Reviews

The story of the lil bro trying to chase the older sister ((not blood related)

Seriously someone should update the summary of this drama,..

Female lead studies psychology and contemplates whether to do grad school. Male lead is 6 years younger than the female lead. The female lead was always there to take care of him. He has always had a crush on his "sister". He;s obviously a little more naughty and playful , while the. female lead is more calm and collected. The dad always tries to set her up with dates. In order to stop the dad from setting more dates the male lead claims the female lead is pregnant! lol starting their fake romance!

Although their relationship is super cute! like you could totally feel the love of the male lead for his sister..... They kinda have a weird relationship. Weird in the sense... is like i thought they were together, wait they actually arent,,,, they have miscommunication, break up, get back together. They get their marriage license... yet the male lead still proposes to her. It just seems like a back and forth chasing...Like the female lead likes him but i dont even know when they were offically together.

The story development is a little lacking in the sense that it just goes back and forth between the leads. I didnt feel much character development from the female lead or male lead. Also they made it mysterious as to why the male lead eats candy /sweet he gets an allergic reaction They dont really explain or elaborate on it.

She starts her own dessert shop after...And it wasn't successfully initially. Joey chua is cute in here but her personality is to wishy washy.... Can't believe the actor is born in 2000.

I definitely would not rewatch... but for first timers its decent.

Leggi di Più

Hi friends.
I have a habit of watching shows which no one watches and giving reviews. So I started this show after seeing there is no review in MDL about this show.

This show starts with college life and goes to after 7 years. But college life scenes are not looking fresh bcoz the actors are older enough to play college students. Then after the leap both leads still fight for various reasons but they love each other deeply too. Which we can easily guess.

I like Jia Wu and Ke San couple more than Yu fei and Chen Yi. Jia Wu looks very friendly and approachable. George Hu is another reason for me to complete this show. Songs are okay. The scenes which made me really angry are, the unnecessary plot at the end. And she leaves him and comes back after getting better. Those are not needed, since they wanted to drag the episodes, they used these plot twists.

There is nothing much as art in this show.

Rewatch - no no never
Music - k
Acting - could be better
Overall 5/10

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May Queen is a full on melodrama (makjang) if you do not enjoy this genre then stop reading now hahaha.

The first 8 episodes with the young/teen cast were sensational. All the young actors were excellent in portraying their characters. Kim Yoo Jung is cemented forever as the finest young Korean actress, in my book, with her touching and brave performance as the young Hae Joo/Yoo Jin. The story is set around the shipping industry, with revenge, love triangle & birth secrets galore. After episode 8 the story leaps forward 15 years later & at that point the story continues until the end of the drama.

Most of the actors in the adult cast do a very good job. Lee Deok Hwa as the pantomime villain “thug with a rug” as I dubbed him. Kim Gyu Chul as the weak, slimey butler forever in Jang Do Hyuns power. I hated them both, which was the point.

I loved Hae Joo’s adopted dad, he was wonderful and the love they shared was so moving to see. At first I didn’t think I would like the character of Hae Joo’s adopted mom but the journey she took was lovely to see. Lee Bong Hee and the Chun family ensemble provided some truly hilarious moments and much needed comic relief with all the drama going on. The Prosecutor was an admirable character, someone striving to right wrongs to the best of his ability throughout.

Chang Hee (young) I loved but I was not so enamoured with the adult version, he seemed to be weak and ineffectual even as a successful adult. I don’t blame the actor, more the writers for his lack of character development. Kang San on the other hand was played beautifully by Kim Jae Won as the happy go lucky guy hiding all his pain behind a façade of a clown.

The biggest weak link for me was adult Hae Joo (admittedly I have not seen this actress in anything else so cannot write her off completely) but in this drama she evoked no emotions from me whatsoever (except annoyance). The young Hae Joo was so excellent and the adult Hae Joo failed to live up to that promise quite spectacularly. Another weak link was Hae Joo's biological mother she just seemed to be a useless, weak woman who collapsed to the floor at any given opportunity, she did redeem herself slightly in later episodes, but her whole relationship with Do Hyun was a mystery to me.

