Please cut out the recycled scenes

Who thought it was a good or even vaguely acceptable idea to include large chunks of almost random flashbacks (recycled scenes from Radiation House Season 1)? There really is no reason to do so except to lengthen this special episode to an hour and a half (without having to film that many more scenes) perhaps for the sake of having more time to give thanks to sponsors. That is to say, the only real reason to have so many recycled scenes is the worst possible reason.

That said, the special episode could really have been special. Because Season 1 ends with the male lead leaving the hospital, the special episode continued from there and out of necessity cannot repeat the same old structure the series has done for 11 episodes.

The special episode switches back and forth between the scenes in the hospital where the remaining staff continue life without the male lead and the scenes of the male lead on a plane. There is unfortunately no connection between the two different sets of events. The events in the hospital show the legacy the male lead, Igarashi, has left behind. He has basically changed the work culture in the hospital, and the radiology technicians are now more appreciated and have more initiative in their work. They now have the Igarashi spirit.

On the other hand, the scenes of Igarashi on the plane is more of the same old stuff. Of course there are a couple of medical emergencies on the plane and of course our hero saves the day. But he also seems to be a tad too heroized--yes, we already know that he's not just a good technician but also an ingenious doctor, so there is no need to belabor the point. There is another doctor on the plane, and we have the same old discrimination against technicians and the same old declaration that he won't lose to the main lead when they meet again. We get a sense of déjà vu despite the introduction of a new character.

Throw out the redundant recycled scenes and the episode will be shorter but better. The scenes that remain are adequate, but it is possible to add more to them. Instead of heroizing Igarashi further, perhaps he could have been shown to have learnt something from his stint in the hospital he has left too. Instead of showing Igarashi on the plane (it's not even clear if it's the trip to America after resigning from the hospital but it probably is), the story can show him already in America. There can then be indications of how he remains in contact with the radiology team in the hospital and indications of some development in the relationship between him and the love of his life. There are plenty of missed opportunities.

We still do have an ok-ish special episode. It doesn't impress but it isn't really worse than Season 1 itself, except perhaps for the all-too excessive flashbacks.

Read More

Standard fare that entertains without being too heavy

Radiation House has, in my eyes, a niche audience. I'm a little averse to watching medical dramas because the illnesses alone can be rather depressing, and it's hard to strike a balance between light-hearted and being serious about the medical issues. In a way, this series strikes a nice balance--it is quite entertaining in a predictable way, and there are funny moments and yet it is something that can be taken seriously enough. After a while, the lack of ever-heightening tension and the repetitive structure of each episode can be comforting. Unfortunately, this also means that it is not going to work for people who hope for more nuanced characterization, plot development and a stronger discussion of social issues.

There is something about a lot of Japanese series that charms me even when the series are not outstanding in any particular way. Maybe it's the little touches that make some characters endearing even when there is nothing very significant about the little touches. I like how the hospital's director "treats" members of the staff with a wide range of purportedly healthful beverages, including insect poop tea (this is not made up by the writers--there really is such a tea).

I think the series also involves quite a bit of medical knowledge even though it is probably very unrealistic about the way hospitals function. While the story has a focus on radiology technicians and the importance of their work, it is ironic that the "technician" who stands out turns out to be someone with a medical license, undercutting the message that the specific expertise of technicians is really important. What the story does succeed in doing, nevertheless, is emphasizing that the commitment to and the pride one takes in doing one's work, whether it is regarded by others as important or unimportant, can make a difference in people's lives.

It is hard to heap a lot of praise on the series. While the individual episodes can be forgiven for follow a repetitive and predictable structure without much development, the romance plotline that spans the entire series can be faulted for a lack of real development or a satisfying ending. This is despite the fact that the male lead becomes a radiology technician because of a promise he made to a girl as a kid.

Ultimately, this series is reasonably good entertainment. It's like street food that happens to taste good enough to be enjoyed, but if you judge it by the culinary standards of fine-dining establishments, you can find fault with it. It is best to know and appreciate it for it is. It's nice, and I will go back to the stall again (there's the second season), but I know there is much better food out there that perhaps one does not have the luxury of tasting every day.

