Too many side plots sidelined the leads from their own story
This is a story of a spoiled brat sent to a rural place to finish his schooling and a village chief who takes the responsibility of taking care of him. The story took a turn when our spoiled brat Yothin realized his stay in that rural place might change his whole perspective on life.✔ Likes:
• At first, I was really skeptical about Yothin's character. His arrogance pissed me off. But as time went by, I didn't realize how I fell in love with his character. He's that selfless, honest guy who would fight for you if you showed him some respect. We could literally see him grow from a immature, stubborn, impulsive character to a responsible, caring and thoughtful adult. His character growth was phenomenal!
• The three musketeers bros were hilarious. Whenever they were on-screen, I couldn't help but laugh at their antics. They surely were my favorite part of the show.
• The grandma was the sanest person in this series. She was caring and loving but was a really short-tempered person who'd make you chuckle.
• Yo's bonding with his new school friends. At first, they fought a lot, but soon they realized their mistakes and made pacts of their own.
• Unlike any other Thai BLs, they didn't rush the romantic relationship. They really took their time to realize, verbalize and express their true feelings to each other. The way they took care of their age gap because it was natural for them to slowly open up to each other rather than jump into relationships. They beautifully portrayed Jom's maturity and Yothin's spontaneous behavior and how they connected with each other regardless of their age, growth and goal differences. It was refreshing to see two people just bonding and building a relationship bit by bit from scratch. Saint and Poom's chemistry was awesome, and it's one of the reasons I stayed till the end.
• If I don't mention this I'd regret it, i.e. THE CINEMATOGRAPHY! It was stunning. The main reason for this series is the lush green landscapes, paddy fields, beautiful lotus pond shots...just a feast for the eyes. LOVED THE CAMERA WORK!
✘ Dislikes:
• The storyline was full of chaos. Every little character had their own stories to tell, to the extent that it was really hard to keep up with them all. This was a sweet lakorn style BL which had its own charm but somehow unnecessary side storylines didn't give me the expected spotlight to our MLs. It felt like they were side characters in their own storyline. Still, I really enjoyed their storyline. It was a fun watch.
• I found myself skipping the uncle's and noisy Earn's parts. They were sooo annoying to watch, especially Earn. Her high-pitched voice and childish behavior annoyed me the whole time.
• Last but not the latest, it's about our own ML Jom. I know he was supposed to play a mature, respected character, but here he's just 25 years old, but Saint acted like he's someone in his 40s. His know-it-all, I-know-the-best attitude in the whole series bothered me. When Yothin showed signs of liking Jom, he was there just staring deep into his eyes, touching him and then acting like nothing had happened. No one could've guessed that he liked Yo, until Yo expressed his feelings. So it felt a bit weird to me. They could've shown them exploring their relationship more rather than rushing in the end.
Overall, it was a good watch but nothing great. Watch it for the MLs.
In the heart of the forest, sometimes being lost is the best way to find yourself, even in the dark
The story of a passionate young boy, Faifa, who got exiled in a forest by his own grandmother and entrusted him to another man, Hem, who didn't want another distraction which would eventually threaten his peace.—From the beginning of the story, the audience's eyes are blessed with beautiful scenes of lush green Thailand. Watching this show correlates with healing. It was love at first sight for me. I didn't know what would happen in the future, but I completely lost myself in the scenic woods like it was calling me.
—Aside from the senary, the characters were also interesting and the storyline itself was enough to make me seated.
Faifa's optimistic attitude towards life was refreshing. No matter how demotivated he felt inside, he always kept his chin up, motivated himself and never stopped dreaming. On the contrary, Hem was a hardworking young man, but he was always demotivated inside, so he kept himself busy with taking care of elephants, the duties of a forest ranger, and overall in charge of the Pokpa sanctuary.
—Fifa's rabbit mask representation was crucial as it wasn't just a cool accessory but a shield to escape. By hiding his face, he hid his true emotions and feelings and gulped down his unspoken words; his coping mechanism was masking. He was optimistic outside, but deep down he too was suffering in fear of losing his dream. That mask helped him to hold onto his emotions when he knew he couldn't control his facial expressions.
