Reviews

THE SERIES WITH DIFFERENT KIND OF LOVE

compared to typical bl series of today, it offered a completely different and brand-new perspective. it was quite enjoyable to watch. it made me smile in some parts and cry in others.

save using guy as material for his novel was extremely terrible, and guy really put save through hell. good job, guy. even though he eventually forgave him, i think he gave save the lesson he deserved.

the main theme of the series was a seventy-five-year-old grandpa challenging the system of his time and finally revealing his buried feelings to the world. the last episode devastated me, and i found myself sobbing. one of the worst things in the world is unfinished or unspoken love. the grandpa's was one of those.

the series had lessons to be learned and messages to be taken from everything, from the family and the children to their friendships. everyone is fixated on the actors' ages; yes, they're old for this series, but focusing solely on that is extremely wrong. while the actors' performances were a bit stiff at first, they gradually improved. especially the part in the last episode where they acted out a scene from the book was where their acting reached its peak. there, i completely understood both the characters in the novel and how the grandpa felt.

and yes, there wasn't much kissing or nc scenes. if you look at it, there wasn't any kissing in the grandpa's novel either, but that didn't stop it from selling. so what i'm saying is, you don't necessarily need physical interaction to evoke feelings. this series is the best example of that.

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enjoyable drama with problematic aspects

Really enjoyable and satisfying to watch with out group running around as vigilante avengers. Trying to correct the wrongs and save victims, and while I understand the intentions were noble, there was, at many points, I felt like the drama was trying to condone physical violence, human rights abuse and other such things unintentionally.

Things I disliked:

A teacher beating a child is never okay, even as a last resort, I found it very problematic that the show showed the age old conservative way of beating kids in good light, just coz it was a bad character.
Same episode had another really problematic thing- showing that female students deliberately wrongly frame their teachers, what a fucked up thing to show in a society already as misogynist and patriarchal as South Korea, where women are raped murdered and assaulted till date.

And adults using excessive force against kids, even if they were bullies was again something that seemed wrong to me. Though at the same time I understand sometimes you have no choice but to make the abusers go through the same abuse they inflicted on their victims to make them realise the extent and affect of it.

Another thing- it had a really unnecessary forced romance that made me cringe and wish that the makers really hadn't done that.

Also the characters weren't very well fleshed out, even the male leads seemed to be too chill related to the murder of their fiance and daughter respectively, I don't think it's humanly possible to be so chill with the murder of someone who was basically your life and then interact with the murderer and even go as far as forgiving them, why? just because they are younger than you?? and "you are supposed to be an adult"? So illogical
Which is why I disliked the climax with them redeeming the murderer. So what if he was a young person??? He literally murdered the only person who cared about him. Seems like a psychopath to me.

Things I liked:
The way they were empathetic with the victim and their situation
Making kids who took the wrong way understand their mistakes (the ones that weren't too far gone)
Leads trying other ingenious ways to make abusers realise their mistake, like in the case of non violent abuse, making the abuser go through the same abuse

I think the drama could have been improved more, and it was indeed good as is, but some of the problematic aspects are too problematic so I have to deduct -1.5 stars for it. Otherwise this is a solid 8.5 star drama

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Deserve an 11/10 rating

After what happened to Ohm and Leng I vowed not to watch this series, but Head2Head made me reconsider my stance, because Surf and Java were so good in it.

When I started the series I went in with high expectations — thanks to Ohmleng pilot — and I wasn't disappointed. Seeing certain comments here asking why this mini series is so highly recommend and rated is funny. First and foremost this series sticks to its plot, it set out to show us how Tum and Oh travelled to 9 temples to fulfill their promise. Secondly the enemies to lovers troupe was so perfectly executed, there was no doubt that they hated each other and yet slowly but steadily they fall in love. Third their love story is convincing, not rushed but creeping up on them, and us the viewers so stealthily yet openly that we are not surprised to see them make out, flashbacks like Messi literally in front of Oh and Tum — and yet not seen by the two love birds confirm how they had become so captivated with each other. Oh's love for his grandmother in the little screentime they get is also heartwarming.
Fourth the growth of the Main character of the story; Tum. At the beginning of the series we see a Tum anxious to belong, weak willed and indecisive, yet his interactions with Oh begins to influence his mindset, he starts to question who he really is and what he wants. The climax of the story was when he took away Oh's trousers and watched Oh break down. He learns from his mistakes, grows and fights to protect those he loves. At the last episode Tum who always ran from a fight, Tum who was always scared 'cause of his gang and followed the crowd, stood up and openly declared his love for Christopher Booying (Oh) he also fights and to everyone surprise — thanks to his preserverance — wins his very first fight without help. Character growth is further emphasized by his willingness to give up his position as gang leader — now that he truly understands what friendship means. Choosing to give Oh the very Nuea-in badge that brought about all the fighting reveals how mature and confident he has become. That he leaves his leadership position willing just to date Christopher Booying shows that he now really knows what he wants!
Fifth is friendship, Messi played by Louis is the exemplar of a true friend, he stands by Tum in all his decisions, encourages him to love Oh and helps thwart the Nuea-in gang from finding out about Oh and Tum's visit to the nine temples. Gmmtv really rocked with this one.

