Confusing and messy, but with a great plot twist

It was a mess, from start to finish. The trailer / teasers for the series looked really interesting and really promising. I was looking forward to the series for a while now but was left feeling disappointed in the end. I do think the series was too short to really get deep into the stories of everyone involved – the two main couples and the owner of the coffee shop.

The plot idea was not bad. It is actually quite an interesting one, especially with the plot twist we got. But the execution was not the best. I think the series would seriously benefited from a few more episodes, which would hopefully give them a chance to develop the plot in a better and more easily understood way.

Thana & Patis: I was looking forward to this couple. They are in an established relationship, something we don’t get often in main roles, and are dealing with realistic problems a couple might face at a certain point in their relationship. Thana is feeling stuck, both at work and privately, while also sometimes feeling like he is not good enough for Patis who appears to be the more successful between the two. Patis is sweet and hardworking but doesn’t really have much time for his partner. All of this combined, puts a strain on their relationship. I actually found the two incredibly awkward with each other, especially their intimate moments. Patis didn’t really seem like he enjoyed them, at all. For a couple who has been together for over 10 years, the two don’t communicate nearly enough. They don’t talk about anything. So much of it could be avoided or resolved by talking. I did expect what their main conflict would be, including who would cause it. I don’t think the two of them are a good match for each other. I also don’t think the actors had good chemistry. It all felt very stiff.

Ryou & Mai: The two have an enemies to lovers story, but because of the time restraints, it seems very sudden and kind of out of the blue. It feels like we are missing some scenes to help us understand how their relationship develops. Also the fact that it went from zero to a hundred in a few seconds doesn’t really help. They both seem similar in the sense they don’t really let anyone close to them too quickly, they find it hard to make friends. Ryou is more independent though, while Mai seems to be someone who hates being on his own. Their chemistry was better, but things moved so fast with them. Sex can’t be the main basis of a relationship if you want it to last. They also didn’t communicate with each other when it was needed.

There was a lot of flashbacks that left me feeling quite confused at times. I think it’s because it was hard to tell they are flashbacks when first seeing them happen. The coffee shop cards just appearing with no reasoning how, why, and when was also very confusing.

The coffee shop owner was strange. I don’t fully understand how us knowing her story is important for the events that are happening in the present. Is her magic good or bad? I am not sure. It seems mostly neutral to me, but because people don’t really know how to make a wish, it usually ends up blowing in their faces.

I wasn’t a fan, but seeing it’s quite short, I finished it. There are quite a few plot holes and scenes that don’t make much sense. The final episode only made everything even more confusing. And it made the whole timeline of the series make even less sense. Not that it made much sense in the first place.

I do have a very important question though. How old is Time? They said he is supposed to be in high school, but it wasn’t really his thing, so he is doing homeschool now. He gets involved with someone who is in his late twenties (at least), so their minimal age gap is around ten years.

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Too much happening for such a short amount of time

I’d say the episode zero is a must watch before watching this. It’s a short episode but it give some background information for the opening scene of the series to make more sense. The series looks realistic, both the characters and events. I do like the production value as well, there are certain scenes that are just so beautiful to watch.

But what’s with all the couples?! This is an extremely short series. All episodes combined and it’s still less than 90min long. I don’t understand why the story needs to be told by a girl who we don’t really know much about. She is simply telling the story of the other two couples to her lover. There is not nearly enough time to really develop all the storylines, so it does come across as quite choppy and rushed. I did like that the flashbacks were quite clearly separated from the present.

Damien & Hayden: there is not really much to say about them. We got a few snippets of them spending time together and apart, but I don’t think we really got much information on either of the two. Damien is heartbroken, possibly Hayden too. But that’s pretty much it. They do form some sort of connection, but the intensity doesn’t really correspond to what we see otherwise.

Kelvin & Archie: their story is heartbreaking. No matter how you look at it, someone will get hurt. And the person who might end up suffering the most, is the one who is the most innocent one in this whole mess. I do think that Kelvin is really trapped. And say what you want, but what he had to go through and is still going through is not something a good person does to another. Especially if they care about that person. No, that is what an abuser does.

All in all, I think there was just too much to be resolved for such a short series. It would have greatly benefitted from focusing only on one couple or having a few more episodes.

