This review may contain spoilers
Bittersweet journey to the core of "yourself"!
I won't make my review unnecessarily lengthy. Obviously you're here for "What's there to like?" Let me answer that for you...When I started watching Yumi's cells S1 honestly I came for Ahn Bo Hyun. But stayed for the plot. Why? Because it the plot speaks for us. I felt myself in Yumi. She's You, she's us! The emotional rollercoaster we face everyday in our daily life, the hurdles we overcame, the breakups we've been through, the thoughts left unsaid, those overwhelming situations made me laugh, angry, and cry too.
In the mid of S2 I was really confused about the plot. The characters and screenwriters successfully put us into a abyss of contemplation. Which I must say is worth contemplating for!
Ms. Yumi earned my respect. She isn't perfect. She knows how to compromise but she'll never settle for less.
And lastly the beautiful OSTs Ling Ling, Shinning on Your Night both just stole my <3
If you don't want to watch it yes you can skip, no big deal. But if you watch this till the end, I can assure you won't regret it.
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This review may contain spoilers
I wanted to chime in with my review as I am seeing some really odd reviews of this show that paint a very different picture of this show. I had previously watched this show when it first came out in 2015 and completely forgot the plot. While browsing Weir's page, I wanted to rewatch this show as all the reviews made it seem like such a good lakorn, and having previously watched it, I was baffled that I couldn't remember anything about the show, and I questioned myself as to why I could forget this show if it was so good? So I started watching the show in 2.2x speed as I always speed watch when I am rewatching anything, and after 7 or so hours of watching this show to the end, I can now say with certainty as to why this show was so forgettable for me.
This show is a crazy assortment of plot holes, overacting and littered with nutty characters that belong in an asylum for the mentally deficient/crazed.
The FL is TSTL from the first episode. She has the mental capacity of a turtle. Her goody-two-shoes attitude is so over the top that I wanted her to become a nun by the end of the show as that seems to be the best occupation for people of such high morals and innocence. She is so one-dimensional to the point that everyone in the show calls her stupid for being so kind at least once to her face, and I am not exaggerating.
Now, I know many of you might be wondering why being kind is so bad, and why I'm harping about this, so please let me explain: The FL runs away from ML in the first 1/4 of the show because of misunderstanding that he is an awful thug who is conspiring to bring her family down (understandable as he kind of is conspiring against her family, but I will touch on this later when I talk about the ML). She also happens to have the evil mother talk with the second lead's mother who asks her to pretend to be a money-grabbing witch so that he can leave the country without taking her with him as he loves her. She agrees (obviously since she is the missing daughter of Mother Teresa). Thus, she isolated herself from both the ML's and 5 years pass by, in which she lives in literal poverty and gets reduced to selling vegetables on the side of the road. All this time, while she was scrapping for money, she somehow still does not learn anything about the real world, and her mentality is still stuck in the pubescent stage. I cannot for the life of me understand how someone survived such tragic circumstances without learning anything? She still falls for every evil person who tries to trick her into doing stupid acts and time and time again she fails to have any sort of comprehension that people in this world are not all truth-tellers and some people are not to be trusted.
Anywho, let's move on to the ML (read Mr. Pervert from here on out). We first meet him and he seems like such a likeable character who is flamboyant and interesting as a gangster turned businessman who is smart and savvy. However, even Weir's charisma as smexy as he is can't pull off a cradle robber character that was the ML in this lakorn. The FL is around 17-18 years old when she first meets the ML and somehow, the decade older ML falls for this underage girl, and tell her he wants to marry her in a year?! He tries to make her father fall into his hands by pushing him into possible bankruptcy (although to be fair to the ML, the FLs father is stupid enough on his own to end up in this stage, the ML only helped bring about this outcome faster). Mr. Pervert, as it so happens also has a live-in mistress who is obsessed with the ML and is some thirsty piece of work to boot. She left her career as a model/actress to be the ML's secret mistress. She finds out her man is interested in some two-bit high-school girl and is realistically shocked that she has a competitor who is not even legal LOL. It's even funnier as many random characters in the show refer to Mr. Pervert as the FLs father or guardian on many occasions poking fun of the age gap, even the ML calls himself her guardian at times (the drama made it seem like funny haha moments, but lets be honest, no-one can laugh at a grown man trying to smex a child, he even kisses her when she's sleeping and that's child molestation, not cute as the drama was trying to portray). I found this aspect of the show beyond cringy. I can understand age-gaps, however, in this show, it was kind of borderline gross since the mental capacity of the FL was that of a child who has never learned that the world has evil and she probably believes in Santa Clause. For the ML to pursue her as a love interest felt wrong on so many levels, that even after the 5 year time skip, I could not see them as equals who are mentally on the same page. To me, it almost seemed like he was trying to get with her when she was undeveloped mentally so he can shape her to be the way he wants. Many times he calls the women he sleeps with dolls, and how he loses interest once the 'dolls' want more from the relationship than just sex and money. So, based on these things, him trying to get with an under-age girl seemed like the action of a paedophile, especially in light of the fact that we all know our FL is mentally deficient and has the mental capability of a child.