I tend not to re-watch so that mark is always low for me.

The music/score was good, The main theme song I didn't like too much and started getting on my nerves in the end.

If you like melodramas this is well worth a watch the story moves at a fairly brisk pace (although it could have done without the extension).

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enemies to lovers, secret identity, identical twins, good boy/bad boy

(Thailand, Jan-March 2022 on YouTube)

Starring very established holy trinity pair, OffGun in possibly their final BL. Also Mond (Water Boyy), First (The Shipper), Gawin (Dark Blue Kiss), Puimek (SOTUS S), Gigie (2gether)

Another one that is joining the growing cornucopia of shows that I’m not sure I should really review as a BL fan, because I’n not not sure they’re really BL. (For me, Manner of Death really started this trend and dialogue with myself. I see Not Me as its successor.) GMMTV gave us a dark disestablishment narrative (in a time of civil unrest) with established queer award-winning director Anucha and starring OffGun.

Let Me Be Perfectly Clear

THIS IS AN AMAZING THING to get to experience in the BL world - nerve racking but remarkable. The politics of it rather overshadowed the art (just like for Dan’s character) and certainly overshadowed the romances. But the dialogue it generated was cool. This is the dark, gritty gang-set BL series we all expected from Motorcycle (before it disappeared from the radar) with some supped up soap opera tropes (twins, secret identity) and some crazy talent behind the wheel.

But was it ACTUALLY BL?

Not Me had a lot of BL elements, but in the end that’s not what the show was about, or even what it was genuinely trying to be as a show. (A BL series MUST use the main relationship arc as the plot driver.)

In fact that’s an issue I have with it. What was this show ultimately about? What did it want us to take away? Because as a piece of queer cinema and activism it was fine, but VERY heavy handed and clumsy. I can’t rec it to my cray queer artist or film industry friends they’d find it laughable, but I can’t really rec it to my BL friends either, it’s a lot for the sweetness-and-light crowd to swallow. Who was this for? What market? A few of us in this one corner of Tumblr? But who else? Netflix isn’t going to pick this one up, that’s for darn sure. And does that ultimately matter critically? (I think yes actually, because it won’t be profitable without an audience. But that’s an issue arthouse cinema has struggled with for a very long time.)

I DO think Not Me will have impact on BL as a genre going forward. Whether it technically belongs to it or not.

This is a lot of waffling from me, already a champion waffler.

Oddly, some of this is because I feel a lot about this show as I did about Bad Buddy. (Let me be clear: Bad Buddy was definitely a BL.) I appreciate both for the same reasons. And I will not be re-watching them often, if at all, for the same reasons. And that’s why I am not able to give either show a 10/10. Rewatch value is a huge deal for me.

So I’m going to say, 9/10. Just as a rating. Let’s move on from numbers and just talk more about this show.

Production Values Assessment

If I have one major critique of Not Me it’s that far too many scenes were filmed too dark. I get that we are meant to take this show super seriously, but when will filmmakers learn that serious doesn’t have to be executed by forcing us to squint? Metonymy has a lot to answer for.

Otherwise the staging, music, and all production values were high, if not pristine. It was closest to 3 Will Be Free or A Tale of Thousand Stars (which also had the darkness issue) than anything else from GMMTV.

Style and filming it matched to the best that Taiwan can do, so not as high quality as Korea or Japan, but then neither of those cinematic styles would have suited this narrative. But for Thailand, we can consider this top tear.

Story, Characters & Pairs

If you go in expecting this to be BL then the pacing is off on the romance arcs (but not the rest of the narrative). They’re rushed and uneven (like a Korean BL). For example Dan crying suddenly was... odd and jarring. The first SeanWhite kiss came outta nowhere. However, this was definitely OffGun’s best kissing ever. It only took them 6 years the get here.

Like Bad Buddy, Not Me seems to be pretty explicitly and intentionally going against problematic narrative choices that prior GMMTV series made/highlighted - from consent, gay-for-you, husband/wife language, heterosexual dysmorphia and more. They made certain to have explicitly queer characters positively represented (not for comedy).

