New and Improved

So many BLs focus on dramatic plots and scenarios that would never happen in real life and while those have their place and can be quite entertaining, there's something about the simplicity and normalcy of The New Employee that makes it stand out. It's not all burning passion and smoldering looks and kisses, but rather the quiet development of a relationship, realistic trials that any couple might face, and learning how to communicate and make said relationship work. The New Employee is a desperately needed breath of fresh air.

At only 7 episodes, this series had a limited amount of time to bring this story to life, but it did a good job working with that limited time. There were very few if any superfluous scenes, rather it all came together to make the most of it's time to develop its characters. Most of the various plot lines were done well with satisfactory conclusions; only one or two were left hanging. I found the ending to be both wholesome and satisfying. I loved that the four of them came together to create something and with all their talents combined, I can only imagine how successful they'll be. I appreciated the maturity of it. These were two adult men embarking on a new relationship, but that didn't take away from both the excitement of little things like dropping honorifics to say each other's name and the giddiness of holding hands for the first time or the anxiety caused by their first fight and learning how to communicate effectively. There are parts I would have liked to see fleshed out more, but I also didn't feel like there were any glaring holes and the pacing was good, so I really can't complain that much.

Seung Hyun is a late bloomer, a young man in his late twenties still figuring himself out and what he wants to do with his life. He's a relatable character and while he does come across as a tad naive with an almost childlike innocence, he's not childish. His relationship with Jong Chan is his first so he has a lot to learn, but he does, figuring out how to communicate and navigate fights and everything else that comes with a relationship. His struggles didn't feel overblown or exaggerated, but more like what anyone might face.

Jong Chan took the idea of the icy, unfeeling boss and made it his own. He's a focused workaholic, but he's not mean and not abusive. He works hard and while he might not be buddy buddy with his subordinates, he's also not unfeeling and they clearly respect him. His behaviour as a boss is juxtaposed by how he is outside work where he shows a warmth that is especially brought out when he's with Seung Hyun. He's honest and communication is clearly important to him. He keeps no secrets from Seung Hyun and is clear about his faults, freely acknowledging them while also working to overcome them.

Ji Yeon and Kang Hae were so refreshing. Having female characters who were not relegated to serving as the catalyst for one of the main leads figuring out his feelings or acting as a villain was a pleasant surprise. Both women were strong, independent characters who had their own stories and goals. I enjoyed Ji Yeon's and Seung Hyun's friendship and how she'd supported him over the years and his new friendship with Kang Hae and how they worked together was just as enjoyable.

Kwon Hyuk and Ji Yong were both superb in their roles. Their chemistry was so good, subtle and sweet and absolutely perfect for the roles they played. Kwon Hyuk was so good at balancing the focused professional at work with the warm boyfriend. And Ji Yong really brought Seung Hyun to life as a hardworking intern and enterprising ad creator.

The production quality was good. Some of the night scenes could have done with a bit better lighting, but that's really my only complaint, if you can even call it a complaint.

I thoroughly enjoyed The New Employee. It was a very pleasant change from the unnecessarily dramatic and poorly told series I've watched recently and I really cannot recommend it enough. That being said, if you're looking for fireworks and hot NSFW scenes, this is not going to be the drama for you. However, if you enjoy simpler, well told stories with a realistic and sweet romance, you should absolutely watch this. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

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Finally Over

I you don't have a VIP membership with IQYI to watch these two episodes, don't bother getting it, they're not worth it unless you absolutely loved the rest of the series. It's simply more unnecessary drama, awkward NSFW scenes of Dino shoving his tongue down Rak's throat, and concluding with Chalam, Suea and Mhee talking about their notably absent lovers.

The whole plot line with Tart was absurd. Again, in what way is Rak such a catch that men are willing to throw any kind of boundaries and societal niceties out the door? I truly do not understand. But here comes Tart who's apparently harbored a crush on Rak for years and suddenly decides to pursue him and who gives a damn if he has a boyfriend. There's nothing likeable about the character. He aggressively and creepily pursues Rak, stalking him, even buying his phone number from a fellow classmate so he can call and text him. This culminates in a confrontation between Dino and Tart with Dino inexplicably resorting to his fists. This would have been a great time to acknowledge and potentially rectify Dino's temper, but the whole thing is conveniently swept under the rug. Even the two women filming the scene are stopped and convinced to delete the video with very little effort.

The second episode turns its focus to the characters of Chalam, Suea, and Mhee who talk about their lovers. It's very awkward because we never actually see their lovers' faces. We hear voices, see some hair or a shoulder maybe, but that's it. I'm going to assume it has something to do with the upcoming Buddy Line Y Animal series, but it just made for some strange camera angles and uncomfortable close ups of the actors. I was not a fan.

More of the same mediocre acting and poor production. More of the annoying comedic sound effects and more bad music. Although these episodes took the cake with the scene where Dino and Rak go meet his parents and the girl they wanted to arrange a marriage with. The back and forth with the music was maddening.

I will reiterate, don't spend your money for these episodes, they add very little of substance. Save yourself the two hours you would have wasted and find something worthwhile to watch.

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Light in the Dark

Light on Me is a relatively short, but sweet drama that I found engaging despite its faults. On the surface, it does come across as your typical high school drama complete with all the tropes you've come to expect from BLs. However, the more I watched, the more I saw that there is a depth to it, not so much with the story, but certainly with the characters. There's something about it that's almost relaxing and it made watching it very easy.

Light on Me does not break the mold of high school dramas. There's nothing new here, the same old tropes are used. However, aspects like learning to accept yourself and stand up for yourself are explored and add to the story. It took a couple of episodes for me to really get into the story. I struggled with Taekyung as the lead because he was so robotic. However, as other characters were introduced, I found myself becoming more invested. I will say that the robotics do extend to the other characters to an extent and it does make it harder to form attachments to them. It gets better as the drama progresses though. Some aspects like turning the sole female character into a villainess was frustrating. It's overused and the whole scenario of her spreading the picture was unrealistic and unnecessary. The passage of time was also not well documented and it would have been nice to have some idea of how much time had passed between events. The love triangle, which I am generally not a fan of, was actually really well done here. Both couples have their pros and cons and there's enough understanding that they really could go either way. I do wish a bit more time had been given to the build up of Taekyung and Shin Woo's relationship since it was endgame, but it was still done well enough that I can't complain too much. The pacing is slow and steady, which is part of why I found it kind of relaxing. There are no real extremes, it has a course to follow and it does so quite well with very little meandering. I appreciated that.

The characters are where it's at with this drama. There's an element with each of them that they are more than their appearance and outward actions and I really enjoyed that.
- Taekyung starts out as a loner who doesn't feel the need to have friends. However, despite his introversion, he's relatively confident in certain situations and honest to a fault. As he gets involved in the student council and starts to make friends, it becomes clear that he has a big heart and is actually a very selfless person. My biggest qualm was the fact that almost right up to the end, it seemed like he was still vacillating between Shin Woo and Daon. I would have liked to have a clearer picture as to when his feelings for Shin Woo started to manifest.
- Shin Woo comes across as cold and rude but in truth he's a sweetheart who just takes time to warm up to people. He's loyal to his friends and has great respect, both for Taekyung and Daon. The way he treats them both is a testament to his character. Despite his love for Taekyung, he's willing to step aside for Daon because at the time, that's who Taekyung loved. However, once things fall apart between the two of them, Shin Woo takes the initiative to step forward and pursue Taekyung. He's respectful of Taekyung and despite his own awkwardness, does his best to be there and support him.
- Daon was probably one of the most compelling characters for me. The evolution of my perception of his character as more of it was revealed was very interesting. He starts out very likable, a little too perfect, but a good guy. But as things progressed, I realized, he wasn't very genuine, he was very much a people pleaser and he lacked perspective and knowing how to prioritize. If anyone needed his help, he dropped everything to help them, meaning that Taekyung, if they'd entered into a relationship, would never be his priority. And eventually I just realized that he was selfish and really only cared about himself. But the great thing about him was that once he realized all that, once Taekyung pointed it out, he put out the effort to change and better himself. He stopped caring about what others thought and catering to their needs and that was so refreshing to see. Because despite those faults, Daon was not really a bad guy. The neglect and lack of love from his family obviously played into a lot of his mindset and actions. I think he had the most character growth out of any of the characters and I loved it.
- Namgoong was one of my favorite characters. I loved that beneath the goofy surface was someone who was far more mature, observant and wise than anyone gave him credit for. He truly cared for his friends and was fiercely loyal to them, helping them in any way that he could and sometimes that meant calling them out for their crap. He was just an all around good guy.
- While not a huge player, I really liked Mr. Seo for his wisdom and his investment in the students. He obviously cared about all of them and made an effort to connect with them. He's the kind of person you wish all teachers were like.
-Sohee is almost not worth mentioning. She's the token female character that it was decided should be the villain because she's loved Daon for three years and therefore, first come first served, regardless of how Daon feels. She somehow decides posting a picture of Daon and Taekyung together is a great idea to break them up and have Daon go running into her arms except that it blows up and Daon cuts her off. Predictably she apologizes to everyone, everything is forgiven, and they're all friends. Boring. She could have been so much more and I'm disappointed that this what they decided to do with her.

