I was promised the "fake relationship" trope, but I just got "jealousy" as the main plot device.

Let's talk about the first half of the series:
Sarawat is supposed to act as Tine's fake boyfriend, which btw is dropped in favour of "flirting" ("wooing" would be a better translation) -- but where are the sweet gestures of love?

Until the second half of episode six, Sarawat only looks either bored or annoyed. He never looks as if he's interested in Tine, faked or not. If I were Green I wouldn't buy it either.
I only knew he would be the main love interest because the synopsis told me so. Where are the feelings? Where's the pining? Sarawat's side of the story is only told in episode 10 or 11, which is too little, too late.

Tine, the self-proclaimed "Mr Chic-Chic" is (almost aggressively) heterosexual -- his only interests are girls and songs from one band. Even when he tried to dissuade Green from pursuing him, he starts to flirt with girls in front of him and Sarawat. If he's so certain of his sexuality, there should have been more of a struggle or at least emotional imbalance until he accepts his own feelings toward Sarawat.
I had hoped the "gay for you" trope had died a silent death some twenty years ago but it seems it's still alive and kicking.
Also: Even though he's supposed to be a good cheerleader, we only see him standing around in one pose (and even that plot point is dropped in the latter half otf the series).

Jealousy is not only the main catalyst for Tine to discover his own feelings, but also the main plot device for conflict in the following episodes, which gets old very fast.

Even when Sarawat and Tine are "together", the only strong emotion they show towards each other is jealousy. No besotted smiles, no casual touches, no hugs, nothing. Where's the giddiness of new love?
They touch each other less then they touch their friends. I'm not talking about anything above a PG level of intimacy, several other BL dramas I love have only one kiss or not even that.

Tine's continued denial of Sarawat's advances make it seem as if he's not actually in love -- except if it's supposed romantic but asexual. (Which would actually be a novel and exciting concept for a romance drama, if done right!) But as the series has established Tine as somone strongly interested in (het) relationships, that can't be it.

I feel that conflicts during the series were never satisfyingly resolved, but just ended with some kind of deus ex machina device. Best examples: How Green stopped pursuing Tine; and the question if Tine's brother would accept their relationship.

Another thing that made me really frustrated with this drama is that boundaries are often disregarded. It starts with Green who gets told repeatedly his advances are not welcome -- and continues anyways. It goes on with Tine, who doesn't stop bothering Sawrawat (doesn't matter if Sarawat actually likes it or not -- what counts is what Tine knows, and Sarawat clearly tells him to go away). It doesn't stop with the side couples -- neither Sarawat's brother nor Man stop their pursuit, even after being told to leave. I can't enjoy a relationship if it feels as if one pertner just gave in to harrassment.

I'm not sure if it's just the plot or also the acting, but directing has definitely a large part in why I could not get into the series. I disliked all of the characters, there was never a moment when I rooted for any of the couples to get together. Small changes in how lovers-to-be interacted with each other would have made it a bit better, at least.

There are other points, I would have liked to talk about the female characters for example or to wonder how they manage to establish top/bottom-dynamics in all four couples without even a bit of handholding, but this review is already long enough.

All in all, I had to stop and do something else every few minutes, since the plot and the acting had me so frustrated. I just finished it because I knew I'd never pick it up again if I stopped. I'm glad it's over.

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underdeveloped plot, underdeveloped characters.

There's three things you should know before you watch this:
1. The producers of this series are also the people who made "Second Chance", "Coffee Melody" and "Tin Jem Jai".
If you liked those, you might like "Ai long Nhai".
2. There are a lot of scenes, where it's clear that they intended to have a product placement. There are no product placements in the whole series. Either the production company is very bad at finding a sponsor or all potential sponsors did have no interest.
3. Ai long Nhai -- อัยย์หลงไน๋ -- Ai is infatuated with Nhai. That's it. That's the story.
[As an aside, the dictionary I use also gives two other meanings for หลง, which are a) [is] lost; confused; forgotten; neglected; mentally weak; b) to lose one's way, to go astray, to get lost, to be mistaken or forget; to be absorbed; to be absent-minded -- which is Nhai's personality in a nutshell]


The series -- I hesitate to call it a drama -- suffers from these points:
1. Interesting plot ideas, which never go anywhere and unconnected scenes, with plot holes and inconsistencies.
2. Side characters who can't even be called "one-dimensional".
3. Old BL clichés, and not the good ones.
4. Low funds, static scenes.

