Themotherofloopers
This review may contain spoilers
My review is intended as a personal opinion. In no way am I here to sway anyone. If you are looking for a movie (or series) that doesn't take itself too seriously, then this is it for you! This movie brings back the four lovable but idiotic Tootsies; Gus and his squad of queer BFFs, Natty, Golf and Kim. In the drama, we were left with the unresolved story of Gus and Top. Though Gus had moved on with his new partner Win, we (the viewers) were still hopeful that Gus and Top would end up cannon. The movie does a great job in closing their love arc and despite how they end, it was satisfying.
The movie starts with the ever clueless Natty and her intestines's impeccable timing in public situations. If you enjoy a good fart joke or two, you might die of laughter with Natty's issues. Then Kim and is ever need to be "perfect" are the recipe for disaster up in the air.
Don't let their foolishness and idiotic behaviors distract you, because this little gem has a lot of topics that many people deal with on a daily basis. We have Natty and her desperate attempt to get pregnant to secure her mother's inheritance. Then you have Gulf wanting validation for his work, specially from his idol. Gus having no desire for settling into a domestic lifestyle which includes a child--and then Kim....damn Kim always being extra.
I really enjoyed this and I would recommend it for anyone looking for a good rom-com. Also, my mother enjoyed it and she's hard to please.
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Frustrating, but some redeeming qualities
This review is an opinion. It is not intended to sway you or discourage you from watching a drama. It is a personal opinion and critique of what I found worked and didn't work for the drama. Please make your own informed opinions and decisions.Until We Meet Again is a Boy's love drama directed by Siwaj Sawatmaneekul (also known as P'New) who has directed such works as; Love By Chance; Make it Right; and War of High School to name a few of his popular projects.
Until We Meet Again is a love story about four young men whose lives are interconnected by the “red string of fate” and the tragedies that befalls them due to homophobia and family interference. Without going into spoiler details, one couple lives in the past and the other in the present. The special thing in the plot is that the director takes dramatic liberties such as, not telling the story linearly in time but using slices; the present mixed with the past. This allows for both stories to co-exist without overshadowing each other. It also helps drive the point home that all four of these people are interconnected by their fate and they cannot escape it.
This story brings back one of my favorite actors, Fluke! You may remember him from My Bromance and Red Wine in the Dark Night. He took a break from acting for a few years, but his lovable portrayal of his characters made him a household name not easy to forget. In this drama, Fluke shows why he is considered a great BL actor.
Directing: P’New is good at what he does, which is, telling the story in a way that connects with the viewers. However, editing was an issue in regards to the way the story was told. There instances where characters seemed out of place or rather, the scene could have been more effective with the right editing or right characterization.
Acting: Everyone played their role to their best. Fluke as always takes on his character’s specifics traits and brings them to life. He was the soul of this drama. Ohm, likewise, gave the ever cold and moody Dean the right touch. I found myself rooting for Earth and Kao because their story seemed more interesting and would have been a great one to tell first. Obviously the drama suffered from the ever present too many characters, so proper development of stories and characters suffered quite a bit here.
CONS
However, though the acting is good, I think that we as ther viewers are often asked to use our imagination where a character has long pauses .... This is a critique not just for this BL, but for most Thai Bls in general. Whenever there is an inner monologue by a character, we are not given that information. Rather, you have awkward pauses where you can tell that the character is “thinking” or “talking to themselves” It is such an easy fix, by having the actor’s voiceover during those scenes. This also helps with those pauses because we the viewers are to deduce if they are thinking or talking to themselves. I wish we have more inner monologues to get an idea of what the character is thinking.
Side characters: The drama suffered from the too many characters/couples syndrome (TMC) that Thai BLs always want to insert. Though there were two main couples, the series kept inserting one more “couple” and hinted at a potential couple with Manaow that went nowhere. Now, this is done intentionally by directors who are looking to expand the dramas into another season, but with director New, no one ever knows if his dramas will have a second season. If they do have a second season, obviously that drama will focus on the couples that did not get proper development.
SLOW BURN/PACE: Though the couple kind of gets together within a few episodes, the drama drags
Another issue for me was leaving the climax for the end and not in the middle of the story. It wasted a lot of the story.
Music: As always P’New relies on Boy for the music. He is a great singer and his songs are always perfect for BL dramas, but I wish that his music wasn’t as repeated as much in nearly all of the poignant scenes. Those scenes would have benefited from a melody instead of a lyrical song. Also, often the music was louder than expected and for me that was distracting.
Plot Holes galore: So many plot holes, so little time spent on clearing them up.
In the end, it's an okay drama to watch when things are slow or no BLs are airing. The cast did the best they could with what they got.