The acting certainly could have been better. Sae On in particular was far too doll like and it wasn't just the makeup. I understand the character was supposed to be introverted and awkward, but he was just wooden and lacking in almost any expression. Particularly comparing him to Yoo Seok whose character was also introverted and awkward, yet he's still so expressive and brings so much to the screen. Chan Yi's performance sometimes felt a bit empty, but for the most part he did quite well. And Woo Jin just brought Namgoong to life and was a pleasure to watch.

The makeup was a big issue. Particularly for Sae On, he had so much makeup packed on that he looked like a mannequin. The others weren't quite as dramatic, but all around it was excessive. That being said, I did like the fact that this was a longer drama. I wish more current BLs would keep with this because that made a big difference. The production value also felt higher and in general it was better quality all around. The music was great. I really enjoyed the closing song and several of the other songs worked in.

This was just a very enjoyable journey and my only issue is how long it took me to discover it. I would certainly recommend it as one of the best Korean BLs I've seen and hopefully future ones will follow in its footsteps.

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A Windless Windmill

The title Dangerous Romance is very much an oxymoron. There's nothing dangerous about the romance in this drama unless you want to very loosely connect it to the fact that it's an enemies to lovers story. It's Thai title, Heart in the Wind, is far more suitable and poetic. The name aside though, Dangerous Romance is a fairly fluffy drama with a few doses of angst and a touch of drama towards the end to spice things up. It's not complicated, it doesn't break the mold, but it's fun and I was mostly entertained by it.

The drama follows the fairly common enemies to lovers trope. Kanghan is the school's rich boy bully whereas Sailom is the school's scholarship whiz kid. Predictably and quickly, the two clash and then fall in love. Too quickly for my taste. Kang and his friends aren't just your garden variety bullies. They're not only physically abusive, but Kang takes things several steps farther by threatening Sailom's jobs and even takes a gun, albeit not a loaded on, to threaten him with at his home. However, when Kang saves Sailom from getting beaten up by debt collectors, suddenly all the issues between them dissipate and their relationship starts to develop. While Kang does acknowledge and take ownership of his actions, he never really faces any consequences for them and it all gets swept under the rug so to speak. Given how Sailom was willing to stand up to him, it felt a bit out of character that he so easily forgave Kang. Their romance, while at times a tad dramatic, is never dangerous. There's nothing forbidden about them being together, there's no impression that either of their families would object, and while they do have several instances where they're in danger, it's not because of their love. Aside from the first and last couple of episodes, the rest was mostly filler. Kang's moment of teenage rebellion lasts a couple episodes in the middle but doesn't really accomplish anything other than some very slight character development and a few sweet moments. The plot line with Name and his boss and cronies at the end was very nonsensical and generally just a mess. As a side note, the series is rife with tropes, from having actually met when they were younger to the accidental falls to the ever present sponge bath and on it goes. The pacing left something to be desired. The beginning was fairly fast paced, but quickly mellowed and became almost laggy at points before picking up again in the last couple of episodes. Part of the issue was the number of time jumps. It make things seem like they were happening faster than they were, like the development of Kang and Sailom's relationship.

I struggled with Kang's character in large part because there were aspects that made no sense. He clearly started developing feelings for Sailom early on, and then quite suddenly seemed to be torn between his feelings for Sailom and the sudden development of his feelings for Pimfah. Now whether he actually had feelings for Pimfah or he just didn't want to acknowledge his feelings for Sailom and so was deflecting, who knows. Regardless, it didn't work and was confusing to watch because up until that point, we'd had no indication that he viewed Pimfah as anything more than a friend. Similarly, after Saifah confessed to killing Kang's father, Kang distanced himself from Sailom and was, at times, quite cruel to him, despite obviously still caring about him. When he and Sailom reconcile, he tells him that he never wanted to leave him, etc., etc., however, no one ever forced them apart, it was his decision. There's also the underlying current that his family life and the issues with his father somehow justify his bullying others. It does not and it didn't sit well with me how quickly his actions were overlooked. And once he and Sailom did get together, he was almost too sweet. I would have liked a better balance between the sweetness and the bad boy persona he had. Sailom was enjoyable just for his razor sharp tongue. He had some fantastic comebacks to Kang's bullying which immediately increased his appeal. I appreciated how he stood up for himself and his friends and refused to back down. Some of his sass though was lost once he and Kang got together. There were moments where I expected him to fight for their relationship, but instead he just moped. In general, his character just became less compelling as the story progressed.

As side characters, I really enjoyed Auto and Guy. They were good, solid friends for Sailom and I enjoyed their interactions. Max and Nawa left me with mixed feelings because while I did enjoy the development of Guy and Nawa's relationship, neither character ever acknowledged their part in the bullying started by Kang other than to joke about it. I would have liked to see them owning up to what they did rather than it, again, just be swept aside. Pimfah was generally likable, although her inexplicable crush on Sailom came out of nowhere and was so quickly resolved that it felt almost pointless. Saifah left me feeling a bit frustrated, because he was obviously not dumb and yet some of the things he did made no sense. The hinted feelings between him and Name were sweet, but ultimately left underdeveloped and not needed. Same with Pimfah and Napdao. Kang's grandmother was a queen and I'm so glad they didn't kill her off as I was afraid they would. She was one smart cookie and I really appreciated how even though she loved Kang and clearly doted on him, she also didn't just brush aside his misdeeds and she didn't just view him through rose colored glasses. Kang's father, on the other hand, was a disappointment. His reasoning for how he was raising Kang was incredibly weak and he just came across as someone with weak character. I will admit that I did cheer when he showed up to Kang's football game though, if for no other reason than it made Kang so darn happy.

Perth and Chimon are both incredibly talented actors, but this was not their best work. Their chemistry lacked consistency and there were more than a few awkward scenes. The kissing scenes in particular just did not work and were almost uncomfortable to watch. Chimon also seemed to struggle with several of the more emotional scenes where he had to cry. It felt forced. The acting wasn't bad, I've just seen stronger performances from both.

There were several episodes that were unnecessarily flashback happy. I'm generally fairly ambivalent towards the sound effects used, but there were instances where they really didn't fit and stood out. The wind/windmill analogy was cute the first time or two, but then just got repetitive thereafter. One thing I did like though was the costuming, particularly the school uniforms. While not shabby, you could definitely tell that the scholarship kids' uniforms were older and less pristine. It added a dimension to the characters that was appreciated. I also liked the music, particularly the theme song although it was overused per the usual. I liked it enough though that it didn't get too annoying.

Based on the trailer for Dangerous Romance, I was expecting far more from it than I got. I was expecting it to be more fast paced and, based on the title as well, to have more at stake. Instead, it turned out to be a fairly generic piece of fluff that, while entertaining, didn't give anything deeper. It's underlying theme, Do you think all people are equal? poses an interesting and compelling question, but ultimately doesn't give a particularly satisfying answer. Nevertheless, if your expectations aren't too high and you go in with an open mind, you may find it to be a pleasant diversion.

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Tried It, Knocked It

I will be honest and say that I am still mystified by how high a rating this drama has. While certainly not the worst drama I've ever seen, it was far from one of the better ones. While it did gradually improve as it progressed, I didn't find anything noteworthy about it, other than I did very much like the dance sequence at the end of each episode. It's sort of cute at times, but more frustrating than anything, mostly due to Thi's character. I'll just say that I really don't get the hype.

