Reviews

Enjoyable and funny but far from a masterpiece !

There are a lot of good stuff like the acting, the messiness or people theories so I enjoyed myself.
But we need to talk about the sl*t shaming in this story. You cannot sell your story as really sexy, explicit and progressive and then have all characters who don't want to be in a relationship and just want to enjoy s*x be the bad guy in your story, they're just bad to be bad, no background, no reasons for their actions. They are just sl*t because life I guess (Boston best example). For me, it's really problematic.
That's being said, almost all characters don't really make sense too, they act to make the plot move forward :
- Mew calling Boston before having s*x with Top when they don't seem to be that close
- Nick putting the listening device in Boston car before the party for no reason
- Ray having a breakdown in front of everyone after telling the truth to Mew
- Mew hitting Ray in the face after the breakdown even if he does the truth
- Daddy Dan character just came and disappeared
- Boieng character same
- the token lesbien duo
- the r*pe accusation plot....
And it's just what came out of the top of my head.
Now, the relationships and characters !
- Mew and Top were really boring for me sorry, I don't like the virgin who's gonna change the bad boy from his bad habits because he's just soooo perfect. Not my cup of tea I guess. And I didn't like their characters as individuals too. I just remembered that Top used to take dr*gs and stopped thanks to the power of love ! With no consequenses
- Ray and Sand were cute but Ray did a lot of f*cked up things. Not respecting Sand boundaries and all of it being played as if it was funny just doesn't sit right for me. (The scene were Ray interupted Nick and Sand vacations after Sand told him not to come...) Or Ray calling Sand a bunch of names when he's mad and never really apologised for it either. Like there is nothing cute about this relationship if you think about it. They could have shown us the impact of that kind of codependancy but no. I'm happy they take Ray alcoholism kinda seriously even if he's pretty clean, his friends drink next to him as if he was not an addict, no discomfort... It could have been really interesting to also see the burning for Sand, being the only reason for someone sobriety is not easy.
- Nick and Boston were cute, I really liked them at first but they didn't get enough screentime in my opinion. It could have been really interesting to see their characters and the reason behind their actions. But I think the writer's opinions really shaped their story, especially for Boston.
And I'll finish by saying that if you don't know how to write about serious topics like addiction, abusive relationship, r*pe accusations, you SHOULDN'T !
But yes, It was an entertaining show ! So watch it if you want to have fun ;)

(sorry for the mistakes

Read More

My Roman Empire

For a series I binged watched, it is amazing. My first lakorn was Love in the Air and I thought nothing could top it, but now, I think this series may have changed my mind. The scenes when Nuengdiao and Palm are together alone made me feel like I was walking into something. Their scenes and emotions felt so real to the point it was uncomfortable. The way they looked at eachother were saying whole speeches without speaking a word. They went through so much together and I love the way they would do anything to protect each other. One thing I didn’t like about this series is the soundtrack and the way they kept running away from eachother, but all in all this series is amazing. Eventhough it is up to preference, this series is definitely worth every second.

Read More

Recommended

I've waited patiently for this to dropp. And I'm not disappointed at all. I loved all the actors in it. They played their part really well. Of course I've mainly watched it for the three main characters...

In my eyes it's nor a bromance so if you where hoping for that I'm sorry. All three of them are pretty close to each other.

It's more a detective kinda drama with slot of nice moves. The ending really killed me tho. I was holding my heart the whole episode :).

They didn't really stretched the series, where u would say 40 episodes is to much or too little.

I myself have problems finishing series because I know how most of them will end, after watching just 5 episodes. But I had to finish this one to keep my mind settled. Not because I could see through ot but because I got attached to the characters.

I highly recommend others to watch the series. Its also a good start for people that are new to historical cdrama's.

Also to be more familiarise with actors like Joseph Zeng.

Read More

All Amazing Dancers

Firstly, I want to give a shout out to all the dancers, they were all amazing. It must have been had but they kept going.

Despite Mnets edits and dramas, In some ways, this season is better than SWF1. With this one, we got a better knowledge of most of the crew members and followed them through their journeyjourney unlike in SWF1 (E.g Holybang they only introduced HoneyJ & Jane).

