Reviews

Please Don't Watch This With Expectations Of a Grand Romance

I started watching this drama without having read any comments or reviews. I learned that lesson about short web-series after I passed on a lot of good shows that have unfortunately low ratings and a terrible comment section. I've discovered that it's better to check the tags and then walk in blindly without other viewers opinions marring your own perception.

The poster image for this drama is deceptive. On MDL the image is bright and bubblegum colored with smiling faces and a quirky undertone. On Viki the drama link image is a girl with a notebook with 4 very attractive guys lined up in front of her, also in bright and cheery colors. These insinuate a happy and cute rom-com is waiting for you, maybe with a lot of heart-fluttering reverse-harem moments. But if you look a little deeper into the information provided by MDL, you'll notice the second tag is TRAUMA. This drama is basically a character study of a flawed girl that has felt unloved her whole life and the lengths she will go to feel loved and "whole". The relationships with these men, while starting out fluffy, quickly deteriorate into pain due to the circumstances of the notebook. Some are even abusive and toxic. This is all part of the journey the FL takes to achieve self-discovery, and find out that relying on others to provide love when she has none herself is going to be a never-ending circle of regret and pain.

The actors in this drama did an exceptional job of either making me love them or hate them. The FL was flawed and likely was hard to understand by viewers that haven't experienced that feeling of being lonely and unlovable. Her desperation to feel whole by receiving love from another person is relatable, and I found myself viewing her actions as understandable. The actress did a good job of providing emotional balance and I found myself rooting for her. The ML appears perfect but was also flawed in his own ways. He was impatient and jealous, which he vented on the FL often, but was unwilling to confess his feelings to provide context to why he was so upset with her on so many occasions, which lead her into deeper feelings of isolation. The ML's acting was great for a rookie. You could feel his anger, hurt, panic, and love without him saying a word. The SFL was surprising, for the first half of the series she presented without nuance or depth, but in the second half the actress proves that appearances can be deceiving and becomes almost an entirely new person. As for the supporting male leads, they all did a fantastic job of either making me love them or hate them... or love them THEN hate them.

Overall, this drama has a re-watch value that is pretty low, but it's worth watching once if you're in the mood for something a little deeper than a fluffy reverse-harem. Jump into it without expectations and you will enjoy where the story takes you a lot more than if you have a preconceived notion about how it should play out. It's a little dark, a little traumatic, a little emotional, with moments of sunshine and rainbows and fireworks mixed in, just like real life.

Leia Mais

I couldn’t not write a review for Memory and I can’t express (very well) in words how utterly brilliant this drama is. Lee Sung Min deserves an award for his acting, I don’t think anyone else could have pulled off the role better than he did. In fact, the entire cast is brilliant, and I found none of them to be lacking in any way, I especially liked Lee Jun Ho and Yoon So Hee! The story and cast dealt with the case of Alzheimer’s very well.

The story was planned out very well, and it kept me on the edge of my seat whenever something unexpected happen, which happened a fair bit (but in a good way!) The story is just so emotional and beautiful that I couldn’t help shedding a few tears (just kidding A LOT of tears!) it’s one of those drama’s that would be great to binge watch, it was honestly so hard to wait a whole week for then new episodes! Also at times its really funny (the chemistry between Lee Sung Min and Lee Jun Ho) and just the themes of family, life and romance, it really has something for everyone.

