Sad, funny, wholesome and great
What a nice series. First a story of two brothers were one of them struggles because he is on the autistic spectrum and then the struggles with the estranged sister and her little son. It's a journey of growing and understanding.The standout of the show was the acting of Bando Ryota who plays Michito. He was so amazing, with all his expressions that it felt extremly realistic. With his painting background he was a perfect choice for this role. Also the other cast did a great job. Cinematography and production value was high, the script was very good.
This series was sometimes very sad, it was sometimes very funny and it had a great balance. I can recommand this series, even when it was sometimes hard to watch.
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medicore show with a good vibe
OMG, was 2024 a hard year for thai shows. Many shows were childish, immature and poorly written with forgettable storylines and often boring as fuck.What this "university" show did different: It was not as childish, it was not that immature, it had a 2:1 screen ratio (loving it because I don't have a TV since forever) and the vibe compared to all the similar shows (yes I mean all the GMMTV/Sabi Wabi crap) was miles ahead. I can't explain it really, but when watching this, I had a smile on my face regardless of some clichés & forced drama (ep 11) and some cringe scenes. And of course they did polish the presentation to new heights. Not only are the actors cute/handsome as fuck but also the cinematography did everything to perfection especially in the emotional scenes.
Makes this a good show? Of course not. The story is still poorly written without hights and with forced drama. But everything else was executed in a very good way, had a good vibe and was still enjoyable to watch. Overall I expected less and got more :)
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More fan-service than anything else...
OMG that story was painful to watch. While I like fantasy and scifi this was so badly written, I could not imagine how bad.If you see your lover dying and go to the other world to save him, you will not fall in love with someone else out of nowhere. That was incredible unbelievable. You have a sickness while somewhere on the ass of the world (means a small town somewhere in the jungle) and there is one book which describes where to find a cure. Of course there are berries nearby in the jungle and they could not find a stick long enough to collect more than one berry. But two berries heal you anyways, incredible.
This show is soooooo overrated because they had a lot of nc scenes which was fan-service at his best. They could have expanded on the story of the side-couple which was much more believable but of course they didn't.
So while the production value was high, the fan-service over the top, the story was really terrible. And everyone who says you should watch it, they lie.
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neither fish nor fowl...
Hmmm.... Six episodes á 9 minutes is not enough to tell a comprehensive story. While the first 5 episodes are not that bad, the finale felt extremely rushed. I have no idea how the main couple fell in love. The chemistry between them was not convincing me even when their kissing and nc-scene were well done.I have not much to say, because while it was ok to watch, I never felt involved in that story. The "little" reaper was of course the only professional actor and he did a good job, Lee Hyeon Jun was more or less the same person we know from "His Man" - quite stoic, not giving any vibes that he was interested in his partner. Kim Yung Hee is an extrovert person, so he could deliver his character much better and with some training he could become a "real" actor.
In summary, the script was not fleshed out, six short episodes is not enough to build up a comprehensive story. At least it was not stupid or cringe, so you can binge watch 45 minutes without much fuzz. Such a show should have much more depth especially so the viewer can understand what the attraction between the couple is, besides visual appeal. You can watch this if you like, you will get some nice visuals and will not waste time watching a fully fledged series which could be even worse.
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So much better than Season 1...
Sometimes MDL drives me crazy. When you have a 24 episode Season 2 it would have been nicer to decide first if you want to split the three arcs in three seperate pages or not. If I had not seen this page by chance I would never ever had an idea I should do a review here too.When "New Sijaw" is not directing the childification of any series disappears (even when he showed he can do differently too) which elevates this series in a huge way. But of course they could not pass on stupid soundeffects to make it a drama only, they always need some comedic relief.
This story arc does not begin nice or cute, it starts with ghosts haunting Arthit and Dao. But both are not faced by it, because Arthit gives a rats ass about anything and Dao is "a medium" by birth and can handled it since childhood. The negative aspect of this story part is that all the ghosts fade into nothingness and not all ghosts get a satisfying solution to be reincarnated as I would have expected.
A central point of the whole story is the friendship of the two groups and especially the support for each other is prevelant in the younger boys group. The only downside is the 5th couple does not exist in arcs three and four, they were only present in arcs one and two. Of course each arc is its own story, but I would have wished we would have seen all of them even in the background (the 5th couple are the friends of Johan and North respectively).
While this story starts strong, it falls a bit flat in the end. There is the "forced drama" in episode 7 but of course we don't get a background why it happend and who the players were. So this feels a bit unsatisfying for me.
On the production side this is a top notch production. I only wish they would also go 21:9 like Domundi does, but besides that, there is really nothing to complain about.
Overall their chemistry works, their acting works and of course Oat with blue hairs is the cutest. My rating is 7.75 so I had a choice to round down or round up (which is mathematical correct). After watching so many crap thai shows I went with an 8, because compared to them this is so much better!