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Well done by new actors.

Considering this is the first acting job for all these actors, they did a very good job. Ofcourse there is still room for improvement, they all had something they can improve.
The mains had good chemistry, kisses and NC scenes. Ritt wasn't very good in the angry and crying scenes, but for the rest he did very good. Itt was a bit too timid, he needs to work more on showing emotions.
Pure an Phitcha had great chemistry, kisses and NC scenes. For me they were the favorite couple, they did everything better than the main couple. I hope to see them together in another drama. You could see there were some moments they didn't know how to act, but with a little more training they will be amazing actors.
Grandpa did some amazing acting in episode 9.

The story was good, so were the visuals and music, Boy Sompop never dissapoints.

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One of the best romance kdramas ever

This is one of my absolute favorite Romance kdramas aside from it's okay to not be okay but they both have similar feels. They both have childhood trauma, healing together, etc. Though these two k-dramas have completely different vibes, energy, and feels but regardless, this is an amazing series that I've watched 10+ times.

I went through childhood trauma myself where I was severely abused from the age of 4 until I was 14 in a government facility, so this really resonates with me. Dramas like this are very special to me and not to mention, I am in HSP, so I cry every episode.

I never ever ever listen to OSTs but this series is an exception! I have it on my Spotify and listen to it frequently and it's the only OST that I listen to!

It's a very beautiful series that you should give a chance if you enjoy watching people grow and heal and do it together they find themselves and each other and the ending couldn't be more perfect.

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Heartbreaking

My soul aches after watching this.
To be completely honest, the way they contrast the present and the past gives you time to process everything and stop crying for a minute.
This kdrama perfectly portrays the questioning "why didn't I ask for help?", "if I had done this, I could have prevented that from happening," but we all know that sometimes life gets in the way and our own nature interferes, which ends up overriding our rational side. We say things we don't mean and we also do things we didn't want to do. We try to hurt each other so that people feel what we are feeling, unfortunately that is human nature. On the other hand, it is also human nature to feel things so intensely that we make choices we didn't want to make, but which, at that moment, were the only option.
This kdrama is beautiful and, although it is really painful, I watched it crying, but I finished with a feeling of contentment.

I loved it. Bon-Mi and Jin-Young make a beautiful couple.

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Go watch Sweetheart Service instead

It started ok. I get the premise. And I'm the weirdo who likes dom/sub relationships in a series. (My Personal Weatherman, LITA, Thundercloud Rainstorm) But after the first episode, it just got more and more incomprehensible. The writers clearly don't understand BDSM at all. I can tell and I'm not that well versed myself. It a hot mess, y'all!

Production was bad. Script was bad. Directing was bad. Just bad bad bad.

And yet, somehow I liked the lead actors enough to want to see more of them! There's something sweet and adorable about those two! The fact that they survived this madness for me is a testament to their chemistry and charm. But this is otherwise comically bad.

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hey koreans, i am truly confused

I don't understand what Koreans liked about this so much that it became the second most watched movie in Korea's history! Truly
that so-called guardian was but another traitor at the end !! Ultimately, the warden’s actions cannot be viewed as anything other than a betrayal of trust and an act of self-preservation. Regardless of the political pressures or mitigating circumstances presented in the narrative, cowardice and the abandonment of duty cannot be ethically justified

While the high caliber of acting and filmmaking merits a 8-star evaluation, the film's thematic core remains highly objectionable. The narrative's glorification of the warden's compliance undermines its ethical integrity, arguably rendering the story itself unworthy of praise

edit : This film fell incredibly short of expectations. The comment section appears heavily skewed by fans giving unmerited perfect scores simply because a K-pop idol was cast in the lead role, which undermines the integrity of the reviews entirely.

