Yuna

I tried. I really tried.

This show. This fucking show. I don't get the girlies who like it, I'll never get the girlies who like, and I don't want to get the girlies who like it. But unfortunately, I can sort of see where the appeal is. It's pure trashy toxic romance drama that you eat up in one sitting. And its the kind of shit I would devour without a second thought. I love me some toxic relationships, love freaks who match each others freaks, I love Red flags. But this wasn't toxic, this was just Stockholm Syndrome: the series.

Every couple (minus one) here was just suffering from Stockholm syndrome and yall cant convince me otherwise. There is nothing toxically romantic about falling for ur rapist. There just isn't. And while I did turn that part of my brain off so I can watch this in peace and harmony, I still did not enjoy. I felt like I forcing myself to watch it, hoping that I would understand why people found this appealing.

I love toxic fictional men as much as the next person, but Day was not a character I liked one bit. I'll admit there were some flash back scenes where I giggled, but that giddiness was immediately ruined cuz of Day in present scenes. There was nothing attractive, dominating or powerful about this guy. He's just a crazy person. There was nothing hot or sexy about how he became destructive of everyone. He was just a whinny, annoying, tantrum thrower. And him being lowkey shorter than Frank does not help.

Them not showing us how Day went from the sadistic psychopath to the loving boyfriend prior to memory loss was detriment to the show in my opinion. And then the memory loss happened than there was nothing redeeming about him. And no, I'm not saying he should have been a green flag, cuz him being red is the appealing thing about him, but I couldn't like Day for the life of me. Every character around him kept mentioning how he needed to talk nicer or act nicely. And if the characters in the show have to point out how unreasonable one is, then that's something else entirely. He was insufferable. Couldn't make his mind up for one second, acted like he cared for one minute then switches up the next. He wasn't a red flag, he was a "I'm a child and I woke up on the wrong side of the bed and that's everyones problem but mine" flag. I can list ten different red flag characters that are so much better and well executed, none of which are pissy tantrum throwers. No joke, if I had to watch this man materialise a problem out of thin air and change up and blame Itt for something that wasn't his fault one more time, I would go into the screen and run a car over him. Then reserve and repeat this ten times.

"You don't remember, that you said you'll never lay yours hands on me." — Truly, the bar is in 9th circle of hell with this relationship. Itt is so indoctrinated its actually sad to watch. And Day didn't even apologise when he found out about the video. NOT A SINGLE APOLOGY. NOT EVEN HALF-ASSED. I just know even all the red flags are disgusted.

AND ON TOP OF THAT... they get married!??!?! Like what??? And that proposal?? Bitch what fuck was that?! I was so bored and speed running this show that I didn't even realise. I had to rewind and watch it twice cuz i thought i was going crazy. Itt genuinely has no self-respect or dignity for himself cuz how do say yes to that?

This show was a snooze, fighting for my life to finish it, couldn't care less about it.

But Nik is my baby. He was the only light at the end of the tunnel. The only one brave enough to say the right thing to Day's fucking face without pussying out. I love him, and anyone who touches him is catching hands.

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What happens when a director can't let go of his famous work

I watched the Japanese version right after this was announced, and while I loved that one, this was equally as enjoyable. I think the characters were spot on and the actors did them justice with their own little touch to it. Atom was fucking adorable just like the original Aoki, and Kongthap was handsome as fuck like Ida. I'm going to be slightly biases with this review as I watched this show weekly during a stressful period at work, and it was the comfort show I needed at the end of a horrible week. I enjoyed it more than most, but even as I watched this show, and let it marinate a bit more, there were eye rollers.

First, the good stuff:

PETITION TO HAVE GEMINI WITH HIS HAIR UP MORE CUZ I WAS GAGGED. That black and white outfit with his hair like that for their first date had me on my knees. Man was so handsome in this series there are no words in the dictionary to actually express how I feel.

"It's not as fun as when we are not together. It's a lot better when I have you ...is this what you call love?" Watching Kongthap figuring out his feelings/how to tell his feelings to Atom was an adorable mess. He's so neurodivergent coded and nothing can convince me otherwise. Like man don't understand or comprehend human emotions, and was trying his hardest to figure out his feelings, and him taking everything so seriously and always thinking about Atom was so endearing to watch. This boy was legit born to be a green flag in every universe, but the patience he has with someone like Atom is astonishing. "I'm sure he can make it. Even if he can't, he will be fine because he will still have me." -- Yes, I screamed. HE IS EVERYTHING!!

And Atom. This boy had to be the most relatable motherfucker on the planet. His self-deprecating one-liners were the funniest things ever, and I wish we had more of those. But watching him grow confident in himself and in his relationship with Kongthap was honestly one of the best things ever. They way he constantly chose to be forward and always tried to better himself so he can stand by Kongthap's side was one of the sweetest and amazing things I've watched. IN EVERY UNIVERSE THIS MAN WAS JUST MEANT TO BE BY HIS MAN'S SIDE. Just please let him have a father. Like seriously, why is he always fatherless? But at least he always gets a supportive mother in return, so I guess that works out. And his acting? This series let his acting shine so much, and I'm so proud of my boy.

Mudmee and Half's story was cute to watch as well. Mudneee embodied Hashimoto's soul into this, and that slap scene was the best part.

The bad stuff:

This series could have benefited from an 8 to 10 episodes rather than 12. The Japanese version had only 8 eps, and all had a duration of around 25 mins give or take 5, and they were able to tell a full story without anything unnecessary. And now, considering GMMTV always does 45 mins or over for every ep, they could have done the story in a 8 to 10 ep time frame. Some parts felt dragged out, or not enough content to pat out the whole 12 eps.

And don't get me started on the editing. Honestly, the editing was so off putting at times, and it jarred me more than expected when I noticed it. There was genuinely so many plot lines that they could have fleshed out more. Like Atom realising his feelings could have come an ep or two later, and we could have explored Kongthap and his mums relationship dynamic a bit more. I saw some of the clips that didn't make it into the show, and the fact that we didn't get Kongthap's crying scene with his mother got me so angry. And there were other parts as well that could have been used in the show instead of all the MSP references.

Yes, I too love and absolutely adore My School President. I too loved seeing the refences and loved seeing Chinzhilla's surprise stage in the last episode. But this isn't MSP. I went and checked who the director was, and yeah, they were the same person for both shows. It's like they saw how successful GemFourth were because of MSP and decided to incorporate that into this. What was the need for the musical numbers? They didn't need that many! Yes, MSP were one of their best characters, but that is a completely different show to this one. This is about to awkward teenagers navigating their love, not a kid aspiring to be a musician with the support of his bf. And apparently the director didn't see that.

Overall this was an enjoyable experience, and the three GemFourth kisses was everything I needed. I genuinely wasn't expecting them to kiss, and I replayed every single one of them. Legit looked forward to Fridays so much, and this was the highlight of my day, especially since My Stand-In was airing during then as well, and this was the only thing keeping my sanity.

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What got me into fantasy dramas

I told myself I wouldn't watch another bromance after Stay With Me, especially a fantasy. But guess what? HERE I AM!! I folded okay. I was weak and gave in. I just wanted to know why people were screaming about how this managed to pass censorship. And god fucking damn it, I agree with the people. I am the people. Curiosity might have killed the cat, but god damn did satisfaction bring it back alright.

These two are literally in love your honour, and anyone with a single brain cell and working eyes could see it. Nay, even a blind bat could tell they're in love. Straight off the bat I knew I was going to love the dynamic between WKX and ZZS, the dude who couldn't give to flying fucks and our flirtatious king. Like, the way WKX looks and spits our the flirt bars has me dead. There was nothing heterosexual about that.

ZZS, or A Xu, off-- this man. Boy just wanted to die in peace while drinking alcohol and got a flirty husband, an annoying daughter and a cute son instead. I fucking loved the family dynamic, and watching A Xu and WKX go on a killing speer for their child Cheng Ling was the best thing I have ever watched. And there's WKX, who bullies the shit out his kids, but the moment they are in danger or being pursued by someone he's all Ghost King on them and I'm howling with laughter. Man is so possessive and it's hilarious cuz people keep messing with his people and don't know who they're pissing off.

