Reviews

"Rock Paper Scissors of Love" is only half an hour long, and I wasn't expecting much as far as the story went, but I was pleasantly surprised. This special had a well-executed concept and stellar acting.
Story: There's more to it than expected. Woon Cheol honestly wasn't a bad guy, but he was just so socially awkward that it was difficult for him to connect with any of his blind dates. I liked how the production team portrayed his personality so realistically and in such a relatable way. The first half was great as far as characterization went, because you actually got to see him on a blind date with Yoo Jin, and how he might be a nice guy from afar, up close he sort of fell to pieces.
Acting: I really liked Park Soo Jin in this, and that probably has a lot to do with the fact that this is the only role I've seen her in that doesn't actively make you want to hate her character. I've wanted her to break out of familiar second-lead mean girl territory for some time now, and while this was still familiar territory, her character was also subtly different from the roles she's played before. Park Shin-Hye's character seemed a lot like her others, so she acted well, but not in a way that surprised me. Meanwhile, I've never seen any of Yoon Kye Sang's dramas/movies, but I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for him. He pulled of his socially awkward and dorky character very well.
Music: I don't remember much about the music, but I remember that it was good.
Rewatch Value: Not right away, but maybe after a few months if I have nothing to do.
Overall: I know that this is sort of tacked on to the end, but this special was actually much deeper than I expected. I thought it would be light and cute, but there was a lot of relatable and familiar concepts used that made you believe that this story was actually happening right in front of your eyes. "Rock Papper Scissors of Love" was funny and cute when it wanted to be, but pulled at your heartstrings at other times.

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First off, I really enjoyed this 5th season or reboot of the show. I didn't realise the show got another season and season 4 was getting kinda...well, strange...so I had stopped watching but I really wanted to give the show another chance and OCN really showed what it can do.

The cast has changed, again, from the previous seasons, except for a few leading characters. I love that the leading characters returned, it would be heart breaking if not, but luckily we get Doctor Han, Detective Kang and also Doctor Jo back. We also get a bunch of new characters but this time around, compared to season 4, you notice that they are more experienced actors and older because they fit the show a lot better than the new actors in the previous season. The new characters fit quite well and make the show even better. But also the villains showed amazing acting.
The storyline itself is more to earth than the previous season but still gives you a little mysterious and over-top like what you are used to from season 1 and 2. I loved that we also get some background to some characters as well as get to explore the dynamics between Han Jin Woo and Kang Kyung Hee more. Just get married already!
Also I'm definitely gonna rewatch. Not today and not tomorrow but I find myself always returning to God's quiz.

If you have watched the previous seasons I highly recommend this one too. If you have not watched it...well, maybe at least watch season 1 and another season just to get you a little bit up to date. This show proves that following seasons/installments are not always worse than the previous ones.

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Lighter version of "Remembrance of Things Past"

Completed - 1/7/2022

"Delicious Romance" is a pretty underrated drama, and probably because the cast members are not idols and not as famous. However, it's a heartwarming drama about friendship, love, career and dreams. I feel that it's a lighter and happier version of "Remembrance of Things Past" (which I strongly recommend).

I enjoy the close friendship between the three main leads. They have funny and witty banter, are open and honest with each other, even if they are criticizing each other's decisions. I believe the friendship is what attracted most people to this drama. These ladies are 30 years old and are facing life's challenges as 30-year-old women in China. It's not surprising the following topics/challenges are covered in this drama:

1. Family and Society Prejudice against single, unmarried women.
2. Prejudice of divorced women
3. Sexual harassment and inequality treatment at work
4. Boss and Subordinate vs. romantic partner relationship
5. Stable and steady job vs. following your dream to unchartered territory
6. Income and Status inequality

This is a very short drama, only 20 episodes long at about 30 minutes each. The pace is fast and I was not bored at all. I quite enjoy the comedy inserted in the drama to deal with some of the heavier topics. I feel that the drama does a good job in introducing all three leads and show us their stories and personalities. I like them all and feel for them when they are faced with challenges. They each have their own flaws, but I root for them.

On the other hand, I feel the romance storylines are under-developed. I'd like to see more between Liu Jing and Jiang Shan Mu and how they fall in love, esp. from JSM. I also want to see a little more about the resolution between Xia Meng and Lu Bin at the end. As for Fang Xin and Zhang Ting, I want to see more of them after they get together. Because the drama is quite short, there isn't enough time for all, in addition to the other plots.

