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10
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chiha
I rarely do this, but I encourage you to not take the stalking at face value
Having finished Secret Crush on You (here on abbreviated as scoy) weeks ago, I decided to wait and let my thoughts stabilise but I rated it a 8.5 purely for its entertainment value (actually a 10/10).Scoy is an incredibly well-made series in the sense that it has a consistent story (chaotic but consistent in its execution of chaos), well-paced, well-written dialogues suitable for the different kinds of interactions, high production quality (no, I'm not counting Nuea’s abs though they are very valuable assets. no I am not objectifying men, pretty sure he thinks the same) and awesome acting, some director obviously worked on them a lot.
I'm not one to care about MDL Ratings but having been on here for two years now, I have a pretty good idea for what becomes popular around here. And as I watched, I wondered why-how-why this series doesn't have a rating above an 8. 7.4 is a very good rating imo but on MDL such an epic comedy series should easily get above an 8.0. I didn't have to wonder much because there it was, Toh in those nerdy glasses and gloves rummaging throough garbage with whatever that device was to get a pair of cans Nuea had thrown into them.
Wait, so he's like, 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨? We no likey. (And rummaging through garbage is gross anyway). Those were a majority of the comments on yt episode 1, and I admit it weirded me out too. I developed this @-the-screen dialogue begging, wishing, hoping that Toh would stop tf he was about to do because I knew it was going to be embarassing (a habit which did not stop till the very end of the series). I have no hesitation to drop cringe, no idea why I kept watching but I'm glad I did.
I'm accustomed to using phrases like "at times absurd" and "often hilarious, often...” while reviewing shows, but nothing less than “𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 outlandishly, absurd and mostly really silly” will suffice for scoy.
Toh, Daisy, Jao and Som are an odd motley, uni outcasts united in their mutual loneliness. Together they create nothing short of chaos. Their friendship alone is worth watching this series. Nosy parkers through and through, they catalysed each others romances, supported through heartbreak and unanimoulsly held up a code called the "secret crush code". There are many moments that were exemplary of their friendship: fixing Toh's mess, supporting Jao through internet hatred, being there for Daisy's trans identity crisis.
There is an ongoing debate that “bl” isn't truly “lgbt”. Regardless of which side you're on, we all acknowledge that there are very few shows about diverse sexual and gender identities. For a series so seemingly comedic and "immature", scoy has surprising lgbt awareness portrayed with such sensitivity that it made me wonder if actual lgbt individuals were involved in its making (for example Nuchy, the wonderful director of Not Me is a transwoman). I do not mean it's all doom and gloom with homophobia, quite the contrary, yet you'll feel the overall positive representation.
Now, let's come to the main part of this story. Nuea's abs.
Obviously.
No really, Nuea’s abs and how he was so obsessed with displaying those wonderful contours to Toh. Nuea is the school's best basketball player, a good student, a kind person yadda yadda the whole jig. We don't know much about him except he's hot and Toh has the hots for him. We don't even know if he is aware of Toh’s existence. So when Nuea invites him to shoot photos at his sister's birthday and they have these really close interactions, it sets the gears going. Does this chiseled mass of goodness 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 the nerdy guy who 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘴 him?
Can a nerdy stalker even be worthy of such love? And here is my favorite part of scoy, it's not pitching the concept many shows go for "love is deeper than appearance" etc. no, it's asking you a more fundamental question. Why should the crush of a handsome boy be more valued in comparison to the nerdy one?
What is a crush anyway? Sudden unreasonable attractions to people. And sometimes they fall in love right? But why is that crush so easy to understand when its the school's popular guy than, say, a quiet chubby guy, a weird bubbly girl, a effeminate outcast or a shy boy in large glasses?
Via an internet bullying drama blown out of proportion, mean girls who would make the Plastics proud, drama questioning self-worth and acceptance and of course the stalking, scoy examines secret crushes and how we raise them on a pedestal beyond our reach. There are good points about all of us (and very few people are so bad as to be truly unworthy of an love, and I mean criminal offenders really). I appreciate what the drama tried to do here, and it did so without being obtrusive.
Nuea and Toh were the stars of the show for me. They had their hot and sweet moments, sometimes emotional. Somebody involved in the production micromanaged Toh and Nuea’s intimacy to perfection that they felt like a real couple who were into each other. Billy (Nuea) and Seng (Toh) have an intensity to them that worked wonders. Certain lingering touches, looking into each other's eyes, real communication, treating even the friends of your crush really well ;) —details that a lot of shows miss.
The actors were amazing, I've given this a 10/10 on that front. Nothing felt lacking in terms of acting. The emotional scenes had weight, the comedy was hilarious and felt natural for the characters.
Sky and Jao were quite popular, being less "problematic" (read more on this in note 2). Daisy and Toh were robbed but it seems they didn't have much of a story in the novel and the show did a good job of the few they did. Som is our allo het relresentative. There are lesbians but they are not really there except one really pretty freenbeck shot at the end (you have to watch Gap).
Lastly, huge love for the translators. They explained everything, the film references, the Thai jokes we tend to miss out on, Daisy's switching pronouns. Everybody agrees that this had the best, most involved subbing team. 9/10
Notes irrelevant to review:
Note 1. The stalking, like everything else in the drama, is exaggerated. But if it makes you feel better, all photos Toh collected were from public events. Public university events. Yes, he stuck them on his wall, but those are photos available publicly to everyone. The items collection was real but really? If keeping a crab in a vacuumed pouch isn't a joke then idk what is.
