A Season of Stars

While Season 2 of To My Star left me feeling conflicted in some ways, I ultimately found it to be a more satisfying story that Season 1. As much as I did enjoy the first season, I also found it to be a bit shallow, lacking background and explanations. I appreciated that this second season delved more into the characters past and answered some of those questions. And while a breakup was predictable, I did find many elements of the story and the characters actions to be realistic, if a bit heavy handed at times. On the other hand, the lack of any of kind of real resolution between the lead characters was disappointing as were the demands they made of each other which were unrealistic and unreasonable. Still, at the end of the day, the positives outweighed the negatives for me.

I felt the story here was stronger than that of the first season, again, because we got to delve into the lives of the characters more. Another strength was that the story wasn't linear. This can be hit or miss, but I felt it was done well here. It doesn't start at the time of the breakup, but rather after it and the circumstances of the breakup are revealed bit by bit. However, this was also a bit of a downfall because at least initially, the focus was on Seo Joon and his reaction to the breakup. The problem stems from the fact that the explanation for why Ji Woo broke up with him doesn't come until much later after he's been a complete and total ass toward Seo Joon. That lack of explanation makes it hard to understand him or have any sympathy for him. It's something that would have been important to include earlier on.

I know a lot of people think that the reasoning behind the breakup was crap, but personally I found it realistic. My understanding is that it didn't boil down to just one reason, but it was multiple reasons from feeling lonely and isolated since his social circle consisted of only Seo Joon to fearing that Seo Joon would eventually leave him. Better to leave first than be left. He was an introvert in a relationship with an extrovert. As an introvert myself, I can completely understand where he was coming from. I don't think people fully realize that the fact that Seo Joon made Ji Woo the center of his universe put a lot of pressure on Ji Woo. Self-induced pressure to be sure, but it was there. And despite some people's comments that he didn't really have any trauma affecting him, I would disagree. He had the trauma of his parent's death, the scandal from his parent's friend that led to apparently the entire village ostracizing him, and the trauma of his long term girlfriend abruptly leaving him and with a cruel text message to boot. All of that combined made it easy for him to build walls and hard for him to trust people. Even after a year of dating, it's not like that trauma would have gone away. And sometimes when the loneliness and isolation and fear reach a boiling point, it's easier to run away than face it.

His treatment of Seo Joon, however, after Seo Joon hunts him down was unnecessary. To an extent, I can understand him. He ran as far away as he did to get away from Seo Joon, to get over him, and here comes Seo Joon refusing to take no for an answer and stirring up those feelings again. I get why he would be pissed. But I think he could have gotten his point across without the gaslighting and cruelty.

For Seo Joon, if memory serves, Ji Woo asks him he's a dog at one point and in many ways he does act like a dog, he certainly has the loyalty of one. His inability to get over Ji Woo even after a year, his determination for them to work things out, and finally his attempt to shut Ji Woo out, were all so relatable. I think there's the temptation to call him desperate or pathetic, but I didn't find him to be either of those. I think when you find that one, you're not willing to give them up easily. I know I've seen comments from people saying they don't understand why he even loved Ji Woo, but you have to keep in mind that love isn't logical and there isn't always a concrete reason for it. The need for closure, to understand why Ji Woo left him, was also important. Especially after a year, when it seems like they didn't really have any major fights or arguments during that time, that would be important for him to know. Despite the fact that I do find his actions relatable and understandable, I also don't condone them as they were pretty obviously emotionally and mentally unhealthy. Then again, we don't always do the smartest things when we're in love, do we?

The side characters were a mixed bunch for me. While I liked Sung Yoon as a character, I was not a fan of her role as the ex-girlfriend presented to create tension and drama. I hate when women are used like that, it's such a disservice. I was glad that wasn't her sole purpose even if it was her primary one. She still came across as a strong woman which I appreciated and I liked her friendship with Da Kyung. Da Kyung was entertaining as a single mom and Ji Woo's friend. At first I was afraid they were going to try to put them together and I was very glad when they didn't. Although it wasn't showcased much, I liked what little of their friendship was shown. And I just liked her in general. To me she came across as a strong, badass woman which I loved. Pil Hyun was great to have back. I liked him in the first season and I liked him here again. My only qualm is that I think he should have dumped his girlfriend because he deserved someone better. The only two characters I took issue with, and even then only minorly, were Ho Min and Yoo Ha. With Ho Min, his suddenly leaving to become an idol came out of nowhere. It was a completely unnecessary and underdeveloped plot point that served no point. Yoo Ha, cute as she was, some of her dialogue was a bit too adult. It just wasn't believable that a child her age would say some of the things she said, at least not in my opinion.

The acting was good all around. Kang Min, who I felt was a bit weak at times in the first season, definitely upped his game this season. He was more consistent, his expressions were better and more nuanced and he seemed more comfortable. He still seems to struggle with some of the more emotional scenes, but, again, overall a great improvement. Woo Hyun was fantastic. This was the first drama I've seen him, but I plan on watching others at this point. He's so expressive, I just really enjoyed his performance.

The production value was a clear improvement over the first season which wasn't bad in the slightest, but there is a difference. My one issue is that some of the editing wasn't as clear as it could be. There were a few times where it took a moment to figure out if a scene was from the past or the present. The cinematography was fantastic. As a foodie and someone who likes to cook, I loved the cooking and food shots. The OST was perfection. It just so flawlessly suited the drama in every way. I think my favorite song is the one our two leads sing. Beautifully sung and it really conveyed the mood and emotions.

Now for the aspects that I found less than desirable. Things between Ji Woo and Seo Joon were wrapped a little too neatly for my taste. Yes, there's a brief conversation as they make up, but these two needed to sit down and have a long conversation. Now I suppose we can assume they did that off screen at some point, but since that's not alluded to at any point, I'm not willing to make that assumption. The problem I see here is that without having a proper discussion about what led to Ji Woo running away, it leaves open the possibility of it happening again. On the one hand, that seems less likely to happen since Ji Woo has more of a support system than just Seo Joon there at the end, but it is something that needs to be addressed. I also don't feel like Ji Woo ever properly apologizes for his treatment of Seo Joon earlier on which he absolutely should have. Regardless of his struggles and conflicting emotions, he owed him a massive apology. Another concern is their demands of each other, that Ji Woo not pick out his clothes ahead of time, I think it was, because his ex does that, and that Seo Joon not smile at others or talk on the phone so much, if memory serves. Ji Woo had thrown out some other issues earlier in the drama as well. All of these are ridiculous and, frankly, unreasonable. It is setting each other up for failure, not to mention a level of possessiveness of each other that could also be problematic.

So would I recommend this drama? Provided you're not looking for a fluff piece, yes. The material here is much heavier than in the first season and though we do get our happily ever after, it's a longer and tougher journey to get there. Personally though, I would say that journey is worth it and I found this second season to be superior to the first.

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You're Gonna Be Popular

Going into this drama, I don't know what exactly I was expecting from it. Maybe something sweet and lighthearted, relatively uncomplicated. Instead what I got was a story with real depth and heart, characters that came alive, excellent acting, and an overall good quality production value. It was a pleasant surprise. There is something very artistic about it that I really appreciated and enhanced the story for me. It is hands down one of my favorite Korean BLs.

The story, at face value, is a simple enough slice of life focusing on two young college men, the challenges they face both together and as individuals. Alongside them are their friends and family who have their own trials from dealing with sexism and harassment to guilt tripping from parents to the pressures of needing to be successful. The pacing was well done. It didn't feel rushed nor did it feel too slow.

I loved the characters of Da Un and Si Won. They are such opposites and yet in some ways, they are so similar. They're a study in how our families shape us, for better or worse. Si Won's mother had good intentions, but her good intentions caused lasting trauma to her son, leaving him lacking confidence and feeling the need to pursue perfection. Da Un, on the other hand, contrary to Si Won's assumption, suffered neglect at the hands of his parents which led to a different kind of trauma, one that affected and almost destroyed his relationship with Si Won. It is both fascinating and painful to watch them, as well as beautiful as they start to help each other heal.

The acting is superb. Hyuk Joon and Eun Bin both do their characters proud. They were equally good with the more lighthearted scenes and the emotionally heavy scenes. They had phenomenal chemistry and played off of each other so well. It was such a pleasure to watch their interactions. I have absolutely no complaints. The supporting cast was also really good. There is one particular scene between Si Won and his mother that is just exceptional. Both actors killed it.

The production value was for the most part really good. The cinematography in particular was stunning. I loved their use of lighting and the fact that one of the techniques mentioned in class was actively utilized was very clever.

This drama was such an unexpected pleasure, I truly enjoyed every moment of it. It's a sweet romance between relatable characters and as a whole, it's just very well done. I highly recommend watching it and this is one that I think would improve repeated viewings.

