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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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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This Love Needed Only Basil ♡

Simplicity at it's finest. This is one of the best examples I can think of when it comes to that phrase, because with the most basic of plots, they created something so entertaining.

The key was to it was introducing all characters, all storylines and possible conflicts from the get go, that way, we knew what we were getting. Sometimes, new conflicts are introduced to shake things up but thank goodness none of that happened here, sure it was predictable, but it was also consistent. No unnecessary misunderstandings, no extra drama because the script said so, yes please and thank you!

The story was well fleshed out, there was a lot going on with the competition, the sneaking around, the ex girlfriend and more, but every one of them seamlessly revolved around the restaurant. I especially loved the cooking sequences and scenes involving the competition, watching Oab become more understanding and patient, Plawan gaining skills and finding his passion, the good dynamics in the kitchen the more they worked together, it was great to see each character grow in their own ways as the competition grew.

The characters were also written very well, like any good series, there was a fair share of characters who required character development, others who were introduced for the sole purpose of creating conflict, but every single one of them had more to them than just being a plot point. They were complex and sometimes difficult to understand, but good people nonetheless, which was evident in the writing.

And the CHEMISTRY! So good.
Plawan and Oab's relationship was certainly the less confusing of the two, they were obviously attracted to each other and as their relationship progressed, the introduction of conflicts only showcased why they made a good pair. They understood the other person's stance, and even if Plawan had to pout a bit, they communicated with each other much better than I thought they would. Even after the deal was revealed, it was clear that they cared for each other very much.
JJ and Methas on the other hand were a tad bit confusing at times (a bit more screentime I think could have resolved this), but a good couple nonetheless.

While the series itself wasn't a huge revelation, it's certainly worth talking about. Uncomplicated, heartwarming and swoon worthy, it's definitely worth a watch.
But I do have one question: why weren't any of them wearing chef's hats?!! Like ew- no food in my hair.. ugh.. no hair in my food please! For a guy who wanted his kitchen and restaurant spotless, this certainly went over Oab's head, didn't it?

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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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Chaotic, heartwarming and entertaining

A truly underrated series if I may say so. Based on the synopsis alone, the actual emotional depth of this series is barely depicted.

A wager between roommates to set one of them up with their crush after a round of Never Have I Ever, leading to outlandish schemes, team work and tons of chaos, but what also followed was an unapologetically sex positive series that highlighted consent, pleasure, sexuality and much more. All while keeping comedy and romance at the forefront, giving us the perfect mix of emotions.

Both the pairings in here have my heart, so different in dynamics between the pairings and between the people in each pairing, and they worked so well together. Communication, honest conversations, trust, they had it all. Above all, it was just how much they understood their dynamics with the other person in the relationship. It may have been frustrating as a viewer and sometimes even for the characters, but there wasn't a single moment where each of them didn't make it a point to visualise a clear picture of what their relationship was like at that point. The chemistry was dazzling and the angst, oh the angst. You can't help but root for them.

And I mean all of them, because the bond between the four of them was highlighted no less than the romantic relationships. What may have started out as a bet, eventually developed into a kind of brotherhood where they could always go to each other for advice, talk freely and trust in the fact that they would always be there for each other. All the supporting characters were no less, each of them had their own distinct personalities much like the leads and it was chaotic and fun to watch all of them interact.

This was thoroughly entertaining, start to finish, and it is truly underrated with well written characters, a solid story and not a single scene that I had to skip. A gem indeed.

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Brilliance

I've stopped expecting brilliance from crime dramas, I don't really watch for the suspense anymore either and even with the promise of comedy, after watching the first few episodes, this was at it's best going to be a fun watch.

Atleast, that's what I thought.

This was pure brilliance, I can't hype this up enough, it's brilliant. I wouldn't be too put off by the number of episodes, because before you know it, you've binged 14 episodes in three days and you're just sat on your couch with the dorkiest smile on your face wondering how to fill the void this show will inevitably leave in your drama watching schedule.

This is one of the best examples of a story driven by both plot and characters, and it's so well balanced that you don't feel like either one is being forced down your throat. Each plotline is different, not just within the series, but some I'm seeing for the first time in any series. Because the plot arc changes every two (or three) episodes, you're invested just enough in the case to immerse yourself in the backstory, sometimes be moved by the emotions, and watch the team solve the crime, but not so much that it takes away from what I thought was the absolute best part of the series: the team themselves.

Dorks. The whole lot of them, in the best possible way. There's never a dull moment with the five of them, I almost thought I would bust a gut during some of the scenes. All the characters are way too funny, unnecessarily funny at times and I loved it. But we also got to see so many different sides of them, the happy, the sad, the angry and vulnerable. Sometimes the cases had very personal connections to the team and it was great how the focus shifted to each member while still maintaining a good team balance. There wasn't one character who got more attention than another here, it was an ensemble through and through, with five vastly different characters. I just loved them all.

I'll be honest, crime/thriller is still one of my favourite genres, despite the fact that it rarely surprises me anymore. When it does, it's brilliant and even though it didn't here, it was still brilliant. This isn't a show you love the minute you pick up, but I can ensure by the time you finish it, you'll love it.

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And the music played them off..

Rule of thumb, if you're going to be making a series called First Note of Love.. maybe have more than one note of music and love?

This seriously needed way more music and romance than it had, because even though as a series about grief and moving forward this was actually pretty good, there was definitely more they were trying to bring to the story. And unfortunately, none of that actually came through.

There was just way too much going on for it to no real impact to the story, trying to stuff in grief, romance, music and all the technical aspects that go with it in twelve episodes will give you exactly something like this, half baked for the most part. Half of the story was about finding yourself again after going through something difficult (which again, was well done) and the other half was about producing music, booking a venue, recording the music.. and the romance was just randomly there.

The romance definitely had potential (both the couples) and the premise did too, but they really messed up the execution on so many fronts. Way too much technicality, way too many flashbacks and not enough scenes focusing on the music or the romance, which should have been the main focuses!

I don't know, they missed several beats when making this and bit off more than they could chew. If this had twelve, one hour episodes, I could see how all that they tried to include would make sense, but with around twenty five minutes for each episode? It's not feasible and it showed. Which was dissapointing, the way it just slowly tapered off until you just wanted the story to end because nothing new was happening. Too bad.

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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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