I dreaded the ending from the start

The plot seemed interesting, especially because Kiew ends up being thrown into the lives of his friends and their children. He must navigate between two generations, while adapting to all the changes that happened since 1995. It had potential to be quite messy, but that was not really the route they took. Don’t get me wrong, there are situations that were not handled well, but it wasn’t as terrible as it could be.

Generally speaking, I liked the series. I do think that they really did a good job at making Kiew act like he came from the past (not knowing how to use cellphones and being amazed by technology, etc.). I was a lot less impressed by his view on LGBTQ+ community. His comments and reactions were hard to swallow at times, but it is also something that gets addressed as problematic in the series, so that is something I liked.

The characters mostly seemed realistic. I like both friend groups, and poor Kiew having to navigate between the two. The dynamics of each group were nice, but they did seem like a copy paste of one another. I think it wasn’t as obvious, as we didn’t really get a good feel for how the “old” group was when they were younger, but we only get to saw their mature versions interact. I do like how the older version of Kiew’s friend group do look similar to their younger versions. That was a good casting choice.

Kiew & Bamee: I really like the chemistry of Cooper and March, not that I expected anything less from the two. Both of them have done great with emotional scenes, and they portrayed a lot through their eyes as well. Kiew and Bamee have an enemies to lovers story going on, and I was really enjoying their bickering at the beginning. I think Kiew struggling with his feelings was more obvious than Bamee, but the latter was not as indifferent as he wanted to appear.

Plawan & Mudaeng: a pairing I didn’t know I needed, but they make so much sense. I am not happy with how fast Plawan seemed to move on from his crush on Bamee (especially to his brother), but that is also something that is in a way brought up. So, kudos for that. I really love the way the two interact, they are very lovey-dovey with one another and super cute. I found Plawan kind of childish and Mudaeng can be quite mischievous at times, but I think they match each other well.

There are things that don’t really make sense to me, plot wise. Especially towards the end when Kiew is trying his best to return to his time. Wouldn’t it be a lot less painful for those involved to do things differently? If you have to leave, people not remembering you would be best. Because remembering you would mean missing you. And missing you would be painful.

I do think the makeup was not really done well in a few scenes. And the camera panning in or out was done in a strange way. I don’t really know how to explain it, but it didn’t feel right. I do like the OST though.

One thing I have dreaded since the start, was the ending. No matter how I look at it, no matter how it ends, it knew it won’t be a happy ending. Kiew will either not go back, meaning he won’t be able to fix what he wants to fix. Or he will go back, breaking both his and Bamee’s heart in the process. Either way, it didn’t look good (I do know how it actually ends; I’m just not saying anything). I do not really like how it ended though. It did ended up being creepy, and not romantic as they were probably going for.

So there is one more thing… I might be reading too much into it, but the way Kiew talked about Art (Bamee’s dad) made me think that he might have had a crush on him. It is possible that he wasn’t fully aware of it or that he was in complete denial. For whatever reason, I found it really uncomfortable how he would always compare Bamee to Art (e.g. both not liking taking pills). It made me think that in a way, he transferred the feelings he had for Art onto Bamee, and with gay relationships being more accepted in the modern world, he was only then able to show his feelings. But who were they actually for? Bamee? Or Art? It might be just a silly theory of mine, but it’s been bugging me since the start.

Read More

Couples I would like to see break up – shocking, I know

I don’t mind a messy storyline. My guilty pleasures are series that are so bad it makes them good. I mean my expectations were not exactly high to begin with, especially as it is produced by the same company as Ai Lhong Nhai.

From the start, I was so annoyed with Itt, I can’t even put it into words. I really liked his character in the Unforgotten Night, he was so mature and responsible, while Itt in Love Syndrome is a man-child who is constantly throwing temper tantrums over cake. Like what happened here? I know they were produced by different companies, but I still think that what we are seeing right now is taking it a bit too far. I feel like things are better from the second episode forwards, I like Itt better as he seems a bit more mature and responsible, and less like a spoiled child. He still has his moments, but the change was still huge.