Let's elaborate:
-- 1. The series had a really strong start. I especially loved the banter between Ai and his father. When Ai first met Nhai, I expected this story: Ai falling in love at first sight, and subsequently pursuing a clueless Nhai, in more and more ridiculous situations; to the great amusemant of ai's father and friends -- I would have loved this comedy.
I liked that it was Nhai who made the first move, and his subsequent self-exploration. He was a classic case of a gay man deep in the closet (pining after a girl he will never get, getting physical with men when drunk, insisting that another man is just a friend and some internalized homophobia -- vocally claiming that touching another man is "eew"). That also would have made a really good story, maybe finally something more LGBTQ+ than BL. And they could have made this story light-hearted and funny, if they wanted. But that was quickly discarded.
Nhai's characterization as dirty and generally being a slob could also have been something new and interesting, people could have asked Ai "Why that guy?". It was kind of important but didn't translate into his appearance. He always looked styled perfectly, and I couldn't even see that his shirt was not ironed.
Scenes were often not connected, side stories discarded. I never could tell how much time had passed. Between a scene and the next, there were inconsistencies several times. Example 1: The friend group talk about Ai and Nhai several times, whether those two are together -- but there's no continuity, the discussions are always as if the friends haven't talked about it before. Example 2: In episode seven, a hickey appears and disappears, and reappears.

There's more, but this is getting long, so on to the second point:
-- 2. The side characters. I'd complain that the female characters are there just to advance the plot for the main characters -- but the friend group is more or less the same. They stay remarkably bland, considering they have quite a bit of screentime. At the end of episode two Nhai tells us about his friends in a voiceover, but this information is never important for any of the plot.

-- 3. Clichèd BL tropes that I hate.
Top/bottom dynamics, including the use of "hubby" and "wife" -- The top is manly, sucessful, knows how to get through life, perpetually horny, while the bottom is whiny, fragile, needs help constantly, reluctant when it comes to sex. There's a review here by RemmiKay, who says "This is a CLASSIC exchange of power relationship." There's actually some textual clues for that, so it works. While I don't think this interpretation is in any way intended by the writer or the producers, it made watching the series bearable. Still, even from an exchange of power relationship I'd expect that both are shown as into the sex -- Nhai continues to look like a nervous virgin whenever things turn sexual, and it gets worse the longer the series goes on. (Even if Nhai would only be playing at being reluctant, as part of their relationship dynamic, the audience should get to see that he wants it.)
There's the stereotypical gay (maybe transgender?) friend; there must be a gay friend in a romence, right? Of course, they are flamboyant, have pink hair, but they are definitely not beautiful or attractive. And it's disheartening that Nhai goes to this friend when he's unsure about his attraction to Ai and gets "Yes, of course you are the wife" as an answer. That's not helpful and also sexist.
Too many side couples. While other Thai BL productions in 2022 seem to have learned from past mistakes, this one tries to give a male love interest to everyone in the friend group. Not only do most of them not go anywhere (the one that does, just ... does, behind the scenes), the three friends also had explicitely stated that they are straight in previous episodes. (see above, inconsistent plot)

and, finally,
-- 4. low funds. The sets, few as they are, look empty. Ai's condo is supposedly "like a labyrinth" (Nhai, somewhere in the second of third episode), but it's not, and you can see that -- the living room and the kitchen are in the same room, for example. The props in the shelves etc. are obviously placeholder props; had they filmed in one of the example rooms in an IKEA, there would have been more personality to this living space. There are no knick-knacks or anything that makes a home a home. Ai's car seems to have cost most of the money they had.
That everything, the sets, the clothes and so on is mostly in white and black, really does not help.
Scenes often just were two or more people standing and talking, which made the already slow pace wven more static. Some actors need more acting classes.


Overall, I feel that the writer had some good ideas, but shied away from anything that would have made the series more interesting, either writing a good conflict (inner or external) or more comedy. Was it too daring for him?
But even if they intended to make a slice-of-life series, they would have needed something more plotty and consistent.
It's like a teenager's first fanfiction -- they love their characters, they don't want to hurt them, they write things they wish for in their relationship. But for a product that is supposed to bring in an audience, who'll remember the story, this is just not enough.



That being said, there have been two small things that need to get an honourable mention:
* I think this is the first Thai BL in which lubrication for anal sex is mentioned, and hopefully used.
* Ai explicitely states that he is bisexual. In most BLs they don't even use the word "gay".