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Our space is where we dare to be ourselves and feel comfortable with it

I was so excited about this one! The preview showed Akk and Aye giving us Brokeback Mountain vibes and I was living for it. The Eclipse was a series that tackled some serious issues, and while they used a book (1984 by George Orwell) as a reflection of things in the main series, they seem to be going for movies in Our Skyy 2.

I have mixed feelings about their hyperfocus on movies though. Filming the short movie didn’t really play a big role in the main series until the end, so I find it interesting that this is something they decided to focus on so much. I like how they used Brokeback Mountain as a teaching moment, with Akk and Aye discussing it. But the movie scenes we saw later were not my favorites. I didn’t really like the comedic ones for Akk & Aye and Kan & Thua. I did like what they did with the screen sizes though, it made a clear cut between fantasy and reality.

I do like what they did with Akk and Aye having problems. The two got together at an extremely turbulent time in their lives, so while the two got very deep and personal, there were things that they didn’t really get familiar with. The two are different, have always been, and that is both good and bad. I know people always say opposites attract (and they often do), but they never say how much compromising is required to make such relationship work. So, it being at least hinted at in the series, is something I really appreciate.

I absolutely love the friendship between Akk, Kan and Wat. The three are so supportive of each other. They might not be family by blood, but they are family by choice. The transition from high school to university is though, so seeing them talk about it fits in with he story very well.

Kan and Thua are adorable together. Thua was not my favorite character, but I really like seeing the cute moments between the two. To be honest, there were a ton of cute moments between Akk and Aye too. I really love how relaxed First and Khao are with one another, and that really shows through their interactions in the series as well.

The filming locations are beautiful. As is the special OST, I absolutely love it!

All I can say is that Akk and Aye (and First and Khao) have became our space a long time ago. A space that they (and many other series) created for us. Something I will be forever grateful for.

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I'm glad they didn't take down the road we all thought they would

I don’t even know what I watched. But let’s start with the obvious, I don’t think that the twins, Korn and Kun, were in love with each other. It wasn’t a one-sided love either. Even if they had some rather questionable habits. Here’s the thing, the two are used to having each other only. They have probably never been apart for longer than a few hours, so the possibility of losing that is scary. Could you say that there is jealousy and possessiveness involved? Yes, and it might be stronger than what one would expect. But the two seem to have a stronger bond than siblings usually do.

I am not really sure why they decided to set this as part of BL anthology, but I am incredibly glad they didn’t take it down the road we all thought they would. The plot was very simple, but it involved a lot of growing up from everyone involved. It did feel patchy and kind of abrupt, especially how they decided to end most things. I just think there are a lot of conclusions that we just didn’t get or were skimmed over without being properly addressed.

It was an okay watch, but it wasn’t anything special. I did find the acting a bit lacking, especially in the more emotional scenes. However, I do think Mild did amazingly!

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They were at least not lost in translation

The trailer looked cute, so I decided to give it a go. There were certain plot twists that I didn’t expect, but I also didn’t hate. I was not sure how the whole “being in love with an influencer” thing would go, especially as it came across as an unhealthy obsession at times. But they handled it well, they gave it reasoning. I liked how it was less about Tammy as an influencer, but more about Tammy as a person.

I know that there were a quite a few unrealistically done things (e.g. they way Yang was fining a partner for the store), but I didn’t let that bother me too much. They simply played well into the plot. The comedic value in the earlier episodes is something I really enjoyed, especially the bickering between Yang and Phumjai, and Phumjai having two (in his eyes) unreliable best friends. I do feel like the comedic aspect of the series kind of faded out as the series progressed though.

Yang & Phumjai: I loved their dynamics! They started as enemies, became friends and then lovers. They really took us on a whole ride. Yang seems to be a lot more mature, but also closed off and not as ready to open up to others. Phumjai is more childish, he lives in the moment and is generally a bit ray of sunshine. He does seem a bit spoiled at times, but that’s more on his family than him. They are both quite stubborn though. I really liked how patient Yang was with Phumjai most of the time, how he put his happiness first. And I liked the way Phumjai didn’t hold back once he became aware of his feelings. He is true to himself. I think both actors, Daou and Offroad, did well. I liked how their characters looked at each other. Their chemistry was good too.