I also like:
- Xia Meng critiquing all the tropes and cliches in rom-coms.
- Jiang Shan Mu and his daughter's relationship - she is one smart cookie
- the funny drama shooting scene with the concubines
- first drag show I've seen in C-dramaland

Overall, I enjoy this very binge-able drama. It might not be as good as "Remembrance of Things Past", but it's an easy and enjoyable watch. I recommend this to those who like dramas of women-centric friendship and their life's challenges/decisions.

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Morally opinionated and emotional story with huge pacing issues

When it comes to the effects of terminal illnesses on patients and modern-day medical research, I haven't seen a lot of C-dramas exploring them in depth. Love is Panacea is a drama that attempts to bring attention to these niche topics by framing them around our main character's story. It tells us the importance of persistence and ethics in medical research and gives hope for the future with a realistic the process of "curing the incurable".

To give an introduction for Huntington's disease, it is a real-life rare neurodegenerative disease with no cure worldwide. People with HD develop uncontrollable "dancelike" body movements and may form problems with behavior, emotion, thinking, and personality. As of 2023, there are multiple promising research efforts into CRISPER, a technique to target disrupted genes, to develop a cure.

At the beginning of the drama, Su Wei An was an aspiring doctor when she found out she had Huntington's. She lost purpose in her life, started to live recklessly with low regard for her wellbeing, and developed a penchant for running away from her problems. We see how meeting Gu Yu Zheng slowly changes her: from persuading her to be in a relationship with him, to encouraging her to become a medial research assistant, to bravely facing the future side-by-side while developing a cure for Huntington's.

Su Wei An's feeling of hopelessness is extremely understandable: she lives with daily disappointment . That's why Gu Yun Zheng is even more impactful: he is persistent, sometimes even overly so, in pursuing what he wants. He was insistent on finding Su Wei An and asking about the reason for her disappearance. His willingness to give up academic prestige and change the direction from glioma, a well-funded and supported topic, to Huntington's, a little-known and difficult topic, is not something anyone is willing to do. His character relays an important message: no matter what struggles we face, never give up hope.

This extends into the way he approaches medical research, which is systematic and thorough, a direct contrast to people such as Du Yun Cheng, Wen Ran, or He Xiao Guang, who are willing to take shortcuts. We see them taking credit for other people's work and conducting careless medical trials leading to issues further down the road, such as table deaths.

Our main character, on the other hand, approaches problems without being underhanded. Both he and Su Wei An are extremely ethical scientists who stress the importance of following a process for research and development and ensuring public safety when treading unknown waters. I personally thought a strong characteristic of this drama, besides its expressive cast, was its portrayal of scientific development and the researchers' roles in progressing it forward. It provides a realistic depiction of the amount of time, effort, and dedication required to prove a small amount of progress (for example, Su Wei An proving that HDQ39 was not suitable for patients with hypertension). The cure developed by our two leads took more than 6 years of research and experimentation. These are seemingly small results in the sense that they yield very little return for the researchers.

Despite strong thematical messages and a compelling performance by most of the characters (Luo Yun Xi especially), this drama has its fair share of problems. The first few episodes in Lacaya were difficult to take seriously because of the poorly-done overdubbing and the ridiculous medical cases, to the point that I considered dropping the drama. Later, some of the villains were a bit too over-the-top and the portrayal of medical parts (surgical operations, medical equipment) were unrealistic and glossed over. Despite these issues, things progressed a lot smoother when they returned to China. There was more candy than sour grapes and I became more invested in the characters, so it became a more addictive watch.

The side characters, especially Su Wei An's mother (played by Cui Yi) and the second lead couple had great backstories, each providing a unique perspective on their lives without overshadowing the main couple or the main discussion topic. They provided the facets of people with their own concerns: medical assistant with a fear of surgical operations due to a table death, a girl who doesn't have a goal in life, and a mom who always smiles to provide stability for her family. These small stories touched my heart, especially the mom's.

The ending was exactly what we'd dreaded but ended on a realistic note with the hope that the researchers' long years of work could finally bear fruit and treat thousands of people in the future. As such, I am happy to give this an 8.5. Despite the issues, the actors' performances and the drama's high-level ideas struck a chord, and the drama itself brings attention to the researchers around the world working hard to develop cures against all odds. If someone told that "love is panacea" within the context of this story, I would believe it.

