Original story quite fascinating but odd pacing and ending

I really enjoyed the concept and the scenario, it is quite innovative and leave for sure a lasting impression on the viewer. I did not found the story super well-paced and the ending felt a bit too rushed though. I think the movie could have been a bit longer to better flesh out the ending and the message of the film.

The ensemble cast was pretty good. More specifically, I really enjoyed Rain performance, with his goofy, cool but also more crazy and mad sides. Im Soo Jung did also a great job in her very particular and erratic role. It is a bit of a shame that despite the quite good acting, I did not find myself emotionally invested in the characters. It might be linked to the script, but I felt more like a "cold" external observer trying to understand what was happening rather than candidly rooting for any of the protagonists.

I quite enjoyed the directing choices to represent the various mental illnesses faced in the mental hospital. There are quite a bit of memorable scenes and the cinematography for some of them was really cool. Even so, the visual FX regarding some of the cyborg aspects did not age very well, it is still impactful for sure but a bit cringy at the same time. The music did not really stand out to me, except one specific song with some yodelling.

I would recommend this to people that enjoy movies by acclaimed director Park Chan Wook. It is not the most well-known of his filmography but it is worth a watch for its interesting concept. Strangely enough, even though both pieces are very different from another, it made me think somewhat to "Squid Game" as a comparable recommendation.

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Quite loose adaptation disappointing in some aspects

I have read the manga quite a few years ago and was curious to see its movie adaptation. I remember quite enjoying it at the time despite some flaws in its writing. Unfortunately, I found myself disappointed by the film.

Story-wise, it is a quite loose adaptation -which make sense as a 14 volumes manga cannot be encompassed fully by a less than 2 hours movie. However, despite the shortcuts taken by the script, I still found the plot rather confusing as if the writer was trying to put too much into it. They try to make it sensible but I found it difficult to follow and it was also a bit all over the place in its pacing.

Acting-wise, I like a lot Tsuchiya Tao but I would not say that I found her role when playing "a genius actress" totally believable. The part was clearly not easy and she did an honourable job (as well as the other female lead Yoshine Kyoko), but still something did not click for me in the performance. The acting got definitely better in the last third of the movie with a pretty compelling last narrative arc allowing the actresses to be more intense.

Production-wise, I liked a lot some of the decors around the theatre plays. I also truly enjoyed the set up and making of the dramatic scenes. I am much less convinced with how the main "fantastical" element was portrayed with the lipstick and its implication. I found also the "ugliness" of Kasane and her outside appearance totally downplayed. I had already some nit-picking regarding that specific point with the manga, and the movie made it even far less convincing...

I would not necessarily recommend this to people unless you really like one of the main actresses or if you enjoyed the manga and are curious to see its adaptation.

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An unfinished controversial Chinese BL, worth the watch despite its shortcomings

This BL Chinese drama felt very indie to me being in its filmmaking, script and well as its music choices. It has a lot of qualities as well as shortcomings. One of them being that unfortunately, the show is unfinished: it stops after 15 episodes of 20 minutes, right in the middle of a narrative arc.

My understanding is that the series was cancelled due to the Chinese Government censorship regarding BL stories. Here indeed, the show does not shy away from its nature: it is clearly standing out as a romance between two guys rather than a blurry bromance leaving room too interpretation. It is a shame that the show was not allowed to complete its course but I am still glad to have watched it as I think it is an important piece in the BL genre.

Despite the characters being not really likeable and the romance having some deep toxic roots, I was totally invested in the relationship forming between the two main male leads. There are not stereotypical protagonists and they felt very real to me with their raw and dry personalities. In addition to the romance, there is a strong family component to the script: it is more or less inspired but at least provide an interesting and spicy background for the relationships.

It is a shame that the secondary characters felt not correctly exploited, it seems that the writer was planning something for them but their journey never really started. It is also really too bad that almost all the female protagonists are awful: they are the antagonists and nothing more, which I found really lacking nuance.

I would recommend this to people looking for a more raw BL romance in a high school. The romance is kind of toxic but captivating to follow. And there is a real indie feel to the show that I found really attractive. As stated above, you need to be aware that because it was cancelled, it does not have a proper ending with most of the narrative arcs are left unfinished. I still think it is really worth a watch just to see the development of the romance which has some really enthralling peaks and valleys.

