ammmz
United States
enjoyed it loads
The summary here sums it up, so that's what the show is about.
themes: autonomy, loss, grief, adultery/betrayal, abandonment, parental bonds, motherhood, marriage, reinventing yourself, found families
It's engaging, but not because of the logistics. I didn't care about the plot of trying to switch these two back, and it becomes pretty secondary. It's about how everyone deals with the changes, how they affect them, and how to get things back on track.
This show is hilarious, and I barely skipped it, even if some of it was filler or not as interesting. The foreign actors did well (minus the older euro-aussie man). And there's a bit of English in the show spoken by Koreans who are obviously not fluent but do their best and sound good. The foreigners only attempt a little Korean though I assume they know more of the foreign language than the cast does English, just for necessity's sake. Honestly, it's surprising because most foreign actors on these shows are so abysmal, but since they were an integral part of the cast.
The cast is stellar, and god Lee Yoo Ri and Uhm Ji Won (who I'm obsessed with since little women, which I need to finish) are so beautiful/hot. that doesn't and shouldn't matter. Still, being in their 40s at the time or just getting out of it, they are seen as "older," but your 40s are also your prime, in a different way than previous years, and unique. Because she looks younger for her age, LYR's character in her original body is 32, but they swap, and IRL are only 2y apart, so it was very genius casting in that regard. But they're both phenomenal. I didn't realize LYR was the hot infuriating reporter daughter from father is strange, and I ended up loving her there. She's fantastic at physical comedy but is also a brilliant character actress.
UJW is AMAZING, and she stole the show for me. They are both so adept at changing who they are, and god is LYR funny as Lee Bom, but UJW as Bom and Bo Mi was a sight to behold for me. The way her body moves, how tall her frame is, and her hair which is all purposefully opposite, are a challenge for her to embody bo mi, but she pulls it off, and we get to see her as Lee Bom, growing more. She was an immense joy for me here, and I didn't expect to see her. This woman is FUNNY. Also I can tell she speaks at least some English because she has the typical Korean-laced English accent that shows she's practiced.
Everyone else was honestly terrific and so funny. You could feel the relationships are genuine; the husband actually kisses the woman he's having an affair with, they actually cry, they actually get to let themselves look ugly and be weird, have no inhibitions when acting. Very good-looking cast btw, even the ones that aren't typically attractive.
Mostly I loved how funny it was and the themes they inserted. Bo Mi is a bitch, and she's adopted, and she has two friends from the orphanage they grew up in and essentially abandoned them. So they all experienced abandonment, and even though this show is almost wholly a farce, it has moments of genuine emotion sprinkled in, where you get frustrated, and there are times I did cry.
lee bom has everything and bo mi has nothing but lee bom loses everything. her story was the toughest because she was naive at times, mostly because she was privileged, but that privilege didn't make her a horror; she was a lovely woman, and people consistently underestimated her as if that showed a lack of life experience. Except she was a fantastic actress and had her strengths, just like Bo Mi was intelligent with her street savvy. She didn't need to protect her money; it was always protecting her family and doing what was best for them. You can tell that though she wanted things perfect, it was from a good place. Her daughter's love for her was so admirable, and their relationship was great. Si Won adored her mom.
Bo Mi was a harder character to like and get into—she changes quite a bit but her regular personality often comes out and trumps that change making it very difficult to care for her sometimes. But Lee Bom makes watching Bo Mi worth it. Her love for Bo Mi doesn't falter. She realizes really late how alienating she has been and though I wish they did more to change that it wasn't strictly about changing her in a way we could tell immediately. It indicated that these things take time, and the show is really about how they live their day to day and the people around them.
Obviously what i liked he most was the bond between the two women. they even say that female bonds and the strength of such in the face of adversity, of men in between them, is easier to betray than to remain steadfast with the love you're supposed to protect. To me it has queer themes and I appreciate how female and found family centric this was. It was never about romance (there is little to none) and Lee Bom learns she needs her daughter, her friends from her life and her agency and even the news studio, and bo mi to be happy because they all actively want each other to be happy and be in each other's lives. BTW the news studio cast? Ace. I fucking loved them and Bo Mi's weird love for them and how they also didn't take her shit. Particularly the wonderful, gorgeous Chun Soo Hyun (Mi Ram)
To bom, bo mi is "my love" and to bo mi, bom is "my dear bom, my other half"; "i am her, she is me, don't insult her to me" and they know each other.
The show displays the strength female friendships, family, and friendships. And these all amount to found family and finding your place in the world. Love and others help you do the right thing, and you receive true love when you do. To be in service to others isn't a detriment but a benefit to our lives. Additionally, the main villains are men (purposefully); as bo mi said, "if you're born a woman you at least have to succeed" but we don't have to play their game.Bo Mi and Lee Bom were each other, and in love with each other, and will always have each other and by extension, by building a good life and living the way they want and while helping others, they regained their bodily autonomy that was lost not due to the incident that got them in the swap but the actual circumstances of real life. The show has ALL THIS while being so hilarious for the most part and not serious and just very sweet. It's subtle and engaging and beyond entertaining. There are some flaws but mostly I have glowing things to say so recommend
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
interesting and enjoyable
7/7.5watch the uncut version. do that. if you dont it will suck 4 u. the show is LONG which honestly i love since i think it's utilized well and if shows are 1h+, written well, and pseudo slice of life then ALLOW IT.
summary: it's a ghost boy story. ghost boy (phob) has 2 find out why he died and real boy (phat) helps him. love ensues.
i feel like there's a certain type that likes these shows...i am uncultured and an adult baby so i don't. most times this specific trope—in literally ever country because, you know, death—end with open-endings regarding the life/love OR they part ways forever (in life) often coming together way later (aka in death/afterlife) so. the latter happened. wouldn't it just be better to find someone with a heartbeat? (dont even get me started on sex physics here). for these reasons, i avoided it but that was a MISTAKE! my friend told me to watch so i bit the bullet.