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Intelligent drama that gets me laughing and tearing with the story

THE PACING
I enjoyed the speed of this drama. Characters spoke at a good speed and storylines did not drag beyond their purpose. Scenes show only what is necessary, nothing more. While the drama did end on a cliffhanger, it is arguable that this season did end on a note satisfactory enough for closure so that I can sleep at night.

THE COMEDY
Got many laughs out of me. This drama is funny just as Joy of Life is funny, which is in a non-cringy way. Had been looking for a fix ever I finished that drama and it was nice to see the not-very-intelligent brother in Joy of Life have his turn at playing the ridiculously smart guy. I also loved that this drama was not entirely comedic (mostly the beginning and the middle), but was tempered with slightly heavier themes of loss and betrayal at the end of the middle bandit arc.

THE ROMANCE
What a sweet romance this is! The best thing about this couple is that those overused tropes don't come into play here (e.g. no drawn-out misunderstandings due to lack of communication, no couple constantly falling into family's trap to make them doubt each other, no forced or accidental intimate moments). We see genuine development in their relationship, them falling for each other and finally them getting together very willingly. I loved how respectful Ning Yi was of his wife. He treated her with care, cooking food for her, helping her when her business ran into difficulty and saving her from the various other guys who assault her. He never forced or teased or strongly suggested his way into her bedroom. The romance doesn't reappear after the bandit arc, because Ning Yi is running between countries in the last arc and probably didn't want to bring his wife along. Ning Yi's wife in return trusts him with her business which she spent so much effort to build and obtain, and later trusts in his plans. She's an excellent partner for him as they work together to make his plans happen.

THE POLITICS
I find it a tendency in some dramas to focus too much on the politics so that we really get bogged down with many names, positions and way too many details. However I thought that this drama put across what we needed to know in as few scenes as possible.

THE MALE LEAD
The ML is very intelligent, but perhaps a little too intelligent. As a modern businessman who travelled back in time, he would have landed in Ning Yi's body with no knowledge of the political situations in both countries, but yet he has an incredibly good grasp of the situation at all times without anyone letting him know who exactly are the political figures in court (?). He is also an excellent go player who defeated the best go player in the country ... having known the game for a very short period of time. I guess he's just really, really smart.

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What a lovely dorama! The plot was super interesting, I love all the characters, the setting was so mabushii, so bright and colorful and clean.

The story is a very engaging one: the world of mangas and mangaka. To be more precise, the world of editors. They also have to struggle, not only the mangaka do. They need to take care of the mangaka, give them advice, move here to there. There are also moments of tears and frustration. Editors need to walk along the mangakas, they need to be there for them all the time and built a trust, which is fundamental.

Since I am a big fan of BAKUMAN, it was impossible not to link them both. One is from the Mangaka's POV, the other one is from the Editorial's POV. I looked everywhere to read the manga Juhan Shuttai, but unfortunately is not translated :( It really is a heart-warming story, and the art is so cute, especially chibi Kokoro, who looks a lot like dear Sawako from "Kimi ni Todoke".

The cast was marvelous. I was familiar with most of the secondary characters only; more specifically, the mangakas (Mikurayama-sensei, Takahata-sensei...). And of course, Namase Katsuhisa-san. But this is the first time I see Kuroki Haru (Kokoro) and although I've seen some photos of him, this is my first time watching Odagiri Joe (Iokibe-san). I am not sure which one of these 2 were my favorites! Kokoro was the typical bright, positive girl, but she was far from annoying and stupid. Her motto was "Gambaremassu" and she motivated a couple of characters, like emo mangaka-to-be Nakata-kun, and poor, nice Koizumi-kun, whose professional life was a bit depressing at first, but once he was motivated, everything changes for him for better. It was really touching. Impossible not to like a girl with that kind of enthusiasm! Also my first time seeing Sakaguchi Kentaro, who is a real sweetheart! His smile is so adorable, and he acts really well! Can't believe his filmography is so short; he acts like a pro and ten million times than veterans!