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Thrilling series shedding some light on dark realities of South Korea military service & deserters

This series depicts the story of a rookie within the Deserter Pursuit (D.P.) military unit. It shed some light on the dark realities behind the military mandatory service, with the hazing and brutalities some older officers inflicts on the newcomers, as well as how it is easy to reproduce and repeat same malpractices in an organization where high ranking officers are more tempted to cover up any issues rather than take corrective and progressive actions.

Given the military context as well as the difficult and sordid topics discussed, I was positively surprised by the overall tone of the drama. I was expecting a painful watch almost unbearable to walk through it...but not at all. On the contrary, it is not an harsh watch but a super bingeable show with a good pacing and nice action sequences. Of course, there are some tough moments that are difficult to swallow and gut wrenching, but there are also some really inspiring and touching scenes.

Overall it is very good show that could have been even better with more episodes. There are so many things that I would have liked to see explored more regarding the characters, their relationship as well as each of the mission they were doing. Luckily enough a second season is planned: I'm really looking forward to it!

The casting is amazing! Whether it be the main actors or the secondary cast and the guests actors (playing the deserters roles in the various episodes), they all gave really good performance and it is a real pleasure too see so many familiar faces. The duo formed by Jung Hae In & Koo Kyo Hwan works incredibly well: they have a good chemistry with each other and I wanted to see so much more of it. The MVP of the cast is Kim Sung Kyun, radiating though mentor energy, and who brings a lot of humanity to his role and to the show.

The OST is nice and not overly present, it is not that memorable but I appreciated the sorrowfulness of the songs ending almost each of the episode. I found the filmmaking very good, the budget is visible on screen and there are some nice editing choices, leaving the spectator a bit out of breath given the tension.

I would recommend this to people who are looking for a thrilling series set in the context of the military mandatory service in South Korea. The storylines are quite dark but there is also a wholesome aspect to the drama with some almost slice-of-life details as well as a buddy cop vibe. If you enjoyed the movie "Midnight Runners", you will likely enjoy this too! Given the topics approached, be mindful if you have any trigger.

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Good BL story: original in its form with an artistic vision, hindered a bit by editing issues

This drama is more than a BL, it is a also a story about mental health, fear, trauma, growth and friendship....The romance is of course important but there are a lot of additional interesting topics approached by this series. I also appreciated to have a variety of female roles, not only bad-shit crazy woman stereotype but also sane and even good female parts.

I enjoyed the evolution of the main relationship within the plot. My main regrets are coming from the fact that some of the elements put in place over the course of the episodes (regarding the traumatic event faced by one of the character and his family, as well as the career topics and so on...) were left on-the-side and not really addressed by the end. I liked the attempt at life-lesson from the show but I was also a bit frustrated by the conclusion as there was some undeserved forgiveness warranted to some shitty characters.

Regarding the casting, I found the chemistry between the two males lead quite good but not necessarily sizzling hot. Still, they felt comfortable in the most intimates scenes (much less platonic than the ones in common South Korean BL story) and they made their relationship really believable. Both are a bit outshined by the secondary cast which does an amazing job in emotional but also fun scenes...Those secondary roles carried in a way the plot: some were showcasing the best of friendship and love, while some were the worst of it, and it was really well-acted overall.

The atmosphere of the series with its almost muted colours and tones, as well as its sensitive OST, set the show apart artistically-speaking. It is a bit unequal in terms of production quality: there are some beautiful filmmaking and directing but at the same time some strikingly odd editing choices (between the episodes and even sometimes between scenes). The shift between sequences can feel a bit erratic and jumpy, with the viewer not being sure how the characters reach directly point B from point A...

I would recommend this to people looking for an interesting and artistic BL story set in a university background with some surfing. If you enjoyed drama such as "I Told Sunset About You", it might bring you similar feelings.

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Painfully real, interesting and innovative take on a BL story

The drama follows the evolution of the relationship of Teh and Oh-aew as they are settling in Bangkok in two different universities. The story is painfully realistic: I'm quite impressed from an intellectual perspective of the narrative road taken by the show. The focus is more on the sad and difficult parts of the relationship rather than on the happiness and light moments...This is such an unconventional and fresh take on young love evolution but what makes it so interesting makes it also a bit dry to follow. There are some defaults in the pacing, as there is an unbalance between the waves of emotional distresses the viewer experiences watching the show vs. the time spent on rewarding and happy moments.

The main male leads keep being great together: it is not anymore a young love blossoming they portray but rather a mature relationship with his conflicts and interference, when habits and routine prevail on desire and butterflies in your stomach. I found them quite convincing in their role, and my heart felt a lot of pain as the characters went through a lot. It was almost awkward to watch some of the scenes as it felt almost too real in the interactions, as if the viewer is an intruder witnessing very private and painful situations.