Now, ZZS. The character development of this man. I could be here all day screaming about it and I'll still have so much to say. I am so enamoured by this guy, and if weren't for WKX, I would take him. The way he slowly went from someone who couldn't give two fucks about WKX, to slowly joining in his banter, flirting back at him, letting him touch him, letting himself fall in love and love him wholeheartedly. MY HEART COULDN'T TAKE IT. He's so fucking pretty as well, so it didn't help. "The world is not important. What's important is finding a soulmate." -- LIKE, YOU CAN'T TELL ME WHEN THEY LOOKED AT EACH OTHER AFTER ZHOU SAID THIS IT WAS PLATONIC. THERE IS ACTUALLY NO WAY. The him saying; "If it weren't for the fact that I don't have much time left, wouldn't it be great to find a soulmate to roam the martial arts world, and spend the rest of my life like the Four Sages of Anji?" This was legit the start of when he slowly started to fall in love with WKX. He didn't care about it before, just wanted to go off and die somewhere, but after meeting WKX, he started to think about this again.

And then after the revelation when he said: "I really thought he was my soulmate." -- TEARS. JUST TEARS. He could have left at that and not gone back to WKX. But brother just couldn't, he fell as deeply in love with WKX as WKX had with him. He opened up to WKX, fell for him, and even after breaking that trust, he still tried to get to know WKX because he knew there was something more. Something that WKX was hiding from him. And the scene where they called out to each other three times? That was the confession. No one can convince me otherwise. That was the turning point, and it was at that moment that ZZS was in deep with no roads back. He stayed faithful and waited for WKX to talk to him. "Lao wen, there's nothing between us that we can't discuss." -- the fucking patience this man has. I could never. And even after finding out his identity ZZS didn't leave him. Instead, what did he say? "My long lost 2nd Junior and my soulmate." -- I SCREAMED. DO YOU HEAR ME SCREAMING. I FUCKING SCREAMED AND SCREAMED SOME MORE. HE FULL OUT DECLARED HIS LOVE FOR WKX. HE HAVE LOST HIM.

And if that wasn't enough, we get further proof when he tries to end his life. "The world is not important, but my soulmate is. Since my soulmate is gone, death is nothing to fear." -- LIKE, WHAT IN THE ROMEO AND JULIET IS THIS?!?! THE FACT THAT WKX BECAME HIS LIFE, AND THE WAY HE WAS WILLING TO FIGHT ALL OF THE MARTIAL ARTS WORLD WITH WKX AND JUMP OF THE CLIFF WITH HIM-- UGHHHH. I CAN'T. THIS MAN IS WHIPPED, GONE, BESSOTTED.

But that doesn't even get started with Wen Ke Xing. THIS MAN. THIS BLOODY MAN. I AM IN LOVE WITH HIM. This guy is what you call a perfect onion character. A perfect sympathetic villain. The amount of layers this man had was fucking insane. More insane than he was in the series. Everyone knew this man was sus from the start, but watching him peel back layers of himself as the show went on was the perfect case of characterisation so many BL shows miss. The fear and terror hidden behind the cockiness. The shame and guilt hidden behind his ideals. The anger and resentment hidden behind his laughs and confidence. Everything was so masterfully done that I couldn't hate him for a single second. Even when half the world was going to shit cuz of him.

But then, despite all the tragedy that befell him, he still found love. He found someone to call a soulmate, someone who was willing to sacrifice himself for him. "As a wanderer in this world, all I need is you." -- He might have been interested or fascinated by ZZS when they first meat, but you could tell that he genuinely started to fall in love with the man after getting to know him. And his confession??? "The moon looks beautiful tonight." -- Yeah, these Chinese producers knew what they were doing to pass that fucking censorship ban. And when ZZS said; "Lao Wen. I used to think that you were pretending to be crazy and dumb. I didn't realise that you're actually crazy." -- THE BETRAYAL IN HIS EYES. BRO, LOA WEN WAS DESTROYED. HE WENT CRAZY, THE RED EYE LINER WAS BACK. THAT'S WHEN YOU KNOW SHIT WAS ABOUT TO GET REAL. I just love how their "breakups" progressively got smaller as the show went on. That was probs the funniest thing about this series.

Gu Xiang -- This girl. Honestly, I don't know how I feel about her. I don't hate her, but I don't love her either. She just got on my nerves most the times and that's putting it lightly. But her relationship with WKX was so heart-warming and funny to watch. The father-daughter dynamic they had going on was hands down the best part of the series. BUT THEN. BUT THENNNN. I was a sobbing mess okay. I had tears in my eyes and they were everywhere on my face. It was river of tears and I had nothing more to give. BECAUSE HOW COULD YOU?! HOW FUCKING COULD YOU?! HER AND WEI NING DEVERSED EVERYTHING AND MORE. WEI NING DESERVED THE UNIVERSE AND MORE. THAT SCENE SINGLE HANDEDLY BROKE ME TO FUCKING PIECES AND I'M NEVER GETTING OVER THAT.

Also, give my baby Cheng Ling a break. Boy's back must be broken from carrying so many sects on his back.

Censorship was 1010% sleeping when they greenlit this show. And most of the kudos have to go to the script writers. The way they used poems and double meaning phrases and the word soulmates instead of lovers was a fucking genius move on their half. Ain't no Chinese government sticking their nose in that and smelling the homoerotic undertones despite how pungent it was.

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Either you like this show, or you won't.

I never expected to enjoy this show so much. This was 100% my 2024 surprise BL. It had me screaming, laughing, squealing, crying and giggling like no other. The comedy in this was perfect, and the visuals and cinematography were amazing. Maybe it's because of the phase I'm in my life, maybe that's why I enjoyed this show so much. Cuz Ryan is genuinely my spirit animal. I am Ryan, and Ryan is me. Introverts, can't speak up, makes stupid mistakes, didn't have friends at uni and only went for lectures, and has no idea what to do with life. "Unlike me, who just shows up to study and goes home." -- Never met someone that spoke to my soul like that . Every time this boy did something or said something, I felt so called out. This show was so realistic sometimes to point where it was scary. P'Baimon said; "You want to be porridge with side dishes?... Something plain and bland, but goes well with everything." — I died. I was sold. I knew I was going to love this show.

Now, let's get onto my favourite part of the show -- P'Jane. This man is hands down one my favourite characters in all of BL. There is no questions. I fucking love him. At first, I thought we were getting a cold-hearted guy who's only soft for the main lead. But boy, was I wrong. I knew this guy was going to be it for me the moment he first complimented Ryan. "You didn't score a goal or find the extra, but at least you got my printer working today." -- I should be embarrassed that this got me smiling like a fool. He has a hard exterior but a soft interior. Man is so over worked, no wonder he's so stressed and gets annoyed/angry at everyone. Legit, when Rayn makes mistakes, I get so fucking stressed for the boy cuz you know he is in for a scolding. When Ryan cried after that scamming fiasco I started tearing up. I was stressed. Ryan is legit me, but more capable. But then Jane had to go and say this; "Actually, you're not a bad assistant." -- And I was down bad for P'Jane like Ryan was. Sue me.

I don't care what anyone says, I will forever be a P'Jane defender. He's such a good mentor, harsh, but gives praise when praise needs to be given. And you can just tell how much he cares for his staff despite them badmouthing him all the time. You don't understand the amount of times I watched the scene of him defending Pie. Screaming, crying , throwing up. That was so hot of him. And it was this moment when this man got solidified as my fav BL character; "All they can do it criticise me. I know my intentions." -- This was hands down the the moment I officially lost the battle and was on my knees for this man. I am not even ashamed of myself. And lets not even get started on this man's character development. Oof-- him tackling the insecurities and learning how to better himself to pursue his dreams was just... chef's kiss. I wish we had more of that, it more interesting then Judy and Ba-Mhee.