**sighs** Odagiri Joe... I've read some lists before were he was mentioned, like "more kissable lips" or whatever, but have never paid him any attention. My, I was so impressed with this guy. Let's talk first about his role. Iokibe-san is one of the coolest guy I've seen in a dorama. Super nice, real intelligent, a perfect mentor, a humble editor, a nice guy, a kind co-worker, a capable editor. Only once he shouts in the whole dorama, otherwise, he speaks with a calm, soothing voice. No wonder Kokoro admired him so much! If I were her, I would have probably fallen in love with him. Because not only he was the nicest guy and mentor, he also looks real good! Glasses and man-bun, perfect combination! With some facial hair, the cherry on top. Sure, some of his shirts were, errr, colorful, but he looked like a model! I loved him and I am glad Episode 9 was more or less about him.

Clothes were colorful, specially in Kokoro's case. Some of her skirts were a bit old-fashioned, but overall her clothes matched her character: young, happy and bright. Editor Mibu was always wearing T-shirts with food drawings on them (I love this actor, he is so funny!), Yasui-san was always wearing stripped sweaters, Takahata-san always in Adidas outfits, Nakata-san always in dark sweatsuits and Koizumi was always in suit. I love that even the clothes were important to the story, every detail meant something!

The sountrack was lovely, and the ending song was ok. But my favorite thing is that it is an inspirational dorama. If you love something, you give it all, like Kokoro did, and for that, she was rewarded at the end. I laughed many times, but I also cried a couple of times. There wasn't a single episode that was boring or dragging, I loved it from Ep. 1 to 10, and I wish it was longer! Nevertheless, it has a perfect ending, because it wasn't really an ending.. more like a beginning :D

I recommend this dorama a hundred times Top quality, top cast, excellent story, I loved it!

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Not your typical high school BL.. This is life

I loved how they combined the cast and languages of korean and thai what a great concept would love to see more of this. I personally didnt notice the accent changes unless i was paying attention to it i think they blended well. Also have some tissues there are a few emotional parts. What a great storyline about 2 boys Peach who's family own a restaurant in Thailand and Yun oh who family owns a resort and mom is a doctor so while visiting from korea he and peach meet for the first time. They keep in touch over the year and peach decided to come to korea and yun oh was excited especially since he got his mom text "he should never of been born".he was sad. She was always angry with yun oh since he looked like the man that betrayed her so she had yun ho hoping he'd return then he died when yun oh was five so she didn't get revenge instead they would argue and she would say hurtful things and text and ontop of it grandma died and left "Happy Resort" to yun oh, but she had to sell everything and take a loan for the inheritance. Its a beautiful place that they live in until one day peach shows up and the place is closed and he see mario, but he cant find Yunho anywhere and then his mom appears and invites him in. He explains who he is and that they planned this last month. He goes to his room and he's not there (most peeople would ask when hes coming home) instead he falls asleep on the bed and wakes up to him playing guitar then they start tickle each other when his mom says "can you be quite" (why wouldn't she ask what are you doing) There are strange things happening that you don't really understand, but you do notice it and once you figure out what happened it will blow your mind at the end of ep 2. then slowly everything falls into place. We watch as peach helps yunho try to make peace with his mom and helps him complete one of his dreams to play guitar and sing on stage and to open his own coffee shop. As they start to get closer there feeling get stronger and its the beginning of a beautiful relationship and then we mario who's been around the resort for 20yrs and trying to find his lover su ho to see why she never showed up for there date. Yoon mother still doesn't believe the police and is trying to investigate and get the PD not to give up. Peach helps yoon and his mom reconcile they issues and same with mario. There is more to this story, but you need to watch it yourself as i ust finished and i needed alot of tissues. Its worth the watch. Hopefully the movie will also fill in. 1-2spots 💗💗💗

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A Korean “English Countryside” Drama (quaint, it’s all cosy and quaint)