Moreover, there are a plethora of crazy characters who are obsessed with the ML or FL. The ML has a female business partner/friend who is probably the most interesting character in the show. She loves the ML in an obsessive way (at this point, you know every other character is either obsessed with the ML or FL in either a romantic or revenge way in this show).
The FLs father is another character that I was completely baffled by. By the end of the show, the man has eight children, from four wives. Who will ever know if there are more wives and children running around that he's fathered but abandoned as that seems to be his modus operandi seeing as he abandoned his first and third wives (his second wife and Ton's mother is some sort of mystery cause we never find out about who she is, why she left/died) children to run from debt, and somehow found a fourth wife on the island he took refuge on and went on to father 2 children there in the five years he was missing. Talk about the prolific sperm this guy packs eh? The show ends with his two remaining wives and all his children sitting and eating like a happy family. This made me gag, just a bit.
I won't go into the details of the plot as that's too long to dissect, just know that every possible misunderstanding, stupid cliche plot twist and multiple rape attempts made the story so over the top and disastrous, it's a wonder that I forgot about all of it after watching it the first time around. The only excuse I can think of is that I wanted to forget that I might have lost some IQ points after watching this show and was too embarrassed to want to remember what lead to that happening so I erased the show from my mind. The lost IQ points eventually came back to haunt me as I watched the show a second time around. Now, I will like to say one thing in defence of the show and for myself, as I have completed the show twice now, and after bashing it so bad, you might be wondering why I didn't just stop watching the show. So here it is, the show is also highly addictive because it's so crazy. You get glued to each episode because it's so over the top that it boggles the mind how any of the stupidity that went on in this show can be resolved. So you keep watching, hoping against odds that the FL might get smarter, the ML stops behaving like an idiot who believes everyone's slander against the FL and actually listens to her. This hope gets you going and somehow, it's the last episode and you watch as the ML also runs away to the same island that the serial sperm dad of the FL ran to. The FL has to hunt him down in order to be reunited with the ML and gets surprised by a bonus. Her father + new step-mother + 2 new step-siblings are also at the same island as her runaway ML, WOHOO!
I hope this long essay will deter anyone who plans on watching this show, hoping to see an amazing story, good writing and character development. However, if you like crazy plots with no direction, over-bearing MLs, TSTL FLs, and a truck-load of crazy characters, then this show might be right up your alley. I also write this review to remind myself to never rewatch this show ever again if I happen to forget what the show was about.
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This review may contain spoilers
Strong beginning but nc-scenes alone don't tell a story...
While watching the first two episodes, I thought we get something different and interesting from Thailand for a change, but the script writers had no clear vision and in the middle of the series it felt just flat. We got our 2D awful father, of course the family of the other one was not better anyways and we got a side-couple to fill in the minutes.The nc-scenes in the beginning were a story driver but that also collapsed in the middle of the show. At least they did try very hard to show us always different scenes, but that could not save the series. The endless explainations of the meaning of "peaches" was also getting on my nerves. It's ok to set it up once, but there is no need to repeat it every episode.
The side-couple could have been a balancing force with the sex-driven main couple but that also failed when in episode 4 they had sex quite quickly considering one of them was extremely reserved. After that the side-couple is just an afterthought with barely any screentime.
Production quality was ok, there where the occasional sound problems due to on body microphones, they used a lot of blur for no reason and an excessive amount of lipstick. The pacing was all over the place, especially in dialog scenes between the sentences they streched the time. This made some parts of this show quite boring. Instead of 60 minutes per episode, 40 would have been enough. Overall this is just an average show, started with a strong premise but it ended up in smoke and blur.
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Review of BL episodes!
