Reviews

Female Lead Was the Only Problem

So many people love this drama, but I feel like the same amount of people also complain about the age gap with the main couple. I don't have an issue with it as he is meant to be like 900 years old so it's whatever. The issue I had is that the female lead acted like a literal 12 year old for most of the movie.

Again, she's meant to be like 18 or whatever, which some people already had an issue with, but why did she act so child-like the whole movie? It was super annoying and gave me the creeps. Like, a little part of me hated on him for liking her when she's like that, but mostly it was just her behavior that gave me the creeps.

I honestly only finished this because Lee Dong Wook is my absolute favorite actor ever and the bromance between him and Gong Yoo's character was AMAZING. Female lead is the reason for the 9/10 above, and despite her being super cringey, I would totally re-watch this just to experience the bromance again.

Read More

Female Lead Drove Me Insane

I liked this drama and that it included some thriller/suspense stuff as well as comedy but the main female lead was insufferable. I know she's meant to be in the beginning and that's the point, but even after she "learns the truth" she's still narcissistic and kind of an AH.

I stayed for Lee Jong Suk, the story, and the chemistry the rest of the cast had. If they'd written her a little different or maybe if she'd acted a little different, it would've been a great drama. Also of note was how dirty they did teenage Choi Dal Po (Lee Jong Suk) with that hair. lol I'm well aware that during the 2010's in Korea, K drama actors and K-pop idols had some interesting hairstyles, but his was ridiculous and funny. It also went on much longer than I expected it to. The hairstyle I mean, not the drama. Haha

Read More

think before u do

I want to write a review .. here it’s probably better not to criticize nationality because people are different everywhere, but I noticed a strange thing among koreans, from the position of a victim they always strive to forgive the offender ... wake up! Life has not yet taught u in all of history that if the offender does not suffer punishment, then evil, roughly speaking, will never stop! The fact that someone supposedly “forgives” someone will not make him/her better, he/she will look even more pitiful than before and will not learn to fight back!
In this case, it’s about Mirae and Sua, some kind of sadomasochism, honestly! Well, u don’t like the person, u’ve finally realized how bad he is, move away from him or take revenge, why continue to help!? What does Mirae expect that Sua will change and suddenly stop envying her? Sua had the same bad life only in a different direction, but it was her own fault that she programmed herself for the result she got! But it would be better if she had acid on her face.. then she would understand how bad Miras life was! Although this is relatively all, she is so stupid that she would hardly stop .. just like Mirae... Mirae has a boyfriend and she cares more about other people’s opinions than about him! So she directly insults him! She wants to be treated well, but she behaves badly towards those who treat her well! If I were GenSok, I wouldn’t date her at all or leave her...trauma is trauma, but don’t forget that there are people around u just like u and constantly reproaching other people’s feelings to please urself is not good...so I think this drama is great will teach those who doubt themselves how not to behave so as not to have what Mirae had, and people like Sua will understand that what they ridicule in others can happen to them too... although of course the strange korean mentality... this it’s not the culture, but the mentality, a little sick, not healthy... I can’t understand how this can be popular there... I’d like to hope that there are adequate people there too..

Read More

second rewatching made me smile & yell at the screen

You're going to watch it anyway. Nothing i saw will stop that...we can all agree the casting of supermodels works for any series.
But, my review is going to focus on the key things future BL producers can learn from. And key things future BL producers can avoid from someone who watched it twice.

The reason this gets nine out of ten starts with some of the obvious key things future BL producers can learn from this BL;
casting will get you to the table, having the two main leads almost smash or get romantic in the first episode will keep you coming back to follow the progress.

The NINE of Ten is when a show TELLS me in ALL CAPS that love is in the air and we will see the flow of it and smile each time they get closer to it. We root and we yell at the screen when small obstacles are put in the way. That is why this is a NINE here.

That is a delicate dance that most BL producers don't get, which starts off - future thing BL producers can avoid. We don't need car crashes, or a rush to the hospital scenes, or an ex-girlfriend a new character showing up to mess up the romance. The day-to-day figuring out how two people make space for a new love, open their hearts to love and the daily scenes of two people enjoying learning about each other is enough.

