Reviews

FL's mother is the only main character, everyone else is a support character

This drama is just FL's mother messing everything up and every other spineless character compensating for it.

1- 17 episodes the tension builds up where FL's mother keeps messing up
18 - 37 we expect either FL's mom to change or FL to grow up. Nothing happens

FL grows only a little bit and that's it. By episode 30 everything is same and everyone forgives FL's mother even though she hasn't changed. I don't know if the writer wants to convey that "we should forgive our parents even though they keep interfering in our personal/professional lives". FL's mother is still annoying. The only reason this deserves a 6 is just because the leads were awesome. There were a few good love/romance scenes but they were very less compared to the screen time given for FL's mother.

This drama would have been better if a) FL and ML got more screen time
b) FL grows up more
c) FL's mother becomes a good person at the end.

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Went in not expecting a whole lot but came out feeling refreshed & happy!

Totally enjoyed this one despite having reservations about the female lead. Both Oguri Shun & Ishihara Satomi did an amazing job in this Drama.

Rich Man Poor Woman was cute, funny, sweet & extremely endearing with a great score & OST. It's one of those Dramas that re-uses the same songs throughout & I know some may not like that but personally I feel it binds everything together thus helping maintain the mood. I think for me; that's what really made this Drama stick in my mind.

Plenty of problems. Typical Japanese style non-romantic kisses; random jumps in the story, not really anything earth-shatteringly new either as far as story goes & plot holes the size of mountains but somehow I just don't care one iota!

Definitely recommended if you're feeling a bit down, tired or sick.

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ngl, one of the worst BLs ever

(This is by no means an objective or organized review)

I went into this series with a decent amount of expectation because I like the cast. And in most cases, I like the story of two childhood friends growing up being lovers. HOWEVER, I am seriously disappointed and pissed for the whole series.

1. SCRIPT: Definitely poorly written. I find almost all the interactions between characters, especially Tonhon and Chonlatee, very awkward. Their romantic scenes feel to me as too pushed. I understand this is a lighthearted series and the screenwriters are likely to want to make us laugh. However, some scenes are just down straight stupid.

2. STORIES: I have a lot of issues with the social responsibilities this series touched on. Of course, it does convey a clear message that all people are no less of a person because of their sexual orientation. And I firmly believe it has a good intention of de-stereotyping the LGBTQ+ community. However, here are some of my main issues with it:

- The moment Tonhon "realized" his love for Chon, the first thing he did was having sex with him. This makes this whole thing seems like THAT is what he wants (Not to mention no consent was explicitly shown).

- Tonhon’s dad’s character development process where: this is a character who can have a lot of space for development. Despite so many ways writers can make him realize his misconception, they chose to make him realize "gay people aren't all bad" under the situation of an accident, literally overnight. You may have different feelings about this scene but for me, it seems like Tonhon's dad just "forgave" them for being gay BECAUSE they helped him. There's no further open discussion about whether he actually isn't homophobic anymore.

- Women ≠ baby-making machine: the last episodes made me super angry. Tonhon's dad obviously never realized his mistake of viewing women as a utensil to make an heir. Miriam even became a surrogate mother because he wants an heir??? What in the world! I personally don't think surrogacy should be legal for many reasons (it facilitates human trafficking, surrogate mother's risks, etc.) but I understand people may have other views. However, here, while I appreciate Miriam's selflessness, the whole reasoning behind it is simply fucked up.

- Tonhon kissing Amp for his ego (to prove his masculinity???) and sure he apologized but did he realize his mistake? He literally tried to get Chon to trust him by expressing how long he has loved Chon. A person does not need to "prove" their gender expression or sexuality to other people ok? Not to mention that one's sexuality has nothing to do with one's gender expression. And Chon apologized to Tonhon even tho he did nothing wrong?? Smeh...

3. PACING: terrible pacing. Both about character development and the story going forward. There are a ton of useless scenes without pushing the plot.

I will not forgive this series for not addressing the issues above. There are many other problems that I haven't mentioned (like privacy and personal space, stereotypes about women, lack of well-portrayed characters, etc.) but these ones are what I'm most dissatisfied about.

Probably not an issue for most people, but I dislike the fact that Tonhon is just getting shirtless for absolutely no reason. I just don't need it lol.

