NOT WHAT YOU'LL EXPECT!
Hear me out. This series actually blew my mind. Contrary to the negative backlash that colored it when it first premiered, Earth , Mix, & Jan did a great job in my opinion. So glad that I took a leap over many negative opinions to see the series for myself. Body swapping is not my thing but it is so nicely done and certainly addressed in the series that I ended up enjoying the story line. Earth plays himself throughout and Jan was shown periodically so that we the audience do not forget that Win (Mix) is now in Lin's (Jan) body. If the body swap happened in a manner Lin's face was used to act as Win, I would have found that problematic. Or, if Korn (Earth) continually addressed Win as Lin, it would have been bad. But we can see that Korn is constantly aware that Win is the person he is on a journey with. Win even questions who Korn loves. Him or his sister. I am glad they made it clear that bodies had been swapped. Now, lets talk about the chemistry between Korn and Win. SHEEESH!!!!!!!!!!! They came in hot with the chemistry. I was so impressed. Their chemistry on ATOTS has NOTHING on this series. I want to attribute the ease with which they connect to the fact that Earth and Mix have spent a lot of time together since ATOTS. The stares, kisses, touches, my goodness, so so good. Mix has such a great way of expressing different emotions that just draws you in. Earth's acting was certainly better than I have ever seen it. I guess that goes to show the importance of partner pairing. I think some of the racist issues were cut out because I did not see any scenes with them. This series has made me more excited for Moonlight Chicken because I think that if Earth and Mix delivered such acting under a director everyone claims is very problematic, I cannot wait to see the art P'Aof wrings out of them. I will certainly be rewatching on GMMTV once it is released on YouTube. Earth Mix is certainly a new favorite after this series. I personally do not pay attention to anything other than the acting and storyline of a series. This way, I can support the actors based on what is within their power to influence. I do not think anyone asked Earth and Mix what they felt about the color grading. So, I am not going to use that to rate the show when I know it may affect their ability to secure other works in the future.Was this review helpful to you?
--- The wish is not what you expect, and it is the contrary. But at the end, it worked. And I incorrectly thought of who is the "cupid" here, and it comes as a surprise. You might be too! ---
First of all, drop all what you expect form this series based on the trailer or teaser which ever you want to call it. it is not hard core drama romance, it is more of a romance comedy. Once you have establsihed and keep that in your head, you will enjoy this one, and that is for certain. Especially those Earth-Mix fandom.
If you watch Episode 1 & 4 of Our Sky, it feels the same. But the devil lies in the detail. *wink*
The inheritance issue is just a layer of the entire plot primarily focused on self-assessment and realization. Each leg of the journey adds to this enlightenment.
There will be instances that you want to smack off the face of earth Mix's character as he is out of line. But when you realize where he is coming from, the anger mellows down and be tolerant. There are scenes that Mix seems will not stop talking! And I find it cute when he nags. And watch those antics from Win, truly adorable!
When you get to the PMS episode, that is the most fun in this series. Couldn't help myself laughing and Mix is awesome!
And also, this is a departure of the urban life and travelling the rural areas of Thailand. Buddhism, which highlighted, as the major religion of the country plays an important role as well. The lines coming from the abbots can be easily applied if you are of a different belief system.
Lastly, boy don't forget about the food! Sometimes I am expecting Mark Weins of Migrationology will sunddely join the food fest. LOL Thoser river prawns!
If you are single, which probably you are, you might curse them for not being considerate in the sweet moments. Either you want to be Mix or Korn. Earth and Mix are so natural with each other, and I couldn't say more about that and you will surely notice that. They can definitely do another rom-com and surely I will watch it as well!
ACTING/CAST
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I have to give this Mix as Win. As this his only 2nd main lead role, outright you can see how far he has come. He convey emotions raw, much more with intense and conviction. Being paired up a very common close friend makes their scenes natural and not forced or scripted. Watch Mix's eyes as it where his emotions are coming from. Truly, you'll be mesmerized by it.
Earth as Korn, you wouldn't expect any less from him of course. It is just a bit odd that his support is parter in Theory of Love, White as Doctor Non.
MUSIC
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This is one of the the strenghts of GMMTV productions. They know where to put them to enhance the experience especially in those heartbreaking ones.
REWATCH VALUE
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Like I have said over and over again, I am the type of guy who does not watch after I finished. But, to each his own.
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Cupid strikes but the arrow misses.
