Food and Love

There's something incredibly beautiful about watching two people already in love developing their relationship, handling issues together and just being incredibly in love. It's even better with food.

There isn't anything to say when asked what I didn't like, it's just that sort of wholesome vibe you get when you see a couple who've been together for a while and are just comfortably in love now. Yes, they have their issues big and small, but you get to watch with the confidence that there isn't going to be some overly dramatic, long drawn out fight. You can watch with the confidence that the only overly dramatic moments will be their reactions.

Above anything else, it tackles a lot of relevant and personal issues with a lot of nuance and sensibility. I loved seeing that.

A really sweet movie and a worthy sequel.

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A few ups and downs, but mostly serves

Man Suang is a solid production.

Though this may be a fictional story, it is intricately connected to the events of the time period, including the societal norms of the time period. The movie also showcases the political and cultural landscape of Thailand in a realistic way. When you produce a fictional account set in a very real and turbulent political and historical period, it is bound to get confusing at times, but for what it's worth, they did an admirable job.

Coming to the actual story, it was quite predictable. Like I mentioned, historical stories require a certain amount of explanation and background to be fully appreciated, and while I would have preferred that, the storytelling was solid for the most part. The characters are well fleshed out, the motives were clear and despite the fact that the mysteries were easily solved and the plotlines were succinctly wrapped up. The ending left something to be desired, but I guess that's what the sequel's for.

One thing that needs to be cleared up: there's no romance. This is a political thriller through and through, and even with the occasional glances, I'm glad it didn't develop into a romance. Including a full fledged romance would have taken a lot of time, and this was already chock full of events that including more scenes would have messed up something that already felt like it lacked a few things.

I probably wouldn't re-watch this, maybe if I wanted to see if I missed some details. More than anything, it was a pretty good watch and it will keep you invested.

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It's a wide universe..

First off, with the sheer amount of stories, they probably should have aired two episodes a week. It is an anthology, but several characters appear in multiple stories and there is a sense of continuation to them all. They are set in the same universe after all.

While there wasn't anything extraordinary about these stories, some of them were mildly interesting, others were plain boring, and some seemed borderline criminal (before they changed the synopsis), but something they all had in common was the fact that the premises were kind of interesting. This seemed like a set of pilot episodes to determine which one would garner the most attention and love, that would then be developed into a full length series, like an En of Love type of deal. Fair, but considering they had neither the airtime to fully develop most stories, nor the fact that they didn't realise if they weren't going to fully develop it, there wasn't a need to extend it for as long as they did just to fill the runtime was a huge misstep on their part.

That isn't to say that the anthology didn't have it's moments. I enjoyed several stories that had the hints of a good plot, solid acting and most importantly, potential to be done better, in case they do. While the rest didn't lack in potential, they failed to capture my attention because of repetitive and boring scenes, weak acting and poor execution.

I would definitely watch stories like Marry Go Round (although that's mostly for the leads), You Are My So(ul) Mate, Lucky Love and The Camp Fire if they were developed into full length series', as is. As for the rest, even though I'm interested in seeing if they would be remade, it'll take a great executional overhaul for me to give them a try.

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Mirror mirror on the wall..

Why weren't you used at all?! I genuinely thought the mirror would play a bigger role than simply making all the characters dream, but I'll let it pass because they did actually use it to set up the story.

I Wish You Love is the story of Pond, who takes extreme pride and caution in his looks and the way he presents himself. Naturally, he has a huge collection of mirrors and takes extremely good care of them. When he accidentally breaks one of his mirrors and obtains a replacement from a second hand store, he discovers that he can see his old junior Marwin in his dreams.

Initially terrified and later curious, he visits Marwin in person and finds that he's sick and confined himself to his house. Seeing all this, he decides to help Marwin step outside and hopefully fulfill some unresolved wishes he has.

The rest of the series pretty much follows all the things Marwin wants to do, and them doing it which is sweet yes, but.. that's it. It's difficult to create emotional depth and a steady story in two episodes, but it's definitely possible. While the message they tried to get across with all the scenes was obvious, it only managed to be displayed in bits and pieces. There was a lot of time wasted on unnecessary scenes, heavy dialogue that didn't quite cut it and a plot that was half baked to give room for another plotline. This is the kind of story that required either a longer runtime or more episodes, but in a bid to keep it interesting and short, they messed up the execution.

They tried to do the best they could and you can see they put some effort into it, but unfortunately it was just missing that spark that takes it from an okay story to "okay, this story is heart breaking and amazing".

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Pluto, Black Holes and Revolutions

This was actually a pretty poignant little story, just like the previous miniseries in this anthology. A story about separation and fledgling feelings, done in a different way than expected.

