IT'S A CANNONBALL
Firstly, there are tropes you'll agree with me are made for some countries and just incase another country adopts it even if by chance and executes it well enough, that's going a bit higher and matching up to a standard. Originally Thai BL'S from being as scanty as 15 shows annually between 2018-2021, every trope was good enough because for the first time it felt new since we were having BL couples instead of heterosexual ones but after that 2022-2023 was a massive wave of close to 80+ BLS in each. The exposure was good but it seemed that some plots either felt too bland, some actors aren't the right choices for the shows or simply, BL fans are getting bored and we are looking for something unique.Here is THE SIGN. First and foremost, the fact that this is the first Thai BL original that deals with Special forces was enough to intrigue me and just as I had mentioned that I felt this kind of plot had become more of a western monopoly a part of me was rather eager. The trailer delivered it well to have me quite expectant but after watching the first episodes I say the long uneasy wait was worth it. Of course the Special Investigation Forces part of it might feel unreal and rather having it too easy if you're to compare with Western Series like FBI and GANG RELATED. No offense, for Thailand I do respect that they could take this gr8 shot and it doesn't bother me that much since it was never the gist of the story so it didn't occupy space unnecessarily.
Also considering the fact that we are moving out of the bedrooms and condos and getting more into the real adult world. I felt that highschoolers and campusers had overdone it and for some reason high school and university settings were making the BL STORYLINES lose an aroma. We have seen from Until We Meet Again back in 2019 the notion of lost lovers but never a profound and rather intensely chaotic couple like Celestial lovers who were never meant to be which makes the sign yet another one of those BL series that is exceptional.
I equally came to admire the fact that the character design here is quite mature and we are moving away from some stupid couple fights which were starting to get annoying to some point. We have seen love that challenges gender and social norms in my perspective but never one which challenges religious ones like the Sign which I had always anticipated at some point. The Lovestory of Billy and Babe unlike many challenges what you would considered some of the most powerful cosmic forces in existence.
Thirdly, finally beating an office romance, you’ll find out from this show how it is very cute when a special agent is playing hard to get and another is practically a naive big baby that's struggling at expressing themselves. Of course even if there is a progression of feelings, the top knotch of this chemistry is that two people with different personalities start to create a common ground for intimacy
New faces and ships to the genre who have gotten their jobs right is also the real deal, I don't believe that being a rookie actor justifies one to be a bad actor and in any case The Sign proves it right. Everyone seems to comprehend, fit in their role and even grow in it with literally every scene that it starts to feel more like a sincere portrayal than a very flat pretense. I have seen series that have gone South when they could have been better because of this annoying excuse.
Besides, the Supernatural fantasy in a cop drama hits different and right, Billy literally flirts the scene well and quite unobviously which keeps the show interesting, these guys are so past the point of stereotyping gay couples as sweet people with nothing to do, for once I feel a gay couple has real work to do in line with promoting law and order now you get to see them in action and in a way even offering a civil service apart from struggling with anger issues, overkissing and I think I literally LMAO at the fact that these guys each had way many sex dreams or thoughts.
All in all the pacing of the series seems quite right and after all this I can certainly say, coming from Thailand, they have found a way to end the year and begin a new one in style by giving us a show that is quite unique and hints on personal and spiritual diversities which have been confined to perfection and give us an unspoken warmth, sweetness despite the cruel designs of the world, fate and karma which make you see how every character lives every day as if it were their last.
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Nonetheless, it is one of the decent ones in recent wuxia/xianxia genre. It has good action/battle scenes. Even though it follows a typical wuxia storyline of a young naive boy becoming a hero, it is still enjoyable. The story is, however, quite dragging, sometimes it takes three or more episodes to go through a sub-plot.
As for acting wise, I am not that impressed with Li Yi Feng and most of the casts but I have always liked Zhao Li Ying since her older works.
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This review may contain spoilers
Average drama with an unlikely premise and a dumbfounding conclusion.