Read More

Supernatural powers, comedy and wasted potential

This can't really be considered Season 1 because it ends in the middle of nowhere.

In fact, it also starts in the middle of nowhere. The story is rather confusing at the start. Until now, I'm still wondering if there is an Episode 0 that I missed or something. There are too many things in Episode 1 that take quite a number of episodes to start making sense of. How Wei Yi Chen loses most of his supernatural powers is eventually explained but not really shown--there seems to be missing scenes. It would have been nice to see what Wei Yi Chen could do or had done prior to losing most of his supernatural powers, but there is nothing directly shown here.

It is possible to continue watching with some knowledge something about the protagonist's goal of finding his stolen notebook, until one pieces the fragments into a picture that remains incomplete. It isn't really a torturous experience to watch the series, but it seems to me that there is a relatively good story that does not get told fully.

The characters are often silly. This works to enhance the humor at times but also makes many characters hard to take seriously or feel a lot for. But all too often, something is set up only to be abandoned, like building a part of a nice building only to abandon the project. For example, the misunderstanding that Wei Yi Chen and Duanmu Hao are a couple is used to generate some humor but just when one is expecting this to be developed further, it seems to have been abandoned suddenly.

If you enjoy shows featuring people with supernatural powers while having some comedy, this may be for you. But you may have to brace yourself for confusing moments (especially at the start). You will probably still end up feeling that the show has a lot of wasted potential even if it is entertaining in some ways.

Read More

Undefinable but rather entertaining comedy that could have taken itself more seriously

The ratings I'm giving are pretty much nonsensical. This series is pretty hard to review. It is a low-budget series that can be improved in quite a number of ways. The choreography of fight sequences, the editing and cinematography are not exactly impressive. On the other hand, there can be a lot of fun in story of a college for people with supernatural powers (which are determined by their star sighs).

The absurdist and often self-reflexive humor with frequent allusions to Chinese pop songs can be entertaining even though the extent to which it works in the middle of the more serious scenes is debatable. While it is often a good thing that the story is not presented as one to be taken seriously, it seems that the production team has gone a little too far with this at times. It feels almost as if they merely decided to have fun, thinking that they can't possibly make anything great with the limited budget and other constraints. Yet, if they had just moderated the absurdism somewhat, the series would have been much better. I loved how the series focuses on the more glamorous characters while making a statement about the underdogs who are ignored. The minor characters who refer to themselves as minor characters brings to mind how even people who are not in the limelight or center of attention are often neglected. There is also the a character with the power of invisibility to good effect--he appears only occasionally (enough for us to remember) and reminds invisible until Episode 28 when he is revealed to have been quietly protecting the main female character. In life, many people go unnoticed, whether it is because of their personality, their class status or other reasons, and this is shown in a suitably understated manner.

At its best, the series makes use good use of whatever resources it has. The product placements, for instance, are often used in a way that enhances the humor. Apart from the premise of a battle of people with supernatural powers, there is the romance between the main male and female characters and even hints of BL in a comedy that is rather hard to define. I think the story was a little too rushed in the last few episodes--the beginning contains too much unimportant stuff related to the competition in the college and could have been made more compact so that the story can end properly. Perhaps a Season 2 was being considered, but I doubt it will be done.

Read More

Good basic story that isn't delivered all that well

It may be worth noting that a number of the characters in this series seem based on the characters in Gu Long's Chu Liu Xiang novels, but the names have been modified. The protagonist, instead of Chu Liu Xiang, is now Chu Yun Xiao. Those who have been acquainted with Chu Liu Xiang may just be able to enjoy the series more than those who start watching with a blank slate.