—Hem and Faifa both had opposite views of each other, but as they got to know they realized how much they'd healed each other. Faifa's innocence infiltrated Hem and melted his hardened heart which was hurting him. Both of them are unfamiliar with their feelings, just coexisting like earth and water. Water softens the Earth. Fifa brought out the more emotional side of Hem, while Hem helped Fifa understand better how to manage real-world struggles from a more rational perspective. Once separated, they let you know why they are inseparable. Hem's tenderness towards Fifa showed a bit of his overflowing emotions. As usual, sulky Fifa is the cutest; who can resist teasing him?
—It was a 7-episode drama, but I felt like I had known them for ages. I devoured each and every second. It was like a warm cup of hot chocolate hugging your body with a warm embrace, slowly, gently and gradually. For some, this can be a boring, slow show, but to me this was good because it was slow and let us view their characters from every angle. They gave each other time- a time to realize, to heal, to start again in life with happiness and prosperity.
—This was a show I would be happy to watch once a week, to slow down, forget about everything and just concentrate on nature, humans and salving every moment. The slow burn is so slow that it makes you forget about romance and just concentrate on their character growth episode by episode.
—This is the charm of independent projects. Their content can be low budgeted and not so frequent sometimes but they never compromise quality over quantity. They never relied on NC scenes but built the storyline based on their precious bonds of the characters slowly. That's how Lost in the woods was born.
Aahh, I loved this. This show was truly my weekly dose of fresh oxygen, which made me look forward to every Wednesday. Overall, if you are up for something peaceful, slow and simple, then you'll love it. But if you are looking for a quick romance, fast-paced relationship growth, then this might disappoint and frustrate you. Otherwise, I would recommend this to everyone.
The pain can't stop you if you've got passion and perseverance!
My Troublesome Star was worth every single second to me. It was something that I didn't anticipate or expect anything from it, but I fell in love with the characters completely by the end of it!✦ Storyline: This was a fresh concept. Unlike other murder mystery-type romcoms, it delved deeper into the thrill part smoothly by balancing the romance and comedy simultaneously.
✦ Acting: I loved Uhm Jung Hwa as the lead. Felt like I'm Sera character, it was made just for her. She shined brighter throughout. The ML, Song Seung Heon, was lovely. He's a hot, charming, goofy and brilliant actor. His fighting scenes were spotless, showed how much dedication he has got for acting. The side character, Lee El, was fabulous! Her mean, wicked character will enrage you to slap her face. Loved the veteran actor Hyun Bong Sik as Ko Namju. His comic timing and facial expressions were very funny and entertaining.
✦ Music: Personally, I love all of their soundtracks, but the main ost Shine Again, by Uhm Jung Hwa, is my favorite. It's got the 90s rhythm and chill vibe to it.
✪ Honestly, romcoms are my favorite. When selecting romcoms, I like the ones which are goofy, not heavy on the head and entertaining overall, and this drama got that. The ageism towards the older actors are very prominent in this industry. Older actors are only casted as moms and dads in a very serious role, but casting those so-called Ajumma and Ajhusshi as the leads for a romcom worked like a charm. Proved that age is just a number. They acted like veterans should, experienced, brilliant and poised. Even though it was a romcom, it blended the thrill with romance and comedy so effortlessly that it kept me on the edge after every episode. Also, loved how they didn't dilute the passion of the FL by highlighting the romance as the main plot. Wholly it was super balanced.
Overall, if you are looking for a romcom that isn't overly sweet and got kick to it, this is for you.
"I am obsessed with you more than you can understand, you just never saw..."
Honestly, I never expected it to be the way it is (in a good way). It wasn't really something groundbreaking for a generic J-BL which really set the bar high with their sizzling natural chemistry and most most importantly NO DEAD FISH KISSES?! I could never imagine!I enjoyed their banters and was lowkey swooning over their natural chemistry. But the latter half did disappoint me. That coconut haired Futami and Ryo's unnecessary low self-esteem was really testing my patience. They single handedly managed to piss off Zen! Storyline wise, it wasn't making sense because what type of rivals bicker like 5yr old kids. The audience could literally feel that tension between them and only those two didn't realise...does it make sense? But you know, unexpectedly it worked out very well!
Shoutout to the child actors who played their childhood characters. Not only the old actors, but the younger guys were so good. They matched with their facial and behavioral expressions accurately.
