Reviews

Save the best for last

2023 has given us a huge number of BL series and movies – Thailand alone has produced over 50 series. Unfortunately, quantity doesn't necessarily mean quality, although there have been some outstanding series (see the list of my 15 favourites, with synopses, short reviews, and links here: https://www.wattpad.com/1408052397-my-bl-lists-favourite-series-favourite-movies).

But as they saying goes, (one of) the best has been saved for the last. MindTrio, the Thai company that always produces high quality series like ”On Cloud Nine” and the wonderful ”Once in Memory” movies, have waited until the last two days of the year to give us a precious little gem of a short film entitled ”You And My Stars”.

The short film, which aired in two parts on Dec 30 and 31, tells the story of three boys – Win (Poom Jittipat Suwannaluck) has a secret crush on Time (BM Chanatip Aumpu), who has fallen for Win's best friend Hunter (Photo Patawee Klamudom). Win has low self-esteem and thus doesn't dare to confess his love to Time, whereas Time asks Win to help him confess to Hunter by giving him 999 paper stars he has folded. Win does help Time, and he is heartbroken as he sees Time and Hunter together.

Hunter, however, later rejects Time in a brutal way, because he knows about Win's secret crush, and he doesn't want to hurt him. The way Hunter speaks of Time earns him a beating from Win. As Win and Hunter reconcile later, Hunter offers Win his support for his flirt with Time. Finally, Win gives Time 999 paper stars, and the two boys have a very frank conversation about their feelings. Time not only accepts Win's proposal, but tells him that he wants him to be next to him forever.

The plot of this movie doesn't sound too unique – after all, it's just the story most young people experience when they fall in love for the first time. There are, however, several elements that make this short film so heartwarming and lovely.

First and foremost, it is the sensitive way the author makes us see what's going on through Win's eyes. His inner monologues, but also his shy actions make the viewer feel his fears and inhibitions, and his comparisons of himself and his two friends with the stars are pure poetry. And the movie does without any of the annoying BL tropes like accidental kisses, artificial drama based on misunderstanding, or evil exes, to name just a few. So kudos to the scriptwriter!

The next element is the focus on the three main characters. There are no unnecessary side couples or yaoi fangirls. This allows for a profound characterization of the three boys which some long series don't accomplish. For example, Hunter appears as a superficial casanova at first, but turns out to be a thoughtful and selfless best friend. Time comes across quite dominant and disrespectful at first, but then is a nice guy who is shy, too, when he sends Win to Hunter for his confession.

And then there are the actors! MindTrio has once again succeeded in casting three boys who aren't only very handsome, but at the same time have huge acting talent. Whereas Poom has already had a main role in the beautiful ”Move to Heaven” movie, BM (who I find breathtakingly beautiful) and Photo are obviously rookies, but I bet we'll see all the three of them more often in future.

As we have seen time and again in BL series, actors can only act as good as the director makes them act, and Keereeboon Siridol, who also directed ”Move to Heaven”, appears to know how to make young actors shine.

The cinematography is nice, especially the scenes with the night sky and at the pier, and the background music is never intrusive and matches the story. There are some minor flaws of the sound, especially toward the end of part two, but they aren't so bad that they disturb the overall wonderful atmosphere of the movie.

What I love about MindTrio's short films is that they are able to tell a story and make the characters come to life in half an hour. So I say thank you to cast and crew of this wonderful movie for saving (almost) the best of this BL year for the last.


You find all my BL reviews, including those of series from countries not covered by mydramalist like Vietnam, Singapur, Myanmar, and Cambodia, here:
https://www.wattpad.com/user/DominicKebre

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This is a cute series. The "bad boy" in this one is essentially a sweet guy with bad grades who has dyed his hair and won't wear a proper school uniform. In the beginning he does come off as a bit menacing, but we soon realize that this is a defense mechanism based on other people constantly judging him. His transformation into a more earnest student who is trusting and approachable begins pretty soon after he meets the FL.

Speaking of her, she starts out rather bland, so it seems surprising that she'd end up attracting not only one, but two charismatic boys. About midway through I thought her character developed more of a spark, and that made me feel more okay with who she ended up with.

