's a funny, charming, and occasionally cute adventure. There's lots of swashbuckling!

It has an interesting plot, but the background behind that plot and the nationalistic pride shoved at the end of the movie is a bit of a buzzkill. Not TOO much of a buzzkill however.

I can hear Pirates of the Caribbean in the music in this movie, along with some other more well known soundtracks. It works well. The special effects aren't flawless but they're impressive and fantastic- they don't detract from your enjoyment of it, but add to the fun atmosphere of the film.

The characters are definitely the high point in this movie. The two 'captains' of the pirates and the bandits are both people you can root for, even through the mistakes they make. Watching them interact was one of the funnest parts of this movie.

It won't stay with you for a lifetime, but it's definitely a decent way to spend two hours.

Read More

Head 2 pillow

This is what happened. Usually, watched at night. Yes, for me it was that uneventful and bordering on boring. There was nothing about the story or the acting that screamed must see. It dragged along three couples and a spare to the most obvious ending. Albeit, the second couple, Farm and Van did have a more realistic problem than the first. Why does someone keep sabotaging the most loving relationship he's ever had? Walls built by insecurity, lonliness and fear of wanting someone who may eventually leave due to his bad habits. Fears realized, faced and attitudes changed. Though the change had no impact whatsoever. Everyone's acting was just above surface but not stellar. Even the spare. I would love to see a more mature role for JJ to stretch his acting skills beyond being a filler.

The father makes a decision to protect his family the best way he knows. Acceptable. What is not acceptable is why did they keep it from Jinn. Jinn who has suffered the loss for so long accepts with a simple explanation and support from J. Hmmm, that's my response to that situation.

Jinn and J are arch enemies though with Jinn harboring a secret crush for J. J begins to have premonitions of Jinn's future. They ultimately clash, resolve and mature over 12 episodes. It just feels like there weren't any crisis moments that felt like an actual crisis.

Overall it did not have an impact as much as I Saw You In My Dream (similar premise), Boys In Love and Gelboys. If Head 2 Head is your first bl, it is a gentle entry and should be viewed as such. A serene piece that never gallops but ripples to the end.

Read More

DOMG

The story line of this drama is very captivating and addictive always making me anticipate the next episode to come out,. Aside the low production value, the drama was really interesting and I would love to watch it again, I just hope that they could make a season 2 quickly. This drama isn't done yet. I hope to see from more of these actors, although in only familiar with two of them i.e. Zhan Yu as 'Qin Chen' and Zong Feng Yan as 'Zhao Gao the emperor of Xuan', I really liked the other actors in the dramas. I hope for more from Dominator of Martial Gods as well as it's cast cause their story isn't done yet.

Overall, leaving the production quality aside, this is one of the most interesting Wuxia dramas I've watched this year and ive watched almost all that has come out.

So I recommend this for anyone who wants to watch a good drama with a good storyline just hope un don't mind the production value or quality.

Read More

Stay away from this movie if you look for something happening, for romance or for passion. Nothing happens, at least nothing in the eye of the viewer, while everything takes place in the world of the characters.



I knew that Come Rain, Come Shine was an essay movie and I watched it knowing it. I was reminded of some French nouvelle vague film, full of silences and broken dialogues.

It's a slow, sedate film, where emotions are expressed via immobility, instead of events. I read the film didn't get a good reception at the Berlin Film Festival, but then again, I've learnt never to base my judgment on European film festivals, unless I want to end up watching a movie by some unknown Uzbek director with 20 minutes shoot of a solitary ant walking on a roof.

I'm not joking, the movie really exists.



The acting is awesome. I could say that Hyun Bin is his usual gorgeous self, but in this case it would be a very shallow statement, mostly because for a good portion of the movie the only thing one gets to see of him is his silhouette in half darkness. But he's got the chance to use one of his best traits in terms of acting: showing feelings with the mere twitching of the lips, the raising of an eyebrow or a tilt of his head.

Im Su Jung is just as expressive, her mood highlighted by an excessive thinness and pallor which make her look like a fragile doll. Her character is the "guilty" party, and yet one can't help feeling for her frustration in front of her husband's wall of infuriating politeness.



I would have given the music a 0 if the option were available, for the simple reason that... there is NO music. One may object that the absence of sound is more deafening than anything else, which is certainly true about this movie, but doesn't make rating the music any more possible.