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A waste of actors
This review is intended to offer you my opinion of the series. It is not intended to sway you from watching it as I believe that we all have different tastes and opinions. I personally like to review stories to give people a different perspective.The story was the continuation of Kiss Me again the Series. I don't think for a minute this followed Kiss Me universe and I say this because the main couple, Pete and Kao, are totally different from Kiss Me. So personally, I wouldn't count them in the same world.
The acting was sub-par to what I know some of these actors are capable of doing. Tay Tawan, who I find to be one of the most adorable Thai Actors out there, was the only one to give his character some nuance and development, but even so, in the end, the script fell flat. Newwie, who I found so cute in Kiss Me again and in Sotus, lacked so much acting in DBK. The whole puppy/doe eyed and sometimes flat facial expressions distracted me from the drama. Initially I could empathize with his character, but after a while I just couldn't connect with him and it had a lot to do with his acting.
For the second couple, I wasn't really into their story, but it was watchable. Again, this was due to a very juvenile script and the Telenovela treatment they got.
The supporting actors were honestly great. Even Non (AJ) was so good at being the "villain" that some people really hated him, so I say great job to AJ for being good. I mentioned in the comments before that the real MVPs in this drama were Rain, Kao's mother and Pete's father. I found them to be really well casted and I liked that they supported each boy.
Music was bad. And I mean, really bad...and it's a shame because I learned a few episodes back that the director was the same from He's coming to me (an amazing BL drama and I highly recommend it) and in that drama he and his team picked the best and most nostalgic music to go with the script/story. I would have loved better music for DBK.
Look the drama wasn't horrible, but it really lacked a lot. It could have been a great BL if they had left out at least 70% of the Non drama and focused on Kao's coming out. I find that would have been a better story-line. I still say it's watchable if you have nothing going on and want to waste some time for a new BL, but it was disappointing to me considering how much hype it was getting.
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This review may contain spoilers
This is a subjective review. It is my opinion on what I thought about this piece of work. You may agree or disagree with my opinion. I am not here to discourage anyone from watching anything, please follow your own instincts about what you would like to see. Finally decided to watch the last episode. I was scared too after some of the warnings people were writing, but I was able to just suck it up (buttercup) and watch it. I'm glad I did.
If Rape, Bullying, Cyber-Bullying, gossip, rumors aren't your thing, then this drama isn't going to be on your list of must watch. This drama also deals with societal and family pressures (especially in Asian culture) I will say prepare yourself mentally to watch some scenes that might trigger something.
This was an emotional filled roller-coaster of a mini-drama. It was a bittersweet reality check that often doesn't get told in the BL world. Statistically, women and girls are abused and raped at an alarming rate, however, for men and boys those numbers are not a clear-cut because majority of them do not report their abuse and rape. The ramifications of such violence against a person, be a woman or a man, is so far reaching that it doesn't end just when the act is done, but the effects are felt for years. This drama touched on some of the traumas that victims go through, such as; shame; guilty, depressions, suicidal ideations; isolation, anxiety, PTSD etc. It also showed how some people still view rape as "business as usual" when Keng's parents believed that the offense could easily be fixed with money. Now, while some may frown upon Shin's acceptance of the money, I believe that him the victim, should get to decide how he wants to cope with his victimization.
Characters were well portrayed by the actors. The story itself was really good and I was pleasantly surprised when finally a heavy topic such as rape and assault was not glamorize or romanticized as a trope. It was handled very well. I felt despair for these characters.
I also loved that the directors and writers highlighted without putting in our face, what a healthy relationship could be...Pramote and Bright were the opposite of Shin and Keng. Though we didn't see their development, there were subtle hints that they cared for each other and Bright's personality and how he put Keng on notice about his sick behavior showed that Bright would always have Pramote's well-being in mind, unlike Keng. We get caught up with the violent and psychotic nature of Keng and Shin's story that we almost missed the point that there are healthy same sex relationships as well.
I really feel that this drama wrapped up what can happen with people in such situations in a realistic way. Though the ending is not what I had hoped for, not having clarity as to what happens is better than what the books this is based on tells us.
I don't see myself watching this again. Once is enough for me, but that doesn't mean it wasn't a good series...it was and that the actors and the team behind it really did their best to give us an in your face not glamorized series about topics that are often taboo or brushed under the rug.
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This review may contain spoilers
This review is intended to offer you an opinion of what I thought about this drama. It is not intended to sway you in anyways. SPOILERS:
OMG YES!!! What a satisfying ending to such an interesting drama. This drama is interesting to watch, but you must have an open mind. If you aren't into cheating, pseudo incest-relationships (that is Nira and her uncle-in-law kissing etc), gender identity/transgender identity, revenge for the sake of revenge, etc...you will not enjoy this. However, we should always remember that there are lessons to learn from dramas like this.
WARNING:
This drama deals with lots of human issues.