This drama had a lot going for it--strong cast, good production values, "romance" in the title--except a script. FL Son Na Eun with her glorious scowl/RBF and mom Kim Jee Soo were the most engaging characters, but they didn't have much to work with.Most of the other (negative) reviews focus on the absurd premise of a hapless father abandoning his wife and two small children after going bankrupt and leaving them destitute, only to return 10 years (or more?) later with a pile of sketchy money and a not very well thought out plan to win their hearts back. But as bad as that is, it isn't even the worst aspect of the plot, which is the almost stupifying "I don't need no man to make me happy" conclusion. But who could blame them? In the almost complete absence of any redeemable male characters in the whole drama, the two principal female characters decide that they are better off/happy living alone. The icing on the cake comes when the young FL asserts she is happy continuing to live her celibate lifestyle and has absolutely no intention of ever getting married--despite her supposedly wonderful relationship with her nice guy boyfriend. (I wonder if she consulted him about this...) The writer even had the temerity to throw in a reference to South Korea's lowest in the world .78 birth rate in the same scene. And this was a "romance"? Mind blown.
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Initially I like this drama. I liked the lead female,Makino Tsukushi, as a strong female role because she would't succumb to the arrogant F4(especially from the lead male Domyouji Tsukasa). It was cliche, but I've come to expect that in any japanese teen drama. Some reactions and plot devices were unrealistic, but I can ignore that. What turned me off was the complete 180 the drama took from reality involving Domyouji. Let's get this straight, Domyouji is a narcissistic, obnoxious, arrogant creep. Nothing leads me to feel empathy for his character. Domyouji does awful, terrible, things to harass Makino; even going as far as hiring people to sexually assault her. The 'excuses' for his behavior (his background story) are not at all valid for being such an awful human being and I feel no empathy for the character.
I had to quit watching after I searched for the ending. I couldn't make myself sit through the entire drama only to be enraged at the end.
The only semi saving grace for this show was the acting. Oguri Shun is a brilliant actor, and Jun Matsumoto portrays his character well (as does Mao Inoue). So I guess if you are a fan of the manga you will like it (???). For me, two thumbs way way down.
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drop-worthy drama full to the brim with contrivances
let me start by the conclusion. I would have dropped this one by the second or third episode max, and the reason why I didn't might sound strange to some people, but I just continued watching because I had done the mistake of batch-downloading the whole drama, so I didn't want the bandwidth and memory space to go to waste, so I kind of just pushed myself to finish the whole thing.the story here despite being original on paper was executed simply put; badly.
first off, it is a story that has to resort time and time again to some over the top unbelievable plot points that constantly require the viewer to commit to some strong levels of suspension of disbelief, but above all the biggest point that ruined the story for me was unfortunately that it relied on a romance plot that felt contrived.
the writers pushed onto the viewer a love story that was at best not allowed to mature properly on screen; but rather it felt like a dish that was taken out of the oven still uncooked or even cold and shoved in our face selling it as one of the best epic love stories, of two star-crossed lovers battling different social statuses and a horrible cast system.
I mean I personally watched their first encounter thinking to myself that I was looking forward to how their coming interactions would progress until it develops into romance, but then suddenly we are made to accept the fact that that first meeting was nothing short of a life-altering moment for the ages especially for the ML, despite the fact that it felt lackluster at best . Just a few moments after that first encounter, the ML is gazing at the stars reminiscing about the FL and how he had somehow fell head over heels for the disguised slave, just cause of the fact that she opened his eyes to the role of art and entertainment in the lives of commoners and poor folks, an epiphany which later helped inspire his life's mission or whatever.
I mean I get that they were portraying it as love at first sight, but it wasn't just that I could barely buy their initial attraction , just after a couple of interactions with her supposedly changed him to the point that despite the fact that he was portrayed as a spoilt brat who didn't care for education, he was willing to give up all of his final pocket money after being disowned by his father in order to stop slave hunters from searching for the FL whom he'd only ever met a couple of times and who had run away to escape persecution, no they went even a step further and made him infatuated by her for years and dreaming of only her, but the most frustrating part was that when they finally met years later he was acting as if he knew her and her character thoroughly and was even wishing she would be true to herself, I was almost screaming at the screen "how the he'll do you claim to know her character when you've only ever met a bunch of times briefly?!".
