WingedBean

Great Premise Ruined by Poor Writing

The first 4 episodes were fantastic. Like 'edge of your seat, trying to piece everything together' type of fantastic. However, the latter half takes all that away and ruins it. The story is filled with plot holes and relies on idiotic characters to further the plot and raise the stakes - Spoiler, the stakes remain dead in the water.

I think the writers had a great idea. Combining tradition, i.e., shamanism, with technology, a killer app, and a not-so-stable friend group was a solid idea. If only they hadn't made their characters' one consistent character trait be bad decision-making.
Tbh, of the 5 main characters, the one character who (largely) made smart decisions throughout was Kim Geon U. Even Ha-Joon, who was presented as the logical friend, was only proverbially saved by the bell from adding his name to the kill list of that app

Generally, I expect such shows to have dumb characters. It's part and parcel of the genre. Frustrating, yes, but you've got to sacrifice a few for the theory of evolution by natural selection. However, when the majority of the group is dumb, the viewing experience becomes frustrating.

I wish they had given me

1. Better, smarter characters - Personally, I believe that smart characters make for a better viewing experience. As a viewer, I'm not dumb, so the writers shouldn't treat me as such. Stupid mistakes being the thing that consistently pushes the plot is insulting my intelligence. And undervaluing my time

2. Tighter plot - There are so many plot holes with the main and even supporting characters. I could list them out, but I'm not enjoying typing this out. Part of me suspects that this could have been intentional for them to try to create a hook for the 2nd season. However, that just made this season feel incomplete.

It's like buying a sandwich and finding out it's all crust and a few unseasoned lettuce leaves. Then being told that you now need to get a 2nd sandwich so you can get all the other good stuff - The actual bread, the sauce, and the meat. Why TF would I buy from you again? Not only did you make me waste my money, but you could end up giving me another crust sandwich and telling me to wait for sn 3. No, thank you.

3. A better villain - Honestly, I'm lowkey tired of the whole 'insecure bully from a broken family' narrative. When the show started, I had hoped that the backstory of the app would be quite sinister. They classified it as horror after all. However, learning that all this happened coz one girl wanted to bully her one genuine friend... *insert hard eye-roll* come on now. Kwon Si Won being evil for the sake of being evil is just... meh

PS. Actually, I don't mind a villain who's evil for the sake of being evil. But they need to face smart and resourceful 'heroes' for the story to stand out and keep me hooked.

Three Extra Thoughts

a. I will say, the most memorable thing was the eye in.... was it episode 3 or 4? That eye made me jump. I think it (and the 1st time we see Do Hye Ryeong slit her throat) were the only parts of the entire story that felt like they fit adequately with the horror tag

b. There is a lesson here about choosing better friends. About not staying friends with mean people simply because of history. About not trying to save everyone because (again) of history or coz you're a nice person

c. If they were to announce a 2nd season, I suspect that Na Ri would be the villain in that one - based on the after-credits scene. I, however, will not be tuning in. Netflix hasn't had a great track record with sequels, even when they had strong 1st seasons. Look at shows like Sweet Home, BloodHounds & the 1st 2 seasons of Alice in Borderland. Strong starts that were butchered later. This show didn't even have a strong start. I'm doubtful that the 2nd season will be anything good.

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Comedy is Subjective

Comedic Thai stories are usually a hit or miss for me. This, unfortunately, falls into the miss pile as the comedy didn't quite land for me. I wish the story had more heart and less comedy. The fight scenes were also not that well choreographed tbh. I could tell that they were fake. That they weren't quite hitting or choking each other. I shouldn't be able to tell that as a viewer.

The kiss scenes also aren't the best I've seen. They aren't the dreaded dead fish kisses, but something was missing. With that said, I think the acting is pretty decent. When the comedy is pushed back, allowing for more serious scenes, you can see the actors' acting skills shine. For rookies, they are pretty decent, I'll give them that. No one was stiff or unbelievable in those scenes.

I have their upcoming series 'Roommate Chaos' on my To Watch List, so I look forward to seeing more of their work then. I liked the comedy in that trailer, so hopefully that will land. And the kissing shall be better

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Bored? Wanna laugh? Give it a go. Also, somebody call HR

Is the story good? Well... Have you ever come across those billionaire romance stories that are all smut and aggression? If so, then... That's the vibe here. Is the acting good? I mean..., I wouldn't tell anybody about them.
Are the music choices good? They are largely annoying and had me wondering about copyright laws

But.... I don't know the last time I laughed so hard watching something. This story is so absurd. Like it's so bad that it's good. IDK how to explain it, man. It keeps you engaged. You wanna find out what other random out-of-pocket thing they'll throw at you

PS. For anyone who cares, there's A LOT of kissing. Nothing that will go in anyone's slank bank, but their lips touch a whole lot

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*flings imaginary papers into the air* I give up

This is a rant.

