Lost memory - but Sae Byeok will love enough for two!
Sae Byeok's love for Ha Neul was consistently evident in every scene, every lingering glance.His devotion was unwavering and so strong and for that alone I was locked in from the first episode.
I seriously love this kind of male lead. I felt as though he carried their entire relationships delicately on his shoulders, holding it together with barely sticky sellotape.
I’d be doing a disserve to any BL fan if I didn’t make a note in my review about Sae Byeok's luscious lips – They were just so there, my eyes were trained on them each time he spoke!
I’m a fan of the amnesia trope if it’s done well. And for the most part, it was in this show. I wish it had been more developed, but given there are only eight episodes, I grasp why the storyline occasionally seemed superficial. At times, the constant toggling between past and present events made things unclear. I would have preferred more time dedicated to the present to witness the boys working through their relationship, particularly since one was mentally dwelling in the past due to losing his memories of their life together as adults.
I had a hinky feeling about that barista fella right away – I’m glad my hunch was correct!
For two new guys to the industry, I was impressed with their acting and would watch more of their projects in the future. I'm sure their skills will go from strength to strength with each new job.
Would I recommend the show? Absolutely. The ideal amount of emotion holds your attention and keeps you suspended, without being devastating. No K-trauma here! Hoorah.
A love story that delivered through the ups and the downs.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
I wouldn’t mind a contract romance with the Judge!
There is something appealing about a relationship contract so I was hoping this show checked all my boxes.For the most part it did – but I felt as though there was TOO much plot. Is that possible? It absolutely is (IMO) the first part was super engaging, I love how Park Min Young portrays a high-class female lead who is talented in everything. She’s one of my favorite Korean actresses and I’ve loved her other shows. This character wasn’t far off some of her other roles.
But by the middle of the show, I was a little bored and fast tracked through a lot of the needless plot, especially about both sides of the warring families. I couldn’t truly understand why they had beef or wanted to plot against each other. Had the show been kept tighter between the leads and the contracts it would have been better paced episodes, but the show threw in stalkers, ex-wives, horrid families that it distracted a lot from the growing romance.
Loved the judge. That stoic, stiff and awkwardness in social settings are some of my favorite character traits (I also love Seo Do Jae from The Beauty Inside for the same characteristics) He was so delightfully awkward, especially with his staff (who were so fun! And a notable mention for his mentor boss friend who was fantastic. Every time he called his wife “my queen” I melted) some of my favorite scenes were him and Sang Eun sitting opposite the dinner table together. The dialogues were awkward yet masterfully executed.
The mother figure, Yoo Mi Ho, proved to be quite interesting. It was difficult to discern if she was a villain or seeking atonement. I, for one, could never have let her off the hook, given the extent of her misdeeds.
The same situation applied to Gwang Nam's family. Oh my god, they totally blew my mind with how awful they treated that sweetheart of a man just because he was gay! I hated them, but the show had to change their dynamic with him once they learned he was becoming a singer. Why? Why? Not everyone has to be fixed up in the end. Trash the crappy characters. Gwang Nam deserved a better outcome. I wish his role had been bigger – he was wasted just being the sidekick best friend.
Lastly, I got such “True Beauty” Seo-Jun vibes from Hae-Jin that my heart ached all the way through for him and was desperately keeping my fingers and eyes crossed that he’d find his own piece of happy romance by the end. Alas, like Seo-Jun that never happened so I’ll be quietly sobbing into my handkerchief for those two sweetheart men with second lead syndrome.
At least he got some love from his Jamie cat by the end. *sniff sniff*
Was this review helpful to you?
Two fluffy green forest leading males to enjoy!
Despite a shaky start with naïve and wooden acting, I found myself smiling at the gentle plot as the drama progressed. And I could definitely see the improvement all around by the 7th episode."City of Stars" isn't groundbreaking, and its plot is extremely familiar, but... It addressed some highly sensitive subjects, which I found remarkably impressive.
What I enjoyed:
The main men. Just green forests everywhere. And the third act didn't have a pointless split! Hallelujah! You know how it goes, especially when one character has to move away for X amount of time, they usually have to break up because you know, phone calls and video chats can’t be maintained… Fueang and Krom were very grown up when they had to go long distance. I was deeply affected by Feuang's crying in their parting scene. Great acting by Job!
