These two leads were actually really cute together. The cold male lead was never excessively rude, the warm male lead was never excessively dense. And together, they had a sweet tentative chemistry that felt organic, filled with gazes and smiles. And best of all, they never played coy with their own or each others feelings, nor what they wanted from each other. And the double entendre of "do you want to eat ramyeon" was spectacular to watch develop from one meaning to another.

There were subtle doses of humor sprinkled throughout. From the cliche situational comedy with our leads, to the caring but disgruntled "forever-alone" best friend who was stuck in an ongoing cycle of on-again, off-again with his off-screen boyfriend.

The kiss scenes were built up to pretty well, but generally lacked in the proportional execution for the build-up. I enjoyed it nonetheless though.

What I did not enjoy is how poorly constructed and inconsistent the plot was, even for a character-driven drama. It seemed to want to be a food drama, but lacked the proper attention and care for the food aspect to really warrant the title.

Even with Korean alcohol culture in mind, Jiyu could be interpreted as at least on the cusp of alcoholism for the majority of the drama (before someone comes at me with the most common rebuttal: it's been over half a year since the break up). Meanwhile, Kihoon's reason for not liking alcohol, that we seemed to have been building up tension to for so long, was too flatly delivered to have impact. Not to mention, the pacing from him being angry about the prospect of being around alcohol to selling it to openly drinking it with the rest of the characters was enough to give whiplash. Not to mention the fact that this same man who passed out after one shot is now able to drink multiple glasses with ease in the span of MAYBE a few months...

And then there were other areas of tension that were introduced and resolved too quickly. Or even an area of tension that was consistently put into subtext from beginning to end, but never resolved (the fact that Jiyu's superiors all seem to think poorly of him, resulting in a palpable lack of confidence in their presence).

I liked the ending messages though:
-The prospect of everyone liking the same dish, but liking it prepared in different ways. This same message isn't exactly uncommon with food dramas, and even dramas that only have minor focus on food (Moonlight Chicken for example).
-Food and drinks are best enjoyed in the presence of friendly company and tastes best when celebrating.

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Thoughts from an Asexual in her 20s

When most shows or movies advertise being about the teenage experience, you typically see a focus on things like first love, peer pressure, drugs, etc. And don't get me wrong, those things can definitely be a part of the teenage experience. But the topic that this drama decided to tackle is perhaps much more widely applicable. And needed. It's what sex education should be, told through the lives of realistic teenagers.

In it, there are discussions not just about sex the deed, but many things related to it (in no particular order): stigmas and pressure, sexuality, desire, terminology, self-gratification, history, STDs, harassment, birth control, periods, pregnancy, abortion, parenthood, parent-child relations, consent, feeling ready/prepared, and even where to find additional resources. It doesn't feel crowded. Nor does it feel like a scare tactic to encourage abstinence (like what was used in my own sex education). It was organic. And realistic. And grounded in real experiences I or those around me have encountered.

It was told through the lives of 3 female leads who all had to learn something or another about the above topics: a sexually-experienced and outspoken female lead, a shy and nervous female lead raised in a conservative household, and the sexually-indifferent to sexually-repulsed aroace female lead who often acts as the voice of reason for the other 2. And at the end of each episode, they come together at their favorite diner to discuss the lessons they learned and to encourage each other once again to keep learning all they can and to accept one another on their different journeys.

At first I wondered why a diner? It's so public. But I guess that was the point. It's effectively saying that this is a normal part of life. One that doesn't need to be discussed behind closed doors. Because when you leave these conversations for only private spaces, you run the risk of not having the conversations at all.

And I say aroace (aromantic asexual), despite the FL in question only being canonically labelled asexual, because she defines herself as not interested in romantic or sexual relations. It was actually my only major gripe with this story. I actually had to stop and put this on hold because the way she handled this label was incredibly irksome and disappointing to me. And I needed to give it some breathing room in order to see beyond this at all the good qualities of her representation.

