Just as good as the series!!

The movie/series: Both had a great storyline and script. The cast was great and did a great job with their characters. The cinematograph and graphics were awesome.

The movie: Overall, they did a great job editing the series into a cohesive movie version. There are a few scenes that were edited differently (same footage put in a different order) and some scene placements were changed. There were also a few scenes deleted or cut short, I’m assuming due to timing purposes. There was one scene that was cut short that I wished they kept completely in. However, all of the changes did not impact the quality of the series in anyway. I enjoyed the added bloopers and behind the scenes footage at the end of the movie.

Before I continue, it’s important to know an individual’s definition of added scenes. My definition is when the director adds scenes that were deleted due to timing restraints or when additional scenes was film after the original production has ended to add more meaning. A good example of this is “Life-Love on the Line”. Because of this, I do not count the bloopers and behind the scenes footage seen after the movie. I did not notice any added scenes the first time watching the movie. However, I wanted to make sure I didn’t miss anything and watched the series and movie at the same time (split screen). What can I say, I wanted to be thorough. I only saw two added scenes almost 2 hours into the movie. The truth is it really does not matter if you notice the additional scenes or not because they don’t really add anything to the movie. Don’t worry about it and just enjoy the movie. Yes, it's almost 3 hours long but it's worth it.

Random Notes:

I personally preferred the English subtitles for the series over the ones in the movie.

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Not as Good as the Series

This is the rare case of when the series is better than the movie version.

The Movie/Series: Both had a cute storyline and a good script. The acting was ok for the most part. There were times some of the actors seemed rigid and unsure about what was going on. I was not a fan of the ending and was hoping for something better.

The Movie: The main problem with the movie version is it suffers from very poor editing choices. They cut many scenes from the series that did not help with the story progression. They left out some key scenes which made various scenes seem disjointed. I was not a fan of the ending in the series version, but it was better than the edited version in the movie. I didn’t think I could hate the ending more, but the movie version proved me wrong.

Random Notes:
I recommend watching the series instead of the movie version.
It was cute to see the cross promotional material for Behind Cut which was made by the same production company.

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It’s really not a BL series.

I placed spoiler alerts at the end of this review.

This series is mostly about a group of friends that struggle with their problems throughout life. This is really not a BL series because the BL storylines are mostly treated as a secondary thought. However, that’s not the main problem for me. The overall story concept was actually a good one. See the spoiler alert at the end of this review if you want more information. However, the script was a complete mess. It suffers from the two main problems that is often seen in Thai series: too many storylines and too many supporting characters. The script started off really good in episode 1, but then the cracks begin to show by episode 3. By episode 7, the script starts to make no sense and the logic behind the characters’ actions don’t add up. Overall, the acting was ok. Some of the actors were better than the others. I expected better from this cast considering they are not newbies. There were also some poor editing choices. One major editing choice caused a major timeline continuity problem in episode 11. There was a lot of wasted screen time starting from the middle of the series and onward. This did not need to be a 14-episode series. They easily could have trimmed all of the useless filler screen time to make this a 10- to 12-episode series. I also don’t understand why the Special Moment Director’s Cut at the end of the series was done and not incorporated into the other episodes. The songs they used were good, but the background music throughout the series was bland and very annoying. As for the ending, see the spoiler alert at the end of this review if you want more information.

Random notes:

I know everyone else was complaining about the bad wigs, but I thought it couldn’t be that bad. I was very wrong. It’s almost like someone showed up with a box of wigs and dared the production team to place them in as many scenes as they can. This could basically be turned into a future drinking game.

The opening and closing credits are way too long.

******Spoiler Alerts******

I give the screenwriter credit for writing a series about the different means of communication with characters that don’t know how to use basic communication with each other. This was the only successful thing that came across in the script. I had an idea this was the general concept and was happy it was confirmed in the last episode. I actually gave an extra point for this.

Am I supposed to believe that none of Name’s friends went back home for any of their breaks during the first 2 years in college? None of them, not once? This is just a small example on some of the lazy scriptwriting.

It does show happy outcomes for all of the characters in the last part of episode 14.

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Fabulous Idea; Epic Fail

I placed spoilers at the end of this review.

The only positive thing about this series was the group dynamic between the four friends. This series had an interesting premise, but failed with the execution. The script started off great but completely fell apart by episode 5. The main problem is it has too many storylines that were not fully developed. You get bits and pieces of a story with no full details. Because it’s an 8-episode series, they should have scaled down on the storylines and supporting characters. I was bored by the romance storyline and wished they had focused more on the friendship aspect of the script. See spoiler alert at the end of this review for more information. The actors did a great job with what they were given. However, many of the characters had very little depth or substance to them which is probably due to the poor script. See spoiler alert at the end of this review for more information.