Leave the drama for your momma...love and dating and creating intimacy between two characters has a whole list of complications. Here we get some of that with a few doses of humor. We can always have more intimacy here and and future BLs. But I digress.

In summary,
* the story is totally unrealistic,
* the script is taped together from swisscheese,
* the chemistry between the couples is inconsistent.
* One of the main leads is just dumb and will make you yell at the screen. The dumb lead character has what I call "unnecessary drama" meltdowns that could be solved with clear communication instead of storming off into the night.

The beginning and ending are good enough to make you smile, the humor between the couples sets the right tone but it lacks intimacy.

But, hey I watched it twice...

and it is still a nine out of ten.

GO watch for yourself

Read More

Silent & toxic

And another amazing butterflies inducing and very toxic and unhealthy BL is over. And I want more...

This is a story of two men deeply in love with each other but who never ever talk to each other. Lack of communication leads to misunderstandings and a kind of very toxic master/slave relationship they both seem to be addicted to.

Usually this trope, lack of communication, is something I find really annoying but here I just accepted it since the whole story is based upon that. It brought forward another kind of love story which never got a solution in the end. They admit that they do not speak to each other about anything important, accept the status quo but made sure to show in a non verbal way that they have a strong attachment to each other which is as solid as a diamond and never to be broken. Those silences, those looks gave me butterflies.

Beside the main couple there were barely any other characters worth mentioning except for Yoh's friend and fellow mangaka who watches their relationship from outside and sees more than either of the other two!

The whole drama has very little dialogue but a lot of voiceover which explains the feelings, the situations, the relationships. The acting is excellent but I found Higuchi Kouhei, the actor playing Mizuki, too thin in spite of the abs. And since he wore oversized clothes outside work, he had added fragility so much so I thought he was going to break! Excellent costume designer.

Japan is taking the lead now for the complex and intriguing BL stories : which one is the next? I cannot wait!

Read More

Spoilers are mentioned at the end so don't hesitate to read :)

Wow. This was so much better than Season 1!!!

Like:
+ I'm a sucker for comedy and this show has some really funny conversations which made me laugh out loud!
+ The show is quite interesting, even tough the plot isn't something new. But the show manages to stay interesting because of their exciting and diverse characters.
Every couple has its own strength.
Lee Hyeon x Kim An: deepest story
Ju Hyeok x Seong Min: funniest story + hottest chemistry
Ma Ru x Min Wu: cutest story
All couples share deep, funny and cute moments, but these aspects stood out the most for me for each couple.
+ I really liked the Outfits and the hairstyles they had. Although, especially in the beginning, I was confused with Min Wu because he is the only one who has different hairstyles and for me it's not soo easy to recognize new actors and characters. And here we had 6 people I need to remember.. x)
+ Every epilogue in each episode has a little flashback to give a little view how the guys had contact in the past. I liked this, because it gives a better understanding of the relationship.
+ Lee Hyeon was probably my favorite character. He's straight forward, honest and isn't afraid to speak open about his feelings. Love that!

Room for improvement:
- Production good have been better. I saw the mic multiple times and sometimes the sound was not clear or cut off (I watched it on Viki, so maybe it was also a problem with Viki, idk)

- Different than other people I didn't have a problem to understand what was going an with Kim An and his past. ^^

- I am even impressed on how much fun this was. The first few episodes (like 2 or 3) were a bit boring to be honest. The plot synopsis is again totally wrong btw. :')
But then I got hooked and it was fun to watch. The characters are really different and it's nice to see how every relationship develope in a different way. The chemistry is good - hot (depending on the couple). Kim An and Lee Hyeon had the lamest kisses, I'm so sorry.. x.x

- But overall, when I think of the dramas I watched so far, which failed to tell a story about only ONE couple in a satisfy way, I am totally happy that I watched this show. To tell a story about 3 couples isn't that easy. But for me, it was made in a way that made me happy. I don't have open questions and I don't feel like something was missing.

