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If you want to watch it because you loved the Sungkyunkwan Scandal, don't bother.
If you want to watch it, because you like the comedy aspects cross dressing scenario brings, this ain't for you.
BUT, if you want to watch a light, fun and unproblematic show without much melo that will just simply make you happy and entertain you, this one is a perfect choice.
The best aspect of the drama were the characters and their friendship, and I don’t only talk about the main cast. The drama focuses on the relationship between Wen Xi, Cheng Jun, Lei Ao and Le Zuan - who they are and what their convictions are. Each of them lives a vastly different life, yet together they were able to create this light and cheerful chemistry on screen. We follow them as they navigate and try to change the current school system by challenging the school president (ma boi best boi Zhi Sheng) and trying to uncover the truth of the past events.
Compared to other historical shows, or even to the Korean version, this one stays away from heavy politics and all the branches of corruption. We still get the basic storyline, but it's not nearly as overwhelming as it sometimes happens in similar productions.
As I said at the beginning, there is barely any romance. Did it bother me? Not really. At some point I started laughing and questioning if we will even get any romantic scenes before the show ends. Still, the interactions between the characters were entertaining and amazing to watch even if it was heavier on friendship rather than romance for the majority of the episodes. No painful second lead syndromes. They didn't feel that much pain, so I could watch with a calm heart too.
Overall, the show is just extremely pretty and PG. Jing Yi is cute as Wen Bin and stunning as Wen Xi. Wei Long is purely adorable and his smile can melt any heart. Richards Wang, even though he plays the "strong" guy, made me want to protect him, as his character was just so pure. Wen Jun fitted his role perfectly, guiding and uniting the characters and being the voice of reason. The set and costume designs were beautiful too.
I started this drama with zero expectations, and this might be the reason why I enjoyed it so much. Even the flaws were charming. The last episode was slightly disappointing, but that also just made me laugh and be like: sure.. makes no sense but I'm okay with that ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.
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Lonely Enough to Love, also known as Dating is Annoying, But I Don't Wanna Be Lonely (which is a superior title, and that’s the fact) had a great, funny and exciting beginning, but lost its way half way through.
It started as a simple romantic comedy that exaggerates the clichés making them more of comedic scenes. It was a perfect watch after a day full of hard work. I could just laugh and enjoy the “easy to follow” plot. Later they introduced many side plots, yet none was explored enough. Instead of giving each tenant one dedicated episode, they gave a few scenes here and there, but by the end, I was not sure what their stories were truly about and what the writer wanted to tell me through them.
The love triangle was painful to watch, since I adored Hyun Jin, but could not relate nor truly understand Kang Woo. Both him and Na Eun had a complicated relationship with their parents, but it was presented in such a messy way, I kind of don’t really understand what is going on and where they are standing and what they wanted to do with it.
There is not much to say. It had great potential, but it was mostly wasted. Most characters were interesting in one way or another, but nothing was done with it. The whole show felt like just an introduction to the story.
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One of the best parts of the drama for sure was the acting. Dare I say, this was the best Seo Jin Goo’s role. While I am sad we did not get more scenes with the mad king (boy he was an amazing character and interesting to watch), Jin Goo's emotional scenes as Ha Sun were just as captivating. The duality in his performance left me in awe. I also appreciate that we as viewers could easily see which character we were currently watching on the screen. They had distinguishing characteristics, so I was never left in confusion.
That said, the whole show was stolen by Haksan, the loyal Chief Royal Secretary. The most complex character in the drama, with an amazing development and true depth. The internal and external conflicts he had to face were heartbreaking and made me cry more than once. I always anticipated his scenes and wished there were more of them, even though he was already one of the main characters. Kim Sang Kyung truly aced the role.
The weakest parts of the drama were romance and the villains. While Queen So Woon might have been a loyal and nice person, there was not much to her character, except for being the support for Ha Sun.
It was interesting to watch the villains try to win, but from the get go it was obvious they had no chance in this fight. All of the battles were too weak and they lost too easily and quickly.
All things considered, somehow this drama worked perfectly and was a true enjoyment to watch. Would recommend watching it for sure and I'm extremely happy I decided to try it myself.
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Losing interest, still clocking in!
It felt like a mock exam, or rehearsal dinner. Technically we are hitting all the same points as the real event, but somehow the emotions are tuned down.Honestly, the lack of attachment and later on excitement is not something I can explain with objective arguments, it just felt flat at times. I am really liking the dynamics, lines, love the conflict resolutions presented, the mature conversations, but at the same time I don’t really feel much watching it all happen. Maybe because this is not a plot driven show, and it’s all about the daily interactions and mundane struggles, I wish actually less happened, in a slower pace with more in-depth exploration?
There is a lot to appreciate. The realistic portrayal of women struggling at the workplace - without exaggeration, but also without making it seem like it’s not a big issue. Various flavors of relationships and break up - differences between internal and external issues that end to the end, amicable versus more negative aspects of parting ways. Answers to question why some relationships are worth fighting for, and some are better to become just past memories. Reasons to work and to stop working. Workplace harassment. Thematically, there was so much going on. But because there were a lot of different plot lines and conflicts I feel like we had a bit of a speedrun through them.
