I dont know what the focus was...

I dont know what the focus was....... You have a title like this with very pretty actors who dont hold back on the sensual scenes. You expect a fluffy fun romp of a show with a bit of hate, sass, and tension between Uea and King who dont exactly hit it off in the beginning. The show is clearly servicing... tracing fingers on bodies ecetera ecetra. All of this is meant to provoke a particular response. A spicy edge, no holding back kind of deal. Then suddenly you are hit hard with a flood of trauma after trauma of Uea's backstory. Anytime you think it was already bad, you get hit with something else. Uea's past is fraught with trauma and somehow he becomes a beacon in the current day that brings in more abuse in nearly all aspects of his relationships. So immediately my mind goes off and I had an unsettling thought.......is this show trying to provoke a response with this too? With Uea's trauma? Because thats pretty messed up if so. But after watching it to the end, I think it's more of a problem of doing too many things at once and the drama became unfocused because of it. So what came out in the end was a confused juxtaposition of the sexy time scenes side by side with the traumatic experiences that threw me off. Since they piled a load on Uea's story, there was no time to go through it all to unpack it. The drama tried to do too much and it just didnt work. But with the negatives aside, I do have positives. I particularly liked the actor who played King. I found his emotions believable and out of the entire cast he stood out to me the most. Had he been given a better story, better dialogue, and Im sorry to say a better acting partner...Actually, just a new project entirely.....I would watch that to see how he does. I think with the actor who played Uea, he was too...how do I say? Pretty? But, hear me out. When he is sobbing and breaking down, that's when I thought...pretty. Im not talking about "pretty" as in a beautiful performance, but too pretty as in...he's too perfect in appearance and in his acting. He doesnt let himself become imperfect, messy, or ugly. They made him look too angelic, flawless, and always put together and perfect. He doesnt look exhausted. He isnt even slightly disheveled or disoriented. I get that we gotta make these actors look beautiful. But, let's say there is no getting around a flawless image. You can still present a beauty who clearly has been through some shit with a skilled actor. It was impossible for me to believe that this is the same guy who experienced all of that trauma. His acting felt acted and not embodied. I dont think he was the right fit for this role. Clearly not the only reason why this drama didn't work for me, but its a contributing factor. Overall if i had to rate this, it's a 5.5 out of 10 for me.

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My Cheeks Hurt From Smiling BECAUSE THIS DRAMA IS ADORABLE!

Okay so I didn’t know this drama existed. I got a Viki notification recommending this drama and at first I was going to pass on it because the premise didn’t jump out at me. But, I’m so glad I gave it a chance. It’s SOOOO FREAKING ADORABLE. It’s very classic in a comforting way. I’m not quite sure how to explain what I mean but I will give it a go. You have this popular, rich, and handsome high schooler who is surrounded by so many people but despite that he is lonely. All he wants is to be loved SOB! He reaches a low point and his carefully crafted composure breaks. As expected in dramas, it is in this moment he falls into the arms of this cute and dorky classmate he locks eyes with who trades his glasses for eyeliner when he becomes this charismatic, caring, and super baddie singer at night. Ah….yes….very ridiculous and dramatic but I freaking love it. So yes bring on all the tropes!!!! This is what I needed right now. Super fluffy! The music in this is excellent. I’ve been listening to it on repeat. I love that we have another character who is seemingly gender fluid in this drama. It is implied that his boyfriend buys and expects him to wear feminine clothes and I assume that he agrees to it because he enjoys it. We’ll see as more episodes come out. I know it’s only 2 episodes so far but I love it so far! It’s just cute and it makes me happy.

Update: I just finished watching episodes 3 and 4 and I cannot stop smiling!!!!! My gosh this drama is soooooo sweet and cute. The two leads play these characters soo perfectly. They are so pure and I love that they find a bit of happiness in each other even when the world around them is so set on pushing them down. Even the supporting characters are great. You briefly get introduced to Xu Qi Zhang’s friends and in the mere seconds they are on camera you know their personalities instantly and you can feel how much love and support they have for each other. I’m obsessed!!!! This is quickly becoming a favorite of mine and I eagerly await each week for new episodes. I’m sad that it’ll be soo short as we are already halfway through the series.