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Kleun Cheewit is basically a mixture of everything you hate combined into something you'll like. My experience with lakorns is pretty sour, if I'm being honest. The last Thai Drama I watched was Full House and to say I disliked it would be an understatement. So granted, I wasn't expecting much from Kleun Cheewit and unsurprisingly in many ways it did live up to the low expectations.

This lakorn is filled with over dramatic and almost insincere portrayal of characters. It's loud, in your face, try hard and almost obnoxious in its production. In short, it's like a bad action movie. With exaggerated expressions, corny dialogues and intense music- Kleun Cheewit lacks the simplicity that comes with being subtle. Almost all of the females in the drama are insecure, jealous and backstabbing bitches who are unfortunately, complemented with their chauvinistic dick-headed male counterparts. However, like some classic soap operas it is highly addictive. It is that ball of slime that you keeping rolling between your fingers no matter how squeamish the feeling.
Once you start it, it's really hard to stop watching for it is a fast paced drama with never a calm moment and all kinds of bombs exploding everywhere.

Ultimately however, there was one woman who singlehandedly carried this show on her back and that is: Sperbund Urassaya.
Yaya is stunningly beautiful and at times, I was simply mesmerized by her. I was hopelessly in love with her outfits, hair and makeup and her toned af gym bod made me want to start working out asap. Being a heterosexual, cis straight girl who's most definitely into men, I feel no shame in saying that I had a massive crush on her. However, her visual beauty would've amount to nothing if she didn't had the talent to back it up. And talent she had. Loads of it. Yaya's portrayal of Jeerawat was the most genuine one in the show; she seemed to be completely natural and in her element which was what made Jee such a likable character.

Jeerawat is a strong and brave woman who's not afraid to speak her mind. And if she has to cut up some next hoes, bitch slap some jealous bitches, throw remote controls at ugly foreheads and knee assholes in the groin to get her point across; so be it. She never backs away from a fight and she's tough as nails. At the same time, she is desperate for love, extremely self-sacrificing, at times vulnerable and someone who is genuinely kind. Surrounded by people who constantly take advantage of her and want to downplay her success, Jeerawat stands tall in her branded shoes and billion dollar dresses. I loved her so much, that even the fact that her waterworks started every five minutes in every episode couldn't lessen it. 'Cause only Jeerawat could make the highly irritating runny nose, pitiful 'woe is me' look work.

The only other character I loved in the show was P'Sukki; Jeerawat's very gay, very fierce manager slash best friend. He always has her back, is with her in her worst moments and he knows how to put twats in their rightful place. He's a completely Diva, way too extra and melodramatic but there ain't no messing with him cause rest assured, no matter what the case P'Sukki always has the last laugh.

Now let's talk about our Male Lead. Is it just me or is he just so 'slap-able'? He made me feel sheer violence and I think I spent the entirety of the show cussing him out. For a lawyer he sure is good at breaking the law. He constantly gets into fist fights, waves around revolvers like they're lollipops, sexually harasses and physically assaults women and at the end of it all, still has the gall to act all self-righteous and holier than thou. Like bitch please.

I get that Mark Prin was supposed to play this brooding bad boy but with his chubby cheeks and midget height all he managed to do was look nasty. Again, as an ordinary person I could somewhat understand his reasons. When we lose someone, we are angry at the world and we want someone to take the blame but Sathit wasn't any other person. He was a lawyer; someone who knows that there are a million different reasons and circumstances behind apparent crimes and for him to go to such lengths to destroy an innocent woman's life and drag out his single minded revenge was just plain ridiculous. And even though Jee makes him work for it and grovel towards the end, I still feel that his atonement wasn't half as much as his sins. I was fully rooting for Jeerawat to dump his bratty ass and fly away but oh well, she was a tad too forgiving for my taste.

One thing that Thai Dramas do best is the OTP chemistry. Even though, I didn't like the hero I couldn't deny that the sexual tension between them both was almost tangible. Lakorns know how to do skinship right and the interactions between couples definitely give you the feels. On a side note tho, I did feel that the concept of personal space was kind of alien in Kleun Cheewit. Even people who weren't love interests sure knew how to be intimate. lol

The rest of the characters were pretty one-dimensional, doing the same bullshit over and over again and never getting tired. The soundtrack wasn't to my taste, the direction was less than mediocre and I wouldn't be watching this show again. However, I would most definitely be watching more of Urassaya.

