Reviews

Resolution leaves something to be desired

I have two review versions.

Reply 1988 is

like a Michael Jackson song
like the youth you never had
like the youth you had
like a warm blanket

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There is not a lot that hasn’t been said about Reply 1988. That’s why rather than trying to simply rehash what others have written before I want to focus my attention on the love triangle, its resolution, on the last episodes and the ways in which they might be lacking.

It seems to me that there is some fluff during the last episodes and uncharacteristically the focus shifts from Deok Sun to Bo-ra, and from the young to the older generation. My theory for this is that Jung Hwan made up a huge amount of the drama, and when they finish the love triangle story arch with episode 18 it changes the dynamic very much.

Deok Sun and Taek, despite being really sweet together, have no real romantic chemistry and the moment Jung Hwan leaves the triangle their romance plot falls flat on its face. The writer/producers might have seen that and tried to stuff the episodes with other people's issues which is honestly fine, but it nevertheless leaves something to be desired. You can argue that even the writer/producers have not enough confidence in the Deok Sun/Taek storyline from the moment the love triangle is over to give them a proper ending. So did they make a mistake in choosing Taek over Jung Hwan?

I am sure Taek was supposed to be the one from the start, something many people in #teamJungHwan are doubting who say they switched the one Deok Sun ends up with midway. I don’t think that. But what couldn't and can't be accounted for, what nobody could anticipate, is the real-life chemistry between the actors on set, something that develops during filming, the chemistry which surely favores Jung Hwan over Taek. The other point is simply what an actor makes out of a role, and clearly Ryu Joon Yeol is an outstanding actor who gives depth and complexity to this character and is immensely charismatic. Everything he does is simply unmissable. This, too couldn’t be foreseen. Equally, Park Bo Gum is a terrific actor with a delicacy that is quite rare in Korean dramas.

Jung Hwan is notably absent form large portions of the last episodes, but so are Deok Sun and Taek. Basically the makers seemed to go out of their way to leave Jung Hwan out of the plot, and whenever he wasn't around something was lacking. Reply 1988 being based on a real story means Jung Hwan's ending originally was different (he was supposed to die in a plane crash, being a fighter pilot), which luckily they changed. They could've changed it even more and changed Taek's role too, if they wanted to.

Both the chemistry and acting point toward Jung Hwan's role having a bigger ending than somehow fizzling out. But be that as it may, crucially, the makers seemed to also not have been very confident about the main couple, so they circumvented putting more time and effort into their storyline by embroidering other's. This goes above and beyond of the mechanisms of Second Lead Syndrome where it might be calculated that viewers favor the second lead getting the girl because it spices things up. There is a weird vacuum because these miscalculations are not properly addressed. There is no solution to the plot being somehow anticlimactic, but I am kind of glad they didn't add insult to injury by making up a happy-go-lucky ending for Jung Hwan.

Not having romantic or sexual chemistry is one thing but the writing has Deok Sun/Taek's relationship as more of a child/caretaker or sibling one. Taek maybe needs a mother or noona more than a girlfriend, and I don't think it's desirable to couple a young woman with a young man who is unable to "tie his own show laces" because she is so good at caring for him.

Of course the equally valid point can be made, and has been made, that no woman would want a man who continuously treats her badly and calls her ugly and stupid because he can not deal with his own feelings. He consistently chooses a negative, petty, mean approach, to protect himself from hurt, or because he is somewhat of an asshole. There is no good explanation why he can not even be different when he is alone: He wishes for Taek to be a jerk which would be bad for her too, and he secretly enjoys the fact that Sun Woo doesn’t like Deok Sun back. He resorts to negative thoughts and wants nobody else to have her instead of wishing the best for her.

Some people say Jung Hwan doesn't deserve her, yes, but the way he behaves until the end is a writing decision. Others say Jung Hwan is stronger and can deal with losing Deok Sun, but it would hurt Taek, maybe send him into even worse drug problems, which he would never recover from. While this is an intriguing point I don't think Taek should be coddled the way he always was coddled, well into his adulthood, just because he is supposedly weaker. Jung Hwan might be able to get over Deok Sun but to say he has to because he can deal with it is kind of cruel. The way he tends to bottle up his emotions is no sign of strength and I would have loved to see him open up and be vulnerable for once.

