Reviews

'One day, just one day, if only I could see you again. Farther, deeper, take me away, pull me.'

In one word this drama is raw. I am writing this review a minute after finishing the drama and there are all these emotions that I need to let out. It has been an amazing journey, and by the end I could truly tell how attached I got to the characters.

STORY: 8.5/10
We follow Gil Soo Hyun, an FBI officer whom is back in his home country and receives an offer from the police to join a special investigation team. He joins Oh Dae Yeong and Jin Seo Joon as they embark on solving missing cases with special circumstances. I can't say much about the story since the drama is episodic, which means we are met with a new case in (almost) every episode. I would also point out that Soo Hyun's background story is a key point, and slowly unfolded as the drama proceeds.

My rating is not higher because it's difficult to rate a drama with a different setting for each episode. I found some episodes to be extremely intriguing, while one or two in the middle of the drama were rather predictable. The beginning however, was phenomenal, as we got a two episode cameo from the very talented Kang Ha Neul who brought so much life to drama. Some cases are very unique, like the painting one. Watch the drama to find out what that's all about ;)

ACTING/CAST: 10/10
My gem, the great Kim Kang Woo. I cannot praise this man's acting enough. Somehow I feel like he's an unappreciated actor in the Korean industry - correct me if I'm wrong. I first 'met' him in Haeundae Lovers, where he played the role of a prosecutor. That is obviously where I fell for him, and I have been anticipating his upcoming projects ever since. Kim did a phenomenal job in Missing Noir M as he portrayed a strong and competent character despite his wounds. Would the drama be the same without him? Probably not.

Park Hee Soon portrayed the talented police officer Oh Dae Yeong. This is the character that brought life to the drama, through his 'feeling like feeling' and phone ringtone. Overall the impression you'll get of him will be one of delight. He also has the cutest relationship with his wife, which also brings colour to a dark themed show. I also loved him for loving the victims with all he had.I like that he went from All About My Romance to OCN's Missing Noir M. It was nice to see him in a new light.

Jin Seo Joon was portrayed by the rising actress Jo Bo Ah (congratulations on the dating news!). Jin (as officer Oh calls her) is a hacker, and you can tell the team wouldn't get too far without her. She is highly intelligent, and I loved seeing her. The only complaint I have is that I wanted to see more of her. In a very male dominating drama, I wish she would've have gotten more spotlight. She deserves all the praise, and Jo Bo Ah as an actress has come a very long way since Shut Up! Flower Boy Band.

Another lady is the medical examiner Kang Yoo Yeong (Park So Hyun). We also see very little of her, but again - she plays a vital role as she is the one who conducts autopsies.

For the side characters who played a big part in each story, you'll find them in the cast list. Among the known actors and actresses is the very cute Shim Yi Young (Ji Yeon, officer Oh's wife), Yoon Ye Joo (Ellie from SBS' Angel Eyes), L.Joe (from the boy band Teen Top) and Park Hae Joon (Mr. Chun from Misaeng).

MUSIC: 10/10
Their main OST called Lucid Dream (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzF4DODg-K0) by Kim Yuna, and featuring rapper Olltii has seriously become one of my favourites ones. I listened to this while waiting for new episodes. I'm also an avid supporter of Korean rappers, and knowing that Olltii (Show Me The Money 3) featured in this song was very exciting. Lucid Dream is dark, filled with amazing vocals. It fits the drama perfectly.

REWATCH VALUE: 9/10
I think I'll rewatch this drama when the withdrawal symptoms arrive. Being episodic, it is quite simple to click on whatever episode and watch. Though you need to watch the whole drama the first time since you'll miss out on the protagonist's story if you don't.

OVERALL: 9/10
I cannot recommend this enough. My sister always tells me Korean dramas are boring and repetitive, and for people like her, this drama is a definite counterargument.

Leia Mais

Pour some sugar on me.

This is one of those delicious "pour some sugar on me" romance dramas where you just have to go with the flow and not be a prude. It is best watched gasping for breath on the treadmill trying to break a 9-minute mile. With a shortage of air to the brain, you will easily filter out the small stuff like how quickly they fall in love, whether she has hormonal issues, if she is schizophrenic and other logic or character gaps and focus on the only thing worth getting hot and bothered by, which is how hot the two male leads are.