I loved Not Me’s queerness and grit. I liked that it dealt with things that other BLs (let alone Thai BLs) haven’t. And I was prepared to forgive it a lot because of this stance.

DanYok

For me the DanYok couple, despite limited screen time, outshone SeanWhite (as a PAIR). Their chemistry is superior in almost every regard. They were so well acted and I appreciated their story as a true representation of enemies-to-lovers. It delivered on ideology, class, and social position conflict in a much more humane way that ToddBlack. They had an excellent arc and ending, if, at times, their romance felt a bit rushed - the intensity and suddenness of it suited the narrative and the characters.

SeanWhite
OffGun did a fab job on a romance story that, to be fair, wasn’t much of one. But that’s because it also wasn’t the point or driver of the narrative. Them being comfortable boyfriends was great and this was very much a queer relationship.

But to have truly ended this show narratively full circle, it actually should have concluded with the White & Black scene.

But instead it ended on a BL moment, or, to be more precise, on an OffGun goodbye moment.

Do I think that ending was for us… for the fans? Yes, I really do.

Am I grateful? Yes, I really am.

It’s been a wild ride.

Do I think you should watch Not Me? Yeah. Yeah I really do.

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The cutest, fluffiest little rom-com ♡

For a one-episode drama special that is one hour long, this was so enjoyable and so, so adorable. I was giggling and smiling like an idiot, kicking my feet while trying not to wake the whole house up because it was way past midnight here. Why are they so cute omg!? I saw an edit of this today and as soon as I realised that it was Kim Do Hoon from Moving and saw that it was a rom-com special about two genius rivals, I decided to watch it. BEST DECISION EVER!!

It was like watching a short campus rom-com movie, it had everything: the enemies to lovers, she fell first but he fell harder, college rivals, funny moments, and cute (almost cringe at times lol) and romantic moments, the whole episode was so nicely written. Seriously, I never rewatch anything, and never dramas, apart from some of my absolute comfort movies or Korean variety shows, but I could rewatch this again any day, whenever I feel like not watching anything from my list or when I can't find anything to watch. Perfect for an evening when you want a break from your current watching or on-air dramas, this has all the elements not to get you bored, it's cute and funny, and the actors have amazing chemistry. That kiss omg I don't think I ever jumped and giggled this much at a kiss scene before lol, that took me so by surprise lol, just the funniest scene ever!! Although the whole fake love confession plan was silly and childish from the male lead's side, both leads were smart and relatable, they were in two very different but similar situations and the message at the end was perfect. As a student myself, this really resonated with me and really gave me a little boost, so I loved it even more. It was a relatable message offered to us as viewers in the form of a cute little love story.

I 100% recommend this to everyone, and I hope everyone watching it enjoys it cos it is so fluffy and doesn't overthink it. This made my whole week, I honestly can't wait to rewatch it lol ♡

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Kingyo Club was one of those dramas that I heard about somewhere and remembered hearing good things about. I saw a recommendation for it the other day and I up and decided I was going to watch it. I didn't even realize the episodes were only 20 minutes long! Needless to say, this is a drama you can easily finish in less than a day.

The story was good, it covers a lot of different issues concerning things such as bullying, family problems and rumors. It's a story set in a high school setting, there's drama and even a love story. The drama is very short though, which is why I can't give it more than an 8 - because while it was a nice short drama, there are other things they could have done with it to make it an even better drama.

All of the main actors in this drama are younger ones, some of them even starting out with Kingyo Club being their first drama. That being said, I think they did a really good job! The acting seemed natural and there isn't anything bad I can say about it.

There were a few songs they played in the drama, I found both of them to be nice songs. Even though I'm not sure how they really fit the drama at some points.

Overall I think this is a really nice and short drama that I would recommend to anyone looking for something that deals with more than just school and a "cute couple." This is a drama that deals with more serious issues.

Also, I mentioned already - the episodes are only 20 minutes long! (:

The last 3 episodes were finally subbed recently and hopefully someone will update some of the streaming sites for those that don't download :D

I might rewatch this drama someday, although it might not be for a long while.