it isn't exactly central to the plot, how he dies, but what it means on an emotional, psychical, intra/interpersonal, and even physical, level. they keep up with these aspects, throwing in some (not overbearing) social commentary and plenty of philosophical notions and artsy bullshit to keep me interested. personally, i think phob is the main character since we see him first and follow him the whole time and see through his eyes. for me the romance was incorporated but not the main thing—which makes sense due to the writer's life experience—which i appreciatee. i'll talk about romance specifically the least.
themes: loneliness, depression, trauma, parental loss/abandonment/abuse, friendship, love, death, GRIEF. the concept of life itself. the remnants of grief are all around; the true haunting aspect. traces of people that won't go away no matter how we wish it would or wouldn't. the elements of surveillance in the show are ominous but also highlight that theme—someone could be watching, something could be in your room, something lingers. a house has a sort of heartbeat but it also may not have been your home.
the acting was okay. nut is way better than whatever that was in that other show that was bad. oxygen something idk. i really love took's face lol. all the veteran actors did a good job and the young ones have ways to go but they could be worse. for the most part it wasn't distracting so i don't have much to say but 'ok'. Faii is the weakest but it's ok gorl take lessons with them. Shout out to that Green kid (Ben); had no fuckin' clue who he was but i recognized that face. Imagine my surprise when the episodes he features he tore that shit up. i am 5y older than him wow i feel old. anyway that was a great surprise and elevated the scenes—a true thespian.
my main complaint for the show isn't in production or poorly thrown together content but this consistent trope in tv shows...parental forgiveness. it's something we do all over; we don't want to admit that our caretakers can be absolute garbage, fucking failures. we get uncomfortable asserting that some do not deserve our peace, respect, time, you yourself. i get that a lot of cultures find that bond impenetrable and a fucking SIN to break but it would be interesting if the truth was told. sometimes you do not get to be forgiven perhaps especially in, their death. comparatively, phat and his mom's rship had some issues that were well addressed. they were very close because of parental (father) abandonment—which his best friend (Dream) went through (in a much more traumatic way)—and it created a sort of dependency and potential for emotional incest. however, they're able to separate themselves/their identities. i appreciated showing this and the dichotomy between the different types of child/parent rships. and, to be fair, iirc Dream never forgives her father but i think she comes to an understanding with him but that's a much different situation.
lak (actor is also my type) and dream's storylines were sad and their relationship was a bit murky/unclear and lak was a bitch for most of the series but like...it makes sense. i didn't realize his loss of his parents, who were college professors, was an allegory for people being disappeared until my friend told me and that hit hard. radical workers, intellectuals, etc are actively persecuted for wanting a better world. it was really well done to tie it to his alien obsession and being captured right on your own soil. one because cencorship and two because metaphor. this (disappearing) happens everywhere and the places where we are have some bloody history. a place where people have been tortured by the state, for having radical ideas, could be right next door.
re romance: they had good chemistry and it was nice to watch their bond grow but it's sloooow and if you're expecting it to be exclusively about a) /their/ specific rhsip and b) their love every ep then...sorry lol. they both had a life b4 each other and they tell us about it. i was kind of surprised how slow it was but i ended up loving it so i was like whatever cool. in the end, Phat and Phob have to part ways—obviously—and Phat is with a woman after, but his heart yearned for his ghost mans and he also loses his mom later. it's sad but (imo) it doesn't mean, as others may think which is ok and understandable, that his need/desire to live on, find love, and connect, create a life is for naught just because he yearned or lost.
love is not the only thing in the world. his mom was worried for precisely that reason: allowing yourself to be swallowed, consumed, eclipsed in love and merge completely with them. something she and her son had to actively get tangled out of. you'll give up your life just because someone you love has left, or is gone, and won't come back? how is that truly living? the point is that life goes on; some shit doesn't work out but you can be happy here, you will be okay. and that death is never the actual end. in psychoanalytic terms that i probably am misinterpreting, death is eternal, the everlasting drive because we matter materially.
i know the writer is a man and this is a personal story which is really cool. it has all he things i wish a lot of these shows would have and i appreciate that this level of care and thought comes from him, his specific perspective, but also as a man himself. it could have gone in every opposite which way but it was thoughtful and imaginative; interesting and actually artistic. it's all so contradictory, placing no constraints on the ability of the characters to be full fledged human beings with a range of experiences, goals, desires, needs that change along with the journey of life. it feels very personal but universal, a la moonlight (i am not comparing but if you know u know).
i lost someone extremely close to me about 6 months before watching this so i think, had i not experienced that and the absolute mess and confusion that grief is, i may not have been as affected or interested. it is clear this man knows what grief is on a personal level because the show doens't allow you to sweep it under the rug, like the characters try so hard to do. like i'm sure he has, like i have. it is so much easier to run even if it kills you. anyway, this is more realistic than like 80% of these shows and it's not even possible...wild.
Was this review helpful to you?
girl
their chemistry is peak but anything else? this show is a mess.from the optics to the content to the writing, to the misunderstanding of what makes a person, particularly a woman, actually strong, a misunderstanding of rape and sex and non-heterosexuality (so it was homophobic), to the weird 'hahah abuse' plotline which they retroactively tried to save when people (koreans obviously! sexism/misogyny isn't some solely elsewhere problem so it's not "culture") got pissed IRL. that completely diminished the drama (along with the stupid homophobia) and its theme of "strong" women by having the wife be abusive to her husband. it's actually embarrassing how stupid you have to be to believe that that in any way evens the playing field between men and women.
it was a MESS. also ji soo is terrible in this just terrible but. you know. fuck him in general.
that being saiddddd, min hyuk is like an ultimate boyfriend and his love for bong-soon is the real draw of the drama. he's actually the best character which is a shame since it's about women...so they say. unfortunately none of these women have ties to other women as much as they should have which...whatever. i don't think it's worth it to slog through everything just for the chemistry. at all. watch cuts on youtube.
