Reviews

Has 'Not Me' ruined OffGun projects forever?

BL fans will ruin their own watching experience all because of one series.

People need to stop comparing every offgun series post-not me to that series. It is honestly depressing seeing people's reviews and comments here being flooded with complaints about how this series didn't match up to Not Me. Of course it didn't, they are completely different genres, styles, and stories. If you cannot watch a series without comparing it negatively from the very beginning to previous works, then why watch in the first place?

This series wasn't anything special, it's a typical GMMTV gay romance, there were parts of it that were less entertaining than others, however as a general series it was perfectly fine. It isn't the dumpster fire that so many of you retell it to be. I get it, Not Me was an incredible series, but it's also nearly 3 years old by now and some of you have not been able to enjoy a single series by offgun since that series it seems. Seriously guys, are you watching offgun to appreciate their efforts or to hate on them?

In terms of an actual review for this series, it wasn't the best, and it wasn't the worst. It is 'a middle of the road' series with fun side characters and interesting dynamics, and I love anything that has to do with the love language of food. I genuinely loved how sweet it was, the portrayal of emotions was honestly just to my taste and I don't regret watching it at all. Would I watch it again? Probably not. But does that take away from the joy I had watching from it? Absolutely not.

The hate towards Chang Ma is questionable considering I genuinely cannot understand what people think he did so wrong considering he had a crush on Prem and tested the boundaries of prem/ten's relationship, something MANY other characters in MANY BL have done before, yet y'all have an issue with him despite him genuinely having a good redemption arc, as well as genuinely respecting the boundaries once they were set? If anyone is to hate it's the b3 trio and their annoying laughs - they added literally nothing other than toxic rivalry, where some of it was necessary for plot progression, but other bits of it were just plain stupid. They should've been revealed for the bullies they were and kicked off that stupid show. Stupid ass side characters.

There were parts of the series that definitely could have been solved much faster with a basic little thing called "communication" (e.g the whole argument between prem/Dy/unky, and the whole "scamming" issue with Ten's dad) however the entire point of a drama like this is to have those dramatic scenes. I feel some people who watch series love to just complain, "it's too much unnecessary drama" or "it's sk bland there is nothing going on". I worry that series will never be enough for people, especially when a large selection of comments on any GMMTV BL is flooded with constant negativity.

People complained about Metha and Samsee's coupling not going anywhere, but I'd like to remind you all that not every single character that shows up has to be gay, or if they are gay then they don't have to be in a relationship with someone. Gay people can be friends with gay people without dating y'know lmao, but also, not every guy in these shows has to be gay.

Correct me if I am wrong, but the friendly rivalry they had was nothing like Fire and Dynamite, and I genuinely saw nothing between Metha and Samsee relationship-wise, they were just two side characters that happened to go together as a pair due to the relationships between their friends - nothing more. If anything I'm kinda glad Samsee ended up with Prem's sister, it makes for a nice change in pace honestly - I love the fact she had a crush on Samsee lol, a super good twist in the plot there.

I enjoyed seeing Off and Gun playing these types of roles again, and Off's portrayal of Ten took me back a lot to Theory of Love, the love-sick puppy character suits him well, and reminds me of Khai's attitude towards Third after realising his feelings for him. And equally, Gun suits all roles very well, he is good at playing characters who are more shy and reclused about their relationships, with a healthy sense of doubt and hesitance when someone like Off comes along overly friendly. Do I think some scenes were awkward? Yes. Did I think the awkwardness honestly suited the pair of young adults navigating their way through love? Absolutely.

Did I prefer fire and dynamite as a couple? Yes. Do I also have a bias towards side-couples in a lot of BL series? (Checks list) Yes. Yes I do. Because we don't get as much of a deep dive into a lot of side-couples and I think sometimes we prefer that in comparison to the over explanation and focus that happens for the main couple. (But also, fire and dynamite is such a lovely story despite the rollercoaster it went on, and the actors played them incredibly well. The ending to their plot line is honestly so well rounded out, especially with the mother.)

The storyline? Basic, nothing overly interesting, however the Thai BL industry has a lot of "school student" plot-lines, especially regarding either engineering or doctoring, so to see a chef plot was actually nice (the only other series I remember watching that had something to do with cooking was UWMA and even then that was a mild story-line in comparison).

I think it is hard to constantly live up to expectations, however I do believe offgun "fans" have shot themselves in the foot here. Instead of finding things they enjoyed about this series, they have instead focused so much on how different it is to Not Me, causing them to miss, well, EVERYTHING good about the series. It's a shame fans will miss everything all for one thing. If you want another series like Not Me, then look for those types of series rather than bashing smaller series like these that rely on cutesy styles and more of a focus on school life.