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Don't Ghost It

Despite its name and the tendency to equate something ghost related with horror, Ghost Host, Ghost House is anything but a horror drama. Rather I found it to be a rather bittersweet story focusing on the importance of family, of cherishing the time we have left, and learning to accept death as another part of life and not letting grief consume us. It is certainly a flawed drama. There are aspects that don't make sense or aren't explained well, plenty of plot holes, both leads are newer and there were times where that was obvious, and the pacing is oddly simultaneously too fast and too slow. For me though, the heart of the drama and what they were trying to convey is what led me to rate it higher at an 8. Taking my emotional response out of the equation and rating just based of story, characters, acting, etc., I would rate it between a 6.5 and a 7.

The story, while not bad, in some ways didn't make sense to me. Kawin's whole fascination with ghosts stems from the death of his best friend and former crush. He's the ghost that Kawin wants to see and yet we never see him trying to summon Jake other than when the twins offer to help and then he gives that chance to Pluem. I wanted more background there. Did he want to see a ghost to prove that it was possible and that he might someday see Jake? Or did the whole thing start with him trying to see Jake and he just developed a fascination with ghosts and ghost stories as a result? The ghost hunting aspect though was relatively quickly shelved once Kawin found out that his own family was ghosts and then the story turned to their final days. And frankly I think his family is the star of the drama. I really enjoyed all their characters and their interactions; they were the highlight for me, the romance was secondary.

I said the pacing was simultaneously too fast and too slow. As a whole, the pacing was too fast. Things happened very quickly, the romance between Kawin and Pluem being a big one, in my opinion. There was very little build up between them meeting and sleeping together for the first time. It didn't feel like they'd had a chance to properly get to know each other and I would have liked to see them interacting more before things progressed to that level. The too slow comes in that scenes just dragged. A lot of that was the dialogue and the long pauses that were just unnatural. But some scenes were also just dragged out longer than was necessary.

The acting was overall good. The two standouts for me though, were Guide as See-Foon and Natty as See-Nam. Guide especially was fantastic. For this being his first role, I was so impressed with his skills. His ability to convey so much emotion with just his eyes and subtle expressions was amazing to watch. He's definitely someone to keep an eye on. Natty was much to same. I felt like she had a more subtle acting style that I really liked and I think fit the character. She was great to watch and she's another one to keep watching. Tod and Boy both did well as the leads. Their chemistry together was overall pretty good and I felt like they played off of each other well. There were definitely times where I felt they could use more energy. Some scenes just felt a bit lackluster. And they could both stand to add a bit more nuance to their expressions. But for both being newer, I think they did pretty well.

The biggest problem with this drama though is the staggering number of plot holes and unanswered questions. There was just so much left unexplained. I think background is key when it comes to any drama or any character and that was so completely lacking here. I feel like a fair number of questions would have been answered if everything had a solid background. Even a basic question like if Kawin's mother ever found out her sister, brother-in-law, niece and nephew were all dead is never answered. I am also going to nitpick here and say that Kawin in no way seemed like someone who grew up in the US. This is no fault of the actor, I will say that, this is the production's fault for not making changes to fit with his ability, but his English wasn't strong enough and he had a strong Thai accent. It just didn't quite work.

On the plus side, you have a drama that is relatively trope free which is refreshing as well as product placement free as far as I can recall. If there are any, its minimal and not as constantly in your face as some dramas. It also depicts an overall healthy relationship. Kawin and Pluem make the effort to communicate with each other even when its tough, aside from episode 7 which was just ridiculous. I don't know why they felt the need to throw in more drama but it was stupid and didn't fit with the characters, in my opinion, so I'm ignoring it. I also appreciated that consent played such a role in Pluem and Kawin's relationship. Yes, Pluem teased Kawin, but he never pushed things too far and when things started getting serious, he always made sure Kawin was okay with where things were going. More Thai dramas should take note of that.

This is not an amazing drama technically. Like I said, it has a lot of flaws, it could have been better with a little more effort and thought, but I think it is good enough to warrant watching it at least once. This is one drama where the romance definitely took the backseat and I was more interested and pulled in by Kawin's family. Their love for each other and for Kawin was incredibly touching and the actors did an amazing job bringing their character's to life and really making me care about them. So, come for the romance, and stay for the family. They're both good.

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Graduated Without Honors

I loved season 1 of The Gifted. The story didn't exactly break new ground, but I felt it was overall well done, the characters were interesting, the acting was well done, and in general it was a well rounded drama. So going into season 2, I was hoping for more of the same. I have to admit though, I was a bit disappointed. Season 2 felt like the team was just trying too hard. It didn't have the same flow that season 1 had, characters seemed to make foolish decisions repeatedly, explanations were rushed, it just didn't quite work for me. It's not bad, not by any means, but watching both seasons back to back, season 1 is definitely superior.

Graduation has a much different tone to it from the first season. It's much darker, more mature. The potentials are dealing with adult problems at this point so there's less focus on their school life and there are significantly fewer lighthearted scenes. A big focus is on ethics and character's morals, how the potentials should be used, should they be controlled, how and by whom. It's a valid dilemma and the way it's played out is interesting.

While slow pacing is often an issue in dramas, it certainly isn't here. It starts out fast and never really slows down. And this is where I feel like they were just trying way too hard. This drama has a number of plot twists, more than are necessary, in my opinion. But there's a point where a series of plot twists hit just one after another and you're left reeling. At that point, the pacing was almost too fast to actually be able to process what was happening and what I'd just seen. The plot twists make it worse, but even without them the story is convoluted which is useful to hide the plot holes, but annoying when you're the viewer.

There was an element with the character's that they'd gotten both smarter and stupider in the time between seasons 1 and 2. Obviously their potentials had grown, so from that point of view, they were smarter, but the ease with which Ms. Darin and Supot were able to influence and manipulate them, Pang and Punn, especially, just seemed a bit ridiculous after their past experiences. It seemed weird that Pang, in particular, was duped by both of them. I understand wanting to believe the best in people, but also there needs to be a limit and I would think he would have figured that out. He seemed much smarter in some regards in the first season. There were also some difference in characters, notably Korn, from season 1 to season 2 that were pretty much skated over and never discussed. Obviously there were extenuating circumstances, but there were some aspects there that seemed like they needed to be discussed. I did like seeing the potentials working together more as a group this time around, particularly towards the beginning when things are a little more lighthearted. It's fun to see them interacting together. I especially liked the friendship between Wave and Pang. They've obviously become very close and there are a couple of moments that showcase that bond really well that I liked. I did miss Namtarn though. I'm not sure why she wasn't included in the main cast, but she was one of my favorites from season 1 so I was very disappointed that she was relegated to a guest appearance, especially since the cast was already pretty thin when it came to the ladies.

The product placement was over the top and annoying and distracting. Does it actually work on people? I get so annoyed by it that I vow to never buy whatever it is they're touting, if I could even get it in the US. In any case, they're there and there's a lot of them. You literally couldn't miss them if you tried.

Ultimately, Graduation is worth the watch if for no other reason than it's fun to see the cast back on your screen. It doesn't have the same brilliance as season 1, but its still good. It is not one, however, that I will be rewatching. Season 1 is absolutely worth rewatching. Season 2, once you know what happens, its not worth going through it again.

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Memorably Entertaining

I am going to preface this by saying that I am in no way a fan of horror movies/shows/dramas. I don't enjoy being scared and I don't appreciate the excessive violence and gore than tends to go hand and hand with most of them. I tend to avoid them like the plague. However, I happened to come across this one and was intrigued by both the cast and the plot and decided it was worth potentially traumatizing myself. Surprisingly though, I actually quite enjoyed this drama and wasn't traumatized in the slightest. There is certainly a fair amount of both gore and violence, but not to excess, in my opinion, and for the most part, it didn't feel overly gratuitous. And while I felt there were some holes in the story, it was still interesting enough to keep me invested till the end.

The story itself is interesting, a group of friends is summoned back to an island by a text message where another friend of theirs committed suicide five years previously and chaos ensues. From there it bounces back and forth between the present and the past, five years ago. The pacing was overall pretty good. I felt it started to drag a little bit towards the end when it was focused more on events from the past than the present. There were definitely some scenes that could have been shortened and at that point I was a little more interested in what was happening in the present. There are also a number of plot holes/moments where I definitely had to suspend disbelief because events or actions just didn't make sense even within the confines of the drama. My only other complaint here is the moralising messages regarding the sexual assault and revenge. It felt heavy handed to me and unnecessary to hammer the point home quite as hard as they did. That, however, is simply my opinion.