1) transgender identities/gender identities
2) cheating
3) domestic violence
4) Mental Illness
5) Suicide
6) Cross dressing
7) Niece (who used to be a nephew) falling in love with uncle-in-law
You name it, it has it. It was a very well acted drama and every single actor did well in bringing their characters to life. MY GOD, that young woman playing Nira was amazing. I have never seen any of her work, but I have read from others how good she is, and I must say she really gave Nira a voice.
My second favorite character, believe it or not, was her father. He was introduced as an abusive, narcissistic, shallow and bigoted person. He was for intents and purpose a character you hated through the whole series until before the last two episodes, where he was humbled by learning the secret of who Nira was. Yes, as a viewer we are led to hating such a person, but his entire flawed nature as well as his realizing how horrible he had been showed how much range and development that character had. He was brought down from his high horse so to speak. I really loved the way his character did a complete 180 and became someone I actually sort of felt pity for. True he was a cheater and abusive to his wife and child, but losing his son did hurt him in some way. And then to find out he was now Nira, but still lost her when she left, left him as a shell of a man.
I was also surprised with the aunt. She was so unlikable and really selfish, just like her brother, but it was sort of sweet how she took care of him in the end and how she also felt sadness for what she did to Nira. It doesn't completely erase how horrible she had been initially, but again just like her brother's character, she too grew and showed more sides of her.
I was completely HAPPY with the ending we got. I was all for Nira either being alone, but happy with herself, than together with her uncle. Their relationship was doomed from the start. IT was obvious.
Nira had some deep seeded hate and her mental illness did not help. She needed to find herself and who she wanted to be, before even thinking of having a healthy normal relationship with ANYONE. I am so glad, that despite her suicide attempt, the drama ended with her staying alive and learning to love herself.
Supporting cast was also great!
Fantastic cast.
Music was nice and nostalgic
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This review may contain spoilers
This review is intended to be a personal opinion. I do not encourage or discourage people from watching what they like. It is intended to give you an idea of what to expect, but I always say, "watch and make your own judgement."IF you like a series that has drama and gives you a heartache as well as headache, this is the one for you. Be warned, you will find yourself wanting to go through the tv or computer screen (what ever device you are watching this from) and shake all of the characters and yell "snap out of it" (thank you Cher!) I for one enjoyed the story.
Why the warning? Because...
This series it's frustrating, it's not fluffy, it can be annoying at times, but it's also funny, it's engaging, it tears at your most basic needs when it comes to love and unrequited love. The characters are so flawed that most times we either cheer for them or boo them. While some may find the premise of the story annoying, I'm actually happy that we got to see a different side of relationships. Not all relationships are stable, not all relationships are rainbows and unicorns, sometimes they are a bit toxic or imbalance in the sense that someone gives more than 50% while the other takes more from it. It was a well acted drama nonetheless.
Khai is an unlikable character in the beginning of the story. He is narcissistic, arrogant, self-centered and a man-who*re. But he is a college student who lives his life as he sees fit, regardless of who he hurts so long as he gets what he wants. Those attributes are a turn off for many viewers, but Khai is a character that does exist in real life. By the middle of the series, we still don't see what's so great about him other than his looks, but we are told to believe that he has some great redeeming qualities. It is why Third is in love with him. Which brings me to another point, WHY IS HE in love with Khai? We never really get to know this. However, Khai does start to show some good qualities, such as when he tried to not interfere between Third and An when he believed them to be together.
Third in the beginning of the series was a character many people empathize with and wanted to protect, but from my point of view, he was equally to blame for his own misery. He had plenty of reason to move on from his love from Khai (specially when Khai treated him like crap) yet didn't. But, this type of character again, does exist in the real world and some people have a hard time learning to love themselves enough to say "I'm better than this and I can find someone better than him."
CAST:
Gun as always takes on the character's story and gives it life. He is able to portray the flaws of the character excellently and you believe him 100%.
Off's acting has improved quite a lot from his previous works, While many may be used to his comedic side, it's nice to see that he can have range in acting. He portrayed an unlikable character quite well, evident by how many viewers did not cheer for him.
White: His character was a great supportive friend to Third. At times I actually said, "Third go for Two"
The rest of the cast did really well in driving the story along and while I would have loved to see more of the side BL couple of Earth and White, it's typical of Thai BLs to never truly develop secondary couples.
onto the Technical stuff
Cinematography: Amazing use of color, wide-shots, close shots, Etc. The team took great care in the way they filmed this .Music: Amazing music and great use of it in the drama. Did not seem out of place at all.
Inspiration: I really enjoyed that the drama was centered around classic romc-coms and that each episode was titled after those movies.
Cons: I didn't like the trope of the teacher and student relationship. It wasn't organic and just belittled both characters in my opinion.
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A Sweet Supernatural Boyslove drama you will fall in love with.