Here's why it disappointed. There is a big movement in the asexual and aromantic communities to raise awareness about the differences between sexual and romantic attraction. Too often, the conflation of those terms is used to delegitimize us and our experiences. Too often, the conflation of these terms confuse those of us just trying to figure ourselves out. Too often, the conflation of these terms leads us to believing that asexuality/aromanticism are terms that almost fit, but don't. And using a phrase like "there are many ways to be asexual" does not erase the potential harm of ignoring why that movement of awareness exists. And it's even worse when the resources and adult figure informing the FL all describe the term in terms of sexual attraction - but the FL turns around and almost solely uses the term in reference to romantic attraction (instead of perhaps saying both). "It means I do not feel any desire for a romantic relationship." Like I said, it irked. A lot.

Perhaps this could be partially the fault of the subtitles though, because I do think i heard the term aromantic pop up in the spoken dialogue a few times. But as I do not speak the language, I may never know.

That being said, I related to the asexual FL a lot. Her perspective on the conversations her friends had and the pressures she overheard were a lot like mine. Her annoyances and break downs stung, because I have (and even continue to) feel them. She's comfortable with the label, and won't hesitate to support her allosexual friends and advocate for the spectrum of experiences. She's good rep, conflation of the asexual and aromantic terms aside. So it is a great start for asexual rep, and I look at this character with all sorts of fondness for existing.

But one other warning i will give though, is that this is NOT a show to binge. While it does overall have a happy and hopeful tone with great messages, it tackles a lot of heavy, sensitive, and/or uncomfortable topics and experiences. And I don't think it's just my fellow aces who will be itching to hit the exit button after too many episodes in a row. So for the sake of your ability to enjoy and appreciate the story, I highly recommend only watching a couple episodes at a time.

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A life drama full of great messages, but a romance it is not

The first and foremost thing viewers need to know when coming into this drama is that this is not a romance drama. It is a life drama with a few romance plots. It's slow. It's meandering. It's chock full of time skips. There's not a lot of focus on developing romance or chemistry.

As a life drama, it's about our many main characters finding their way through life. From elementary to high school to university to working life. On their relationships between each other, their romantic partners, and their family. And how their respective character flaws need to be overtaken before they can get what they want. As viewer, we are taken on a ride to see how they come to terms with a change in future plans, grief, insecurities, trauma, distance from loved ones, and more.

We get to feel the nostalgia of watching how people communicate/d through the passage of time. How certain technologies made it easier, but were still subject to the same difficulties because of the people using them. But through it all, we were able to see a friendship that lasted through multiple decades, even as the people within it changed. And we got to take a look at several different family dynamics, and how they are still family regardless.

I loved this drama. It had a nostalgic and comfortable atmosphere that I enjoyed sitting in with each episode. I also enjoyed seeing how our mains grew as individuals and all possessed some trouble or another that I could relate to. There wasn't much focus on relationships, but I think that's okay. Because it wasn't the direction this drama was trying to take.

If you're coming in expecting your typical BL, you'll be sorely disappointed. The Life/Slice-of-life genre is not for everyone. So if that genre is not for you, I highly recommend skipping. Because it is actually a good story. But it's a good life story, not a romance.

However, I do wonder if the drama might have been too ambitious with the amount of main characters it was tackling. All of their stories were told completely, but I didn't get to emotionally connect with them as I usually would have liked, despite their performances being pretty solid. In my experience, most life dramas with such a big array of characters will choose an episodic format, which helps establish to viewers that they aren't meant to emotionally connect with the character too much. But by putting all of their storylines together into the same episodes, it made me feel like I was expected to connect deeper than what I actually did. Nonetheless though, it is a quality that is common with life dramas, so I can't really hold it against this production in particular too much.

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A Queer Story Like No Other

This was an incredibly refreshing queer story. It told a brand new story in a unique but befitting way that, despite the slow pace, kept the show in my head and sent me re-watching episodes every week while it was airing. It didn't rely on dialogue to tell us everything that we needed to know, and it didn't need to. And the soundtrack, cinematography, and symbolism throughout makes it truly worth every re-watch.

There were a few scenes that felt slightly over-acted - but they were in the minority. And I still feel like some plot points were breezed over in order to make a more, and unnecessarily, complex plot/climax. But overall, this is a show that I will definitely be going back to time and time again. And I look forward to the more diverse stories that this drama will help encourage.

