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A recipe with too many ingredients
It’s a story packed with too many ideas, but the poor execution left me disappointed. Don’t get me wrong, there were definitely good elements, and it was entertaining in the beginning, at least until about halfway through. After that, it went downhill fast. It honestly felt like two different writers worked on the script. The first half was brilliant, while the second half was painfully bad. If I didn’t know the production spent 300 million on this project, I’d have thought it was a low-budget drama. The cinematography was average. The wardrobe was average too (some side characters literally wore one costume for the entire show). They would change XQS's hair in one scene and change again on the next without reason. The editing was sloppy. The saving grace of the show was the fight scenes and fight choreography.There are many more points I could bring up, but I’d have to rewatch episodes to fact-check, and I honestly have no interest in doing that, so I’ll leave those out. Here are the main thoughts that stuck with me:
First, I didn’t like how some of XQS’s greatest achievements, despite him being smart and quick-witted, ended up coming down to sheer luck: swallowing a 60-year power pill, being bitten by a mysterious white snake, receiving power from eight heroes, and so on.
Towards the end, I couldn’t understand why Chief Li knowingly drank the poisoned wine, then went back to the palace again fully aware he’d have to face the same poison and might not survive. He’s supposed to be one of the most powerful figures, yet he came across as utterly defeated. On top of that, the Emperor who gave him the poisoned wine acted surprised and even saddened when he learned of Chief Li’s death. It really makes me question the credibility of the writers.
A lot of questionable choices were made. Characters with strong martial arts skills and big entrances were introduced, only to be taken out by trivial things... Crazy Yan, Chief Li, Rong-er, etc. And just before the final fight between XQS and his second brother, why bother with the sand timer on General Wu instead of just killing him off directly?
The show also hinted at a love triangle between Tang Gege (LSF), Tang Fang, and Red Phoenix, then abandoned it, only to patch it up in the final episodes as if it were an afterthought. Honestly, I started losing interest once the story shifted direction and introduced a new villain, while suddenly making the old villains into “misunderstood good guys.” Their past crimes against the heroes were brushed aside and forgotten. For example, if it weren’t for the Power Gang, the Xiaos wouldn’t have been trapped in the safe house without water and would still be alive. But all was forgiven just because they preserved the bodies (of people they helped kill) as evidence and helped track down the killer. If I were XQS, I’d have held them accountable, maybe made them clean the graves every day for ten years or something.
LSF’s hatred of the Xiao family was so extreme that destroying them consumed his every thought. Yet he never truly got revenge on the person behind the massacre, nor did he apologize to the people he wrongly blamed, especially the Xiaos. He caused a lot of damage, but there was no “I’m sorry.” They just swept it under the rug. And with that, LSF’s purpose was lost. The feud between XQS and LSF disappeared without closure, and LSF ended up as a useless character. I’m sure I wasn’t the only one looking forward to their big showdown.
Another disappointing aspect was the lack of a strong sense of brotherhood. It was there, yes, and their friendship was solid, but within the trio, XQS shone brightly while the other two felt like dim little fireflies, simply existing in the background.
By the time the new villain came around, I had lost focus completely. He felt like just another bad guy I couldn’t care about, and I only kept watching to finish the story. There were still good moments here and there, but overall, the mishandling of the storytelling left me unsatisfied.
And a small rant: whoever invented that drinking cup/saucer design clearly intended half the drink to spill on the ground as an offering to ancestors, because otherwise it’s just a terrible design. The tea cups were perfectly fine. 😅 Okay, don’t come for me on that one, it was a joke.
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the different opinions on this show's ending are actually funny, and totally understandable.
i am not going to lie, at first i hated how the show ended as well, it was so unpredictable (even tho i knew what youngsoo would do); but as i sat down and thought about it more, i realised how and why the ending made perfect sense.part 1 was an introduction to the story, to the war, to the spheres. an introduction to our characters. a way to show development and underdevelopment. we see them acting according to how the adults want them to act, having no right to choose what they wanted to do after signing that paper (which was also signed by their parents, some of them not even being allowed to say if they wanted to do the military training or not). our main characters are building up relationships, platonic or romantic, they are starting to love each other as more than just school colleagues. we see them being together 24/7 in a world that is could be destroyed.
