Surprisingly strong hshort
I was pleasantly surprised by this one. It feels more like a proper drama than an hshort. It was a pretty quick watch but they still managed to flesh out a few characters with depth and interesting characterization.The main lead is a strong person with agency and competence. She is intelligent and is proactive -- she isn't waiting to be victimized by the usual villain shenanigans.
Many of the plotlines have an impressive amount of complexity, characters are not flat and sometimes a villain isn't just evil, and has room for growth. Even with some "redemption" it never feels too easy -- there is still accountability for people who do bad things. But they aren't just written off either.
All around, glad I watched it.
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Cute office romance
Nothing special nothing too bad. Pretty straight forward office romance. It's cute but nothing is particularly striking. In general it feels like a web drama, and it is fine for that.As is pretty common with these, the romance is rushed "at first sight" and not well supported other than longing gazes.
For the most part the leads have a cozy vibe and deliver interesting performances, despite things often feeling a bit "off" in that web drama way, that it can feel like they are acting or expect a scene to have more emotional weight despite the actual show just not spending/having enough time to provide context why we should interpret something as tension and not just a lingering shot.
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Strong leads in a writing mess
Overall I would call this a mediocre drama -- nothing terrible, nothing great.THE GOOD
- The leads
- The setting is magical
...
- The soundtrck is pretty strong
- Some plot / side characters are cute and fun
THE BAD
- Way too much angst
- Many plotlines will repeat over and over
- Villains are flat, uninteresting, and cartoonish
- Heavy handed filial piety propaganda
- Side characters (all characters other than the leads tbh) are often overacted and have their characterization so over emphasized that they become insufferable. Especially the 2nd and 3rd male leads
- Brain off writing. Don't expect plots or character motivations to be believable or even consistent.
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Uncanny valley ruins the potential
The biggest issue for me, is the uncanny valley being so jarring and prevalent that I couldn't get invested in the actual good parts. Maybe some people are less sensitive to that, and if you are, you may be able to enjoy this drama more than me.BAD CGI & DUBBING
I guess one of the second leads is using an CGI filter on her face? It does not look good, especially when speaking or emoting. Her partner also frequently has an eerie effect on her, it seems like her face is real but her eye movements have some weird smoothing or something, idk.
It actually feels like the "filter" use may even be broader than that, but sometimes it isn't clear whether the uncanny feeling is from a filter making faces look weird, or just the dubbing being bad / the actors lipsyncing poorly because they know it will be dubbed? (I don't know if that is a thing, but it would explain a lot, because it often doesn't even look like they are actually speaking)
GOOD EMOTIONAL BEATS
The primary story for the main couple is actually pretty strong. If you can ignore the other problems, this actually could have made it a pretty good watch.
Even the secondary couple has good ...writing. But saying that their arc is good would be difficult when they look like 1.5 animatronics.
BAD CONFLICT WRITING
Okay, I normally don't like to criticize actors. What do I know, I am sure I would be worse than the worst actor. But in this case, the combination of acting/directing/writing for the 2 main antagonists was actually painful enough to make me dislike the whole show (a second time, even if the uncanny valley hadn't been ruining it enough).
The villains just act incredibly cartoonish. Like way beyond even shows where the genre expects a villain to be cartoonish. These 2 characters act like they are in a vshort and honestly many vshort villains are more believable than this.
Many of these conflicts also have writing that is barely coherent. If you have your brain on even the slightest bit, many of the scenes will not even have internally consistent logic. They really do just throw some tropes at the wall to fill out the plot. :(
DISAPPOINTING TONE
Okay this one may just be my preconceived notions, but I felt like this show was trying to be a combination of Thai GL and Chinese vShort and did both poorly. If you actually combined them well I would probably have enjoyed it. But what I had REALLY hoped this would be, was for it to be a new style distinct to better quality Chinese dramas.
China already has some stuff like this with its own tone that are really great! Very disappointing that this one failed to focus.
