imanirine
This review may contain spoilers
Conditional vs. Unconditional Love
This drama should go by the title 'Pure Love Dissonance' and not just 'Love Dissonance'.The Japanese title 'Junai' translates to 'pure love', a specific type of love usually associated with Unconditional Love or Agape, also known as 'selfless love'.
Many forms of relationships and types of love exist in this drama. Relationships between lovers, friends, family, and not-quite enemies but definitely rivals. Various types of love are present in just about every form except for Erotic love. It could be a result of the innate censorship of the drama because of the rating or because it's from Japan a conservative country, but there are moments when the drama mentions Erotic love. However, it's just never mentioned about the main couple unless someone believes that that is the reason the main couple is together.
It's not. It's way deeper than that.
The main couple - in comparison to every other dynamic, pair, or relationship in the drama - represents selfless love. Unconditional love. The type of intimacy that is only present in those who have experienced 'infinite empathy' for another person.
Masaki and Sae met each other at one of their lowest moments in life and helped each other overcome their personal struggles and find comfort, support, and sanctuary with each other.
The explosive argument in the 7th episode between Manami and Masaki highlights that. She illustrates to Masaki that she would refer prefer Masaki and Sae just sleep together instead of emotionally cheating.
It was the first time I'd seen a portrayal of Emotional Infidelity. Very well done.
"What I can't stand is the heart! I can't stand the fact that you two are connected at the heart!"
Masaki and Sae have infinite empathy for each other that seems to last the test of time and circumstance. Despite almost everyone's attempt to break these two apart, even Masaki and Sae.
At times, the image of doves hounded by a circle of vultures comes to mind when I see more drama plied on to break the main couple apart. It was almost like they were the innocents and collateral damage to the world's expected forced expectations and eventually fallout for everyone.
The photo that ruined their reputation was of them consoling each other after a few days of constant emotional and mental exhaustion. Either from their toxic parents, inability to embark on achieving their dreams, or just from society pulling them away from each other for the sake of the status quo. No kisses, no sexts, no brazen behavior at school, and no explicit form of physical intimacy between them.
Just a 'shoulder-to-cry-on' mentality. Nothing more. However, the situation they're in is inappropriate. The backlash from the photo made the situation less ideal than it was in real life.
Sae is very candid, blunt, and level-headed. I adore Smart Leads because their actions have logical reasoning behind them and they usually acknowledge the consequences of their actions as well. Sae - in comparison to Masaki - is braver and more emotionally mature than her counterpart in the drama. Masaki may be the Sensei but he has much to learn from her when it comes to being true and honest to yourself, despite what life throws your way. She didn't 'fix' him though she did inspire change within him. He acknowledges that near the end of the drama too. Sae is the reason he's decided to treat himself better, be more honest, and live more honestly too. They bring out the best in each other simply the fact that they both just want to be happy living their dreams, together or not. Selfless love.
Manami represented obsessive love towards Masaki. All or majority of the parents were just Narcissists and toxic people. Treating their children as extensions of themselves and denying those children basic human rights like deciding their own path and their privacy rights.
When Sae's mother came to school to read her daughter's novel out loud, I was truly disgusted. Then, near the end of the drama, I choked up a little when her mother told her daughter to be different from her and therefore better than her. 'Go be with Masaki', she was saying in her own petty way. I laughed too but was happy that the mom was finally ready to not be selfish.
Another aspect of the drama that really hit home for me was the parent-child bonds. There's Masaki and his parents. Sae and her mom. And then, Manami and Hokuto with their father and Manami's mother play a part too. The type of love between parents and children should be Agape or Storge known as 'familiar love'. However Agape still trumps all other types of love.
Sae and Masaki's love reigns superior to everyone else's, especially at the beginning of the drama.
The other characters' relationships - between other people and within themselves - eventually and fortunately change for the better good near the end of the drama. Even the criminals in the show have a change of heart and/or redemption arc that I'm okay with. Everything that happens in this drama relates to someone's desire for love or in the name of love.
Masaki's statement to Manami's father in the last episode was profound and brutally honest. "So long as you shackle people with conditions, no one will become your family. Family comes at the price of no conditions, whatsoever." The difference between Conditional Love and Unconditional Love is how you love. Manami's father didn't understand until he lost just about everything, in every way.
I like the little details too. The music and sound design. The editing, cinematography, acting, and how this drama exceeded my expectations in every way. I love the time jump, the repeating topics of living without regrets, loving yourself before being able to accept love and knowing when to let go of what or who you love because you love them.