while part 2 is the destroyed world. we get no adults introduced (other than the criminals in the prison, who aren't even humans to begin with), our main characters are able to vote, to communicate, to make decisions together with no adult telling them otherwise. we see betrayals, fights, and lastly, a massacre. youngsoo was the world character of them all, and not in a way that he was written badly, but in a way that he was a criminal. he did not care about no one in the classroom, from the first episode to the last. if someone says that i am wrong, please remember the time when younghoon died and he was happy he wasnt there anymore because he didn't have any more competition in the classroom. he was only thinking for himself, which until the end was, at most, understandable. but his actions were wrong. extremely wrong. not only did he try to sa soyeon, he killed the only witness (ilha), and then he killed almost all his friends. yes, he went crazy, but his reasoning for his mental stability going down was not it.
at the same time, tho, all the trauma they were going thru, plus the pressure from the adults who were using them, i can try to understand him (not what he did). his character had depth, that i don't really care about, but if i did, i could talk about him for hours. as the story was progressing, i hoped that, maybe, they won't keep the ending from the webtoon, i was wrong. it traumatised me in the worst way possible, but i am here writing this with a smile on my face.
we are seeing three wars in the series, one against spheres, one against adults, and one against each others. part 1 was all about the spheres, and the adults, it showed how the kids could fight against both of them and survive. with little sacrifices happening. in the second part, we see the war against each other, which showed us different sides of the kids. they were more mature, not whining that much when they had to do something or when things dont go their way. we see them getting tired, wanting to go home, but still sticking together. there is so much going on in 4 episodes, and ep 7/8 weren't even that long. it keeps you in a state where you can't wait to get to watch the next episode. i was scared the whole time, hoping all of them were going to be alive at the end, yet still knowing that wasn't happening. i was doubting them when they were doubting each other. i felt betrayed when they betrayed each other. i was hurt, i cried with them, i laughed with them, and at the end, something in me died with them as well. altho they didnt stick to the original plot of the story, the main line was still there. kids in war time. no matter what the war was. some of you are failing to see that. they went thru a lot of ups and downs together, they had hopes and their hope died, they were, at the end of the day, just kids.
watching this kdrama was a rollercoaster. i was happy, sad, crying, laughing, anxious, hopeful. but at the end of the day, it gave me comfort (with a lot of anxiety on top). all of my fav characters ended up dead. yes, i did like kimchi, hana, aeseol, and nara, but jangsoo, tae man, yujoong, ilha, soyeon, bora, soocheol, youngshin, all of them, ended up dead. and with ilha's death, followed immediately after by jangsoo, i was petrified. when jangsoo said he'll go find youngsoo, i knew what was going to happen. and when he opened that damned door, i couldnt breathe. he was the reason i was so excited about part 2, and even tho i knew how he ended up in the webtoon, i had a little hope. jangsoo, i miss you.
that 'in other universe' ending, with them graduating, i will take that as the actual ending, and im pretty sure they added that scene as a way for people to choose what ending they want to believe in. younghoon is there, and honestly i never believed he actually died, so thats a bonus. they all graduated guys, they did. and they ended up going to college, and having jobs and families, and happy. thats the real ending (source: trust me bro).
i didnt expect duty after school to be more all of us are dead than all of us are dead, but looks like that title fits them more. i will miss them a lot, somehow i hope for a season 2, even tho i know why they ended part 2 like that (for people to not ask for a season 2).
the actors did such an amazing job. imagine playing jangsoo and having to open that door like 7 times and filming your death in 2 different ways (first they thought it was a sphere that killed him, then they showed youngsoo killing him). i am so glad i started watching this and meeting this amazing, and beautiful cast. can't wait to meet them in a new kdrama.
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you better put your rose-colored glasses on for this one guys
Let's set the scene.Imagine you are a teenager, just discovering BL and watching a show called Until We Meet Again and you fall in love with a little side couple called WinTeam. And there are rumours that they will get their own show!? The years go by and you still harbour the hope that maybe, just maybe they will get another chance at telling their story again. And then, it happens. News breaks out. Between Us is happening! It is actually happening. You mark your calender and count the days, actively following the countdown on the company's instagram. You stumble over the cast and are little shocked to find five (!) couples listed in there, but you tell yourself it's gonna be fine. You waited three years for this, they know what they are doing. And finally on Nov 6th, the first episode airs. You are thrilled. And you think this show actually managed to live up to the insane hype it gathered over the past few years. Can it be? A show that actually can live up to someone's expectations? And then you keep watching and a few weeks later, you suddenly catch yourself fast forwarding through an episode of your beloved show and you stop and ask yourself: What happened?
If you think to yourself: Wow, this reviewer didn't have to ramble so much in such great detail to tell us this story, it got boring pretty fast. Well, then I guess this show and I have something in common.
Sometimes the best stories are the one's untold. What makes Goncharov so good is that it doesn't exist. And maybe what made WinTeam so popular is the fact that they got just enough screen time to get viewers interested but never enough to give us something. But I'm rambling again.