Phojai & Tag: I like that we had an already established couple, but the two made me mostly confused. They were super adorable together; they were the cute couple permanently stuck in their honeymoon phase. But they were keeping their relationship a secret, and I don’t fully understand why. Everyone around them was very accepting, and Tag made it obvious that he hates being Phojai’s dirty little secret. He was hurting, a lot. I could understand being worried about Phumjai getting upset about his brother dating his best friend, but I don’t think “Phumjai is dealing with a lot right now” is a good enough reason for keeping their relationship hidden. Ngern and Ohm had chemistry, but I think it got a bit lost under their characters just being cute together.

I really liked both Phumjai’s friend group and the shop’s team. They had nice dynamics, were supportive of one another and made it obvious how close they were. Even Tammy. She was a much more developed character than I thought at first. I like that she wasn’t made into a villain.

Talking about villains, what the hell were the last two episodes on? That was so unnecessary, it didn’t bring anything to the table and was so over the top. The way they tried to solve it all made absolutely no sense. It was a mess. There was some other… interesting plot choices. I am not sure what Phojai does for a work or if he even works at all towards the end. He is always at the store, can disappear for who knows how many days.

All in all, it started of good but it ended going a bit downhill towards the end. Which seems to be happening to a lot of series lately. And it’s also what brought my rating lower.

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A multiverse of cuteness, yes, but it could have been better

It’s adorable! I like the switch in characters, I think everyone did a great job in the role they were given. I think these two parts really gave Gemini a chance to showcase his talents, something that he really shined at. I think he has an amazing voice. As does Ford.

A lot of scenes were just redone from what we got in the original series, but we also got quite a few new scenes. And those fit in really well with the whole flow of the story. And I liked the fact that they switched some scenes between the couples or put them into a different setting. Por and Yo are still adorably clueless. But we finally have Tiwson and Por as an official couple. Yay! There was an additional ship of mine that sailed. So that made me happy too!

I did feel like the whole thing seemed kind of choppy at times. And while I know the plot is not much different from the original, it did make it a tad difficult to follow at times. I wish they would have focused more on only a part of the story, instead of trying to squeeze so much of MSP plot into two parts.

Or I’d like it even better if they did a completely different plot for this multiverse. Like keep the role switch and all, but give us a different plot. Can you imagine if band leader Tinn was the one having a crush on school president Gun? And having him try his best to impress Gun while still being a troublemaker? Wouldn’t that be adorable? And new. There was a lot of potential, but it didn’t quite reach it.

Also, is it just me or does it feel less lively? I feel like the energy of the band is really low in comparison with the main series. Could it be just due to the fact they tried to cram so much into 2 episodes? Or the fact that Fourth was really bouncing of the walls in MSP and everyone just had to keep up with it? Even the fights between Sound and Win seem less explosive than they did in the main series. It’s almost like they kept the same energy that their characters had in the main series, so Tinn as band member seems a lot more calm, and Sound is less aggressive than Win was in MSP.

The new OSTs are great. We are really getting spoiled by new music each week. I know music is important for MSP, but I feel it was a bit too much. We only got two episodes, so having multiple long singing scenes seemed a bit excessive to me.

The ending though... does this really mean we are saying goodbye to Tinn and Gun forever? Or is that a teaser for the MSP universe, university edition?

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Character flaws are what made the series so amazing

I absolutely love this series! I wasn’t sure what to expect, but things did look kind of messy from the trailer and I am always down for that. The story is much more than just being a BL story, it feels very real and like something that could truly happen in the real life. All of the characters have their own flaws, but I feel like that makes them seem so human, so real.

The OST is beautiful as well. For obvious reasons, Tomorrow sang by Ford was the song that got to me the most. It sounds so soft, so beautiful, but the amount of emotions behind it is incredible. It’s also very uplifting if you listen to the lyrics closely. It really fits the storyline. I don’t know if it’s just me, but I also really liked the lightning of the series. Most of the time, it was very warm and I feel like it really suited the story and the characters.

Jim & Wen: I always love a good age gap story. I don’t know why, but I find them really interesting to watch if they are done well. And the story between Jim and Wen is done incredibly well. We cannot deny the chemistry between Earth and Mix, who were amazing in the roles. Their situationship kind of starts as a one night stand, but Wen is not down for that. They both have a lot of things they need to deal with relating to their past, things that definitely come to play an important role as their relationship progresses. Jim is someone who is very guarded, and it takes quite a bit for him to let someone in. Wen on the other hand is a lot more open and ready to dive head first into things, he is very honest and vocal about what he wants. I love how this was portrayed through the series, even if saying this is just due to their age is an easy way out. It’s due to their experiences, not due to their age.