Final Update: So I absolutely adored the final episodes. But, the series was way too short. If I didn’t already know that there were only 8 episodes, I would’ve assumed I had to wait for more to come out next week with how it ended. At the same time it stopped at a point where I’m not mad at it. It was a sweet and optimistic close to the series with ample amount of room for more if that ever happens. I hope this series gets more attention so that the actors come back to do a second season, because it really needs more time and deservedly so. It was nice to watch a drama that portrayed healthy relationships and not just romantic but this includes friendships and especially the relationship between Xu Qi Zhang and his mom. The most memorable scene to me in the entire series is that scene in the rain with Xu Qi Zhang and Ye Guang. Words were tossed around. They are both hurting. But Xu Qi Zhang responds with a hug despite how hurt he is. Its memorable to me because in any other BL, I could easily see an argument in a moment like this with characters refusing to talk to each other. But nope that doesn’t happen here. The instantaneous regret and hurt is apparent and they first respond by comforting each other because that’s what they really need at that moment. They wait till they are calm and settled and then oh my gosh they talk lol. The level of maturity and the amount of patience argh!!!! Sooo good!!! These two characters have my heart!!!! Did I mention how many times I could not stop smiling watching this drama?

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I’m in awe with the chemistry between the lead actors….

I absolutely love this BL. Wow…Just wow…It makes me so happy. I just finished watching episode 6 so this review is my opinion so far but literally my jaw dropped multiple times especially in episode 6 (no spoilers I promise). The way that the lead actors look at each other and communicate so much without much language is astounding. Im stunned by the raw emotions acted out on screen.

Maybe it’s just me and I understand that it’s still airing so It could come later. I know that Akk is under pressure but I don’t fully understand why he does what he does. But I guess that makes sense for his character. He holds his pain to himself and puts on a front as if everything is okay when it’s not. He refuses to tell anyone about it. He abandons his own needs and his own self for others. There is a missing backstory there and I imagine we’ll get into it later when more episodes come out. I don’t really know Akk other than what he lets people see or those brief instances when he cracks and you see a little bit that is real.

What is really cool is that in the beginning of the show, you think that Ayan is the enigma. He is the new transfer student from a rival school. He colludes with the school protesters. He has secrets that Akk is unaware of. He sneaks around campus. He is mysterious. Yet, he navigates with assurance and confidence. He understands who he is. He is fully aware of his emotions. He speaks what’s on his mind. He knows what he believes in. He is honest with himself. It isn’t him that’s the enigma, it is Akk. The drama flips and it is Akk who is the suspect of questioning because we don’t really know who he is because he doesn’t know himself. Gah!!!! Such a good show.

There are so many layers that I barely touched in this review but I love that the school functions as a commentary on the systematic problems faced in larger society and you see a spectrum of experiences. It ranges from characters too scared to cause disruption to the status quo and to those who purposely dissent. There are people like Ayan with the privilege to rise against injustice. There are those like Akk who work within the corrupt system because it’s the only way he can be a player in the game among the privileged. I could go on and on. I’ll leave it here and say I’m super impressed by the quality of the show so far.

Update:
Okay I will first start off with the negatives after finishing the show. But don’t let the negatives deter you because I still think this show is still worth watching even if it didn’t end as strongly as it started.

There were several plot points that left me questioning many things about the show but I’ll only tackle a few here. In my opinion, it felt like a rush to tie things up neatly at the end. It was too neat to the point where it seemed unbelievable to me after all the hurt the “curse” has caused people. Out of all of them, there were 2 things that I couldn’t really get my head around and I can’t say it straight without spoiling. So very generally it had to do with a twist in the show about a character. To me it felt out of character. There were hints and drops throughout the entire show to make you see what this person did. So when the reveal happened it wasn’t like it was totally out of the blue, but I couldn’t believe this character would have the guts to do what they did knowing what we know about their personality and what they stand for. So they did these things for the sake of truth by throwing their own values out the window? By outing other people. Also, there wasn’t actual consequences for that character and several other characters (both students and teachers). I mean real consequences. Which is why I ultimately believe it was a rushed ending to tie it up quickly (Trying my best not to spoil). A second thing has to do with what happened in the last episode. I don’t think Aye should have said it first at the table. You’ll know what I mean when you make it to the end. It’s something Akk should’ve broached first. I mean it worked out in the end. But for someone like Aye, I felt like he should’ve known not to.