The series starts somewhat abruptly, without spending time for the exposition of the main character. This is one of the instances of having a protagonist that the audience may not care much about. Perhaps those who know Chu Liu Xiang would have a different reaction. Other aspects of the production also make the series less engaging than it could have been. For instance, the dubbing isn't very good--it's not that the voice actors are bad, but this is one of those series that keep bringing to my consciousness that dubbing has been done.

The characterization also seems a little haphazard. We know Chu Yunxiao is really close to his two buddies, but we don't see why. One of his buddies, Hu Wan Hua, isn't a very consistent character, but not in the sense that there is character development. Ji Xuan Yuan, the other buddy, is more consistent (and probably the most likable of the characters). Chu Yun Xiao himself switches from being frivolously flirtatious to being faithful and devoted in love. Chu's love interest, the female physician, Leng Xing Chen, also vacillates between being jealous and being understanding when she sees Chu with other ladies whom he has no interest in.

The weaknesses above are rather unfortunate because they get in the way of what is overall quite an interesting story. Although the revelation of the identity of one of the villains in the last episode doesn't come as a surprise (we can practically see it coming starting from Episode 1), there is a nice revelation about how and why he has become villainous. It is just that the delivery of a nice story in concept may leave quite a lot to be desired. The pacing is fast, which is not a bad thing, but it is also so hurried towards the end that there are loose ends that are not tied.

If you can overlook the shortcomings of the series, it may well be worth a watch. However, it is probably necessary to moderate your expectations.

Read More

Lacks originality but quite decently done

I was reminded of Love & the Emperor when I started watching this series as both are about a female protagonist who enters a game world. While Love & the Emperor suffers from some problems with its switches between "reality" to the game world, My Queen largely avoids such problems at the expense of making the "real world" quite redundant. Why not just tell the same story without making it a story within a game the protagonist is playing? Sure, there won't be the moments when the protagonist is self-consciously analyzing the plot and commenting on the clichés, but that's not really a big loss. If the plot is full of clichés, it doesn't really help to have the protagonist openly calling a spade a spade.

The series has its entertainment value--expect some laughs, but don't expect it to move you to tears or make you think deeply about life. (That can be a good thing if all you want is something light enough to escape into.) One of the countries in the world of the game is supposedly one in which women are dominant, but don't expect any interesting feminist thought coming from the story. Somehow, even in a world where women are dominant, women from the palace somehow have to go out dressed as men? Think too much about the story, and you will likely be disappointed. Just sit back and enjoy the flight of fancy if it happens to be your cup of tea.

Read More

A bit of lighthearted fun with some twists and turns

Love's Outlet is this company that exists in a parallel universe of sorts. It has the power to sell you love from the person you want love from, in exchange for one of your positive attributes. There's quite a bit of fun that is possible from such a premise.

The story has some interesting turns but they don't always work well. The BL that turns out to be nothing, for example, doesn't really work. In the first place, if Xiao Chuan (second male lead) likes the same girl (female lead, Jing Xue) as You He (first male lead), the scene of Xiao Chuan waiting forlornly for You He in the rain doesn't quite make sense. Additionally, there is only a rather weak explanation for You He's temporary shift from being in love with Jing Xue to being in love with Xiao Chuan. Supposedly, it is because Xiao Chuan bought Jing Xue's love after You He bought it, so Xiao Chuan will get You He's love first, according to the contract. Even though the terms of the contract may be ridiculous, there is really no reason for Love's Outlet to include such a clause when it can simply make the second buyer wait for his turn.

Perhaps there was an intention to let the story take a BL turn, but for commercial reasons, this was not done. After all, the potential audience may be smaller. Also, to keep viewers guessing how the story would turn out, the series cannot be marketed as BL, but BL is usually marketed as BL and drawing non-BL fans into the series only to give them a BL series is likely a move that is too risky commercially. I still like how the story turned out, but I think the whole story would make more sense if it had a BL turn. The potential for plot twists would still be present even if the series is BL.

(On a side note, Jiang Dian is really charming as Zuo You He. I see a lot of people swooning over Wayne Song who has a supporting role, but I find Jiang Dian cute as the male lead.)