- The Acting was quite okay. Nothing major to complain about, but also nothing outstanding that I would remember it. They did a good job, I would say.

And yeah, it's definitely a lot better than Season 1.

Little spoilers, that not everyone would see as a spoiler. ^^'
~ I really liked the cameo from the couple of Season 1!
~ Imho I really liked that the show didn't end when they become couples. Because I like to see characters in a relationship. So the last episode being a camping trip with all guys is really nice!
~ It made me a bit emotional, because Kim An is saying something to Hyeon what really hits me feelings. (Nothing bad, don't worry!)
~ They have never spoken open about fear of homophobia etc, but you can see it in their behavior. So I was really happy when they found a safe space on the camping trip and didn't have to hide anything.

Read More

A Pleasant Surprise

I was originally holding off on watching this series as I don't really gravitate toward superhero genres (they usually make me cringe), despite the fact that I really like fantasy (if done well). I gave in one day and decided to give it a shot and I was genuinely surprised. I really like the characters, especially, ESPESCIALLY the parents and their storylines. Honestly, the kids' part was nice but it was a bit too cheesy for me but the parent's stories were what pulled me in and kept me there until the very last minute.

Now don't go into this thinking its all rainbows and butterflies, not at all bad for me but for the more squeamish, there is a lot of gore and blood. I usually don't give high ratings but this gets an 8 from me. I would have given higher if there were more loose ends tied, some characters had more screen time and the if the ending didn't feel a bit disconnected and rushed. But I guess maybe these will all be answered in the second season if there is any.

Read More

short and cute tourism promo with BL actors

Overall: 12 BL actors showcased parts of Thailand thru 6 short episodes. Each episode was about 8 minutes. Aired 2 per week on YouTube https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6jUaCqlEcp3ROAMOSYvXJ2ij5mxjCkzy&si=zEc7KOdeB5fTzvI4 Note: several of the episodes were not clearly BL but open to interpretation

What I Liked
- it was a cute short story/tourism commercial
- favorite story was probably ep 2 with Mai & Win
- so happy to see Frank without a wig
- happy they aired 2 per week and it was free to watch on YouTube

Room For Improvement
- they needed to subtitle the locations that the characters were at, although the information does appear in the video description
- each episode was very short and several were open endings

Read More

An absolute waste of time

This show was painful to watch. I see a lot of the negative reviews centering around how toxic the relationship was, but to me that's not the issue. This is fiction and its main goal should be to be entertaining. Portraying a toxic relationship isn't necessarily a bad thing, it can be really interesting if done well. But this isn't. Its worst offense is that it's utterly uninteresting. Nothing happens. The main plot, if you can even call it that, could happen over the course of a single episode and there would still be time to be bored. The characters are completely one note. One is mean, callous, and closed off, the other is pathetically apathetic in every possible aspect and is incredibly frustrating to watch as he clumsily sulks around. The show sometimes threatens to explore their weird, toxic relationship, to become maybe even a little shocking. But nope, nothing of note ever really happens. And do not expect any character development or interesting motivations. The situation in the last episode is exactly the same as the first episode, except they are happy now (I think? Communication between them is non-existent so it's hard to tell). The one thing a story exploring a toxic relationship should do is to actually do some exploring, to make us see why they are in this relationship, how they got there, who they are as people and as "participants" in this relationship, how they feel about it, and more. But the show simply shows us how things are and moves on to the next scene, we never learn anything deeper than that.
The actors are also very unevenly matched in terms of acting skills, although with the material they were given, it would be hard even for a great actor to shine here.
This is a festival of infuriating miscommunications, second-hand embarrassment, and boredom.
I will say the cinematography is great, the intimate scenes were pretty nice, and although they aren't very good in their roles, because the material is so mediocre, the actors did have pretty good chemistry. Were it not so empty and frustrating, it would also have had a nice peaceful, meditative atmosphere, but it's too bad all-around to achieve that. Do yourself a favor and skip this one.