And the way Jane and Ryan's relationship developed??? Screaminggg. Yes, I would have liked more scenes with them, but honestly, I wasn't even that mad. I was eating up everything they gave me, and I lived for all their interactions. "Why are you mad at Phi?"
"Can you call yourself Phi with me forever?" -- SCREAMING CRYING THROWING UP. YOU CAN'T JUST SAY THAT!! AND IF THAT WASN'T ENOUGH, THEY GO HEAD AND DO THIS;

Ryan: "What kind of feelings do you have for me?"
Jane: "Behave yourself and I'll tell you" -- LEGIT DYING THROUGH THIS WHOLE INTREACTION. DIED AND LEFT THIS EARTH. The way these two always solve all their misunderstandings in one day and it never drags out to the next ep is just amazing. The communication, the reassurance, the maturity from Jane -- UGH, I WANT HIM.

Now, let's talk about the other plot. I honestly didn't think the Ba-Mhee/Tae and Judy plotline would drag out for this long. And while I appreciated the time it took to flesh out the whole thing, the overall conclusion made the whole drama pointless. I enjoyed, but I didn't really care at the same time. You could tell that Ba-Mhee was holding onto someone that showed her the affection and attention she was lacking from Tae, and the whole thing was very realistic in the way's portrayed. But having her getting back with Tae made all her inner turmoil useless, and the GL bait quiet jarring to say the least. But also appreciate that they didn't just rush through it. I'm just annoyed about the execution of it all. If the conclusion wasn't her getting back with Tae, it would have been such a good plot. But in the end, it amounted to nothing really.

But the who situation did a very good job at showing that both sides weren't wrong. Tae wasn't there for her, didn't show affection and give his time and kept brushing her off. While Ba-Mhee cheated on him despite her having more or so convincing reasons. It wasn't all black or white, and I really appreciated that. Honestly, the main thing I got out of this, Pah is the best friend everyone needs. Man was not playing around and fired shoots left, right and centre. And I loved him for every second of it. And Tae. My poor boy. The way he pretended to be fine but then broke down when he was alone. OOF. "Without you to remind me , how will i live ?" -- TAE CRIED AND I CRIED WITH HIM. Boy finally realised just how much Ba-Mhee does for him, and it was about time he got that wake up call. Only if they just left it at that made them come to terms with the break up. And Ba-Mhee. This girl. I really don't know how I feel about. But one thing I do know, she needs to stop fucking crying. Istg, she shed one more tear and I was going to go rip her new one. But I couldn't hate her either. And it mainly because the show did a really good job at making you sympathise with her position/feelings.

I just overall love how all the characters had equal amounts of screen time. The show is called "The Trainee" for a reason. We got to explore and develop the whole cast, and I loved that so much about the show. "Whenever i feel like I lack talent, I tend to blame it on these things without realising it" -- Pah being the most relatable character next to Ryan was not something I expected, and us getting nearly an ep to explore him was something I really liked.

And special shout out to my girl Pie. Watching her go from this stoic hard-ass to someone who joins in the fun and is soft was amazing. I love Pie, and her friendship with Pah was something to die for.

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The one time everyone supported infidelity

The messiness of this show is immaculate. The way it gaslight me into supporting infidelity is honestly spectacular. Vee was someone I was so against. Boy deserved the fucking streets!!! But then... as the show went on, you just realise he's young, dumb and broke. The pain he went through wasn't explored and I'm so upset about that. He's one of those characters you either hate or you begin to understand and start liking. I'm in the later surprisingly. But he should be so gald he's a fictional character, cuz my boy Mark left his dignity at the table so many times. Cuz the way I would have thrown him to the wolves if he were real and he messed up that first time. Mark is stronger than I will ever be smh.

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This was a 6/10, but I'm giving it a 5/10 out of pure spite.

I don't even know what happened in the last three eps. I broke my forward button trying to speed run it to the ending. This was going somewhere, until it totally lost itself, ran into a bus, and drowned in a pile of quick sand cuz of how fast everything went to location unknown, plot not found. The abundance of miscommunications and monstrous amounts of misunderstandings genuinely did my head in. And thats not even touching upon Pei Heng — cuz istg, if I have to hear that man say him and Qian Qian were engaged since childhood ONE MORE FUCKING TIME, I will ram myself into a bloody bus. And don't even get me started on the fact that Han Shou tried to sexually assaulted Qian Qian to scare her and get back at her, only to show he regretted it. Ummmm.... the fuck???

They actually had a good premise, only to fuck it up. The humour was there, until it got drowned out by all the stupidity. And the setting. I don't know about everyone, but personally, it did not vibe with me. Like I get the purpose, and I genuinely thought we were going to start a conversation about how the female lead country was just as stupid as the male lead country. There was nothing empowering about it, it was legit what the male dominated country is like but with roles reversed. If one is fucking stupid and ridiculous and icky, then so it the other.

Also, Qian Qian is single handily the most annoying bitch ever. The definition of go girl give us nothing. Not a single brain cell up there. She single handily ruined her own story SHE WROTE by going inside it. You'd think for someone that writes, she'd recognise flaws in her own thinking and as well as avoid all the cliches — NOT FALL INTO THEM.

This had to be the biggest slog fest ever, and the only reason I watched it was cuz of Ding Yu Xi. But I didn't vibe with his character one bit, so that wasted my time even more. It just made no sense to me.

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Story? What story? Just cute boys falling in love!

PhumPeem:
They were the slow burners of the show, and were they slow bruningggg. I loved watching them grow as people, especially Phum. Loved watching him go from a cocky bastard to someone who started to care about and understand Peem. I loved how they became each other's safe place, and when one was in trouble or in need, they'd just go to each other for comfort. The scene where Phum finally spoke to his dad nearly made me tear up. The love they hold for each other was honestly so beautiful. It was disgustingly sweet. Bleh.

QToey:
The reason why I started this show 6 weeks in. Worst and best idea of my life I must say. And they fucking delivered. WhinnySatang are so underrated it hurts. I didn't even realise how many shows I've seen them in, and mainly remember them from MSP, but they can fucking act! THEY NEED THEIR OWN SERIES ASAP!! That crying scene? Bruh, the reason wasn't even that serious, but bloody hell they gave their whole backs for that performance. I still have chills thinking about it. Toey is just so baby girl coded I love it with my entire being. And Q being the sassy, sarcastic, tsundere bestie is everything. This kind of dynamic is my religion. Fucking fight me. I like vanilla too, okay, Helen? Watching the entire gang go with the random shenanigans just to get Q to admit his feelings was hilarious. Watching him warm up to Toey and Toey slowly not being scared of Q was just endearing.

TanFang:
I ended up enjoying this couple more than I thought I would. They are legit each others soulmates in every drama series. SO WHY DON'T THEY HAVE THEIR OWN SERIES YET?! HUH, GMMTV?! These two kill it every time, no matter in what role or dynamic they are put in. They can act, they got chemistry, SO CAN WE STOP PUTTING THEM AS BG COUPLE??? I know they got together pretty quickly, but the lack of screen time was annoying. I wanna see more lovely dovey Fang behind close doors. I know boy is a sassy motherfucker who be dropping bombs every where he goes, but I need to see him with Tan at home. I wanna see the soft side he only shows him. I will forever be a Fang defender, and any who thinks he don't like Tan, get glasses. Rewatch the show. Do. Better.

ChainPun:
If PhumPeem where the slow burners of the show, then these two were oven turned off. Ship not even sailed cuz captain forgot to give the order to go. PhumPeem walked so they could crawl. Pun being so fucking oblivious when the whole world and their dead grandma knew about Chain's feelings was fucking hilarious. And that kiss? I have never screamed and cried and been so shook in my life. I deadass did not expect any of that. And then Pun went in for a second one?? They knew the fans were hungry, so they devoured and delivered.

Other stuff:
Overall, the friendship of this whole group was what carried the show. If one is looking for plot, there is none, look the other way. All conflicts are mostly internal. Its basically them figuring out their feelings and emotions for their partners, and growing as individuals. But after they get together? There is no conflict what so ever. And I'm a slow burn lover. I love it to my core when it's done correctly. But this was just slow burn with no substance. If there is no plot to carry so many eps, then it just feels like it's dragging. And that's what PhumPeem felt like to me. "I only know that I love you" — 13 episodes. 13?! Yeah, that's too much. But it had me squealing so whatever.