(P.S: A shorter version has been cross-posted to Viki.)

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Heteronormativity at its finest

Change the character of Rawee into a woman, and you'll get an old-fashioned, tropey romance movie with a supernatural side.

Why?
Rawee is the typical young orphan, who is brought into the house of a new family, first of unclear status, then gets engaged to/married off to the family`s son.
Rawee stays at home and makes desserts for the family, while Phloeng is outside, doing business things. Rawee is easily hurt, and the manly Phloeng carries her, sorry, him, because Rawee obviously can't walk on his own after scraping a knee. Phloeng is the one who gets jealous and overall is the one who pushes their relationship to the next levels.
Apart from one remark at the beginning, Rawee's gender has no relevance at all.

There's really no point in Rawee being a man. (Because the character isn't, it's just a male body in a female role.)
(Edit to add: And it's a stereotypically "weak" female role, at that. I like women to have more agency, and Rawee basically has none.)

The side couple really had no relevance to the story (at first I thought maybe the ghost would use it, but no.) and could have been left out. Instead the time could have been used to tell the ghost's story in more detail.

The acting was all right, good by the seasoned actors. Cinematography was fine, music non-remarkable.
Sets were appropriate for the early 1960s, as far as I can tell. I'm not too sure about the clothing -- in Europe no man would have just casually worn a T-Shirt, and short trousers for a young men of 21 years would have been a no-go. but I'm not familiar with Thailand's fashion in the 1950s and 1960s, so they might be okay.

Well, at least now I can point to another movie whenever I want to show what I mean when I talk about heteronormativity in BL dramas and movies.

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I've watched this series several times so far, not because there's a lot to discover with each rewatch but because it's a solid drama, well done within the budget constraints, and it balances well-loved tropes with some more sombre notes.

Things I liked:
* The story has two of my favourite tropes (emenies-to-lovers and accidental/forced roommates), which are are really well done. The boss/employee vs. tenant/landlord dynamics give good balance to their relationship. Overall the plot is a bit predictable but the characters' development and the interaction of the team members make it enjoyable.
* The team members were great, they provided both comic relief and an outsider's point of view for the developing relationship. They were also quite cute.
* Kang Woo Jung's acting was brilliant -- I hope he'll get the chance to act in productions of different genres, so more people will see him.
* Both lead actors seem comfortable with each other, which makes the intimacy between the characters believable. (It's sad that I have to say this -- but in some Korean BL dramas the actors seem so uncomfortable!)
* I also like that we get to see a glimpse of the struggles some gay men go through -- unluckily falling for a straight man, the fear what would happen if you're outed at work, how people will judge you for being with another man. Yoon Seo Bin was good at portraying all of these with a side of internalized homophobia. This topic was there throughout the show, sometimes just as an undercurrent, sometimes more obvious, but it never distracted from the sweetness of the romance plot.

Things I did not like:
* The acting of both main leads was a quite muted at times. Especially in the scenes when their characters argue with each other, I did not feel the emotions as much as I could have. I think stronger body language and facial expressions would help. They are both really good at expressing their emotions with their eyes, though, so it's not a question of talent -- either they just have to practice a bit more or the director did direct them that way. (Or is it something more ... chemical, at least concerning facial expressions? With the entertainment industry as it is, I wouldn't rule it out.)
* I wish the show would have made Jae Yoon's motivation for his decision in episode 7 clearer -- either by characterizing him better in earlier episodes or telling the audience outright. I think Jae Woon's actions come across as more tropey than it was intended.
* Also it would have been nice to get more of Ho Joon's backstory earlier and not infodump everything in one (though very heartfelt) speech.

All in all, one of the better K-BLs I've seen, and very comfortable to watch repeatedly.

[This is an updated version of the review I posted at Viki.]

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I started watching without knowing anything but the title and the picture that goes with it-- and I dd not regret a single minute!

What I liked best:

* The initial premise is different and interesting, the story arcs well paced and in the end, all story threads are neatly tied up. Even if they ended the series with a glimpse of a new plot, it felt more like a "this is not the end" than a cliffhanger.
* The main character was extremely well acted, I loved the facial expressions (or, sometimes, the lack of them) and how the actor moved his body, we never forget that this is actually a dead body, not a living being.
* The comedy was there duiring all the episodes, and varied between spoofing Zombie movies and the detective genre, slapstick-y routines and just plain hilarious situations.
* The mysteries were not too simple, but simple enough for a comedy.
* Some K-Dramas I've watched have a weird slump in pacing or story in the 9th to 11th episdes. This one doesn't, every episode was interesting or funny enough to keep me watching.
* There was no romance between the two main characters, only a hint of interest on the woman's side, which is not even recognized by the zombie detective.