With that out of the way and while it’s not perfect I still like this show. The lead actors blew me away. I was so impressed by their performance and it makes it even better that they are friends off-screen. There were some truly and I mean TRULY beautiful scenes that left me absolutely stunned and speechless and I’m so grateful that a show like this exists on screen. Yes the plot gets questionable toward the end and I wish that it clinched it all the way through. But, still enjoyed it.

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Defied my expectations

Based on the premise alone, I didnt even put this on my anticipated watchlist. I was bored and had nothing to watch and that's the reason I gave it a go. When I watched episode 1, it didnt pull me in at first. I even took a pause halfway through episode 1. I stepped away and if I didnt go back that wouldve been tragic because toward the second half of episode 1 the potential was there. I was sold after I completed episode 1. On paper, it seemed like a typical school BL and quite frankly the musical aspect to it detered me at first (before I even watched it) because if not done right it could break the show. But it did the opposite. This drama takes what seems typical for the genre and gives it a fresh perpective in a literal sense as well when the character viewpoint flips and takes a turn. This is one of my top BLs. It really is that good. It captures young love so well that when I see Gemini and Fourth, a smile is automatic. I cant help but also feel nostalgic when I see them as I remember how it feels to be at that age. By no means is it perfect. The show does an annoying thing by teasing a kiss that doesnt actually happen until the very last episode. Which it's fine if the teasing happens once or twice, but they constantly teased a kiss which got frustrating because it felt consciously done as they tried to think of new ways to block the kiss. It got to a point where it felt self-aware of what they were doing. It basically got reduced to fan service in those moments and it ended up being distracting even though admittedly those moments were cute, but Id rather not have it. Overall a great show that makes you feel happy inside and totally rewatchable. Both Gemini and Fourth are great actors. Fourth especially stood out. I would absolutely 100 percent watch anything they put out now. It makes me sad that its over since every Friday it was a happy treat for myself to take a break at the end of the week to unwind and watch an unproblemic show with a whole bunch of pure adorableness.

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I’ve seen worse but the bar is soo low

Okay so this was pretty bad and I only made it through the whole thing because I already invested too much time on it and I had the 2x speed button. Episode 0 was promising and it went downhill from there. I disliked this to the point where I was trying to find something to like and the thing I liked wasn’t even part of the story. I liked how they filmed and edited the opening credits. It was cool. Wow to think I fixate on that above all else like the actual drama itself. What is very sad to me is that I think Chahub is promising and I want to see him get another chance at a lead role with a decent plot. Checkout is just very very boring and annoying. The conflicts in this annoyed me so much that I audibly groaned everytime. Both leads (Nine and Daonuea) are in relationships that they don’t want to stay in and they don’t love their partners anymore. Yet they think about each other and the steamy night they shared when they were on vacation and when they were both temporarily broken up with. But for some reason they felt they needed to stay in those relationships. They continually flirt and tease each other. They both end up cheating on their partners. Any conflict that happens ends up with Daonuea crying and jumping to conclusions. It always have to do with lack of trust and communication. There are so many unnecessary arguments that frustrates me. Candy is the best thing the show has going for it. I could care less for the intimate scenes cause I didn’t care for these characters. It isn’t the worst drama I’ve ever seen because I’ve seen some pretty bad ones but it’s not good either. I would go back in time to tell my past self not to watch this. Oh! Did I mention the soundtrack sucks? Yeah it’s not worth your time.

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It didn’t take me long to love this drama!