This show is said to start with Win and Team entering a FWB situation. But the writers, directors, or whoever is to blame for this, didn't seem to know what the key factor of a friends with benefits story is, it's the friends part. They are friends first. Friends before anything else. But Win and Team were barely aquaintances before they hooked up. That's why I think FWB set different expectations that were impossible to fulfill. If you'd ask me I would describe their relationship as a one-night-stand that slowly turned into casual hook-ups with no emotions, then they got to know each other and became friends and developed feelings for each other afterwards. If they had labeled it as such, I'm sure more people would've set their expectations accordingly. There was never a line that got a little too blury for them between being friends and being in a relationship, because they were never friends to begin with.
This show also had a massive time problem. I already mentioned the five couples, one of which only get's blick-and-you'll-miss-it screen time, which is fair because they got their own show already. For the other four well... To summarize it: Wayy too much time was wasted and there was too much back and forth that led to the ending feeling rushed.
Win and Team: Okay, let me be straightforward for once, they could not carry 12 episodes. The beginning was strong, but towards the middle they became more boring. If took these guys 11 out of 12 episodes to finally confess their love for each other. That only gave us one episode with them being happily and sort-of openly in a relationship. And I wish BLs would stop pretending that after you enter a relationship everything is perfect and your get a HEA. I want to see them get together AND how they work in a relationship.
Team's "does he like me or does he treat everyone like that?" didn't make any sense. In UWMA yes, maybe. But not in Between Us where my man was out here leaving his room unlocked for his teammember to come in the middle of the night and sleep in his bed. He was making him breakfast, paying for his lunch, taking care of him when he got sick, driving to his dead cousin's grave to pick him up in the middle of the night while it's pouring, and a bunch of other stuff (not to mention that he literally said something about his FEELIGNS FOR HIM). And Team looked us straight in the eyes and said "yeah but maybe he does it for everyone"??????? ARE THESE OTHER PEOPLE HE'S DOING IT FOR IN THIS ROOM WITH US RIGHT NOW??? And Win too like "nothing every belonged to me, I always had to share" my guy this is not a Barbie doll or your favorite jumper, this is another human being. I'm sorry that you as well suffer from being the Middle ChildTM but pLEASE.
Speaking of which, I would've loved to see not only Team's trauma, but also Win's struggle with trying to please both his parents and supporting his siblings.
Prince and Bee: Their scene felt so out of place, like they gave off such different vibes that I was always so violently taken out of the story every time they appeared on the screen. They were cute, yes, but the acting was lacking. With a little more experience they will make a great couple. I also partly blame the material they had to work with. They couldn't get me invested. Sadly, because the concept was interesting. Also, if my friends would constantly make fun of me, I would not consider them my friends. I'm so over the friend group just being complete assholes to the guy and it never being called out. Saying that a guy is out of his league is one thing but to constantly rub it in his face and make fun of him for trying to make an effort to get with the guy and calling him dumb and whatnot, A and Sea were truly a waste of my time.
Waan and Tul: Probably the side couple I was most intruiged by. They got like five minutes of screen time every other episode and it was not utilised at all. They spent too much time on them talking to their phones. You tell me that Waan who told Tul multiple times "I don't want to meet you in rl" had the audacity to blame him for not telling him immediately that he was T-Rex??? And for some reason Waan hates liars so much that he is not even ready to hear Tul out but we never find out why??? Their story was so intruiging and I liked their chemistry. And the NC scene in ep 12 UFF what happened my dudes? I don't know if it's Yacht or O being uncomfortable kissing men or if it's the directing or idk. But it was really awkward and happened way too fast. We just had the big fight between them and they are already making up in the next episode. Give me at least a few minutes of angst and pining, jesus.
Manaow and Phruek: Oh what trist and grey show we would've gotten without them. While I wasn't sold on them in UWMA, I was definitely on board with them in Between Us. Sammy has a great on-screen presence and I love her energy. Even though I gotta say that I wish they would allow Manaow to be a little more serious sometimes, because Sammy can do serious scenes, but the constant over-acting was getting on my nerves a bit. Especially when it was used for cheap comic relief.
Wiew is a ray of sunshine and I'm glad he was added to the cast. But it seemed like he was a middle schooler rather than a high schooler, because he was acting like a child, not a teenager. His naivity was bordering on stupidity a few times, but Santa has a certain charm that makes you overlook it.
I wish this show would've cut down on WinTeam's drama a bit and maybe a couple or two and use this time instead to show us more of the friend group. I missed Team, Pharm, and Manaow so much and the little crumbs we got of them was everything to me.
