stalking, obsession, hottest guy on campus, multiple couples, queer affirming
Previously known as Stalker the series, and you can TELL. Co-produced by and featuring (but NOT staring) Saint and directed by Cheewin (sigh) with mostly fresh faces it was pure pulp and... I hated the plot.In fact I was ALL OVER THE PLACE with this show.
I ADORED both queer friendship groups, and the language use that resulted, and the main character reads as out gay and a bit femme, which is lovely to see. As @heretherebedork pointed out this show is basically giving the characters that usually get punch downed on, mocked, side-lined, and pillorized, their own love stories and happy endings - and I LOVE THAT for them. And for Thailand.
But (and you knew there was a big ol’but coming) the stalker aspect was far too much for me. Toh, the lead, was so cringey I dropped it at ep 3 because it had become my personal hellscape of second hand embarrassment. Like Bridesmaids or The Hangover this is NOT a style of humor or romcom that I enjoy at all.
As is often the case with stories of this type, Toh came off as desperate, needy, and awkward while Nuea had no personality. This meant that I could find no reason for Nuea to fall f\in love with Toh (although sexual attraction seemed to play a BIG role and that, by episode 6 started to save the show for me). Self consciously the narrative seems to recognize its own flaw in this matter and sought to address it by hanging yet another lamplight (or two) on it in the final episode but, I was over it by then.
And while Nuea did grow a bit out of his blandness, Toh never stopped being a complete nightmare (for me). Certainly as we got to know Toh better his disposition was better understood (Austen) BUT I never grew to like him, or entirely understand why Nuea liked him, either.
I DID like how very first love and gay sexual journey of discovery Toh & Nuea’s relationship was.
This was one of those rare (and much coveted) BLs where the characters actually do seem to want to bone. In fact SCOY’s Nuea & Toh are the pinnacle of that awkward first-time super-sexualized relationship in university. Like, I REMEMBER what this was like. Knowing how cool you want to be, but also just craving another human THAT BADLY you totally forget your cool.
And frankly, I like that in a YA drama. Really good, adolescent first love, shown in a positive light with a pro-sex message as well a themes of communication and safe sex? We NEVER get that from Thailand. In fact, we rarely get it in any gay shows, anywhere, BL or not BL. Just ANYWHERE. The fact that this show featured a drunk kiss that was NEGOTIATED ahead of time blew my mind. How clever. What a subtle way to address dub con. In this aspect the actors did a GREAT job, especially Billy (who played Nuea).
There was an awkward raw visceral connection going on that really worked and that previously only Taiwan and Japan have ever really bothered with. The other show that got this DOWN was HIStory 3 the BL that shall not be named.
But otherwise, I spent more time cringing than enjoying the mains. The side couples, however.
THE SIDE COUPLES!
I lost my mind first over Sky & Jao.
A confident king who falls head over heals for the sweet scared boy with self worth issues and makes know bones about his interest. Actually we have seen this trope before, but it was so perfectly done with this show.
But then at the very end they gave us Intouch & Daisy. Daisy & Intouch did not have enough screen time and I could watch a full series all about them. Their language alone was a real pleasure to listen to. I think the show didn’t have quite enough faith in standard Thai BL watchers' willingness to invest in them as a couple, over which I am quite sad. Because i get it. But in this matter, at least, I wish the show had been even more brave and boundary pushing.
In the end, for me, this show was a real doozy. It was a mix of Thai cheer meets creepy, Taiwanese in-your-face queer, and Japanese chaos muffin slapstick (like Kieta Hatsukoi). Was it successful mixing these things? Not for me.
It had a ton of things I really did not like (e.g. the humor was crass and awkward, and the whole thing was extremely CRINGE). It also had things that really worked: (e.g. representation of multiple different kinds of queerness, about which it very Taiwanese - in that there was no doubt that the characters really did want to bone). It was the opposite of sanitized gay. Honestly, if you can make it through the first half, and survive the never ending cringe-factor that IS this show, the second half is entirely unique - content we’ve never seen before in BL.
SCOY must be applauded for giving us, without question, the queerest, most honest, most truly gay Thai BL campfest that I’ve ever seen. It has to be praised for everything that it does accomplish:
beautiful peer groups;
all powerful and encompassing friendship support;
those friend’s giving equally bad advice & gossiping;
discussions of topping versus bottoming and safe sex;
examinations of wife/husband language;
concerns around body image and self-worth;
AND the gross, weird, ugly, hilarious side of all of the above.
Did I love this show?
Absolutely not.
Did I want to love it?
Yes.
Do I admire what it was trying to do and, to a certain extent, did do?
Absolutely.
SCOY drove me nuts and made me bush but had flashes of unparalleled genius.
SCOY was many things (a lot of them annoying af) but it what it was, primarily, was actually quite special.