There were a few eps in here that added nothing to the story overall, and honestly could have been taken out of the show and be substituted for something else. Add conflict, add some drama that feels relevant. And no, no misunderstanding or miscommunication. But like the whole shtick with Phum's dad that we could have done. TanFang having some issues that they had to resolve instead of them being the diabetes of the show. Phum and Fang's family are RIGHT there. We could have had that. We could have had Peem's background problems, or added more to ChainPun. I don't see why the directors changed them to be a couple, only to have them in the last ep.

Matt needs more appreciation in this show. Man was single-handedly carrying most of the comical scenes. "You always order me to do this and that ... I'll convince Toey to date someone else." The shit this man does and says is amazing. And the little somethin' somethin' they were doing with him and Mick was... well, bombastic side eye.

In conclusion, I'm a Fang defender to my dying breath, Tan best boi, Q is my spirit animal, Satang needs more baby girl roles, and glad Phum and Peen finally decided to grow brain cells and talk about their feelings.

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THEY ARE IN LOVE, YOUR HONOR! THIS IS LOVE AND NO ONE CAN TELL ME OTHER WISE!

Istg whoever says this is not a BL couldn't be more wrong. Like, what yall on about????? Who's out there acting like this with their homies and bros, HUH?! Kissing on the cheek in the dark? Lovingly gazing at each other? Saying your homie only belongs to you? Brother, what code book have I missed, cuz I sure as hell, and no one around me, be acting like this.

Addicted was a series that was basically a cultural reset, and one of the biggest things to ever exist. It genuinely shaped a whole generation. And even though I don't remember much, I remember being engrossed into the story like no fucking other man. The acting, the visuals, the story telling... everything was stellar. So this coming in and trying to remake it into its own thing under the label of "bromance" was a massive shoe to fill.

And did it succeed? One million fucking percent!!

I am obsessed with this. I am obsessed with these characters. Wu Bi and Su Yu have me in a fucking chock hold. I lost sleep over these characters. Just thinking about those last few eps and the lines they say hurt me. Even now, just writing this makes my chest ache. Am I being dramatic? 100%. But that's what these characters have done to me. I laughed with them. Cried for them. Got angry for and with them. Got emotionally invested into all these characters and their stories. Their lives were my lives. It's no over exaggeration to say that this is hands down one of the best BLs ever. They didn't even need to add any kissing or confirmation scenes to show that they love each other. The dialogue, the acting... the actors put their backs into this and it paid off. You could tell what they felt for each even if they didn't explicitly say it. That's just how good this was. These two were in love. Their love was pure, heart wrenching, possessive... addictive. And I loved every second of it.

I don't even know where to start with this, but I guess I will start with Su Yu. This boy is fucking amazing. He's a character that's hard to pull off. Because unlike Wu Bi, he doesn't show his emotions outwardly, doesn't use big words or affection. It's the small things, like small gestures or the looks of affection, and the things he does and says. Outside looking in, you'd think only Wu Bi is in love. But no. This boy is just as in love. And the actor did a fantastic job in portraying him. Su Yu isn't someone who lets people in easily. He's guarded, walls higher than the Everest, protecting his heart not only from others, but even his dad. The environment he was brought up in, the situations he was put in, you could just tell he was defensive and kept people at arms length. His studying was the only form of protection and identity — his armour. But then came Wu Bi, bulldozing his way through and slowly crumbling those walls. And you could just tell how Su Yu slowly started to open up his heart, started to trust him. And every time that Wu Bi did something to hurt him, he'd just go back to the cold hearted guy, closing himself off.

But then, when Wu Bi truly started to show that he cares for no one but Su Yu, boy was gone. He's hurt by Wu Bi, but still waits, longs and thinks about him. "He's lost. He can't find his way home." This line destroyed me. He was angry, but deep down he was still waiting. Even when that bitch Ye Wan Ying came into the picture, boy wasn't even concerned about her trying to get with him or her motives, brother got angry because he thought Wu Bi liked her. All he could think about was Wu Bi when he was with her in their last meeting. And then him telling Wu Bi: "From Today onwards, until you get married, I will spend all the holidays with you." Excuse me?!!?! Like this was a confession without it being a confession!!!

And from then, you could just tell how much he cared for the boy without even him saying anything. The looks he gives, seeking for Wu Bi when he needs comfort, looking at Wu Bi before saying "Wo Ai Ni!!" And that rain scene, STOP!!! He was starving, thirsty, nearly drowned, sitting under a fucking down pour and only his shirt to protect him, and what does he do??? CALLS WU BI!!! LIKE SHUT UP, I'M NOT CRYING. And then him acting like he didn't miss Wu Bi, but didn't even waste a second to run to the airport when he got his man's call?? I WAS SQUEALING!! He cares so much for his boy, to give him closure, and he was ready to risk his life. No, you're the one going mad, not me. Istg I could be here all day, and still not be finished. Su Yu is such a perfectly executed character I genuinely can't put it into words. And only a great actor like Zhang Jiong Min could bring him to life like he did.

Now lets get onto my man Wu Bi. This boy. Oh my fucking god this boy. I love him to bits. I didn't think I would love a character this much, but my love for him is too big to contain. The moment he dropped that banging line about calling Su Yu's mum "mum" only after she's dead, I was sold. Then you see his goofy side and I knew it was a point of no return. Xu Bin did such an amazing job that I know I would do him injustice if I don't say he was anything less then perfect, show-stopping, otherworldly. Like, I really thought he was going to be nothing but a cold hearted bastard, but then you slowly peel back the layers and you begin to see what kind of character he truly is. His complicated relationship with his dad, wanting to get any from of validation from him, to accept him as he is. His relationship with Su Yu's dad and getting that fatherly love his own father had stopped giving him. His relationship with Duo, and that sibling bond. Istg, that might have been my absolute favourite familial relationship ever. Wu Bi and Duo had to be the most precious fucking little nuggets I have ever seen before.

Then comes his relationship with Su Yu. This genuinely had to be a masterclass of story telling. You could just tell the moment Su Yu stopped being someone he was interested in and wanted to tease to someone who was unreplaceable. The love that he holds for Su Yu might be a bit possessive, but at its core, its pure. Its kind and loving. Su Yu had been the first person to ever challenge him. To push back against him and not yield to his wills. And that is exactly what Wu Bi needed in his life. And watching him go through the lengths just to keep Su Yu happy was heart breaking. The small, "I hope you happiness" to that bitch Ye Wan Ying when he thought her and Su Yu were gonna be together was devastating. Boy didn't want that to happen, but he still stood down cuz that's what he thought Su Yu wanted. Sitting outside Su Yu's hotel room from 3am because he didn't want to wake him, only to find out Ye Wan Ying was inside. The heartbreak of when Su Yu punched him, but never being able to be mad at him for too long. Everything was slowly done, but it was absolute perfection in execution. It's the way he talks to Su Yu and lets his walls down, lets himself be vulnerable and goofy with the boy. Him saying he can't live without Su Yu. SHUT. THE. FUCKING. FUCK. UP. The dedication, the loyalty, the pureness. UGH, I WANT HIM!!

Wu Bi was such a nuanced character, and Xu Bin played him flawlessly. He was just a boy looking for love and companionship, and found it among the least likely of people. Watching him grow confident in himself to pursue his dreams was so endearing and funny to watch. Him finding closure for himself about his mum's death but willing to be in the dark about it as long as Su Yu is alright was heart-breaking. And when my boy finally got his approval from his dad, oof— I was screaming!! I fucking loved everything about his character arc man, and I wish we could have stayed with him more!

And his mischievous side! I need more of it! He sometimes says the funniest shit ever. And his whacky doodle ass is something we need more of. And these writers were really pushing the boundaries with the shit he says, and I fucking stan them for that. "It's you and me, and in our relationship, I can give you something better than money." — BROTHERS, YEAH?? HOMIES YOU SAY?? Man isn't even trying to hide and yet yall blinder than bats.

