Until We Meet Again (2019)

Until I Sob Again

This drama was not what I was expecting. It was more than I could have ever imagined. I am not going to lie, I watched the "Between Us" series with BounPrem first before watching this. And I am actually glad I did, because I do not think I was ready at that point in my life to deal with such TRAUMA. With that being said I do not think this drama is for everyone. It can be incredibly triggering and it is a bit of a slow burn but with a really sweet pay off.

For starters, this love story is centered around reincarnation. The first 5 minutes of the series opens with these two ill-fated lovers Korn and Intouch (Kao & Earth) fighting for their love against their parents where they inevitably...you know...*spoiler redacted*. I ugly sobbed for 20 minutes. Like...is this how we are going to start this drama? I'm strapped in. Let's ride this emotional roller coaster shall we? The story then proceeded to weave both past and present between Korn and Intouch and their reincarnations Dean and Pharm (Ohm & Fluke). The story in and of itself is so unique and well written. It showcased all the character's strengths and weaknesses while making sure that everyone had a part to play. The writing was truly a breath of fresh air, I love how it portrayed the real nuances of a relationship: the attraction, the annoyances, the grievances, the fun and the flirty. The script didn't shy away from making the characters feel real.

Which is a great segue to the acting. My god the acting in this? S L A Y E D. Especially Pharm (Fluke), his emotional performance throughout this entire series thawed my otherwise cold heart. But the real star....is Dean's Grandmother. GIVE. HER. AN. OSCAR. NOW. That woman had more emotion in her pinkie finger than I do in my entire body. Tears were falling from my face with every single one of her expressions. I docked a point for Dean (Ohm) cuz he was a little stoic and gave me the same face for half the show, BUT his chemistry with Pharm was EVERYTHING so I'll let it slide just a bit. Also, I just want to point out the support characters for a second, Win (Boun) was so distractingly gorgeous, I am so glad they gave him and Team (Prem) their own series because their relationship in this series left me starved for more. Team and Manow (Sammy) were the comic relief I was hoping for in this series, especially Manow, she was hilarious and made those cringy makeup product ad placements a little more bearable. Also, I know this isn't really a big deal but as a former hairdresser the first thing I notice is hair....and Pharm's cousin Sin (Ja Phachara) had one of the most distracting ugliest wigs in a BL. PLEASE save my man from that monstrosity on his head.

One thing that I had a love/hate relationship with was the music. The songs were great and I loved the OST....HOWEVER...did they really need to play the music so loudly during the most crucial parts of the dialogue??? Like we are getting an emotional moment then out of nowhere the instrumentals transition into a loud singing voice fighting for attention with the actors? Like I can hear you my guy, but right now I need to know why Dean is staring at Pharm so intently.

Overall, this was a semi-flawless BL. Chemistry on point. Screenwriting on point. Character Development on point. This series definitely has rewatch value, highly recommend if you are a fan of: slow burns, reincarnation stories, Oscar worthy crying, desserts, swimming?

Just watch it, you won't regret it.

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Just okay

I know some people really love this show, but I’m not sure why. Maybe if I were in a different mood (or still a teenager) then I would like it? It’s a bit slow moving and unfortunately instead of getting a falling-in-love story, it feels like the love hinges on the fantasy aspect of the plot. It’s too sudden. Unlike many other shows, I didn’t see any real messages or new perspectives (except don’t be homophobic, which I think is obvious already for anyone who is choosing to watch BL). The one thing I’ll say is that it got a bit more interesting towards the end. If you want to watch the most dramatic teen drama with lots of unexplained crying and mysterious stares that last forever, this is the one for you.

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Heart-breaking tragedy turns into heart-warming love

*outline*
Ever since I watched this for the first time I've never been able to get over the ships. I mentally kept cooing over OhmFluke (more about their real life personas than the characters they played, but same thing) and BounPrem (both WinTeam and BounPrem). Actually, now that we're on the topic have you noticed OhmFluke and KaoEarth don't get shipped much? At least, as compared to BounPrem... It's because they're too innocent. Sigh- Continuing, pay heed to my next words: it doesn't matter what I say next, or what other reviews you read... you have to watch this anyways because it's a classic Thai BL
(and it's a classic for a reason).