It took me a minute and 45 seconds to know that I would like this drama. I’m not even exaggerating. It was the scene with Ji Hoo looking for a place to live and you see him testing out a series of water pressures in various showers. The pure frustration and scream. I was rolling. The hilarity that ensures as you watch further is EXCELLENT. I was sold from that moment on. They managed to say a lot about a character without saying much in such a short amount of time. You learn in that one scene that he is very particular to the point we’re he fixates on water pressure of all things. He must be a privileged guy. Right? Then why is he looking for places that are likely cheaper then what he’s wearing? He has a dismissive attitude and is rude to the lady showing him around to these places. Yet his glee of seeing a flyer calling for a roommate and advertising great water pressure is just icing on top….love the kdrama magic that is building the blocks of a pending meet cute. The actor Kim Ji Woong acted as if the heavens parted ways to let the sun beams shine a light on the flyer. That didn’t actually happen. No light beam but his acting is so on point as if that could’ve happened. The giddiness he shows is soo adorable and then you think oh no this is shitty person but he is endearing? What do I do? Oh no I like him as a character now! Help!

So after writing a long ass paragraph about this one scene, this is me basically saying that I’m having such a blast watching this show. It is incredibly funny and makes me so happy. I’d be laughing out loud in one scene then in the next instance a character makes an offhanded comment that makes me feel for them. These 2 leads are soooo good. It boggles my mind that they were in Kissable Lips with how bad that drama was. As mentioned by someone else in their review, I also agree and wanted to say yes SAME because I felt the same way. It feels like a kdrama. In fact it feels like it could be a top performing kdrama on a level with wild popularity. But the reason why I don’t think it’ll get that far is because it’s a BL and it’s a BL with short episodes (8 in total) which is so unfair but homophobia is still an issue especially in Korea. Semantic Error is definitely a milestone drama that is helping to progress the genre. We are seeing more BLs slated to come out of Korea which is super exciting!!! So Im hoping this drama gets the traction that it deserves. It proved to me already that it can cover a lot in a short amount of time so we’ll see if 8 episodes is enough. I know only 4 episodes are out so I should calm myself but I’m having too much fun with this show already. Also, it was so nice to see Holland show up in the first episode!!!! He’s come a long way and gone through a lot since coming out to the public. So for now I’ll leave my thoughts till my next update once more episodes are out.

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I Enjoyed it Despite the Flaws

I think Start-Up was enjoyable. I've watched many kdramas in the past and I don't think this was that bad despite some low ratings I saw. I just wanted to watch something cute and it delivered.

I didn't ship Ji-Pyeong with Dal-Mi and that was mainly because of their age difference. He wrote to her under the name of Nam Do-San when she was a kid and he wrote some of the letters with halmoni to make her feel like she had a friend during the most difficult time in her life. For her she considered him her first love, but for him he was initially doing it for halmoni though in some way he also found comfort with those letters. Time passes and he's already an adult by the time he meets her again with an established career and with experiences that comes with age. Dal-Mi is at a different stage in her life from him and they meet on uneven grounds. His experience lends himself to being more of a mentor as opposed to an equal partner to her.

Even though Ji-Pyeong is her first love who she fantasized about in those letters. Her imagination took over and she romanticized her feelings for him. In opposition, Nam Do-San isn't great at metaphors and is rooted in reality. It makes sense that she would fall for him because he is present and not a fantasy. They are at a similar stage in life and they are equal partners working through the successes and failures together. This drama also frames it where Ji-Pyeong is always somewhere in the periphery and in the background. For her, he functions as that distant letter, an email message, and that text whereas Nam Do-San is in the forefront, is present, is tangible, and is the big hand in her life.

In reality, both guys are red flags. Kdrama perspective shows various sides to the romantic interests that Dal-Mi does not see so heartstrings are tugged. But, if I was her unbiased friend in this show I would likely yell at her to ditch them both. I like both actors Nam Joo-Huk and Kim Sun-Ho and enjoyed their performances. Even though I paired her with Do-San, if I saw either on the street I'd probably swoon for Ji-Pyeong.

But anyway, yes! It's all very unrealistic. I find it hard to believe that the team got as far as they did with their company. (Seriously, you signed over your beloved company without getting another legal perspective besides Jung Sa-Ha!) But, kdrama magic made things happen for them even in the time jump future. I didn't come into this drama for realism so I don't mind. Overall, it fulfilled my need to watch cute interactions and get teary eyed by senior actors (Kim Hae-Sook is legend) and that's enough for me.