Of course, Jung Hwan as emotionally unavailable, distant love interest with an equally huge amount of meanspirited quips as well as wordless galantries is the kind of guy women easily fall for. He seems like a mixture of a Tsundere with a Kuudere type character. Mean, harsh, jealous, vengeful, unemotional, guarded who has a huge amount of belligerent sexual tension with Deok Sun. But the extent to which I would argue this is abused here makes Jung Hwan seem like a cheap plot device. He is good enough to provide heartfluttering moments, raise the tension and keep the love triangle alive but not good enough to be developed into something more. He deserves better.

Maybe, just maybe, this is not a bad plot device, and not bad writing, maybe this is intentional and what I am just writing proves just how great Jung Hwan is written and played, and just how they have succeeded in breaking our hearts. And the heartbreak, sorrow, even trauma wouldn't have happened if it were any other way.

With motherhood being such a huge part of Korean culture and even of this drama, I can see why the writers don't have a huge problem with choosing a partner who is essentially child-like in many ways, who needs mothering, and have this be a fundamental part of their relationship. I think it romanticizes motherhood and leaves Deuk Sun with the short end of the stick. From a Western perspective at least it seems strange, if not icky, to show marriage largely as one taking care of the other. From this perspective a romantic relationship is about two people meeting at eye level, not one looking down on the other. Maybe the flaw lies in the writing and Taek/Deuk Sun is never shown to evolve into a more equal kind of relationship. Taek has his moments and is mature in different ways, but he always stays a needy child in others. To be fair, Jung Hwan equally is never shown to fully evolve into someone who treats Deuk Sun well. So you have someone who looks down on her or someone who looks up to her, and of course you would want the latter for your female lead character.

You can complain that Deok Sun has been forced into a caretaking role just because it is her nature, which is unfair. You can also look at it from another angle - Deok Sun is simply a stronger person. She can take care of Taek and be a grounding influence on him just because she is smart, pragmatic, realistic, tough and mentally strong. This makes her not stuck in an antiquated role but, quite the opposite, a very modern heroine.

Jung Hwan hurts himself as well as Deok Sun by pushing her away, hesitating, ruminating and giving major mixed signals. Taek never once deliberately hurts her. That in and of itself should be enough to give Taek the upper hand. But it also makes Jung Hwan so much more interesting, because you can never forget the people who hurt you and there will always be lingering questions like 'why....' and 'what if....?'.

There is a scene when Dong Ryung asks Deok Sun whom she likes more, Taek or him, and without hesitation she says Taek. But when he asks whom she likes more between Jung Hwan and Sun Woo, she answers evasively. This seems to mirror Taek's/Jung Hwan's feelings. I always felt that Deok Sun loves Taek, and isn't afraid to express it, and that she likes to take care of him and is very protective of him, but that she is in love with Jung Hwan. It is fitting that after being very vocal about her feelings for Sun Woo she would tread lightly and be cautious to not get burned again.

Mid-drama it is clear that both Taek and Jung Hwan have romantic interest in Deok Sun, but there is never an easy answer as to what she feels. If there is an imbalance of feelings the final episode unwisely exacerbates it: Once more we learn about Taek’s feelings which were never in doubt. This emphasizes even more that her feelings are still somewhat of a mistery, which leaves a bitter aftertaste. It makes me think of the cheesy male-written line from Titanic: “A woman’s heart is a deep ocean of secrets”. If that were the case the writer could’ve worked that into the script, they could’ve left room for doubt, longing, inner conflict – particularly in a drama centered around sentimentality. Instead the romance is resolved and everything else is simply left to be forgotten, which is offensively stupid.

In a way whom Deok Sun ends up with is very fitting to who she is as a person. She has always been a people pleaser and never had a dream of her own, she always reacts to being liked rather than liking someone herself. So she ends up with the one capable of consistently showing his affection towards her. We'll never know whether what she likes herself is actually different. Probably she doesn't know herself.

Deok Sun is also pragmatic, and her whole personality is grounded in reality. Despite what other characters say about him I believe Jung Hwan is romantic, and sensitive, and the fact that he is not capable of expressing his feelings adequately only makes him more so. Jung Hwan has the most romantic gestures of the two love interests, and quietly he is very perceptive, very sweet, and very idolizing. I don't really know whether this at all translates into a real-life relationship and maybe Jung Hwan feels that adoring Deuk Sun from afar is already the best part of it. Maybe he wants her to remain an idea in his mind, untouched by reality. Maybe, like he says, he isn't very courageous and hides his insecurity behind a mean facade. In this regard Taek is very confident, he doesn't need to hide behind anything. He also experiences many tough moments with Deuk Sun (the flasher, being in China, carrying her out of the stadium, giving her medicine) and his strength lies in being there and dealing with it all like a mature person. Taek is already real-life tried and tested.

