4 Minutes (2024)

A BL You Can’t Miss

This is everything a BL fan can only dream of: just the right mix of a good plot, super-high-intense chemistry and cinematography that is seriously mind-blowing. From the first episode, you can already feel the magic brewing between Great and Tyme. Their acting is so good, they are one of those pairings that just make you hold your breath in anticipation every time they share a scene.

What makes it even more special is seeing Bible take on this role in a unique way. His performance as a character who is flustered and caught off guard by Tyme’s presence is both cute and surprisingly meaningful. Watching him struggle with his emotions is very endearing and makes their interactions even more heartwarming. It’s nice to see this kind of vulnerability, especially in a BL series where those tender moments can feel very real.

The way their story develops requires your full attention because, although it may seem quick on the surface, when you really get into it, you'll see how intricate and deep their relationship is. Each conversation carries a lot of meaning. It's like uncovering layers to find their emotions, and trust me, it's worth the time to fully understand.

Visually...Oh. My. Gosh. Every frame looks like it was crafted with so much care and the cinematography just takes your breath away. The use of color and lighting doesn’t just make things look pretty (though it does), it adds meanings to the story. The way certain hues are used to highlight emotions or underline the tension between characters is just… chef’s kiss. It’s the kind of show where every detail counts and those tiny touches in the visual storytelling make the whole experience richer.

And this cast, wow, they really hit the mark. Every actor adds something special, making their characters feel so real that you almost forget you're watching a TV show. The connection between the main characters is fantastic, and it's not just the romantic parts that work well - it's all the emotions they show. They've created characters that feel complex and easy to relate to, which is what really draws you into their story.

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no regrets

This was a very intriguing sci-fi series that presents a lot to think about. I personally loved this. The story is based on the premise that that brain can survive for 4 minutes without oxygen before permanent damage occurs. What happens to our consciousness in that time period? "4Minutes" explores this idea, and I thought it was really cool. The series isn't without its flaws and holes, but it was still thrilling. I was kept intrigued until the very end.

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● SHORT REVIEW
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[ --LIKES-- ]

✔ Piecing together the timeline. It was intriguing to see what happened in reality and what's altered history.

✔ Our main characters are very grey characters and that made them interesting.

✔ I like the way the story is told. We get different pieces of the story through different characters' perspectives.

✔ There's a certain realism to the story that I liked. We're powerless to change the past, but we can take responsibility for it, learn from it, and move forward. The consequences of the characters' actions aren't magically erased.

✔ There were some really nicely done scenes. One scene I liked was when Dome was coming home to Tonkla from the hospital. It transitioned from Great's dream to Tonkla's reality. It could also be seen as a representation of Tonkla missing his brother. I also really liked the scene when Great is lying unconscious in the hospital, Tyme is asking for forgiveness and saying he'll take Great out for a meal. I think this corresponds with the scene in Great's dreamworld early on where Tyme gives him the Thai tea and ask him for a meal afterwards. (Great saw flashes of the stickynote from Tyme asking for forgiveness). It shows that Great could hear Tyme's words and it influenced Great's dreamscape.

✔ CATS! Idk, I just liked cats, even Tonkla's instigating ghost black cat.


[ --DISLIKES-- ]

✖ Some characters were introduced that didn't feel very significant. For example, Tyme's ex-girlfriend Nutcha. Yes, I know the scene wit her shows the change in his character, but ultimately, that could be achieved without needing to insert her character.

✖ The romances in the story felt under-developed. Romantic chemistry is not the same as sexual chemistry. I originally watch the version without all the sex, but I went back to watch those scenes just to see if it changes how I felt about the chemistry between all the couples. While the sex scenes were steamy, it didn't add much romance-wise. I'm not saying there is zero chemistry, just not enough for the romance to leave an impact on me or to justify some of the actions/events. Were they sexy as heck, though? Yes.


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● IN-DEPTH REVIEW
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[ --STORY/PLOT-- ]

Some may argue the "it was all a dream" trope as bad in that nothing that happened mattered, but it mattered to me. It doesn't change reality or the things that happened, but it changes the character and our perspective of the characters. That, to me, is important. Great is actually that not great of person in reality previously. He made a lot of mistakes, but what makes him redeemable is that he regrets them. This is why the first five episodes are important. If we only saw reality as it was, I don't think I would like Great as much. However, because I saw his attempt to change things in his dream, I know there is a good person there. A little over the first half of the series takes place in Great's mind, but it's still an experience that he and the viewers can learn and draw from.