Often, even when I drop a show, I usually have something nice/decent to say about it. With this one, idk. Maybe there will be some good buried in here somewhere underneath all the things that frustrated and left me wanting

The Characters

🧚🏻He Si Mu - I found her boring, indecisive, and one-dimensional. She is so obsessed with humans, and for what exactly? The fact that they get to suffer through life and die? Or does she want the life of a noblewoman? To spend all her life pampered but sheltered, only to be married off for some familial/political/business purpose n live in the shadow of a man? Forgive me, but the thought of an all-powerful ghost supreme lamenting that she's not a human is annoying AF to me

🏮She is bored with her long 400-year life, and I feel like this is her fault. Honestly, I feel like an immortal who gets bored with their existence is at fault for the mundanity that is their life. Maybe this is me applying my 2026 brain to some (fictional) historical world, but.....
Do you know how vast the world is? The multitudes you can encounter if you manage to leave your backyard? She leaves the spirit world to go to areas that are essentially her backyard. Of course you're bored, babe. Humanity changes, but not that drastically. You can 'whoosh' yourself to literally anywhere, leave your people, and go elsewhere. See if you're bored then

🏮Her indecisiveness with Duan Xu is also off-putting. You want love, but also don't want it. She kept changing her mind on how close she wanted this mortal man, which gave me fucking whiplash. The entire plot, at least till where I reached, is a fucking push and pull. 2 steps forward, 15 steps back. Ma'am, I'm tired. Make a choice so we can move on. Let him go or pick him, and let both of you protect each other and your love for one another

🏮One-dimensional - I thought that perhaps her love with Duan Xu would change her or something. make her care. sure she smiles more and is carefree when with him. I liked that bit, but all other areas of her life remain the same. She is bored with her job and the supreme, bored with her subordinates, bored during the fight that comes about every 100 years, bored when people try to assassinate her, and sad that she isn't human and can never die.
Girl.... I'm bored too. Give me something to work with! I wanted to see her get mad for once and act on it. Let her go crazy or something. Let me see another side of you, other than detached boredom and perpetual annoyance at your subordinates and their scheming.

They could have made her so interesting, but this is what they chose to give us... UGH!

🤺Duan Xu - I actually liked the fact that he was a golden retriever puppy around her. It gave a good contrast, giving me that grumpy-sunshine trope that I adore (especially if the grumpy character is the woman). However, I was let down by the fact that he doesn't fight much. I remember how impressed I was back in ep 10 when he infiltrated the enemy camp, threw everything into chaos, and killed their general.

I was like 'yes!!! The puppy finally shows that he is, in fact, a mad dog underneath it all.' It gave such a wonderful layer to who we'd seen him as by that point. Unfortunately, we don't see that side of him again. The man was a trained assassin since he was a preteen to his late teens, and we just get to see him walking around holding the hilt of his sword for the majority of the plot.

He is relegated to a love-sick puppy constantly chasing a woman who wants him, but won't claim him, and having petty (but sometimes hilarious) jealous spats with Yan Ke and any other man (un)fortunate to get close to si mu. Yan Ke was right in calling him a love-lorn husband. An absolute waste of a character

Yan Ke - What a boring villain. There is nothing as unimaginative as a man whose sole purpose is to possess a woman who doesn't even want him. All-powerful and all he wants is to have the more powerful being to be submissive to and stare googly-eyed at him as they share tea. I dislike him on principle alone

Jiang Ai - I did actually like her at first, but the fact that her weakness was not money as I initially thought it'd be, but love (love+hate? ) for a man who was basically Yan Ke version 1.0 is disappointing to me

The Cinematography, The Set, The CGI, The Makeup

🎥The cinematography & Lighting - Lord, is it bad. It gives bland and old. I remember leaving a note after I completed ep 1 and stating in part, 'The colour palette for all of episode 1 was grey, black, and white with some touches of red, blue, and yellow. It's giving depresso' (Ha! I'm funny.) The world, especially in the 1st arc, feels cold

The cinematography in this is flat and doesn't evoke any emotion. Unlike my experience with POJ, I never once felt like I was a part of this world. I was always a spectator. The look of this show doesn't make you look forward to watching it.