He's Coming To Me is a supernatural drama about Mes, a young man who mysteriously died and is unable to reincarnate in a new life due to his unfinished business. As the years pass, Mes who lives in the cemetery and watches as the living visit their loved ones who have passed during the "ghost festival" celebration , meets a young boy [Thun/Than] who is able to see him. The two begin a friendship that lasts for several years, until one day Thun/Than doesn't come to see him. The two reconnect years later when Thun/Than is already in college. Thus begins an adventure in where Thun/Than is determined to find out how Mes died so he is able to reincarnate. Unbeknownst to them, the intricacies of their friendship and the mystery surrounding Mes' death, will eventually translate to them falling in love. The question then becomes: How can a ghost and living person fall in love and can they live together happily? or Will Mes be able to reincarnate?This drama brings together the lovable Singto Prachaya with Ohm Pawt Chittsawangdee. Both are very well known in the Boys Love (BL) sphere for their dramas. Singto has played many different types of characters, but his portrayal of Kongpop in Sotus/Sotus S catapulted him to the top of the most sought after actors in Thailand and I would even argue in many parts of Asia. His acting range is not limited to the gay characters he has played, but when it comes to BL, any production team that hires him will not be disappointed. Likewise, Ohm is most famously known for his role as Frame in Make it Right the series, a character that has cemented him as an actor to look out for in future dramas. As a couple in this drama, both have undeniable chemistry and somehow they bring out the best in their acting.
The Script is amazing. Not having read the novel it is based on, my critique of it is limited to the drama itself. It is quite clear that the production team spent a lot of their time and energy in creating an amazing story for the viewers. The plot which is a combination of the supernatural and romance, has been set up quite well and it is highly supported by an amazing acting cast. The meshing of two time periods is also done fluidly--with elements from the late 1980s-1990s blending with the modern era through music, it creates a nostalgic feeling. Likewise, the cinematography creates this nostalgic mood by its use of tones and colors, specially in the sepia spectrum.
Acting wise, everyone does an amazing job. Singto and Ohm showed great range in their acting abilities. Singto has an uncanny ability to make other actors bring out their best when in his presence. He is able to steal a scene with just a look or even a small gesture. He is arguably the best actor in this drama followed by Ohm. The rest of the cast does a good job supporting the leads and driving the story along, though it isn't always needed since much of the story focuses on Mes and Thun/Than. There are various scenes where the viewers feel emotionally invested and both Singto and Ohm deliver it in such a way that it is easy for the viewer to relate or try to comfort them. Thun's friends add the comedic elements that break up the more intense parts of the drama. It is a welcomed change of pace and it is placed in the right moments. They also bring more depth to the story. Through their intervention, Thun/Than is able to come to grips with his inner battle and through their support he is able to truly be himself. Everyone is needed in helping to develop the main characters's stories as well as helping the story be successful.
I highly recommend this drama, specially when you have nothing more to watch in the mean time. I would wager that this is going to be on the best BL dramas to come out in 2019 and so far is on the top of my list. I also look forward to more acting projects between Singto and Ohm. They seem to have a great chemistry.
ALSO because I know this is a common question BL fans always have,; is this a happy ending? YES it absolutely is.
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This review may contain spoilers
What a great Anthology of special episodes for each of the most beloved BL dramas in Thailand. An excellent way to fill in some plot holes for each of these couples. The creative team/director were smart in the way they divided the episodes for each couple, ending with Kong/Art (arguably one of the most popular ships in BL sphere). Rating this by episode will be difficult for me, as I have a special place for three of these couples, but what really surprised me the most was the Tee/Mork Episode which I must admit---I stopped watching their drama at episode 6 because it was a total mess---. However, this special episode showed just how much potential these two have in creating a believable relationship. Their plot was cliche as can be, but it was still so well acted.
I will say that all of the episodes had the right balance of romance, angst, conflict and disagreements. It left me asking for more when it was over. I also enjoyed the little easter eggs (such as Puppy Honey being featured in Kiss me again) and how they mentioned things that these actors had done in real life--such as the Japan trip for Tay/New.
Music was good and the rewatch value is also good. I have repeated Kiss me again and Sotus three times already. I'm sure My tee will also be repeated because I just really enjoyed it. What a nice surprise.
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This review may contain spoilers
I had planned to review this a while ago, but totally forgot about it. Anyways, the continuation of YF and HQ's story broken down into 4 mini episodes. At first these episodes were such a great treat, because we got to see and know that they are still together and are still very much in love. I loved the way that YF just seemed so happy and relaxed, a total opposite of how he was with his previous partner---letting us the viewers know that he wasn't happy before but now with HQ he has found that happiness. Likewise, HQ also seems more cheeky and playful and not at all the depressed downtrodden mess that he was before. Alas, it is all revealed to be a dream that YF is having, a subconscious need to have HQ with him in his arms and in his life. Despite this being all a dream, this only solidified to us that they are still together and that HQ has one year left of study in America. He has also traveled back and forth to be with YF so their love seems to only grow stronger the more apart they are. I had wished that at the end we could have gotten a small snippet/scene of HQ at the airport with his luggage ready to return to YF. It would have brought everything full circle.