Is this the season for experimental BLs? Given the releases we've had in 2021 and 22 (until now), the answer is a yes. Whether it was the groundbreaking portrayal of frenemies to lovers in Bad Buddy or exploring vampirism in Kissable Lips or the soft anti-heroes of Not Me, it's delightful to see BLs leave the greener pastures of college romance to venture into the wonderland lurking just beyond. Cupid's Last Wish is another such attempt in how it's a road-trip BL and for the most part, it delivers without being too didactic.Once unraveled, the plot of CLW is quite routine. But being set against a rustic backdrop with an interesting set of main characters, suitable music (barring the segment that induces delirious dancing), the little moments of epilogue at the end of each episode, the relevant flashbacks, and the charm EarthMix carry forward from ATOTS, elevate CLW onto another level. Jan's Lin playing Win is another advantage. It's not often we see a clingy and huggy female character who does not whine and act spoiled at the same time. She's just someone who likes to be physical. As Win, she also kicks some butt and goes into Super Dino Mode- Aggressive but one wishes she did that as herself as well. Body swap in dramas almost inevitably includes periods and is usually nauseatingly cringey but CLW treats the subject with due care. It is intelligently incorporated as a plot device with some timely situational humour that gives us an insight into the characters as well. Seeing Mix in that role is both hilarious and endearing. I almost wanted to give him a painkiller.
Then we very obviously have to talk about the swap that happens and the apparent misrepresentation in the show. To me at least, it didn't exist. Korn recognises Win from the moment he wakes up and he keeps addressing him as such and though we see Mix as Win on screen, Korn is actually looking at Lin as Win. The Win he loves may have changed bodies but his love for Win remains the same. Right from the beginning, the whole point of collecting the holy water was only to be a means to an end. The monks' questions and advice are nothing profound or new; they are just the exact set of words that we (and Win) needed to hear to change. These important interactions are disappointingly short but they are to the point and do not take away the real personal growth that the show intended to portray through the journey of 7 days.
When almost nothing was going wrong for the series, the finale arrived with a bang. From what I took as a cue in the first episode regarding how the monk is informed of the car accident, I expected the reason behind the writing of will to be the last wish of the real cupid of the show. Maybe we'd discover a hidden letter from Win's father explaining his actions? As it turns out, the ultimate plot twist is so nonsensical that it is shocking. Absolute zero rationale. Win's aunt and uncle have no real purpose and they might have as well not been a part of the drama for all that they were present and made themselves useful. Non is bright, but there's not much for him to do. While these may exactly not hinder the drama, they do stand out as eye sores.
Who Cupid is and what his last wish is are two questions that remain unanswered but truthfully, Cupid's Last Wish is really about EarthMix fluff. Need any more reasons to watch it?
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Love Earth/Mix, but this is no Tale of a Thousand Stars
I was reluctant to watch Cupid's Last Wish, because Earth/Mix set such a high standard with ATOTS. This series was nowhere near as good, but there was still a lot to enjoy. Here are my pros and cons:PROS
MIX AND PMS. The best part of the series for me! Mix (as Win, in the body of Lin) did a first-rate job of behaving like a woman with PMS. I mean, really remarkable and hilarious. Give the boy all the awards!
JAN ACTING LIKE WIN. She did a great job.
WHITE'S HAIR. I've always liked White, and it's a shame that he's recently been demoted to only supporting role parts. (I have my theory as to why, but I'd rather not write it here. If anyone wants to know my thoughts, I'll be happy to share in a private message.) Anyway... I really liked his shaggy hairstyle in this series.
CONS
THE WHOLE WIN/LIN THING. It's not the body swapping thing that bothered me (fantasy-fiction can work just fine), it's the idea that Korn (who is gay) is staring at Lin's face and body during all their adventures together. Yeah, yeah... I know the whole "love has no gender" spiel. Not buying that Korn is going to be physically attracted to Lin's appearance and wanting to make out with her, not until Win had regained his actual body. Sure, one can rationalize (the writers certainly did) by saying "but he knew it was Win." Meh.
WIN'S MOM. (In the final episode) the dialogue went something like this: Win: "Why do you want me to hate Korn?" Mom: "Because honey, your mom's a big ol' homophobe." (Proceeds to start crying and hitting herself, causing Lin and Win to comfort her immediately.) Mom: "It was all my fault! You almost died because of me!" That's right Mom, you almost DID cause your own children's deaths. So you absolutely SHOULD be beating yourself up over it. Grrrrr. Suffer bitch, suffer.
THE MONEY-GRUBBING AUNT AND UNCLE. Or were they cousins? No matter, they were terrible people. But what happened to them? They were great villains, then they just disappeared, then they came back at the end, suddenly softened and almost wimpy. I was disappointed.
