A wonderful picture of the future

I fell for this movie hard and fast and I don't think I'll ever forget the way it's made me feel.
It is still all too rare to see queer women being portrayed in film and television and it is even rarer to see depictions of older queer people. Here, we got to see both. And not only that, but the story is undeniably a happy one.
Accompanied by a smooth swing soundtrack, we get to see a love story unfold that feels both like a trip down memory lane and a dream of the future. Everything from the lighting, the camera work, the music, to even the deliberately chosen 1:1 resolution, serves to conjure up a feeling of deep nostalgia which is directly juxtaposed by the film's message of looking forwards, towards the future and towards happiness.
I could honestly spend hours picking apart every detail about this movie but then this review would be several thousand words long and probably absolutely incoherent.
So instead I am just going to say thank you. Thank you to everyone who played a part in creating this movie. Thank you for giving me the chance to dream about what my life could be life decades from now. About how I could be allowed to grow older and happier every year. It means the world to me.
To everyone reading this review I will say this: go watch this film, go watch it right now, trust me you won't regret it.

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They did it again!

I've been on an absolute binge of these shorts lately and every time I think "Surely this time it'll but just okay, surely this time I won't enjoy it as much" and every time I'm proven wrong.
The production value of this little film is excellent, as always, and I really liked the music.
I also think that some full-length dramas could take notes on romantic and sexual chemistry from this, very much censored, movie. I mean at this point the subtext is not so much subtext and more just actual text, it's really fun to see just how much these productions toe the line of what the censors will allow.
In short I'd recommend watching this. It's four minutes of pure fun and sometimes that's all you need.

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Short, sweet, and to the point

Man, but I wish it had been longer. Usually I'm not one to bemoan the shortness of, well, short films, but with this one I really would have liked to see just a bit more.
It's a visually stunning little movie with the tarot and fortune telling theme woven into the story line flawlessly.
I really liked how it serves as a vessel to deliver the movie's core message: coming out is hard. Love is hard. But often it's worth fighting for.
That being said, I really wanted to see what the reactions were to the coming out. It seems like such an essential part of the story and it felt a bit dissatisfying for it to just be completely dropped like this at the end.
I'd still say it's worth watching this film. It's beautiful, it's sweet, and it doesn't shy away from letting it's protagonists kiss like so many other shows and movies do.
All in all, this was five minutes well spent.

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Made me feel like dancing

This is such an incredibly sweet film it almost sent me into a diabetic coma.
The production quality is truly excellent, the editing is perfectly suited to the story, and the acting is absolutely fantastic.
And, most importantly, in just barely thirty minutes this movie manages to perfectly capture the feeling of being a young queer kid in dance class, dancing with your best friend. Yes, that's a way more common experience than you think.
I also really love how the movie manages to portray the feelings and attitudes of young people living in a relatively conservative environment and being subjects to its rules. It never explicitly goes into detail on this, but all the subtle little nods towards the topic, like the girls talking about queer relationships openly while the teachers are lecturing them about topics such as conforming to the virtuous culture of Thai society, paint a very clear picture.
In short, I highly recommend watching this film. It's a simple, hopeful story which provides a brief window into the day-to-day of two queer girls simply living their lives. It's tender, it's charming, and it is absolutely worth your time.

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Short, sweet, worth a watch

This is simply a lovely little roommate romance condensed into roughly 15 minutes.
It's a bit rough around the edges but it has that shoe-string budget charm going for it so I didn't really mind.
The characters are surprisingly easy to get attached to and the script, while it may not be a masterpiece of story-telling, gives them distinct personalities and quirks.
I also just thought quoting Chinese dramas at each other was cute, I'm easy to please, so what.
Until we get more actual full-length dramas starring queer women, these shorts will have to do and this one certainly makes the long wait easier to bear. Go give it a shot if you're curious, you might just like it.

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A little rough around the edges but still very enjoyable

I liked this one. It's a very simple, short story about reconnecting with someone who used to be important to you and is as such pretty much universally relatable.
The audio and editing are a bit choppy and the acting is a little rough at times, but given the short runtime they really managed to pace the movie well and tell the story they wanted to tell.
If you don't like the unpolished vibe of indie productions, this won't be for you, but if you're willing to overlook some superficial flaws I think you'll really enjoy this sweet little tale of young but enduring love.

