07222023

For a series about top actors, I'm amazed they chose to make this the acting debut of 6 of the 9 main actors. Not only was the acting borderline boring, but it was also bad. Really bad. Gun was the only character I liked and stayed for, but even he wasn't spared from the show's horrible writing.

What I hated about the show:
- The subbing. This isn't the show's fault, but the first two episodes were IMPOSSIBLE to power through. Pitch was written as Pizza, Picco, Picc, and I think even Piccolo at one point. Gun and Korn's names were sometimes swapped, and at times they were written as "Kang" or something more Korean. Towards the end, there was an 'oppa' in place of 'hia' and/or 'phi,' and I thought that was hilarious
- If you've seen the first few episodes, then you're aware that there are these prison-like house rules; however, we never got to really know them. And instead of the show showing them to us, we only got characters challenging each other over and over again with the same line, 'Don't you know the house rules?' Uh no, we don't; please elaborate!
- Pitch was not the main character anyone needed or deserved. I would have cut the show some slack had they made him a cyborg instead
- Pitch and Gun were not the IT couple the show thought they were. Not only did they lack chemistry, but nothing about their scenes was romantically suggestive. I'm not sure if there's an uncut version, but at one point the show was following the Mintra-Korn-Pawin catastrophe when all of a sudden they drop an 'oh look, Gun and Pitch have romantic feelings for each other!!! Yay!'. Yeah, no, just no. And upon further research, it appears that the actors for Gun and Pitch were changed to Pepo and Leo after the trailer?? That would explain the lack of chemistry.
- Korn and Pawin's sexual relationship was hinted at earlier on, but how the show executed it was beyond tasteless. Not only did Korn cheat on Mintra, but when she caught them, he had the audacity to gaslight her. And this guy never asked about her mom's condition when it was first brought up until later, just to mess with her. Dick move.
- Everything about the character "Sun" was something to nothing. Finally, we got to see that Suzy and Host aren't as stoic and fearless as we believed when Suzy's biological son, Sun, makes his not-so-grand entrance. Unfortunately, the character was used only for suspense and to convince us that the people and relationships at House of Stars are "interesting." I wasn't counting, but he said "This house is interesting" 4-5 times. By failing to write better characters, the show lost the opportunity to show the kind and caring, or lack thereof, sides of the members of the house, by having at least one of them stand up to Sun in Suzy's or Host's defense. I swear, what's the point of Korn bragging about not using stunt doubles in his action scenes if there wasn't going to be some butt-kicking???
- Suzy's death was hilariously and terribly shown. Not only was her death sudden, but it was also told to us by unreliable characters how it happened, when on the night before her death all we saw was her bawling her eyes out. The fact that when her lifeless body was discovered and NO ONE stepped in to do CPR or check if she had a pulse shows you how ungrateful and slow these characters are. And I don't care if she was strict; she called them 'family'. And immediately, somehow, a viral video of Gun saying he ruined someone's life was good enough to prove he was the No. 1 suspect behind Suzy's death. Yeah, he was acting weird, but when were any of them normal???
- Pitch and So's walking styles were so stiff and tense
- Lalit is unrealistic. And where were her acting gigs??? She was brought on as an actress, but all she did was follow Pitch and So around
- Wayu and Wayha were boringly cute
- Are Gun and Korn friends or not?
- Maybe I've seen too many Korean dramas, but do Thai people not wear black after a passing? And where was Suzy's funeral? It was never held or talked about.
- After putting So's brother, Sin, in that state and taking Sin's role, Gun has the audacity to confess and try to kiss Pitch, knowing how So feels about Pitch
- Hold on. Does So genuinely like Pitch or just dislike the fact that Pitch is spending too much time with the guy who wronged Sin not once but twice?
- Who okayed Leo's singing??
- Riddle me this: when Lalit threw the box cutter vertically, how did it cut Pitch's arm horizontally? And why was Gun's first reaction "Let me bandage you"? I'd think you'd ask if he was okay or check for a wound first, but okay...whatever.
- The number of times Pitch was inconsiderate towards So's feelings was baffling. And this is the main character we're supposed to root for? Tsk tsk
- For a house full of colleagues, there was NOT ONE healthy friendship arc

Things I liked about the show:
- The credit song. I'm mad I can't find the full version anywhere T_T
- Korn leaving House
- Mintra and Pawin's sassy enemies-to-friends relationship. It was borderline toxic, but at least it was entertaining
- The show cast an inexperienced actor to play an inexperienced actor. Well done