The acting was quite good all around. Zee is almost always consistent and good in whatever role he's playing, but this was fun to see him as such a completely different character. I hadn't seen Jimmy or Tommy since Why R U? so it was good to see them again. Tommy looked so much more mature here and Jimmy's acting has improved significantly. Sairung did such an amazing job for her first acting role. She had some very tough scenes and she absolutely nailed them. Same for Ray, Noon, and Pinomyim, they did such great jobs in their first roles and I look forward to seeing what they all do next.

The characters were all so interesting in this drama because you start out thinking they're all relatively good/neutral people, but by the end, you've come to realize how flawed/bad they really are, with a few exceptions. However, the journey to that realization is not black and white. There are definitely shades of grey which adds an additional layer of interest because even though you know a character is essentially bad to the bone, there are moments where you pity them and you almost wonder, if their life/circumstances had been different, would things have turned out better for them? In addition to that, the psychological aspect is also very intriguing, the way they all start to mistrust and suspect each other and then turn on each other. You have friends who have known each other for years at each others throats, secrets coming out that have been kept quiet for years. I find it fascinating.
- Bew is the most guilty and the most disgusting of the group, in my opinion. While on the one hand, I pity him for the abuse he suffers at his father's hands, there is absolutely no excuse for his decision to rape both Lilly and Sonar. It was interesting to see though that he was consistent in who he cared for, both with Lyla and Nest, especially Nest. Even finding out that she was the one who posted the clip didn't sway him. If he wasn't such a scumbag, I would have found it sweet. His slow descent from the high and mighty Bew to the shadow of his former self he is by the end, is great though.
-Lyla is very nearly as bad as Bew. She's a master manipulator, the star child, but she's also unhappy because of the pressure she faces from her parents. After the clip of her and Bew surfaces, she snaps. She threatens her friends with a knife, asks Mac to kill everyone, blames her sister for her own rape, tells Bew that Lilly and Sonar deserved what they got, and, according to Lilly, planned to kill everyone on that trip, possibly with Mac's help. Frankly, I was pretty happy when both she and Bew died, absolutely no tears were shed.
- Dan was the most blameless character, in my opinion. Maybe I'm forgetting something, but I don't recall him ever doing anything deserving of the way he died. Seeing his relationship with Bew slowly revealed was fascinating, especially once it became clear that they were actually stepbrothers. It made it so much worse what Bew had done. And Dan's love for Lilly was so sweet and genuine. I do wonder what would have happened if he had survived, if she would have let him live.
- Ken and Plato are a little more complicated. Of the two, I hold Plato less blameless than Ken, but there is also an element of if Sonar and Lilly went to a teacher and the teacher refused to do anything, what exactly were they supposed to do? Obviously the girls weren't thinking that clearly and they just wanted their revenge and, yes, it sucked that Ken was more focused on protecting himself and Plato from Bew, but along with the two of them cheating on Gel and Fone, I'm not going to judge too harshly because I have never been in a situation where I had to be worried that I might be judged or ostracized because of who I loved. Anyway, I really loved their relationship and the way it was developed. I was so hoping they would survive and was kind of crushed when they didn't.
-Gel and Fone were certainly not blameless, cyberbullying both Lyla and Lilly with photoshopped pictures, dumping mop water on Lyla, trash talking her, and generally just being mean. Neither girl really has any redeeming qualities and frankly I wondered why two such nice guys as Ken and Plato would stay with them as long as they did. Fone's vendetta against Gel after her eye is ruined felt a little overdone to me. I mean, she'd just seen her boyfriend about to kiss her friend's boyfriend, then her friend confesses her love and won't give her space and she accidentally impales her eye on a branch. I'd freak out too. The sudden desire to murder Gel feels like overkill, but then again, everyone was going kind of crazy at that point.
-Bozo is in kind of the same boat as Ken and Plato for me. If a teacher refused to do anything to help Sonar and Lilly, what exactly was he, as a student, supposed to do? I feel like that's a lot to put on someone. Aside from that, Bozo was, well, kind of a bozo at times. While I thought his relationship with Mind was sweet, he tended to be a lemming, following whoever he thought was the strongest or who could get him what he wanted. Still, I did overall like his character and I was sad when he died.
-Mind was another of the lesser evils. While she was the one who filmed Bew and Lyla's encounter, she was not the one who posted it and only intended to use it as blackmail against Lyla. I appreciated both her strength and her determination. I also enjoyed her relationship with Bozo, it was very sweet and natural. I was also sad when she died, but I was glad she died naturally and wasn't killed.
-Mac is kind of up there with Bew and Lyla for me. I don't think he so much loved Lyla as he was obsessed with her, or it was an obsessive love. Either way, super unhealthy. While he wasn't a master manipulator like Lyla, he was able to manipulate certain people like Nest. Whether he ever actually cared for her is up for debate, but considering how much he obviously still loved Lyla, my guess is not which means he'd been manipulating her for five years. That's pretty cruel.
-Nest is the surprise and disappointing survivor. Of all the characters, I think I found her the least interesting. She turns out to be the one who released the clip of Lyla and Mac in an effort to keep Mac to herself. Ironically, that backfires as it sets into motion everything that happens in the drama and actually sends Mac straight back into Lyla's arms where he reveals not only that she is actually not disabled, but also that he thinks she has another secret. I get that she has issues, and I did pity her to an extent, but I just didn't like her enough to want her to be the sole survivor.
-Sonar and Lilly made an interesting pair of masterminds. The theatricality of their actions was certainly entertaining at times. They're another pair of complicated characters because you do have to pity them. They're victims of rape and when they sought help, no one helped them. I lay the full blame for that on the teacher, she was scum for not doing anything to help her students. That would make any woman bitter. For Lilly, on top of that, dealing with Lyla and her cruelty, she snapped too. It's, of course, no excuse for going on a murder spree, but you do have to feel for them and what they suffered to at least some extent. And I found the end, which I took to indicate as Lilly having committed suicide and meeting Lyla in the afterlife, to be rather hopeful. I'd like to think they could start over again and have a better relationship.

I loved the music. There were times that it really reminded me of the music from Hannibal which was amazing so very well done there. The opening was so interesting and unique. The use of lighting and backlighting to create silhouettes and highlights was just gorgeous.

The makeup was overall not bad. There were definitely some instances where it looked pretty fake, but for the most part, it wasn't too bad, in my opinion.

All things considered, this was a fun diversion for a couple days and I'm very glad I walked away un-traumatized. I enjoyed getting to see several actors I'm familiar with in roles I hadn't seen them in before and get to see some new promising actresses. This is definitely a drama I would recommend watching as its pretty quick to get through. It's not one that I would watch again, I think once is enough, but I am glad that I took the time to watch it.

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The Mountain Is Calling And I Must Go

I put off watching this drama for ages because while it sounded interesting, the synopsis was also quite vague and I didn't know what I was getting myself into. I am officially kicking myself for delaying even one second. It has been so long since I've watched a drama that captured me the way Jirisan did. The story, the acting, the music, everything just came together almost perfectly, for my taste at least, and created such an amazing experience. I truly don't remember the last time I obsessed over a drama like this, analyzing all the events and who the murderer could be. I loved every second of it.

The story is overall pretty solid. In general, its a murder/mystery with some supernatural elements thrown in. Its a bit murky in the beginning, there are a few inconsistencies like they hadn't quite worked out all the kinks in the story and how they wanted things to flow, but after the first few episodes, it seemed to find its stride. The time change was also a tad confusing initially, bouncing between 2018 and the present, but once I got used to it, I didn't have any issues following. The whodunnit aspect of the story was quite fun initially but did start getting just a tad wearing toward the end with the shots that kept making you second guess who you thought the killer was. At that point, it really wasn't necessary since you either knew or you didn't. The pacing was good, I never got bored and as I said, once it found its stride, it stuck to it.

The acting was superb. Both Ji Hyun and Ji Hoon were phenomenal as Yi Kang and Hyun Jo, respectively. Their chemistry was fantastic. They just played off of each other so beautifully. And while the rest of the supporting cast was also wonderful, I really have to comment on Jung Se. The man can act. He is just so good and so believable there were a couple of times when he had me in tears solely because of his acting skills.

I really enjoyed all the characters and even with a relatively large cast, I felt that they overall did a good job with allowing the viewer to get to know everyone as much as possible. The one character I would have liked to have gotten to know a little more was Hyun Jo. Probably because she was so tied to Jirisan, we got a very in depth look into Yi Kang as she grew up. I have no objections to that, other than a few scenes were repeated more than once which probably wasn't necessary, as it did show her character growth over the course of the drama. That being said, I would have liked to see more of Hyun Jo's past, his family, how he grew up, etc., as a way to get to know the character better and as a contrast to Yi Kang.