On one hand I adored how mature the relationship between Kang Si U and Cha Ji Yun was. Whenever they faced any problem, setback, conflict, they always tried to talk about it. Sometimes they took a tiny detour to first figure out their own feelings, before trying to tackle the issue as a couple, but at the end of the day, they were a team and made decisions together. On the other hand, they sailed too smoothly. It’s one think to rationally discuss the issue, it’s a different story setting your emotions in peace. I feel like the emotional turmoil should have lasted a bit longer even after on paper they worked on whatever was bothering them.
Whatever was happening, it was always solved by the end (at worst at the beginning) of the episode, but life is not as simple and easy. So while I love how realistic the problems were, I disliked how unrealistically easy they were solved.
I also wasn’t crazy about the supporting couple. Yun No A was an amazing individual character with a lot of growth to be able to shine by the end, but her love line, even if initially fun, gave me close to nothing by the end.
Truth to be told, what I enjoyed the most about the show was the AI Home team. I loved the interactions between different team members, how they brainstormed to solve different planning and development issues. Jeon Gi Tae and Sin Na Ri became some of my favorite characters and I wish the drama focused on them a little bit more.
Funny enough, I was also quite invested in Ji Yun and Ga Eul. Dare I say I found their story more interesting than leads? Yes I do. It was frustrating to watch and Ga Eul was such a jerk in the past, but at least there were some emotional stakes, their scenes made me feel any type of emotions.
What usually would save a show like that for me is the acting, and while I don’t think anyone was particularly bad, I also do not think any of the performances was memorable. Seo In Guk needs to get back to playing more expressive characters or he will forget how to use his facial muscles. I was excited to see Park Ji Hyun as lead, since I loved her Do You Like Brahms? and Dear My Room a lot, but this role did not highlight any of her strengths. And that styling and make up made her look sick the whole drama. I also could not stop laughing about Choi Kyung Hoon playing this amazing singer with a bright future ahead for him, when we have Seo In Guk right there. Still, I don’t really have any complaints about the acting. The only performance that did disappoint was Won Gyu Bin.
Production was fine. I did enjoy the set designs a lot, especially for everyone’s homes and working spaces - they did quite well represent who they were and what their personalities were.
Soundtrack wise, fitting, but not memorable. I think that’s kind of the issue here - nothing was that memorable about this drama.
Overall, I would not say I regret watching, but it would also not be my first pick when someone asks for recommendations. I feel like at the end of the day the most memorable aspects of this drama were Seo In Guk's face and his forearm.
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The most preventable outbreak of zombies ever.
The fact it all started because rich folks found a suspiciously looking fish and decided to eat it anyway. What could possibly go wrong? Apparently many things.Was it anything more than a fun zombie movie? No. Was it a fun zombie movie? Yes. And that’s completely fine. The action scenes were actually good. The fighting seemed realistic at least in terms of choreography - punches, kicks, using whatever you have around you to defend yourself. We did not see people flying and doing 4 pirouettes before kicks for aesthetic reasons.
The make up and special effects used for zombies were also fun. Especially the final stage of mutation, which I wished happened earlier. Blood and gore was mostly realistic except a few extremely obvious cgi splashes here and there. The move was dark enough though to ignore them.
The plot was nothing more and nothing less than “trying to survive”. What stood out for me is the fact we from the beginning start with the post-apocalyptic set up caused by climate change. There is no unnecessary time wasted on setting up the world, explaining the changes that happened because of the zombie outbreak - the world looks like it survived 3 zombie wars before we even see the first zombie anyway.
What’s most important - the characters are good. Yes, Sing was a bit too indestructible, still interesting to follow. The fact Mark is good looking does help too. That said, the best character was for sure Buddy. It’s a child so of course he makes a few extremely dumb choices, but they are in the realm of my understanding based on the shock this tiny human must have survived.
On the not so great side - what was that right before the credits roll scene? That makes no sense. It’s a clear way to set up the second movie (which I would not mind watching), but it could have been done in a better way. Based on the fact our lovely ML left the mutated fish at his house, and it seems like theft is common, we can assume the fish was in fact eaten, and now people eat each other even outside of the hospital - aka perfect setup for the bigger, more epic zombie sequel.
One major complaint - there was a moment in the plot when non-infected people started fighting with each other, while they were also fighting against zombies and it made exactly zero sense. Why are you fighting guys? More brains, less muscles please. And these slow motion close up punches? Stop.
Overall, it was fun. Requires zero brain power, keeps the tension high for most part. The characters are well grounded and likeable, you do want to see them survive, which is always a plus for a horror movie.
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Enjoyable, but not groundbreaking.
Realistically speaking, I knew where the plot was going since episode 2. I did not mind it and I was ready for an exciting ride. While it was entertaining, the show lost me a few times.Plot wise, I’d say that’s the glow-up I enjoy watching - when with a new hairstyle come deadly skills and not rich boys. Yoon Ji Woo’s story is quite a chaos filled with questions: who did what, why and what will she do about it? We follow her on the journey of discovering the truth behind her father’s death, which became her sole life mission. Observing her trying to fit into two completely different worlds - crime driven gangs and justice and revenge driven police, made me binge watch the whole show in one sitting.