Examples of Chinese GL tone already being distinct (and good to me!):
Indie films (Actual GLs)
- https://mydramalist.com/749131-fireworks-of-yesteryear
- https://mydramalist.com/700737-fragrance-of-the-first-flower
Historicals (Sismance)
- https://mydramalist.com/62355-couple-of-mirrors
- https://mydramalist.com/788444-be-her-resilience
- https://mydramalist.com/777852-shuang-shu-mei-tan
Fantasy vShorts (Sismance+, these have vibes but are often chopped up)
- https://mydramalist.com/764425-shuang-tu
- https://mydramalist.com/716845-the-fox-spirit-and-the-little-priest
- https://mydramalist.com/764425-shuang-tu
- https://mydramalist.com/726937-the-vampires
- Pretty much anything with https://mydramalist.com/people/35259-yang-fu-yu
- Pretty much anything with https://mydramalist.com/people/79893-sheng-wei
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Cozy but serious period drama
For me this drama exceeded all of my expectations. I personally am not big on crime genres, but this show balances the stories it is telling against that framework well, so that I never felt like it was just "procedural".I found the characters all very interesting and likable. This gave me a "the crew" vibe, where the team is also kind of like a family, each bringing a different flavor to the ensemble.
The cases themselves were pretty interesting and tackle some pretty complex issues. Also it has been a while since a show has actually surprised me with a reveal, and a couple times I was pleasantly surprised that I had been taking certain things for granted in a given plotline. I guess this quality feels to me like someone really thought through each individual plotline and plot point so that they *really* make sense. And to do so for complex intrigue plots is extra nice, tbh these days many dramas just take for granted that tropes are all they need for a plotline, but if the audience gives it more than half a thought then the whole premise of a given plot point doesn't hold up to scrutiny. This show did not have that problem.
The leads are interesting and we get to spend a bit of time with them "living their lives" which was really nice to kind of flesh them out more beyond just showing them solving cases. I definitely would have liked to see more of this, but I thought what there was, was pretty good in this regard. The last "sismance" crime show I watched, did not do this as well as Duet of Shadows did.
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- Good chemistry
- Doesn't rush the couple to be together
- Interesting characters with flaws and unique character traits
- Very satisfying romance arc
THE ???
- tbh I expected this to be way more toxic based on the title. There are definitely still some IFFY things in this, but for the most part I think it handles them well? Or treats them as toxic, so it doesn't just pretend like being toxic is okay...mostly?
THE BAD
- Pace sometimes drags.
- Way too much lingering on love scenes to fill time and just gazey fan service.
- Way too much lingering on homophobia and each antagonist plot in general.
- Doesn't resolve antagonist plots well -- rushes the wrap up after dragging them on too long. Weirdly some are granted forgiveness (way too easily) and others are vilified even in the end (when maybe they deserved some sympathy?)
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Chinese fantasy GL
It is rare enough to find chinese GL but to find historical/fantasy is even rarer. This not only is both of those things but also has a very interesting plot and characters. Someone put a lot of love into writing this and putting together a production for it.The 2 real problems are:
1. The production quality is very low, bad editing and a very limited amount of footage makes this feel more like a broadstrokes gesture drawing of what would have been an amazing show
2. It is really hard to find a clean copy of this online. Most copies are either chopped up, or have had their audio tracks changed
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Not great but actually some good comedy
First off, this is barely a GL, though it has women loving women, it just isn't structured like a romance drama, if that makes sense? It seems to be structured more like a sitcom.Also it is overly focused on giving the large number of actors time to use the screen. It feels like MGI used this as a vehicle to test a bunch of potential actors?
As long as you go into it understanding those aspects, and managing your expectations, you may have a lot of fun with this.
Where it shines is the comedy and honestly even the acting is surprisingly good. Engfa and Charlotte show way more range in this than we got to see in Petrichor, this actually gave me renewed interest in their work.
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An amazing premise and start...
Overall an interesting magical story, however I personally enjoyed the first half way more than what they actually cooked.THE GOOD:
- The premise is very interesting. The magic. The moral dilemmas.
- The vibes are on point. From how things are shot to the music to the lighting. Everything is put together really well to create a very cozy and magical vibe.
- The leads fully deliver. Pitcha holds most of the screentime focus, and she uses it amazingly, delivering a very emotional and rich performance. Natt has less focus, but still has a strong aura and some nuance.
- The second couple actually tackle some complex issues and take them seriously. Some rare representation.
THE BAD:
- The romance was nice, but personally I would have liked to watch them fall in love. It goes from "i dreamed about you" to "we are engaged" in 0.000001 seconds which feels like a big rip off to be in love because of visions of the future? Unearned romance.
- All antagonists are handled in an absurd way. Writers have no teeth as usual. By the end I feel sick about how much it wants to gloss over actual crimes.
- Repeated uses of the same tropes that didn't even make sense the first time. This seems to be a pattern when dramas want to use "crime" to spice up a series, but don't bother to make criminals actually behave like they are real people instead of just behaving in ways that are convenient for the plot device the writers want to force in.