So if you have a lot of free time on your hand (one episode is 2 hours) and you wanna waste it by indulging in petty drama, lots of backstabbing and some ovary-exploding scenes then be sure to watch Kleun Cheewit.

Enjoy!

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I was very skeptical about this drama after watching the first few episodes because i found it too cringey for my taste. However the more episodes i watch, the more i get lured into the story.

Okay, this drama has its flaws. It is not perfect. It is cliche at times. You will get frustrated with some characters that you just end up screaming in front of your laptop because of how stupid they are. You will probably have a love-hate relationship with the main characters. But I guess that's what makes this drama really addicting. It gave me different kinds of emotions and will make you think if you should empathize with some characters or not. Midway on the drama and I was already rewatching some episodes. And now that I finally finished it, I am back with rewatching my favourite parts again lmao.

The chemistry between GJ and YZ is no joke omg. Their love story is one hell of a ride but the end made it all worth it T_T The acting is also sooo good, most especially Zhang Ming En. I fell in love with his portrayal of YZ - how he nailed being a sweet boyfriend to GJ and how he acted as a jerk in the latter part. I felt his pain when he thought GJ betrayed him. I also love the character development that is very much present in the drama and how it walked us through the characters' journey to forgiveness.

Overall, there's never a dull moment watching this drama and I believe they wrapped everything up in the end. Definitely recommended if you're a sucker for romance like me. But even if you're not, it is still a good watch as it offers you some life lessons along the way (which is for you to find out *winks*)

PS. Also the OSTs make the drama even better huhu

PS2: So I have read other reviews about this drama and to be very honest, I enjoyed this more than Because Of You. I guess it's really a hit or miss. Try watching a few episodes atleast and see if you'll like it.

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I gave myself a total of two months before writing this review. Why? Because the ending will make you hate it. But after these two months I took a step back and looked at the whole show. And wow, it was really good. Actors played their parts very very well. Plot development was amazing. The music...wow..the music, the OST has a spanish swing to it that just sticks in your head. I have to talk about character development here, because that is what it comes down to and what people hate the ending for. Character development is very key in this drama. Characters were depicted perfectly as greedy, jealous, self-living, spineless, backstabbing people left and right. Each episode developed the conflict further and further (which could have just been solved by taking to each other, but that doesn't happen in Kdrama land). Until a boiling point is reached and the last episode shows the reality of the Fashion world and that its not always pretty. (which is why people hated the show)

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Masterpiece of a drama

This is one of those rare dramas that unexpectedly draws you in and then make you obsess over the characters' happiness. There is a purity to the story that the main leads bring to the characters. Episode 1 immediately hooks you in with the cold open of Manami's diving scene. Then you're not sure if you like Kaoru, even though you're pretty sure he's the male lead. But by the end of the episode, you're firmly starting to root for the connection between Manami and Taiga. The obsession with the drama just takes off from there.

The OST is gorgeous, and the cinematography is unique. The drama is marketed as a story of "pure love," so you won't find a lot of steamy scenes despite the red light district setting. If you like tug-at-your-heartstrings feels and watching 2 characters from opposite sides of town fall in love in spite of the odds, do yourself a favor and start this series. Enjoy the ride and don't even try to guess how the story will go-- most likely it won't be what you expect, in a good way. I've also never seen so much growth and strength in characters before, even supporting ones.

As we are waiting for the last episode or 2, I know many of us are rewatching the released episodes over and over, because it's just that good. 15-year age be damned, it sounds alarming, but the characters of Kaoru/Taiga and Manami simply fit and match each other. So much so that they have most everyone from viewers to supporting characters rooting for them.

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Backwards, outdated and downright misogynistic. AVOID.

(PSA: This is a rant rolled up as review bc i could not keep my cool writing about this cesspool of a show. Thus it contains some swear words. Just as a head's up.)

For a family drama written in 2022/2023, TRHC is oddly stuck somewhere in Joseon era, or 1970 if we are feeling generous. Worst of all is that all of these backwards views of the writer is covered under a mantle of pseudo LOOK HOW MODERN WE ARE progressiveness at first. But you always get glimpses of his true views here and there, those bits of misogyny, how a woman is not allowed to exist without a man and husband, can't do anything without a man. Or his obsession with bloodline superiority portrayed by the grandmother at first who feels like a writer mouthpiece of his own views in hindsight.

