1This review may contain spoilers
BL that manages to be more than BL in some ways
In a nutshell:The story is interesting though some may bemoan the way the series doesn’t seem to have a major conflict or point of tension for quite a few episodes. However, the series never feels slow or boring to me. There is a lot to love about this series because it doesn’t always tell the story in an in-your-face manner. But this could well be its weakness too. For example, if it had emphasized how one of the main characters’ (Pharm) incomplete recollection of his previous life early could pose a problem to their relationship, the tension and suspense built could have maintained the interest of more viewers.
In a coconut shell:
The series starts with the tragic double suicide of Korn/In, certainly not the lighthearted schoolboys-fall-in-love stuff that is so common in BL (though the characters are students). The double suicide is the result of parental objections to their relationship because of their sexual orientation, a rather serious consequence compared to popular BL series that treat the topic of objecting parents less seriously (e.g. Together with Me: The Next Chapter in which the parents change their minds, and Dark Blue Kiss in which the parents are surprisingly open-minded). The seriousness in tone, though not all that persistent, makes it different from a lot of BL that focus on the couples’ relationship without such a strong regard for the society in which the story is set). Where the Dean/Pharm story is concerned, the use of common BL tropes (like a “straight” guy falling in love with another guy) is rather sparing. This may be a good thing, but the side couple (WinTeam) may appeal to BL fans more and may be more conventionally BL.
In the parts of the story that use common BL tropes, the series does become more like BL and somewhat less realistic. The inclusion of a BL fangirl of sorts (Manaow) and the way Dean’s swimming team do not seem to bat an eyelid when their captain brings his boyfriend with him on a team outing are where BL fans find themselves in familiar terrain, though we can guess how often that happens in real life in Thailand. Interestingly, these elements seem to be used to contrast past and present, making a point about how increased openness towards homosexuality in society makes a huge difference for same-sex couples and even the two fathers who live in regret after their sons’ deaths. The society in the Dean/Pharm parts of the story feels much less oppressive that the atmosphere in the Korn/In story. We can see this from the minor characters’ behaviours: whereas Pharm’s friends accept and encourage his relationship with Dean, In’s good friend only quietly feels happy for him when he sees In together with Korn. Such subtle touches make the story rather interesting and worth re-watching.
There doesn’t seem to be a rush to bring the plot to new heights of tension. There is neither an excessive preoccupation with kissing and sex scenes nor an aversion to them. Although a number of viewers seem to find UWMA to be rather slow-moving or that it’s not clear where the story is going, I have a different opinion. In fact, the story is fairly well-paced, with the flashbacks seldom being unnatural as they show the parallels between the previous lives and the present lives. I suppose one thing that frustrates some viewers is the way the Dean/Pharm storyline doesn’t seem to have any obvious conflict for a large part of the series, which may give the impression that it is going nowhere. However, I like the way events are foreshadowed and how the characters slowly recall and come to terms with their past lives. As I watched each episode on a YouTube playlist, I get to the last part before I know it (it’s quite a different experience when it comes to series like I Am Your King Season 2).
Another aspect of the series that I like is how Dean and Pharm have different personalities from their past lives. The differences are more subtle in Dean, who seems calmer but also more determined to make his relationship work out than Korn. As for Pharm, while he’s clearly attracted to and in love with Dean, he does not rush into the relationship. As a really good cook, Pharm is set apart from In who cannot cook to save his life. This difference isn’t merely superficial for the patience and skill with which he cooks indicates a different personality. Both Dean and Pharm seem to have “learnt” something from their previous lives. The dynamics of their relationship are somewhat different too. While we see more passion between Korn and In, we see more tenderness between Dean and Pharm. The interplay between the parallels and differences indirectly creates suspense: will the couple finally have a happy ending, or will history repeat itself? Most of the time, the story seems geared towards a happy ending but there is foreshadowing of a problem to come, especially in a scene where a monk reminds the couple of the importance of forgiveness. In the end, we see that Dean/Pharm must reconcile with the people in their past lives and settle their unfinished business before moving on as themselves in their present lives. It seems paradoxical in the end, but it makes sense: Dean and Pharm have acquired new identities and cannot be living in the shadows of Korn and In forever, so while accepting that they are reincarnations of Korn and In, they must still be able detach themselves from their past lives. (An interesting scene in the last episode with Dean and Pharm dreaming of Korn and In as third parties and not as themselves for once shows that they have finally managed to move on as Dean and Pharm, not reincarnations of Korn and In.)