The production maintains a high quality level in the second part of the story of Teh and Oh-aew. The Bangkok setting has less charm than the Phuket scenery but the context of the arts students working on various play together is superbly directed. The OST is still really nice: one specific scene with the two main actors singing shook me and set a new turn to the story.

I would recommend this to people that have seen the first part ITSAY of course. You need to be in a certain mindset to watch this Part 2 as the show is pretty deep and focus on the painfully real sides of a relationship. If you want some meaningless fluff, chose another series and wait to be ready and in the right mood for this. It is so worth it in a way as it is such an innovative take in terms of storytelling for a BL story despite some minor flaws in its pacing and writing.

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Amazing coconut-scented BL drama: turmoil of emotions, strong possessive friendship and more...

This BL series is a simple romance between two former friends turned rivals...The premise sound quite banal but not at all: far from being basic, the love story is super compelling thanks to the context in which the characters are evolving. The internal conflicts are well balanced with some external events. The fact that they are studying Chinese is super interesting and inspiring as well.

The writing is solid with maybe some defaults towards the end with a noble idiocy trope which I would have preferred to be avoided. Still it is well in line with a teen angsty mentality...Despite this, I found the plot captivating and I was enraptured by the 5 episodes.

There are so much tension and angst between the two main male leads: they completely captures the viewer's heart. I felt deeply connected to the characters and their budding feelings for each other. The characterization is really well done: watching some scenes, you feel a lot of second-hand embarrassment as well as excitement at the same time. One of the main protagonist is such a jealous, possessive, angsty boy: I loved it and it made so much sense to! Overall both of the main roles are really lovable with their flaws and their needy side in their friendship.

The two main actors had a great chemistry together: there is such a poetry and a longing when they are staring at each other, nothing extravagant, just super sensual. They are super committed and are not afraid to get ugly and dirty to sell the scenes, which I found very commendable. There are so many platonic moments that made my heart rate increase and were super compelling. Such a turmoil of emotion and internalised passion could be seen in the eyes of the actors: they did an amazing job, especially as it was their first time in leading roles.

The directing is beautiful, most of the scenes are shot with purpose and artistry. It is super impressive to see all the little details filmed to nuance the script and show the growing desires between those two young people. The OST is really nice with one specific Chinese song particularly meaningful for the relationship as well as some pretty emotional Thai songs. The overall soundtrack is lovely with sometimes songs without instrumental (and sang in an excellent way by the two actors) or in the contrary some instrumentals without lyrics.

I would strongly recommend this to people looking for a poetic and deep BL teenagers story. It is an enemies-to-friends-to-lovers romance but so much more than that. It has an artistic vision quite uncommon which leaves a lasting impression on the viewer.

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Gripping and unsettling revenge story with some interesting narrative and production choices

This extremely dark movie is a revenge story centred around a crime committed in a middle school background. The plot is unsettling as the viewer witnesses a patchwork of criminal acts, toxic behaviours, mental health issues and disturbing scenes. I found the pace of the story really good as the film progresses and the motivations of some of the characters unveil. It might feel a bit over-the-top at some point but it succeed in being frighteningly believable somewhat. I appreciated the ambivalence of the ending and the fact that there is a greyish morale to it...

Acting-wise, the cast was overall pretty good. Matsu Takako is good as this distraught, cold and relentless character seeking revenge. She is a bit over-shadowed by the performances of the three teens actors: given their young ages and the darkness of their scenes, I found them pretty impressive and convincing, even though sometimes their acting might have been a bit too "over-the-top" or uneven.

Production-wise, it manages to showcase the different perspective of the stakeholders in a gripping way. Even the more narrated parts (which are "telling" more than "showing") are captivating to follow due to some inspired mise-en-scene. There was some elements that I felt a bit too exaggerated (in terms of visual effects or for example with the blood spattering...) to the detriment of the poignancy of some of the scenes but it was still super impactful overall. The soundtrack was suitable for the film but not memorable to me.

I would recommend this to people looking for a gripping revenge story, quite different in its narrative style. If you loved manga such as "Teseusu no fune", you might love this as it gives some similar vibe. Given the crime committed as well as the various topics approached in the film, it features heavily (a lot) of really triggering components. I would strongly suggest to look at the tags before watching this if you have any triggers. If you don't, this could be better to go watch it blind in order to not spoil yourself of course.