*Please see my comment below for a note to all non-Mandarin speakers for once you get to a certain plot revelation and start to angry at the subtitles.

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An adorable narcissist? HOW?!

I actually started this drama on a whim, after watching an FMV of the couple. I loved how the ML looked at the FL. That's all there was to it to make me hit the play button. And I guess it's a good thing that I went in without looking any further. Because in episode 1 I was greeted with a narcissistic male lead and time travel. Two things that normally make me run for the hills.

What made me stay? The male lead is definitely narcissistic, but never crosses the line. In fact, the writers somehow managed to balance his narcissism with his genuine care for others. Simultaneously. I don't know if i've ever seen anything quite like it before. I kinda wanna go through the narcissism tag to see if I can find another... He also goes through tremendous character growth, that felt natural and unrushed - despite the shortness of the series. And, fortunately for me, the time travel comes into play with a support character, not the leads. So it actually didn't have too much focus, and contributed to the message of the story in very interesting ways.

It's told with the classic manga-esque dramatics that really only Japan can pull of. It really pulls the punches on commenting on Pretty Privilege/Kawaii Factor and biases, in a humorous way that sent me laughing. I thoroughly enjoyed all the support characters. Not a single one had me annoyed or sent me ranting, especially by the end. And I adored watching the romance (even if I would have liked more affection from the female lead).

It's kinda poetic actually, that a story that wound up being about biases, made me question some of my own drama-watching biases. I am still wondering how this writer managed to make a narcissist so adorable and root for-able.



*Disclaimer: I am referring to his possession of narcissistic/self-centered traits which are commonly found in everyone on a scale of intensity, not as someone who appears to have Narcissistic Personality Disorder.

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Perfectly Complementary Character Growth in a Cozy Backdrop

Japan just has a way with these food dramas that few other productions can match. It just feels so down-to-earth, real, and cozy. It puts the small details into focus like nothing else can, and somehow manages to soften any societal critique messages and story stressors.

I wouldn't say this is a GL drama, but rather a lesbian adult coming-of-age drama. There isn't that same focus on the *need* to enter into a romantic relationship. Instead, we get to navigate the slowly shifting dynamic between these two women who find their perfectly complementary half. We get to see how the small comments and practices (what has often been coined as "micro-aggressions"), seemingly insignificant to the masses, can have a longstanding impact to others. They can become a source of insecurity, dissonance, and wariness. Things that make you feel "other." But this drama does it in such a way that it feels almost conversational, in such a way that we actually see every day and with responding messages that, while feeling unnatural at times, weren't drawn out and hung up for continuous reference).

I loved seeing the progression of these characters through the work. From shy, uncertain, and insecure, to understanding, to irreplaceable. From a dynamic where one ate and the other happily watched, to a dynamic where they both ate meals together, to a dynamic where their relationship was no longer limited to meals. I really hope that we get a season 2, and I don't say that about many dramas.

And the food looked delicious. I am so glad that the producers included recipes on the drama's website for the key dishes - because I'm definitely going to be trying some of these.

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An Emotionally Profound Seesaw of Aro/Ace Reality and Dreams

Despite what the previews for each episode tries to tell you, this drama was consistently a low-angst but emotionally profound story. And I'm unbelievably happy about the attention it's gotten since its release. Kodama and Takahashi are such well-written and well-performed examples of aroace individuals.

It was a bit odd though. Because it was a tenuous seesaw between the reality of being aro/ace in a society that doesn't understand how that could possibly exist, and the optimistic dream of all aro/ace individuals of being surrounded by people who seek to understand and will accept you even if they can't. And in the effort to create this aro/ace dream from the reflections of reality, some actions were unreasonably forgotten as the story went on. And it left me, as a viewer, feeling guilty for not being able to move past these small offenses and worrisome transgressions as easily as our leads did.

But at the end of the day, all these encounters served as meaningful lessons in what aro/ace individuals are expected/asked of daily and how those expectations weigh us down and creates an unintentional force that alienates us and invalidates our feelings. And their resolutions speak to what family is supposed to be about, and the different ways familial and other societal bonds manifest.