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Came for the comedy, stayed for the mystery, enjoyed the friendship.

The tl;dr:
* Good pacing overall, nice balance between mystery and comedy
* Fine acting, distinct personalities and interesting background stories for the main cast
* No Romance!
* Strong female character, who unfortunately gets pushed out of the plot later
* Important message; good portrayal of diversity (considering it's Chinese)
* Ear-catching OST

The first episodes start with a strong comedic vibe, which is sometimes even stapsticky, after which the drama progressively gets deeper into the mystery of what happened three years ago.
I liked how this change happens gradually, the audience gets lured in with seemingly simple detective cases, and glimpses into the background stories. Only slowly the bigger picture begins to emerge, and it's not until the very end that we know all of the important elements. And on the way to the story's climax, the comedic elements are not lost -- the whole show feels well-rounded in its pacing and in the balancing of the different elements.
There are no episodes that feel dragged out, nor does the story ever feel rushed.

All of the main characters are incredibly well portrayed. Usually with costume dramas, especially those set at court, with all these similar uniforms and hats, it takes at least three episodes until I know who is supposed to be who. Not in this drama! Not only have the members of the Judicial Court all distinct personalities (more on that later), but each character has his (or her) very own body language. Even when they do nothing but sit or stand around, it's possible to recognize each and every one of them, even from behind.

No Romance! Always a plus, if the writer doesn't force a het romance into an otherwise engaging story, just to prove that there is no homo-romantic attraction between the main characters.

I loved Vice Minister Shangguan from the first minute -- finally, here is a female character who is not a simpering, love-sick and annoying girl but rather a strong woman who fought for her right to have her own life. In a sexist society (other characters even comment on this), she opposed her parents' will and got into a position of power as an official. Her office which is overflowing with scrolls and paperwork shows how hard-working she is. She must have had a hard time navigating Palace politics, as a woman and sole vice minister -- always on the outlook for people who want to sabotage her and her work; and we get to see glimpses of how she did it in the first episodes.
I also loved how her appearance underlines her character -- she's wearing sensible clothes, her make-up is modestly done.
All of which make the one thing that's really bad about the drama even worse: When things get serious, she's getting shipped off, for her safety, or, as Li Bing would put it, "for her own good". Why? She's certainly not weaker that, say, Cui Bei. She's not less experienced in intrigue than Wang Qi or less clever than any of them. So, why? Only so that when it gets serious, she can't "steal" the spotlight from the men. Plotwise, it would have been very much possible for her to be an important part of the team.
This is the one reason I deducted half a point from the rating for the category "story".

One big point in the drama's favour is that it shows us how important it is to see others as a human being -- what it does to a person if they are dehumanized (whether revered as god or reviled as monster) and how it makes us more human if we are kind to one another. Connected to this is that the acceptance of diversity can only strengthen us. (Which makes it even more regrettable that Vice Minister Shangguan is not part of the team!)
The team of Ming Jing Hall are very different people, not only is the boss half-human, half-cat, there's also the superstitious ex-soldier, the "diplomat" with a fondness for cross-dressing, the bookish man who always brings bad luck, the bumbling country boy and even a foreigner!
(That's one aspect that I found astonishing, there was actually very little nationalism in this drama; usually Chinese dramas are all about how great and heroic the Chinese people are -- here they are the aggressors towards another country, while the presumed antagonist just wants ... well, that would be a spoiler.)
Only by working together, by not just accepting each other but also recognizing each other's strengths and quirks, can the team solve the mystery and get justice for those who have been wronged.

Overall, this is an engaging and well-acted drama that made me laugh, and made me cry, and had me on the edge of my seat until the last minute of the closing credits.

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I actually watched the show a second time, just to check if there are any clues in the beginning (or somewhere before the last episode) to what is happening. There are not.

And that's the least of the show's problems.

But first: What I liked:
* All of the actors played everything straight and took their job seriously.
* The funny scenes made me laugh, the cute scenes made me smile, the serious scenes were sombre.
* There were no technical issues.

But the story. Oh my.
I think the first, and most relevant, issue is that we as the audience do not get any clues that this is not supposed to be anything but one of the usual BL romances (or romance comedies).