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This review may contain spoilers
A Dry, Tone Deaf & Disrespectful attempt at Mystery/Thriller with BL mixed in
First of all, Jane is the MVP of this show and she is the REAL main character in this story.The fact that the main character was sitting on a goldmine - a cornucopia of evidence, you can say - and didn't know about it, until the very. Last. Episode.
Infuriating.
This drama was more amusing to watch then it's original purpose of being dramatic/well written/properly portrayed or respectfully represented. Either will do.
The overhead shots of the town (city? village? countryside? no idea! there's only two police officers in that whole police station! *shrugs*) showing the misty forest mountains is the prettiest this drama will get.
The women carried this drama (specifically Jane and Rung - mostly Jane). Even if Jane was a like the other females in this drama - victims of plot devices - Jane's secret sleuthing solved everything. All she needed was for someone to expose the truth to the public with the evidence she painstakingly collected!
But no.
Those who want to help her in her just cause, spends majority of the drama asking the wrong questions and turning their backs on the wrong people. Again.
(Seriously! The trope of being 'stabbed in the back' was overkill and annoying. Too many people in this drama were caught by surprise by someone sneaking up on them. It's old, stop it!)
Nam had the most character development out of everyone surrounding her and she spends most of her screen time on drugs. The acting is questionable and the scene of Jane's death was the best scene with the best amount of talent. The music was appropriate for once in that scene but anytime else... I just watched some moments on mute.
The couple....
I think I had an issue of liking this relationship because of Tan's gaslighting and deceitful habits towards Bun and Bun's general habit of saying one thing about who is he, and then acting in a contradicting way.
He's not a likeable person (to me at least) and he's quick to anger and relies on pettiness so much that it's not helpful at all to the mystery of his supposed-friend's death.
Both lovers need to work on their communication and conversation skills because following along in their 'flirtatious banter', made me pick up my phone to play a game until more of Jane's story was on screen. (Poor Jane, for being surrounded by average brain, spineless criminals.) Inspector M and Sorn were the only redeemable male characters in this drama.
I'm of course bias, so take my review for a grain of salt but the show was tone deaf and disrespectful about such a heavy topics like the sex trade/underage sex/r*pe/prostitiution and human trafficking that endangers soooooo many people (men too) and the drama brings it up in between 'the honeymoon phase' for the main couple: causally and irreverent. Same for the medical and professional practice of Forensics, Physicians/Surgeons and the Police.
Yes, the law is corruptible but before the show so obviously told us law enforcement wasn't to be trusted, the breach of confidentiality and conduct was repeated too many times to be intentional.
The drama had a small budget probably, but it doesn't excuse the production quality and lack of character depth in the show.
The BL exists, I'll admit that but this show could have been better if the mystery/thriller aspect was separate from the BL love story. In this particular instance, the two genres I was so looking forward to, did not mesh together well.
I felt like I brought my scuba, deep sea, diving gear to a kiddie pool at five-years old birthday party. Not impressed.
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The Good, The Bad & The Ugly ~Worth Watching Tho~
NO SPOILERS HERE IN THE FIRST PART!Overall: completely worth my time and energy to watch this drama and love it.
These two have a rocky and less-than-smooth start and the first half of the drama took my heart on a roller coaster. I have to give credit to this drama for leaving a lasting impression on my mind now and for being profound enough for me to feel so many emotions when watching this short drama. Bravo. If you can get past the rough, triggering, and unhealthy beginnings of these two characters' relationship, then I say watch this drama and you'll feel something. I'm sure.
SPOILERS STARTING HERE!
Both of the main characters have their issues. They both found an unhealthy way to interact with each other. However, both of them are victims of never understanding the difference between healthy expressions of affections and toxic, unwanted affections.
Kiyoi is a tsundere. He's cold on the exterior and soft on the inside. He's beautiful in appearance and seemingly mild-mannered as well. He doesn't seem interested in dating and he acquired a group of 'friends' pretty quickly at the start of the school year. He hides the fact that he's incredibly lonely and he really wants to be an idol so he can overcome his loneliness through his future fans' love and devotion. On his first day of school, he notices Hira, and the looks Hira gives him. Kiyoi isn't sure what Hira wants from Kiyoi but Kiyoi wants to find out. Just not in the best way...
Hira considers himself at the 'bottom of the pyramid' and finds it difficult to like anything. Or anyone, I guess since he doesn't seem to have friends or any old friends he use to have since he never mentions anyone else besides his parents and Kiyoi. He eventually gets a friend when he goes to university and meets Koyama. Hira has a speech impairment that makes him stutter and he gets too nervous to talk to new people. He owns a camera that his parents got for him when he was young to take pictures of things that he likes. He never photographed another person since he got a camera until he met Kiyoi. Hira finds Kiyoi so beautiful and lovely to look at that he can't help but follow Kiyoi around, do everything he tells him to and take his picture. He also says very intense and intimate things to and about Kiyoi that show his perspective of Kiyoi as the King in his life and Hira as a servant. This pedestal he puts Kiyoi on also isolates these two from having anything romantic or physical. At least in Hira's mind.