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Im glad I put aside my initial bias to give this drama a chance

I felt very uneasy watching this drama, but I know its supposed to be that way and part of me is glad that I set aside my hesitation to watch this drama. There is daddy and mommy issues all up on this thing. On the surface you see attraction between the male leads with a significant age gap among other taboos that is pretty messed up. Its hard to swallow. Its disturbing. But I put that aside in this case because this drama isnt about romance at all. If we were to follow the metaphor layed out, there is no doubt here. The leads would never be together. But underneath that it goes beyond the individual but the ideologies that Wang and In represents. You have these two very different people of differing generations sharing the same trauma. You watch as Wang and In get entangled in philosophical questioning. They lay out their statements and pick apart each other's arguments challenging each other's words. For Wang, he wholeheartedly fights without hesitation. He has conviction and passion and stands by his beliefs. He gets frustrated and angry and doesnt understand why loving a man is an issue. He wants to travel beyond his resting coordinates. Above all, he holds his truth and embodies it and lets the world see it. There is a beautiful scene that stuck out to me in the drama where Wang reaches out his hand over In's heart trying to will that belief into him. He so badly wants In to adopt his worldview, to accept his feelings and his identity . To me, I see this as Wang represented by his generation trying so hard to convince the prior generation to change. Wang gives the world he inhereted from his father to In. The globe now in his care, its up to In to decide on how to proceed forward. He responds to Wang by encouraging him to stick with his beliefs, follow his instincts, and use his talents for good.

In's perspective is filled with trauma. His sees the world differently and explaining this here would be a big spoiler, so to put it simply you learn to understand why each character make their choices. In cant move on from the past and Wang accepts this. If In adopted this worldview earlier on. If society wasnt so messed up back then. If he felt safe enough to express his love for another man in the past, he wouldve led a happy life with the love of his life. If that happened, Wang probably wouldnt have been born. His existence came out of his In's heartbreak and his parent's broken relationships. The age gap has a purpose here. I dont think the messaging here is to accept the age gap which is why in this case Im putting that aside. It never comes to fruition. Its in the name of the title. They discuss parallel lines never meeting. The messaging is to examine the victims of this messed up society. That if we hold onto the past and if we dont let go of those ideologies, it hurts people. Therefore if we follow this metaphor... Wang accepts the failure. He is unable to convince the prior generation to adopt his worldview but it isnt defeat. After all given his age, time is on his side. His generation and the following will craft the future in the hopes that they can show them all what a better world could look like. An optimistic perspective for a very pessimistic outlook in that things might not change but at least its worth trying.

The acting in this is phenomenal. Im really looking forward to watching more from these actors. The drama is slow moving and introspective which might not be for everyone. But, overall I liked what i saw. The cinematography is gorgeous. Considering that In is an architect, the set design is very intentional. His house is very refelective of him to the smallest detail. Wide open windows to the isolated woods he lives in. Even the Rectangular and square geometric shapes in the background including glassware and lampshades. He is living in the safety of his own box scared to wander outside of it. The drama makes use of his room divider that mimics bars of a cell. The muted gray earthtone colors for his cave...the list goes on. Very well done but I would probably not rewatch it. Lol. Its very uncomfortable to watch the first time around and quite sad at the end. Anyway a solid drama for me that is unlike any other BL I have ever watched.

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The actors carried the show

This remake is faaaaaar superior to the original En of Love: Love Mechanics that came out in 2020, which was a follow up to Tossara. The original had restraints with limited episodes and resources. So, this remake had an advantage. Of course there are many differences, but the general plot thred remained relatively the same for both versions. I’m pointing this out because quite frankly the plot sucks and annoyed me so much that it was excruciating to watch the original version. So, I had bias coming into this. Yet with the remake, the main leads and their chemistry had me hooked. I was still annoyed by the plot and the unnecessary wedges created between the 2 leads amongst other issues. For example the issue with consent is still here and it didn’t make sense how Ploy is getting the brunt of the shame when Vee also cheated on her. But besides all that, the lead actors made the show watchable for me to the point where I actually enjoyed it which is saying a lot since the original version was so bad. I was truely astounded by their performance and at times it left me in awe. Both actors deserve to be casted in another project with a better script. It makes me sad that their talents aren’t being fully maximized because of how bad the plot is. It still boggles my mind that I enjoyed this drama. It really exemplifies how crucial casting is because both these actors made something out of nothing and I hope they get recognition.

