Started off great, but could use more work after

My expectations were high after the first two or three episodes. I loved the chemistry between the two actors, the not-so-subtle flirting undertones to their conversations and the little comedic inserts that came with Lee Jun not being sure of what to make of Choi Jun. I think the visuals (of everyone, not just the mains) are on point, the aesthetics and cinematography are stunning as well.

Sadly, things started to go downhill quickly after that. There was both a lot happening with the meetings and work-related stuff, but there was nothing happening when it came to the relationship and character development. We don’t get to know the motives of other characters, we don’t really see them change, we don’t see how Jun and Jun fall for each other. We got new characters and possible love interests that made it even harder to keep up with the plot. There was a lot of confusion.

Choi Jun & Lee Jun: the two look good together, I can’t argue with that, but there is absolutely no relationship development. We don’t know why Choi Jun (still) loves Lee Jun. We don’t get to see how Lee Jun falls for him. They don’t spend enough time together for them to get familiar with one another again, so they don’t know each other well enough to justify their present love. The actors were okay, but I feel like they didn’t really get the chance to show everything. I felt each Jun got a specific label and all of their personalities and actions were reduced to fitting that label. We had the hot director Choi Jun and adorable ex-idol Lee Jun. Both of their characters were not developed enough.

Actually, most of the characters were not developed enough. However, they were a nice addition to the series. I really enjoyed seeing both the old office workers and interns together. And Kim Yeong, she was such a cutie pie!

Another thing that lacked some development, some explanations was the love square between Lee Jun and the three men that were enamored with him – Choi Jun, Song Hyun Jae and Chim On. It was a mess. And one that left me mostly confused. The flashbacks related to the said love square left me mostly more confused as to what happened in the past.

I do admit the side couple was adorable once the two started to spend some more time together. I liked them paired together a lot more than seeing them pinning over someone else. I loved their dynamics and their playful bickering.

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Why R U so all over the place?

What did I even watch? It’s all over the place! The plot is a mess. There are too many characters to really keep up with all of them. And I feel like I watched the same two scenes about ten times each. The plot had a nice set up at first, maybe a bit too dramatic for my liking, but it was interesting. But then it went up in flames. The idea that all that happened is due to the bet between Zon and his sister quickly became a side thing. Instead, the series tried to keep with a bunch of couples and completely failed at that.

The cinematographic aspect was not the best. Some shots were very strange and with certain scenes constantly repeating, it felt like they did a lot of that just to fill in the time. The series could have easily been a few episodes shorter. Included less couples. The background sounds were all over the place too. I felt like they exaggerated with the comic sound effects.

Fighter & Tutor: they are both idiots. At first, I though only Fighter is an idiot who should just sit down with himself and decide on what the hell he wants. Or doesn’t want. His hot and cold attitude was not cute. The way he treated Tutor throughout the series (except for their cute and in love phase) was not okay. Tutor was doing okay at first. He was a bit confused, but he knew where he stood. And then he decided to keep secrets. To make decisions without his partner. To make an even bigger mess of things. That, however, does not excuse Fighter’s behavior or actions. It was how he handled things that made me absolutely hate him. I think both Zee and Saint are great actors, and they did good with intimate scenes and had great chemistry, I just don’t like the characters they played.

Saifah & Zon: I thought the two were supposed to be the main couple. But they got less screen time than the other main couple. At least it felt like that to me. They had me confused most of the time. Zon is dramatic. And Saifah is flirty. Together, they are a hot mess. I don’t think the switch in Saifah going from possibly hating Zon to being completely enamored by him makes sense. It happened in a second, which made me confused if he is simply messing with him or if actually likes Zon. There was a lot of back and forth between the two, but I also feel like nothing much happened. They sang, played the guitar, flirted and denied flirting. I don’t mind low-drama couples, but with everything else going on, they kind of faded into the background for me.

There were a few other couples – Japan and Thantai, Dew and Blue (with a sprinkle of Champ), Natee and Zen, Junior and Soda, Daw and Hwahwa. None of the mentioned (possible) couples got proper story development nor enough screen time to really round off their stories. I think they just added to the confusion.

There’s also Zol, Zon’s sister and the author. What happened with that plotline? I know it was supposed to be a way to start the story off, but it was never addressed if her writing came true or if it was just a coincidence. I feel like that just faded into the background. A similar thing happened to Zon’s parents and their role in what was going on.