I REALLY recommend this drama, it was pulled off exceptionally well. I really liked the music, especially If You Love Again and More Than A Memory, every time I heard the first note of More Than A Memory like man the feels ;-;
It has to be one of the best drama’s I’ve ever watched, and I’m honestly so sad it’s come to an end! I would definitely re watch this drama in the future however, and I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I did! <3

Leia Mais

This is not your typical c-drama but for a shorter production quite lovely and entertaining

Childhood friends share fate and a secret, but their beloved fathers get murdered, and the kids separated. On top of it the boy gets stuck in the vengeance mode (don't expect blood thirsty brute though) and the girl lost her memory (do expect a ditzy one here). They meet 10 years later but on the opposite sides of law and yet get pulled into the vortex of events that draw them closer and more reliant on their past, characters and sense of duty. The romance blossoms early on by chance and due to the ever-present drugs in this drama, but it's fun to watch the subtle dance of attraction between the leads and secondary characters, most of which were written well and acted accordingly. As some people noted, the ending is an OE, sort of like what we had in The Untamed, but it was rather unexpected and to be honest, I would have been fine without this potentially happy ending. Even the death of the secondary character at the end served an important role, therefore I am not criticizing the script writer for it. So, if you are looking for the typical drama, don't get your shorts tied in the knot-this is artistically inclined and visually-auditory pleasant one to savor rather than speed through.

I liked everything about this production: starting with how there were no introductions at the beginning, but BAM! dropping us in the middle of an event that was self-explanatory and laden with tension. I loved the OST, that was mostly instrumental with a few fantastic songs sung by female, male and a duet, creating not only a background but mood and character of the story telling. The plot was good, although not inventive, and kept me interested, and had enough turns to dispel any misguided guesses on who the main culprit was and why. We get some bread crumbs here and there but vague enough to keep making mistakes. Also, for the die-hard fans of the Confucian tradition - you will not get filial piety here in the end and (surprise, surprise) rather clear message on what really matters to us when we take a harder look at our life's purpose. The ML played very well, I also thought that FL was good. Two SMLs were very entertaining and showed good range of skills - from body use to facial and voice. The aspect of miracle drug was used without exaggeration as a vehicle of uncovering true face/motivation of various characters. Fight scenes were solid with a new trick: climbing walls with a flip! Even if some things did not make sense (blood transfusion, etc.) the whole point is above the question "was it realistic?". If you want documentary, then switch genre. This was believable to the extent of being a love story.

Leia Mais

Power of Kindness and Connections!

We’ve seen many times how one life touches so many, and how one act of kindness can be like a pebble dropped into a pond. Its ripples stretching all the way across. People should never underestimate what one act of kindness can do for someone. We never know if a smile, a kind word, or act might will have an effect that we can’t possibly predict or fathom.

Life is about connections. Connecting with ourselves as well as connecting with others. Chihiro is a former sex worker who now works at a small bento shop in a seaside town. Initially, a person may scoff at her former life as a sex worker and judge her as someone of little/no value. Ah! How often do we judge a book by its cover? The film invites us to understand how a connection and a small act of kindness can help someone in need, while also learning how to dispel our own judgments about people.

The film opens with Chihiro paying attention to and playing with a cat. Initially, one might wonder why this is such a compelling scene. Because more often than not, how a person treats animals is often an insight into how a person treats people. Chihiro greets the customers warmly, and we can see her warmth is genuine. It isn’t fake or an attempt to win anyone over. It’s simply how she interacts with others.

Throughout the course of the film, we find Chihiro helping a variety of people. An old, homeless man down by the waterfront. She brings him a meal, gives him some company as they eat, and even invites him into her home so that he can have a bath. And sadly, when she’s looking for him in order to bring him another meal, she finds that he has died behind a small fence, and she takes the time to give him a proper burial in the middle of the night.

Chihiro also befriends a couple of high school girls who see themselves as outcasts within their own families. Chihiro treats them with kindness, accepting them fully as they are. Kuniko is one of these girls who’s basically told what to do in a family home with little warmth. When she’s given a meal by a single mother—as a means of gratitude for helping her son—Kuniko breaks down in tears, overwhelmed that she’s found more warmth from this stranger than she’s possibly received in her own home.