I also love WinTeam in this series although it often looks like the WinTeam scenes are a teaser/test for a possible Season 2 which will focus on them. I would love to watch a Season 2 with WinTeam as the focus though even with the same production team, I believe a Season 2 with WinTeam will be enjoyable in a rather different way. If this series doesn’t appeal to you, you could still give Season 2 a chance if it is made.
Edit: After considering why I've been feeling that something is a little lacking in this series despite my love for it, I realize that there isn't that much on how the characters fall in love. For Dean and Pharm, each immediately feels like the other is the one on first sight because of their past lives, so we can only look to Korn and In. But while we can see the depth of Korn and In's love, we don't see enough of what makes their love so strong. Our involvement in their story would be stronger if there had been a bit more showing Korn and In's love for each other.
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Drama That Transcends Its Genre
Until We Meet Again is unique drama in its genre in many ways: it has unique story, exceptional acting and tackles some very hard, but important, subjects like homophobia, domestic violence and suicide, but also love, friendship and forgiveness. What this drama does not offer is instant gratification.The only reason I rated the story 7.5 and not higher is not actually the story itself but rather the execution in some parts. Some moments were stretched too long and that time could have been used on some other moments which were cut too short. I didn't mind the pacing which seems to be a major complaint about this show. I actually liked to feel live I was living with these characters.
In spite of major fantastical element (reincarnation), the biggest plus for this drama is that it depicts a healthy, positive, loving, realistic gay relationship (two if you include In and Korn, in spite of their ending, three if you include Win and Team). Nothing is sensationalized or fetishized, there are no toxic tendencies, . On the other hand, homophobia and, especially, suicide are treated seriously and respectfully . Their consequences are serious, horrifying and lasting, the entire families devastated.
The other strength of UWMA is its spectacular cast. From the main actors (Fluke especially) to the people with barely two lines, from novices to veterans, every role was filled by someone who cared, someone who did their best. And I don't think production team slouched either. Their efforts are visible on the screen.
I could write much more about this drama, but I know I would inevitably stray into spoiler territory and I don't want to do that to those who still haven't seen this gem. I just know that this show will be re-watched and re-watched and re-watched in the months and years to come. I am jealous of those who have yet to discover it.
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I suggest all prospective audience to ignore negative reviews before watching it. Only audience with “taste”, “feeling” and “empathy” appreciate the story, beautiful soundtracks, excellent acting, superb chemistry, great casting and character development.
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This review may contain spoilers
The plot had so much potential with the reincarnation trope leading the story, but it was never really used. While I enjoyed the beginning episodes quite a lot, at some point I was questioning myself for watching it. It wanted to be deeper, more dramatic and moving, but used all wrong directing choices to achieve it, and in the end, it did not work for me.CHARACTERS/COUPLES
Truth to be told, I was far more interested in all side/past couples than the main one. I didn’t feel that much chemistry between them. Don’t get me wrong, there were moments when I found them as cute as possible, but I always thought it was more about good directing and not their acting. The romance scenes were simply well written and shot. I still believe Pharm and Dean’s first kiss was filmed in a fantastic way.
I truly loved the fun and entertaining chemistry going on between Team and Win and I wish we could have seen more of them and how they developed feelings for each other. We kind of knew they would end up together… and then they did. Not much of that development was really shown.
Earth and Kao were really good in their roles and I truly did feel the pain and desperation watching their scenes. Wish we could have a prequel telling just their story in greater detail.
Sadly, I felt like Ohm had the same facial expression 90% of the drama, with Fluke showing a bit more diversity: happy grin, shocked grin, massive crying (+ the quite well acted total meltdown in the last episode). While at the beginning I did not mind, at some point I was just bored by their scenes and performance.
Character wise, both Dean and Pharm were nothing special. I mean… Did Dean even have a personality? I did enjoy their relationship though, because, they played off of each other's characteristics well - Pharm being on a shy note and Dean leading the interactions, but as separate characters… they had close to nothing going on.
THAT SAID, I have to applaud the drama for one specific scene. We got some good representation of setting boundaries. When Dean gets a bit too touchy with Pharm, but Pharm quickly puts him back in place, clearly says it was unwanted and it must never happen again. We don’t see scenes like that a lot in BLs.
Also, justice for Manow. Poor girl was literally forgotten at some point of the drama.
DIRECTING
Oh boy. All the long, slow scenes of them doing literally nothing, like… looking at their phone, or cooking but without interacting with each other. The dialogues with way too many pauses. They literally took breaks every 2 or 3 words. There were many scenes that just felt like fillers. Few seconds here, few seconds there… but no content to be found. It made the drama look more aesthetically pleasing, but at the same time, I could not move my finger away from the right arrow on my keyboard, because I was sure there will be more than one occasion I will want to skip the next 5 seconds of them doing nothing.