The story is pretty basic. Gangster kid clashes with older nerd type college student and they eventually fall in love. That's it, that's the story. There's nothing particularly special or unique about it that I found which could be part of why I had a hard time getting into it. The pacing was also quite slow in the beginning and there was a feeling of repetitiveness at times. The pacing did improve as it progressed and I found myself more invested as the relationship also progressed, but it never fully captured me. This wasn't one where I was concerned that I was going to miss something if I was doing something else. There were plot lines that were left unresolved or just ignored. For example, Thi's parents were introduced as an obstacle to their relationship and Noey talks about winning them over, but they're never seen afterward or even really mentioned. Noey and Thi continue their relationship apparently without any further issues which begs the question of, what was the point then other than unnecessary drama. If you're going to create a problem, then stick with it and solve it, don't just leave it hanging. Noey's father is also left dangling tantalizingly. He's mentioned multiple times and you think that eventually someone is going to talk about him, but they never do to any real extent.

Character-wise, I liked Noey. He was interesting to watch as his character developed and his development felt relatively steady. His struggle with wanting to continue being a gangster and being a better person for his mother, sister, and Thi was well done. The polarity of his character was also interesting, the way he vacillated between the tough gangster and dreamy romantic. The uniqueness of his style and the way he viewed the world added layers to his character that really brought him to life and made him stand out. As much as I liked Noey, I couldn't stand Thi. His over the top reactions, awkwardness, and constant reluctance quickly became grating. His character felt far more stagnant in terms of growth and I just didn't find him to be particularly interesting. I honestly don't know what Noey saw in him. While the age gap between them is somewhat concerning, their relationship is very PG. Not that it makes it okay, but I'm also viewing things as a Westerner, and underage relationships are frowned upon on principle. That being said, neither one pushes things physically and the innocence of their interactions does make it more palatable.

Of the actors, the two that stood out to me were Tar and Mild. Tar was just so suave in the role. He was engaging and his acting didn't feel forced at all. Considering his age, I was very impressed. Mild nailed Nid Nhoi's deadpan delivery, but also showed her range in the more emotional scenes. As much as I was not a fan of Thi, Bom actually did a decent job with the character, especially given this was his first role. He was expressive, though a bit limited, but it didn't feel forced. His chemistry with Tar was subtle, but present. It worked given the characters they were portraying.

All in all, it's not a bad drama, it just didn't live up to my expectations given its rating. I was expecting more from it and it simply didn't deliver. The acting is the one strong point of this drama, as is the music, which grew on me over the course of the series. The one part that I really enjoyed, like I mentioned before, was the dance scene at the end of each episode and the way it mirrored the tone of each episode. Unfortunately it was one of the only things I liked. Not salty like Noey's cooking, not delicious like Auntie Tim's, just bland. This isn't a drama that I would recommend.

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In the Jungle, The Mighty Jungle

Ah, The Jungle, what a ride it was and a very entertaining one at that. It's an imperfect drama, but if you don't scrutinize it too deeply, it's interesting and fun. It was easy to binge watch over two days and had me alternating yelling at my laptop and cackling at the characters' antics. It was thoroughly enjoyable.

The Jungle has a pretty basic premise of a group of playboys who one by one find their one true love and enter into monogamous relationships. Intertwined with those stories are two longer mystery/crime plotlines. The couple stories were by and large cute if rushed and a bit repetitive. In general, each couple was given two episodes to develop their relationship. The repetitiveness came from the way they got together as it became pretty formulaic after a while: flashbacks to understand the characters, at least one fight for a lot of them, a love scene, etc. Also repetitive was having the mother as the root of the issue, several of the girls getting assaulted and not one, but two wedding crashing scenes. Some relationships were given more screen time than others and went beyond those two episodes, but in general the relationships progressed at an improbably quick pace. One couple in particular got significantly more screentime which was understandable, but made the other couples' stories appear even more rushed and disjointed. The story progression could have been better planned. It felt like things were moving pretty steadily and then suddenly we jumped to the past and stayed there for several episodes which affected the pacing negatively. It would have been better to start the whole drama with those episodes or interspersed them throughout. They weren't bad episodes by any means and provided necessary information, but it was a major and abrupt tonal shift that was just jarring. The longer running mystery/crime plot lines were interesting, but they each focused more on specific couples so they got more screen time than others. I would have liked to see those stories cut down a bit to give more time to the other couples. There are moments that are hilariously over the top and just absurd, but somehow still kind of worked. There are also some story lines that are left feeling unfinished or have holes that aren't explained, but nothing that I found to be unbearable.

The characters were by and large a positive aspect of the drama. The animal correlation to the characters was an interesting concept but not necessarily well done. The only character who I really felt fit with her animal was August as a lioness. She embodied that quite well. Gale as a rabbit was a close second. The others were hit or miss. Irin was the biggest miss as, despite all her butterfly paraphernalia, I simply didn't see the resemblance between the two. Given all the narration on the animals, I would have liked to see that concept played with more in terms of the characters' behaviour and personalities. It just seemed like a missed opportunity. I also found myself disappointed with how the ladies were treated. Once their relationship story had concluded, they were dropped. The guys kept showing up at the bar, but the ladies were conspicuously absent. They popped up maybe once or twice more, but that was it. I know the focus was on The Jungle guys, but I felt their girlfriends could have factored in more. There was also a lot of focus on the men as hunters aspect, which I also didn't find was utilized well. There were multiple times where it felt like the women were the hunters and the men their prey. Also, despite the men being called playboys, we didn't see that come into play a ton. Again, just more missed opportunities to play with that animal kingdom theme they had going.
-Petai and Gale were our first couple. They knew each other as children and were reunited as adults. Their story is cute if rushed. It didn't feel like they really had enough time to reconnect before falling for each other. The conflict in their story centered around an overzealous reporter and Petai's overbearing mother. Both issues are resolved fairly quickly and almost simultaneously. Their story felt a bit incomplete as Gale won the internship or whatever to Paris and Petai was going to be a pilot, but nothing regarding either decision is ever mentioned again. Although the impression is given that Gale is having success in her career.
This was my first time seeing Lee in a lead role, I'd seen him in supporting roles previously and overall liked him. I thought he was good, but not as strong as some of the others. Mook is an actress I've heard a lot about, but never seen. Aside from being absolutely gorgeous, her MDL picture does not do her justice, I liked her acting. She seems to have more subtle style which I appreciated. She and Lee had good chemistry and they acted well together.
-Nanfah and Pladao were one of the more conflicting couples for me. Nanfah comes out the gate seeming like a bad guy and he doesn't do a whole lot to dispel that notion for a good while. I don't feel like a good explanation was ever given for why he felt the need to lie and manipulate Pladao initially and it ended up just being brushed under the rug. Pladao's attraction to him when she thought he had killed her cousin was confusing given his attitude and behaviour towards her up until that point. Yes, he's attractive, but she seemed smarter than that. Their relationship ended on a weird note and I really just couldn't support them being together.; it felt like there was a toxicity to their relationship that was never addressed. Part of it could have also been that there was a lot to unravel with Nanfah's character and there just wasn't enough time to do so.
I had never seen Punpun act before, but I liked her portrayal of Pladao. She was very expressive without being too over the top and it fit with her character. Nanon remains as one of my favorite actors. It still boggles my mind how young he is and yet so incredibly talented. He did a phenomenal job playing both Nanfah and Nannam. Though there were more subtle physical differences such as hair style and fashion choices that helped differentiate them, it was Nanon's acting that really set them apart. You could just look at them and know from body language and facial expressions who was who. Superb job. I was also impressed that he was able to have great chemistry with both Punpun and Mild.
-Nannam and Nithan were another cute couple. It was adorable watching Nannam gradually falling for her. The juxtaposition of her inability to lie and his skills at lying made for some great scenes. While Nanfah was out and out manic, Nannam liked to operate more in the shadows, teasing and meddling. Nithan, on the other hand, was straightforward and her open. While I felt like their story was a bit rushed like the others, I did like that some time was devoted to showing how Nithan broke down Nannam's walls and gained his trust. Their engagement scene where she almost instantly realized that Nanfah was not Nannam was a great one and put to rest Nannam's doubts.
Mild did a great job in the role. I really liked her expressiveness. She was sweet, but also tough in her own way and Mild balanced out those traits well. She and Nanon played off of each other really well.
-Hack and Irin were one of my least favorite couples. A lot of their story felt repetitive, just rehashing the same issues over and over again. Hack having sex with Irin when she was drunk and obviously unaware who she was sleeping with did not sit well with me. All the talk of him being the worst of them also didn't add up to what we saw. Aside from the above incident, he came across to me as a sweet guy trying to be tough. I generally found Irin to be annoying, in large part because she did keep attacking Hack and thinking the worst of him, which, since we didn't see a lot of that, felt over the top and unreasonable. I also didn't like how she was playing both Pine and Hack. She had her good moments too, they were just few and far between.
I like Lookjun, I don't think she's the most diversely talented actress, but she does well with certain characters. This was not one of her stronger performances. There was a sameness to a lot of her acting, especially when her character was upset. It wasn't awful by any means, I just would have liked to see a bit more variation. Krist is an excellent actor and I really liked him as Hack. He does a great job whether he's being serious or funny and everything in between. However, I didn't think the chemistry between Lookjun and Krist was particularly strong.
-Nathee and Florence were probably one of my favorite couples and that's mostly due to Florence. I love badass female characters and she was in pretty much every way. I liked that she knew what she wanted, in this case, Nathee and she just went for it, unapologetically. I also appreciated that she knew how to take care of herself with her judo skills. She wasn't a damsel in distress like the other women tended to be. Honestly, I just adored her. Nathee's primary interest was his transformation from his work appearance to his Rendezvous appearance. They were strikingly different and not just his appearance, but his attitude too. I felt like there was more to Florence than there was to him as an individual, I think her character was just given more depth, but I really enjoyed their interactions. I also liked that they were high school sweethearts of a sort since that allowed their story to jump a few steps than if they had just met.
I've seen several dramas Aye has been in and she never disappoints. She's a versatile actress and I thought she killed it as Florence. This was my first time seeing Luke act and while I thought his character was lacking to some degree, I don't think that was his fault and he did a good job with what he had. He and Aye had great chemistry and were a lot of fun to watch together.
-Pine and August were another conflicting couple. On the one hand, I really liked August. She was a no nonsense kind of woman who knew what she wanted and she went for it. She didn't mince words, she just got things done. I loved that she remained true to herself. Pine was an ass. What happened with August didn't give him any right to treat Irin, or any other woman for that matter, the way that he did and continuously string her along. He seemed to have something of a hero complex but only when it suited him. He never really redeemed himself in my eyes and frankly I think August could do way better. I also thought it was a bit much having both the men that August trusted turning out be villains.
I liked Pat's acting, she absolutely came across as a bad ass, but she also had some really beautifully vulnerable moments. I liked the way she varied the character. Job well done. I like Off, he comes across as goofy, yet sweet, but his acting isn't as strong as it could be. A lot of the time it feels like he's playing a variation of himself or characters he's played in the past. That was the case here with Pine, especially during the flashback episodes it seemed like he was more himself, whereas the rest of the time, he was giving me Sean from Not Me vibes. That being said, I didn't hate his performance, I just think it could have been a bit more nuanced. I did think he and Pat had good chemistry though. They did a great job portraying the tension of their relationship.
-Hunter was such an enigma and I loved him. His role was so varied from making drinks to "taking out the trash" to giving life advice. His knowledge of everyone and everything fit with him being a bartender, but also added an element of mystery to him because so little information about him was given. I'm still conflicted on whether I like that he was given a backstory or not. On the one hand, it gave insight into why he was attentive to The Jungle and cared about them. However, it also removed that veil of mystery that had surrounded him from the get go and made him more human. Maybe part of it is that his backstory seemed a bit cliche too. Either way, I still very much enjoyed his character.
Mix is such a good actor and I liked seeing him get to stretch his wings and play a different kind of character. He absolutely nailed the role and he had great chemistry with everyone he interacted with.