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OMG, why are most JBLs/JGLs/JQLs sooo fn dark?
Most shows in the queer spectrum from Japan have a dark undertone and this one is much darker then most.How to articulate all the feelings I have in a not rambling way?
After watching this I'm still a bit overwhelmed. What starts as a coincidal meeting of two young women, where one of them takes the other home, gets weird after just 8 minutes into the show. I won't spoil anything to you here, because the show will only work, if you don't get spoiled imho.
Kotoha has a dark secret and bets that Megumi can't guess her real name. Because her name is curse or fate or both. This is a novel concept and makes life for Megumi difficult. She has to explore here true feelings and she needs to confront Kotoha.
The only little downer I had in the finale episode, it was a bit dull in the end and I expected more. But overall the arc was interesting, the acting was very good and the cinematography more artsy as in many other shows and it captures the angst, the love and all feelings inbetween perfectly.
I did not expect much from the show and I stumbled over it by chance, but alone the title intrigued me.
So, if you have no fear to go to dark places this show is for you. But don't expect fluffy scenerios but there is some light in the dark places. And this show is truly outstanding.
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condensed story meets bland and chemistry free MLs
This is one of the disappointing JBLs in 2024.What was the most lacking is the chemistry between the couples and that for me "Kai" does not work as a freshman. "Kai" looks much too old for his role. Besides that, they only had the "bad stuff" culminating at the same time compared to original and they do bike races instead of cars. Other than that, they cut out a lot of fluff and some persons like the silblings of "Fuma".
The chemistry is so lacking they can't convince anybody about their feelings. "Fuma" beating up the "bad guys" alone was also unbelievable, they cut the friendship part between Arashi and Fuma in such an important scene. Also in the original series the organizers had a much bigger role which made the setting much more believable. So they cut too much and they did not invest in any fluff between the couples. Cutting out the scene where "Fuma" calls his mom to ask about how to take care of a sick person is also crucial to the story.
Overall the worst JBLs in 2024, with no creativity or spin on the original story, lacking chemistry , no fluff at all and feeling very sterile. So if you haven't seen it, forgo it and watch the "original" which has more punch to the story, is believable and doesn't miss the fluff of a BL which you would expect in such story.
Update: Ep 9 and 10 are "special" episodes. If you think it will get better, you are wrong, it went worse. Don't waste your time with it.
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Sex sells...
or so, because most screentime is awarded to nc scenes or stupid banter. Story? Afterthought. There is not really a comprehensible story. How they got to be lovers is just ridicilous. It does also not help when the subtitles are not well done and many jokes are drowned through bad translations.I guess this was just a payday for the actors and they had fun doing something stupid. There are worse things then getting paid for doing something stupid. But overall this was just awful. A series doesn’t always have to take itself seriously, but there was not a story to speak of, the jokes were mostly in poor taste and of the lowest calibre.
And the finale was the usual fanservice. Production quality was ok, but because it was not a DMD production, it was not as good as DMD could have made it. The audio editing was especially poor with many songs often mixed in one scene which does not make sense at all.
Thai's can't do comedy imho. Maybe I need to have a special humor to get it, but even with humor there is no story which could elevate this series. It's just a waste of time and there are more interesting things to watch.
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One of the few JBLs which is guilty of lazy writing...
The start of this series was not bad at all, they are building even a dark past for both characters. But the solution for both of the traumas for each character is a) unbelievable and b) just vanishes in a puff of smoke. Especially Kos'ke is traumatized since childhood because of his Mom, but the writers did not find the time to have a serious conclusion and waste lot of time with long-winded static scenes which do not progress the story.The chemistry between the two leads was just ok, but there was not really the feeling of longing for each other conveyed. Besides that the dead fish kiss at the "wedding" ruined most this. It's ok, if they don't want to do a NC scene, but in 2025 you should kiss otherwise don't act in a BL, period.
So production quality was very good, but the story wasn't. Just "cute" does not cut it nowadays. While not as bad as some Thai shows, it's only medicore with a weak story compensated a little bit by acting and cuteness, but overall a big disappointment for me. It's one of the shows I have no interest in watching again, but your opinion may be different.
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A Man Who Defies the World of BL Final
9 people found this review helpful
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The final season which may not be final...
I can't help myself, but I liked this season the most. While normaly not so much into the bizarre overdriven japanese humor I felt, this season they dialed it back a bit and made it more "compatible" at least with me. Also the opening song this final season was by far the best imho :) Because it was not just silly I felt the acting was improved and the plots more interesting... but of course in the end, he failed to defy the world of BL.As they are teasing a sequel, I would wish for them to show us the everyday life of the "background" lead (yeah, he does not have a name or if it was mentioned once I forgot) with Hatano in a "normal" series. Production quality was excellent as usual and I had a lot of fun watching this. So, if you have nothing to do and enjoy silly stuff, it's a recommandation from me :) (To understand the story with Hatano you need to watch the season before, but to understand all, all four seasons are required.)