To be honest, I did a lot of skipping. I also watched a lot of it on double speed just to get through it faster. I am just happy to be done with it.

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People are not white and black, we are gray

Any kind of love rivalry is a very common theme in all sorts of works of fiction. Even love triangle and brothers going against each other, be it for love or other things. This means that the plot and story must be really good for the series to do well, for the series to really shine. Sadly, the plot and storyline are where Double Savage falls short.

Korn: His father hates him and is abusive towards him while his mother enables him to do so. I know she is supposed to really love him, but the fact that she just stood by and did nothing? Yeah, doesn’t really make her a good character in my books. His two siblings do try, but they cannot really do much unless they want the same treatment. He is an incredibly strong, smart and independent character, but his family obligations and love know no limits. Even at his own expenses. Ohm did exceptionally, he truly shined in the role of Korn. The action scenes were great, yes, but the emotional ones? He really portrayed so many emotions through his eyes. Him being calm and mad at the same time was done so well.

Win: I really wanted to like him, and I did at the start of the series. And after that, it all went downhill. I don’t even know if I can believe that he at some point truly loved Korn as a brother should. His actions in the second part of the series show his true colors and they make me question everything I have thought about him. I think his upbringing as the golden child of the family really showed. He felt the pressure his father put on him, yes, but he was also led by the idea of being better than everyone. Perth played Win so well. The scenes where Win and Korn are going against one another had be on the edge of my seat. Especially the way Perth played Win.

Rung: The girl has absolutely no redeeming qualities. She made playing the victim her whole personality. She messed things up for everyone, multiple times, and caused troubles for herself and even more to others, yet she went and blamed everyone else but herself. Boo-hoo, go cry in the corner and see if anyone cares. She was manipulative and selfish, and she only truly cared about herself. I must give it to Film, it’s hard to make me hate a character this much, but she did a great job. I really loved how she controlled her emotions and her micro expressions in many scenes.

The whole love triangle between the two brothers and Rung was done very poorly. The way brotherly rivalry was written into the plot was not exactly great either. As I said, this is a very popular trope, so it really needs to be done well. Which it wasn’t. It made very little sense how extreme Win’s reactions were at certain scenes, especially after the later revelations. And his double standards for Korn and everyone else? I am disappointed with how they decided to resolve all of this in the end too. Especially the whole Rung situation.

Li was probably my favorite character in the whole series. She truly loved her brothers, equally and unconditionally. Even when they were acting like idiots, she stood by them and supported them in any way she could. She is brave and loyal, she is caring and supportive. I could really relate to her.

I also really liked both Ah and Mek as well. The two might have been criminals, but they had good hearts. They cared not only about themselves but about everyone around them and their whole community. Even if their community turned their backs on them on certain occasions. I even liked uncle Wit. I really enjoyed how calm Korn seemed when he was around him. He is truly at peace while around him.

The rival gang – who were they? Where did they come from? What did they want? What was their end goal? No one knows because they showed up and left with no explanation. Which is another plot hole.

There were some plot twists that I did not expect. While some made sense and really fit into the story, there was also a lot of them that just didn’t make any sense. Or really lacked background information that would make us understand them better.

I think the acting was the only thing that saved this series for me. I think all the actors did an amazing job in the roles they were given. And yes, even those who played characters I disliked. I hated the characters, not the actors. The plot was… what even was the plot? I feel like the reasons behind what happened were not solid or made clear. Another thing is the ending… why? Just why? Redemption arc is something that should be given to characters who deserve it. And not everyone does.

If there is one thing that the series showed well is how people are not white and black, we are gray. No one is completely good, and no one is completely bad, but we are a mix of good and bad.

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Should've happened before Pieces of Me

It was much better than I expected. Especially considering what we were told it will be at first. I was very concerned about the original plot (Nick pretending to be 16 to get with Tod), so seeing that they changed it made me very happy. I do think it was better done this way.

However, the two parts did seem to drag on a bit, especially the second. The acting wasn’t very believable at times, which I think made it difficult to really feel the emotions in the more emotional scenes. They also ruined the ending by scheduling these two episodes after Pieces of Me. We already had a good idea of what to expect, which kind of prevent the buildup of what would happen in the end. Maybe switching the order of Pieces of Me and 1626 would be better.

