This review may contain spoilers
May contain little spoilers, and it's just my opinion..I just finished the last episode, and I think it's a first time when I skipped almost all MAIN LEADS scenes in it..! Well, usually it doesn't get to this point, because I simply drop the drama if I feel this way.. But this one was such a hit, plus I was watching it for a long time, and it was kinda nice.. Maybe till 14th episode.. Or maybe till 10th..
Ok, when I started it, it was very fun - the humor was great, the leads looked great together ( there was never doubt about this), and everything seemed new and fresh.. I don't even like romcoms - too much cheeseness is not for me , but I started it because I like PMY and PSJ, and well, needed something to watch :) So for a first episodes I really enjoyed it- it was a good office comedy with very attractive leads. Then, after the story from the past started to unfold, it was fine by me too - I know,many complained about this, but for me it was ok - as long it added something to the story, and we had actual plot.. Then - in pretty early stage I'd say, the mistery was resolved, and for the rest of the episodes it was nothing but romance.. First, how they got together, then how they managed to be together etc... There was never any serious fight between them, never any obstacle - it was all ''cute'' romance with small talks and yes - great looking kisses and glances, but nothing more! I know, most people are actually looking for this stuff - many sweet moments between the leads - but is it really enough, when there's nothing more beside this?..
Don't get me wrong - I love romance too, but for me to love the couple I need to wait for them, to miss their moments, wondering what will happen to them - then ,when I finally get what I want, my heart flutters when I see their scenes! I even may skip other scenes to finally see my otp! But here, in the end I skipped the leads... No matter how explosive their chemistry was and how stunning they looked together, but I still got bored..
Now, what I really liked and enjoyed, was the office team - they were adorable and cute, every each of them! I liked how united they were, and both office couple were great! At least it was fun to watch them after same repetitive scenes of the main couple!
It wasn't the worst thing that I watched , but I think it's very overrated! I'm not hating - as I said, I like both lead actors, but it was my opinion about the plot of this drama..
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Beautiful execution, yet a somewhat dissapointing conclusion
I honestly wasn't expecting to love this drama, since it is very much politically/business driven. Those plots tend to get old pretty fast, and yet, I couldn't help myself from clicking to watch the next episode. The characters are intriguing, every single one of them has something interesting about them.Everyone loves an underdog story, so Do Jun's journey from a grandson with nothing to his name to a majority shareholder, almost the CEO of the company is so satisfying to see. Every person who underestimates him gets what they deserve, and I'm gonna be honest, seeing almost comically evil people eat shit just puts a smile on my face. The relationship between Do Jun and his grandfather, hostile at first, turns into one of the most endearing and tooth-rottingly sweet dynamics in the entire show. The acting from both of them is an absolute 10, every scene leaves you wanting for more. To be honest, this entire show would've been an 8 or a 9.
If only the ending didn't stumble onto itself.
I can't even explain why I feel disappointed. Is it all the character development going to waste? All my torn out hairs at the never realized love plot between Do Jun and Min Young that was there to take up time and never went anywhere? The fact that, in the end, the main character everyone was rooting for ends up with the most tragic and saddest conclusion? Episode 16 throws out everything, every aspiration, dream, all the development and the beautifully crafted revenge plot, and turns into a train-wreck that looks conclusive on paper, yet lacking in feeling like a real ending. What was the point in seeing Do Jun rise? Was it really time-travel, one soul living though 2 lives? I don't know, and the show doesn't seem to know either.
If you're going to watch this show, just watch 15 episodes and make up and ending that feels satisfying to you. Trust me, with the final episode you'll be left with more questions than answers, with an added bonus of the feeling of complete frustration.
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A MUST WATCH !! Every Female character rocks the show.
Just AMAZING!! Phenomenal!!Story is JUST PERFECT!! It delivered everything to you - Comedy, Mystery, Drama, Thriller, School, Slice of Life.
The script is intense and engaging throughout with many twist and turns. Every second, every expression counts, you can't even look away for a single second coz you may miss minute and subtle details in the story.