Usually I never write a review until a drama is finished but I felt that this time around I must. Given that the usual MDL ways of down rating a drama happens when the female lead IS NOT super young and hot (insert a generic Zao Lusi or Kim So Hyun prototype here. They both are very talented and pretty ladies. I personally am a fan of Ki So Hyun. I am just talking about how people react on this forum).
Moving on, anyone who likes cosy village settings with super wacky and weird characters will like this drama. A lot of the characters do questionable stuff and so many characters are so weird. Even the pets are funny and strange. This drama “reads” and feels like a book. Fans of PG Wodehouse, Legends and Latte, Indian Malgudi Days, will know what I am talking about. So it may not be everyone’s cup of tea at all. However it must be noted that this drama is doing exceptionally well in Korea. I am glad. So many times Korean productions have to bow down to international tastes that they lose their unique touch. Not so in this case.
Han Ji Min is amazing in this, I had always seen her in sad or dramatic works and I was pleasantly surprised to see she has good comedic timing. Her male lead, is usually wooden but he is emoting very well.
Han Ji Mins’, curly haired sister is amazing. I really liked her in one spring night too.
Anyways I am really enjoying it. Hope it does not do a nosedive towards the end like many K Dramas do.
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My thoughts after watching this - a very nice thriller whodunnit mystery and the bickering about chemistry between the leads (non romantic for most of the show) was good. The setting, the characters were very unique. A throughly enjoyable drama

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Cute and heartwarming

This drama is not a masterpiece of flawless storytelling, but it doesn't need to be. It's only 4 episodes, which means any conflict that appears doesn't drag too long, and ultimately has a very happy ending.

I think it would've benefitted from being 2 episodes longer, but it definitely didn't need to be 12 or 16 episodes long. They wrapped up the storylines pretty well in the time they had.

Definitely recommended if you need to watch something easy and lighthearted one night. The chemistry of the actors is incredible, and they really do the whole "we've known each other for years so let's act like it" part very, very well.

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Just watch it

The story is controversial but the way things are put makes it easy to watch. The actors are amazing, the FL and 2nd ML (joss) have such great chemistry that age gap don’t look awkward at all .The characters are believable even when they take the most unconventional path because it matches their personalities. I started the show thinking i will dislike the characters and judge them for going against moral boundaries but instead i ended up rotting for risa and pong. These two brings happiness and complete each other miserable life.
If anyone is hesitating I would suggest to just watch but with the alternative ending. Avoid the original ending at all cost if you don’t want to be depressed.

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Though there was nothing special to the plot; I liked the light and not complicated almost-love triangle. There were no villains and everyone had their own faults. I loved that human portrayal.

Uhm Tae Woong's acting shone through. I admit having Queen Seon Duk's syndrome -where I fell for everyone there; literally- so I started this already in love with him. His self-centred personality and weird sense of humour were so adorable. I liked his dark side that doesn't reflect on his humanity. The way he taught Kim Yeon Woo was so enjoyable to watch. That killing smirk got me gaga!

Park Ji Heon's character was so cute. I'd avoid it though. This kind of guys is burdensome and demanding.. only cute to watch from afar.

I loved Kim Soo Yeon.. well i'm biased so! i loved how she never hesitated to express what she thinks and stands her ground. and i loved how nothing stopped her from what she believes right.

The reason why I pushed this drama up was writing a stalker's guide on Kang So Ra. She didn't have much to give here but she was cute in the few minutes she'd appear every episode.

There were so many shirtless scenes -due to the fact that they are athletes- and my eyes were so happy!

The drama tackled so many medical and sport related cases. Though they were so beneficial for an ignorant like me, I felt that many were forced. They were so touching anyhow.

Sang Bong's character was the best thing about the drama. I cried buckets because of him.

The patriotic emphasis on being a ''Korean representative'' was evident.

The emphasis on the Korean pork they were promoting was so obvious i kept laughing -side effects of watching so many dramas; especially King of Dramas-

The cruel and twisted fate of Park Ji Heo and Yoo Sang Bong was so moving -and kept reminding me of School 2013-

The music was cute but repetitive.. i loved the osts.

I was not expected it to be so much fun.. I didn't get bored for a second.

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12 varied cups of coffee

This drama is one of Dramalands mot fitting names. Each episode is just like a cup of coffee for the coffee lover, but I am sure you can convert it to tea if coffee as a whole is not your thing. Most cups are just perfect and a must that will wake you up or give you a nice moment but the first cup of the day is the best and once you have had 2 or three you feel like it´s enough for the day. You still want to drink coffee later on or the next day. And so is the show, It will leave you satisfied but not wanting more right away.

Again much like different people like different types of coffee not all of the episodes where my type of coffee, while some had the perfect balance to suit my taste. Others did not.

Character wise there are a few slightly annoying guest characters but overall the cast is well fitted. The relationships shown are varied and almost as sweet as the confectenaris made in the bakery down the street.

