Interesting MINI with Twists
This was a good mini drama. The ML will be one to watch. The chemistry between the leads was good. The OST was a bit off and a little distracting. The 'inclusive' twists made things interesting. The FL was good at pacing herself throughout the series. Production could have been better with styling. The various twists even in the end felt as if they are prepping the series for a part 2. Which would be interesting yet trying. The ending was a bit rushed especially with the reveal. but this series overall is solid. A good watch.Was this review helpful to you?
Jpn dramas are the best when it comes to human stories
If it wasn't because a regular subber started working on this sub, I wouldn't have picked it. Boy, am I glad I watched this! One of my favorite dramas of this season. It was sweet, with a wonderful cast, soothing OST, and amazing script. Like Kounodori S.1. Medical dramas in the pediatrician department is usually more moving, and it always depend on the scriptwriter to not make it corny, and it worked with GD.I have to apologize to Yamazaki Kento, since when I've read he was going to be the lead, I wasn't interested. He is OK, but that's all for me. But he was amazing as Minato-sensei, since the very first episode. Portrayed wonderfully a sweet guy with Autism and Savant Syndrome (I've read that he did a research over the subject, so he was well prepared). I have not seen Freddie Highmore's version so I can't compare.
Of course, to me the MVP was Ueno Juri, such an amazing actress. Very natural, and looked very comfortable working with YamaKen.
I think I shed tears in every episode. I loved each one of them. Every episode was heartwarming, emotional and to the point.
Was this review helpful to you?
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Compelling Rendition
My Final review take:
This has been 4 very charming episodes.
The way Yoon Ho grabbed-hugged So Hyun in the rain just striking. Palpitating darling moments, indeed.
This drama definitely has that angst, tension, thrills and a-tinge-of-romance which amped up the whole atmosphere on each scenes. And without any brooding bits, just makes it excitingly fascinating.
My first review take:
Why is it compelling? Because:
First. I am hooked with the music. Brit rock rules! Need the OST tracklist stat! Then again with this type of music tracks, it needs a good match. This drama has it, deserving storyline. It tells a story of a troubled girl. And she is even a pickpocket, for crying sake. Looking for her Dad. And just because she has unsettling mother-daughter relationship with an alcoholic Mum that is, does not justify her action for stealing. It still wrong. But, hey. Life is about planning and options with this case.
Second is the Acting. I just loves it when everybody delivers. So okay, the sweetest treats is still about a nice and kind next door boy. Yoon Ho is so adorable, and he’s the kind with Knights honor soul. The lady with vengeance is HeeJin/So Hyun with all of her ocean eleven mind game. Or is it in a way Sherlock Holmes would go the extra miles. Heroin like her and at nineteenth is a character indeed.
Third. The charm.
Attraction is made without hesitation. Confession is within a heartbeat. And that decoy kiss is just a tad of sincerity away. Bullies is tackled. But the suspense retaliation just puts you on the edge. With only 4 episode, this drama has that subtle approach. Let’s wait the next and final two episode...
Was this review helpful to you?
Even better than the movie!!
As a fan of the movie and BNK48, I was really excited for this remake (the lead actress is from a Thai idol group, BNK48). There are two main reasons why remakes fail; either it's too simple or it told a completely different story.Bad Genius (2020) was able to retell the story that we love without being redundant. That's what makes it so good.
I personally think the series was able to give justice to the characters more compared to the movie. The movie had a lot of elements which were jam-packed into the limited movie runtime. The series was able to expound on those elements which I really appreciate. The characters were given more time to develop and it's not simply an exam cheating story; it's a story about friendship, family, betrayal and many more.
There are many unexpected twists and turns which keeps me interested. The intensity of this drama is on another level. I would say, the ending broke me. I was mad, but a part of me feels like I don't have the right to get mad. I was also happy. I don't really know how to explain since I don't want to spoil the story.
This series is a must-watch! Actors are really great, Plearnpichaya Komalarajun (Lin) and Sawanya Paisarnpayak (Grace) really stood out. Great cast, great story, great series. I will definitely rewatch this someday!
Was this review helpful to you?
When Cute is not Enough
Over five years ago, “Lovesick - the Series” and it’s sequel “Lovesick 2” paved the way for the Thai BL genre. It opened the door for main stream young gay characters where the focal point of the story is their love relationship. Before “Lovesick” gay relationships were were often relegated to a secondary role. “Lovesick’s” success is due to a simple storyline, two lovable lead actors, straightforward interactions between secondary characters, and an iconic OST in “Shake” which is the best song from any Thai series regardless of genre. “Lovesick” made the slew of BL series, movies, and short films that followed possible as it showed high interest level for the genre. You know you’ve arrived when you’re one of the few series with a BL theme that’s playing on Netflix in the US.“Thank God it’s Friday” (TGIF) is supposed to carry on the “Lovesick” franchise as it takes place five/six years after the Seniors from “Lovesick” graduated. The Friday College Music Club is again in financial difficulty. Because of their lack of appreciable success and maybe actually music playing ability, they enlist the help of the music club at their sister school in Chaing Mai for assistance. Although their initial meeting was rocky, the two groups bond and relationships (both platonic and otherwise) occur.