Read More

Ignore the haters, this is MUST watch, don't miss out; you're welcome x

Why all the hate????? This was honestly one of the best dramas I've ever seen. Easily in my top three now. King the land (which I also loved) was so well received but the main couple's romance was cringey at times despite their amazing chemistry. At no point did this drama make me cringe. Rowoon & Boah have electric chemistry..honestly some of the best chemistry I've ever seen. I loved this series so much. I did not expect it to have such a hold on me but it will forever have me in a chokehold. The storyline was interesting/intriguing, the ML & FL were loveable funny characters, their banter was TOP TIER??? I'm a sucker for storylines that deal with reincarnation and past lives. The comedy in this was great. Especially the first few episodes were the male lead is trying not to love the female lead and his body is contradicting what he is saying. Ignore the haters and give this a chance for yourselves. I haven't been THIS obsessed with a drama since See you in my 19th life or Hometown Cha Cha Cha. A MUST WATCH FOR ROMCOM LOVERS?

Read More

Even ‘Ole School Korean Dramas’ can entertain you.

The Emperor: Owner of the Mask (2017) is a period drama and will remind many Korean Drama devotees of another period drama, ‘The Crowned Clown’ (2019). There are 40 episodes of 30 minutes each. This Korean drama is well worth that commitment time of 20 hours. This commitment is a slow boil, as it builds to a loud crescendo in the back part of the drama. At times this drama becomes a little melodramatic, but by episode 20 the pace is allegro (quick, fast) as action builds to a burst. This is an ‘Ole School’ type Korean Drama.

Emperor: Owner of the Mask has court intrigue, twists and turns, and several great love triangles. “To whom does power really belong?”, that is the question. It belongs to The Owner of the Mask. How that plays out is slow but great storytelling. The drama received post awards for screenwriting. Emperor: Owner of the Mask started off in Korea at a viewing audience rating of 10% for episode 1, which starts off this drama as a hit drama (10% is considered a hit drama). The drama reached a rating of 16% by the finale, with some of its episodes as high as 20% of the viewing public. The last two episodes have some issues, but these can be overlooked.

Cast

Kim So-Hyun (Love Alarm, My Lovely Liar)—She is a beast of an actress, who started off in the industry as a child actress.

Kim Myung-Soo (Royal Secret Agent, Angels Last Mission:Love)—Kpop band member from INFINITE and an actor. He does a great job in this drama

Yoo Seung Ho (Memorist, My Strange Hero)—He is also a child actor, reaching heartthrob status by age 18 years old in his memorable Korean Drama Warrior Baek Dong Soo.
Yoon So-Hee (Ghost Doctor, The Spies Who Loved Me)— She does a great job in her role.

Read More

Just watch the dances

* This is my opinion only, you can have your own opinion.
If you haven't watched "Be the SMF," I would recommend watching "Be the SMF" before diving into this show.
Despite having no prior experience in dancing, I found this show quite enjoyable. If dance is your primary interest, you can simply focus on the missions and skip the drama elements.


Pros
- It was a pleasure to watch their K-pop mission, mega crew mission, and other missions. The performances were great.


Cons
- Celebrity judges are still involved in evaluating the dancers, which, in my view, may not be the best way to judge dance quality. I do not think they should be allowed to judge dancer's dancing quality. The judges had limited knowledge of dance and were primarily basing their judgments on the audience's reactions and wow factors rather than the dance quality.

- Mnet created missions and additional rules just to stir up drama in the show. And for anyone who is not familiar with Mnet, they are known for editing the scenes to make dramas. So it's essential not to take their editing at face value. Do not trust their editing plz. Do not hate teams or dancers because of it. I am sick of them creating fake dramas.

- I do not like team Eo-Ddae. Every time they showed this team, I skipped it.


* For those interested, you can access all the battle videos on The Choom YouTube channel. Please keep in mind that this is solely my viewpoint, and your perspective may differ.

Read More