And the BGM was refreshingly amazing. The upbeat music lifted the overall vibe and created a gripping atmosphere. That was really something new and I loved it.
Overall, I had fun binging this. If you're looking for something light, fluffy rom-com to lift your mood then it'll be worth watching. Just don't expect too much hehe.
P.S: ZEN AND RYO WERE REALLY REALLY VERY VERY CUTE AND WHOLESOME TOGETHER. Idk I felt that I really needed to mention this 🙈🩷
What if your bias becomes your boyfriend!?
A no-brainer fluffy show to boost your serotonin!As the episodes each average 20 minutes long, I understand that it can be really frustrating and annoying to wait for it every week. To enjoy this drama, you have to binge-watch it without any prior expectations or understanding what you're going to watch.
Storyline wise, it was simple, without much twist to it, but the characters were so well-spoken and written that I can't help but to like them. And one of the biggest plus points of this is that not only the MLs, the second couple was also adorable and cute. At first, Siwol seemed very robotic. But as the drama progressed, he slowly started to open himself in front of Aejoon. The Idol and fan aspect of this drama was very subtle, and it was more than enough. Even though we go through 10 episodes, the depth of other characters is still non-existent. It'd be great to see the storyline of the second leads because they felt really sweet and warm.
The OSTs were really nice, especially Junghoon's "Pure Love". It's been ringing in my ear since I heard it. Also, the sound effects really didn't bother me, even though they were very much on point, that they made the atmosphere really light and funny!
Personally, I think this drama is very forgettable like hundreds of other BLs as they lack impactful substance. But that doesn't mean it's bad. When I dived into the show blindly, obviously I had no expectations. I just wanted to watch something that'd close my brain's thinking circuits and let me enjoy a drama without any fuss. Guess what? I delivered exactly what I wanted. I enjoyed it more than I expected.
The things I adored:
>The lead's height difference was huge! Oh my neck hurts lol.
>All of the leads were really good looking. Their screen presence is no joke!
>Kang Min's deep voice holds lot of weight while delivering the dialogues. Whenever he wants to sound honest, he lowers his voice and locks his eyes...oh I found it really charming!
>Kevin is just a adorable lil bunny! He's so damn cute ><
His smile, his scrunches when he gets excited, everything looks just so adorable.
>Idk if Kyusung and Jooha really matched the vibe, but both of them are really good actors. Their comedic timing is just perfect!!!
Overall, if you are up for some lighthearted romcom, then you're definitely going to have a good time with this cute and fluffy drama.
The spark in you is enough to lighten up my dull world!
It was a bittersweet, heartwarming love story of two lost souls who found strength in each other's presence.Storyline-wise, it was a solid watch. The actors did a great job portraying those melancholic emotions very skillfully. But it wasn't without flaws. I enjoyed the first half very much, then the latter half was dramatic as the characters were heavily vulnerable with their choices, and I found it very frustrating. The editing felt choppy at times, disorienting and confusing. The ending felt rushed and unfinished. I wanted to see more of MLs bonding together.
But overall, I really had a lot of fun watching their love bloom. It was an unexpected watch which left me wanting more. And last but not least, the OST was beautiful. I am still humming, and the song is playing in the background while I write this review. Surely I'll remember it for a long time and surely give it a rewatch.
The shine of the jewels of Section E faded as we dived deeper!
All the things we watched were pure nonsensical and dumb. At first, I enjoyed it because of the precious bond of the classmates with Jay-Jay. It was really exciting to watch her winning over her classmate's heart one by one, but as we proceeded with the storyline, it just made no sense. Unruly rich high school kids doing all illegal things and not getting a simple scolding from their parents, but Jay-Jay getting punished for the slightest mistakes was ridiculous. I really disliked how Jay-Jay got tossed around and her brother, cousin, Keifer, Yuri...all the men in her life just shut her up, bossed her around and dominated all the time. It was not nice, not romantic or fun, it was insulting at times.From the bottom of my heart, I love David and Ci-N, and I'm not interested in either Keifer nor Yuri. Both of them are dumb af. But the MVP of this drama was Daleng Dale song. It was the best OST of the year.
Looks like we will be having season 2 because this is not the end. Till then, if you are looking for something mindless and don't mind idiots bullying a girl and seeing her life getting fckd up, then you're welcome to watch this. But please don't expect sensibility and seriousness because it's a Wattpad drama in the end. Keep your expectations at bay.
