Fun couple, emotionally engaging in most parts, they lost me a bit at the end.
Day (Sea Tawinan Anukoolprasert) was an aspiring athlete until his cornea was injured and told that he'd become blind eventually. While Day is living his days with his remaining sight, he meets Mhok (Jimmy Jitaraphol Potiwihok), who is hired by his mother to be his caretaker. Mhok and Day's moments together make them attached to each other, but their relationship gets really tough at some point."Last Twilight“ emphasizes the challenge of being in a relationship, rather than the obstacles in getting together. From how they portrayed Day and Mhok, it feels more of a character-driven story than plot-driven. As much an independent person he is, Mhok's past prevents him to fully express himself. Day is no 'damsel-in-distress' in his situation, but he often doubts his decisions through the ups and downs of their relationship.
Despite the somewhat sad premise, these two are fun and adorable. Another one that has my heart is Day's brother, Night. I enjoy his story and their brotherhood. The one I never understand is Day's mother. She is talking wise and all-knowing but her attitude is childish.
It was lovely except for the last quarter part, where the conflicts felt forced. They keeps showing us somewhat hopeful cliffhangers, but when we get to the actual scenes they felt underwhelming. At the last minute, they employed a trope I dislike before jumping to conclusion. The ending wasn't that satisfying but worked out pretty conveniently. Last note, this drama has a better than average production value (the editing and OST) as a Thai drama, I appreciate that.
-Jan 2024, Yovita
Find me on Instagram: @kdramajudge
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A cute drama about family, love, friendship, and chasing after your dreams!
If you're in for a happy feels trip, this drama is the one.It isn't very different or out of the ordinary
but it's the type of drama that will not fail to put a smile to your face through the whole thing
We have female lead Mashiba, who is an influencer on instagram and works hard to be a buyer
and male lead Fujino, who seeks a minimalist life while pursuing his chef dreams
Secondary characters in their shared house or Mashiba's workplace, who are also equally lovable...
And if you like seeing cute pets in dramas
they have a really cute dog that makes many appearances too ^o^
This drama is full of love and mutual support
and offers a breath of fresh air from the dark or scheme-y dramas out there :)
Highly recommend if you want something light and inspiring.
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Cha Eun Woo nailed it but the directors and story writers didn't.
Started watching because of Cha Eun Woo. I thought I'll like the drama because that's what happened with all the other Cha Eun Woo drama like true beauty and gangnam ID.
I was very excited to watch a supernatural drama after a long time.But I have to say the D
drama sucks. Its bad. Real bad.
the storylines are all mixed. There is 0 character development. I have no idea what the directors or story writers were thinking.
The acting of the casts was good. I can't start talking about Cha Eun Woo because I'll never stop. Just going to say he carried the drama. He made it possible to tolerate and keep watching. But I had a feeling that the Marketing team used him as a clout. I'm not sure. That's a different story. The acting of other actors were also good. But the drama gave them zero chances to truly show their potential. I hope to watch their performance in future dramas.
I was waiting for two years for this drama. But it was so disappointing and it's making me mad.If you're fan of any of the cast, then you should watch it but I'll definitely not recommend it to others.
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A Beautiful Concept Lost in Messy Execution
Imagine being straight for 70 years, then suddenly kissing someone your grandson’s age. If that’s not awkward enough, I don’t know what isThis one was so hard to rate. On one hand, the cast is absolutely stunning, and the concept is unique and intriguing. On the other hand, the execution left me frustrated more often than not.
Take episode 10, for example. I’ve been enjoying this drama since the beginning, but wow… Taiwan just cannot compete with China or Korea when it comes to fight choreography. That classroom fight looked so fake it honestly would have been better left out entirely.
And the logic? Completely gone. HaiYuan disappears for a couple of hours, and ZeFang acts like he’s been missing for days. Then suddenly bam an accident, and then right back to searching again. The ex goes full psycho and stuffs him in a locker (because apparently that’s a thing). But the real kicker? HaiYuan somehow tracks ZeFang’s exact location through an app like he’s got Find My Boyfriend installed. Please.
Then in episode 11, we suddenly get a third couple thrown in. Out of nowhere: “I had a dream you were with someone else. I don’t like it, so I’m jealous, which means I like you.” And then boom a kiss. Seriously? What was even the point? It was rushed, forced, and completely disconnected from the rest of the plot. Instead of spending time developing this random couple, it would have been so much better to focus on the main relationship that we’ve actually cared about since episode one.