One of the things that I appreciated about this drama was the lack of romance between the leads. Not every drama needs it and I really loved their camaraderie and friendship and seeing it grow. And by the end, when there's a hint that there might be more from the way the two of them are looking at each other, I honestly couldn't protest because they did such a good job of building their relationship up. I like that it was left up to the viewer as to where things may have gone from there, whether they remained friends or took things to the next level. And I actually liked the ending. Yes, it would have been nice and less abrupt to see them going through their recovery, but there was something about them seeing each other and not needing words to communicate that just summed up their whole relationship so perfectly.

On the topic of romance, I did adore Goo Young and Yang Sun's romance. I liked both their characters individually and when they got together, I thought they were perfect. I was so sad when they didn't get the happily ever after that they deserved. That being said, I was super happy at the hint at the end that he may find happiness with Hyun Jo's sister. I was literally cackling as he took off running from her.

The various villains were all interesting, believable, and, in some ways, relatable in their own ways. Sol, of course, was the most interesting, and I really appreciated the way his childhood was used to shape him and turn him into the person he became. Obviously his reasoning for killing people was absurd and made no sense, but that it made sense to him and in a believable way was appreciated. It was sad to see how the people of Black Bridge Village ruined not only his life, but also their own lives through their greed.

The cinematography was absolutely stunning. I now have an overwhelming desire to go visit Jirisan. It just looks like such a beautiful mountain to explore.

I actually really enjoyed the music for the most part. Again, in the first episode or two there were a couple of choices that I wasn't overly impressed with, but as it progressed, I felt it became more consistent. In particular Falling by Kim Jong Wan has been playing on repeat for several days now.

As I said, I absolutely loved this drama, but naturally there were a few things that weren't quite perfect. As I mentioned, once you get into the story a bit, it becomes clear that the first episode or so wasn't fully thought out. It's eventually revealed that Hyun Jo's visions are related to the murderer as he's killing off the the former residents of Black Bridge Village. However, in the first episode, he has a vision of where the kid is even though he has nothing to do with the village. Not a huge deal, just a bit of a plot hole/inconsistency. The CGI was pretty bad at times. Again, first episode, there's a rock fall that is some pretty bad CGI. Considering how they made the rest of the weather and disasters seem more or less realistic for the most part, those few times where the CGI was off were quite obvious. There were more deaths than were strictly necessary, in my opinion, particularly women. This drama definitely had a more male heavy cast, so the fact that three of the four main/supporting women were killed and really only one of the men is kind of sad. I understand why they didn't/couldn't do it, but there's a part of me that would have liked a little more of an explanation for how and why Hyun Jo ended up as he did as well as why sometimes people could see him and other times they couldn't. Was he really like some kind of Angel of Death or was it something else? Not really a negative there so much as it would have been interesting.

Obviously this drama is fiction, none of the events actually happened, but I really have to applaud the productions attention to detail and their authenticity. Watching it gave me a whole new appreciation for what rangers do and the level of skill, both physically and mentally, that they must have and maintain. They are truly amazing human beings. Huge respect for them and the work they do.

Normally a drama like this is a one and done. You've seen it, you know who the murderer is, you know how it all turns out, and the mystery is gone. I don't feel like that's the case with Jirisan. I have a feeling this is one of those dramas that you keep picking up on new things each time you see it. And if nothing else, the cinematography makes it worth watching again. But even more than that, I think the characters themselves will keep coming back to watch again, to see them grow and know that even though in the end everything's not perfect, it's still a happy ending.

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Too Ambitious for Its Length

This is a short drama, eight episodes, each about twenty minutes in length. With the intro song, recap, preview of the next episode, and ending song, you get maybe fifteen minutes of actual material. The biggest issue, I feel, with this drama is that it tried to pack far too much into a very short time frame. I think it had potential, but there was a lot that was rushed, there was a lack of character development, and there were aspects that felt unfinished.

The concept of the drama is interesting, a tailor and agoraphobe fall in love. The actual execution, however, leaves a lot to be desired. All things considered, there's not much of a story, or plot. Its a fairly typical enemies to lovers story with a very slight twist. I know its an overused trope, but, again, the concept made me hope it would be worth the watch. Part of the problem was the overinflated cast which is nearly always an issue for me in Thai dramas. Precious minutes were spent dealing with an apparent years old disagreement between two of the brothers that would have been better spent getting to know our two leads and building up their relationship more gradually. Frankly, they could have cut the youngest brother out completely and not lost anything. There's also a number of questions that are left unanswered, like why he was allowed to help run the company at all if Thawin was just going to take his place. I'm going to assume that Thawin is younger and was finishing his studies or something along those lines, but it would have been nice to have that spelled out a little more. There was also a lot left unanswered with his father. I feel like he would have been an interesting character to delve into more with why he showed such disdain for Nawee, his relationship with Aioun's father, what drove him, etc. But again, there was just far too little time to be able to get into any of that and the story suffered as a result.

Another issue was the characters. There was very little character growth overall and the growth there was, mostly with Nawee, was far too rapid and without real reason. And neither of the leads is particularly likeable, in my opinion. The side characters are all a bit nondescript. They don't add much to the story and aren't memorable, other than Oab's haircut.
- Nawee had the most character growth but it was poorly done. He starts out as this arrogant, manipulative jerk and then once he leaves his house and is at the tailor shop, its like a switch is flipped and he suddenly starts to become much nicer. I wanted to see that developed over time. And there were just too many discrepancies with his character. At Aioun's birthday dinner, it seems like he's all ready to face down Chanjao for Aioun's love, but then almost immediately after, he just gives up and then he seems to want to make things work and then he gives up again. There just didn't seem to be much of a rhyme or reason behind why he acted the way he did. The fact that he never apologizes to Sichol or anyone for his past behaviour, takes away from some of that growth. I mean, he literally physically abused Sichol and it is never mentioned again.
- Aioun initially came off as a bit superior. That aspect lessens as he starts to fall for Nawee thankfully. I actually overall liked his character, until the birthday dinner. The fact that he was stringing along both Chanjao and Nawee really pissed me off. He knew he was falling for Nawee, he flirted with him, and he led him to believe that he was available and interested in him, which he was, but he should have come clean that he was already in a relationship. And then poor Chanjao has been strung along for who knows how many years by him when he apparently wasn't that serious about her. On the one hand, I understand that he didn't want to hurt her, but on the other hand, he was holding her back and stopping her from finding someone who would actually love and care for her. However, the fact that he was still hesitant to break up with her after having an affair makes me think he was also trying to protect himself from the fallout. Not okay, sir! On another note, his falling for Nawee happened far too fast. He hates the guy one minute, and then he sees him in a vulnerable state and he sucks his finger and suddenly he's in love? Not even remotely believable.
- I honestly don't have much to say about the other characters. They were just kind of there. Again, I felt Art was a superfluous character who should have been eliminated to give more time to the leads. Oab was basically there to act as a sounding board for Aioun and as a way to explain some past events. Sichol had a few minorly humorous moments, but overall I found him a bit annoying. Chanjao wasn't in there enough to get to know her, but the one thing I will say is that I loved the grace with which she took her and Aioun's break up. I'm so used to women in Thai BL's being petty and scheming and manipulative, and it was so refreshing how she took it. I felt bad for her because of how Aioun treated her, and I appreciated her forthrightness in making him finally admit that he didn't see a future with her. The fact that even after their breakup she still helped him with his business says a lot about her character.

The acting was okay, nothing special but also not the worst I've seen. It certainly could have been better though.

The costuming was disappointing. For a drama that had a tailor as a main character and had such a focus on Nawee finding the perfect suit, I expected a lot more focus on making sure the costumes looked and fit correctly. Apparently they figured their audience wouldn't notice if that wasn't the case. The suits are overall ill-fitting, not to mention impractical considering the climate. The tux in particular that Aioun wears to Nawee's father's birthday is awful in every way.

Aside from that, there are a few other things. Aioun makes Nawee's suit in less than a day. A custom made suit can take up to forty hours to make, if not more, and yet we're expected to believe he completed it in less than twenty-four hours. Not likely. The whole accidental kiss trope is stupid and annoying, in my opinion. It always looks forced and fake. Its used twice here and its bad both times. Aioun's whole approach to Nawee's agoraphobia is ridiculous. Just you being there is not going to cure a deep psychological trauma. The fact that he forced Nawee into going out and really didn't listen to him was so frustrating to watch. With that, the scene at the pool made no sense. Nawee falls in, the girls are screaming, Aioun rescues him and then its like they're all alone. There's literally no one else around as Aioun is performing CPR, no one called for emergency services or anything. Its just a very weird scene that makes little sense.

