Magic and Oishi Green Tea

The three episodes are standalones, the only thing they have in common is magic and the Oishi Green Tea. It does feel like a commercial for the said product – I understand they are the sponsor, but it can still be overdone.

Maybe a general complaint would be that all three parts seemed rushed which is because they tried to squeeze a story into one episode. Also the whole fat agenda in the first and third episode really annoyed me. Neither of the two is fat (or ugly), so the whole thing was absurd.

The chemistry between all three couples was amazing and I didn’t expect anything else. I always love seeing them paired together.

Zero Photography: It’s a cute episode. Ink and Pa have always been a fav ship of mine, so I was really looking forward to this episode. I also liked the idea that the photos are a way for us to remember the past.

Zero in the Moonlight: I feel like Maki’s phobia is a bit overdone. Also the fact that her and Fong literally knew each other for 3 days and are already super in love with each other is a bit farfetched.

Zero Supporter: Another body swap situation. I am sad that they went for the typical love triangle and jealousy trope with this one. We already had that in their original series. I did enjoy watching Korn and Win acting like the other one, I found Earth acting as Win hilarious! The sass was on point.
 

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Gave us the conclusion that S1 failed to give

It was mostly cute and fluffy. We got to see all of our favourite characters again. I think what I liked the most is that it gave us the conclusions I felt like we were not given at the end of the first season. While Sarawar and Tine are still the main couple, there is a lot more focus and screentime given to other couples as well, which is what helped round their stories. There was a lof of conflicts to be resolved (many that made no sense at all) in such short time, so things did seem a bit rushed at times. But with this being a special with only 5 episodes and there being so much left to be done, I kind of expected it.

The only other complaint I have is on the music - I get that Sarawat is in the music club and in a band, but I felt like there was just too much performing. There was a lot in the first season too, but I felt like it made more sense there and that it was more nicely divided throughout the season. But it felt too much for this one, probably because it was this short and it ate away the time that could be spent on resolving the conflicts in a better way.

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The timeline stopped making sense in the end

I was really looking forward to this and I really enjoyed it at first. I actually liked the fact that we got to see everyone at the office working, doing projects, have actual conversations and meetings related to work. It was mundane things that are often overlooked. It also made a lot of sense with how the story between Jeng and Pat was developing.

However, as the story progressed, I felt like the focus on the office related things became a bit too much. There was very little development in the relationships of characters and almost no character development. Instead, it was all work, work, work.

Jeng & Pat: Jeng has a very strong presence, kind of mysterious but also very intriguing. I know he is supposed to be this cold and ruthless boss, but I don’t really get that from him. I think he does tend to micromanage everything, which in turn makes him appear like he doesn’t trust his subordinates. He is not rude, but he expects people to do their work – something most were not used to. He is trying his best to make the department succeed. I found Pat adorable at first. He is a people pleaser and finds it hard to refuse others, but he is a good person. He does find it hard to deal with his emotions sometimes, but I can also understand his reactions. Sometimes it just all becomes too much, and you need to let it out somehow. However, as the story progressed, I started to find him a bit annoying at times. He is not really someone who is good at handling stress or work-related confrontations, which is something that often happens in his line of work. Their relationship was slow to progress, but when it did, it really went from zero to a hundred.

Whoever paired Man and Ben as Jeng and Pat deserves a raise. I absolutely love their height difference. They have great chemistry and did great portraying the longing the two characters had for one another. I did find some of their intimate scenes a bit awkward, like the focus was on everything except the intimaciy. Which made their actions appear stiff. The crying scenes were not beliveable either.

Put: there is something about him that just doesn’t sit well with me. He obviously hurt Pat a lot in the past, but it also seems very realistic for Pat to want to try and make it work with him again. It’s a sad reality that a lot of people go back to their ex at some point. It’s usually a bad idea in real life, and I think it’s a bad idea for Pat too.

Jaab & Jen: Jaab is a cutie too. I am not really a fan of him going after a taken man, but Jen doesn’t seem that indifferent either. There is obviously something on his side as well. Jaab just seems to be a bit more lovestruck. Or maybe lovesick. The two also confuse me a lot. I am not sure if we are just missing a big part of their story, but there are certain things about them that just don’t make any sense.

As for the side characters, most of the office workers are horrible. But I think it does show reality of such work – there are always those who gossip and do nothing, and then there are people who do everything and get no recognition. I really liked Nan. She is an excellent mentor to Pat. And Chot is so sweet! I really love his interactions with Pat. Plus Chot and his boyfriend are so adorable together! I do have a lot of complaints on what they did with some other office workers in the end, it came very out of the blue too.