But at its heart, the show did give us moments of beauty, and sometimes words fall short, so here’s a poem that captures it best: I wrote this poem
Xia Ze Fang pushed too hard,
a kiss not ready to be shared 💋
Ye Hai Yuan turned away,
heart untouched.
Then came the soul switch 🔄
and suddenly…
it wasn’t the face he saw anymore,
but the spirit within 🕊️
gentle, steady,
filled with quiet warmth.
This story teaches
love is not a chase,
not a force,
but a slow unfolding 🌱
If it’s meant,
time will lead it there.
Yet in reality,
a twenty-year-old loving a seventy-year-old?
Unlikely.
But here…
youth’s beauty hides a lifetime’s wisdom,
and a golden heart 💛 makes all the difference.
The series had so much potential, and there are still moments that shine, but the lack of consistency, unnecessary jealous scenes, and sloppy pacing keep it from being great.
Final verdict: 7.5/10. Stunning cast and unique idea, but a messy, uneven execution.
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That is indeed true the plot is the flaw of this drama.. but at the end I was totally hooked by this drama.
The reason is that the actors are really amazing!
They are really able to make you feel the characters emotions! Amazingamazinamaaazing really, I never tought that Go Ah ra was such a great actress!
I'm not the type of person that would rewatch a drama, but in the case of reply 1994, I would make an exception!
So if you are afraid to start watching this drama, because you have probably alredy watched reply 1997, give it a try just watch the first 3 episodes and I'm pretty sure you will tottaly enjoy the rest of the drama ! (I say the first 3 episodes, since for getting rid of my prejudice towarad this drama, those were the amount of episodes I needed)
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A NOT SO HIDDEN HIDDEN GEM
LOVED THIS!!!!!!This is definitely one of the better ones in 2024!!!
After LR ended this was the only thing i looked forward to every week....Everything here is so so good.
I am a sucker for pretty cinematography and the way they've captured all the scenes and emotions of each and every actor is the biggest reason i loved this. The best part of it is how they've given proper time for each characters personal life stories. which is oftentimes missing in some dramas (even if they're dragged to 16 episodes lol).
The actors are all amazing at their jobs...especially the little girl. The amount of emotions she has shown and the pure talent she has is clearly visible through the screen.
Another thing that I really liked was the bgm, specially the playful one at the end of each episode.
Also the pacing in this drama is soooo good, like you would not want to miss a single scene and everything holds some importance. I loved how in the start it was so sneaky and everything but as the show progressed things became much more serious.
Again, shoutout to the production team, they did an amazing job with everything as well as the writing, directing even the sets were so pretty.
All in all if ur reading this u need to watch it....it's more than just superpowers and the plot, it's also about how you grow as person, learn from your mistakes and just be a better person.
Tbh it just has so much content and quality that even without the superpower plot it would make a quite decent drama.
EVERYTHING'S GREAT ABOUT IT. GO WATCH IT. BYE.
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Nevertheless, it turned out to be a disappointment.
It seems Nevertheless too was just another rollercoaster ride, where the drama initially is able to build up so much of anticipation and excitement but literally goes downhill from the midpoint onwards. If you were looking for an honest, realistic portrayal of college romance, then nope this doesn't cuts it, not even close. Nevertheless basically covers just the crust of it whereas I was hoping to unravel the basic core of the experience and the involved characters.My major disappointment was character development of Park Jaeon or the lack thereof. Expecting more in depth focus on him, his personal life and how and why he was the way he was because honestly, if you want to convince the viewers that a legit fuckboy has turned into a lovestruck puppy, you don't do that through super cheesy intimate scenes instead, you ought to uncover and display his plot arcs with his family and past and his gradual journey to redemption with few episodes from his perspective and not just Nabi's. I mean c'mon Song Kang's acting potential at least deserved that! What was his equation with his mom? What happened to his father? Why did his ex girlfriend or whatever she was just left all of a sudden? Why was he still playing with Nabi's feelings when he fell for her at first sight? Why didn't he confess Nabi of his said "first sight love" much before? Why was he being a douchebag when he could have been so much more? Guess nobody will know.
The drama had no plot whatsoever it just swinged between the concept of attachment and dissatisfaction, these themes could have been explored more genuinely but sadly that was again, me expecting too much out of this 10 episode of a drama.
Using the word realistic in the plot blurb and then going ahead with the second lead receiving the emotional blow despite him clearly being a superior choice and the male lead sweeping off the lady in lead irrespective of the fact that he clearly doesn't deserves her, the Korean Drama writers must be jamming on "oops, I did it again" a little too much I guess.