As I was watching and the story progressed more and more, I could not wait for it to end. It dragged so badly and it was so amazingly slow. Everything was slow. They talked slowly, the shots were slow, the background music was slow, how they moved and walked was slow. I was honestly getting sleepy and tired after watching. The fact that, by an accident, I was able to watch 2 parts of an episode set on 1.5x speed and did not notice says a lot about the directing.
The violin soundtrack started to drive me nuts at some point. It made it seem like every scene was so profound and important and had deeper meaning… most of them did not. The overuse of it made it not an asset, but an annoyance in my eyes (ears?).
WRITING/STORY
I feel like the planning just failed. With the minimum of Team and Win scenes, they should just cut them out completely and make a sequel showing their relationship from the beginning. Focus only on Dean and Pharm and the past story of In and Korn. Show us in more detail how they slowly connected all the dots and accepted their past and current selves.
What’s most important, introduce a conflict AND NOT IN A LAST EPISODE. With the reincarnation trope, there are so many ways to go about it. Giving me Pharm questioning his love for Dean, not being sure if it's real or it's just reminiscence of the relationship In had with Korn, it’s awesome. What’s the point of shoving it in our faces in the last episode? It could have been gradually introduced. The more Pharm knew about the past, the more he would start questioning his feelings for Dean. This way you would have two driving forces for their relationship clashing in an interesting way - them being drawn to each other by the past connection, but also driven away by the fear it’s not real. I guess this isn’t the drama’s fault, since it is based on the novel, but it does not change the fact that there weren’t really any stakes presented. They tried to introduce some struggle by the end, but since the set up was not strong enough, it failed to move me and make me care.
The mental breakdown Pharm had at the end was so ridiculous too. He knew the story, he had flashbacks showing exactly what happened. It’s not like finding the box in the previous episode gave him some new information. He knew it all… And sure, we can argue that the reality of it hit him the moment he saw the photos and the gun, but it still makes no sense pacing wise. Make it happen at least two or three episodes earlier so we can actually feel the pain of then splitting/taking a break. Give me that emotional journey not some cheap emotional thirty second roller coaster with some bullshit “three months later”.
Overall, I guess I was simply not convinced by Fluke and Ohm’s acting so the scenes that might have been sweet, emotional, sad… were, for me, boring. I was not connecting to their feelings so I could not bring myself to care. The moment I started to care, the pace slowed down so painfully, I was getting distracted by the fact nothing was happening. Sad conclusion to the drama I was so excited to watch.
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1Until I Rewatch This Again
UWMA is a flawed drama but when it comes to personal enjoyment I want to give it 11/10 and it wouldn’t be enough: An essay. Contains TL;DR. Perhaps light spoilers.Note: I haven’t read the novel yet so these are my opinions based solely on the drama. I’m also trying to be objective but know that I love the show a bit too much.
Do you ever watch a drama and think “man, I cannot believe this drama was made solely for me”? cause I felt like this while watching UWMA.
Admittedly, it is not a perfect drama – it would definitely benefit from having less episodes – 17 (basically 18) was indeed a bit too much. Making it 14/15 episodes would definitely please people who weren’t into the drama same way I am and it would make the storytelling more dynamic because the slowburn felt way too slow in the middle of the story. I personally don’t see it as a major flaw – considering this type of storytelling was present throughout the whole series it is obvious it was a deliberate choice and not accidental and I actually didn’t mind it at all (but I can see it why it could be annoying for others). The drama would also profit from having more dialogues and/or less “blank space” which seemed to occur in many scenes. Stuff was just not happening at all sometimes. On the other hand, this (little dialogues, slow pace) created a very calming and comfortable atmosphere.
= STORY =
The story itself has amazing premise but somehow, the execution on a scriptwriter’s/directors’s side seems lacking. In general, the story lacks big external conflict – I can imagine that in novel everything happens on the “inside” which leads to visually low-dynamic story that is hard to transfer to the tv show. There were not enough dialogues and actors can convey only this much emotions through their expressions. We know that characters are having great internal debates but inner speech is not shown though voiceover often enough which is a pity. Sometimes, the scenes were a bit too long. Storytelling was also sometimes a bit off – for example, based on what we have seen in the drama, KornIn had pretty comfy relationship with only few reasons to commit suicide – the drama showed them snuggling, kissing outside, playing outside… I’m aware that reality was different and they did experience hardship behind the scenes and what we saw were supposed to be a cherry-picked moments, but really, I think the suicide deserves stronger juxtaposition and build-up (even retrospectively).