Li Ming & Heart: I fell in love with Gemini in Fourth in My School President, so I was really looking forward to seeing more of them in this one. Heart’s story is heartbreaking, especially knowing that he has been deaf for years and his parents just didn’t bother to learn to communicate with him. Li Ming has faced his own struggles as well and his relationship with his uncle is not always the best. I couldn’t help but smile every time there was an interaction between Li Ming and Heart! The two were so adorable together, it was so heartwarming to see Li Ming doing his best to communicate with Heart in sign language! Also, representation matters! Having a deaf character, showing the deaf community, etc. is really a great way to represent people with certain disabilities. And the fact that there was sometimes no translation for the sign language was something I really liked, I was still able to get an idea of what is going on through the replies, expressions, etc. I am not sure if this was done on purpose or not though.

Gaipa & Alan: seeing Khao and First on the list of characters, we all knew they will end up paired together at some point, even if the trailer showed their characters enamored with Jim and Wen. Gaipa is a character that you cannot help but love, he is such a pure and loving person, always ready to help those around him. Alan, on the other hand, is a character that you want to hate but can’t. His “relationship” with Wen is extremely messy, he is hurting really badly. At one point, I felt more sympathy for him than I did for Wen. Both Khao and First did an amazing job with showing their characters emotions through little movements and face expressions.

The ending was exactly what I wanted. It fit well with the way the story progressed. I really enjoyed, including all for the character growth we saw through the series. My only complaint is that it was too short! Even if the series events were taking place over several months, it didn’t seem choppy or like we were missing anything important.

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Not a fan of the “I’m not taking no for an answer” plot

I’ve seen some clips from the series, found them adorable, and decided to give it a try. I do feel like 20min and under episodes are a bit too short to really gives us enough background information or to really develop the story. It does seem pretty choppy at times, making it a tad difficult to really get a feeling on how the relationship between Jeong Ha Ram and Lee Jun is. I do think their interactions are sweet once they get together, but I am not really a fan of the whole “I’m not taking no for an answer” plot. It’s not cute, it’s actually quite scary. Which is why I have mixed feelings about the whole drama.

I might sound like a hypocrite, having watched quite a few series with toxic characters, but I think that is easier to swallow when you expect it. I wasn’t expecting that from this series, I really expected something sweet and adorable, but I got more than that. In a not exactly positive way.

All in all, it wasn’t bad. But it wasn’t great either. It was average and, sadly, not very really memorable.

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I fell in love with their story

Where to even start? I absolutely loved this drama! The plot might seem very basic, but it hits some of my favorite tropes – secret crush, age gap, brother’s best friend… My expectations were quite high, and I am incredibly happy that the drama really delivered!

Duan Jia Xu & Sang Zhi: the two are so adorable together! Sang Zhi is so sweet and caring. She has had a crush on her brother’s best friend for years and she has at some point lost hope that it will ever be possible for them to be together. But when her hope started to dwindle, Duan Jia Xu started to fall for her. He went through a lot in his life, but Sang Zhi seems to be the ray of sunshine that brightens his days. I was a bit worried about the age gap as the two first met when Sang Zhi is very young, but I really like how they handle that and avoided making it creepy. I think the two are a great fit for each other. The two actors did amazingly in their roles, their height difference was cute. Even the actress who played young Sang Zhi killed her role!

Sang Yan is probably my favorite character. From calling his sister a little demon to always complaining about her and teasing her, there is also not a single thing he would not do to make her happy and to make sure she is safe. I loved the way the two kept bickering, no matter their age, and yet they missed each other when separated. He is also a great friend to Duan Jia Xu, I really had a lot of fun watching the two interact, especially once Duan Jia Xu and Sang Zhi start to date.

I really liked other side characters as well. Sang Zhi’s parents were really supportive of both of their children and always tried to make sure the two were happy, even when the two were driving them up the walks. Sang Zhi’s roommates were a lot of fun too. I enjoyed the fact the four of them were so different from one another, yet they really developed a close relationship with one another. And while I didn’t like Jian Ying as a character (which was also the point), the actress who played her did an amazing job in the role.

