THATS MORE LIKE IT!
A definite upgrade over the short series - I loved every minute of it!Finally, a full length series for Yin and War. The chemistry is undeniable and there is significant improvement in acting .
Although the plot and story has a very controversial beginning, (if you read the book and watched the En of Love: Love Mechanics) it felt like the new showrunners listened to what the fans hated on the first show, and improved/removed them - 1) I liked that they removed the role of the social media from the first show; 2) i loved that they improved the moping brokenhearted Vee; and 3) they showed the soft side of Mark during his time apart with Vee (he was just too angry in the short series).
Although i felt bad that they have to change some of the support cast, the new cast did a good job, and i specially loved the addition of the parents. Make no mistake, this is a YinWar show and the maximum exposure they got is just what the show needed.
Is it just me or is War giving a very similar Singto vibe? I loved it!
Overall, i give it a 9, its probably one of the best BL shows of 2022.
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That was better than I expected.
I loathed this series after the first episode. I gave is a 2 and dropped it and only reluctantly came back after friends insisted it got better. It did.My objection was the totally absurd treatment of drunkenness, and the fuzzy morality, with the writers trying to have it both ways. You can't get so drunk that you think a person is someone else. Maybe for a few moments, but certainly not after sleeping if off for several hours, and Vee having three beers in 2 hours is not sufficient to lower his inhibitions enough to do something awful, so that shot of his garbage can with empty beers in it didn't fly. So you have two choices: Either Mark knows it's Vee and wants to get laid to help him get over his pain, or Vee is a repugnant rapist and the whole series is appalling. Neither option works, so I gave up in disgust with the terrible writing.
So why do I give it a 9.5, you ask?
The thing is, because this is a remake, the production was stuck with the outline of the poor writing of the original. And I can't give it a 10, because the plot is so unoriginal and we've seen it so, so many times. But the execution of this story is so good in every way, and so much depth an nuance given to the story and characters, it's like having a piece of chocolate cake. You've had many, I'm sure. Some are dry, some are factory produced, some pretty good - but then you have a slice that is so perfectly made that you can never enjoy any other chocolate cake again.
That's sort of how this series is. It really, really needs to be the last story with this tired plot - it will never be done better than this, it's so overused that I, and probably many or most of you, groan when a preview shows anyone wearing a blue engineering shirt.
While this follows an established formula, it isn't just the usual shallow boy-meets-boy, boy-hates-boy, boy-gets with-boy, boy leaves boy for girlfriend, boy-hates-boy, boy-and-boy-live-happily-ever-after story.
First, Mark and Vee aren't 2D uke and seme characters. Mark (the uke) knows who he is, is totally comfortable with it, he's a jock with a ripped body, and he doesn't let himself be pushed around. Vee (the seme) is confused and indecisive, can't bear to be the bad guy to the point that his desire not to hurt anyone hurts everyone, and he's never in control of the situation, and seems to fail at everything.
Other than the first episode, the writing is complex and sensitive, never stuffs characters into the narrow boxes of stock archetypes. Mark isn't a useless uke, Vee isn't a brooding prince who will swoop in to take care of him, Vee's girfiend isn't evil or scheming, she's just weak, damaged, and needs the validation of a man desiring her, Nuea isn't a terrible person nor is he an alternate prince, he's just a smitten horny guy who crosses the line a little, and even Mark's father's true motivation is Mark's happiness despite his dickishness. His emoji in the last scene is hillarious.
The story contains one of the classic misunderstandings wherein one boy shows up somewhere just at the right time to see something he can misinterpret and, implausibly, no communication occurs to clear it up. But in this case the plot gives a sequence of events that leads to that moment that is logically constructed, and the timing is not at all coincidental, and while Mark misunderstands, Vee is not innocent - he let himself be put in a situation that he shouldn't have, and given their past, Mark's reaction and subsequent behavior is totally reasonable and relatable.
The dialog and writing are excellent, creative despite the unoriginal story, quirky, and provides us with suprises and unexpected resolutions, like the final family confrontation, where Vee's father is a true boss. The finale is lovely and romantic, and gives us a typical fairy-tale BL ending - and then there's the post-credit scene, for which you may need medication, possibly counseling. The typical uke-finding-a-public-sniff-kiss-to-the-cheek appalling routine starts, then heads in a direction so, so, SO far from where you'd expect that it manages to be hot, funny, and a little frightening all at once (War could [and should] play a truly terrifying villain).