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SHINY NAILS WITH MISERABLE LIVES

actually, i tried watching the series when it first finished, but it was too cringeworthy. watching it again now, it feels like a much, much better series. they conveyed the things they wanted to say and the feelings they wanted to evoke very well. the acting was excellent. i thought this series would ruin the fixed partnership theme, but i guess that won't happen. :(

the beginning of the series felt a bit too much and a little boring, to be honest. it got better when the emotions involved were revealed. also, watching the series from everyone's perspective was really nice. even though there were some gaps and i was left wondering "what exactly happened?" but i liked this narrative style.

for4mod was clear from the beginning, but he lacked self-confidence. falling in love with someone like chian really wore him down. chian was full of uncertainties, not knowing what he wanted. and when chian finally realized what he wanted, it was always too late. still, they managed to be together somehow, congratulations to them.

baabin was my favorite from the beginning of the series, but in the end, he turned out to be a xenophobic bitch. although i initially thought bua was a bit of a cunty, he was the most thoughtfulof them all. he was extremely lonely, and every time he wanted someone around him, things only got more complicated. it broke my heart that he tried to change himself after what baabin said to him. but in the end, it was only baabin who could finally say, "please be my partner."

it was a cycle of teenagers completely unsure of themselves, stuck in a vicious cycle. i'm happy they broke the cycle and didn't leave each other. i hope the second season will be even better.

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Story

I don't write long reviews s I will keep it simple.
Loved this series from start to finish. The MLs
were wonderful together and the chemistry was there for all to see and they didn't mind showing it. When they kissed they kissed instead of sticking their lips together. I loved the story the angst. the twists and turns..the betrayel Pei yan felt which caused suspicions. When I binge a series I'm invested 💯. The other 2 MLs the servant and the
scheming Crown Prince added another facet to the story. All in all a great series. Gagaoolala
have some great LGBTQ series. Thanks to everyone that took part. Definately worth a watch.. On the downside I hope we arent
over run with AI. I want flesh and blood.

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This is a true romantic comedy and I loved it!

I for real laughed out loud while watching this series during almost every episode. Yes, it is silly. Yes it trots out at least one gay relationship trope that I could have done without. Yes, there were a few strained acting moments. But overall this is a gem!

I like shows that have women characters that aren't just playing the foil. This had a few of them.

I like funny BLs. This one was just zany enough to hit my funny bone but not overly absurd or stupid.

And it also had heart. There was a love story or two. There were real emotions that were earned. There were twists and turns that kept it interesting. I was really drawn into the roller coaster of emotions.

I waited a looong tims to watch this. I'm really glad I tuned in. So satisfying!

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Shrimpie, you can now rest in peace

I started tgis expecting a fun Republican era mystery with some Lost Tomb lore and somehow ended up emotionally destroyed by Zhang Haixia😭

Watching him go from this smart, sarcastic accountant constantly bickering with haiyan to someone willing to give up everything just so his partner in crime could live was painful enough, but the show somehow made it worse.

He doesn't get a heroic ending,he doesn't get peace,he comes back broken, traumatized, stripped of his own will, turned into a weapon while Haiyan desperately tries to save him as everything crashes down around them, it was just tragedy after tragedy.


And Ding Yuxi absolutely wrecked me throughout the serie especially larest episodes, the emptiness in his eyes, the way you could feel Haixia disappearing piece by piece... I genuinely wasn't prepared for that Shrimpie deserved happiness and instead got endless suffering. I'm sick, devastated, and probably not recovering from this anytime soon 😭💔

Haiyan trying his best to save him and save tgeir mentor was heartbreaking, he was grieving his only family while they were dying infront of him slowly, his guilt run deep, he killed his shrimpie and left living with this reality.

When it come to overall storytelling, they cut a lot and added some side stories that i didnt care about, we deserved the scenes that were deleted, anyway this was a ride, recommended

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An Average and Slow Film Saved Only by the Star-Studded Cast

This movie turned out to be quite a boring and slow experience for my taste. The plot stretches out and fails to maintain a gripping pace, making it hard to stay fully engaged throughout the runtime. If it weren't for the legendary lead actors, it would have been very difficult to finish.The main reason to watch this film is definitely the performances of Lee Byung-hun and Yoo Ah-in. Both are phenomenal actors who bring a lot of gravity and intensity to their roles, carrying the entire project on their shoulders. Their screen presence is undeniable, even when the script itself feels stagnant. That being said, I absolutely have to mention the tragic hairstyle they gave to Lee Byung-hun. It was so distracting and honestly terrible to look at, which took away from some of his scenes.Production-wise, it feels well-made, but the execution of the story simply lacks the energy needed to make it memorable. It is a decent one-time watch if you are a massive fan of the main actors, but otherwise, the slow buildup might leave you disappointed.

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