You could tell the writers were unsure the viewers were sold on how deep and genuine their feels to each other were, they had to constantly make us listen to him narrating that lazily written boring story of how they met and how the lost noble fell for the female slave disguised as a man who taught him the deep lesson of how people are just too sad and miserable they enjoy any half assed show they can watch, and that' moment helped him to realize his true calling was in being an entertainer. I reached a point were I was rolling and my eyes and fast-forwarding whenever that tale was mentioned.
I do not wish to blame the actors for how I never felt for their romance story on screen (though to be honest I never managed to feel any chemistry between them, maybe barely during the last couple of episodes) and I do believe that if the trajectory of their relationship had taken a less sudden steep increase like it did, and we were allowed more screen time of their encounters prior to her running away and them separating, maybe it would have served the romance more. but maybe then we would have blamed her for so readily accepting a marriage proposal from her first crush's lookalike, so that's a whole other point. Maybe that was why their encounter felt so rushed, they had to make her think that he wasn't THAT into her, so she wouldn't be stuck at the memory of him.
to be honest it would have helped a lot if the first couple of episodes didn't feel so rushed, like the writers were feeling anxious and wanting to haste the story to the climax-worthy moment that would change our main characters fate and Kickstart her journey as a noble woman. don't know if maybe it was out of fear of losing the viewers before the main plot point was revealed or what, but man that first episode sure felt like riding a Rollercoaster that later felt like it almost suffered a crash.
The main plot is not bad per-se, it is fun to watch a rags-to-riches story that involved impersonating a person of a different social status, and the struggle to prove one's true worth and potential against all odds, but the methods and plot tools the writers took in order to move the story forward included a string of convoluted over the top convenient and unbelievable coincidences, chance encounters, perfect timings, and obviously unexplained cases of doppelgangers, it all felt so forced and contrived it was pure eye-rolling material requiring major suspension of disbelief. I mean there is a whole main character that was rendered but a mere story tool; only brought out and utilized when the writers have managed to push themselves in a corner with their plot and are struggling for a way out, and then he is kept to the side for another pinch. there were side characters that felt more fleshed out and endearing I was genuinely thankful for their existence in the story, not saying their parts were always equally engaging but at the very least they felt like a living person rather than a prop or device.
another thing that bothered me sometimes, is how the directing of certain scenes that aim at stirring the viewer's emotions whether in happiness or grief, tended to overdo it to the point it felt either cringe-inducing or flat. It is a waste to feel glad by a character's hard earned success only to have a whole village cheering and clapping, or to feel moved by the death of maybe one of the only characters that I genuinely liked, only to be met with a long scene of his apparition saying his farewells you almost feel emotionally- detached from the whole scene.
the production was overall good, great costume and prop design.
the music, nothing stuck with me, but I have one last grievance, they would use in some of the fluffy, comedic or romantic scenes this one cheesy beauty and the beast OST sounding track don't know if it is plagiarism or by design but it really annoyed me a lot.
overall the pacing of the story was off, the use of convenient coincidences was too much, the romance in the first half felt off at least in my own humble opinion, and all those points combined and other minor issues just destroyed the whole experience for me I find it hard to recommend to anyone.
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Again a wasted chance...
What's with all the "periodic" series in the past six months? It's all very lacorn style, over-dramatized acting, female villains and generally a story which does not make much sense. They build up a conspiracy against the crown which fades into nothingness. And because they are lazy writing a good script, there has to be a doppelganger which can be overtaken by a ghost...I'm very sorry, this is also one of the series which is mostly bullshit. While I like BillyBabe (and of course their chemistry is undeniable being a real couple) and I think they can act, it's wasted with this kind of story. Maybe this only resonates with asiens or it resonates only with women, but for me it's just boring and unbelievable. This series makes some up with very good cinematography, very nice costumes, the dancing which was for sure a chore training for and the music in general.
Storywise this was a dumpster fire. Generally it's watchable, but mostly a waste of time.
Edit: Billy & Babe left Idol Factory, was anounced on 31st January 2026... good for them!
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I Wanted to Like This Series But Not Invested
I wanted to like this series, but overall I just couldn't get invested in the story. I do think that the lead actresses are talented. It's just that the story itself didn't grab me like I expected it to.Despite that, I thought that the series started out strong. When Ai meets May for the first time, it pulled me in immediately. Ai is amazed, but also confused by May since her existence was kept a secret by her sister Oom. How can Oom be so cruel and cheat on May? How could May love Oom this much? So many emotions passed through Ai just through expression alone with her trying to understand her sister's secret double life and stepping into that role pretending to be her.