Another complaint I have is about the time – when things happen, how do different events follow each other, etc. I found it very hard to keep up with what is past and what is present. There was no clear distinction between the two.

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The ending was perfect, anything else would be wrong

It was fairly light and humorous drama, nothing too heavy. And that made it a perfect binge drama. The plot was simple, but they made it believable. It had a nice flow and things didn’t seem forced. There are a few things that I think it could have been done without or could have been done differently, but it wasn’t anything major.

Go Sa Ri does seem quite superficial, with not much depth. I did find her slightly annoying at times, but I can also understand where she is coming from. I do wish she was clearer with the guys around her, it felt like she was stirring them all along while she was unable to make any solid decision. I am glad that this is at least cleared up to some point at the end.

Pi Jung Won is in love with his best friend, but she doesn’t see that. In a way, he is more reserved and not willing to share his feelings, because he knows it might ruin his relationship with Sa Ri. I like how he was never pushy with his feelings, how he never used Sa Ri hurting him as an excuse to try and control who she does or doesn’t date.

Jeon Woo Sang who Sa Ri divorced is also back in hopes of a second chance. With all his clinginess and creepiness, he has a soft heart. He wanted Sa Ri back and was willing to do a lot to make that true, but he never went as low as to hurt her. I’m not excusing his stalkerish behavior, but I don’t think he was ever malicious.

Yeon Ha Rim might be young, but he is not dumb. I actually really liked his character. He never hid who he was, didn’t pretend to be someone else. Sure, he joked with Sa Ri about his age at first, but I don’t think that should be taken seriously. His age does show in the way he interacts with Sa Ri, it’s almost like he idolizes the idea of love.

Ki Sun Jae is the CEO of the company Sa Ri works for. I actually found him very adorable. He didn’t really give off scarry director vibes most of the time but was very sweet (even if slightly reluctant). He was trying to be obvious about his feelings while simultaneously trying to keep his distance, his cold persona that everyone knows.

I absolutely loved Doo Mu Ri and Ye Soo Won. The two might be dramatic and extra, but they were great friends to Sa Ri (and even Pi Jung Won). They were supportive and were always there when Sa Ri needed them. They didn’t let her hide when things got tough, but instead offered support. Sa Ri’s work collegoues were a mess. Some were fun or were able to redeem themselves, while others were just not likeable. Sadly, that is often the truth of a workspace.

The acting in general was okay, but it did feel flat sometimes. I am not generally a fan of the over-the-top scenes, but I didn’t find them bothersome.

I also really liked the ending. I think it was perfect the way it was. I know a lot of people might not find that ending satisfactory, but it carries an important message, one that has been pushed forward quite a few times during the drama. If you paid attention, of course.

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A lot more mystery than romance

The premise of the series is not really my cup of tea but I decided to give it a go anyways as the trailer looked interesting. Sadly, the series didn’t really deliver. I put the majority of the blame for this on the script, editing and styling choices.

The script was not really well thought out. Most of the time, things were very slow moving and there was not nearly enough going on. There are a lot of things that also don’t have an actual explanation and / or proper conclusion. Or proper background information. Even just takin Mon as a lost soul into consideration – sometimes he can’t taste food or travel through walls and doors, and other times he can. It was a lot of inconsistency. Let’s not comment on what they did with the scene where the bad guy is caught. That was a disaster.

The editing cuts were sometimes done very strangely, so the jumps from one scene to another didn’t always look good. The flashbacks were okay, but I think the transitions between past and present should have been clearer. As for styling choices, the ghosts looked horrible and more like they have risen from the dead.

Mon & Thames: Mon does appear as a relatable character (which is more than I can say for a few others). He does appear kind of awkward, and I honestly don’t fully understand some of his decisions. Thames can seem quite arrogant at times, but we also see his more realistic and down-to-earth side when he is with his grandma. We do get some cute moments between the two, but their relationship just happens. There is not really any clarity on why they like each other. They just do. I also think that the two actors didn’t really have a good chemistry. There were times when they appeared really awkward with each other and I am not sure if this is due to the characters or the actors. I am loving Ping as Thames, I think he does well in the role, but Guitar’s portrayal of Mon does feel a bit flat at times.

The side characters were fun, I guess. I really liked Bua, she was a good friend and manager to both boys. The other two actors were a bit of a mess, I didn’t really like either of them. And the guardian spirit did very little guarding, but that’s fine. Mon’s work friend was an easy way out in the end, and I didn’t find his character persuasive.