what a mess. they're both hot but that'sssssss not enough imo. it's a good time waster and again they're both hot (or "hot") and really cute together at least ? LOL
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
qt
"try living with the lights on, how nice would it be to live like that?"even though it's not perfect, it's still fun. she's one of those actors who has chemistry with anyone she's on screen with (romantically, platonically, normally, or antagonistically) and brings energy to a scene. hye yeong taps into eun joo's genuine and pleasant nature, and eun joo is bubbly and sweet without being overbearing. rhy's character here matches her since eun joo isn't untidy at all (trust me, she isn't messy), but she was so fucking miserable that she couldn't break out of the fog of not having the life she wanted.
themes: baggage (literal and figurative), growing up/personal growth/millenial coming into adulthood, being a ~modern woman, depression, first love, slight labor commentary, family and indivudality
the drama's central force is eun joo's ability to inspire change in others through seemingly insignificant do it yourself endeavors. an account of a lady whose existence was governed by her job and how she ultimately had to let go of it or she would waste away. especially since the epidemic began, this is a familiar story of being exhausted, burned out, depressed, and wanting to just live for once.
it was good to see that the diy stuff wasn't random, and she started doing it because she admired min suk and his art; the writers didn't forget that they were both artists, and she transitioned from one medium to another, and it worked. he encourages her to use her knowledge and fighting spirit. he temporarily pushes her away, but she fights hard to maintain her independence rather than crumble. (she already was but being dependent on a man).
kim jae young was good too. they're both my type, and he's large and huge, so his awkward physique contributes to min suk's character. their love builds slowly, and we don't truly see them together-together until the end. it's not a slow-burn in the usual sense; the show is about her, and he's part of her life, but not all of it.
ryu hye jin, her ostensible foe, has an interesting progression throughout the story. there's an allusion to/expression of a romantic side/ connection of their ex-friendship. it hurt both of them a lot more than it should have to still care so much about each other, like, 15 years later. rhj was a huge bitch, but nothing could make eun joo not be herself. a significant part of who eun joo is comes from the love and support of her family, which includes her brother and sister as well as her parents and her childhood best friends. she has this pull, not in an annoying way—not in the way that is told instead of shown—and her friends, random individuals she's met, coworkers, and others she helps along the road are pulled to that.
anyway, the romance was my favorite part—they had chemistry and i wish we could see them be more intimate, but i'm glad we saw them kiss, which is important. they also demonstrated that they physically desired each other. i'm going to rewatch, but i remember thinking that min suk is hella bf material (and she gf material. bisexual wifeguy/husbandgirl) since she has a big effect on his life (and vice versa); they've known each other since they were kids. and their memories are so... tender and profound? if it were longer and more romantic, they could make it more intimate and make out more, which i'd love 2 c. they're just drawn to one other and made to just be together. we're spared a misunderstanding and a true love triangle.
as a viewer, i want to see them cool in love and hot 2gether, but eun joo had to go through her journey and emerge knowing she could weather any storm with him. i saw happiness after this and loved that a lot less due of the superfluous turmoil. because it's slice of life, they avoid it and let us enjoy their time together without it being overbearing (aka obnoxious).
i cried a bit— most people can connect to the feelings because d eath is simpler than living and that's part of the beauty of life; it's tough. you want to see eun joo do anything (and look hot/cool doing it) because she is unapologetically herself. she made a place for herself in the world and is always getting better, learning, and changing. even though her life isn't perfect, it's just good enough.
(i also thought the show's costuming were fantastic. very interesting for people who like style/fashion.)
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Watch on lollipopsubs (google and donate 2 them if u can) cos the subtitles are CRUCIAL seriously to really understand where the hell they're coming from. i've heard people say this is all sudden but besides what we see (to me being obvious), the words really matter.legit cw:
There are allusions to shootings, which for me was the most jarring and upsetting (small) part of the show. and I don't think this would have passed after Abe's assassination. I think most Americans will have difficulty with it; it just hits too close to home. it was too scary for me so i always ff.
because this show is so bizarre it's hard to explain why someone should/would watch (or at least encourage them to via a poorly written review.)
First of all, they have chemistry. The idol that plays Kiyoi is a knockout, so good for him! He's young, so the more he works, the better he'll get. Hira's actor, as well, plays his character very convincingly. Someone said "it's controversial without anything controversial happening" in a review here, and I think that's absolutely correct. So, if you're like me and are extremely critical of social stuff, messed up dynamics, or toxic shit, but aren't afraid to see a world where they exist in some form, I'd give it a shot. At first, I was planning to just skip around, and I actually worked backwards from Ep 6 to Ep 2, but seeing the full picture is a must. Besides some production decisions being good and the Japanese flair, the story progression just works (to me).
Had episode 5 not happened, the show would have been completely different. It ties everything together about Kiyoi and Hira as an entity, and it just makes shit just make sense (as much as this shit can make sense). They have good chemistry and aren't afraid to be near each other, though I can't figure out why they weren't allowed to kiss properly (I'm chalking it up to production because there's no way they were uncomfortable with each other, this whole fuckin' show is an education in discomfort). I think the thing about the series is that it takes all the weird and uncomfortable parts of life and love in stride. There were some scenes where I was just like, "Did that just happen?" but it was just a part of their day-to-day.
Not many dislikes since I tend to take the work as a whole and it wasn't distracting enough in stupidity for me to dislike the journey I was going on. I think I disliked Koyama, which is partially because it takes me a long time to warm up to someone's face, but I guess the contrast between him and Kiyoi was necessary because we go from someone who cares about him deeply but shows it in a roundabout way, for many reasons, and then to Koyama, who is very accommodating, which isn't necessarily what Hira needs even if Kiyoi could give it. I also hate that they couldn't be friends afterward because that's...fucked up, but anyway, it was evocative and a good choice.