Also, the production doesn't stick to one "genre" -- between scenes the mood jumps from serious to cutesy to plain silly.

The show could have been
-- either: a serious, heartbreaking story about a relationship that's come to its end, and how the couple deals with it, and maybe find a new way to be together,
-- or: a cute, maybe a bit trope-y story about a couple that tries to balance their relationship and work / college with cheesy slice-of-life-scenes,
-- or: a silly, over-the-top story that makes fun of alle the tropes of het and BL romances, maybe with some slapstick thrown in.
Considering the quality of the technical aspects and the acting (and, again kudos to all of the actors), either of the three genres would have been great!

I suppose this show was conceived as a parody, which is the only thing that would make at least some kind of sense -- but the audience needs to get clues what this show is supposed to be!
As it is, the show does not know what exactly it is (what it is is a mess) and leave the audience not only confused but also disappointed.

[this is a slightly edited version of my review on Viki.]

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Little Gem

I watched this series on Viki, in the edited 12-episode-format.

Some people have mentioned that it's obviously low-budget -- but I think if the story and the story-telling is good, things like this don't matter much. And the story-telling is excellent!

First, the series is set both in our present and in the past (or maybe dreams) -- and they are beautifully interwoven. I loved how smoothly the transitions between both worlds are done.

There are five sub-plots (or rather short stories) about friendship, familial love, romantic love -- about loss, letting go, sacrifice, and healing. These are cleverly tied together by the "Demon Bar", a place where demons meet, and destiny brings customers to ... well, to what? To dream? To tell their story? To relive past lives?
What is real, what is a dream -- this is never quite clear; and in the moment when the sommelier (the demon hunter?) maybe grasps an important part of the truth -- the series is over.

I wouldn't even be sad if there's never going to be a second season, this ending is kind of perfect.

Throughout all of these sub-stories, we also follow the friendship (and it can't be more, it's from China) of the demon hunter and the dragon. The former gets some backstory and also some character development; the latter unfortunately not. Maybe he is supposed to remain shrouded in mystery.

On a personal note: I laughed a lot -- but I also cried at the end of every sub-story, especially the first two had me bawling my eyes out.

[This is a slightly edited version of the review I posted on Viki.]

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Mellow and relaxing; painting together on a hot summer day

What I liked:
* The general atmosphere of the movie was relaxing, they managed to capture the feeling of sitting in nature on a hot summer day and falling in love perfectly.
* The storyline is a good fit for the length of the movie.
* All three main characters, especially the bodyguard. They all manged to convey their feelings without trouble. I liked the bodyguard's reaction to that suspicious person, his worry and gradual acceptance of what is to come. Also, I love that it remains unclear what his feelings are exactly -- loyalty, friendship, romantic love? Sometimes things are muddled and it's good to leave it open.
* Although I'm usually wary of timeskips, that one at the end worked. In my opinion, showing what happened directly after the return would have felt very differently to the rest of the movie. Good choice, there.

What I did not like:
* The last ten minutes or so feel weirdly paced, in contrast to the majority of the film, which is pretty slow. I think they tried to convey a sense of urgency, but why then this strange flashback to the conversation between the lady and the bodyguard?

Overall impression:

It's a nice romance, with okay-to-good pacing, nice scenery, and well acted. The story is captivating and although it is on itself quite predictable, the characters and their actors make it something special.
There are some questions that remain unanswered, sometimes I liked the ambiguity, sometimes it would have been nice to have it a bit clearer.

[This is a slightly edited version of the review I posted on Viki.]

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Even three years after its release, this is still one of the better Korean BLs.
In a lot of other Korean BL dramas, something is always off -- either the story doesn't make any sense (or only had old-fashioned and even harmful clichés), or the acting is stiff or the production (sets, audio etc.) lacks details or the directing is lackluster etc.

This drama has none of those problems.
The plot is is solid, if a little predictable. What's making it special are the little hints at more backstory -- especially for the two main leads, who are wonderfully vulnerable and both have scars from earlier events in their lives, which we only get hints of -- and they both accept these vulnerabilities and the weaknesses of each other.
The acting enhances this further. There are many small moments when you have to look closely at the actors, they often express their emotions through small changes in posture or even just with their eyes (I loved these moments when Son Woo Hyun shows how his character is hurt by Han Ji Woo's harsh words, and equally, how Kim Kang Min can say whole paragraphs by just averting his eyes.) Both main actors and the supporting cast are obviously invested in making this drama into something good.
The sets feel real, and with much attention to detail. In the beginning of the story, Ji Woo's home seems a bit bare -- except for the kitchen, which is clearly well loved and often used. This is the only place in the whole house where Ji Woo has left traces of his own personality -- until Seo Joon, that is. Then suddenly, decorating items start to show up (and it's clear that Ji Woo put them there for Seo Joon).
The directing puts all these things into a cohesive whole. For me, it feels as if the director had a clear vision of the story, the characters, and their backstories.