The dancers are amazing, the choreography as well all awesome. In the end there will always be one winner but in a way, they are all winners and I am rooting for them.

1 million
Bebe
Deep n Dap
Jam Republic
Lady Bounce
Mannequeen
TsubaKill
Wolflo

Fighting!!!

Read More

Drama portrays every thing was easy then or the people were fooled easily

JCW is one of my favourite guys. I read some of the 10star reviews of this drama, here on MDL. But had to force myself to watch till episode 3. Didn't like anything - how easy it was to take over the gangnam by killing the old boss, how easily JCW fooled the boss, passed off as dead friend's cousin and became the must trusted guy and how easily they killed off the Busan gang leader. Just too easy and I find it hard to believe.
I liked JCW actions, he's does best of the best actions. The fight scenes are well acted.
P.S. does using cuss words in every f***ing line make it a good 90s crime drama. Felt more like teens acting off as grown-ups by using big cuss words.

Read More

One artsy series with high production and directing quality

I'm not so crazy about the story (to each's own), but some people might like it. I give it a 9 because this is one of the few martial arts series I've seen with a high-quality production value—especially the directing. The director is an artist. He did the slow motions perfectly, not over-abused and repetitious. The music is top-notch. Very fitting of the moods. The OS is excellent with a Blues undertone. The storytelling is a bit confusing., but due to the production value, you stick with it. This is not a typical roll-out martial arts series where the ending will spoil the entire series after you binge-watch and feel burnt out and disappointed. The length is just right. A build-up of surprising elements. As I mentioned, the director is someone to watch after. I am looking forward to his other works.

Read More

The actors in the show are all amazing, but Khaotung steals the show with his exceptional acting skills. He is beyond amazing and has become one of the top Thai actors in the industry. His portrayal of the character is so convincing that it's hard to believe he's not the character himself. The other lead actor is also commendable, and his performance is so moving that it will leave you in tears.

The chemistry between the characters in this show is absolutely astounding, and it elevates the overall quality of the series to new heights. The way the actors effortlessly connect with one another on screen is truly mesmerizing.

Overall, it's a beautiful story that will leave you feeling inspired and moved. The acting is top-notch, and the storyline is unique and unpredictable. So, if you're looking for something new and refreshing, this drama is definitely worth your time.

Read More

Messy, Messy, Messy

Frankly, it could’ve been even messier. Still disappointed they cut out the scene with Sand and a baseball bat from the teaser trailer lol
Anyway, I really like that GMMtv took on a queer centric drama directed by an accredited gay director. He clearly had a vision and you can see the influence of series like Queer as Folk and other media.

They delivered what you expect: a messy, somewhat toxic series about a group of LGBTQ+ young adults. It’s got solid acting, decent flow, and overall delivered an entertaining experience.

Acting is really solid. They pulled several of their heavy hitters for this. Khaotung was especially impressive as he managed to balance a flawed yet sympathetic character struggling with alcoholism. His scene in therapy was probably the most impactful of the show.

Since it’s a BL, I should discuss the relationships. Each relationship had a full arc and for the most part they felt fairly complete.
MewTop is probably most central to all the drama. I found them the least compelling and I honestly don’t think they are going to work out long term lol. They’re like rushing to move in together at the ending after the cheating debacle. I just don’t see Mew ever fully trusting Top again and I frankly don’t think he should lol.
SandRay are probably the healthiest and they communicate the most out of all the pairings. Their arc is primarily about working through their baggage and helping Ray toward sobriety. Sand is a bit of a desperate character when it comes to Ray, which I didn’t like much for their dynamic. Overall though, they seemed the most likely to work out.
BostonNick has caused the most discourse between fans of the show. For the most part, their relationship can be nailed down to two people wanting completely different things out of their relationship. I’m glad they did not end up together because it would not have worked out.
Boston is a polarizing character and personally I think he got the most screwed by the narrative in the end. He’s a promiscuous gay man who prefers casual sex over relationships. Should he have slept with his friend’s bf? No, that’s shitty and he deservedly lost his friend because of it. But then there was all this stuff about people having sex tapes of him without his consent and lying about him assaulting his friend’s brother. And it’s treated like that’s not a horrible thing to happen to him… like damn.
I did like his conversation at the end with Nick. Nick broke it off but he acknowledged it was just because he didn’t want to force Boston to be someone he wasn’t. And that Boston was fine as he was.