*analysis*
STORY : Right at the beginning, you're immediately hit with emotions (despite the calming and smooth intro). There is heartbreak in every episode, to be honest... and so, please do not wear makeup (especially around your eyes) when watching this or your eyes WILL sting. I would know. Overall, the story continues on with the perfect pace, nothing seems rushed and this even makes the time skips (between DeanPharm and KornIn) make sense throughout the story. The first meeting of the main couple was so touching, it's one of the best first meetings I've ever watched in any BL (including Korean, Taiwanese and/ Japanese BLs). There wasn't any unnecessary drama and there was a clear goal in the UWMA Crew/Staff during the making of this title because nothing was overdramatised as such. The first kiss was sweet and unexpected, despite the fact we could tell what was slowly cooking between the leads. This title also had a nice variation of moods throughout, there was comedy, romance and tragedy. There is one thing I didn't like though, and it was the unnecessary scenes where DeanPharm seem to be in their own world and some weird instrumental starts playing in the background... it just didn't fit and it sorta ruined the mood. It was cute at first, but then it just got too much and too long (a short waste of time, unfortunately). Another thing I didn't like was the fact we didn't get a complete story between Win and Team, their story wasn't clear (although we're supposed to be getting one soon so- I have high hopes) but that could be because the story was focused on Korn, In, Dean and Pharm. And who would've known the most shipped couple would be the one that shows up the least (sorta). Overall, everything about this drama is sentimental reincarnate. And yeah, there was a sweet and complete ending.

ACTING / CAST : My favourite character was Manaow - she was probably what made the drama a little lighter with her comedial lines. The fact such a mood-maker character was made for such a tragic love story was quite relieving and nice to watch and it really lightened the mood. The friendship that I liked the most was Manaow and Team's. They bickered like mother and son - absolute goals. The background actors also did quite well (including side actors who didn't play a very big role, or weren't so important). I also didn't feel any toxicity from the characters. However, I felt that Fluke came out of role sometimes as Pharm's character got too passive and didn't seem to reciprocate Dean's feelings. (Especially the kisses, passive kisses are just not it. It ruins the mood.) Usually characters like Win cause me to cringe so bad because of the 24/7 smirk they've got plastered to their face but Boun actually played it so well, it seemed like it was made for him. Any other actor, and the ship just wouldn't be the same, the drama just wouldn't be the same, and Win just wouldn't be the same. This also made me anticipate his appearances in the drama.

MUSIC : It was definitely perfect during the sad scenes, it helped set the mood. The intro was also quite nice and calming to listen to and I've also got to credit the singer for being able to portray a sad emotion within his singing too. There was this one instrumental (that sounds like a fairy tale) that repeatedly came on in some sweet scenes (especially during KornIn's scenes) and it's my favourite out of all the instrumental bgm's I've ever heard in any drama but I still couldn't find it after all... (Tip: if you're looking for any bgm just type in 'until we meet again instrumental bgm' on YT and some pop up.)

REWATCH VALUE : It's high in the sense you don't forget the characters and the more you watch it, the more you are hit with emotions (especially sadness). This is probably because you already know what's going to happen. Also, before I knew it I just ended up rewatching it without thinking too much (however the drama is very long, so rewatching is only a good idea if you know you can evenly space it out through some days or you know you have time to binge, etc) but the reason I did rewatch it is a little unknown to me... I feel an attachment to this drama more than anything.


Visit my Asian BLs Custom List to see some more of my watches and ratings !! ^.^ Including: Korean, Taiwanese, Japanese and Thai !
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Emotionally Taxing and Kind of Confusing

The story is intriguing, the threads of fate are touching. I understand why so many people like it, but I likely won't have it on my rec list for a few reasons.

Pros:
- The relationship between Pharm and his friends is amazing. I love Manow and Team. Every time the three were on screen -golden.
- Little mini cooking shows whenever Pharm bakes - love it. It could only be better if I got to eat it.
- Dean's siblings, Pharm's mom and brother, and Dean's grandma - love all of them.
- Team and Win's relationship, as little as we got, was cool. I like Win a lot (but there's a scene that suggests he sleeps with his earrings in and I swear to god that is not a thing. They just didn't want to change his costume because no one does that. Right? right?! )
- Everything university related was good. A solid school story that was a breath of simpler, fresh air around all the drama of the reincarnation plotline.