It portrays the reality of a very sensitive subject of pressures of Education and its toll on the survival of both students and their parents living in the high society. This amazing series takes you on a roller-coaster ride of emotions. One moment you are sad, at others you laugh out loud. One moment you are angry while other moments make you smile with satisfaction. Most importantly, you get to feel all these in EVERY single episode.
The main feeling you get The MOST is the angst you feel while relating to situations of many characters.
You get to know why the person is behaving a certain way and the reason is no nonsense. All characters are multi-dimensional and the actors who performed it are Just FANTABULOUS! Never felt a drama can be this good after My Mister.
I won't go into details about characters coz it will be difficult to describe them in a single word and there are too many characters where I can't decide who did better. But every single female character has STRONG presence in the story. But that doesn't make male leads weaker. They are perfectly blended into the story.
Music is GREAT! Loved almost all the OSTs.
Another plus of this drama is the Cinematography and body language of every single character.
Rewatch is a MUST! I rewatched many scenes even many eps. again because every bit is WORTH it!!
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Waste of a Good Female Lead
This drama had a great start, featuring a highly skilled female assassin as the FL, paired against a highly intelligent, also incredibly skilled Commander of the Qianyuwei (elite guards). Even if it had all the usual tropes, it could have been an enjoyable watch.Unfortunately, the screenwriter took the amnesia trope and stretched it out for far too long. Literally from part of ep 1 to over 4/5 of the show, our amazing, smart FL was dumbed down to a silly, whiny, clingy brat. To add salt to our injury, the show even had to use an irritating child-like voice for her voice. Occasionally, we can see her subconscious act out and we see her true skills but for the most part, she was just plain annoying. They tried to show that even in the dumbed-down state, she was still smart but it was all mostly petty tricks or some glib excuses to get out of trouble. Honestly I still don't get how the ML would even fall for someone like that.
Speaking of the ML, he was the typical cold, stoned-face Commander who often chose noble idiocy, pushing the FL away for her own good. On a few occasions, he would return her affections (especially when she showed signs of wanting to let go of him) and he would pull her back, only to push her away again. Then all of a sudden, he decided that he cannot lose her after a certain discovery. That left a bad taste in my mouth since he did not think she was worth fighting for before his discovery.
The great visuals kept me hanging on. Wang You Shuo and Zhao Zhao Yi are gorgeous to look at and they had good chemistry with each other. Since this was a filler show for me anyway, I was able to ignore the ridiculous dialogue and silly behavior. Their acting was fine, nothing stellar but that was due to the limitations of their characters. The other characters did not leave a strong impression,
I did like the costumes, setting and the OST. The last few episodes were better as the FL regained her memories which is why I did not rate this lower. It is too bad though since these episodes also showed how much better the drama could have been,
Overall, I would not recommend it though unless like me, you just want to look at eye candy and not think about anything else.
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Not perfect at all, but full of heart, and way better than the hate it got.
Let me start by saying this: I am a Broccoli. Whether I like it or not, that shapes how I see this series, and I want to be upfront about it. That said, I am also not a fantasy fan. I don’t like fantasy or vampire shows – I actually think most of them are painfully stiff. I have tried watching all the so-called classics, and none of them ever did it for me.So when I say Revamp the Undead Story isn't Boun and Prem’s best work, it’s not coming from a place of hate, it’s me being honest. I know both of them are capable of much more. I actually think the main problem wasn’t them, but rather the direction and production team. This crew usually handles romcoms, and I love their other series in that genre. But Revamp needed a darker, more fantasy-oriented touch, and that mismatch really showed!
Now, visually? Absolutely stunning. The cinematography are top-notch - it’s one of the best-looking BLs I have seen from gmmtv/WabiSabi. Acting-wise, I personally think everyone did a good job. Sure, there were awkward parts, but to me that came more from the vampire theme than from bad acting. The story itself? I liked it! It wasn’t perfectly delivered, but I could clearly see what they were aiming for, and story-wise it wasn’t bad at all. The music? 10/10 - i love all of the OST's and i love the overall soundtrack!
I know people keep complaining about Boun and Prem’s kiss scenes, but honestly… I didn’t care. I never thought they were particularly great at that even in UWMA or Between Us. It’s not why I follow them anyway. I’m a fan because I love them – their personalities, the way they treat each other and everyone around them. That is what makes me a Broccoli.
