I'd probably go crazy if I heard those birds scream everynight.

I think this film was packed with too much symbolism which I could not pick up on (e.g. the birds). It was honestly an ok film, I just can't find anything to really appreciate about it.

I think the ML's writing could've been explored a lot more. I keep thinking about him talking about his novel and him just describing what happened in his relationship. Like, completely conspicuous. And for the ML, I would've liked to see her past relationship a bit more as well. And also a bit more of their relationship beforehand when they were just mere acquaintances. We only got one scene from when they were just acquaintances/friends. It would have been interesting to look at, what I would describe as the ML's obsessiveness, a bit more.

It felt quite depressing and gloomy at times despite nothing in the present day was bad. In fact, they shared quite a lot of good moments together. I did find it to be almost hopeful at times.

I will say that I totally skipped over the sex scene, and the make out one the next morning which the FL resists at least twice before she just gives in.

I would definitely watch it again to see if I could actually pick up on anything new. Especially because of how good the acting was.

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To be honest, I don't fully know how I feel about this film.

The concept was quite enticing, but completely predictable. I already knew what had happened and also how it was going to end quite early on. And it was quite on the shorter side. I do think they could've tried to expand it just a bit and made it slightly longer. And even though I saw a lot of it coming, I was still very interested to see whether it would end in the way I had predicted.

There was quite a bit of symbolism that I did not understand. There was a blue feather which the MC does explain, I just don't remember what he said about it. There's also a painting involved. And I'm sure if I knew the painting, I would understand the film much better. There was also some stuff around motherhood from two different perspectives - a mother, and someone who doesn't have a mother.

Some moments/things I want to mention:
- towards the beginning, the MC says something like, 'your otaku son is really weird yanno. He only ate curry. Who does he thing he is, an Indian?' It caught me off guard so I had to rewind it so I could laugh for a two minutes straight. (I am ethnically Indian btw)
- +1 for the otaku son having the same DS as me
- +1 again for the otaku son's mother crocheting in the film. I had my own project next to me so I picked it up so we could crochet together lmao, but we hold our hooks differently.

I found it quite uncomfortable at times, but I liked that. But it wasn't out there enough for me, personally, I enjoyed the process of watching it, but I don't have much to discuss beyond that.

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This was disappointingly bad...

The premise is that Japan has made sex illegal. That's it. It's only been 15 years, I think, since this law was passed.

Truthfully, I can't really think about one positive comment to make about this, so I'll just pass on this for now.

The drama follows a high school boy being exposed to underground sex. Essentially, a place where people go to have sex. It kind of reminds me of Love Whirlpool since they just hump people (sometimes strangers) all in one room. The nudity isn't too much, in my opinion, and I just tended to skip over the scenes. A lot of the slightly sexual scenes, particularly the ones with the ML are very awkward, for obvious reasons, since this is all new to him. I do feel bad for him though; his crotch was grabbed a lot by a bunch of different people - including adults...

The story. Well, Japan does like their quirky stories, particularly the ones which involve sex. But this just fizzled out. This could have given a better commentary. I did find it weird that the adults didn't really question why sex became illegal, and I thought that was really weird, to be honest. Instead, we have the ML's mum shaming him over a wet dream. It isn't until the end where we find out why it's illegal. I don't have much to say about the reason, because I really don't remember it.

There was also a bit of sexual harassment and assault which I don't think did much. It felt weird that it was being included in a story about illegal sex without there being a clear distinction between the two.

So yeah, I didn't like it.

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Favourite comfort drama of 2023

*story*
Nice and simple and just involves 3 characters meeting up to eat good homemade food and make amazing memories together.

*characters*
The main 3 characters are all so distinct from each other. Tane and his big brother, Minoru, have such a sweet and genuine relationship, and seeing Yutaka with them is so great and fun as well. All in all, this is definitely character-driven.

*music*
I think it fits the drama perfectly.

*Overall*
It's definitely something I want to re-watch on a winter afternoon. It'll make you feel less lonely and more inspired to eat homecooked meals.

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The 5283 beginning service

It was great and that's all that matters lmao

It was nice to be reunited with these characters again, despite feeling quite different from the first season to the point that they almost felt like different dramas.