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A gentle, understated film about humans endlessly, fiercely screaming and clawing for love

That's exactly what this movie is to me, a silent scream, a completely inaudible roar for love and happiness - and it is absolutely, unrestrainedly, beautifully joyous.

I love nothing more than quiet, profound explorations of the human condition (forgive my use of that pretentious phrase) so I already knew I was going to like this movie, but I had no idea just how much I'd love it.
It has fantastic writing, stellar performances from the entire cast, and the editing as well as the soundtrack (or more often the lack thereof) perfectly underscore the characters and their emotions and lend the film its distinctive, quiet atmosphere that lets it tell its story so effectively.

But more importantly than all that, this movie has things to say. About being human. About being happy. About love.
And is says these things in so many tender little moments that all build up to a big thundering shout, until every frame seems to scream about reaching for joy and happiness, about the clawing fight and the simple reaching out, about what it means to love someone, anyone at all, and why it is vital for us squishy, brittle, hungry humans to experience that love as the transformative force that it is and let it makes us bigger, and stronger, and kinder. About finding beauty and care and kindness in other people and allowing them to change you, but also about the kindness of being uncompromisingly yourself.
I could spend hours waxing lyrical about the wild joys and endless griefs of being human and why media exploring those themes is so valuable, and this movie certainly gave me ample opportunity for it, but I don't think that's necessary.

All I need to say is that if you like movies with authentic, believable characters, respectful yet unflinching exploration of queer topics, and heavy themes of love and joy and forgiveness and the journey the search for these things takes each of us on, then this movie is without a doubt perfect for you.
And if that doesn't sound like it'd appeal to you, I'd encourage you to watch it anyway; genuinely. There is so much to love about this film, so many wonderful ways it could be viewed, I think you might just end up loving it for a myriad of reasons that I didn't even touch on.
This is one of those films that makes your life slightly better for having seen it, so go watch it and give it the chance to do just that.

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Queer women, queer friendship, and a whole lot of charm

Finally, I've found it! A drama centering around queer women and their lives and actually has enough episodes to develop a story and allow the audience to really get to know the characters.
I really love this show. It's got great writing, amazing acting, and a sweet, uplifting story with an emphasis on how important community and safe spaces are not just for queer folk in general, but for queer women in particular.
You can absolutely tell that this show was written by queer people for queer people and I love it for that alone.
The story focuses on friendship rather than romance which I personally loved, but there are several tooth-rottingly sweet romantic subplots as well for all the rom-com lovers out there.
There really isn't all that much left I could say other than: This show is amazing, it's wonderfully charming, and just a plain joy to watch. I can't recommend it enough, go watch it already.

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Not for me, I'm sad to say

God, I feel really mean giving this show the lowest rating out of all the shows I've reviewed, but this just missed the mark so thoroughly for me.

I usually love slow-paced, character-focused stories with an emphasis on human connection and the varied queer experience, but personally I got none of that from this show.
I couldn't really connect with any of the characters, as sweet and harmless as they are.
The visuals and music were alright but nothing specifically stood out to me.
I didn't really like the pacing or any of the character arcs, they all just left me feeling indifferent at best and dissatisfied at worst.

But it's not like the show particularly does anything wrong either. Almost all of my gripes with it come down to taste and what didn't work for me might just be perfect to someone else.
And I'm really glad that this show seems to have a small but dedicated audience that clearly got a lot out of the story and really seem to love it with all their heart. It genuinely makes me happy to know this show is making someone's life a little better even if it did nothing for me personally

So if you like sweet, low-drama high school romances or Thai dramas that don't feel like an endless parade of product placements (not to rag on those types of shows too much, they've got their perks too) then I'd suggest giving this a shot.
There's clearly something worthwhile hidden in this show if some people adore it this much - who knows, maybe you'll find it even if I couldn't.