Feel free to disagree, but the fact is, y'all are already expecting their next series, the trainee, to flop all because of Not Me. Don't let your own expectations ruin a series for others, and don't bash the actors either. They are being directed by someone behind the scenes, and actually? A lot of them act very naturally. (Some of y'all just don't know what real human interaction looks like lmao /halfjoking)

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A somewhat original take to the usual zom-dramas.

1. Originality: I would say this quite original in its concept, the stakes are raised by having them getting quarantined in their apartment complex with no real help in sight. This is similar to how Train to Busan raised the stakes, by getting the characters stuck in, well, a train. Like the movie, it also deals with human nature, prejudices and divides coming into play it apocalyptic situations, however unlike Train to Busan though it also branches out to the politics of creating a cure and the greyness at play within relief efforts. I also loved the concept of the "disease" happening in episodes, so the patient comes back to their "self" and have to accept and go through their guilt. I felt it was a great way to comment on the COVID epidemic too.

2. Setting: The setting while done well, felt too easy. Like, none of the characters tried making a run for it, even with zombies all around them?

3. Characterization: I do not always feel the need to agree with the main characters to like a fiction. That being said, there were quite a few moments where I felt the main characters could have solved miscommunications within the people with just more and clear communication. They were very rigid with having things go their ways, even when a patient was visibly a threat. I agree with humanising a patient but that shouldn't be done with clear threat to others. Also, I guess since it was a series instead of a movie, too many decisions felt naive, a little too many times.

4. Conflict and Plot: Again this critique comes from this being a show but almost all apart from a few handful characters were just frustrating to watch. I understand the politics, and I understand that every human is grey. But these people were way too dark of a shade for me to tolerate them.

5. 5. Emotional/intellectual payoff: I only have three things to say: a. guy falls first and harder, look! a loser in love b. best friends to spouses to lovers c. couples who are violent together, stay together! 100/10 i will be binging edits for the next several days they are my parents.

6. Theme: As covered in Originality, the overall theme of critiquing our humanity, or lack thereof, in wake of any crisis is very intriguing subject - I always love stories exploring it.

7. Treatment: Given my critiques, it does feel stretchy in the middle. It could have been a 8 or 10 eps drama and would have told us the exact same story.

You would think I hated this series, but honestly despite all my above complaints I still binged the series and was obsessed w the main couple -- so make of that what you would.

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Nojima Shinji is back with a bang!

A stellar combination of mystery + romance + psychological + slice of life.

First off, Nojima Shinji is one of my favourite screenwriters and I hate to admit that some of his works in the recent years have been underwhelming especially when we compare to the gems he wrote in the 90s and 2000s.

I don't generally write reviews but I got inspired to write this review because I loved this drama so much and want more people to see it.

What makes this drama so good -

(1) the screenplay; the way the story unfolds keeps you on the edge of your seat till the last scene. Trust me, you won't know where it is going.
(2) the story - it is original, it is creative, it is edgy. Once you start, you will find yourself binging it all the way.
(3) the writing; the sensitivity and care with which the characters and their relationships are written. I could see Nojima Shinji has evolved because this wasn't as dark, and there was a healing element to it (something most of his dramas lack)
(4) the acting - each cast member was perfectly casted.
(5) the romance - again, not your typical romance. But some of the scenes between the leads got me squealing. In the case of this drama 'less is more' really worked.

Everything about it is good. The only reason I gave it a 9.5 is because I do wish we got a little more of the leads' at the end. I wanted more of them. Hoping we'll get a special on them, though I doubt :(

For those who want to watch something different, don't hesitate to give this gem a try!

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For lovers of genre

I watched "Awaken" based on VIKI's introduction, expecting a crime thriller maybe in the style of "Flower of Evil" or "The Devil", two series I really adored
At the beginning, I followed with good expectations, thanks to a rather impressive incipit and with intriguing subsequent suggestions, even though the typifications of the main characters were not particularly original (the usual typecasting of the variegated team at work always reminds me of certain Japanese robot cartoons of childhood with the leader, the beauty, the clumsy and the nerd, those things, in short...).

However, as the episodes went on, I began to have more than one doubt about the direction of the series with a growing sense of annoyance, a red alert for a scenario completely different from the initial perspective; getting to the point, the expansion to Sci-Fi and things of this nature I had not really planned for and at that point the interest really dropped exponentially...
I mean, it's not that the story is particularly boring, it's reasonably elaborate and repeatedly tries to revive the attention with impactful cliffhangers, but the problem is that 'Awaken' really does come at a very late stage and smashes open doors from so many previous ones...