KORN'S GOING ALONG WITH THE ENGAGEMENT. Wtf was that all about? Sure, he was in love with Win, but seemed willing to marry Lin just because her mom wanted it. I understand that respecting parents is very important in Asia, but -- come on -- it's 2022, and arranged marriages are a thing of the past... aren't they?
Despite some fairly big flaws, I still found much of it enjoyable. It's a 7.0 from me.
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Totally watch for EarthMix
This drama was literally watched because the ML are just so good together.Earth , Mix, & Jan did a great job in my opinion. So glad that I took a leap over many negative opinions to see the series for myself. Body swapping is not my thing but it is so nicely done and certainly addressed in the series that I ended up enjoying the story line. Then we very obviously have to talk about the swap that happens and the apparent misrepresentation in the show. To me at least, it didn't exist. Korn recognizes Win from the moment he wakes up and he keeps addressing him as such and though we see Mix as Win on screen, Korn is actually looking at Lin as Win. The Win he loves may have. ACTING : is on point from all three main leads, i felt bad for Mix in the beginning having to shout and being angry all the time and i agree that its the directors job to see if how he portrays the character is right. Mix wasn’t cringey or bad acting like a loud asshole, that was what they and his character asked of him and he was just doing his job. You can see he can act angry/sad without shouting in episode 9, something i was glad they changed from the trailer because he was shouting at that scene too originally. The switching between Mix and Jan was another highlight, both were good, acting as themselves or the other. Earth was good as well, balancing the sweet, patient but sometimes already at his limits Korn. White had so little screen time but still very likeable, he looks so cute with his hair btw.
Is this the season for experimental BLs? Given the releases we've had in 2021 and 22 (until now), the answer is a yes. Whether it was the groundbreaking portrayal of frenemies to lovers in Bad Buddy or exploring vampirism in Kissable Lips or the soft anti-heroes of Not Me, it's delightful to see BLs leave the greener pastures of college romance to venture into the wonderland lurking just beyond. Cupid's Last Wish is another such attempt in how it's a road-trip BL and for the most part, it delivers without being too didactic.
Overall: This was really enjoyable and absolutely worth the watch.
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My two cents
I was reading others review after watching the whole series (watched it for 1 day because I got so hooked up with the story they said this series got backslash like wth! What's the reason? This series is to refreshing and so good. Very different from BL series we used to watched. Mix (Win) character here is very different from what we saw last time in A Tale Of Thousand Stars, his cute, innocent and charming image changes to this Win Character, it was awesome and mind blowing at the same time. Earth (Korn) of course, he always have this cool image, pleasing eyes and beautiful image. Sorry but I could not resist him (my heart ?). I won't be detailing down the plot of the story ( please watch it, it, it will feed your BL soul and body) but I will highlight the ending. The denouement was given enough time and did not forced the story to end. Also, this type of BL where the characters lived in the urban places really suits for Earth and Mix. i hope to see more and more of this. Please.Was this review helpful to you?
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Loved it more than i thought i would
I’ll start off by saying i’m not a big fan of body swap and i was one of those who was concerned when this was announced as EM’s next project. But surprisingly i loved the show more than i expected i would.STORY : My main concern was Win being in Lins body would limit the interaction and screentime between the 2 leads, hence why other people were afraid if this was a real BL. But they were able to make it work since majority of the time was just the 2 of them travelling and since Korn knows its Win, he and us viewers sees Win too (i’d say 90% it was still EarthMix/KornWin interacting). Lin mostly just appears when theres other people or if the scene required Lins body. I wasn’t too concern about Korn being confused of who he really likes because it was pretty obvious from the start. This was a story of them having to be brave and confront their feelings for each other because both of them are scared of losing whatever they have (friendship or more) if they confess.
As i’ve said before i would’ve preferred they didn’t add the kiss scene in episode 8 but watching the last 2 episode made sense. It was a built up for the arranged marriage plot which i thought they removed from the book. I suppose it was a creative/change decision by the team behind this. I think alot of people hating on the kiss and the marriage was those who read the book and was comparing it to the source material. But if you watch this as a standalone piece without any background from the book it all made sense, the story and flow. That’s why i’m not being so hard on this, as someone who have a brief idea on the source material. I have some things i would’ve preferred they didn’t change but i’m rating this based on the show alone and not in comparison with the source material. Although i do feel episode 9 was a bit draggy and slow but episode 10 redeemed it for me.
PRODUCTION: I’ve some issues with some color grading and sound choices for some scenes but nothing too major. This show had the rare chance of fixing some minor problems before the youtube premiere so i hope they take it.