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Passionate kisses, save the damsel in distress, hilarious

This drama has the most passionate kissing scenes in both count and intensity of all Chinese dramas I had watched – I meant really passionate kisses not those obviously fake moments. As with most romance stories, there were plenty of save the damsel in distress scenes accompanied by endearing gazes as the hero held the damsel in his arms.

It is a lovely romance story with emotional and hilarious moments. The hilarious moments really made me laugh out loud. Unlike Hollywood comedies which mainly play on words, some of these comedic moments were based on suggestive actions of the actors.

The drama is quite straightforward with some small, but not totally unexpected, twists in the story. It has the usual hygiene factors – handsome lead actor, pretty actresses, excellent acting, lovely costumes, lovely music, beautiful cinematography and endearing romantic moments.

What I appreciate most about this drama is the lesson on courtship and early marital life - instead of the usual unrealistic romance dramas. At moments when they were trying to figure out each other, the XiYue princess had her confidantes giving her some silly suggestions which she refuted with some sensible corrections. Similarly for the ninth prince, Song was always giving him some creepy suggestions while Zhen would refute with some sensible analysis. Zhen played the sensible relationship guru here.

The adjustments to life together were comical but not unlike real life when married couples live together for the first time and discover the bad habits of their spouses to their horror.

I noticed some flaws – for the production team to learn from if they should ever read this review. The piece of music chosen for the hilarious moments was too modern for this period drama and a misfit – sound like a piece adapted from some old Shanghai movies. There are some illogical moments, for example, the ninth prince was always turning up alone for dangerous investigations, and covering up for the rebel leader, which was essentially obstructing justice. And he was always lying to the emperor – although with good intent, it still made him a liar.

As I watched this drama right after ‘Goodbye my princess’, I could not help but draw a comparison, as both involved a marriage of prince and princess from different countries. The ninth prince in this drama was supportive of the princess and allowed her to make her choice, in sharp contrast to the fifth prince in ‘Goodbye..’, who forcibly kept the princess by his side regardless of whether she was willing. The two dramas were antithesis of each other, including how they ended. This drama leaves a warm cozy feeling which of course elevated my rating of it above ‘Goodbye my princess’ although the latter has a more interesting and convoluted story.

Finally, a title of ‘Love by Hypnosis’ may be more grammatically correct. Hypnotic is a drug to induce hypnosis or a person susceptible to hypnosis.

As a whole I enjoyed this drama a lot and would highly recommend it.

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An arrow of pain and cuteness that hits you right in the right spot.

This is a beautifully portrayed tearjerker, the kind that hits you right in the heart, or is it the stomach?

This movie does an amazing job inviting the viewers in to the world of a child who neither can see or hear. A child otherwise abandoned (by death and choice), manage to find her way in to the heart of a man who was brought to her by some sad circumstances. Though they may look like a total missfitt these two complete each other perfectly showing us what a little tactile communication along with love and affection can do to change a persons way of living. While staying away from scenes that may dehumanize, exotify or give out the feel peoples misfortunes as inspiration. This movie feels real, and makes the viewers feel at home in a way.

The way this was shot really conveyed the emotions as well as the perspectives of both the leads. This movie addresses important issues while showering us with fluffy animals and cute smiles. This actress may not say much but boy/girl does she portray her role well, hats off to this kid and the directors. To be honest most of the movie I was going between a 8-9 but the way the end scene was shot pushed the score to a 10.

All in all definitely a must watch!

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Don Quixote was really enjoyable. Story line was great, it was laugh a minute and Matsuda was a dream to watch.

I wasn't familiar with the traditional story of Don Quixote, but that wasn't necessary because this drama really didn't stick to the traditional story. What the drama took from the Spanish story was a theme of "unconventional chivalry" and really played it up.

Assuming that you read the synopsis, this story is a Secret Garden type of switch but without the romance. (if you didn't see the Kdrama Secret Garden -you need to- but think Freaky Friday). Yes there is essentially no romance in this drama but you really don't miss it. The main characters are like fish out of water and it makes it hilarious to watch.