Everything was perfect. The angst at the beginning, then slowly getting the character development our boys need, to the most precious found family we ever got, to them being unreplaceable in each others lives. This story was able to tell us that not being blood related makes you just as much as family as blood-families. The relationship between these characters were honest to god beautiful, and each interaction left me with wanting more.

THEN YOU GET THE FUCKING ENDING!!!

I SWEAR ON ALL I HOLD DEAR, WHEN I SEE THESE WRITERS I WILL FUCKING RUN AT THEM. WHAT WAS THIS? JUST WHY? WHY ON EARTH WOULD YOU END IT THERE?

Mo Yi is my villain origin story. I will hate him. I will always hate him. Nothing, and I mean nothing, could ever make him like him. This son of a bitch needs to burn in hell and not even the 9th circle is enough. He was the cause for the accident and still demanded that Su Yu pay for the bills????? Brother, excuse me????? What the fuck, you bastard? Where's the respect? The dignity? The decorum?

"In my heart, you have always been invincible. You are always so healthy, always full of energy, always strong and independent. But at this moment, I realised that I was wrong. You can also get hurt, you can also show weakness, you can also sleep without waking up. I'm so afraid of your death, to the point that I'm willing to give everything in exchange for your life. As long as you can survive." — If I don't memorise every line of this then I'm not human. I was broken. Irreparable. Heart not found. Soul lost. This is the moment that you realise that Su Yu is just as obsessed with Wu Bi as Wu Bi is with Su Yu. AND BROTHER??? I WAS A MESS. I AM NEVER GOING TO BE THE SAME PERSON EVER AGAIN. And these being the last lines of the show?? THAT'S SICK OF THEM. SICK, I TELL YOU. I want my therapy bills paid and want my memory taken so I never remember this happened.

AND THE FACT WE DON'T GET A SECOND SEASON??? UMMM— EXCUSE ME??? I'm so upset, annoyed, frustrated, screaming, crying, throwing up. I know they get married and live happily ever after in the novel, but I will physically be sick if I don't see it on my screen. I seriously beg the universe and everything above to let season 2 be uncancelled so we can watch it. PLEASE MAN, I BEG. I WILL GIVE MY FIRST BORN UP JUST TO SEE THESE TWO BOYS LIVE HAPPILY EVER AFTER ON MY SCREEN.

Mo Yi: "You will destroy him. No. You already destroyed him."
Su Yu: "I will never leave him." — THIS. THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE EVERY LAST SCENE OF THE SHOW. IF THIS DOESN'T JUST INCAPSULATE THE EVERY ESSENCE OF WU BI/ SU YU RELATIONSHIP THEN I DON'T KNOW WHAT WILL. THESE TWO ARE FUCKING ADDICTED TO EACH OTHER. ADDICTED.

There is me before this show, and me after this show. And the me after this show will forever be in a state of heartache in being unable to move on from these characters. Being unable to not forget that there is a scene so heart-breaking that it physically aches. I am going to rewatch this, I just know I will never be able to find something as good as what this show has given me. I am going to miss these boys with my live, they were excellent in every way imaginable, and I truly hate the Chinese censorship ban. They could have had the best dang series the world had seen, a billion bucks at their door step, and the best effing story to be told in cinema history. But alas, here we are. And yet, my boys still delivered and still felt everything down to my bones.

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Where is the platonicness?

I started to this for the found family, sismance and bromance, but good god the bromance has me on a choke hold. This show has kept me up at night like nobody's business. I LOST SLEEP OVER THESE CHARACTERS. Zhuo Yichen and Zhao Yuanzhou genuinely had no right to have as much chemistry as they do, and my delulu mind could not see anything platonic.

This was a beautiful story about loss, letting go, forgiveness, giving family in the most unlikely of people, finding one's place in the world. The ost, cinematography and visuals were absolutely out of this world. The actors were absolutely fantastic in their jobs, and I couldn't get enough.

But that being said, the start of this show was lowkey slow, and it took me a while to get into it. But the moment I did? I WAS HOOKED. OBSESSED. CHOCK-HOLD. But my girlie Wen Xiao? Nah, what they do to her. I don't even care that she was weak, I care how they butchered her character. The way the writer utilised her character was ridiculous and stupid. Like Ying Lei was weak, but damn, boy was a side character and he was utilised so much better. They actually did her so dirty in this show. I love Pei Sijing. That's my girl. And Li Lun had no right to be that hot. If villain why hot? If evil why sexy?

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Spare Me From This Pain

"If I could choose, I'd stop right here. But in reality, it's impossible. Both I... and Thiu... we have to keep living."

Why don't you just end me? If that's how you're gonna end the series, might as well take me with it. I didn't cry this whole show, and all of a sudden, Thiu and Kan start arguing and my tears kept flowing with no end in sight. I had already gotten spoiled in how this series was going to end, and yet, I still bawled like a baby. Really, I have no one but myself to blame here. Then I find out that Sammon wrote the novel of this, and yeah, everything makes sense. She is the absolute queen! No one be doing it like her, I swear. Every single one of her novel adaptations has been amazing, and I seriously hope she has more books left to adapt cuz I need them asap! Some people need drugs, and I need more Sammon stories!

The central focus of the plot was about euthanasia, one of the most debated topics to this day. There is no right or wrong; it is all about morals and ethics. About what one believes. And throughout the story, you meet so many different types of people with different stances on the matter. It's fascinating. No one here is wrong (except Boss, but I'll get to him soon), and you can't hate on anyone for having a different moral opinion than someone else (except, again, Boss).

The story was compelling, and the mystery was intriguing -- never trying to do too much. It kicks off with Thiu coming back to take care of his mother, only for her to pass away before he gets there. He meets Kan, who quickly becomes a suspect in a series of murders that start to take place, which were being disguised as natural deaths. This dynamic, as old as it is, never gets old to me. What starts as a lie, and perhaps pity, from Kan's end, quickly becomes love. And what starts as suspicious from Thiu, becomes affection. I love morally grey characters, and Kan was just the perfect example of this. And I love morally upright characters that begin falling for the one thing they can't. I just eat up this kind of dynamic up so badly.

I saw many people getting mad at Thiu for arresting Kan and not understanding why he did what he did. And yes, to a degree, I understand why everyone is mad. Kan was completely right in his argument -- Thiu doesn't know how much his mother suffered. He doesn't understand the pain that terminal illness patients have to go through. Kan was also correct in the fact that he did as the patients wished. He always got their consent, got a living will from them, didn't do anything that was morally unjustified. However, people seem to forget that Thiu is a man who has always put the law above anything else. His duty had always come before his relationships. As sad as it is, Thiu letting Kan go would just go against who his character is fundamentally. Maybe Thiu doesn't understand why Kan did what he did, maybe he never will, but Thiu does forgive him, as shown when he gave Kan the hydrangea flower at the end. Both of them were two characters who were unmoving in their views, and trying to shift that would just go against who they were. I'm not saying I'm happy with how it ended, because I, too, wanted Thiu to look the other way, but that was never going to happen. It had always been shown to us that it was never going to happen. No matter how perfect Kan's argument is, the law has no heart, and Thiu is a man who follows the law.

And the second thing that many people say was how Thiu didn't actually love Kan. But I'm sorry, were we not watching the same show? This relationship practically started on a lie from Kan's end. Yall just forgot that or something? Kan wanted to gain Thiu's trust, and said he was interested in him, and sure, he fell in love quicker than Thiu did, but it started on a lie regardless. Hell, it was probably out of guilt and pity, considering Thiu's mother said to look after Thiu after her death. So yeah, maybe Thiu used Kan's kindness and love for him to his advantage cuz he suspected him, but none of these characters are perfect.

Thiu has always been shown as someone who has his guard up. He doesn't love easily, and doesn't trust easily either. And he's a police officer for god's sake! So yeah, sue a guy for finding the man who likes him suspicious. Cuz news flash, he was!! Kan was so fucking suspicious. And a liar! Sure, Thiu took advantage of his kindness, but in the end, he still fell in love with Kan. But Kan lied, gaslit him into thinking his mother's death was natural, and shot a fucking guy to evade getting arrested. Thiu isn't perfect, but neither is Kan. Just because he is easier to sympathise with doesn't make Thiu the bad guy. Both of these characters are extremely flawed, and that's what makes them so human and compelling.