Aside from 'Pursuit of Jade', another example of a show that makes you want to look at it is 'Veil of Shadows'. I couldn't tell you what's going on with the plot (apparently, you need to understand a decent amount of some specific Chinese mythology to understand the story), but it's quite pretty to look at. VoS gives 'feed of a beauty and lifestyle content creator with a very powerful camera'. Compared to those two stories, this one is just...meh

🏠The set - It's fine when we're in the mortal world, but when we move to the spirit realm..., by God is it horrendous. Let's take He Si Mu's throne room as an example. It looks like something I'd expect to see in a show that aired in perhaps the mid 2000s to the early 2010s. Her throne itself looked like it was made of plastic that got coated in bad gold spray paint... why? Also, the big eye that was in the streets of that world... It's just big and plastic-looking. I just... they really didn't care about this, did they?

💄And can we talk about how the people in hair and makeup couldn't be arsed to make the actresses' natural hair colour match the wig? All through the 1st half i couldn't get over the fact that her hair had brown tones in it and the wig was jet black... how in the entirety of hell was that missed?
Can someone tell me why the supreme leader of the ghosts sometimes had the same complexion as people who were quite literally alive? It made sense when she was paler than those around her, but when they were all the same shade... girl, lemme go laugh.

Storytelling & Worldbuilding

Considering what the story gives us (as per ep 28), I can for sure say that this story did not deserve a 40-episode count. The plot, romantic, political, or otherwise, doesn't have a lot of figurative meat on its bones to justify this length. We spend most of the episodes watching the characters not do much to further the overall plot. They are kinda just going through the motions.

The world-building is also rather weak. A lot of things are left untold/unshown. Some examples
a. Duan Xu's sword - We are told that a man gave it to him. Who was he? How long had he been carrying it? How did he manage to hide this sword that so many wanted? And what did he see in Duan Xu that made him hand it to him

b. The eye in the spirit world - What did it do? What was its purpose? Aesthetics?

c. The obsessions - We are told that if an obsession is powerful enough, a human will turn into a spirit upon their death. Once this happens, they only die if a more powerful spirit offs them or they ultimately and willingly let go of their obsession to ascend.
Now, Duan Xu was in love with He Si Mu to the point of obsession (if his 'dreams' in that prison were anything to go on). So if he was that obsessed, why not love each other till he dies a natural death (you know, unless something bad happens on the battlefield and she cannot for some reason save him), and he can then live as a spirit with her instead of the never-ending back and forth?

d. Why was there a curfew at night in the spirit world? Was it better for them to go scream and wail in their houses than do it all up in the streets?

All in all, this story dragged with more filler than plot or answers, very mid cinematography and lighting, and bland characters. If you love the actors in this, perhaps it'd be best if you went and found some of their other works coz, this ain't it.

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Tough Topics Bound & Highlighted By Tight Storytelling

Often, when I finish a book, movie, or TV show, I go on and on in the review talking about why and how much I either loved or hated it. Other times, like I this case, I have no clue what to say or where to start. Because words fail me. I truly don't know if I have the words to explain why and how much I loved this show.

I started this coz I was in a romance slump. I wanted something darker and above all, something that would make me think. And BOY did I get that. The production is high value as with many Netflix shows, the acting is incredible, and the plot is well-paced and engaging — the plot did lag a bit in the middle, and I thought that the characters were being a bit too reckless, but perhaps that's to make things more intense.

I think what made me fall in love with this story is the issues tackled and the characters themselves.

🔬Fang Yi Jen - I do not know much about autism, let alone asperger syndrome. However, what I know from other TV shows I've seen is that those with this illness are usually utter geniuses or used for comedic relief, or a combination of both. Compared to the regular person, Fang Yi Jen could be considered a genius.

However, instead of this story highlighting that, it chooses to highlight how this condition, unfortunately, makes him both a bad husband and father. Because of how hard it is for him to interact with pple and understand them as a 'normal person' would, he ends up lashing out, when the 'normal' thing would be to be patient — i.e., in the car with his wife and their crying baby.