So, I remain conflicted.
SCOY made me feel whiplash and I hate that sensation. But I love what it was attempting. I loved when it was suddenly very sexy but then I hated SO MUCH when it was suddenly not sexy at all. I certainly fast forwarded more than I watched. But when I paused to take it in, it did get fun and enjoyable.
If you like slapstick and you don’t mind cheese and cringe then you might enjoy this BL quite a bit. In the end, this one really came down to a matter of taste. It’s not to my personal taste, the narrative was hit or miss, but its intention was pure gold. This one waffled from 5-9, so I ended up just going with 7/10.
RECOMMENDED WITH RESERVATIONS, just not the usual ones
Final note, the sub team on this one was AWESOME, gotta give them a shout out.
They did mad good work.
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Compelling idea but lacking any real development
I'd been looking forward to this drama since it was announced and went into it really interested and excited. Unfortunately it didn't live up to what I expected.Truthfully I wasn't really sure what to expect, but after the writers introduced the several plotlines in the first episode, I was excited to see what they would do, and then nothing really happened. Every single plot point (connect, organ traffickers, serial killer, etc.) was underdeveloped and didn't really go anywhere meaningful. Nothing was explained (I'm guessing they're counting on another season for that) and it just sort of ended.
I also had a hard time liking the characters, which makes it really hard for me to get into a series. The only person I did like was Ha Dong Soo, but even he was a little sad and pathetic that it was difficult to get fully onboard with him. Again, I think this is due to being undeveloped.
The actors did a good job, but I don't think they were given enough to work with. Or maybe it was just how the story was actually filmed/put together. I'm not really sure, but in the end the whole thing felt like it was missing something vital.
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This drama is one of my favorite light hearted rom-com dramas...The main leads Sung Deok Mi and Ryan Gold had perfect chemistry and it is fun to watch them get close to each other. At times it felt that they weren't acting and that makes it even better. Their relationship was was very mature and sweet and very honest. One thing i loved about the drama was the unique storyline which shows that Deok Mi is a fan girl which is very relatable and it's very fun and interesting to watch. The way this drama was produced, the OSTS, the acting....it was amazingg!!! I definitely recommend watching it! Was this review helpful to you?
Bad start but get's better
Sometimes you will see a cover and instantly know that this is just not for you.... but then you may look a bit closer and find out that Greg Hsu is the star and all of a sudden you just have to watch it for that smile.... But deep down inside you know that Greg is probably the only thing this movie has to offer.And well it started off just like it´s cover suggested, annoyingly bad silly humour... Greg Hsu as a homophobic over the top jerk (with muscles) slightly painful to watch second hand embarrassment making me rethink my choice to watch it, but since Greg Hsu is the star and they trowed in a bunch of open minded granny's I stuck to it and it actually got better. Showing me yet again the Greg is a versatile actor (having like 10 personalities in this) and more then just a pretty face. The other male lead did a really good job too. Some twists where more predictable than others, actually most of them where predictable. the character development was however lovely and I think I may almost have shed a tear.
So I am not going to say this is great, but if you are a Fan of Greg Hsu or ghosts, this is not a bad place to watch them just don´t judge the movie by its cover or first 30 minutes or so. It does indeed get better. But honestly it is probably worth a 6,5 or a 7 but the cast and moments of brilliance (few as they are), as well as the presence of a cute dog truly adds a whole lot of stars.
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Why? As the five characters slowly investigate among themselves the truth behind the death of their gravure idol during her 1 year memorial anniversary, they unfold each other's personal lives and connection with the dead idol. During this time, they are all cooped up in a small apartment formulating reasons as to what really happened before and during the time of their idol's death.
If you think this is a boring film, well watch the movie and think again. This isn't your average film full of talk, mystery and well… more talk. This is one of those films that would make you scratch your head in the beginning, then seat straight-look-forward-to-screen in the middle and finally say "So that's what happened" in the end.
Its very entertaining to watch not that their acting was over the top, it was simply perfect. Every character portrayed themselves so well. The way they analyzed each other, puzzled things together and draw a conclusion to each scenario... it was very smart and witty. There were flashbacks to give a better visual of the scenarios they come up with and that definitely helped in building up the story and make the unfolding of the mystery more fun. I give kudos to the writer of this movie who made everything interesting.
Cinematography wise, it wasn't much since the focus is more on each characters who are talking inside a small room and as for the music I wasn't able to remember it much but it did somehow help as a background to build up the mood of the film.
Recommending this to those who like watching films which are more on the conversation side with mystery and comic relief on the side lines. BTW, there's no other film that I could compare it with since I think… it is one of a kind.
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ONE OF THE BEST SERIES IN 2021 [MAYBE SO FAR!]