I particularly liked that it was just the two of them in these episodes, because they didn't have that many scenes together in DB&M so that was another treat.
I wish for more from this drama, but I know that this will probably be it for HQ and YF. DB&M is a story not for many BL lovers because it is a really messy love drama that takes realistic liberties and you have to be ready to accept that people do cheat , some stay together out of "loyalty or indebted" and that often not everyone gets a happy ending or the happy ending they had hoped for.
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Cliches are treated realistically for the most part.
Have you ever asked yourself, “if I wanted to introduced someone into the world of Boys Love drama series, what would be the first recommendation I would make?” As someone who has been reading and watching Boy Love content for nearly fifteen years of my life, I made my first trip into the BL drama series by watching a few Chinese dramas that were circulating on the web. I began to explore more of the genre, which led me to gems such as Sotus (the first one), Love sick, HIStory the complete anthology and so on. However, now that I am a bit more knowledgeable and have watched a fair number of series from different countries, if I were to make a recommendation to a new fan, I would simply say that Love By Chance (LBC) is definitely where they want to start. There is so much I can write about this drama. I don’t usually recommend dramas to people because we all have different tastes. However, I feel that this drama was well done even with some missed opportunities here and there.Edited to include comments regarding the last episode.
Why you ask? (spoilers ahead) LONG REVIEW AHEAD
The drama is cliche as any other drama---Rich kid falls for poor kid and vice versa (or poor girl marries into rich family if we are speaking in the heterosexual genre) The two come from two completely different world and were raised differently. Rich kid is shy, introverted, polite, has a low expectation of himself, low self esteem. Poor kid on the other hand is, honest, to the point, explosive in nature (his feelings), knows has faults but doesn’t let those flaws define him, sweet and a protector of sorts. So the two are complete opposites and they as the cliche saying goes “opposites attract”. However, these two also help each other become better for themselves and for others.
Consent: This drama is all about being “woke”...without getting too political I just want to say that in the midst of this “#metoo” movement, it’s refreshing to watch a drama where characters are always asking for consent--to kiss, to touch, to have sex. Often, as I mentioned in the beginning, many of the BLs I have watched have normalized drunken sex (where one party is drunk and has sex with another person who isn’t drunk...someone is drunk they cannot consent, no matter how HOT that character is.) Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not out to lynch anyone for liking those types of scenes, but when the default sex between a couple who is of the same sex is that one is drunk, then we have a problem. Sending the signal that it’s okay to have sex with someone drunk is wrong. (How to know when it’s wrong? Ask yourself, would you be okay if the drunk person had been a woman?) I bet most will say NO it would not be okay, so why would it be okay for it to be the default for two boys in a drama? That's why I was conflicted with the Kengkla/Techno pairing because their story does rely on this trope. However, the director wisely left this until the very last episode and while they still romanticized it and made "drunken sex/rape" something "acceptable" by the offended person, I can easily say you can chose to ignore that scene and the drama would still be a good one to watch.
Communication: It was surprising how easy most problems were resolved by communicating! Who knew that talking it out instead of prolonging the problem work? [sarcasm on] This is one thing that seems to evade other dramas, where a character is having a problem or a couple is having a communication issue and instead of dealing with it head on, they let it fester until a bigger problem arises. However, in LBC Ae/Pete talk their problems out making this a very healthy relationship. Even if they don't speak for a few hours, they come back and address the issue head on.
Chemistry: ON POINT! With every character. Ae/Pete, Pond/ChaAim, even Tin-Can though I didn’t get into them until much later. I really loved that we had actors willing to go the extra mile and not seem robotic in their intimate acting. Kisses seemed natural, hugging and touching seemed like they wanted to do it and not like they were “gay for pay” acting. Perth and Saint really sold their pairing well and I’m a sucker for small intimacy such as fingers touching, gentle tapping etc, so there was a lot of that. Only thing I would have loved is for more pecks here and there, but I’ll take what they gave us.
Friendship goals: This drama had it right the minute they introduced the friendships among all of the characters. It was great to see so many people root and support their friends, because let’s be honest, in real life same sex couples have many supportive friends, but in BLs sometimes that isn’t highlighted as much as it should and often it seems as if the leads are ALONE in their journey-with families being opposed to the relationship or with someone trying to break them apart-so to see a group of college friends support, tease and encourage each other just made me extremely happy. POND will forever be known as the best CUPID in all of the BL world. He was undoubtedly the MVP of this drama. If we were to rank favorite characters, my list will always include him in the top 3.