And can I just mention Job’s dreamy eyes? That man knows how to smize!
I have to also mention Kor – he was a brilliant sidekick to Fueang. His loyalty as a ride-or-die friend and the development of his second male lead storyline were excellent.
Fueang's manager was someone I really liked. She's a dragon you'd want in your corner. She always had Fueang’s back. Also, fabulous outfits!
"City of Stars" offers a super fun cast and a plot that's not too heavy but still gets the serious points across. It's packed with kissing, and I'm not kidding! The actors were clearly committed to those kissing scenes, and as a fan, I'm grateful that one of the leads didn't give a poor performance with fish kisses. I also liked that the affection wasn't one-sided, with one male lead giving it all and the other constantly avoiding it. Fueang and Krom gave great hugs!
Overall, a pleasant watch.
Was this review helpful to you?
I thought it would be fluff – ended up adoring it!
Isn’t it a great feeling when you assume a show will just be a filler until you find your next great watch and it ends up going on your favourite list?10 perfect liners was such a surprise – I chose to watch it because I’d heard good things about Perth and Santa’s pairing, and I wasn’t disappointed! All the couples held their weight and I enjoyed each storyline but Yotha/Gun were my favorite couple, their plot had all the emotional range that made me binge episode after episode. Gun was a convincing actor when he cried; I truly felt his pain. And how about his smile? It could light up a room!
I loved how the show was split up into three couples but didn’t feel like three separate shows. Then they sprinkled in support couples (Auo and Boom were so good in every scene they appeared in)
Definitely a show I will circle back to and re-watch one day.
Was this review helpful to you?
Give me all the workplace frissons directly into my eyeballs!
Oh, lil Jun and Big Jun were such fun!I’m a sucker for childhood friends who then meet up in the workplace years later and a fun romance ensues.
Despite my slight eye-roll at the predictable love triangle with three men vying for Lil Jun's affection, I didn't dwell on it, as it's a K-BL with a short, eight-episode run, implying a lack of significant depth. But honestly, I wasn’t mad at the simple plot line because of how cuuuuute big Jun was. Those seductive eyes could have kept me captive for at least 20 more episodes.
What I enjoyed:
The two Jun’s and how they navigated their feelings.
The fake fiancée. She was such a hoot – and a change of pace that the token female in a BL wasn’t a shrieking shrew, she was actually shipping our boys too.
I would loooove a series about Team Leader and Simeon. It never made sense to me that both of them fancied lil Jun when their chemistry in every scene together was smoking good. The director missed an opportunity not making them second couple.
Overall, a good watch.
Will I remember it after watching another 50 shows? I probably will! 😊
Was this review helpful to you?
To be loved by Yechan would be the best ever.
He’s the sweetest, goofiest himbo who is just pure walking sunshine. And his smile was everything! If you ever needed a definition of a himbo then take a look at Yechan. No one has ever himboed like he’s himboing in this drama! If you want to fall for the greenest of green flags, then watch for Yechan.This was such a gentle, easy watch. I always love the setting of a countryside, and this was beautiful. The ensemble cast also added to the show – a notable mention to Mark, the head chief. What was that accent, my dude? lol. It was like Korean I’d never heard before spoken with an Italian accent. Every time he spoke I had to have a little giggle. But he was the sweetest character!
If they had marketed this as a bromance, I would have understood, because in my view, two tiny kisses at the very end of the show aren't sufficient to call it a romance. Yechan shouldered all the emotional weight, while Yul never showed even the slightest glimmer of romantic interest in him. However, as friends, they had great chemistry, and I'm eager for a second season to see if their romantic connection can develop further.
There was also a chubby dog! I’m always going to love a show if they have a dog!
Was this review helpful to you?
With a love triangle trope, there has to be rules – a clear winner that the audience can root for.
Up until the penultimate episode, the show consistently guided viewers to believe the student council president would be the one in a romantic relationship. Every time he and Tae shared a scene, they played that tinkling, swoony music.The show's pacing was awful; spending almost the entire runtime developing the main character's relationship with one person, only for them to abruptly switch affections to another, makes no sense. It's hard to believe, and by then, I’d mentally checked out.