Read More

All the building up to idontknowwhat

The abilities and resourcefulness of the main villain (or is he--we are kept guessing throughout) are very much fantastical despite being framed as some sort of scientifically explainable phenomena. If one gets past this, one could appreciate the story a little better. Then again, case after case of serial killings seem to be a build-up for something bigger as the cases are always half-solved, and it seems that the main "villain" is planning something big--perhaps something that would even call into question his supposed villainy. Then the series ends. It seems that there is supposed to be a Season 2, but I cannot help feeling that there should be more to Season 1.

The censoring of the BL content isn't helping much. In a way, the BL has been sublimated into bromance, but that is rather thin too. The two main characters clearly care a lot for each other--Bai Yutong's concern for Zhan Yao, in particular, is obvious. But their quibbling seems a little random. The story starts with them being rather hostile to each other, but suddenly they also seem to have good rapport. Then, randomly, they start being hostile to one another. With better exposition at the start regarding the sort of relationship they have, the vacillation between rapport and hostility would have made more sense. The side "couple", Bai Chi and the magician, actually work better, with more overt hints of romance though it cannot be too obvious thanks to censorship.

It seems that there will be a Season 2, and I'm piqued enough to watch it if it ever comes out. But I don't know if I will lose my patience if it turns out to be more building up without amounting to anything.

Read More

One of the more unusual BLs coming from Taiwan this year

This mini series is unmistakably a BL series because of how apparently straight men can fall in love with other men and how there can be additional BL side couples as long as there are enough young male characters in the story for their existence. Yet, the story is more unusual than many recent BL series as it focuses on the relationship between a man with dissociative personality disorder and his once-straight neighbor.

The dissociative personality disorder part isn't meant to be taken seriously although there is a short spin-off, "(Not That) Innocent", directed by a different director, that further explores the issue of whether one can be in love with two different personalities but only one person. What we do have here is a story with a lot of sweetness. Yu Shi is a grown-up man who behaves very much like a child--his personality is stuck at the time he was a boy and assaulted by a man. A second personality, Noah, has been created as a sort of protection--I think Noah is the main personality who ensures that the person can function normally day to day as an adult before the neighbor takes him home. The two personalities seem aware of each other's existence and do not fight for dominance: it's probably not scientifically realistic, but it's ok.

I like how Noah is at first much stronger and more assertive personality than Yu Shi, but we can see him becoming more similar to Yu Shi without entirely losing his grown-up sensibilities. This signals a sort of personality integration, which can help to resolve the issue of which one Wu Zheng (the neighbor) really loves.

I think the series could have opted for all-out fluff because that's ultimately what it is. The frequent switches in timelines due to flashbacks seem a tad pretentious and the story could have been told with more fewer flashbacks and in a more linear fashion. This would make it less confusing and allow the audience to immerse more in the BL fluff.

Read More

Quite good because you likely won't expect much anyway

While this isn't going to be an unforgettable BL series, it doesn't pretend or try to be anything more than an excuse to bring three guys together and have us wonder which of the other two guys our protagonist will end up with. The premise is simply that a is guy looking for a roommate but ends up living with two roommates competing to be the chosen one. Who will he choose? The events, such as how the three men sleep on the same bed, make little sense. But somehow, they are not presented in a way that would make you roll your eyes and stop watching, maybe because you won't be lulled into expecting more than what the series has to offer.

The series succeeds at presenting a largely lighthearted episodes with a few good looking young men in BL situations. It's not the sort of series that makes anyone expect a good story and nuanced characterization, and it gets away without offering such things. This makes it better than those that pretend that there is a story and offer one with loopholes and endless digressions to insignificant characters and scenes.

Read More

BL with a somewhat different flavor

When I started watching the series, I found certain aspects of it reminiscent of A Tale of a Thousand Stars, from the setting to the music. There is in fact a direct allusion to Thousand Stars in Episode 2, when the teacher going to the village is told that things are not as pretty as they are in the series. This turns out to be pretty ironic--Hometown's Embrace promises to be a BL that has a grittier portrayal of life in Isan, but it really turns out to be more or less the same in the way the characters fight the bad guys a tad too easily. In fact, Thousand Stars might be more realistic in some respects.