๐ Grown Up Kiss (7/10)The story was amazing, but the kiss was too short. I felt like they edited the whole kissing scene to make it less sensual. I noticed they removed a particular scene that was previously shown on the trailer. Quite disappointing charr
๐ Fever Kiss (8.5/10)
Many prefer the prequel, but I like the sequel more. Changing the setting from home to school is actually a great move. For me, it adds more excitement to the story. My only concern is that their kissing scene was too silent. Unlike the other couples, I don't hear much sound from their kiss.
๐ Idol Kiss Practice Edition (9/10)
This is already their third time appearing in kissxkissxkiss, and they always ATE... each other! The acting was great. Both of them really portrayed their roles well. I wish they would come up with a new storyline next time other than Mugi getting jealous. About their kiss, I love the part when they start kissing on the floor. For me, it was very intimate. If I have something arguable to say, I don't think school uniforms suit them.
๐ Atelier Kiss (9.5/10)
This one is the hottest episode of kissxkissxkiss ever. Both actors look handsome, but their acting is mid. There's no awkwardness during the kissing scene, even though they're from the same agency. I read somewhere that it was fine for them to do a kissing scene again, so I'm looking forward to their comeback next season.
๐
Overall, we got shorter kisses this season, but still an enough amount to enjoy. In my opinion, "Atelier Kiss" has the best kissing scene, while "Grown Up Kiss" has the best storyline. All the actors are handsome, and the OSTs are great.
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Typical drama
the friendship that made me wish i had a best friend like that- someone who understands you and thought the same as you or close to same as you.
There was a couple of people that bothered me.
Love triangle - its nice to see the relationship develop between Xiao Je and the two male leads.
the fashion- I live in Ny therefore if i try on some of asian fashion people will look at me funny, but how i wish i could get a stylist to do my makeup and clothes. The whole drama i was staring at the females eyelashes- too bad they are fake, but its nice to look at. ^.^
Not typical drama
I always get annoyed when the story rises to its climax and so many problems arise- most of the time I would just drop the drama or start looking for another drama to watch, but this was an exception.When i say this is not typical I mean It had this kind of nice and warm feeling. No evil mother. It was a mother who was open to accepting things- as many other characters except a few.
Although this is a mature drama, but i really enjoyed the romance and you know how romance can be childish at times. You have to see it.
And finally, this drama had a mature characters. A strong female lead- I saw how she grew in work,she doesn't always need someone to protect her because she can do it!!!
Overall there were many "awwww" moments and moments where i could not stand to see what the old grandpas where saying. But they weren't up to where i would drop the drama.
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Best KDRAMA of 2020
I have enjoyed each episodes. Park Hae Jin and Kim Eung Soo are so fun to watch. I love how the director did not focus on romance but in the story itself. It is not boring and once you have done watching episode you will crave for more and can't wait to watch what would happen next. The drama is very direct to the point, all scenes are worth to watch. It is also gives moral lessons to viewers. I love Ga Yeol Chan and Lee Man Sik's character. They are perfectly created to the story. And Park Hae Jin and Kim Eung Soo portrayed them well. Kuddos to both of them, great actors as always.I love all series of Park Hae Jin like Man to Man and Cheese in the Trap. Hope more more projects like this for him.
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This review may contain spoilers
Acting is the saving grace
I initially tuned into this show solely for Luo Yunxi, without much expectation due to past experiences with modern Chinese dramas. However, the trailer intrigued me, and I hoped it might surpass my expectations. While it wasn't bad, it also didn't stand out significantly.Pros:
The acting stands out as the strongest aspect of the show. Each actor delivered their role excellently without going overboard.
As a fan of "Till the end of the moon," I particularly enjoyed the chemistry between GYZ and FMF. The main leads also had good chemistry, with many scenes feeling natural.
Luo Yunxi's performance deserves special mention, as he consistently elevates his acting in each role. This is arguably his best modern drama performance to date.
ZRN shows potential as one of the standout actresses in the Chinese entertainment industry, especially in emotional scenes.
Even the side characters portrayed their roles convincingly.
I appreciated the music of the drama, especially a violin instrumental piece that became an instant favorite.
Cons:
The plot and execution fell short. While there were enjoyable scenes and episodes, the overall story lacked coherence and direction.
The portrayal of kissing scenes was a letdown. While I didn't expect passion, I hoped for better expressions from ZRN during these moments.
As a medical drama addressing diseases like Huntington's, I wished for more exploration of the struggles faced by HD patients and their families. The focus on family and love drama detracted from the potential emotional depth of the show.
Overall, I'd recommend watching it once if you're a fan of Luo Yunxi or enjoy modern medical dramas in general.