ACTING : is on point from all three main leads, i felt bad for Mix in the beginning having to shout and being angry all the time and i agree that its the directors job to see if how he portrays the character is right. Mix wasn’t cringey or bad acting like a loud asshole, that was what they and his character asked of him and he was just doing his job. You can see he can act angry/sad without shouting in episode 9, something i was glad they changed from the trailer because he was shouting at that scene too originally. The switching between Mix and Jan was another highlight, both were good, acting as themselves or the other. Earth was good as well, balancing the sweet, patient but sometimes already at his limits Korn. White had so little screentime but still very likeable, he looks so cute with his hair btw.
MUSIC: I was already getting LSS from the OST played in the trailer so i know i’ll love it, although only 1 was just released i’m already playing it on repeat. The lyrics were specifically written for their characters so it made it more melancholic and gave you more feels. Can’t wait for the other OST to drop. I also love the song Just Being Friendly played in 1 scene, it was definitely an earworm.
REWATCH : I’ve already rewatched some scenes and i’ll definitely watch it again at GMMTV YOutube premiere on sunday.
OVERALL : I definitely recommend this for people who wants a lighthearted with a bit of heavy drama towards the end. Give it atleast 3-4 episode watch so you can decide if this might be it for you or not. This is definitely not perfect and has its flaws but it worked for me and it might work for you too.
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Could have been really good if only....
Take one great Earth, mix it with Mix... add some beautiful scenery, food, an ok story, toss it in a blender with annoying characters and make one of the leads hyper annoying and what do you get?Well this...
The acting is what I would expect of the two leads, spot on and well preformed. The chemistry is out of this Earth and the kisses are definitely sweet n' hot, no dead fish in sight... The boys swap is done pretty well without tp many annoying gestures or odd acting. However While Korn (Earth) is written as this great person that is easy to fall in love with. Win (Mix) is the complete opposite... giving us opposites attract but in the oh so wrong way that I found myself feeling bad for Korn and wishing he would fall in love with someone nice or at least less annoying. Win is loud, selfish, rude... and well everything bad, which can at times be entertaining. Here he is just annoying...
Lin (the sister whose body has been taken over, Jan) is portrayed as this super weak girl if it reflects on all women or not is not easy to say bit the women in this show are rather weak, or selfish and mean or both. Lin is however pretty sweet, just very week and again not in a very good way...
Doc (White) and the different monks rocked most of the time, there was not a lot of logic there but hey it has a supernatural theme so of course we can not expect everything to make sense...
Bingeablilaty: 8
Chemistry: 10
Kisses: 10
Annoying characters: 9999999
Twits: not as predictable as I would expect so a 9
All in all an ok watch, could have been really good but well making one of the leads highly annoying does kind of drag down the fun...
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Give this BL a chance!!
I am so glad that I actually gave it a try and it was a fun watch!! The series actually went in a total different way than I had expected. If you are going into this series after 1000 stars, you'll be disappointed. Clear your head of all the things you've read and seen about this series, you will enjoy it for sure!Let's start with Win. I know most people would have hated his guts in some episodes but I kinda understood where the character came from. Losing his father was a big blow to him. Adding to that, the money minded relatives. The only person he could trust was Korn which was shattered when the will was read. From his point of view, he felt betrayed by Korn that he logically didn't understand what was happening. He is hot headed and sometimes idiotic but I really did empathise with him. Mix's acting deserves applause!! The ways he brings out the emotions on the screen is totally top-notch.
Next our Korn : The man should literally have a halo around his head for tolerating the shittiness our Win threw at him. Korn is such a wonderful character that I felt, at one point Win didn't deserve him but Win kinda came through in the end. Special mention to Lin and Non. Although, their screen time was limited, it was fun to watch them both. And Jan did a great job of portraying Lin as well Lin pretending to be Win.
Why this body swapping worked for me is because, for one, we were clear from the beginning who Korn was in love with. Literally from the first shot of them together. Korn's eyes while looking at Win was enough to convince us. Also, even after the body swapping, he never once addressed her as Lin except when he was with others who knew Lin. So, it was easier to connect to their emotions without the confusion of whom Korn is actually is in love with. The story was very well executed. The story wasn't too supernatural which worked for me and the pace was also very good. The plot has it flaws but nevertheless, it was fun watch!!
P.S. And I never thought I would watch a PMS scene in a BL..lol!! You should definitely watch that scene!! Mix didn't overdo it and so it was too funny to watch!