Given the premises, I think you will understand why the re-watch value is pretty low. Personally, I was oddly captivated by this movie, possibly because it came after an interesting debate on this same site about marriage and its expiry-date. But I'm not sure I'm ready to recommend this film to anyone, unless you're a Hyun Bin's fan like me and while watching fantazise about having him frolicking in YOUR kitchen, instead of the stage one.

Read More

Was it that unreasonable though?

Completed watching this raw as i couldn't wait any longer for subs and here i am nonchalantly writing a review since none was submitted so far.

This drama is about Hinako, an earnest 30 year old who works as a secretary for "Relation Gate" company president (Asami), an overachieving boss whom she's been at the beck and call for 8 years, neglecting her private life in the process.
Suddenly Asami gives the clumsy yet hardworking secretary Hinako an "Unreasonable Request", i.e., to become the president of "Relation Foods", the company's subsidiary. Thus, the drama title "Muchaburi!"

This has a pretty straightforward plot revolving around the work life of an awkward, clumsy but earnest Office Lady turned company president and her staff's daily work life; ambitions, hang-ups, struggles and self-fulfillment included.

This is your run-of-the-mill typical Jdorama office narrative. Jovial, inspiring, slice-of-life, business-focused romcom. YET, i personally found it quite entertaining to watch. Since it's about growth, self-confidence and finding one's vocation, with a little bit of romance and comic relief on the side.

We can see how this drama follows common structural elements of an "initiation journey to self-realization". Through a 3 key points traditional narrative: "Call to initiation, ordeal, and self-transformation." As many other dramas that follow this kind of formula, you could safely bet that it's no mind-altering content.
HOWEVER, what makes this drama a teeny weeny special in my eyes, is that it has good enough acting, likeable characters and it doesn't take itself too seriously (despite the business theme). It's just a nice, breezy, comfy and a tad inspiring watch.

Besides the soothing tone and motivating atmosphere, i couldn't help but love the main cast and enjoyed how the leads -despite their quarrels and differing approaches- supported each-other throughout the whole thing. Both worked hard (along with their colleagues) in order to maintain a productive business and a meaningful work life.

By the way, don't let the love triangle discourage you from watching this. As it's probably the least annoying triangle you'll come across (i say this based on my love triangle-hater experience).
It's one of those rare dramas where both men are actually good matches for the FL.
Be it Asami (the charismatic eccentric and mysterious boss) or Taiga (the tsundere outspoken but very reliable colleague). Both are good men, hardworking, responsible and supportive. Both guys bring out the best qualities in Hinako, as they equally had good chemistry with her.
Not to mention, their different temperaments complement and contrast well with the her cheerful personality type. So i honestly wouldn't have minded if she ended up with either one.

Having said that, i was on team Taiga since he's the type to build the female lead up, he always got her back, he supports her in her endeavors and challenges her wrong opinions, he gives her confidence and encourages her to be more assertive and pushes her self-limitating beliefs when she's being wishy-washy and provides her with a good balance as he serves as her centering rock.
It also doesn't hurt to admit that the "gap" between his usual frowny fussy expression and the heart-warming puppy eyes is too "moe".

The romance department as a whole, was decent and quite basic. Be that as it may, it did contain a couple "doki doki" moments.
Being an avid romance lover, i liked how "ordinay" the whole thing felt, nothing overdramatic, no spell-binding plot-twists, makjang-like betrayals and back-stabbing, nor any obsessive, needy and pushy third-wheels in sight. (That's something for a Jdrama!) Everything flowed more-or-less realistically between the leads, their little disagreements showcased how comfortable they are with voicing their own opinions to each-other and their synchronicity at work was at full display and showed how much of a good match they'd make. Which made their romantic entanglement all the more meaningful. Though i wished to see more of their lovey-dovey moments...

Finally, Mitsuki-chan and Jun have great chemistry together. Loved how organically they bounced off each-other's characters. Would love to watch another project with the same leads. Hopefully, I will get see them starring together in another romance project.

SCORE: A cheerful, satisfied 7/10. Couldn't rate this higher as it's a simple drama plot-wise. But i do recommend it for all Jdrama and romcom lovers alike.

On a side -unrelated- note:
I really liked the styling choice in this drama. Mitsuki-chan's look here; wardrobe choice, makeup, hairstyle, accessories and all. Everything looked so good on her and suited her skin tone. Some people would disagree but i frankly think this was her best look.

Read More