This is not to say that Hometown's Embrace is a rip-off or a bad one at that. Hometown's Embrace is a much more conventional BL than Thousand Stars in the way that it features three BL couples and seemingly men, including seemingly straight ones, can simply fall in love with each other. While you don't find passionate kissing scenes, let alone sex scenes, the series goes out of its way to feature gratuitous shower scenes while doing an obligatory product placement for a soap company that is obviously one of its sponsors. (Incidentally, there are also plenty of product placements for some Black Dragon pills, and I got a good laugh when I googled "Black Dragon pills" though I have no idea if what turned up on my Google search was the same as what was featured in the show.)

What makes the BL somewhat different is the violence in the show, which involves four of the main characters' parents being killed by the villains. The series uncomfortably straddles fluff (for the BL) and gritty realism (for the violence). It does manage to pull off the merging of genres somewhat, but somehow runs out of steam. By the time the main characters band together to deal with the villains, they seem rather comical. (Just look at the costumes!)

Perhaps the series would have been more compelling if it had double or triple the number of episodes for both the crime aspects to be featured and the romance to be developed. This way, the characters would be easier to take seriously. Unfortunately, for an episode of only 8 episodes, it spends three episodes introducing the three pairs of main characters (one episode for each pair). It's still a watchable series to me, but if you are expect one of those BLs with lots of kisses and sex scenes or a realistic portrayal of gang violence, you will be disappointed.

Read More

Likely one of the most moving Thai BLs in 2021

Not knowing what the story is about except that the couple are separated for four years, I watched the first episode and thought that it was another story about one-sided love (which may not be a bad thing but is really hard to do well). It turns out, however, that there is more than meets the eye.

Perhaps it takes more patience than some viewers would be willing to give before they discover the merits of the series. But, for me, it was not a difficult watch at all. The scenes were shot well, and the young actor who plays the character of Nut, is quite impressive. Thus, although this isn't a fast-paced series, I found it easy to go on watching and it did not really seem all that slow.

There are many complaints about the flashbacks used in the story as well as a few praises. To be sure, it isn't really the use of flashbacks as a technique in itself that people are commenting about. Rather, it's the flashbacks to scenes that have already been shown that people are commenting about.

The flashbacks used are often effective as they show us that the story we think we know isn't the whole story. At their best, the flashbacks are moving, such as when they reveal the reasons behind Phob's behaviors and emotions.

Unfortunately, in Episodes 7 and 8, the use of flashbacks as a technique does not impress, and the flashbacks themselves may seem a little purposeless. It's almost as though a different team has done the editing and flashbacks for the last two episodes. While the flashbacks in Episodes 1 to 6 are quite smooth and do not confuse, there is potential for confusion in Episodes 7 and 8. This is unfortunate for a series that has shown more finesse that expected. After all, the story is not astonishingly good, but it is the way it is told that makes it moving and engaging in Episodes 1 to 6. Thankfully, the story doesn't take a bad turn and does end satisfactorily save for a totally unnecessary cliffhanger about a side couple (it's not like a sequel is going to be made about the side couple, right?)

Despite its flaws, The Yearbook still manages to be a notch above some other Thai BL series that overwhelm viewers with a large number of characters without showing much skill in telling a coherent story

Read More

Starts of well, but loses steam

The first striking thing about the series is how different it seems from the synopsis we see at MDL. Valen doesn't seem at all someone who has not been experienced any affection. He has a sister who cares about him and help him. He has at least a few close friends. He is close to the nanny who has brought him up (though it is not clear what, if anything, has happened to his parents). In fact, Kaitoon seems to be the one with a sob story: he's an orphan who has to juggle his studies and multiple jobs, and he loses some of his jobs.

