Mixed Feelings Galore: Fantastic rep, but...

Oh boy. This is truly a difficult drama to write a review for. There’s so much going on here. Some, brilliantly written and portrayed. Some, truly hard to come by in media and dramaland. Some, well-intentioned but poorly written. And some, just poorly considered in general.

There are spoilers, sectioned off to the bottom, because it was impossible to make my review make sense without them. But they are clearly marked and separated as such, should anyone want my general thoughts only.

Based on the premise and advertisements, I was expecting a lot of cringe. Thankfully, there wasn’t as much as anticipated. They also became fewer as the story continued on. I would still say it’s much like a mash-up of the western stories “13 Going on 30” and “Sex Education,” but I found this mash-up itself not as unagreeable as initially presumed.

I think the biggest appeal to this drama is the representation and discussions.

Throughout the drama we get to watch as these initially unhealthy relationships resolve their individual and collective problems to become more healthy - for themselves and each other. There’s a lot of growth in these characters - something that I, as a character-driven consumer, love to see.

We also have completely human and developed trans AND nonbinary representation. We have straight, gay, and lesbian romance storylines with near equal prominence. A prominent storyline about BDSM and kink, that’s partially played for laughs, but also gets serious and reflective. We also get to see a side gay character. While some viewers may interpret this character as being asexual (and it’s totally within their rights to headcanon him as such), it’s important to recognize that this bedroom preference (rather opposite to a vers you could say) is rarely seen in media or discussed. So, while I only pressed play on this drama for the possible asexuality, I do not regard him as such - nor do I mind that he’s not.

There were also great topics about outing and being out, trauma, pregnancy, identity, workplace harassment, prejudice, safe sex practices, non-monogamy, and consent. Important topics. Topics that need to be discussed. A lot of these felt rather rushed in resolution, but understandably so given the amount of different problems and plot lines were packed into this drama. But uniting all of these plotlines is the notion that a singular moment can forever change you and your relationships moving forward. And that regret and forgiveness are powerful forces that shouldn’t be underestimated or scoffed at.

Romance wise, I actually found myself torn between the obviously end-game couple and each of their rival love interests. Especially since I did not feel that the ML (Alex) is actually IN love with the FL (Jean). He admires and cares about her for sure, but in love? I’m not convinced. And I can’t help but think it’s the writing or the lack of focus on this supposed romance, as New has sold me on his romances before (in the Kiss franchise and in Put Your Head on my Shoulder).

I loved the soundtrack (shazamed quite a few of them), but the fact that seemingly the majority of them were in English has me wondering who exactly the intended audience of this drama is meant to be? *side-eyeing GMMTV*



—SPOILERS FROM THIS POINT FORWARD—



My main issue is about the central premise. The main conflict centers around consent. It even gives straight up literal lectures on the subject. But yet never seems to address that one cannot consent when drunk.

Here’s the main premise:

Alex made a vow of chastity to his mother that he would be a virgin until he’s 18 (because turning 18 totally inherently changes his maturity). On the day before his birthday, Alex goes to a party and one of his crushes (because he has two), Jean, proposes that they have sex. So excited that he forgets his vow, despite it being on his mind all the way up until this moment, goes in search of a condom. Alex’s friend then forces him to drink a bucket full of strong alcohol in order to “earn” said condom.

Now thoroughly drunk, so drunk that he doesn’t register witnessing anything, being kissed twice, or even getting punched, the only thing keeping him moving forward is the thought of having sex with Jean (who has, by the way, decided to take some shots to keep her courage up). Is this unrealistic to the reality of being drunk? Possibly. But this is how the drama presents it.

Now Alex and Jean are both inebriated and having sex. Jean sobers up and withdraws her consent upon realizing that Alex forgot to put the condom, that he went through all that trouble for, on. She tries to get him to stop. But he’s so far gone from being drunk (remember, he didn’t even register that he was punched just a minute ago) that he doesn’t notice.

So Jean comes out of this experience traumatized (rightfully and understandably so).
The Alex that resumes that timeline is praised for his actions that night, and like a teenager, gets swept away by the fame of it all.
The Alex we come to know gets plummeted into the future, seemingly punished for committing this act of now mutually non-consensual intercourse just seconds before turning 18.

So now we have two victims of this action. Yes, Jean was way worse off than Alex, but they are still both victims. The script makes relative light of both of them as both of them paint themselves as the bigger/only victim.