When his negligence of his daughter in favour of his job ends up getting her hurt, he serves his wife with divorce papers and leaves, never looking back again. He thought he was saving them from himself, but that ended up hurting them even more. He neglected his daughter when she was young and till almost adulthood. If she had never gotten involved in those murders, would he have ever looked for her again? Likely not.

Eventually, he does try and does change for the better, but that does not mean that the poor girl and her mother never suffered. My heart broke so much for them. I loved that by the end, there seemed to be hope for him and his daughter. Fang Yi Jen is still Fang Yi Jen, but where he'd have ignored her before, he takes extra care and time to show up. He also says thank you. This is a personal opinion (observation?), but I feel like most pple only say thank you to strangers, never to those close to them. He now takes the time to say thank you, not just to Hai Yin, but also to the captain, and that one friend (?) he had in the lab section of the police force.

📰Hsu Hai Yin - Lord, did I HATE her in the beginning. She was all for the story. The real people and feelings behind the hard-hitting deadline be damned. However, once she learns the truth about the deaths, after her interaction with the twins' stories, she starts to change, thankfully for the better. This time, it's not just about the hard-hitting headline.

She starts to care about the people she's writing about and how her stories affect not just the subjects, but also others who might be going through the same thing. I do like that she was the one person who seemed to understand Fang Yi Jen the most. He still acts like himself, but instead of demanding that he be 'normal' he takes him for what he is. And eventually, her giving him the space to be who he is leads to a very beautiful friendship.

👧🏻Chiang Hsiao Meng - We feel the most impact in the last two episodes and I cried. Okay, I didn't fall to the ground sobbing, but balancing tears were wiped severally times. She was so, so sad. Her life after her dad was filled with considerable pain. Watching her in the hospital with the mum, then again when speaking to her dad was.... my heart was hurt.

The societal issues were also a huge part of why I liked this plot. Like Hsia Meng, most of the characters were also neglected. They felt like they no longer had a place or a voice in this world because those who were supposed to care for and love them abandoned them when they were no longer of use. Or no longer fit into the mold they wanted — aside from perhaps the story with the twins and Liu Kuang Yung. The twins were a story of jealousy and invisibility, and the latter was about guilt. I'll say that of all stories, I found Liu Kuang Yung's the hardest to empathise with

Rewatch value is an 8, as I feel that this could be a hard story for many to rewatch. Especially once you tie in all the victims' stories and why they chose this path over staying alive and fighting to see another day.

Not sure how to properly end this, so I'll finish with this quote from one of the directors
"In The Victims' Game, there's a group of people who want to let go, and there's a group who also suffers from pain and oppression, but still believes in the value of life. They're trying to bring back those who wish to give up. We hope that the series can make their voices heard when they're still alive."

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No woman (no one really) deserves this

Let's be honest: If Hae Jo was played by Oh Jung Se (or any other non-conventionally attractive actor) and not Woo Do Hwan, NO ONE would have perceived this story as anything close to romantic

When I started it, I genuinely thought that it'd be a great drama. One of the best of 2024, however, everything was ruined by the romance btwn Hae Jo & Jo JaeMi. It was the textbook definition of a toxic love with a toxic, selfish, and cruel man. Hae Jo is not only horrible to the supposed love of his life, but also utterly horrible to his adoptive mother/older sister.

Maybe they were trying to frame this as he has a hard time expressing his feelings, so you need to look beyond what he says to see what he really means, but that's a heck no for me. I would not want a person who uses my insecurities to hurt me, -simply because they are going through something or they are trying to save me from themselves -, in my life.

He insulted JaeMi in such cutting ways and abandoned her much too much. He also ruined her potential love life for selfish reasons, knowing he was going to die. And to reiterate, he was also really crappy to his adoptive mother/older sister. Basically, he is a shit man who ruined the show for me

The only positive here is that Eo Heung & Jae Mi didn't get married. Jae Mi didn't love that man, and Eo Heung, while he did love her, his reasons for wanting to marry her were wrong. I'm glad (for him) that they went their separate ways. It allowed him to finally get under his mother's thumb, stand up for himself by himself, and find himself

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You have to guess what the characters are thinking because they're certainly not going to tell you

You know what this movie made me think of? The 2023 Korean Netflix movie, Ballerina. I did not like that movie. See... Ballerina and Tee Yai: Born to Be Bad suffer from the same problem - a lack of dialogue. They give you great actors, incredible cinematography, interesting action scenes, but very little dialogue. You spend most of the time trying to guess what the actors are doing, how they're doing it, and at times, why they are doing it.