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All of the actors were great. Jeong Bo Seok as Byun Il Jae and Jin Tae Hyun as Do Kwang Woo were just over the top awesomeness as the bad guys. They made this drama fun to watch. I also enjoyed Jo Bo Ah as Do Shin Yeong more than any other character. She was totally cute and funny.
The music is pretty good.
I won't ever rewatch this.
If you like a good revenge makjang, then this is definitely one to watch.
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Definitely a Gem.
This series was surprisingly good. It is a bit slow paced but it was consistently endearing. Iโve watched many Jdramaโs and this one is by far one of the best Iโve ever seen. Aside from the initial awkward moment, itโs genuinely a well written series. No supremely weak and and easily manipulated females. No forced dating. No weird triangles. Just good friendships, communication and humor. I loved how supportive the friends were towards each other and how they treated each other like family. It was a very warm series. There were some sad moments but so many heartfelt and funny moments too. I highly recommend this and will most certainly put it on my rewatch list.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
So I had a lot of high hopes for this drama going into it. It had a lot of potential to be a really good drama for the time period, but overall the drama had weird pacing issues and so much story to tell/characters to develop that even though it was 50 episodes, it felt lacking in some places, and overstuffed in others. STORY: Story pacing and being able to develop a full and intriguing plot with a good flow are the most important thing to a drama - second only to the skills of the actors involved. You can have the strongest actors, but if there are pacing and development issues within the plot, the drama is doomed. Like most people, I had an issue with the drama beginning in media res. The first episode begins with the assassination of a key military strategist for the Yi family military (I'm not going to consider this a spoiler because it's literally in the first 10 minutes). That's all fine and dandy, but because the story begins two years into the marriage of the main couple - it just already sets things up badly. Supposedly the main couple at the beginning have a very strained relationship - but why does it make sense then for our female lead to be rushing to death to be with the husband she doesn't actually have feelings for? If the drama was filmed chronologically then maybe we could see what was going through our female's mind when she rushed up to certain dangers to be with her husband, but we are thrown into the middle of the story and it really makes me agree with the thoughts of others (that she's only doing it to pretend to be a loyal and loving wife).
Literally just within the first episode, I already had issues with the story - but I kept persevering through.
The rest of the drama then had its ups and downs. I was still pretty hooked watching the drama - there were a decent amount of exciting "omg" scenes to keep you invested, but then it was also partially because if you missed even a small chunk of the drama it was easy to get lost completely. There is so much political/military plot going on with very little explanation as to who the characters are or how they are related. (Ex. I didn't know how the Yi Family and Mu Rong family were related for the longest time - so didn't understand why Qin Sang was allowed to pass up the mountain, etc. until it was later explained that the eldest daughter-in-law was from the Mu Rong family - which isn't until a few episodes into the drama). There's a brief explanation at the beginning about the various militaries that are at war with each other (Yi Family, Mu Rong Family, Li Chong Nian's army, and Jiang Shuang Xi's army) but again there's just so much going on that it's hard to remember who's fighting who at this point.
Romance wise - also weirdly paced for me. They have a strained relationship at the beginning - and there's understandable love triangles/side lovers, etc. going on, but once they actually work out their issues with each other - things are heated for a moment, and then really die down after that. From the moment they reconcile through the rest of the drama - they're supposedly now very in love with each other and actually care for one another; however, it felt like there was more heat/chemistry between them when they were estranged from one another. Maybe just a personal opinion.
ACTING:
I think it was more of who the actual characters were that I kind of got annoyed with.
Qin Sang - stubborn, loyal, strong-willed, but fairly bull headed. She was logical and understanding at certain points, but at other times she was unreasonable and caused trouble. I appreciate that she wasn't quite a Mary Sue character, but for someone who was fairly well educated and cultured, she was just bleh and kind of stupid at other points. That being said, I think Sun Yi did a decent job portraying this character. She pulled off the cold, unfeeling character fairly well, but I was hoping she'd bring in a bit more of her cutesy-ness (a la Because of You) once the relationship between the two was better - but it was still just a bit lacking.
Yi Lian Kai - I actually really enjoyed Elvis Han's portrayal of this character - and the character overall. He pulled off the arrogant, playboy, young master very well - but was also believably mature and logical when needed. You could see the changes in his personality when he was happy, angry, sad, etc. and overall I have a decent impression of his acting after this drama.
Pan Jian Chi - Another actor who I think did a fairly decent job in this portrayal. As I was watching, I actually felt like PJC cared for Qin Sang and believed that his feelings were real. You could also see the struggle between love and duty in his face and could understand why he made the choices he did. Overall good job.