But Kiyoi doesn't want that. Not after he starts to change how he feels about Hira when Hira fights back against other classmates bullying Kiyoi. Their inability to say how they feel and be honest and open with each other causes them to inadvertently hurt each other and leave them separated with big misunderstandings. Kiyoi doesn't know how to tell Hira that what he says to him and how it makes him feel, feels new but good. So he tells Hira that his actions are a turn-off. The Japanese word 'kimoi' is a shorter version of the phrase 'kimochi warui' or 'bad feelings'. The culture translation for this slang is similar to telling someone that they are 'giving off bad vibes' or that they are a 'turn-off'. (There was some confusion and misinterpretations due to the subtitling of the videos but after some research, I've found out that 'kimoi' doesn't always mean disgusting like the translation says it does every time. I do believe that some of Hira's behavior was questionable, disgusting, and a little disturbing. I still finished this drama though, so I survived those few offenses.)
Kiyoi also hung out with a group of classmates that were mostly bullies who loved using and making fun of Hira since Hira will always tag along if Kiyoi is there to order him around. Kiyoi was different from the other students in that group - of course - but I was really surprised when he gave Hira his own money since bullies would never do that. It made me question Kiyoi's action a bit more and I started to pay attention to his body language more often and not just what he was saying. It wasn't until episode 5 when Kiyoi was able to give his POV for the show that things started to make so much sense after that.
The last half of the drama gets crazier and my jaw kept dropping to the floor because this drama is telling a story of these two lonely boys who find each other and find the thing they've been looking for in each other without realizing it. Their lack of slf-esteem, honesty and ability to properly communicate leaves the viewer confused and alarmed. Things get toxic and at one instance even violent since Hira imagines having a machine gun and shooting his fellow classmates because they were being mean to Kiyoi or saying something mean about him. That part almost made me quit the drama. However, that same episode - Kiyoi kissed Hira. Kissed him! All of the sudden, Kiyoi finds time to be with Hira. Go to his house, walk home together or study when its just the two of them. This all happens after Hira beats up a classmate that poured tomato juice (???) on Kiyoi's head after Kiyoi failed to win 1st place for the idol competition that he badly wanted to win. Kiyoi didn't look like he would fight back, just pretend that the bullying didn't phase him. Hira comes in like a firece storm and punches the guy until the guys' friends have to hold Hira back.
What I liked most about this scene was that it was shown from Kiyoi's POV and not Hira's. When Hira described the incident, there was only a black screen and a faded echo of someone yelling. Thanks to the creative direction, we get to see what really happened and we get to see what Kiyoi's sees when he sees Hira. This was the first time the viewers ever saw Hira act so differently. Even the teacher made a comment about it in Hira's POV in episode 3. After the incident, Kiyoi opens up to Hira. He actually asks him if he likes boys. If Hira wants to kiss him and then offers his hand (like some blushing maiden in a fairytale???) for Hira to kiss. Which Hira does - on his knee like some knight in shining armor, awarded for protecting his lady (in this case King's maybe??) virtue. I laughed actually. It was too on the nose and not subtle at all. I liked it and thought, "Okay, I''l keep watching."
The drama is beautiful. The way it was filmed was stunning. I love the Japanese countryside aesthic. I liked the moments when they were by the river and had their bike rides. I like the inside of Hira's home and the introduction sequences for Kiyoi and Hira. The actors are also very beautiful, each in their own individual ways and their acting was superb. The body language and subtle details make all the difference. I love this drama and the fact that its from Japan as well since it reminds of Kimi Wa Petto. Another drama about an unconventional couple that found exactly what they needed serendipitously. Beautiful.
The ending.... I won't spoil the ending but I adored Kiyoi's facial expressions and the progression the two characters had regarding their communication and relationship. Now I need to read the manga because there could be a season 2 & 3??!!
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First time seeing a Same-Sex Wedding in a BL drama, so great!
This drama is conflicting for me. I don't hate it but I don't love it.There are a few things I like about the show like the TengTeng and Li Cheng pairing, the budget for high and quality production, the music and the costume design for the characters. That attention to detail was fantastic to see and well appreciated.
What I love the most is definitely the Wedding. So phenomenal to see a couple be together and have it be official and legal and recognized and celebrated. I'm so glad Taiwan is so much more progressive than other Asian countries so moments like the wedding - it's not only a fictional fantasy but an actual reality for all couples living in Taiwan. It's so heartwarming to see.