While I have my comments on the execution of the story, I must admit that they are not actually deal-breaking flaws for me. Annoying – yes. Would I want to see some scenes done differently? – yes. Do I want to see something else? Also yes. But I still rewatched so many scenes. I think the case with the story is – the novel is a pretty standard soulmates AU which means there were not many reasons to go for some totally new plots and I don’t really see that as a flaw.
Ultimately, what I really loved is the focus on the main couple. Usually, in BL dramas we get a lots of struggles and only few snuggles but UWMA made it other way around. Also, the focus was solely on DeanPharm either in past or in present. No forced secondary couples you don’t care about which I loved as well.
Anyways, contrary to popular complaint – I liked the cooking scenes – it helped develop Pharms character besides the fact that hes In and also Deans BF.
What I also liked are the parallel/contrasting situations/scenes between KornIn and DeanPharm relationhips. And in general – I absolutely adored KornIn and DeanPharm. They were so soft, cute, loving, supportive, trusting, playful… I find it refreshing to see these healthy relationships being the main focus of the drama. DeanPharm do lack communication just like any other main couple in drama ever (this time one of possible excuses can be magic behind reincarnation) but when it comes to the physical stuff, they are actually consensual and have established boundaries.
Plus, the final episode was great – maybe it is a bit pity its story didn’t happen earlier – the ending felt a little rushed. But it solidified this drama on the top of my BL faves.
= ACTING/CHEMISTRY =
I see acting as the strongest aspect of the drama. Thanks to solid to great acting performances most of the flaws were evened out for me. Casting of main leads was done so well – both Ohm-Kao and Fluke-Earth are able to project similar energy while having their own personal color just like their characters do.
Fluke and Earth managed to carry this show with their performances to new heights. Ohm and Kao weren’t bad (actually, Ohm got better and better throughout the series and by the end I really enjoyed him. With Kao it was a bit obvious this is his debut role) but considering the nature of their characters, their job was mostly glare menacingly at everyone except their partners and be handsome. Fluke was great. No wonder he is one of the most acclaimed BL actors. That boy can cry and is not afraid to look ugly! And Earth is so damn sweet. Honestly my favourite BL actor atm. I also love the fact they got several accomplished veteran actors to act in this drama. I feel like thanks to them many tense scenes went so well and they made the story more multidimensional.
Personally, I don’t stand behind the decision of having casted LBC actors in minor roles, though. One or two maybe, but casting so many of them took my attention to things that werent really supposed to be noted. Oh and wth? I realized too late that Del is played by Pineare aka Yuri from Lovesick! She’s all grown up now!!
Anyways, back to the topic. The chemistry was on point. Personally I love KornIn scenes a bit more but it might be because their moments are so soft (and I like Earth. Did I mention that I like Earth?). Their beach scene (ep 8 – 4/4) is going to be one of the most legendary scenes in history of BLs and can be rivalled only by KornIn laying in bedroom (ep 10 – 1/5) and In being sick (15 – 2/4). (Okay, I might be overreacting a little now.) Of course, KaoEarth had as actors easier position considering their characters didn’t go through major trauma (yet) and you know… they didn’t have to portray some sort of split personalities like DeanPharm had to. But don’t get me wrong – I loved DeanPharm ship as well. I think they were extraordinary soft, loving and understanding and I loved them nearly as much as KornIn. (And since I named good scenes for previous couple, I should do the same here: Christmas lights scene 11 – 2/4; snuggles 11 – 4/4; Dean comes to terms with the past 9 - 4/4)
I didn’t care for WinTeam couple at all – I didn’t really feel their chemistry and they just felt forced in the grand scheme of things. I honestly don’t understand how someone managed to get attached to WinTeam couple to the point to only watch the drama for them. Same goes for PrukManaow. What was point of that. I get it – Sammy deserves a loveline with a Hot Hunk but honestly, couldn’t they make it feel a bit more organic?
Dick Energy aside – the cast overall had a nice chemistry. The friendships/families were so damn cute.
= MUSIC =
At the beginning of the show I felt like the music – or its use, to be exact - was the major weakness. I remember complaining that background music was too loud and by the end of drama I am not sure if the volume got fixed or I just got used to it. The case still stands though because sometimes, the use of music was unlucky. There are scenes that are void of any dialogue and then, suddenly Boy Sompob or Dome Jaruwat start YELLING acapella to the scene. What a buzzkill.