The use of umbrellas is subtle but well made, guesting some pretty impressive and unusual uses for umbrellas (in a drama, I do not know about seul) and with great symbolism enhancing some of the dramas most beautiful scenes.

I highly recommend people to watch this, one episode a day or so, that way it will last longer and you will be able to enjoy each cup to the fullest.

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I will say this from the beginning, before writing a detailed review: I liked the drama.
Which is strange, because when I started watching it was like: OMG, why do they play so poorly? What is this with the dialogues and faces? But somewhere around episode 3 or 4 it really took me in. In the end I really enjoyed it and would love to see the continuation.
Maybe the actors needed some time to roll in as well. I liked the girl, who in the end sounded and looked really sincere, when talking to Takane, and I liked this superfluous way of speaking that Takane has. Though the drama is really short, you manage to understand the character of each of the 4 main leads. They are all different, and though due to lack of time in the series they are all quite schematic, you do see the difference. That is more, than many other dramas can boast, in which charachters often seem to be made by one sample.
Besides, do remember that Japanese have very peculiar sense of humour, which you should also be ready for while watching this drama. Hope you'll enjoy it too!

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How did they get it so right?

First things first, I am not crazy about the BL genre. It feels weirdly fetishistic towards gay couples and from what I've seen, most of them look rather cheap. But after seeing some clips of I Told Sunset About You I decided to give the show a chance. And good god am I glad that I did.
When it comes to teenage, angsty romance, I have never seen a show just nail it like that. As I watched this drama all I could think about was: I've been there. I've been Teh and Oh-aew. I've felt that pain. How did they get it so right?
ITSAY captured the essence of being an insecure gay kid who hates themselves. Of falling in love with your best friend and the fear that once you take that step, you can never go back. Of your first real heartbreak that feels never-ending. And it did that with a relatable, simple story, likable, believable characters, a beautiful ambiance, brilliant acting, and stunning cinematography.

I bought every second of those actors' performances. I believed in their relationship with each other. You can physically feel the yearning every time they're on screen together. It was like I was carrying every unsaid word between them on my shoulders. Of course, they had some passionate scenes but to me what made Tehs and Oh-aews love seem genuine was in the little things. Teh hating the smell of coconut before he started associating it with his crush. Being jealous and not even understanding why. Always needing to touch each other. The sexual tension was in the things they DIDN’T dare to do. They didn’t portray the fetishized version of a gay relationship that I have witnessed in other BL dramas but the awkward puppy love that your first real crush always is.
The raw power that episode three holds is incomparable. I have absolutely zero issues with NSFW content but ITSAY proved, that graphic scenes are not needed to convey purely sexual themes. The way the direcor portrayed Teh's sexual frustration enitrely through his restlessness was incredibly convincing. He clearly did an incredible job at directing the two lead actors, their performance and chemistry could not have been any more natural and it truly felt like every small movement between Teh and Oh-aew mattered. Every interaction, no matter how small seemed to further the tension between the two characters.

As mentioned before, this drama also looks beautiful. Every shot felt like it had a purpose but at the same time was creative. The colour grading was especially outstanding, the colours of this show are beautiful and contribute a lot to the mood and feel of each scene. I really really liked that the kiss scene was underwater as a metaphor for letting go and escaping society's expectations. I also liked that Teh and Oh-aew had to hide behind the stairs to feel safe and unseen enough to passionately hug. There was a good amount of symbolism in the show in general. The red hybiscus as a symbol of passion, that Teh first associates with a girl he likes before Oh-aew makes it his own. The Chinese characters that would ellude to how the relationship of the two leads was progressing. The coconuts, or firecrackers and of course the sunsets, all those were like a red string that tied the whole thing together. The scenery was gorgeous too and now I really want to go to Thailand. And while I surely am no expert on music, I really liked the OST as well. It really went with the general tone of the scene instead of dictating it and telling the audience what to feel. I even liked the Chinese song that also was one of the reoccurring symbolic themes and which lyrics matched up with the relationship of the main couple.