I do think that the beginning two episodes weren't amazing at setting up the season because I did find myself a bit confused with what happened. But episode 4 was HILARIOUS.

I don't think the running storyline throughout wasn't really compelling enough for me at all times, and there were certain things that I was expecting that didn't end up happening which is ok. To be fair, it did feel slightly less dark and I doo feel like I've seen certain storylines in other kdramas specifically, e.g. the cult week episodes.

Still a solid season with characters I still love <3

ps don't take this review too seriously, I just want to make my mark to able to remember that I watched this as it aired.

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It's nice to be reunited with Kiyoi and Hira once again.

The main thing I want to say is that this drama is self-aware. Season 1 was weird to some people because Hira has this sort of reverse god complex which he projected onto Kiyoi. But at the end of the day, we all know Hira's feelings and opinions towards Kiyoi aren't necessarily the best. Hira has created this parasocial relationship towards Kiyoi in the same way people do towards celebrities, despite actually knowing him. Kiyoi explains it perfectly in the end of episode 3 by saying Hira prefers unrequited love. Hira views Kiyoi as a God, without considering the fact that Kiyoi has his own feelings and likes Hira back. However, Hira is insecure in himself to realise Kiyoi could actually like him. All Kiyoi wants is to feel equal. We saw this in season 1, and despite everything, they were able to be together, but this is only lasting so long in season 2.

Also, I feel like the acting has gotten even better. And I love the opening - both the song and the graphics.

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This was mediocre at most

😭😭 I'm actually disappointed with how much I disliked this.

This drama had nothing much to offer, in all honesty. The story seemed pretty interesting, especially coming from Japan which dominates the gaming industry. However, they went in a different direction where, in my opinion, there wasn't enough of a constant plot to link the entire drama. Don't get me wrong, there was an attempt, but somehow, there lacked consistency and coherence. There were a few other problems scattered throughout which just disintegrated after being solved 20 minutes later.

The characters...I didn't mind. I've seen a lot of comments praising the bromance, but I thought that also lacked, The entire drama only focused on games, and that's it. For the two ML's, it seemed their only conversations were about making a game/taking down a company. I would've much preferred it if we saw more casual conversations sprinkled throughout with the two of them and the FL as well. The FL was also ok, but I feel like she could've had more importance. Her only relevance was that she was in charge of the family company, but her previous work experience, for example, wasn't particularly helpful. In all honesty, they were forgetful characters. All of them.

There's nothing else to really talk about, to be honest. I did see a comment calling this drama camp, and I can see that. This didn't have a good production value by the looks of it. So yes, pretty disappointing, especially as a fan of Yamazaki Kento who has been looking forward to more dramas from him.

Oh, and of course I can't be completely negative in this review, so let's go over that this drama has contributed to my life in a positive way... it introduced me to Matsushita Kouhei who I had honestly not come across before, surprisingly. Yep.

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This is so exciting!!! As an exile/LDH fan and nctzen, the idea of having them cross over is so cool to me. And even after watching it, the fact that I saw Yuta in the same frame of so many Japanese actors and singers and dancers who I also like was hard to believe. And Yuta did a really great job as Suzaki.

So, without being bias, I will say it's my favourite film out of all of them. Seeing all of Oya High together and friends was the best part for me. And of course, Kazuma's character (Fujio) is as friendly as ever which makes him endearing to watch.

I also think the character stories for Amagi and Suzaki was unique compared to other friends in this franchise. Suzaki especially because you can see in his actions and gaze that he's conflicted about a few things. And the overall message that is conveyed, mostly about friendship and unity adds to the story.

The directing and fight scenes have also gotten much better and it was really cool to see the transitions from one fight to another. And the OST was also so great, I really need to add all these songs to my playlist.

After months of anticipation and excitement, I can proudly say they they exceeded my expectations!

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This was slightly more boring than I was expecting. I was expecting the thrill to be more closer to Door Lock (2022) where the FL is really worried and suspicious of people because of the weird things happening to her. Instead, the FL was just more confused so it made her more vulnerable and for me, boring.