Honestly speaking, none of the characters had true depth, nor novelty to them - I’ve seen them in similar stories. You know what the characters will do, before they do it. That said, it does not take away from the entertainment value. Action genre was never a plot focused deal for me, I just want to get my blood boiling with fun fighting scenes, countless backstabbing and revenge. My Name delivered in these aspects fairly well.
The strength of Han So Hee’s performance were her physical abilities - the fighting scenes looked really good. We could see her using the skills she learned at the beginning throughout the show. While she nailed the action, some of her emotional scenes fell flat and I could not connect to her character.
Park Hee Soon served us an outstanding performance. It’s not often for me to feel bad, or rather feel anything towards a character like Moo Jin. For making me feel things, I thank Hee Soon.
Production wise, it’s Netflix, of course it’s good. Personally, I didn’t like some of the editing, especially around the training and the undercover beginning - it was too much too fast. There were also some weird choices made by making the camera go out of focus in some scenes.
Truly enjoyed the soundtrack. Just a few notes made me feel excited and ready for some bloodshed. They perfectly supported what was happening on screen, elevating the overall quality.
So, what did not work out? Not enough backstory of Ji Woo’s father. We did not really get to see him do much, either in terms of his daughter nor his work. Some flashbacks here and there are not enough for me to understand why he was such an important figure in so many people’s lives. He was the catalyst of the whole plot, but at times I didn't quite understand why.
Some turns the plot took were truly ridiculous and brainless. “Okay, it makes no sense” was the only response I could give. Some plot lines - unnecessary. I hoped the writing would emphasize more on the internal conflicts Ji Woo felt - girl was dealing with a lot.
The ending was so mediocre I could not stop myself from feeling disappointed. It’s not an open ending, but since they did not really explain many aspects surrounding Ji Woo, it felt like it. The plot is finished, there is not much that could potentially be explored in another season, so what now? Why couldn’t they give some proper closure?
Overall, I loved the fighting, the connection between Ji Woo and Moo Jin and their dynamics, the visual aspects of the show and the performance. The writing could be a bit more polished - cut some parts out, develop some more. Would recommend it if you feel like watching an action flick and want to be entertained. If you are looking for more, you might be disappointed by the plot.
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When the daddy turns dad, and the thriller turns makjang.
I went into this drama for the most shallow reason ever - Yoo Yeon Seok looked extremely hot in the trailers being all possessive and domineering. And since that was my only expectation, I’d say the drama did not quite meet it. It gave me other things to enjoy though.Was it a fun watch? For most of it. The middle part became a bit too repetitive, and the ending went straight to fancy makjang territory. Some twists were more predictable than others, but overall it was a rather engaging watch. Did the plot make much sense? Not really. I mean, the majority of the characters did not even have half of the working brain cell and watching them making the wrong decisions over and over again, and being so painfully blind to the most obvious things was probably one of the most entertaining aspects of the whole drama.
On the top of that clownery we have Baek Sa Eon - for a smart guy he was really dumb. Did I care? Nope. Why? Because he was hot. Yes, that was my reasoning. Baek Sa Eon during the first few episodes was THE hot possessive toxic oppa and for that I am grateful. Whenever he went just the right amount of unhinged when something concerned Hui Ju, I went - yes! The angst, the low-key anger issues, the suits and them hands (the production team knew what they were doing with all the close ups of his hands). Exactly the guy you love to watch on the screen, and would avoid in real life. And then he did 180 in the second half and I became convinced that the perfect husband was cosplaying as toxic oppa.
Hong Hui Ju was honestly a placeholder. She had a few great moments here and there, but at the end of it all, she was just an overcooked potato. Which is fair - with the amount of trauma and abuse she went through, if she had more of a spine, she would leave. Since she stayed, we should not be expecting her to give us much spunk. Being in danger was her full time job, and saving her was Sa Eon’s life mission.
Surprisingly, the characters I got really attached to were Sang U and Yu Ri. The investigative duo with such fun chemistry. Waiting for Netflix to contact me, because I have the plot for the spin off of them already planned in my head. The way he became so conscious of her presence, and she was so oblivious about it all is my type of a connection.
The villains were villaining, but they were also so generic I did not really care for their shenanigans. So much happened plot wise, and yet it kind of still feels empty? When the Phone Rings had an extremely strong beginning, and lost its focus half way through. The issue might have been how packed the plot was -, they did not really have time to explore on a meaningful level any of the plotlines. One thing happened, and we moved to another thing - nothing felt developed, nothing had a proper closure. All had a closer, but none truly had THE closure.
Performances were mostly great. Yoo Yeon Seok aced that silent anger and concern. Whatever scene he was in, he delivered. On the other hand Chae Soo Bin… I know she is a great actress. I loved her in all the previous titles I have seen her in, but this role was just not it. Would I dare to blame the directing? Yes. Even though I thought the drama went downhill in the second half, her performance got so much better. First few episodes she was just a surprised big eyes victim with no facial muscles working.