The production value was good. I liked the sets, particularly the bar and the rooftop. The cinematography was also good, there were some great shots, especially in the bar and again on the rooftop. Those two places had the most scenes and their design was well thought out. The lighting helped add to the mystery of the bar, and gave it a darker, grittier feel. I really enjoyed the music, both the theme song and the individual songs. The theme song was killer, but I also liked the solos that each guy sang that was interspersed with their story.

The Jungle is not a great drama. It has it's flaws and failures, but it was also incredibly entertaining and I enjoyed every minute of it. Like I said before, if you don't overanalyze it and just go with the flow, it's very enjoyable and one I would definitely recommend.

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There Is No Solution

My oh my what a mess this drama was. The synopsis left me intrigued, but the short length left me apprehensive which it turns out I was right to be. While the general concept of it is interesting and could have been used to create a decent drama, what was actually done is pretty underwhelming. A mediocre story, cast, and characters coupled with plot holes, poor editing choices, and a major plot twist that actually doesn't work all combine to create a confusing web that never gets fully untangled or explained leaving us with more questions than answers in the end.

The general idea behind the story really does have promise, it just either needed to be better honed for the shorter number of episodes or there needed to be more episodes for it be fully realized. As it stands, it didn't work for me. The world building was seriously lacking with how the coffee shop worked. For one, there needed to be more explanation for where the cards came from. If it was something where people just picked them up, then fine, but Thana just seemed to have his and Ryou had his drop in front of him. There was no consistency. The scene jumps of characters being in one place and then suddenly in front of of the shop were jarring. The wishing aspect also needed more explanation. It felt like there should be some rules a la Genie from Aladdin, though I think it is mentioned here that reviving the dead is not an option. But the wishes the characters all made felt very cliché. There was nothing original about them. The flashbacks that happened throughout were initially confusing because they weren't obvious as flashbacks, so it took a second to realize what was going on. I didn't find them particularly interesting mostly because I didn't find the coffee shop owner, Kaew, very interesting. I really didn't care about her backstory and I think leaving her character as a mystery and focusing more on how the wishes and coffee shop worked would have been more beneficial.

The pacing was all over the place. Mai and Ryou's relationship was very rushed. I understand they couldn't take their time developing the relationship because of the short number of episodes, but I've seen other dramas do a good job in a limited time so I think they could have done better. And Thana and Phathit's story was a rollercoaster ups and downs. I frankly didn't find their relationship to be that interesting and I was more invested in Mai and Ryou's story.

Like I said, I found the wishes each of the characters made to be overall cliché, but also mildly interesting in a what were you thinking kind of way. Thana wishes for a new job. I honestly wondered at that, because he was so concerned about not matching up to Phathit, why didn't he wish to be his equal or something along those lines? And then the big plot twist is that it's revealed that Dena, for whatever reason, wished that no one would ever remember her, Ryou, Mai, or Nack, but would instead only know Darin, Phathit, Thana, and Naphat. It seems that this made them forget their childhood together or something like that. The logistics of this wish is, of course, not explained so we're left to guess. Now this wish is important to mention first, because Nack wished that he could kiss Ryou, a wish that doesn't come about until he as an adult Naphat kisses an adult Pathit. I will give credit to Nack for the fact that he didn't wish for Ryou to love him which is exactly what Ryou did, wishing that Mai would love him with his whole heart which then begs the question, did Mai/Thana actually love Ryou/Phathit or was it the wish making him do so?

Going back to that plot twist, there is rather massive problem with it. In Episode 3, at least, and I want to say something similar happens in another earlier episode, there is an instance where Ryou and Nack are grocery shopping together and Phathit is seen at the same store. This is when Mai gets locked in the locker room and Ryou runs off to go rescue him. There is a shot after this that has both Phathit and Nack in the same frame. Now if Nack is supposed to be a young Naphat, this is obviously impossible. I frankly found the plot twist to be very disappointing for a couple reasons. One being that, before it's reveal, I had liked these couple of brief glimpses of how their lives were connected, even tangentially. They never actually interacted, but they existed in the same sphere. And then there was the plot twist which just ruined that and also went to show just how incredibly poorly it was planned out. Besides that, there just never felt like there was a connection between the characters. They could have done something really cool with little hints and similarities that once it was revealed made you want to smack yourself on the forehead because, yes, Ryou made an offhand comment related to medicine or Thana said something about not wanting to be alone. There were so many little ways they could have connected them and I didn't notice any which is why that twist felt out of the blue and more like they were going for shock value than it was a well thought out, developed choice.