But while this story had the chance to actually paint Alex as the victim he should be, we see that his only sustained concern throughout the drama is being able to climax again. So he goes around dropping these bombs of wisdom and compassion and relentlessly pursuing Jean to reconcile.

For one, reconciliation should be on her terms and her terms alone.
Secondly, while Alex’s actions suggest that he does care for his friends while he’s solving their problems, this concern doesn’t seem to linger. Instead, it comes back to “fixing the curse.” Not so that he can fix all these problems. Not so that he can go back to the past (heck, he doesn’t even grieve the loss of his beloved grandfather for more than a few seconds). But so that he can climax again.

Talk about insensitive and immature. Like, we come to like this character through the actions he takes with his friends’ problems, but then these points get brought up again and remind us that this character is a teenager. It creates a strange unbelievable dichotomy that’s hard to keep up with.

And then there’s the way Jean’s story is framed. Jean has sexual trauma from the incident. And period problems (that are brought up for like 2 episodes and never again) presumably from the resultant abortion. Considering how many people are out there in similar situations, the writers really should’ve at least mentioned the notion that one doesn’t require sex to have a good relationship (it would’ve fit the story as well). It paints a story of a woman who is unfulfilled in life, who thinks herself unlovable. And it paints this sexual trauma as not only a problem that needs to be fixed for her to be fulfilled and loved, but an unfixable problem at that. An unfixable problem that gets fixed by Alex going back in time, an option not available to real-life individuals who share her affliction.

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Simple, Gorgeous, Real, and Inspiring

Simple and gorgeous, while simultaneously showing several issues facing same-sex couples. In it, we meet a strong-willed bibliophile who just wants to be treated fairly, and her partner who is still struggling with being closeted and internalized homophobia in the face of prejudice and micro-aggressions. My heart hurt for her when she said that she wasn't allowed to be upset because "lesbians shouldn't walk in the sun."

I love how our two female leads balance each other out, providing each other unbridled joy and courage as they move forward in life. To the point where they truly are able to shake things off, not because they're scared to be upset, but because they have each other's backs.

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My Breed of Comedy, But a Bit Mismatched at Times

This was such an enjoyable comedy drama. It was situational comedy, rather than slapstick or stupid-funny, which is right up my alley. The schemes/plans were so fantastically executed and fun to watch, especially when the leads are getting in each others' way and trying to outsmart each other. I also liked how the plot was semi-episodic - the overarching plot and tension was serial, but each episode used a different case to showcase it. It kept it feeling fresh and less repetitive than shows with similar dynamics.

"I hide secrets. You reveal the truth."

On the romance side, we got two different types of enemies to lovers romances. We have the main couple who are career and moral enemies (which also prompts some interesting ethical questions), and we have the second couple who have just always butted heads and doubled as love rivals as well. Both couples had a lot of good chemistry, but I felt like we could have used at least a kiss more from each of them. I also liked how while both couples were composed of opposites to some extent, they were also quite alike in reactions. It made it fun and believable.

I think the thing I liked the least though were the slight tonal shifts towards the end. There was an element of episodes 10/11 that really didn't need to be brought to that extreme in order to serve as the reality check that the story needed. And episode 12 only felt connected in the sense of the characters and their dynamics with each other. It was a very different context with very minimal lead-up. Nor do I quite understand the point of it. A different case would have been better suited to the story.

We also have a third couple with Jim and his wife. At first, I couldn't understand how their relationship troubles and the toxic mother-in-law were important to the overall story. So I really didn't care to pay much attention to them. But it all did come together eventually. I warmed up to Pinky as well. Both as a member of the team and friend, and as Phat's sister. But I think these 2 elements didn't mesh well. She was too childish to be the former, and too grounded to be the latter. I think her role would have been more enjoyable if split between 2 characters.

I liked how casually some of the details were thrown in as well - even though their casualness may be TOO casual for some viewers. For instance, the multiple references to poly relationships. Or the fact that both of our leads are adopted, despite not using the terminology as such.

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Mental Health and Disorders in Well-Performed Nuanced Characters

I can’t really speak to the bipolar representation in this series. It seemed fairly decent and more nuanced compared to other portrayals i’ve seen. But i do wonder if we should have seen more of her depressed state of the disorder. For a little bit there, it seemed like we were gonna get it, but then it came off kind of like the character was acting being depressed/upset. Instead, off medication, we seem to only see her either manic or angry. But she does nod back to the depression in her dialogue at points. But she also asks the ML what it’s like to have depression. So i don’t know.