Pat’s friend group is something! I really love the dynamics between Pat and Ae in particular. And the way Kanun treats the two is kind of funny. He seems to be the voice of reason while dealing with two troublemakers.

I liked the pacing of the story at first. It was a slowburn romance and I knew that going into it. The episodes were long, it felt like each one was longer than the previous one, with the finale topping the charts at 1h 42min. I think they could have done much better with the storyline distribution for it to make more sense. They tried to cram so much into the last two episodes, that it ended up being sloppy, messy and rushed. We were jumping around and forward, making me confused on when things happened and how.

A major letdown for me was how almost everything was left unresolved or never properly addressed. I guess we got an ending, but we didn’t really get any solid conclusions. I also found the fact that episodes continued from a different place than they ended annoying. There were a few scenes that should have been continued from when we finished in the previous episode, but they weren't. Even the change from ep1 to ep2 had that.

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And once again, my heart is with the second couple

I’m a sucker for a friends-to-lovers plotline. We met both Leo and Fiat in TharnType Season 2, and I really liked both (ignoring the kidnapping part). I know Fiat was supposed to be the villain and there are things he has done that I do not agree with, but he was just looking for love. Even if in the wrong place.

Leo & Fiat: the two have been friends since forever, so them moving from being just friends to being more was something that required a lot of adapting from both. I really like how awkward things got at times – like the two are used to sharing a bed, but once they become lovers, neither of them knows how to act or what to do. It had a very realistic feel to it. There were plenty of weird messes to deal with, both past and present, but I think that is a very MAME thing to do. I did not like how most of them were dealt with, to be honest. But at least their communication was good, and consent was always clearly given. Also, can we talk about how cute Fiat sounds when he is all whiny and calls Leo? I swear I wanted to pinch his cheeks every time he went “Leoooo.”

But back to the messes – am I the only one who thinks that the issues brough up are important and difficult topics to deal with, yet they seem to be dealt with very poorly and with no real understanding of their severity? Rape, kidnapping, blackmailing, drugging, child abuse… all very serious topics, yet they seemed to be just brushed aside. And it often seems like the sympathy is misplaced, instead of worrying about the victim of the situation, everyone seems to worry about others.

Leon & Pob: they are so adorable together! They are very different from one another, yet they fit each other so well. Pob is a lot more reserved and doesn’t open easily, while Leon seems to be a bit of a troublemaker. Pob does come across kind of cold and rude at times, but it’s hard to be upset about it when we know his past. Leon is persistent, I give him that, but he was not creepy about it. He was very respectful about boundaries, and always checked for consent before doing anything. I really like the fact that Leon was pansexual, confirmed, as it does show diversity in sexualities. BL shows tend to know only two sexualities – gay and “not gay but I love you” when it comes to their pairings. So, this was a nice change. And I, once again, fell for the second couple. Their ending though… I can’t wait for their series.

I think Leo’s and Leon’s parents are great. I do find their mom a bit too intrusive at times, but with everything Fiat went through and with Pob being an orphan, I love how open she was to accept both of them. I also really enjoy Fiat’s relationship with Leon, the two act like brothers – they argue, they tease each other, but they also have each other’s backs. Fiat’s parents on the other hand are a complete mess though. I really don’t get the thought process behind his dad’s actions, his mom is trainwreck. But at least his stepmom is nice, and I liked his little sister too (especially her sharp tongue and honesty).

The friends were okay. I really like how supportive they were of Leo and Fiat through everything. I am completely in awe of Anda though. She is Leo’s friend and a totally badass. I love her character. She has this “I’m in charge” aura around her, and she can handle everything very well. Natsu was a cutie too!

The styling was on point though. Each character had a unique style and I love how it was incorporated into the series. And I’m back to Anda – her styling was absolutely gorgeous! And Fiat’s red suit? Yes, please!

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I will knock you? Yes, please!

I wasn't really sure what to expect from the series. I was mostlly worried how were they going to pull of the age gap between Thi and Noey, a university student and a minor who is still in high school. In the end, I really enjoyed the fact that Noey was the more badass one while Thi was sweet and shy. I think this really helped push their relationship into a good direction. We can see a lot of growth from both of them, as well as all the support characters.

I'm a sucker for enemies to lovers stories and this one delivered. The differences between the main two characters are very interesting and it's an absolute joy watching them grow as individuals and as a couple. It was fun and interesting to see Noey and his bright coloured shirts, slicked hair and love for old music, in contrast to Thi and his absolutely adorable sweaters, bursts of courage and inner monologues.