The music was overall good. Frankly Jeff Satur can make anything sound good so I did enjoy his contribution. The cinematography was decent, nothing spectacular though there is one shot at the end of Nawee with a mirror that I really liked.

This is not what I would consider a good drama, its tolerable, but not good. What makes it watchable is the fact that even if you're really not feeling it, you've only wasted a couple of hours. There are some sweet moments, its not all terrible, its just when you look at it as a whole, there's more bad then good. If you like decent kissing scenes, this one does deliver on that front and may be worth watching from that perspective. Its entertaining enough to get through once, in my opinion, but no more than that.

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Doesn't Add Much

This special episode takes place immediately after Episode 12 when Li Gong and Ze Shou get married. Ze Shou gets drunk and dreams about being back in high school with Li Gong. While both appear to be 18 years old, Ze Shou retains his memories of his current age and changes the way he handled several events in the past.

Its kind of cute, but also contains a number of flashbacks from the rest of the series that really weren't necessary. I also found it rather distasteful that Ze Shou got drunk at their wedding to the point that he has to be physically carried. I was honestly impressed that Li Gong was so unaffected by it because if that had been my wedding, I would have been pissed at my husband getting so completely drunk. But then again, he knows Ze Shou best and loves him regardless of his flaws.

Ze Shou's dream contains some cute moments, though the jealousy aspect feels a bit weird considering these are all events that occurred 10 years prior and they literally just got married, but it also doesn't really add anything to the story. I honestly lost interest partway through. But it's only a half hour long, so I can't really complain. I can't say whether or not anyone should watch it, but you're not missing out on anything if you skip it.

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I Wanted To Like It, But...

This is a drama that had a lot of potential but ultimately fell flat. Whether that was due to Covid, uncertainty of the writers, or something else, who knows. The show had a lot of great parts but, unfortunately, even more not so great parts. The pacing in particular left a lot to be desired.

Pros:
- I'm not typically wowed by the acting in BLs. Most of the actors seem very green and their flaws and lack of experience can be painfully obvious. Not so here. Saint and Zee in particular were fantastic. Their chemistry with each other was on point and their acting as individuals was also fantastic. Zee in particular was a master of the microexpression, those minute facial expressions that express so much. He also conveyed a lot of his character's emotions with just his eyes. There's a lot to be said for actors who have the ability to carry a story with more than just dialogue and he nailed it. And Saint was right there with him. He has great expression and manages to convey a great deal with just a simple look. Huge kudos to both of them for their superb acting.
Tommy was also good in a completely different way. While Zee and Saint have what I would consider more understate acting styles, Tommy was more over the top, dramatic expressions which actually worked quite well without being too cheesy or theatrical. I especially appreciated his range as the drama progressed and his relationship with Saifah progressed. His performance became more nuanced and it was his more subtle and understated expressions that really made his character appeal to me.
Jimmy was obviously the greenest of the actors and it showed, especially because his fellow castmates were so good. Absolutely nothing against him, he did a great job all things considered, he just wasn't quite as expressive or consistent as his costars, but it was an excellent first effort and I'm sure he'll continue to grow as an actor.
- Thai BL dramas in particular seem to have an issue with consent which I take issue with it to a strong degree. I was extremely impressed with how that was handled in this drama because aside from one scene, there is no doubt that both parties are consenting whether it be kissing or having sex. And that was truly fantastic to see, the respect that both couples had for each other, the way space was given when it was needed, and how, for the most part, they communicated. There is one scene later in the drama that lacks consent. While I understand what was trying to be conveyed and how emotionally unstable both characters were at the time, it's a hard scene to watch and I don't think it was necessary to take it as far as they did. Does it do a good job of emphasizing just how badly the characters were doing? Yes, but again, I think there are other ways that scene could have played out. Still it is worth it to note that that is the only scene where consent is lacking.
Of the two main romances, Fighter and Tutor are my favorite simply because theirs seemed to be the most organic and best developed. I will reiterate that the pacing was god awful at times in this drama, but theirs had the most logical progression. Their push and pull of will they, won't they was well done, the emotional conflict they each experienced and how they handled it was shown well, again a testament to the actors and their skills. I will say that parts of their story were a obvious and a bit cliche, it was pretty clear what the main conflict of their relationship would be, but I still thought it was played out pretty well.
Zon and Saifah were very different and that difference created a nice contrast between the two romances. However, their romance took a back burner at times and as such, it felt more choppy and less like a steady progression from enemies to lovers. Zon's progression especially was all over the place and more scenes showing how he got from point A to point B would have helped a lot with keeping me engaged in his and Saifah's story as well as feeling less whiplashed from his constantly changing mood.
- As with pretty much every BL drama I've watched the OST was perfect and I very much enjoyed it. I particularly enjoyed this one though because there was more variety. Most BLs seem to use a couple of songs on repeat which I generally don't mind because I like them, but I felt like this drama used more songs and they used them well.
- Most BL dramas have a parent or someone who is some level of homophobic and that rarely gets addressed or called out. There is one particular scene in this drama though where it is addressed and honestly that one scene made watching the drama worth it because the dialogue was so perfect. In short, it is emphasized that love is love and that being in a straight relationship does not guarantee a lasting relationship. This is reiterated at other points, but that one scene was done so well, I loved it.

Cons:
- Thai BL dramas seem to have a tendency to have an overinflated cast. There are a huge number of characters that pop in and out of the drama and its impossible to keep track of them and who they are and why you should care about them. With that comes the issue of too many couples. By my count, this drama had a total of six to seven different couples. That is far too many for basically any drama much less a thirteen episode one. There's no proper progression or conclusion to these relationships, but they give you just enough of a glimpse to tantalize you and want more which they don't give. I find that frustrating because I found two of the couples to be quite cute and I would have liked more of them, but didn't get that obviously.
- This was honestly probably the biggest issue for me. It was so confusing you just kind of had to go with it. But truly you have no sense of how much time has passed between the beginning and end of the drama much less between various events. It all just kind of blurs together eventually. I already mentioned most of the issues I had with it above so I'll leave it at that.
- Most Asian dramas like to make use of various sound effects, typically for comedic effect. I have no issue with those and when properly used they can be amusing and add to a scene. They were massively overused though in this drama to the point that they just got to be distracting and annoying. Moderation is key.
- The latter half of the drama got to be very repetitive. Lots of flashbacks and musical montages that really weren't necessary and just dragged on as well as multiple shots of the same scene from various angles. I'm going to chalk this up to Covid because the first part of drama did not have that same issue.

Overall, it was an enjoyable drama with some very high points as well as some very low points. Is it one I'm likely to go back and re-watch? Probably not, but it was fun to watch in the moment. I will again say it had a very strong lead couple in Tutor and Fighter and they honestly made the whole thing worth it.

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Not Much to Love

This drama was a bit of a mixed bag for me. There were aspects of it that I really liked and a lot that I didn't.

Pros:
-The story of the main couple of Ae and Pete was overall sweet and endearing. Watching their relationship blossom was a treat and I enjoyed it very much. The actors had fantastic chemistry and made their relationship truly believable. I liked the fact that not everything was smooth sailing with them and appreciated the way they tackled the issues of jealousy, disagreements, and other obstacles in a relationship. I honestly wish there had been even more of them and less of all the side stories.
-Pete coming out to his mom and her acceptance was well done. I can only imagine how hard that must have been for him and for her as well, but her love for and acceptance of her son was just so beautiful. It was a very refreshing take since some dramas like to make the parents into uncompromising monsters.
-This drama dealt with a few tough issues, but the hardest one has to be the topic of rape. Those were some hard scenes to watch with Tar as he dealt with the aftermath and I think overall the show handled it tactfully and with compassion. Of course, they then negated a lot of that positive, but more on that later.
-Loved the OSTs, I have several of them added to my Spotify playlist now and enjoy listening to them still.

Cons:
-The sheer number of characters and side stories was overwhelming and hard to keep track of. Most dramas I've watched have the main story with the lead couple and maybe one or two side stories. This drama has more like three or four side stories and couples. The hardest part is that some of these stories/couples only pop up every few episodes if that and it was hard to remember who was who and what was going on exactly. Fewer characters and side stories would have been a huge improvement, in my opinion.
-There was a lot of misogyny in this drama. The way the guys talked about women, even their friends, was oftentimes flat out offensive. The relationship between Pond and Chaim honestly pissed me off because he was so incredibly misogynistic, not to mention his porn addiction. The idea of her falling for him was just too absurd especially since she seemed like an intelligent young woman. Along that same thread, the attempts to make Pond seem like a decent guy really didn't fly with me. Yes, he had a few moments where he was a decent human being, but there were far too many instances of him being an offensive jerk for me to ever warm up to him.
-I both liked and disliked the Can and Tin storyline. Once it got going, I overall enjoyed it, however, I keep getting stuck on the development of it. I still don't fully understand how they got together; the way it was done was a bit jarring. You have the two of them absolutely hating each other and then suddenly Tin has feelings for Can? There wasn't enough focus on them or on Tin's thoughts for me to find it totally believable.
-I mentioned as a positive how the show dealt with Tar's rape. That positive pretty much went out the window with Kengkla raping Techno when he was drunk and then essentially gaslighting him to be in a relationship with him. That whole sequence was just so disturbing to watch and the fact that Techno's own brother seems to have been complicit makes it even more so. This plotline should have never made it into the final show.
-Close on the heels of that last issue is the matter of incest between Tar and Tum. I've read other reviews that stated that they were stepbrothers, not blood brothers, but in the English translation of the show, there's no such distinction. Regardless, even if they are stepbrothers, its still toeing the line to an uncomfortable degree. This was another plotline that should have been scrapped.