The antagonist's actions were also a lot more tame than I was expecting. Without spoiling it, I just think they could have done more crazy things once he had access to the main characters' devices.

I do like that there was a plot twist that wasn't related to the current stalking situation. It was pretty interesting, but I don't think there was enough build-up towards it to make me feel invested and interested in finding out the truth.

Truthfully, I was only interested in this because of the upcoming Korean adaptation , but once I saw the cast, I was a lot more excited to watch it, and I did think it fell flat, unfortunately.

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I'm not going to bother with a synopsis because I'm not sure what to write. The best I can give is: a guy who's trying to get re admitted back into a weird cult-ish elite group.

You're pretty much just thrown into a world where there's gamblings and even weird murder games. The backstories are not particularly fleshed out, which is fine because it's a 2 hour film, but I would've liked to have seen more about Yokohama Ryusei's character's backstory.

One fault(?) I would like to point out is that it was too predictable. There wasn't much tension or suspense because of that. This film can be compared to many other dramas and films and those all have much higher stakes and had a much more interesting execution, for example, the card games played.

Not really sure how I feel about the acting to be honest. It was ok but sometimes felt like characters were doing too much to come across as cool. The blonde guy was cool though.

I have no recollection of there being any music but there might have been.

This might come across as a negative review but I still had a fun time watching the film regardless. The card games were fun, especially seeing Yokohama Ryusei's character calling other characters a liar. So, it's a fun time regardless!!

One last thing to add: I need more of Yokohama Ryusei with this hair style

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oh my god... the wait is finally over

I already know there's going to be a lot of reviews for this drama, so I want to focus on something a little different for mine.

I don't think I need to convince anyone on this page to watch this drama, because assuming you've already seen season 1, you'll probably already want to continue and find out the answers to everything (which you'll get this season).

So, I want to focus on life and death. We already saw in season 1 Arisu's behaviour. He was introverted and a social outcast. And then, he's thrown into a game where you could literally lose his life, so he plays. But of course, not everything goes well, and we end up seeing Arisu's depressive behaviour, his hopelessness as he's giving up. But then, once again, he's determined to win, understand the game, and then make sure all his friends make it back with him.

Cue season 2, and we see a similar pattern where other characters start to question the meaning of life. They're sick of being in Borderland. But this time, it's Arisu who picks them to and gives them a shoulder to lean on. It's him who shows them they should try their hardest to keep living.

Seeing the backstories of the characters in season 1, and then finding out the backstories of season 2's new characters (along with Chishiya's finally), I've noticed a pattern which can link all these characters by a thread. They all question life. They wonder why the rich always succeed, whilst the weak and poor are made to suffer. This show is filled with characters who have all undergone loss in some form in their lives, and once in Borderland, it's what they choose to do with the lessons they've learnt that will ultimately help them survive. Or at least probably.

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The best thing to do is to go into this drama blind

TL; DR: It's a drama that deals with a lot of difficult issues, particularly surrounding child abuse and adults' constant abuse of power, which ends in a lot of people (especially the victims) being let down. And for the most part, it is a revenge story with main characters who want the truth to be revealed. A really interesting and eye-opening watch. (I'm sorry this review is soo long)

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You know how you’ll accidently tangle your earphones and try to undo the knots, but every time, a new, much smaller knot appears? You can’t just simply unravel it, that’s now how it works. It takes precision and dedication. And that’s how I sum up this drama. And if that sounds interesting, give it go! 🙂 And the fact that the end has to mention that children and animals were kept safe during the shooting should indicate the type of drama that this is (i.e., it deals with heavy topics which I will include in a trigger warning at the end, so no one is accidently spoiled).

So, why is it called blind? Because in a world where children are most vulnerable, they are not being protected by adults. Instead, they are broken down by the adults around them. These adults are easily able to turn a blind eye to their own wrongdoings, both in the past and present. So much so, that when karma is coming back around, they still maintain a level of blindless where they refuse to accept responsibility or even acknowledge the fact that they are shitty human beings, like literal scum. The main characters, however, refuse to be blinded by this. They work to protect people who have been wronged and get them the support they deserve.