I expected the drama to follow this narrative path with Ai discovering more about her sister through her things, her writing, and her history and trying to piece together Oom's perspective to learn to understand her side. I wanted to explore this complicated relationship between both sisters and their grandmother.
But what happened isnt what i expected. It takes a side step to all that, then remembers to sprinkle in some relevant flashbacks of her sister and grandma here and there which felt like an after thought. Eventually the show comes back to it in episode 11, which culminates to a showdown between both sisters. I think ep. 11 was well performed by the lead actresses. But, despite the performance, I still couldnt connected with the emotions to the story because I think the lead up to it was weak.
So what did the show do instead leading up to the episode 11 performance? The show sidelined this compelling and complicated family drama. They threw in a fluffy honeymoon phase of Ai falling in love with May despite Ai still pretending to be Oom. I have my issues with both Ai and May, but I recognize that they arent without flaws. No one is so I won't harp on it here. And the lead up to ep. 11 becames more about a court case drama involving Ai and her motorbike group of friends. These are friends Ai would stop at nothing to fight for as the show implies in flashbacks. But, not enough time was established to give emotional weight to these friends. Ultimately this whole court case drama was simply thrown in to use her friends as a device to add further challenges to Ai and May's love story. Her friends arent given enough time to become real characters. Yet the show wants you to care when I think they failed to do that (at least for me).
I eventually got bored watching the show. There are filler scenes that I didn't think were necessary. Like the whole jealousy sequences with Ploy (just to name one example). There was nearly a 20 minute back and forth tension of who gets to buy takeout for May. Ai scrubbing dishes to pay for the takeout to compete with Ploy and the standoff between the two vying for her affection at the dinner table. Filler can be fine. Fillers that run too long is what I had a problem with. There were many instances like these where I switched to 2x speed to get through it.
The show also relies heavily on flashback sequences to tell May and Ai's backstory. Present day romantic moments, at times, turned into a music video complilation of romantic moments between May and Ai which for me I didn't find compelling. I wanted to see more moments between them that they could claim as their own in the present day and in real time. Those romantic moments either end up being flashbacks to their past or start out cute and end up with the "ghost" of Oom's presence constantly invading Ai's mind. It includes long pillow talk moments with metaphoric storybook tales that replace truths they cant reveal yet. It also includes the obligatory garnier commerical which I know cant be helped. Or to drop in some GMMTV merch theyll probably sell later on their website which is typical and I can overlook. I was just not invested in their romance. I would've dropped it earlier, but I saw enthusiastic reviews and wanted to give it a chance. I will be sticking with it till the end since Im almost done. I doubt my opinion will change. Will edit if the last episode will significantly change my mind about the show.
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This review may contain spoilers
Uhm okay, this drama was bad. Please avoid if possible. Yuck.
Generally speaking, I have a high tolerance for trash and genuinely enjoy dramas that may have subpar elements, maybe its weather or I’m uncharacteristically annoyed, but here I am with my review.Upon reading the drama synopsis, I had the idea that I was about to watch a drama concerning a banished royal prince with high cultivation and a princess. They have romantic feelings and stand on opposite sides of a political struggle upon other situations, which they overcome to protect Kong Sang continent. Not true.
25 episodes in, the prince has high cultivation but has not progressed any further from when we initially met him. The princess has increased her own cultivation about 5% thus can shoot some flames instead of a spark. Hmm.
25 episodes in, the prince is suppressing his emotions and has only just about left the mountain to actually be useful. The princess has spent most of the time drinking, crying for the prince and talking to a few people. So, nothing generally useful.
25 episodes in, the plot has only just started to move after that random as Huotu tribe arc, whereby consort kills king, consort tries to kill and/or control princess, consorts son slits his throat on her behalf. We also have a lil sea dragon emperor plot finally brewing in the background OKAY.
25 episodes in, nothing memorable has happened and the plot is only just about happening. My time has been wasted. Nice
Also why is the crimson king, his warrior and his daughter all useless? Anyways.
Now at the 40th episode after suffering through 3 episodes that were randomly 90 minutes long, I have finally reached the end. What can I conclude?