Production was fine. As I already said, I'm grateful for the close-up shots of Yoo Yeon Seok’s hands. Some of the editing was questionable - too much repetition of what happened in the previous episodes - the viewers do not have goldfish brains like the characters, we do not need constant reminders.
Overall, what I thought would be a fun wattpad-esk romance with an entertaining dynamic between Sa Eon and Hui Ju, turned into a family mystery makjang with low level of brain energy. Still had fun though.
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This review may contain spoilers
The production as rough as the relationship between Wu Suo Wei and Chi Cheng.
Why, oh why did they not keep it short and simple? You truly do not have to adapt everything that is in the novel. You can in fact just pick one aspect and make it happen. We had so much going on, but somehow nothing was really happening.Revenge Wu Suo Wei planned, Chi Cheng family drama, whatever was going on between Chi Cheng and Cheng Yu, second leads romance, Yue Yue and whatever she was doing, the snake business, the art business, Wang Shuo and his drama, Wang Shuo’s bro who was there to look hot, make Chi Cheng jealous and make us hope they would develop his not so bro like relationship with Wang Shuo, Wu Suo Wei’s mother’s health issues… I am sure I am missing some other side plots.
I could feel that people involved in this production actually cared about it, but maybe they cared a little bit too much so they were not able to let go of some aspect that would in fact improve overall quality. The actions and decisions were as misguided as the ones of the characters.
If we just focus on the love and chemistry between Chi Cheng and Wu Suo Wei it would be perfect. I adored the love and devotion I saw in Chi Cheng’s eyes when he was looking at Wu Suo Wei. The way on his side the connection moved from pure curiosity, to lust and then to love was done in a perfect manner - be it performance or pacing wise.
And then we have Wu Suo Wei who not only had to deal with his unexpected growing fondness towards Chi Cheng who was by all means his enemy, but also his newly discovered interest in men. Baby boy went into complete panic mode more than once. But the fact these two ended up completely in love is undenied.
Then we had a second couple and I’m only left with disappointment. I love Guo Cheng Yu, I love him the most out of all the characters. He was the true man of the story. Every new scene with him made me just love him more and more. The way he did not take advantage of Doc being drugged, the way he took revenge on Doc’s ex - how patient he was during the relationship - he kept gaining points from me.
But then we had Doc - Xiao Shuai… oh boy. He did not deliver on the romance at all. First of all, I rather have no kissing scenes than watch a scene where one clearly is not enjoying whatever is happening. I could sense how awkward Liu Xuan Cheng felt while filming it, and I should not be feeling what actors are feeling, I should be feeling what the characters were supposed to feel. Liu Xuan Cheng did the best in the silly down to earth scenes between him and Zi Yu and their friendship baby girl energy. But when we talk about any more serious scenes, emotionally heavy ones or romantic ones - he failed, over and over again.
Yes, Chu Cheng did a number of questionable things, so did Wu Suo Wei - that’s not the issue. The bigger problem was how writing wise they were not always consistent with how the characters were written in the first place. Example: Chi Cheng could not bear to actually hurt Wu Suo Wei and he did not want to force Wu Suo Wei to sleep with him. And yet that’s exactly what he did by scheming and manipulating Doc. If your lover's reasoning for sleeping with you is anything other than them actually wanting to sleep with you, you are doing something wrong.
Any other dynamics worth mentioning? Whatever was going on between Chi Cheng and Cheng Yu. I am sure these two characters at least once thought about sleeping with each other. No way their feelings were not even slightly complicated in their past. I loved it. I also loved the friendship between Wu Suo Wei and Xiao Shuai, even if some of their schemes “against” each other that were aiming for their own good, would for sure cross my personal boundary.
And here comes the biggest surprise, I actually ended up adoring Wang Shuo. This idol snake stole my heart. He was the greatest source of never ending entertainment. The cheekiness and boldness that was covering up his deep sense of insecurity was one of the best aspects of the drama. I wish we saw more of him and his “bro not really bro” with whom he clearly did not have bro chemistry going on.
Yue Yue was boring, the off screen conclusion of her character was boring.
The sick mother plotline was annoying and I wish it was shorter. The lack of communication and the whole plot was so poorly written and annoying, I was rolling my eyes so hard I could see the neurons dying in my brain. That said, the actual conclusion and the death of the mother was shot in a beautiful and touching way - cannot deny that.
Production wise… questionable? The dubbing was painful. But it is something you can get used to. By episode 3 I was not bothered by it at all. Honestly, compared to others the dubbing did not bother me that much. What bothered me was the song choices, especially two tracks. One gave Twilight vibes, the other gave me hallmark christmas movie vibes. It does not matter what scene they were playing for, I could not stop laughing. On the good side - I actually liked the set design and the outfits the characters were wearing matched their personalities perfectly. Yes, a bit too… on the nose? But somehow it matched the overall tone of the story - it was cliche, but fun.