I also didn't feel as bad as usual for the other ML when he lost out in his quest for the FL because he got a consolation prize of sorts.

There's an underlying message in this series that people can change for the better when they have the support and care of those around them. These are friends who accept each other for who they are, know how to keep a confidence, and apologize when they know they've done wrong. It's a good choice for when you want to take a breather between gritty thrillers and angsty melodramas.

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Its a MASTERPIECE ✨

Hi its my first time writing a review, I'm sorry in advance if my English is bad.

I just wanna say that this series is a Masterpiece. When I was watching it I didn't feel bored nor skipped some scenes, I didn't even know that I was already watching the last episode.

I really thought there was something going on between GRAM AND BLACK then I was wrong. GMM you fooled me?.

I like this story because it set a new standard in bl industry its not like other bl's genre.

STORY- 10/10
The story was beautiful because it also focuses in LGBTQ+. And its not like other story that if you've fallin in love with a boy you will deny it.

ACTING/CAST- 10/10
Salute to GUN ATTHAPHAN for portaying WHITE/BLACK. You can differentiate them apart. He nailed his roles. He's really a versatile actor. I think nobody suited to play this role except for Gun.

Off Jumpol portaying SEAN was so freaking good. I really liked his Character.

And also to some actors they did great. They nailed their roles.

MUSIC-10/10
Their background music is beautiful. I loved it.

REWATCH VALUE-10/10
I'm always rewatching this series everytime I miss the cast. Please GMM TV I want this series to have a season 2?.

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This was cute and light- that's it. There are some folks who thought this was hyped too much and guess what- YALL ARE RIGHT! But for the fluff this was providing me, I appreciated it and will stand with my slightly high score of 7/10.
I started this because I need to feed my fujoshi spirit every once in a while. I thought this would provide sustenance after watching TharnType and being fully wrecked by that- this doesn't even come close lol But I found myself waiting every week for the new episode because Tine and Sarawat were just so adorable. Unfortunately the side characters didn't get too much shine and I ended up not really caring for them as time went on which NEVER happens for me. Anyways, would I recommend this? Sure. It's kiddie pool deep and the actors are good looking with a light story.

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Some very nice scenes amidst a just ok show

Highlights:
- I specially liked how the main protagonists were not perfectly nice people. They were flawed and not always attached to the highest moral standards. It was refreshing to see, most of all in a Asian drama.
- Once they got together, the main couple chemistry was super sweet and intense. I rewatched a couple of scenes and thought their interactions felt quite natural. They were believable as a couple for sure. Plus no deadfish kisses.

What could improve:
- The overall plot was a bit too simple, with some overused cliches that weren’t incredibly executed either.
- The last episode will definitely not satisfy everyone.

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This actor, Xue Hao Wen, plays the character - Gu Tao so well that I am catching myself sympathizing with a drug manufacturer, a drug trafficker, an arms dealer and a murderer...
I am conflicted about Fang Han/Fang Mo helping him with his predicaments or sending him to prison.

Even with all the hypes and the huge budget “The Thunder” got; I find that this drama “Never Say Never” has a much better execution, dynamic and flow.
The storyline, the production and the general acting of the entire cast are really well done.

Qin Jun Jie is really consistent with his character and he is a far much better actor than Johnny Huang (Sorry Johnny).
I watched “The Thunder” because I had enjoyed “When a Snail Falls in Love;” however, “Never Say Never” is by far my favorite.

*On a Side Note:
China hands death penalties like they were handing candies...

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Fluff, lots of it

June 19, 2022

Waw, I can't believe Shooting Stars, I genuinely love this show as it helped me get over my Kdrama slump. This show is direct and straight to the point. There is no stupid mid-break up and honestly I love the boundaries and relationships of each character. The romance was off the charts, and every existing subplot was exciting and unskippable. Especially, the two bickering actor and actress' subplots, I've been always looking forward to their scenes and also the reporter and lawyer’s ones too. And, I feel like I have experienced so much fluff within the show that it just helps me sleep at night. I will miss this show so much, can I please find a man like him?