In the last 3rd of the drama, princess gurlie has finally learnt some skills and the ml started being somewhat (BARELY) useful.
Before i can blink, more nonsense begins.
Emperor Xingzun using the ice clan because he is obsessed with Bai Wei for over ONE THOUSAND YEARS so wants to destroy Kong Sang and rebuild. Not a bad idea, but this was exposed randomly, and a big villain also killed randomly. And then we randomly see that its not over till its over apparently (insert formless God of Destruction). The whole Ice clan plot was undeveloped and resolved with zero effort.
Consort Qing, Azure King, 2nd Bai daughter, Yuan? Okay. Okay?????????
The part when Zhu Yan tells Shi Ying that she loves Yuan and wants to live a reclusive life with him thus finally shows some strength and uses a special technique for the first time in her life to protect him at the cost of her life? Shi Ying then shanking himself unironically out of jealousy/fear or whatever? Then Zhu Yan uses ultra majestic forbidden magic to respawn a memoryless version him at the risk of her own senses. Then he comes back with no memory, they do up romance with impending doom around the corner. She then leaves and nearly dies. Then he nearly dies leaving the priesthood. Then he actually dies again in battle. Then he resurrects this time on his own. WHAT?!? ITS ALL SO RANDOM.
For what reason? Such a pointless, plotless, boring, unromantic, dramatic and GARBAGE set of scenes. They just decided to spawn some random romantic angst that actually doesn’t make sense? ????
All this is because Shi Ying is actually dumb. Zhu Yan is also dumb. In fact, the director is also dumb as well.
I’m not gonna speak on that Sauron nonsense in episodes 39/40. All I know was that too many things happened and nothing made sense. Some shit ending as well especially after 120 minutes.
For something I hoped to enjoy, I found myself bitterly dissatisfied and disappointed with this drama. Cdrama producers and directors need to learn how to pace and appropriately edit to avoid putting out trash like this. With better focus on cultivation and the storyline concerning Kong Sang/Sea dragon emperor and the merfolk, it would have been better. Lastly, the power scaling doesn’t make sense, Shi Ying is too strong for no reason. 3/10 because CGI was nice and the main leads were good-looking. Bye.
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Great premise, stupid characters
Was really excited for this as the premise seemed interesting. Then we were introduced to Death. She's an annoying child throwing a tantrum because, according to her, humans don't deserve to kill themselves. She says there are way worse pain than living a crappy life. I guess people being sexually trafficked, liked the gangster's girlfriend, should just go on living no matter how hellish their life is. Oh, and she doesn't like being "disrespected", as if people killing themselves are doing it for fun.The action scenes and the different lives are interesting, especially the gangster one. Sadly, this Death is not as cool as they could have had her be. She could have had a better reason for the game. Instead she just comes off as petty and silly. I just can't take her seriously with her constant threats, aka constant whinnying.
I know it's based off a webtoon but I honestly think it could have been much better with a different, more interesting reason as to why the game happens.
No hate to the actress. At least she has a cool look.
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seems so good
nice to see First and other familiar faces. I like the tone and the story. acting is good and just generally the chemistry is amazing. I am frustrated I started it as it means I can't binge it. this is a binging series otherwise you don't get so hooked and feel the slow burn between the two leads. I will defo rewatch to get that excited feeling I got. it's so call to see First like this, he often does dark roles or is the main hitter in something fighting like... so a bit of romance is nice for him . I don't know of I'm just filling up the 500 word thing I genuinely am happy with the show and just wanted to express so in 10 but it wouldn't let me. so I will went on a tangentWas this review helpful to you?
Let’s get things straight; Ghibli Studio’s film is still superior in every way. But this version is also quite enjoyable. Unlike what the general audience might think, this isn’t a remake of the 1989 animation; it’s actually based on the original novel. As a consequence, many things are entirely dissimilar from the animated version. The character and the general climax were untouched but once Kiki arrives into the village, almost everything goes into a different way. This is considerate as a positive point since Shimizu didn’t try to copycat Miyazaki’s version. The little witch still tries to find her way into the world as she goes through puberty and deals many conflicting emotions. The thing about Kiki’s Delivery Service that it inserted stimulating subplots. Of course, it’s not that all of them were successful but it was enough to distinguish itself from the Ghibli Studio’s version.