The cinematography, all the editing, the music, is all thoughtful, beautifully excecuted, and all serve the story.
But what really seals the award for Best Execution of a Stale, Tired BL Plot is the acting. War (Mark) has always been good, but here he's SO good that he can make you feel eight different things with one look. Yin (Vee) was frankly a bit weak in the original series, at least compared to War, but here he's improved so much that he's able to hold his own. Vee's impulsive idiocy is funny, relatable, and believable.
If this had a better first episode, perhaps with a devastated Mark just callously grabbing Vee as the nearest male body to fill his... needs, this could have been a 10. But it's still one of the best BLs of all time and I don't hesitate to recommend it.
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Lust, love and a whole lot of drama
What a difference a budget makes...Same Same But Oh So Different...
Love at second sight....
As I recently watched the first version (same cast, different budget), of this drama I was a bit unsure if watching this adaptation would be worth it but my oh my was this a good choice, a very good choice as this version gave me all I was missing in the first version and more... a lot more , okay it gave mes some highly problematic content as well making it impossible for me to give it a full 10 even if part of me was so entertained I wanted to give it a 15... but enough about that.
What this drama does offer is a lot of fan service, entertainment, some important issues here and thare chemistry that is off the charts, friendship, toxic masculinity, sweetness, and everything but relations goals. Again not something I would want to be part of but highly entertaining to watch. It also made me fall head over heals for Mark (War Wanarat Ratsameerat) as a person who was both adorable, funny, bad ass, sassy, honest and brought out my protector instinct making me want to just give him a big hug most of the drama .
There is also a slight realism to the portrayal of duality in relationships.. falling in and out of love meshing in a big complex web of emotions... loving two people simultaneously, pain, confusion, coming to terms with all kinds of stuff,,. and so on was portrayed pretty well, and is what I assume bothered some viewers but I actually loved how they portrayed this side of infidelity and relationships gone bad... But then I do love watching conflicted emotions, angst, lust and pain. So if you are bothered by any of this stuff you may not enjoy this drama at all or at least not as much as I did.
In my opinion there are not truly annoying characters or elements making it an easy binger and again a lot of fun to watch, but again kids, do not try, well anything of this at home.
So if you are looking for a feel good fluff piece where people actually seek consent move along there is nothing to see here... but if you want som highly entertaining drama, mistakes, steam and real drama this is definitely a good place to look for it,
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This review may contain spoilers
angsty BL with excellent lead actors/chemistry
Overall: Although I struggled with the angst/flawed characters and especially how the series started, I think it was well done. Make sure to watch past the first credits of the final episode, more like that please! Note: this is a remake/extended version of En of Love: Love Mechanics which aired in 2020 and was about 2 hours runtime, you don't need to watch the shorter version first. Watched on WeTV.Content Warnings: dub/non con kiss, non con sex (very drunk), briefly held against will, past suicide attempt?, manhandling, homophobia, vomiting, violence/beaten up, punch/slap, domestic violence, victim self blaming
What I Liked
- acting of Yin & War and their chemistry
- cute moments
- funny moments
- for once I didn't hate an ex (Mark's)
- they address wealth differences and homophobia
- production value
Room For Improvement
- very disappointed in the sex scene. In many places being mentally incapacitated means you cannot give consent and clearly Mark was mentally incapacitated as he thought Vee was a different person. Although we see 3 beer bottles in the garbage, Vee does not appear to be at an equal level of drunkenness. I don't care at all that Mark was the initial aggressor, Vee should not have had sex with Mark. I would say this was non con no matter what sexual position Mark was. If they wanted to go the drunk sex route then Vee should have also been totally wasted and saying that Mark was his girlfriend and both been freaked out in the morning. (this would also make me hate Vee less as he just casually cheated on his girlfriend)
- hearing vomiting sounds is not my ideal way to start a series
- Vee said something in episode 6 to Mark that I think would end many relationships, sometimes apologies are not enough
- cliche plot point in episode 7
- Vee has some bad friends, they should have at least talked to him to hear his side
- poor communication
- side couples starting out in the final episode
- lack of intro credits/OST and basic closing credits
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Not Perfect But Great
When the mini series came out with En Of Love it was promising that people wanted this be created in a full series. I am so glad it was reconsidered because the result met my expectations.The chemistry of Yin and War is really good and both actors can act really well. The story captures the audience of how it was written well. I love the whole vibe of this series. The side characters are amazing too.
