Reviews

We reached the limits of Thai drama's casting

The plot line seemed ... not that great to start with.
You have the usual histerical girls because ... girls have to be ?

But mostly this is when you reach the 'let's put famous actors' type of cast limit.

You end up with actors and actress ranging from 20 to 30 yo. They play 6 yo teenagers and then 30 yo old grown up and all in all it ends up that nothing seems right and nothing is credible the least.

I guess the number of big names and the lack of care if they would be the right choice for the characters is supposed to make up for the poor plot.

If you're brave and happy with seeing faces it might be your jam though. As much as I like many of the people there it was too much to ask out of me. I need the story to be slightly consistent

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High speed non-stop plot twists led by a unique and strong Heroine

Subjective Rating; 7.75

Never heard of “Doppelganger” until my friend mentioned and recommended it. I didn’t read the synopsis or the comments and dove into it blind. She didn’t lie, this drama is full of plot twists left and right. If you don’t pay attention, you might miss it and then it moves on to the next. So much happened in these short 28 episodes, and I needed time to catch my breath.

The best thing about this drama is a strong heroine. This is her story through and through. If you want a smart, grey/red flag, strong-willed, cunning yet caring female lead, you got it. She takes matters into her own hands and is not afraid to use/borrow power for others to achieve her goals. Without giving out any spoilers, “Doppleganger” also has a unique way in the storytelling and execution of this theme/genre that I have not seen before. That is quite refreshing, even if there are some plot holes.

But if you are looking for a strong romance, this is not it. Many mini dramas have a focus on romance and are the main selling point. This drama is not one of them. Though romance is central and important to keep the plot moving, this is not a romantic drama. I am actually quite disappointed in the main romance and don’t see any chemistry between the leads. I may not have second lead syndrome, but the 2ML is a much more interesting character, and this has nothing to do with Chu Zi Jun being more good-looking than Deng Kai. I actually think Chu Zi Jun might have more screen time than Deng Kai.

Despite a strong female lead and the interesting take on this genre, I am not satisfied. I wanted the drama to slow down a little. I’ve seen better mini dramas out there, but “Doppleganger” is interesting enough and actually not too bad as a lower budget production.


Completed: 5/11/2025 - Review #574

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A Love That Feels Like Home ?

I don’t even know how to begin expressing what I feel right now. I’m completely overwhelmed by the love I have for Jin and Akin. This series, while it may not be the most groundbreaking in terms of plot, is easily one of the most special I’ve come across in a long time. The way these two love each other makes everything else feel secondary. Their chemistry, their bond… it’s honestly something rare and beautiful. It more than makes up for anything else..

I’ve never been one to believe in fairy tales... not the kind that end with a perfect "happily ever after" right after two people fall in love. That part always felt incomplete to me. What happens after they get together? What does love look like once the initial rush fades? This show dared to go there. Jin and Akin get together so early on that I honestly wondered what the rest of the story would hold. But what unfolded was something far more meaningful than I expected- it wasn’t just love, it was life. The kind where two people stand beside each other, flawed and human, learning and stumbling and growing together. Laughing. Arguing. Forgiving. Existing. They make mistakes, face challenges and still choose each other every single time. There’s something so achingly beautiful about the way they love... it’s soft, lived-in, tender. It feels like coming home.

Sometimes I even forget I’m watching fiction. Their chemistry feels so genuine, so raw and warm, like a sunny summer afternoon you never want to end. And maybe that’s why this show has captured my heart the way it has. Because to me, this is a real fairy tale- not just falling in love, but learning how to live in love, every single day. ✨💖

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So, THE CHILD WHO WOULDN'T COME TO SCHOOL, doesn't leave the teacher or the World too! Haha

Eerie n Spooky but VERY INTERESTING to watch!
(Be aware, contains Gore)

As said in my Review of "8 years" of this anthology, Out of all my Horror genre watching experience, found UNIQUE n REFRESHING concepts in this anthology of 3 miniseries.

This miniseries is a PERFECT BLEND of Two Genres - Crime Suspense Mystery and Horror (not just Horror) and that makes it Unique.

Not only the Horror track, even The Mystery n Suspense track has a Scary vibe n both tracks are very interesting n gripping.