The story progressed nicely from episode to episode. It wasn’t rushed, they took their time with it, but it also didn’t drag on. The story takes places over several years, so giving it time to develop at a slower pace made it easier to follow and to truly understand how their feelings started to grow and change.

The cinematography was beautiful as well. The locations, the soundtrack, the styling of the characters… everything was on point. I honestly don’t think I have any complaints about it.

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Disappointing, not worth the time nor the effort

What happened? No, seriously, what were they thinking?! Jade was definitely a favorite of mine in Bed Friend – he was friendly, loyal, helpful, knew when to stick his nose into things and when not. He was an extremely likeable character. The Jade we see in this, is nothing like that. They turned him into a caricature, a cartoon-like character.

The plot was kind of boring. They were playing a game of cat and mouse with nothing much going on. Except for those awful comedic sound effects and Jade screaming half the time. They did tone it down a bit as the series progressed though. At least I think so. It could have been so much better if that just tried. Not the actors, but the writers and the team behind the production. That’s where the faults lie.

And then there were the plot holes that were never addressed. The weird scene cuts and jumps between the scenes. It made the drama hard to follow and understand at times.

Jade & Mai: Jade was a screaming mess half of the time. I really disliked what they did with his character, because he became this clueless mess who couldn’t string two normal sentences together. Why go to this effort to ruin a character? He had no real personality. And to be honest, neither did Mai. He was hot, and he liked Jade. That was his whole personality. Nothing more. It felt like very lazy writing, almost like they didn’t really gave any though to their characters. Yim and Tutor did okay, I guess. But with how exaggerated Jade was and how little we saw of Mai doing anything (except bright close ups because he’s just so perfect), it’s hard to tell. They just didn’t have a chance to display their talents.

King & Uea were also reduced to almost cartoon-like selves. I honestly found their “little” arguments annoying. Can you imagine how tiring it is to be in a relationship with someone who is constantly sulking with you? The lack of communication also left a lot to be desired.

Tong & Gus: I actually liked the two of them as a couple a lot more than I did Jade and Mai. They felt like a better match, I also liked that there was no authority / power struggle between the two. Their communications skills could use some work though. But I really liked the chemistry between the two characters, Leo and Tai did great here.

Even giving it a 3.5 rating seems extremely generous. All I know is, that this might be my last Domundi series if they continue going down this road.

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“I don’t know why I feel like I’m not part of my family.” (Tam)

Let’s be honest, I gave it a shot because of the actors and actresses. The plot seemed interesting enough too, an angsty story about a group of misfits that come from different backgrounds and might not have a lot in common except that they are all middle children. A bit farfetched, but I can understand the appeal and it makes sense that they share certain experiences because of that.

It had a lot of potential, but it all frizzled out the longer the series went on. Instead of focusing on the problems that the Wednesday Club’s members face, we were following the stories of Venus and her political campaign, Top and his relationship with his dad, and Mink and her husband Karn. Not exactly what I signed up for. And while I can understand the plots related to Venus and Top, the whole ordeal with Mink and Karn was unnecessary. I don’t think it brought anything to the table except for taking up time.

Most of the side characters were very unlikeable. They did try to give them tragic backstories for us to sympathize with them. Or they tried to have them turn a new leaf, show them in a different light, etc. but none of that excuses their actions towards the others, including the Wednesday Club’s members. This goes for their family members but also characters like Top, Mink and Karn.

While it looks like they were trying to go for a found family trope, they didn’t necessarily achieve that. That might have been the plan. However, I don’t think that’s a bad thing. All of them are flawed and are dealing with their personal problems. That affects them greatly, it is not something they can just carry around with no consequences. It is expected that it will all come to a boiling point sooner or later.

Kong (Ohm) – He’s honest and reliable. Kong is also very loyal, which is both his strongest and weakest point. His loyalty makes him a friend anyone would want, but it also leaves him vulnerable when those friends turn on him. I think the biggest mistake they made with Kong is that they made him too similar to Ohm’s character in Double Savage. Ohm is incredible in such roles, I get that, but with the two series airing in the same year, it does blur the lines between his two characters.