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30% Eating, 70% Traveling, 85% Win Being An Immature Jerk (YouTube version)
Overall: this is yet another plot where a 1 minute conversation would have cleared up poor communication. It is especially infuriating because the two people involved have been lifelong best friends... Watched on YouTube (the re-edited by director Aof)Content Warnings: off screen side character death in flashback, manhandling, punch/kick, non con touching (sleeping), non con? touch/kiss (using another body)
What I Liked
- the intro animation/sequence
- the cute moments
- the funny moments
- Korn did 1 smart thing regarding the water
Room For Improvement
- Win is a jerk and unfortunately did not have character growth. Grieving does not give you the right to scream at people and drag them around.
- the misogyny of constantly portraying Lin's body as weak (she can't even drive a car?!) If they had explained that she had a chronic illness then this would have been fine, but instead, her body is continually referred to as weak. Also, I didn't like how the pms was portrayed, it feeds into stereotypes that all women become very emotional when having their period (which apparently lasts 1 day lol). While some people do become more emotional, for many women you don't even know they are having their period... They could have just stuck with the painful cramps.
- the cliche miscommunication/lack of communication, and saying "you know how I feel" is NOT the same as actually saying how you feel
- non logical things (there is no one else on the farm that knows how to do that procedure??? The doctor couldn't find a short video on youtube and do that???)
- stupid decisions by several characters
- mom's instant forgiveness
- this truly awful line/sentiment "you have to listen to the older generation and when they are gone you can do what you want" (but younger generations have to live with the consequences of the older generations decisions, ugh)
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"What's most important to know?" Idk, "WISH YOU A SAVE JOURNEY" ig
I'll start with the good because it won't take as much time as the bad.Earth and Mix are honestly really good actors and I'm blown away by their chemistry everytime I see them together.
Korn looks at Win with so much love and lust and Win does the very same, it's both beautiful and frustrating to see two characters who love each other that much but can't seem to realize it. It's been what ? 15 years (just guessing) of those looks and Dr.Non is just 'there', wondering when they'll jump each other. Lin not knowing how those two feel made me so unimpressed I slowly started to lose interest in her character.
Oops I started with the bad. Let me go back on the good - the music ! They had budget and it shows, the songs were all beautiful as well as the scenary. It did make me think of ATOATS but unfortunately it means we can't help but see the differences with the plot and how the characters were written, and think badly of A Cupid's Last Wish.
I was told to think of it as a trope : mutual pining + immature character + misunderstanding + food
Unfortunately they've been pining for almost twenty darn years. TWENTY. YEARS. I thought they were dating since episode 1 first minute but apparently it's normal to stare at your CLOSE FRIEND when they sleep, live together and brush their face in their sleep. I have to reevaluate my friendships, i'm obviously doing something wrong.
I really wanted to love Win, but he was immature and hot-tempered in a really abusive way with his family and it's just impossible to be supportive of his actions in the first part of this drama. Korn...was... really 2007 seme gay character. Wise and cold and seemingly unaffected. I think that's why I can tell I'd have dropped the drama if it wasn't for those actors. This dynamic is exactly like how 'healthy relationships' were written back in the days. An uke or powerful bottom who refuses to THINK and a seme who never speaks. That misunderstanding was so stupid I'm still shocked it took so long to deal with it when they've been adressing it since episode 1 - it's been a bit more than a year. ONE YEAR of not taking ONE SECOND to even consider that you might not see the bigger picture. Win has been friends with Korn for 15 years and he 'dumped him' after one meeting with the lawyer.
If you want my opinion : give it a try because the drama is indeed beautiful and ALL the actors deserve some fame. Jan's acting unfortunately didn't shine but it doesn't mean she isn't a good actress so i'll defend her to the moon and back. The scenery and music also deserve some claps. But honestly the plot and characterization... It was bad. Really bad.
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Great everything overall. Interesting story, amazing actors/actresses, great production.My only sore point is probably how the Mom is instantly forgiven, after all the pain she put everyone through. She didn't want Korn and Win together, that's understandable. But pushing Korn and Lin together with Win RIGHT THERE? Doesn't she know how much that's gonna hurt everyone involved? Time and distance works best to heal broken hearts, but not when Korn would have to move to the farm and they would be seeing each other every day. That's just cruel.
I thought when Win disappeared he might have gone and hurt himself.
At the very least, Win should feel angry and betrayed that his mom might hate him for who he is.
About Win being super angry and unreasonable, yeah, not a good look on him. But I imagine that must have been the worst one year (or was it 2 years?) of his life. His dad passed and he got this MASSIVE responsibilities with no one to help him. The mom and sis doesn't seem to share his burden either. I've a little experience with that, and the stress really does get to you, even when you have support.
On top of that, he -felt- betrayed and used by his best friend, the person he cared the most beside his family, someone who he probably was already in love with.
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