TGIF is directed by Andy Kusolkulsiri the same director as the both the “Lovesick” series'. Unfortunately, the only connections between “Lovesick” and TGIF are the school’s name (Friday College), the music club that the two groups are involved in, and a brief exchange between Jump and Yong in episode 1 where Jump refers to Noh as his idol and Yong asking Jump if he knew the rumor of Phun and Noh being in a relationship. Let’s forget about the weird suggestion at the end.
Although the three main couple storylines were fairly straightforward, where TGIF fails is that the storyline was muddled, had unnecessary side stories that we’re confusing, poor character development, random intrigue between characters that don’t make sense, and a main plot line of the Bangkok music club getting help getting completely lost. Could these guys actually play or not? I was often left wondering if I missed a half episode in between episodes because I couldn’t figure out what was going on for awhile at the start of each episode, it took a while to settle into an episode.
I felt like the overall story was being made up as they went along. Let’s start with the premise of saving the music club. That isn’t working so let’s focus on the budding relationship between Home and Jump. That’s turning out bland so let’s focus on the Por and Yong and the Lun and Nana relationships but fail to give it real substance because they’re not the main characters. The lack of storyline focus was confusing especially when they added the other side stories and characters without enough development. How long can you run a minor storyline of a missing condom from a bag?
I did find that the story and characters matured from episode to episode - to a point. That point was pretty much at the middle of the series when the three couples end-up at the dam. After their return back to Chaing Mai everything, with the exception of the Lun and Nana story, regressed.
The young female actors were actually not bad but unfortunately the performances of the male actors were all over the place. This is a failure in casting where it appears they favored cute over substance. The main characters of Jump and Home we’re so wooden it was sometimes painful to watch. Their acting did get better as the series progressed but as their bangs got longer their acting again got worse. The second couple of Por and Yong were fine but, their storyline could have been streamlined with better developed conflicts and character struggles. The best developed and acted relationship was the third one between Lun and Nana. Their storyline and acting felt genuine due to the two actor’s having good chemistry and ability, which was lacking with the rest of the actors and couples.
The soundtrack of TGIF also seemed to get better as the series progressed - again to a point. The main soundtrack is cute and catchy. It’s no where near the level of “Shake” but pretty good. The Jump and Home relationship song at the dam was also pretty good. But just like the majority of the series, the music fell apart in the second half of the series with some awful music tracks sung by the actors in the series. Pluggy has a very unique voice, not sure of anyone else in the series has lead vocal quality, so if he was in the song it was fine.
Why I really come down hard on this series is because I’m watching this concurrently with a number of far better Thai series. The producers of TGIF chose to release it at the same time of the end of “Theory of Love” and “3 Will be Free” and the start of “TharnType”, “Dark Blue Kiss”, “I am your King 2”, and “Until We Meet Again.” Yikes! That’s crazy bad timing! How can you go up against those heavy hitters with green actors and a poor script? The quality of the storyline and acting of TGIF pales in comparison to any of those series. I rate each of the aforementioned series between a 9.5 and 8, while I give TGIF a generous 6. Maybe if I watched TGIF during a period where no BL series running I would be more forgiving,
Five years have passed since the groundbreaking “Lovesick” series. The Thai BL genre has evolved so much in those five years that just having a cute series is not enough. I think that audiences are expecting more coherent and developed storylines, better writing and frankly better acting from their series, regardless of genre. I did stick around and watched all 12 episodes of TGIF so cute may have a place?
PS - Had to go to another site to watch the last episode as it’s been over a month and the producers of TGIF have yet to translate the last episode on YouTube, which they had diligently done a week or less post-release of an episode. Did they also give-up on the series?
Was this review helpful to you?
Warm and Fuzzy, but.....
Watching Binary Love made me feel fuzzy inside. The love between the main leads were organic and it genuinely made sense. The male lead's boldness added to his quirky charm, seeing that he was socially awkward, but courageous in love. The story developed a one-track man into someone who is foolish in love. All while this story is great, it may be worth for the male lead solely.Dont get me wrong, the female lead was a good lead, but she was kind of flat. In the earlier episodes she seemed to be charming, but as the story progressed her character began to lack dimension. She began a generic female lead that you could find in many other dramas. The plot was great, but it was not in any way due to the female lead.