A lot of focus was on the mystery part of the plot while the romantic aspect of it was not done well. It was lacking. I did enjoy most of the mystery stuff though, but there were a few situations that didn’t necessarily make a lot of sense or were just done in a weird manner that didn’t really fit the narrative or the characters.

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A lot of it was quite confusing and unclear

The story continues from where we left off in the special episode. Kind of. Some time passed, but the story progresses in a logical way from the past to the present. I’d label this one as a second chance romance; the parts that were centered around the relationship of Zhou Shu Yi and Gao Shi De were probably the better written parts of the plot. I found the rest of the plot quite weak and very confusing.

Gao Shi De & Zhou Shu Yi: I was a bit annoyed by the choices they made and actions they took that lead to them being where they are in the beginning of the series. I do feel like most of their problems could have easily been solved with some communication, especially on Gao Shi De’s part. He kept so many secrets that I still don’t understand why he decided not to share them with his boyfriend and that led to more misunderstandings. I really like Zhou Shu Yi’s response when he learns the truth. It also shows how serious he was about them being together. I do feel we get to see a more mature side to both of them at times, which was a nice detail as we have moved from college life to working life. Their chemistry is still amazing though.

Shi Zhe Yu & Liu Bing Wei: the two have been kind of hinted at in the first season, but due to how limited their screen time was, I wasn’t really sure if they are a thing or not. They are confirmed couple in the second season, and while they don’t get much screen time, I found them adorable.

Pei Shou Yi & Yu Zhen Xuan: I want to like the pairing, but I don’t. I understand that Pai Shou Yi has a disorder (I don’t think the translation is right, I couldn’t find anything under that online) that makes him cold, uncaring. And Yu Zhen Xuan has several different issues himself. They have been separated for over 12 years and while one wants the other, the other doesn’t really care about anything or anyone. Their scenes were painful to watch sometimes, and not in a good way. I also feel like their story ended up being very confusing as we got some glimpses into their relationship, but not nearly enough information to understand everything that has happened between the two.

The ”villain” who separated the star crossed lovers was not hard to figure. I was suspicious about them since their appearance in the first season. I was sure there was going to be something there. But I also found this person extremely childish and not acting their age at all.

The series ended with a lot of things either not addressed or not getting a proper conclusion. Which is a shame. I might be in minority here, but I think S1 was better than S2.

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It's like a teaser for the second season

I don’t fully understand what exactly is going on in Gao She De’s life in America, but it seems like he has his hands full. I feel like we get a lot of different hints as to what might be going on for him to stay there for much longer than planned. But we don’t get any definite answers. It’s almost like a teaser for the second season of the series with a few glances into the lives of Zhou Shu Yi and Gao Shi De during their separation. I am a bit disappointed by the fact that a simple misunderstanding and lack of communication seem to be the main conflict both for the special and as a set up for season 2.

It's very confusing though and not a lot of it makes sense. It was definitely not was I expected from the special episode. What happened to special episodes being sweet? And cute?

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Can Payu and Prapai really be considered green flags?

I actually quite liked the series. I think the locations and production value are great, the OSTs are beautiful and catchy. The actors did an amazing job portraying their characters and the chemistry between all of them was amazing.

We actually follow two almost separate stories that feel like spin offs of one another. I think we would all benefit from two separate series with an extra episode or two each, because things felt quite rushed at times. There often wasn’t a clear logic in the way scenes followed one another either. And quite a few plot holes or plot choices that make absolutely no sense. What do you mean Rain was afraid of telling Sky that he likes a guy? Sky literally helped him plan how to win over the guy!

Payu & Rain: where to even start? Payu seems to be a bit cold, but very confident and independent. He knows what he wants and goes for it. Rain is… annoying. I don’t know how else to describe him, but he is supposed to be this innocent and overly dumb character. There were a lot of scenes in which I just felt annoyed by him. But at the same, he felt very relatable. When his car breaks down in front of the bar and he is unsure how to react. Every new driver has probably felt that way at one point. Boss and Noeul have great chemistry, there is no denying that. Their NC scenes were done incredibly well and I think that them being comfortable with each other off screen really translated well into the series.