Sexual orientation: I was so happy to have a series where the lead knew he was gay, accepted it and never lied about it. I also appreciated that Ae was not sure of his sexual orientation and even when he was not sure, he was completely taken in by Pete and all he knew was that “oh this is the one, the person/soul that I was waiting for but didn’t know.” I know some people complained about his “I like you because you are you” but Ae had no experience in the love department. Pete was his first literally in everything.
Parents: How refreshing to have a mother who is so supportive of her gay son and so much so that she even gets close to his boyfriend. The actress did such a great job of showing what a mother who supports her child will be like. Yes she was upset learning about his sexual orientation the way she did, but she also allowed her son to come to her and confess, not once mentioning what happened prior. And the way she held him and told him “you are my son” just proved that a mother’s love for her child sees beyond what the sexual orientation of that child is. Ae’s parents were also supportive, though they seem to be oblivious to the boys dating. But part me of wonders if they have an inkling to the relationship...there is something in the way Ae’s mother and brother hinted at it, but were totally okay with them.
Villains: Trump was a good villain. His character was believable and the good thing is that he didn’t last long. Tin, yes he was a villain sort of...but the right kind of villain that shows us that people are not just GOOD or BAD, but there are many layers to them. He redeemed himself and that shows that people CAN change (see what I did there LoL) Chompoo--Also not a villain, though for a few episodes she was hated...Dali...lets not mention this one.
Rape and Depression: This topic is such a heavy one to try and digest in a drama series, but in LBC it has so far been handled okay. However, this is only because we have only scratched the surface of the problem. If a second season is green-lighted, I hope it will focus on this and that it gets treated with the utmost care.
Music, Scenery, filming: the use of music was an exceptional tool in this drama. The right music played at the right time and it completely changed once scene to another. The filming and scenery was also nicely done. Cinematography was on point.
The CONs…
Introduction of women as a way to bring romance drama is not only cliche but sometimes not realistic. Sometimes I wonder with all of these dramas depicting women who break relationships as something that happens in real life all the time?? I mean I know there are women out there who when scorned will do whatever they can to break someone apart, but is that really true for every gay couple? Seems to cheapen the experience and like normalization of drunken sex, sends a message that women interested in gay men will do whatever they can to sabotage the relationship, when in the real world, I don’t think it happens as much as it is depicted. If anything, there are more females who support their gay friends...
Too many couples, too little time: This drama suffered from having too many couples, when the focus should have been on the main pairing and one side pairing. The reason I say this, is not because I don’t like the other couples, but because realistically speaking, 14 episodes is not enough for 4 couples. Which is the reason why the Kla/No and Tum/Tar pairing suffered a great deal of missed opportunities. I understand that perhaps because the director was under the impression that they would have a second season, but then the company dropped them in the middle of finishing the first season, they had not hope of a second season being picked up and just tried to introduce all of the stories in one go so we could all at least see where their stories would have gone. I was really looking forward to more development of the other couples. I do hope a second season is picked up. What they should have done was given these couples the minutes/episodes the director spent on Chompoo and Dali..since those girls disappeared anyways...what a missed opportunity that was.
Drunken sex/Rape: While in the real world this does happen more often than people realize, I still think that BLs have an unhealthy relationship with using this trope as a way to get couples together. In a real world most people would not get together with their rapist, so I always side-eye dramas that use this. However, as I mentioned earlier, because they had left that scene for the end, people were not distracted or put off by it through the entire series and can chose to ignore the last episode if they wish.
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This review may contain spoilers
I'm a big fan of this type of silly everyday comedic story involving BL. IT isn't the greatest dramedy (Drama+Comedy) out there, but it's something that helps entertain you when you have nothing to do or watch. Cast: For the most part, everyone was attractive, funny and actually looked their age. Often, I watch BLs where the actors are extremely young playing older characters or the other way around. Though it is clear these boys are new to the acting world, they weren't too bad. Like someone else mentioned, lots of awkward acting/pauses.
one thing for sure, they were not shy at all to do play or pretend for the sex rated parts.
Story:
I liked that they touched on various subject matters such as; cheating, jealousy, trust and loyalty. I liked that there was something for everyone, from switching roles in the bedroom, to crushes and naive clueless characters. I was one of those people who was rooting so much to T and G from the start and was quite surprised when he ended up with B-whom was the least mature of the three amigos. It was also refreshing to see a Top (T) who could put aside his ego to please his love B though B was an A*hole for pulling the tricks he pulled.
Overall, it's an okay silly drama. Lots of eye candy for sure and lots of moments when you have to cackle out loud with how ridiculous the situations these boys find themselves in. Some of it is outrageous but totally believable. It reminds me a lot of Diary of a Toosie with how silly they are, but they also can handle serious subjects well. I also love the friendship between the boys and how they look out for each other.