Things I hate or am disgusted by about this drama is almost everything with the other 'couple' and how they become a 'couple'. Not why, just how. S**ual assault and r**e should not ever be acceptable and it especially should not be the cornerstone of a relationship. That's just so unhealthy. Trigger warnings for that because this drama brings up the issue with multiple reactions to it and it's up to the viewer to decision how they feel about it. But I say no, no thank you.
TengTeng and LiCheng were the MVPs of the show! Honestly.
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Inappropriately Good
A short review for a short drama.It's fast-paced. It starts off strong and finishes on a good note. The banter between the two characters is easy to follow and very spicy at times, it's easy to forget that they are work colleagues and boss/subordinates. Just like they forget most times too.
That's where the inappropriate aspect comes in. There's low-key flirting, high-key flirting, and all-around foolery regarding personal boundaries and what is work appropriate. The term 's**ual harassment' comes up about four times in the drama but the actual act happens many more times and yet it seems consensual but there's no verbal agreement that it's okay. (Hmm??)
I will say that the camera work, the music and soundtrack, and the acting were superb. I enjoyed the small moments of voice-over and narration. It didn't take me out of the story and it fit the short and intimate drama pretty well. The flashback scenes help with backstory and character development. I understood the choices and thought processes of the main characters a bit after those flashbacks happened. This was overall a well-written story and I would like to see the original manga to read/see more details that may have not made it into the Live Action version.
The acting between the two actors was hands down enjoyable. I cried when they were sad, I laughed when they were having fun and I cringed when there were awkwardness and spicy moments happening. In my head, I'm screaming and in real life, I'm squealing because, HOW DID YOU GUYS GET INTO THIS POSITION?! No wait, don't tell me... My heart can only take so much.
The drama is shorter than I expected and I could definitely use a second season but it's perfect the way it is. I'm starting to really enjoy the office romance genre thanks to this drama and Cherry Magic. I like the adult and mature themes of aging and allowing yourself to enjoy life, try something new, and accept love when it falls into your lap - no matter your age.
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Dropped the Ball Halfway Through
There was a promising start with the two sisters with very different but interesting personalities and abilities trying to survive in a world that was built to oppress them. Either in their home life with their family and filial piety or in their hearts about who they can and can not love. The Aunt of the Crown Prince and eventually King was a well-constructed villain and opposition to the main characters but not only did they kill her off-screen - they replaced her with her next-to-useless son that was a sad and sorry excuse for an antagonist in the story.Also, I have never watched a Chinese historical drama that featured a Spanish guitar in the OST. (Plus, it only came on around the two guys and that confused me because is this what they call bromance because I felt something else and it was not platonic! Hilarious, but I loved those moments because why not?)
The ending was lackluster and disappointing and the little sister was a nuisance towards the end and quite the liability. Kudos to the actress for the older sister though! I was actually rooting for her and loved how sensible, calm, and collected she was! I can support her as an Empresss and it's too bad we couldn't even enjoy that since the plot needed her to be weak and a damsel in distress for the main couple to have some more, unnecessary heartbreak before the show was over.
Pretty drama but it suffers the same syndrome as most other Chinese romance, historical dramas that were too long for how little plot and development existed in the end.
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A Mastery of Mass Manipulation (This drama has me in a chokehold like Yohan!)
This is solid. The drama doesn't pull any punches and it hits the ground running. Everything is fast-paced from the start for a reason. This drama is a Masterpiece and a shining example of what more to expect in Kdramas moving forward. A Trailblazing type of drama that is original in its genre and a blended artwork of cinematography, casting, lighting, acting, writing, directing, sound design, and pacing. This is a must-watch.I did my research before watching this drama. I came across an article that mentioned an interview with the writer of the show who is also a former judge. His writing brought realism - scary realism - to the Dystopian alternative universe of South Korea, post-COVID.
Technically, many of the things that happened in that drama has already happened or are currently happening around the world. Like America for example, the writer said he was inspired by International government policies and politics when creating the universe and it shows! The President in the drama can be seen as a certain President that was running for the Presidental Election in 2016. (Sounds familiar?) Or the many corrupted government officials and CEOs of various conglomerates that helped fund them. Something that is definitely current in many countries.
The writer also said something else that I was impressed by: he writes characters without assigning gender. I love that. He created strong women that can be soft and fragile too. He created strong men that can vulnerable and sensitive too. Kim Gaon
was a 'Babe in The Woods'. He was thrown into a nest of vipers for the expense of someone else and instead that 'viper' turned out to be the most trustworthy person Gaon has ever known. (This story reals feel Gothic in that aspect since Gaon as the Babe in the Woods gets held hostage in the Gothic castle later, a.k.a Yohan's deary mansion in the middle of nowhere!)