Like many have said already, the only silver lining of this drama were the side couples especially, Ji Wan and Sol. Chef's kiss to these two cause boy, am I glad that this unexpected but totally necessary plot was added into the drama because they kept me invested in the whole thing till the very end. Extra points and appreciation for the little cameo by that very cute kitten in episode 7 and 8.
I won't recommend this drama to anyone but the ones who crave to see physical aspect of a romantic relationship more than the emotional because you rarely see that happening in the Korean Drama industry and I get that.
In conclusion, the brilliant cinematography, casting, chemistry between the lead duo and OST will sweeten up the toxicity shown in here for sure but still, the lingering sour taste of it all will remain.
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Solid entertainment with a few good laughs
I went into this drama with very few expectations as it pairs Jeremy Tsui with yet another, much younger actress with very little acting experience. The slapstick-type initial trailer didn’t help at all because in the meantime I had started reading the novel and I really hate it when scriptwriters change the whole tone of the source material.I was therefore very pleasantly surprised by the first few episodes that were mostly serious and showed an FL whose acting wasn’t on par with everyone else, but at least tolerable. The heart-clutching and fainting spells were hilarious and just at the point when I thought that they were getting a bit too much, they stopped.
The pace was really good right from the start, getting the viewers into the mystery around the collapse of the West Canal and whatever wider conspiracy was brewing. The secondary couple looked charming and perfect for each other and for once, both Lu Yan’s attendant, Yang Zong and Shen Zhen’s maid were allowed to be clever servants. Although, poor Yang Zong had an unfortunate talent to show up at the wrong moment and disturb “couple time”. I was really impressed by the actor’s comedic talent!
Another support actor absolutely worth mentioning was the one playing Shen Zhen’s father who had impressive screen presence and made the most of his few short scenes.
The initial villain of the story, Li Di played by Liu Hai Kuan had the delightful intensity of a character that we all love to hate. Sadly, his plot line was just dropped in the middle of nowhere as the story moved towards the mastermind behind it all. All the villains had a proper motivation for what they were doing, other than just being evil because the script said so.
Compared to the novel, the conspiracy was one of the weakest points of the drama. It could have been so much more complex and intriguing if they had used some more material from the novel instead of giving wasting time on this totally nonsensical amnesia plot in the last episode. Although this plot gave us the opportunity to see a sterner version of Lu Yan which Jeremy Tsui portrayed in a very nuanced manner, it felt rather superfluous.
Another weak point were the dreams which never really served any purpose. While in the novel the ML uses these dreams to gain intel on what his enemies were plotting and to develop counter strategies, this role of the dreams probably fell victim to censorship rules. Therefore, if these dreams as memories of a past life had been replaced by some nightmares that showed the ML’s fear of losing the FL it would have caused far less confusion among the viewers.
I was pondering a long time how to rate this drama. It had solid acting overall with the FL being the weakest link by a mile (although she wasn’t terrible) and the story avoided many of the usual lame tropes, it made me laugh and kept me entertained. The many fight scenes were well choreographed and executed and the ending was decent as well. Normally, this would have been an 8.5 in my books. However, in light of recent events that offer us a glimpse into just how much Jeremy Tsui must have suffered, both emotionally and intellectually, at having to film yet another idol drama with a trainee actress (who got first billing just to add insult to injury) and to counterbalance the hate-rating of a few obvious non-viewers, I am going to rate this a solid 10.
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I just can´t let go
I can´t get this series out of my head after finishing it a few days ago!Short version: I started the series for the plot that was given but stayed for seeing the romantic development between Yeom Mi Jung and Mr. Gu.
Longer version: It is not something I am proud of to say but I had no interest in the other characters and relationships that were portrayed. Maybe because I was overwhelmed with the quantity of main roles therefore struggles and I am more interested in "minimalistic" heavy plots? It is something I could have expected after reading the plot summary, still I was surprised about the depressive atmosphere I felt watching the three siblings struggling.
The relationship between Mr. Gu and Yeom Mi Jung was so interesting for me and it was a lot to take in. In the first few episodes I was so confused and could not grasp what was going on between them especially with him. I was scared of him at first! :D
The acting and the charisma of Yeom Mi Jung/Kim Ji Won and Mr. Gu/Yon Suk Ku and the (non-)verbal dialogs were phenomenal. I could relate to Mi Jungs thoughts a lot and felt seen and heard a few times. I would LOVE a series with the two actors again, maybe even with those characters. Definitely gonna watch all upcoming series by the screenwriter Park Hae Youn!
PS: Maybe I need to give the series a second try but for now I state by this rating.