Prapai & Sky: Prapai is sweet, rich and caring. He seems to be less cold than Payu and tends to make his intentions clear early on. Sky is my spirit animal. I absolutely love his character. The sass, the constant snacking, the sarcasm and just generally being done with everyone. He has a horrible past which means he doesn’t really open easily though. Fort and Peat also have an amazing chemistry, they really did great in their NC scenes as well. With their first night together being a mess, I really appreciated how important consent was between the two going forward. Sky always either initiated things or gave consent clearly.

This is based on a MAME novel, so I should have known better than to hope everything will be great and that we will finally get some real green flag characters. Here’s the thing, I don’t mind red flag characters if that is shown clearly. Go be toxic, just be honest about it. We were gaslighted into thinking that both Payu and Prapai are walking green flags when the reality is far from that. From manipulation, stalking, sex coercion and non-consent, forced coming outs… and I could keep going. But most of these were very well hidden in the plot, so they can be easily missed or shown as something romantic. Which is also problematic.

I really want to take a moment to talk about Gun, Sky’s ex. I’m not going to go into what has happened with him as I don’t want to spoil anything, but I was so impressed with Dunk’s acting. It is very hard to make us hate a character as much as he made us hate Gun. And sure, Gun is the villain in the story, but if the villains are not well thought through or portrayed right, I don’t really care much about them. But Gun? I loathed him.

All of the side characters were a lot of fun actually. I really liked Sky’s and Rain’s university friend group. They were a lot of fun, and I was living for Sig doing his best to annoy poor Som. Payu’s boss in the office was interesting too and I really liked their relationship. Don’t even get me started on Chai, Pakin’s right hand man. There was just something about him that demanded attention when he appeared on screen.

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“Being gay is not like Covid-19. It’s not infectious.” – Nam, Chon’s mother

I tried to like the series, I really did, but it fell flat for me. There were things and characters that I absolutely loved and think were done incredibly well, but there are also plenty of problems that came with that.

The plot is simple and is something that has been done plenty of times before. Which is why it needs to be done well to be good. The start was good, but I think it went downhill very quickly. I did have a lot of problems with the pacing of the plot. It was very slow at first, but it felt super rushed towards the end.

They tried to include a comedic aspect in the series, but I feel like it often fell flat. Often they exaggerated in scenes to make them funny, but I didn’t find them funny. A lot of Ton’s jealousy scenes didn’t really translate well through the screen either.

Tonhon & Chonlatee: I found Chon adorable at first. He appeared quite clueless at times, but he showed that there is a lot more to him. He knew exactly what was going on around him but decided to play dumb a lot of the times. But his actions in the later episodes really made my blood boil. It just didn’t sit well with me. Ton is not a very lovable character. At least I didn’t really like him most of the time. He made a lot of homophobic remarks, and while I know it stems from his upbringing it is not an excuse for his behavior. He can also be incredibly pushy to the point of everyone around him being uncomfortable with it. I can’t decide if he is as dense as he portrays himself or if he is just so deep in denial in regard to what is going on around him. Pod and Khao are both great actors, I have seen them in other things and I know they are capable of doing much better, I just don’t think that the plot truly gave them the chance to showcase all of their talents.

Ai & Nai: The two of them are sweet together. However, considering that the two are together and are obviously attracted to men, I found their friendship with Ton annoying. Not only were they enabling Ton to keep festering his homophobic views, but they also often went along with his comments and made such comments themselves as well. The fact they went as far to get a fake girlfriend to fool Ton is absurd. Mike and Toptap have always been one of my favorite side pairings in GMMTV series, the two have (had) great chemistry together, I just once again feel like they were not given a proper chance to show it in the series.

Miriam was nice, but I wasn’t the biggest fan of her. I felt like her character was unnecessary. I do admit that Jan did an amazing job, don’t get me wrong, I just didn’t see the point in having Miriam be part of the story. Pang was a good friend to Chon, I really liked it.

The fact that we got the typical evil ex-girlfriend plot was a bit annoying, I do admit that. But I can see what Amp and Ton were together. They are very similar in many different aspects. From their homophobic views to their “main character” energy. It also makes sense why didn’t work out. What Nueng did and tried to do is never properly addressed and that pisses me off. And that Amp was the one that orchestrated the whole thing and gets off with no consequences as well… why, just why?