On the sad note: not even the strongest toxic gege can fight censorship. It is a proper BL, don’t get me wrong. We get plenty of kisses and intimate scenes. But we also get less and less of them as the show progresses. In later episodes we could see how they cut the scenes shorter and the transitions were not smooth at all. I get that external limitations of what they can show are something they could not do anything about, but you can always be smart while filming. Film scenes in a way that even if you are later forced to cut short, they still feel completed.
Then there is the issue of them being casual about really serious topics: Chi Cheng making gang rape happen. Wu Suo Wei pretending he wants to kill himself in front of Doc, who in fact in the past tried to off himself. I know they tidied up a lot of "problematic" things from the novel, but then why leave these few scenes that are simply not necessary anyway? It's like you deep clean your house, but leave a shit in the middle of a living room. I’m not necessarily against dark romance and I enjoy problematic relationships as forms of entertainment too, but they need to be presented in a proper context. Here they made the story more cute, at times even wholesome, but still left some bits of that typical darker story. It just did not mix well at all.
Overall, it was fun, but so unnecessarily long. Maybe if they actually kept the plot more tight and made the show shorter, the censorship police would not have caught them fast enough and we’ve got the whole show without the obvious re-edits and cuts done in the second half.
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This review may contain spoilers
A Tale of Green Privilege.
I am salty, not gonna lie. I was totally in love with the show for the first seven episodes, but the last three were simply a writing joke and left a bad taste in my mouth. For me, the writers completely failed to deal with and give a proper closure to a topic they decided to showcase.Starting from the positives, I have to talk about acting. I usually keep my standards rather mid range with Thai BLs - here they exceeded my expectations. The performances weren’t Oscar worthy, but damn they were good. I see a trend in Thai BLs with casting new yet extremely talented actors for the main roles - Zee, Win and now Mix. Some actors did a better job than the others, but overall everyone portrayed their characters well.
The production value and the attention to creating realistic settings was quite nice. The village seems like a real close community - the interactions and relationships felt genuine. Loved the kids and how each one of them had their own individual characteristics, and they were not just “a group of kids”.
The slow progression of Tian and Chief’s relationship (excluding episodes 8-9). They were adorable. Well paced and natural way of presenting two people falling in love. Ain’t no “love from the first sight” or “forcing your presence on the other person until they give in” (which is done in many shows both in the physical and emotional aspects). Just two people working around their insecurities while the attachment and emotions grow.
“Your feelings come from your freaking brain” aka clear message that Tian is just Tian, and his character development and feelings come from him and not the heart he received from Torfun. All the similarities in his behavior towards other people did not come from the heart - it was Tian acting on what he read in the diary. I truly appreciate that they clearly expressed that Tian is his own person.
Onto the bad aka everything that happened after episode 7: complete lack of consequences (both legal and social) for people who broke the law. In real life, Tian would be hated by society - a rich kid who got away with breaking the law (organizing an illegal car chase in which someone died, and with how it was presented, it was not the first illegal car race he organized and took part in) thanks to the parents' money.
And I’m sorry, but feeling guilty is not enough of a punishment. We have legal systems for a reason. I’m all up for a redemption arc, but a character needs to pay for their crimes first. Same goes to his parents - all they did the whole show was bribing people for various reasons. The whole show could have happened only because Tian’s parents were able to buy his way out of trouble with money, and the true victims were simply forgotten. Torfun got no justice, nor did her family and friends. Everyone involved in her death got off scot free. That part of the plot and how writers dealt with it just simply angered me and ruined the show.
For everyone who claims that since Tian was not behind the wheel, he should not be held responsible for everything that happened to Torfun, remember that Tian was the one that suggested the car chase. Him and Tul organized the whole thing. When Tian started to feel unwell, Tul suggested forgetting the race, but Tian said no, because he did not want to look like a coward (to this random person he met in a bar and will probably never meet again - pride much?). He sent his friend to take part in the car chase on his behalf. He is not blameless.
And yet, he hasn't once been criticized or even scolded. Everyone just kept telling him how he was not at fault, how Torfun would forgive him, how he should stop feeling guilty, and my favorite and most disrespectful line of the whole show “Maybe, Torfun was the one who chose to give the heart to you” - it came from the person who was close to Torfun, someone who in first episode said “Everything can be settled with money. Easy, isn't it? I will never forgive the person who did this to her” - newsflash Chie’s, Tian was one of the people who did this to her, and his parents were the ones that used the money to make it go away.
Then there is the whole aspect of Tian wanting the freedom of choice, when everyone around him made the decision for him. This could have been a really good arc if they actually showed Tian being capable of making these decisions. Up till the end of the show, while his intentions might have been good, they often led to putting others in danger (sometimes almost dying). Tian is not exactly a responsible human being. How many times his actions need to have negative consequences until he starts to release, maybe double or even triple checking his ideas would be a good way to go?
All the problems I have, were the result of episodes 8 and 9 happening. It turned from a really wholesome story of self-discovery, development and improvement, to overdramatized mess with no cohesiveness. I loved and adored Tian in the first seven episodes, to be left with no sympathy by the end. I just could not stop feeling bad for Torfun and how poorly her character was treated in the show - all as a way to make Tian look better.