I think Taek is a great guy and I'd have no problem with Deok Sun ending up with him, if it weren't for Jung Hwan. In fact, they are both tremendously intriguing, flawed, complicated characters whom I love from the bottom of my heart and choosing between them is literally like Sophie's Choice, only worse.

As it stands this might be one of the most traumatic, heartwrenching, tragic endings I have ever seen. Maybe the impossibility to find a perfect solution with everything wrapped up neatly is part of what makes Reply 1988 so good. When all is said and done, and reality sets in, the reality we see drawn out which seems not a bad place to be in, there is still that someone in your memory, there is still something unfulfilled, just one more reason to be sentimental for your youth.

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Cute and forgettable

I enjoyed this, and I would recommend it, but it's a bit of a missed opportunity. There is no character work at all - and before anyone says it, it had the same run-time as The Godfather, so don't tell me there wasn't time for character arcs.

Its started off brilliantly, with the tsundere character actually being an insane fanboy barely repressing himself, which was genuinely funny - I even laughed out loud, which is unusual for me. The main character is surly, but in an interestingly masculine way even inside his cute boyish body.

But the entire plot is driven by misunderstanding, including implausible easily cleared up ones. A misunderstanding needs to be driven by the nature of the character, not just thrown in and not explained or dealt with, and the resolution also needs to be consistent with the characters. None of that is the case - the ending is just... the end. It happens suddenly and without any character progression or processing of anything, including the state of someone's apartment.

The chemistry between the leads was so-so - it wasn't unbelievable, but it also wasn't palpable.

This was cute and enjoyable, but I don't think I'll remember any of it in a month except for how delightfully weird Akafuji is and how it did things to me whenever Aoyanagi was angry.

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This is a drama that I rewatch often. Suzuki Jin, with his beautiful caramel-colored skin and doe-eyes, is like a precious little puppy and I was particularly drawn to the significant vulnerability that he portrayed in every episode. This drama ultimately shows that LOVE, no matter the ages of the characters, wins in the end.

And I love so much about this. Japanese dramas often get right to the point and sometimes that's a refreshing change of pace from an endless slow burn.

The music is haunting and lends itself perfectly to the background. (I wish I could find what the one song is!)
The acting is flawless. This was my first Suzuki Jin drama and I went right out searching for others of his to watch. He's got quite a talent at only 24 years old (at this writing, and between 20-21 when this drama came out!)

So free your mind from often-rigid societal expectations and enjoy this celebration of love between two unlikely people who simply found what they needed in the other person.

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total bs

This was my least favorite kdrame ever. The story was exceptionally boring and repetitive. Overall, this was a total injustice to the both ML and FL actors, who I both love. I really did try my best to keep an open mind, but had to really push myself to finish it. The storyline just got worse and worse. It's literally the same thing over and OVER again.

A huge pain point for me was the flirting and then the sickly coy response to said flirting. By EVERYONE. They all seemed so detached from one another it was REALLY hard to believe anyone loved their partner. And when I say every one, I mean it! Like Onew's mini meltdown and then ghosting his pregnant gf? Who just brushes it off like it's nothing? Just...wtf?

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If you don't want to watch 14 episodes of Sandee's sisters, watch this compilation instead

Only after I finished the whole KMA series, I found out that there exists a PeteKao cut on YouTube. Oh well.

However, some scenes aren’t complete in the cut. Whoever cut it, left out a few seconds before a scene sometimes.

Well, on to the story: Finally some kiss scenes between them.
Tho I felt bad for Kao most of the time. The way Pete treated him at the beginning was really hurtful. And then after he made a move on him, he gave him a cold shoulder again. Like, dude, you can’t just play with someone’s feelings like that?? Honestly I just wanted to hug Kao.
Well, I’m happy they could resolve this though. I’m also glad that Kao made it clear that he doesn’t want Pete to fool around with him.

Also, the parents of Pete and Kao were amazing.