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Unexpected treat
This isn't like any other series, it's not continuous story but it's more of a sitcom centered around planning department three and how they are put into various work and life situations with a touch of comedy...What did I love about Never give up
1.The cast
They were all soo good I must say and pretty naturally funny, it isn't easy to be so serious and funny at the same time and these guys every one of the actors were soo good, Their interactions with one another felt natural and not forced they all had amazing chemistry with one another, they managed to keep the viewers engaged I sort of felt part of the planning department 3 family the entire time.
2.The plot setting
The plot felt consistent and funny though got real and emotional at some point that's what I call comedy with soul, I never got bored once like at all, I loved the setting it felt like these characters or actors and actresses were pretty much just having fun together, the pacing was perfect and yes don't worry about the 40 episodes each was 20 - 30 minutes long, it didn't drag out because each episode felt like a new adventure loved the sitcom setting
Overall this was a treat I didnt know I needed, it felt good to see Dylan Wang in a new role more funny and loving at that, I became a new fan of Zheng kai who was my favourite male character in the entire series, Yukee chen proved to me once again that she's a good actress hope to see her in more projects, and the other cast iam thankful for this, it kept me stress free, I enjoyed the 40 episodes journey of NEVER GIVE UP
I would highly recommend to watch this if you looking for some thing fresh and relaxing yet heart warming
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First off, I'm being generous with my ratings. I can't quite decide whether I liked or hated this drama. It's probably a little bit of both. The concept was good and got me watching in the first place. The first half was really good and had the potential to be something great but then the last half sort of spiraled out of control. Who doesn't want to watch a man (Han Tae Sang) who's had a hard life, meets a girl (So Mi Do) that makes him want to change it all, becomes successful while quietly supporting and loving her over the course of 7 years. When Tae Sang and Mi Do meet again and he begins to pursue her, their story moves along pretty quickly. Tae Sang was right to the point with his feelings, as was Mi Do. Then enter the third wheel (Lee Jae Hee) and that's where all the drama begins. Sounds like your typical kdrama setup but eventually the story became so far out there it made it seem ridiculous. There were also sub-stories regarding Tae Sang's long lost mother and brother, a murder, a jilted woman w/ a one sided love and the rival of our main actor. I don't feel some of those stories were explored as much as they should have been therefore they ended up being overlooked. At least for me they were. By the time the last episode rolled around I had no clue how everything was possibly going to be resolved in just one hour. There was just so much the writers were throwing at the viewers. I guess, for me, if the writers wanted to add all these extra plots, they should have toned down their focus on the love triangle or just not even introduced those plots in the first place.
Acting/Cast: Many people stayed with this drama bc of Song Seung Hun. I know he was the only thing keeping me going at one point lol. Han Tae Sang was my favorite character and the only one I even care about in the end. He was such a naive man in his pursuit of Mi Do it became endearing. He was learning the ropes through trial and error. He would even research how to interact with a girl on a date and so forth. He had his faults but was ultimately a good man. Han Tae Sang definitely got the raw in of the deal throughout this drama though. Poor guy couldn't catch a break, and he was such a likable character! You really started to hate the writers for how much they screwed with him. Now So Mi Do...there's so much I could say about her but I'll keep it short. She was a very unlikable character. She was extremely selfish, stuck up, rude and immature. The way she treated Han Tae Sang drove me crazy and she showed hardly any emotion. I did like that she was straightforward and got right to the point. She also lost her moral compass for a bit but I feel she tried to redeem herself towards the end. In the end, I still didn't care what happened with her. Lee Jae Hee, I never really liked him either. He wiggled his way right in between Tae Sang and Mi Do even though Tae Sang was the one who provided the very best for him while his brother (Chang Hee) was away. He basically tried to find anyone who would speak ill of Han Tae Sang to, I suppose, justify his backstabbing. He was so naive and blind to the truth it was maddening to watch. He didn't want to hear anything that could make him question the hate he had built towards Han Tae Sang. Besides, he was pretty sloppy at being a "bad guy" towards Han Tae Sang. Supporting characters I liked were Lee Chang Hee, Tae Sang's bff and Jae Hee's brother. He was kind of the voice of reason (to an extent) and the glue that tried to hold everyone together. Loyal friend to Tae Sang and protective hyung to Jae Hee. I also liked Mi Do's mother, her brother, her 2 friends, Roy Jang and his father. Characters I felt were completely pointless were Baek Sung Joo and Goo Yong Gab. Goo Yong Gab was the most useless rival I've ever seen. He really didn't do anything. Baek Sung Joo was also pretty mild compared to other scorned women. They basically worked out and had dumb conversations with each other. Completely useless.