Despite having far more cons than pros for this show, I didn't hate it. Ae and Pete's story was good enough to mostly redeem it and make it worth watching. That being said, there were some truly questionable and controversial issues with this show and a few storylines that never should have seen the light of day that really brought it down for me. I would say its worth watching at least once, just be prepared that its not all sunshine and daisies.

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The Only Friends You Need

Talk about a ride! Only Friends was a highly anticipated series and in many ways, it did not disappoint. I had very high expectations for this series, not only because of the stellar cast, but also because the story looked so damn good and messy and intriguing. While it didn't get the perfect 10 I initially thought it might, I still thoroughly enjoyed myself watching it.

Only Friends is not a plot driven drama by any means, but rather is very character driven. There's a very thin plot connected to the hostel and developing it, but otherwise the focus is entirely on the characters, their interactions with each other, their growth, and their relationships. For me, character driven dramas require a truly impressive cast to work because all that focus is on them. They need to have the talent and chemistry to shoulder the entire show and for the most part, Only Friends has that. The pacing of the show was relatively decent. Not perfect, but there weren't too many spots that lagged. Instead the issue was sometimes that the pacing was too fast, especially toward the end. There was a lot going on and it felt a bit frenetic. And because there was so much drama and a certain amount was added towards the end, there were some story lines and characters that didn't get the attention or closure that I felt they should. If there's one major aspect that Only Friends struggled with, it was balancing the drama with the character development. There is a LOT of drama and, in some cases, I think it could have been cut down to allow more screen time for certain characters as well as showing more of that growth.

Despite the entertainment value, Only Friends does actually touch on some more serious topics such as alcoholism, depression/suicide, cheating, and though it's not labeled as such, hypersexuality. Aside from the cheating and the alcoholism though, they more served as plot points than as real points of exploration, unfortunately. Ray's alcoholism is at times concerning to his friends and other times seems to be viewed as a bit of a joke. While they occasionally tell him he shouldn't drink so much, none of them actively seeks to help him that we see. It's not until Sand enters his life and does actively encourage him to go to rehab that he goes and begins making changes. Ray's depression and suicidal thoughts are brought up in a single episode to further establish his relationship with Mew and then are pretty much swept under the rug. Depression is not something you just get over and I think it could have been better worked into the story. The cheating is a focal point of the series and gets the most attention. The various emotions that may come with cheating are explored as well as the reactions and the fall out. Sometimes things work out between people and sometimes they don't. Boston's hypersexuality, like I said, is never really addressed as such, but that's what it seems to be considering he can't seem to go without sex. And while it wasn't a focus, it was shown in the last episode the kind of damage it can do to relationships.

I truly loved most of the characters. There was a rawness and realness to them that made most of them feel very real and very human. Each character had their own demons to battle, some bigger and some smaller. But what I found especially compelling is the way they were filmed. Even though we, as the viewers, knew that their actions were inappropriate or even criminal, there's no judgment and the way they're portrayed makes it harder to judge them. They're not evil, they are simply young men and women full of flaws, faults, quirks, hopes and dreams. I also appreciated that there was none of the gay for you nonsense that still worms it's way into many dramas these days. It was just, yup, this character's gay/lesbian/straight/bi, no questions asked, just the facts. Also had to appreciate having Sand be openly bi as I haven't seen many dramas embrace that. The way the word "friend" is interwoven in their stories is also interesting. There are moments of true friendship, moments where you wonder if they'll ever be friends again, and moments where they teeter on the edge of friendship and something more. It's a complicated word in some ways and I appreciated the utilization of it.
- Mew's journey was an interesting one to follow. He starts out as the sweet, innocent virgin and he's definitely put through the wringer, but in the end, he comes out more world wise, but ultimately still himself. There were aspects of his character that I connected to personally, some his views and opinions. I found the way he handled Top initially to be intriguing with playing hard to get and almost toying with him at times. I did appreciate though his determination not to just be prey and that while he did eventually give in to Top, it was on his terms. His reveal that he knew Top had cheated on him was deliciously devious and while the acting left something to be desired, I liked the scene overall. His reaction to that betrayal felt realistic and while I can't condone his use of Ray to get revenge on Top, it didn't feel out of place either. It also wrought a fairly major change in his character. While he previously displayed a fairly mild personality, post-betrayal he becomes more assertive and confident. He also becomes self-destructive. In his quest to get back at and hurt others, he does damage to himself and those he calls friends. After the Halloween party though, I struggled more with his character as he kept bouncing between forgiving Top and wanting to continue hurting him. I was glad when he finally decided to go ahead and forgive Top, though their reconciliation felt a bit fast as did the decision to move in together. His decision to not rekindle his friendship with Boston felt natural and was understandable. The conclusion to Mew's story felt complete and like he and Top had a solid future together.
-Top was initially somewhat interesting, but he quickly fizzled out for me. Part of the problem with him was just the complete lack of character content. We know he's heir to a fancy hotel and he had a traumatic experience as a child and that's about it. His character's not given the same attention to detail as others are and it shows. I was initially curious to see if his relationship with Mew would continue to be a game or if he would truly develop feelings for him. Given his narcissism and massive ego, it was hard to tell if he was actually capable of loving someone. Even when he started making changes, like no longer taking drugs, it was hard to tell what his endgame was. His decision to cheat on Mew felt weak. He'd proven that he had a solid head on his shoulders so why he so easily gave in to and believed Boston regarding a picture and video from two years previously is a mystery. It was also disconcerting the way he refused to admit to cheating, despite multiple chances to do so, until faced with irrefutable evidence and even then he tried to brush it off and focused more on how Mew got the recording. His decision to win back Mew and the efforts he went to in order to do so felt a bit abrupt. There was less of a gradual change and more of a, suddenly he's a good guy, kind of thing. I will give him credit that he did make changes and he truly did want to be a better person for Mew. And though it was disappointing that Mew had to prompt him, he did eventually apologize to Sand and reconciled with both him and Ray. All that being said, I think the character could have been more effective and interesting in the hands of another actor.
-Boston was one of the most layered, fascinating characters. You want to hate him to some extent, but it also must be acknowledged that out of the group, he is one of the most open characters and least secretly toxic. He calls things like he sees them and he makes no secret of his behaviour. He also has one of the more compelling character arcs as he moves from being a selfish ass to realizing that his actions truly do have consequences. He begins as an emotionally sadistic narcissist who's basically willing to do whatever it takes to get what he wants, in this case, Top. He manipulates Top and those around him expertly, his natural charisma helping to disguise his toxicity. What's especially telling though is when Ray confronts him with the recording of him and Top, he showed no remorse and instead tried to justify his actions. Once his friendship with the others implodes though, he starts to realize that actions have consequences. His confrontation with Mew clearly shakes him, Atom's lies cause his friends to cut him off completely and although Cheum does forgive him once the truth is revealed and Ray eventually does as well, his relationship with Mew is irreparable. His relationship with Nick, which initially seemed like a positive change, also implodes when Boston has a quick fling while out on a date. His ending is left somewhat ambiguous. He does move to New York, but whether he's happy there and how his future looks is up in the air.
-Nick is an easily sympathetic character because of the way Boston uses him. He's obviously in love with him, yet it's clear that Boston view him as more of an object than an actual person. He's convenient and he's willing, nothing more. Yet the more you look at his actions, you realize that he's not quite as sympathetic as he first seems and is, in fact, a red flag himself. He made the conscious decision to look through Boston's phone, not once, but twice, and masturbate to a picture found on said phone. He also took a selfie of himself with Boston's phone in an effort to seduce him which worked, but is left unhappy when he wants more and Boston doesn't. He also chose to bug Boston's car presumably in an effort to catch him "cheating" even though they were not in an actual relationship. And there is an element that he's not actually a bad guy, per se, he just goes about things the wrong way. He places so much value into how he's perceived, more specifically how Boston perceives him, going to so far as to try to emulate Top in terms of his style and physique. There comes a point where, after the recording gets out and Boston has rejected him several times, that he's moving on. He gives one final confession to Boston and seems ready to start something with Dan until Boston shows back up and they get together again. That goes up in flames though when Nick witnesses Boston's fling while they're on a date. It's the final straw for him as he comes to the realization that he needs to focus on himself and learn to love himself more. I'd like to hope that he found his happiness in himself and with someone who would truly appreciate him.
-Ray was riveting to watch. He initially came across as arguably one of the most heartbreaking characters. He had a severe drinking problem that, his mother drank herself to death which he blamed himself for, his father is largely absent, and he's lonely and depressed. He's also been in love with his best friend for at least two years. It's a lot for anyone to handle. He feels deeply and you want to protect him from further pain, but he's not blameless in all of this either. He's a toxic narcissist in his own right with an ego to match. He's in love with Mew, but also falls for Sand and proceeds to string him along, knowing exactly how he feels. He refuses to let Sand go and is possessive of him even when Sand is clearly trying to move on. Things eventually come to a head and they confess their feelings for each other and Ray and Mew acknowledge that they really weren't in love, that Mew had been using Ray and Ray knew it. With Sand's help, Ray finally starts taking steps to heal, going to rehab and working on paying his debt to society following his drunken crash. But their drama doesn't end there as a misunderstanding threatens to tear them apart as does the reappearance of Sand's first love and the ex Top stole, Boeing. Boeing mixes things up and causes both Ray and Sand to question their relationship briefly, until it's revealed that Boeing doesn't really love Sand and is promptly put in his place. This instance is another example though of Ray's self-destructive behaviour, as Sand reveals that if Ray hadn't forced them to kiss, his feelings would have remained buried. Still all's well that ends well and Ray seems on the path to continued sobriety with Sand firmly by his side.
-Sand throws the least red flags of the group. There's a sincerity and simplicity to him that is very appealing. He is who he is and if you don't like it, oh well. He's not rich by any means, he works for what he has, and his love and friendship absolutely cannot be bought. Not that all of his work is exactly legal since he sells alcohol on campus and seems to have some other questionable endeavors, but times are hard, I get that. He's a bit of a hot head, that's made clear based on his interactions with both Top and Ray. He has no tolerance for other people's crap and he doesn't appreciate being used. And while he is mostly a green flag, his betrayal of Nick was definitely a red flag. Regardless of his reasoning, stealing the recording was wrong. The repercussions for his actions personally were fairly mild. While Nick was upset, they quickly reconciled. I did love their friendship and support of each other. Sand served as a good sounding board for Nick and gave him solid advice and when he needed it, a shoulder to cry on. His relationship with Ray was definitely a journey. Sand fell hard and fast and he clearly struggled with where he stood with Ray. I appreciated though that even though he loved Ray, he was not willing to sacrifice his own happiness and self-worth for him. He made it clear that he was not going to remain as Ray's second choice. He proved himself to be a deeply caring and loving person throughout, constantly looking out for Ray and helping him. And while he did forgive Ray repeatedly, he also had his boundaries. Boeing's appearance shook him though, understandably once it's revealed that he was his first love. However, once Boeing's true intentions are revealed, there's no further question in Sand's mind and he firmly stands with Ray. It's clear that they make each other happy and the future for them is bright.
-My thoughts on a few other characters are in the comments.