Pali (Nani) – I don’t think he had any other purpose than being there for Kong when he remembered him. He was involved with the whole Mink thing too, she is his sister after all, but Pali’s relationship with Kanya was not developed enough. There was a lot of potential there, but it was all glossed over and we see very little of the two. Which is a shame.

Tam (Film) – Tam can be described as sweet, innocent, and positive. But she is carrying a lot of hurt with her. She keeps that hidden though. I do like that we get to see her stand up for herself as the series progresses, but I still feel like she was a very passive character most of the time. I was also not a fan of how the whole story with her grandmother ended. It was not a proper conclusion.

May (Piploy) – She is the character I wanted to hate, but I ended up liking a lot. She does appear like someone who doesn’t care about herself, like she gave up on life once her father ended his. She does play games with people around her, trying to make things go her way. I do like her character growth, the way she changes and starts to regard those around her differently. She becomes a real friend to Peem and Tam in particular.

Kul (Phuwin) – Kul might say he would do anything for money, but it’s obvious that he still feels excluded. Just like he did in the past. Yet he tries so hard to belong to what he considers the popular crowd that he often does things that hurt him, deeply, and hurt those around him. I am not excusing his actions, but I can understand where he is coming from and why he is the way he is.

Max (Kay) – It might be just me, but I found Max extremely unlikeable. Sure, he has a sad past, but who doesn’t? He is not someone you can trust, which is proven very early on. He is also very vindictive and can be quite malicious. And I think a lot of what happened to others could be avoided if he was a better person. I still think what happened to him before and during the series is sad, but it doesn’t really excuse his behavior either.

Peem (Satang) – He’s a glass child, someone’s whose life was always based around his brother and his condition. Peem loves his brother but also craves a chance to be himself, to discover who he truly is. He is very caring and protective, as he was taught to be, which is something that can easily be used against him. He is also loyal and doesn’t want to use his friends, that’s not what friendship is to him.

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SOTUS wannabe… but make it GL

I expected the series to have at least a little bit of SOTUS vibes, especially after seeing the trailer and everything… but there were some scenes that were pretty much an exact copy paste. And it has nothing to do with the fact they were trying to show us the hazing process. It was certain things they included, the punishments, etc. I’m sure there were other options than tearing apart the nametag or having the senior run laps. Even the whole wants-to-be-though senior who is actually a cutie, while the junior seems to be a bit more mature and capable.

But if we leave those initial similarities aside, the story developed in a different direction when it came to the later episodes as well as the main couple’s relationship. However, the timeline is a mess. There are a lot of time jumps, so it’s hard to keep up with how much time has actually passed. Especially those in the last episode. The flashbacks are not always clearly set apart, so it sometimes took me a bit to realize we are seeing a flashback. It was all kind of rushed too, especially towards the end.

There were also some strange scene cuts which made the story slightly difficult to follow at times. The plot in general seems a bit weak. It relied very heavily on a constant flow of past and current possible love interests. It made it very repetitive. And then we have the episode with the freshy content where we have no clue what is going on because there was loud music playing over everything. And they couldn’t even bother with the subtitles for the convos that we were shown on screen during that time. There was another such scene later. Why have the characters interact if there is no way for us to know what is going on?!

Manaow & Gyoza: Neither of the two is ready for a relationship. They are childish, can’t communicate with each other, always jump to conclusions, and think crying and avoiding the other person will solve everything. They both made a lot of mistakes, some were worse than others, but only Manaow owned up to them while Gyoza continued to play the victim. I feel their ending left a lot to be desired, there was still so much left unclear and up in the air. I think that separately, I liked both girls. They really shined when they were with their friends, we saw a different side to both. But together, they were not it for me. The two actresses, Kookkaew and Anda, had a nice enough chemistry, but the editing didn’t do them justice. Their acting was kind of weak at times, especially in the more emotion heavy scenes, and neither of them can cry.

As for side characters, there was a lot. As I mentioned, the possible love interests were annoying. As characters, some of them were actually great and I wouldn’t mind them… if they weren’t yet another love-sick puppy. I did find Warang and Prang adorable though. And Thida is the kind of friend everyone wants. She is amazing!

It had potential, but the plot needed some more work. As did the editing. Maybe they should have lost some of the cliches along the way and given Naow and Gyo some more time for their relationship to develop properly.