What else? I am so happy that this show tackled the subject of internalized homophobia in such a mature way. Often times I have heard a BL love interest exclaim that he's definitely not gay, not gay at all, definitely, definitely not, he just happens to like this one boy. That makes homosexuality feel like a taboo subject, which is absurd, especially in BL. Teh struggles with those thoughts as well, but something actually comes from it. When he isn’t able to accept himself he, as a result, pushes Oh-aew away. It’s only after he makes peace with his own feelings that him and his best friend can reconcile. Having Teh’s brother actually say to him that it’s “okay to be gay”, that his feelings are normal and natural and that he doesn’t have to hide who he is, was so special to me and very very necessary to see.
But it’s not only Teh who battles internalized homophobia. Even though Oh-aew theoretically is out and proud he hasn’t accepted who he is completely. We see that especially in the powerful and painful bra-scene, in which Oh-aew puts on a bra after being essentially rejected by Teh and then breaks down crying, because he can’t give Teh the normal life that he wants and he would do anything just to be accepted by him, even changing gender. There is also a beautiful moment between Oh-aew and his first boyfriend Bas, in which Oh-aew is surprised that Bas is so willing to hold his hand in public. He has become so used to being someone’s secret, the fact that he’s worthy of love comes as a surprise to him.
I would argue that the main theme of the story is acceptance, acceptance of your feelings and acceptance of who you are. That’s why at the end of the show, Teh and Oh-aew are different, better people. And that’s what good storytelling is all about, sending your characters on a journey.

I am so happy that I Told Sunset About You exists. A show in which feelings are acknowledged and validated. In which men are honest about their emotions. In which women are not plot devices and hindrances but allies and friends. But most importantly: A show about acceptance. Of course, it wasn't perfect. It felt like a bit overwritten at some points and yeah, maybe if I am being strict it doesn't really deserve the 10 stars. But I'm giving it this rating anyways because it touched me deeply and I think stories like this one are needed. For me, this transcended the barriers of the BL genre and can be seen as art. I hope the fact that a show like this can exist in South East Asia is a good sign for what’s to come. This show really reminded me of my undying love of cinema and fiction as well as the power it holds. I never expected to see so much of myself in two young men in Thailand experiencing their first heartbreak but here we are, only stories can connect people from all around the world.

Never have I felt so seen, so represented by a series and its characters and even half a year later, I keep returning to I Told Sunset About You. It's so incredibly genuine in its intensity, awkwardness and clumsiness; honest and helpless like only a first love could be. I truly mean it when I say that I lost a part of myself in Phuket without ever having been there. And I couldn't be any happier about it.

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Wholesome BL Series

I was very tired at watching BL themed around high school especially Thai BL, but somehow when I see the cover for this series and proceed to find the synopsis about it something just clicked on my mind and it's telling me to go and give this series a try.

WHICH IS ONE OF THE BEST DECISION I EVER MAKE!!!

This might seem biased, but I just can't seem to find anything that I dislikes from watching this series from start to finish

Story: The synopsis seems simple yet somehow it managed to hook me in giving this series a try. Later on the story develops into something wonderful and very unexpectedly fresh to me. There is almost no useless scenes (yeah, I came to enjoy even those product placement scenes) and the most important thing is that there are no exhausting unneeded drama. What I got instead are good comedies, small but abundant romantic gestures, and lots of very likeable characters that is written like what they are in the show, high school students. The show can balance between unnecessary problems between the character but still giving the context of high school students being high school students

Music: This is the first series where in every episode I watch, I prepared my phone right beside me so I can directly google search the songs played. They are seriously all that good and match the scene and mood where they are played. It's also a plus point that the show is about music club and they did not fail in delivering awesome music in every episodes

Acting: Fourth and Gemini did not seem like new actors. Instead they felt like they have starred in lots of movies/series before this. Their interaction and gestures to each other doesn't feel like they are being forced or stiff in any way. Each smile, each laugh, each expression that they made brings Tinn and Gun to life. We got a very convincing smart school president chasing after a very cute and silly music club leader through both of their performances. Beside that, as long as I remember, we also got the same level of acting from the other cast as well. No awkward pauses, no flat faces, just a very enjoyable acting from all the cast

Rewatch Value: I'm usually not someone who would watch a series after I watched it the first time. But for this, they are definitely something that I can rewatch, especially when I'm feeling down or just in need for some extra sugar

Special Note: Just want to emphasis again that what I like most out of it is how the story itself doesn't give unnecessary drama just to make cheap conflict between the characters. All sources of conflict is just from external factors or high school students behaving like a high school students.

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