Out of everyone, Chon’s mom was my favorite character. She is very supportive of her son; she knows everything about it. She is not quick to judge others and she really raised Chon the right way. But she is also not afraid to call people out when they do something wrong. It doesn’t matter who it is, if what they did is wrong, she points it out. Her telling Ton’s father that being gay is not like covid-19, it’s not infectious, is probably my favorite quote in the whole series.

I liked the production value, the OST and the filming locations were beautiful. I just think they wasted a lot of potential. The series could be great, it had a really solid cast and a basic plot that could have been done much better.

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I liked the parallels between Shima's past and present

I didn’t read the manga that the movie is based on before watching it. Which might have affected my perception of the movie, making my opinion differ from the opinions of people who have read the original first.

The plot is quite simple, but there is nothing wrong with that. It’s an office romance between two very different men, who both suffer from past trauma and / or heartbreak. Their pasts do differ, but that doesn’t mean that the pain of either one is lesser.

Togawa & Shima: Togawa seems to have an addictive personality, in the sense that he tends to get hooked on things. Drinking, smoking, and later Shima. It is not necessarily portrayed that way, but it is a conclusion that it could lead to. Shima is quite introverted, he doesn’t do well in workplace social interactions because of his past, his previous job. He is also someone who tends to put everyone before himself and tries to do what he thinks is best for others, even if it means hurting himself. The two do start on the wrong foot, but Togawa quickly proves himself as a good person, even if Shima’s first impression of him was not the best.

My favorite part of the movie is how it draws parallels between Shima’s old relationship and his relationship with Togawa. There are plenty of similarities between the two and Shima even points out how he apparently tends to repeat his mistakes. It really showed how similar situations can be handled differently.

There are a few scenes that are a bit problematic, especially considering that Togawa is Shima’s boss. I know that what he said was meant as joke, but I don’t think Shima knew him well enough to know that. Which is why it did feel like he was using his position to pressure him. But it was not a reoccurring situation which I am grateful for.

The movie lacked chemistry, at least from my point of view. I am not sure if this is due to the personality of Shima, or due to the lack of chemistry between the actors. It’s also almost 10 years old, which probably also plays a role in this.

The cinematography was beautiful, but a lot of scenes were very dark, so it was hard to see. Or they were shot from far away. That is something that I didn’t really enjoy.

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There is nothing better than love to make you feel young again

It really was a joy to watch this series! I think it was very realistically done too. I think we all at some point in our lives reach the stage where we feel lost. We either don’t know how to continue, if we are on the right path, or we might feel like we are too old to do something new, something exciting. Having someone there to help you through that is great, so seeing how Togawa helped Nozue through his crisis was really sweet to watch.

Nozue & Togawa: Nozue is 10 years older and seems to be stuck in a cycle of sleeping and working with nothing much else happening. Togawa is younger, but he also has a much better work life balance. Which he learned from Nozue who offered him many good advice in the past. I really liked how much influence Nozue actually had on Togawa as a mentor and a boss. That truly showed what a good person he is and just how much he cares for others. But it also showed that Togawa had very good opinion about him from early on. The two really are a good fit for one another. Togawa is mature, so it doesn’t seem like Nozue is actually that much older than him. And he is also very good at making Nozue relax and feel younger, not so stuck in his life. After all, there is nothing that makes a person feel younger than love. Plus, their chemistry was good too. Their reactions to different situations seemed very realistic which made the whole thing even more enjoyable for me.

There was no unecessary drama, which I liked. The two are adults, so I was glad we avoided all the drama that we often get.

I absolutely loved their little food dates. I know how hard it can be to go try something new on your own, how nerve wracking it can be if you don’t know how or what to order. So having someone else there, even if they don’t know what they are doing, is a lot of fun.

All in all, I really enjoyed the series. The side characters were really fun as well. The other office workers that worked under Nozue were fun, I really liked Nakamura. And then Kirishima as both friend and possibly HR person really had a great relationship with Nozue.

It was a bit short; I would love to see more. The end scene jump was a bit rushed, but it didn’t really bother me too much.

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Would you like to start dating now? Yes / No.

I found the series absolutely adorable! The cinematography was beautifully done and was really well thought through. The office setting, Shin Ki Tae’s apartment and his house plants, the school, the restaurant… it really fit altogether so nicely.