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Interesting but didn’t stick the landing

I very much appreciate when BL dramas have a unique premise that stands out among the others. In Triage, Tin is faced with a choice in the ER. Which patient to treat first? Either treat a young 22 year old patient reeking of alcohol when years prior Tin’s sister died by a drunk driver. Alternatively, treat an old man also in critical condition. Tin is criticized by the hospital director (Dr. Sak) for being biased in his choice. Like many doctors, he disengages his emotions from his work. After all, people die all the time. This is a significant moment because Jinta “the hospital angel” puts him in a time loop to force him to replay that scenario over and over again when all he wants to do is go home to his cat Zebra. I LOVE ALL THE CUTE CAT MOMENTS. In order to get out of the time loop he must save Tol the 22 year old patient. The story goes on from there.

What fell for me is a few things. There is an age gap. I understand that they are both adults but it still didn’t sit right with me. Tol is still in university and Tin is in 3rd year residency at the hospital. I thought I could just ignore it because this happens a lot in BL and I wanted to give the story a chance. Tol is baby to me and he is in a time in his life where he is learning to figure out who he is. Tin sees the mistakes Tol is making in his choices and as he is older and experienced so he teaches him to make better choices. There is an imbalance there as they aren’t portrayed as equal level peers. At some point Tin’s objective is to make Tol his boyfriend and it’s an odd thing to see played out. It’s like Tin is raising Tol by teaching him how to choose right from wrong, tutoring him, and even teaching him how to cook a fried egg and eventually raising him to become a romantic partner. It was weird to me.

There are so many other reasons but the other 2 that stood out to me is the music and the ending. Towards the end of the drama in the most pivotal tear jerker scenes which I won’t spoil here the music didn’t fit right with the scene. It got to the point where it was too distracting for me that it took me out of the moment and all I could hear was the mismatched music swelling in the background. I lost the emotional thred because I was so distracted by the music. And lastly the ending was a mess and it was very rushed. To move the plot long they needed Tol to unlock Tin’s memory (why did Tin lose his memories? Reasons you’ll see when watching the show). Tol tries to make it happen through touch, to failed kiss attempts, and to conveniently make the notebook (filled with records of all the time loop attempts) available and accessible to Tin who looks through it where suddenly visions impress on his mind. It was too easy. Tol was failing to succeed in his mission in helping Tin remember so these things were put in place to moved the plot along. I wish this was done differently and that Tol was smarter about it and had more of a hand in unlocking these memories. Also to shift gears, Dr. Doi descending into madness and insanity didnt makes sense to me at all. Like what? And that whole hostage scene was frustrating to me with Gap who was foolish enough to “rescue” Sing with no strategy or backup. I was also confused how the good guys ended up winning cause the Dr. Sak’s plot line played out off screen. And jumping further to the end of the drama when things calm down the sense of time was confusing as heck. Did months pass? Years?

It feels like I have more issues with this then positives but I do truly think it’s an interesting story just executed poorly at times. I still give it a high rating because I’m glad I watched it and I think the actor’s performance were great. I’m glad I got to see Tee play a main role. It isn’t a perfect drama to me and I don’t think its rewatchable. But, I still think it’s worth your time to watch despite the issues.

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It feels like you're being transported into a storybook

It feels like you're being transported into a storybook. You go along piecing together the history through sketches that the main character (Jom) finds in an old house in present day Thailand. But it's just sketches with no context. It has no value to those outside the story.

When Jom gets into a car accident, he wakes up in the 1930s. As you are watching, you arent sure what is real anymore because Jom toes the line between past and present. But, maybe it's all a dream and all in his imagination? But, the scenes look familiar and you realize he is playing out the story behind those sketches and my gosh IT IS A BEAUTIFUL STORY.

It feels so nice watching a drama with characters who are genuinely good. (Even though I do like my share of toxicity at times). But both Jom and Yai wear their hearts on their sleeves. They love fully and earnestly and that is so refreshing to see. And my gosh Im only 6 episodes in and I know this is going to destroy me and Im going to end up sobbing. But, do yourself a favor and watch this show!!! Anytime I see these two on screen, I get immediate butterflies. They perfectly portray the feeling of falling in love.