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Song Joong Ki as a pining wolf boy in the '60s countryside: a "must see" ^^

The story is centred around the encounter in the '60s in the countryside of a young woman and a "wolf boy", a young man clearly not used to human interactions and society rules. I loved a lot the premise of this movie as well as its setting in the past. It allowed a certain suspension of disbelief. What could seem impossible made indeed much more sense in the context of a small rural village in the sixties and after the war context. Story-wise, it was fascinating to see the development of the relationship between the two main protagonists. The only little default is the "contemporary" storyline which I felt did not add much to film overall.

This movie is starring some actors and actresses that I generally like. The pairing between Song Joong Ki and Park Bo Young works pretty well. The first one manages to transmit a lot of emotions without any need for dialog, the viewer is able to see everything through the eyes of his character. The second one does also a very good job as the central figure to the story, with a lot of poignant scenes successfully acted. Yoo Yeon Seok was excellent: I was quite shocked to see him in an antagonist role and he surpassed my expectations playing a despicable character. Jang Young Nam, in a supporting role, gives once again a great performance as the motherly figure trying her best to make lemonade with the lemons that life gave her.

Though some of the visual effects feel a bit outdated, the production value is pretty good overall. I found the sceneries and decors really well made: some were frightening and providing a chilling atmosphere, some were heart-warming and bright. There is one specific scene where music is particularly important that I liked a lot. The remaining soundtrack was not necessarily memorable.

I would recommend this to people looking for a good movie, well-acted with an interesting plot balancing pretty well several genres. It is a quite surprising and effective melange of slice-of-life and fantasy with some elements of thriller and romance. If you love one of the actors/actresses of the cast, it is a "must see". Strangely enough, even if the scenario has nothing to do with it, it kind of remind me in a way of "Titanic" in terms of relationships, characters and plot structure.

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Restrained & soothing slice-of-life story: expected and not that memorable

This short slice-of-life movie (about 45 minutes) is centred around a young aspiring mangaka and his cat. It is a soothing and sad picture: the flow of the script is kind of slow and lenient, not a lot is happening on the surface but it has deeper meaning than it appears. I found particularly interesting too see the main character living a solitary but purpose-driven life with his cat being his lifebelt.

The filmmaking was very appropriate in making us understand the key message, but maybe this was a bit too expected. Indeed, nothing surprised me and I did not find myself emotionally invested in the story. The music was subdue with some peaceful piano notes. What I enjoyed the most was the drawings showcased at various steps of the film and in the ending generic: those were totally relevant and fitting overall.

Still, The main actor performance was satisfying, it was full of nuances and he manages to work well with the cat, which was the central figure of the show. The cat had himself an internal voice and I'm still hesitant about this choice. I'm wondering if it is not a shortcut in trying to provoke emotions to the viewer who is told what to think rather than to show it and letting him free of interpreting it.

I would recommend this to people that like more restrained and quiet slice-of-life story or shows that are involving cats. It is really short, so you will not lose much time trying it.

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Unfortunately sequel not living up to my expectations: disappointing

I really loved the first movie and I am quite disappointed by this sequel. The story took a turn that I did not appreciate as it focalised much more on external events and people being obstacles to the main romance, as well as some over-the-top melodramatic tropes than on the development of the master-servant relationship itself.

The plot lost completely its appeal to me mostly in the second part of the movie, as the angst was coming foremost from quite soapy elements and much too quickly. There are 2 endings to this movie and I'm not fan of either of them due to the scenario becoming quite bonkers.

The main actors kept doing a good job but I was less invested in their couple. I think it is more likely linked to the scenario than to the cast but I was less enthralled by their chemistry together as the script gave them what felt like less opportunities to show nuances.

The music did not really stand out to me and the production was quite in line with the previous movie: standard and more what's expected in a series than in a film. As in the first movie, the subtitles unfortunately keep being appalling.

I would not necessarily recommend this to people unless you have seen the first movie. If you loved it and are curious about what happens to the characters, and do not mind some over-the-top narrative choices, you might give it a go to and see for yourself!

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Flawed in writing and editing but still highly entertaining BL office romance

This drama is foremost an office romance between two colleagues who become friends with benefits. It is quite classic in its content but there are still some interesting topics approached in the series in terms of safe sex, STD testing, consent... The office plot itself is lacking in terms of development: the writing is kind of minimal regarding the work environment as well as the relationship between the colleagues. It is difficult to understand what they do, why and what are the stakes but it remains thoroughly entertaining and enjoyable for sure.