Liu Ling is the most improper Princess Changle; a hoyden who does as she pleases without regard to social conventions. When commander of the embroidered guard Shen Yan crosses her path, she takes an instant liking to him and pursues him with reckless abandon. I find the sheer audacity of her shameless overtures to him absolutely uproarious. While this may sound wanton and unseemly, it is a very original and refreshing way to write a female character. More importantly Yuan Bingyan pulls it off so engagingly and inoffensively she deserves high praise for such a controversial characterization. I understand that in the novel (which I did not read), Liu Ling was deeply troubled by her traumatic childhood but a lot of that got cut out of the drama, which unfortunately makes her actions at times seem capricious and maddeningly inconsistent. As it turns out, she becomes a pawn in a high stakes power play between multiple states with links to an old conspiracy that brought down her best friend Xu Shijin's family. Can the Shen brothers, both dashing embroidered guards untangle the web of old lies and win the day?

I was swooning the moment I spied Zheng Yecheng on the cast list; throw in Merxat and it is just like a double upgrade from economy to first class. But I had reservations over Yuan Bingyan, whom I found lacking in Love and Redemption. As it turns out, she has fabulous screen chemistry with Zheng Yecheng and delivers a winsome and hilarious performance as Liu Ling. As for Zheng Yecheng, he must be the ultimate ideal of the romantic hero with his brooding deep stares and overwhelming masculine beauty. This is a not to be missed opportunity to evaluate his reputation of being the best kisser in c-dramaland. Its all, ahem... research on such an important topic to womankind. And let me just say that the kiss scenes were so scorching that evidently a bunch of them had to be cut out. That said, it is quite dismaying to see Zheng Yechen becoming typecast in these sorts of roles. He is a fantastic actor that deserves a shot at more complex roles.

Merxat is another fine actor that just doesn't seem to get enough good roles. He has great rapport with Zheng Yecheng and I had to reduce the speed on my treadmill whenever the Shen brothers shared scenes to properly drool over their combined hotness. I find Shen Yu and Xu Shijin's storyline more interesting probably because it is left largely intact by the censors. Shen Yu and Shijin are both so intelligent and just such a marvelous couple from the way they solve problems together and go all out for their friends and family. I root for them more because their romance faces a giant obstacle that is difficult to overcome without deep consequences. Despite the obvious cuts, there is clearly a well written story with some depth behind it. The over-arching conspiracy and the sub-lots that feed into that are all well written and unfolds at a very nice pace. This is overall a very well produced and high quality drama despite some odd edits and clear impression that some things were left out, notably with Liu LIng's backstory. It would not be fair to rate it that highly for that reason so this is a 7.5 for me but I find is as enjoyable as many dramas I rated 8.0/8.5.

Finally, while Yuan Bingyan is not one of my favorite actresses, she really shines in this drama. How she was essentially cold shouldered for changing agencies is disgraceful and I am so happy that for once, c-drama fandom did the right thing by her by supporting her. Kudos to Zheng Yecheng and the rest of the cast as well. They acted their hearts out and it shows - it is no hardship, indeed it is a pleasure to watch and support this drama.

Leia Mais

I've never written a review for anything before, nor, am i very good at writing them, but, i just had to say something about this movie...

This movie, was beautiful, it brought me to tears. It's a bittersweet love story about a girl, in 2008, who drops her cell phone during an earthquake, and a boy from 1912 finds it. They are able to talk on the phone, and start to have feelings for each other.

There was this one scene in particular, that really moved me, and not to give away any spoilers, i will call it "the gift from Erizen and the old lady/little girl scene" when you watch the movie, you will understand. It was beautiful, and very touching. I've re-watched that scene a few times, and it still makes me tear up...


I'm going to end my review by saying that you should definitely watch this movie, you will not regret it.

Leia Mais

Sweet and Funny

First: There's a lot of pearl-clutching in the discussion section about the age gap, and particularly that Toki is a minor when the story starts. If you're uninterested in this topic, skip down to ANYWAY.