There was also the UNNECESSARY second male lead and the even more unnecessary third male lead. The second male was inevitable, seeing that he's on the promo cover, but his story went on until the bitter end. He was simply not someone you could route for. At the beginning the series his character was enjoyable because it added some drama, but he quickly became a very annoying entitled man who doesnt know his boundaries. I was fed up wifh him halfway through the show and his forceful behavior towards the female did not end until the bitter end.
And then the show introduced a third lead, who liked the female lead for no reason at all. It was very random and the male didnt even pay him mind, so the third lead was just there for fun I guess. And again the female barely has any depth, so its hard to believe that three men would be chasing after her.
But all in all, this showed had some powerful friendships that were entertaining. The second couple is honestly so cute. And the male lead is adorable, Ren YouLun did a great job acting out his role, and honestly he's the main reason the show was enjoyable.
If you can get passed someone of the negatives i have mentioned this was a good watch. But i have to say it was more entertaining the first episodes then it sort if fell off.
Was this review helpful to you?
Reasons to watch-Wanna cry ,this is your drama.it will make you cry an ocean of tears.Grim reaper-my favorite character .he is one of the reasons why it made you cried, fantasy ,best second-lead couple, awesome ost, humor-it makes you laugh as much as it cries, every single character portrayed beautifully ,happy ending
enjoy watching
Was this review helpful to you?
Be sure to watch the Post Credit Scene
I saw Shining For One Thing: The Movie this morning in US and if you take nothing else from my review please WATCH THE POST CREDIT SCENE!Key points:
- Happy Ending
- You don't have to have seen the show to understand or enjoy the movie
- Twists you didn't see coming (just like the show!)
General Thoughts:
The movie took to heart the key theme of parallel universes and expanded on that. Therefore, the movie is more adjacent to the series than a direct continuation but don't worry, we still get our Happy Ending! Of course because it's a movie with a limited run time and not spanning multiple episodes it's unable to create or show a real or psuedo-relationship like the main characters had in the show but it still does a great job of conveying how strongly and deeply they feel for each other. Also, this is all about Zhang Wansen & Lin Beixing; the side characters we also love aren't apart of the story much. As someone who watched the series I found it incredibly satisfying and cannot wait to watch it again.
Was this review helpful to you?
Short and Sweet - good acting with an entertaining and concise story
This drama is like the best of both worlds combining the length of a longer movie with the juicy details of a drama. I highly recommend this for those who love sweet moments without spending hours fast-forwarding through those unneeded storylines.I have watched many dramas both of those long 40-minute episodes as well as those that are 2 minute long episodes. While most of the 2-minute episode drama productions are more on the lower budget that compromised on the quality of actors, costumes, and poor directing, etc. It usually makes me feel I am watching an amateur production, but I was pleasantly surprised by this one with quality actor/actresses (both good looking and good acting), pretty costumes, decent directing, etc... the entire production feels just as good as the normal full budget ones, but with a shorter concise story. A story that doesn't need to focus on too much plotting or any 2nd couple that I call the fluff, which I usually just fast forward, but this is a drama that gives you only the sweet romance and just the right amount of character development and story details of the main leads, from start to finish with beautiful chemistry between them.
Overall: The acting was good, both main leads have beautiful chemistry, the story was entertaining and sweet, just the perfect amount of story and romance without dragging on. In fact, it almost leaves you wanting more, wishing it was just a little bit longer. This story is completed with a 2nd season, which even with both seasons combined is still the perfectly nice and concise length. Instead of watching a 60-hour drama for the sweet storyline only, now you can have it without fast-forwarding together in these 2 seasons.
Was this review helpful to you?
Loved everything about this!
I just finished this and it’s going to take a couple of days to recover. This was SOOOOO GOOD!!!It ranged from suspenseful to cheesy to funny to heartbreaking. Every character in the show was great. The bromance between the male leads was hilarious and I laughed so hard I cried. They played off of each other beautifully.
The Reaper’s romance was adorable and heartbreaking. It seemed hopeless and yet I couldn’t stop cheering them on.
Deok Hwa was cute and entertaining. The sidekick ghosts were a riot. And the evil ghost was creepy as hell. They all did a fantastic job.
The main romance was thrilling to watch as they worked to overcome endless challenges. I know a lot of people have issues with the age gap, but let’s be real. Dude is 930 years old. No mortal woman is going to be close to that, ha. But they did handle it well, I think. There was a New Years kiss and a goodbye kiss when she was 20 (NOT a child). Without getting into spoilers, this show spans a LOT of time and there was no real physical interaction until she grew up more. He knew he was supposed to die, so he tried to avoid getting attached. It’s not like he was creeping on a high school kid.