I’m honestly not sure how I’d feel about the show if I binge watched it. It was fun to just kind of tune in every week and not worry too much because all of the characters were going to be messy regardless lol.

Either way, it was fun and I would recommend.

Read More

Recognizable, Real, Bittersweet, And Hopeful.

If you've ever felt taken for granted in a relationship with someone you love, you'll probably understand the character Fumiya easily. If you've wished you could go back to the start of a relationship, this series explores that "what if" in a way that is thoughtful and realistic even though there is an element of fantasy to the premise.

The relationship and characters were so recognizable in multiple ways that every moment and emotion resonated. For me, it was a little emotionally difficult to watch at times because of this; it brought up a lot of my own bittersweet memories. There was hope and sweetness too though, and wonderfully nuanced acting, and I binge-watched it without pausing or fast-forwarding. [Update: I even re-watched it 3 months later and still loved it.]

What I like about many Japanese BLs is that everything is *not* always spelled out for the viewer. The dialogue and internal thoughts are realistic in that way.

The story starts off at the peak of a fall-out that seems unreasonably abrupt. As the story progresses however, we are intermittently shown memories of Fumiya's that show both the good times of their relationship and what lead up to the fall-out.

The psychology, emotions, and actions of both characters are things I've either experienced or seen and are very realistic. (I have not known anyone with selective amnesia but that plot point doesn't change how real the rest of it is.)

I see in reviews that many people don't understand Fumiya, but the screenplay and acting continuously give us breadcrumbs to his experience that were more obvious to me, so I thought I'd share a general summary of the character's psychological state:

The main point, is that Fumiya's growing hidden hurt means that any small new hurt triggers ALL of the past hurts, *whether directly related or not*! This leads to abrupt mood changes and shutting down or blowing up, even over seemingly small or mundane things. In addition, accumulating frustration can lead to resentment and biterness, which comes through when Fumiya snaps out something harsh. Eplained more below.

The cinematography is good, the differentiation between the present and flashbacks are clear, and the music was very emotionally fitting without being obvious.

GENERAL SPOILERS below.

The way Fumiya reacts to any type of praise may be subtle, but is extremely telling. There is surprise, small pleased smiles, shyness in the way he ducks his head or eyes flit around, biting or compressing his lips to hold in just how good it makes him feel, and an eagerness to do more. There are similar reactions when Ritsu gives him attention or makes him a priority in situations where he has learned to no longer expect, or even hope for, it.

Fumiya has been feeling increasingly taken for granted and of low priority to his boyfriend for a while. His major flaw is he doesn't know how to talk about this and keeps his frustrations bottled up; he says okay, that's fine, I'm not mad because he wants to keep the peace.

On Ritsu's side of things, he has not been intentionally trying to hurt Fumiya, but has made work his highest priority and has fallen complacent in his relationship. Like he says to Fumiya though, he won't know what's going wrong unless Fumiya tells him straightforwardly. Ritsu can tell there's friction but Fumiya often says 'it's okay' when Ritsu asks questions or apologizes.

The only reasons why this got a 9 instead of a 10 from me had to do with the last episode. This episode felt rushed (unlike the others).
1) I liked how the turning point for Ritsu was triggered, but his conclusion felt a little contrived to wrap things up quickly (what was there to be "afraid" of about sharing that part of his past?) Though it gave a symmetry or balance to things, it didn't quite make sense.
2) I wanted more time with them together at the end processing the relief of reconciliation. I also needed more time seeing them moving forward together for my own emotional state to transition to a more hopeful equilibrium after going through all the heavy feels. I feel emotions really strongly though, so this may not be as much of an issue for others.