The fact that Noey, who is younger, is the one in control of the relationship really hits different. I really appreciate how the makers of the series aproached its making, especially after I found out that the two actors have a 9 year gap in real life, with Tar (who played Noey) still being a minor during the filming. Also, hats off for absolutely brilliantly done end credits scene that was on point for every single episode. The ending was absolute perfection as well.

We get some cute and fluffy moments, some awkward romantic scenes, a few fight scenes and a bunch of comedic scenes. It had some cringe scenes, but what series doesn't? It's definitely a show that will keep your spirits up and make you laugh out loud.

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It's a mess

I don't even know what happened. The timeline of the series is very hard to follow, so I am not really sure what events happened first nor what followed. The series opens with an interogation scene, but by the end of the series I wasn't even sure how many people (if any) are actually dead. Was it all just one case or were there multiple deaths? So what excatly happened before, during and after investigation? This is what I mean by confusing and hard to follow timeline.

As for the couples, there wasn't really any chemistry between them. Maybe I just didn't see it, but the "relationships" appeared very cold, distant. Ken and Shogun were not a good match, sadly I think the same about Matteo and Shogun as well. Their relationship seemed kind of creepy to me, and that has nothing to do with BDSM part (which was done very poorly), it's just their dynamics and how it all started. Burger and King were boring, I don't even know what were they at the end. Saint and Hida are confusing as well, I really don't know what to think about them. The whole stepbrothers who grew up together was a bit too close of a family relationship for my liking (even if they are not blood related).

As for the worst character in the whole series, I must say the teacher. The comments from the teacher were absolutely awful from the first episode forward, but what was said to / about Pimtha later in the series really made my blood boil. When such comments are made towards young, vulnerable teens who are still looking for their place in the world, the damage they can cause is inmeasurable.

Another major concern is the age of the actors for me. They are all very young, many were only 15-16 during the filming of the series. I know this was supposed to be a high school drama, but an older and more mature cast would be a better choice for a series dealing with such important and complicated issues that were (kind of poorly) adressed in the series.

I feel like 6 episodes is both too little and too mcuh - it was hard to get through it all, it felt like it would never end (I made it half way, so I was finishing in hopes of improvement), but it also felt kind of rushed and choppy as there was way too much going one and way too many characters and relationships to squeeze them all into such a short series. They are planning for season 2, so there is not really much to be said about the ending as they left pretty much everything open and to be continued in the next season.

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Pete & Kao and Kongpob & Arthit

I only watched the last two episodes, so the Dark Blue Kiss (Pete & Kao) and the SOTUS / SOTUS S (Kongpob & Arthit) ones. I haven’t watched other series so I didn’t really want to watch the rest of the episodes. My scoring is based only on the two episodes I have seen. I might edit review later if I watch any other episodes.

Dark Blue Kiss (overall rating: 8.5)
The two are still adorable together! I didn’t expect Kao to be the clingy one this time around, but it was definitely fun to see. Pete is still as hot headed as always, but there is also nothing he wouldn’t do for his boyfriend. Their chemistry is amazing! I feel Tay and New really bring the two characters to life, especially as they tend to bicker and play around a lot in real life as well. Some scenes feel more like watching Tay and New than watching Pete and Kao. The plot was cute and simple, it also didn’t feel too rushed. Which is great, considering it was only one episode.

SOTUS / SUTOS S (overall rating: 6.0)
The story does continue from where it was left in the main two series, but considering everything they wanted to include, it felt incredibly rushed. They tried to squeeze in the month that Kongpob had to get ready to leave, the two years he was gone and their life together after his return. It was just not enough time to do those things well. I love Kongpog and Arthit, but the two of them really don’t feel like a long-term couple. Most of the time, they feel like they just started dating. I feel there was a bit of in improvement from SOTUS S to Our Skyy episodes though, which was nice to see.

I liked the OSTs, the locations were beautiful as well.
 

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It's a hot mess and I am here for it!

It’s fair to say that this series was a mess. Mostly in a good way, but it also had a few downs. But let’s start with the good first. I liked the plot, it gave us a little bit of everything – love, hate, friendship, cheating, breaking up, second chances… The OST was amazing, it definitely made it onto my playlist. The cinematography fit the plot well, I liked the darker tones. The styling was on point too.

The characters were very different from one another, which made following their stories all that more interesting. They were not stereotypical and there was more to them than just being queer. I think that’s important, and I am glad we are moving further and further away from those kind of queer representation in media.

The acting was amazing. All the actors and actresses did an amazing job, not that I expected anything less. Their chemistry was incredible, they showed so much emotion through their eyes or simple touches. There were a lot of emotional scenes, many of which included Khaotung. He is so expressive in such scenes; he really gives his all.