Note 2. I found Sky’s behaviour to be pretty problematic actually. A no is a no. It is weird how he kept pursuing Jao who said no so vehemently. Consent is an issue here which it isn't in Nuea and Toh's relationship.
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And it doesn't have to be a pulpy show of chastity or, on the other side of that scale, terribly unnecessarily raunchy; it can be something as small as hands brushing, smiling when the other isn't looking (gosh I hate that! BUT it works here, it works). The Eighth Sense really doesn't have a lot to offer on this metric, it does not have full-blown NC (it's not wrong to have sex scenes, except i mostly feel it's a terrible substitute for plot) yet it left my insides in a happy state of “butterflies”!
Ji Hyun and Jae Won are the perfect opposites attract trope. Ji Hyun, newly moved to Seoul from a remote part of the country feels quite lost and he understandably develops a sort of reverence for the senior who takes him under his wing and (seems to) have his shit together. Then, a feeling Ji Hyun can't understand, emotions heightened after he and Jae Won kiss. But let's stay friends, a poor, poor follow through.
An important part of the story is Jae Won dealing with emotional trauma of witnessing (and believing himself to be the cause of) what is the most painful event in his life. It's been years, he's almost thirty and has been going to a doctor regularly. This unhealed trauma is a source for grief to both parties later in the story and there are so many ways this can go wrong.
The Eighth Sense doesn't go down the path of "loves fixes everything" but that we can experience the same excruciating pain in safety and support. While Ji Hyun becomes a sort of safe space for Jae Won, JW himself recognises the problems of that (and even discusses it with his doctor). This a very positive depiction of the importance of mental health not just from the perspective of the sufferer but also Ji Hyun’s side, how he must try to understand him in a different way.
Secondly, I loved that Jae Won as a character is not defined by his trauma. Neither is Ji Hyun merely a puppet, a stand-in "love healer". There is an inherent kindness in both of them that they protectively branch out to each other (and to me, any relationship be it family/pets/friend/romantic comes with kindness). The side characters supplement the story with being draggy fillers.
Coming to the production itself, beautiful acting. I found myself holding my breath in a few scenes (eagerly leaning into the screen, nose touching pixels and all). Jun Taek (Ji Hyun)in episode 9: wrecked my heart. His happiness is my happiness, his grief is my grief. And normally that would imply grief for the one who brought grief to my aggrieved child but Ji Im Sub (Jae Won) stole my heart too. Man he's got that hollow look down pat, and that way he visibly kind of lights up when JH is around.
My major problem in the show were the openings, that wannabe edgy look is something I dislike but I got over it. There were many blackout scenes and sudden cuts which I again attribute to the "wannabe edginess" but okay, not a major issue compared to the other wonderful thing about this show: the soundtrack. I don't listen to music, I have a reason for that, but I recognise very well that showmakers often don't know shit about choosing the right music. And they unlike me cannot–should not–cite mysterious reasons for their ill choices of music (basically playing the ost over and over or different parts of it sometimes slower and sometimes faster. This is why shows like the eighth sense and kinnporsche and i told sunset about you stand out to me in the bl romance genre).
I think I've accomplished my mission rant abt The Eighth Sense. Hopefully it's going to make some more crudgy souls happy like it has made me for the last 5 weeks. (Also that poster has a whole new meaning when you get past that scene, awesome choice).
PS: when I say no NC I don't imply a lack of sexiness because damn that tension and their dynamic? fire. hot. (and I do mean it, I'm a crudgy soul remember?)
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If there is one less wolf out there, does it really matter?
I am fully aware that i am a very cynical person, but my cynicism is not unwarranted in this regard as the world is an unkind place to the mute, the wordless. I started this with a wariness in my mind that this could turn out to be yet another insincere effort of a human glorifying their own deeds.And I was very, very wrong. Every moment of this, from when Li Weiyi searches for and encounters the pup till the credits roll in, each moment is a testimony to a beautiful bond between them.
Save him first, Li Weiyi says to us. She does not have reasons to offer to support her decision for bringing a wild wolf into the city. All she knew was that she had to save this little life who lost every happiness because of humans. For a while things do go well as Green, the wolf, grows into a strong boy. But it is soon understood that his place is not in the city.
So where can he go? What place promises a safe sanctuary for a wolf in today's world, wonders Li Weiyi as she looks through the glass at a large alpha, the kids beside her banging their hands at the wall to provoke the captive wolf.
This is not so much a story of a wolf returning to the wild. It is about finding a safe abode for the wolf, for it is not the wild that Li Weiyi is afraid of.
In his short story No Room for a Leopard, Ruskin Bond asks, “But did the leopard, trusting one man, make the mistake of trusting others?"
Li Weiyi is afraid of the humans who encroach upon the wild with sinister intentions. As she runs her hands through a cloak made of wolf fur, she can only see the eyes of her own son. The wolf who having been brought up by humans, has forgotten the fear of humans that has been ingrained so deep in others of his species that even the pups stay away.
Return to the Wolves is a call for the establishment of China's first wolf sanctuary. It offers a tender look into the wildlife of the vast Zoige prairie, and the diverse beauty that co-exists there. When I look at places like this, i just hope that no human can ever find their way there. I loved how they showed Green in his wolfish wild nature; Li Weiyi tells us too look at the him and says we humans are more cruel than the wolf who hunts an animal in the wild.
This "review" hasn't been much of a review (in my opinion) as a statement of how touched I have been by this documentary. In terms of production values, it is a linear straightforward narration with the occassional voiceover to supplement the story at times. Li Weiyi and Yi Feng have an eye for scenic beauty, and they incorporated beautiful shots of the prairie and the mountains that was supposed to be the new home of their beloved child.