Rewatch Value & Overall: Rewatch value is not likely. This drama put me on a roller coaster of emotions throughout the entire thing. I wanted to drop it but it kept pulling me in. That's why I scored it higher than most probably would. It infuriated me to the maximum degree but left me needing to find out what would happen next. It could have been a great drama had the writers not gone completely insane. It does have it's good points but I feel the bad unfortunately outweighs the good. The ending kind of sucked too. Maybe it wasn't as bad as I expected it to be but they could have also done something to make it spectacular and that just didn't happen. I say, watch maybe the first 10 episodes or so, stop before it heads on its downward spiral, and just create you own ending lol. Guarantee it will be better than anything that happened in the last half of the drama.
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#freethepsychiatricpatient
This show is actually a daydream of someone stuck in a psychiatric ward, someone who is clinically insane and destined to spend the rest of their life there. The entire narrative is a blend of hallucinations and delusions, blurring the lines between reality and fantasy. Once you realize that what we’re seeing is a figment of the psychiatric patient’s imagination, everything starts to make sense. The erratic, adolescence-like adults running around, doing bizarre and incomprehensible things—it all reflects the chaotic mind of this patient.The theme of abandonment is woven throughout the show because that’s what the patient is grappling with in real life feeling abandoned by the world, left to remain in the psych ward indefinitely. The show captures these intense mood swings, with characters going from crying and deep despair to sudden joy and laughter. It’s a rollercoaster of emotions, reflecting the unstable mental state of the patient who dreams it all up.
The insanity portrayed isn’t a kind of crazy that you can easily understand. It’s true madness, something beyond comprehension, and that’s what makes the show both fascinating and unsettling. But at only ten episodes long, it feels like we were thrown into the deep end of this madness without enough buildup. The craziness is there from the very beginning, and while that’s part of its charm, a bit more development could have made the journey even more impactful.
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Worth Watching Drama
I think this is the fastest reicarnation I have ever seen in any drama, it only took 30 years but it is still interesting for me. I do like drama with some that kind of fantasy.I never like Hyung Bin or Soo Hyuk.. he just too prejudice, and he keep provoking Jong Bum that he is the criminal. I never ship Soo Hyuk with Jan Bin, I really really like Ji Chul / Jong Bum, he is really just a poor kid,, especially Ji Chul, his mind is corrupted by his murders father, and he being abusive since he was little, all he wants to help Ha Eun because he love her even in his own way, he meant well. He is still a nice person. I also don't really like Ha Eun because she doesn't not even give Ji Chul a chance to talk but I do like Jan Bin (Ha Eun reincarnation), she is more open, straightforward and understanding, she gives Jong Bum a chance and she listen and believe in him even throughout the rumor about him being a murderer at age 15.
At first, I don't know who will be the main actor, the one Jan Bin will choose at the end, but I really shipped her with Jong Bum. I don't know why I just don't like Soo Hyuk, he was quite corrupted prosecutor, frame the criminal just to get them behind the bars without a proper investigation and he just to prejudice! just because Jong Bum was at the criminal scene doesn't mean he is the culprit. The real psychopath are smart, they don't get caught easily because they are melticulous, they will never get caught easily on cctv and as a prosecutor, he did an abrupt decision.
I first start to notice Jang Ki Young in Go back couple, he as nam gil, as a second lead. Oh, how I have such second lead syndrome watching that drama, I really really really like him but I know he will never end up together with Jang Nara because she already have a child together with his husband before.. and when I watch this drama, oh please don't give me that second lead syndrome again. I couldn't bear to see that again. But luckily, it turns out well even though the ending quite abrupt for me.. But it satisfies me enough to see him get together with Jan Bin.
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I simply couldn't, and still cannot, comprehend how someone would take 7 episodes to learn that money is a valuable thing if you have little of it. Even though his spending habits were enormous, Louis should've picked up by the second scolding that he spent too much. He never did though.
Ko Bok Sil doesn't learn anything either. She finally seems to have trained Louis into not spending cash and she goes out to get a credit card.
I also cannot comprehend how the writer would think it was not obvious to name Louis dog Koboshi and only in the last episode reveal that he named the dog after a girl he got a gift from; Ko Bok Sil. Even Bok Sil herself thought he called her when he called the dog, so why didn't any of the intelligent adults pick up on this? Why didn't Louis?