I love how realistic they kept it, but the amount of times Pete got beaten or participated in a fight, was at some point kinda annoying. Literally the only reason why Kao and Pete got closer, which bugs me a lot.

-19.11.21

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This is your average CEO sits in his office for 30 episodes. The show does not look as good as it portrays. There were several scenes that made me very mad because of how the characters acted and the show itself is pretty boring. It's all about companies having problems and the main leads trying to fix it.

Shi Yan's personality makes me mad. I just can't stand his arrogant person. He thinks that he everyone's deal and is super self centered. I understand that he is a CEO but not everything comes to you. Zheng Shuyi is the complete opposite, when Shi Yan and Shuyi are dating, I feel like it's Shuyi who does all the work in their relationship. It just feels like Shi Yan doesn't care and he puts in no effort at all.

The side casts are not really any better. Shan Shan makes me really mad, it's like she loves Guan Ji, but idk there like toys to each other to play around with. She doesn't care about his feelings at all and pretends she doesn't want him or love when she does everything she can to meet up with him.

This show took me almost half a year to finish because it was just boring and I didn't want to continue to watch it. If it wasn't because the main leads were Bai Lu and Wang Hedi, I would have dropped it a long time ago.

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The sister's relationships weren't as interesting as Sandee & Thada, but PeteKao was

Ahh yes, now we’re talking!
I did love the scenes with TayNew a lot. Tho they could’ve made the series just for Pete & Kao.

The sisters’ story felt a bit misplaced here, but lol nvm. I skipped most of the other stories anyway. At first I thought I’d watch it like in “Kiss: The Series”, but then I became bored pretty quickly. The sisters’ boyfriends are pretty much just like in KTS; toxic jealousy and cliche triangles.

Where was Sandee the whole time tho? She was there at the beginning, but after they got drunk together, she was absent every episode.

Also i would’ve really like to know how Sandee and Sankra end up living with P’Chacha in a different shop. Why did they move?
Ah man, it feels like so much is yet unanswered...

-18.11.21

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The heteros were toxic, but the BL was nice

I only watched this bc of TayNew.

Tbh in the middle of it I got pretty hooked, tho it really bugs me how this is kinda like TharnType, except it’s hetero and without sexual assault. Just the jealousy and possessiveness is the same. So toxic! Idk if that’s a thing in Thailand but the guys keep treating the girls as if they’re gonna be raped, if they don’t have a bodyguard. Seriously, it’s so annoying.

I’m wondering how Pete & Kao fell in love tho? It was a bit implied by Sandee that they liked each other since the freshmen year, but still... I hope we get more of their story in “Kiss Me Again”.

-16.11.21

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Discontinuous from the other 2 seasons but at least more BL

The intro song is giving me anxiety, ngl. It’s really beautiful and makes me wanna dance but at the same time feels like it’s written for a funeral. Tho it’s definitely the best intro ever, in the whole BL universe. Props for the director & editor.
Generally throughout the episodes, the editors did such an amazing job. Some scenes are really outstanding.

Now for the story, Pete reminded me a lot of TharnType. He’s possessive af and would kill anyone who comes too close to Kao. While this might be sweet to some point, it’s also really tiring to see the top not trusting the bottom enough. This toxic possessiveness is a common issue in BL couples, apparently bc they’re men, and it’s so damn exhausting. I could barely enjoy their romantic moments together bc I really feared that they’d breakup. I had such anxiety throughout most episodes.

Well, I really love how GmmTV is keeping things relatively realistic (tho the drama can be a bit exaggerating sometimes). Like Kao’s fear to come out to his mom, Pete getting jealous bc Kao liked a guy’s picture on Instagram, Kao unable to stop tutoring that kid bc of his mom, etc.
And I loved seeing Pete be nervous for his job, slowly but gradually getting better and less nervous.

Also awards for: Pete’s dad for being the best father, Pete’s mom for being the best mother and Rain for being the best brother.

Though, what confused me a lot: why they changed so many shooting places. Like, Pete’s and Kao’s house is different, the school also... literally everything?

Ps: Non is definitely my most-hated character in the BL universe so far.

-20.11.21

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Good Enough

Korean Drama '' The Kidnapping Day '' is an intense thriller with a sensitive side.

The drama starts off quite strongly, with the pair of kidnapper-child being enjoyable to follow, as they start bonding and forming a somewhat family. Their relationship was also what kept things going when the drama started flaking as well.