I really like the idea in the series that we are powerless to change the past. It feels real. The sad truth is that Great was not able to save any of the people he wanted to. As disappointing as that may be, it's a reality he must face and deal with. Our regrets should be a learning experience to do better and be better. Fear can impact our decision making. It can cause good people make bad choices, many that we cannot take back. What matters afterwards is that we ultimately take responsibility for it, and we see Great doing that in the end.

I think the sci-fi aspects of this series was fun. However, the series still has it flaws. Most of it, however, has to do with the romance aspects. For me, I just wasn't really feeling the intensity of the love of either of the main couples. I'm not saying it was bad, it was just ok. Steamy sexy scenes aside, there were also some cute moments here and there, but the romantic aspect and chemistry never really made me feel strongly any type of way. It didn't make my heart flutter. It didn't feel intense or epic enough to justify some of the actions and events that happened. Did Korn really love Tonkla so much that he was willing to kill himself for his secret lover's death? Plus, he also learned that Tonkla cheated on him and also shot his brother. Was Tonkla, to him, really worth dying for? Apparently, the answer is yes, but his behavior never really convinced me, and I wish we could see more of Korn's feelings in action outside of just sex.

I have the same feelings about Tyme and Great. Was their love really so powerful that Tyme was about to call out from his dreamworld into Great's dreamworld to get the latter to wake up? In the real world, they didn't have many sweet or good interactions. In fact, most of their nicer moments that left an impression on me were all in Great's or Tyme's 4 minute dreams. So maybe, they both fell deeply in love over these made-up interactions and scenarios in their respective dreams? But if ignore all the dreamworld stuff, and just look at the events of reality, there really isn't much foundation for their relationship. I guess, sometimes there is an invisible spark and we just feel the way we feel. However, for me, as a viewer, I just wasn't seeing or feeling it. With all that said about the romance and chemistry, I want to reiterate that it wasn't bad. It just didn't seem strong enough to justify some of the events or characters' actions. It was just ok.


[ --ACTING/CAST-- ]

I can't remember off the top of my head if I have seen anything with Jes. I know I have some things I plan to watch with him in it, but not sure if I haven seen anything yet with him before this. Bible, I have seen him in "KinnPorshe" and I loved him as Vegas. I like him as Great, too. Great isn't as deep or impactful was Vegas was, though. Bas and Aiz's characters are listed as supporting roles, but to me, they were also main characters. Korn and Tonkla's story were very pivatol to the whole plot, so not sure why they are only listed as supporting characters. Also, Tonkla's character, I think, had the most depth out of the the four. His acting also left the most impression on me.


[ --MUSIC/OST-- ]

The opening theme is nice. There were also some nice scores. The series even has it own cover version of "Why Don't You Stay" originally from Jeff Satur. I don't think there was anything that wowed me or that I had to look up for my playlist though.

[ --REWATCH VALUE-- ]

I will definitely be rewatching this at some point. As with any series that deal with time manipulation in any aspects, there's usually details that could easily be overlooked or missed. Plus, this was very interesting to watch. Maybe I will find more holes or questions. Maybe I'll watch the Sultry version as a whole. I watched the cut version this time and only went back at the end to see those sex scenes seeparately to see if those added anything to the chemistry/romance, but maybe I'll rewatch the sultry version all the way through. Maybe I'll feel differently about the romantic chemistry. Even if I don't gain more insights or answers, it will still be a fun watch again.

[ --FINAL THOUGHTS-- ]

The action and sci-fi mystery aspects of the series definitely kept me hooked. It was a lot of fun while also having depth and things to think about. The big lesson we can draw from this series is that we just have to face reality, however bleak it may be. The world is going to be stained by our mistakes and regretful choices. We can't go back and change th past, but going forward, we can only aim to make the least regrettable choices. And for me, this series is one of those least regrettable choices.


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● NOTE
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I'll always conclude my review by saying that ratings and reviews is not really a indicator of whether you may like or dislike something. We all have different tastes and standards. Don't let a bad rating, review, or comment discourage you from watching something. My advice will always be to give something a chance if the premise interests you, and only use the ratings/reviews to determine priority if you already have a list of other things to watch or if deciding if you want to continue it after a few episodes. Also thanks reading my review!

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