But the depression portrayal was great. Especially when the ML was narrating through it. My heart ached for him and i connected to him deeply. His story seems to have a tad bit of the “love heals you” tone, but since his depression is rooted in grief and guilt, it rather makes sense in this case.

The performances by the actors were quite spectacular. You couldnt tell this was a web series imo. I was that sold on what they were feeling and saying. I caught on to the nuances of their performances even before the script confirmed my conclusions. And I was reacting right alongside them at key moments - cheering them on and begging for their happiness.

A gem of a short series.

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Despite reservations, the leads were perfect. But there was a weight that they couldnt shake.

I was/am quite the fan of "En of Love." Namely, "En of Love: Tossara" which I have rewatched more times than I can count. In that series, I was never a fan of Mark and Vee. But after this series, I'm realizing that it was because they didn't have the screen time necessary for their story. There's so much more here than just [Mark who can't take no for an answer] and [Vee who fell out of love with his girlfriend but is too used to her to leave]. So so much more. And I did not expect to cry coming into this adaptation, but cry I did. Major kudos to the 2 actors and the script writer.

The first thing that comes to mind with this series is the underlying plot of how deeply insecure Vee is. Because of how he sees himself and his social/wealth status, he thinks he can't get anything better than what he has. So he doesn't strive for anything. He accepts everything as it comes to him. The only thing he believes he has to offer is being kind, caring, and selfless. Mark helps him realize that he has value beyond this. Which is super touching, considering Mark's own status. He never once uses that fact to wave it in front of Vee's face or to try and get an upperhand in their relationship. In fact, he is always willing to try new things with Vee. It is Vee who always brings up their social class difference - really demonstrating how insecure and self-conscious he is about it.

On the other hand, I hated how this drama handles some of its messages. Primarily, the seemingly overarching message about taking no for an answer when pursuing someone. And keeping that person's feelings in mind. Because several times we see conversations about backing off when they get annoyed. And it doesn't matter what deal you may have made with someone else, the only person who can make the call about being together is the person being pursued. But this was repeated SUPER often. And it seems that the writers believe that the only sign that a person is getting annoyed with being courted, is if they have a boyfriend. Not when they say no. Not when then flat out say they want to be left alone. No. The only time their feelings are respected is when they say (and sometimes PROVE) they have a boyfriend.

I did like how it operated in grey territory though. None of the characters are intending to do bad. And they're all aware they are, and feel guilty about it. But circumstances keep getting in the way. And because of how everything is uncertain, it has everyone's emotions going haywire. So it was all very well written. And, for the most part, well handled.

I say for the most part, because the writing seems to want us to sympathize with Ploy. But there's not much there to sympathize with. She's a hypocrite. And that sweet persona feels very purposeful as a result. But surprisingly, as much as I hate hypocrites, I didn't find her the worst character here.

That honor goes to Siwaa. She had me FUMING like no other in this drama. Frequently. The script may have been telling us she was well-intentioned. But she had NO business getting involved like she did. And if she thinks THAT poorly about Vee, her friend, she should stop trying to call herself his friend. But perhaps she continues to do so so that she can have "grounds" to stay involved in his business. She does whatever she pleases with no mind paid to what the people involved will feel as a result. And if her digs are what Vee has listened to since they became friends, it's no wonder AT ALL why he's as insecure as he is. With friends like her, who needs enemies? I wanted to smack that grin off her face on many occasions. I kept waiting for someone to call her out on it. But no one did.

On a side note, I am AMAZED at how well they chose this new actor for Bar. He felt near exactly the same, but with an overall screen presence that fit much more. I also loved the inclusion of one of the regional Thai dialects with Vee's family.

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Where it lacks in plot, it makes up for in romantic chemistry

I feel like this particular micro-film had us come up with just a tad-bit too much on our own to fill in the situation/plot around these two. Even just a moment leading into the beginning or during the "climax" could have really developed the story more thoroughly. There was just a dab too many fluff seconds for the situation that the characters appear to be in.

That being said, you could feel the love that the characters had for each other in every loving, awkward, and confident gaze between them. And the visuals for the characters and setting are stunning. Paired with the lovely music (as this does double as a music video of sorts), This was a really memorable project that I do not regret watching at all.

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A new and important story, but feels like i skipped scenes

How to describe our main character Napat?
Homeschooled. Gamer. Skateboarder. Part of a loving and supportive family.
Feminine-presenting. Born male. Lonely. And finally, nonbinary.
But this reality isn't so easily accepted by others. Neither in relationships nor society as a whole. This is who Napat is, and what they have to deal with.