The last episode was quite enjoyable. Full of clichés, but since the cast have good chemistry, it did not bother me that much. The MVP was Tian's mom at the airport. Her reactions were comedy goals.
Overall, I have no idea. I am extremely conflicted - it’s not like the whole show was bad, good or decent. There were things I loved with all my heart (Tian’s and Longtae’s friendship being truly the best part of the show), but some were laughably bad (I did laugh throughout episode 8-10). I guess this show just made me feel frustrated on a whole new level just because of the two episodes close to the ending.
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RamKing is life and Thara is amazing.
Now that we have that behind us, let’s talk about the drama itself. It was a mess. They didn't try to be serious for sure, and some silly scenes were borderline dumb, but somehow it did not bother me. But then… My expectations were extremely low to begin with. There was an imbalance in the quality of writing between couples. Some were good and executed well with interesting characters, some were based fully on cliches and made me want to either sleep or smash my head on the wall.Let’s talk about couples. The leading babies, Duen and Bohn, had a strong start. Their interactions were funny and cute, but then, it led to nowhere. About halfway through the show I was asking myself: what is happening with them, why does every episode have more or less exactly the same plot for them? There was not much creativity behind who they are, what they do and how they behave. They are basically every cute BL couple from every BL put together to create this monster. Not to mention how frustrating their dynamic was - Bohn always being jealous about the smallest and most random stuff and Duen apologizing and pleading.
King and Ram… how were they so good? How could the same person write them and Duen/Bohn? The quality is vastly different. There was something fresh and fun, yet cute and innocent behind their interaction. King was a perfect senior who, with his mature and bubbly personality, brought some peace and happiness to the soft boy Ram. Since season one focused on Ram's development, I can’t wait to see what will happen to them and King in the 2nd season.
I don’t have anything to say about Boss and Mek. Their story might have been amazing, but I did not witness it at all. Sadly, I could not look past Mek’s dubbing, and skipped all his scenes. I just could not focus on whatever was happening because of the poorly done dubbing.
I also have a complaint about Thara and Frong - there was not enough screen time for them! Another pairing that, to some extent, relied on the stereotypes, but brought a bit of a twist to it. The slow, but adorable change we saw in how Frong treated Thara made my heart melt a few times. Loved how they became so open and were able to communicate with each other, say sorry when it was required, and support each other when needed.
The acting would be fine if it was not for Poy. His crying scenes were some new level of comedy. The rest did well. I did feel a bit awkward with Talay's delivery at times too, but since his character was so nicely written, I could ignore it.
The editing, set design, directing - everything was meh. It was not bad, but it was not good either.
Overall, it’s a nice “I want to watch some sweet show that does not require a lot of brain power and I am willing to skip 50% of the scenes if needed”. There were some scenes more ridiculous than others (the fact Duen was hit by a car in episode one and it was never addressed still makes me laugh), but I guess the confusion it created in my brain was also its charm?
Would I recommend watching? Yes and no. Watch RamKing and TharaFrong, feel free to skip the rest.
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Step into the right direction, but we are still walking, not running.
On one hand I want to give big props since this drama is a massive improvement in terms of directing, editing, storytelling and acting compared to many Thai bls. It includes genres that are not often used, being more daring and bold in tags. On the other hand the execution still feels sloppy. The pacing was draggy at a few points, the horror aspect slowly vanished as the drama focused more on the romance. There were times where I felt like they tried too hard to be artsy, fancy and serious. And I don’t even want to talk about the conclusion.What Khemjira does well is create a cohesive and rich in cultural details world. What I mean by it - the culture was an integral aspect of the story, not just decoration. For most parts I understood the strength and limitations of everyone's powers and the impact they have on them and people around them. They also did a good job showing how capable Ramphueng was in action not narration - that’s always a big plus.
What’s more, I actually strangely enjoyed the sometimes questionable moral takes this show presents. Personally I find the idea of Karma that follows you in different reincarnations unjust, but because of that I found the reasonings the characters gave for certain storylines fitting the overall themes, even if I personally disagreed with them.
I also truly appreciated all the characters, not only the male leads. With how much was already happening plot wise, I felt relieved that they did not create unnecessary mundane drama with cheap cliches. Rather than that, they used what usually is an annoying trope for a little bit of a mood change with positive characters that brought a smile to my face (looking at you Phong).
I was also extremely surprised with how good the special effects and styling was. Visually speaking this drama is a feast (yes, Master is a whole damn meal alone, main course if you ask me). Especially Ramphueng - the way her styling and make-up gradually changed, you don’t notice it at first, but by the last episode you see how badly she is affected by everything that happened. With how supernatural was not just a little part, but the driving force, all the magic, ghosts and various beings were presented in a really… tasteful manner? I could see that they took their time making sure all the details matched and it was not some “stock idea”.
On the positive side I have to talk about acting. First my favorite - Green. Her performance was so strong I started to root for her in the second half. The more we knew about Ramphueng, the more I connected to her character. Her delivery was so strong, I could feel every emotion she portrayed.