But if I really liked Day before, I am starting to really hate him. Forget the fact he lost his memory, just thinking that this is how he was when Itt and him met… Actually, now that we know how they met, I wish Itt had left the first chance he got. Honestly, no matter how much of an immature brat Itt was, he deserved / deserves better. Day was and still is an abusive asshole. I am really not sure how I feel about the two of them being together. And seeing Itt go through all of this again is so painful.

Day literally made him so dependent on him that he would probably not be able to survive on his own, and this is the “good” Day we are talking about. This is also what made Itt behave like such a man-child in the first place. Day’s whole hot and cold personality is not cute. It really makes me want to shake him up a bit. Just make up your mind already! At least he has Nick occasionally put him in his place.

One thing that seems to be consistent is Day’s jealousy. It’s a bit annoying at times as it seems to be the main plot driver for like half of the episodes. But it’s consistent, and it’s something Day remembers, kind of. It might just be his personality. I am in love with the way Day kisses Itt. I know he is possessive and jealous. But the way he tends to grab Itt’s neck whenever he kisses him? Yes, just yes! It also really shows his possessiveness. And Itt’s trust in him as well, he never flinches when Day grabs him like that. Let’s not talk about if that trust is misplaced. I think I said enough already.

I think Lee Long Shi and Frank have great chemistry. I might not be the biggest fan of their characters and there are scenes that drive me up the walls, but their chemistry is amazing. I know a lot of people complain about their acting, but I feel that is mostly due to the exaggeration in certain scenes. Which is not up to them, but up to the scriptwriters, editors, etc.

I feel like we have been introduced to a lot of characters that are friends of either Day or Itt, but I have a very hard time telling who is who is. And where they fit into the story. To be honest though, the other couples are also pretty problematic. I knew that this was going to be a toxic mess, but I didn’t expect something this bad. There is a limit to what I am willing to forgive one character for them to be with their partner, which is quite a lot for such series, but I still feel like many limits have been crossed. I am mostly looking at Mack and Nan here, but the fact that the rest of the characters are just okay with it? Getting the hints about the past of each pairing, it makes more sense than it should. It still doesn’t make it right though. It just makes me want to see them all break up more.

I am enjoying the dynamics between Gear & Night and Neil & Nick, but I feel like there is so much we are missing. We are missing a lot with Day and Itt’s story too, but it seems even more obvious with the hints we’ve been getting about Gear and Nick. I know this is based on the third novel (I haven’t read any of them), but I think it should have been handled differently. We are thrown into a mess that no one really understands.

I don’t really understand the need for the villain. Not every story needs a villain, someone trying to hurt the main leads. He is extremely cartoonish, which is another thing I don’t really like. And his manic laugh? I know they tried to make him sound crazy, but it wasn’t really done that well. Nor are his temper tantrums intimidating. I do like Day’s description of him. Actually, I like Day’s descriptions of everyone he doesn’t like.

The actions scenes are done well. All of the actors did a great job, the last fight scene was great! Some of them are a bit over the top, but they were still good.

The ending was a bit anticlimatic though. It left me feeling unsettled, like no matter what happen, we are just supposed to pretend everything is (and was) okay. There were no consequences for anything or anyone either.

Why did they decide to go with this cut version though? And weeks later release the uncut one as well? I have seen some parts of the uncut one and I feel like the plot makes much more sense. There is more dialogue and more flashbacks that really make us understand certain parts of the story. And I feel this makes this version seem even worse.

Read More

A mix of everything

It had some amazing points, but there were also some that could have been better. But good things first – the acting in general was pretty solid, the action and training scenes were jaw-dropping and incredibly well executed, the dreams and visions were nicely set apart from the reality, which made the story a bit easier to follow. They also did a really good job incorporating different genres and themes into a pretty logical plot line.

However, I did feel like a lot of time was wasted on all those crimes that the team investigated, many of which were kind of related to one of the main plots, but not enough to really make them worth our time. I would prefer there to be one really big case that would have connected to the other main plot. It would have made more sense, and it would have allowed a more solid connection between everything that has happened.