"When he said he loved me, I don't know if he loves who I really am, who I appear to be, or who he wants me to be. I am who I am since the first day we met."

It is an amateur short film, so acting does leave quite a bit to be desired. The story and message packed quite a punch, especially because of how few of these stories there are in media at the moment, but left some holes that I would have greatly appreciated filled in. While these holes didn't quite make it feel too much like the social issues ad it more or less is, it did leave it feeling more like snippets of a story rather than a complete one. Like I accidentally skipped scenes.

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Meant for young teens, but an enjoyable watch regardless

Look, before I say anything else, know that this movie is very evidently for young audiences. It's a cute, simple, star-crossed fantasy film with eye-catching magic graphics. The acting is a bit poor. The plot is predictable. Nothing particularly high-emotion happens. (Also, on a side note: the movie poster is very misleading.) That's the nature of films with this age demographic.

That said, I greatly enjoyed this movie. The music was stunning - in the way that only wuxias can be. The magic looked gorgeous. I loved the reoccurring theme of yin and yang. And the fact that the true climax isn't the big showdown, but rather the events right after the showdown was a really interesting choice that I don't see often. I know that should this film have been around when I was younger, I would've had this on repeat so much that it would've made the list of films my parents had to hide from me.

But as an adult, the rewatch appeal is quite low because of all that I mentioned in the first paragraph of this review.

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Simple but Poignant: A Tale of Unrequited Love

Krit's longtime crush on his questioning best friend has started to drive a rift between them. But in one last bid for time together, Krit invites Vin to join him on a journey in the wilderness to 9 Buddhist temples and the 7th tier of the neighboring waterfall. He had only planned for a journey filled with Vin's company, beautiful flowers to collect and press, and a wish to granted at the end of his quest. What he didn't anticipate was 2 other guests, as well as a journey that inspired feelings of nostalgia and lostness, before teaching him of peace and acceptance.

Despite a brief morbid moment and concerns over how the film would end, I found this to be a beautiful exploration of an unrequited first love. The backdrop of wilderness and Buddhist temples was well-chosen. And I'm not sure that this film would have had the same oddly comforting vibe had the music not been so well chosen (which, honestly, seems to be a trait of P'Nuchy's productions). And then there's our main character Krit: a young boy who sees beauty in everything and always wishes for happiness for everyone, and an eternal love for himself - wishes that Buddhism tells him is impossible. Wishes that society shuns. When he starts to feel lost, we can tell. There may not be explosive anger or giant tears, but we can tell.

It's simple. But it's poignant. The script, directing, and music left nothing to be desired for viewers. But the acting was a little stiff and I feel like Vin should have gotten more character development. I also think that there was a scene that was a bit too morbid, at least for my tastes anyway.

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I'm Literally Begging For More (Please!)

This right here was the explicit ace and poly representation that we deserve! Asexuality, libido, polyamory, jealousy and more relevant topics and terms were explicitly brought up and discussed - but in an organic, conversational way that we've all actually done irl. And the fact that we didn't just have the one token asexual, but also had his close friend and her off-screen fiance both as asexuals too! It made me so happy. It was also discussed about how asexuals differ in their acceptance of sexual activities, and that the lack of attraction was not the only reason for our main character's reluctance.

The film didn't end with Minho getting "fixed." And despite initial tension and lack of understanding about asexuality, we did see why Minho is in love with both of his partners and saw them both willing to take things at Minho's pace and keep him involved in other ways. We also saw the different dynamics, contributions, and interests between all members of the throuple and how they have effective verbal and silent communication between all of them.

Also, I'm in love with Minho's smile. It's so contagious. All the actors did a great job portraying their characters. However, there was a lack of chemistry in my opinion (but that might simply be because of the short length of the film). I would love to see these topics and their relationship development hashed out in a larger project. I actually low-key need it.

I didn't really notice the music much, so I can't really speak to that.

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Amateur Performance of a Short, Intriguing Mystery with a Memorable Ending

I am not gonna lie to you. The performance by the actors here were pretty poor when it comes to any of the big emotions. You could clearly tell which emotions were the hardest for each of the cast, as the story required them all to portray almost the entire range. So it made some scenes truly eyeroll-worthy and hard to take serious. Then you add in the background music - playing just about the entire drama - which sounded like an EDM rendition of a skipping record. So I'm not going to try and sell you on liking this drama.