The review! This drama is beautiful to look at. The camera work is flawless. The scenery, set locations, and action shots are all different from each other with different moods, colors, shadow play, and angles. I enjoyed the variety of these moments. It's a stark contrast from Gaon's small, cozy home in the poorer side of town, to the clean and immaculate office building of the Live Court, to Yohan's cold and dark mansion out in the countryside. This drama took me places and I enjoyed that!
The music is to die for, there I said it, and I won't take that back. There were moments when I was watching intensely at the screen and had to rewind to reassure myself that I wasn't just imaging the music sounding quite excellent at a very emotional or important moment. I wasn't imagining things, the music is 12/10. The OST has a song that is sweet with gentle, female vocals and an accompanying guitar to represent innocent love. Then, there's the swelling symphonies and heavy orchestra for the more chaotic moments and action scenes to rev up my heart rate because the crescendo was bittersweet since you're happy to finally breathe again, but you're upset that it's over. (Rewind button again!) Next, there's a rock guitar type of song whenever Yohan is up to his Batman acts again! Of course, with his trusty sidekick Rob- Gaon, I meant Goan. (But Yohan really referred to him as his sidekick so that's canon right?!)
The casting and acting were wonderful choices and I applaud the crew behind the camera as well as the cast in from of the camera. I loved every character and I didn't hate any character I wasn't supposed to, so this makes this drama the best drama I have seen all year. That's impressive. The women in this drama deserve a standing ovation. When the writer said that he doesn't write characters based on gender, he meant it. He truly meant it and thank you so much for that because was finally got a FEMALE VILLAIN THAT DID EVIL SO WELL! *chef's kiss*
When Seon Ah was walking down the carpet for the funeral.... that moment is seared in my brain. That is a Power Walk - the actress definitely has the legs for them. Her outfits were on point. The styling for each character fits the personality of the characters and no one looked out of place. Every detail in the visual aspects was perfect. Just as perfect as the common imagery of showing certain characters' reflections, or them looking in the mirror to represent the duality of a human being is perfect. Applause, applause, standing ovation.
(Also, the government official Cha Kyung Hee was a terrifying, powerful, cruel, horrible, and pitiful person. I nod my head at her last scene and the decision she made reflecting the proud and decisive person she was always portrayed as in the drama. A fitting end for her and a clever twist to the story.)
So is this the part where I mention the BL? Maybe.... maybe individuals that aren't aware of the writer's intention are clueless to the fact that the story is supposed to be a story of politics, crime, and love between two men. But I am aware that that was the original intention and trying to watch the drama without immediately looking for those BL moments was unnecessary because it's more or less shoved in your face within the first episode. *teehee* The tension!
Could these two characters be any more intense than that first meeting? Yes! Buckle in, because it's only the beginning.
Look, the drama starts off pretty fast-paced and continues to do so until at least episode three where Gaon finds himself in a Gothic horror romance story as the naive, yet fearless (sometimes careless) main heroine. This is why 'babe in the woods' fits him so well. I referred to him as Baby Boy quite often because he's precious and needs to be protected at all costs! (Apparently, everyone feels the same, like his childhood friend, Professor Min, his coworker, and of course Yohan.) Jinyoung's idol looks helped in the 'deer in the headlights' look of naivety and innocence. He's even beautiful when he cries, true talent because I was definitely flinching whenever he was manhandled or hurt. 'Someone save Baby Boy!' or 'Oh no, not the Baby! Don't hurt him please!' I said these phrases often and the actors Jisung and Jinyoung have an age gap of 17 (!!!) years so yeah. He's a baby.
The Devil Judge - the titular character and the drama - was a masterpiece of mass manipulation through media and the like. Some characters in this drama were playing games with other people and secrets. It was refreshing to see so many complex characters with dubious morals and corrupt ethics on-screen in one drama. The calmer, domestic and wholesome moments are between Yohan, Gaon, and Elijah. Also, the mystery behind the church fire was a clever twist and satisfying to know the whole truth. Elijah must be protected too!
The verdicts for the crimes in the show are just, unethical but just all the same. I truly enjoyed the moments where the corrupted criminals realized that the system will not let them off because Yohan is no one's friend. Especially those who are responsible for the broken system in the first place and/or benefit from it. This was cathartic to watch. Yes, I got excited at the scenes with the public flogging, castration, and electrical chair but look at it like this: an eye for an eye makes the whole world go blind.....so let me enjoy this before we all go blind! Now, the public flogging, I thought it was going to be on his butt with a long wooden paddle that I've seen in historical Korean Dramas, but that kind of flogging was acceptable too. The scene with the electric chair was more complicated since there was a scene where children were participating in something that they really couldn't truly understand and such knowledge of their actions would be very detrimental to their mental health. That moment showed the downside to such 'swift/easy justice' as Professor Min quoted in the show.