Just a thought!
This plot can be made into two individual stories, one a complete crime mystery thriller (killer / stalker) alone with great suspense n another, a complete horror alone. Either ways, it would be great.

But here, this mix n intertwining of both the elements of Killer/Stalker Mystery n Horror, is even more Good.

*** STORY:
As the title suggests n obvious that this is a High School setting, in this miniseries too.
(Guess, The location - the school building is the same in both miniseries? )

The Story is built very slow. Throughout the series, there is a calm, dark, eerie n spooky vibe for not only the Crime Mystery track but for the Horror track too.
Pacing is slow at times.

(Watched 4 eps version)
That 180 degree turn of the first 3 episodes' Killer/Stalker Mystery Thriller into a complete Horror in 4th ep, is a good surprise (can be guessed to some extent), very smooth, written very intelligently and very well directed.

Apart from the mystery track in first 3 episodes, the horror in ep 4, is a serious psychological n dark theme (U can't really get out of the situation caused by the Entity :( ).

The New concept called "Doppelganger" introduced in this horror track, gives chills to the spine and super scary.

Doppelganger - A Devil/ Entity/ Spirit in human form exists n it never dies.
It goes around from one person to another like a virus, completely taking control of the person's body, soul and identity 😱

***
Also, in the entire first three episodes, there's a constant confusion to the viewer about the genre, haha.
The mystery of the characters and the suspense created that confusion suspecting, whether it is truly a horror or the haunting scenes are just hallucinations of FL or the murders are really by haunting spirits or by any killer like in a mystery crime thriller.

The stalker scenes are very creepy which makes one to freak out.
While, there are lot of Scary Jump Scares for Horror genre lovers :)

The Mystery n Suspense are well maintained.
The Mystery part is More Creepy n Scary than the Horror part😂

***
Cinematography n Production are Good.

Story writing, Screenplay, Direction n Story telling are Very Clear n Right to the Point .

Taking and the Quality of Camera Work are Neat.
Pacing is Slow at times.

Opening instrumental theme is Good.
BGMs for horror n mystery scenes are different n apt to the respective scenes.

*** ACTORS / CHARACTERS:
Almost every character is creepy, especially the male student, Young Seok (Roll Number 11) n the male teacher.

Young Seok is the most mysterious character n a freak but in ep 4, there's a twist and the Scary truth about this character is out.

In ep 1, the mystery around Young Seok and the suspense whether he is a ghost or a human, is well maintained

He is an Obsessive Psycho stalker n killer, saying creepy things like
"You smell nice, the smell of a good person; Give any of your body part as a token of your memory " etc 🤯

Actor Jung Yoon Suk acted very well as this mysterious Young Seok, with that spooky smile n evil smirk 😨

FL is cute n her character is sweet.
Her (Teacher) investigation about the students, especially lonely outcasts n about roll num 11, are good .
Meanwhile, due to her past trauma, she faces scary haunting experiences.
(These haunting scenes are suspicious initially, whether they are truly of a ghost or just her hallucinations and the truth about this, is revealed later)

Her trainee teacher female friends, those three gals are funny n sweet, haha.

That male teacher is Crazy but funny at the same time.
His dialogue delivery is hilarious, haha.

*** ENDING:
There is no loose end left out.
By the end, every point has been given a clarity

The ending is creepy 😨
A Usual Horror movie has a Happy ending when the ghost is warded off but here, the haunting starts at the end again :o

So in the end, the child (devil in human form) who wouldn't come to school, doesn't leave the teacher and the World :o :| 😂

***
My Rating is 9 / 10.
(If not for the SLOW PACING, this would be 9.5 /10 )

Don't miss to give a try! Especially Horror genre lovers who love to watch every type n a variety of Horror concepts.

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A Masterpiece.

This drama can be described beyond the meanings of beautiful, masterpiece, and perfect.

The first drama that I'll ever rewatch without getting tired of. A must-watch.


...


Honestly, that's all that I want to write, but mydramalist doesn't accept this much length.