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People who don't know that this drama exists...I feel bad for them.

I can't stress enough how truely sad I am to know that there are people who dont know this drama exists. It bothers me because of how utterly beautiful this drama is and it deserves recognition. I truely believe this has raised the standard for the entire BL industry. It's just masterful storytelling. Every detail in this drama is amplified. The subtle movements, the light touch of fingers, and the knowing looks, is just absolutely STUNNING to see on screen. Actors Im Ji Sub and Oh Jun Taek have the ability to communicate their story with just a single look. It's such a quiet drama yet the tension and the desire between the two speak volumes. The absence of dialogue is poignant. When dialogue fails them and when words arent sufficient enough, it doesnt matter, there's no need for words as you can still feel the raw emotions as it's so overwhelming loud. This is what makes this drama unique to me. It's because of it's delivery. It's damn good acting with a damn good script. It's as simple as that yet incredibly hard to accomplish. This is my first 10 star review on MDL and not just for BLs but my first 10 star drama in general. It's that good. So if you are hesitanting, there is no need. This is the pinacle right here. I wouldn’t be surprised if this drama ends up picking up wins during award season.

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Wasn’t interested at first….

I was not interested in the show at first, but I was looking for something that could occupy my time because I’m agonizing over other shows currently airing that I have to wait for new episodes. This did what I needed it to do. It filled the time.

The script and the dialogue is weak. I actually cringed while watching. At some point Rain says to Phayu, you are happy being around Bikes? Then says something on the lines of im happy riding you. EHHHHHHHHHHHHH LOL. But you know what. This happens and I’ll deal with it. I’m not expecting much.

While it’s fun seeing Phayu and Rain infatuated with each other and play this game to seduce each other there wasn’t enough time developing the complexities of these two characters beyond sex.

Their relationship is not without problems. Rain clearly felt uncomfortable with Phayu in the beginning of the drama with his closeness and touching. Even if Phayu misunderstood Rain’s signals, he shouldn’t have pushed. Even if Rain was intrigued, he was confused and uncomfortable with what was happening. There wasn’t consent. What confused me is that Rain was afraid to sleep in the same room as Phayu in case he did something. He’s afraid to sleep on the couch in the same room yet when he thinks Phayu is asleep he crawls into bed with him?

But as you watch more, you can clearly see early on that this is a dom/sub dynamic. The dom (Phayu) communicates his rules. He wants respect and he doesn’t like vulgar language and he wants Rain (sub) to be a good boy. He doesn’t answer until Rain speaks to him with respect. He’ll punish Rain (spanking as an example). He’ll reward him as well. He allows Rain to leave the bathroom and out of his grasp as long as he asks politely and refers to him as P’Phayu. There is possessiveness here and power play.

Unless it changes again for the worse, it gets better? Question mark? (only up to episode 6). It gets better when they are on the same page and become boyfriends. Phayu asks Rain if they can go farther when grabbing protection. I’m glad protection is shown here. Rain made an effort to show Phayu that he’s serious about their relationship and in return Phayu proclaims that he’ll reciprocate. It’s nice to see effort is made on both ends. Phayu comforts Rain but also expects him to be an adult and face challenges with his studies and his responsibilities. He makes it a point to tell Rain that he needs to learn how to balance his studies with a relationship. It’s refreshing to see that because Phayu doesn’t want Rain to sacrifice his aspirations for the relationship. But that doesn’t mean the relationship gets shoved to the side as they both make efforts to make the relationship work. They both know how to say sorry to each other.

Anyway judging by the first 6 episodes it’s an enjoyable watch for me. It has its issues. But, it’s simple, light, and mindless.

Update: Finished watching the series.
The lack of development I was missing from Phayu and Rain’s story wasn’t an issue with Pai and Sky. There is so much to their story that I found them more compelling. As a trigger warning, there is rape and abuse portrayed here. It was very difficult to watch Sky reliving trauma he’s experienced. I get why Pai asked Sky to cry. It must’ve been scary to see Sky becoming numb to the situation and despondent. Crying at least would’ve been a way for him to release his emotions. Seeing Pai become someone that Sky could trust made me feel happy for Sky. Considering their first encounter was a one night stand, I like where their relationship went and their plot line is actually what made me keep going with the series.