Last thing I couldn't get: why all the broken lovelines? Sure, Louis and Bok Sil end up together, same goes for Mr. Kim and Ms. Heo. But Joong Won ends up chasing someone else (we have no idea what kind of feelings she has for him, if any), Ma Ri ends up chasing someone who's not interested and the same goes for In Sung.
All in all I don't think this K-Drama deserves the 8.4 it got here, I'm rating it 6.0/10.
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There's lots to say about “I Promised you the Moon” but I have to begin by saying how it's close to ITSAY. While comparing IPYTM to ITSAY (which is but natural, considering they are sequels), many have pointed out how IPYTM fell back while others loved it more than it's sequel. I belong to the grey zone where I loved both for what they were.The biggest parallel or similarity between these series was how Teh and Oh-Aew's relationship progressed. In itsay, they start out as friends, not best friends or bosom friends–these two boys were attached at the hips. They new even the most minute details about each other and the details they didn't know about each other, they were ready to learn. Similarly, in ipytm they start out as boyfriends. Not flings, not the questioning phase. Boyfriends in the truest sense of the word.
But all good things don't last and so it ends for Teh and Oh-Aew in both itsay and ipytm. In itsay they fight when one questions the other over whether they'd be ready to give up the thing they love for each other. In ipytm the struggle is different. It comes first in the form of Oh-Aew’s change in faculties which makes Teh feel betrayed; while Teh becomes closer to his own friends and his work, Oh-Aew gets closer to his own friends and his new faculty. Things hit the fan when Teh develops an attraction for Jai, his friend and then the director of the university play he acts in.
The problem with both Teh and Oh-Aew is that they don't stick together. The moment something happens they switch off communication, cut cords, ignore each other completely. But they can't let go. They keep thinking about each other. Both can't happen simultaneously, you either care of you don't and their conflict is that they do care but are forced to show that they don't. In itsay Teh texts Oh-Aew but he doesn't send it while Oh-Aew waits to talk to him in person. In ipytm Teh texts him again but Oh-Aew cuts him off.
The fact that they can't let go is highlighted when they meet each other for the first time after their fight. In itsay, they stare daggers at each other, unaware of what they will mean for each other in a month's time. In ipytm Teh and Oh-Aew meet at least two years after their breakup. Teh is heartbroken and guilty; Oh-Aew is heartbroken and angry.
It's ‘Shangxin’ all over again. Two people applying force against each other's hearts.
They take comfort in knowing that the other is okay. Seeing Teh flourish in his career on TV makes Oh-Aew smile. Teh texts him to know more about him, but stays away without imposing himself on Oh-Aew. The first thing he asks Oh-Aew on meeting him is whether he's okay.
“No one can replace you for me.”
Teh and Oh-Aew aren't just friends to lovers. Their connection runs deeper than that. It runs so deep that Oh-Aew knows he has to comfort Teh on learning about Tuty’s death. A small detail, but it really stood out to me. Because regardless of how many boyfriends Oh-Aew has and how many partners Teh dates, nobody can take take the place of Oh-Aew for Teh and nobody can take the place of Teh for Oh-Aew.
The series ends with at Phuket, with Teh’s brother getting married to his long time love. Teh and Oh-Aew, now with the sunset at their back, a calmer sunset–not the glaring brightness of the Promthep cape at Phuket–they get together again.
Direction • script and storytelling • cinematography & soundtrack
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CINEMATOGRAPHY:
In terms of cinematography, the quality is still maintained. Apparently the 4k release on Vimeo is the best experience ever, as has been said by those who purchased the Vimeo package. While we don't get to visit the quaint spots of old town Phuket, we have amazing shots of the characters with the Bangkok skyline in the background.
Aesthetics aren't about how much scenery you can clump into an episode–the colours matter. I never knew there were so many shades of blue.
In episode 3, where Oh-Aew first sees Teh and Jai kiss, the colors work perfectly. The drama club room where Teh and the other's practice have a light brown shade to them: Teh's shirt, the close-ups of Jai's face all meld together but Oh-Aew's bright pink and red don't match.
Again in episode 3, during the floating in water redux scene where Teh sadly backfloats on the water, the color is sea blue but this time it's artificial and lonely unlike the waves of Phuket where Teh and Oh-Aew swam in their childhood. The Bangkok skyline is navy night, not black. I can't help noticing all this about ipytm.
The most important usage of the color is the counterplay between cool blues and warm reds. Itsay was a whirlwind romance which shook me as an audience. It left me feeling raw in places, ugly sobbing and emotionally drained. Ipytm was considerably different–it was meant to be different. This is Teh and Oh-Aew after six to seven years of their relationship. They are both older, calmer and their story is sadder.