Other then that, I actually like the ost. The score is beautiful and feels really grandiose at times – especially the orchestra parts where the string instruments join. And I also love Dome’s song. The fact is, however, that considering the length of the series and the fact that the music is used in every “mute” scene (so basically in every scene), there seems to me not enough songs/pieces to not feel repetitive.
= CONCLUSION/TL;DR =
Objectively, the issues of this show lie in the length/pacing of the drama and some storytelling choices while positives are in acting, chemistry, music and general storyline. The tipping point that depends largely on personal preference is the overall atmosphere of the drama which someone might name pretentiously artsy due to coloring choices and slow development while others might call it calming – either it works for you or not.
The drama is not perfect, as I tried to address in this jumbled mess of a text, but in my POV the positives weight much more than the negatives do. UWMA became my most favourite thai BL. Very wholesome, cute, soft and full of warm and fuzzy feelings together with interesting plot that is much different from any other mainstream thai BL and with fantastic acting performances and chemistry.
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Fluke's acting deserve an Oscar!!
I just finished watching UWMA and I must say, this serie is one of the best BL series I have ever seen.First of all, the plot is excellent. It's funny, it's beautiful, it's mature and more. But most importantly, it has a good message. The story takes place in both present and past. They have to handle problems like family issues, homophobia etc.
The acting in this serie is really good. We deal with both well known actors and new actors. Fluke (one of the main actors) is such a good actor it is almost inhuman. He handles the more dramatic scenes like a true pro and it is hard not to believe that he is going through exactly what the character is. Though, he's way of acting embarrassed becomes a bit too much when he says "P'Dean" all the time. Other than that, I loved and enjoyed every single actor in this serie (which is honestly uncommon) and their chemistry in real life is also amazing and cute.
I really hope we get a season 2 which focuses on the relationship between Win and Team.
Two things I dislike about this serie: Firstly, when they show scenes from the past, it is sometimes hard to understand what time it is set in. An important part of the serie is to know that the past is set in a time which being gay was not acceptable. But you can't really understand that it is set a long time ago, it looks like present. Secondly, some scenes are really slow. I am a very impatient person, it was also hard not to skip forward since it was kind of easy to understand what was coming next. Though, I think the slow tempo is important to the plot.
I would re-watch this serie anytime.
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This review may contain spoilers
I have watched most of the BL dramas out there by now and this is on top of my list. I watched the entire drama multiple times and stand by my review every time I watch. What I loved 1. This is a unique story, there are only a handful of reincarnation stories out there. The chances of such a plot ending up sounding unbelievable and silly was high, but this drama handled it beautifully. 2. The actors. I have never seen a drama before where every actor did their best. Always there will be some side character who seem boring or unnecessary. Everyone was on point and delivered the right emotion every time. 3. Music - This single handily will win over the audience. The lyrics are deep, personal and resonates with the pain of the past and the hope for the future. What I did not like - There were editing issues in multiple episodes, some of them were corrected in youtube version and none of them were bad enough to put one off the series. Overall a must watch Was this review helpful to you?
Pharm and Dean are MEANT TO BE so end up together despite the fact that Pharm does little but cook, cry and look incredibly conflicted for someone who's supposedly in love. Ohm is a plank of wood as Dean and Earth's acting, as usual, makes me want to punch him.
I mostly enjoy the show's tone of anti-climax in terms of its conflict. The reincarnation is the only point of conflict and, honestly, that is somewhat refreshing. But there comes a point at which the whole thing is just spinning its wheels. They could have spent that time establishing Pharm and Dean's relationship in the present but instead it's just shallow INSTA!love that quickly wears thin.
As the show progresses, Pharm's response to his so-called epic destined love gets more and more weird, until the whole thing starts to come off as non-consensual. It's deeply uncomfortable and doesn't get better but worse over time.
With the extension, the show got even slower and had to jettison screentime for several characters who were no doubt contracted only for the original run. This served to make the whole thing even more boring and forced the writers to take the show in a direction that completely undercut what was left of its own themes.
With the pacing off and an OTP you struggle to ship, this is not the show it could have been and is overall a boring disappointment.
As usual, this comment comes with a disclaimer that I am not the audience shows like this are aimed at.
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A PLEASANT SURPRISE
Until We Meet Again is the best BL series created till date. In this 10-page essay I shall...Just kidding, I'm not going to write 10 pages even though my mind is clouded with an overbearing number of emotions right now. This review isn't even going to be coherent but it's going to act as an archive for my thoughts for when I want to convince friends to watch this.