The cast, by and large, did a phenomenal job. The main reason I was so excited about this series to begin with was the cast, particularly First, Khaotung, Neo, and Mark. These are the most mature roles I've seen any of them play and I am once again just blown away by their talent and chemistry. The tension between Sand and Ray is almost palpable. Khaotung nails every emotional scene. I don't know how, but he just dominates them every time. And he's so expressive, it's fantastic to watch. First is more stoic, but he does so much acting with just his eyes. You can see the emotion in them and it's amazing. Neo and Mark were a new pairing, and as it turns out, a very successful one. Their chemistry was a bonfire and they played their roles so well. Neo is such a versatile actor, he absolutely nailed Boston's character. He struggled a little bit with some of the more emotional scenes, they didn't feel quite as authentic, but otherwise, perfection. Mark is equally versatile and really managed to pull on those heartstrings. He maintained that sweet, innocent appearance despite the crap that Nick pulled and made it so hard to judge him. The only two I was uncertain of were Force and Book and justifiably so. There were times when their chemistry was decent and times when it was completely absent. Frankly, Book had more chemistry with Drake and Mond than he did with Force. Book struggles with consistency in his acting as well, sometimes doing really well and absolutely killing a scene, only to struggle in the next. Force maintained his use of only a few expressions that were recycled throughout. I know the man's good looking, but he really cannot act. Their lack of consistency and chemistry was made all the more glaring by the fact that they were surrounded by other very talented actors and it did create an imbalance.

I really appreciated the production value. The cinematography was great, there are some really fantastic shots and angles. The sets are amazing, particularly Ray's music room at his house. Each character's living space felt distinctly theirs. And don't even get me started on the costuming. I like how each character has their own distinctive style that suited both their character and lifestyles. And last but absolutely not least, the music. God I loved the music and there was so much of it! I found so many awesome new songs and groups thanks to this series. But seriously, it was obvious that a lot of thought and care went into choosing the music and it added just another layer to everything.

Only Friends started out incredibly strong and although it did falter along the way, it managed to come to a satisfactory conclusion. While I may be in the minority, I was glad that it didn't end with all the couples working out. I feel that would have been cliche and the way it actually concluded was more realistic and true to the characters. Truly the highlight for me though was getting to see such talented actors spread their wings and explore roles that were very different from what they'd portrayed previously and kill it. If you enjoy messy dramas, I highly recommend Only Friends and even if you don't, I still recommend it. It's a great ride and I have absolutely no doubt that I will be rewatching it again and again. It's one of those ones that never gets old because there's always something new to discover.

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The Siblings Are The Only Thing That's Handsome

Going into this drama, I thought the title was cheesy and gimmicky, but the summary made it sound very interesting. If only it had lived up to its potential. This was honestly one of the hardest Chinese dramas I've ever watched, as in it took me months because I would get so fed up with it I would stop watching it for weeks at a time. For all that the title is Handsome Siblings, there's really not all that much time devoted to the siblings together and is far more focused on their individual adventures and such which is massively disappointing because when the two of them were together, they absolutely stole the show.