With everything we ‘ve had, from 'The X-Files' to 'Stranger Things', via 'Dark Angel' and their many epigones with 'special kids', it's a moment's notice to find yourself in such trite situations that you're able to understand much of the unfolding almost immediately.

The usual secret labs, the usual child-guinea-pigs, the usual mad doctors, between Dr. Frankenstein and the many crazed demiurges in a delirium of omnipotence, perhaps even parents of the aforementioned lab subjects
In overall terms, for fans of the same genre, it is certainly something that can intrigue and involve, but at the same time, for the aficionado with a little knowledge of the material, it is impossible not to notice the incredible accumulation of references, clichés and tired stereotypes that make the nose twitch, as well as the usual holes in the logic that often screw up the elaboration and development of many situations...

And it's a pity, because in my opinion the moral dimension of the story should have been highlighted more, thanks to the excellent performance of the main character Namkoong Min, capable of casting for several episodes the classic shadow of doubt on his true nature; it's also a shame for the little in-depth analysis between our super-child and the really disturbing mad scientist-mother, limited to the last episodes; the same goes for the police-daughter/father-scientist relationship, with an always excellent Kim Chang Wan in a role that would have deserved a better deepening, but then the police daughter (who we are told is also of great merit) really knows practically nothing about her father's work, for all those years! ?

The lead character in the guise of a wanted possible multiple homicide who calmly drives around the city, in defiance of roadblocks, checkpoints, camera recordings or phone interceptions (as seen in so many dramas or movies) is inexcusable, as is the Terminator-turn with the relative moving of trucks with his hands (but why?), with sudden and opportune super-powers...

A comic anthology is the three days wasted by Jamie (by the way, she, Lee Chung Ah, really beautiful -nda) and the nosey reporter waiting for the rain to cease so they can go by boat to the island-laboratory, and then the two 'super-boys' who come and go in a flash, at night, and how do they do it, maybe flying!?

It gets to the end rather tiredly due to the too many twists and turns of the drama with a pretty predictable and practically inevitable ending that leaves that inevitable sense of déjà-vu and general discontent quite marked...
Personally my rating is 7/10, fairly generous, more for the first part of the story and for some of the acting performances:
Of course Namkoong Min who certainly doesn't need me to tell him that (he's a class actor!) and something in the minor characterisations but at the end of the whole affair there are no particular desires left for second viewings...

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A Deeply Emotional Journey

"It's Okay to Not Be Okay" has firmly established itself as one of my all-time favourite dramas, a sentiment reaffirmed by a recent rewatch. The series excels in every aspect, delivering a beautifully crafted narrative that is touching and carefully planned. What stands out most is the chemistry between the male lead (ML) and female lead (FL), both compelling and deeply moving, providing a strong emotional core to the story.

Each episode, with its blend of main and side stories, masterfully evokes a range of emotions, often bringing me to tears. The way the drama intertwines personal struggles with broader themes of mental health and healing is both educational and heartrending. This is a standout drama that combines excellent storytelling with powerful performances, making it a must-watch for anyone looking for a deeply emotional and thought-provoking series.

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I am writing this Review as all 5 seasons because who really has time to writing reviews for multiple seasons

Firstly The Drama started off really strong in Season 1 i liked the characters and there individual struggles but i feel like it towards the end of season 1 it started getting lost in direction , The season 2 became ALOT MORE like the The Walking Dead i honest to god had trouble separating both of these zombie dramas Because they started killing off the good characters faster than TWD. Seasons 3 & 4 were okay nothing to Squeak about

but Season 5 My goodness that was so bad It focused on characters no one gave too hots about after the ending of season 3 where Hibiki needs to find his daughter season 4 added nothing but filler and Same with season 5 people were invested in this show for Hibiki his daughter and wife who alot of people hated throughout the show until her death episode Now everyone is waiting for the Movie Finale to be uploaded

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first does not mean best, and that's fine

I'm watching GAP for the first time in 2024, with two Idol Factory GLs in the pipeline (one in partnership with the Thai government), 23.5 airing on GMMTV, and a FreenBecky movie about to hit cinemas--not even to mention the other GL projects from smaller companies cropping up every day. And I think it's important to acknowledge that all of this owes something to GAP, even if GAP isn't very good. The first doesn't have to be perfect, but it has to be made. It's got to be fun and get people excited, and I think GAP did that well. Even though this will never be a favorite for me, I still very much respect the effort and look forward to what this team has coming up next.