Story - 10/10 for a great plot, amazing writing and for connecting loose ends perfectly. Every character had a part to play and helped the story progress in their own way. What started out (to me) as a cute little fluffy show with cooking interludes turned into a full fledged character development journey showcasing the healthiest relationship in BL I've ever seen.
Their relationship impressed me so much. P'Dean is not your typical "top" BL lead. He respected the boundaries set by Pharm, is communicative and shows how much he cares for Pharm through his words and actions. He respected him when he said he needed a break. Same goes for Pharm. After nearly a decade of being plagued by nightmares, they became each others' safe place. I pray that I have a relationship that's as healthy as DeanPharm.
I would like to thank the writers for acknowledging the existence of homophobia and the effect it has on teenagers. All the other shows either don't focus on it at all or brush it aside after talking about it for a few minutes. But the way it was portrayed in this show was relatable to be in so many ways and as a queer person, it made me happy to see a BL drama which was more than fanservice-filled moments catering to a fujoshi/fudanshi audience. A gay relationship isn't going to be sunshine and rainbows. Thank you for showing that.
I would also like to thank the writers for not portraying female characters as a tool for making the MCs jealous or as their crazy exes or merely people who fetishise gay couples and so on. Positive light on all female characters? Who would have thought this day would come?
Pacing - 9.5/10. When I first heard that this series had flashbacks and present time scenes shown back to back, I didn't want to watch it and this is the only reason I postponed watching this for so long. I expected it to be messy and confusing but it wasn't. The time skips were shown in a very clear manner and didn't leave me bored.
Acting - 9/10. I'm not sure why I'm rating this as 9/10 instead of 10/10. Perhaps it's because Dean had three expressions most of the time - anger, shocked grief and whipped (Honestly same.) Not saying his acting was bad or anything though. Most of the scenes required him to act whipped anyway. Pharm's acting was great too. The sub cast's acting was so-so but Dean's grandma stole the show even though she didn't have that much screen time. Her acting skills were phenomenal. The emotions, the pain, the longing; it was all evident in her eyes. I cried with her every second she was on screen.
Music- 10/10. I don't have much to say expect they did a good job. Loved the OST :'0
I usually don't give high rewatch values because I'm the type of person who prefers to binge a lot of shows and never touch a series for a second time. But this one, I will make an exception for this show. I would definitely rewatch it and like the experience the emotions all over again. Forgive me for repeating myself, but this show really kept the fanservice to the minimum possible (almost negligible) level. I was seeing a gay real relationship and it's progress here.
(SPOILERS START)
A complaint most people had against this was that they didn't understand why Pharm said they needed to stay apart in the last episode. In my opinion, that was a very crucial part of the show. Until then, Pharm had trouble seeing Intouch and himself as two separate people. He wondered if the love he felt for P'Dean was only because In and Korn were in love in their past life. The nightmare he had about P'Dean cutting off the red thread of fate and moving on was a very valid and understandable fear on his part. After suggesting time apart, Pharm dreamt about In and Korn again. But this time, it was not from the perspective of In; he was watching it from the side because he was Pharm. He was a different person, not the Intouch from the past. That realisation was important for him to put aside the insecurities he had about his relationship with P'Dean and confess his feelings once again.
(SPOILERS END)
That's all I have to say. Of course, our tastes might not be similar but please give this series a chance. The chances of you regretting it are very less. And towards the beginning you might feel like dropping it but please stick till the end.
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Probably not what you're expecting
I have to say this before I start: This show is not for everyoneIt's slow-paced, which to some people may seem dragged out, so if you're someone who likes to get right into the action, this might not be for you.
As a love story centered around reincarnation, this concept was unique at least in the world of BL. Each episode takes you on a rollercoaster of emotions, switching between past to present. There are plenty of sweet and cute moments throughout the show, the characters are fun to watch, and I never felt bored. Like I said, it’s slow paced and probably not for everyone, but to me, it didn’t feel like it was dragging. Most BL dramas tend to get right to the point in order to make room for more romantic moments later in the story, but there are so many factors playing into the development of their relationship, that trying to skip through some of them just wouldn't work. It’s a beautiful story that focuses on not only Dean and Pharm, but every decision that was made in their past lives and them trying to fix all the pain that Korn and In's deaths left behind, and being able to see everything that they go through makes their relationship just extremely satisfying to watch until the end. I also appreciated that Dean and Pharm's relationship wasn't "toxic" like in other BLs. There’s a good sense of communication between the two of them, so most of the conflicts they have are external, which doesn't happen a lot. (I could honestly write about everything I love in this show but it'll be too much)
TLDR; This drama is unlike most BLs, not just because of the reincarnation aspect, but because it could be considered a "slow burn" but doesn't take away from the beauty of the story.