Apo - my dear lovely Apo - has very few lines, especially in the 1st half. I think we were at minute 40 something when he said something and I asked out loud -to an empty living room - 'wait, is this the 1st time he's spoken?' Then I remembered that no. It was likely the 3rd time (in 40+ MINUTES!) - the other two times were at the temple and in the train.

He spends his time looking (glaring) at people and shooting them. I mean, that's cool, but also, WHAT IS HE THINKING???
We know why Tee Yai became bad, but why does he STAY bad? He sees that his friendship with Rek is strained and fraying, so why does he keep pushing and dismissing his friend? He keeps robbing, but why and to what end? What does he do with the money? What does he gain from all of this?

Tee Yai's bestie, Rek. He's very different from Tee Yai. Yes, they rob together, but whilst Tee Yai is ready to kill at the drop of a hat, Rek holds back. Rek also doesn't seem to enjoy their robbery lifestyle and has new priorities once Dao comes into his life. Basically, you clearly see that the relationship btwn Rek & Tee Yai is strained and that something's gotta give.

But they, once again, do not take you through that thought process and the conflicting emotions. Decisions are made, and you sit there like 'oh, I guess that's the choice you made'. Things happen, and you simply have to accept that they did. You don't know how or why they happened, but they did, so just roll with it. Just go with it, babes. Don't ask any questions

All in all, the writing, the script, and maybe even the post-production are at fault for what this movie is. A lot was left unsaid - and as per the credits, a lot was cut-, and I think that was to the detriment of the plot. They give you interesting characters, but don't care to flesh them out enough for you to care or root for them. Perhaps it is, as one commenter said, that this movie would have been better were it a series, or even a miniseries, to help us understand and connect with these characters better

What I'd have given to know more about
👱🏼‍♀️Dao - A prostitute in love with an infamous wanted criminal? Life dealt her some very complicated cards. Plus, can you imagine if we got a glimpse into her thoughts about brothel sex work and the violence that surrounds it?
👮🏼‍♂️Jakkrarat - Is he righteous or corrupt? Maybe he's morally grey? Or perhaps he's an overworked cop experiencing unnecessary pressure from his superior, and that's what turns him bad?
👨🏼Kid (Khit?) - He was a rich kid who shot his a-hole of a dad n went to join a wanted criminal's gang for (seemingly?) sh*ts and giggles. I want to know what pushed him to do that

Sigh... So many questions, so few answers.

Random side note: The number of times I said 'This man is so fine, Jesus' every time Apo came on screen.... That man is so goddamn fine. Christ! That long hair with a goatee is definitely a look that I'd like to see replicated in future movies/series👌🏾

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If your friend group is like this..., LEAVE!!!

This show was such a delight to keep up with week after week. THE DRAMA?!?!?!?! It was sooo fucking good. The characters were messy and human, and above all, the story had meaning and a message in all the characters portrayed.

As for the couples -

1. SandRay were the best couple to me. Not only are FirstKhao pretty AF, but their chemistry is just beyond everything. Their acting, especially Khao, who had such emotional scenes, is top-tier. I love that they found their way to each other after all their trials and tribulations - mostly due to Ray and his drinking problem. I became a FirstKhao stan after this

2. TopMew - ForceBook were much better in this show than in 'A Boss and A Babe', especially Book's character. He was more mature. As for their story in this show, that's complicated. Cheating is something hard to get over, and I genuinely don't know how they'll deal with it.

3. TonNick - Who knew that NeoMark had such range? Anyway, I'm so happy that Nick finally chose to love himself over loving Boston, who never treasured or respected him as he deserved. My heart really broke for him in the last episode, but some lessons do need to be learned, albeit the hard way.
As for Boston, I feel the punishment was deserved. He spent all his time plotting against his friends and putting his selfish needs above all others. Finally, his selfishness left him with no one in his corner.

4. As for Cheum and April... They were kinda meh. And Cheum wasn't a good friend either, especially to Ray. She always favoured Mew more, and Ton wasn't even anywhere in her view.

5. Finally, Yo n Plug, I wish they had more of a role to play. I'd have loved to see their relationship dynamic and the inner workings of dating while trans or dating a trans character. Maybe someday trans characters will get better roles in BLs and not just like comedic relief or the random bar-owning friend.