The discrepancy between the synopsis and the series is not a big issue. But since Valen is desperate enough to attempt armed robbery to pay his debtors, he should probably turn to his friends or sister for help. But somehow he doesn't ... until he does anyway. Nevertheless, we can ignore this and see that he really has no intention to harm others.

The story actually starts off rather well, focusing on Kaitoon and Non first before bringing in Non. However, the second half of Love Area (Part 1) isn't really satisfying. My best guess is that a change of plans took place and somehow the series became split into Parts 1 and 2. This would mean that there needs to be a cliffhanger in Episode 6. While Valen's love for Kaitoon is quite nicely shown, the transitions in Kaitoon's feelings do not seem to have enough enough time to be properly fleshed out.

Also, at first I thought that Kaitoon and Non would make a nice couple even though anyone can guess that Kaitoon and Valen are the main couple of the series. Still, the depiction of the friendship between Kaitoon and Valen is really nice --until Non falls in love with Kaitoon, and Kaitoon inexplicably forgets about his appointments with the pitiable Non. (Yes, it seems that every main character has a sadder story than Valen, contrary to what you may get from the synopsis.)

Non is such a sweet, patient and lovable guy that I wish he didn't have to undergo the struggles with his parents and with his unrequited love. Nor do I wish to see him lose his goodness and become an awful person in Season 2 (not that there's any indication that this will happen). Frankly, putting him in this love triangle with Kaitoon and Valen isn't really a good move. It makes the story inconsistent. Kaitoon, who is used to juggling multiple jobs and his studies (and a bit of a social life), doesn't seem likely to simply forget about his appointments so easily. (He forgets an appointment with Non once, feels really bad about it, and then forgets about it again when Valen takes him to the beach--Kaitoon has not planned for the trip, and he even tells Valen that he has things to do, but somehow does not make an effort to contact Non about not being able to turn up.

The other couple, King and Peat, is also interesting until the appearance of a potential third party (one of those things that are easy to predict even though nothing has happened yet). King and Peat are supposed to be a loving couple until Peat suddenly disappears one day, causing King a lot of suffering. To its credit, Part 1 shows both the reason Peat does a disappearing act and the reconciliation between the two. That King has been unable to get over Peat and his willingness to reconcile with Peat suggests a very deep love, but then a third party? We shall see how well it works in Part 2.

At this point, I'm still interested in Part 2, but it is not something I look forward too simply because I'm not sure if Part 2 would salvage things or mess everything up further.

Read More

For a BL series that has one main couple and two side (BL) couples that are only hinted at, it is very odd that the side couples turn out to be portrayed more effectively.

The side couple that is less hinted at, Jay and Song, turns out to be my favorite. That the two actors look good individually and cute as a couple is an added bonus. There is barely any overt indication of them becoming a couple and a somewhat cryptic scene in the last episode with Jay smiling in his final scene, but the scenes of them together manage to suggest the potential for a more-than-friends relationships. We see the closeness between them early on when Jay refuses to take a drunken Bom to his room and it is revealed that he only allows Song into his room. When we see Jay writing a song for Bom about his feelings for Jin, we may wonder if Jay is ultimately also writing about his own feelings for Song.

Keam and Ball are worth mentioning as another side couple of sorts. Keam is a somewhat perplexing and inscrutable character. At times, he seems more mature than his friends, but his behavior is weird. He seems aware of his feelings for Ball, but he has a girlfriend. Or does he have feelings for some other guy at first -- Bom? He protests when Bom is drunk and the rest ask Jin to take Bom to his room. Nevertheless, from the first time Keam bumps into Ball in the series, we can see the sparks. At least it is obvious that Keam has a soft spot for Ball. The scene isn't even anything original or difficult to do, so it is strange that the main couple isn't given a sort of similar treatment. Instead, Bom seems almost hostile towards Jin at the start, and one can be forgiven for assuming that their relationship is the enemies-to-lovers sort. Except it isn't.