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GOLDEN PALM OF FRUSTRATION!
“If you don’t plan to end something well, don’t start doing it at all!”... The voice of one of my teachers echoed in my head more often than not throughout this series. And it was more vivid on the last few episodes.Before all, this is the first review I leave on MyDramaList. I have always considered leaving a review on a perfect or a catastrophic show useless as opinions tend to be similar, and repeating what everyone says is pointless... but I am leaving one for Until We Meet Again because it's both: Perfect and catastrophic, and, for the first time in a long while, I don't know what to think!
How much am I supposed to rate a show that I like and dislike equally? And what am I supposed to say about a show that I want to promote and “demolish” with an equal intensity? How am I supposed to react when in one show I’ve found everything I wanted to see in a BL drama and everything I don’t want to see in any drama at all?
If I surf on the emotional wave, I’d give a standing ovation to the team that worked on this series, but, if I hold back a little, and consider this series from the screenwriter’s perspective, I just might inundate this page with critiques. Being totally bewildered and overwhelmed by bittersweet emotions, and blurry, confusing considerations, I made my friend—who is a professional movie director—watch the series with me. He agrees on everything I am going to say below.
Before talking about my appreciation for this series, let’s be objective and list the main positive and negative sides of it. I will make this review as short as possible, and will try to avoid technical terms.
A. THE POSITIVE ONES:
1 – THE ORIGINAL PLOT: The plot developed around the concept of reincarnation held my interest right away. I liked the, almost, laid-back attitude of the director of this series in regard of such complex topic. It was fully assumed and exposed with a simplicity that’s too beautiful to believe. Habitually, when it comes to metaphysical concepts, the artists try to surpass themselves whereas it’s exactly what they shouldn’t do. Complexity doesn’t need difficulty, it has enough of it already, it needs simplicity… and I am happy that the theme was considered from a wide perspective. It spares the viewers all unnecessary discomfort.
2 – THE CAST: I can’t help but think about Kao and Earth right away. I think, hiring these two young actors, and matching them together, was the brightest idea the crew had for this series, after the plot.
3 – THE ACTING: Once again I think about Kao and Earth, they were both remarkable in their roles. They deserved thoroughly to have the leading roles in UWMA, but I can’t imagine anyone else but them play Korn and Intouch. They literally "brought to life" the characters with the natural of their interactions and the realism of their acting.
*A special mention for the actors whom got the secondary roles, they made the beginning of the series very entertaining.
B. THE NEGATIVE ONES:
1 – THE PROGRESSION OF THE INTRIGUE: I know that this drama is adapted from a novel. But writing a novel and writing a movie script are two totally diverse enterprises. I do both, so I know what I am talking about. You can let a story-line drag on in a novel (to a certain extent), but the watchword when you come up with an intrigue for a show is “Interest”. If you can’t affect the viewers and keep them interested “from credits to credits”, you shall admit that you must have been responsible of a blunder somewhere. A drama/movie intrigue that drags on is tiring for everyone, actors as well as viewers. Unfortunately, this is exactly what happened in UWMA, and this leads me to talk about the next point.
2 – THE SCRIPT: There are a lot of sides to consider while writing a script for a movie or a play, but I will only mention here those that “leaked”:
1.1/ Lack of suspense and realism: We knew from the plot that Korn and In committed suicide, and Dean found Pharm in the very beginning of the show. Again, we knew quick enough that In was from Dean’s family and Korn from Pharm’s, what's interesting in a drama but very unrealistic in depth… I personally guessed that In was from Pharm's family when the latter’s family name was exposed the first time… and everything that came afterwards was simply a development of a failed twist. I watched something that I knew would happen, quite disappointing!
1.2/ Distorted story-line: In the beginning of the series, we’d got a very regular college-life drama, and then the whole side-story is wiped off the screen as if it’s never been there, focusing solely on Dean and Pharm’s redundant interactions. That’s been exaggerated, I think!
3 – THE EDITING (SEQUENCING/TIMING/PACING): The length of the different scenes, their pacing and the choice of the scenes in itself are lacking fineness and rigor. Example: those useless school trip sequences. It would have made more sense if Dean took Pharm on a trip like Korn promised In. Something romantic, for them alone. Also, the way the past and present time scenes were synchronized is, simply put, cacophonous!