Chihiro also has to deal with the same, single mother who is outraged that Chihiro has been feeding and spending time with her son, Makoto, a lonely boy who has to spend much of his time fending for himself because his mother works. When the boy gets an idea from a TV commercial to buy flowers for his mother, the mother wrongly accuses of Chihiro of being behind it. After having the flowers thrown in her face, Chihiro calmly hands the flowers back, telling the mother that she will be making a huge mistake if she doesn’t accept the flowers and to see her son for what he is: a kind but lonely little boy who simply wants to show his mother how much he loves her.

Lastly, Chihiro also interacts with a woman in a hospital who has recently lost her eyesight. Little does the woman know that Chihiro is the woman she’d briefly had an encounter with, it becomes apparent that the woman is more of a mother to Chihiro than Chihiro’s own.

Chihiro is like a breath of fresh air, a gentle rain, a beam of sunshine as we quickly discover how she interacts and touches the lives of the various souls around her. Nothing about her is superficial or fake. She’s asked by her friend and former co-worker in the sex trade why she’s never fallen in love. It becomes apparent that Chihiro does not find romantic relationships appealing, largely due to their selfishness and propensity to strip a person of their freedom to be who they are.

Kasumi Arimura is a true delight in this film, and she shines brightly on the screen as she invites the viewer to look past her past. A person isn’t necessarily their job. How they treat others and interact with them counts the most. And like a passing rain—seeing that her job is done—she moves on to the next town, the next job, spreading her joy for life to everyone she meets. She takes pride in small moments of sitting on the dock in the sun or standing barefoot in the water.

I also found it interesting when I looked it up that Chihiro means, “A thousand questions.” This name is appropriate as one might have a thousand questions about her, but find that much like the wind, she can’t be pinned down to one thing or perhaps even grasped. Everyone could use a “Chihiro” in their life, and hopefully, everyone can try just a bit harder to be a Chihiro for others.

Leia Mais

♡ Who wrote this sweet and hilarious script?! ♡

Story (10/10):
It was funny and cute how Meng Meng was trying to find her heroine. During her journey, she met Murong Chen and decided to get Xue Tan Hua (a magical flower) for their own purposes. After that, she encountered the cool and charming hero, Yun Ya, who she fell in love with and eventually changed her objective. Yun Ya unknowingly rescued her especially when she was in danger every time even though she did not call for him. Not realizing they were actually the same person, she escaped the palace to avoid her engagement and continued her journey in the Jiang Hu (martial arts) world together with her friends as they developed strong friendship. Meanwhile, she learnt many things, when you love someone, you are willing to be there for him and help him without anything in return. She also learnt that when you truly love each other, you don't make sacrifices. The sweet romance begins between Murong Chen and Meng Meng as they experience many obstacles but still believing in each other and together, they overcome each mission along the way.

Acting/Cast (10/10):
All the casts did a fantastic job in their roles, like you can really see their effort and the comedy they put in this historical romantic drama. June Wu portrayed two roles differently, like I could not tell it was same person in a way that they had totally different personalities. I hope June Wu will have more main roles in the future!!♡ Lai Mei Yun played Meng Meng as a cute and funny character which she did a great job, the way she express herself, the humor she brings, I really enjoy it. Hu Wei as well as Wen Zhu did a splendid job too, we have one cute and strong couple here! Haha it was pretty obvious that Xiao Ai and Chang Kong like each other, so I can say the actors themselves (Tan Qin Xuan and Qu Tian Rui) did a good job, thank you to all the casts from My Queen for their hard work!♡

Music (10/10):
I love the opening ost 弱水三千 (Ruò shuǐ sānqiān) sang by our male lead, June Wu, he really has a beautiful and nice voice. I didn't really skip either the opening ost or ending ost 江湖策马 (Jiānghú cè mǎ) during the entire 24 episodes since the songs catch my attention so I'll give the music a 10/10 hehe :)

Rewatch Value (10/10):
The comedy is hilarious so I wouldn't mind re-watching all those cute and funny scenes again to make my day especially after a tired day or maybe after a heartbreaking show XD