I would say watch this drama. Watch this drama and watch this drama. If you like dramas like House of Cards, Sherlock, or Law & Order - you'll love this drama for many more reasons than you were aware existed.
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Impressive but far from perfection
First of all, this is a pretty good introduction to the theme of 'Tomb Raiding' genre in dramas.The production quality was okay and the direction was confusing at times, with weird screen transitions and time skips that pushed the story along further in the drama. There was a lot of information that went over my head because I'm not familiar with the original source material and this is my first time watching anything related to the franchise. I will say that the effort from the actors and CGI was good and that the writing and placement of '2-D characters' was annoying. I'm talking about the minor, filler characters like the background actors and mostly the women. All of the female characters fit into an old stereotype of 'pretty but temporary' - can't get in the way of brotherhood. (Except Granny Huo, she's a riot and I would have loved more of her and A-Ning in the show. Like, seriously, please give me more versatile women in this drama please!)
Even the henchmen and lackeys were expendable too. I would have liked to see more action in the room transition sequences and the archaeology details or reference points for the tombs they were raiding and better organization from a group of professors that have been on multiple expeditions, if the script is correct. It looks like the budget for the drama was big but not sufficient since these rich, young people are suppose to be the current generation and legacy of affluent families that have unlimited amount of riches to fund these life-threatening trips but why does everyone have a phone from the early 2000s? Flip phones, really?!
But I liked the small moments and the big grand ones of tomb reveals and history lessons (folktales?) shared in the story. I wasn't too impressed by this drama, but it does make me want to see more related media about Tomb Raiding in the future.
(Also, the age of the main character is suppose to be older than 30!!??! I don't believe it! When he mentioned that his 12th birthday was in 1989, I stopped and realized - wait what? He's not a fumbling, inexperienced but cocky and clever young college grad student like I thought he was?! It made more sense why everyone babies him in the show, if he was that young. His cousin even joked that 'his cleverness has to make up for his lack of physical prowess'. Insane. And the fat-shaming is only something I've seen done so normally and publicly like I do in Asian dramas. Specifically Chinese. It might be a cultural thing but it's still hard to digest that the character's name is 'Fatty' and nothing else.)
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This review may contain spoilers
Everything could have been better if the main character wasn't a stoic, cardboard cutout Mary Sue. It reminds me of a nameless protagonist in an interactive story that the viewer is suppose to place themselves into. Ka Suo wasn't impressive and made no sense to the story since nothing he obtained was earned by him through hard work and experience. He wasn't vocal much, which made his lack of expressions harder to interpret. And his presence felt like a paperweight in the supposedly crazy action scenes or emotional moments. Why does his love with Li Luo cause everyone to suffer like the people from the Trojan War? So many causalities for Helen and Paris and just like their love, Ka Suo and Li Luo's was all for nothing. Even Ying Kong Shi's story wasn't finished. It was pure sequel baiting and no real conclusion to the drama's main events other than the Fire Clan losing the war in the end. The only good thing that resulted from this was Ka Suo dying, but now I see there is another drama to continue this story and that disappointed me. 61 episodes and no real motivation to complete this arc before turning it over to a new drama. Maybe it can be a cultural difference but I don't understand how there can be a drama with the main character as the least memorable one. Everyone praised him, supported him and loved him but all I see is nepotism, entitlement and red herrings. Was this review helpful to you?
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The characters in this story really surprised me (or bored me) and I think the writing has something to do with it. Bai Qian and Ye Hua's relationship should have never been revived. The final battle at the end felt like a cheap shot on Ye Hua's part to atone for his transgressions on Bai Qian/Su Su. The personalities of these characters were inconsistent. Unlike the other background characters - mostly the villains - their motives and actions stayed the same throughout the drama. Is this the writer's way of explaining that never changing one's end goals is bad for them or something? Heavenly Lord wanted power, yes. However Su Jin just wanted Ye Hua to love her back. How is her love to Ye Hua's inappropriate and impossible but Ye Hua's blundering and cruel attempts to make Su Su love him back/Bai Qian to love him enough to forgive him without even apologizing okay? It's not.