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I wish to narrate a rather personal experience of mine. It was in the monsoon. the flood season was almost upon us and with that, it was the season of dog mating. Pups were being born, each with a predetermined ill fate: they would either be washed away or they would get crushed by a car, and if they made it so far, they would die of hunger or live to suffer their whole life.
Six such pups, a litter, was born behind our house.
The rains came and my mother and I set up a small bamboo shelter for them. But as the rained poured harder, we knew they would die. Ours is a small household, we were two kids and our father was away. We already housed many cats. Despite this, my mother brought these pups into our basement. I tried to be a voice of reason, who would keep them in their adulthood? My mother calmly said, let them live first.
So when Li Weiyi says "it doesn't matter whether it's right or wrong if you save him. don't let him die." It reminds me of this moment. How many humans would rather turn a blind eye? And does it really matter if there is one less wolf out there?
If there is a god, they are there in humans like Li Weiyi, in people who through seemingly small and large acts of kindness and love, multiply the beauty in this world several folds. Maybe people don't care, and most people don't, but what is the meaning of humanity if we kill innocent lives for self-serving reasons or if we have never gone out of our way to be kind even once.
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sapphic slice of life
I often mourn the fact that lesbian series don't have the financial backing to make longer productions and that feeling just multiplied several folds after watching this drama.Tucked away in some unknown corner of South Korea is a small bar which openly welcomes lesbians; it's proprietress, a lesbian herself, welcomes all with the iteration “welcome to the lesbian bar.”
In these five short episodes averaging six minutes we get a look into four stories of love stories in different stages. The lives of closeted lesbians intersect in surprising ways.
Apart from this we learn how the conservative society of Seoul has affected these women who are simply searching for a way to protect their love. The lesbian bar becomes a cosy nook for them. And despite everything, these women find happiness.
While these are admittedly not cohesive stories, and they left me wanting for more more m o r e,,, but it's a nice way to spend half an hour, especially if your motto is like mine: seeing happy lesbians makes me happy!
And a plus for the butch representation, like thank you!
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everything and nothing
Midnight Museum was a very ambitious project, there is mystery, science fiction, dark magic and curses, fantasy and even some religious jargon thrown into the mix–everything and nothing because it did not create a cohesive plot. It was almost as if the show makers couldn't decide exactly what they wanted to create, not to mention it also as very convenient plot points.The biggest fallacy of this show is its pacing. When Khatha's museum is robbed, the dark artefacts he has stowed away make their way into innocent hands and create chaos. The first six episodes revolve around a bunch of random people discovering these artefacts and killing a bunch of other random people. The excitement is boosted by bunch of random cameos by a l o t of popular gmmtv actors. Also, did i say "innocent people" because no, these were terrible people and the artefacts brought out the worst in them. It was fun as the kill count kept increasing with each episode, but it does get boring after a while you know? In retrospect, I wonder if the show was created for this very purpose, to showcase the gmmtv roster.
Throughout this however, gmmtv was working on the gayest bromance to ever exist—the story of Dome and Khatha. The actors, Tor and Gun, have a "to die for" chemistry, probably because they themselves are very capable actors. Honestly, without them and their "bromance", Midnight Museum would have ended up on my drop pile. Their intriguing past and the estranged soulmates thing they had going for them was really awesome, at the very least it did keep me impatient every week for the ep to air.
After episode 6, the show kind of loses steam in terms of fantasy. We are now thrust into the emotional exploration of Khatha's past and we learn some unexpected (and some very expected) things. Cue another cameo. But this was really strong development on the "bromance". Then all of a sudden we are thrust unceremoniously into the possibility of multiverse. Think multiple moons, nerd scientists, communicating with the past from a different galaxy–hardcore shit. And Dome is lost!
Now with the sudden absence of my favorite on screen off screen straight gays, I was examining the plot and all I saw was a string of unexplained bizarreness with some murder thrown in; plot holes or a lack of plot to even have holes! And lo! We have been fooled ;) There is no plot, is what I realised as even more bizarreness unfolded in front of me.
Coming to the characters, Bright as a moth-eating murderer was more developed as a person than the supposed important side characters of this series. Take June for example, I found so many viewers confused as to who she was although it was actually shown in the very first episode, in a very confusing way. Then there was Bam, a "spunky" officer; i put that in quotes because spunky equates to useless and dumb enough to be killed. And Phob, he supposedly helped Khatha do undercover work ...
In shows like these, I usually turns to the villains. But the villains here were either behaving like a lazy grouchy teenager or cult leader (played by Tay Tawan, LOL)—they seem to be power hungry and they did given Nanon some very good one liners and Tawan a lot of swag, but their motivations were largely unclear.
Even my favorite b̶r̶o̶mance seems undeveloped now as the Dome in the past wasn't Dome at all! Won't spoil any further but as much as i liked seeing them together, it doesn't make sense to me (but I won't take points for that, bc I love my straight boys). I won't even take points for this queer baiting because wow, that good.
Overall, this has been a terrible disappointment but i can't bring myself to rate this a six, as I rightfully should. The overall production is very lazy—lazy fight scenes,
lazy fashion (1. why was Gun always in that fucking grey tee and pants like a prisoner! 2. impractical clothing for women, CHECK 3. sometimes they dressed Khatha so well and sometimes the clothes looked so cheap...)
lazy pacing (it is slow as a sloth till episode 8 and then it's dashi dashi! keep up! till the finish line),
lazy half-assed development of the universe this was set in, the only consistent point being that it is extremely illogical.