The story is from the POV of Tod from Pisces of Love, his experience since he moved to Khon Kaen at the beginning of the previous anthology, and his memories involving Nick, his tutor in Bangkok, and someone he left behind. Through flashbacks and narration, we see the events that transpired from the moment they first met to the moment they separated.

What's incredibly obvious is that they're both very important to each other. Nick definitely sees Tod as a younger brother, and whether Tod sees him as something more is left upto ambiguity. Regardless, they have a huge significance in the other's life. The ending is bittersweet and kind of open, since this was more of an exploration of their feelings and thoughts more than anything, it made sense.

A good miniseries, slow at times and not really one that has a plot per se, but compared to the way they marketed this, I'd say it's a relief they took this approach.

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Friends Forever

What could have been huh? There's no telling though because absolutely nothing happened in the two episodes. It took an episode and a half for the contents of the synopsis to take place, leaving no room for anything else to happen.

What followed was a whole lot of flashbacks, which would've been understandable if this was a long format series with a lot of twists and turns and actual intrigue and suspense about who the murderer is. Unfortunately, since everything is incredibly obvious, the flashbacks play no role. It would have at least made sense if they were just showed once, but one scene was shown as a flashback multiple times, and this applied for several scenes.

It's a shame though, because there was absolutely no story beyond the synopsis, no proper genre you could think it is, and not even a proper conclusion to what could have been a solid miniseries.

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Over a bowl of hot soup, let's warm our souls and heal our hearts

Watching this miniseries was like getting a hug. Stories about people healing and finding new purpose in life over good food always holds a special spot for me, and this was no different.

Meen and Jeng go through this journey after Meen breaks up with his, for the lack of better words, POS ex boyfriend, and after a few fights and arguments, they find common ground over Jeng's signature dish. With each bowl they share, they flirt and they fight, and they start to figure out that there's something there. The story could have been developed way better with more episodes, there is the notion of wanting to pack an emotional punch and provide proper backstories and emotional arcs for the characters, but it's hard to do with 2 episodes.

Nevertheless, there was definitely a lot of special things about these episodes, and the prospect of the two of building a loving relationship after a few hardships and just a few days together really solidified the depth of their bond. A beautiful story

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A cute tourism ad, that does what it should

For 6 short episodes, each under 10 minutes, there isn't much to expect, but it does what it needed to do while giving us some cute, and some genuinely romantic scenes that pull on the heart strings.

The series itself is an anthology of stories promoting tourism and sustainability in Thailand, and they did a wonderful job merging the values with the story without making it seem too much like an advertisement.

The stories themselves are short, there isn't much backstory, but you can feel the connection between the leads and they're really cute. There are some sudden changes in genre, but that episode ended up being my favourite.

A short and sweet series.

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Highly ambitious, but faltered along the way

The Sign has everything I adore in a series: romance, mystery, action and that infallible touch of mythology, which is my weakness. Under these circumstances, my rating should be higher, also considering the story is interesting, the plot is airtight (plot holes are one of my peeves), and the chemistry genuinely chemistry - fies.

Not that this is a bad rating, but again, I would generally rate something like this much higher. So let me explain my thought process, starting with the mystery/action aspect. It's solid, it truly is. Albeit slightly predictable and simple, it was consistent. I genuinely loved that they solved multiple cases that umbrella - ed as one big case, and as far as I took note, there were no loose ends or plot holes. Every case they worked seamlessly tied up with the major case through the players, and it even seemed like they would link the mythological aspect to this plotline.

That's where I was wrong. Let's clear this up first: I know it's difficult to incorporate mythology/history into a fictional account. It requires tons of research, poring over books, journals, documents, and so much more. I also understand that when you're working with mythology and history, it's a difficult situation to maneuver, (especially when you're talking about two major characters who's stories have wide and varying interpretations). But there's still room to work with. Without giving away too much, let's just say I expected more. They promised grandeur and complexity, but what we got was absolutely none of that. The entire mythological plotline was tied up to the romance between the leads and not much more.

Which then leads us to.. the romance. I'm going to be completely honest, Billy and Babe, they have chemistry. I did say the chemistry chemistry - fied, and I wasn't lying. They have a hot and cold relationship in the beginning, which I'm going to chalk up to a genuine plot point, it was understandable. Even when you felt they were being bratty, frustrating or just a teensy bit hypocritical, they turned the situation around pretty smoothly and soon. It's really too bad we didn't get to see enough though. This is a totally subjective opinion, but they spent so much time focusing on solving the cases, and the mystery of their past that there was barely any romance. At least for me. And I know it's ironic because I said I appreciated the well developed story, but I wanted romance as well. That's more of a me thing, but I just wanted to mention it.