Phaya & Tharn: I loved them in the first episode – the rivalry, the tension, the connection. The two are quite similar. They are both stubborn, tend to act without thinking, hate having others worry about them while being very protective of their loved ones, have a very solid moral compass… I did Phaya to be a bit more hot-headed, but Tharn was not far behind him either. I do think there are certain things about their story that I wish wouldn’t have happened. There were a few slaps, which have no place in a relationship nor between friends or colleagues. Another thing that bothered me was the lack of trust between the two. It made me confused why Tharn has so little trust in Phaya, even knowing the two are connected, while blindly trusting others. Well, Phaya didn’t really trust him either, he kept a lot of secrets. Maybe that goes hand in hand, you get what you give. Billy and Babe had great chemistry though, and they did amazingly in their roles.

I really liked their team and the dynamics between them. Khem and Thongthai were kind of cute together, even if I wasn’t always sure if the two were actually a thing or not. Yai is a lot of fun too, and he is a good friend. Even with his occasionally slightly crazy ideas. The inspector was interesting, but I didn’t really understand his thought process most of the time.

Doc Chalothon was there, I guess. I just wish his character was a bit more involved with the investigation part of the plot. He did pop up here and there, but he wasn’t nearly as present as I hoped he would be. I did find him creepy from the moment he appeared, so Heng did a great job with this role.

Now, as for a few other not so great things. I did find their way of investigating things a little like playing pretend. There were just a lot of things that didn’t make much sense, especially in relation to keeping the details of the investigations private from the general public.

But the major setback was the ending. I found it extremely anticlimactic. I think they should have concluded the investigation in one episode and the naga in another. They concluded them in the same episode, which made one of the conclusions feel very rushed and lazy, and maybe illogical as well. I feel like we were robbed of a scene we were all waiting for.

All in all, it was a good watch but it could use a few tweaks.

Read More

Magic mirror? Or no magic mirror?

I was ready to absolutely hate Pond. I didn’t like the way the character was introduced, he appeared arrogant and very out of touch with reality. And while the later stuck through the series, I realized that I mistook his confidence for arrogance. He was quite sweet and caring, not only to those close to him but also others. A big part of the series is spent on him doing his best to make Mawin happy.

I don’t really know what to think about Mawin, his story is not exactly thought through. It might be just two episodes, but it needed more background and a strong basis to make it all believable. What exactly does he have? Why can’t he hang out with his friends? Why doesn’t he keep in contact with them in a different way? I just don’t think the plot around him held any water.

The mirror was kind of an interesting addition to the story. I guess it was a good connecting factor between Pond and Pawin. I just wish it actually had the power we were led to believe it does. With how things are, it didn't really serve any real purpose.

I also have a little bit of a problem with the cast. I did think Pond looked much older than 29 and with Mawin looking quite young, it was a bit of a strange choice. Looking at the cast, I realized that the actor playing Pond is actually 44 years old. Which I don’t think was the best choice. I guess it would also explain that the chemistry between the two might have been better than with some other couples, but it wasn’t exactly great either.

Read More

The animal characteristics were on point!

I didn’t expect them to get the animals so well portrayed! Maybe even too well. Choco and Milk were extremely well thought through characters, and I think both actors did amazingly. They came across as a dog and a cat, the typical behaviors and all! Choco was sweet, always behind Jung Woo, very affectionate, happy just to be getting some attention. Milk had a typical black cat energy that I really enjoyed. The glares, not wanting to be touched most of the time, causing mischief, getting passive aggressive when jealous. The styling of the two was on point too! The mostly black looks for Milk and mostly white for Choco fit nicely with their past animal selves.

When I say they might have portrayed the animals too well, I mean that it made it hard to see them as humans. Especially Choco, who I think was treated as a dog more than Milk was treated as a cat. That made it really hard for me to see him getting involved in a relationship with Jung Woo. It felt strange and it was not my favorite thing. It was easier to swallow the second couple, especially as the uncle isn’t familiar with the true story behind who Milk and Choco are. Plus, he wasn’t treating Milk as a cat. I liked their banter and how uncle liked pushing Milk’s buttons.

At times the episodes felt like sporadically shown parts of their lives with very little connections from one to the other. Not with all of them, but there have been a few where I had to check that I haven’t skipped any episodes with how different things were. Or how unrelated it all was. There was also quite some time spent on things that weren’t really relevant or didn’t really have to be included. As well as some plot holes.

I have mixed feelings about the ending. It’s what I kind of expected to happen, just maybe in a different version. But I would have preferred it if it had stayed the way it was at the end of episode 10. I found that a more fitting ending.