A female chases male first with exotic vintage romance, done right!
I dived into this after watching "Spare Me Your Mercy" because I missed Tor Thanapob's presence on my screen and finished this up after becoming a Yaya Urassaya's fan instead.> Story:
Just like any lakorn, it is a family-centered romantic drama dating back to the 1920s to the 1930s. Our FL, Anong, is a girl in her early 20s with four overprotective brothers living a lavish lifestyle and our ML, Wichai, is a Chief Judge in court, also FL's next-door neighbor. They didn't really cross paths until ML's brother realized he liked the FL and wanted his brother to ask Anong's brother's permission for marriage.
Story wise, it was a pretty straightforward plot with romance being the central theme without any big twists and turns.
> Acting:
As I said, I wanted to watch this because of Tor, because I became a fan of his subtle facial expressions which he portrays with the utmost intensity. What was surprising was that I didn't expect to love Yaya this much. Basically, I stayed till the end because of her. She's that breath of fresh air which knows no boundaries. Her character was cheerful, young, kind-hearted, confident and straightforward. There's no way I could escape from her deadly charms.
The chemistry of the characters was off the charts. I'm convinced that TorYaya's pair was the best decision ever. Their characters blended into the storyline very beautifully, leaving no space for criticism. The initial push & pull, denial hesitant attitude from Wichai and Anong's consistent perseverance to make him fall in love with her was very refreshing to watch. Her little antics, beautiful vintage outfits and bold outlook stole my heart instantly! You can't help but swoon for Wichai's gentleman like behavior. His mature and demure aura made Anong shine like a diamond, almost making them a perfect couple.
>Music:
The OST, "The trouble is..." by Violette Wautier, is almost like a lullaby to ears; sweet, emotional and full of warmth.
> Others:
-Honestly, I was not really interested in Chut and Chunthorn's storyline, but Mean and Lingling's acting made me change my mind.
-Peterpan, as Anong's youngest autistic brother, was absolutely amazing! He is going to be a big shot when he gets to lead a drama for sure. Loved him.
-Lakorn with evil mastermind mother/ mother-in-law is almost impossible. The mother was a totally selfish woman who only thought about herself in every aspect. Surely we got her defeated, but still, she was a pain in the arse.
-My only problem was its length. It was too long and could have just ended in 13–15 episodes, but they dragged it quite far, 19 episodes. But not going to lie, I loved and enjoyed every bit of it. This concludes as one of my favorite lakorns!
Overall, it's a good drama if you are looking for honey-sweet romance and don't mind the frustrating characters. This drama fed me with so many beautiful things, good characters and good healthy romance that I will be coming back to this again and again.
Selfish love, addiction, destruction, and literary revolution.
"I want to die. I must die. Living itself is the source of sin. As long as I can make them laugh, it doesn't matter how, I'll be alright."~No longer Human, Osamu Dazai
I started this film without reading the synopsis but with a wholehearted trust in Oguri Shun, and I was not disappointed.
It's one of those films that doesn't want you to question your moral values, because this simply was a biopic of a blood and flesh human who made life choices that might not be the best, but you have no choice but to accept, "It is real; that's what happened, whether I like it or not." I personally found him exploring self-sabotage and how Japanese society progressed in a very dreamy, unique way. I see some people don't like him, though and I was fascinated to see why.
The storyline revolves around Osamu Dazai, a wife, his two lovers, and the questionable lifestyle choices he made in his 38 years of life. The whole film gives you an eyegasm with its beautiful cinematography of Mount Fuji, cherry blossoms, pretty traditional costumes, and brilliant camera angles.
I don't have anything to say to anyone but the wife, Michiko: "Michiko, I loved you more than anyone" I don't know how much he meant by saying that, but she's the one who sticked to him in thick and thin and showed massive strength to hold this falling "family" together. She's the one whom he needed and she's the one got most neglected. That smile at the end was a sign of relief.
Overall, it's a film about a not-so-great human being trying to create great literature and balance life in the world that he complicated himself. Don't expect it to be a great story that will open your third eye and let you see the world differently, the point is not to glorify but feel this is reality, and that is shitty as hell.
Love you to let you go.