The scenario is one of the weaknesses of the show: despite some good ideas, the traumatic events depicted in the show can feel a bit all over the place. There are so many unfortunate circumstances that it is a bit too much and over-the-top. Often, the transition between some scenes does not make a lot of sense because a quite choppy editing.

There are some pretty hot scenes: the chemistry between the 2 main leads is believable and oozing through the screen. I love the standoffishness, cat behaviour of one of the protagonist and the eagerness, puppy eyes of the second. I found the acting of this pairing quite good even if it could get better for sure with more experience (especially for the more dramatic scenes).

The secondary cast did an average job. The antagonist characters were too exaggerated, it was a bit of a miss for me but it might be more linked to the script than to the actors themselves. The role of the best friend as a comic relief was not that well acted, the actor seemed a bit awkward: I'm curious to see if he will be able to improve in the sequel as he will become one of the main lead.

The production is pretty great with some beautifully filmed intimate scenes, there seem to be a lot of trust between the main leads allowing them to be vulnerable with each other. The main song was nice but also an overkill. It was overused and very literal with the thematic of "wanting to be more than just a friend and becoming a boyfriend".

The flaws in writing does not prevent the drama to be super exciting to follow and I for sure will be looking forward the new work of this director and/or this pairing. With a more fleshed out script less caricatural in terms of obstacles, I'm sure it can get better.

I would recommend this to people looking for a hot and highly entertaining BL romance in an office setting and who do not mind a bit of choppy editing and a over-the-top storylines. Given the traumatic events happening repetitively to one of the character, you might want to check the triggers out before watching the show.

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No meaningful story, only cuteness and fun ! 30 minutes of fluff worth the watch !

After finishing the drama "Between Us", I was compelled to watch this very short drama special of 6 episodes of 5 minutes around the main couple of this series.

As stated by one of the actor himself, as a prologue to each short episode: "This project started because we want to do it. There is no any other reason, there is no drama. There is only fun and confusion. We just want to do it, so don't expect a meaningful story. Even if you want to find it, you can't find it. But if you want to find our cuteness, you will definitely see it. I've warned you!"

The above statement depicts perfectly this SP: it has not plot, no rhyme or reason, and is made only cute scenes and moments of fluff between Win and Team. There are adorable and it is a very relaxing, easy and enjoyable watch.

I would recommend this to people that love the main actors and or the BL series in which those characters are evolving such as "Between Us" (or even its parent show "Until We Meet Again" that I have not seen (-yet)).

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Consent and communication are sexy: sweet BL romance handling well what could have been problematic

It could have been just a standard BL in a university setting but I found myself really impressed and entertained by the show. The main romance is beautifully simple, it checks all the usual boxes of a BL college drama but it is innovative in the way the main protagonists interact with each other with a lot of important conversations about consent, trauma, love and so on.

The storytelling handles impressively well what could have come off as quite problematic if poorly done: the sex scenes includes consent checks in a natural way. The script is all about consensual relationship where the senior does not overtly subdue his junior in having sex with him: it is much more balanced than in most BL.

Still, the drama is not exempt of flaws: there are a bit too much of flashbacks, as well as too many secondary couples (4 in addition of the main one !) to manage to properly develop in a convincing way all the secondary relationships. Some are more interesting than others and it might have been better to focus only on the main couple and 1 or 2 additional romances.

I liked the ensemble cast, there was a lot of characters linked together in some way and the atmosphere felt really natural between them. The two main leads had a solid chemistry: whether it be in their crying scenes, or in the more sexy times, or in their funny banters...I was totally sold on their acting. My heart ached and rejoiced with them. I found so charming all the whining antics of Team and the adoring way Win was looking at him. The most rebellious is not the necessarily the one with the most piercings and tattoos... Some of the secondary role less central were a bit more average with quite a bit of over-acting but without undermining my entertainment.

I liked the OST, it was not standing out but nice. What I found really enjoyable was all the animal sound effects punctuating the conversations between the two main leads (kitty meow, lion roar,...): it was super cute and fun. Overall production was great, with some really lovely beach scenes. The super hot tattoos of one of the characters were entrancing and superbly highlighted by the filmmaking.

I would recommend this to people looking for a sweet BL romance which is constantly full of green flags with characters communicating with each other and having a nice evolution in their relationships. There are some dramatic elements to the plot but overall there are no major conflicts or non-sensical narrative choices: it is an healing love story wholesome and uplifting. I have not seen the parent story "Until We Meet Again" but I will likely give it a go after watching this drama already satisfying to me as a standalone.

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