There were a lot of extra things that tugged at the heart, like the old war couple being reunited in the reaper’s office. All those little side bits added a lot of depth to the show. Also, the music was incredible.
This is definitely in my favorites and I’ll be watching it again at some point- but not for a while because.. wow. It was a lot and I’m kind of exhausted now.
Was this review helpful to you?
Best PH BL movie by far
I dont want to spoil everyone. But i just wanted to say that every cent that you pay for the ticket for this movie is so WORTH IT!! It’s by far the best ph bl movie by far. I just cant get enough that i had to buy another ticket for tomorrow’s stream. ❤️ A chef’s kiss. 👌🏻When I saw the trailer, I thought it was that recycled plot where there’s an outing in the beach and all and that’s where they develop their feelings. But when i watched it, i was amazed by how good it was done. The build up and character development is so good, it will make you engrossed to your screen. Hope you guys will watch it. Support them by buying tickets via ktx.ph so that they will reconsider season 2 if it will be that successful... hopefully... ❤️
Was this review helpful to you?
Forget about the fact that Detective Kang is not in it, it's not the end of the world, it does not make the drama worse!
The new casts brings a new mood into the whole drama. Before even starting the drama I wasn't especially happy about the cast change but after the first moments and the first episode they grew on me, perfect for the plot that was set for this third season! Ahn Nae Sang was perfect for his role as well and his acting was just amazing! Was blown away! Supporting roles were great as well! Especially the other doctors! By the way, the relationship between the two main characters is hilarious and enjoyable, you just want to see them more on the screen while they argue with each other~ XD
Better watch it because it cannot be compared to the previous ones if you ask me... the ideas that come up are way over what we can handle~ XP
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
A fairy tale with a bit of confusion...
As usual the love-story started with a misunderstanding, which is of course nothing new. But how they went with it, was new for me... In the right circumstances a wish from a shooting star can become true. At least I did not expect going that way, because "He Xiangyong" wished to be forgotten. And that had massive consequences with his dad, friends and when he met his highschool sweet heart again. Only his childhood friend recognizes him and he fascilitates the second couple by kicking his friends butt, so to speak, something he could not manage in highschool himself.The scenery is quite rural and is supporting the story. We got quite some nice scenery, especially the underwater footage in the finale. All the actors did a good job, especially the young versions of the MLs. The second couple had a dead fish kiss in the finale which makes me wonder, if they filmed the finale first, because of course the dumb intro did spoil the end - which I hate.
In the middle of the second half of the show, it gets a bit confusing, because "He Xiangyong" wakes up and something changed. First I thought it's not only his wish, but many wishes intersecting from people around him. But that's not the case, it's just confusing. But at least the God and his helper turn up to save the day. The background music is often offputting and makes no sense, especially when it has a comedic touch but the scene is serious or when a song is playing while a serious conversation is taking place. Of course I understand why they only went with one actor playing "He Xiangyong" and "Zhong Xiaoyou" but for me it would have been better if he really looked different for more immersion and that "Chen Haowei" fall for the second version because of his soul and character. At least it would have been more impactful. Also the "art" was left something to be desired, not good enough to be believable that "He" choosed this as his profession.
So overall a taiwanese production which was good and had some depth and a wonderful story also about two childhood friends. Compared to all the thai crap now airing, this was a refreshing story. Even with all the downsides I mentioned, it is still a good series.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
“ Youth starts with ─ a taxi, telescope, and supermoon.
I wasn't familiar with any of the actors, so watching this movie was a fresh experience for me as a viewer. I haven't even seen the trailer of it before and only got curious after watching a beautiful edit on YouTube.I must say, there is this calm and almost nostalgic vibe in this movie that made it somehow peaceful. The genre or the story is not something unique or not seen before, but delivery of the cast was beautiful. The characters were genuine with their perfections and flaws, nothing so complicated ─ it was as if someone was mentioning their youth memories, and you just listened and noticed how every generation could find something relatable in it.
The ending, especially, was quite adorable. Throughout the whole movie, you think he fell first, and he fell harder as it took her some time to notice her feelings. Then, they show a unique twist and summarise the scenes that have been forgotten in shadows from her point of view.
I also liked how it took one invitation from her for them to see each other again ─ as if they haven't been away for a while. This, I guess, shows they are each others' best friends [and sometimes rivals] first before lovers.
Overall, I enjoyed watching this movie and am planning to check other works of the cast as soon as there is an opportunity.
Was this review helpful to you?