What truly stands out in Revamp for me are the relationships. Director New has always been great at portraying emotional connections between friends and family. The scenes between Ramil and Pokpong, or the lighthearted moments in episode 9, were my absolute favorites. They had heart, and that’s what I personally value most.
Overall, Revamp has its flaws. Some moments felt forced, the “tough” vibe they were going for didn’t always land, and parts of the execution fell short. But it’s still an enjoyable series with a unique charm. I would give it a 7.5/10. It's not perfect, but it’s worth watching – especially if you appreciate the actors!
And as a side note: people on MDL seriously need to take a basic etiquette course. The amount of hate this show got week after week was ridiculous. If you don’t like it, just drop it and move on. It’s really not that deep.
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Sad reactions only - Gather around guys another honest review is here!
When I heard the news that Dori would be the main lead in a drama I was excited! I was waiting for 3B no Koibito to come out. However, now that I am in the 7th episode I am a little disappointed. Go grab your popcorn, and bring a napkin cause I will spill the tea!!!
Quick summary: One romantic cliché happening after the other.
CHARACTERS
The only female lead is Kobayashi Haru (played by Baba Fumika), who is a heartbroken person as her ex-boyfriend did not tell her that he was married. She found out about his marriage when she was getting ready to marry him. After that incident she decided to stay away from men and have some "me" time. But karma is a bitch and she gets to stay at the same house with 3 handsome men, the so called 3B. Poor her!
The first B is Shintaro (Nakahara Hiroshi), a beautician with a colourful personality and a social butterfly who is not afraid to show physical intimacy with the people around him. His personality usually creates misunderstandings among him, multiple female customers, and Haru. The second B is Yuu (Kamiya Kenta), a band vocalist who is the badass and the cool of this gang. He is mysterious and always speaks his mind when he has something to say. The third B is Yoshi (Sakurada Dori), a bartender with a mature and sexy aura around him. By his looks and his personality everyone believes that he is a cold-hearted womanizer.
PLOT
As I said at the quick summary, this drama is just one romantic cliché after the other. It is a typical early-adults romantic story. I have to admit that from the plot and the dialogue I got the feeling that I was watching a drama from the late '00s. I assume that the main point of this drama was to rout for one of the boys with Haru and be jealous of her as he has three handsome men around her. Every episode is a new story that we get to see the boys going after Haru and it ends with all of them growing a little. That's it. That's the plot. We are trying to understand who is going to win Haru's heart and if she would be able again to trust a man and be in a relationship.
ACTING
Well I don't know how to say this and not sound like a huge asshole...
*coughs*
The acting is not good! There I said it!
Well to be honest, my biggest problem is with Baba. I find her acting pretty monotonous and expressionless. I feel that her character is pretty shallow and has no true value to the whole story. I might be harsh with what I just said, but I find her acting forced. Honestly, I haven't watched any of her other drama, so I can't say that I don't like her as an actress; I just don't like her here.
As for Hiroshi, Dori, and Kenta I think that they are in a better situation than Baba; but again, I feel that something is lacking at their acting in this drama. The positive thing about them is that they get a chance to express their feelings and show us multiple sides of themselves.
MY OPINION
I know that nobody cares about my opinion, but whatever! To be honest, the description was pretty descriptive so I do not know why I am so disappointed with what I am watching. I think that the writer could approach the same plot from different perspectives and write a dynamic female lead. But we don't have that here. Even though at first I really thought that she would stay true to herself and have some time to overcome her previous relationship, she immediately gets fascinated by the 3 men when she meets them.
I don't understand why there is not one powerful and dynamic female character in the romantic dramas. Is it that difficult? Am I asking too much? Maybe! But I would love to see a woman who loves herself more and can be without a boyfriend for some time. Moreover, I felt that the romance between Haru and the men is forced and I can't sympathise with any pair. I get it that Haru is beautiful but we aren't given any chance to understand why the men start to like her. We just see them flirting with her.
Even though I have so many issues with this drama and I don't really like it, I am still gonna finish it. Why you ask? I cannot drop any series that I start. My OCD sucks (insert Rhett's and Link's song)!