Overall (10/10):
If you're looking for a sweet, fluffy, cute and romantic comedy drama, I highly recommend My Queen :D Hey, it's really a great drama, I was looking forward to every Friday and Saturday so I could watch My Queen, it was not easy waiting, I was anticipating every moment of My Queen and hoping each episode didn't end fast. Let's enjoy this lovely drama together! :)

Leia Mais

Start : 8.5/10
Middle: 6.5/10
End: 9/10

Ahh 17 weeks and its over! *sad face* Refresh Man was the first Taiwanese drama I watched, and I’ve got to say, I loved every moment of it! (except for the one episode per week, it was terrible!!) The story was pretty standard, nothing overly excitable but it was still delivered very well and captured my interest majority of the time. The middle did drag in my opinion, maybe just after that half way mark but the story picked up towards the end, and it was very suspenseful and left me wondering what was going to happen next! Aaron Yan (so charming ;-;) and Joanne Tseng have great chemistry, the friendship and romance between the two is very cute, overall they played their roles very well, and I look forward to watching more dramas by the two in the future! The rest of the cast also did a solid job, Lene Lai was brilliant, she was probably my favourite character! Refresh Man shows determination and hard work through the characters and their roles, and if you’re new to Taiwanese dramas like I was definitely give this a try, or if you just love romance and business-like themes I hope you will enjoy Refresh Man as much as I did!

Leia Mais

(Spoilerful, detailed review here: https://dramavixen.tumblr.com/post/176856871009/)

How do I even put this into words? Though just missing the mark of perfection, "Go Back Couple" is quite the emotional ride and one that I can't stop thinking about.

At its core, this is such a simple drama, but its execution is breathtaking. This tells the story of deep emotions and complex relationships under the guise of a lighthearted romcom. Everything about its surface will have you believing that this is a refreshing watch to relax yourself, but once you set foot into the first episode, you will realize: you have made a horrible, beautiful mistake.

I’m a crybaby. Over the years, my tear ducts have truly widened the scope as to what can get them going. Even so, nothing could have prepared me for this drama. “Go Back Couple” had me bawling every episode. Yes: every. Single. Episode. My tissue box is a bit tired. The emotional impact of this plot hits like a cement truck and results from the writers’ decision to focus not on the couple’s romance, but on the leads as individual people who harbor their own struggles. Those struggles then translate into their relationship. As we see them learn how to cope, their reconnection is natural and more satisfying.

The plot is not overly convoluted or “smart,” which occasionally causes it to slip whenever it tries to introduce bigger conflicts; but ultimately the lack of plot twists is what gives it its beauty. The simplicity but poignancy of our leads’ interactions, along with all the characters around them, increases how much we as viewers can empathize with them. There’s none of that theatric suspense that has become the trend in so many dramas: just humans dealing with incredibly human problems. Sometimes I forget that a time slip isn’t exactly normal; it weaves so well into, but doesn’t completely overpower, the story.

The cast plays a huge part in all of this success. Because the plot relies entirely on the personalities of its characters, there is no room for error on the side of the actors—and there are no errors made. Jang Na Ra is always spot-on when it comes to her roles, especially in scenes that are emotionally heavy. As soon as she hits the switch for the crying, it’s almost impossible to not follow along. Son Ho Jun is a new name to me, but he could be Ban Do in real life and I wouldn’t question it. These two together are as great as they are as individuals. All the side characters and so-called “secondary leads" are also incredibly important in their own ways. None of them are “there” for the sake of diluting the plot and dragging out time. They each bear their own hardships in ways that pry at our hearts and help the lead couple along their journey.

Everything about “Go Back Couple” feels priceless to me. There are so many little moments that are heartwarming yet claw at your innards. It’s one of those shows that has something incredibly personal to say to you, regardless of what stage of your life you’re currently in. That’s such a difficult trait to come by in any type of media these days, and that alone makes this drama worth watching.