Sidenote: I just realized there’s something about the name Tae Sung... it’s like this name just attracts me or pulls me ... Hmmm... ? ifykyk

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Good vs evil in Heyang

Within this story is a potentially really great one if the drama had dared to push the boundaries of its storytelling a bit more. Set against the "evil" city of Heyang, where bad deeds go unpunished, our righteous male lead Pan Yue seeks to find his long-lost beloved Yang Caiwei and to right the wrongs of the past. Along the way, we meet a multitude of characters including the charismatic if headstrong Zhuo Lanjiang and Caiwei's plucky friend Bai Xiaosheng -- and solve some murder mysteries.

It turns out that with each case solved, we are closer to solving the ultimate mystery -- who is the mastermind behind the deaths of Caiwei's parents and the dark deeds in Heyang? That, unfortunately, is never fully fleshed out. Our villains' motivations are presented only in broad strokes, making the ultimate confrontation a bit of a letdown both thematically and dramatically.

Which is not to say the drama is terrible -- far from it. Some of the stories within the main tale are quite moving such as the case of the Gu family and that of the twins and the academy. They show quite effectively the potential darkness within people and the struggle to overcome it without resorting to too much exposition, which is unfortunately present in other cases and parts of the show. If the drama had explored this theme than just at the surface level - the complexities of humankind and our capacity to do both great good and evil - it would have made for a very compelling drama.

As it is, this drama is worth the watch for the interesting cases (which actually are nicely interwoven with the overarching plot and our characters' arcs), a well-paced romance story, and some great performances from both main and guest/supporting cast alike. Liu Xueyi as Pan Yue and Li Geyang as Zhuo Lanjiang were standouts to me.

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I almost dropped it but I stayed for Godfrey Gao...

What I liked:
- Main leads, especially Godfrey Gao, his character is just a perfect all around man n he was just such a handsome manly man... his chems with FL is also good, they r believable as an intelligent loving scholar couple...
- I like how here they show various kinda problems in each household... these r different kinda people with different kinda backgrounds which centered around the 3 women who r supposedly best friends... it’s just interesting to watch some of the small stories...
- It’s nice to watch a story where the ML & FL r just normal hardworking kinda people n the ML isn’t a super handsome rich CEO, it’s realistic...

What I didn’t like:
- Too many eps! There r 40eps n that’s just too long, IMO 30eps is a max for this kinda story, even less would’ve been better, it got draggy n boring... honestly I skipped a lot around 25-ish till around 37th eps when finally FL moved to ML’s hometown...
- FL’s mom is annoying to the max! I have no idea how a mother could behave like that? She is such a snob n looking down on ML when she isn’t actually someone who is rich or even from a highly respectable family... she is from a working class background, but she hates her daughter’s BF just becoz she wants her to be with her friend who is super rich... the way she condescends ML is just too much, especially for someone in her status... n in the end, there is no redeeming act from her...

Overall it was an ok watch, just watch it if u got nothing else to watch... the mainleads scenes n interactions r cute, so they made this watchable... n I stucked around for Godfrey Gao, but unfortunately I think this was one of his last projects if it wasn’t the last one... n IMO he suited his character in here, so he did a good job... RIP Godfrey Gao...

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Go on and complain about the lack of closure in the romance aspect but for me, the fact that the love triangle is the weakest point of the show absolutely delighted me.

People need to understand that this whole drama is Yeesa's story. I do agree that the driver was dealt with an unfair fate and I don't mind an spin-off episode focused on him, but this is a show that begins and ends with her. The character development of Yeesa was written beautifully, with her starting off as a naïve and passive damsel in distress in the first few episodes to someone who took responsibility for her own life and decisions.

There are so many dramas that make the female characters' lives revolve around romance but I am glad that this isn't one of them. Yeesa's main priority is never on romance, even when she meets the two male characters. Maybe she did have some interest in Ryan or she feels safe enough to share her feelings and thoughts with Ka-Chung but she has never been obvious in pursuing a relationship with any of them (or at least makes things official). She has her father and her best friends, and it makes sense that her concern will be them if she were to die.