7/10
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All the feels!
I don't usually like short series since their makers don't seem to be aware of how to present a story in a short time. And then certain series come out which prove that a short run-time isn't an excuse to not create a good storyline!“My Fairy Ghost” is one of those. It makes the most of the limited run time and presents a beautiful story of two women falling in love with each other. The basic plot is that Aizawa is a writer struggling to make ends meet, when she runs into Kei whom she recognises to be a ghost. Aizawa is the only one who can see Kei and as the story progresses, we realise that Kei is the only one who can see Aizawa too.
There was a lot of cuteness and romance packed into this, but it has a very mature tone. This was a story about love with a strong message on what art, or any creation really, is truly about. It is what Kei and Aizawa bond over, it is the "regret" which keeps Kei rooted to the earth.
The actresses brought awesome chemistry to the screen. I cried with Aizawa and could feel Kei's grief. 8/10
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Love is simple, really
“I'm scared that you'll disappear right in front of me.”I am truly impressed with the execution of Our Dating Sim. Considering that it is a story that revolves around a misunderstanding, there is little to none of the commonplace tropes like 'miscommunication" and 'walking away while the other is talking' or the dreaded 'jumping to comclusions'.
I needed to start my review with this because I totally thought these would be tediously utilised by the drama, but instead ODS gives us two beautifully authentic people who have their own ways of dealing with emotions which leads them to a place of conflict and a separation for more than 7 years.
With a run-time of only 15 minutes, the show makers have utilised every second to build Lee Wan and Shin Ki Rae's relationship, with each scene contributing to their story in a meaningful way. Every conversation, every little thought adds something to the story and this is really important for a short series.
They have done this and more than what other longer series provide us, and within an obviously limited budget. ODS has proved that having a small budget is not an excuse for a lackluster production (side-eyeing certain other korean bls which have recently aired). There is a small cast too, but the show in itself never feels empty.
Then there are the actors themselves who brought their all to the screen and delivered one of the best kisses in bl history, gotta talk about it considering physical intimacy is a very lousy point for most Korean bl dramas. The characters feel mature and there is a visible difference in them between their youthful friendship days and their older mature selves. The chemistry between the leads is palpable and it helps that scenes of physical intimacy are peppered generously throughout the series.
They behave a a real couple would, and as people who have missed each other during a long separation, and deal with their own anxiety of losing each other once again. There are little dating sims recreated at the end of each episode, each giving a little view into what a braver Lee Wan would have done in his school days. Although Lee Wan was not brave then, he has changed now and the show ends on a hopeful message that although life is a game and there is little certainty to it, it is his choice now to be with Ki Tae and that is all that matters. To stay in the moment and to choose one another.
An unexpectedly well done series and a must watch for those looking for a sweet, fluffy way to pass the time without too much unwarranted and uncalled for drama. 8/10
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melodramatic overkill
I've kept this review absolutely spoiler free because this is a movie which would completely lose any charm it has if the viewer is spoiled. Although, I personally found the poster of the movie and the arrangement of main roles in the cast itself to be a very huge spoiler.The movie focusses on five girls at a literature club meeting, who take the podium one by one to read a short story presenting their view on the death of Shiraishi Itsumi, the queen bee of Seibo Maria Girls School. In each story the girls tell us how the kind Shiraishi Itsumi invited them to the elusive literature club, and each blames a different member for her death–mind you, this one i found quite interesting, how neither of the four think Itsumi suicided.
This a three tier story, the first being the account by the girls. Next is a message from the dead Shiraishi Itsumi herself and it reveals certain surprising details. By the end of it, we wonder is Itsumi really dead? That's where the last part of the movie comes in.
The real crimes and motivations of the girls are unexpected and quite dark considering the character we've been presented earlier–mind you, presented by they themselves. Darker is the story of Itsumi, who hides a viciousness behind that beatific smile. Darkest and craziest is the character who has been absolutely blameless. Although I could fairly predict which direction this was headed and who was lying, it would be wrong to call “Girls in the Dark” predictable.
For a thriller, it is not exactly gripping, but you somehow want to see how it ends you know? It is completely a psychological story which utilises the unreliable narration and the story will elude you till the very end, not because it's a particularly good plot twist, but because they drag it till the end. Instead of four girls, they should've kept to three because the story of the third girl Diane is just so out of place (maybe they just needed her to plant the lily flowers from France?) and makes it drag even more.
The motivations of the characters were not entertaining at all, and Itsumi herself was the most confusing one. There was no explanation for why she did what she did when she would've been much better off otherwise. The exposition of the villain is particularly ineffective, the ending was dull (and yes, after watching ten japanese productions, it's really not that hard to predict what was in that soup). Final takeaway: inconsistent storytelling which tried too hard.
Trigger warnings are potential spoilers and have been included comment below the review
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A wastage of a great cast
The Eclipes is a wannabe ”The Gifted”, minus the fantasiacal aspect of the series and most importantly, minus the strongest aspect of The Gifted, an actual enemy.We have Akk, the perfect school boy and prefect, under the command of Teacher Chadok. His one and only motive is to uphold the reputation of Suppalo as the top school in Thailand. The biggest obstacles in his path are a trio of protestors who demand that the school rules be modified to a modern version which supports students more in their endeavour to be freer. A new addition is the new school boy Aye who is from the rival top school in the country.