But I will say, though, the love Doctor Kan has for Thiu broke my heart. He is a man who is unapologetic in his views. Until the very end, he never apologised for euthanising his patients. He was meticulous in his plans, didn't leave a single piece of evidence, could have gotten away from the law if he wanted to. This man, who never thought he was wrong in his views and moral standing, knew he could simply walk away without getting arrested because Thiu didn't have any evidence against him, confessed simply because it was Thiu who asked him to. If that isn't love in its true form, then I don't know what is.

"If it's you asking." -- This line genuinely broke my heart. It will forever haunt me. And from this perspective, I get why people would be mad at Thiu. Kan was willing to let his ideals be seen as wrong for Thiu, but Thiu wasn't willing to put him above the law. It's gut-wrenching. But reality often is. Kan has always been the one who always felt more, while Thiu was the one who was more logical and rigid. Their views, and in the end, their personalities have, and always will, clash. Thiu loves Kan, forgives him, but I just never saw a world where Thiu would let him go. If this had been under a different company or a different writer, this reality wouldn't be so grim. But as much as I love fairytale endings, I appreciate that these characters never change who they are at their core.

I know in the novel they get their happy ending, and I will mourn that we never got to see that happen here. But the way it ended, it was realistic. It doesn't make me happy. Hell, if it were up to me, Thiu would be running away with Kan to a place where euthanasia is legal and live their lives happily ever after with two dogs. The law sucks, it's fucking shit, but if Kan can get away with evading the law because he was morally justified, then what else can people get away with in the name of morals? I'm on Kan's side 100% through the whole show -- but the law, at the end of the day, is the law. He would have to suffer the consequences eventually. It's just upsetting that it was in the hands of the man he loves.

Now let's talk about Boss. Sigh... This, ladies and gentlemen, is what I thought Kan was going to be at the start. Thank fuck it wasn't. Boss is someone who is so warped in his own moral high ground that he doesn't see right from wrong. Like Kan said, euthanasia is about consent -- a fact that Boss failed to see. He, in a sense, basically developed a saviour complex. And I get it, going through what he did as a kid can really fuck up one's psyche, but that doesn't mean I need to like him. Love his character, absolutely fascinating, but don't like him. He worshipped Doctor Kan so much that he became blinded to what euthanasia actually was, suddenly becoming disillusioned by it and tried to kill Kan for it.

It was his ending that pissed me off. The fact that he got to go in his own terms after committing so many murders, only for Kan to get prison time for doing what his patients wanted, made me so angry. Bastard didn't deserve it.

Now Somsak, he was the direct antithesis of Kan. He is a man who views things as black and white. He is a doctor, and yet, he will never see the right in ending someone's life early to relieve them from pain. While Kan sees death as something beautiful to help someone pass on with dignity, Somsak sees it as taboo, sees life as something that everyone should preserve, no matter how much in pain they are. Which, when you think about it, is quite ironic for someone who works as a doctor. He hates death, and yet chooses a profession that directly deals with it. Tragic, really. Even his own end.

And if Somsak was the direct antithesis of Doctor Kan, then Rin was the antithesis of Thiu. And I suppose this is the root of everyone's anger -- cuz if Rin can understand Kan and her father's wishes, then why can't Thiu do the same? And I guess, this is also where the tragedy lies. Rin was someone who grew up thinking her father was selfish, and in the end, she still thought that. Kan, on the other hand, never thought that with his mother. In fact, he was hardly around when his mother was ill, unlike Rin, who saw her father sick and in pain. While this is a question of morals, it's also about what they experienced. It only made sense that Rin would see Kan's pov more than Thiu.

Finally, the romance. BL fans are getting too comfortable, I swear. Why the fuck does a BL need to have NC scenes in order for it to be a BL? Yeah, the romance wasn't as prevalent in this show, but that's because it's something that happened in the background of the plot. Ya know, what a show is made out of? The plot wasn't the bloody romance, but the murder-mystery. I agree they should have developed it more, but we don't need a billion kisses and sex scenes to show romance. There is intimacy in the way Kan and Thiu look at each other, the way they hold each other, cry for the other. People are calling this a bromance cuz of the lack of kiss scenes, when they literally say I love you to each other (and fucking kiss, so this makes this whole argument even crazier). These people would have an aneurysm watching Chinese Bromances where we don't even get I Love Yous. If you want kisses and sex, then go watch something else, cuz romance and love aren't just about that.

I honestly didn't think this review would be this long, but this series just hit me in a way I didn't think it would. Euthanasia has always been a topic that interested me, and any shows that explore the topic always grab my attention. And this has gone far beyond my expectations. I'll have to keep telling myself that the novel has a happy ending, and will have to find it and read it, or I'll lose my fucking sanity over this. These two deserved so much better, but at the same time, if it wasn't for who they were, they would've never found each other and fallen in love. It's so depressing to think about that it makes me hate myself for watching this show when I knew I would be suffering the consequences. Fuck my life.

But on a parting note -- never help a woman die and then go fuck her son. I feel like there is something illegal there, I just can't prove it. Doctor Kan should be so lucky he got permission. And really, who can blame him? Thiu is a cutie patootie when he smiles.

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Pheem is evil. Than is stupid. Risa is a girlboss. Chet is a victim argue with the wall.

Maturing is realising that Chet is the true victim in all of this. Say what you will about this manchild, because I too wanted a car to run over him at the start of the series, but by the end of it, I just felt bad for the guy cuz of how terrible everyone else was around him. He was one of those villains that couldn’t even fully be one cuz everyone else was an even bigger villain than he was, so now he’s just there suffering all the consequences since he put himself in the line of fire. Quiet literally in this case.

Sure, he kept screaming at my screen every two seconds and kept saying shit and did nothing about it, but I could mute the series and I wouldn’t have to hear any of it. Pheem, on the other hand, even if I muted this show I could still see through the fucking bullshit. Not like he tried to hide it, Than was the only gullible idiot here, but I saw so many people defending this boy that I thought maybe he did have a justifiable reason for all his actions towards Than. Um, yeah, no. He doesn’t. This man is just straight up evil.

And I’m not even angry about that. If anything, I’m totally down for a morally grey character. His past shaped him to be who is now, and every single one of his actions makes absolute sense to me. Even if all of his actions ended up with him being completely alone after achieving all his goals. And him realising that maybe not all of it was worth it was heartbreaking. And it surely doesn’t help that Offroad is a phenomenal actor that managed to deliver all of these emotions so perfectly. No, what got me angry about his character, and why I don’t like Pheem, is the fucking audacity.

I’m sorry, but he made the conscious decision to shoot Than after his back was turned to him. Than and him put the guns down at the SAME TIME, and the moment Than TRUNED HIS BACK he decides to shoot him. And the kicker? The fact that he immediately starts crying and apologising about “hurting” Than. I’m sorry, HURT?!! HURT?!! YOU FUCKING SHOT THE MAN!! Talking about hurt like he kicked him or something. And the orange juice and flowers in the hospital the next day while he acts like nothing happened?? Asking his aunt to speak to Than on his behalf because he didn’t mean to FUCKING SHOOT HIM?? Delusional. Absolutely, 100% delusional. You enter a delulu contest but this man is your opponent, pack it up.

And let’s not even mention the fact that he showed Than the ring just to emotionally manipulative him so he wouldn’t be mad at him anymore. I genuinely laughed at that scene.

I honestly thought I couldn’t hate anyone more than Ming from My Stand-In, but I was so wrong. Ming wishes he could be as bad as Pheem. Though, Pheem is still better than Day from Love Syndrome in my eyes, so I guess that’s a win. Bar is in hell I tell you.