I was so mad for cute, adorable and loyal Shinwoo – he deserved better than to be Tae’s “settled for” choice.
And it seems like lately, with every BL, they have to throw in the meanest girl. They got under my skin like they wanted, but it'd be cool if the only female character wasn't just a drama prop.
Honestly, the plot didn't do much for me, but the acting was so good it made me stick around. I loved how honest Tae was. He just blurted out whatever he was thinking. And I loved how determined Shinwoo was to win his guy.
Namgung was definitely my favorite character. This funny side character was such a nice change of pace! I'm pretty sure he had the most lines on the whole show.
Was this review helpful to you?
Not a comfort watch – but brilliantly acted.
Perhaps I'm unable to appreciate it like other reviewers, as I didn't find it to be the masterpiece many claim.
While the acting was spot on by the main leads, the plot didn’t give me a moment of relaxation.
In every episode, I anticipated the ending to be a K-trauma!
The depression aspect was handled well, but I did wish for a better ending that felt well rounded and satisfying. I could say it had a HFN (happy for now) finish. I’m one of the few that don’t want a season 2 for this show, if there was a chance of it. The writer would only throw more angst at another season, and I don’t think my little snowflake heart could take it. lol.
It was a very deep, moving show, and I really enjoyed how the male leads depicted their roles.
And what absolute cuties they were!
Though, I’m positive the writer and director collected the most irritating, punchable support characters. Every episode, I was more irked by those secondary characters than ever before. And why must a writer redeem the most prickish character in the finale? It’s not needed. Don't try to alter my perception of him with a brief, insignificant comment at the end after making me hate him all series. Allow the antagonists to remain unappealing.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
This small town drama was a warm hug wrapped in a mug of the sweetest hot chocolate.
The male leads were so endearing; they were two of the nicest characters. Besides being attractive, they were also so lovable. Won Young in particular. When his lies caught up with him, he did everything he could to fix it and get Tae Joon back. I loved that about him; even when he was having a rough time at work, he never gave up on what he loved.By now, you never expect much from the intimate scenes in a K-BL, it’s rare to get even a good kissing scene, and the kisses in ULS were almost non-existent, just two lips pressed together, not moving. Seriously, I’ve had better kisses with my boyband posters in my teenage bedroom lol – BUT, they shared some great hugs. Tae Joon is a great hug giver. And really, I didn’t even need the kissing, the fluffiest, paced show stood on its own merit and didn’t need NC scenes to carry it. And you know those hand holding moments will always be heart flutteringly good!
Having watched The Time of Fever first, I was excited to see Ho Tae and Dong Hui again, assuming they’d be a couple now because ULS was set some time after their prequel show ended, imagine my surprise that never happened! All we saw was sweet, adorable, clingy Ho Tae getting turned down or smacked around. I really felt for him. Seriously, if that doesn't warrant a whole new series to fix it, what does? Every time they were on screen together, I kept waiting for a sign that things would get better between them, but it just never happened. As a viewer/reader, I enjoy stories that conclude with a definite happy ending. Ambiguity leaves me feeling unsatisfied – so for the second ML’s, I did want more because they had great screen chemistry.
Overall, a beautiful show with a gorgeous backdrop scenery.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Coming of Age sweetness.
I'm not entirely sure what specific aspect of this drama has resonated so deeply with me, yet I found myself completely captivated from the very first episode. I have a particular preference for 'slice of life' dramas, wherein the plot's progression is minimal, yet character development is notably emphasized. I didn’t even mind that there was little to no BL in this BL show. I figured the producers were banking on making a season 2 to include that slow burn progression, but having looked on Google to see S2 was cancelled, I’m super bummed because it would have been awesome to watch Sheng Wang and Jian Tian fall in love in real time. Because of that, I turned to reading their novel (not finished yet) but ohhhh, it would have been so good on the screen. These boys are so sweet and so in love with each other! (still holding out hope we get a S2 somehow!)I’d still recommend this show to any BL fan. The subtle way Tian will do just about anything for Sheng Wang and how Sheng Wang was always gravitating toward the cold boy.