I feel like I see something new when I rewatch, and on my 3rd rewatch, I really enjoy the aspect. This relationship isn't healthy per se, but there is no way these characters could exist in real life so the complete disbelief and then the grounding when Kiyoi says his peace (so to speak) makes it obvious that this is not feasible for reality. No one will find themselves in this situation. and good. The sacrifices they make for each other are so stupid (in a good way for the story). Their lives and love were just in this constant feedback loop and it's fascinating, especially as more of the story is uncovered. I'm not uncomfortable with a power imbalance or toxicity because they are both crazy (aforementioned controversial not controversial comment), so effectually it doesn't exist because they are both needy, selfish, and sad. LMAO I just didn't expect the show to pan out like it did, but I'm glad I experienced it and I am very excited about the movie since you could write a lot about where they land next and how they give us more intensity and a glimpse into their lives and Hira's true emotions and affections. Additionally, they'll be able to use those good old freak skills for some good intimacy. I mean, you lick the blood off the hand of the person you love. That is true.
I do abhor obsession with sexual position dynamics—it reeks of sexism AND misogyny, transphobia; a misunderstanding of sex, love, bodies and sexuality, and false innateness—so it interests me how rigid we want to be even with a story like this. This isn't on the production team necessarily, but it's always interesting to me to see how ubiquitous it is in this genre period (and I know why) and how people receive this genre and work. I would ask for more leeway in letting people be people; not be characterized by arbitrary markers that are presented as innate especially after the fact. Clearly their relationship is difficult to pin down (in the show, not the novel idk i didn't read it) which is why their physical /sexual pull is so alluring because it's unpredictable, as most are.
Like I said, because I skipped around in the beginning, I didn't realize how crucial the aspects of the other side were to the story and to making it come together, so when I did, it just hit harder. It's most certainly not perfect, but my enjoyment trumped having to think too hard, and that's all a girl needs sometimes. I'm also just a fucking fool—a sucker—for a "the person who loved me first/the most loves me less than I love them and our worlds will fall apart if I don't express it" or "proving my love to the person who loves me the most" trope. Maybe if this were played by different actors, I would feel strongly in other directions, but it wasn't and I didn't, and if you are looking for some really weird fun and 6 episodes of befuddling tension, I would recommend it.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
lol
Before I get into it I will talk about one, and probably my only true one, PRO: the subtitles are great. Even though it was wasted on this show, it wasn't actually wasted because this should be the standard! Every show should put this level of dedication and care into subtitling/translating if they want to reach a wider audience. Even if they hadn't included the extra information to help us understand the cultural elements, the grammar, syntax, ordering, and timing were all correct.It was really amazing. So seriously good for them. Subtitles and good translations are extremely important, so thank you!That being said...
It's about an “ugly” duckling (Toh) who’s in love with this popular dude (Nuea). Their respective (sort of adorable) friend groups are the supporting cast. He and his pals have rules regarding hidden crushes and like to cry about it a lot. That’s the bare bones; however, the unpopular one is not so much in love as he is…a fan who collects his idol’s things. Except no that’s not right either…oh right he’s a stalker–like one of the alternative titles for the show suggests. A passive aggressive one at that.
When I first wrote my review I saw it a lot less of a detriment to the show and, although I do not believe this dummy to be a threat, thinking back on the difficulties that built up during the course of me watching makes it seem as bad as it is. It isn’t so much that he does what he does but how it plays out (or doesn’t, really) within the show and Toh’s skewed approach to life.
Anyway, everything works out for him and his friends. You know, cause they’re fucking ugly I guess and rules don’t apply when you’re ugly (?) and weird (?).
Probably because of the very human need to defend the things we like without it seeming like we ourselves exhibit this behavior there seems to be a tendency, if one doesn’t acknowledge the ver weird behavior even if they still like it, to say it’s not that bad or justify it. It’s so incredibly unhealthy for Toh himself and those surrounding him and it shows that he lacks respect for the person he claims to love. Unlike in another drama with a similar underlying premise, which never ever tried to convince the viewer, and therefore no one had to jump through hoops to convince others and themselves, this show goes out of its way to essentially guarantee that.
And, because this is a mindless story parading as something different (I guess), he gets everything he wants. Wild cos he was really collecting this other boy’s food, his tissues, his photos, his literal drinks and cups. Had a whole-ass wall of photos dedicated to this jawn and a cardboard fucking cutout of him. Just absurd and at first it’s funny but it. Goes. Nowhere. Stops being funny when the try attempts (poorly) to be serious and we’re still reeling from shit that was happening before.
Seng’s acting is not that great and I don’t know if it’s him per se or the script and production. I’ve only seen him in WHY R U? (which…is a show) and he was cute there but he didn’t do much. Here? The mic packs, the fucking heavy-ass breathing, the smiling constantly. I don’t buy completely that an actor can only work with what’s given so I’m gonna say he should work on it. I don’t understand what ANY of that was and it affects the character heavily.
Everyone else was fine. Looknam and Billy were the best here but I think the older cast members are around my age and that’s a long time so they’re going to do better. Most times.
At first, I disagreed that the main couple didn’t have chemistry though I know I noticed that it’s mostly Billy, the way he looks at his co-star, the way he moves, he’s good at the natural intimacy and sensuality which same. Jk but I think he’s the reason why I did find this couple interesting.
Toh isn't really a real human and, unfortunately, neither is Jao (second lead with a love line that I do not care about and is cringe). Toh BARELY has a literal voice and I appreciate that they are artists/photographers but what else is there to him? (Nothing). Despite the actors/them both being neither ugly nor fat respectively, the show tries hard to convince us that this is the case. Jao is obviously not the ideal weight for asian beauty standards, skewing on very thin or jacked, I guess but it’s still just ridiculous and who the fuck wants to relate to that? Especially a fat person. Toh /was/ ugly but that’s because I hated his fucking face because he made those dumb fuckin’ faces but he’s not actually ugly OBVIOUSLY.