The movie captures the delicate shift from the purity of puppy love to the harsh realities of adult turmoil. As Juancho and Zy, portrayed by Joshua Garcia and Julia Barretto, navigate their evolving lives, they face some challenges to retain their relationship. The early stages of love, filled with magic and intensity, often give way to the pressures of adult responsibilities; shifting dreams, evolving aspirations, and the distances that grow between people sometimes make it hard to get back to its previous shape. These challenges strained their most profound connection; once-vibrant feelings faded over time.The character Juancho is childish, extremely intense, and passionate about everything he does—to that extent where he forgets about everything else, even himself. On the other hand, Zy is calm, collected, and rational with her feelings. She had goals to achieve but didn't have the supportive hand to fight with her. They both loved each other, but their hearts were not ready to settle.
>What I liked:
~This film holds many flaws, but that's where it holds its beauty. There's something about Filipino movies that makes me feel emotions like no other. They're painfully raw and vibrant with all kinds of emotions enough to make me feel alive.
~The characters were comforting in their own way. Juancho's charming retriever energy was infectious; it's emotionally impossible to not love a character like this. For Zy, I could see what she meant about "man up" ,and the frustration of defying your own feelings felt a bit selfish, but it's what she chose for herself.
~If you think, why should I watch realistic things when I know reality is shitty? I believe that watching those dreamy k-dramas can cloud our brains with false hopes and unrealistic expectations, but watching these types of things makes you realise, even if reality is overwhelming, it holds its meaning in every lesson we get from those shitty situations.
~I wonder what they actually felt about working together as exs when they were once together.
It's like perfect ex story doesn't exist, they said hold my Bicolano chilli🌶️!
>Room for improvement:
~ Even though both of the characters were flawed, that doesn't justify cheating. No one deserves to be cheated on. They handled that situation better. But I'm happy with how they wrap up the ending.
Overall, a warm, overwhelming weekend watch. Nothing over the top, nothing underwhelming, just the right amount of realistic portrayal of people and their uncontrollable situations.
You're never late for love! A sweet drama to treat and heal your heart and eyes.
10 things I want to do before I turn 40 is your typical J-BL, enticing you with sweet treats and slow-burn romance. This will surely remind you of "Old-fashioned Cupcake" in every way possible.As a slow burn enthusiast, I liked this drama. I liked it more because I binged it, otherwise one might feel a bit disconnected waiting for it every week. Suzume-san's personality was very relatable, and Keishi's straightforward aura blended so effortlessly that as an audience I wanted to watch their daily lives together more.
Overall, it was a lovely watch for me. If you don't mind slow, emotional fluff, then you're going to like it.
Relived the nostalgia but that's all about it
Loved it for what it was. I was expecting more bickering and a little coercion to make me angry but it went quite smoothly, without much hassle. The background reason of the ex leaving was pretty lame, tbh love me or hate me, I was expecting him to get sick or something to get that satisfying angst and reunion for some reason. But watching my BL dads back again on screen was enough to get me watch this. But honestly if it was some other couple, I won't be watching this. It's definitely a me problem, the more I age, the more angst I crave.I'm not pissed or anything but I'm kind of feeling indifferent about whatever happened. Still will recommend to people who wants to relive those 2016 BL nostalgia. Otherwise very mediocre, nothing groundbreaking or memorable about it. The ending was beautiful tho.
If resetting your life can give you a boyfriend /lover like Thada, then LET ME RESET MY LIFE!
A story of an unfortunate guy, Armin, who rose to fame shrugging years and years. In his difficult times when no one was by his side, he had only one true silent/invisible supporter, Thada, who was with him through thick and thin. By resetting his life he get to redo his mistakes and meet his ultimate love of his life. But reset comes with cost, now the question is what will he has to pay in return?Even though I liked 90% of the things, it still isn't without flaws. Here are some points to breakdown my opinion about this.
✔️Likes:
🔵 The actors, Pond and Peterpan, were phenomenal! Their chemistry was breathtaking. It's their first project together, but it felt like they've been working together for years. Their bond was electric. Their intimate scenes never felt awkward, it was spontaneous, as if you could feel that yearning the characters had for each other; naturally romantic!
🔵 I am very fond of lakorns. They're chaotic, fun and never boring, just like this show. From Armin's struggling era, Thada's loving and caring side to villains plotting against our MLs, everything was so in-tune that I could hardly blink my eyes. Each and every episode was full of thrills and romance to get me hooked.
