Sanitized and nonsensical plot
One should always take these 8+ star GL reviews with a grain of salt because most of the GLs themselves have a low production value and are practically unwatchable even at 1.5-2x speed. I was looking forward to this one mainly because of Engfa/Charlotte, after loving their dynamic in Petrichor. But, I have to say, after having watched Petrichor and enjoying the grittiness, the chemistry, and the more mature plot than most GLs and BLs go into, The Water was jarring in the way it sanitized the romance and sexiness and in how nonsensical and uninspiring the plot was.
If I didn't know better, I would've thought this was another GMM show – lighting overblown, a majority of the characters acting in the exact same way without having any of their own agency, the leads flat cut-outs acting as if possessed by the script rather than people with dimension and nuance, highly sensationalized antagonists, a lot of hoopla over some lackluster flirting and immature hints at sex, and a plot that I would not be able to describe to someone who hasn't seen the show. Also, I will be awaiting the day when GLs have better body representation and stray outside of the 2 femmes archetype, because, no matter how they dress Engfa, she passes as a femme with a sprinkle of butch energy.
If I didn't know better, I would've thought this was another GMM show – lighting overblown, a majority of the characters acting in the exact same way without having any of their own agency, the leads flat cut-outs acting as if possessed by the script rather than people with dimension and nuance, highly sensationalized antagonists, a lot of hoopla over some lackluster flirting and immature hints at sex, and a plot that I would not be able to describe to someone who hasn't seen the show. Also, I will be awaiting the day when GLs have better body representation and stray outside of the 2 femmes archetype, because, no matter how they dress Engfa, she passes as a femme with a sprinkle of butch energy.
Was this review helpful to you?