Actually, towards the ending, the drama's twists were a bit over the top and, again, the strong duo were there to save the day, even if the rest of the characters were frustrating to follow.

The performances, finally, were all great.

So, overall, six out of ten.

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Not Good Enough

Korean Drama '' The Escape of the Seven : War for Survival '' is a thiller-melodrama.

The drama has a strong start, hooking the viewer with its frustrating plot and the truly evil main leads who will stop at nothing in order to satisfy their egoistic needs.

And yet, in the second half, things got too ridiculous, even for a melodrama. And it also got boring, as it lost its sense of purpose, and changed its story all together, but without a satisfying result.

Also, the use of technology was eye rolling and only there to cover up twists that either backfired or were too out of hand to handle.

The performances, finally, were enjoyable and just right for the genre.

So, overall, five out of ten.

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Where are the puppies?

Oof. I thought this is gonna be a bit more lovey-dovey, but it took 8 episodes to get there.

I hated how everyone is always siding with Rome. I get that Gun has a cute face and apparently people can’t stay mad long at sweet faces, but honestly I was at Pick’s side all the time. Rome drove me so mad, especially when Din got involved.
I knew Din would be trouble the moment he agreed to go on the trip with the two. I didn’t think he’d go that far, but it was predictable.

I said i didn’t ship Emma & Porsche in s1 and look what we got. It was so clear how their love for each other faded and i just wanted them to break up. I don’t ship them with the other characters, but it’s just so damn exhausting to watch 2 people forcing sth that is not there anymore.

-23.11.21

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Good Enough

Korean Drama '' The Deal '' is a thriller about three friends and a really sticky situation.

The drama starts out pretty strongly and is a psychologically twisty spiral that goes deeper and deeper into darkness, as the characters have to make their choices.

However, the drama suffers from its short length. Thus, it didn't have the chance to have a smooth progress, or have things develop organically. And, as the drama started adding more genres and more situations and twists, everything happened too quickly. In the end, the conclusion was rushed as well.

The performances, on the other hand, were all great by everyone in the cast.

So, overall, seven out of ten.

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Makes fun of phobias & trauma

I watched that bc of OffGun, ngl.
Though I also found the puppies & cats very cute, but considering the show is about these two animals, I found that there weren’t many there on-screen.

While OffGun weren’t that close in 2016, I find they had pretty strong chemistry already. I don’t know much about their friendship and how long they are friends already, but I would honestly believe they were close friends during the series already. Even just in 6 episodes, their eyes were longing for each other.

Tho I hate again how Pick’s & Rome’s relationship started off with bullying.
Generally the way Pick and Porsche approached Emma and Rome were so wrong.

I especially hated how Porsche made fun of Emma’s phobia. Being afraid of dogs may not be the same as being afraid of scorpions, but there are still people who are and it’s really not funny. Also considering that a dog killed her cat when she was little – that’s some serious trauma.
Which made shipping them quite hard. The actors of the hetero couple had some chemistry and I really liked Emma, I just couldn’t ship them cause it felt wrong. Porsche got better in the end and if he hadn’t treated her like that at first, i could perhaps ship it, but I can’t.

-22.11.21

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Starts stressful, ends good

Damn, I LOVE how they made a poster for each episode and did it like a parallel to other romance movies, but still kept it iconic to the characters, instead of just copying the entire poster/scene. This is so frickin creative, damn. ❗️✨

Now for the story: I hated Khai in the beginning and really hoped they wouldn’t get together. Ignore the fact that Third loves him; Khai & Third were apparently best friends, but Khai treated him like a piece of shia. Can you even call that friendship? And then when Khai knew about Third’s feelings and played with his emotions like that... I just wanted to slap him. And the slaps of his previous girlfriends are not even enough for that.

But OffGun are amazing actors, especially Off, who made me like Khai in the end. If I were Third, I probably wouldn’t have forgiven Khai, but I did appreciate his efforts...

The fact that Gun cried in every episode tho felt a bit unnecessary at some point. I get that Gun won the awards of crying, but still, too much is too much.

I came for OffGun, but ended up shipping another gay couple, haha. I’m sad they didn’t get a kiss; I’d actually watch a series with them again.

Overall, the first 6 episodes stressed me out so much, that if I ever re-watch the series, I’ll skip these.

And please give a huge applause to Two (& Bone) for being the best friends anyone can only wish for: 👏

-25.11.21

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