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1The Beauty Trap: She Came, He Saw, and She Conquered
Prisoner of Beauty is an enemies-to-lovers romance set in a fictional world loosely inspired by the Three Kingdoms period. Despite a misleadingly serious start, this is best enjoyed as a romantic comedy—and a playful parody of both the era and The Beauty Trap (Měirén Jì 美人计) from the Thirty-Six Stratagems.Yanzhou is in crisis. Fourteen years ago, to save themselves the Qiaos betrayed their alliance with the Weis with devastating losses for the Wei clan. Now the fierce young warlord Wei Shou has come of age —and he’s out for blood. Facing certain annihilation, the cunning (and cowardly) Qiaos do what anyone would do: they sacrificed a virgin. But not just any virgin—a jaw-droppingly beautiful one! Which couldn't work better when the male lead is Liu Yuning, who is a natural at jaw dropping. In short, she came, he saw and she conquered.
Jokes aside, romance fans will find plenty to gush about. Song Zu'er inhabits her character Manman; wrapping Wei Shao around her fingers while she quietly manipulates events in her clan's favor. Liu Yuning and Song Zu'er share a magnetic chemistry and their slow burn romance builds their tension into swoon-worthy passionate moments. Wei Shao is smitten at first sight and poses no real threat yet Manman treads carefully, speaking softly while wielding a hidden stick . Her presence divides his household: the women resent her and a close brother covets her. Wei Shao is quickly reduced to a love-struck fool.
Unfortunately, this is where the story stumbles. Wei Shao’s guard drops too fast, leaving him out of sync with Manman, who remains focused on her political mission. Their relationship is tested by petty domestic squabbles rather than high-stakes conflicts, and the political intrigue promised early on fizzles into comedic detours. The narrative meanders through farcical subplots—some amusing, some recycled (Deng Ke outright plagiarizes himself with a routine from My Heroic Husband)—before abruptly rushing toward a bloody, uneven finale.
Still, the drama shines in its character arcs. Manman and Daqiao are opposite characters in terms of world views. Their confrontation is one of the most thought-provoking scenes in the series. Wei Yan (Liu Duanduan’s best role to date) is a fascinating, tormented wildcard, impossible to predict. He compelled to me to root for him and I was repeatedly gripped with dread that he would do the wrong thing. While Liu Yuning delivers a charismatic performance, I wish like Wei Yan, Wei Shao had been written with more skepticism and depth especially with respect to the evolution of his feelings for Manman. The excellent supporting cast elevates the material, particularly Wu Haochen’s hilariously nuanced Wei Qu and Wei Zixin’s dryly witty Gongsun Yang.
The biggest flaw? There’s no real plot. After a strong start, the story devolves into comedy and one increasingly absurd sub-plot after another. There are powerful villains but none of them are cunning enough to pose a credible threat in this story (the best one dies by slow slicing in Episode 1). After that, all we get are repetitive scheming by uninteresting, cartoonish villains who seek power for the sake of being powerful. Our "brilliant" lead repeatedly allows the main antagonist, a vain and shallow creature to escape to force the completely unnecessary ending bloodbath. The ending, while packed with smoking hot romantic fan service, feels rushed and littered with plot holes.
Yet, thanks to its stellar cast and addictive romance, Prisoner of Beauty earns a 8.0/10. It’s a flawed but entertaining parody of Three Kingdoms tropes—perfect for viewers who enjoy romance and comedy over complex political plots. Just expect more Romance than Three Kingdoms with few stratagems beyond The Beauty Trap.
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“You’re not weird at all, just a bit special.“
Moving is a big-budget Disney+ original series surrounding three high school students with genetic superhuman abilities living quietly with their retired parents. But their lives turn upside down when powerful organizations start to hunt them down one by one.Moving is reportedly the most expensive Korean TV series to date and it really shows in the production. It has massive action sequences, and extensive fight scenes that get extremely graphic. The visual effects look fantastic and there’s this stunning flying scene at the end of episode 7 that looks straight out of a Hollywood superhero picture.
But the best thing about this series and why it works so much is because of the sublime casting. From the top acclaimed cast to the young leads, there's no weak link as everyone clearly delivers.