6. As for Mix's appearance in the ending scene...interesting. Very interesting

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This drama made me convene the group chat - and they don't even watch BLs

This show was sold to me as a BL, but it's honestly so much more. After I finished it, I simply sat in silence, then started talking to myself, trying to figure things out as it made me think about way more things than I expected. Things that I hadn't ever thought about; about myself, love, sexuality and gender, the physical form of your partner vs the soul, and much more.

Other than almost all characters, but especially Kenta, figuring out their bisexuality, there was the main question of whether your love for your partner would be affected if they changed not only their appearance but also their gender. For the cast, the answer was yes. The soul is what matters, and the body is simply a vessel.

For me, it's different. I don't think I'd still love a person if they changed their gender, coz my attraction is towards men, so if they became female... idk. We'd probably be besties for life. We'd be soulmates

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I Think About Them Every Few Months

What would you do if it were the end of the world and your 1st love, the toxic ex who utterly ruined you, came to find you and promised to give you a pill that'd help you quietly unalive yourself instead of waiting to be roasted alive?

At the end of the world with you took me by surprise. I was lowkey convinced that I'd hate the story since everyone said that it was toxic AF. While this is partly true, the story is so engaging and tells the story of a complicated love in the most engaging way that I loved this by the end.

See, the history between Masumi & Ritsu is utterly toxic, mostly because of Ritsu. He's selfish AF both in the past and also as the world is ending. He ruined Masumi. BUT!! Whether we like it or not, this is a story about their 2nd chance as the world is ending, and it is so well told.

I like to think about this story as one of those 'The heart wants what it wants' type plots. Are they good together? No. Are they toxic? Yes. Would they likely be MUCH better off if they simply walked away and found other people? Absolutely. But then again, the heart wants what it wants, whether you, the audience, like it or not, they'll stay together and figure things out, one mess at a time.

I loved seeing that Ritsu had already started trying to find his way back to Masumi. He knew he'd fucked up and was trying to find his way back. The world ending (and the 'dead kid' on his living room couch) was the kick that pushed him to finally get moving. As for Masumi.... I wish him the best. The best being that this time, Ritsu has actually changed and values him. No more cheating or threats to out him

PS.
1. The NC were also so freaking hot and surprising - JBLs tend to be quite chaste. We need more moaning in BLs, no music
2. If the world didn't end, I'd give em 6 months and then check in. I don't trust Ritsu
3. If you're looking for more 'the heart wants what it wants' type stories, I suggest ' My Stand-In (2024)' My Personal Weatherman (2023), My Beautiful Man (Sn 1 - 2021, Sn 2 - 2023, & the movie 2023)

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Holy Shit

I could probably come up with a better heading, but 'Holy Shit' is the only thing ringing in my head because, Holy shit. What the ever-loving fuck?🙆🏾‍♀️?

I'm also not one to come on this platform and complain about how a show is rated or tell people to ignore ratings. I understand that the enjoyment of any media is subjective. I have absolutely abhorred shows that are loved and highly rated to a point that I questioned the sanity of the reviewers and myself, and loved shows that people said were mid or a bore.

With that said, if you are considering watching this, I now urge you to wholly ignore the rating of this show and give it a chance. If you enjoy thrillers, love stories that explore the greys that are humans, and want a story that's not afraid to show just how cruel and evil people can be to serve their own ends, watch this.

The pacing was incredible, the comedy, while unexpected, was good and not overdone, the performances by the cast were incredible, and the social issues explored.... My God. I hate that they are grounded in everyday, horrendous reality. Other reviewers have mentioned it, but the strength of this story is in how no one is either good or bad. There isn't one good guy and one bad guy. Humans are layered and nuanced, and they show you that.

Now about that ending.... I knew some shit was about to go left field when something in my head went 'Are we ending this now? Only to look at the progress bar and realize that we had 11 minutes left.' Little did I know. They done fucked me up in those 11 minutes. I just... Holy shit

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I Actually Liked It??‍♀️

Quick Overall Thoughts:
The ship, their chemistry, the acting by the cast members, and the romance plot carried this show. The production value is incredible as well. However, the plot involving the police case could've been better. It wasn't explored deeply enough for the issues it tried to handle/bring to light.