The plot might seem quite simple, but it was well developed. I really liked the fact that we actually see everyone at the office working instead of the work aspect being just hinted at like in many other series. Sunny is probably my favorite character (beside the main characters). She is a woman of few words, but she notices everything and shows support silently. Boss Theo was an interesting character. He might be the boss in paper, but in reality, everyone is just bossing the poor man around. Especially Shin Ki Tae and Sunny. Jamie is a cutie too, she brings light into the office for sure.

Shin Ki Tae & Lee Wan: The two of them are so cute together! I really like how they kept up with little intimacies once the two became boyfriends. It really made it feel like the two are in love. Lee Wan can be quite awkward and tends to run away from his problems, he has an artistic and romantic soul. Shin Ki Tae seems to mostly do better in social interactions, but he also suffers from separation anxiety due to the past. And we can really feel his anxiety in some scenes. The two actors did an amazing job showing emotions, and they had great chemistry.

The little high school game inserts featuring Shin Ki Tae and Lee Wan at the end of the episodes were so sweet! I really enjoyed them, especially because they followed the premise of the dating sim game they were developing.

My only complaint is that I wish it would be longer! It went by so fast. I just want more of it.

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Angsty, but in a good way

The main plot idea is the same as in the shorter version of the series, but I think that it was much better executed. Why? Because we were given time for relationships to develop nicely, we were given the necessary backstories and side stories to fully understand what happened, how it happened and why it happened.

Vee & Mark: Their one night stand still doesn’t sit well with me, but I expected that is not something that will change from the mini series to this one as it was a major plot point. However, I am really glad that they showed that Mark was not okay with what happened in more detail. The scene in which he is scrubbing his body clean really shows that. It might not have been addressed out loud, but it was at least hinted at. I think the series really showed us how much Vee struggled with his feelings and between what is wrong and right in his mind when it comes to him double timing Mark and Ploy. He loved Ploy and having her is something that he got used to, it became normal for him. So, when Mark crashed into his life, it threw him off. It also showed how he felt unworthy of both of them. Could he have handled it better? Yes. Did I expect him to? No. One thing that really upset me was Vee’s complete lack of respect and trust in Mark. This was shown on multiple occasions, and it made me want to shake some sense into him. To be honest, Mark did intentionally hurt Vee, but I think Vee’s words have cut deeper. Especially because Mark was already doubting himself and his relationship with Vee.

If there is one thing this series really delivered, it was rejections. There are a few major rejection scenes done throughout the series and they were all done perfectly. There is no false hope given, and the characters are very assertive about it. And honest. And while Bar rejecting Mark does come across as a bit harsh, it was what Mark needed. He was too hung up on the idea of dating Bar that a simple no wasn’t going to cut it.

I really like Vee’s friend group. Yiwaa is a star, the boys definitely know who is in charge. She runs the show, but it is not overdone to the point of it being annoying. She is the kind of friend that can keep a secret but will also forever tease you for it. Nuea is a sweetheart, he cares about everyone more than he does about himself. He is also very mature. Bar can be a bit of an idiot at times, but he is head over heels for his boyfriend Kan. Kan is another favorite of mine. He’s a cutie with a soft heart. And he knows how to keep a secret too.

It was an improvement from the short series. Yin and War have an amazing chemistry and I really love seeing the two together. I think we can agree that War is an absolute cutie!

The series is full of angst and drama. Which is probably not for everyone. But I actually quite enjoyed the series. Even if I wanted to shake some sense in pretty much everyone at one point or the other. It addressed some issues relating to homophobia and social class differences, which were all very well incorporated into the story.  

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Bad start but good ending

The second instalment of En of Love franchise. My main complaint for this one is that it was too short to really give the story a chance to fully develop and for us to really understand the characters.

Vee & Mark: Their start was messy. I am not a fan of the whole one night stand idea where one of the individuals is too drunk to function. That doesn’t sit well with me in general. Vee two-timing Ploy and Mark while not really being able to make up his mind wasn’t really showing him in a good light either. I can understand his struggle, especially seeing that he has been with Ploy for a while, but cheating is never the answer. I do think that Yin and War had amazing chemistry, and they really showed that with their characters.

I did think this one was much better than the first series. Maybe I was simply too creeped out by Gun to fully enjoy it. Either way, I really like how the plot continues from where TOSSARA ended.

P.s. I think a lot of my original issues have been dealt with in the longer version of the series

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