War Wanarat is a gem in this series. He’s perfect as Mark. Something in him just glows as Mark. His character is not perfect but likeable.
Yin as Vee is also perfect. I feel for his character. The only thing he knows is to love. First with Ploy yet he was cheated on. He fell for Mark yet he was misunderstood like almost all the time. He is sweet and knows how to make his partner feels good.
I like this drama so much like I am angry that we only get one episode each week and the waiting time to wait for Saturday is agonizing.
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Much better then the en of love version
I was skeptical at first because of watching En of love which was seemingly could have all been better if they had more scree timeI was scared that this was going to do what love by chance 2 did and making us see almost the exact some thing again for the first few episodes but surprisingly it didn’t the way they continued to be the same from En of love: Mechanics but in a much more elaborate way but sticking to the main plot point with some extra fillers made it feel like I was watching a whole different story so if you enjoyed the idea of En of love: Mechanics this is definitely worth a watch. I’m glad they stuck with 10ep. I think they could’ve left the parents for a second season and change the way BLs are made but I understand how budgeting and how it is very hard to get a second season for a BL is. I am still very satisfied with this BL and hope to see more like this from Wetv
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its a surprise for me too
a few hours ago I was really bored and I had a lot of free hours and lots of cramps so I was like I want something trashy to watch that has no real plot because I'm not in the mood for heavy stuff. so I opened up my regular website and I looked for something that looked and had the name of an unserious drama. so based of my intuition I thought this was the shitiest show ever.7 hours later and I have just finished all episodes released and actually looking forward to the next!
despite the amount of toxicity and controversies in this one starting from cheating to non con sexual activities which was f up the actors excuted it really well. the acting was so good! one of the best especially mark and the chemistry is phenomenal I literally haven't seen that much chemistry before.
the worst thing about this is the controversial events there is a lot of scenes that made me feel guilty for actually liking their chemistry, the scene in the first episode was non consensual. most of their relationship at first was flirting and cheating so I find it weird that vee was so shocked at his gf but never talked about the fact that he cheated on her too.
anyway I actually found the show enjoyable and bingeworthy despite everything and I really really really and I repeat really liked the chemistry. some scenes I just found myself blushing with them because of the phenomenal energy they are emitting.
I'd recommend this if you don't have problem with angst, and controversies and like me you watch everything despite of how f up it is sometimes.
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KelpiView : Angsty love at its best.
Overall Impression:I had to stop for a while to ponder on the words that I might use to describe my overall impression of Love Mechanics, but in my totally unbiased opinion, I have settled for a few words. Awesome. Perfectly paced. well casted. Enough romantic and comedic scenes to go around. Adequate amount of skin. In my totally biased opinion, it is nothing short of a masterpiece.
What i liked about it:
Awesome cast!
The cast has done an awesome job of bringing the characters to life. Main leads, Yin and War, was perfect for their role. Other notable cast members that has left a good impression on me was Ormsin (Yiwaa), Got (Bar), Bonz (Yoo). Pharoah (Tee), Saran (Lee). Apart from good acting, the production team's choice of actors/actresses are well placed as well. Usually when a series's character get complimented that he/she looks like their mum/dad.. I would often give a slow chuckle and roll my eyes because they look nothing alike. BUT! this series, for the choice for Mark's mum.. it was funny how i feel that both of them has a similar smile / facial structure. They did not even need to go on the "you look like your mother" route for me to take notice.
Not to slow, nor too fast!
The pacing of the whole series was done well. it wasnt too hasty at the end nor was it too slow to watch. there's something in almost every episode. be it either a major issue or some character development. I guess this is as far as it can get from a slow romance. lol. i appreciate the pacing that kept me wanting more. Honestly even though i have watched the first tester series (En of love : Love Mechanics), meaning i know most of the plot already. But with the little addition and changes feels refreshing and it was like a totally new series to me.
Great flow in terms of storytelling!
Part of a good show is not only the cast members, but also how the story is told, how it unfolds and how it would be perceived. In terms of storytelling, Love Mechanic has a top spot in my rankings. Story climaxes are dealt with resolution as it comes one after another. In turn, i would need to credit the production team for their good choices in terms of cuts and placements. it was totally coherent and made the story more impactful than it already is.
What i disliked about it:
Inadequate side couple moments.