I enjoyed the support cast too.
Though, he’s somewhat cast in the antagonist role, I did feel bad for Qi Jia Hao. He’s the typical overachiever and can’t accept when he’s not top of the class, becoming resentful.
Also, color me rainbow shocked that the substitute teachers weren’t in a secret relationship. The entire time I thought they were!
Was this review helpful to you?
It had a lot of potential but missed the mark several times.
I’ve found Korean BLs are either exceptionally wonderful or they just fall flat as pancakes.Sadly, Heart Stain, for me, fell into the latter.
It had so much potential, the basis of a good storyline was there, but it just never had enough room to grow with so few episodes (please, for the love of the baby jesus’ roller-skates, give K-Bls more episodes, begging on my knees!)
And if there was any romantic spark between the main actors, I completely missed it. I hate time jumps too, especially when nothing seems different.
I’ll end on a good note, and say it wasn’t a terrible watch, it had some cute moments (not talking about you, creepy vibes teacher!) and I liked the friend group.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
There’s no doubt KinnPorsche is compelling viewing.
I keep a list of every Asian drama I watch and I like to make little notes, to remember how I vibed with a show.Here are the notes I took down for KinnPorsche:
Good production and acting from the main cast.
Hot believable kisses and NCs.
Porsche is sexy af.
Didn’t like them being with other people yet thinking of each other.
The dead fish and watching porn scenes with Tankhurn was hilarious!
The handcuffed together was the best episode.
Standout characters for me were Porsche – adorable Porchay – Tankhurn (he made the show for me! Not as crazy as he was made out to be, always had the feel for what was wrong with people)
I dug how this mafia family was split, like, into a higher and lower part, and they were kinda on the same team but also rivals. The concept of the higher family training a school of bodyguards within the mansion walls was novel to me, immediately capturing my interest.
While I felt some plots went total left field ( looking at you, Vegas, you crazy mofo. Still don’t know how Pete can fall for him after having his nuts electrocuted) the overall show was enjoyable, with layered secrets that brought about the climax of the show. It was all beautifully shot ( the hot tub scene… wowza! )
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
I never knew I needed a pookie vampire in my list of faves.
By no means was this a perfect production – but I wasn’t looking for perfection when I hit play. I just knew BounPrem would deliver a great watching experience and they did that in spades!The vampire lore plot actually had a lot of legs, and it was one of those times I wished a show had a few more episodes so they could delve deeper into the story. But what we got was really well done.
I particularly enjoyed when Ramil walked through Punn’s memories, and how all those earlier episode threads were neatly addressed. So well done!
I loved the vampire brothers and their differing personalities. They could absolutely give each one their own show, and with that puzzling end scene with Methas shaking hands with guest star Junior Panachaileads made me believe that could happen? Fingers crossed, anyway!
The only question I was left with was, why they went into the painting so soon? If it was to stop Punn aging, surely they could have waited a few years, spent it with Pokpong until little bro was grown.
Worth the watch to see Boun’s yearning eyes – so dreamy.
Was this review helpful to you?
The fluffiest heart flutters
One of the gentlest, most heartfelt shows that was a pleasure to watch.Little to no angst once the high-school bullying scenes at the beginning were over.
I instantly attached to Haebom and wanted to put him in my pocket to protect . Both he and Taesung were pookies in the best way.
Now, this is a show I wouldn’t mind if they made a season 2 just so we could check in with the characters.
On a technical note, the editing cuts were jarring and very noticeable. Not sure it was because they only had 8 episodes. But the great acting more than made up for that.
Was this review helpful to you?
Gentle and fluffy.
The plot and characters were cute in a fluffy, don’t take it too serious, kind of way. Jung Gi Seop Was the most innocent HIMBO, but you know he’s going to love Jin U so well.I think it was the first time ever that I liked the second couple so much more. Their story was more compelling and should have been main leads. I feel robbed we didn’t get a comprehensive finish for them, and there’s no updates about a series for them, so I’m guessing we just use our imaginations to make them a couple.
Was this review helpful to you?