I'm not good in writing reviews, and I can't write things the way it is actually in my mind. But when I say this is a beautiful and must-watch drama, trust me, it is. I have been a long time drama and film lover. I've watched romance genre ever since, and believe me when I say that a certain drama is a good drama. I have high expectations when watching dramas, and I would immediately drop it if it's cliché. And this one isn't. It's a masterpiece. Noticing that the names of the characters are quite the same with Hidden Love, I searched it up. And to be honest, it's way way way way way better than Hidden Love. It doesn't convey "love" as any other cliché drama— where it all happens fast. Although the guy had a love at first sight, this drama still showed deep love all throughout. It showed what really love must be like. Though it's quite unrealistic to see a guy to be in love with the same person for years, and maybe forever.

I don't know why I was quite let down by the first episode's cinematography and production, but I'm glad I continued watching it all the way. I was not disappointed, but rather pulled in to witness such a heart touching love story.

Everything about this is just IT. The actors are perfect, the production, ost, and storyline. This is now my most favourite out of all.

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The Korean Daddy

Started well but veered off to low budget land. Final rating 6/10.

Ep 4 - the romance is heating up, some nice chemistry hapenning and the story is developing but I can sense some tears are coming!

K Dad is still hot lol.

Still a lot of negative comments and low ratings and Indefinitely know some sre from seeing the dubbed version which is terrible, so people just watch the WeTV version only trust me it’s like a normal BL series, the dubbed version has got lots of terrible sound issues.

Hmm 3 eps in and it’s middle of the road for me.

I see a lot of comments that people are confused as to why this hasn’t been doing very well and why it’s not well known. I think we have to remember that some series get backing through their marketing campaigns and some series actually put a huge budget towards promoting the series through many different avenues and media types, promoting the lead actors, live appearances, sponsors and marketing the OST. Without that kind of backing it has to rely on word-of-mouth and online activity which can only get you so far. Without some serious coin it has to fall back to the cast, production value and word of mouth. But these need to be done extremely well. There are many smaller budget BLs that have achieved this so it’s not impossible.

I also think the semi dubbed version that was released was seen without knowing about the Gaga version like me so at first I woukd have given this a very low rating.

It is still early days for this one so who knows.

Likes: script is pretty good with an interesting grass roots bad boy done good storyline.

Not so much: some minor issues, the sound and background music is more like a background concert so over emphasises/overbears the scene. Acting is solid in parts then drops. Casting 43 yo for 28 yo is just too far a reach. Major issue for me is the editing, many earlier Thai BLs struggled with this and they still haunt me so I’m getting those kinds of flashbacks lol.

Outcome: I’ll keep watching, the story is too intriguing and Korean daddy is daddy’ing 🤣.

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Love the drama, wish the prologue was fleshed out more though

I loved the premise, and it was overall enjoyable. It had the ingredients of something great, and delivered on that, but I feel like this drama really could've benefited from 1 or 2 more episodes that fleshed out the plot more. I would've loved to see more developments on the mystical parts, like the story of the Stone and the goddess. The story the first savant told about the stone was very basic, and I would've liked more development around the mystic-ness of the stone or the goddess.

The whole show starts with the savant helping San with the stone because of Vadfah's request, but it's never explained why the savant so willingly helped them, showing a random noble woman something so powerful, going as far as to crush a thousand-year-old stone for them, that he's supposed to protect. Also, San would not be dying from a bullet in his arm!!! Like, at least put it in his stomach or something, build up the tension yk. A deeper look at San's internalised homophobia, or at least coming to terms with the fact he loves Vee would've been great as well.

My only complaint is that the prologue in ep1 was not developed as much as I would've liked. Other than that, the actual story was developed and paced wonderfully.

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Sexy jiejie romance with FL as CEO of entertainment company

Thank you Jwells for sharing the link. I got this drama confused with another Lin Qiting-Wang Qianshuo drama, also about jiejie romance. To avoid further confusion, I watched this drama and must say I enjoyed this drama more than the first collab drama I watched.