Because for a show supposedly about how family is chosen and that chosen family is just as valid as bloodlines, he does his damnest to portray adoption in the worst light. As something lesser and THE fatal flaw a person can have. Later on ML is also CONSTANTLY ridiculed for wanting to take over the father's role for FL's baby because he is not the true blooded father, not valid nor good enough and every character lets him know so. While the literal shithead of dna giver of the child is elevated to the writer's favorite pet the narrative tries to manipulate you into feeling sorry for a literal stalking, harassing, cheating, blackmailing, threatening and gaslighting abusive bastard who made the leads life hell for 30 eps plus. But he is the "father" of FL's child so he has a "i can do what i want" permit of the writer who seems to sympathize with abusive men treating women like shit and objects to possess waaaaay too much, if you ask me. Yikes. But of course none of the stalking and domestic violence is ever addressed or SML held accountable in any way or form, nope. Of course not. It was just there for shock value and to show you that this poor poor man just did all this because he was lonely, had a bad childhood (???), and was upset of not seeing his child or something. Awwww. F-- OFF. The trivialization of abuse (that starts not just at physical, mind) is staggering and super disgusting, but totally in line with this writer's overall misogynistic views.

Which perfectly shows in the complete obliteration of FL Yeondoo's personality in the second half as well, Because except for her apologizing and cowering to everyone no matter what and why, if she is allowed to speak at all, she does nothing, is allowed nothing. In latter eps you even have ML, her then legal husband, speaking FOR her even if she is directly addressed by others and yikes. Not to mention how her career fell sideways and was forgotten about in favor of her letting it housewiving out till the writer remembered she once was a star instructor five minutes before the very end. Which okay if a stay at home mom is what she wants there is no problem, but there was NEVER any discussion about her future, nor what she wants to do going forward. The complete lack of agency while two men have the worst written, and factually and law-wise incorrect, custody battle over HER child, for whom she is the sole custodian parent, is more than appalling. It is downright sexist. (In fact, no female character is allowed to exist or act without a man in here, again yikes.)

While the show was airing, we have talked at lengths in the comment section why the romance is not romancing, especially of the leads who are like roommates raising a baby together, post timejump. A lot of it comes down to this writer and simply baaaaaad directing, but there is more to that. It is the pure dislike of the writer for romance in general. Watching this, you get the clear impression that he always found romance and calm scenes boring, and not just in regards of the leads. Every romance subplot we had in the first half was dropped after the worlds worst and most unneeded timejump, and forgotten about. The singular one we had aside the leads (romance, what romance?) with the youngest couple was a trashfire of circular on/off nonsense going nowhere. But oh well that fitted into the rest of the repetitive narrative dragging on to the point of complete suffering. Which, coincidentally was THE motto and theme for the last quarter of TRHC. Joy was killed as was the lead's romance before it could ever fully bloom and develop by this hack. And it got replaced by a onslaught of perpetual misery piled on misery, especially for the leads. Whose actors looked progressively more exhausted the longer this overwrought, pointless drama dragged on, reflecting the audience perfectly. It feels from eps 1 to 50 AJH and BJH have aged several years, and with this abysmal script and dialogue they were forced to follow i am not surprised. Because for the viewer aka myself, it was also just pure suffering and exhaustion to watch the backyard bin Iteration of Groundhog Day with everything repeating over and over, down to what i would call the worst written drama in recent years after Woori The Virgin.

So, in case you are insane enough to still want to watch this trainwreck on top of a flaming pile of garbage... my advice is still to run away and find something better to do with your time. Like take a walk, work out, pet a dog. So much that you can accomplish in 50 hours that is not watching this dungfilled, backwards ass mess. Failing that however, you best watch eps 1-33, mentally slap a one year timejump under it and go to eps 39, watch that. Then jump to 41 to see the leads register their marriage and then go DIRECTLY to eps 50 for closure. Do not stop at start and look at the mUh bLoODliNEs Kim Junha writers pet show this drama becomes in the last ten eps. I repeat: DO NOT STOP AND GO DIRECTLY TO THE ENDING EPISODE and thank me later for having spared you ten hours of your life as nothing of value happens in there. Except a lot of pointless bs and abusive man apologia but that is right in line with this wreck of a writer. AVOID.

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This is my first time writing a review & I hope it goes well. & English is not my first language so forgive me if there is any mistake .