It was a cute watch, but that was also mostly it for me.

Read More

Adorable story about crushes, love, and heartbreak

I loved how sweet and fluffy the whole thing was. It’s kind of a coming-of-age series, following a story of a young hopeful who faces an unrequited crush(es), heartbreak, love, failure and success. So pretty much everything one would imagine someone of that age going through.

The plot was interesting, the cinematography was beautiful, the OST was catchy… It had a lot of positives and I enjoyed watching it. There were a few plot holes in the end, they were not addressed or rounded out in a clear manner in the end. I wish we would have gotten a more solid closure on those, instead of them just disappearing with no explanation of how they were actually dealt with. As well as the fact that certain things didn’t necessary make sense (even if they were crystal clear) just to push conflict into the story.

Im Han Tae & Han Ba Ram: the two are so adorable together! I found their relationship development sweet; it didn’t feel rushed. We follow Ba Ram as he navigates through his crush, heartbreak and falling in love with his best friend. It shows that he is wary of saying out loud that he likes men or that he likes his friend, which is understandable after his first experience. Han Tae is like an overgrown puppy. He absolutely adores Ba Ram and is doing everything he can to be around him. He is loyal and protective. I do think they make a cute couple. And while the chemistry between the actors were good, I was annoyed by the fact that their kiss was… well not a kiss, but just lips pressed together. At least the dream kiss was better.

The other two members of the band were amazing! I loved how supportive they were of their friends. And I am still convinced that the two knew there was something more brewing between Han Tae and Ba Ram but decided not to say anything and let the two come clean on their time and terms. Which was nice of them.

As for Sangin, Ba Ram’s guitar teacher and unrequited crush, I don’t think he deserves the attention. I do wish the plotline relating to him would have gotten a better conclusion. Not just relationship wise, but everything else that was included.

Read More

I loved the dynamics between Jeng and Meen

The story did seem a bit rushed, the two only knew each other for a few days, but it was still an enjoyable watch. I think the additional plot relating to the whole restaurant / bar was not necessary, but it didn’t really bother me too much. I do think they could have shifted the focus a bit more on the cooking aspect, especially as it says that Meen gets addicted to Jeng’s cooking. Which is not really explored enough.

I really liked their bickering and the innuendoes they kept throwing at each other. It didn’t appear forced, the two seemed very at ease with one another and made it feel normal. Both Jeng and Meen were aware of their shortcomings and were very forward with them. I liked that; it made them feel genuine. I think Putter and Cheetah had great chemistry with some cutesy vibes. But it really fit the two of them.

I also really liked Porsche and Mek as supporting characters. They were great friends, supportive and caring, but not too pushy with their friend. Noll, the ex, was an asshole. But that was too be expected. He has no redeeming qualities and I really like how Meen delt with him in the end.

Read More

Showing the toxic sides of the industry

If there is one thing that made me really love this series, it was the critical approach to the BL industry and toxic fans. I never fully understood the whole idea of (especially) BL actors not dating or at least not being allowed to talk about it. A lot of them are in either their late teens or their twenties, the time when most people get to date and explore their options. But they can’t, because some fans cannot differentiate between fiction and reality, between characters and actors. The amount of hate an actor’s partner would get… I feel bad for them just thinking about it.

And that is something that was really shown well, especially towards the end of the series. We got to see so many different comments from many different fans. The sad part? Many of them are pretty similar to the comments we get to see online in reality.

The series didn’t shy away from showing some of the bad sides of the behind the scenes either. From the homophobic remarks in castings, to constant pressure for more NC scenes (even if they don’t fit the story), the romanticization of non-consent… There was a lot of digs to what we see in many other BLs.

Now, for the story. I really like how it was paced, I think it went great with the overall plot and everything that they included in the story. I am not a big fan of the whole childhood friends and how that was played into the story. I really disliked the secrets that were related to that.