🔵 Side characters, Weinai and Janine were my favorite characters. They were shinning even though they were not the main characters. Their comedic timing, stealing glances, got me giggling like a fool!
🔵 You know when you watch a story you don't want to waste any time on side characters ruining the spotlight for the MLs and, guess what, it didn't happen. The full-on concentration on the drama was given to the MLs who professionally gave their best. And last but not least, I want to praise Pond and Peterpan for their versatile acting, especially Pond. This man's acting is so real that one cannot help but immerse themselves in the plot.
❌Dislikes:
🔴 Thiwthit. OMG, this guy was an annoying AF! His overacting, throwing hands like a 5-year-old spoiled brat was hard to watch. I cringed. HARD! His presence and acting was very cartoonish. How can the audience be supposed to take him seriously?
🔴 Even though I enjoyed it very much, I still feel like it should have two more episodes to wrap up the whole thing, rather than solving the mystery so quickly. The ending didn't feel rushed, but the whole process could be a bit slower than usual.
From the beginning to the end, this drama was full of surprises. It had action, drama, romance. Overall, an engaging piece of work which will make you glued to your seat! OUUUFFF What a brilliant drama it was! 🔥
Heart fluttering rom-com quickly moved downhill with another murder mystery *tsk tsk*
Finally, FINALLY I finished Lovely Runner.Phew! That was a damn loooong ride. It should have ended with min 8ep max 12eps. But no, they exaggerated it untillll they couldn't. (─.─||)
Plot:
# It was good, funny, cute, lovely until the murder mystery emerged out of nowhere. I properly watched until ep 12, after that I skipped a lot and watched only the important scenes.
# Lovey-dovey sweet scenes felt really monotonous and full of cringe.
# The amount of tears FL cried, she completed her quota of crying for a year.
# The number of times she said "Sun jae-ya⁸⁹; Oh Sun jae-ya.⁹⁹" is unhealthy.
Acting: 8/10, -1 for Im sol's occasional overacting, and -1 for dumb killer. (٥↼_↼)
OST: 100/10! The best OST of the year goes to Lovely Runner. Woo seok's voice was really soothing and on top of that 10cm, ah, no words for him, just brilliant! ( ◜‿◝ )♡
Re-watch:
Idk if I can. I mean idk if I can watch the thrill part, all the crying and bullshit melodramatic scenes all over again. But yes I do have my favourite parts that I will be replaying a few more times (. ❛ ᴗ ❛.)
Opinion about the characters:
Im sol: Girl! you can't change someone's entire life even if you change it thousand times. Learn your lesson, don't fuss, don't be oversmart and just move forward ┗(•ˇ_ˇ•)―→
Tae-sung: Idk if you know this, this character only existed in the drama version cuz in webtoon there's no Tae-sung. But man he stole my heart with his charming appearance. He's a best buddy you can have in your life. But one thing I would say is stop obsessing over other people's girlfriend, especially if she's your ex. (*_*)
Sun-jae: Ah...the heartthrob. His dimple. I'll stop here. But man was he stupid? No, he was extra stupid! He was straight up obsessed with Sol. Why would you remember a girl you met 15 yrs ago, who didn't even bat her eyes at you and keep messing up your head thinking about her?! (ノಠ益ಠ)ノ
The killer: Dude, ahjussi find a better job in next life, it ain't worth it. What a crackhead dumb killer, do your research first, watch some crime documentaries and then think about doing something new ¯\_( ͠° ͟ʖ °͠ )_/¯
My Rating: 7/10 (5 for overall, 0.5 for OST and 0.5+0.5+0.5 for Tae-sung, Sun-Jae and Im-sol's dimples) ♡(ӦvӦ。)
It build me up so high, then pushed me from the cliff...
...but laid an air bag with attached precautionary parachute for safe landing.A movie with unanswered questions has always seemed fascinating to me. You watch and then wonder how, whys and when for countless hours. It surely is confusing but I loved its vagueness. This film is like that.
I do believe this is not bromance, not BL as well but it does left a hint of unrequited love for you to discover. I would say don't try to categorise, just watch it for beautiful aesthetic cinematography and soothing music.
I enjoyed it more than I thought.
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