And I absolutely love how well everything was communicated between the characters. On the surface, Kodama (a highly sociable and energetic extrovert) and Takahashi (a guarded and reserved introvert who's only really enthusiastic about food and plants) shouldn't get along. Especially by allo standards of lacking sexual and romantic attraction. But yet they do. Bonded by their shared experiences as alloace adults and resultant loneliness, they create such an adorable platonic family. It was quite awkward and rocky for quite a while as it formed, as it naturally would, but left me gushing over their small but meaningful moments of comradery. It leaves me hopeful.

I love how this drama progressed from Kodama just looking for answers online to an overall story about being aroace as working and independent adults. And how being aroace doesn't mean you don't want to have a life with someone. And the way that this drama addresses that being aro/ace is a spectrum with a lot of things to consider was just so fantastically done.

The writing, performances, and representation had me on the verge of tears on more than a handful of occassions.

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BL Veteran votes this as A+ Disappointment

This story isn't the Until We Meet Again parallel story that we were hoping for and anticipating. For one, Win and Team (especially Team) feel like completely different characters. And not just between UWMA and this drama, but even within this singular drama, they weren't consistent. They don't feel like the same couple.

I'd even go as far as saying that they weren't WinTeam at all, but rather DeanPharm 2.0. All of the same points that people complained about UWMA are here in spades, just without the reincarnation plot. Trauma and nightmares. Enough crying scenes to desensitize you and make you cringe. Even Team's constant "Hia" can rival Pharm's "P." Anybody got a count going?

But the thing is, I loved UWMA. This drama didn't have its charm. For one, I know very well that this cast can act their butts off. But I didn't consistently feel that here. And Team's whining and crying started getting on my nerves, rather than move me. The music was poorly chosen, even the bgm, and was so mismatched that it came off jarring at several occasions. The main story went around in so many circles. And there were way way too many side couples and support characters that were irrelevant to the main story. It made Win and Team feel like support characters in their own drama.

In the beginning, it felt like you would need UWMA to understand this drama, due to the flashbacks. And while Dean and Pharm stayed continuously as a sloppy afterthought, you actually don't need UWMA. In fact, DO NOT WATCH UWMA. They deviated with this couple in several ways. Not even just character traits and expression (which we saw with my baby Manaow as well), but even scenes. Several scenes were different. And skipped. No matter how important they were to the WinTeam story.

Don't get me wrong, it was a good story. But terrible writing. It was like they had too little material/ideas for the number of episodes they had. So they just started throwing everything in and stopped caring about finessing what they had. They seemed to hope that Boun and Prem (the main actors) would carry the drama regardless of the story. Or maybe even hoping that they could sell these newer Wabi Sabi actors that made up the support cast through them. Think Love By Chance (one of this director's earlier works) and you've got a pretty good sense of the style this story wound up taking.

◼ I liked Prince and Bee as a couple and their overall storyline/message, but it should have been in another drama. It didn't fit here.
◼ I expected to see Manaow and Preuk here. Manaow is part of Team's friend group. But they were another afterthought. That, again, didn't feel consistent with UWMA.
◼ Tul and Waan were the saving grace of this drama. Very cute. Quite relevant. And with a relatively refreshing dynamic.
◼ The ABC Gang/Idiot trio shouldn't have been included. They were a waste of time. Not to mention how terrible A and Sea were to their friend Bee and it never got called out.
◼ Dean and Pharm were so poorly incorporated that they might as well not have been there at all.
◼ Win and Team dragged and went around and circles, meanwhile everyone else felt rushed. And everyone felt poorly-thought out.

Might be a good beginner BL. But as someone who has seen a ton of Thai BL dramas, even from this same director and cast, it was a giant disappointment.

Edit: Ultimately, the problem was that this drama didn't deliver on its promises to viewers. There wasn't anything problematic about the story, so I have raised my initial score after some reconsideration.

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A Mellow Production of 2 Lonely Hearts Navigating the World with Disabilities

First. What this drama is NOT:
It is not a poignant love story that will evoke your emotions. It is not a gush-inducing romance that will make you clap or kick your feet or grin like a giddy school child. In fact, how I am I about to describe what the drama is, will come off much more poetic than the actual execution.