Now, on to the actual review…

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Hm... I almost slightly regret starting this during the first week. It's a thriller. And it's confusing. Not because it's complicated, but more because you don't really know ANYTHING. But despite all that, it's very intriguing.

/PLOT/
I don't have much to say because it's a very mysterious plot. It's a drama that relies on flashbacks at the start of episodes that slowly reveal more and more like a jigsaw puzzle … that just never seems to end..? I'm eager to be able to understand everything that has happened between the flashbacks and present day, and finally connect all the puzzle pieces, yet nervous to know all the bad things that have happened.

The best one sentence synopsis I can give you is: A revenge story focusing on hurting the people around the targets/puppets, rather than the puppets themselves, with an unknown puppeteer controlling everything/everyone.

To add to that, I do think the pacing is okay. It's fast paced in the sense that it feels like the side characters are doing more of the work whilst main characters are in danger. Although this does change, it doesn't exactly feel like the plot is progressing, but I will expand upon that a bit in the next paragraph.

I did have a small gripe early on with how everything seemed so contrived. And I will say that I managed to figure out how it was possible toward the end, and it was then confirmed in the last few episodes, so I'm happy about that. They did manage to fit everything in nicely, in my opinion. Other than that, I also have to bring u the fact that SUNG JOON kept doing his police duties ALONE. He would randomly go meet up with a perpetrator in the middle of the night to arrest him by himself, despite spending the day with his team trying to find said person. Why does he not have a partner??

But since then, another annoyance came into existence (to do with choice the writers made). This will probably count as a spoiler so BEWARE and just skip this paragraph if you want to
⚠️ So, as I previously mentioned, rather than targeting the real baddies, they targeted their children. And in every single case, their children were daughters. And the kids all locked up in Hope Welfare Centre were boys. And I'm not sure why, it just feels icky, especially since nearly all of the baddies were men. So, in order for a character to exact their revenge, they targeted the children of the people they hated, without thinking about how it would affect the children of the buddies' children, for example. I can't quite explain why, but it rubs me the wrong way. Also, one girl who was killed had no connection to the Hope Welfare Centre other than knowing EUN KI. I also just don't understand why she had to be killed, or the events leading to her being in danger in the safest place for her. ⚠️

This begs the question then, when is revenge taken too far? At what point do these innocent victims exacting revenge on behalf of their childhood selves just become just as bad the perpetrators who caused them so much grief? Definitely a bit of a morality thing to consider. Also, the plot twists were good.

/CHARACTERS/
The main characters that we follow seem slightly unique compared to other thrillers. We know who the protagonists are, but as for the antagonists, they remain, to some extent, a mystery. There is also more than one antagonist. But we're not following the person exacting revenge, instead we're following three people who are also just trying to understand what is going on, just like the audience. In that sense, it's very refreshing, but it's easy to wish that they would hurry up and figure at least one thing out. I feel like the side characters know more than the actual main leads at times, which can be frustrating, especially since I'm waiting for the characters to be on the same page and understand they have a common goal.

the FL (EUN KI) is the rational mind, the third-party perspective that - for the most part - doesn’t necessarily have any personal ties to most of the characters. The two MLs on the other hand are a bit different. Whilst one is more rational (SUNG HOON) than the other, he’s still involved in a way that causes him to fight with the other ML, who happens to be his brother (SUNG JOON). Despite the annoyance some of the characters bring me, I still enjoyed watching them, and I did for the most part like them. SUNG JOON is definitely annoying towards the start because he just does not listen, but I do tend to root for him more and I like him. SUN HOON was definitely a bit boring. He did have some nice interactions with YU NA (a side character connected to EUN KI) which I appreciated for its wholesomeness. And EUN KI, EUN KI, EUN KI. My favourite character by far that pretty much just became a background character. Towards the end, she just started slowly disappearing and there were less and less scenes with her. And her contribution seemed to also dwindle and her role as a character, role in the story, and her role as a social workers became less significant. And I truly did miss seeing her by the end. I think that once more information was revealed, she writers of this drama kind of put her in her place and didn't really let her move.