Leia Mais

1)The reason I watched this:

Simply because it's a musical film since I like musicals and rock was my favorite music genre at some point therefore I watched this film.

2) Storyline/Plot:

I haven't seen the anime so I didn't know the story beforehand.
Generally, it was pretty good and most of all interesting.

Positive points:

*Rock bands and guitar love; those facts were appealing enough.
*The relationships in the film were captivating since they enrolled too many great feelings.
*Compititions and races to prove oneself ability and passion for music (rock music to be more specific) was a great theme to follow.
*The story's development was smooth: not too fastforward and not too slow.
*Considering the fact that this was a musical film, the music rocked, even those who don't like rock would enjoy it while people who are into rock would love the guitar playing.

Negative points:

*There weren't a lot of concentration on the love story, it was verylight (I like light love stories but this one was ridiculously light).
*Other than that, everything was set up in an acceptable way.

Story: 8/10

3) Acting/Cast:

*Mizushima Hiro: I liked his character and the way he played guitar plus the acting was really convincing.
*Satoh Takeru: I'm not too familiar with this actor but I believe that he did a pretty good job especially when it comes to passion for music.
*The cast was nicely chosen and the acting was good.
*I loved the relationships between the cast specially Beck band's members; it was cool to watch them play, fight, laugh and everything else they've done because every scnene they had together was a simple masterpiece.

Cast: 8.5/10
Acting: 9.5/10

4) The ending:

I was really waiting for the ending because there was a specific scene that I wanted to know but unfortunatly they kept me in the dark about something I really wanted to hear at the end of the film but that doesn't mean it was a bad ending; it was a cool normal musical film's ending.

The ending: 7/10

5)My impression (How did it affect me):

*It made my night and it was fun to watch.
*Since it's a rock musical film, I knew that I would like it and that's exatly what happened.
*Even though it was a little long, I don't believe I got bored at the middle or so, it was smooth to watch.
*I enjoyed the music since it gave me back some old rock memories that I thought I lost.

My impression: 8.5/10.

6) Overall:

*If you like musicals then you really need to watch this (especially if you're Rock music lover).
*If you're looking for romance then don't expect much from this.
*If You're not J-rock or any type of Rock lover then you wouldn't appreciate this.

Overall: 8.5/10.

Leia Mais

A comedy parody of the BL tropes but with a twist!

I tried not to include spoilers but if I did sorry.

So when this manga series got announced as a drama I was very suprised yet exicted to see the outcome. The manga is pretty much a gag parody making fun out of all of the BL manga tropes so how would it translate into live action.

Postives

The direction, production and casting for side couples and extra casting is A++++. Director Miki Koichiro (of pornographer fame) has bought this BL world to life. The side couples and even the god damn extras are like in a real life version of a BL manga. I just love watching all the extras and side couples interacting in this world.

This drama is god damn funny, the manga made me laugh but the over the top acting from the main character mob is funny. He makes these faces like he's a villian trying to be straight.

Negative

While most fans will REALLY LIKE the ending, a manga reader like me has slightly mixed feelings towards it and I hate cliffhangers.

One thing I'll say that I have mixed feelings is that ending. I may understand that the drama version of mob is more weak willed to be more nicer and less cold then the manga version. But the ending pretty much changed the whole meaning of the title

But on the other hand the big plot twist for the drama is heart warming and it will please the BL drama viewers

IF the producers want to do a sequal/follow up then I am all in for it but maybe change the title.

But I hate that cliffhanger! I think fans will agree this with at least.

Overall

If BL drama fans want to take a break from emo/sad BL and want to laugh from the BL tropes they often see in these dramas. There's eye candy of so many guys loving other guys. It's god damn funny to boot with a ending that most fans will love. It really needs a follow up/sequal because a cliffhanger ending is bad.