What I liked:
1. Romance - Scenes of Lin Xi and Du Ze were sweet while scenes of Lin Xi and masked lover was hot. Great seduction and framing of shots.
2. FL characterisation - Girl boss! I loved her statement at a surprise stakeholder meeting in which another stakeholder tried to steal her CEO position. FL faced bullies head on.
3. Acting - Lin Qiting was excellent in her role as female CEO. Wang Qianshuo was impressive too as he was able to showcase different identities of ML - timid Du Ze & mysterious but bold Xan Sang Guo / masked lover.
4. Supporting characters - I was wary of the stakeholders because of the resistance towards FL but Mr Huang won me over with his loyalty & common sense.
5. Styling - I loved Lin Qiting's outfits. She looked gorgeous & sultry in the red dress and I also liked her white dress that she wore to work (as seen in the poster). ML wore great outfits too.
6. Competition - I liked the competition at the end because we got to see another aspect of FL's work (i.e. it's not just meetings & working at desk).

What I disliked:
1. Antagonists - Kudos to writer for well-written main antagonist. Li Shun was a solid antagonist as he envies FL for being a CEO of their company. This guy was evil and would stop at nothing to bring down Li Xi. ML's admirer Wei Xin was second antagonist. Typical green tea - jealous at Lin Xi for being adored by ML. Annoying as hell.
2. Ending - It was abrupt for my liking. I wish Li Shun & Wei Xin were caught by police & given harsh punishment for his crimes.

Favourite scene
When ML seduced FL in dressing room

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Beyond Life and Death – A Standout BL That Touches the Soul

I randomly stumbled upon "My Stand-In" while browsing iQIYI, not expecting much — and I ended up binge-watching all 12 episodes in one sitting (over 15 hours with breaks!) because I simply couldn’t stop. I still can’t believe I missed this gem when it aired. Every second was worth it.

This is my first time seeing Joe (Poom) and Ming (Up) — and wow, both are absolutely stunning. Their acting is phenomenal, their chemistry is electric, and they brought so much depth to their roles. Joe, especially, completely broke my heart. Growing up as an orphan, all he ever wanted was something so simple: a home-cooked meal and someone waiting for him. His journey, the pain he hides, and his quiet strength made me fall in love with his character.

As for Ming, I honestly don’t get the hate. Yes, he made mistakes and came off as toxic in the beginning, but context matters. It was a misunderstanding, and by episode 9, everything changes when he realizes it was Joe, not Tong, who he fell in love with at first sight. He fought his entire family for Joe, starved himself to the point of hospitalization, and gave up everything — money, family, reputation — just to be with him. And when Joe got kidnapped, Ming was ready to trade his life for him. That’s not a red flag — that’s a man who learned, changed, and truly loved. He even apologized with sincerity. To me, Ming turned out to be one of the biggest green flags in any BL I’ve watched.

And let’s talk about that moment when Joe shielded Ming and took the bullet for him. If that’s not love, I don’t know what is.

I also adored their home — finally, something different from the typical uni dorm! That city-view balcony where they shared so many moments felt like its own character in the story. I also liked the bodyguard Jim, and I really wish we had more screen time with Mike!

From the cinematography to the music to the unique supernatural twist — this show had it all. The plot was emotionally layered, never predictable, and handled so beautifully. It made me cry, smile, ache, and hope. I’ve watched over 200+ BL series, and I can confidently say "My Stand-In" is in my Top 5 of all time.

This isn’t just a show — it’s a story that stays with you. An absolute 10/10.

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The hot noodle soup and the love