/MUSIC/
In most thrillers, the music tends to be subtle, and this is no exception. It's not constantly there, but I like it when it is. If anything, this has more of a film score than anything. It's eerie and quiet and it works. For the actual OSTs that exist, I really like them. There is one song that kept being played in the final episode which I'm trying to find still.

/REWATCH/
Thrillers in general can be fun to rewatch because it's nice to be able to go back and pick up on small things and understand them better. And with a drama like BLIND, I can't wait to be able to binge watch this (probably years later) but be able to pay attention to detail a bit more, particularly the characters themselves.

/OVERALL/
I actually liked the ending, in terms of where the main characters ended up. But at the same time, I feel like justice wasn't fully served. Certain people were just slightly tossed to the side to make room/screentime for the main characters, and we didn't get to see them being fully punished because of it. And I kind of feel numb now. I'm sat her just wondering what to rate it and how I even feel about it. I am sad that it has come to an end. I had high hopes - 2022 has given us a lot of thriller kdramas, and I hope this can be added to my list of favourites with a satisfying ending! But still, I think I just want to forget about this drama for a few weeks, come back, and really deduct how I felt about this.

I also want to mention the importance of a character like EUN KI. As SUNG JOON mentions in the final few minutes, if those kids had someone like EUN KI to support them and guide them, a lot of things could have turned out differently. But of course, at the end of the day, the fault is on the people who ultimately abused their power by either abusing others, by turning their head the other way and ignoring those in pain. And I think that this drama raises those very important points.

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[02/10/2022 update - some comments I have after watching eps 5 and 6 - no spoilers] I just didn't know how to fit it into the review...

I'm almost annoyed with how slow certain things are progressing.

Also, I have a few theories on who's who but because the side characters are hardly ever seen, it's easy for us to suspect them since we hardly know them.

And some of it seems SOOO contrived and obviously fictional. E.g., what are the chances that the victims and perpetrators of a case, along with the police and judges involved and the jurors are (nearly) all somehow connected through their past (which is extremely dark). I'm expecting some very good storytelling when it comes to the mastermind behind all this considering this person has managed to get them all in the same vicinity and is messing with all of them to this extent.

I will say that SUNG JOON is so freaking impulsive that it began to bother me. He's that one character in a horror film who goes through the door when we all know he'll be killed. Like, come on!! Your brother tells you to make sure you tell him before doing something, and you just decide not to? He's constantly putting himself into situations where he could be seen as suspicious, and he doesn't seem to care...? Or realise why it's such a bad decision.

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tw // child abuse, murder, kidnapping, torturing, mentions of sexual assault

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You know those dramas you love, but admit aren't perfect, but still give a good rating to?

Yeah, this is one of those. I watched episodes 2-15 in these past 4 days and was so excited for today's last episode. And was I slightly disappointed? Yes. But do I still love this drama? Absolutely!!!

ps. This is not an actual though out review. I just want to make physical proof of my feelings after finishing this so that I can look back on this later. I may re-watch this in the future and write up an actual review in the future though

****WHY I LOVED IT***
- love being in prison. loved prison playbook and one ordinary day for that setting. and it was the same with this
- love seeing a married couple (that didn't involve infidelity). Flower of Evil showed that
- an amazing antagonist. Not the typical rich and powerful guy who is trying to cover up his scandals. It's a guy who wanted a revenge but became evil because of it. And he also used his connections to become powerful.
- lowkey loved gong jihoon. (I saw another person call him the only winner and they're so right lol). He got the happy ending he wanted and didn't have to kill someone to get there (i don't think...)