Koshiba Fuka who played Kiki was convincing acting wise but that doesn’t apply on the aging criteria. She didn’t look like a 13 year-old in any way. However her co-star Hirota Ryohei was very believable as Tombo, he definitely shined better than the main character in this version. Some other characters were altered but it wasn’t very serious.
The CGI could be acceptable but the talking cat looked so fake that my eyes got hurt. Shimizu Takashi, better known as one of Japan’s horror films master decided to go with a family production this time and he did rather well with his angles and settings, if only the CGI was better handled.
Watch if:
-You like to see another version of the outstanding Miyazaki piece.
-You like family films in general.
Do not watch this if:
-You’re looking for a replicate.
-You dislike live action adaptations.
Kiki’s delivery Service is an okay family film. It differs from Ghibli Studio’s iconic animation even if it shares the same concept.
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A MUST WATCH!! ??????
Okay!! First of all... i love Xu Kai. I'm not being biased now, I'm going to be straight with you. This is one of the best dramas so far. The chemistry between Li Ni and Cui Lin is WOW!!..FABULOUS!!!!. You'd think they're a real couple outside the drama. The story line was straight to the point, no unnecessary stretchs and their love was so mature and sweet, you'd want to get into a relationship because of them. And the song was beautiful.. perfect for the drama.. i don't know the director or writer but God bless you for this masterpiece!!!.. I can't wait to see what Xu Kai has in store for us next. Oh! And the bromance in the group. ... FABULOUS!! You would feel every emotion, both the sad, happy and even jealousy. It was amazing!!!!Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
It started out well and then it just went downhill. It was such a disappointment in the end.The acting was really unnatural, especially the two male leads. When they cried and laughed it was so forced. Some scenes were also very fake. They were handsome and that's about it. You can't survive on eye candy alone. Even the side characters acted better.
The whole idea of the plot was good, when you read about it. But when you watch it you're like "what's happening?". They rush from one scene in the other. The story was really mixed up.
I hated the ending. The story ended when it just began. I want to complain more about the ending but I don't want to add any spoilers.
Totally wasted my time. It was my first boys love movie and I really regret watching it. I'm not recommending this to anyone, really.
Btw: I'm an artist and they really ridiculed a real artist :(.
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1This review may contain spoilers
10 DANCE: When Rivalry Becomes Romance
I came to this film as a manga reader, and honestly, I was nervous. The source material is one of those rare BL stories that takes both the sport and the romance seriously: two professional dancers at the peak of their careers, forced to master each other’s specialties to survive the brutal 10 Dance format. The tension between Suzuki and Sugiki works because they are genuine equals, clashing on and off the floor. Translating that to live action felt like a huge risk, especially for the dancing, which is the backbone of the story.I went in as a Keita Machida fan and came out obsessed with Ryoma Takeuchi too. Machida’s Sugiki is all control and precision, the Standard champion who keeps everything ruthlessly locked down. Takeuchi’s Suzuki has the swagger and physicality you expect from a Latin dancer, but there is real emotional fragility underneath the bravado. What sells it is how fully committed they both are to the actual dancing. This is not actors faking it with doubles; you can see the work in their bodies in every movement.
The dance sequences are where everything clicks. There is an early rehearsal where Suzuki teaches Sugiki a rumba walk, and you catch every tiny adjustment in posture, every weight shift, every moment where Sugiki’s stiffness starts to melt. The camera stays close enough that you see the hand placements, the tension in their frames, and the way their bodies have to negotiate through touch. Later, when Sugiki has to follow instead of lead in the Viennese waltz, the frustration in his face and body says everything about his terror of surrender. By the final performance, they are pulling together everything they have taken from each other: Suzuki’s fire braided with Standard discipline, Sugiki’s control flooded with Latin heat. It is technically impressive, but it hits hardest because these two people who have been orbiting each other finally move as one.
What grounds all of this is the specific reality of competitive ballroom. This world is rigid and hierarchical, built on traditional gender roles, fixed lead and follow dynamics, and heteronormative partnerships. When two men dance together as equals, swapping lead and follow and treating each other as true partners instead of rivals, that is not just romantic. It is disruptive. Choosing connection in a space designed around comparison and ranking reads as its own quiet act of defiance.