Read More

Entertaining and Worthwhile

The title “Trillion Game” intrigued me, but was far from what I’d envisioned. I found it to be entertaining and refreshing. The characters were played well, and I was especially fond of the main characters: Haru (played by Maguro Ren) and Taira (played by Sano Hayato). Both-really-all the primary players were new to me; at least, they were not in my memory. But these guys, I won’t forget! Immediately, Haru’s mischievous smile and cunning laughter drew me in, compounded by his sway, swagger, self-confidence, and shrewd antics. To talk about Taira’s character would give too much away, but he was the perfect pairing for Haru. I liked the storyline, and how Director Yoshiaki guided us through each episode with resolve. It is fast-paced, a mixture of comedy, drama, suspense, and romantic waverings. Of notable mention, Rinrin (played by Fukumoto Riko). My research of the leading actors revealed a very youthful bunch, which I found shocking, because their acting abilities were seasoned and mature. “Trillion Game” is already on my list for rewatching.

Read More

NEED S2 PLS

Why don't many people talk about this drama? Is it maybe because the storyline is heavy and about politics? But you know this is a hidden gem drama!!! The story is about maybe you can say the daily life of people who work in the government, and I got to know how the process and what government people do.
Maybe for people unfamiliar with politics or who have never liked politics, this is a heavy plot.
But I really suggest this is a good story and makes you all suspicious of the cast and don't forget the mind-blowing plot twist that should be watched at least once in a lifetime!!! And you have nothing to regret, a little advice if you watch a drama that has never tried the genre is better to watch without any suspicion first thanks me latter

Read More

it's very engaging but overall not so great

Due to personal crisis, Joon Sung and Jae Hyo made a deal to kidnap their friend Min Woo, asking for ransom from his wealthy family. Right away I was excited for a suspenseful thriller experience. On the production side, it is almost perfectly executed! From camerawork, music, and the acting. I was impressed with the powerful acting of our leads and the mother! The use of classical music in few critical situations are strangely fun, it's the best treat for my sensory. The opening credit is very creative, it tickles my imagination and I never skip it.

It is dark and serious tone throughout and the first half kept me on the edge of my seat. I feel bad for Min Woo and what he's going through during the kidnapping is slightly psychologically unsettling, knowing your trusted friends suddenly tied you and pinned you down in their closet. While episode 1-5 provide great momentum, the storyline fell flat afterwards. It's getting weirder and weirder the more the trio try to execute "The Perfect Deal". I found them making illogical decisions for the sake of keeping the plot going. I don't get why don't just help one another if they're friends? The resolution was also unrealistic and left me unfulfilled. Overall, not so great but I enjoyed. For any thriller fan, it is still an engaging watch due to its' short and fast pacing, there's no boring or drag part.

Read More

What is going on??

I thought these type of totally senseless dramas only happened in the past and on less prominent platforms.

Episode 1 started off very shaky but I persevered thinking the story might improve but it becomes more and more absurd as I reached Episode 3. The ministers are behaving like children demanding for the execution of the FL just because their daughters’ faces were injured using water from the the FL’s basin. (The basins of water was by the palace servants and each maiden had their own basin of water but a funny wind blew leaves into the other basins and only the FL’s water basin was unaffected and she kindly offered the other maidens the use of her water) Even common sense dictates an investigation but nope, this drama paints the ministers as imbeciles who need immediate action without any concrete proof.

This requirement for the maidens to wash their faces in the courtyard just before meeting the Prince in itself is very odd as I have never seen this in any other drama. Not to mention that the Prince is old around 50 and looking for a concubine just because he cannot forget his wife who died 30 years ago after giving birth to his heir. He didn’t look for a concubine earlier? Then where did his younger sons come from? Another possible plot loophole as it looks like he has remained single after the death of his wife… if this doesn’t get explained, it will be totally ridiculous.

Can it get better? I’ll try it out for a bit longer… one good thing about this drama is I am not sleeping late as I have no desire to binge watch!