The final scenes of both these series have a sunset but where in itsay it's the bright radiance of Promethep Cape of Old town Phuket, in ipytm it's a calm sunset with small waves. There's even an ornate pier which wasn't there before. Phuket has changed, Teh and Oh-Aew have changed, Mama Sui has changed (she speaks slower and softer now, stressing more on the syllables)—but that's the point of love. Unchanging and forever. In the end, it's not the sunset that convinced me that these two people were meant to be, it's the people.
SOUND EFFECT:
The sound effects of IPYTM don't sound like normal sound dumps in most dramas. Where the OST is just dumped during long agonising moments of 'romantic' eye contact, or during the kiss scenes–no, the tracks have been perfectly timed.
There are three particular beats in the OST which have never stuck out to me before but at the moment when Jai tells Teh to recreate his first memory with Oh-Aew (read: sleep with Oh-Aew again) in episode 3, I could feel the weight of those three notes, they perfect hinted at the impending sadness.
In episode 1, one of my favorite parts was the ending scene where Oh Aew was sitting alone on the couch, closing his eyes an hoping to conjure Teh in front of him. When he opens his eyes and sees Q who makes him join the party, the crescendo rises in the background before coming to a still.
TIME SKIP:
If you've been keeping up with the news on ipytm since March, then you might know that Nadao had announced that each episode will be dealing with a year of their lives at the university. Needless to say, this worried me A LOT. Time slips/jumps always feel like meaningless plot devices but I'm just beginning to understand that it's more about how you use it. In IPYTM, each year hasn't been summed up in one episode, instead key incidents from each year have been woven together to tell the story.
Thanks to P’Meen's direction, we can see all these actors at their best, bringing the characters to life. IPYTM (like itsay), is not a sci-fi or fantasy or historical production. Its a largely ‘feeling based’ romance, as in the emotions it conveys to the audience are very important. To convey sadness, an actor doesn't just have to be good at crying, the build up to that emotional precipice has to be guided well and the director, scriptwriters and everyone working backstage have done that.
Cast & Characters
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1. OH-AEW & TEH
Both Teh and Oh Aew have changed slightly—the cognitive changes which accompany the beginning of adulthood—but at heart Teh is still the enthusiastic boy who saw Yongjian on his television screen and realized what he wanted to be and Oh Aew is still the soft boy who fell in love.
But after episode 1, we begin to see significant changes in their characters. To anybody who complains about this, people do change. People change enormously, especially during the transition during university. Oh-Aew and Teh face lots of emotions–lomeliness on their first week when they had only each other for comfort, rejections during cast calls, the fear of not fulfilling their aspirations, new friends, new lives–they both change, sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse.
PP Krit and Billkin have grown so much as actors. PP's soothing voice was perfect for the osts and mvs released for this series. He has really controlled tears, those single tear lines in episode 5 just shook me. Billkin deserves lots of love for his role. I hated to see people thrash the actor for the nuances in Teh's character. Billkin is a wonderful actor and nobody can change my mind.
2. JAI
JaiHe is so much more than an intriguing side character. First of I want to say that even though Jai told Teh that he wasn't sleeping with Ms. May for grades, I don't really believe him. His manner was secretive, not confidential while he told about it to Teh, as in he's hiding something.
Does that make him a bad person? I would say yes. If you've been to university, you may have encountered such individuals who to resort to such techniques. Does it make him a completely bad person? No, everyone is capable of growth. Does it make him a bad director? Definitely not. Judging from the way he interacts with the crew, it's evident that he's not a bad director. He pays attention to details, he reads through logbooks, he's considerate when he has to be.
A clear example is how Teh interacts with him. At first Teh was enamoured by Top but Jai was the one who told him to work backstage. Who opened up options for him. I'd say it's really natural for Teh to feel those signals from him. What stood out to me most about Jai was his dedication and secondly his insecurity. He tells Teh that he broke up with James because he was afraid how long they were going to stay together. He's afraid his portfolio isn't good enough for the New York university, which is probably why he's sleeping with Ms. May.
We get to see one shot of Jai in the end of episode 5 when he smiles on seeing Teh and Oh-Aew's post on Instagram. Regardless of what he has done, he's a character who left me rooting for him till the very end.
OAB is a splendid actor. If anyone has seen Blackout, you might appreciate him even more. He captures every emotion perfectly.