Yes, the budget could have been higher, the run time could have been longer. But I think they did what they could, and it doesn't even show too much that it was shot during the first autumn/winter of the covid-pandemic (I suppose that South Korea had quite a few restrictions back then, as did other countries).

I recommend that you re-watch this after season 2 -- there are several scenes that hit differently after you know more about the characters.

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Good for a one time watch

"Friends-to-lovers" is usually a trope I like very much, and they did it justice until Zheng Ze Shou and Fu Li Gong got together. From then on, it was rather cheesy and the conflicts too clichéd for me.

The acting by the main couple was excellent, especially when they were still figuring out their feelings or what to do about them.
I also loved the two fathers and Nikita. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of the second couple; especially Yuki's actor stayed bland, he mostly had the same gentle smile, whoever he looked at and however he felt -- I noticed it the most when he was fighting with the laundromat owner. It really didn't help that he didn't get any backstory (we only know his father was Japanese and died when Yuki was a child, which makes Yuki's "ohayou" even more pretentious).

The song that was used for the opening credits got on my nerves (it also was non-sensical); and the piano background music was distracting from what was happening on-screen.

It's a shame that the female roles did not get more development. The sister is unfortunately the stereotypical little sister (even though she's somewhere in her early twenties), the little girl has no personality whatsoever, apart from being a bit sassy. And Nikita's character, who was so cool and mysterious and generally an impressive woman with her own business, was ruined by that stupid and unnecessary crush.

I did like that we got to see two lawyers working together, and it was an excellent idea to have them be divorce lawyers in a romance -- the drama was strongest when the cases made Ze Shou and Li Gong think and talk about love and marriage, and reflect on their own love story. I wish the writer had used this also to resolve the conflicts of the second half. Together with maybe more time to show the father's side (because I think it's not very clear why he reacts the way he does). this would have made the second half better.

Overall, the story's flow is good, it's done well -- though not so good that I'd want to watch it a second time.

[cross-posted to VIki]

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Excellent drama with one flaw

THE STORY:
I started this thinking that we'd get to see detective stories, where I could solve cases together with the heroes. The cases were, although interesting, not of that sort. They all made sense, but the audience often only got to see the clues at the time Li Lianhua or Fang Duobing revealed them to their co-characters. The cases themselves were overshadowed by the overarching plot relatively early, so for me, they did not have too much merit by themselves, and only served as a vehicle to move the story forward.
The overarching story wasn't that complicated, we got to guess the main villain quite early, and some of the plot twists weren't that twisty for me.
(Also, the main plot point -- evil people from a defeated foreign country try to overthrow the mighty and just and overall better [China] and fail -- is typical Chinese nationalist fare.)
What makes the story interesting, is the journey of Li Lianhua, both in the past, which is revealed to us in increments, and in the present -- Li Lianhua, who is terminally ill and is pulled into the Jianhu after ten years of solitude, whose journey is one of finding closure, of forgiving or avenging, of finding meaning in life and death.

A plus, for me, is also that the series has little romance -- most of it finds it conclusion within three episodes or so around episode 20 (they decide their romance will stay in the past only). Unfortunately, most female characters' motivation still circles around love, more on that see below.

The story unfolds over 36 episodes, which never drag or feel rushed. The series kept my interest throughout -- the pacing was always just right.

THE CHARACTERS:
Li Lianhua is a wonderfully human character. He is flawed, he lies, he deceives but still seems to be a person who has his values he lives by. He is a miracle doctor and a horrible cook. He is someone who pushes others away, and it's never quite clear if it's to protect the other person or himself. He is selfish in his last decision, and at the same time sacrifices his life (essence) for others over and over again. Li Lianhua is world-weary but can still find solace in the little joys in life and seems to believe that most people are ultimately good.
Li Xiangyi was young and inexperienced. He trusted wholeheartedly -- but also judged hard. He thought he was the most important person in the sect -- and died because of it.