4 – THE ACTING: Dean and Pharm remind me of Wayo and Phana. If you have watched 2 Moons the Series (1st version) you know what I am talking about. Fluke is a very good actor. I first discovered him 6 years ago in My Bromance. In the role of the young Bank, he was incredible. Was he “made” for the role of Pharm…? Perhaps. I won’t blame him for the way he interpreted Pharm, I think the problem comes from the screenwriting and the directing, not from his abilities to undertake such role. A director is supposed to intervene if a role is misinterpreted!
The acting was not what it should have been (lack of chemistry, awkwardness, over-sentimentalism, second-hand embarrassment…) but it’s not the actors’ fault.
From another side, Kao and Earth interpreted their roles perfectly, so I wonder: was there some unevenness in the script, or was there a misunderstanding around the characters’ personalities, and the way they were supposed to behave in different circumstances to perform the present time scenes?
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This said, these are my suggestions — as an occasional screenwriter [not my profession] and as a viewer — about the options that I think would have improved the quality of this show, its suspense impact and its entertaining potential:
1 – Splitting the plot into two seasons: The first season would hold Korn and In’s story, and the second one Dean and Pharm’s story. If the budget were to be tight, reducing the number of episodes (8 to 10 episodes per season) and eliminating the side story would have given enough matter and budget to work on/with to the crew.
2 – Keeping the one season objective and considering the script from a reversed perspective: Korn and In’s story would be kept as it is now in the series, but Dean and Pharm would only meet at the end of the series. So, we’d watch them reminiscing their past lives and looking for each other in their new lives, only to meet on the last episode (or to meet each other part-way, but only realize they were looking for each other in the end). Such version of the plot would have saved this series from the chemistry disparity between the past and present selves of the characters, as any awkwardness would have been interpreted, then, as the characters not understanding what was going on, and the nature of their feelings for each other.
3 – Rethinking the plot and the script completely, and starting with the present time story: Dean and Pharm would meet and feel strange and self-conscious (just like they seem to feel and act in the actual show) and wonder why they are attracted to each other. Their meeting would be the trigger of their past lives’ memories. The memories would start to flood their minds, and slowly they’d remember who they were in their past lives and what they meant for each other, and why they were having those dreams. They’d get closer to each other while they investigate their common past together, until they’ll be overwhelmed by their “dormant” feelings. And we'd only learn that Korn and Intouch committed suicide in the very end of the series.
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How much am I supposed to rate a botched work? Do I have to leave my emotions (my irrationality) take the lead and rate it above average, or come back to my senses and consider it for what it is and give it the ominous rating it deserves?
What a dilemma!
I am sure the team wanted to present something great, it just didn't carry out as planned. I hope, next time, they will work on better-written scripts, and consider every aspect of a series before hiring a cast and filming it.
Some film producers tend to be a tad careless when it comes to the contents they present to younger audiences, judging (or rather discriminating) them because of their age, just because “young” means “inexpert” to them. They forget that the younger audiences discovered cinematography earlier in their lives and that they get more free time on their hands to watch movies and series, what sharpens their minds and highlights their understanding of the shows they watch… when it comes to cinema, experience can’t be quantified by age.
So, when I see a series/movie/novel/game… being botched just because it’s destined to a younger public… I tend to be a tad callous with my ratings and feedbacks. I don't intend to be harsh or discourage the crew, I just say what a lot of viewers wouldn't dare to say. I just want them to learn from their mistakes and present better projects in the future. Let's call it me challenging them!
Being totally unable to say if I like or dislike this show, considering my fondness for Korn/In and dislike for Dean/Pharm’s scenes, and all the shortcomings in between, I will give it a neutral rating (5/10):
Story: 7/10 for its originality, simplicity and entertaining potential. -3 points because of the distorted development and absence of suspense.
Cast/Acting: 5/10 simply because half of the cast performed an excellent acting work, whereas the other half... Let's say it's for the sake of Kao and Earth, and the actors who got the side roles because they made me miss them.
Music: 5/10 because no soundtrack captured my interest at all. I felt rather indifferent.
Rewatch Value 3/10: As I still want to re-watch 30% of the series, especially Korn and In's scenes.
Overall: 5/10 because I like and dislike the show equally.
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Before ending this review... I'll say something cruel, but, since the crew intended to dismiss the side characters partway in the series only to bring them back for what I can only call "a farewell show", it would have been better if they weren't in the series at all. If it only focused on the main characters like it did for most of it!
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