Leia Mais

Story: The story is very light and It's really funny especially when they are mentioning western celebrities (you'l get me if you watched it) . You can actually learn morals in this movie just don't get fooled with the title, it's really misleading.

Acting: The cast is amazing Especially the lead girl she nailed the childish yet pure character so hard. about the male lead i didn't like him at first but then his character grew into me as the movie goes on.

Music: The Soundtrack of the movie is awesome. Hey Say Jump: White Love will play at the ending credits.

Rewatch: Yes. If you're having a bad day. I'm pretty sure this Movie can make you smile.

Leia Mais

You Go Girl!

If you are looking for a show with strong female characters, then look no further! From the female lead, her best friend, her grandmother, the main villain, the ex girlfriend, and even the secretaries, this show was all about female empowerment. The ultimate message that I got from this show was that women did not always have to be independent badasses to be strong. Instead, they can draw a collective strength from each other.

Compared to other dramas, this was a refreshing and wholesome watch, considering that most Thai lakorns tend to portray females as damsels in distress who exist solely to be rescued or to serve a male character’s journey. Not only that, most of the male characters in this show respected the women’s viewpoints, seeked out their opinions, protected and supported them as well.

I was interested from the get-go, so much so that I watched it without subtitles, and then again with Google Translate and finally with subtitles. Not surprisingly, I have rated the rewatch value highly.

While the main plot was nothing new - the CEO who fell in love with his beautiful bodyguard, the show had twists and turns that kept me entertained and engaged. What I thought would be cliched outcomes turned out not to be what I expected. It was a good emotional roller coaster ride as the show balanced the triumph and defeats between the good guys and the villains nicely. Plus I got the most satisfying ending ever with lots of endearing scenes of the lead couple leading up to it.

The show hit the jackpot with the casting of Vill as Saraphi and Ken as Thewan, our main leads. The chemistry between those two was sizzling and it didn’t hurt that they looked gorgeous together. I loved how committed the main couple was towards each other. The moment they decided on each other, there was no one else. Both were also sensible and intelligent enough to come to the right conclusions about each other's actions. As individual characters, they were likable, and as a couple, they inspired relationship goals.

Whether she was saving the day with her smarts or her physical skills, Saraphi was a well-written strong female character. She’s physically fit and skilled in combat. She was brave and resourceful, with a take charge attitude and possessed an unbreakable will that refused to be tamed and a stubborn optimism that refused to be broken. Yet, Saraphi also had her vulnerabilities and had moments of weaknesses that made sense. She was not so scrubbed of imperfections that she lacked depth or development.

I was surprised to see Vill in this role initially but she delivered an excellent performance as someone strong and smart enough to take on anyone threatening her loved ones. She was an admirable female lead with strength and intelligence bottled up in an undeniably attractive package.

Empathetic, fair and devoted to the people he loved, Thewan was the perfect counterpart to Saraphi. He was no wimp, and can hold his own in a fight. Saraphi and he protected each other, and they also understood each other well. Thewan is one of my favorite male leads - intelligent, calm, rational and his level-headedness tempered Saraphi’s hot-headedness. Interestingly, Thewan displayed more jealousy; those scenes were funny, and he was so adorable!

Ken was perfect as the charismatic and clever CEO, and to me, this role was his most attractive yet.

There was a secondary couple whose relationship was also fun to watch although I was annoyed at the SML. For someone who was supposed to be interested in the FL, he was way too flirty with the SFL.

Some of the characters fell a little flat and perhaps some overacting, like the main villain, but the cast did well overall. I enjoyed the dynamics of Saraphi’s relationship with her grandmother and close friends, as well as Thewan’s devotion to his nephew, Ek.

The OST list was short but memorable. I particularly like the opening song and the song sung by Film Thanapat that played during the poignant moments between Saraphi and Thewan. I have included the list of songs that were featured below.

If there was anything to complain about, it was how loud the background music got when it came to the suspenseful moments, and sometimes the music did not transition well. It is a common problem in many lakorns, so I am not going to take off points for it.