I say watch it if you want a good laugh and want to look at hot men.
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Onto that part then. If you like BL dramas (I actually like any drama, but lately BLs have been taking over my life) then you will definitely like the way Pete and Kao's relationship evolves. It's the typical "I hate you to then I like you" story line, but it was nice to see. Pete's cockiness and his bad boy attitude wanted me to punch him at times, but he made it up with the way he would look at Kao, not realizing that he was falling for him. I also liked Kao's way of putting himself and his feelings first and making it clear to Pete that he could not play with him and his feelings. It was so refreshing to see a character that put their needs and feelings first in order to protect themselves.
Aside from that, I also liked the way the ex-girlfriend was not made into a villain in the end. She was a bit needed and manipulative, but she also had some moments were you could empathize with her and realize that people are not just bad, they can be good and they can also change for the better.
I still don't see how this series flows into Kiss me, because it seemed like here June was aware of Pete and Kao's attraction, but in Kiss me, he was totally clueless. We also didn't see much of Sandee who was the only person to know their relationship (what the hell happened to Sandee btw?) The fact that Pete's father found out, albeit though the evil scheme of the ex-girlfriend-was a good touch, because the boys had someone else on their side. I also believe that Kao's mother was hinting at her knowing they liked each other and it's nice to see parents support their children.
If you want to see the drama for just the BL, then you won't be disappointed (I suggest Lazysubber as she is the only one who has the BL parts in order and translated). If you want to see it for the other couples, then go head and watch it. This drama suffered from too many characters syndrome and I just couldn't commit to the other couples because they were not to my liking. Some of the pairings were super annoying from the bit that I watched and that's why I stopped following the whole thing.
Cons: MY GOD those long a&& commercial promos in the drama. Why were they always given to Pete and Kao? That soup company truly invested a lot of money into that drama. Pete and Kao spent on average two minutes just making that soup and slurping it--2 minutes we could have had of more character development.
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ACTING: Spot on. The chemistry between EVERY SINGLE character was great.
The Senior and the Junior were amazing in the push/pull and they had me confused throughout the entire 8 episodes as to who was the top or bottom, which, meant the directors and actors did a GREAT job showing viewers that in gay relationships you don't always have to have SET ROLES. These two very well seem to be the type that switches and that's so refreshing to see in a BL drama. Can we talk about THOSE KISSES? Whoah, they give Bernard and Teddy a run for their money (though Bernard and Teddy are still the top couple to beat in the HIStory series in terms of chemistry and kissing...IMO)
The Senior and his sister: Super cute and I can relate as an older sibling myself. We would do anything for our little sisters/brothers even when they are annoying or impossible. However, it was also nice to see the sister support her brother in the end and actually go and talk to the junior.
The step-brothers: Although I am tired of the step-brother trope in mangas, I wasn't too put off by these brothers here. They were adorable and they had great facial expressions and played off each other's characters really well.
The team captain: MY GOSH what a great comedic best friend. He was sooooo hilarious and totally a character that people probably have in their lives.
The opposing team twins: Brief introduction to the series, but their antics were quite memorable. Kudos to the production team for playing with viewers when they had one of the twins take an eyelash from the other.
STORY: I have watched several dramas where sports are the main them, and I liked that Volleyball was the one they picked here. I used to play in a team as a kid so it was nostalgic for me. However, it was a backdrop for the romance, so it wasn't too central, which is okay. I also loved that it was a junior after a senior, usually we have the senior going after the junior.
Music: Both OSt were okay, not that memorable like the other HIStory stories, but it was still enjoyable.
Re-watch value: Easily see myself watching these episodes again. There was some things I missed due to some videos not being fully translated, so I'm going to repeat them after I find all of the subbed episodes and not just scenes of the episode.
Overall: really glad that this story was made and I hope that the HIStory team is able to produce more.
My top 3 HIStory stories
1) Obsessed
2) Right or wrong
3)Boundary Crossing
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This review may contain spoilers
Since the series ended I will give my honest review on this drama. Long post ahead *warning: Spoilers*WTD really is WTF but in a good and bad way. This story was entertaining while at the same time frustrating. IT;s the kind of drama you watch when there isn't anything else going on, but still find yourself enjoying it. I will admit that I wasn't going to give it a chance but I changed my mind when I watched the second episode, only because it felt refreshing and the actors were so good with their chemistry. It's a must watch in my opinion if you want to take a break from Thai BLs that focus on school boys (I want to burn those darn blue school shorts I swear) and watch something where the actors are age appropriate and totally believable.