- Age gap is pretty significant and never even acknowledged.
- The "rules" of the magic are arbitrary multiple times throughout, especially when it matters. This unfortunately robs us of any sense of stakes and really flubs what was very interesting moral dilemmas and tense conflicts by just handwaving the established rules.
- A lot of the plot that feels mysterious and interesting in the beginning is never developed. Maybe the novel had more to explain this? There seems to be an implication there are entire other lives or something?
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Interesting. Toxic but interesting.
Very short, this is very much a web series; just a few short scenes to jump into a story and follow a specific arc. Typical for the style of these korean GLs, they are all more like vignettes than dramas.Actually explores some pretty interesting and complex emotions and situations. Focuses a bit heavily on some pretty toxic stuff, but I think in the end it isn't just fan service for that stuff.
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A beautiful start and then terrible writing
First, a warning. The summary is completely misleading about the tone, and is completely missing major, core parts of this premise.This is a very hard show to just give a rating. I got like halfway through and it was sitting at 9+ in my mind. A show that makes me that invested in the characters, and has me crying at how powerful the moments are, normally has a guaranteed MINIMUM rating of 8+.
Shows that make me angry enough to think about dropping, normally get a MAX 7.
My spoiler-free advice is, if you get to a point in the early-middle of this where it feels like "this is actually a nice place to wrap the story" -- JUST DO IT. There are 2 big points where I had this thought, and I wish that I had. Everything that comes after is just so dumb and disrespectful to the characters, while adding NOTHING to the story. There really is no loss to dropping early.
THE GOOD:
The leading actors give amazing and rich performances.
There is a trauma aspect to this plot, that is handled better than many... until its not.
hrm, thinking about what else to say, it really is just the leading actors and their (initial) characters that make this good to me, it seems
THE BAD:
Major, plot altering decisions are given no basis in character motivation. It is so jarring that it (more than once) seems like entire scenes are missing.
The men in this are completely controlling and end up being a large focus, and despite them being bad and harmful in their decisions, they never receive any consequences or even are portrayed as their actions having been bad. They are literally thanked and apologized to instead. Gross.
The bad people (except 1) receive absolutely no consequences. This is actually disappointingly typical in this genre, but this show is notably worse about it. Actual horrible person who does horrible things never even apologizes, and just suddenly becomes trusted and relied upon. I still get sick even thinking about it.
And the things that make me want to be sick go on. Just idiotic plot choices, forcing characters into situations just for angst or whatever. The entire second half is both gross and poorly written.
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This review may contain spoilers
Style but no substance
THE GOOD:The second couple is amazing
Lookmhee is an amazing lead
The soundtrack has some bangers
Lots of rich people style
THE BAD:
Nothing to care about. Characters have almost nothing compelling about them at all. Most don't even get a setup. Most won't get any motivations for why they do anything at all. Which is especially rough when there is not even any transition into people getting together, just *blast music* and start making out -- that's all audiences want right? :(
Tons of SA scenes and references treated completely flippantly. Some writer really just pulls the same card out every time to make someone "wronged" and feed the tension. Or worse, it isn't even treated like a big deal. Roofies? Screaming r*pe just to get your way? These are things that THE LOVE INTERESTS do to each other and never acknowledge as wrong.
The writing in general is very bad. Which is extra painful since the story centers on the premise of its business and conflict plotlines, which requires writing. Regularly characters act in inexplicable ways just to move the story along to the next scene.
Whole plot points are just dropped. Why was her mom sobbing? Is it really okay to roofie someone you love and never tell them and never apologize? Is it okay to beat your kids and threaten the life of their best friend if being a dad is "hard"? Another dad is going to gaslight his daughter into thinking he's dying so he can manipulate her but we just never acknowledge it or come back to it. The list could go on, but at some point the reviewer is putting in more energy than the writers ever did.
Especially disappointing is the writing for the FL, without a proper setup or motivation, she just comes across as entitled and immature. Her whole thing is that she wants to take her dad's job right out of college with zero experience, lmao, and wants to force people to accept it in one go by getting this deal as proof that she "deserves" it. She will go on to do nothing at all related to the business the whole time, other than trying to seduce one competitor. And for some reason make a whole point that she won't work with anyone because it will diminish her "accomplishment". The entire accomplishment this show is centered on is just picking a number for a bid.