Update: For the next episodes, the story moved on to the harem and becomes the typical so-so drama with lots of back stabbing and plotting. Thankfully not as senseless as Episode 2 & 3, but the story is choppy and I am not feeling it with the ML, FL or SML even after 5 more episodes so it’s time to drop it.

Read More

Something sweet... Something spicy

When I first started this series, I did not expect much. Granted that it had a lot of "spicy" scenes, but I had hoped to some degree that it will provide a semblance of depth among its character.

Which they did-- to a degree.

But, reading other reviews that had tackled on those topics, I will simply list Pros and Cons of this show. Warning on spoilers.
Pros:
-OST and the Intro video. It just matches well with the overall show aesthetic.
- First and Khaotungs characters Sand and Ray. These two could have a series all on their own and it wouldn't be much different, to be honest. A lot of the characters in this show are quite human -- meaning they are both good and terrible. Sand is not perfect but compared to Ray he is a saint. An absolute wonderful person that from start to finish I only wished he got the best ending. Ray's complexity is spot on, and for someone like me who had been in close contact with someone extremely alcoholic, their portrayal is eerily familiar. That and the chemistry of the two actors is just beautiful.
-Boston. Don't get me wrong, he is terrible. Like the walking red flag. His lack of remorse and his selfish nature is not an uncommon trait. It's seen in the real world, and I have to praise Neo's acting because people did dislike Boston a ton.
-Mew. I like Mew, and I like his transformation era but his character sometimes came off as trying too hard.
-Nick. I love Nick, despite him bugging the car and falling deeply in love with Boston, he still ended up with the best version of himself. And that's someone who will love themselves and choose themselves. It's always hard to waste away when in love, and it's beautiful that Nick recognized that and decided to step away.
-Nick and Sand. Friendship is top tier despite the hiccup here and there.
-The way they ended one friendship as well, which shows that sometimes we outgrow people and we can't expect that same level of closeness there when it had crumbled to dust.
-Therapy session as important to get over addiction is a plus.
-Recognizing that growth is not linear.
-Mond the actor.
-I know people say that this show is very queer-- which I agree, it is. But it feels more like the show showcases strongly just how much a person's sexuality can evolve and how much that can reflect in how they interact with people around them.
-Mixx~

Cons:
-Debating if this is a pro or a con, or it should be it's own genre but these people - Mew, Ray, Cheum and Boston had never felt like a friendship group to me. Even at the beginning. Which supposedly is the thing. There was lack of anything to prove they all had gone through things together, unless you can see them drinking and starting a hostel which really doesn't show much. Apart from Ray and Mew that had a scene that showed how or why they are close-- the other two seemed like props to me.
And don't get me started on Cheum, that character was a bad friend no matter what anyone says and quite oblivious to things that matte
-Mew and Top. I do not understand why they still ended up together. I felt Top is such a boring character. He is like Boston but not, and the whole fire trauma wasn't nicely done enough to make him more human. I get second chances and whatnot, that he was tricked or whatever-- but he sometimes just come off creepy and nosy and people like to say that's because of love. After people commenting that Mew is his type, how come Mew was the one that converted him to being monogamous? There' s just so many things about this couple that could have been executed better to have that satisfying end-- all I got out of them was they should not have been endgame.
-Top and Sand past resolution was a bit rushed and strange. Hating them, then exposing Top and then by the end they are both buddy buddy. Meh. Did not expect a fight but a better situation that would have connected them better despite the past, would have been better.
-Atom and in extension Cheum again, just you'll get it when you watch it. Before this, Cheum was a meh character to me, then that scene happened and she was just-- deplorable. Her only redeeming quality was her when she was with her girlfriend.
- Mond the character Boeing. I get that his past with Sand and Top can be a moving force in their respective relationships, but the execution only made it feel that his existence to the story was so unnecessary.


Other creative decision you can ignore or accept but those listed above is really what stuck with me. However, overall, I still did enjoy the show. It's quite a journey, especially when you had to wait for the next week. I slightly envy those who would be coming in now and can binge watch it until the end. And I praise the actors for giving life and personality to the characters they portrayed. A different kind of series from the usual GMMTV produced ones, that's for sure.

Read More