My main issue with this drama is the main character's love story and the treatment it deserves like a divorce and custody settlement not them reuniting after a short amount of time, breaking all of it's previous rules that coming back from the dead is highly improbable and a long arduous task just like Mo Yuan suffered? How is it okay to suddenly flip the switch on the story's Universal Laws to contradict themselves on behalf of the main couple? A couple that should really never be together again? If things can suddenly change then Feng Jiu can write The Emperor's name with hers on the Three Life Stone to be together. She couldn't so why can Ye Hua come back from the dead and be with Bai Qian again? At best it can be said that Fairytale Logic is logical or at worst that Ye Hua emotionally manipulated Bai Qian into finally loving him back enough to forgive him in the end. And after all the things the Ghost Princess went through with her sister-in-law to revive her niece, why couldn't Zi Lan and her be together despite the fued between Kunlun Mountain and the Ghost Tribe? Why couldn't he be with her but instead separated himself and then punish himself again? I believe their love story had more progression than the main couple's ever did. Child or no child (Riceball is adorable but even Mi Gu said how Ye Hua is using the child to manipulate her into being with them as a family. It's not okay.
If the story wants to be unfair and unpredictable that come up with a better reason than a romance between two distinctly different people with conflicting personalities and philosophies to be together. There was potential.
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A Prince playing pretend at being a Pauper
Not only was I disappointed - I was offended. Don't bring up a haunted past of a character that lost a parent when you only mention it twice in the drama and never again. Some people have had close calls concerning death and have lost loved ones - so this was just offensive, laziness, and irreverent. No thank you.Also - stop using the struggles, pain, and death of a female character as a catalyst for a gay couple! (Or any couple really!) Torfun doesn't deserve such disrespect! This reminds me of Manner of Death and I strongly disliked that drama too. Gave it 1.5 stars because it was bad and disappointing but it didn't offend me as much as this drama did.
If they wanted to be serious about the topic of death - why add unnecessary comedy, or an attempt at blatant romance or an idea of redemption arc - if you weren't going to follow through?! It's a rural setting in the forest, in the middle of nowhere with poor, impoverished villagers with a 'chaebol/prince' character doing community service for three months thrown in the mix.
Poor Torfun.
I feel bad that the village, the villagers, and especially the children are just plot devices to get the two main characters together. All of the drama was in the direction of 'get the two guys together - to do what? To be what? A causal attempt at drama/slice-of-life with nonexistent BL? (Why do Thai BL dramas sometimes have characters be attracted to the same sex like it's happened to them before but it never shows that evidence IN THE DRAMA AT ALL!?? Sexual fluidity is real you know?)
The romance wasn't even romantic and the plot twist in episode 7 was quickly shot down by the next episode when the drama couldn't go through with the idea of Tian actually being the one to kill Torfun directly in that car race. No. He's innocent of murder so let's focus back on the romance and his 'redemption' for the 'guilt' he feels for having Torfun's heart. Not the guilt of stealing medical documents he should have never been privy to, or lying about why he wants to volunteer, or running away from home after a HEART TRANSPLANT SURGERY BECAUSE HE ALMOST DIED - possibly worrying his family to death scared he can be anywhere dead in a ditch somewhere, or lying and manipulating to the villagers into thinking he can teach at all, or never telling the village doctor that he has to take daily medication that lowers his immune system?!?!
As a pre-med student - this hurts to watch. My head hurts from trying to follow the show's logic when the only logic is: 'get the two main guys together'. That's it.
It's not having Torfun's heart that Tian should feel guilty about - it's the fact that he's a whiny, sheltered, reckless, selfish, inconsiderate, spoiled brat that can't seem to do anything right. He almost had a child drown on his watch after numerous adults advised him to not take the children to the waterfall that day. A day AFTER Phu tells him that the waterfall is really close to the border and it's not safe to be at that waterfall unsupervised! Reckless. After some casual child-endangerment, back to the romance of Phu, the 'stoic' and mean Forest Ranger and Tian, the volunteer Teacher that means well???? I don't think so.
Imagine how good this drama could have been if the writers actually allowed the characters to be people with real struggles and real solutions to their problems. Tian is a horrible son and the actor for this character could not come through on the emotional scenes to make this character feel like a natural, breathing person with fears, hopes, flaws, dreams, and passions. (Was the only hobby he had before he found out he had a heart disease was playing with toy cars? What is the director thinking? Or is it the writer's fault again? Someone dropped the ball here unless everyone involved has butterfingers.)
Instead, his three facial expressions have to convey what's supposed to be happening and the music cues are supposed to help the viewers know how to feel because I can't tell what's going on when watching him on screen. Tian's parents are a part of the problem but their money is Tian's first solution to his biggest problems. Nepotism is strong in this drama. That and the social divide between classism and the glimpse into the socioeconomics in Thailand. Why bring up such topics if you will not address how bad it is and how as a society when we watch these dramas should feel about such injustice in the world. I guess it's not important if it doesn't concern the possible relationship between two guys, that's why.