-The Full Review-

STORY:
It's not controversial to say that GAP has... a lot going on. And most of it questionable at best. It's not that it's "unhealthy" or "toxic" or anything, I like a good dark romance just fine. But this story was sloppy and didn't bother to earn most of it's emotional moments. Sam and Mon rarely talked about anything real and it was difficult to see what they even found to love in each other. The back third of the show in particular continually seesaws on the character development, leaving everyone rather pale and two-dimensional. It's a real shame.
That said, the script managed to scrape together some fun scenes. Sam and Mon's friends and coworkers are always a delight, injecting much needed humor and life into the story. Sam and Mon also excel when they are funny and most of their early flirtation is genuinely enjoyable to watch. Most of the characters, at least the ones who are not evil, are charming and loveable and kept me going through the slog of some of the worst of the melodrama. Enough, at least, to convince me to give the author a second chance.

ACTING:
The acting here... isn't great, but I'm not sure how much of that is a result of the shaky story versus the actors skills. Both of the lead actresses had some really lovely moments in their acting... and some really stiff/awkward scenes. With such inconsistent storytelling, I imagine it was difficult to craft a comprehensive character. That said, while some of this was due to the style/tone of the story, it was not often balanced by enough true connection to make the jokes land well. The ensemble was particularly weak, with the exception of Looknam and Heng.
Despite this, I did enjoy the chemistry that Becky and Freen created. Even at their stiffest and most intolerable character moments, they played off each other well and had a believable attraction. In their best moments, it was enough to truly start getting excited about future projects with better scripts and productions. I think it's very likely that one day this show is looked on fondly as the fumbling first starts of a young cast and production company that grows into something much better.

PRODUCTION:
On one hand, I really loved so many of the costuming choices. They were insane, but they were really fun and sold the type of story being told here. The wedding outfits alone were so good we almost forgave the episode for all it's previous sins. While some of the locations have been used to death already (how many times must someone cry about their engagement on the death stairs lol?), the production design and lighting was decently good, if sometimes a little random.
What really was Bizarre was the musical choices. I'm not quite sure why they chose to reuse themes the way they did, but it was not an effective way to create an emotional response. At the very least, they should have used different versions of the same songs to differentiate between tension, sadness, and sex scenes. It was all a little ridiculous. Along with the frequent fumbles in sound quality and visible mic packs... sound department has a lot to answer for here.

INTIMACY:
For the positives: I do enjoy that the girls didn't get doomed to hair braiding and were allowed to be sexual beings. I think that Becky and Freen served a really excellent performance that expressed true desire in their sex scenes--I don't think any of the weirdness is their fault. However, the scenes were blocked.... oddly! I'm not sure what SCOY looks like, but coming to GAP from having watched The Sign, it's odd how abbreviated their sex scenes are and how frequently they are... let's say taking turns? Instead of having a moment of mutual pleasure.
I don't care what other reviews say about "the male gaze" and "fetishizing" because it's all stupid! I am a lesbian, GL is *for* sapphics. I want GL to be treated equally and to be allowed to have as much much hot, weird, kinky, awkward, and unfounded sex as they want. GAP was a great step in the right direction, but it's still holding back. QL has a long way to go in this regard.

In all, I am not upset that I watched GAP, but I probably won't rewatch it any time soon. I think it's worth watching because of the history it brings, and I think it's worth watching because it can be fun and Becky and Freen are genuinely quite good. But I am also not going to pretend that I am satisfied with this series or even particularly enjoyed it. It's a start, and I'm looking to see what comes next.

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I can't help but speak up.

I've seen a few comments about how slow, predictable and imbalanced the show was (some even from seasoned reviewers).

Here is my take:

The pacing was indeed quite slow, but it was for the best. The story was told in a way that rarely leaves the audience wondering about backstories or how things came to be. It also gave me the chance to get to know the main characters, smile at their bickering and feel their sorrows and moral dilemmas. I even got to soak in the emotions from the actors' minimal gestures and microexpressions...kudos to ML and FL's amazing performances.

Others claimed that the story was predictable. Well, of course! This is a live adaptation of a novel, and it was praised for being able to follow the source material to a tee. Many (if not all) shows follow a certain pattern in telling a story. What matters most is if it is being told in the most engaging and visually appealing manner. No expense was spared in its production.

It was indeed a little off balance in the sense that most of the screen time was focused on the CP and I think it's fine. For one, the show really does revolve around the ML & FL so it's normal. Another is that telling too much about supporting characters without any significant contribution to the main story will be too overwhelming for many viewers. It was an easy watch and I loved it!