What this drama is:
A mellow production equally composed of disability commentary and of a lesbian romance between two hearts faced with a different way of moving through life than the masses. They fit very well together in theory. And the actors nailed the romantic gazes and awkwardness of a new relationship. One of the female leads is the insecure type with years of walls. She knows that her condition prevents her from gaining and maintaining genuine connections. The other female lead just wants to be taken seriously as an independent woman despite her disability - by the workforce, her family, and her romantic partners. They're already carrying emotional damage before we even meet them on screen - adding a layer to awkwardness, although often quite charming, into the vast majority of their interactions.

Many of the wheelchair points have been done before - whether that be the questions, the clout-related requests, the inaccessibility of major buildings and services, micromanaging and hovering family and friends, or the excuses during the job search. So, while I can't relate personally, it does seem they tackled this topic with knowledge and empathy. It's not new, but it's incredibly relevant. And quite new in the realm of queer media specifically.

What I could relate to though, was Luna's condition. Her Delayed Sleep Phase Disorder was nailed, at least in the first 3 episodes anyway. The microaggressions were flawless. As someone who experiences the same delay (just not to the point of being a disorder), I am no stranger to ALL of the snide and off-handed comments, the assumptions, the difficulties. That if you are up all night, you're a slacker. You're lazy. You're not committing yourself. You're wasting your time. You're off partying. All of the "helpful" suggestions to help you get to sleep earlier. The unfortunateness of normal business hours, especially for work. The difficulty keeping up with a social life (unless they reside in a different time zone). Not being able to get opinions/feedback at the opportune time. Or to gush about something happy or exciting when it happens. It puts everything on a delay. Everything is done retroactively - as Luna herself states.

I loved seeing the way this drama unfolded in it's night time setting. Not the energy-filled chaos of the nightlife associated with clubs and parties and bars. But rather the mellow quietness of a world where everyone else is asleep. And seeing how all these individuals, up at night for different reasons, find a rhythm with each other - settling into relationships of romance, friendship, and family.

Now if you will excuse me, the sun will be rising in a couple of hours - I should probably start winding down for bed. 😉

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Largely set in the bar of ARTnSHELTER (which has since been closed, from what I've read), this is a great story of deafness, coming out, and acceptance.

In it, we see a story told entirely through sign language from actors and crew belonging to and familiar with the community. This was actually the first project from the director where they utilized sound, and they did so very well. For instance, the audible sounds that deaf individuals may let off while talking to each other. I know that this is a subject that's brought up a lot in the deaf community in reference to interactions with hearing people. The film also utilized scene-fitting speechless ambient music in the background which definitely helped me, as a hearing individual, focus on the film better than if it was pure silence.

In it, we see the development of concerns about coming out after a bad first coming out experience, especially in the context of how small the deaf community is in some areas. We see a diversity of rounded LGBTQ rep through our main and support characters (bisexual, gay, lesbian, trans ftm, and trans mtf) as they create a safe haven for each other through the sharing of their stories and understanding. In fact, Ayumi even explicitly draws a diagram showing how gender, sex, and sexuality are all independent spectrums of identity.

The acting was also great. Normally, I will tear up upon hearing someone's voice cracking. But Hana's facial expressions were so detailed and spot-on that I found myself tearing up even without the audio input that normally contributes. However, while I was completely sold on the characters as individuals, I didn't think that the 2 FLs had romantic chemistry. They felt more like really close friends. They lacked the glances between each other that would have really sold their emotional investment to each other.

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Ouch - in the best and worst ways.

After hearing that this film was soon to be taken off of GagaOOlala, I immediately put this at the top of my watchlist. And ultimately, I'm rather disappointed with it.

It definitely spoke to a common asexual experience - with the main character starting to feel trapped in her relationship because of his frequent desire for intimacy. She'd even come up with reasons to get out of it (eating kimchi to get kimchi-breath, saying her sister is in town, etc.) and worried that her denial would upset her boyfriend. Asking her friend if she is supposed to like sex. Trying porn. Wondering if she might be homosexual and that's the reason for her lack of interest. The feeling of being numb and broken because she can't figure it out. These are experiences that many sex-repulsed and sex-indifferent asexuals can identify with. Perhaps even some sex-favorable aces.