The Chinese miniseries 'Infidelity, It's a Disease' follows Jiang Ye or just "Handsome Playboy", a promiscuous and narcissistic boy, and Zirui, the "Pretty Young Man" Nursing student at Jingnan University, located in Wuxi, Jiangsu, China, who comes to offer him the requested specialized services in therapeutic massages at home, and who will be asked "if he offers special services".
The encounter between the two traces the blossoming of a relationship marked by sex, infidelity, and a desire for revenge. While there aren't many plots, there is plenty of passion.
Once again, China single-handedly saves the big BL drought, especially of good boy-love stories!
The two actors manage to paint a passionate and fiery picture of how sex and therapeutic massage can connect two strangers and lead to love.
Meanwhile, while one seeks to have fun on he own terms (even if it causes harm to others) and enjoy sex with the first guy who comes knocking, the other is worried about keeping he job and afraid of receiving a bad review from one of the clients.
With a lively, cheerful, and humorous pace, the series directed by MR.D. progresses from one scene to the next. If one moment we see the promiscuous guy trying to get the other into bed, the next we see the two lovers celebrating dinners and festivities.
Most of the story of 'Infidelity, It's a Disease' takes place in the small bedroom of the "Handsome Playboy". From their first meeting to their first heartbreaks, they experience it all in this tiny space. And I like this because it makes the story more personal, allowing the viewer to enter this small world, where all the truths will be revealed.
It is here in the bedroom where the two meet, where they exchange words and actions tinged with sexual desire in one of them while the other defends his role as bringing traditional Chinese culture and medicine to the world. It is also the place where they engage in a passionate flirtation that stands out precisely for its originality. This back-and-forth, although cheesy, maintains the expectation of what is to come. Anian Mo Lin's photography helps recreate the atmosphere.
The story of the four-episode series, each approximately eight minutes long, centers on the idea of revenge for infidelity. The young nursing student plans to avenge he promiscuous boyfriend's infidelities and make him he "pet". In fact, the pathological promiscuity that surrounds one of the characters will be one of the keys to viewers' devourability of "Infidelity, It's a Disease."
This is a fun and sexy story, and he packs so much into such short episodes! Plus, the viewer can't really imagine what's going to happen next.
Will Zi Rui, the "Pretty Boy," get Jiang Ye, the "Handsome Playboy," to delete all his hot dating contacts from his phone? Will the two of them admit they're in love with each other?
Although actor Peng Kangjun is convincing as a student with an innocent face that perfectly suits his character, who quickly falls in love with the love of his life, and Sun Wei Hao perfectly fits the role of the "Handsome Playboy", who always uses his physical attributes, his handsome face, his passionate words, and his captivating kisses to carry out his conquests, the whole "Infidelity, It's a Disease" feels unambitious, perhaps due to its low budget or because the series didn't have a real script when it was filmed, and the director only gave the actors a brief outline of what was supposed to happen, and each had to create their own dialogue.
However, it must be acknowledged that the latter gives the series a much more raw appeal, as the characters' reactions are natural.
The series' biggest drawback is that the characters take a while to introduce themselves individually, and when they do, they don't offer many details about their pasts, dreams, and goals. That said, it also takes a while for the viewer to empathize with these characters, as we don't get to know them well, beyond the prototypes they represent.
As a viewer, I would have liked to grow even more with the characters.They developed quite quickly, to the point where I ended up not really knowing who they were. We identify with the idea of their situation, but not with them as people. It left me wanting to know them more. However, the actors' commitment brought everything that their characters and the story didn't.

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Beyond Life and Death – A Standout BL That Touches the Soul

I randomly stumbled upon "My Stand-In" while browsing iQIYI, not expecting much — and I ended up binge-watching all 12 episodes in one sitting (over 15 hours with breaks!) because I simply couldn’t stop. I still can’t believe I missed this gem when it aired. Every second was worth it.

This is my first time seeing Joe (Poom) and Ming (Up) — and wow, both are absolutely stunning. Their acting is phenomenal, their chemistry is electric, and they brought so much depth to their roles. Joe, especially, completely broke my heart. Growing up as an orphan, all he ever wanted was something so simple: a home-cooked meal and someone waiting for him. His journey, the pain he hides, and his quiet strength made me fall in love with his character.

As for Ming, I honestly don’t get the hate. Yes, he made mistakes and came off as toxic in the beginning, but context matters. It was a misunderstanding, and by episode 9, everything changes when he realizes it was Joe, not Tong, who he fell in love with at first sight. He fought his entire family for Joe, starved himself to the point of hospitalization, and gave up everything — money, family, reputation — just to be with him. And when Joe got kidnapped, Ming was ready to trade his life for him. That’s not a red flag — that’s a man who learned, changed, and truly loved. He even apologized with sincerity. To me, Ming turned out to be one of the biggest green flags in any BL I’ve watched.

And let’s talk about that moment when Joe shielded Ming and took the bullet for him. If that’s not love, I don’t know what is.

I also adored their home — finally, something different from the typical uni dorm! That city-view balcony where they shared so many moments felt like its own character in the story. I also liked the bodyguard Jim, and I really wish we had more screen time with Mike!