Cons: (this is where the spoilers are)
- ok the fat shaming for Manow was dumb as fuck and I got sick of it really fast. Just "well, look at you're body" "why are you always eating?" "ew I dont wanna see you in a bikini" "stop eating all the time" - I swear it was every episode and Manow is beautiful so they all need to just stfu, honestly.
-Crying. Everywhere. Every episode. Someone - multiple someones - crying. At first, it made sense and I didn't mind but by the end I was like "everyone cries next scene, I bet. and the one after. I bet we get one scene this episode without tears." The scenes merited it, sure, but it was a constant state of emotional height that was hard on me as a viewer when binging. Maybe it wasn't so taxing on the people who watched it week to week, but it felt like I was on edge and tense for the next emotional drain for the last 3 or 4 episodes straight.
SPOILERS AHEAD - last warning
- The timeline of In and Korn's relationship is all out of order, so trying to piece it together to get a coherent tale of woe was hard for me. I had to make a lot of assumptions about what would lead Korn to shoot himself since we didn't actually see a lot of him struggling with mental health or anything. We got that his dad was harsh and strict and threatened In, but Korn seemed positive and hopeful for his future with In all the way up until In's dad found them at the restaurant and they ran away together. Then they get confronted and Korn is suddenly ready to die. It's key for the plot but I didn't see how we got there emotionally for him.
- Convoluted family trees. By the end, I knew who was related to whom, but to talk about it was like "So Pharm's uncle... Wait, no, I mean, Dean's brother... I mean, I was right, Korn's brother and Pharm's uncle." or "So... In's grand-nephew is now his boyfriend?" It really didn't help that Grandad Mafia was technically Pharm's grandfather but Dean was there calling him Dad. When they start using old names and titles, it really starts to make me confused even though I know who is and isn't related.

So I had a good time, but after the last stretch of episodes, I feel like I've been emotionally holding my breath and I can barely remember all the fun times they mixed in earlier. All I remember is tears, nightmares, more tears, and boys needing therapy.

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EarthFlukepeople

1st time in my life that I cried in the first episode. I'm not an emotional person & I watched gore without batting an eyelid but Earth acting in the beginning was gut wrenching. I cried so much during that drama because of Earth and Fluke that I don't think I'll be able to watch it again without purpose.
The story is amazing, people complained about the pace but for me who is not use to cry while watching dramas, it gave me space to breath and gather myself. I know Dean & Pharm were the main cp and while they did a great job, In & Korn were amazing. Again Earth performance was mind-blowing and I hope that we'll be able to have a drama with their whole story. The side couple was funny and I hope for a sequel.
spoiler
-some people said that when Pharm took the gun and was "possessed" by In it was a bit unexpected -also amazing acting from Fluke who blew me away- but the plot was tight and if one keep attention, you'll realize that there were crumbs hidden in all the sweetness and nostalgia leading to that place.
All in all, not only was the story line tight, but the way in which they deal with heavy plot was on point. They depicted normal looking - not over the top dramatic nor over the top lalaland everyone okay with queer people - relationships. All the CP had great chemistry.
The only bad point for me which is nothing in the grand scheme of things is the repetition of the double suicide way too many times that it made me uncomfortable.

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Glad I watched it.

At first I wasn't going to watch this series after reading the synopsis and a few reviews but I'm really glad I gave it a chance.

The story was sad and tragic from the very beginning yet somehow managed to pull off a happy ending. It was the only series to date that actually brought me to tears and it wasn't because of any interactions between the couples but rather their interactions with their families. The goodbyes, the reunions, the revelations.. they were heartbreaking but necessary.

Starting with the lows, honestly, there wasn't a whole lot I didn't like. I remember reading one review that harped on the fact that Pharm cries in every episode and, while true, I didn't find it annoying or unnecessary. (I think the only thought I gave to it was wondering what the budget was for the eye-drops and tissues for this production and the crew.) Also, normally, I'm not a big fan of everything being connected as if it were one big coincidence; this person is related to this person who just happens to be related to this person and so on. Besides having to pause a few times to get the connections straight in my head, I think all the connections actually worked and made sense in this series, especially when you get to the ending episodes where both families come together to ensure Korn and In find their way to each other again. Fate just happened to decide to do it by way of family relations.

The part I really liked about the series was how everything that happens has purpose. I generally don't like a lot of filler, even if that filler is of the spicy nature. (This series lacked the spice but not the emotion so that was enough for me.)

Speaking of spice, this series is straight up "food porn" and I'm kind of upset that there isn't a cookbook out there with the recipes from throughout the series. That didn't effect my ratings, though.

Edited afterthoughts:

Another review I had seen brought to attention the fact that the flashback scenes were hard to follow since it didn't give a date or time stamp for them. While I will say that would have been a nice added touch, I personally didn't think it was necessary. You can clearly tell at what point in their relationship the scene is from just by Korn and In's interactions and that in itself was impressive.

Also, speaking of the flashback scenes, in one of the first ones where you see Perth as In's friend, I couldn't help but think of the phrase "Go for the Oscar, Perth." Which basically means they didn't necessarily have to go that hard in their acting. I'm not saying it's the actor's fault, a lot of times it's the monologue they are given, but still, that just stood out to me for some reason. There were a couple of times, actually, where I feel like they didn't need to dial it all the way to 11, but it wasn't enough to effect the rating of the show either. Even the cookbook is still more important to me.