****Some things that have me slightly confused:****
- thinking back, changho could have been anyone, right? wasn't he chosen on a whim because he was "incompetent". Also, at the end of the 1st ep, they made it seem like he was going to have a really big shift in character. And when that didn't happen in ep 2, I thought he was going to get shot in prison in his head and then it would mess with his brain and then his personality would change (because that is possible and it has happened IRL). So essentially, changho just had really bad luck which causes him A LOT OF PAIN - including his freaking wife dying!! OMFG
- the blood tests. Miho gave the fakes to Jihoon, but for what? He gave them to the elder but I'm not sure what impact they had
- the real serial killer son. He was mentioned at the end in regards to the autopsy, but that's it. And how the tf did they just let a serial killer run around America without being worried he would repeat certain actions?? He was never shown either.
- also, Changho got the old man in the care home released, but where did he go?
- where tf was Miho's funeral?? They could have made it 10x sadder is they showed EVERYONE (including the gangsters and even Jihoon sad and grieving at her funeral). And then, they'd have even more resolve to defeat Doha. and it was a bit sudden. like. she only got exposed to it ONCE. she hardly lasted longer than the boy who has probably been exposed to it multiple times
- and they just resolved everything in black and white montage at the end?? are you kidding? where was the satisfaction? the vincenzo killings at the end were satisfying. This? not so much. I was watching the last ep and kept checking how long was left because it was so rushed all of a sudden
- oh, and something about the way they killed off the OG Big Mouse pisses me off. He was doing this to avenge his daughter, and I don't think he got the justice.
- same with he guy who died at the start who wrote the paper. and also, that guy who killed his wife...wtf? I was waiting for him to panic and tell everyone but he didn't. And they didn't even find out that Doha helped cover the murder
- I just think there was a lot of unnecessary deaths, or at least when they died
- not really important but I don't see why miho quit her job at the prison. she probably could have gotten more info from continuing to work there

***
despite there being so many confusing things (and I'm sure there's more), the bad DOES NOT outweigh the cons. Still loved this. It also became a bit of emotional support for me, so maybe that's why I love it so much. I might also keep adding to this as I think of more things

Overall: 9/10

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Another high school survival film - a genre of its own that I never seem to get bored of.

It's a pretty self-explanatory concept - a bunch of kids are locked in school where they must do their best to survive.
Yes, it's relatively predictable, and doesn't necessarily offer something new that hasn't already been done, but it's still interesting and a fun, mindless watch. Of course despite this, there is a lot of gore. So be mindful if it's not your thing. Especially since most of the deaths are by suicide.

The cast did a good job, with some actors playing roles I had never seen them do, which was refreshing to watch. You don't find out too much about the characters' backstory, but their individual personalities are made quite clear, and you find yourself aligning with certain characters and rooting for them.

Definitely something to give a try if you're interested in this trope/genre and like the actors.

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There's something about this series that bugs the hell out of me

[15/09/2022 UPDATE]: that freaking cover.... I thought I would address it because I saw a few people asking if it was a BL. The answer? No. It's such a random cover to me. The first thing you see is three guys laughing. Two of them aren't even relevant, and the other one (the ML) is a jerk to the other two at times. But they're pretty much nobody. And then you have two pretty editorial shots at the top of two other characters (one being the FL), that means absolutely nothing to me. At the end of this review, I added what I think the cover should have looked like, and how I would change the plot. I did not like this drama so I do have a lot to nit-pick about

──── ✧《✩ STORY ✩》✧ ────
It has an interesting premise, it really does. But the execution felt disjointed. Going from a story about a summer first love to a dating reality show about teenagers was slightly odd. The storytelling was just awful in my opinion. Like, actually bad. And the screenwriter just wasn't great at using plot devices

The whole reality show arc was weird to me. It was like none of characters (the ones actually participating and the ones watching) had ever watched reality TV. Like, YES, it's sometimes scripted. It's not exactly a big secret. Yet some of the characters had the biggest attitude when things didn't go their way. And the ending just made me question the point of everything.

This also gives me Victorious vibes (yep, that's right, that Nick show). Because, you have a bunch of characters that are all supposed to "shine", but really, it's just the main two that are relevant. Like, the side characters were specifically created to revolve around the main two. They're just there to serve the plot, but don't contribute anything to their own character. In fact, even Victorious gave some personality to their side/minor characters at least. This was just bad.

──── ✧《✩ ACTING/CAST✩》✧ ────
I didn't really like the characters at all. I did my best to try and understand the characters and why they made the choices they did, but in the end, I kept coming back to one thing: they're teenagers who haven't experienced much and I JUST DON'T CARE about them or what was happening to them. Yagi Yusei's character was the only one I really liked (which might be my bias for him showing since I like FANTA's music), but he never got much of a backstory. But he was the nicest character and he was just really understanding and sweet.