- The story had such potential: two brothers torn apart at birth and raised to be enemies and kill each other. It sounds so good, but the delivery just wasn't there. The brothers don't even meet until almost ten episodes in and after that their scenes together are few and far between. While the first part focuses on Wuque searching for Xaoyu and Xaoyu subsequently seeking to evade Wuque, the latter part of the drama has them making a pact to meet up in three months and then splitting up. Rather than waiting until quite literally the very end to reveal that they're brothers, I would have liked them to have found out sooner and seen them build their relationship as brothers. As it is, we get none of that, just repeated comments that they're best friends and it sucks they have to kill each other. Knowing that they were brothers would have put a lot more at stake and would have made the knowledge that they're being set up to kill each other far more conflicting and devastating. There's also just a lot of repetition, the same thing happening several times but with slightly different circumstances. I've found that most Chinese dramas struggle with this. They honestly could have cut the length down by ten or so episodes and nothing would have been lost. The pacing also left a lot to be desired. There'd be several episodes where things were really happening and then there'd be a slump of just filler episodes and then several more interesting ones and then more filler. It just never felt consistent, never found its groove, so to speak.
-The casting was, for the most part, absolutely spot on. Chen Ze Yuan and Hu Yi Tian both gave solid performances as Jiang Xaoyu and Hua Wuque. They felt a little bit rocky starting out but quickly ironed out the flaws and were fantastic for the rest of the drama. They both devoted themselves to their roles and the few instances when they were together, they played off of each other very well. They were also solid on their own and frankly their relationship and the build up to the big reveal that they're siblings was the only thing that kept me watching. The supporting characters were, for the most part, great but I especially enjoyed Liang Jie's performance as Su Ying. Frankly, I'm disappointed they didn't bring her in earlier because she was just so fantastic. She and Xauyu were made for each other. Their interactions were always fun to watch and she's just so darn cute but also an absolute badass. I adore her. Mao Lin Lin and Meng Li were also delightful to watch as Yaoyue and Lianxing. I honestly wish there had been more of them because they were just so good and so interesting to watch. More insight into their relationship would have been helpful, I think. The only actor I wasn't overly thrilled with was Vicky Liang as Tie Xinlan. She was very one note with all of her expressions and she made the character boring.
- The characters themselves were overall good, if not overly developed. Most of them were interesting and nuanced. With such a massive cast, backgrounds for the characters were obviously going to be thin, but for the most part it worked. I really enjoyed Hua Wuque's character development from the cold, naïve, perfect puppet to a genuinely good and kind man. I appreciated though that his naivety wasn't completely done away with as I felt it made him more realistic. I really wish more of the story had been devoted to him because I found him so much more interesting than Xaoyu. He was a bit more of an enigma and I would have liked more screen time focused on his character development. Xaoyu is a mix of good and bad. Like I said, I wish more time had been devoted to Wuque and less to him. It felt like he had far more screen time. Overall, I liked Xaoyu, he was funny and interesting and certainly clever, but I felt like his character development was a little more all over the place and less coherent than Wuque's. I also felt like his storyline was a lot more repetitive which got old fast. Honestly, I was rolling my eyes the fourth or fifth time he used going to the bathroom as an excuse to get away from someone, it just got to be increasingly annoying. The fact that characters who had experience with his tricks repeatedly fell for them was equally frustrating. He did grow as a character which I appreciated seeing and he did add a lightheartedness that was needed at times. I also have to admire his bravery and his kindness and sincerity. He could be a brat, but he was a good-hearted brat. As I said before, I adored Su Ying and wish she'd been brought in far earlier. She was the perfect foil for Xaoyu and I loved that she could hold her own against him. She was clever and resourceful and I liked the fact that they didn't give her any martial arts skills, it was kind of refreshing. I do have to give this show a shoutout for, with one notable exception, featuring strong, badass women. It was so nice to see that when, a lot of the time, women in these kinds of dramas are just downright useless. It was nice to see strong women who were equally capable at kicking ass and using their brains.
Another character that stood out to me was Murong Jui. I went from hating her to actually getting quite invested in her story and where she ended up. It was not what I was expecting at all and I really enjoyed seeing her growth and development and I'm glad they didn't do away with that when she got her memory back. Her relationship with Hei Zhi Zhu was also quite adorable. Of the Ten Great Villains Xuanyuan Sanguang was my favorite. He was just so entertaining to watch and he had such a good heart, he always made me smile. Speaking of the Ten Great Villains, I found them to be interesting but not particularly villainous until the end. There's a bit of twist with them that I did not fully see coming and which, while it pissed me off on the one hand, I also really appreciated because it gave their characters more depth. They way things ended for them though felt sloppy and rushed. I was not impressed.
In terms of villains, I found the sisters to be far more interesting and threatening than Jiang Biehe. While the actor was certainly striking in appearance, his reasoning for why he did what he did just seemed thin and generic. And then a full explanation for why he did what he did wasn't given until one of the final episodes and even then, it just seemed kind of meh. Honestly, if they had delved more into his past and why he had such conviction to become a hero, I think it could have been pretty great and a more solid story. But, per the usual, all the big reveals were left to the end and it just didn't have the punch it needed. Yulang was frankly just an ass. I get his father was evil, but I didn't get a good feeling as to why he was such a horrible person other than like father like son. I felt like a lot more could have been done with him and he could have been more interesting and developed, but he wasn't. I did find his ending extremely satisfying though. I really would have liked to have seen more of the sisters as they were a more compelling and nuanced threat. Yaoyue was clearly just unhinged though incredibly smart and dangerous because of that and it made the reasoning for why she pit Xaoyu and Wuque against each other more palatable. She also had a fitting ending. Lainxing was even more interesting because she always seemed so conflicted about what they were doing, even though it was her idea. I was sad things ended the way they did for her, because I think she could have been a genuinely good person away from the influence of her sister. As a pair, I would have liked more of their history and the conflicts that shaped their relationship.
The only character that I really did not like was Tie Xinlan. I liked her in the beginning although the whole thing with her pretending to be a man was, per usual, extraordinarily lame. I'm assuming this is a cultural thing though I honestly don't know, but I always want to bang my head against the wall because it is so obvious its a woman. Anyway, I thought she was going to be a far more interesting and useful character than she turned out to be. For all that she was trained in martial arts and had supposedly mastered the berserk thousands fists or whatever and carried around a sword, she was completely useless. She was constantly having to be rescued, never seemed capable of defending herself and there just wasn't much to her other than essentially stalking Wuque and forcing him to constantly save her. She got boring real fast. And her relationship with Wuque didn't feel organic. I honestly couldn't figure out what he saw in her aside from a pretty face. The fact that basically every other woman in the show was awesome, does help make up for everything she lacks.
- The cinematography was gorgeous. Honestly if it wasn't for the scary government, I would happily move to China and live in some of those mountains. Absolutely stunning.
- The OST was overall quite good. The opening and closing songs were fitting and worked well with the overall theme. The rest of the music for the most part fit with what was going on in certain scenes and fit the mood. There were a couple times where it just didn't quite work and felt off, pulling me out of the drama instead of pulling me in, but those instances were few and far between. For the most part, I quite enjoyed it.
- The visuals were a mix. The CGI was terrible, per the usual. For some scenes, why they didn't actually use rats who are very intelligent and trainable, I don't understand. Costuming was amazing as always. I enjoyed seeing each character's style and the various ways that style was expressed. Xaoyu's costumes were the most interesting to me just because they were so much more colorful and flamboyant that everyone else's. It very much fit his personality and character.

Is this a drama I am ever going to watch again? Absolutely not. As I said before, I literally slogged through this drama, it was hard and painful to get through. What's so disappointing is that it could have been great. They had a good cast, they had an interesting story idea and it just flopped because they failed to utilize any of it properly. There were moments that were really interesting and gripping and then it fell back into repetition and tedium that just dragged it down. The last ten or so episodes when things actually start happening and explanations are given were the strongest, the rest was just such a hit or miss. I really wanted to like this drama but in the end, it just didn't live up to its potential.

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It Doesn't Quite Take the Cake

I was interested in this drama because of its unusual nature. The vast majority of BL dramas are about young adult men. This one about a romance between almost 40-year-old and an almost 30-year-old, peaked my interest. That being said, it didn't quite take the cake for me for a variety of reasons.

First, it felt very dry to me. Nozue's life borders on depressing and its obvious he's not happy in it, but I didn't feel like his emotions or mental state were well represented and there overall seemed to be a lack of emotion. So I really struggled to get into the story and really care about any of the characters. It also doesn't help that the drama is so short, five episodes all under a half hour. I don't think it had a chance to really spread its wings and give us a chance to get to know Nozue and Togawa as individuals before getting to know them as a pair.

Second, while I appreciate what the drama was going for with a more unique couple, I think that was part of its downfall for me. I felt like the characters needed to have more background and more depth to really allow people to be invested in their lives. While I'm at an age where I can understand the grind of work life, something about the way it was portrayed, I couldn't fully relate. Mentally I appreciated what they were going for, but emotionally, I never really felt drawn in and I think that's so important in a drama like this. With younger BL dramas, you can get away with a lot more fluff, I think. This one was going for more substance and it just fell flat, for me at least.

Third, I found the whole anti-aging process to be awkward at best and downright uncomfortable at worst. The whole premise of anti-aging felt off to me. I understood what Togawa was going for, but I felt like anti-aging was just the wrong wording for it. There is nothing wrong with getting older and I felt like that aspect of the drama was pushing society's view of younger is better which I hate. That is such a toxic message and I really wish the focus had just been on experiencing new things together and getting Nozue out of his shell. On that same thread, the whole pretending to be girls was very weird to me. Again, I understood what they were going for, but I don't think it was executed well and it times it was just uncomfortable to watch.

Fourth, and here lies my biggest issue, is at the end when Togawa says, "Having an age gap or being a minority is the same as having different hometowns or cheering for a different baseball team. It's nothing." I get that he is trying to tell Nozue that their age gap and being gay won't be issues or will be minor issues at most and something they can work through together. On the one hand, I can appreciate that and appreciate his confidence in their ability to essentially take on the world, on the other hand, though it also comes across as horribly out of touch and insensitive. Same-sex marriage is not legal in Japan, homosexual couples do not enjoy the same legal protections that heterosexual couples do. To say that being a minority is nothing, to me, minimizes the struggles and persecution those people have to deal with every day. That quote really disappointed me and left a bad taste in my mouth.

Now that's not to say it was all bad. The acting was overall quite good. The cinematography and visuals were well done as was the OST. That being said, they were good, but I didn't really find any of it memorable. What I did appreciate is the theme that you are never too old for love.

I wouldn't discourage anyone from watching this drama. As short as it, its worth watching whether you're interested or not. It's not one that I have any real urge to re-watch, it just really didn't hit the mark for me. Its not bad, but its also not good. I really do appreciate what they were going for, I just don't feel that it was well executed which is disappointing because I think it could have been a really unique story.

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