This show truly did the Princess Agents viewers a great service! Seeing Lin GengXin & Zhao LiYing on screen together again somehow tied the loose ends left by the aforementioned drama's cliffhanger ending. They still have an awesome chemistry and I would gladly watch them again in the future.

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Friends & Enemies at the same time

When I saw that the series consists of 29 episodes I was a little discouraged, but the dynamic rhythms pushed me forward and it was a pleasure. Even the opening soundtrack doesn't get boring after listening to it over and over again.

The plot initially revolves around the search for the book of war and the killing of Prince Sado after which the theme shifts to the trade in fake ginseng and the killing of Crown Prince.
After the training of these boys, the small group of new warriors is divided into two: those who side with the prince and those who ally themselves with the assassins. Baek Dong Soo is part of the good guys while Yeon Woo turns his back on them and becomes a real bastard in charge of the assassins.

What did I appreciate?
- At the end of the fifth episode the young people become adults and therefore the actors change. Baek Dong Soo starts to be played by Ji Chang Wook and Yeon Woo by Yoo Seung Ho.
My congratulations on this change because all the new actors were very similar to the younger ones.
- I also liked the team of 3 guys who looked like the 3 Musketeers, while the leader of the assassins looked a lot like Jack Sparrow.
- interesting loves triangles
- Baek Dong Soo goes from an awkward child to a master of swordsmanship and martial arts.

Something I didn't like:
- First: The role of the sword master in this series is disappointing. I thought he will be the most tough character but he proved to be a useless person almost whole time. He stays aside and then mourns his dead friends, he's never there when you need him, he loses the baby then he goes away for 20 years (?)...
- the story goes that the real Prince Sado was not at all the kind person we see here (discordant).
- stupid King, believe everything, says the bastard and concedes everything (events, fights, archery,...), basically a puppet;
- Many warriors have been killed and there are always more and more. Where do they go to find them and recruit them?;
- Ga Ok gets pierced by an arrow and dies, "Jack Sparrow" gets pierced here and there and comes out alive? Nonsense;
- Bad 12th and 13th episodes (many good people died instead of bad guys) how nervous!
- I didn't understand why Yeon Woo wants to be the bad guy at all costs and fights against the people who helped him, even though he sometimes shows compassion and helps them. Being nervous, I admit that looking at how he acted I vented by calling him a "bastard". If the traitor had put his forces at the disposal of good, everyone would have been happy. He made a bad choice that he regrets.
-The Sword Master's daughter becomes a fighter?
-How nervous when they clashed with the bad guys and didn't kill them. In general, I never understood why they don't kill the boss first, instead of wasting strength fighting with the others and then letting the boss escape. Clear example with the son of the Minister of War? Cut off the snake's head.
-I felt sorry for how the story ended. The final "stab" from the third companion, I honestly didn't expect it. It may make sense but equally they could have found another ending.
-Cho Rip should also have been dead, given the blows inflicted on him.

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This ONE should have a better rating than this

I love Han Hyo Joo, been following all her works from her early years.. She is AMAZING!!!! She always give her best in every performance she's in, either actions, dramas, or even thrillers, trust me!! She is a GOOD actress!
Been waiting with Kingdom S3 too all this time, but this is a refreshing performance too for Jo Ji Hoon. He is SO handsome and cool too anyway for a role of a soldier and bodyguard. Dunno about yall, but personally I love the mature and manly characteristic in his face (even when he was still in his 20s). Maybe cute guys characteristic for Korean market is always in demand, I never say I don't understand that, but there's always the "UGH" and "AWW" when you watch manly actors in actions. hahahahahahhaha
That, and their chemistry in here, I can say that It's a Match. I enjoy this drama so much, waiting for the next episodes is like a torture T_T
The story itself is very progressive, the next level of human civilization. I believe that would not entirely be a fiction, (or maybe I watch conspiracy theories videos too much?haha) well, you can still think this as a fiction and enjoy the story very much.
About the story, well, what can I say, I am an addict of thriller mysteries, but also the side of the sci-fi here is so on point, in-time, and have been the talks for too long but still interesting. It's a serious serial indeed, need to focus my head 100%, but believe it or not, It's worth it. Absolutely NOT disappointing!

*****And anyway, HHJ is already in her 37, but can I complaint? She is waaaayyyyyy too gorgeous. OMG!!! (>.<)*****

Watch it till the last, and proof me wrong!
Hav fun watching!!!

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