I really don't see how this is objectionable. So Toki has a crush on a handsome and charming teacher - haven't we all been there? My junior high PE teacher was so hot I spent all day in the restroom "imagining" things he could do to me, and I was 13 and he was 20-something.

The point is that Sahara makes it plain that nothing is going to happen, although he does say he'll wait for Toki to grow up, and there is a time skip at the end to when he's 18. It's hard to tell how old Sahara is because the same actor, who is 26, plays him in flashbacks. I would guess he's 6-7 years older. Big deal. My first positive experience was with a 26-year old when I was 18 - it was wonderful to have someone experienced and kind to ease me in, as opposed to boys my age, who just wanted what 18-year old boys are wont to want.

17-year olds do - almost invariably and universally - develop crushes on people of varying ages, and let's be honest, there is nothing you can do about it if you're an adult who has a crush on a minor. If he's 10, there might be something really wrong with you, but if he's 17 with an adult body, it can happen. You just don't act on it. There is a huge difference between having feelings for someone and acting on it. One you can't help, the other you can.

There is an accidental kiss, but it's not sexualized in the least - in fact they're both mildly injured by it and Toki reflects sardonically that his first kiss tasted like blood.

ANYWAY.

Toki is a fascinating character, immature in behavior, but unusually mature in moral fibre and inner strength - it's no wonder what Sahara sees in him, not to mention his looks. The actor does a wonderful job, making Toki both vulnerable and strong, affecting and really funny. Sahara is a less interesting character, but he's not without complexity either.

There is a lot of comedy in the series - most of it is pretty funny, and some of it is too obviously adapted from manga - where running screaming offpage works better than it does in live action.

This is a sweet story with a lot of charm and one of the best BL characters I've seen in a while with Toki - I'd fall in love with him too.

On the negative side, way, way too much time is chewed up by Sahara's former love interest, who brings the narrative to a screeching halt for a character that isn't introducted until two thirds through the series and who it's nearly impossible to care about. I found myself internally screaming "I DON'T CARE GO AWAY" You will want, no, NEED, to take clippers to his ridiculous bangs. I think his stylist must be the ghost from The Ring. There's a flashback to a confession in the rain that we're shown so many times that I nearly bought a plane ticket to Tokyo to go slap someone. Nekoto is dull, depressive, irrelevant, and takes forever to say anything - he should have been limited to one scene, not stretched out over 2 episodes.

Anyway, the payoff at the end is worth it, but I do wish that time had been spent on Toki & Sahara or on the secondary couple, who I hope get their own series.

I highly recommend this - unless you're one of the abovementioned pearl-clutchers, in which case you should probably just go to church instead.

Leia Mais

Cutest Couple - Great Acting by Main Leads - Little Cliffhanger

Let's start : I was thinking that whether should I write the review about "No Boundary" or not! But (yeah) here I am. Sorry I won't beat around the bush and will get right back to review. Many of you people or there might be all of you prior to watching the drama may have went through the comment section well there was a time where I dropped some great dramas while going through the comment section. So, let's do it.
1. Story : (9.0)
As the descriptions say the drama is exactly the same. But elaborate more I would say the story is about love between {Zhang Yi Shang} God (heavenly maiden) who was once a general and {Darren Chen} a soldier who fights with demons to protect his city. I won't spoil to much but the story consists of too cute moments between them and some crime cases which they both solve together and there's another part of the story that has to be completed in the Season 2 which will be hopefully air in the future. So for me (9/10) for the story.
2. Acting/Cast: (10/10)
When I watched the trailer and I didn't know about Zhang Yi Shang and Darren Chem, I have never watched their single drama! That may sound confusing but I have really wasted my time in lots of drama till to date. That's 750+ dramas in total. The main cast acting was astonishing, there wasn't a single moment I regretted watching this drama besides the story only thing that kept me going and wants me to wait for the next season is Darren Chen's and Zhang Yi Shang's acting. That was flawless till the end. Well other cast also did well but the main lead was perfect. They are also my favourite couple right now. So (10/10) for acting.
3. Music : (9.5/10)
I am not big fan of Chinese Soundtracks but the intro of the drama is really thrilling and the violin instrument is mesmerising when the drama kicks off. In drama soundtracks also fit to the scenarios. So (9.5) :)
4. Rewatch Value : (9.0)
I would give it 9.0 cause I have just downloaded the drama up to Episode 18 from the site. I will download the rest of it in coming days.
In the end I would say if you are not a fan of Zhang Yi Shang and Darren Chen then I would say just give it a try if you don't like then simply check not interest in the rating section cause that will not effect the rating of the drama. For me it was also the first drama to watch of them but they both got me stick to screen till the last moment of the drama. They have less screen time together in Episode 29-31 so that really hurt me anyways that's all to my review.
Thanks for reading :) Give big love to this drama. Love Yourself. PEACE.