Between Us feels very 2019 to me, even though this show tried to make some changes and adjust. And I was on board with some of the changes (most noteably the sheer amount of CONSENT LIKE YESS!) but not so much with others. Like New tried to recreate UWMA. Instead of P'Deeeaaan we got Hiiaaaa, ever other second. And now Team is suddenly scared of intimancy and doesn't like kissing his boyfriend for...reasons and he seemed to whine a lot more. And Win is suddenly no longer the flirty, grinning, always down for a joke type of guy but very serious and overprotective of Team. This show tried so hard to be UWMA, but it's not and therefore it didn't hit as much as it could've. Because the passion was there, you could feel the love of the cast members who put their heart into this show. That makes it even more sad that Pharm and Manaow and their friendship with Team felt more like an afterthought, since they got pretty much sidelined with their boyfriends. I did appreciate it though that Win got some bro-love from his two besties.
After seeing a lot of BLs directed by New, I think it's save to say that I just don't vibe with him. I don't know what he's doing but it's not it for me. On top of that I just disagree with his stance on NC scenes. The shade he has thrown at them just doesn't sit right with me. He acts as if Nc scene are inherently something dirty to be ashamed of. And if that's what he thinks, than the problem is him. And I wish he would just get over himself and leave high heat projects alone and get himself some BL scripts that are "pure" and have almost no heat in it. So everyone can be happy. Alas, he seems to get so many stories with interesting concepts (and with a high heat source material).
While we still haven't fully moved past the stereotypical portrayal of a gay relationships, we now get more shows that portray the two parties as equally in love and not one having to constantly chase the other. And excuse me, I have to get this off my chest: IF I HAVE TO WATCH ONE MORE SHOW WHERE ONE PARTY (USUALLY THE YOUNGER/SMALLER ONE) OF AN ALREADY ESTABLISHED RELATIONSHIP SEEMS TO DISLIKE KISSING THEIR BOYFRIEND IN THE COMFORT OF THEIR OWN HOME WITH NO ONE WATCHING I WILL LOSE IT!!!
PS: To like the five people who have not watched Until We Meet Again before watching Between Us, I'm sorry. Seeing Pharm and Dean having a cameo every other episode with little to no context of what the heck is going on must have been confusing as hell. You are truly stronger than I am.
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Everything about this drama is remarkable!!!
This drama got me hooked since day one, and there are various reasons for it:1) Amazing plot - The plot is completely new,at least for me. The story has developed very well and at also the right pace. It is one of the kinds where you'll probably die out of curiosity trying to imagine what the next episode would be like. I laud the person/people who came with such a story.
2) Remarkable actors - Son Ye Jin was the reason why I started this. But now Hyun Bin has me wrapped around his finger. Seo Ji Hye and Kim Jung Hyun are also brilliant. Everyone's acting is so good, that it feels the roles were written for them.
3) The chemistry between the characters - This is also one of the reasons why I waited for the drama so patiently every week. The chemistry is so good and it makes me ship them way too much.
4) Supporting Cast - The supporting cast has done a splendid job, in fact the entire cast. The scenes involving them have been written really well, you don't wanna skip any scene. Kudos y'all!!!
5) OSTs -I love each and every one of them and I can't help but listen to them all the time. They're all very good!!
All I have to say is, if you're looking a unique story with amazing actors wrapped up together with soothing OSTs, you should most definitely give this a try. :)
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They'll Make You Wish You're in This Kind of Relationship
All the actors and actresses did a good job in acting and chemistry. Story comes with good pacing and relatable situations. Personally for me, the relationship between the female lead with her father, reminds me of my own.But it's not all sad, don't worry. It has tons of comedy too. I guess besides the script, we have to thank the editing for that. Oh my, I laughed so hard, especially at the bar scene in episode 1.
And of course it has romance. Tbh I'm not really into romance as they tend to be cheesy. But here the romance is not boring, it's cute and sweet (that you wish you had this kind of relationship).
Ost are all very good, the lyrics are really sweet, I love them all. Cinematography is well done too. Tbh first I felt weird about the close up shot of the leads from front, because they almost or actually look at the camera, but later I think it gives different nuance, like you can see their face, their eyes clearly and it suddenly feels like you're the one falling in love haha
Must watch, really.
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Before any of you die-hard BoF fans rage at me for the ratings, please not that this is my own *personal* opinion, ergo you don't have to read it if you don't like it. II'm not trying to be mean or rude, I'm just saying that everyone has an opinion and you have to accept that.----
"Boys Over Flowers" might have been my first drama ever, but I can't really remember. I do remember that this was the first drama I watched I finished. At the time, I really had no idea what to expect, but seeing how much the friend who introduced it to me loved this drama, I figured it had to be pretty good. So I watched it and wondered how exactly a mess like this got such high ratings.