Also, despite the packed main characters with respective back stories, Moving’s seamless shifts between the past events and present timeline keeps the mystery and anticipation active. It also truly helps that the protagonists who are taking us through the story are endearing and charismatic. And although this centers around people with super powers, it still feels very much grounded and the in-depth relationship between the characters is still the main aspect of the story.
Moving brilliantly blends action, drama, romance, humor, and creates this high-class and exhilarating superhero drama full of heart that we rarely see in Asian TV. Let’s support quality content and stream Moving available worldwide on Hulu and Disney+.
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didn't work for me
Overall: the creators tried to be edgy, sexy, funny, sweet and mysterious but managed not to do any of those things well (I did laugh a few times but some of that was not supposed to make people laugh). 14 episodes about 1 hour each. Aired on GagaOOLala (note there is a very important scene after the initial end credits in episode 14). Later released on iQIYI https://www.iq.com/album/playboyy-the-series-season-1-2025-1okp2nvz0rp?lang=en_us The production company Copy A Bangkok has also produced: War of Y, Y Destiny, YYY and Make It RightWatch Notes: I'm not even sure what to write here. There is an exposition dump at the beginning of episode 14 so you could watch that and then the final episode (through to the very end because there is a scene after the end credits), which won't make a ton of sense but neither did the series
Content Warnings: (pretty much all content warnings) murders, death, rape, sexual assault, abuse, suicide (it's complicated), grooming, manipulation, kidnapping, torture, coercion, blackmail, kink shaming, homophobia, drug addiction, non con video recording/sharing/outing, beaten up/violence
What I Liked
- a person can definitely be horny as a virgin and a person can be more comfortable giving pleasure rather than receiving it
- saying that wanting it rough was fine (though I didn't see any rough play until later...)
- a mystery
- appreciate that they tried something different from what we normally see (i.e. fluffy romcoms)
- that sports guy was upset about non con recording/sharing
- at least safe words were mentioned and after care was shown
- realistic friendship between the rich guys and the not rich guys
Room For Improvement
- the two false statements right at the beginning annoyed me
1. not everyone enjoys sex and that is totally okay
2. research does not prove that people think about sex 388 times a day https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20140617-how-often-do-men-think-about-sex (the average for a college-aged man was 19 times a day which was less than thinking about food and sleep) and that study suffered from the "white bear problem" ie telling someone not to think about something makes them want to think about it
- negative and stereotypical portrayal of sex workers
- the NSFW scenes were at times tossed in (especially in the beginning) and definitely felt they were there for a shock factor rather than an integral part of the story
- NSFW were painful to watch because they felt simulated, everyone was always wearing underwear and they didn't use clever camera angles to leave the viewers' minds to fill in the rest, overall the scenes didn't make me feel anything at all, perhaps because I hadn't connected with the characters yet which leads into...
- there were a bunch of characters and I didn't get a good sense of who they were/didn't connect with them, I finally figured a few out and they tossed in more characters
- there was some nonsense stuff that veered into camp and I think it was intentional but it wasn't enough so just felt awkward
- the Japanese voice overs (think ended after ep 2) and randomly speaking in English which made an unfortunate comeback at the end
- exposition dumps in episode 2, 11 and 14
- super disappointed about talking about a safe word but then forgetting it
- cliche poor communication and not clearing it up right away also "let me explain" and doesn't explain
- styling
- characters shared 1 brain cell, characters just believed someone because they said something
- characters had poorly done redemption arcs/personality transplants
- not clearly explaining a very confusing plot and hinting at a season 2 to explain things
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Zero Plot, Just Cooking and Singing
Let’s be honest, there is no plot to this 32 episode series. Guy meets girl. They fall in love. They SLOWLY get to their first kiss. Everyone stares at them with adoration. They stare at each other. The end.This is more of a - let’s just show a lot of good Chinese culture. Chinese dishes, Chinese clothes, Chinese music, Chinese tourist attractions. Bring in some good looking people, have them eat together and make it 32 hours.