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A boss, an employee, and a whole lot of feelings

I wanted to love this one, I really did. I'm a sucker for a good office romance, but something about this just didn't hit quite right.
There isn't really any specific thing that's done wrong or any story-telling choices that I found offensive. Hell, I even quite liked the characters, especially Seo Ji Yeon. But despite it all, I just couldn't get into it.
Maybe it was the drunken kiss between the two leads (which I'd go so far as to call dub-con, despite how wholly consensual and reciprocal their relationship is afterwards) that put me off, or maybe it was Kim Jong Chan's somewhat exaggerated innocence.
Whatever the case, it simply didn't work for me.
If you're looking for a simple office romance with a happy (and admittedly very sweet) ending, you might find this an enjoyable way to spend 120 minutes. If you want something more complex then I'd give this one a miss.

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Completely head over heels in love with this show

I cannot overstate the extent to which I adore this show. The first season was already fantastic, but season two has exceeded all of my expectations.
Without ever taking away from the comforting, delightful bond between Nomoto and Kasuga, this season introduces a range of new characters who each serve to further the story in their own unique ways.
In addition to further explorations of the importance of female friendship and the power of good food, season two also focuses on the exploration of queer identity and community, the difficult realities of living as a queer couple in modern day Japan, as well as the social and societal pressures and challenges women face in their day to day lives.
All told through the medium of bubbling hotpots and adorable desserts. Truly, it's magic.
I also greatly appreciate Nagumo's character and the different perspective on food and humans' complex relationship with it she provides.
Oh yeah, and did I mention there's ace rep now??
In short, just go watch the show already if you haven't, I'll be here on my hands and knees, begging and pleading for a season 3 in the meantime.

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A show that shoots for the sky - succesfully!

Oh but I adore this show! I expected to like it just fine, but I never would have thought I'd fall as head over heels in love with it as I did. Miracles upon miracles, it even made me start to care about basketball!

From the very first episode it's clear that this series is different from other Thai productions - the lighting and cinematography are absolutely gorgeous, the script is expertly written and feels true to life, and the pacing and editing are unique but utilised to their full effect.
I've seen a lot of people complain about the show's pacing and its use of time skips and while I understand why these choices weren't everyone's cup of tea, I personally think they worked perfectly and added a lot of nuance and depth to several important story-lines.
Even the sports aspects, which I expected to enjoy the least, are well thought-out and serve to establish and advance story and characters, as well as being very engaging to watch.

If I had to sum the atmosphere of the series up in three words I'd describe it as quiet, warm, and sincere.
Instead of comedy sound effects, we get an understated, often purely visual type of humour that I personally greatly enjoy.
Instead of dramatic plot twists and evil villains, we get a cast multi-faceted, flawed, yet deeply likeable characters whose personal journeys of growth drive the plot. There is no antagonist for the characters to go up against, there are no highly tragic outside circumstances they have to fight.
Any conflict stems from the characters' complex relationships - to themselves, to their dreams, to each other - which are all treated with an astonishing amount of care and respect.
Even the topic of cheating (a trope which I usually deeply dislike) is handled exceedingly well here without degrading or vilifying any of the characters involved.
Another thing this show excels in is its depiction of queerness. Instead of viewing its characters through a strictly hetero-normative lens and forcing them into rigid boxes and relationship dynamics, it depicts sexuality as something fluid and complicated. While it doesn't go into great detail on issues of homophobia or the complexities of labeling one's gender or sexuality and these topics clearly are not the show's focus, there is still a lot of care put into exploring the various difficulties young queer people face every day; from figuring out who you are, to coming out, to navigating a first relationship.
And of course there is Fluke - a trans character who breaks the mold by simply... being a whole, three-dimensional human being with their own goals, their own struggles, and their own personality. I won't lie, after the years and years of enduring trans characters depicted as nothing more than caricatures with no purpose other than providing comic relief, seeing someone like Fluke not only existing, but *thriving* was incredibly meaningful not just for me specifically, but for trans viewers in general.

So if you want a well-written, highly character-driven romance drama with beautiful camera-work, good music, and a whole host of lovable, authentically queer characters, then give this one a go.
I'd also recommend anyone who enjoys classic, sports-themed coming-of-age stories give this show a shot, I think you might just love it!

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Left me feeling anything but blue

This one is an underappreciated gem of a show!
Let me start of by saying I did not watch Kiss, nor did I watch Kiss Me Again.
What I did instead was watch a fan-made cut of Kiss Me Again (edited and linked here on MDL by the lovely Claudeville) which provided me with a solid grasp of all the characters' backgrounds and relationships and was more than sufficient for me to be able to fully appreciate DBKs continuation of the story.
Production quality wise, the series is excellent. The visuals are lovely, the music is fantastic (I am an absolute sucker for dramatic strings, so the intro is right up my alley), and script and performances are incredible.
I've seen some people take issue with the continuity errors between DBK and its predecessors, but personally I think the changes made were for the best.