REWATCH VALUE: I'm not really jumping to rewatch this any time soon. If I did, it would mostly be to understand better what is going on politically since I know who everyone is and what relationships are already established. It is another drama that I was hoping would be a new favorite, but kind of falls just slightly above memorable.
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I was eager to see what the other classes at Zhen Hua High School were up to. At the beginning of the drama, we are introduced to a large roster of new characters and I have to admit initially I was a bit worried that they bit off more than they could chew. However, I should have known better than to doubt this production team.
What I love most about both "With You" and "My Huckleberry Friends" is the attention and time they afford to each character whether main or supporting. As the drama says, every person is the main lead of their own story. That means all the characters will experience highs and lows. No matter how "big" or "small" the issue, all of their problems were treated with the respect they deserved. As a result, even when characters that weren't featured heavily throughout the drama had a moment of success/triumph, I couldn't help but be moved as well. Similarly, some characters also experienced setbacks and failures and I was able to sympathize with them. But these hardships/struggles also serve as learning experiences so that we can better ourselves. No one can predict if our past struggles will net us the result we want in the end. However, in the process, we will become better versions of ourselves with fond memories that we can look back on. As a result, we should cherish our past not mourn it.
I also like how Zhen Hua feels like a community made up of individuals that genuinely care about one another. Even though Zhen Hua is an elite school, students go out of their way to help each other if they see someone is struggling even if that means a student might surpass them in ranking. The students try to be inclusive and take notice of each other's strengths in order to help each other achieve their dreams. Sometimes we forget that school isn't just about learning different subjects/earning grades but also learning how to socialize/interact with people who may have different personalities, interests, dreams and so on. Ideally, you shouldn't have to choose a major/university only because you think you'll get a good job from it and your job/career shouldn't solely define who you are as a person. Instead, you should be able to pursue something that genuinely interests you so that you'll be more invested in what you're learning. Unfortunately, this isn't a realistic option for most people. But there will be a courageous (and lucky) few who will buck the trend and go after their dreams however impossible they may seem because when you're young, the possibilities of what you can be seem endless.
One of the main messages that both "With You" and "My Huckleberry Friends" promotes is being yourself. This also means discovering who you are in the process. For some people, high school is the time when you start to think about your place in society and how you'll contribute to it. Some of the characters in both dramas, select their majors because their friends/crush have chosen that major or have been pushed into choosing it by their parents. It's important to explore a variety of options to find what suits you the most. That is how you'll contribute to society but your interactions with other students/teachers/parents and how you conduct yourselves will determine who you are as a person. If you want other students to be more kind, to be more understanding/empathetic, you should lead by example. Be the change you want to see. I think it's great that the teachers are portrayed encouraging this type of behavior and that they understand the youth are the future.
One of the main differences between "With You" and "My Huckleberry Friends" is the greater emphasis placed on the students life outside of the school's walls in MHF and how those factors inform what kind of student they are at school. Social status, high expectations from parents, personal trauma are just some of the issues that are examined in this drama. We also see the students bond over shared interests such as Anime/manga, basketball, music, movies as a way for them to relieve their stress and temporarily escape the harshness of their current realities. Those interests will bring them together but their shared experiences will bond them for a lifetime.
Honestly, if I had to choose between "With You" and "My Huckleberry Friends", I wouldn't be able to. I feel that they both complement one another so well and together should be counted as one of the definitive representations of youth and the growing pains associated with it.
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The acting is in my opinion exceptional. Both Kimutaku and Matsu Takako did an amazing job, their chemistry was simply amazing. The other two actors were also very good.
The music is just like the story, simple and beautiful. The main theme by Ohtaki Eiichi and the song by Cagnet really gave me the goosebumps in every scene.
I've already watched it twice in a very short amount of time and still want to watch it once more.
I find myself smiling like an idiot everytime I recall this dorama.
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The cast is nearly perfect, with the exception of the second female lead. Jae Hee and Han Chae Young have great chemistry as the lead couple. Jae Hee gives a heartfelt and comical performance at the right moments, showing his character's growth from a mollycoddled high school student to a college student who takes ownership of his relationship and makes a stand for Chun Hyang and himself. Han Chae Young feels too mature for the role of a spunky high school student at the start of the show, but she grew on me especially when her character graduates from high school and matures.s
Uhm Tae Woong performs the role quite suavely - an evil second male lead who goes all way out to thwart the relationship. I also grant him a concession because he is the Uhmforce. The second female lead is just mehh for me - in fact out of the four, she's the only one who has no name recognition at this point in time. She just performs the role of antagonist, as written. In fact, she has the kind of face that makes me want to slap her when she comes onscreen. Both second leads are just PURE EVIL.