Top & Mew: I absolutely hated the whole idea behind Top being a “top guy” and how Mew is below him. This is something that has been especially pushed forward by Mew’s friends, and I think that is what bothered me the most about it. Top is rich, good looking and popular, and can get anyone he wants. And he makes it a game to get with whoever he sets his eyes on. Mew is supposed to be sweet, innocent, and reliable. He is the most serious member of the friend group. Once things start to go wrong between Top and Mew, I think they both show their true colors. Top is manipulative, he doesn’t like being told not, and doesn’t respect other people’s boundaries. Mew is not as innocent either. He can be just as manipulative, vengeful and knows how to play dirty. I liked how at some point they both realized the trust between them was gone. There will always be hurt and betrayal lingering in the back of their minds. So, to give each other a second chance requires more than just love.

Sand & Ray: There are people who need to be needed and there are people who need others. Sand and Ray are very much like that, with Sand being the one who is always there for Ray. Ray is battling an addiction and has other mental health problems. He is used to solving everything by throwing money at it. Sand doesn’t have much to his name, but he is proud of who he is. He is loyal, caring and often goes above and beyond for others. I liked Sand’s confidence, he refused to be second best to Mew who Ray thought himself in love with. Neither of them is perfect, they both got their hands dirty one way or the other. I can’t decide if they are good together or not. As Ray said, when he beats his alcohol addiction, he might end up addicting to Sand. Personally, I don’t think that’s the solution. If he relies on Sand too much, the other might start to resent him for it. At one point, Sand is bound to get tired of always giving and taking care of Ray. And Ray might resent Sand for not letting him be free.

Boston & Nick: The two really took us on a ride of love, hate and longing. They started of as friends with benefits, but Nick wanted more. I am sure Boston knew that and took advantage of it by constantly telling Nick he is his favorite. Boston doesn’t like commitment; he doesn’t care about school. He likes being free and doing whatever he wants, whenever he wants it. Nick is a cutie with a darker side. He is very possessive and when he gets attached to someone, he doesn’t see their flaws. Most of what they did either to one another or to those around them is inexcusable and nasty. However, both of their shortcomings are addressed and talked about, between the two of them and with others. I can understand the two of them forgiving each other, but I was bothered by the fact that Boston only turned to Nick when everyone else left him. It made it seem like he only sees him as his last option.

Cheum & April: they might be the only solid couple. We don’t really get to see the two of them that much as the series is focused on the other couples more, but I liked the two. Cheum seems to be the most level-headed member of the friend’s group, even with all of her flaws. I did find her too pushy, especially when she was trying to get Mew and Top together. She is very loyal, which can also be seen as a flaw as she often lets that cloud her judgement. April is a sweetheart. She puts up with her girlfriend’s crazy group of friends the best she can. The two of them were able to talk through their issues, even if that talk was brought up due to others. They still did the mature thing, talked things out and were honest with one another after.

A lot of the things were not properly addressed or talked about enough. Atom, Cheum’s little brother, and what he did to Boston. Even after telling the truth, Atom was just patted on the back. What Atom did promotes a very problematic idea about people lying and victimizing themselves when things don’t go their way. Last but not least, Boeing. What was his purpose? He literally went from character to character, trying to hook up or / and date them. His reasoning is never explained or addressed.

That ending though… I mean, we all expected him to show up at some point, but does that mean there is a possibility of S2?

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Star in Your Mind pt. 2

The first teaser for the series was exciting. I really liked how the vibe and the characters seemed different from those in Star in Your Mind. I was excited about it and was really looking forward to seeing Joong and Dunk in something a bit more angsty. And then the second trailer dropped. And then the series. And all my hopes went down the drain.

The plot ended up being kind of messy and confusing with quite a few plot holes and inconsistencies. There was no reasoning behind a lot of the things, including some very crucial aspects – like why Joke likes Zo. They just went from arguing to Joke looking at Zo with hearts in his eyes. I was expecting the whole Joke – Nita – Zo triangle to take longer to both develop and solve, especially as it was shown as the biggest part of the plot in the trailer. And yet it was done and over so soon. The whole idea of the hidden agenda was also not explored enough. It was hinted at and glossed over so quickly, it’s like it has never happened. Generally speaking, problems were not given enough time to properly develop and to have some sort of reasoning behind them.