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Gorgeous cast is not enough

The cast is absolutely stunning! As someone who has never followed any pageants, let alone foreign or international ones, I was quite surprised to learn that pretty much everyone competed in the Miss Grand Thainland / Miss Grand International! It also makes sense much more sense why they decided on the plot.

Meena & Cherine: I love seeing Engfa and Charlotte together on screen, I do think they have a lot of chemistry. Even if the show doesn’t give it a real chance. I really like the idea of Meena being this simple girl that makes it big. We often see her dress really casually and simple, her hair in a ponytail or an updo. It really moves away from that stereotypical idea of what beauty pageant contestants look and behave like. I do feel like the two, especially Cherine, act extremely childish when they are together. I did find it a bit annoying, e.g. their interactions in episode 8.

I do like the fact that the series addresses some problems related to the whole beauty pageant industry. Kudos to them for showing that mothers who force their children into such competitions at an early age can cause a lot of damage to their child’s self esteem and make them feel unworthy. It can go to the other extreme as well, but they focused on the lows in the series.

Sadly, I don’t think the plot and the way scenes were put together makes a lot of sense. This also makes the series feel both rushed and choppy at times, but also very confusing due to some jumps from the present to the past and back. Relating to that, what was the point of the pool scene? Fanservice? I don’t see how it actually connected to the story.

The “villains” seem kind of unnecessary to me. Maybe I am being too picky, but I feel like they didn’t really bring much to the plot. They simple took up time that could have been given to Meena and Cherine, showing us more of how their relationship develops.

The OST is nice though, and Engfa has a really nice and soothing voice.

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Have Segasaki and Yoh ever actually dated?

I liked the aesthetic value of the series. The cinematography was beautiful, the visuals were on point, the intimate scenes were done beautifully, the plot was interesting… at least until we look at it closely. Then it starts to raise a lot of red flags and shows Segasaki to be abusive and controlling.

My main question is have Segasaki and Yoh ever actually dated? It is not once said that the two are together. Yoh is introduced as Segasaki’s slave. Maybe a bit extreme choice of word, but that’s what he is. He cooks, he cleans and takes care of everything home related for Segasaki. Yoh did everything Segasaki told him to, never said no to things, and showed immense guilt whenever he did something he felt like was not good enough. He was not allowed to go places, meet friends… unless he was given permission.

Which brings me to their intimacy. I know Yoh is shown as a willing participant, as someone who might want that to be a more regular occurrence, but is sex really what he wants? He might be craving attention and love from the person he is dependent on. Was that something he actually wanted from the start? Or did he just fear saying no? Did he think he is not allowed to say no? Their situation raises a lot of questions when it comes to consent. But it seems like that is something that is not ever properly addressed. I don’t mind when series have dubious consent or non-consent, but it needs to be properly addressed and not just accepted as something that is okay to do.

I did enjoy certain aspects of the series and I think the actors had great chemistry. I do wish some things had been done a bit differently (or more clearly expressed). How the whole question of consent was kind of brushed over didn’t sit well with me, and it did bring the rating down a bit. Also, Segasaki’s new work partner… why, just why?

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Too rushed, which made things not very believable

The plot is interesting, I’ll give them that. However, with everything they tried to squeeze into two episodes, they ran out of time for a lot of it. Not only weren’t Jay and Pun given time to develop whatever was going on between the two of them, the flashbacks in the second episode were not necessary. I can understand their point, but with how short the two episodes are, they were really not needed. They didn’t show anything new either. And then the “horror” Pun’s friends went through was anticlimactic and it just took the story in a weird direction.

I know Jay and Pun were not end game (for obvious reasons), but I was very bothered by the lack of chemistry between the actors. If they want us to believe that the two have found themselves in this wild and passionate love affair, I need much more than a hug and a half decent kiss to believe it. Especially if we are to believe that Jay was this obsessed with Pun and for their love affair to end in flames. I do think they were able to portray Jay’s creepiness well though. He made me uncomfortable from the start, but that’s a good thing in this case.

I am not a football expert, but even I know that you need more than four players and an extra to compete. The few additional players in blue did add up to a full team, but everyone treated them like they are not actually part of it. They were not part of the celebrations, the orange jersey players didn’t involve them in anything outside of practice, and there was no communication in the locker room either.

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