However, it was an intriguing and short tale of a group of friends connected together in a complicated web of sex, desire, money, and secrets. In each episode we get the tale of what happened from each person's perspective, and then we get the truth contradicting that same tale. Primrose was out there collecting blackmail throughout the night. I wonder what she had planned to do with it all? We don't really find out. But regardless, I found the end very entertaining. As those last credits started to roll I found myself actually wanting to see more, despite the many cons I highlighted above.

I also have to give a shout of recognition to the intro sequence. It was very pretty, eye-catching, and not in the least bit spoilery.

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An epic tale of unwavering loyalty, love, and hatred

An epic tale of unwavering loyalty, love, and hatred. I loved all the characters here. Their motives were clear and well-developed, and I felt like I knew them all:

- The second male lead that was tortured until all his heart knew was hatred.
- The female lead with undying loyalty and love that carried over from before she could even remember.
- The male lead with the weight of the kingdom (and the world) on his shoulders.
- The second female lead with a good head on her shoulders.
- The mastermind villain who just wanted to prove himself to his emperor.

It was an emotional tale with gorgeous cinematography. However, there were several holes that needed filling in order to fully understand how we got from one scene to the next. Scenes that presumably got cut out due to funding or the review board, as their absence was very clear. So a lower rating would be absolutely justified by those that prioritize plots over characters.

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A great and relatable story, but bogged down by the performance

Overall, it was a nice, visually clean minidrama with a great message of not forcing yourself to follow the status quo. In it, we get to know Sarang as she encounters continuous pressure to date at the age of 20. Something that I think most singles, especially women, can relate to. Overall, she was quite relatable: a big foreign tv show lover, a busy student and hard worker, a foodie, a cat lover, and a loyal friend.

However, despite the good messages and quotable lines, I wasn't consistently sold by the performance. It didn't always feel quite natural or genuine. And the overarching framing, where Sarang is telling this story in some sort of interview, wasn't well established. And because of it, felt like a cop out to show her thoughts and distract from how her performance didn't keep us immersed in the story.

I came for the open-to-interpretation aroace story, of which this did have some reoccurring moments that resonated, but ultimately stayed for the quotability of the dialogue and the precious cat.

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A Simple Story of Being in Love, But the MC Got Lost in the Mix

There's a certain level of comfort that I always get from the miniseries and short films produced by Rela/The L (The company behind a seemingly popular Chinese lesbian dating and community app). There's an endearing simplicity to their storytelling signature and tone. Such as the amount of value and emphasis they put on small everyday moments, rather than big grand gestures.

This particular story shows the evolution of a sort of friendship between Cooka and Tina, after Tina comes to Cooka's talent agency and fails to impress. Cooka, having an eye for talent, immediately takes her to get a classic romcom style makeover and their friendship (and Cooka's feelings) grows throughout subsequent interactions together afterwards. I can see why Cooka fell for Tina. She has a contagious bubbly personality that really livens up the room.

But alas, I think most people have had an some sort of experience falling for someone, knowing full well that it will never be able to be reciprocated. And that is what this film shows viewers. But rather than doing so in a queerbait-y way, it felt realistic. The producers essentially pranked the audience (which I do have a tendency to love) by showing what Cooka wished was the case, before reality came to hit her like a rock. But we still manage to end on a high note, by showing that there may be someone looking at you with hearts in their eyes while you are looking elsewhere. And by suggesting that a heartbreak now can lead you into a great love story later.

The music also reflected all these elements, starting off cutesy, before becoming more emotional and bittersweet.

My only major con here is the fact that I don't feel like we knew Cooka. The focus was so much on her love and the subject of her love, that she, as a character, got lost in the mix.

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Edge-of-seat action with heart-melting displays of mundane affection

With a story of a repenting assassin forced back into the fray of killers and former allies, there were many ways that this story could have went wrong. But all the way through, the story and characters stayed true themselves. Even while they surprised me as a viewer. In addition to the reveals keeping me engaged, I found each of the multiple fight sequences absolutely gripping (and well-choreographed). There was no room almost anywhere in this film to potentially multitask to.

The fact that the romance gets established pretty quickly in the film allows for the focus to stay on the action-filled plot as well. But, make no mistake, I still found myself feeling incredibly soft to our married leads. Their relatively mundane shows of affection, painted as normal and natural even in the face of danger, melted my heart on more than one occasion.

The antagonists were well-written as well. All of them had pretty well-founded motivations and were not over-the-top in their villainy. They felt like actual bodied antagonists, rather than comic-book, exaggerated, or for-the-sake-of-it villains.

At this rate, I might need to sit down and just watch all of Michelle Yeoh's wuxias.

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