Leia Mais

A revenge drama through and through, Doctor Prisoner delivers in many aspects.

It was fast paced, and the plot was basically characters outsmarting one another for their selfish wants. If revenge best served cold is your type of thing, this is the place for you. Taking the stay of execution, the writer made a revenge drama into a thriller worth watching. it was creative to see the prison as a setting, and see the ML take it from there. The strength of this drama also include the hate-trio, that is, Lee Jae Jun, Director Seon, and Dr Na.
Now, to point out the flaws:
While the plot went along smoothly for the most part, the flashbacks hindered the viewing experience. The comedy was out of place - I laughed more at the characters laughing in tense scenarios than in the "light-hearted" moments. With this, had they stayed loyal to the dark tones and kept the mystery (that is, no flashbacks, or minimum) it would have been a favourite. Another let down was not dealing with certain characters the way they should have, and allowing only one to be punished; and there was the under-use of the FL. Lastly, certain scenarios' conclusions got predictable.

The acting was top-notch. Choi Won Young was easily the star of the show. He has control over his expressions and body language like a true actor. He has played a similar role before, but he still manages to make the characters feel different. Nam Goong Min was good, but I feel he should have turned off his charm (his signature expressions, although delightful, still left me wanting something new); however, since that's personal preference, I won't deduct any points from this. And we have Kim Byung Chul - I will forever remember his crazy smile. Overall, great casting choices.

The beep, beep, beep was a personal favourite when it accompanied turning points. The BGM could be a little loud, but I still liked it.

If I have to rewatch anything, it would be the scenes featuring Choi Won Young.

Leia Mais

A Journey to Love, to Life, to Freedom, to Growth, and to Loss.

(Review has been edited based on new developments): Watched this solely for LYN's first real ML role and he killed it. I've also seen Alen Fang and several others before but they played different genres and personalities so this was nice. But theoretically the possibility was there that it didn't kill ML's character (I will actually start my review in the pros with explaining the ending as I saw it because there's a lot of confusion it seems there). LYN did fracture his foot during the last few months of filming this last year but that's the extent of his or anyone else's injuries thankfully. The rest of the cast for the most part and the story was very well done. Great story though the ambiguous ending wasn't needed.

Pros: Ok let's get into this ending. Here's why I firmly believe the leads were still alive (even though we now know officially that they aren't). The entire show we were shown of RY's and NYZ's insane skills and internal power. We were also shown RY's GoT version of Game of Faces mastered by Arya Stark. She was able to have a new face, new voice, new everything and the Fab 4 did too. Like the time one of them pretended to be NYZ who's way taller but the face was there. Or when NYZ pretended to be Emperor Wu, who's obviously shorter than him but it still worked. Not to mention, how many times did RY fake her death? 3 at least? Plus the pill to save from all injuries that QZ gave NYZ during their last parting. Also the antidote to that poison from the prime minister; our man had a lot to hold him over. Why would the show give you all of these extra nuisances if they didn't want you to put 2+2 together at the end? Don't forget the son of theirs at the end. 10 plus years had passed. He was not a hallucination because that doesn't make sense. If CY did have one, it would be of YSS and not some random kid on a horse. Then you have the kid himself; his name is Ning Shi San while his sister is named Ren Lu. Only living parents can give their kids their last names; now first names can be used to honor the dead. He goes into so much detail about his family including confirming that mom's last name is in fact Ren when asked by CY and plus dad doting on sister and includes how his mother can perform a beautiful sword dance and we know RY is awesome at them. No, we didn't actually see them all together, but it is beyond inferred at that point both to me and many others.