The two main characters are played excellently by the already awesome Matsuda and Katsumi Takahasi. I loved seeing Matsuda smile and be really dorky then witch to being all Yakuza, if you are a fan of his then there is no reason not to watch. Katsumi was really good to playing a totally dweeb young man , he made it believable.

All in all, this a undeniably great drama. It sucks you in, has great topics and situations and by the end you feel as if you too have gained 2 friends. Even if you see the end coming in this drama, the characters are so likeable that you want them to do their best. All the episodes are good and there is no need to fast forward, and i normally need to fast forward. If you feel like getting away from all of the plotting and scheming that some of the other dramas have, this is a good refreshing one. Watch it. Like now.

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First off the bat - this is what it is, a lakorn. It has cultural specific behaviors and attitudes that don't cross between all cultures and nations. Just like the behaviors of nasty girls, promiscuous boys and drug dealers from American shows like Gossip Girl or The Vampire Diaries don't sit well with many other cultures, you have take this storyline with a grain of salt. Not everyone in Thailand is like this, I'm sure, but most people there would probably recognize the stock characters.

Cast - Well, let's take a look at the cast first: Ken (Wonpuapan Theeradeth) plays the lead - Paat. He's a tea farmer, not terribly well behaved or educated but proud of rebuilding his family fortune and farm. I'm sure it's a part that Ken could play in his sleep but he really made you feel his sadness and anger at what he viewed as betrayals from his deceased wife and society in general. Yes, he's got a few friends and his workers see him as fair but that's about it. Think, walking thundercloud. It's a convincing act!

Every grumpy/mean lead needs a heroine to change him. In this drama, it's Namtarn (Wongsarattanasin Pichukkana) playing Rojanasnai, the innocent heroine. Friendly, good to her family (who does not treat her well as she's the adopted daughter) and a good student. Plucky to a certain extent but your are mostly believing it because she seems like a genuinely nice person. I've read this ingenue part was her debut role and she acted it convincingly.

The other main parts are all acted convincingly so I guess these actors did their parts well. Only a few seemed over the top and that eventually toned down. If you watch lakorns, you'll be familiar with the stereotypical roles - foolish servant vs. the proud servant, the brave soldier (in this case, the police officer), the villainous drug dealer, the humble, hardworking farmers, the ferocious beauty, the spoiled sister, etc. One item of note - the older actors playing the dads, moms, etc. were especially good.

Plot: Their forced-cohabitation romance comes about because their families' promises to wed their children together. It's a classic asian dam trope but with more of a city/country clash to it. He thinks she's too soft and she'll give up on the marriage. There is a fair amount of revenge-based behavior but it doesn't get too bad. In the script, his friends and mother know what he's trying to do and tell him to cut it out - but it still isn't something you'd want to experience. The side characters and plots - the women who want Paat, the drug dealers who want Paat to stop interfering in their trade and the guys who like Rojanasnai - all are well done. Even the monstrously bad behavior of her obviously mentally-unbalanced sister (whose been spoiled because her parents don't want to set her off) has some believable aspects. There are also some nostalgic plot lines involving the Hmong people now living in Thailand. Outside of the "will they or won't they fall in love" plot line - the most obvious storyline is about how lovely living in the Thai countryside is. The countryside and the tea plantation is filmed beautifully and seems like ad for Thai tourism at times.

Music: Nothing terribly special but nice. It doesn't overpower the plot although the theme song does get used a lot at what were probably commercial breaks.

Rewatch Value: You know, if it popped up on my playlist, I'd rematch it. Ken and Namtarn made a nice, believable couple There were some nice kisses and some witty dialogue. The countryside looked very soothing. I'm not watching lakorns for realistic, gritty modern life so, yes, it has a pretty high re-watch value.

I hope I'm not making this sound horribly bland. It's not a ground-breakingly exciting drama but it isn't the worst thing out there. It might help you acquire a taste for Thai lakorns.

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Sons of a tyrant.