I have mixed reactions about this drama. The first 8-10 episodes were too good. It was realistic with a decent plot & had so many heart fluttering moments. The chemistry between the two leads is GREAT & both the actors did a very good job.
The first half was great but
but then everything went downhill after that.I had to force myself to sit down & watch each episode. Disappointing coz I had lots of expectations & I really adored this drama.
I think the main issue was that there wasn't enough plot to fill 16 episodes so they created unnecessary drama towards the end.
If I could just rate just the first half , I would rate it 8.5/10
It had potentials to be a great drama but the writers ruined it.

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When good CGI meets questionable loveline

Having watched the trailer months ago I highly anticipated this drama. Especially with the amazing costumes, high profile actors/actresses and beautiful CGI effects. However my excitement got quickly met with disappointment upon watching the first few episodes and onwards. Not only did the plot fell flat, I also still can't wrap my head around the mainleads loveline.

Let me explain: The story starts out with a child (ML) crossing the border of Tushan in an attempt to survive an attack. After this he gets taken in by a seemingly older lady (FL) who could've passed as his aunt. The difference in age, appearance and demeanor had immediately set the tone for me as to what their relationship was: either aunt-cousin or teacher-student. Even though ML grew into a full fletched adult as the story progressed, his personality remained more or less the same to me: playful (even childlike I might say) and expressive whereas FL remained stoic and authorative (haven't seen any expression from her other than the go to pokerface). The lack of character development made it nearly impossible for me to break free from the initial aunt-cousin perception that I had formed at the beginning of the story (I mean hell, she basically raised him, saw him grow up into an adult and from time to time still mentions this throughout the drama). Their love therefore, just felt downright wrong and out of place to me.

I honestly wished that they casted a more younger looking actress for the role of FL. I mean don't get me wrong Yang Mi looks absolutely beautiful for her age but when put next to ML, the age gap can be seen and felt, making it much more difficult for viewers like me to break free from the initial "protective/stern aunt - rebelious cousin" image. That being said, I'll still continue to watch the rest of the story as we're only halfway through. I wanna give it a fair chance though I don't have much hope for it.

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VEGAS APOLOGIST

VEGAS PETE

Everything about their relationship flies in the face of all that I know is LOVE. This couple breaks into your vulnerability and turns you weak for them. They’re deeply, violently kinky, and that just does it for me, and no amount of moral's can make me doubt that what they have is real. Pete and Vegas are both people who protect their hearts, they have chains locked around their emotions so it's hard for them to define any of this. They are closed off to the world and maybe they will be each other's freedom but it starts as an understanding. Vegas is seeking validation so he doesn't want to hurt Pete because he is the only one who can provide it. He unlocks something new and exciting far from reality and beyond heaven but not hell. It's again something right but at the same time wrong. Their relationship simply can't be described in black and white. The last close-up in ep 12 is very important with Pete is smiling like he feels fulfilled about unlocking this side of him, he finally allowed his dark side to come to the surface and it's clear he feels liberated.

The dynamic between these two characters is too complex to decipher. Both of them wear professional crafted masks. Vegas is a psycho seemingly without empathy. Pete, on the other hand, is a ray of sunshine with a layer of darkness underneath. Pete's desires are covered and Vegas is bringing them to the surface, we can already see that in episode 11-- he physically reacts when Vegas licks his face, his eyes close, he is shivering under vegas's tongue. Pete feels connected to Vegas because of his own childhood, they are bonding over their trauma and Vegas is reticent to connect with Pete but the chains are already tied between them both and there is no escape any more. Both Vegas and Pete will cave in irrevocably. And we can see the last drop of their self control when the hedgehog dies. Pete chooses to console him and Vegas willingly let's him. When Vegas hurts himself, Pete is finally discovering the unseen hatred he has towards himself and he tries to reason with him without success until Vegas brings his layered, cold behavior out again. He tries to lure Pete in a new game thinking he won't play along but Pete surprises him and takes the lead, easily winning. Vegas uses his body as a catalyst and it's electrifying. Their body language lays everything they feel bare for the audience to see. They are tiying the chains around them tighter, they strengthen their connection through physical attachment. An other thing I want to point out is Vegas's blood type. AB means universal receiver, he will take any love he can get because he's that starved for it and Pete's blood type is O which means universal donar, he has the capacity of loving anyone and this is a clear metaphor for the receiving dynamics and I admire the details in the show.