I do enjoy watching this ship, so some may call me biased. But I do feel that, despite the issues further outlined below, this is a good show to give your time to. While it still deals with deep family and societal matters, it is a much lighter instalment than what we got in 'My Stand In,' and a chance to see what else the actors bring to the proverbial table

Okay, now for my actual thought spewing...👇🏾

What I Liked

🍓The Acting - The people in the cast did their job well. I saw Up back in 2022 in 'Lovely Writer,' then spent 2 years hoping he'd grace my screen again. I'm glad he and Poom chose to be a pair coz I get to see more of him. Poom, the man, blew me away in his role as Joe in 'My Stand In'. And now in this show, he once again proves that he is not a one-hit wonder. May the BL gods and whatever powers that be in that world keep giving them more roles, interesting scripts, good production budgets, and good directors.

Ps. I feel like I should give a shout-out to the actress who played Wayu's sister. Her crying in their reunion scene remains stuck in my mind. It genuinely felt and sounded like she was crying from the very depths of her soul.

🍓The Chemistry - The ship never fails to deliver on the chemistry front, and I love that they choose to go all the way in delivering the scenes as they are required.

🍓The Comedy - From the bits of the trailer that I'd seen b4 the show aired, I'd expected the show to be more on the more serious and sensual side. So you can imagine my confusion and worry after seeing all the comedy in the 1st 2 episodes. It is no secret that Thai comedy is usually a miss for me. However, I liked it in this one. It wasn't overly done and didn't overwhelm or take away from the show. I appreciate that toning down from what we're generally used to

🍓Wayu's & Tai's Friendship - Somebody once left a comment saying that these two gave off the vibe of 'two idiots sitting together telling each other 'exactly!'' and I couldn't have put it better if I tried. They are so idiotic. Great friends, but both are dumbasses. I still cannot believe that Wayu's police spy finsta was never discovered by the bad guys they were trying to catch and used against him/Krit.

🍓The Plot - It is different, and I appreciate that. While some aspects could've been explored further, I appreciate that we ventured outside the box. While Wayu was still in uni, this is not a university-based series. It is also more grounded in real-life issues that both characters face, including familial, financial, career, and societal concerns.

🍓The pole dancing - I liked most of the dance scenes in the Moonlight bar. However, the pole scene... that takes the entire cake. I have always had (and still have) a deep respect for people who can do pole. While I do agree that the dance is sexy, I think what always wows me more is the balance, as well as core and upper body strength needed for pole tricks. By God, I too shall learn how to do pole b4 I exit this earth.

🍓Rose - The actress is talented and beautiful. The character she played was a good friend and offered good comedic relief. We should've seen more of her

What Could've Been Better

🍓The Plot - I think romantic shows that explore serious topics often have a problem balancing both sides.
For example, I loved the investigation side of 'Goddess Bless You From Death,' but I felt that the romance took a back seat. In this one, I loved seeing their feelings grow, their individual struggles with both families, Wayu's financial matters, both characters' relationship with Singto, etc., but felt disappointed by the investigative side.

The police plotline had some potential. Things like
a. Krit navigating being a superior at work while simultaneously being looked down upon since he likely got his title due to nepotism

b. The sex trafficking and human organ trafficking thing - We could have gone deeper with this. Imagine all the corrupt politicians and likely police officers who also benefited from the lives lost due to the organ and sex trafficking ring

c. Ice and his creepy darkweb sex, p🌽rn, and murder business. That likely could've been tied to point 'b' above
I think they'd have been really interesting had we seen more of these things. Could've also tied up the loose ends of the investigation plot better. The bad guy storyline just up and disappeared ater the arrest.

🍓The fight scenes - They could've been directed better TBH. They don't look realistic/convincing, and some feats were outright impossible

🍓 Krit's Parents - Just thinking about them makes me mad all over again. Episode 9 really hurt me. Unless I'm mistaken, this is the episode in which they break up because of the threat that Krit's dad made. The same episode where Krit's mother heard her son breaking down and weeping in his room, and simply walked away, doing nothing. Changing nothing. Just chose to stand behind her husband as he once again forced his son to get married. This time it's even worse coz they know what his sexual orientation is, but their wants and position in society matter more than their kid.

The mum makes me livid. She just sat there doing nothing, but it's framed as though she's the better parent because she didn't abuse her son or actively push him to get married. Yeah, she didn't do all that, but she sat passively while her husband did it. She turned a blind eye to it all, and that makes her just as bad, if not lowkey worse IMO. And let's not forget how she never even knew that her son hated potatoes!!