From the cinematography to the music to the unique supernatural twist — this show had it all. The plot was emotionally layered, never predictable, and handled so beautifully. It made me cry, smile, ache, and hope. I’ve watched over 200+ BL series, and I can confidently say "My Stand-In" is in my Top 5 of all time.

This isn’t just a show — it’s a story that stays with you. An absolute 10/10.

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Every Action Has an Equal and Opposite Reaction.

This is the drama that made me realise that I prefer the Thriller genre.
Weak Hero 1 had much more emotional entanglements between the characters, particularly Si Eun, who was learning to thaw and accept friendships as a good influence; but also had to learn about the bitter truth about it.
In Class 2, he attemps to revert back to his original aloof self, having inadvertently made a name of himself as the lunatic transfer kid. But, when Jun Tae, a bullied classmate crosses paths with him, he realises that he can no longer return back to who he was and what his previous experiences had taught him.

I can see why this one might not seem disappointing, but for Si Eun, it is one step forward. Establishing his past self and traumas was the purpose of Class 1. In Class 2, he has to face the fact that he can no longer be a by stander and is forced to come to terms with his guilt, the traumas and changes he had gone through.

The High Lights?

☆ Cast: The entire cast did an absolutely fantastic job, delivering tasking emotional as well heart pounding action scenes. As usual Si Eun stands out due to his character, but his friends, particularly, Baku and Jun Tak shone as brightly as he did.
As for Baek Jin. He was a very interesting character -- I can guess some of his story, but his past remained shrouded. Maybe Baku would one day, tell the truth. (The first thing I did when certain charactets appeared on screen was check their ages was cause there was no way Baek Jin was close to 17.)

On the good side, I'm glad that this season had a lot of decent fighters who knew when to run and had friends for backup.


☆ Story: I think the sky high ratings of this series is solely based on the emotional aspect since it easily captures your heart and makes you root for leads as well punch the villains through the screen.

(I never wrote a review for Class 1 as I felt that some dramas just have to watched to understand them.)

As it is based on a Webtoon, I'll forgive them for not going too deep into the backstory of certain characters such as Baek Jin.

I highly doubt that an organisation equivalent to a student mafia exists, but hey, I come from a college where there is literal Drug Ring, so I'm not sure of I'm supposed to doubt them.
All in all, it an extremely thrilling ride that lives upto Class 1.

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genuinely don't know how to feel

did this drama even remotely make sense? no. could i put it down? also no... i have no idea why, but this has a way of hooking you in.

for starters, the story makes zero sense. like girl what do you MEAN you're his girlfriend after 1 date??? it's giving middle school 'dating'. and also, how in the hell does your best friend just somehow fall in love with your man at first sight. and how is the dude who assaulted her not arrested, and how is he with her best friend??? this makes absolutely no sense at all and i was just confused and concerned all the way through. despite this, the drama still has a way of hooking you in through sheer curiosity and the thought of 'i wonder if it ever starts to make sense'.

the acting was kind of just meh. i didn't really notice it, since i was kind of focused on how concerning the entire thing was, and i kind of didn't really wanna focus on it, so i won't mention it much except to say: the storyline is so bad that bad acting actually could have made this mildly comical. the fact that the acting was kind of almost good just made this even worse.

the music was the worst part. 'how to turn candy into school supplies' ahh edm music. like while they're making out or something, i'm just sitting here waiting for a slime tutorial to start. it made no sense and just kind of didn't go with the vibe. literally just a default spotify jazz playlist would've been better. you could play flight of the bumblebee and i would still prefer that to 2016 edm music.

would i rewatch this though? yes i fear. it made zero sense, and when i'm tired and don't have a brain, this actually might just be the drama for me. i don't know, i think the nonsense of it all just makes sense when it's 3am and i just got back from school.

i would recommend watching this if you're into skinship though. heavy on that in this one. i feel like this whole drama is very much centred around it, and whilst it isn't really my thing (if i was that desperate i would go watch adult videos like why are we trying to edge here) i can kind of see someone wanting it? i dunno, i just continuously hit +10 seconds and get through it.

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