Then we have FirstOne. This man managed to show so much depth in what could be easily presented as just a comic relief character, I have to applaud him. Be it silly jokes and remarks or truly raw and heartbreaking moments - he aced them all.
Truth to be told, I loved almost everyone in the cast. Keng was able to balance Peem’s stoic persona with deep emotions, Tle balanced the nerdy, but also mature side of Chan well.
And then we have Namping… I am sorry, but for me he cannot act. It was not obvious at first - he does well with simple daily mundane scenes. Happy, surprised, little scared, hesitant, flirty. But when the story took a more serious turn and required to tap into these deep and raw emotions, he failed every scene. He was trying to squeeze these tears, sometimes managing to get one or two, but I felt nothing watching him on screen. His level of reaction was less “life or death” and more “dropped the last piece of pizza on the floor”. He also struggled with switching and moving from one emotion to another. He always pulled that hard cut between being heartbroken and fine.
Though I do think some of the issues with his performance came from directing choices too. There were a number of scenes of him crying, stopping for the dialogue to happen, and then crying again - like the emotions were being paused to deliver the lines. Some other characters also had similar issues - weird pauses between words, weird pauses between replies.
Since I was not convinced by the performance, I did not connect to the character, which led me to truly not care for the overall plot. The only reason I could potentially feel emotional is the reaction other characters would have, rather than what would actually happen to him. This is bad, real bad. He is carrying the whole story, everything revolves around him, everything is connected to him… and here I am not caring about him at all. Boy was the center of it all, but he also did nothing.
Here’s the thing though about the story - with how much the villain went through and with how poorly Khem was portrayed, I kind of was on her side. Sue me, but I will die on that hill.
Another issue I had was the fact they truly did not know how to hold the tension and transition between different scenes that had different moods. They built something up just to break it up with silly jokes and comedy so neither the serious nor the fun actually landed.
Then we have the conclusion, the lack of explanations and the “because it had to happen” as if this would be enough for me to just accept and move on, when the whole plot was built on the mystery of the curse and how to break it. The drama ended and I still do not fully understand the curse… I asked around and honestly no one gave me a proper explanation just “maybe it’s this or that”... The ending was just disappointing.
Strangely I think I have more positive feelings about all the side stories rather than the main one.
Anyway, I'm done, but it feels more like the show is done with me after slapping me in the face with random shit over and over again in that last episode. I was obsessed in the first half, but when my expectations were not met I got more and more disappointed.
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The Call has a lot of pros, not gonna lie. The acting is amazing, especially from Jeon Jong Seo. Her character is truly the best part of the whole production. You end up loving and hating her at the same time. Jong Seo's portrayal of the initial vulnerability that moves into the direction of desperation and then madness is an intriguing ride.
Park Shin Hye is good. As good as in any other production she was in the past few years, as she is playing exactly the same character. Kind of strong and driven to survive, but not really. Sometimes making smart choices, but that are built on a chain of dumbness. There isn't anything fresh or interesting about her.
The other characters are barely there, only serving the purpose of moving the plot forward or being an external motivation for the two main characters.
The visuals - truly stunning. That's the part of the production that shows a lot of work and planning. The moments when two worlds are colliding and affecting each other was done in an exciting and beautiful way.
So what is the problem?
I'm fairly certain that Lee Chung Hyun did not have a storyboard for this project and he could not decide what exactly are the rules of the time. He presents a linear concept of time (compared to "alternative universes"), when past events affect future events. One reality, but two different points in time. But the way the movie presented the concept was as if the two timelines were parallel and progressing the same way.
Currently happening event in the past affects the currently happening event in the present, but we don't see how the past plays and affects the present in between these events, as if the time between these two events does not exist. The past is the past. Seo Yeon should have access to all the information about the events that happened, not just the ones currently happening in the parallel timeline. Not to mention the fact Seo Yeon had no memories of the past events that affected her. Why?
All events in the movie happened in the linear way, except for the ending. Which was also not explained. The plot twist just opened the door to so many plot holes. If you could call the past at any given time on that timeline, why didn't Seo Yeon use it to her advantage?
The more I think about the way the plot was structured and the time connection explained, the more I get annoyed. It truly looks as if no time was put into making sure the events follow any line of logic. On the surface, it's the basic "action-reaction" deal. But when you start asking questions, you see that time travel/connection plot lines cannot follow this simple logic, because that's what makes them illogical. As time is not that simple...
Anyway, I can see why people enjoyed the movie. It was entertaining for most parts even though quite predictable. If you won't try to understand the logic behind the events or the rules of the time aspects, you will like it. So, the piece of advice: put your brain on the shelf before starting it.
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Was it scary? No. Was it innovative? No. Was it fun? HECK YEAH.
I truly do not have much to say. It was a series of short (most are around 5-6 minutes long) stories presented to us without much context. The urban legends they are based on are not explained, and I myself recognized only two from episode 3 (Special Guest) and episode 6 (Dimension). Did it bother me that I was dropped into the dark and by the end of each episode I was still in the dark? Not really.I saw a lot of people commenting on the lack of the lore explanation before each episode, but most of the time there is nothing to explain. Urban Legends usually leave more questions than answers, as they are supposed to be simply entertaining and not complex masterpieces. For example, the Dimension is based on the elevator game. Follow the rules and you might end up in a different dimension. If you break any: you're dead. That's it. That's how creepy pastas and urban legends work: they have little content, no explanations and a lot of "plot holes", but they are fun to read (or watch, in this case).