The other characters all just annoying and selfish. Like, they (the screenwriter irl and the reality show's director) really milked a story that happened over the span of probably a month. The FL basically stirred shit over something that happened years before despite her terrible confrontation skills. And I swear it was the most PICK ME GIRL BS EVER!!!! Come on!!! She started shit for no reason and tried to hide and ignore it.

There's a scene in episode 4 (~19:38) of Itagaki Mizuki's character walking up the stairs and it's the most bizarre scene. his shoulders are hunched and he looks slightly scary. Out of context, the scene is giving me low-budget horror vibes... I just had to mention it because it's so weird. Also, the scene itself was weird to me because I felt like what he was doing was for the wrong reasons, and he also went after the wrong person

I also wonder why so many of these actors were casted. This feels like something that was written by a rookie (even though it wasn't), and should have starred rookie actors, but a lot of these actors have been around for a while and have acted in things A LOT better.

──── ✧《✩ SCREENWRITING/DIRECTING ✩》✧ ────
The cinematography was really great. It was filmed in a small seaside town and was really pretty. There were a lot of great shots. The writing was a bit off, and the characters didn't always feel like teenagers, or even people.

All the problems I mentioned above could have been resolved easily - with more episodes. It felt so restricted in every way possible. As if the actors didn't have enough time to get into the role of their characters before they finished filming. The small plot points came and went so fast so I never really felt like I could have known any of the characters as people. Which is why I found it hard to connect. For example, one of the characters was going through something in their home life, but then it just stopped being relevant and I really think they could have kept coming back to it throughout to see how it still affects the character. But there was nothing!! It was only there to turn the ML into a jerk.

──── ✧《✩ MUSIC ✩》✧ ────
They played a song that was actually decent. It had a summer feel that matched the drama. But it was also slightly forgetful.

──── ✧《✩ REWATCH VALUE ✩》✧ ────
I'll honestly never watch this again. There's no need to. I only heard about this because of Yagi Yusei, and then happened to recognise other cast members.

tl;dr: good plot, bad execution; good acting, bad characterisation. Not terrible, but not good - i.e. very mediocre

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[15/09/2022 UPDATE - MY VERISON ]
I came up with this before falling asleep last night but I'll try my best to remember everything.

The cover should be similar to the kdrama The Smile Has Left Your Eyes cover. The FL is either embracing the ML or Yagi Yusei's character, with the other man on the other side with their hand out, failing to grasp the FL. This should also be a thriller (I have a excessive need to turn anything and everything into a thriller). The plot for the most part can stay the same - the friends having hung out together during school and over the summer. But I would also make the FL a childhood friend as well, that always moved around but still kept in touch. There should be a big betrayal or fight and then years later, she appears again on the reality TV show, just like this drama. But there's going to be a plot twist, I just haven't figured it out. Either the ML or Yagi Yusei's character is evil (hence why I couldn't decide who should hug her in the cover). The one holding her is evil. And he's obsessed with her. And the other ML has to try and convince everyone that he's evil, but no one believes him. Ok, I got it. Yagi Yusei's character is evil and joined the reality show after finding out she was in it because he knew her when they were young and he had a crush on her. But now he's straight up obsessed. The ML knows this, but no will believe him because he became a jerk at the end of middle school, so they don't trust him. His friends are more important in my version and are watching most of it together at home until the last few eps where they show up because they realise something is wrong. But, plot twist - the ML is a serial killer. He didn't just become a jerk after middle school, he also started murdering people (ones that resemble his mother). And the FL also resembles his mother. So, they're both evil (to different degrees). And her friends on show have to help the ML's friends figure out what happened and then take down the ML. Oh, and Yagi Yusei's character is killed trying to help the FL. He went out a stalker hero...

A bit dramatic but that's what I came up with last night and just now as I wrote this :) Of course this show could have been better without the thriller plot, just a few other changes. Oh, and if you try to use my plot to create something, I expect royalties. So you better pay up :)

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