Wuershan's Creation of Gods trilogy is the culmination of an eight year labor of love that is the most ambitious and grand scale adaptation of Chinese classic Investiture of Gods ever. This Homeric, often chaotic tale of gods, demons and men that blends speculative history with myth and legend is probably the most widely adapted ancient Chinese vernacular novel. This grandiouse, exhilarating, action packed, and painstakingly crafted production is a visual triumph and an immersive adventure that is best experienced on an IMAX screen.

Kingdom of Storms is the first instalment that focuses on the origin story of the King Zhou of Shang and how he incurred the wrath of the heavens to the extent the gods intervened. In a departure from canon, this adaptation does not lay the moral decay of King Zhou solely at the door of the hedonistic, fox jezebel Su Daji. This version holds King Zhou accountable, clearly asserting that his ambition and moral flexibility already put him on the dark path from the get go. This is a more layered and manipulative King Zhou, who adopts all of his noble hostages including Ji Fa as foster "sons". He ruthlessly indoctrinates his own son Yin Jiao as well as his hostage sons into choosing to be sons of a tyrant over their own fathers. All of the sons are pushed to decide whose son they really are and what kind of man they wish to become. This recurring theme of conflict between father and son and right and wrong adroitly weaves most of the sub-plots together.

Kris Phillips with his magnificent build and his imposing, quietly menacing , almost mesmeric screen aura is impeccably cast as King Zhou. He so much looks and breathes the part that it is easy to ignore his at times bizarre Mandarin and the occasionally stiff acting. Although the stunningly gorgeous Naran is bewitching as Daji, the role lacks complexity. She doesn't get to do much more than alternate between a sensuous seductress and a cunning and feral animal spirit when cornered. This debouched couple lights up the screen with their dark chemistry but I could have done with a bit less of their wanton cavorting that comes off as too unsubtle Hollywood. Beyond their honed physiques and stunning atheleticism, both Yu Shi's Ji Fa and Chen Muchi's Yin Jiao won my heart with their brotherhood and their portrayal of initially bewildered and disillusioned sons who grow up to become fearless and resolved men. They stand out among the dazzling number of up and coming young actors who managed to make an impression in this whirlwind production as does Ci Sha's not so hot headed Yang Jian. The deities don't feature as prominently in this first chapter but I much enjoyed this first glimpse of the diabolically mischevious Nezha.

For those unfamiliar with the chaotic original works, the storytelling may seem cluttered with vignettes at the cost of plot advancement as this largely sets the stage for what culminates in the battle of all battles between good and evil. Beyond an almost gratuitous amount of wildly, intense action scenes, the narrative pays homage to key features of the original works from Ji Chang's meat pies to Bi Gan's seven chamber heart. It culminates in Ji Fa's hair rising escape from the Shang capital Zhaoge. Keep watching after the credits roll as the following epilogue sets up the next instalment where hopefully we see a lot more plot movement. This is a very difficult and messy novel to adapt but so far, I am very impressed with how cogently and fittingly everything ties together. This promises to be the best adaptation by a long mile of this well loved novel, the first part of which warrants a highly enthusiastic 8.5/10.0 from me.

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Lighthearted romantic comedy centered in convenience store

8.5/10 is my rating. This is a 2020 South Korean comedy romance with 16, 70 minute episodes.

Choi Dae-hyun (Ji Chang-wook) encounters a gang of female high school students after suffering a setback in a relationship. The leader of girl toughs, Jung Saet-byul (Kim Yoo-jung), Saet-byul tries to bully Dae-hyun Into buying cigarettes but instead steals a kiss from him. She was immediately attracted to the handsome young man who made a sweet gesture of flowers and a stuffy to a girlfriend who obviously did not appreciate it.

Three years later, Dae-hyun has resigned from the corporate world and is running a family owned convenience store. A chance encounter brings Saet-Byul back into Dae-hyun’s life and when she notices he is looking for a part timer she persistently seeks the job to be closer to the man she likes. Da-Hyun is two years into a relationship with another girl who does not see his worth. Saet-byul is determined to show she is no longer the troubled young girl Dae-hyun first met and steal his heart in the process.