3. OH-AEW'S FRIENDS
Can we appreciate how unassuming Oh-Aew’s, Q, Mang, Plug and Au’s friendship is? In the fifth episode, when Mang and Plug (now dating) have a small argument which Oh-Aew and Q happen to witness, Q tells Oh-Aew to look after Mang while he will do the same for Plug and then they have a small squabble with Q finally conceding that he will take care of all of them. They will not judge their friends on the basis of who breakup and because of whom and will extend the same support regardless. When Teh comes on tv after the breakup, we see Au looking constantly at Oh-Aew to gauge his reaction to it. In this way we get too see how closely knitted they are.
4. OTHERS
If someone asked me what is the best part of IPYTM then they'd probably expect confusion but i have my answer ready: REAL CHARACTERS.IPYTM will convince you that the people they show are real. They are friends, partners, exes, sons/daughters—real people with aspirations and dreams and responsibilities. Even the side characters have a story to tell. Like Top who despite reaching his goal suspects that he isn't truly good enough. Khim, who isn't ready to forsake her dream yet but her duties compel her to. Teh, who is afraid of being alone. Oh Aew who gets judged for being who he is.
Everyone from itsay was reunited at Hoon's wedding. Teh’s brother Hoon finally–finally–gets married to the love of his life and that brings everybody who left Phuket, back to their scenic hometown. We get to see the MoRaoYuLok a final time, some of them are dating, some have a job, some want to return to Phuket, some want to stay in the places they have built for themselves outside Phuket. We get to see Bas, handsome as ever. We get to see Mama Sui, and she is sweeter than ever.
Also, are Top and Khim dating >·<
Cast & Characters
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1. Romance
We get to see a lot of romantic gestures from both Teh and Oh Aew. In the first scene we see Teh with the milk bottle in his hand. Even though its been a year, Oh Aew still heats up milk for him. He gets a small tattoo too. Teh may be more subtle but his emotions are there. I was particularly touched in the scene where Oh Aew was drunk and Teh, instead of taking the bed, sleeps on the carpet beside the couch.
2. Coming Out and being open
Five minutes into the episode 1 I was grinning like an idiot because Teh’s mom just got the best mom ever award. She's not only supportive but a romantic at heart and she had handmade gifts for both Teh and Oh Aew.
Then comes the aquarium kss. I think it was perfect that their first public kiss was after Teh’s mom accepted him. Even in LTIP, while they're on a nearly deserted street, they don't kiss openly. It's Teh's family's acceptance which gives them the courage to be open and it is Teh's love which let's Oh-Aew be free too.
3. Diversity
Itsay as fans know, took diversity to a whole new level in terms of ethnicity. Teh was partially Chinese, his friend was partially of Western decent. Ipytm took it to the next level with a transgender woman as Teh’s manager. It was the most natural thing ever and I hardly even realized it while watching the series. She was written in as a side character, thank you to P'Meen for not writing a cliche bl with horrendous transgender representation.
Also, kudos to Teh our bisexual king. He has dated other girls and boys but he's never struggled to find a label for himself. Then there's Oh-Aew who's comfortable in being gay. When Teh was not-so-subtly trying to find out whether he has a partner, Oh-Aew confirms that he doesn't have a 'boyfriend'. Some people like labels and some don't, giving space to your partner and understanding them is the most important part.
4. Phuket vs. Bangkok
The reason cited previously for the director change was that P'Meen would be better at framing a script which showcased the problems a student from a rural area would encounter in Bangkok and these were realistically portrayed: homesickness, cost cutting, sticking out in the crowd.
Teh, despite his avid interest in film making has no idea of how it works and is fascinated with even the simplest backstage tasks. The drama club members playfully laugh at his interest.
Oh Aew too faces difficulties, he is unable to make friends at Anantsart. While Teh immerses himself into the drama club, he is unable to toggle between reducing transportation cost, late nights backstage and making time for Oh Aew. When Teh thinks of resigning, Oh Aew encourages him to continue with his drama saying that he will be fine. But what was supposed to last just a month, stretches into two.
5. Reaching your dreams
Every character in itsay and ipytm was working towards a particular goal. While Teh is one minded and confident about his choices, Oh-Aew wavers. But in the end, both are successful. Even their mutual friends from Phuket have jobs or are in relationships. But we also have Au who decides to take a break which is encouraged by Q and the others.
Reaching dreams is hard and there are many obstacles, in some cases like Oh-Aew's, the obstacle includes discrimination for his slightly 'feminine' nature. This made me appreciate seeing a transgender woman in a strong job even more.
⚘
8.0/10 for an awesome story which fell a little flat sometimes but worked for the most of it.
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