The characters really nothing special. There was one character that I genuinely liked, but I'll get to him in a bit.
-Thana and Phathit: I initially thought they were going to be interesting characters because of their dynamic as an established couple that had been together for over ten years. Instead, I didn't really find them to be any different from the less established couples I've seen in countless other BLs. I was expecting their communication to be much better than it was. After ten years together, I would have expected Thana to be less reticent to talk to Phathit about what was going on both in his personal and work life. And a little bit the same with the inferiority complex he had, it felt too fresh when Phathit had obviously been a doctor for a while. So those aspects didn't work for me. They didn't feel particularly realistic for their situation. Thana's struggles with work and feeling neglected by Phathit were more relatable though. Finding a job that actually feels like a calling is hard and when you don't have someone you can talk to about it, that makes it even harder. And while I understood that he felt neglected by Phathit, I had trouble really sympathizing with him because he never communicated how he was feeling until he lashed out. Phathit was relatable in his focus on work to build them future but at the same time neglecting Thana and their relationship. Finding that work/life balance can be a struggle, especially when you work in the medical field. And while Phathit was a good guy, he was not a mind reader and couldn't be expected to know what Thana was thinking when he didn't speak up. Thana's insecurity was a huge issue in their relationship and a large reason for the friction that developed between them. I was frankly glad that Phathit wasn't willing to just let him off the hook after he cheated. While Thana was obviously remorseful for what he had done, it also seemed clear that he had no intention of telling Phathit what had happened if he hadn't been caught which makes me wonder if he would have continued otherwise. Frankly I was hoping they would stay separated, but maybe the new beginning will work out for them.
-Mai and Ryou: The relationship for these two pretty much jumped out of the gate at a sprint. There's a bit of an enemies to lovers hint to the beginning of their relationship, but it's not well developed due to how fast their relationship progresses. While I understand time was limited to build their background and grow their relationship, I think more time was needed for it to really help understand their characters and to make their relationship more cohesive. Particularly with Mai, we understand that he gets lonely, but he was living alone just fine at the beginning, so when his parents decided to move, why didn't he opt to move into a dorm? Was it just because he wasn't ready to admit his feelings for Ryou? We also see his struggle as he realizes that he's starting to fall for Ryou when he tells Ryou that he can't fall for him and that he's straight. But we never fully understand why he's fighting so hard, his parents are never shown disapproving of the LGBTQ community. There's also Ryou's reluctance to admit his own feelings. It felt disjointed because we have him unwilling to at least verbally speak his feelings to then going to the coffee shop and wishing that Mai would love him with his whole heart. It feels like there's a lot of missing information with them that would help things make sense. I could go with the assumption that it's deliberate to feed into Dena's wish and how it worked, but I think that's giving it far too much credit. Their relationship is also lacking in open communication and then there's the instance where Mai very nearly rapes Ryou. Neither is a particularly great foundation to build a relationship on.
-Thana and Time: When Time initially showed up, I was certain that Thana was going to cheat on Phathit with him, but as more time went on and nothing happened, I grew hopeful that they were just going to continue on as friends and I really loved that for both of them because it was clear they had found something in each other. Of course, then they went and had multiple drinks, smoked and got together. I was very disappointed. Time was the one character that I actually genuinely liked in this drama. And by that I don't mean that he was a good person because he knew that Thana was taken and he still let things go to the next level. But as a character, I loved him. He was flawed, but I also found him genuine and straightforward. He didn't mince words and he called things like he saw them. Beneath the bravado, he was a good kid, willing to help a new friend and cheer him on. And I really liked him and Thana together. They had fantastic chemistry together, both as friends and in that brief NSFW scene. They fit together well and seemed on more equal footing than Thana and Phathit and it was nice to see Thana have someone he could talk to. Like I said, I was really hoping they would continue on as friends, I figured it was a vain hope, and sure enough, it was. My heart did break a little for Time during their last conversation, just because he'd finally found someone he clicked with and then there he was being abandoned again.

Acting was a mixed bag. This is now the third drama I have seen Gun in as a lead and, I'm sorry, but the man is just not that great of an actor. He has brief moments where he does well, very brief, but emotional scenes feel overacted, he makes the same face repeatedly, and any scenes that require physical intimacy are almost physically painful to watch. If you are that uncomfortable kissing men, honey, please stop doing BLs! He had zero chemistry with Mig of any kind and I am laying that solely on him, because Mig absolutely had chemistry with Bank. Mig did a pretty good job for his first role. It was obvious at times that he's pretty green, the more emotional scenes weren't as strong, there were some times where it felt like he was just delivering lines, but there were a lot of other moments where he absolutely nailed it. I think he has great potential. Bell is also brand new but, wow, does he know how to use his eyes. He has an expressive face in general, but his eyes especially just give his performance that extra je ne sais quoi. Bhu has had a bit more experience, but I can't give him the same praise. His performance didn't have the same brilliance as Bell's. He just didn't give Mai a whole lot of personality and often came across as a bit lifeless. He did have his good moments though where he was engaging, but he wore his character like armor almost and it didn't allow for him to shine.

There really is nothing luminous about The Luminous Solution. It's unfortunately quite dull and disappointing, sad considering it's potential. Despite it's short length, this isn't one that I would recommend watching. It's such a confusing mess, it's not worth the time trying to figure it out for such little payout.

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Frostwork

Jack o' Frost is a very pretty drama that simply lacks any real substance. It has an artistic quality to it that is certainly pleasing to the eye but beyond that I just didn't find much to really recommend it. Due to it's short length, it's characters inevitably lack depth and the story itself isn't what it could have been. Even so, it's decent enough for what it is.

On paper the story sounds intriguing. Two lovers live together, but after a fight one night, one of them runs out and ends up getting hurt, the end result being he's an amnesiac, but specifically, he can't remember his lover or anything related to him. It's a promising concept and there's a variety of ways the story could go; I can't say that I love what they did with it. Fumiya decides to take it as a second chance. At least, that's what he says. His actions though, don't match up. Up until Ritsu figures out that they had been together before his accident, Fumiya toes the line between roommate and lover, clearly wanting to step over it, recalling in flashbacks his relationship with Ritsu, but also very consciously NOT stepping over it even as Ritsu begins to reveal his growing attraction for Fumiya. It's a conundrum that's never really fully explained other than a brief mention that leads me to think that fear was the overwhelming reason, fear that Ritsu would regain his memories and the game would be up.

Fumiya doesn't present as the most sympathetic of characters, but I found him interesting in that aspects of him were realistic, particularly his tendency to bottle his emotions and then explode. While I don't think that part of him was well explored, I do think the idea of it at least was relatable. I also can't say that his decision to remain silent about his relationship with Ritsu was the way to go, I think it was quite selfish. But on the flip side, how many of us wouldn't jump at the opportunity for a second chance at certain relationships, events, moments, etc.? Again, this was another aspect that I found made him realistic.

Ritsu was a far more ambiguous character due to his amnesia. Without a past to define his present, he was instead defined by his lack of memory and his uncertainty. And since the story is primarily told from Fumiya's point of view, that added another layer of disconnect. It all added up to make it harder to relate to him. In general, I found him to be rather boring. Perhaps it was deliberate, but I did find the contrast of him having a rather dull character compared to his more vibrant/interesting artwork was the one thing that gave him some degree of dimension.

There is an underlying theme that even if you are given a second chance, it means nothing if you don't fix the problems that were there to begin with. However, that theme doesn't seem to be put into practice as the leads undergo very little character development and seem destined to end up right back where they started.

The acting was hit or miss. Of the two, I think I preferred Suzuki Kosuke's performance. I did like their chemistry overall. It was nothing earthshattering, but a more subtle kind, and I thought it suited the drama.

I liked the progression of the drawing in the end credits. It was a neat way to incorporate Ritsu's talent with drawing.

I really enjoyed the music. The background music was beautiful and was well used. I also liked the opening and closing songs though I don't feel they really fit with the tone of the drama.

Jack o' Frost is not one of my favorite Japanese BLs that I've seen but I still found it to be charming in its own way. If nothing else, it's artistic quality and tone makes it worthwhile and the story isn't bad, I just think it could have been better developed. Given it's short length, it's an easy watch for a lazy afternoon.

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Paradox of Emotions

Ameiro Paradox is one of those few dramas that I have to give two ratings, the core one and the emotional one. The core one is the 7.0. That's the rating that gets into the story, the character development, acting, etc. The emotional rating gets an 8.5. That is purely based on the impression it left me with, the emotions, how it made me feel, etc. I wouldn't say this is a good drama. It lacks a lot of backstory and information that would be helpful in developing it and its characters. However, it is a very enjoyable one and I was not disappointed in the slightest.