But speaking of My Stand-In… just like Joe, Than is a fucking idiot. He’s so kind hearted to the point of stupidity. I don’t wanna say naïve, cuz he does know that Pheem is terrible and is using him, but at the same time, he lowkey is as well. So imma just stick with stupid. Because essentially, that is what he is. Love makes him so stupid that when he agreed to forgive Pheem again and marry him, I wasn’t even surprised when Pheem faked his death. I mean, what did you think was going happen? Pheem has constantly been shown as the type of person that never does anything without reason. So why weren’t alarm bells ringing when he proposed? Than should have known something was up, but nope, he was so happy and in la la land in his mind that he once again went through a whole depressive phase cuz Pheem “died”. I felt bad for him, but at the end of the day, you asked for this when you got back with that psychopath.

As for the other characters, Risa was interesting until she got fucking unbearable. Miss girlboss became someone I was rooting for to someone I wanted dead. Which Chet’s bodyguard did the honours for me.

And speaking of, the bodyguard deserved more. He was the one character in this melo-dramatic family drama that was catching strays for no reason. He should have packed up his bags and left the moment Pheem showed up into the building. But again, just like Than, he’s also fucking stupid because Chet was his everything. They deserved so much more than this show gave them. Should have ran away to a far away island and lived their best lives or something. The true victims, I don’t care what anyone says.

Also, the dad. If Pheem was the villain of this series, then his dad was the final boss. This man didn’t have to lift a finger and he was already the mastermind behind all of this shit. If only all of these siblings realised the fraud he was and got together to kill him off, none of this would have happened. No wonder all his kids are insane. It’s in their blood.

In conclusion, out of all the DaouOffroad shows, this was my least favourite. Which makes me upset to say because there was no much going for it. But I guess the premise got lost in there somewhere, and the only thing keeping it alive was how phenomenal everyone in their roles were and the undeniable chemistry between Daou and Offroad. Istg these two could be two plastic cut outs of characters and they’d still make a show interesting. I’m so glad they keep exploring different genres for all their series and I can’t wait for their project.

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Revamp the Lacklustre Story

I was so invested in this. I actually was. The first 4 to 5 episodes had me interested. And this was a surprise since I don't really fuck with vampire shows. I only watch them to get a good laugh cuz I find them cringe. But the first episode of this had me hooked and I was so intrigued to see where the rest of the story would go. It was dark, the set up was solid, and visuals looked amazing as well. I thought we would be getting a past-lives kinds situation and I was so excited. Then the whole "mysterious hunter" plot twist was happening and I was getting more excited because now we have "star crossed lovers" kinds situation, and then... nothing. For a vampire show, something I don't usually like, they had everything for an amazing series, but the delivery was highly lacking.

Plot:

The plot of the show was solid. We had the curse, the vampires, and the hunters. We understood why the hunters were hunting the vampires, and why the vampires were being hunted since their leader was basically stuck in a painting. I liked this. Love it in fact. Nothing is more exciting than the classic hunter-hunted dynamic. Now, where the plot lost me was with the main leads. I'm sorry, but why were Methus, Mhekin and Ciar the ones moving this plot forward and not Punn and Ramil? Like I would get one of the servants. But ALL of them?? You have to be shitting me. I get it, this a romance as well, but Punn and Ramil fell in love so quickly that it makes no sense as to why they wouldn’t be moving the plot forward instead of getting dragged by it. Like bro, Methus and Ciar are the only reason why any of these motherfuckers are even alive. They be doing all the heavy lifting and finding all the essential details of this war and how to stop it.

Now, speaking of characters...

PUNN:

At first, I was debating whether I vibe with him or not. I greatly appreciated the conflict he was having with his brother, and I really excited to explore that and find out why he didn't to live with him. But then when he broke Ramil's curse, I was like eh...? Cuz brother had the most lacklustre responses to everything, and I was starting to think it was an acting thing. Which would be impossible because Prem is an amazing actor. But I kept trying to reason with myself because maybe that's just how he is. But no, his actions made no sense to me either, like: not freaking out when Ramil was in front of him instead of the picture. Casually bringing him to his house. Not putting up a fighting when they asked for his blood. Staying with a bunch of vampires. Helping Ramil find his servants. None of these actions made any sense, and it confused me, because was this how the character was written? Because if so, then I'm very confused on the writer’s part. I don't like unreasonable characters, but Punn was too reasonable and that made no sense either.

AND THEN, as I was having this two hour long internal conflict about his character, I clocked something. He was the mystery hunter. And while I was proud of myself for figuring that out before the reveal, I more so had a "oh" moment. Because suddenly all his actions and lack of surprise just made so much sense to him. And they even hinted it in the first ep, but it was so subtle that no one would have caught its double meaning and I loved that. But then... that was it. We had the reveal and... yeah, that's it. There was absolutely no tension because they still loved each other. Which is great an all, but Ramil just found out that the love of his life is his enemy and we're doing this emotional chasing arc (which wasn't even needed in the first place) without even trying to fight it. And Punn didn't even fight his attraction that much to begin with either to be fair. And let's not even get onto the fact that boy legit forgot about his brother who had been so integral to him and the whole reason this started until he goes missing. Idk, this whole character was genuinely so interesting only for it to fall so flat.

RAMIL:

*Sighs* I love him. I genuinely do. And part of it most likely has to do with Boun playing him and I love Boun. Ramil really made me laugh in the first few episodes. I'm a sucker for the trope of non-human begins figuring out how humans and technology works. And it was nice to see how soft-hearted and cute he was for a vampire. But that was all his character was. A puppy. He was meant to be this great Vampire that ruled over all the Vampires and was the scariest vampire to ever vampire and yet... he wasn't? For a while, that would have been fine, but what bothered me was how he still refused to fight humans even though THEY were killing HIS people. Like?!? I'm literally on Ciar's side through this whole show cuz while this boy might have been childish and bratty, he was the only one making any sense half the time??? Ramil is supposed to protect the vampires, and yet, he didn't even want to fight against them?? Like come on.

And this whole love-sick devoted boyfriend thing got annoying so quick. Because that was all he was. The was genuinely no development for him beyond the fact that he loved Punn and that was it. Man was angry but folded in two second cuz of a kiss. I just got tired of his character cuz all he did was act cute and innocent and that's all fine and dandy if it were a normal series with humans, but he's a vampire for fucks sake. The only part where he was seriously intimidating was during that first ep where he nearly strangled Punn.

Other stuff:

Honestly, if it wasn't for the side characters, I probably would have skipped this show as a whole. Methus, Mhekin and Ciar were carrying this show on their fucking backs. They were whole reason we even had a show to begin with because our main leads were so fucking clueless about everything until Methus, Mhekin or Ciar told them everything. And their interactions were the best part of the show and I wanted more of them on my screen. Methus being the only one that can control Ciar?? I know that's right. Methus deserved to rule the vampires and I'm so glad that he got to. Boy deserved it after taking care of everything cuz Ramil was fucking useless!!!

And the relationship between Mhekin and Pokpong was so wholesome. I don't even care if they like each other not (though, I do ship it lowkey), I needed more of their interactions. They were a breath of fresh air from all melo-drama was that RamilPunn.

As for the hunters... eh, I guess I can give them my flowers. Did I like the emotional manipulation and gaslighting that went on between Elise and Punn? Absolutely fucking not. I was screaming at my screen cuz bitch what the fuck? But they were consistent, had motives, and got shit done. Even if I did not vibe with the "redemption arc" they were put through. But whatever. I guess we can't have villains when we have a big bad at the end that was the true villain.

Honestly, final thoughts, Methus, Mhekin and Ciar are my babies. I love them. Give me ten more eps of them in a slice of life and I'll be happy for the rest of my life. And more of AJ and JJ together in one show. I need these twins on my screen together more. One is hilarious enough as it is, but two is whole comedy show even while they’re talking about how kill vampires and shit.

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When I tell you I want more of this, I WANT MORE. This wasn't enough. Seo Kang Joon went above and beyond for his role, and this man devoured and left NO crumbs. Playing three roles in one show is hard enough, but playing them in such distinct ways was absolutely phenomenal to watch.