Akk, who idolises his predecessor school prefect and worships Teacher Chadok does his best to stop these nefarious elements but Aye is a new sort of obstacle. He's somebody Akk can't figure out. And his own feelings whenever he's around the cocky Aye are a jumble of "I hate him" and getting alternately flustered and impressed by Aye's shamelessness and outrageous courage. And as Akk falls first, Aye too can't help being drawn to this school prefect who seems to be so perfect on the outside but is crumbling on the inside.
I have nothing but admiration for Kahotung and First. This is both of theirs, as I would call it, "first proper main roles". Tonhon Chonlattee (Khaotung's first main role) and The Shipper (First's first main role) were a huge disservice to these actors and a painful memory most viewers wanted to erase. They brought the best of themselves to the screen here.
Broken souls recognise one another and Aye sees just another lost boy in Akk. They become a safe space for each other as Aye tries to unveil the mystery behind his uncle Dika’s suicide, who is known as a traitor in Suppalo, while Akk tries to deal with his emotions and newfound revolutionary ideologies.
That brings me to my biggest problem with The Eclipse. Where. Is. The. Plot. I loved how they presented Akk and Aye with the "us against the world trope" but it all kind of falls flat when you wonder what are they even fighting for? Aye for one isn't into the protest, he's just trying to find out about his uncle and thinks the protest is linked to it. He does have a strong free will and reads 1984 and all so there's that, however he does not join or take a leadership role in the protest.
For Akk this is a part of his character development. He has a huge redemption arc which is done so very well that I wonder why on earth these script writers couldn't come up with a better story line because all I see are some dumbass teenagers who want to wear chokers and slashed jeans to school.
The "dumbass teenagers" as I call them face near death experiences attributed to the "Suppalo curse" and eventually we stop focussing on the protest against the rules and turn to a protest to find the one behind the curse. This of course makes more sense as the school did not investigate properly into who was behind those actions, but I can’t help but feel annoyed at how the rules were just brushed over. Without an idea of the rules, without an understanding of the alleged infringement on their rights, I feel no sympathy for these kids at all. I am even more mystified by the behaviour of these adults who actually catalyse the protest with how they deal with the protestors. Call their parents suspend them and send them home. Done!
There is no real enemy in The Eclipse. Even Teacher Chadok is later made out to be a victim of sorts. Uncle Dika’s death is unrelated to all this. It's like the writers didn't know what to do with the story and end the protest so they took a random left turn into shitville ending. There's a grand exposé which yes, I did not see that one coming, given how utterly stupid it was.
After twelve episodes if you ask me what was it all even about I'd say Akk and Aye because they were truly the only thing this drama had to offer. There were portrayals of suicidal thoughts, onscreen suicide and open talks on depression (Trigger Warnings for these) which I definitely appreciated; this is yet another gmmtv series which has been very positive about being lgbt.
There is a side gay couple who made for cute filler scenes but in the very end the inconsistent actions of one of them, followed by the poor explanations he had to offer, ruined their story for me too.
As a character driven drama, The Eclipse is definitely great but the plot aspect is not so much and ultimately character growth does derive from the plot so I suggest leaving your brain at the door for this one.
It is very hard for me to rate The Eclipse.
Story? Giving it a 5/10 as a compromise for how poor the plot was but how well written the character arcs were.
Acting? Have a 8.5/10. KhaoFirst, you dropped your crowns, hope there are more main roles projects for them in the future. I take points off because the side actors were so bad, particularly Teacher Chadok.
Music? Nothing spectacular but The Eclipse does not have the sound effects which many viewers dislike and the background noise balance is way better. I noticed it during the beach scenes where in most dramas the waves usually sound too loud.
As for re-watch value, I will rewatch certain Akk and Aye episodes. The second book in this series is in the works but if a second season is ever made (can't imagine why), I don't think I'll be watching it. I don't regret watching The Eclipse but the drama in itself is very forgettable and the worse part is that it could've easily been so much better.
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A short but not necessarily fast paced romance
Different narratives resonate with different people and Moonlight Chicken has quite a distinct flavour. It is a dose of realism. It tries to pack a mighty punch in these eight hour episodes which span a period of around six months. It tackles many issues that a person could face in today's Thai economy through the lives of the people at a chicken rice diner. Does it work though?Jim, known as Uncle Jim to most, runs a semi-popular rice diner at chinatown in Pattaya city. It's the moon festival and on this fateful night, Jim meets Wen who has drunk and passed out at his shop. Out of a sense a responsibility, he decides to take Wen home and ends up having a one night stand with him. The next day however all it seems is that Jim want to pretend it never happened.
Jim is portrayed as a man who is nearly in his forties. He is not a closeted gay man but his previous relationship has burnt him and he still grapples with his past. Wen is an art director is in his early thirties. His youthful charm and shamelessness in pursuing Jim is a sharp contrast to Jim’s stoic behavior. We soon learn that it's not just Jim who has baggage, Wen has an ex whom he cannot cut off.
Then there's the budding romance of Li Ming (Fourth), Jim’s nephew who lives with him, and Heart, the boy of an influential, rich Thai officer. Heart is Li Ming's opposite in more ways than one, already a slightly introverted individual, Heart is further repressed by the fact that he is deaf. His disability makes him lonely, a loneliness in which he has doesn't have the support of his parents, and Li Ming is a sudden brightness in his life. Gemini and Fourth bring all their adorable sweetness here.