One of the things I have come to expect, not like, but expect, is a lack of depth with most Japanese and Korean BLs. Their run time tends to be much shorter than Thai BL's, typically between 20 and 30 minutes and somewhere between 6 and 10 episodes. That is not a whole lot of time to fit in a fully developed story. So with that in mind, they do a pretty decent job here with Ameiro Paradox. It's inevitable that things feel rushed, the pacing of the romance is a bit all over the place, but I don't hate it. This is one though that I wish was a bit longer because more information would have been helpful particularly regarding the backgrounds of both Onoe and Kaburagi. More information as to why Kaburagi is just so jaded when he is initially paired with Onoe and likewise why Onoe is that odd combination of naïve and smart. Onoe especially though. He's been a journalist for a while but he really is just so naïve with some things, I wanted to delve into his character a bit more with that. Since they were journalists, I would have liked to see it serve as a little more of a focal point. We had a lot of them sitting around waiting to take pictures and I would have liked to see other aspects featured as well, researching topics, doing more interviews like the one with the porn actress who came forward, that kind of thing. However, one thing that I did appreciate was the portrayal that there are consequences and it's not an easy job, on both sides. Particularly that first case with the commercial actress, knowing that she had done what she did to care for her mother and knowing that exposing her was going to affect that. It was one of those little things that was very thought provoking. And it was the same with each of the other cases.

They did well with keeping the cast to the bare minimum and making the cast they did have meaningful. Obviously we had our two leads. Onoe and Kaburagi start off appearing to be a study in opposites. Onoe is innocent, in more ways than one, he doesn't lie, he's open and friendly. And then there's Kaburagi, flirtatious, devious, seemingly willing to do anything to get a story whether paying for it with money or his own body. He claims to be numb to the job, but as Onoe spends more time with him, he comes to realize that's not the case at all, that it's all a façade and Kaburagi is, in fact, a gentle and kind soul. The biggest issue with these two, like in most BLs, is their lack of communication. Onoe is better about trying to communicate although his fear sometimes gets in the way, which is certainly valid, but it's hard to say what exactly is keeping Kaburagi silent. This is not a BL where the characters' sexuality is discussed. Is he struggling with coming to terms that he might actually just like one person and that one person is a man and he's not ready to put that into words? We don't know and that's something else that would have been nice to explore. Their misunderstanding at the end is again due to a miscommunication, mostly on Kaburagi's part since Onoe does try to talk to him and Kaburagi just gives him the cold shoulder. I know the Editor-in-Chief comments that Kaburagi has trust issues, but I would really love to have learned more about that because there has to be more to it. They do finally talk things out and hopefully end up with a little bit of a better understanding of each other going forward. Masayan, Onoe's friend, was a good combination of some of the friends typically seen in BLs: the comic and the advisor. He served his purpose as a bit of comic relief while also acting as a sounding board for Onoe when he was trying to piece together his thoughts and feelings. The nice thing here though was that he actually gave solid well thought out advice and what he didn't know, he firmly stated that he didn't know. There are so many dramas where you have friends who give terrible advice, not maliciously, they just have no idea what they're talking about. I also liked the Editor in Chief and the way he quietly observed his people and stepped in when it became necessary, but not in an obtrusive way. He saw that Kaburagi needed a perspective adjustment and he took the initiative to help him see that. He also saw that Onoe and Kaburagi would be a good pair together and be beneficial to each other.

The acting was okay. Both Kimura and Yamanaka are fairly young and I don't think either have a ton of acting experience. I think they have a lot of promise and with more experience will get better. Yamanaka struggled with his facial expressions. He alternated between appearing wooden and tense. He looked like he needed to just relax, think less and sink into the character more. Kimura did better but needs to work on a bit more variation with his expressions. Their chemistry was understated, but I do still think it was there. It just wasn't as flamboyant as other actors'.

I did have a few things that stood out to me as bigger issues. The biggest being Kaburagi's actions after Onoe was assaulted by the tax guy. That was not the time or place to come onto him and it was just uncomfortable to watch. I don't know how he could have possibly thought that was in any way appropriate. Onoe was the absolute worst tailer. It was almost physically painful watching him. Did Kaburagi not show him how to do that? I don't know but it was really bad. And I'm sure it was there for comedic purposes, but it just didn't work for me. Along those same lines, Onoe filming the guy for the phone scam was so painfully obvious. There was nothing discreet about it and how the other guy didn't notice his phone there is beyond me.

I found this drama to be simple and sweet. It's not deep or particularly thought provoking, although it does have its moments, but its heartwarming and I found myself really enjoying. It's short enough that it's an easy binge watch and it is one that I absolutely recommend.

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The Boss is Back

Starting this drama, I had a moment of dread thinking they were going with a body swap story or even another alternate universe a la MSP. However, I was pleasantly surprised when that was not the case. This is more along the lines of what I was hoping for with My Skyy 2. Not ridiculous story lines, not deciding to throw in magic and alternate universes and other gimmicks, but getting to see a continuation of our leads lives and their stories without a whole lot of drama. These episodes served that for me. It wasn't over the top, there wasn't a ton of drama, it was just fun and light hearted comedy. Considering that I wasn't a huge fan of the drama, I wasn't sure what to expect from this, but it was worth watching.

One of the biggest problems I had with the drama was the almost complete lack of sensical plot. It went all over the place, achieving nothing. Here though, there was a clearly defined plot and it worked pretty well. The focus on getting Gun to understand that he didn't have to be so overbearing and harsh towards his employees and that work is for work hours allowed us to get to know the characters better, Gun especially. It also allowed for some genuinely comedic moments with Cher acting as the boss and Gun as the intern. And while it doesn't really reference anything that happened from the drama, I found that to be a positive considering so much of it was nonsense.

Character wise, I liked getting to know Gun better, his way of thinking and perceiving people and actions. I would have liked to delve a little more into what exactly drove him to be such a workaholic, but the short time frame didn't allow for that. I also appreciated getting to know Cher more. He's more perceptive than you would think and sometimes his antics can make one forget that he's actually pretty smart. While that's not shown extensively here, he does have his moments to show that intelligence. And the length he went to both to help Gun destress and show him that he needed to be more attuned to his employees feelings and needs showed how much he cared. It was very wholesome to see. And of course he got to have fun bossing his boyfriend around and getting to be the boss for a day, but it's pretty clear Gun doesn't really mind. I also enjoyed the return of Cher's friends, especially Three and Zo. That scene with them pretending to fight was pretty entertaining. The group's friendship was one of the positives from the drama and it remained so here. The fact that they were so supportive of Cher, even agreeing to his ridiculous plan, just showcased that they're the kind of friends everyone should have.

The acting was solid. Again the romantic chemistry between Force and Book is nil, but except for the end, I didn't miss it. Their buddy chemistry worked for a couple that had been together for some time and the few sweet moments between them were actually almost genuinely sweet, probably because they were so innocent. They both turned pretty wooden though there at the end with that final kissing scene. Everyone else did a good job and it was fun to see so many returning from the drama.

I think this addition to My Skyy 2 is my favorite thus far. It was pretty much what I was hoping for from the entirety of the series and I have my fingers crossed that they won't annihilate Bad Buddy or Thousand Stars and will stick to this formula. I enjoyed the fact that these episodes were more than just pure fluff, they actually had some depth to them. It was a good way to conclude their story and it seems fitting that they're sent off with a dash of humor.

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An Emotionally Beautiful Beginning

I watched these two episodes prior to starting The Promise which I just finished. I loved these two episodes. They're relatively short, but they give a glimpse of each of these young men's thoughts, emotions, and feelings, giving more history on their relationship prior to the drama. They're beautifully done. The actors do a wonderful job with their characters and the stories are, for the most part, well told and streamlined, Phupha's more so than Nanfah's.

I felt like it really drove home the fact that a lack of communication can have serious consequences. Their failure to communicate caused them to lose so much time. Incidentally, I loved the old fashioned pocket watches. I thought the symbolism was beautiful and well thought out. I was very impressed by the amount of emotional impact they were able land in such a short period of time. The story is so heart wrenching and I think it does teach good lessons in the importance of communication, both in expressing yourself and not bottling your emotions and taking the time to listen and understand without making assumptions.