I also loved the other two main characters -- loved their banter, of course. They both had their distinct personalities and unique goals. Fang Doubing and Di Feisheng had good character development -- more time to show their personalities and their inner life would have been even better.

The one thing that irked me for the most part of the series was the portrayal of the female characters. Their motivations mainly circled around "love" (or a version thereof), and usually, they had no agency without a man. Let's look at the four most prominent women:
Jiao Li Qiao: Her motivation for anything is to get Di Feisheng as her husband. That's it.
Qiao Wan Mian: She is important as the past love interest of Li Xiangyi, who waited for ten years for him. Later, she gets a bit more agency, but it remains half-hearted. Has she left Zijin or not? Why does she take his Sect leader token but does not take on the role herself? (He is obviously still the sect leader later.)
Master He (Fang doubig's mother): She's the only woman without an interest in pursuing another man; the only one who is shown with significant skills who can contribute to the fight. She is also the only married woman, and the only middle-aged woman, so it's probably just that she's "too old" to be a potential love interest who can be heroically disregarded.
The princess: Her interest in marrying Fang Doubing is somewhat understandable -- as a princess she lives a highly regulated life, and probably knows that the only chance to get a bit of freedom is as a married woman. (Of course, her interest has to take a backseat next to her fiancé's desires.)
There's also the young girl who we first meet when she disguises herself as a man -- she could have easily been a cunning woman with a network of informants or a vast library. But no! She always gets her information from her grandfather and she is allowed to bring Li Lianhua to her brother for treatment.

That's enough of a rant for this review. Let's close with another excellent aspect:

THE ACTING:
I did not find one actor unsatisfying. The minor characters were all right throughout.
All three main characters were portrayed incredibly well. Especially Chen Yi (Li Lianhua) who needed to show his multi-layered personality without words had excellent micro-expressions. Di Feisheng is probably more interesting than the script itself has provided because Xiao Xun Yao manages to hint for underlying emotions of his character from the first second we get to see him on screen.
And a special mention has to go to Rain Wang (Jiao Li Qiao), who, despite her single-trait character, shows how chillingly deranged Jiao Li Qiao has become over the course of the series.

OVERALL:
This is, despite the one flaw, a series that tells a story about friendship, betrayal and revenge -- and a man who just wants to have a quiet death.
Recommended!

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Who is it you love?

Do you really love the person as they are or is it just an image you have made of that person in your head?

What I liked:
* I loved the development of the author's character. He went from very much self-assured, narcissistic, and someone who is sure that his love story will finally come to the end he wished for three hundred years ago to a very much shocked, insecure person whose world has been turned upside down, and at last to someone who is starting to learn that there are always two people in a relationship with their own thoughts and feelings.
* The author's actor showed all of these emotions well, sometimes dramatically, and completely unashamed to be seen. I can hardly believe that this was Jin Gun's first drama.
* In contrast to the author, Ha Yeon knows what he wants very well and he is not afraid to go for it. This makes for an interesting dynamic.

What I did not like:
* I wish we would have got to see more of the second life. It was always flashbacks to the same scene. How long had they known each other then? How did they meet? What was their relationship like?

I think if we knew more about this time, the question the modern Ha Yeon asks -- Which Ha Yeon do you love? -- would have made more sense to more people in the audience.
I suppose that, in both of their lives, they did not have much time together in mundane situations (it was obviously a time of strife and struggle in their second life, and in the first they did not even get to speak as someone else than slave and lady), and that's why Yeon Seok had this image of "Ha Yeon" of someone who is not goofy, but rather refined -- who knows how the first two Ha Yeons really were?

Is it love if you only know the other person's facade that they show to the public?
It would have been nice if the show had more time to explore this question in greater depth.

Still, the story we get to see is cute, well acted, and we get to see some character development.
Recommended!

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That was an outstanding drama about a small team of pathologists, with casas that seemed well researched to me who is a non-medical person.

Things I liked most:
* The female characters! Although they were still in the minority, they were fantastic! The two main female characters were an equal part of the cast -- in most cases the female forensic doctor was the one who found the deciding clue, even. Both were shown as professionals, with interesting personal lives, own ambitions and well-rounded personalities.

* The team! We get to know all five (hm, six) people of the UDI well, and how they learn and grow together. They start as distant, even uncomfortable colleagues -- and in the end, they work as a well-integrated team. Some of them get some character development, some don't really need it.

* The supporting cast! Even they got a personality, some are more mysterious, some antagonistic, some familial. All of them clearly have their own motivations and goals.