At first the friendships are fun but then, when you realize no one can mind their goddamn business, it gets annoying. They do everything in public for some reason, they pressure each other into doing things they don’t want to do, and they (well Toh’s friend group) cry a lot. More importantly, because Toh consistently doesn’t change and does batshit crazy things like stealing the food Nuea touched, they don’t do aaaaanything remotely constructive when approaching Toh’s stupid habit that defines his boring life for some reason. They give sad looks (because they know it is fucking insane!) but don’t DO anything???????
Instead of being so concerned with Toh and his habits through looks and more funny comments they could explain /why/ it's a) fucking weird b) unhealthy c) sad to him (since I guess he doesn’t get it). That being said, the friendships are the best part and it made me happy to see them be able to come out of their shells. As much as I have to criticize, having that type of experience in college can really change your life and help you grow. When you have new experiences and get to expand your social circle you become more confident, mature, more content. Unfortunately it’s clouded by the fact that Toh never changes and Jao also is a whiny lil bitch (but I would be too if people didn’t leave me alone which they do not) or has no fuckin spine.
While I appreciate that they have these couples subverting certain expectations—since I know that many people get frustrated at the purported hegemony of masc4masc stuff or misreading of heteronormativity as co-opted by the genre instead of inherent to it—they actually don’t really? I think the problem is we put ourselves and these people into boxes so we expect all these relationships to turn out one way or follow a certain code.
It still gets limited and follows the same exact codes as everything else. There’s no imagination! And when there is it’s barely explored like with Daisy. Also I fail to see how this doesn’t follow the very same structure of superimposing active/passive (male/female) onto the subjects. Again, when they had an actual opening they didn’t take it.
Why are some of the gender rules so rigid? Why not show and exploit that more? Though a character like Nuea is more playful and sensitive he still takes on [x] role because of course he does.
The show is too long as well. But that’s just me. I know many don't mind since it's a soothing show and it can be cute. At first I thought I could power through but I just couldn’t do anymore; it went nowhere and got progressively more ridiculous and frustrating. There was so much dead space, filler, awkward acting. They had $ tho I guess.
Frankly, this show is not very entertaining or good and I don’t believe that a lot of people don’t like it because the characters are (SUPPOSEDLY*) ugly, effeminate, or both. Nor do I think it’s okay to justify the poor quality of the work itself or Toh’s behavior—the inciting incident—because they are part of those aforementioned groups (very loosely defined due to humans being complex). On top of that, just because other shows do worse or other people excuse things like the nasty behavior (all) dramas love because the men are supposedly hot or masculine? Doesn’t make it okay, or even palatable for whatever went on here.
The logic goes: something that is typical and visibly harmful/not socially conscious gets redressed, and, if it looks marginally different, becomes seen as a social net positive making it hard to see what could be underneath. I’m not sure it does what people thinks it does and I think there’s an assumption that BL is not, like anything involving men, following some nightmare patriarchal male imagination logic. But it does, it is, it will because it has to. Without actually putting effort into new ideas and a new story this remains the case. I have yet to see how it's a subversion, transgression, or truly different in terms of production, content, and in terms of 'commentary'.
Additionally the reviews are overwhelmingly positive, the ratings as well, and the current rating on the show is more than generous so when I see people try to give reasons why others may not like the show—subsequently projecting what they think other people's blockages are due to prejudice—I don’t get it. Who are these people? There’s so little critique or dissent here so I simply don’t understand the jump to those conclusions. It could just be a not good show; this review’s my argument for why it’s not.
*looknam is hot af
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
i tried
even though i knew the content had numerous—and i mean NUMEROUS—issues i thought i could skip around and see how the couples, particularly kinnporsche, fit with one another. i was willing to concede about their relationship itself if it could be salvaged so to speak and the potential to leave behind (not forget! but gloss over as a viewer with limited time on this earth) the abuse and rape. the abuses are unacceptable and lazy writing ;purely for salaciousness sake but the show has more problems than that.the writing is bad and so is the pacing; because the source material is an issue but man....there is, essentially, no story itself. "bad" characters and their "bad" choices should have a purpose but they do not because /nothing matters/. this isn't the sopranos or breaking bad—horrendous motives and people but a theme running through the show and that LETS us know they are bad and that consequences lurk in every corner. there is nothing in the show that has me coming back to watch as a viewer and not even the relationship, ostensibly the viewers main draw since i cannot believe it is the story itself, is....dry.
i'll have to dissent in opinion about the acting. apo isn't bad but he is very very very aware the camera is around and carries the weight of them i think and it's distracting. when they went on their first date and were sitting by each other his smile was so farcical and it just became obvious. they don't really have much chemistry but they are comfortable kissing and being naked around each other. great?
the writing is bad, the jokes are bad, the plot is bad, the characters are bad, and the relationships are empty. i'm kind of bummed out that this aspect—the rship, the draw of the show—wasn't even good enough to grip me or have me even continue with the vaguest of feeling. tharntype is not a good show but in the first season i could at least see WHY this MIGHT be attractive to some. here it was just....there? and after the first time the whole borderline softcore porn thing gets really boring. like super boring.
i don't have much more to say. the only thing that i think this show could be of influence of—for a genre that has so many failings—is actors being more willing to do the physical bits of the genre or romance in general with a partner. maybe they will become more comfortable with other screen partners and not look as robotic, maybe it will be influential in that sense, but that doesn't really shake much of a table and if you're a good actor...then you should pick roles you know you can fulfil. so basically what i am saying is that being able to be physical with another human being, as an actor, does not mean that the acting is good and that this script called for that intensity doesn't mean that it actually generated real feelings or chemistry on a deep level.
i wouldn't say it's a shame, this is just another show in a long list of shows that exist. they obviously spent a decent amount of money and are getting that money back; if money-making is the goal then they succeeded. but merit? i'm not sure. i will give it to the camera and lighting crew and the DP though. oh and production design or location scouter because the locations and the shots were really gorgeous. the lighting in the horrendous scene where he rapes his drunk "boyfriend" was BEAUTIFUL and that bathroom was gorgeous. and the styling wasn't so bad either particularly for apo. i really enjoyed the whole frilly and heeled boots thing. but that's about it and it doesn't really entice me when the thing itself, the content, is...what it is.