Story: Speaking from an objective standpoint, BoF is a hot mess. The fans must have been really forgiving to fall in love with characters who drove kids to suicide, and a story that had the main couple breaking up and getting together pretty much every other episode. I like romance and watching the OTP get through conflicts victorious, but I also like having another overlying story arc to keep me interested. In here, was there even something beyond Jan Di's and Jun Pyo's romance? I didn't even ship them.
Acting: Lee Min Ho, despite his mane of shame, is a good actor. I haven't really seen him anywhere else, but he's good here. Kim Bum is outstanding and his chemistry with Kim So Eun was pretty much the only reason I kept watching this. Kim Joon didn't really have that many scenes, but he was good and I'm fairly certain the only reason Kim Hyun Joong is here is because they needed another "flower boy" and were running short. He's really not that great of an actor, but pretty moves mountains. I'm not a hater, since I'm a huge fan of his music, but maybe he can brush up on his acting. Ko Hye Sun, frankly speaking, annoyed me to no end. Not just her character, but her in general. I don't think I'll ever watch a drama with her ever again. She's not a bad actor, but I don't feel like she's particularly good either. Plus, her chemistry with Lee Min Ho felt a bit forced.
Music: I'm still not sure if it was meant to be so funny. "Almost Paradise" killed me no matter what scene it showed up in. The director was really unwieldy in using the music wisely and spacing out the songs, so most of the other music grated on my nerves by episode 15.
Rewatch Value: Ha. No. Never. You would have to pay me to get me to sit through it. This drama may have been other people's favorite, but to me it was tedious and long. The plot spun in circles and the angst shot through the roof and there was still no plot beyond Jan Di and Jun Pyo.
Overall: This drama was so popular for a reason, I guess. Pretty is such a powerful force its nearly sentient. Another reason? If you were sincerely rooting for the main couple and honestly really liked them together, you would watch just for them and for the gratification that came with seeing them together. If you really did not care about the main couple, you would probably throw your computer out a window.
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So how was the rest of the cast? They were good, but it was hard to separate characters who were badly written from the actor. Kim Ji Won is a perfect example. There was nothing wrong with her performance but her character irritated me for the majority of the drama. She had pretty good chemistry with Chang Wook, but I honestly didn't understand what made him so obsessed with her. The chemistry wasn't enough to carry the weak storyline.
The other main characters did a good enough job of being distinctive but bad writing made their stories pretty dull. I won't spoil how the stories connect but I guess the point was to explore different kinds of relationships (the good and bad) between men and women... friendships, crushes, long-time commitments, encounters with exes, casual relationships, and summer flings are represented. For the entire drama the only character who didn't annoy me at all was Kang Gun, but I was honestly bored by all the other interactions. The women characters is particular are often irrational and make frustrating decisions. I think I was waiting to relate to the characters as I got to know them but that never happened. I was just constantly waiting for the "story" to start. Sadly once it started it turned into one repetitive episode after another.
If I could describe the plot in one word I'd say it felt pointless. If you like the idea of non-sequitur relationship snippets then maybe you will like this more than I did. To me, it felt like filler interrupting the main plot which didn't have enough substance to fill all 16+ episodes. Then there's a weird resolution at the end that feels thrown together, that's interrupted by another random story with random minor characters. I think I would have liked it better, maybe, if there was a different story each week because this just felt like I was watching an unscripted mess. That didn't make it feel more authentic to me either, in fact, it felt more fake, especially with the awkward product placement moments.
Would I watch this again? Hard Pass! Not even for Ji Chang Wook's smile.
Also, the random old school rock "theme" song with the unnecessary music video was equally irritating.
Overall, this drama felt like a concept without a plan. I guess I can piece together moments that I liked enough that it kept me watching, but there were far more frustrating moments that made me wonder why I didn't drop it after every single episode. More than anything I didn't care at all about who stayed together and who didn't, which is bad for a romance-themed drama. There are intimate confessions that seem out of place, especially since the characters seem to have no idea who is listening and responding. Do you enjoy watching people act irrationally in relationships, and drag out misunderstandings, or drive people they care about crazy with their unresolved issues... then enjoy. I can't imagine sitting through this for another season myself, although I can see there being a possible setup for one. Since there were many times I was literally rooting for the main couple to never deal with each other again, I can't recommend this drama. Yes, eventually there are reasons and amends but the frustration to get there made it very anticlimactic. I definitely wasn't lovestruck with this drama. It almost makes "forever alone" seem like the better option.
