It's never good when I start talking back to the TV.

People have written long, well-informed reviews expressing their love for this series. Other than the fact that the male lead tends have five expressions that he runs through given whatever scene he's in, I was in total agreement with the other reviewers. Part One of this series makes for riveting viewing; cast, story, and visuals, from writing to execution, the first instalment of LLG is hands-down wonderful. Please don't throw things at me for what I'm going to say next. Part Two of Love Like the Galaxy really disappointed me. I kept muttering, what has happened here? Did they run out of time or money? Did they change writers? Did production or the director side suddenly flex their muscles? Granted, LLG contains a big, complicated consipiracy story and maybe they didn't have enough time to properly unravel all the plot twists within the time constraints.

But seriously, those story edits were too roughly done. I was pulled hard out of the narrative midway through Part Two. At the beginning of that particular episode there was a time skip that felt like someone read the script, shook their head, and slashed through pages and pages of the story, while muttering, "they won't even notice this if we flash ahead and get one of the characters to spew a ton-load of exposition. " Well, I noticed. I flipped twice between the end of the prior episode, and the beginning of the time-skip episode to make sure I hadn't inadvertently missed an entire episode. What should have been a defining moment for an important character--a place where that character would have stepped up for their family, throwing on the hero-challenge-cape to reveal the truth--was flattened into a short paragraph of wtf exposition, given by a character who'd suddenly been rendered from fiery to helpless. There were a lot of those type of viewing moments in the episodes that followed. What made those jarring time skips really frustrating for me was the screen time given to things that didn't drive the plot, or develop the characters. How long does it take someone to die?

Watching the second half of LLG was a frustrating experience for me, probably because my expectations were set so high by the prior instalment. If it had just been plain bad, I could have moved on, but there were definitely episodes in Part Two which were heart-rending and well-nuanced which kept me hooked and hopeful that the end of the series was going to be as amazing as the beginning. Here's the thing: those wonderful scenes felt like they were written by the same pen that created the first instalment. Just perfect writing, illuminated by amazing acting, and gifted directing. But those jewel-like moments were overwhelmed by scene after scene penned by the B-team. For me, there was just a lot of bad writing, and bad directing choices in LLG2 which thoroughly flattened the excellence of a story that I had such high expectations for. So, for what its worth, that's my opinion. Okay, I'm going to leave now, before everyone starts throwing things at me.

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Touching and ultimately satisfying.

The movie has a different feel and pacing from the series, and initially, I was disappointed as I was looking for, and missing, the lightness and humour that was such a part of Cherry Magic. I thought about bailing, but I kept watching because those two actors are just that good. Seriously, I'd pull out the popcorn and the lapquilt just to listen to them do a table read of my insurance policy's fine print. Once I settled into the movie, I started to enjoy it for what it was: a more serious take on what would happen once the magic of a fairytale dissipates. By the halfway mark, I was totally invested in the film, and closer toward the finish line I kept mentally tagging places that I knew I'd want to rewind to. All in, I felt it was a touching end to a wonderful series, and, as the titles says: ultimately satisfying.

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Seriously Good

There's a big spread between very good BLs and what-the-hell-was-that BLs. UNKNOWN sits comfortably in the very-good list. It's no pastel-wonderland romance, instead the feel and look of this drama is both gritty and realistic. There's no backdrop of unlikely wealth, no ultra spacious homes and no sudden rise to success. People slog here. They work and study hard here. Nothing's easy or given. Also, this series managed to produce two solid characters: the leads always remain true to their given character constructs, and yet, they both show believable emotional growth over the years that covers the story's arc. Matter of fact, all of the characters within this drama are interesting and dimensional: the bad guy is not a total black hat, the good doctor doesn't wear a halo, and the stead-fast good friend is both steady and a little fast. I have a few minor quibbles with the story resolution, but overall, I really enjoyed this series and am glad that I had the patience to wait until the 12th episode was out before I dove in. Because seriously, there's enough cliffhangers in UNKNOWN to really do some damage on a person if they couldn't happily binge. (Sidenote: It took me a few scenes to recognize Sam Lin from WE BEST LOVE. He looks different and played his part so well, I couldn't connect him to the character he played in WBL.)

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Well that's another wasted hour of my life.

Let's start with the acting. Either the actors were green or the director pushed them toward melodrama. Whatever the reason, the result was middle-school histrionics on the screen. While we're on the subject of weak and the miserable; let's give a slow clap for the weakest of the weak BL plot devices poured into one script. This was arguably a romance. All I saw were two lovers who should have traded 'Babe, we're so done' post-its within the first 15 minutes. I kept hoping that it would get better and there would be a scene that made Part 2 worthy of watching, No such scene existed. Heads-up. This thing rolled past some serious trigger warnings as it zig-zagged to an ending that wasn't an ending. Why did I watch it? Because this title was featured in the MDL's Fav. Chinese Movies list. And now, I'm going to look at every other title on that list with great suspicion...

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For what it's worth, I liked it.