If Tian creates more problems? Solve it with money or say you are the son of so-and-so to save your life. I wanted Mr. Sakda to kill Tian then. The drama would have finally been good then - but that's a terrible thing to wish on a person. Fictional or not, right? Right?!
I want my time back that I wasted on this drama. I want the writers to apologize to Torfun and all the other women in this drama for using them for plot devices (especially Tian's mom. She was just there to be dramatic and 'an overbearing mother', screw you writers!) and I want my time back. Once again, that's messed up.
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The Quiet Moments and Serious Conversations
11/10! That's my actual score. (It would have been 12/10 but that scene with the toilet humor just took it too far. Just the idea of..., no thank you.)I haven't been in love with a Thai show since the second season of SOTUS. I am thoroughly impressed. Crazy thing was, I didn't have any expectations when starting the series. I just watched it because someone mentioned the couple reminding them of another guy/guy couple. Eventually, the show grew on me. The characters and creative direction grew on me. I feel like, if I had more time to wax poetry about this show and not do my coursework, then I most definitely would. Just a highlight of what I loved from this show:
1 - Gene and Sib and their developing relationship through honest communication. (Sib took a while to be honest, but once he did he never lied or hid anything from Gene again.)Their backstory, reunion and ending was well-rounded and I'm happy with their conclusion. I didn't leave the series wanting more because it was lacking or wanting to forget what I saw because it wasn't worth my time. No, all's well that end's well. Everyone got a just ending it seems (Aoey too!) and it was fitting. No issues there.
2 - The music and sound direction. I love the quiet moments in the series. The moments where minimum to no dialogue happens and there's only nonverbal communication and visual interpretations of the emotional atmosphere at that moment in time. The first time it happened after Gene and Sib kissed and the white fadeout screen and Gene writing out the scene for his novel and the audience seeing the kiss happen through that as a memory and flashback was surprisingly creative but unique. So I love it. There's more moments in the series when its quiet and intimate for the people on screen. (Tiffy and Tum were very awkward and hard to read at the beginning of the series but as the show continued they made more sense to me and their interactions held more meaning the more the viewer got to know them. )
3 - The acting! The acting was everything for me. Gene is quite lovely. The actor fits the role perfectly, I think. He was mean, quiet, nonchalant, nervous, naive, shy, serious, silly, mature, kind and complex. He was relatable as a human and I liked that it was easy to understand how serious Gene took his writing and his career. Sib was a firecracker and I loved him for it. He followed through on whatever he said he will do and was so brutal and blunt that it was refreshing to see against Gene when Gene gets shy and polite in public. They mesh well together in that aspect.
The meeting near the end of the series, before the Press Conference was my favorite scene of Sib. Everything he said to Tum's sister was true! All of the side characters were memorable too. Loved Hin and Tum! They suffered too and their pain and struggles were just as gut-wrenching and sad. I had tears for them when they were sad and abused and joy for them when they were happy and successful. I appreciate the attention to detail for their stories and character depth as well. This show really felt layered and more complicated than I originally thought and I love it. (I said that already but it's true.)
4 - The social commentary and serious conservations. The moment in the later episodes of the family dinner after the main couple admits to themselves that they want to be together but they're not sure about coming public with it yet - was tense but realistically harsh and necessary. The conversation concerning the toxic nature of the entertainment and BL industry as well as the political ideology of those of the older or more conservative background have on the topic of gay men and their human rights was a reality check in such a fantastical show. The show didn't go into the debate of legalizing same-sex marriage in Thailand but it did raise some interesting questions about how people in Thailand see BL as just an entertainment phase and not a prelude for more legal rights granted to LGBTQ+ members living in Thailand. (Almost as if some people think that it's all fun and games until someone actually is gay. Props to Gene's mom for being the first to come around and leading the other parents to broaden their horizons so they don't miss out on their son's lives.)
There's more! Oh there's more but this is something I can see myself rewatching over and over again. Plus, that last episode and the last 30 minutes of the romantic scenario scenes were the metaphorical cherry on top! I was smiling so hard the whole time! Gene's outfit looked like it was tailored just for him. I saw the costume interpretations of Snow White, Juliet and Cinderella on Gene and started to clap out loud. My neighbors probably hate me but whatever! They broke the 4th wall in that last episode and the true ending was so touching. So happy for Gene, Gene & Sib and Ms. Rose - who wrote Lovely Writer??
Just brilliant. Take all of my money.
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