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A minority of one here
I can understand the praise which all the other reviewers shower on various aspects of this series. The cinematography. The acting. The writing. The music. From a thoroughly dispassionate standpoint, I am able to give "good" ratings to some of those dimensions too. Anyhow, I leave it to The Shipper's many enthusiastic fans to praise it to the skies, as they do. But I found the series so intensely disagreeable that my feelings of shock and unease will probably stay with me a long time whenever I think of The Shipper. In brief, it gives us a very weird message about life and death, and a bitterly homophobic account of human love. The one and only love story here is a heterosexual love story about a girl trapped in a male body. This might lead to an interesting exploration of trans identity, or an attempt to look at a non-binary self-understanding. But no. She's in a male body, that's all, and the nature of the relationship is utterly conventional heterosexual girl/boy romance. As for the same-sex possibility here (no point even referring to the concept of "BL"), it is literally killed off, stone dead. There is no chance of love between males, the storyline seems to say - it's doomed. Fatal. Something which has to be terminated, erased. As happens here. The only way love could exist between two seemingly male persons, the series tells us, is when one of them in reality is a woman - meaning it's not really any sort of "m/m" relationship at all. It's a hideous and cruel message and it's what this whole series is based on. Hence my low rating. Yes, I should have abandoned it long, long ago. And I did. But I came back to see how it ended. I'm sorry I did.Footnote: I realise I am not in a minority of one. Fortunately. There are a couple of other discerning viewers who were equally alert to, and dismayed by, the crude homophobic message conveyed by The Shipper. Meanwhile, however, I've read the other reviews here, and I'll say that I'm - well, intrigued. One could say they exhibit a ... striking unity. First of all, there are a great many of them. A huge number of reviews. All for The Shipper. OK, very well. This suggests that it was an exceptionally popular series, watched by a very high number of viewers. Was it? I'm not sure I got that impression ... Next: many, if not most, of the reviews are rather close to identical. They seem to follow a set formula. Read along, and you'll quickly get the picture. The reviewer immediately announces that the series isn't "BL" - and always finds space to make some dismissive comment about BL fans. Then we're told that The Shipper is a vastly superior product - with more than a few reviewers going out of their way to pour scorn on BL, yaoi, m/m romance, LGBT material etc. Next, they tell you that this series is an edifying moral lesson, or a series of inspiring moral messages. Finally, they award it a series of 9s and 10s.
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I didn’t think I’d like this, but I really did
I’ve watched so many college BLs. And just when I thought I couldn’t possibly be satisfied by yet another 2 young and dumb boys … I SOMEHOW LOVE THIS!The story of Kluen and Daonuea is a classic tale of meeting your high school crush after entering college and falling in love with them (all over again). Variations of this plot have been done to death – recall 2moons, 2gether and Bad Buddy? OK, so the plot isn’t terribly original, but so what?
I think Joong and Dunk have created a pretty solid product together with their chemistry. It’s always the chemistry that makes or breaks a typical plot or trope.
The entire show is a string of misunderstandings that could have been averted if they were brave enough to speak plainly from the start. But as the web gradually untangles and their feelings for each other are uncovered, this frustrating rollercoaster ride turns out to be quite lovely and rewarding after all.
Yes, this is yet another college BL. And one day, maybe this high school sweetheart plot will well and truly go extinct. But not this time. And until then, please take it from me: Go watch Star In My Mind.
My full review here: https://asianblreviews.wordpress.com/2022/05/27/star-in-my-mind-bl-review/
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Warning BL CLICKBAIT, played more like a Bromance
I was in total disbelief when i saw Tine crying before the end of the penultimate episode. WHY WOULD HE cry like that? Way to go from being Mr Chic to becoming a confused little sissy.The problem is I see this a lot in Thai dramas - the one main lead gets jealous of the other main lead when he sees him kissing or hugging another guy (or girl). There will be no talking, just the couple breaking up. It is just lazy writing, cant they think of other ways to create drama for their series?
I blame the show's weakness on the story, the script and the directing. This one started out strong - 2 alpha males fake dating and falling inlove. Although Tine was a typical Thai BL character of a 'straight boy' loving a guy, I liked the fact that Sarawat was always a guy who likes a guy and never pretended to like a girl.
What happened in the later episodes were somewhat of a mess - after they became 2gether and lived in the same flat, the editing and jumping from one scene to next just happened way too fast in an attempt to give us more story from the source material. There was also lack of real conflict to further develop and create a mature story. There was also obviously a conscious effort not show a lot of couple emotions and activities. Its like watching 2 bros living together. What i think the series needed is 2 to 3 more episodes to better tell the story.