Did the series have a unique premise? Definitely. The outline checked all the boxes for me, but I'm a sucker for the old reincarnation trope with a half side of Highlander. Great. Then was it an amazing, knock-it-out-of-the-park series? Uh, that would a no. Oh. Should you give it a pass? No! Fear not, fellow trope lovers, there's a lot to really enjoy in The Director Buys. Let's run through the list. Was there some comedy? Yup. Some of the inner dialogue was pretty damn funny. Did we see some onscreen chemistry? Yes, yes, we did. Do the actors have the requisite chops to keep us invested in the story? I thought so, particularly in the case of the Director. Are the two lead characters appealing? I liked them, though, admittedly I liked one character more so in the first few episodes. (I thought that after he gave it up to love, he turned into a little melted marshmallow, losing some of his inner tension that was so entertaining in the first few episodes.) So, why didn't I give The Director Buys the full 10 points? They needed more screen time to fully flesh out the premise. If they'd had that luxury the backstory could have been better bridged into the present story; the switch from uncertain antagonists to fated lovers would have felt less abrupt; and the bad guy could have been better knitted into the fabric of the plot. (Connecting him to the past would have worked well there). That's it, really. The back-end felt rushed; a not-lethal flaw I've noticed in a few other Korean BLs. That being said, I could see past that, and totally binged the series, enjoying it for what it was. So, if the plot premise checks your boxes, go ahead and throw the popcorn bag into the microwave. You'll have an enjoyable evening.

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Loathe the series's title, LOVE the actual story.

My personal taste doesn't tilt toward saccharine and brainlessly sweet. For me, the Coco Milk Shake title screamed exactly that, and so, for awhile, I ignored this really entertaining story. My bad, it's not saccharine at all. Though there are a few unexplained plot elements, it's not brainlessly sweet either. Here's my review in less than 200 words. Forget the damn title. Watch the damn show. There is humour, there is sadness, and the story moves along very quickly without the usual swampy middle found in the average BL story. I had a few Mehs about one of the romance lines, which is why I gave the overall a 9 instead of top marks. However, if I had been given the choice, I would have given the actors a 12. They are phenomenal; I am the s*it-shoveller for a cat whose disdainful stare could melt you into a puddle; as well as the guardian of a dog who loves nothing more than to shadow my footsteps, and so, I can say with authority that they nailed it. For that alone, I'd definitely rewatch this series, but not perhaps, after either my cat or my dog had just taken that rainbow bridge stroll into heaven. (Off topic thought: how'd they get the feline luminous eye effect? I swear Milk's eyes gleamed with inner light.)

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My thumb never hit the fast-forward button.

It's true. I binged-watched this series, and my thumb never hit the fast-forward button. How's that possible? Almost 12 hours, and I watched every single episode the way they wanted me to: fully engrossed, and worried I'd miss something if I blinked. This series is really good, as in, 'WHOAH, DON'T MISS THIS ONE, IT'S SO GOOD'. I don't even want to think how much coffee the writers had to swill to come up with such evilly twisty who-done-it plot lines.

Though I was put off by the main character in the beginning of the first episode, I grew to love the reluctant-sleuth Kuno Totono. Like Sherlock, he's got astounding observation skills and a mind made for matching clues to motive and means. Unlike Sherlock, he's not instinctively compelled to follow the trails all the way to the bad guy. He's more like the kid that unravels a sweater by absently pulling on a loose thread of yarn. He didn't start with the intention of deconstruction, but once the sweater began to not look like a sweater, he got interested in how it was made. This brilliant kid is an outlier; he's all alone in the world; and at the story's onset, he seems determined to remain so, for reasons that become somewhat clearer as the story progresses. That detached mindset suffers a subtle erosion as the episodes pass, and that is the major part of MtI's hook: the more you watch the kid fight it, the more you want this kid's protective bubble to be sandpapered down. So, does he change a little bit? Can't tell you, that probably falls under Spoilers, Sweetie. I can say this though: you know how your throat hurts when you really want to ugly-cry but you're too old to ugly-cry over a tv show, so you suffer with wet eyes and a sore throat? Well, they might have got me there. Okay, I broke my ankle, and I'm wearing a cast and I'm pretty much super glued to the couch, so maybe I'm a little softer than usual, but, I'll admit it: for ten minutes during one delicately rendered emotional moment, they absolutely got me. That script and those marvellous actors (I'm looking at you, Masaki Suda) managed to bring me to the borderline of the ugly-cry.

Grumble alert: hey producers, if you're going to push the writers to position the series for a second season, be forthcoming with details of the when and where.

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Restrained and subtle, but oh-so lovely.

I'm a huge fan of this director. I like the pace; the look; and the air of subtle restraint evident in her work. In Blueming, love and attraction simmers, feelings are scrambled and awkward, and the 'confession' doesn't evolve flowery words, but spawns touch and yearning. I thought the acting felt real and the characters felt fully dimensional and thus gave both male lead actors a full ten points. If I could have, I would have added another ten points for the cinematography. Some of the scenes were beautifully shot. All in all, this is one of the best BLs I watched in 2022.

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Poignant.

There's an underlaying sense of realism to this series. For instance, the dialogue: as in life, when things are spiralling, there's a lot more said in the silences between people than in the words between people. Kudos to the actors for their restrained and layered performances. A thumbs up for the taut script. Also, I'd add a nod to the directing. This series will leave you thinking after the credits roll. I found myself thinking that peoples lives rarely follow a straight line, and it's not the roadblock that tumbled us to our knees that defines us. It's what we do after the fall.

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