Nubsib & Gene: Gene is so relatable, awkward, and adorable. But he is also someone who speaks up when is uncomfortable or when he needs to do things he doesn’t like. Does he still do them? Usually yes, because he is a people pleaser, but he makes it clear he doesn’t like it. Nubsib seems to be a bit more relaxed, but also very mature at the same time. I really liked how they never pressured one another to come out or do things that they were not okay with. They had some rough patches in their relationship, some of which could have been resolved quicker with some good communication. Both Kao and Up did an excellent job portraying the two characters, their emotions and the love the two had for one another. I really like how Nubsib seemed to light up whenever he got to talk to Gene. I think that was a really nice and well thought detail.

Aoey: He’s a character you want to hate, but at the same time, you find it hard to do so. He made a lot of poor choices and did a lot of bad things, yet he was hurting too. A lot. I don’t want to excuse his behavior nor his actions, but I can understand why he did things the way he did. Bruce did amazingly. Some of the scenes were so difficult to watch, yet he really shined in them.

I really liked Hin, Tum and Tiffy as well. They were really fun characters to have around, and while I wasn’t as interested in their stories as I was in the story of Nubsib and Gene, I still liked them. Hin and Tum really showed themselves as great friends to the two main characters, even if they were both kind of employed by them, as a manager and as an editor.

I think there are certain things that were left kind of open. I guess one could say that we saw how Aoey ended, but at the same time, I feel like that is not enough of a conclusion. I also think it would be nice to see how the public reacted to how it all ended. Another thing that I found a bit annoying was the amount of flashbacks to the events that happened earlier in the series. There were quite a few of them in the last few parts of the series.

Read More

Not a trial run. I mean the real thing.

I can see why people say this is an absolute must-see BL series. I can’t believe I put off watching it for so long! Like sure, the plot is very typical – university based enemies to lovers plot – but it was really well executed. I really liked the overall cinematographic aspects of the series. They did great combining the colors, the lighting, the setting and the music.

Jang Jae Young & Chu Sang Woo: first of, I am in love with their height difference. I found it so incredibly cute throughout the series. The two actors have great on screen chemistry too. As for the characters, I love how different the two seemed to be. One is very extraverted, good in social situations but can sometimes forget his duties. The other one is introverted, likes things to be in order and hates slackers. They are so different, yet they make it work. Their relationship started from a (badly thought through) revenge plot. I do like that while they started as enemies, it never got to an abusive level as I have seen happen in other series. Jang Jae Young was quite quick to back off once he realized just how immature and stalkerish his actions were. Kudos to him for that. I also like that he respected Chu Sang Woo’s boundaries.

I am not sure if I am correct and I do not want to label anyone, but Chu Sang Woo did seem to be a neurodivergent person. He has a lot of OCD tendencies (e.g. rituals, how everything has it’s place, being on time). And I know he is supposed to be introverted, but at times it felt like there might be more than just that to it. He seemed very socially inapt; he also had a hard time understanding social clues. I actually really liked the comparisons between him (and events in his life) and a computer. I feel like it gave us a look at how he thinks.

I was ready to applaud Chu Sang Woo when he turned in the group project with only his name on it. Honestly, we have all been there at one point in our lives and wanted to do that too. And then saving them as freeloader 1, 2 and 3? Iconic!

It was a bit short, but it didn’t feel too rushed. The pacing was quite nice for the length of the series. I would love to see more..

Read More

Kind of creepy

Before watching the 2022 Love Mechanics, I thought it would be a good idea to watch the En of Love series to get a grip on the characters and any backstories that might be good to know. That is a decision that TOSSARA made me regret. I like the other two instalments of En of Love much better.

Gun & Bar: Gun gave me creeps pretty much all the time. His interactions with Bar made me uncomfortable. I don’t really know what they were trying to do, but this was not cute, it was creepy. Bar was sweet, I liked his character. And him rejecting Mark is probably my favorite scene in the series. It shows that he can be assertive when needed. I think that the two actors playing Gun and Bar lacked chemistry, there was not a single moment where I thought that the two characters might like each other.

Here’s the thing. The plot and the idea behind it are not bad. It had a lot of potential to be great, but I think the execution was not good. It lacked in many aspects. Maybe things would have been better if the series was longer and the relationship between Gun and Bar actually had a chance to fully develop. Or not, Gun was creepy. I know I said that before, but that really stuck with me.

Read More

Mostly adorable, but not much development

Third and last instalment of En of Love series, even if it’s not the last one in the same universe. I found this one pretty enjoyable. It was, once again, too short to really fully develop the relationship and really show character growth.