Once the characters start fighting, the reasons for it are thin and don't even bother to engage the majority of the wrongs they actually did to each other. Each side mentions 1 wrong and thats all we will go on for 3 or 4 breakups. And for whatever reason one feels like she is way more wronged, even though she really isn't.
All around just no reason to care about the characters or the plot.
Well except for the second leads, I would watch a whole show about them. Too bad they get dropped for the entire middle arc. In fact the leads become so self involved that they don't even ever find out their assistants are dating. Can you imagine ending a show and not even bothering to include the leads ever even finding out about the second couple? It's not like they're strangers, they are your best friends and assistants. Was this even a romance drama? Just whiff whiff whiff.
The sound engineering at times gets carried away trying to be "cool" with some kind of styling for what it thinks suits rich/nightlife themes of this show. It can be quite jarring.
Villains are all one note performances. Get used to that face they're making, because they arent going to change expression ever.
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Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?!
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Very cute little romance
Flash review--THE GOOD
Very cute romance
Pretty fun supernatural concept
Both leads are excellent
The FL is absolutely adorable but also a very refreshing (and needed) perspective.
Once you love this, there is so much more content! There is a movie with the same actors, as well as 2 "bonus episodes" that are great.
THE BAD
Way too much circular angst. Tons of time just spent watching characters living in their own heads and freaking out about their own thoughts. It isn't fun to just watch someone have anxiety for so much of the runtime. And because that is the focus, very little actually happens, other than the main plot.
The FL is not in nearly enough of it.
The BFF is really obnoxious. The overacting is so over the top I nearly started skipping his entire plotline. Weirdly, if you watch the bonus features about his plotlines, he isn't like that nearly as much in that.
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Great leading couple, everything else is background
Flash review--THE GOOD
The leading couple is everything in this. Their portrayal. Their chemistry. The way they treat each other (except--). Just a pleasure to watch.
Some fun magic.
The FL characterization is just fun.
The 2ML is a cutie both in appearance and his characterization
THE UNREMARKABLE
Pretty much everyone else in this are painted in shades of gray. And it kinda works? Like, it mostly just forces the focus to stay on the leads and that is great because they are wonderful
But seriously, almost any time there's another character, I'm like "who is that" followed by "why do i care" but blessedly also followed by "oh good they're offscreen again quickly, back to the leads"
THE BAD
There is some really unpleasant plot stuff about halfway through. And unfortunately it isn't brief, it drags on for multiple episodes, way longer than it needed to.
Multiple times the FL is sidelined or has her agency removed. Really frustrating, especially when she's carrying the series.
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Both better and worse than I expected
Flash review - low thought, rapid fire notes, mostly for my own future referenceI was recommended this like many people, as the pioneer Thai GL. I set my expectations accordingly and I would say it was both much better but also worse than I expected.
# The good:
- The production quality was good, totally modern and on par with other dramas imo. I expected it to be more low budget, but that wasn't the case at all
- Freen is top notch in this. She knows how to work the camera and always looks like she is in her element. She has an incredibly wide range and gives significant depth to the smallest actions and thoughts of her character
- The friend group and similar types of characters are tons of fun. And often saying exactly what we're thinking and moving to impact the plot for the things that as an audience member, I want to yell at the main-type characters
# The bad:
- The top of this list has to be the writing. Lots of premises are paper thin or make no sense or characters make decisions that are just to feed the melodrama. At best stuff makes no sense, at worst its regularly infuriating
- A pattern with many of these shows, but possibly the worst in this one, is characters being portrayed being actively, viscerally bad. And then no worthwhile redemption, just flip and we are supposed to forgive. Really unpleasant stuff, which feels like the writers just doing stuff to get an emotional reaction, and then not bothering to treat it seriously
- Seriously, add a second bullet and just repeat that. Just disgusting stuff in what would otherwise be such a cozy drama. I'm avoiding spoilers, but more than one character got me so mad I almost stopped watching
- A lot of het romance tropes that I like this genre for not being attached to usually. But the control/communication stuff is all handled in ways that are pretty typical of hetero romance dramas. I guess we have to not hold it against this one, since it was pioneering these issues, so it probably needed to "stick to the expected" a bit more, than the later Thai GL dramas have had to.
- I don't want to say Becky was bad... but it really felt like a student actor or something. Like you could tell she was reciting lines, or "acting happy" by forcing smiles. It.. was awkward, especially for a main character. And especially next to Freen who seemed so good at not only acting natural, but expressing nuanced things
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