Here's the drawback though. These two episodes have a very different feel from the drama. They're mature, emotional, moving and I expected the drama to have that same tone. I was very wrong, unfortunately. It's clear that these two episodes and the drama were not filmed concurrently as sets are completely different from one to the other. For example, the dorm rooms are totally different as are the rooms at their condo. The characters don't feel the same either, mostly I think because the drama is almost trying to be a bit of a rom-com and the comedic aspect of their characters feels jarring since that wasn't a part of these episodes. Additionally, much of the backstory established in these two episodes is different from that in the drama which I've found disappointing as some of those changes I felt have limited the emotional impact that was established. There are minor changes, like in these two episodes, it's mentioned that Phu and Nan are in the same faculty, but different majors whereas in the drama, they're both advertising majors. And bigger changes as well like the whole reason Phu disappeared in the first place. I find it disappointing because there's absolutely no reason the stories should vary at all. Maybe it's because there were two different directors and screenwriters, maybe because things just weren't double checked, or maybe they just didn't care enough. Who knows, but I much preferred the tone of these two episodes as opposed to the drama thus far.

I don't regret watching these episodes in the slightest, I just wish they meshed with the drama better in terms of tone, story, and character representation. Having completed the drama, I can safely say that these episodes far surpass the drama in basically every way. I absolutely recommend watching these two episodes, I do not recommend the drama. Rather, I would regard these two episodes as their own separate entity and consider the ending as being left open. It's better than the drivel the drama turned out to be. If you do want to watch both, don't watch them one after the other. The differences between the two mean that they don't really add much in the long run and it's better not to consider them as a unit. It's a pity the drama didn't live up to these episodes because they are beautifully done.

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Pink's Not Fading Yet

Of the stories told thus far in Our Skyy 2, this was the most wholesome and the most well done. It had twists and turns that were fairly well done and entertaining, good character development, good music and generally just told a very endearing story. I wasn't sure what I would think of this one based off the trailer but it completely surpassed my expectations.

I loved that the story didn't go where I thought it would. I honestly thought it was going to revolve around Tess or Pakorn's love child and Talay and Puen left having to raise the kid. And that's certainly the initial impression. But then there's the twist that he is actually Tup's nephew and he and Tou had the brilliant idea of having the kid pretend to be Talay and Puen's son to help them reconnect since work has been pulling them apart. And then there's an added twist when it comes out that Puen is on in it and a further twist when Talay overhears Puen, Tup, and Tou's conversation and puts the pieces together. He and Jigsaw plotting together was the cutest thing ever. Though I would have loved to know how Tup convinced his sister to let him kidnap her kid for who knows how long.

Again, everything about this special was so wholesome. I appreciated that Talay and Puen recognized that there was a problem and actively sought to fix it. Focusing too much on work and neglecting a partner is a fairly common issue, I feel, and I liked that it was addressed. It was realistic. Especially after being together for 5 years, I think you can start to take each other for granted and lose focus of the relationship. I loved the creativity of the calendar and giving each day of the month a theme of sorts. It's simple but it made them think of each other and spend time with each other. And it's something that anyone could implement. If I ever find myself in a relationship, it is definitely something I would love to do. And then when Jigsaw landed in their laps, they pretty much took it in stride. They worked together to take care of him and even when he went missing at the zoo, they really didn't blame each other. Things weren't blown out of proportion, they each took responsibility for the fact that they got distracted and apologized to Jigsaw for neglecting him. Seriously, their relationship was such a breath of fresh air.

I was impressed with the character growth of Talay and Puen. It's nothing astronomic, but it's there and with such a limited time frame, it was well done. I appreciated that they communicated with each other and had an actually healthy relationship. It felt like they were both on the same footing and they just really complemented each other. One of my complaints with the drama was regarding the time jump and not feeling like there was any development between them. Five years have passed since their journey to the other universe here and it actually felt more like time had passed. So kudos there. I loved getting to see more of Tup and Tou in this universe. They added a good dose of entertainment. I also liked the fact that they were friends equally with Talay and Puen. We see them interacting a bit more with Puen, but it's obviously a strong friendship all around and brings back memories of their friendship in the other universe.

The acting was pretty solid. I thought both Jimmy and Sea did a good job. There weren't any real emotional scenes here which is where I felt they both struggled in the drama. Their chemistry leans a bit more towards buddy than romantic, but I also found that to be realistic. Again, the characters have been together for five years, so a more relaxed chemistry made sense and I thought they did it well. I love Neo. He was so adorably nerdy looking from his looks to his very behaviour. He's one of those actors that seems able to take on just about any role and it's funny to see him in this role after just seeing him in The Eclipse last week as a totally different character. Aou is also a good actor. I've seen him in multiple roles and he's definitely not one of those one note actors. He brings something different to each character. And Chun was the cutest kid. Seriously, so adorable and he did a great job in his role as Jigsaw. His chemistry with Jimmy and Sea was fantastic. I loved their little family, short lived as it was.

Production was also pretty solid. I liked that they continued the theme from the drama of naming each episode after a color that coincided with what was going on in that episode. The cinematography was good, especially there at the end, some of those shots were just stunning. The music was good. I didn't quite like Jimmy and Sea's new song as well as their songs in the drama which I love, but I still very much enjoyed it.

This was an excellent follow-up to the drama. I really did enjoy every moment of it and any complaints I might have are miniscule. I loved the relationships both romantic and platonic, the family dynamic between Talay, Puen, and Jigsaw, the realistic challenges faced, and the way that the characters interacted. This is one that I may come back to in the future.

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The Five Senses Aren't Everything

This drama is quite simply beautiful in pretty much every way possible. The cinematography, the story, the characters, the acting, all of it comes together to create something truly enchanting. It's authenticity is breathtaking. It tells a story that is real and raw, touching on subjects that many BLs and Asian dramas in general avoid. The Eighth Sense is honestly the best BL drama I've seen in a while and it is well worth the time to watch it.

The story is amazing for all it's simplicity. This is not a big and bold drama filled with pomp and drama. It is wonderfully subtle and realistic. Every part of it feels natural, organic. It's well paced and the delivery is exceptional. Yes, it's a romance, but it's also about two people helping and healing each other. Jae Won gives Ji Hyun the courage to step outside his comfort zone and Ji Hyun helps Jae Won begin to heal from the trauma of his past. And I appreciated that it didn't feel like the pair of them getting together magically fixed everything for Jae Won. It felt like a combination of his therapist's and Ji Hyun's boss's words that finally got through to him and helped him take that first step forward. Sure, Ji Hyun is there to help and support him, but he also has to put in the work himself to continue to heal.

While the first few episodes focus more on Ji Hyun and his growth as he learns to step out of his shell and begin to interact with other people and the world around him, the latter part of the drama focuses on Jae Won as he begins to face the trauma from his past and take steps to move forward. Both characters experience huge amounts of growth in a very short time and it's done so well. They grow both together and separately. And that's part of what was so great. Instead of the pair of them existing in their own world surrounded by barely there supporting characters, they had a life outside of each other. In fact, I think they had more scenes with their friends than they did with each other. But I loved that because it added depth and meaning to both them and the supporting characters who are so often only there to move the plot forward. Here though they're fully developed characters and amazing ones at that.

The acting was fantastic all around. Im Ji Sub and Oh Jun Taek were nearly flawless in their roles. Their chemistry was just so natural and believable. The supporting actors were equally fantastic. Lee Mi Ra and Seo Ji An as Yoon Won and Ae Ri respectively were both fun and insightful as the male leads' friends. I really loved the relationship they had with the two of them and the way that Yoon Won and Jae Won supported and loved each other. Lee Mi Ra and Im Ji Sub just had a very natural chemistry that was great to watch. Jung Seo In was fabulous as Ji Hyun's boss. She was equal parts funny and the deliverer of sage advice. I loved her. Park Hae In as Eun Ji and Jang Young Joon as Tae Hyung were believably villainous. I couldn't stand either character, so kudos to their acting prowess.

One of my absolute favorite things about this drama was how mental health was addressed. The fact that we actually got to see Jae Won going to therapy, the knowledge that he was taking medication for his mental health, and that he even admitted himself that he had depression was huge. Most Asian dramas downplay mental health issues or just ignore them completely. That it was so openly addressed and delved into was gratifying and I hope more dramas do the same.

The cinematography was truly stunning. It had a very stylistic feel to it that I appreciated as well as the fact that it was maintained pretty much throughout. My only complaint was that some of the night scenes were a bit too dark which made it difficult to tell what was going on. That may have also been a stylistic choice but it wasn't one that I felt worked well.

I loved the music. It all worked very well with the drama and felt like actual effort was put in to finding songs that fit with what was going on and they really did enhance the mood for those scenes.