Nuea & Praram: Nuea was one of my favourite characters in the previous series. He is very sweet and caring, and someone who can take no for an answer. Something many characters can’t. I know a lot of people were bothered by their age gap, but I don’t really mind it. Praram is a senior in high school, so he is around 18-19, and Nuea is probably 3-4 years older. It’s not a huge age gap and they are both aware of it. I did find their story cute, even if nothing much happened. They also kept things very PG friendly, probably due to the fact that Praram is still a high school student. I found them being shy with each other really adorable. Nuea makes a perfect boyfriend, I’m sure of it.

This one only had three episodes which really made the story feel rushed. I would really love to see their relationship develop more, or even see the two making it work once Praram makes it to the university.

And a quote to end it: “Brother that isn’t a brother, like a daddy that isn’t really a father.”

Read More

To truly love a person for who they are

I’ve been on an EarthMix binge since Moonlight Chicken ended. My expectations for the series were not very high as I am usually not a fan of body swap storylines, but I decided to at least give it a try. I was honestly impressed by it! The story is okay, it’s not super exciting or something completely unexpected, it has some plot twists /plot holes (e.g. aunt and uncle, mom) that could have been handled differently, but it wasn’t bad. The OST is lovely as well, I think the longing is nicely portrayed through it.

I think Jan deserves a big shoutout for how on point were her actions and mannerism when she was playing as Win in Lin’s body. Her actions and reactions were so on point, it was absolutely brilliant! I especially loved the scenes in which it switched between Mix and Jan, I feel like those moments were when both really shined! And Mix acting as “Lin” showed just how talented he is as well, especially his struggles to adapt to what it really means to be a girl. It really was something different.

Another thing that I really loved is how whenever it was just Korn and “Lin”, it was always Mix we saw in her role. It really showed how Korn never thought of doing the mission with Lin, to him it was always Win that he went with. Win really struggled with the idea that Korn only cares because it’s Lin’s body that’s involved. The scenes when this really shows were absolutely heartbreaking and Mix did extremely well portraying that confusion, that struggle. So, I think this detail was really important for us viewers to really understand certain parts of the story.

I know many don’t agree, but I can see how Win’s anger and hate for Korn are justified. Win is short tempered, he just lost his father and the person he trusts the most has no explanation for what is going on. Emotions were running high, Win reacted (even over reacted) impulsively, but Korn not explaining anything was also a mistake on his part.

I think this is an amazing series to show how one can love a person for who they are, all their flaws and mistakes. Korn knows Win, maybe even better than Win knows himself, yet he never tries to change him. He accepts him for who he is and just goes with it – be it his tantrums, his love for food, and his tendency to tease Korn.

Read More

More like house of drama

It is intriguing. And messy. I am here for that. I did find it hard to keep up with all the characters through, as there seems to be quite a lot of them, but it got easier after a few episodes and once we got to know each of them a bit more. The subtitles of the first two episodes were terrible, but it got much better after that. I mean, they were butchering the names – like Pitch aka Pete, Picci, Pizza… or Wayha aka Haha and Weha; also is it Sin or Shin? So or Zo? It seems to have gotten better from episode three forwards, so that’s something.

Now, for the plot. It’s a hot mess, but in a good way. I feared that I wouldn’t be able to keep up with everyone and that the plot would stop making sense. I was pleasantly surprised that no matter how messy things got, it all still followed a logical plot line and was headed into a clear direction. It didn’t left me confused at all. The storyline was really well written, meaning if you paid attention, you could predict or guess certain things would happen.

I do find Miss Suzy kind of creepy. I know they are trying to show her as someone who has all control, knows everything, but I still feel that it was a bit too much. Host is someone I don’t really know what to think about. She seems to be under her mother’s full control, but there is more to her. We just sadly don’t really get to see that side of her very often.

Toey might be the character we know the least about. He is there from episode 1 as one of the managers (like Host) and yet we don’t get to know a single thing about him. We know his name and we know that he works for Miss Suzy. That’s it. I found that a bit strange. I mean he is not an actor in the house, but we could still know at least something about him.

As for the actors in the House of Stars, they sure know how to keep us on our toes.