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It had potential, but didnt reach it

To start out, there is an age gap here. It's 2 high schoolers getting involved with an adult. I cannot stand this and it's unnecessary. They could've had Eiji the same age as the other teens to tell this coming of age story. It didn't need to be an age gap.

Keeping that in mind, but also separating that to judge the series, it is rare that we get to see an ace character and Meiko reads as an ace character who is desperately scared to lose the people she loves. People leaving is all she knows. Her dad walked out on her and her mom is physically around but emotionally absent. She is scared of losing both Makio and Eiji who are more than just friends, but family to her.

Eiji clearly identifies as gay and gets into a relationship with Makio. So all 3 continue their lives like this and deeply care for each other. The beginning of the drama made sense to me up until (without spoilers) circumstances lead to Eiji eventually telling Meiko he loves her. So in my mind, I'm thinking platonic love. Right? Because that would make sense. But no he insists and says Im serious about you in that way. Then Im like what? What is he implying? Is he implying that he can love her in the way that he loves Makio? But he is gay! This doesn't make sense?!!!! Are you kidding me?!!!

And even after he says that, the drama shot a very meaningful scene where it's entirely silent and Eiji folds 3 kimonos that he made for all of them. But the one he specifically made for Makio, he changes the way he folded it. It recalls a time in a prior scene when Makio said that his family folds clothes differently. So Eiji folds the clothes in the way Makio does it. When years pass and Eiji takes out the kimonos again, he smells the one he gave to Makio and sobbs into it. Eiji is clearly still in love with Makio even though he chose to please his parents by playing a role in a hetero relationship.

I dont know what the drama is trying to say? One moment you have Eiji implying he loves Meiko when he is gay, which is infuriating to watch because it doesnt work that way. You cant suddenly not be gay. And that hetero relationship he chooses to remain in is still intact by the end of the drama.

But also by the end of the drama, you're not supposed to feel like everything worked out. It's a strained situation. It shouldn't have happened this way. Eiji should've been able to live as himself as a gay man. Meiko can be ace but also have love. She doesnt need to use a child as an object to secure love and a family which all 3 fully admitted to doing as it involved all them for their own gains. So the drama critiques the issue and societal pressures yet keeps this status quo maintained at the end of it? To me, it didnt go far enough as it didnt break it. I know this can happen in life where people like Eiji exist as gay in hetero relationships. But this is a drama with an intended message. While not all media has to portray a message, it's in the title. With a title like More Than Words...there is more implications and words unspoken they are trying to convey.

Also they could've portrayed a poly relationship but they didnt go that route. Which fine, not all people can do poly relationships, but they had options on directions they could've taken. All in all, I dont think this drama hit the mark. It's sad cause I think the performances itself by the actors were well done. Just that the messaging didnt hit home and missed it.

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Hard to watch

I realize that with the title called Obsessed it was intentional that we get pretty questionable characters in this. I realize dark romance is not everyone’s type of thing. For me, I know I’m trash and a degenerate but I have limits. I’m okay with dark romance as long as its self-aware. But, that’s not the case here. It’s romanticizing the relationship here with the two leads. I found it hard to watch when you see Jiang forcing himself onto Shao Yi Chen. Nothing about that is romantic yet Yi Chen resists, but also melts into it?!!! I was left shocked and very uncomfortable. Hypothetically, let’s say that none of that happened. Let’s pretend for a moment that the sexual assault doesn’t happen in the drama. It’s not a good drama. I couldn’t understand why the romantic leads even liked each other? Also going back to the main premise, I’m confused. So, Yi Chen is heartbroken and dies after running away from his lover and getting hit by a car. He gets reborn with a second chance to live his life. He vows never to fall for his lover this time around. I’m confused because he doesn’t try very hard to resist lol. Like boy!!!!!! You have no self-restraint and there are ways to take yourself out of the toxic environment! Anyway, despite all this I do like the actors. I would like to see Teddy Ren in other roles but I don’t see that he did anything after this job which makes me sad.

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