******Spoiler Alert******

The romance between Pyo Ji Eun and Ji Woo Min was lack luster. I’m not a fan of love triangles, but the one in this series was the most annoying.

It's interesting that Joseph (the designer) and Ye Seon Ho (the modal) had very little character development considering this was about the fashion industry. You see how their careers developed, but nothing really about their personal life.

What was the point of Shim Do Young’s storyline? This character was annoying and creepy at times. This storyline had no real purpose in the series.

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Very Entertaining

This was a very funny series. The script was great because it mixed the right amount of comedy and drama. The cast did a great job portraying their characters. I also like how the actors did not take their character seriously. The only character I didn’t like was Fifa. She was portrayed as too whiny and annoying. I don’t know if this was a problem with the script or how the actress was told to play the character. As for production, the cinematography, sets, and graphics were awesome.

Random Note: Annie’s house was also used in the 21 Days Theory series as Q’s house. I always get a kick when I see a familiar location used in different series. However, this was the first time I saw the same location as I was watching both series in one day.

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It’s Not That Bad

For a change, it seems I’m on the opposite end of an unpopular opinion.

I placed spoilers at the end of this review.

I thought this was an interesting and funny series. I don’t know how much it mirrors the French TV series (Call My Agent!), but I thought this script was good. However, It’s not perfect. There were some aspects of the script that I did not like. See spoiler alert at the end of this review for more information. I thought the cast was wonderful. I liked the group dynamic and that all of the characters were likably flawed. I also loved seeing the various guest actors in each episode playing mock versions of themselves. The one main critique is the pacing. The series starts off strong but gradually losses energy throughout the series. As for the ending, see the spoiler alert on my take of it.

Random Note: As stated above, I did not see the French TV series this was based on which is probably why I enjoyed this series. Is the series perfect? No, but I don’t think it deserves all the hate it’s getting. I’ve seen far worse dramas than this one.

******Spoiler Alert******

The relationship development between Ma Tae Oh and So Hyun Joo is inconsistent for the first half of the series. It does not progress in a natural way.

I did not need the hinted incest love attraction throughout the series between two of the characters. This was unnecessary and seemed out of place. It also served no purpose in this series (for now at least).

Everything towards the end of the last episode is hinting at a second season. If so, the ending is perfect. I would absolutely watch it. If not, then I’m completely pissed off how they ended it.

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It was kind of nice to meet you?

I placed spoilers at the end of this review.

This has a cute storyline, but there are elements of the script that are weak. See the spoiler alert at the bottom if you want more info. I will say they introduced way too many side stories for a 10-episode series. It also had some weird scene elements that seem out of place. However, the ending was charming. The acting was good, but it was not outstanding. It was cute that they had a scene in the café from Baker Boys involving two of the characters from the same series (Punn and Krating).

This is just a random observation, but I notice that Theo’s house was used in the Baker Boys Series and Akk’s house was used in the Something in My Room Series. I don’t know why but I get a kick when I see a familiar location used in different series.


********Spoiler Alert********
The weak elements of the script: There really is no explanation as to why Theo had to move to France in the first place. Theo’s justification for initiating the mysteries enchanté persona is very weak. This is one of the reasons that decreased the likability of Theo for me. Akk forgives Theo for the enchanté situation, way to quickly in my opinion, but then Theo gets upset with Akk for knowing about his parents. Theo then holds a grudge and takes a long time to forgive Akk. This is another reason that decreased the likability of Theo. What happen to the literature major that Theo was trying to save? What was the point of introducing this storyline if Theo was not going to stay at the university?

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Another Unnecessary Sequel

I was hesitant to watch this series because it obviously would involve some type of break-up (We all knew it would when the sequel was announced), but I still gave it a try. It was ok but there really was no point for this sequel. However, I appreciated some of the topics it introduced.

The positive: The cast was great and did a great job considering the material they were given. I also liked the sets and the locations they used throughout the series.

The negative: Although I think the story concept was good, the execution was not the greatest. Episode 1 started off strong but the script goes down hill quickly by Episode 2. I started to see the script’s many weak elements. It also introduced a lot of random unneeded issues for the main characters to deal with. The sequel also made me dislike one of my favorite main characters from the first series.

Random Note: This would have been better if it was a stand-alone series without any ties with To My Star. I probably would have enjoyed the series more.

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This series was very funny. The script was great. It had the perfect combination of Dawn of the Dead (2004) and Shaun of the Dead story elements. This had a great cast which did a good job portraying their characters. I also like how they did not take their character seriously. The zombie make-up was bad but I think it was done on purpose to help with the comedy aspect. They also did a good job with the cinematograph.