None of us saw their dead bodies; but I figured out something fishy when NYZ leaped out got harpooned and then just sat there and people assumed he's dead. I figured he hid in the chaos as per their oath and waited for her. Also, think about it, how fast between his fake death and her deciding to go that same route? She could have waited a bit, but no she did it right away because she knew he was waiting for her and it was time for them to disappear. They knew that if they didn't stage their deaths and flee to seclusion, they'd never make it. Neither were military (though NYZ claimed he was a military chef which explains how he's mastered wine making now); one was an assassin and one a martial arts spy. Another thought; the world's best assassin doesn't escape the explosion that she herself set off? Even though she in the beginning of the show was able to find a corpse to replicate her so even the white sparrows thought she was dead for years? That's high grade intelligence you don't just throw away. That's my theoretical logic. So that is why, I firmly believe (even now, that the possibility is very realistic) both were still alive and living in seclusion until their son brought CY home. I think they may be ready to come out of seclusion and maybe tell those that love them like Ah Ying and maybe even LTG, since they finally got along at the end. I'm sure many people will disagree with me but that's ok.

Now let's get into the rest of this review. Losing the Fab 4 and so close together was very hard. Your heart just broke because this series just did such a great job making you fall in love with these clowns and that was their intention; the comedy, the ball busting, each with a personality of his own. They became our brothers so to lose them so heartbreakingly was hard but also understandable. This series wasn't a happy go lucky, everyone survives one; in actuality just about everyone we love perishes. A Journey to Love, to Life, to Freedom, to growth, and to loss. And it was done well. By the way, what happened to Mr. Du? He literally vanished lol; that was a plot hole.

There wasn't a character from the delegation or many otherwise that didn't belong. Until 40 I didn't think the fruit loop aka LTG was able to mature but even he got his redemption arc though this one I understand. That said I do feel that he was partially responsible for the leads deaths because had he not gone all hot head to try to kill the king of Baipen, they wouldn't have put themselves in such danger. All of the fab 4 deaths were tragic but QZ's probably hit me the hardest because he had hid the burden of CM being his younger brother from everyone and how he mistreated him only to have him die protecting the pompous emperor before he had a chance to get close to him.

Most of the story was of the Wu delegation traveling to An state. But it's also mostly the growth of the princess that we focused on too. She went from afraid of everything to being a badass that went toe to toe with that asswipe An dy. Loved her evolution! CY tamed YSS and though that's not a happy ending, he did end up saving her life. Wu dy came to his senses and cleared the names of Luidohall. So much happened both surprised you and you knew what was happening.

I'll praise the storytelling team as for most of it they did very well. Btw Alen Fang is like the Sean Bean of cdramas; only one I've seen him survive in was TLB lol! The OSTs were wonderful, costumes, sets, the fights were off the chain! Phenomenal! I hope that LTG and Ah Ying truly learn how to love each other not just respect each other.

Cons: I gave it a 9 and not higher because there were several things I had issues with like cramming the meat, potatoes, and the kitchen sink into the last 6 episodes. It went from 0 to 100 quick. Should have been more spaced out with the deaths, war, and of course the ending that everyone is fighting over. Had they used 10 episodes instead of 6 it wouldn't have felt so rushed. We lost 3 brothers in the span of like 3 episodes and weren't even given time to grieve before we got hit with the next one. Was the cripple and his scheme so necessary? Seemed like an afterthought in an already robust chunk of events. Could have been done without.

I'm completely unfamiliar with LSS as an actress and thought though 98% of what she did here was awesome; her upper face still didn't move even in the saddest or tragic moments. She cried but eyebrows and forehead went nowhere. Is this normal or just for this role? It just confused me is all and didn't always jive with what was happening. Absolutely nothing against the actress and I feel she did quite well, just that part for me personally was off.