Ok, this may be just a personal preference, but i wished the side couples are shown a lil bit more than what is was shown. I know the story centers around VeeMark, but having a lil more side couple moments would make my heart fuller than it already is. GunBar could use a few more scenes. oh! i liked that fact that they showed tidbits of their upcoming shows namely Future (AnaFuse) as well as Call my name (YooKamphan) which i wish was also teased a lil bit more, but i shall wait patiently for the release of respective shows. though, my side couple syndrome aches. like a lot. lol.
Did i enjoy it?:
From the way i was gushing over the show up above, yes. I think i enjoyed the show a lot. a time well spent.
Would i recommend it to others?:
If angsty love is your favourite trope, then definitely give this a try. you will definitely fall in l ove with Yin and War for their character portrayal. That being said, I do think the show might not be for everyone, due to its angst. Yes, there are sweet moments in the show, but the most impactful scenes are the angsty ones lol. But give it a try if you have not, you might find yourself liking it more than you should. maybe. i guess.. hopefully. do what you want LOL. :shrugs:
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The actors really improved a lot with their acting skills. War can really show the characters emotions through his eyes. The professionalism he showed during accident in the pool scene was really awesome. Yin really improved a lot. I was amazed.
Music also hits the right spot.
I'll be rewatching it again and again. Just seeing the leads smiling at each other makes me smile.
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Same old story,yet so new!
My first thought about this was "why the heck they decided a remake of this one?And with the same actors?Nah!Im not gonna watch it!"But i did watch it.And Surprise!I liked it.A lot!It was fresh and light and fluffy and sweet and...I don't have to apologize to anyone!I liked it!Lol!
Nothing new.Same good Bl University recipe.Cute characters.Angst.Jealousy.Same old good misunderstandings.The annoying girlfriend too.
So do not expect to watch anything you haven't already seen in the vast sea of BL World.
At first i was sceptical because of the length of each episode.Hourly eps are like a double blade knife.
Either you get bored easily,or you can't get enough of it.And the fact that i had to wait 2 days for the last episode to be translated, made me angry!
If you have already seen the old version iam sure you have definitely noticed the huge improvement and development in our MLs acting skills.I was amazed.I didn't expect this.From the awkward stiff and annoying acting to natural playful and enjoyable performances in this one.I felt like a proud mom bragging about her kids!!
Well done Yin & War! Susu Na!
There is no need to analyze it further.Tbh,theres not much to talk about.Simple story.Handsome actors.Many butterflies 🦋 in stomach too.Thats all you need.
And not forget to mention their shower scene and that kiss!Easily one of the best kisses of 2022 in Bls!
For this alone you must stop reading this and go watch it!
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i wasnt going to write a review- simple/short spoiler free
i watched the 5 ep ones before i watched this and i have to say they did a great jobyinwar acting got so much better compared to the older one despite everything that happens in the eps i really did enjoy both vee and mark character even though there were times i wanted to kill vee.
music was a lot better the comedy aspect of the series was actually funny and not forced. the plots still good it gets a bit repetitive but honestly the chemistry is so good that i didnt really care they started the series strong and ended strong i look forward to more dramas they will do either together or alone.
very re-watchable give me like a month until its out of my system id come back to watch it again
im sad that i didnt get into this earlier( started at 8 eps) i highly regret it and will miss it very much.
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Love can be messy
The two main leads have a lot of complexity written into their characters and they portray mixed emotions very well. My take on the drama;I see Mark as a person who knows he can love wholeheartedly and when he is disappointed in not winning his intended love interest he backs off and tries to deal with the aftermath of feelings by drinking and looking for random hook-ups. The scene of drunken mistaken identity is more a fanciful wish on his part and gives Mark the chance to act out the passionate love scene he has missed out on.
Vee is in a long term committed relationship with his girlfriend and has a strong need to be helpful and have others like him. He assists the very inebriated Mark and when Mark throws himself at him he finds himself turned on and reciprocates. This sexual encounter affects both of them badly. Mark is angry and hates Vee for the encounter. Vee is confused and begins to realise he is sexually attracted to Mark and then the story unfolds.
Youth in university exploring their sexuality without yet fully understanding what is required to maintain a relationship. Friends adding their own input to the confusion. Jelousy, judgements, sacrifice and selfishness overlaid with raging hormones and insecurities.
The parents add some interesting dynamics to the mix and the two male leads are influenced by their attitudes.
As a love story it has fulfilled this role. The two MLs have a strong chemistry and they are sufficiently different to add the angsty thought that maybe they won't be able to stay together.
Very watchable and rewatchable.
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