In the end Vegas is the one who is trapped. The same man who likes to be ahead of everyone, who is calculated enough to over do everyone, simply doesn't know what to do anymore. He is scared. He is actually afraid of the consequences because it'll all be like a chain reaction. He is the vulnerable one despite being free, he may not have physical restraints but I assure you his head is in a cage.

Now compared to the novel, their story seems to go faster than the speedlight, it's extremely rushed and I don't think that what they have is anything rational to begin with. To me it seems like they developed an emotional support that they gradually got addicted to. Vegas is layered with so much affection but there is an unabashed violence to this because of his trauma as for Pete, he seems to free himself into chains, he was masked with this fake appearance his entire life and now Vegas undressed him, leaving his dark side exposed and Pete can finally be himself. Vegas is the other way around, he can be evil when he pleases but his sensitivity must be hidden from the world, with Pete he is able to let it out. They are literally like Yin and Yang. They need each other for balance. Pete needs Vegas to be dark and Vegas needs Pete to be light. It's not love, it's balance.

The scene where Pete was "eating" the ramyeon and breaks down crying reminded me that he is alone, no one really knows him beside Vegas.

Vegas and Pete can't kill each other because if one of them dies, the other will crumble. If one of them is hurt the other one will shatter in pain. That's why Pete couldn't pull the trigger.

They honestly broke my heart, together & individually.

Also can we talk about the tenderness with which vegas treats Pete in the moments where he lets himself be vulnerable? He looks at Pete like he's the most precious thing he's ever laid his eyes on, he touches him as if he was a fragile treasure that was too frail to break. Especially when he comes down from his anger and suddenly turns into a little puppy, you see his eyes change and you realize he is guided by his feelings for Pete.

Honestly, even though their story is going faster than expected it surprises me how a few episodes managed to get me this invested, the writers are following through with all the angst and twisted devotion between them and it's truly gratifying to watch. I think the development was carefully done and rightfully so because it's a very complex story and I’m so happy both characters have been given adequate time to process their individual trauma and desires.

KINNPORSCHE

Porsche and Chay display their affection through physical service act of service, their care is established properly and visibly. And for kinn is the exact opposite, within his family It's always the small details that covey their feelings. They are used to different environments and I think it's important, kinn's perspective on what " caring " means is very different in contrast to what it means for Porsche, they are different but somehow the same and I loved to see their journey together, they balance each other out so well. They ended the season trusting each other, going through various extreme situations together, fighting together, keeping their mutual attraction. They had time to built their relationship, they were cared by the creators and it shows, nothing was rushed and it was all perfectly executed.

KIMCHAY

The power imbalance between them is more celebrity/fan. For most of their relationship, Chay has seen Kim through rose-colored glasses. Because Chay was obsessed with the celebrity, there’s still a lot to be discovered with their relationship and their feelings together. But there is definitely a change in control now compared to how it started, and I’m interested to see how it will evolve in season 2.

ACTING

I'll give a special row of lines to Build. Those screams are just so raw and extremely convincing. He truly made me believe his pain is real. Bible was so great with Vegas as well, I was shocked to find out how introverted and shy he is in real life, I have deep respect for them. Bible sells it at every moment, he is magnificent in his role. For every one of Pete’s panicked, despaired looks, Vegas returns an equally unsettling one, their dynamic on set is actually mindblowing. Vegas is such a convincing manipulator, he is a master minded psychopath and it’s hard to distinguish him. We see Vegas's eyes seizing Pete, analyzing him with each stare and there’s a degree of arrogance there as if he's trying to be superior when in reality he's inferior. The way they both observe with the details of their eyes is immaculate. They are delivering.

Mile and apo's friendship is so authentic and real compared to so, so many actors and musicians and other entertainers who work together and claim to be close, but these two seem incredibly bonded and their connection is brought onto the screen which makes their acting even more phenomenal, their chemistry feels natural and it's easy to watch them without cringing one bit.

Jeff and barcode managed to steal my breath for each 5 minutes of the little screen time they had, with such a short amount of time they succeed to convey so many emotions and draw the audience so deep within their story.

OVERALL

I can only describe this show as vulnerable -- It was done so tastefully and grounded in humanity. It was sexy yes, but it was fragile. It was immaculate accompanied by the perfect scenery and an outstanding cinematography, watching their love bloom was so heart wrenching but evenly so beautiful.