perhaps this is repetitive but: these are not morally grey, interesting, or even just balls to the wall fucked up characters. these are characters from what is essentially a wattpad fanfiction and it's not on par with actual good television or even good romance (TO ME or IN MY OPINION or whatever since people take this shit so seriously) but a very very very long long long commercial for how to not be a human being. are the men hot? who knows and that's not a good enough reason but i honestly couldn't even tell because it was so cringe-y so many times and the jokes aren't funny and it's just SO ??!?!?! it's just so...????? i showed my roommate and she was like 'i don't think they really fit' it's just confusing idek how else to explain. this is a really...is baffling the right word? it's a baffling show? lmao. it just EXISTS? gorl idk
Was this review helpful to you?
it was ok
i am rewatching it now to see if i missed anything to make me think it was just okay-to-bland and no i feel the same. it was fine, it was cute but that's it...it was just ...ok? the more i sit with it the more flat i think about it while knowing in my brain it was cute but not feeling it the way i want nor what others do.imo what the show lacks is heart and a sense of true intimacy. of friends, of space, of romance, of life. it's evident even the way the scenes are set up. i understand that they were in higher alert for covid when this was filmed but that's the reality of all productions from here on out until the world gets its shit together. additionally, though i do not think that it is as high as people think, if the budget for production WAS high then it absolutely should have been better! we should have been able to see it with thoughtful production, editing, shot choices. and i'm sorry but it was shot very perfunctorily and that was evident. but the whole thing is so sterile /and/ perfunctory so it makes sense.
i don't care for nor notice patterns of supposed cross-gender norms (miscategorized as heteronormativity) placed on these relationships or characters and i do not think that is the issue since BL is definitively and staunchly dedicated to masculinity even when it tries to imply some type of 'female' in more feminine characteristics. i mention this because the issue with them wasn't the tall/short thing but there was 1) a difference in caliber of acting 2) very obviously that other kid is young and he is very very small so it is kind of jarring to see one, who is very much not college aged anymore, and someone else who graduated high school 2 years ago (and is very much college age!)
what's most shocking to me is the reception of the show. i have noooo idea how it got so popular or even exactly why like what kind of contagious feelings that people caught for this show. i know there must be people who are pretty ambivalent towards it like i am. i wish it had more oomph or pizzaz or something. i have seen and watched way worse but i have also seen, watched, and /enjoyed/ the way worse and that's the biggest bummer for me. it doesn't have to be special but it could be something eye-catching, or really funny, or something to just stand out or makes you want to latch on to it except for the red clothing or the BLK coffee shots but that's about it and that's not enough. even his fake tattoo was boring and so new (hello! makeup!)
i didn't care for the manhua but they're so different that it doesnt really matter anyways. maybe the story from conception wasn't that interesting anyway? who knows but this one had no ambiance (literally with the way it was edited and no audio tracks of ambiance but also figuratively)
i don't remember the music (and i am literally rewatching it) and usually i hate music in these shows anyway so let's just say it was fine. would i rewatch? well i am now so.
the girl was hot and i love plurisexuals and that's about all i have to say now
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
ummmm i loved it lol
Summary: It’s about film school (well it’s an all around art department and not an exclusive college I think but whatever) and a filmmaking competition. A dude meets another dude when needing to collaborate on an assignment for class. They both have issues and they fall in love. The protagonist is Si Won.Despite having seen the poster before, I had no intention of watching this. I was bored and procrastinating, so I decided to browse the ‘newest’ list on the explore page; now I'm glad I did. I was not prepared for ANY of that, including my reactions to it or my feelings afterwards. Blueming was like a short, intense, emotional love letter to the art of filmmaking, the volatility of art/film school in a neat story.
That’s a huge part of why I enjoyed it so much and why I love rewatching it. It’s very authentic in that way and I loved that so much. I can make connections between this, the love and obsession of all the movies and art I’ve absorbed and seen as well as my knowledge of working in filmmaking/art and the past—and current—experiences that make up the love of what we do. Tangentially, I immediately felt compelled to rewatch "Bright Star" (story about Keats and the love of his life. Dir. Jane Campion, 2009) afterward because I wanted to experience the same sense of intimacy (though it’s more intense in the film, more cinematic).
Consider the time constraints and view the program in the light of what is essentially a feature-length movie. The time constraints are a built-in flaw in these shows that they would be able to overcome, imo, if they treated it moreso like a feature when recording instead of episodic and needing to establish something concrete in every episode. Would take too long to elaborate but I hope some people understand what I mean in the difference between a TV approach and a film one.
However, though shortform is limited in what they can accomplish, it's a mark of the show's success when viewers are able to evaluate it moreso on the basis of its content, rather than being preoccupied with the things they feel are missing.
They wove cinema into their identities; being artists is part of that. The pacing was good (for how brief it is), and we were shown as well as told. Daun, the least developed between the two, changed between the beginning and the end (all the characters did) And though he is the least developed of the two, more blank slate, that’s the point of writing for visual media. They don’t end up where they started; something has actually changed. I actually think a season 2, if it is to be believed they are making one, is a great idea though I wish it were a full-fledged one since I believe the production team could have a lot to say.
It's realistic but not nihilistic or overbearing, more easygoing in reflections of reality. Sometimes things are bad, awful, hard as fuck and sometimes they’re beautiful, the depths of humanity. Again, and artistic, and particularly very cinematic, view of the world. Everyone’s striving to be themselves. Daun and Siwon's bond is defined, but I admire Siwon's sister's storyline openness. Not because a romance for her wouldn't be intriguing, but because you want everyone to be happy. Typical of a lot of Asian media of this genre, they also don’t define the sexualities in narrow terms which is what I personally prefer but not everyone does. Such is life.