Of course the rushed and unfleshed out ending was lackluster; it's also why it gave many the unnecessary hope of at least someone surviving. Too ambiguous and poorly executed. In my logic based alternate universe, I'm glad to know the leads are well with kids that NYZ promised RY; but it would have been better to have them reunite as opposed to just that image of the Fab 4 and the leads on horses because that did look really out of place and like CY was imagining them. Because the leads named their kids after two of the brothers, it makes sense that their spirits are watching over the family. That whole ending could have been either not added or just had the brotherhood plus leads as spirits riding in a field and it would have made a lot more sense and a fitting end for this drama without the unrealistic CGI, CY, and even the kid.

Would I recommend it? Totally. However, I do ask future audiences not focus so much on the last 5 minutes of the series but on the series itself because that's what made you enjoy it in the first place. Great job overall cast and crew! Thank you very much!

Leia Mais

I rarely gives a 10 for drama, BUT DAMN

Uhh, ps, sadly, i change it to 9,5 now.. only b'cause i thought it looses its glint in eps 10.. maybe its just me but thats what i felt..

(btw, I will keep updating this review, cause this is one way to vent the emotions ❤)

I CAN GIVE THIS AN EASY 10 ANY DAY!

Idk how, BUT THE STORY KEEPS GETTING BETTER!!!
That's it! You should watch this now!
Ever felt like drama puts too many filler? or just the same problem being dragged on for too long?
ITS CERTAINLY NOT THE CASE HERE!
The main thing I like about this drama is their story and acting. These talented actors act so brilliantly! Ohm and Nanon both have an amazing skill and beautiful eyes to convey the character's feeling. When you give this series a go, you should pay attention to their detail expression it was beautiful.
Kudos to all staff! Actors, writer, director, for they've made an amazing drama!

IT GETS BETTER EVERYTIME THEY AIRED!
It feels like they really use all the potential the story gets to offer! Episode 6 killed me, and I'm more than willing to die of happiness again in eps 7.
IM OFFICIALLY A SIMP. I keep rewatching this again and again in waits of their next episode, which is unhealthy, BUT WHO CARES

I really hope they will keep this up, or even somehow do better in the upcoming episode!
I'AM LOOKING FORWARD FOR THE NEXT EPISODE!!!

Episode 7:
So, hi.. I've watched the 7th episode.. IM DEAD, I'm talking to you from the grave rn.
this, is the first time I CRIED OF HAPPINESS...for a BL drama..
The ending of the 7th episode just.... shi- imma rewatch that 20 more times and will comeback for a proper review without my head being a total heaven of roses field and pink clouds

For those who gonna watch this, good luck soldier, I hope u make it out alive and sane
❤

Episode 8:
Its all fluff at first, yet always calm before storm right?
I'm so happy for them, just when I CAN FINALY SEE MAJOR CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT.. then shi* turn south..
My heart cant take the shock..

End thought:
This drama is so interesting, tho i hope i don't watch it until they're finish,, maybe im not the type to get hype for a long time? i kinda settle down at episode 10,
I still do think the drama is enjoyable! ^^

Leia Mais

The Yakuza was not mafiaing enough.

Instead of making the female lead less bland as the drama progressed, they decided to make the drama itself more bland to match her vibe. Why? No one knows.

If you want to watch it for mafia romance? Don’t bother. Bad guy turned good for female lead? Don’t bother. High stakes and thrills? Don’t bother. I feel like what the show initially presents and what it actually delivers is completely different.

The mafia plot, even though central to the story, somehow barely exists and feels like it lacks impact. It’s the “good mafia” if you know what I mean. I did enjoy how puppy-like Odagiri Ren was towards the female lead, but when faced with danger and trash people, I wish he was more… mafia like. Otherwise, why is the yakuza even part of the plot?

I enjoyed Sugawara Makoto as a character at first, because I expected well delivered character development. And no, I don’t need her to become a confident extrovert, but girl needs to grow a backbone and learn some assertive skills. At the end of the day, she always had to be saved and could not deal with anything alone.