Spoiler alert! I really loved the female lead character Saet-byul she is basically a street toughened kid in the beginning. Being poor is hard wherever you live and it was admirable how she sacrificed herself to give her sister a stable teen age life and start on adult hood. The sister acted just as expected when she was young but showed great character growth when she expressed to Saet-byul that she knew and appreciated what she had done for her. I liked that the younger sister was able to be successful as an idol. I liked all of both of their friends and it added a lot of interest with the things that happened in the multiple relationships. Choi Dae-hyun was perfectly sweet as the male lead character. He was responsible, stable and noble. The second guy was a gorgeous idol who was hopelessly in love with the beautiful Saet-byul he credited her deceased father for the foundation of his success and felt responsible to watch over the two girls. I did get a little bit of second guy syndrome. I loved how Choi Dae-hyun‘s family took Saet-byul in when she had nowhere to go and even later took in her little sister. It was something my parents would have done so I could identify. The love story was sweet and the two looked amazing together. Kim Yoo-jung is so pretty that she was an incredibly believable pair with handsome Ji Chang-Wook. I highly recommend this as a light hearted feel good romantic comedy.

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no regrets

This was a very intriguing sci-fi series that presents a lot to think about. I personally loved this. The story is based on the premise that that brain can survive for 4 minutes without oxygen before permanent damage occurs. What happens to our consciousness in that time period? "4Minutes" explores this idea, and I thought it was really cool. The series isn't without its flaws and holes, but it was still thrilling. I was kept intrigued until the very end.

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● SHORT REVIEW
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[ --LIKES-- ]

✔ Piecing together the timeline. It was intriguing to see what happened in reality and what's altered history.

✔ Our main characters are very grey characters and that made them interesting.

✔ I like the way the story is told. We get different pieces of the story through different characters' perspectives.

✔ There's a certain realism to the story that I liked. We're powerless to change the past, but we can take responsibility for it, learn from it, and move forward. The consequences of the characters' actions aren't magically erased.

✔ There were some really nicely done scenes. One scene I liked was when Dome was coming home to Tonkla from the hospital. It transitioned from Great's dream to Tonkla's reality. It could also be seen as a representation of Tonkla missing his brother. I also really liked the scene when Great is lying unconscious in the hospital, Tyme is asking for forgiveness and saying he'll take Great out for a meal. I think this corresponds with the scene in Great's dreamworld early on where Tyme gives him the Thai tea and ask him for a meal afterwards. (Great saw flashes of the stickynote from Tyme asking for forgiveness). It shows that Great could hear Tyme's words and it influenced Great's dreamscape.

✔ CATS! Idk, I just liked cats, even Tonkla's instigating ghost black cat.


[ --DISLIKES-- ]

✖ Some characters were introduced that didn't feel very significant. For example, Tyme's ex-girlfriend Nutcha. Yes, I know the scene wit her shows the change in his character, but ultimately, that could be achieved without needing to insert her character.

✖ The romances in the story felt under-developed. Romantic chemistry is not the same as sexual chemistry. I originally watch the version without all the sex, but I went back to watch those scenes just to see if it changes how I felt about the chemistry between all the couples. While the sex scenes were steamy, it didn't add much romance-wise. I'm not saying there is zero chemistry, just not enough for the romance to leave an impact on me or to justify some of the actions/events. Were they sexy as heck, though? Yes.


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● IN-DEPTH REVIEW
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[ --STORY/PLOT-- ]

Some may argue the "it was all a dream" trope as bad in that nothing that happened mattered, but it mattered to me. It doesn't change reality or the things that happened, but it changes the character and our perspective of the characters. That, to me, is important. Great is actually that not great of person in reality previously. He made a lot of mistakes, but what makes him redeemable is that he regrets them. This is why the first five episodes are important. If we only saw reality as it was, I don't think I would like Great as much. However, because I saw his attempt to change things in his dream, I know there is a good person there. A little over the first half of the series takes place in Great's mind, but it's still an experience that he and the viewers can learn and draw from.