This huge cast of actors did absolutely NOTHING. How much teasing can they give the main couple? How long must the FL act 12 and shy every single time she’s with her boyfriend? What about the side couples? They literally moved slower than a grandpa with broken hips. All the side couples got together in the last 15 mins. They have the main couple way way way too much screen time doing nothing but act cute. I wouldn’t mind if they actually showed some sort of character growth or storyline. If they made it just 12-16 episodes, it would’ve been short and sweet. But y’all.. 32 episodes?! What’s crazier is that I actually made it to the end. I mostly skipped by episode 25.
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My biggest issue was probably the male lead, Yoo Jung. With regards to the actor playing him, he did a really good job. But he does look a lot older than he should. Yoo Jung is just an unlikable character throughout the show. I'm not sure if the few glimpses of his past was supposed to make me feel sympathy for him, but it only strengthened my disdain for him. He has no redeeming qualities and frustrated me to no end. The Yoo Jung storyline was tiring and disappointing
The relationship between Yoo Jung and the female lead, Hong Seol, made no sense. They have absolutely no chemistry as a couple, it's uncomfortable to watch. It felt unnatural and forced. The way Hong Seol continuously rationalised and accepted Yoo Jung's actions because he did those things for her was upsetting as well, especially towards the end.
Baek In Ha and Baek In Ho were wonderful, I loved them. Honestly, I wish there was more focus on them. Also, Baek In Ho and Hong Seol had such a great relationship / friendship, you could see and feel their natural and effortless connection. They should have been together.
My disdain for Yoo Jung himself and his relationship with Hong Seol aside, this is a good drama. Phenomenal acting, and an okay storyline with compelling supporting characters. The ending wasn't as conclusive as I would have liked, but it wasn't too bad. I wont rewatch this though, I might just die from frustration.
I wouldn't recommend this to you if you're looking for something romantic and lighthearted, because this show is not it. It's also not exactly a dark or sinister show. If you're curious about it, watch a few episodes and see how you feel. And if you want to stop watching it, I won't blame you. You could even skip right to the last episode, you won't have missed out on too much, seeing as the storyline is very predictable.
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There wasn't a single moment where I could look away!
I'm blown away! There wasn't a single moment where I could look away. The movie had everything: tension, emotion, and so much passion. The chemistry between the main actors and the emotions were simply outstanding. The different dances portrayed a wide range of emotions, from grace to eroticism, and so did the relationship between the protagonists. The cinematography was also simply amazing! I will definitely watch it again and can really recommend it!Was this review helpful to you?
Must watch
They are the most heartwarming couples i have ever seen. They just nailed it. I can't even take my eyes off from them. And there chemistry is outstanding. The way they look at each other... I can't explain that feeling.This is a simple story. Everyone can catch up the story line. This whole series is just about 1 hour and you can all binge-watch ( that's the plus point). Honestly i didn't skip any part.
And the another main interesting thing about this series is its OST. That one song will bring you all the vibes.
I need season 2🙈
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How Creepy!
The second season of Utsukushii Kare is an exceptional drama that left a lasting impression on me. The series features the talented actors Hagiwara Riku and Yagi Yusei, who portray the characters Hira Kazunari and Kiyoi Sou with a great deal of nuance and complexity.One of the standout aspects of the drama is its unique take on the power dynamic between the two main characters. Initially, their relationship appears to be one-sided, with Kiyoi holding all the power. However, as the series progresses, it becomes clear that there is much more to their dynamic than meets the eye.
The line "How creepy!" is so frequently used that I lost count. At first, it was so off-putting to me hearing Kiyoi "insult" Hira. However, as the series progresses, this line takes on a deeper meaning and becomes a symbol of the characters' growth and development. It is a testament to the strength of the writing and acting that a seemingly simple phrase can evoke such complex emotions.
The last episode of the series beautifully showcases the growth and maturity in the characters' love for each other. It is a touching moment that underscores the depth of their relationship and the series wrapped it up with a good, I really mean it, good scene. The subtle shift in expression from worship to pure desire is honestly such an iconic moment for me.
Overall, IMHO Utsukushii Kare Season 2 is a standout drama in the BL genre and one of the best in its history. The only downside is that this series is too short! But with exceptional performances from its lead actors, a unique power dynamic between its characters, and a beautiful story of love and growth, this series is sure to be one of the best BL series for a long, long time.
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