However, despite all the flaws, cliches and shortcomings, I still immensely enjoyed it.
First, the cast. Win and Bright - definite eye candies however may need a bit of acting workshop. I love Frank and Drake and i think they have relegated them to a very minor supporting role- i keep wishing they used them more, Mike and Toptap, Gun, and even the friends did a good job. Without The 4 main lead i would have dropped this series midway.
Second, the music - this is probably the Thai series with the best choice for music, i loved the opening and end songs, and i loved the songs they used within the show.
Would i rewatch it, i would initially say yes, but after careful considerations i think ill just move on to the extension series. If you are new to the BL genre, this may be a fun watch, just keep in mind that it is definitely not the best drama.
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First of all, I am now noticing a pattern in the series as I have watched all of them, though they are called "Pretty Boy" and hey, who can say you don't see enough pretty here, but has anyone also caught him/herself on the thought that the characters crated for these series seem very real? I mean, forgetting about the bubbly front, there were real people, real feeling, real problems, and I like it so much, that it feels real watching these characters. I like characters that have depth, and the series have never failed to give me the characters. And though at first you may thing Enrique is the most funny, cute and bubbly character you could ever see, throughout the series he will show you so much humanity, so much sadness, so many unforgettable words... Though Dok-Mi may seem the girl who has closed herself and hasn't thought about her life ever since, will show you so much smile, so much strength, so much pain that she has been through and how much she grows by the end of the series, how much she changes Enrique and changes herself...
As the drama is mostly a comedy, I thought it is important to note that you'll find here not only comedy but also real characters who will make you feel for them, which I really appreciate.
This was the 3rd drama I was watching with Park Shin-Hye, and she again proved her abilities, I adore the girl.
Yoo Si-Yoon was just adorable as puppy-panda Enrique, I hope to watch other things with him.
Music was, like the drama, cute and calm. I really like the slow piece during the sad parts, and Park Shin-Hye's song, so alike her character and warm to my heart.
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Nobody is flawless
People these days can't handle flawed characters, and that's why they hated this drama. From the moment it aired, people kept bashing it, so of course I was discouraged from watching it.What a mistake would that be if I didn't give it a chance because I enjoyed it and absolutely loved it!
Both Qian xi, and Ying Tao are flawed characters. Qian Xi is selfish. Ying Tao is unhealthily obsessive.
The highschool years showed us how immature and childish they still were. They lived in this bubble, where they thought everything would went well after they grow up. But the college years showed us their development. Ying Tao found out that love isn't easy like in fairytales. Her roommate was a great example of that.
Qian Xi went from the highest top, to the lowest one. He was selfish for telling Ying Tao "Don't forget me." when he knew, he wouldn't see her again. But I believe he wanted at least one person to think of him in his hardest time. I understand that he had a pride, that he didn't want her to see him like this. His mother always wanted him to be perfect, and when you spend years in this illusion, you cannot simply get out of it.
You'll always think, you have to be perfect in order for people to like you, to love you. Otherwise, you're not worthy of them.
Their relationship is toxic, but beautiful. This drama is the proof of it.
Their love surpassed everything bad, and left only the good in their relationship.
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Don't like the ending at all!!!
This drama was great at the beginning but in my opinion she was really mean to him, and in the end he always came back to her i think she was really narcissistic and thinks only on her and not on hyuk feelings for my it wasn't fair or gain at all , and she only said that she loves him in the last episode when all he did for her from the beginning was love .They deserve better ending, the secondary leads had better ending than theirs this was a complete disappointment for me because it was a great drama.
For me was more gain than love , for the secondary actors than them .
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pure, healing and beautiful
the plot is nothing special, the story is really basic but somehow this is one of the most beautiful dramas I've ever watched, and not just in 2020.there are 2 things I love that as long as they don't mess it up then I'll give the drama a 10/10 without a second thought. one is a strong independent smart capable diverse female character, honestly they can never go wrong when they have a female character that carries her own weight if not more.
And two is character driven slice of life healing dramas, I LOVE these types of stories, they are just raw and emotional and sad but beautiful enough to make you feel jealous
at a certain point in the drama they handled the mains "complicated" bickering relationship, they focused on Moon Sang Tae's natural jealous feelings because he was no longer his brothers "one and only" and it could've gone really badly if the writers used it for cheap angst but they handled it so beautifully that the developing relationships became 1000x better.
"mystery" wise I do think they lacked a little, but it's becasue they didn't use it for cheap thrill and looming danger but it was the base for their healing.
even throughout their "inevitable breakups" it was never about their selflessness or selfishness but it was another natural step to overcoming their past and struggles.