Pitch, So, Gun: Pitch and So are partners in a BL series, there might be more between them but neither of them acted on it. Once Pitch starts to follow Gun around, we get a love triangle. So seems to be jealous of his acting partner spending time with Gun, and Gun seems to be unhappy about Pitch and So being together. And Pitch is living his clueless life. I am living for the mind games that So and Gun are playing with each other. They are kind of fun. I wouldn’t mind if this love triangle turned into a three-way relationship. The breakfast scene between Gun and So made me think things. The ending made me rethink my throuple idea though.

Korn, Pawin, Mintra: Korn and Mintra are dating, but Korn is also interested in men, something Mintra doesn’t know or just doesn’t want to admit. Pawin is a BL actor, he is gay, and has a thing for Korn. It makes sense that Mintra and Pawin don’t get along at all. Korn and Pawin end up hooking up while Mintra is away, which ends up blowing up into everyone’s face. I am not really a fan of the whole cheating thing. I know the two have a contract in place that states they need to date, but there were still real feelings involved. The storyline and the mess that followed were interesting. Korn really got my nerves most of the time, because of him two-timing the other too. There were times that I absolutely hated Mintra but there were also moments where I absolutely loved her! The wy their story ended was perfect though, I think it was the best possible outcome they could have chosen.

Wayha & Wayu: Wayha is new to acting, but his pronunciation sucks. Wayu is tasked with helping him. The two of them are the only couple we pair for sure from the start. Wayu is one that fell first and Wayha is the one to fall harder. They are kind of cute together though. Most of their scenes are adorable, just the two of them being lovey-dovey with each other. They are the least dramatic couple in the whole series. Which is not necessarily a bad thing. It’s good to have a few no-drama moments.

There’s also Sin, So’s brother. He was in an accident some time ago, which caused a lot of damage. Sin’s accident is also why So decided to take up acting. I feel like there is a lot more to the story, even after we find out who was responsible for the accident.

Lalit is the last to join the House of Stars and there is something suspicious about her. She is apparently a fangirl, so her sharing things that the fans shouldn’t know yet, doesn’t seem that unreasonable. I am not sure if they are just trying to make it seem like she is the one causing trouble, or if she is behind it, but there is something going on with her. I do like how her story progressed and while her end isn't something I fully like or understand, it is one that I think fits the story. She kind of grew on me as the series progressed.

And then we also get to meet Sun, Suzy’s son and Host’s brother, who seems to scare both of them. I don’t fully get their dynamics, especially considering the fact that Suzy could easily kick him out and disown him. Sun has a lot of secrets, and we don’t really get to know that much about him. I think there is a lot more to him that we are told, especially with how the series ended.

Am I happy with how everyone ended? No. Do I get what happened? Yes, mostly. Did I enjoy the series? Yes. And the fact that they left the story unfished… it can only mean that they set everything up for S2. I ended up really enjoying the series, so the fact that we are very likely to get another season is exciting!

Read More

The plot was a bad kind of messy

I had really high hopes for this drama, but it ended up being one big letdown. I think the plot where a celebrity falls for their fan is something that has a lot of potential. Why? Because it plays into the fan culture. Let’s be real, a lot of fans fantasize about meeting their celebrity crushes who will fall in love with them, and they will get to live their happily ever after. So, a plot with that premise can be a big success if it’s done right. Which this one wasn’t.

I really wish there would have been some major changes when it comes to the script. There was so much unnecessary and silly drama, situations that made no sense, characters who had no real purpose… It’s like they threw together a bunch of ideas and scenes and just went with it.

The two managers and whatever they were fighting about was unnecessary. I think it would have been better if more focus was given to the second couple or even to the main couple. Instead, we got scenes where the two were acting like little children. How they expected us to believe that they could manage actors when neither of the two could act like an adult, is beyond me. I am also not happy that trans character was once again made into both the villain and wanna-be comedic relief. It's more than time to leave that kind of portrayal of trans people in the past.

I was mildly invested into the lakorn Achi was filming, but I feel like I have seen the same scene every time they showed a snippet of it. It could have been incorporated better, and the scenes could have been either more diverse or shorter. There are also a lot of scenes in general that don’t make the most sense, like the way Punn confessed to Ashi or the way Mingmueang acted when he visited the doctor at the hospital. I mean, who does that?