At first, you'd wonder how on earth could they make a romance between a robot and a human work, BUT THEY MADE IT WORK. I was fucking INVESTED!!! Everything about the relationship felt authentic, and the way they developed his character (yes, I am saying this about a robot), as well as Kang So Bong's, was fantastic. I cried, laughed and cheered for them. Their ending was bittersweet, but at least all hope was not lost.

As for the mother. They could never make me like her. Never. I get it. She was grieving and downright heartbroken over her son, but she made the decision to make a robot son who acted and talked like her actual son. She loved him like her actual son before the real one swooped in. I will never forgive her for hurting my boy, but I can understand her. Her death did make me cry, especially when Shin kept watching it on repeat.

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*Sighs*

This was... something. Episode one was a snooze fest, and the course of events lowkey did not make sense. But ep 2 got my attention and I was able to invest myself on this.

That being said... I do not like the first couple. At the start, their dynamic was cute. The arrogant, cocky top that falls for the innocent bottom. But as their relationship progressed, it became an eye roller. I would genuinely be rich if I received money for every time Bohn got jealous over Duen talking to someone. It was funny the first time, but when you realise that home boy can't catch a break or even breathe in the same vicinity as another dude or dudeet cuz Bohn will throw a hissy fit, and you just get tired really quickly. It's one of those, ugh here we go again, moments. These two have nothing in common, and don't even have a single meaningful conversation.

Also, the communication in this show is shit. Buddy Bohn here got assaulted and just STANDS there while Duen accuses him off cheating. How hard is it to say, "i didn't kiss him. He forcefully kissed me." He had the opportunity to. Even after they got back together he didn't clear that up!! MAD AND ANNOYED DOESNT EVEN COVER IT. And their break up... couldn't even careless. Falling asleep. And this line. This fucking line:
"I don't like men. I only Duen." That just hurt me. So glad we advanced as a society. I fucking hate this line.

But I gave this show a 7 instead of a 6. Why? For King and Ram. Those two carried this fucking show and no one can disagree on that. There was not enough screen time for them, and I wished we got more scenes. Ram may not have talked for half of those scenes, but he sure as hell had more important things to say than the main couple. They built up his character so well, and his relationship with King was so bloody precious. I really liked the slow pacing of it, the progression felt natural and Ram slowly opening up to King and starting to talk to him had me squealing. But once again, communication. King, my beautiful boy, just why? Why do we have to avoid people and not be a mature adult and just speak about our feelings? I get it, boy was hella confused, but running away and avoiding Ram like he has the plague? Bro, do better. But I genuinely cannot wait to see their progresses in S2 if we get one.

Other things... Thara and Frong was the mature couple we didn't know we needed but want more off. Thara bragging about his pet lizard will never not be funny. And finally, pls get a Thai speaker for Mek. I tried. I really did. But the actor having his voice dubbed over took me out the show so much. I thought I was bugging at first, but the moment I realised I wasn't, I couldn't unsee.

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UpPoom ate, devoured and left no crumbs.

This series... was something. I told myself that I would binge it once it all came out, and yet, here I was, 5 weeks in and starting it. It's been so long that I don't even remember when the last time was that I watched a show that left me feeling either anxious, frustrated or angry at the end of every episode. I was genuinely holding my breath sometimes and biting my nails when some eps ended, and I realised that I had to wait a week. I'm giving it 9 stars for now, but maybe it will change later on to 8.5 when I dwell on this a bit more.

The premise of this show was so interesting and unique. It might have been confusing to some, but once you understand its smooth (or lack thereof) from there.

From the get go I knew Joe was going to be my cinnamon roll and the love of my life. Anyone who even remotely hurt him was in my blacklist, and they still haven't made it out. (Looking at you, Ming. *glares.*) This boy is the epitome of optimism, he's just trying to get through life and make a living. He sees the good in people, believes everyone at their core is to sweet. He deserves the world, but the world don't deserve him. And watching the universe constantly fuck with him (sometimes because of his own stupid decisions, cuz boy, wtf, sit down and think for a hot sec) was truly devastating.

"I started to realize, what love really was. It's like someone makes you feel like you're home." Him saying that was so sweet, yet heart-breaking cuz you know what's about to happen. And when it did... it still leaves me aghast.

Cuz boy, oh boy, Ming, the man that you are. The amount of anger I felt every time this man was on my screen was almost visceral. I wanted to punch the living day lights out of this motherfucker and then some. The arrogance, the narcissism, the gaslighting and manipulation... and on top of that, the fucking audacity of this bitch to come and still say Joe belongs to him! "Don't be too full of yourself, you're just a stand-in." When I tell you I wanted to reach over the screen and kill him myself. If I see him on the streets, its on sight.

Just watching this man constantly ruining Joe's life, and then other motherfuckers joining in and giving him hell frustrated and broke my heart at the same time. My baby did not deserve any of the shit he was going through, he just wanted to support his mum and life the new life he was given. And I'm not even going to start with how icky Sol made me feel. Like Ming is a blinking red flag, but he didn't make me feel icky, just made me want to murder him. Sol on the other hand... buddy ol' pal, pack it up. Your train let the station long time ago. Move. On.

But ep 9 was when my heart truly shattered. "Why are you crying now?! Why?! Why are you crying now?!" Up and Poom did so well in this scene I was entranced. I replayed it so many times just so it can break me again. The pain, resentment and tiredness all piled up and eventually exploded for poor Joe, and it was honestly so well delivered.

However, despite all the good things and the emotions this series made me feel, there were still some things that were meh about it. Hence why I didn't rate it higher, and don't know if it needs to bumped down to a 8.5 instead.

Firstly, what was Tong doing? I thought we set him up to be the big bad of the series, and yet he wasn't even present for most of it??? I was so fucking confused, and even forgot he exists for a bit. Every time this man came on screen I couldn't even look, it was that type of anger. They made him to be so hateful, but it went no where??? And May forgiving him so quickly?! Girlie that's not how you stand on business. Kick him to the curb, feed him to the dogs!!

Secondly, Ming's redemption arc was so lacklustre. There was practically nothing there for us to hold onto to make us feel like he truly deserved Joe. Everything was just shifted into his family or Tong. I can understand why Ming is the way he is, but I still don't like him. He had no love growing up, everything was handed to him but never his, and when he finally found someone who loved him, he turned into a possessive mofo with no regards to anyone's, including Joe's feelings. Even still, I will never forgive him. I just can't. He's fallen madly in love with Joe, but that doesn't change how he treated him or spoke to him. And until the very end of the series he has not changed. Which, surprisingly, I liked because it made a lot of sense to his character. He loves Joe, and only Joe. Everyone else are just pests to him apart from his family.

But that being said, the little moments they had as a couple were cute as much I hate to admit it. "I didn't know where you were, so I wanted to be seen in the public eye as much as possible. In case, one day you'd see me, you'd feel something and come back to me," I smiled and giggled on this part, okay? Sue me. I hate him, but the toxic part of me wanted him to be end game as well. Like damn, the forehead kisses in ep 10 were so intimate it felt like I was intruding.

Then again, our boy Joe here was gone from ep one. "No matter how many times I gotta choose, I still choose the same thing. Because someone is waiting for me." We lost this brother a long time ago, it was so obvious that he was going to pick Ming despite everything. Boy is as colourblind as bats are normal blind, there was no saving him.

But we finally did get the apology we were waiting for. It was long overdue, but we finally got it. "Since you'd disappeared, I prayed everyday... that I would see you again. I didn't want you to come back. But I wanted a chance to apologise to you. For everything that I'd done. P' Joe. I'm really sorry. I'm sorry about everything. I'm sorry." Mayhaps I teared up, mayhaps I awed. We'll never know.

Overall this series was fantastic, but it did lose itself a bit near the end. Tong, the redemption arc, the entire 180 Ming's mother had in her character arc. Nothing can make me like this bitch. NOTHING.

But the actors were amazing, they carried this show like no other. The chemistry was overflowing, and the cinematography and visuals were out of this world. The emotions were raw, they felt real, and I felt my hear break and enrage with these characters.

I hate Ming, but is he going into my fav bl red flags list? 100%

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