I really like the idea in the series that we are powerless to change the past. It feels real. The sad truth is that Great was not able to save any of the people he wanted to. As disappointing as that may be, it's a reality he must face and deal with. Our regrets should be a learning experience to do better and be better. Fear can impact our decision making. It can cause good people make bad choices, many that we cannot take back. What matters afterwards is that we ultimately take responsibility for it, and we see Great doing that in the end.

I think the sci-fi aspects of this series was fun. However, the series still has it flaws. Most of it, however, has to do with the romance aspects. For me, I just wasn't really feeling the intensity of the love of either of the main couples. I'm not saying it was bad, it was just ok. Steamy sexy scenes aside, there were also some cute moments here and there, but the romantic aspect and chemistry never really made me feel strongly any type of way. It didn't make my heart flutter. It didn't feel intense or epic enough to justify some of the actions and events that happened. Did Korn really love Tonkla so much that he was willing to kill himself for his secret lover's death? Plus, he also learned that Tonkla cheated on him and also shot his brother. Was Tonkla, to him, really worth dying for? Apparently, the answer is yes, but his behavior never really convinced me, and I wish we could see more of Korn's feelings in action outside of just sex.

I have the same feelings about Tyme and Great. Was their love really so powerful that Tyme was about to call out from his dreamworld into Great's dreamworld to get the latter to wake up? In the real world, they didn't have many sweet or good interactions. In fact, most of their nicer moments that left an impression on me were all in Great's or Tyme's 4 minute dreams. So maybe, they both fell deeply in love over these made-up interactions and scenarios in their respective dreams? But if ignore all the dreamworld stuff, and just look at the events of reality, there really isn't much foundation for their relationship. I guess, sometimes there is an invisible spark and we just feel the way we feel. However, for me, as a viewer, I just wasn't seeing or feeling it. With all that said about the romance and chemistry, I want to reiterate that it wasn't bad. It just didn't seem strong enough to justify some of the events or characters' actions. It was just ok.


[ --ACTING/CAST-- ]

I can't remember off the top of my head if I have seen anything with Jes. I know I have some things I plan to watch with him in it, but not sure if I haven seen anything yet with him before this. Bible, I have seen him in "KinnPorshe" and I loved him as Vegas. I like him as Great, too. Great isn't as deep or impactful was Vegas was, though. Bas and Aiz's characters are listed as supporting roles, but to me, they were also main characters. Korn and Tonkla's story were very pivatol to the whole plot, so not sure why they are only listed as supporting characters. Also, Tonkla's character, I think, had the most depth out of the the four. His acting also left the most impression on me.


[ --MUSIC/OST-- ]

The opening theme is nice. There were also some nice scores. The series even has it own cover version of "Why Don't You Stay" originally from Jeff Satur. I don't think there was anything that wowed me or that I had to look up for my playlist though.

[ --REWATCH VALUE-- ]

I will definitely be rewatching this at some point. As with any series that deal with time manipulation in any aspects, there's usually details that could easily be overlooked or missed. Plus, this was very interesting to watch. Maybe I will find more holes or questions. Maybe I'll watch the Sultry version as a whole. I watched the cut version this time and only went back at the end to see those sex scenes seeparately to see if those added anything to the chemistry/romance, but maybe I'll rewatch the sultry version all the way through. Maybe I'll feel differently about the romantic chemistry. Even if I don't gain more insights or answers, it will still be a fun watch again.

[ --FINAL THOUGHTS-- ]

The action and sci-fi mystery aspects of the series definitely kept me hooked. It was a lot of fun while also having depth and things to think about. The big lesson we can draw from this series is that we just have to face reality, however bleak it may be. The world is going to be stained by our mistakes and regretful choices. We can't go back and change th past, but going forward, we can only aim to make the least regrettable choices. And for me, this series is one of those least regrettable choices.


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● NOTE
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I'll always conclude my review by saying that ratings and reviews is not really a indicator of whether you may like or dislike something. We all have different tastes and standards. Don't let a bad rating, review, or comment discourage you from watching something. My advice will always be to give something a chance if the premise interests you, and only use the ratings/reviews to determine priority if you already have a list of other things to watch or if deciding if you want to continue it after a few episodes. Also thanks reading my review!

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