The chemistry between Takeuchi and Machida is ridiculous. Every charged look, every lingering touch during practice, every moment where competition blurs into something else feels inevitable but never cheap. The restraint makes it sharper. You are leaning forward, waiting for them to close the distance, and when they finally dance together in that last sequence, the intimacy lands like a confession even though the film stays relatively chaste. That is how you do slow burn in BL: the choreography carries the confession the script never verbalizes.
And yes, this should have been a series. The ending is both satisfying and maddening. You get emotional payoff, but it is very clearly only a midpoint in their story. There is so much more to explore, professionally, romantically, and psychologically, that you can practically feel the missing episodes. It plays less like closure and more like a pilot still waiting for its next season.
I have read the critics calling it too cautious, joking that it needed a chastity coordinator, and faulting it for not fully committing as a queer romance. As an exercise in pure film criticism, you can argue the caution. But as a BL viewer who knows what this genre usually delivers on screen, this is still the standout BL film of the year. The bar for BL cinema is often pretty, tropey, and thin, especially on the big screen. 10 DANCE aims higher, even if it does not swing for the fences in every area.
Most BL gives you surface romance with minimal character work and sports as aesthetic wallpaper. This gives you complicated adults with real ambitions and vulnerabilities, a romance built on mutual respect and earned connection, and dance sequences that actually move the story forward. The restraint reads as maturity, not timidity. The slow burn feels compelling rather than withholding because the film trusts you to read the subtext: to understand what a lingering touch means, to catch the shifts in frame and footwork, and to feel the weight of what never gets said out loud. That is sophisticated storytelling, and it is exactly what this genre needs more of.
If you loved the manga, this respects the core while making smart, medium specific adaptation choices. If you are new to 10 DANCE, it is a gorgeous entry point. And if you care about BL that is ambitious, technically crafted, and emotionally literate, this is essential viewing. Just be ready for that final stretch to leave you desperate for a sequel, and probably already drafting your comment to Netflix asking for one.
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BEST SHORT HISTO ROMANCE !
What new can this drama bring to the K-histo landscape? This is the question I asked myself before launching it, because I know that even if we have fewer historical dramas than modern ones, most of them all look alike, because they belong to history in general.Here, we are fully in a fantasized vision of an uninhibited Joseon. Indeed, the use of a famous book containing very erotic illustrations seems to break the usual rules. It would almost be like in "Bridgerton" Korean version on some aspects. The tone is quickly set: here, we will not talk about politics, but about marriage! And even if often the two go hand in hand, the drama chooses to focus simply on the romantic aspect by exploiting the sexuality (and its discovery) of the women of the Royal Palace. Of course, at first, it's weird, but something keeps us in suspense right away: THE CASTING!
With a cast like this, the acting was superb, both from the point of view of emotions and the chemistry between the couples because of the close ages. Exit just the baby cries of Go Ara I will never get used to it I think lol but otherwise she totally has her place in history, she played so well! Chang RYUL I have no more words... He totally carried the drama with his charisma, his mysterious side; independent and his benevolence!
There is not much to say about this ten-episode drama, because it does not dwell on heavy issues such as wars or politics. We are here immersed in a gentle work, like a bold fairy tale, narrated with delicacy throughout the episodes. The story of the princess and her companions of the Palace is revealed little by little, revealing loves, friendships and deceptions that intertwave with finesse.
The story highlights women who, despite the marital constraints of the time, fight for their rights and independence. It is clear that the drama places the woman at the center of its plot, thus addressing an audience eager for stories that correspond to her. I spent a wonderful time in front of this series, seduced by the richness of each character, each of whom is distinguished by his own interest. The romances, all marked by their singular charm, intertaine while the main relationship is distinguished by a POWERFUL chemistry.
The visuals, on occasion, transport us, especially during memorable scenes, such as the hang gliding walk. In addition, the twists come at the right time, keeping the suspense brilliantly. I highly recommend this drama to those who appreciate light history and wish to take a break with too complex plots.
However: lightness does not mean heavy humor! Here we laugh at the right dose :)
Go for it because you will see what an UNCOMPLEXED and FREE history is!
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