For me, the pivotal scene of the show was her conversation with Fiona after Fiona's suicide in Episode 8. The way they had to work through the losses of their lives (Yeesa's mother and Fiona's baby) and forgive themselves for the decisions they have to make (or the mistakes that they thought they were responsible for, directly or indirectly) was written so well! Such a beautiful, touching moment between two female characters, and it is one that I hope to see more in Hong Kong dramas.

Recently, this drama became Drama of the Year (Hong Kong) in the Asian Academy Creative Awards and I am happy for them because this drama is so deserving! Compared to other dramas released in the year, Leap Day is so quiet and intimate but it is precisely this reason that the writing is able to shine through with the help of the gorgeous cinematography.

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If you're looking for hilarity, fluff, gratuitous shots of shirtless (and RIPPED) Park Seo Joon, adorable friendships and heartfelt moments, then look no further than Fight For My Way!

STORY -

It isn't overly complicated, but that in itself is quite refreshing in comparison to other kdramas because there aren't any unnecessary plot twists or overly complicated situations that break up the main pair. It's just a story about four friends in their late twenties struggling with their career and relationships and trying their best just to survive and reclaim their dreams. I think that's what I love most about it because it just resonates so much with anyone in their twenties. There are so many great lines as well in the drama that serve as great motivations for us all to keep fighting for our dreams no matter how hard it gets or what anyone else tells us.

And then you get to the romance and it's so pure and lovely because first and foremost, above all else, they're best friends. They have each other's corners through thick and thin and they would literally fight other people to protect each other. The fact that they have this long history of supporting each other is so sweet and it gives the way they fall in love with each other later so much more depth. I also think this drama really portrays realistic relationships in all its fluff and pain. The second leads' relationship as well is so beautifully heartwrenching in how real it is for many people.

Not to mention, it's just a freaking ball of fun. There are so many hilarious moments in the drama between the characters, especially with PSJ's character and his coach (my gosh, they're the real OTP tbh). But seriously, it's just so funny and so uplifting. And although it's not an action drama, you still have really cool fight scenes as PSJ's character is an MMA fighter.

ACTING -

Park Seo Joon and Kim Ji Won have unbelievable chemistry together! Their scenes were so natural that it makes it hard to believe that they're not together in real life, to be honest. They're just both amazing actors and together, they really made this drama come alive. There's one specific scene though towards the end of the drama that really emphasised how crazy good of an actor PSJ is. When you're watching, your heart just breaks into a million pieces and you just think 'wow, this guy... this guy is gonna go far in his career.' But it wasn't just them that brought this drama to such a high rating for me. The entire cast were amazing. The secondary lead actors... the coach... everyone was great! The characters were all believable and fleshed out.

MUSIC -

I love the music. It was cute and always made me really happy. Although, there was only really one song I remember from the drama. The rest was kind of forgettable, but while you were watching, the OST really added to the drama even if it wasn't the best OST in the world.

REWATCH?? Oh hell yea!!

OVERALL -

So maybe it's not the most complex story you'll ever watch and maybe the romantic angst isn't as extreme as some other dramas, but wow, you'll really regret it if you don't at least give it a try. I mean don't go into this expecting something like Goblin or The Heirs or something. Go into this expecting to laugh and just feel uplifted by the message of the story (oh, and did I mention GRATUITOUS SHOTS OF SHIRTLESS PARK SEO JOON?!?!).

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The story flow is quite perfect. Characters acted well there. I actually liked all the characters there. Their roles are good. I don't see any flaws in the story except for the last few episodes. I just find them weird, I don't really like the ending, felt like incomplete to me as well. If I'm not wrong, this plot is came from a novel (??·????), the ending was exactly like that. There is a continue of the story in the second novel (???????). I hope to see a second season drama for this. I just don't feel so good for that ending... However, overall, everything is good, the story is quite well connected and understandable. If there is really a second season of this drama, I would recommend you guys to wait for the second season to complete before you start this drama. The first season ending was really weird like what everyone is talking about... I would really change the ratings if there's really second season of this drama :). I'd really enjoyed it.

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