Overall, it is a drama that I think most will enjoy. Just let the story unravel and surprise you.

OST List:
ขาดเธอไม่ได้ - POTATO (Ost.หัวใจรักพิทักษ์เธอ)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WjqJ_oZ0p0
https://open.spotify.com/track/5ohIOZKF4E1SqxD3WEgMad

ชนะไปแล้ว [OST ฉันชื่อบุษบา] – ฟิล์ม ธนภัทร
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oz9g-6Y3ykQ
https://open.spotify.com/track/6LItqWbHupqrmdWM6RD8d1

รบกวนมารักกัน - K.AGLET (THE RAPISODE)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIR7m2nM0n4
https://open.spotify.com/track/5kOOfHpddpYnj86u4dZB3H

ขอบคุณที่รักกัน (Acoustic Version) - Potato
https://youtu.be/pdcyz9VLEs8
https://open.spotify.com/track/5FKB5Ro2mXfjUVbSK5zFn8

นี่แหละความรัก (This is Love) by Peck Palitchoke
https://youtu.be/2f0TeAc0AYg
https://open.spotify.com/track/13jEKU2J3JJPe3tpo8p4vY

Leia Mais

Wanida is a Thai Lakorn that came out in 2010. I just recently watched it and I loved it for many reasons.
1. I could really feel the chemistry between the male lead and female lead.
2. When Prajak, played by Tik, looks at Wanida,(played by Aff), I felt like he truly loves her. It was very believable.
3. The main lead doesn't always believe the evil characters lies blindly like many other male leads.

I would recommend this drama because it is one of the most romantic dramas in my opinion. This is a story line that has been used over and over. The man marries a girl but he loves another woman and promises to divorce and marry her. Even though it had a typical story line, I was worth the watch and I didn't get tired of the story at all. From beginning to end it was very entertaining.

Lastly, this drama is a bit more slow paced and the ending is pretty predictable but overall I loved it.

Leia Mais

enjoyable m/m reality dating series

Overall: pretty well done, however there was definitely some misleading/confusing editing (especially in the finale) to create additional drama which I could have done without. When watching "reality" series, I always keep in mind that producers might tell the guys what to do/say and that editing can be extremely misleading (not showing things, change the order, etc). My goals were that the guys have some fun and being on the show helped (or at least doesn't hurt them) in their personal and professional lives. I have zero problem with them promoting their businesses as being queer has likely given them personal and professional disadvantages (and perhaps more so after appearing on the show). 14 episodes about 1 hour each. Aired on Gagaoolala & iQIYI (depending on your country)

Content Warnings: discussion related to homophobia/life experiences

What I Liked
- I like how they started with a date and the twist gave a bit more drama
- the 30 second phone call thing was good (I personally think it's best if the guys say who they are and call someone they are romantically interested in to avoid mixed signals/increase the odds of a mutual match)
- the twists were well done
- once again a good decision to not let them say their age or occupation right away. I think people get fixated on those things when in reality personality, values and goals are much more important compatibility-wise and it will make a good reveal in ep 3
- jenga game was a good way for everyone to learn more about everyone else, and although it got kind of serious, it seems to have brought them together and is an important thing for viewers to see/learn about
- production value such as nice music, set design, editing, etc

Room For Improvement
- too many phone calls, would have liked to see some more larger group games
- needed a graphic at the end of each episode to see who called who/was interested in who because I get confused and wanted to see if there were mutual matches
- needed nametags or nametag necklaces at least for the first few episodes to get familiar with all of their names
- there was confusing/misleading editing that I don't think was needed

Life Advice: I really want to have heart to hearts with a few of these guys, but here are my main takeaways/advice
1. Being "nice" is frequently much more hurtful if you are leading someone on verses being honest and saying you aren't interested in a person romantically
2. (related to number 1) Honesty is the best policy - make it clearly known from the beginning who you are romantically interested in, I know it can be embarrassing, but if you aren't mature enough to be honest then you aren't mature enough to be in a romantic relationship
3. Be careful of changing yourself for a romantic partner - it's fine to change things that you want to change, but don't change yourself to fit someone else's desires for how you should be, otherwise you're at risk of losing yourself and your happiness
4. Work on your own self esteem - don't expect another person to complete you but rather complement you. Using another person to prop up low self esteem is likely not going to end well.