While the chemistry between them was great, it was the best when they were not kissing. Yet again - my man you are almost 40, playing a character who is probably in his mid 30’ - what is that fish kiss? What is this k-bl from the early 2010s? He is supposed to be madly in love with her, so why does it feel like they don’t really want to kiss each other?

Performances were decent. I think it’s hard for me to judge since for me the characters were weirdly written - a bit too juvenile for the age and circumstances they were in.

At the end of the day, the Yakuza aspect ruined the experience for me, because I kept expecting something else, something more. If it was just an office show with forced co-habitation, I’d probably rate it higher. Adjust your expectations and it might actually be a decent watch.

Leia Mais

fantastic chemistry (need a spin off)

Overall: stellar chemistry, but too much plot for a short run time. This is based on the web novel "Ball Boy Tactics" by Ji Seung Hyeon which I have partially read but I tried to review the series based on its own merits. 8 episodes about 27 minutes each. Aired on GagaOOLala (not available in U.S, Canada, Mexico, Chile, Peru, Colombia, Argentina, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, U.K., Spain, Portugal, Japan, Korea) https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/5418/ball-boy-tactics-2025-e01 ; iQIYI (assuming for the other countries) https://www.iq.com/play/o48rhx5yhw and Heavenly (South Korea).

Content Warning: slap, past abuse

What I Liked
- opposite personalities (I'm normally not a fan of timid characters but I think his personality made sense based on his past and there were a few changes)
- chemistry/tension
- that a character recognized his feelings fairly quickly and was forthright about it (also stated his sexual orientation to his friends)
- the friends (supportive, funny)
- ongoing intimacy (might get a number of hugs award), episode 8 was very well done
- visuals
- production value

Room For Improvement
- not generally a fan of voice overs although it didn't bother me as much as it normally does
- the plot zoomed by too fast, many things took place off screen, felt choppy in places, 2 weeks supposedly passed but it felt like a couple of days
- seemed to be not drunk then the morning after said he didn't remember the night before (which he would have needed to be extremely drunk) and a character said he didn't take advantage but there was heavy kissing...
- a potential side couple had an open ending, would love to see a spin off with them
- (neutral) didn't really have time for episode 7 stuff and I generally hate this trope but it was much more realistic (better reasons for it) as well as the time frame felt like it could happen in the real world vs 10 years later nonsense

Leia Mais

This is what I call a perfect ending...

You might think I'm overrating this because I'm still in the TharnType fever but tbh that's not the reason it gets such a high rating. I thought about it and decided it did deserve the 10 points. Let me tell you why though...

Story: The story of this "special episode" keeps true to the original series, recaps some of our favorites from before and gives us new stuff to fawn over. They managed to include the perfect amount of humor and cheesiness, mixed with emotional turmoil and so much romance, you will have hearts in your eyes. The comedy scenes are full of humor and clearly separated from the serious stuff and the serious and heavy scenes are made even more exciting through high production. The story in itself gives us a new chapter of Tharn and Type we didn't really explore in the series: Type's family. And it is definitely worth delving into.

Acting: The acting, with around 2% of exceptions, is great and the characters did not lose any of their charm from the series. The chemistry is still going strong, maybe even stronger since this one is not so much about Tharn and Type learning to care for each other but learning how there love fits in with the world around them.

Production/Music: Every show out there, that messed this up, please go watch this. It is perfect. Perfect volume, perfect timing. There were two scenes that were done so powerfully, I won't forget them anytime soon, I swear.

Overall: A definite re-watch and a great milestone in BL production. It was done amazingly and fits together perfectly, that's why this deserves such a high praise. Beware though, as it will give you serious wishes for a second season and hopefully we will get it!