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What a gem!
I'm astounded that no one wrote a review for this gem of a short.Even when it's 13 years old when I write this review, such a powerful short is a thing many other shorts can learn from. It has a story, it has emotions and it has a hopeful message.
There is nothing bad I could say about this little gem. Only that the story is easily understandable when you watch with a keen eye. The acting is so good. Even when this was a very low budget project, they made the most of it. This is a must watch!
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Some 30 minutes shows are better than most...
The same production company who brought us "Infidelity, It's a Disease" brought us this little story. While I was not that happy with the first series, this one had much more impact. I felt the story made more sense, the acting was better. The only gripe I have is the lack of proper kissing, which of course is a downgrade of my rating.Of course they also used clichés but it did not feel forced. There is a flow to the story and the visuals are very good indeed even with such a low budget. The first episode is a bit disgusting to watch (you will know when you see it), but overall it was enjoyable.
So when you came from "Flirt Milk" or "Eye Contact" this ~30 Minutes (4 episodes around 8 minutes) feels like a boon and I'm sure most of you will enjoy it. Should you also be a member of the youtube channel you will get an extended version with around 36 minutes.
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Low production, cute/handsome actors
Sukfilm is known for their short series with few actors. While I feel some tensions between the actors, it's not the best chemistry. The series is partly steril. That's the fault of the settings. Even the bar feels lifeless. The locations besides the appartment are not choosen well and as always they can't fill the void with extras.The story is cliché as usual. Childhood friends reunite and at least one of them is (still?) in love after 15 years! It's a bit much imho. I can't say it's bad, but it's also not good from a story telling view. It also makes the story not believable when you have no background at all. The clumsiness of the "writer" is partly cute but partly annoying. So I'm divided on this series. At least it felt not cringe or childish. You have to deceide yourself if you like this series or not, at least it felt not a waste of time.
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What a mess...
This series did not know if it would like to be a serious drama or a comedy. So they cobbled all of that together which of course does not make sense in the slightest. The comedy parts are overacted and cringy and the drama parts sometimes gives us a glimpse of what should have been possible and often they feel forced. The plot is also a mess, even when the core itself could have been good and interesting, but they butchered it. For eight episodes there are too many story elements not brought in a coherent form, jumping from one place to the other. It would have been better just to concentrate on the main & side couple.I have no idea how the director of this show thinks he did a good job. What a mess. Of course MDL would not be MDL if even this crap (overall) gets a rating over 6... 6 means in my world at least medicore to decent, but the only decent thing in this show are the actors doing their best with a wacky script.
If you are time-constraint, just skip it and if you are not, you should skip it as well. Cute faces alone is not a reason to watch any show.
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to be connected to be alone....
I'm late to the "review-party" because I had to binge-watch the series again to make sense of it.The style of cinematography with it's wide angle shots was often used to tell us, all the characters are connected but not really that close to one another. Also the communicated more via videos/chats then in real life. That felt very dystopian and scary in a way.
Only two characters had a romantic interest, while the other two compensated to fill a need they didn't know they had. Especially Bua was very manipulative to even offering sex to get the closeness he seeks but not understanding that his behaviour hurts anyone around him. F4M was also an ass as soon he saw Chian he completely ignored Baabin and while Baabin is sensitive to the feelings of people around him, he's too scared to confess to the person he loves. He was also the truest character of all, always advising in a soft or harsh words depending on the situation and never hiding his feelings except hiding his love for F4M.
This love-quadruple can drive some viewers on the brink of insanity. As everything unfolds Baabin says something racist to Bua to protect F4M feelings even when he already had feelings for Bua. So overall all characters are shitty in their own way but they do it not knowingly or in Baabins case out of an misunderstood feeling to protect someone.
There is also bad in the show. The story spans two years, but the time-jumps are often not obvious enough and the choppy subtitles (out of sync, missing sentences) do not help. If each episode would start with a time-jump it would have been easy, but there are many time-jumps in one episode.
The acting was very good, but for me F4M & Chian could not represent a teenager (16-18). They looked too old, so this aspect irked me a lot regardless of their performance. The first two episodes are also a bit too boring, it's really a slow burn and not much is happening. So they could even made that six episodes and cut a bit more, but maybe that should highlight the dystopian feeling for the viewers. But also showing an other side of Bangkok was refreshing.
Overall a very unusual show and something we should see more often, even when the romantic aspect is not really a focus of the series. Fluff is very rare, the story is an angsty teenager coming of age story where teenagers seek attention on social media instead in real life. Their friendships are more superficial then in depth but in the end they learn and overcome the struggles albeit with hurting a lot. If you think, I did not like the show you are wrong. It's a very good show especially considering it's from Thailand, breaking the normal school/university tropes, showing the characters in a raw unfiltered way.
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