As for the dad.... Man, I'm tired of this man. Idk about the actor IRL. He's probably a great man. I wouldn't know. But, like..., why is this man a horrible dad in every universe I see him in? He was shit in this drama, he is shit in the currently airing 'Ticket to Heaven', and I'm currently on EP 6 of 'The Evil Lawyer' and guess what....he's a crappy dad and husband in there too!!!! Does the entire Thai industry have this man on speed dial when they need someone to play a homophobic dad and shitty husband? My God!

Now back to the show. After all the shit they put their son through for (I'm assuming) 30 years of his life, all that gets sorted (read swept under the rug) in point 5 seconds because the mum sees Wayu take care of Krit at the hospital and the dad hears that Wayu is a talented and award-winning interior designer? This once again shows how uncaring and classist Krit's parents were. Horrible people.

I do love that Krit got to be happy and accepted by his family, and they accepted the man he loved and his poorer family, too. I think he deserved to feel that familial love from his family after being denied it for so long. But still... I'd have liked a better resolution than what we got.

🍓Wait...now that I think of it, wasn't Wayu in school to be an architect? How did that change to interior design?

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I could watch them in any and every universe

Please skip this if you're looking 4 an actual review. This isn't quite that. It's largely just me gushing about my love for this show.

Hagiwara Riku and Yagi Yusei make me wish that Japan did official ships like Thailand does (and that their TV BL industry was just as big). Ever since I stumbled upon the series about 3 years ago, I have made time to rewatch it at least once a year.

I'm not a show rewatcher like that. 9.9 times out of 10, I fill in the rewatch value rating coz MDL demands it; otherwise, I cannot publish my little drama reviews. So, yes, this story holds a very special place in my heart. No matter how many times I watch it, and know what will happen next, I still find myself craving a rewatch and end up glued to my screen.

Not only are the two actors phenomenal, but their chemistry... Holy Jesus🔥🔥. I like how complex the characters in this story are. What you think is at first, isn't, and the more you peel off the layers of these people, the more you uncover their flaws, their vulnerabilities, and start to fall in love with their complicated love story.

Now on to my thoughts about this Special Edit Version:

💓I think it's edited rather well to fit the movie's length. Some scenes were cut while others were added, likely to make the story flow better. Some of those extended parts (scenes and extra narrations) also allowed you to get a better glimpse of what these characters are thinking. I believe this helps you understand them and their motivations better than in the series

💓The cinematography and subtitles - I think this is what I enjoyed most about this version. Both were a lot better, actually leagues above those of the 1st seaon of the drama.

If you do not have the time to spend on the series, I say you can just watch this version, and you will understand the story just as well. However, if you have the time, watch both. Start with the 6 episodes of the 1st season, then come watch this.

Now, allow me to go daydream, yet again, about the magic that Hagiwara Riku and Yagi Yusei would weave together if they were an official pair and were handed some good scripts with beautifully complex characters

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My God... What a Woman!

Often in a show, you know who to hate and who to love. Who to proverbially spit on and who to empathize with. Who to have good thoughts about and whose neck you want to ring. It's often clear-cut, with maybe a few grey characters here and there.

But what if one character was an embodiment of all the above? You hate to love her and live to hate her. You empathize with her one minute, and the next, you start thinking that hell really should have separate sections. We truly can't all go to the same place and suffer the same punishments..., right?

As Kazuko said in the finale, her life is entertaining. She is an enigma. A confusing, puzzling woman whom I don't even know if I like, hate, respect her or am wholly afraid of. Her ambition and desire to be richer than probably God himself is insane, in the best of ways. However, the things that she does to get to where she eventually ended up... Yikes.

I love how complex she was. She was never good. Morally grey at best when she was a child, but life turned her into something else entirely. I am envious of how she never let life beat her down. How she always got up, survived, and pivoted. Was it all due to luck? The men in her life? Her brilliance and conniving nature? Or a combination of everything?

Personally, I think it's the latter. She had insane luck on her side, was as brilliant as she was conniving, and was strong despite all the misfortune and setbacks that hounded her. And above all, she was a damn good con artist. But despite the evil that she was at the end, there was still some good in her. A tiny sliver of it, but it was there. I understand her, and she scares me

PS: I know the plot was about Kazuko herself, but I wish we had seen more of her family. Her sisters, especially. The sisters, especially the oldest, never liked her (and Kazuko looked down on her, too). I wonder how they felt over the years. Her brother's story would have been interesting too. Of all the family members, he was with her the most till she dumped him for her image. I wonder what his life had been like walking behind Kazuko all those years

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