Leia Mais

Grand plot of a long format made to work amazingly in short format, we stan

This drama deserves a far higher rating. I was soooooo excited to watch this drama. I saw a snippet on Insta and noticed that it is both FL and ML from Seal of Love which I really liked (and honestly, this drama could be considered as a continuation to Seal of Love imho). Richard Li and Ming Jia Jia are such an amazing couple cast, I hope they'll make it to bigger/more popular dramas. They look amazing on camera and have chemistry. I haven't watched many short format dramas yet (this is the third one so far). It is. The BEST. So far. I don't really have anything to complain about, I wasn't even mad about the ending. The character of Yu Wen Yuan is utterly reckless, despicable, rotten and toxic at first (we learned later where did everything come from, but still, that isn't the way to deal with your emotions), he softened up a lot towards the end. Richard Li is just so lovable and such an amazing actor even when he is casted as an pretend a-hole character. Su Yan is just trying to balance both men on each side according to her abilities, she doesn't want to go against her values but also tries to keep the decorum for the sake of her sister's wish. Yu Wen Yingren seems harmless at first, but don't let his eerie calm face fool you. The madness, the drunkenness of power, intrigues, the thrill, everything what usual long format dramas drag on for ages is condensed into this short format. Beautiful costumes and decorations, I appreciated that there was little to no CGI. I'm not a ost music type of fan, but I think the ost could've been a little bit better. Idk the budget for short format dramas, but as far as this genre goes, this drama worked magnificently for me.

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A BL where the BL is overshadowed by, you know, an actual story

Manner of Death is presently something of a unicorn: it’s a BL drama where the BL aspects are incidental to a primary story rather than driving the plot themselves. Hopefully, that’s a sign that same-sex relationships are shedding the novelty factor that called the genre into existence in the first place. In the future, perhaps Asian dramas can incorporate same-sex relationships into other storylines just as in real life the people engaging in same-sex relationships have other things going on. Things like jobs and crazy family dynamics, for example. In this case, Manner of Death incorporates those rather standard tropes from non-BL (melo)dramatic television premises into a murder mystery detective story that grows in complexity as the series proceeds. Oh, to be sure, the two main characters will fall for one another along the way--after all, it is still a BL! It's just that finding the culprit motivates these characters more than finding a boyfriend. Anchoring both aspects of the tale the viewer will be pleased to see the legendary BL duo MaxTul, here in their fourth series pairing as a couple.

As anyone conversant with the history of (US) television has already discerned, the title "Manner of Death" positions this series within a particular tradition of TV crime-solving: the medical examiner as detective. Such series revolve around determined forensic pathologists who get drawn into tracking down the killers of murder victims for whom they performed autopsies. Like his TV predecessors from Quincy (1970s), Crossing Jordan (1990s), and Bones (2000s), Dr. Bunnakit (Tul Pakorn Thanasrivanitchai) will occasionally go up against unhelpful relatives of the victim, police officers who refuse to believe murders took place, and overly obvious initial suspects who turn out instead to be a good guy. Or, because we are in BL world, he turns out to be a good guy to go on dates with. In what surely must qualify as a fresh take on the enemies-to-lovers trope, the most obvious suspect for the murder in Episode 1 is not only dashingly handsome but also manifests a surprising interest in the good doctor. Soon Dr. Bun and Tan (Max Nattapol Diloknawarit) agree to become partners—and that partnership won't end with crime-solving.

Since the core story is a whodunnit, I will forego the usual plot synopsis. Suffice it to say that our two heroes face increasingly dangerous scenarios as they persist in trying to solve a crime that powerful figures in this rural town want to disappear without a full investigation. Towards the end this story becomes overly complicated, macabre, and dark. But don’t let that detract from the fun. Manner of Death offers two-fold pleasures for diligent viewers. First, trying to figure out the mystery. Who is behind the escalating series of crimes (side characters in this series have a limited life expectancy!) and why are they happening? Second, the chance to spectate as one of the more hallowed couplings in the BL realm dig into new roles and fall in love with each other all over again. Er, I mean their characters fall in love with each other. Because I, like ,totally, understand Max and Tul are just actors. And that just because they are convincing and delightful as a couple it doesn't mean they themselves are a couple. Dammit.

Enjoy this pairing because all signs are that one or both of the actors will move on from acting to pursue interests outside the industry. To the detriment of BL storytelling, because Max and Tul have an ease with one another that elevates the productions they perform in. Their chemistry as scene partners is undeniable. That alone makes Manner of Death worthy of sampling.

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