And I loved the use of the S.O.S. Morse code whenever she's in a situation where she has to be "normal."

The film also used symbolism with the asexual flag colors (black, grey, white, and purple), but this felt a bit heavy-handed at times (it was everywhere, I'm not even kidding). But it did lead to a scene where someone commented on her always dressing like that and saying "it suits you" - which I found really cute. So I give it a tentative pass on that.

But at the same time, I don't think they used the colors with their meanings in mind - because we have a scene where she identifies everyone as being "black" - but yet black represents asexuality, so they probably should've used white instead.

Furthermore, at the end we get a scene where she seems to finally accept who she is. But then immediately afterwards we see her enter a crowd and cover her asexual-flag-colored dress with the quote saying "Everyone is black. And I am also black." The Morse code even stopped going off. I'm not gonna lie. This hurt. She had never once covered up her colors before, even when questioning. But now that she knows what she is, she's going to hide/ignore it. I've seen it in numerous other asexual short films, and it gets me every time. I hope we get to the point where this is another cliche ending we avoid.

And then there's the fact that asexuality is never once mentioned within the actual film.

I will say though that I appreciated the New York Times quote on asexuality at the end, as well as the Asexuality Visibility and Education Network (AVEN) resource. I think these are important for the topic being discussed.

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A Classic Kdrama, with a BL Spin

In the beginning, it was quite rough. Ji Ho Joon was up on a high horse that he refused to come down from. Which isn't exactly uncommon for this sort of premise. But I would have appreciated a touch more human-ness in the beginning - especially after hearing his backstory in the finale. I think that some of his actions just didn't match who the character was supposed to be. And then we were expected to forget about it - which, granted, we mostly did.

I also thought the drama was going to introduce a certain trope for a while there. And perhaps they would have, if the drama had been longer. Thankfully, the story stayed true to itself and didn't overcomplicate matters. The pacing turned out quite great and felt natural to the situations that the characters were in. And the characters were consistent. The actors had good chemistry, even if I wasn't always sold on their individual performances.

It very much felt like a classic kdrama, with a BL spin. Nothing groundbreaking or new, but it made for an enjoyable watch.

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A Lovely Metaphoric Work of Healing and Growth

I'm absolutely in love with this series. It has an unrefined aspect to it that I truly expected to grate on me, but fast became a source of charm. The visual metaphors of the colors and mental cries for help were so well done and captivating. And the fact that only a few of these stories had romance to them, let alone intimacy, was a welcome surprise. The entire premise of this drama, put in its most simplest of terms, is that there is a certain level of power (either good or bad) in every small/brief interaction.

We see characters grapple with their sense of self-worth, their dreams, their relationships. We see something so raw and human throughout each of these episodes, but in a muted and appropriately-short way that it relates to audiences without the draining aspect that is so well-known amongst other healing dramas.

I can see myself rewatching this drama time and time again - for the characters, for the artistry, and for the interconnected tidbits throughout.

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A cute start, but so so painfully awkward at the end

I've been sitting on this review for a while. Because all-in-all, it was a good idea. And the cast did a pretty good job at demonstrating the jealousy, shyness, and longing of their characters. But this short film's progressions was quite weird. Apparently, being so friendly that they must be in a relationships means a high five and weird jumping side hug? Even if someone took a picture to make the encounter out of context, there was nothing about that interaction that would warrant the love interest's jealousy.

The continuity with the popsicles was also so glaring that I couldn't take my eyes off of it. Well, until we got into the "kiss." They should have stuck to holding hands. Or cuddling next to each other while eating the ice cream or watching a movie. I'm not even sure if their lips were actually touching, because they were very much off to the side of each other. It looked painfully awkward. And then after the credits roll one pushes the other down on the bed. I lost what little bit of immersion I had gained back after the jealousy moment that I just can't bring myself to like this.

But the inching hands together during their study session at the beginning of the film was very cute.

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