Random Note:

Don’t get scared off by the zombie aspect. There is only one somewhat gory scene in the very beginning of episode one.

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Another Good BL Series from Taiwan

This had a really good story concept. Once again, it was nice to watch a mature BL series that involved working adults. Some might find the pacing slow, but I think it was just right for this series. The script overall was good, but there were a few week elements. One example is the last story conflict with Yuki and Ying Ze (don’t worry no spoilers). This last conflict to me seemed very week and made no sense. I love the cast which did an excellent job with their characters. I also loved the various guest appearances with actors from various BL series throughout this series. You can basically play six degrees of separation with how each actor is connected with the different BL series.

Random Note: As usual, the synopsis on VIKI is not accurate. There are many different aspects in the series that are not included in their description of the series.

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Set your expectation on Low

This series was cute, but somewhat lackluster. Although the office romance storyline is nothing new, this had a lot of potential with the added idol element. It's just unfortunate that it was lost in a poorly developed script. They should have focused more on this instead of adding layers of pointless story elements. This included an exhausting misunderstanding story element that went on too long for no reason. Another problem was poor character introduction and development. The actors were good considering what was given to them.

Random Notes:

It seems 2023 is not the year for good BL office romances.

The Mr. Heart lead actors’ cameo was cute and made sense. However, the cameo with Tutor and Yim was random and added nothing to the series.

This is one of those series you can wait to watch until you have some time to kill and have nothing better on your must watch list.

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Office Romance Done Right!!

The movie/series: This was a really charming series with an awesome script. I will admit there are some weak aspects, but they were only minor. The cast was great and did a wonderful job with their characters. My only complaint about the series is how some episodes start off completely different from the previous episode which was slightly bizarre. However, it made more sense in the movie format.

The movie: They did an excellent job editing the series into a movie version. The only downside is it eliminated one of my favorite things about the series which was the gaming scenes at the end of each episode. However, I understand why they had to edit them out.

Random Notes:
So far, this is the only BL office romance in 2023 that was enjoyable to watch.

(Added on 9/29/2023): After thoughtfully considering which one to watch, I strongly recommend watching the series version. This is because I really love the gaming scenes at the end of each episode and missed them in the movie version. Although the editing between the episodes were bizarre, It’s not that bad.

Once again, the synopsis on Viki does not accurately describe the movie. It gives information that does not happen.

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Had So Much Potential

I placed spoilers at the end of this review.

For the positive side, the series had some cute moments and can be enjoyable at times. I also like the supportive dynamic of Cher’s friend group. Now for the negative side. The story concept was nothing new which is not a bad thing if it was well executed. Unfortunately, this is not the case. The whole script came across as a ruff first draft that someone forgot to proofread. It also had some very poor/weird director choices. The pacing with the main leads’ relationship was too quick. Everything felt rushed from the very beginning of episode 1. All the storylines were haphazardly introduced and incomplete. Most of them received half-baked resolutions or were completely forgotten. This also had a weird mixture of comedy and drama. The comedy sections fell flat and the drama sections turned very dark at times. See the spoiler alert at the end of this review if you want more information. The actors were good considering what they had to work with. I admit this was hard to gage because of the poorly developed script and bad director choices.

Random Note:

There is a big disconnect between the marketing and the content of this series. The official trailer, description, and opening credits suggests this is a light and fluffy romcom. It’s not uncommon for a comedy to have a little drama, but not the type they introduced. I also think the series poster makes no sense.

It had cute opening credits.

I see a lot of acting potential with Force and Book. They just need better managers to fight for them. Unfortunately, this is the second BL series they were in that had a poorly developed script.

******Potential Spoiler Alert******

There was no lead up to how the main leads formed their relationship which happened in a matter of minutes in episode one.

I appreciated they tried to introduce some important subject matters, but it did not do it tactfully. The subject matters were mostly treated as a story gimmick or after thought.

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It may not deliver what it promised, but it’s still good.

Although it’s set in a high school, I appreciate the unique twist.

The positive: I love that the script tackled some very important issues in a mature way. It also has a great cast in which the actors did an excellent job portraying their characters. The cinematography was visually stunning and I loved the visual references of the moon used throughout the series.

The negative: Unfortunately, the main problem was the inconsistent pacing. It starts off very strong but loses momentum towards the end. There are also some aspects of the script that’s not fully developed.

The in-between: I thought the ending was great and uplifting. However, there is one aspect/story element towards the end that threw the pacing off. It didn’t have a smooth transition when the story element was introduced.

Random Note: As always, I love seeing familiar locations used from different series. Ayan’s house was used in too many series for me to list now. As for the café, it was used in Baker Boy’s and Enchanté.

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