Lets talk about the Couples:
Pop and Mo: The same trope in many BL-specially in Thai BLs. Where we have a couple where the girlfriend is annoying or totally incapable of accepting the reality that the relationship she is in, just isn't working and instead of letting it go on good terms, they want to force it. AT first I kind of like their relationship and totally understood why Pop wanted to keep his relationship with Mo going. He truly cared for her and she for him, no doubt about that. However, once their feelings started changing, Mo should have taken a hike and saved her self some headache---She even had a prince waiting for her (that is his name LOL). It's hard to let go of a nearly 4 year relationship, but they were not in the same boat after each had their own careers to think about.
Pop and Oat: These two were seriously cute from the beginning. Oat was at times such a jokester and annoying, but underneath all that was a very sweet boy who didn't have a clue what love truly was and falling for Pop was the best thing that happened to him. Through his weird friendship with Pop, he was able to right his life in a way and redirect his focus from gambling to other things. While their sweet moments were few and slow, I liked the progression because it felt natural instead of forced. Pop still isn't sure about his feelings for Oat, but he knows he feels something for the big jokester. With that said, be prepared for a SLOW progression of their so called relationship*you've been warned*
Pree and Rambo: Talk about dysfunctional relationships! These two take the cake. I have been very critical of these two because I allowed myself to be annoyed by fans of Art the actor and how they think his character was being "used and abused" and it was really disappointing to see how people can't differentiate between fiction and reality. Art may be the cutest thing on this earth, but the character he plays is one of the most manipulative childish characters I have ever seen. He not only did not stand up to his father in order to save his relationship with Pree, but he also went onto sleeping with different people and later exposed Pree to potentially transmitted disease and to top it off continued to lie about it to Pree. I have said that I live for messy relationships, but I ain't going to lie and say I liked this one too much. What I did like about their relationship, is that this happens way too often in real life and many BL dramas don't even bother touching on these issues. Pree is not without faults, but in this relationship, he gave Rambo lots of chances to not only come clean about his cheating, but also with saving their relationship. Some people commented on how he was a "fault" for his failed relationship and I just didn't see it that way. Both had faults, but
Pree and Pop--while I may be in the minority here (I do like them as an end game if that were to be the case), I don't think it should be right for Pree to go after Pop since Pop dated his sister. I understand that Pree was in love with Pop first, but it was his own fault for not taking a step in confessing at the time. Still, a tiny part of me would love to see Pree happy even if it isn't with Pop. If Rambo gets his act together *which doesn't seem to be the case based on that last episode*, then maybe I might root for them to get back together, but as it stands, Pree is better off alone and trying to find what it is he wants in a partner.
All of the cast had great chemistry .
Music: I really really love the OSTs...The beginning song is so beautiful when the actor who plays Oat sings it in the last episode. His voice is quite pleasing and the slow take on the song was a nice arrangement. The ending song is also really beautiful and has such a sad melody that you know it will probably foreshadow the real ending of the series. *If you have read the novel or seen the spoilers, then you know what I mean*
Scenery, themes, etc...It was so nice watching a drama that wasn't in a school setting or in dark apartments.
There is more I want to say, but I'm going to watch the two last episodes again cause I know I missed some things.
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Lets talk about the couple! Can we get an -AMEN! Finally a top/lead who is straight (no pun intended) forward about his feelings, his actions and doesn't give two Fs about society or what others think? Like seriously, this was a total turn on! Finally, someone who understands the pressure society can have on your choice of partner, but who was willing to say "screw you society and your societal norms, I love this man and I want him!" Often I watch BLs where the so called straight person who suddenly turns gay is not willing to admit their feelings much less fight for their relationship and wants to keep it a secret. However, in this series we have the opposite and it was refreshing to say the least.
Love the second lead (I'm horrible with names, I'll come back to edit this later when I finally learn them all) specially when he declared to the ex-wife that Shi Jie(??) was his and that Yo Yo though technically hers, was still his too. I liked that he had doubts about his relationship because we got to see a more complex character. Usually characters like him in BLs are depicted as one-dimensional and I'm glad we got to see more about his motives for what he does or say!
Also, supporting characters-the friends. They were what you hope real friends are. Supportive, understanding, knock you on the head when you need it, give you advice you may not want to hear but really need to know...Etc. Best friend was amazingly supportive and no longer the side-girl who somehow in most BL dramas end up being the "other love interest" or the one plotting to sabotage the relationship. She was refreshing and sweet and cheered on her friend from a place of true support for him.
The ex-wife--The trope of all tropes when it comes to Straight men falling for gay men, and their straight female exes being the crutch to their happiness. Loved that her role was brief and that her own brother called her out on how manipulative she was being and unfair to her child and herself. As fast as she came, she was gone and that made me give this drama higher points, because I'm truly sick of dramas where they drag this scene out.
Music--Top notch, but I didn't find myself liking the choices as much as I did for the first season. Easy Chen truly ruined it for me because now I expect him to sing for every BL Taiwanese drama (LOL)
Setting/Directing/etc...everything was actually good
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