DBK is still a soap opera, but it focuses heavily on the real issues many queer men have to deal with. The characters' overlapping relationships are complex and there is plenty of drama, but there is a sense of realism and authenticity to the story that is rare in this genre.
One thing the show does particularly well is the way it explores the many difficulties and issues surrounding a coming-out.
It shows the heavy relationship strain of one partner being closeted, the insecurities this can cause to arise, the resentment constant secrecy can breed. It highlights the painfully real social and financial concerns closeted people have to reckon with when they are considering coming out.
Where other shows main concern lies in whether or not their characters can find the courage to openly be themselves, DBK forces its characters to consider whether they even have the luxury to make that choice in the first place. Another user, Moonbyulie, elaborates further on this in their review, which makes for very interesting reading and I highly recommend having a look at that as well should you be interested.

Another strong point of the series are its characters. They are all (deeply) flawed, yet highly likeable individuals whose conflicting backgrounds and ideals lead to many painful clashes and whose individual journeys of character growth are both gut-wrenching and an absolute joy to watch.
They may at times make frustratingly poor choices, but they never stop calling each other out on their problematic behaviour and they never stop supporting and caring for one another.
Even Non, the show's ostensible "villain", is an incredibly complex character who walks the line between hateful and sympathetic perfectly.

In short, I highly recommend giving this show a shot. It's not perfect - some plot points certainly fall a bit short and some writing choices are questionable - but it also offers some of the most compelling and layered characterisations to be found in this genre.
If you enjoy well-written romance dramas that tackle real-world issues with skill and a good dash of humour, then this one is for you.
If you're in the market for a more serious and mature slice-of-life story which provides a well-balanced mix of romance and character study, then you will enjoy this series as well.

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So wholesome and sweet it almost sent me into a diabetic coma

Aww hell, they really got me with this one. I wasn't expecting to like this show as much as I did but they won me over alright.
Plot-wise My School President doesn't really bring anything new to the table but through a combination of good writing, genuinely clever humour, and the occasional trope subversion it manages to make the story feel fresh and entertaining.
The young cast all deliver incredibly solid performances and the characters are all deeply charming.
Not only are the relationships depicted (romantic, platonic, or otherwise) wonderfully healthy and realistic - an absolute highlight for me personally are Tinn and Gun's respective relationships with their parents - the show also gains an edge by focusing on the more difficult aspects of teenage life as well as just on straight-forward fluff.
It explores how hard growing up can be, the difficulties of trying to find out who you are and what you want to do with your life, grief, failure, and the realities of being a young queer person in today's society.
It addresses all these topics with great care and and insight without ever getting too heavy or preachy about it.

I also really appreciate how uncompromisingly the story allows its main characters to take their relationship at their own pace. What starts off as a fun spin on the classic nerd/jock trope quickly develops into a slowly yet steadily building bond filled with mutual respect and fondness which the show uses to analyse the often blurry lines between platonic and romantic love as well as the differences between physical and emotional intimacy.
This all works together to paint an achingly sweet yet grounded picture of first love that had me, a grown ass adult, grinning like a fool much more often than I'd care to admit.

The show isn't perfect of course, it does have its flaws, but most of what I disliked about it was entirely down to personal taste. The sound track, for instance, did not work for me at all and the auto-tune hurt my soul a little bit, but a lot of people seem to genuinely love and appreciate this series for its music so you might really enjoy it as well.
It also has to be said that I am clearly not the target audience for this show, it's aimed at a younger demographic, so it's honestly a very pleasant surprise just how much there is to enjoy and love about the show for someone like me as well.

In short, MSP is a show that I would have loved as a tiny high-school baby gay, but which is still highly enjoyable even as an adult queer person. If you're in a the market for a well-written, deeply wholesome high-school rom-com with a good dash of realism as well as clever jokes, then this one is for you.
And if you're an old cynic who needs their cold heart dusted off a little bit, then this show might be just what you need as well.

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