Let me segue back to my rating now, because despite the positives, I did kind of end up saying they could have improved upon it. That is the reason for my rating.
The truth is, I genuinely enjoyed watching the series. The plot was innovative, the characters were endearing and you all know that I already have a slight bias because of the mythology plot they used. When you watch the series, you can tell they put a ton of effort into this. The cast, the crew, everyone. But I just wanted that little bit more. Again, that's a me thing.

While I do wish they had changed a few things, tied up the loose ends that inevitably cropped up, it was a decent series, and truly one of a kind: I don't see a lot of mythological BLs and it was a rare treat in that sense.

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The Pursuers

Why was this a series though ? It was more like a director's cut of a movie than it was a series. In fact, it felt like the sequel of a movie that hasn't been released.

The biggest drawback of this is the fact that the series begins from the middle of the story. All the characters are introduced straight away and you're expected to know the backstory. If I hadn't read the synopsis before I had started, this would've been even more confusing than it already was.
In addition to being confusing, because I couldn't figure out what exactly were the motivations and interests of each character, the episodes were a little slow. Watching them do things they have reasons to do, but not knowing what they are, is frustrating.
The last episode did clear some things up, but I was left wanting more. Especially more backstory, since this wasn't a case where the mysterious happenings will have a proper explanation, no, the story here just happened.

The action sequences were pretty good, full of violence and gore, as expected from the director after The Witch. Same goes for the acting, four episodes isn't a long amount of time to set up a plot and character development, but most of the actors did a great job.

But for audiences sake, BRIGHTEN YOUR PRODUCTIONS! Seriously, increase the brightness of your screen while watching because I couldn't see half of it no matter how much I increased the brightness.

It isn't necessary to watch The Witch (either movies) because this can be watched as a stand alone series, but there were a couple of references to some characters and storylines from the movies. I would be curious to see if and how they can bring all these stories together, because albeit confusing, the premise is interesting.

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There is only one you in the world

Part one was near perfection, and this was a masterpiece.

I'm still reeling from what I witnessed because what began as a revenge plot turned into one of the most poignant retrospect about life.

It's all too complicated to explain the experiences and emotions that Yi Jae is put through his 12 reincarnations, the pain of leaving his loved ones behind, losing someone he loves, living not knowing who he is, and living as if he isn't really living. It isn't until he finally experiences the memories and feelings of the 12 people in full does he truly start living.

Once again, the cast just, wow. I have no other words to describe how amazing this cast was. The guest stars, it is incredible how each of them portrayed their own characters, in addition to portraying their character as Yi Jae. Seo In Guk and Park Seo Dam get an extra round of applause, they played off each other so well, and boy can Seo In Guk act! Admittedly, these four episodes were much more emotional than the previous ones and he brought his A game.

This was a genuinely incredible drama, it is difficult to deal with this many genres and still provide a flawless production in just 8 episodes. However the interpretation, whatever it was that caught your attention, this is an enjoyable ride, through and through.

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The Moment : Since is the continuation of The Moment I Need You, and it seems nice. A nice little look into the lives of the leads since the first series, these five episodes seem to be just that, but that’s all. Just a tiny window into their lives. Was it really necessary, no, but is it still enjoyable? The question seems to be just that. The quality, top notch. The series itself? A pleasant suprise, but it is it anything more and if it is,is it worth a watch? The answer seems to be yes.

THE STORY:
The story follows Mok and Bay on vacation, but Bay’s boss and the boss’ best friend are also vacationing at the same resort. That’s pretty much the story. What was the point of the story, I have no clue. It’s filled with these cute moments between the leads, but I still don’t know what this series is about. Is it leading somewhere? I honestly don’t think so. And yet I’m hooked. There’s just something about this series that I can’t really explain, but it got me to watch all of it and I think that’s what matters.

THE ACTING:
The acting is good. The chemistry is there, but not in a way that it slaps you across the face, it’s more of a gentle caress. I will say that while some scenes do feel stiff and akward, the acting has remained consistent with the first season.

THE PRODUCTION:
This is one of the aspects greatly improved upon. The first series was dark to reflect the mindset of Mok, but this one is light and fluffy, showing just how much Mok’s state has improved. A few details like these are highly appreciated and add an extra dimension to an already good story. The problem here is with the number of episodes. How they will manage to weave an entire story into five episodes of fifteen minutes each is my concern. Hopefully they pull through and give us an actual story.

THE OST:
It’s light and sweet and makes you feel the love. What more can I say?

THE NEGATIVE:
Nothing quite so negative about this series. It’s a beautiful love story and maybe we need that kind of giddy optimism of sunshine and rainbows in our lives.

THE ENDING:
So guess what! Mok was paying Kim from 2moons ( I know his name is Copter, but calling him Kim is just fun! ) to take pictures of Mok and Bay to create a pendrive of moments. That mystery is solved. It was a happy ending overall and after the crapfest that was the Shipper’s ending, I really needed this.