While Jim, Wen and their love quadrilateral represent a more complex, or rather dumb but extremely fraught relationship, Heart and Li Ming are simple. “I like it when I am with you.” They bring the liveliness of young love to the screen. Another couple is Saleng (Mark) and his girlfriend Praew (View) who get themselves into a mess. Through them a very important topic is discussed: unwanted pregnancy and the brunt of raising a baby in this economy (with a small talk on abortion).
The series is directed by my favorite director, P'Aof. While Moonlight Chicken is thematically very different from Bad Buddy, there is still P'Aof’s charm. His charm to portray a story naturally and to bring out the best in the actors. While I do appreciate that the side characters add a lot of goodness to the story, I feel that it was at the cost of the main romance.
The struggles of Jim with his past and Wen with his present were intriguing, but after episode 3 their relationship development became completely stagnant. The story does not resort to using cheap jealousy to keep it spicy, which I thought would be a big issue. The main couple shone the least here. I never really felt Jim reciprocate Wen’s feelings. It is attributed to the fact that Wen is younger and his personality is livelier whereas Jim (at his alleged age of "nearly 40" I hope i look as good at 40 as he does!) but I did not feel a significant shift in their relationship even when there was supposedly a huge shift in their relationship.
Perhaps it is the casting choice which held them back. While Mix did quite well, and Earth does do better than before, I just could not feel their acting. Whatever tension was there in episode 1 is effectively lost by episode 2 (this might seem harsh but it's true, at least for me). I needed Jim to want Wen more than he needs to breathe (okay, maybe that's a bit too much), but all he does is keep pushing him away and wow I honestly cannot imagine sticking around for an emotionally unavailable man for that long, Wen. I, as an audience, failed to see what Wen and Jim saw in each other.
Do not mistake this for a "fast paced romance" because this is absolutely not one, despite the one night stand it started out with. The only reason why I rate it as highly as I have (7/10) is because I love them as a family, all of them including Jim and Wen. They are a huge wholesome family and that is >>>>> 100 times than Jim and Wen's romance. But this may be more of a personal gripe.
Moonlight Chicken does touch on a lot of issues and not just "first world problems" as in most bls and it is mostly successful at doing justice to its characters. A point I found quite significant is when issues are raised, there are quite a few discussions on money, because lets not pretend, money is an important deciding factor in our lives. However in this Moonlight Chicken is not relentless, it does allow our characters to achieve happiness too.
In terms of production value, this is a very aesthetic show. With charming shots it explores the vibrancy of Pattaya’s beaches and temples and festivals. It offers a brief but colourful look into Thai culture. Each episode roughly spans over a month and there is a certain link to the festival being celebrated in each episode that may be a little hard for viewers to follow (at least for me :). The sound quality was okay, the background music doesn't take over the speech, then again it's P'Aof, we really don't need to worry about the production. I wish they had made a different decision about translating Heart though. I understand they wanted to portray the struggle of understanding a deaf-mute man, but even in the final episode there are so many things Heart says which were left unsaid :(
My final takeaway is that I wish Jim and Wen as characters had been more dynamic, they fell rather flat in comparison to the others. Re-watch value? Not that high. Only for Heart and Li Ming! If you are wondering whether to watch this, I'd suggest giving it a go because from what I've already seen, most viewers have very different opinions on this because Moonlight Chicken hits a different tone with different people. And it's short too :) 7/10
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This is how you do a gay musical
“My School President” might not be an original soundtrack; two boys in high school, one has a secret crush and chases the other. Been there, done that. I mean after more than a hundred gay romance shows (I'm not even joking, check my stats) you'd think I've seen it all. Yes, I have seen everything in My School President before, but not like this.MSP takes all the tried and worn tropes, weaves them together seamlessly into this epic gay musical. The show has an energy to it which I cannot put into words. For the most of it, MSP is a really fun show: friendship, family and slice-of-life youth drama, but there are moments of grief and sadness which binds the story. And MSP reminds us time and again, that when it seems everything is lost and grey, you will find the purest emotion left: love.
The main arc is of Tinn and Gun. Nerdy Tinn, son of school principal and perfectionist has comitted the ultimate crime: fallen in love with a backbencher, and a boy nonetheless. After (several) repeated attempts to get Gun's attention, Tinn finally comes into the spotlight when he runs for school president. But wait! It has now set him as an enemy to Gun! For the school is trying to shut down the Music Club which Gun leads. With the excuse of "bringing glory to the school", Tinn pairs up with a reluctant Gun to try and win the Hot Wave and the rest, you know it :)
Not everything goes perfect in this story. There are many, many downs. MSP deals with topics like failure, grief of death, homophobia and the fear of first love. In this also, MSP has set itself apart from other dramas. Any misunderstanding or event is dealt in withing the episode itself, without letting it drag to the next episode and viewers are always left with the expectation of something fresh and delightful.
There are few stories where I can say that there were no moments which I found to be extra but MSP truly has no "filler moments". It does not lag, it does not take up a sloth speed at episode 8 (which most bl dramas tend to do), it is never boring.
Apart from Gun and Tinn, a major part of the story are their family and friends. The Hot Wave takes centre stage in episode 10, 11 as Gun and his friends battle three stages to reach their destination. The boys and their relationship with their families is so heartwarming to watch, their mothers both approach their sons so differently. There are a few unexpectedly cute side couples too. At the end of the day, MSP is a show about love and all its different forms.
It is evident that the production teams really put their efforts into this. Each character, even the side characters, have been crafted uniquely. They went all out with all the love songs here and it's obvious that a lot of work has been put into it. As far as chemistry goes, Gemini and Fourth are a match made in heaven. I say this not because I ship them, but some pairings just click you know? My main inhibition regarding MSP is that I dislike school shows and the tragic boring uniforms they have on all the freaking time. The show makers however put extra effort into everything with a stylish wardrobe for everybody (and I have to point this out because it's one of my sore points with most others school/uni shows).