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I like the story, but not the execution...

This one is a hard to rate. I've heard so much praise about this show ever since I started watching BLs and was curious, however, I must admit if it wasn't for me wanting to watch Between Us I would have watched UWMA much later.

I really like the story. The idea of a couple who's love ended in a tragic way being reincarnated and finding their way to each other again, I mean, that is a hell of a story. Unfortunately, the execution didn't meet my expectations. If I'm being very honest, it was way below them. Some scenes were dragged unnecessarily long, unrealistic dialogues and way too many "dramatic moments" which weren't exactly dramatic... There were a lot of issues I had with this series production wise and let's just say I was glad ep 17 is finally over.

While I don't think any of the actors are bad, I failed to feel the chemistry most of the time. There definitely were moments that I highly enjoyed, but I just didn't "buy it" most of the time. The most natural and enjoyable characters for me were Korn and In (and Win with Team, although they didn't have that much screentime).

The story became more interesting towards the end (there were moments when I was really surprised, of even in shock) but still, it was dragged a lot for my taste and I do believe if it was written a bit differently, I would enjoy it much more. We see Dean and Pharm being drawn to each other and both of them having flashbacks to their past lives, but I feel like they didn't talk about it or try to solve the mystery that much. Early on, Pharm keeps crying randomly (well, after a flashback, but nobody around him knows that) yet nobody - especially Dean - ever asks him why? What's wrong? Why are you having a breakdown just cause our spoons touched? And after they confess to each other about having dreams about the same couple, why don't they try to find out who it is? What happened? I mean, Dead did a little bit of searching, but Pharm seemed to not give a damn about it for a good chunk of the show, and then was acting all shocked when he "found out the truth" when it was him who told Dean that he doesn't wanna hear what Dead had found out. I dunno..

Like I said, the story is really interesting, but I wish it was written or directed a bit differently.

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Most memorable BL

Maybe because I believe in reincarnation that I am biased in rating. It is really nice to see reincarnation in a BL series along with religious beliefs about the afterlife.

Plot: I really love it! Although the way Korn and In's scenes were too modern for the year that they were stated to have been in, it was refreshing to see the story unfold by watching the 2 different eras of the couple. It also has many heart wrenching scenes that was hard to turn off the waterworks. The only BL that I ever cried so much for :"). Side couple is also cute! Kind of wanted Sammy's character to fall in love with a girl but that guy works too.

Cast: Amazing cast! Pharm is a character added in Fluke's role diversity. He made the character extra cute and I'm sure Ohm agrees. Ohm is an actor I didn't really like at first because of how cold he seems to be but really he is a sweetheart (for fluke <3). The difference in characters of Ohm and Fluke made DeanPharm's dynamic work. I personally find that Kao and Earth isn't that perfect match for a couple because there wasn't enough chemistry for them to convey it to Korn and In, but they still managed to do it so kudos. Prem and Boun are just amazing. Their chemistry is really top tier.

Music: Superior OSTs. Music played for each scene is also very fitting to the emotion portrayed and brings life to the series.

Rewatch value: 10/10 because I have already watched it 3 times. It's really the BL series that drew me in so deep.

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Best bl in the history of bl

This was accuarly my very first bl to watch and am glad it was i mean what could be better than this love that concurred even death untill we meet again the title itself made me curious but the cast wow no words the story was flawlessly written i love it
Starting with the main couple
OHMFLUKE who play dean and pharm
First i have to admit i fell inlove with pharm on the first sight like how cute can he be like so adorable that it made me cry but when i say dean i was like heck yes i personal love bad boys and his walking style to his looks are onpoint but them together mind blowing the story evolves around their past and how they reunite with there present selfs after a series of hard nightmares and family issue what stayed strng was there love it never died with them it literally stayed with them until they met again see now you get the title what mad me sad was how pharm was mostly affected by what happened and all he did in his past self was just being in love so am glad he got his happy ending coz he deserved it
BOUNPREM who played team and win time to confess i accuarly started watching this show becouse of them i am obsessed with them and a huge fan and though i wish they had more scenes am glad they are getting their own show becouse what they have is so unique i loved how they mocked pharm and dean being their best friends it made sence i loved how they still managed to have cute couple moments and hopping to see more in between us
Menaoh del and don also played a huge role in the series it was all cute how each character had a specific role in helping the main couple and just to be clear you should watch it if not already then thank me later

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