I did have a few things that prevented me from giving this a perfect 10. The main one was the "twist" in Episode 7. I don't know if it was a subbing issue or if it was deliberate, but either way, I really don't like having my emotions played with and that's exactly what it felt like they were doing. It seemed like they went for shock value and then jumped out and yelled, "Psych!" It really killed the mood for me and made me question why I had started this drama. The other part was the handling of Eun Ji and Tae Hyung. Both were terrible, manipulative people, so the fact that they got a happyish ending didn't sit quite well for me. Considering the way mental health was addressed, I feel like dealing with the two of them could have been a good continuation of that because Jae Won did not need such toxic people in his life, particularly Tae Hyung. I would have preferred to see something where they cleared the air between them, but Jae Won made it clear that he could no longer have Tae Hyung in his life. Actions have consequences and I don't feel like either character really experienced any kind of meaningful consequence.

I truly cannot recommend this drama enough, particularly to people who enjoy dramas that are more than just the romance. With a meaningful story and characters, you really have nothing to lose.

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Intriguing Start, Sloppy Ending

The overall story for this drama was interesting and detailed, but proved at points to be overly complex. Things got mixed up, characters knew things they shouldn't, some things were linked together by the most tenuous of threads, some things were just never explained and by the end, things started getting downright ridiculous. That being said though, I did overall enjoy this drama.

The idea of the parallel universes with time running opposite to each other was a really interesting concept and I liked it. The split between Mum's World and Dew's World was a cool way to see different versions of the various characters and I really liked how they used color to further separate the worlds. That concept though was also a bit of their downfall as that was where there were the most mix ups like I mentioned before of characters knowing things they shouldn't. However, when they decided to take it a step further with a multiverse and introduce another Mum, that's where it started losing me. On the one hand, I can kind of understand why they may have done it, but overall I feel it was unnecessary. Another downfall with this drama was just how long it took for Dew and Mum to meet in Mum's world. I kept waiting for them to meet...and waiting and waiting and waiting. I wanted to see more interaction between them, of them getting to know each other in their same world. I got the impression the mystery of who killed Dew was supposed to be a big twist and shocker, just from the way they set it up. It didn't seem that complicated to me, I guessed it the first episode, but maybe that's just me. I like figuring out puzzles and I tend to be pretty good at figuring out things like that in movies/shows. The two endings was another unique way to go. I can't say that I liked either one of them. One was depressing, the other overwhelmingly happy, not to mention sloppy. With a drama like this, I think I would have preferred something in between, maybe open ended, or the two at the tentative beginnings of a new relationship. That, however, is just me.

I found the characters to be a little more polarizing in this drama than some of the others I watched recently. Besides the fact that the characters really lacked any kind of depth which was disappointing to begin with, there also a lack of any real character growth, I felt.
-Mint had me going back and forth on whether I liked her or not. I decided that I liked her as a sister and a friend, in those roles she was a badass and I think she would be awesome to have around. But as a woman, I found her incredibly frustrating. Her treatment of Dew basically bordered on harassment with constantly asking him out. I also thought it was absurd that other's got annoyed at Dew for rejecting her and upsetting her when she was literally the one who kept putting herself in that situation.
-Dew was another one that I had some serious thoughts on. While I did overall like him, I did start getting tired of his cowardly nature when it came to Mint. I'm not sure why breaking up with her was so much scarier than being caught cheating, but apparently that's what he thought. It was just kind of weird to me that he wasn't afraid to face down his uncle, but telling a woman he doesn't actually love her and wants to go back to being friends is impossible to do.
-Mum, there at the beginning, I was not a fan of his womanizing ways and I was gladly that was a relatively short lived part of the drama. However, it was disappointing to see that whole "only gay for you" trope still being used at this point. Come on, guys, you can do better.
I didn't have much of an opinion on the remaining side characters. They were entertaining for the most part, but nothing spectacular. The secondary couple was kind of cute, but also didn't add a whole lot. On the plus side, they also didn't take away huge amounts of screen time either.

The acting wasn't bad, nothing spectacular. Ohm and Fluke don't have the kind of chemistry that will start a fire, theirs is more subtle, but I do feel its there and they do work well together. Also, can I just take a second to comment on Fluke's smile? I swear that boy could charm wood.

The OST was okay, again, nothing spectacular. However, I did love the opening credits. I thought they were a visual masterpiece, just gorgeous visuals, I loved it.

I'm rating this drama higher than it really deserves. It was simply too ambitious and it has a lot of flaws, but despite those flaws, it still managed to capture my interest and overall maintain that interest through to the end. I also absolutely have to give credit for an interesting idea, even if it wasn't executed to its fullest or best potential. I don't think this is a drama worth watching more than once really. Once you've seen it, the mystery is gone and I feel like the errors will just really stick out more than anything else, but its a fun one to watch just the once.

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Secretly Crushing On This One

You know the saying, "Don't judge a book by it's cover"? That definitely applies to this drama. I don't think I've ever watched a drama that gave me such conflicting emotions. It is by far the cringiest the drama I have ever watched, the drama that made me talk to my screen the most, and made me suffer the most second hand embarrassment ever. I think I legitimately spent a good half of this drama just hiding my face because I couldn't watch that level of embarrassment unfold in front of me. That being said, this drama also had me in stitches, literally laughing out loud, it made me cry, and underneath all the cringe and embarrassment, is a really beautiful story. In the end, despite my initial uncertainty, I found this drama and its characters have a lot of heart.

The first few episodes were the hardest to get through and where I teetered on whether to keep watching or just drop it. At that point, you haven't really gotten to know the characters yet, so while most of them seem pretty innocuous, Toh comes across as a lot. I understand having a secret crush, I can even kind of understand keeping things associated with your crush though not nearly to the extent he does and definitely not the food items, that was just gross, but his crush went a bit beyond the bounds of comfort me into obsession. I wouldn't call him a stalker as technically the definition of a stalker is someone who harasses another person with unwanted or obsessive attention. In Toh's case, yes, I would say his behavior was obsessive, but he never harassed Nuea or in any way harmed him and Nuea never indicated that the attention was unwanted. Anyway, once I got past those couple of episodes and relationships started developing between Toh and Nuea and Jao and Sky, I became invested.

My absolute favorite thing about this drama though was the way that it broke down society's expectations. Neither Toh or Jao fit society's standards for attractiveness while both Nuea and Sky do. With that in mind, society would not expect them to get together, in fact, as is seen multiple times, society balks at them being together, saying its wrong. Society looks at the surface; beauty and beauty should go together. Nuea and Sky, however, looked under the surface. They saw Toh and Jao for who they were as individuals, not for their looks, and that's what they fell in love with. As someone who doesn't fit society's standards of beauty, I found that powerful. It gives me hope that I can find someone like that someday who will love me exactly as I am. I also loved how neither of them got tired of reminding Toh and Jao that they loved them just as they were. They didn't need to change themselves, they were perfect as is. I also felt like both relationships were good examples of healthy relationships. Nuea and Toh especially had overall good communication. They talked things out like adults for the most part and worked to get past any issues they had. With Sky and Jao, as much as Sky really liked Jao, I appreciated his patience and going at a pace that Jao was comfortable with. To me it showed that he respected his boundaries, especially that scene where they do finally kiss. Sky wanted to kiss him, but he could tell Jao was hesitant and he tells him he can wait. It's not until Jao consents that he kisses him. There's a mutual respect in both relationships that's pretty clear and I just really liked seeing how well it was portrayed.

And that also translated over to characters like Daisy who tried to change himself to be more masculine because he thought that's what Intouch wanted when in fact, Intouch just wanted him to be his badass, feminine self. It also highlighted that changing yourself into someone you're not isn't going to make you happy. Be yourself, there's nothing more beautiful than being confident in your own skin.

The friendship between Toh, Jao, Daisy and Som was a central part of this drama and I loved it. I honestly wish I had friends like that. Their bond is amazing and their unwavering love and support for each other is definitely one of the highlights of this drama. No matter what happens, they are there for each other. I also really liked Nuea and Sky's group of friends. They didn't have quite the same charisma, but they were obviously good people and it was always entertaining when both groups got together.

I absolutely recommend giving this drama a shot. Don't let the cringe and second hand embarrassment factors turn you off. Look past that and focus on the friendships, on the actual story, the characters, it's absolutely worth sticking it out.

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