ON A SIDE NOTE

The fantasy is aimed at the people who are mature enough to see it for what it is, and to distinguish between the morality and ethics of real life and those of a immoral fictional universe, if anyone is questioning the series based on the representation of a healthy relationship then you shouldn't watch it.

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I had high hopes for this one. The two male leads are two of my favourite actors and I know they always provide good performances. So, at that department I was left very satisfied, as the performances from all the actors and actresses were really good. However, the story was boring. It lacked intensity and it didn't ignite any interest. The plot as well wasn't anything special. It actually started slow and continued slow. The ending was good and satisfying, but there was no surprise or interesting twist happening in the whole drama. So, after the tragedy of the past was revealed, the drama had nothing to offer. So, 6.5 out of 10.

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Frustrating....

There were times while I was watching this drama I was wondering why I was still watching it, that is how frustrating it made me feel.

I think the main problem was with the writing. I know Jae Won and Eun Oh were the main characters, but they went around in circles with their story, (I was really getting tired of hearing about those damn cameras) and a bit more of that time could have been spent on the other two couples stories, especially that of Rin Yi and Gyung Joon. I felt like I never fully understood the two of them, and while their story was the most realistic - there were things about Rin Yi's personality and past I wished they had discussed instead of throwing it out towards the end of the drama.

The second problem came with the characters. They drove me crazy. Jae Won spent most the drama as a complete mess (at least they addressed his alcoholism), and while I understood Eun Oh's insecurities she kept refusing to admit to her mistakes and hurt others in the process. Rin Yi was not developed enough. She could be seen as carefree, but there a few moments were I felt like she was using her lifestyle as a excuse to ignore things she didn't want to address in her life and they never really went past the surface with her. And Gyung Joon was so blindly in love her he didn't want rock the boat. Sun Young came off as cool in the beginning but her behavior towards the guys she dated was not okay at all. Gun is the only character I have nothing bad to say about, he was mostly just chill the whole time, and I think he got lost in everyone else's chaos.

The acting was one of the few positives, especially from Ji Chang Wook, who was in top form here (along with the OST). I enjoyed the "introduction" to Dong Shik, if they do make a second season I might tune in to find out more about them, but I won't be rewatching this mess again.

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GAY GAY GAY

Skynani never fails to amaze me. I know this isn’t a BL but I swear to god it’s more romantic and deep than the majority of BLs atm, for me at least. Like, leaving the obvious plot aside, I MEAN SOULMATEEEESSS !! But their acting and chemistry is just on another level. Sky looks at Nani like it’s the only thing he sees and vice versa. I just love them so fucking much 🥹

If you love supernatural things, this series is straight-up made for you. But even if you don’t usually go for fantasy, the way it wraps all that crazy world-building around the most devastatingly beautiful partnership between Pete (Nani) and Niran (Sky) will have you hooked from episode one.
The plot itself is addictive as hell. Every episode escalates and the action is actually well-choreographed and exciting (those fight scenes hit different when you’re emotionally invested in the two leads protecting each other). The mystery keeps twisting. But none of it would work without the emotional core, and that core is 100% SkyNani.

Also the eye contact in this series should be studied in acting schools. The protective touches. The way they are risking everything for one another without ever needing to say the obvious out loud. Like I don't even need a love confession. I KNOW THEY ARE MARRIED!!! They are one soul, and they even gave us an actual OST called “We Are One” sung by Sky and Nani themselves in the later episodes. GMMTV knew exactly what they were doing and I’m grateful.
LIKE SOUL BINDING SCENE?? HELLOOO???

What makes this hit harder than most BLs for me is how deep the emotional intimacy goes without needing labels or typical romance tropes. Their bond is built on mutual reliance, sacrifice, seeing each other at their absolute worst and choosing to stay anyway. Pete’s growth from this angry, unlucky guy who thinks he’s cursed to someone who learns to wield his power and fight for others is really beautiful.
And the found family vibes with Team Wu is pretty immaculate. The side characters add so much flavor and stakes without ever stealing focus from the main duo. I LOVE THE TRANS REPRESENTATION.

Anyway, end point is:
Skynani stans, we won. Again. After High School Frenemy already proved they have insane chemistry, Wu took it to a whole new dimension. I was already obsessed with them, now I am straight up in love. 🫶😭💖

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