Acting: So ok. Never heard of either actor but their acting was good. Think Kang Eun Bin does theater, which makes sense why he’s good, and Jo Hyuk Joon did opera. The best I’ve seen in these types of series, and a Korean one. Hyuk Joon has more experience, clearly, but he has also lived a longer life, and has developed into his body more. There isn’t a glaring asymmetry though, not at all. Eun Bin is more lanky and awkward—which will naturally change over time with age—but he knows what to do, and how to incorporate it, within his movements (movement and the way you talk is really important for me in acting). JHJ brings such charm to Da Un even when he seems impenetrable; Eun Bin displays realistic faux-confidence—we can see the cracks immediately for both of them. This isn't how I'm used to seeing these shows and enjoying it.
There was a vague air of attraction that was built from the first time they met, without these two specific actors I cannot imagine it being the same. Physical intimacy was a plus, but even if that wasn’t there, what they showed would elicit even my own feelings of wanting that type of intimacy, to get cuffed. This couple's physicality involves being near and absorbing, consuming, each other's energy. Experiencing each other. Negative capability, per Keats. It's just good and it feels good; I can't explain it.
Conversational scenes were the most moving to me. There are a few crucial exchanges that I eagerly anticipated because of the writing, acting, and palpable intensity of the emotions they deftly conveyed, all of which were interesting and well done. The show grabs my/our attention by taking us along, making us feel like you're a part of the characters' lives and their universe. Without the artists, his friends, the ridiculousness/competitiveness, the anxiety of wanting to make it and be perfect because it is PRESSURE to have to deliver in this school setting—ultimately the most depressing and frustrating parts of art school—and how they deal with that, I doubt I would have enjoyed the show as much as I did. Btw, the bullshit is all too real, especially with men, who feel uncomfortable (many times threatened and emasculated, even the non-straight ones) with others' success and “losing out."
One of my favorite scenes is their scene in the street on the last ep. They both did amazing and Eun Bin shone in that scene.
I understand that some people were confused (and there were times when it was confusing, but you could go back and see what you missed), but I enjoyed the show's experimental elements. It was pretty powerful and the point is that it does take you a couple of times, or a delayed amount of time, to realize something is off in that particular scene. it would have been better if that experimental motif was previously established so the audience could gain that pattern recognition, though.
In terms of production, it's well-done. Her/her crew’s best, the actors best, and it makes me curious how she would work with other genres. Which brings me to a tiny point I'd like to make: I just don't get why women (regardless of sexuality) get so attached to this genre—as writers, producers, directors, whatever—exclusively, and I find the whole thing to be pretty cringe. Clearly Hwang Da Seul is talented, and her productions have tightened up, her crews better, the casting good. But she had a character stand-in for herself, explaining that these are the stories she loves and well. Me personally I don’t get it but I’ll leave it at that.
Anyway, there are production issues: time constraints, voiceovers I can’t stand and make me embarrassed (hotel room), more specific about Da Un—but the vagueness is also a plus for me—and more specificity about Si Won’s past. But then there were good cuts, or little things that reminded me why I love doing this. There’s a moment that transitions with a perfect beat from two characters speaking after an event, while declaring friendship, and going to Si Won and Da Un on a bus after they establish they feel something for each other. Even something as insignificant as that can leave a mark.
It's rare for me to enjoy the soundtrack of an asian TV show, but I found myself enjoying even the Bon Iver-sounding number. The music by JHJ is included as well! I really like that song.
The show is about two people who are growing up and going through growing pains, falling in love, and being in love. where everything that goes wrong is worth it and you can firmly believe in a happily-ever-after, but a real happily-ever-after where nothing is perfect but it's good enough.
I’ve rewatched the show multiple times; it’s entertaining and the two of them make a great couple. This is the director's best work, in my opinion, most intimate and full of feelings, it's delightful and will make you feel immensely good. I really hope she tries her hand at other things and genres.
Was this review helpful to you?
Drama Festival 2014: The Diary of a Resentful Woman
0 people found this review helpful
Was this review helpful to you?
how was this even worse
at this point they are so awkward around each other like their uncomfortableness seeps into the performance and it's embarrassing to watch. i know there's a movie coming and i understand capitalism adores shit like this but i am honestly just begging them to stop. when i see gifs of them i start laughing. when i saw them kiss i started to laugh. i tried so hard to get through this and i couldn't. i was so embarrassed and it felt so fucking awkward so wholetime i[m like this is a fucking walking commercial in a very bad way.and i think the major issue is the unnecessary time jump since no one believes these people have been living together for a fuckin year. how the hell have they not gotten it together yet? how the fuck truly how the fuck can them touching even be frickin awkward. the montages and everything don't help it is just drowning drowning drowning in being uncomfortable and ridiculous. i don't even know their personalities at this point and the actors are absolutely walking blank faces now.
now mike and toptap have gotten better and in thct (idk that other drama theyre in i aint watch) theyre even better and i'd looooooove to see more of them. and in the first round of the regular series they actually kiss. at first i was like this is stupid but they actually are working together and it is fun to watch them. this is a good example where people are not (seen as or as much as) conventionally attractive but they shine through the way that the main couple couldn't for several reasons. it begs the question on how many people even want to be actors but i digress
just embarrassing and cringe. oh and the storyline....dude 20 minutes away? after a year??? but also he refuses to be touched??? it hought it was two years but it's one so they are still in that hmoon phase yet it is unbearable to see them in the same room. you're adults, you live together, and have been together for a year and you cannot deal with being away from him for two weeks when it's a 20 minute drive. at first i thought it was funny since i'm not taking this seriously anymore but then you realize they want you to find it charming and that they're so in love and for everyone to have philosophical talks and moments as they long for each other but it is a waste of time. and from a technical standpoint i cannot for the life of me understand why they didnt put the sexuality conversation in the actual series at its running time. why are you doing it when it is set 2 years later? can someone edit their scripts for the love of christ?
and at least in the series they had their previous interactions and the set ups to go off of. i'm not sure how this is redeemed from the series (even though i don't think they ruined the series it just wasn't that great) when they are now acting like all their history doesn't matter and the world started yesterday? this universe is a damn mess and i jessss....