When we watch television some us wish to escape reality, some want real stories, but what everyone really wants is a good way to spend their free time. I’m still on the fence about this series. It’s good, but not in a “ Oh my God, you need to watch this right now.” way, but rather in a “ If you have free time it’s a good watch” kind. While there may be no rhyme or reason to why this series was produced, I will say that this is not a waste of time. Give it a try when you have time . Thank You!

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The second instalment of the Girl Next Room series is a sure hit. It’s funny, heartbreaking and heartfelt. This instalment is about Mimi, a girl who has several phobias and a radio DJ who begin talking at three in the morning due to Mimi’s fear of ghosts. They begin talking every night and slowly begin falling love, but what Mimi doesn’t know is DJ Titan is actually Than, her classmate with whom she has a mutual hate.

THE STORY:
The story is very well written. The parts about Than, Peemai and Dausou were extremely heartfelt. Mimi begins to talk to Titan, and begins to fall in love with him, but when she discovers that Than is Titan, she is shocked. When asked who she likes, Than or Titan, she is unable to choose. Only after hearing Than’s past does she realise she loves Than, the one behind the mic, despite his persona.

THE ACTING:
The actors were amazing. Every single one of them. You rarely find series’ with such actors so it is a must watch. Special shoutout to Gun , because he seems to be in every GMM production and always manages to play his character perfectly, however different they may be.

THE PRODUCTION:
Production was perfection! All the storylines were handled very well, especially the Bi/Pansexual storyline of Mimi’s best friend. That is the representation we deserve!

THE OST:
I didn’t pay much attention to the OST, as it was quite forgettable.

THE NEGATIVE:
The only negative was seeing how Mimi treated Than, saying that she loved DJ Titan and not Than, despite them being the same person. At times Mimi got too annoying for me, but despite this a very enjoyable story.

THE ENDING:
Quite a satisfying ending. Despite the fact that Mimi and Than got together, the more satisfying story was Than and Peemai becoming friends again. No hate, but it was obvious that Mimi and Than would get together from the beginning, but seeing Than and Peemai put together their differences after the trauma they experienced really broke me.

I hope this review was helpful to those contemplating on this series. It certainly is a must watch and will not disappoint you. Thank You!

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This.. just..

What.. happened

I'm not saying this was great in the first place, but it was going fine. Even though Mon had the personality of cardboard, it was nice to see two complete introverts have a romantic storyline. It was awkward and slow, but it was fine.
The comedy was better than fine and I was enjoying the unfiltered friendship between the housemates

Then came all the cliché misunderstandings and blatant lies. Two people who barely talked to each other in the first place weren't talking at all, and everytime So opened his mouth after a point, the only things that came out were lies. Even if they couldn't talk to each other before, they could at least communicate.
It hit me that the simple set up was really masking a shallow follow up, and what was slow, was now boring and slow.
I was not a fan of the "I have to lie to him to protect his feelings" thing, and I hated that they subverted that into the storylines of the support characters.
And what was with that finale? Specifically the last few minutes because despite my frustration, I did not sit through twelve episodes for that!

Despite all that, I did like a few things. I liked that the characters actually apologised for things they should apologise for, instead of brushing it off. I liked the awkwardness between the leads that lasted throughout, it was kind of refreshing. A character actually saying they want to follow their dreams and still date their love interest. Most of all, I loved the friendship between all the characters. It was honest and unfiltered, and I was only dissapointed that two people with massive potential to be a romantic couple within that group didn't become one.

What I thought was going to be a nice ensemble series didn't really turn out that way, and I can't even say I'm dissapointed, because I don't know if that's what I feel. It didn't have great potential, just a few good moments.

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Yawn

Does this company have some sort of obsession with having their leads going somewhere to escape their problems, meeting their love interest there and still having tons of problems? Do they have some sort of pact to always include this plot in their series?

Boy goes back home because he doesn't agree with the job ethics in his company, meets boy who broke his heart years ago, they fight and reconcile, then they start dating. There, I've summed it up the best I can, which is already way better than how they did it.

A majority of the story involved the leads reconciling and fighting and reconciling and fighting all over again. Even though I knew why they drifted apart, I couldn't really understand why they wanted to reconcile and be together. I didn't care enough about them to want them as a couple either, they had almost nothing going for them in my view. I thought alright, at least they don't have some weird love rival thing as well, but they introduced that as well, in a way that made no sense.

The side couples were a little better, more established and while one couple seemed like they could actually hold a conversation for the most part without it becoming an argument, the other, well they barely interacted, so I don't know what to think.

I was so bored, I watched all of it sped up and it was still way too slow. I wouldn't recommend.

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