It turns out that Bom has always been secretly in love with Jin though Bom does not seem to know Jin when we first see them together. (It is only revealed in a flashback much later that we see that Bom has been in love with Jin since they were freshmen.) To add to the messiness, we have Jin quite earnestly saying that he doesn't dislike Bom but can only be friends with him in one scene, but in the very next scene, he shows no discomfort or objections when Bom hits on him and wants to call him every day. And in the scene that follows, we see Jin eating an ice-cream off Bom's hands--quite publicly, so it seems like he's not even like he's afraid of being seen as gay or afraid of giving Bom the wrong idea ....

Another problem is with the characterization of Jin, who is an important character. He is at first really devastated as his girlfriend, Aim, breaks up with him. He seems like someone who is really serious about his relationships. Then suddenly we have people warning Bom that Jin is a playboy, and it's supposed to be true. Yet, Jin's actions don't show him to be a playboy. Before he realizes that he actually loves Bom, he shows some interest in a girl and starts talking to her. But Jin soon realizes that he loves Bom, and when the girl confesses her love for him, he tells her honestly that he is in love with someone else. How is this guy a playboy?

The silly crisis to Jin and Bom's relationship also undermines the story. For some reason, Aim (Jin's ex-girlfriend) is preoccupied with bringing Jin and Bom together. Ok, maybe she wants to do something for them because she feels guilty for jilting Jin for another guy, and for "snatching" Jin from Bom despite knowing that Bom likes Jin. But to go to the extent of masterminding a bizarre plot to bring them together is an unusual level of crazy. E.g. She makes Bom's friends dope his drink with an aphrodisiac and secretly slipping a condom into his pocket (er, how on earth is he going to use it if he doesn't know it's there?) Apart from the question of why Bom's frinds would go along with such madness, there is the question of how many Bom horny would help him win Jin's love. And .... the shenanigans do not end here. At times, it looks more like Aim is aiming to break Jin and Bom up rather than bring them together--yes, I think it's supposed to be a twist when it's revealed that she's trying to bring them together.

Jin and Bom do make quite a nice couple when they are together, and I find the actors' acting quite ok. But somehow the set-up for the two characters to fall in love is terribly done (or should I say not done?). On the other hand, the set-up for the side couples, who get scant attention and development, is done pretty well. So it's not as though the production team is incapable of doing things properly. The ending also doesn't give a sense of a true closure, perhaps because the crisis is so badly done that we have an anti-climax instead of a climax in the story and one keeps thinking that there's more to come. Confession: I forgot that Episode 10 was the last episode and was stupidly waiting more more until I saw in MDL that this is a ten-episode series. I'm not a big fan of cliffhanger endings hinting at the potential for a Season 2, but even a cliffhanger ending would have been better than the way the series ended without a bit more development for the side couples.

The odd thing about this series is that there are many aspects of the production that show that the team involved in it is quite capable of making something pretty good. And yet, something managed to go wrong somewhere, resulting in a series that underperforms in critical areas like the portrayal of the main couple and the development of their story. The result: a series that managed to keep me watching and a series that managed to keep disappointing me rolled into one awkward combination.

Read More

How to make a nice film with the same old story

If I have to complain about this short film, I will say that the story is nothing original. Boy meets boy, boys fall in love. But oh, why does it feel so nice to watch? Sure, the two actors are good looking, but that doesn't make a film nice to watch in itself. I like the way the short film isn't pretentious; it just tells this simple, totally unoriginal story well. The story is told from Kong's point of view, and we can guess that he likes Film from the start is trying to attract his attention by snatching away his ball in the court and perhaps, even before that, by acting like he's upset that Film is sitting at his table in the canteen. On Film's part, he could also have liked Kong from the start and is trying to get Kong's attention by sitting at the table,

The dialogue is competently written, and the acting of the two young actors is surprisingly natural. The actor for Kong is able to convincingly exude confidence, shyness and innocence when the situation calls for it. We see this in the scene in which he is messaging Film on social media through his phone. There's no one to act out the scene with him, but his expressions are on point.

Read More