Comparison to other m/m dating shows
1. Sparks Camp (Philippines) on YouTube. 10 guys, anyone can pursue anyone else, too many group games that are not getting to know you types, but overall done well
2. Love House seasons 1 & 2 (Vietnam) on YouTube (most have English subs, this is ep 1 of season 2 no subs though https://youtu.be/TKzT_nHfVTA ). I liked this set up more than Bromance because the guys could all pursue one another. I didn't like the "secret couple" aspect and dividing them up based on sexual position seemed odd (can't they discuss that in private???) Season 1 was also the most brutal "rose ceremony" I've ever seen in any dating reality show. Season 2 was better.
3. Bromance (Thailand) is also on Gagaoolala. This is the typical Bachelor/Bachelorette set up with a bunch of people competing against one another to be with the 1 bachelor. I didn't like this because they could have all been hitting on each other and we have multiple couples! I got kind of bored and skipped a bunch.

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Expected more, but satisfactory

I’ll start off by saying that I’m writing this after binging this entire season without break so my brain is fried. I apologize if this is incoherent lol.

Firstly, I love this drama overall and would rate s1+s2 a 9/10 bc overall, the story flowed well and the conclusion was satisfactory. However, I think season one is definitely better than this season, in all aspects.

Season one had interesting and engaging games, as did season two, but the problem was that the games this season weren’t showcased as well as the previous games. I felt like there was something missing in each one, I’m not sure how to explain it. Honestly, I just found the games this season quite boring. Still, I can see how this might’ve been intentional since this season is more focused on them finding answers to their questions and conveying the main messages of the drama. Additionally, the games this season were made by previous players that defeated the games but chose to remain in borderland so I guess it makes sense for the games to be easier. Personally though, I still wish this season had the same momentum as the first one did in terms of games since that’s one of my favorite parts about this series.

In terms of acting and performance, I have no complaints. Everyone did really well in their respective roles. The action scenes were amazing and the cgi was done so well, you can tell how much time and money went into this season.

Lastly, I’ll talk about my thoughts on the ending and the explanation for borderland. I’m honestly very conflicted on if I liked the ending or not. Don’t get me wrong, the explanation makes sense and I appreciate that we got a closed ending for the most part. But, I feel like there could’ve been more to it? For example, I would’ve liked to know if borderland was actually real and the meteorite had to be created after the players chose to return, or if borderland was just a metaphor for something. The ending is meant to be interrupted in different ways though, so that’s why I don’t hate it. I like that we got a completed ending that everyone can still make different meanings of. It was a great conclusion to the series.

From my perspective, borderland is self explanatory, it’s literally a borderland between life and death. The meteorite hit and everyone near it was left to fight for their life and in this world, the borderland between life and death is a game world where people’s will to live is tested. Throughout the journey, players question their lives and whether they even want to go back to the real world aka if they even want to live. Those that make it to the end and choose to become citizens give up on life and die/remain in a coma state while those that deny citizenship wake up since they chose to live. I love this interpretation of life and death, especially in the context of the series since everything makes sense. We also get to see different perspectives of life, each of which is important. In the end, you can’t really judge those that remain citizens since there’s a reason they made that choice, whatever it may be.

Overall, I enjoyed this series a lot and would definitely recommend it to everyone. It delivered an engaging story and provided conclusions without leaving too much to interpretation. Alice in borderland, I’ll miss you. :)

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