Each actor and actress has done well in their role, and this is really important because MSP is one of those character centric shows. The dialogue is well written without the cliche replies. It gets especially fun when Gun teases Tinn! I love how Tinn is like this confident gay until Gun does something even minutely flirtatious. Gemini and Fourth brought them to life and I wait (not so patiently) for their future projects. And the OSTs! The Holy Chinzhilla in its Greatness has blessed us with the best songs, and so easy to sing along too that I cannot get them out of my head!
MSP has been a delight to watch. The secrecy of having a first crush, the innocence of first love, the buoyancy of being seen and recognised, if only for a moment, by the one who makes your heartbeat pick up. MSP will make your heart race and wish for that romance you haven't had yet or remember the cherishable memories you have experienced.
And while it is not an original soundtrack, it is the one of the most genuinely hearwarming songs, an ode if you will, to love. As they say, “love songs we listen to in high school are the best love songs ever”, and MSP is proof of that. One word for this show: fluff. 9.5/10.
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Well, that was convenient
I swear I could feel my body mass decrease as I lost a considerable quantity of braincells while watching this dumpster fire. Everything was going pretty fine till episode 8—handsome guy bumps into handsome guy, saves aforementioned h.g. from goons, who eventually turns out to be the second son and leader of the "major family" that assumingly has a major hand in all the corruption and backdoor dealings in Thailand. Hot handsome guy wants funny handsome guy to be his bodyguard, due to certain mysterious orders from his father, but at some point banging became more fun.Up till the halfway mark I wasn't really questioning things, I took everything they gave: the funny moments, the cute moments and the (generously sprinkled) sexy moments. I mean we got such a cute date too! And we got another brooding handsome guy, the elder son and head of the minor family, to stand by as the love triangle and contrived jealousy moments which eventually lead to some more banging.
But then Kinnporsche did its ultimate mistake. If it had only continued the next six episodes as it had in the first eight, I would've given it a 7 (+0.5 for Tankhun), labelled it "boring, but sexy" and called it a day. BUT NO! Kinnporsche had to bring in a plot!
Big mistake.
We now get to see all sorts of mysterious "Russians" and "yakuzas" and "deals" getting mentioned. We have the sudden *whisper* weakening of the major family. A conspiracy of the minor family! Surely not! And this is where it falls apart, because it becomes markedly more pronounced that this story isn't going anywhere.
To be fair, I like Kinn and Porsche’s relationship. We don't really have to deal with the notoriety of the mafia except that Kinn has never in his life been on a date with a cute boy and with Porsche he can be himself, the guy he wants to be, not what he is forced to be. They tried to play the "I don't trust you but I still do" card multiple times, but all grievances are resolved early, mostly leading upto more sexy fanservice.
Despite the lack of chemistry between Kim and Chay, I like their dynamic: the dangerous, loomy third son and his innocent head-over-heels-in-love fan. (Ruined by Chay though, there's a difference in being childish and innocent, too bad writers still can't distinguish it. Even worse that I can't deal with cringey romances).
They should've brought in Vegas and Pete earlier. They brought a lot of steam to an otherwise mundane show, and while Build (Pete) simply cannot cry, they were an entertaining pair to watch. And honestly, in this entire show, these two were the most believable ones. Didn't like the final scene though, Pete was meant to be his "pet" because that's how their dynamic was; they are not a vanilla couple but I guess we have to care for the audience too.
The best part about this story was Porsche and Chay. But somehow the show maker managed to ruin that too because the entirety of episode 13 and final revolved around this blatantly contrived, stupid plot surrounding their mother's death. I can list ten unanswered questions and ten plotholes here (but les not spoil).
Separately taken, the romance, the comedy, and the darker parts of the plot are entertaining, but when put together it's this huge clusterfuck which has been running for fourteen episodes when it could've been condensed to ten. For a story which features at least five sons and two heads of the mafia, it is quite disconnected from the grind. We have massive houses and personally owned sky scrapers and a luxurious lifestyle, but there isn't anything to set it apart from a rich male lead romance except that we do see them pull out the guns once in a while but for the major part, Kinn and his father are both kept very, very clean. If you're afraid to stan a hero with questionable morals then don't be, because the only one getting his hands really dirty is Vegas.
I didn't expect Kinnporsche to go all godfather on me, but what sucks is that it shamelessly borrows from mafia themes to spice up the story. There isn't much violence except when they whip out their guns once in a while and in the VegasPete storyline. In the very last episode there's a sudden burst of bloodshed like a poorly done slasher.
I get that we have to give screentime to Miles and Apo’s abs but some in on the mafia side wouldn't have hurt. In the penultimate episode, all sorts of bizarre plotlines are brought in. The behaviour of the characters, especially Vegas are very inconsistent. The existing storylines were resolved poorly. What KP does get right however is the acting. The actors have done awesome for the most of it especially the mains.
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Unexpected
❝ If we're still the same, then I don't want to...It's exactly what it says on the tin. Utsukushii Kare is the story of Hira, a seventeen year old who is passionate about photography, that and the new student at his school, Kiyoi So, our titular “beautiful man.” The first half of the story is about how Hira keeps following Kiyoi around and in a way, submits to him. To be honest, I found his behaviour self-demeaning and the development of this “relationship” somewhat irksome.