Punn & Ashi: Punn was extremely childish and immature. It could have been adorable, but it was overdone, and it became annoying quickly. His obsession with Ashi was slightly creepy at times, especially once the two of them got together. And it made me wonder if he is actually in love with Ashi as a person, or if he loves the idea of Ashi. And I feel like that is something that later episodes made a bit more apparent, even if I don’t think that was what they were going for. Ashi seems to be a bit cold at times, someone who doesn’t let people close easily, and after seeing those around it, it makes sense why. I think Ashi was a lot more mature, but he was also hiding what he truly felt. Neither of the two was good at communicating, go figure. I felt like there was very little to no chemistry between the two actors, and I don’t know if this is due to the way the characters were or something else. Because I know Ja and First had great chemistry in their other works. I think they did fairly okay in their roles, they were different from their other roles (which is great), but I feel like they didn’t really show everything they are capable of.

Mingmueang & Namning: did they even have a plot? I feel like they had one actual conversation, the rest was them hooking up. I have very mixed feelings about Mingmueang. I know he tried to help Punn and whatnot, but the whole daddy thing was strange. How he went around getting the doctor to sleep with him for the second time was wrong on many different levels. What happened to consent? Namning is a character we don’t really know much about, except that he is a doctor and likes having one-night stands. And the extra possible love interest thrown into the mix was unnecessary, I think it only made things weird. The two actors did okay, but I think the roles they were given were not really well thought through.

I liked Punn’s family. They were supportive of Punn. His mom had some great advice for him on multiple occasions. And as much as Pai enjoyed annoying Punn, he always had his back. That’s how siblings tend to be, especially if they are close in age.

Read More

It left me disappointed in many different ways

Having seen Cutie Pie before, I knew that the relationship between Yi and Khondiao was a mess. I am not sure how they managed it, but they made it even worse in Naughty Babe. There are a lot of things that make very little to no sense when it comes to the relationship between the main couple.

First thing first, what was up with that tiger? I hated how those scenes were done, the CGI was atrocious. And I am not sure why they decided to change what happened when the two were little from a dog attack to a tiger attack, but it was a bad decision. It negated some of the things that played a big part in their story before.

I did actually enjoy the relationship Yi and Khondiao had with Yi’s father. I found it funny how obvious he made it who he prefers between the two. He loves Yi, don’t get it twisted, but he also loves Khondiao. Maybe he is trying to make the boy feel loved, because it’s obvious that his family is lacking in that aspect. Yi and Lian together are as hilarious as before. But I really liked how Lian had some really good advice for Yi and wasn’t afraid to let him know when he was being an idiot. Kuea and Diao were two cuties together, even if they tend to be a bit dramatic at times.

I enjoyed the mystery element to the series. It added a layer to it that I didn’t expect. Even if things were a bit too obvious and dealt with fairly quickly (might be because the series is shorter), it felt like it wasn’t explored enough. The absurdity in which this whole thing ended in the last episode though… just why?

Yi & Khondiao: I thought their relationship can’t get worse, but I was proven wrong. The two still can’t communicate properly, don’t really trust each other, keep lying to one another and apparently don’t even know each other well enough. Yi is still very controlling, he just hides that better by having his guards spy on his boyfriend. I do like Khondiao’s sassy side, even if I think it wasn’t really utilized well or in the right places. They have a lot of problems, but they do not appear to be mature enough to solve them. Sometimes it feels like there has been no progress in character development from Cutie Pie to where we are now. Max and Nat have great chemistry and they know how to kiss. But the comedic aspect to their characters, the over-done personality traits were not really something I enjoyed. Even if I think they acted them out well.

And while on the topic of comedic aspect, I don’t like most of the wanna-be comedic scenes that we got. They just felt extremely immature and not really something that fit Yi’s character well. He’s supposed to be mature, cold, a workaholic… not an immature manipulator with the humor of a frat guy.

All in all, I was disappointed. I really expected more from it, especially as they had an already established couple, backstory, side characters, the world in general… only to go back on many things, continue with the toxicity of the relationship (only more hidden), with characters that act like they are in high school instead of adults.

Read More