Reviews

If this is the best episode then…

Maybe I have been watching You Maniac! the wrong way. Maybe I have been waiting for fireworks when this story is meant to be quiet, soft and about two guarded men learning how to trust. So I watched it again with more empathy for Dean and Moth.TBH, if this is supposed to be the best episode, then I did not miss the nuance. I understand what the writers are trying to say. Two men are slowly lowering their shields and allowing themselves to feel something real. But intention is not chemistry. A story can be soft, quiet and subtle, but it still has to make us feel something. Eight episodes in, I still do not feel that emotional pull from Dean and Moth.Maybe that is why the comparison with Mr. Fanboy is becoming impossible to ignore. Both series began around the same time, but DMD is winning this battle by a large margin. Even with GMMTV’s big guns, WilliamEst cannot compete with the chemistry Save and Auau are bringing to their roles. It is not about who is more attractive or who gets the sweeter scenes. It is about emotional intent.Save and Auau make every look, hesitation and touch feel like it means something. WilliamEst still feel flat. I keep waiting for the anger, jealousy, hurt and emotional fallout that should come with two red flag characters playing games with each other’s hearts. Instead, I keep getting cute moments that do not fully land.And poor WillEst fans are working overtime to defend their biases. TBH, if a pairing needs that much defending, then there is already an issue. Rating this higher than ThamePo is not giving WilliamEst or GMMTV honest feedback.I do not hate William and Est. This series just has not brought out the best in either of them. With two episodes left, Barcode and Kin are still carrying the emotional weight for me. Remove Dean and Moth’s story and Ten and Pun could stand on their own…because that is real chemistry.

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Connecting the dots and kiss waiting for follow-up slap😁

LanXiang is celebrating her bday by quietly mourning her parents. She is missing the comforting memorial of the Xu family and wondering where her family and real LanXiang buried. Jinqi is sad for her but he doesn’t know why she is melancholy. Her friends from the troupe show up and a private show has been arranged for her bday. As they chat, she is connecting the dots that means rebellion afoot. She sends an odd message to JinLan and takes off from the residence telling them to lock the gate and let no one enter. The emperor has given JinQi a personal firearm bypassing the rule usually required ti]o have one. Prince Han is on the way to his fiefdom and JinQi is under orders to treat Han’s soldiers respectfully and deliver supplies to assist against the bitter cold. He has arrived and cordially invited in but there is an ambush waiting for him and a high bounty on his head. Jinqi politely refuses all attempts to get him inside and then goes to LanXiang who has showed up at the scene. The commander is not happy to have his plans thwarted but moving on to plan B. LanXiang fills JinQi in on the wall plans the Lus have given Han supporters. There is an underground passage that will allow a person to get through. This is how troops were snuck in and why all the dogs killed in the neighboring village. The Lus are backed by Han and the only giveaway was not ordering the opera troupe to play as usual which was a customary treat the commander indulged in. The message to Jin Lan was a warning that the royal brothers at war with each other. He prepares things by having low key wardrobe for everybody with emphasis on survival over saving treasures. It is a bit far fetched JinQi would need instruction on city defense but they want focus on LanXiang. He is again leaving her to take care of a royal but that’s the job.😡I loved her calling out to be careful. 🥰 Finally a sign of true concern. Jinqi turns back and steals a cheek kiss 🥰🤣 She yells in protest and tells her she can slap him when he gets home.🤣😁🥰 Things get very real when the eunuchs are killed and the commander rebelling. JinQi’s firearm came in handy, but Han’s men showed up flipping the truth to make it seem JinQi rebelling. 🤬JinQi is downed with an arrow and all looks lost. He did well putting the tokens as heart guards. He also outfoxed Dai and commander by getting to the armory first.👏🏻💪🏻 I think he has an explosive surprise waiting for him and preview shows the Han commander completely pissed if his plan was foiled. 🥳Congrats to LanXiang and JinQi for thwarting the plan. For this episode I think LanXiang did a damn fine job connecting the dots with opera troupe. That is something JinQi would not have noticed in particular, The rest with the maps etc should have been JinQi’s wheelhouse once pointed out. The story is Qia Lan centered, but it doesn’t have to undermine JinQi’s commander insights to have them work together and devise a plan. That aside, the fighting scene is intense and there is a nice overview of preparations in the capital to thwart Han’s rebellion via his own private army and Dai as backup. Can’t wait for JinQi to kick their asses next episode.

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Five Stars

Such a great episode with so many memorable developments and moments. ----SPOILER WARNING!----Highlights:- Her getting flustered and running away when he offers to prove that he isn't gay but then stopping to politely apologize for misunderstanding his orientation. Says so much about her character. He later comments on her "strangely brave and polite kind of crazy energy", which sums it up nicely (I can't attest to the quality of the translation, but that English subtitle is exceptional)- The "let's divorce" conversation...- The whole sequence about the development of the mystery box. Such a great dramatization of their opposing views.- The candle scene. I loved her line about figuring out that the root emotion of her trauma was sorrow, not fear, and him realizing that his root emotion was loneliness...- The coworker noticing the texting- The fact they go back to the same restaurant where they had the blind date, but this time the dynamic has totally changed- The way Yeon-su gradually goes from letting Dal guide her in wrecking the elders' plans to taking full leadership, including an awesome slomo shot of her leading him across the legendary threshold that no man can cross without the prospect of marriage- The fact that despite Dal having suggested the plan, he's clearly struggling with it on the day in question, arriving early, complimenting the mother's cooking, needing to be reminded to seem picky, etc. This is some killer writing...- The acting in the family meal scene from everyone involved is just phenomenal. I've rewatched it multiple times wishing I could have been on the set. It's a masterclass in comedic acting as well as how to edit reaction shots.(The fact that I'm listing almost everything that happened in the episode is a testament to how good this show is.)

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Unexpected gem?

This series has exceeded my expectations, and I’m surprised by how engaging it’s been. Without experiencing the controversy and criticism over the production changes after episode 29 yet, the opening arc has been absolute fire. What really stands out is the phenomenal cast and acting, with every character killing their respective roles. Asumu is quickly becoming a favorite; Hitomi is fantastic, Hibiki is perfect, his crew is great, and the boss is awesome. The only drawback so far is the transformation sequences, and I'm not a fan of no “Henshin!”. Though the suit design and the music/drum motif are incredible. Watching this alongside Pretty Cure Max Heart and Mahou Sentai Magiranger has been an absolute blast, and I’m excited to see where this goes.

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