Like another reviewer said, few characters will emerge from this drama blameless. Most of them have done something to hold the relationship back from progressing - but I wouldn't call them Nice Guy-type dysfunctional. The only two who seem to have common sense and foresight is Ji Hyuk and Mong Ryong's father. Even Dan Hee, who at the start seems to be a harmless and well-meaning friend, but at some point in the show, she started to grate on my nerves.
Pacing of the story starts well. After episode 8, it starts to be frustratingly slow but thankfully picks up towards the end of episode 10. But, the way everything is tied up by the end of the show leaves much to be desired.
The music is just alright. In fact, it gets very repetitive and it becomes obvious that the same tunes are used when certain themes and characters come up in the story. Pretty boring.
The wardrobe for this show, especially Chun Hyang and Mong Ryong, is pretty atrocious on hindsight. I don't understand how these clothes could have been considered trendy during that time. I would not allow anyone I care about to wear them in public.
All in all, even though there are many flaws, the show is spirited and full of heart. It also receives lots of praise since many Korean drama fans started out on this drama, of whom I am one.
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Better than you think
I've read some of the other reviews and I think some people don't enjoy this show because it's not relatable to them. The story is intricate and well written, a rare combination. And the acting and production do the writing justice. The story is concerned with themes of empathy (or lackthereof), revenge, and ethics. If these themes do not relate to you, you likely won't enjoy this show. If they do, you're in for a good time.The only complaints I have are: (1) the blatant product placements (it's not too annoying though) and (2) the explanations of the various plots of the characters are sometimes delayed to the detriment of the story. However, do not let this deter you from watching it, I still highly recommend it to anyone interested.
Stories of romance sometimes revel in sentimentality a little too much but this one is an exception.
In the interest of brevity, I'll end my review with this: give it a shot.
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an excellent series (m/m reality dating show)
Overall: this is my favorite reality dating series ever. It had a very earnest feel while being entertaining. 10 episodes 45 minutes each. Aired on Netflix https://www.netflix.com/title/81685212Reality Dating Series Note: When watching "reality" series, I always keep in mind that producers might tell the guys what to do/say and that editing can be extremely misleading (not showing things, change the order, etc). My goals are that the guys have some fun (maybe make a friend) and being on the show helps (or at least doesn't hurt them) in their personal and professional lives.
Content Warnings: trauma, past death, grief
What I Liked
- everyone was respectful of everyone else
- the coffee truck was a neat idea to have something else to focus on, the budget encouraged them to work/collaborate
- the first anonymous letter and then writing who they'd like to have a date with and sending matching pairs on a date
- it's good that people were able to leave the house as a month was quite a long time
- production value such as nice music, set design, editing, etc
- (neutral) it took some getting used to with the hosts, I generally don't like real people commenting on the relationships of other real people, however the hosts were pretty respectful and pointed out things that I was also thinking
Room For Improvement
- sometimes the editing was super choppy/jarring
- wish they had some formal group question prompts, or organized group games (it did look like the guys played their own board/card games)
- sad that they only gave viewers 10 episodes 45 minutes long with them living together for a month, seems this could have been much longer, perhaps they'll have a season 2 with a longer runtime when this is (hopefully) a huge hit
Comparison to other m/m dating shows
1. His Man (South Korea) on GagaOOLala/iQIYI, currently on season 3. Excellent visuals/production value.
2. Sparks Camp (Philippines) on YouTube, currently on season 2. Great diversity with the guys.
3. Boys Like Boys (Taiwan) on GagaOOLala, had a very similar aesthetic/vibe to His Man
4. Love House seasons 1 & 2 (Vietnam) on YouTube (most have English subs, this is ep 1 of season 2 no subs though https://youtu.be/TKzT_nHfVTA ). I liked this set up more than Bromance because the guys could all pursue one another. I didn't like the "secret couple" aspect and dividing them up based on sexual position seemed odd (can't they discuss that in private???) Season 1 was also the most brutal "rose ceremony" I've ever seen in any dating reality show. Season 2 was better.
5. Bromance (Thailand) is also on Gagaoolala. This is the typical Bachelor/Bachelorette set up with a bunch of people competing against one another to be with the 1 bachelor. I didn't like this because they could have all been hitting on each other and we have multiple couples! I got kind of bored and skipped a bunch.
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