And then episode 4 hits and wham! Viewers are suddenly hurtled into this whole new world. And this, I believe, is the shows winning point. Kiyoi’s point of view. All of a sudden there's no idol, there's no hero, no star–there's just a boy named Kiyoi with some broken dreams a sad heart and a yearning for something he isn't even sure of himself.
Utsukushii Kare isn't the story of how a weak boy fell for his bully, rather it brings out the complexity of these boys which pushes them apart and draws them together, each pulling at each other with a magnetism that is equally strong. There is an arrogance to them both; the difference is that while Kiyoi’s arrogance is obvious, Hira’s arrogance is imperceptible.
And maybe in a parallel “better” universe, Hira would fall for the “better” boy, his friend Koyama who accepts him freely. But what does "better" even mean? Difficult as it is to grasp, however obnoxious you may find it to be, better to Hira and Kiyoi is when they're together. The final episode hit the ball out of the park.
The actors bring their characters to life and perfectly delivered on the intense scenes. The shows is also filmed beautifully. To sum it up, Utsukushii Kare was unexpected.
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It's exactly what it says on the tin: siblings, Win and Lin get into an accident and they come out with more than just a few bruises–their souls get exchanged! Win wakes up only to find himself in his sister’s body, who herself is still comatose. As advised by the Venerable Uncle, he goes on a journey to collect holy water and is unwillingly paired up with Korn, his childhood friend. Why unwillingly? Because Win’s father somehow left as many shares as he did for his own son, for Korn too. Seem suspicious? It is.
And there's a deadline! Racing against time, Win and Korn run all over Thailand. They encounter many problems: the obnoxious uncle and aunt, headless ghosts, their cow Katin getting a bloated stomach, ghost lights, Lin getting her period (and Win just can't deal lol), floating ghosts, weed-induced hallucinations... but nothing as difficult as them having to tolerate each other.
Viewers are divided into two clear factions with Win’s behaviour-while some call him out for his childishness, others find it adorable. I simply found it understandable. Ever since his father died, Win has been the banyan of the Warodom farm and his family. He is just as hardy as any of the workers on the farm and doesn't mind getting his hands dirty. He's even capable of stabbing a cow's bloated rumen! But when he's with Korn it's like this whole other side of Win come out, a side which want to be cared for.
These ten episodes haven't been a "growth of their relationship." It was more about Win and Korn grappling with these feelings they've had for each other for so fucking long. Every time Korn hugs Win’s sister, and when he misleads Win regarding his true feelings, it worsens Win’s uncertainty. His father leaving the shares to Korn are the last straw as Win is left to wonder whether just as his romantic feelings are (seemingly) unrequited, has their friendship been false too all this time?
But true love always perseveres (no matter how ridiculously stupid your mother might behave!) and they do get their well-deserved happy ending. “Cupid's Last Wish” is what I call a feel-good watch. There are no real issues here, no real problems to deal with. It's pretty much like atots, a sense of community and well-being and overall warmth but it's all very superficial. I never managed to fully get into any of these shows.
The few "plot twists" here were quite overdone and out of place. Turns out there's a reason why Korn got those shares and it's so damn weirdly done.
The only thing quite clever about this drama is the body swap. With creative use of camera angles, this drama makes good use of the trope. I liked how there was this consciousness in the characters that they had to be responsible for their actions even in the body of others. While this did admittedly lead to a fresh bout of confusions and the expected drama in the penultimate episode, it was necessary to address it.
My primary issue with this is the very end. Didn't really get the feeling that they were beyond the we’re friends thing. The final scene in the car was so awkward with the head kisses.
Earth’s acting was a little less awkward than usual but Mix was a little more awkward than usual? The best however was Janhae as WinLin. As Lin, Janhae played Lin, a really cutesy character which is set as a far contrast to that of Win. As Win she throws her limbs about and perfectly captures the rowdy lanky charm of Mix.
Overally it was an enjoyable watch for anyone looking for an easy watch. 7.5/10
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A Whole Lot Of Awesomeness
If you thought your board exams were difficult, think again because Class 3E is being tested on their assassination skills. Also ridiculed as the "End Class," the students of Class 3E are considered to be the on the lowest rung of the academic scale.In comes Koro-sensei, an extra-terrestrial being with yellow tentacles and a yellow balloon for a face who has destroyed 70% of the moon and promises to do the same to Earth by March next year. In the mean time, he pretty much hires himself as the firm teacher of class 3E.
Thus begins the journey of how the students of Class 3E become the assassination classroom (title drop!). They get trained to use "student-friendly" knives and bullets which will be safe for them but lethal against the alien Koro-sensei.
If you plan to watch this movie for action scenes and gore then don't. While Assassination Classroom delivers quite well on action scenes as the students orchestrate and carry out assassination attempts, the movie is more of a light comedy with many heartfelt moments. The students slowly develop a bond with Koro-sensei as he teaches them to be better people, better students and better assassins (to kill him better! Hoy! Hoy! Hoy!) I did not expect to find myself crying (happy and sad tears) over Assassination Classroom, but I did.
There is nothing that I disliked about Assassination Classroom. I would have loved to see more of the other characters but I understand that the movie is adapted from a huge original material. More power to AC because I didn't feel any holes, moreover, I liked how they didn't concentrate on just two or four students.
The premise is absurd, the acting is moderate, the presentation is over-the-top but it is highly entertaing and engaging, surprisingly endearing and ends on a mysterious note about Koro-sensei’s past that will be explored in the sequel movie along with other graduation shenanigans.
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