* The acting! The directing! The soundtrack!

* No Romance! Well, over the course of one or two episodes, the male part-timer wonders if the female lead might be interested in him, and it seems he wouldn't have rejected any advances -- but! That fizzles out and is never even thought about again.
(Although, as I read through the other reviews, I see Orangevine's who states that "There is also a love triangle (with the caveat that one must be well-versed in Japanese romance tropes to spot it)". I'm obviously not well-versed, so I don't see it.)

* Minimal gore! We see blood, contusions, discoloration of the skin, some wounds, the occasional part of an organ preserved in formalin. Faces of the deceased are never disfigured, there are a few scenes where we see how the scalpel starts to cut, but never any opened bodies or any inner body parts while the autopsy is in progress.
All in all, it's remarkably respectful of the dead (compared to US productions) and there's never any kind of voyeurism.

* A fascinating insight into Japanese culture! Concerning death, and how the deceased and those who have contact with them are regarded and what it means for the politics around them.

* Last but not least: The cases! Not every case is a crime, but they are all interesting. The first one is noticably from before CoViD. The seventh had me in tears, that one hit close to home for me. The overarching plot was also intense, and was the main focus of the last three or so episodes, and tied all the personalities and their development together.

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Every few week, I think "Hm, I could watch Secret Crush On You again..." This is how much of a comfort show it is for me.

This show is a fantasy for all of us who belonged to the "nerds", the "weirdos", the "fat" people or whatever group we belonged to and thought we would never have a chance to get the popular guy -- to make our secret crush our one true love.

First of all:
1. Toh is a very special kind of guy. His brain works differently to "normal" people. (I think people nowadays call that neuro-divergent.) He's also a rather campy gay man, which marginalizes him further and colours his world view heavily. This makes his actions hard to watch, although for him, they all make perfect sense.
2. Toh's friend group is loud, queer, a bit weird -- the whole show is made of camp.

If you can accept that and roll with it, you will have a very good time with this show. If you can't, then you should probably watch something else. I get that these over-the-top kind of shows are not for everybody.

Second:
1. What I loved most is the friendship between Toh, Daisy, Som and KaoJao. They are all supportive when it counts, pushing the other when it's needed,and not above teasing each other. It was also great how easily the two gangs mixed, the weird one and the popular kids. Toward the end, they were still very much present, and that's not something you always have, that the couple(s) don't forget their friends.

2. The second main thing I loved was: Those characters who are different (nerdy, queer, chubby ... just "different") usually only get supporting roles, mostly no love interest, and are often there mainly for comic relief. In this series they are the main characters! And they all get a love interest! AND, and this is the thing that made me give ten stars, none of them is required to change for that to happen. How often have we seen that the "ugly duckling" turns into a beautiful swan in the end? Not here, Toh remains his usual self, glasses, bowl cut and short trousers included.

Third:
* Kudos to the director: There are so many ensemble scenes, and even if they are not in focus, I haven't seen one actor fall out of character. It's a joy to watch the reactions and interactions in the background.
* Colour, audio and overall cinematography was fine. The background music was always there, as if whoever was in charge of it had a "horror silentiae", and sometimes too loud. I do love "แอบหลงรัก ", §ดั่งดาว" and, yes, even "Ooh My Loove".
* One thing that threw me out of my enjoyment of the explicit scenes was that they opened the condom packets while still dressed -- where are you going to put it then? (Also, I'd really like some lube sometime...)

Fourth, and that's the last one:
And I have to talk about it because I like to rant about the prevalence of top/bottom-tropes in Thai BLs, this was actually toned down a lot here. It was still there, and I wish we could get away from the "pushy" top. (Even though Sky was quite sweet later on, I'm not too happy about how he pursued Jao in the beginning and the grabbing around the neck/chest thing.)
Still, there was no feminizing a partner who was not like that in the beginning, that's good. Also no infantilizing whatsoever. The use of "wife" was mainly used to describe the roles during sexual activities, not as a character trait. Partners in two couples offered to switch roles if the other wanted it.
"Tops" were also at times insecure, emotionally open and one of them not really adept at flirting.
I also firmly believe that the bandana in Nuea's right backpocket (in episode 7) was intentional, and you can pry this headcanon out of my cold, dead hands.

Overall, a firm recommendation from me, if just because of the great representation of characters who are otherwise never in the spotlight.

[This is a slightly edited version of the review I posted on Viki.]

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