The story that stood out the most to me was Dimension. It got me excited. The choice for the music was true perfection, I was smiling the whole time (damn... this makes me sound like a psychopath when you think about the content of the show and this episode). I also appreciated how the stories were all connected and clearly took place in the same area/universe, as they referred to each other.
The production value was inconsistent, that I must admit. The directing and editing itself was nice and the team did a good job with creating some interesting pictures, but at times, they tried to do more than they were capable of. The CGI was painful to watch in a few episodes. Thankfully, more often than not, they used practical effects, which saved it. Being perfectly honest with you guys, I enjoyed the bad CGI. The whole show was a fun, silly ride for me so the "creepy CGI baby" was just a cherry on top.
I would recommend it to anyone who likes silly creepy pastas and urban legends and does not expect any complex and interesting lore. It's fun and entertaining, and even though it's supposed to be a horror, it brought me more laughter than scares.
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Feels like a fanfic written by an inexperienced teen.
And yet I enjoyed it so much. Let’s get real - the writing of everything except for the romance was laughable. When I found out that the actors actually had some training with the professionals, it made it even worse. Without it, I could excuse it on the lack of research, but there was some effort put into it, so why is the result so bad?All that, it was pure entertainment. I must say, I actually enjoyed the villain the most. He had such a massive negative brain energy I could not stop laughing watching his shenanigans. Especially in the last episodes, everything was so dramatic, when realistically speaking nothing made much sense. It had its cons though - I felt nothing, no pain, no angst, no sadness - nothing. The lack of brains from the villain and the plot completely distracted me from actually connecting to the characters.
Then we have the medical aspect. It was so bad I honestly don’t even want to talk about it. The glorious closeups to the actors' faces as the medical procedures are happening, because the actor cannot deliver them in a realistic way - this tells you all you need to know.
Putting the villain and the medical aspects aside (which means just ignoring a massive portion of the plot lol), the romance itself was great. I liked how they emphasized that the characters make each other better, and how you need to put an actual effort in relationships - no first love type of a deal. The chemistry was great and very natural - no awkwardness, unless the scene literally demanded it.
I also had no issues with the performances. There were no groundbreaking deliveries, but everyone did a good job with their respective roles.
Overall, it was so dumb it ended up being great.
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Purest form of entertainment.
Realism does not exist in the dictionary of the creators, that’s for sure. And it goes beyond the usual fantasy/adventure elements in shows like that. Did it bother me? No. I laughed and joked about it, and moved on. The plot moves so fast, there is no time to think about all the ridiculous aspects.Tomb of the Sea does a fairly good job establishing characters, their motivations and overall world buildup. You can watch it without any prior knowledge of the series and the prequels, and still enjoy and understand it. It follows quite a few plotlines - Gutong Jing adventure, Wang conspiracy, politics between Nine Clans, and all the small flirty romances. Sounds like a lot, but it's truly not hard to grasp when watching.
The large cast of the characters makes it easy to find someone to relate to, love and, if that's what you fancy, hate. Personally, I adopted Li Cu. At first, my attention was more on Wu Xie, but as the drama progressed, this slightly emo and over the top child stole my heart. Surprisingly, I had a soft spot for Liang Wan - quite flawed, but also a loveable and fun character, which brought a more realistic reaction to all the events unfolding.
One aspect I truly loved about the characters was the realistic portrayal of teenagers. The hero complex, the lack of situation analysis and getting yourself into danger without even taking a second to truly think about the consequences, the over the top and sometimes childish interactions - all of that made me think about the time I was their age and was just as stupid.
For a drama with 52 episodes, it’s surprisingly binge-watchable. The plot moves fast, even if the timeline makes little sense. Word of advice - don’t try to keep up with how much time passed for each side plot, you won’t be able to puzzle it out anyway. You might think just a week has passed, and they fit you with the revelation that it’s been a month or more. They cut off some plot lines to come back to the characters a few episodes later, with me having no idea what they were doing and what happened to them between the events I witnessed. Just go with the flow and don’t question it.
The soundtrack could not be more perfect. Chen Xue Ran’s Song of the Desert became one of my favorite songs in 2021. It was so good, I did not even skip ending credits scenes after each episode, just so I could listen to it.
Overall, it’s a flawed drama - weird plot pacing progression, makeup that can survive sandstorms, cutting plot lines and then coming back to them as if no time passed, and yet, I truly enjoyed it a lot. I also appreciate the death count - nothing more frustrating than when no one dies in a story like that. It would be too Disney for me.
If I had to name one thing that truly bothered me, it was the treatment towards the kids. At times it was simply physical and mental abuse, and it did make me feel uncomfortable at times, especially since the drama never explained why the characters had to be high schoolers. In my eyes, they could have been easily made into young adults, and not much would change plot wise.
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