And as much as I hate to do this, the whole series felt like Star in Your Mind part two or an alternative universe version of it. Not only did the characters played by Joong and Dunk appear to be pretty much the same in both series, but there was also the whole thing with Joong’s characters having a (ex)girlfriend and pinning after Dunk’s character. I found the series to be quite boring most of the time. It was just Joong and Dunk being cute. It was sweet the first time we saw it, the second time around was just boring.

Don’t get me started on the debates. It’s like they have done no research on how a debate actually goes. I tried to see if this is the Thai structure, but I couldn’t find anything online. But I can tell you that it is definitely not the NOVA structure of a debate. I have seen my fair share of debates in real life (even participated in one or two), and the Hidden Agenda version of a debate is very far from the reality of it.

Joke & Zo: they were cute together; I’ll give them that. Joke appears to be more closed off and quite awkward at times. His relationship with family seems to be quite strained as well, but it’s not really explained why. It just is. Zo also has a strained relationship with his mom, but that is something that is addressed in the series. And it makes sense. Zo seems to be kind of naïve at times, but there is more to him than that. The way their relationship happens, and progresses is very strange. It goes from nothing to everything very quickly. Almost too quickly. I have already mentioned how Joke’s feelings for Zo are never really explained. At least Zo’s feelings make sense. And while the two of them talk about some important things – yay for communication and setting boundaries – they also tend to either forget or ignore what they talked about. Joong and Dunk have great chemistry, there was definitely a lot of improvement when it comes to their kissing scenes. But there is something about Dunk’s acting that just doesn’t sit right with me. I don’t know what it is exactly, but it just feels off at times

Jeng & Pok: I like the fact that they were an already established couple dealing with realistic problems. Pok is such a cutie! He might seem adorable and naïve only, but he can be very mature and can stand up for himself when it’s needed. Jeng is struggling with who he is and who he shows to others, he fears rejection and judgment from his friends. And that is something that leads to a lot of tension between the two. Aou and Boom both did great and had an amazing chemistry. I wish we could have seen more of them.

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Cute and fluffy

It’s a collection of cute little moments between Win and Team. I think that when it comes to the story timeline, this special would come after the end of between us. There is not much of a story to the whole thing, but that’s okay. The little note at the start of each episode does let us know it’s mostly just done for fun and is meant to be cute, not have a storyline. And the chemistry between Boun and Prem is something that can't be denied.

I found this moments between Team and Win absolutely adorable. It’s an aspect of the couples that I often miss in the regular series – the little moments of living together. They might seem very mundane, but they made it so cute and fluffy. I couldn’t stop smiling at the screen as I watched it.

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Did anything actually happen?

Saying that is in anyway related to Tonhon Chonlatee is criminal. Let’s leave aside the fact that the cast is completely different (makes sense, they were done by different companies), but the story doesn’t even fit with it. I am not familiar with the novels the two series were based off, but seeing the novels were done by the same author, I would have expected at least some consistency when it came to the plot.

Let’s start with the good first. I love the relationship between Sippakorn (Ai’s father) and his partner Nan. Nan didn’t get that much screen time, but I feel like whenever he was present, he stole the show. I loved his character. And the fact that the actors who play them, Porsch and Arm, are real life partners is amazing! They didn’t need much more than a simple look to see their love and I was there for it!

Another great part of the series was Nhai’s friend group. They are all aware that their friend is not very bright and extremely whiny, but they accept him for who is. And they are not afraid to tell him that when the chance presents itself (e.g. the reason for the ducky keychain).

Now, the not so great part – Nhai. As I mentioned before, he is kind of dumb and whiny, to the point of it being extremely annoying. I don’t even know how I sat through all 12 episodes of it, but I did. Only for there to be absolutely no character growth for him. I found the conversations others had with him boring and with no meaning. The subtitles were horrible as well, so I am sure certain things got lost in the translation, but I doubt the dialogue was actually much better. The only redeeming act of his that I can think of is how he delt with Ai’s mom. That’s it.

Ai can be a brat, but he is a brat that knows how to take care of himself. And his boyfriend. I found him much easier to tolerate. I think there was much more thought put into creating his character. His backstory showed his character growth as well, which was great to see.

Oh, one more thing that I liked was that no matter how annoying Nhai is, at least he knows how to communicate – we don’t see that very often, so it was really refreshing to see. Do you know how many conflicts can be avoided by just talking about it?

As for the plot, was there even one? I feel like there was no real plot, yet there were so many plot holes in the end, that I don’t even know where we got them from. I also feel like the story was unnecessary long and dragged out – and that is coming from a person who usually complains that the series are too short. I feel like if they only focused on Ai and Nhai getting together, made it a cute and short series with like 6 episodes, it would be much better.

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