I was worried after ep14 that things might get off track but they stayed true to their story and I'm really pleased about where it's going
side character wise, again they lacked in delivery, the side stories and the effects they used to deliver the stories were beautiful and heartbreaking but I felt like they weren't 100% invested in their stories and they felt like mere time fillers, like Yoo Seung Jae never got any character depth and even though Jo Jae Soo was Moon Gang Tae's best friend for 10 years I couldn't understand how they all miraculously ended up in ok town (I'm sorry I don't know the name of their location xD)
that didn't make their unexpected friendships and familial bonds any less meaningful, but I wish they gave them a little more thought
the editing is beautiful, moonyoung's fairy tales and the use of fairy tale resembles, the ost and moonyoung's OOTD's just made this drama more enchanting and amazing~
I never rewatch stuff but it's only ep15 and I already miss them so much that I'm crying so I'd like to rewatch this again and again and again ;D
watching the ending I'm even happier now, this drama didn't use the past connections and the trauma as the main dish, it was always just the spice.
like in itaewon class the revenge and past trauma was the last big fight and the end was just a cleanup but this, it was always about the "cleanup" and I'm really satisfied with everything
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Rich, atmospheric and utterly entrancing, Blood River is all those things and more.. It’s a fantastic concept that kept me enthralled till the last episode.. Blood River is an adventure in all the best ways.. The characters are interesting, memorable and have quirks and distinct personalities that make them feel vividly alive.. For me, this drama shines.. It’s a world filled with assassins and clans whose loyalties are written in water, where every character seems to whisper an unfinished feud.. It’s a place where righteousness is fragile, trust is a rare currency and the river runs dark with history and betrayal.. The action begins right from the first scene and never really lets up.. There’s no onerous worldbuilding, no tedious introductions, Blood River gets to the good part immediately..Blood River has beautiful visuals and some breathtaking sequences, along with masterfully crafted fight sequences.. All wrapped in that dark, moody vibe, it was pure bliss.. And in that same vein, this drama introduces a whole lineup of compelling side characters.. While the main characters are good, the side characters are all really interesting too.. None of them are particularly well developed, but there are intriguing dynamics at play..
No idea why Peng Xiao Ran is listed as second lead or even a main lead.. Her only role seems to be lovesick for a character we are barely invested in.. Honestly, she wouldn’t be missed if she wasn’t in the drama.. She is completely underused and her story arc feels disconnected from the main plot.. The supporting cast had far better storylines to be honest.. There’s nothing else to her outside of being the girl who desperately looks for love, she has no real personality, no aspirations and nothing beyond the basic 'love me, love me, look at me' behavior..
Chang Hua Sen was really good here.. I actually felt he was even better than Gong Jun in terms of screen presence and performance.. Gong Jun’s facial expressions looked odd at times.. Even in the final reunion scene, he looked like he had eaten something bad and was wondering why the camera was still rolling..
If I had to choose a favorite character apart from the two male leads, it would be Bai He Huai.. I loved her mannerisms and her costumes were really beautiful..
Now, the world building here is rich, detailed enough and well thought out.. The plot stays consistent and true to itself.. The pacing fluctuates a bit in the last 18 or so episodes but mostly stays fast paced thanks to the huge number of fight sequences.. And that last fight was really something.. I liked that they didn’t show the main leads as overpowered, we actually got a long, hard fought battle where they had to go all out to take down their foe..
Overall, Blood River has the full spectrum of feelings.. From good to bad, joy to frustration, excitement to depression.. It puts everything together in a well balanced plot with a weave of storytelling that pulls you as far away from reality as you can possibly get.. Blood River might not have been perfect and it definitely stuck to some of the mid cliches I expected but I was pleasantly surprised by how much this story kept me interested.. Even with such a large number of characters, it managed to make me care about their lives and the outcomes of their struggles.. Well, except PXR I guess..
Then why did I rate it only 8.5?? Because the last few minutes of the drama disappointed me.. I watched 38 episodes of their struggle to reach the other shore only for the result of all that hard work to show up as a subtitle.. Like you couldn’t give us a 10 minute sequence?? And what was that whole happy ending after 12 years thing?? Just stupid.. There was absolutely no need for it.. If you are going to give us a last minute reunion, why bother separating them at all?? Was that separation even necessary?? I honestly don’t understand this obsession with time jumps for happy endings..
Well, them getting a bittersweet kind of hope instead of a dramatic ending fits the wuxia tradition, since it rarely gives perfect happy endings.. I guess it works as the completion of Su Mu Yu’s journey, with Bai He Huai returning as the light in his life and it gives an ending that isn’t fully happy or tragic, just human..
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