what the fuck? what the fuck?!?!? i am gonna torture myself by watching this movie arent i
Was this review helpful to you?
girl now i have seen some shit in my life....
this was some shit.
all 27 years i went by not seeing this in my eyeballs was amazing. now, at 29, i am still flabbergasted. amazed. stupified. what even was this and what is going on with the people who make this stuff or anyone involved? why did i put this in my eyeballs? what the FUCK did i just watch? - me in 2019, me in 2021
to say i remember nothing about this series but the fact that the boy kidnapped the other boy he was "in love" with and almost raped him and then did rape him or sth in the original novel (who cares oh my god i dont need this in my head) but the STORY itself? who even fucking knows. the rewatch value is nothing. the only thing that is shocking is they had real kisses but then you know. PRC was like "nah" and...lol. but like this show is so bad oh my god and the secondary couple too i cannot believe i watched thiiiis
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
why they have more chemistry when they werent 2gether? (ba dum tsh)
i quite literally will never understand how they had much better chemistry in the beginning. the only explanation i can give is the popularity and uncomfortableness bringing an uptick bc of it. because otherwise the show was so cute in the beginning. the scene with the car and the bike iw as proud of—rom com-y and very 10 things (which they also reference again. hate that movie, but i loved the tropes from there here.)and i guess yu get kind of blindsided. i didn't watch it because they were attractive—i hate that actors have to be when your charm and shine and attractiveness will shine absolutely through with your character and actors are hired not for looks but because of the way they move themselves and are able to act and that they have striking faces for the camera but we are not reliant on looks we fall in love with the people they play. but that takes too much time—but that certainly helped and their acting while not great was much better than what i had seen.
the couch scene was the last thing i remember that made me feel good about it. the pandemic was also starting up and i feel like so many of us got attached to it for that reason, truly, because my feelings about watching the show will always remember that and how difficult this time was. i can't rewatch ITSAY and i am not watching the sequel because it reminds me of that time so heavily and the show was already gut-wrenching for me. when i think back on this one i'm just like "....wow...so that was a thing in my eyeballs huh?" and i'm like damn at least it helped me a little. but what the fuck happened? i never watched all of the last episode and i saw the high 5 but from that to the special eps you start to truly realize the insane cracks in them and this relationship and the story. you look back with a different mindset and when you go to watch it's like glaringly obvious that they are embarrassed to be there and have no clue what they are doing.
on top of that: no, no one needs to fuck or kiss or whatever so we know the love but considering they make jokes and imply it and we get 0 z e r o indication of any deeper intimacy when they ARE in a relationship and /move in together/ and for the special supposedly being together for 2 years. i'm flabbergasted at that point it really was: WHY are you living together, do you people not touch each other??????? like what even was that?? when you see people you can get a feel of their interpersonal relationships so you can generally tell if someone is a sibling, friend, partner and for them it's like just two guys (5 feet apart in a hot tub....) just being there and everyone saying "see theyre in love" but bish wheryuuuurrrrrr and they "kiss" and "have sex" but they can't hold hands? that's an indication that they think intimacy = physicality; this is a pitfall for most media but especially when it is with men and geared towards women (as opposed to women focusing on women and a woman also directing these things) for BL. we saw them kiss in the special and that was appalling to me. truly one of the worst things ever because i felt nothing. but these shows think just cos just because they are physical FINALLY after work and no nbuild up with intimacy that we are now getting some sort of reward. this is all about expediency and getting otu as much money as they can but couldn't they have done a bit more to make it believable? (no so why bother when you can just have money)
i do not understand this show at all and i can't believe we watched something light fun and lovely and now all my memories are soooooooo embarrassed it's just fucking cringe man just cringe so awkward lol. god capitalism sucks smh
a lil extra aaside: for the love of god can men just stop calling each other feminine stuff or having chars play more feminine so we can tell which role they have in the rship. it is insulting, misogynist, transphobic, probably all the other -ists and it is especially annoying when something that is used between male couples as a joke (which i think is fine as long as women arent fucking implicated) and something for them and for their intimacy and rship you just have a bunch of beige walls being annoying about gender roles and penises WE GET IT we get it we get it women? NO. men? ok!
Was this review helpful to you?
however, it gave us perth who is, so far, one of the best thai actors i have gotten to see in any of these shows. who has an actual passion for acting and to continue that. i really admire it. he's so childlike and immature both as a character and just as a kid IRL at the time but it's really nice to see him act, for his certain charm to come out; he became the one i loved to watch. i loved him. and pete as a character really facilitated that. it was sort of made for him to do a blank slate on since perth's so small but not intended to be read as feminine or with any background trauma (like pete) so it was just easier to connect with him as someone who has a lot less of an identity both because of intentional purposes and the writing's own flaws. it's interesting to see how he's evolved since then. and you get to see this young new actor with a true passion for the craft. it's less about ae as a characer and more about just getting to watch someone grow into a better version of what's on the page. genuinely that's the best part of the show and what i'm happy it gave us.
Was this review helpful to you?
good? bad? who knows
it....wasn't great. not much happens. they weren't great actors, not the worst. my biggest issue with the show is though both couples are likeable, i ended up preferring saifahzon and i think that is absolutely solely because our main couple had way. too. many. kiss (or "sex"). scenes. this was before sz got together so it isn't about that. i was actually thinking of quitting the show regardless.i think when they had finally had sex the first time the rest of the ep was them just making out in places and it was just bonkers to me. i literally wanted it to end. if i wanted to watch softcore porn i would. but i don't want to? it's not even that it was steamy or salacious; it was for a BL i guess but. it just was not good for the structure and plot like idk it was overkill and you could see it. like what even is this writing? it's too gimmick-y. i don't even have anything to say abt the production bc my number one thought when it comes to this show is: did they really need to show us all that?
anyways tho it was like cute...
Was this review helpful to you?