I just completed watching ATOTS yesterday and i was like crying like a baby 😭😭🥺 like it does have a happy ending but still the fact that this series ended made me cry more 🥺 .This was such a beautiful series out there with the reality facing. Cuz love is not all about lust and sex but far more a real love is all about acceptance of each other and being together as far as you can.This series is all about facing the reality not just about lovr but also other problems out there and realising their true self.
Cuz everyone just think that gay/lesbians always look on to making out and not about the reality in front of them. But here they just faced it together and we can see that phu[earth] is a realistic person who tries to wake tian if he is just in a fantasy world.
And coming to the cast EVERYONE each and everyone did a great job like everything was so perfect.Mix as a new actor made such a great acting that actually no one can believe that it is his first acting on the screen. If you guys just go through the official page of GMMTV in YouTube you can see the bts of ATOTS and how much risk did the mix had taken to become the TIAN we see in the screen. He just risked a lot.
And about EARTH as we all knw he is not a starter but to me this series will be the most recognizable role for him as an actor that may just changed his all profile just before.A leading role that got more attention than the water boy role. His character as PHUPHA is not a flirty but such a mature guy [ but changed in front of love in the end😂😍]was a reasonable and perfect guy that anyone could fall for. He did this role so perfect.
And all other cast like khatong,drake,kids, white and all others who lived in pha phan dhao mountain made this story more realistic that even we can feel like we are among them.
And about the OST! It will really give you that cold feel of pha phan dhao mountain whenever you hear it 😍😍. Such a worthy drama and let's wish one day they can make a Season 2😍.
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P.S: I actually dropped this show several times in the first couple of episodes because it was perhaps a bit too goofy for me, though I really started to feel invested around episode 3 when the leads start to connect more.
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She was responsible and kind but not someone you can easily just step on.
I Just watched The King's Avatar and Go Go Squid and had previously watched Love o2o, although they are different there are certain similarities (well, they mostly have the same themes LOL) I think this perfectly filled the lack of romance from the king's avatar, a better leading lady from go go squid and as sweet as the love story of Xiao Nai and Wei Wei.
The entire drama is cute and a definite "feel good" kind of drama. It'll make you laugh, cry and jump in joy. There were ups and downs but it the time that I spent on watching this was definitely worth it.
This drama introduced Yibo to me so, Kudos!
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favorite drama
I started Meet Yourself only because of Liu Yi Fei and at first I wasn‘t sure if a Slice of Life drama with 40 Episodes could be good and not turn out super boring but I was totally worried for nothing. This drama is perfect, was everything I could every hoped for, a masterpiece with a good overall plot, many interesting side stories and full of likable characters. This is now my favorite C-Drama I ever watched.Liu Yi Fei she is one of my favorite chinese actresses and I was so expected about her new drama, Hong Dou was made for her, she was amazing and became one of my Top 3 favorite FL.
It was my first drama with Li Xian but surely not my last. Xie Zhi Yao is husband goals, he was sich a caring ML, I loved it.
They are such a perfect couple, healthy relationship with the best Communication!
Favorite side character is Damai, I adored her from the start. I found her story also really interesting, she went from hiding in her room to have a amazing friends group that support each other. The friendship between Hong Dou, Damai and Nana was also my favorite! Loved that trio.
All the grannies were also highlights and made this drama so special.
If this place would be real I would move there myself.
Highly recommend this amazing drama!!
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This gives you the best of Yoom Eun Hye. Actually, it made me huge fan of her. A thin girl, with no makeup and short hair made her the cutest boy on the planet. Though, the girl disguised as a boy plot, is ancient but this drama adds a new charm to it. Gong Yoo did amazing as the lead. His character left an imprint on me. I have not dared to watch him in any other drama due to the only reason that I want him to remember as Manager Choi of Coffee Prince.
The chemistry between the pair is worth dying for. As for music, I was so busy watching Eun Hye, I hardly remember.
Others characters also add to the awesomeness of the drama. You just can't stop after Episode One. It gives you the warmest feeling ever.
P.S. You'll drink twice as much coffee as now, after watching this.
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I started this drama this on a whim and boy, am I glad I did. Ever since I started watching this I couldn't stop; I found myself binge-watching. Spectacularly done. Now let's get into this review.
STORY:
Warning: By no means is this drama full of fluff and such. If that's what you're looking for then find yourself elsewhere. If, however, you are willing to take up the challenge of not breaking your computer/phone/tablet screen due to your anger, then this is the drama for you. This drama is all about ENDURANCE. Yes, endurance. You'll definitely need that for this drama. There are points in this drama where it will be tested. Trust me.
First off, I don't think people should be intimidated by the amount of episodes. It's going to have you so hooked you won't even know how fast the episodes are passing.
There is something I learnt in school when giving critiques about something or someone - 'Sandwich Critiques. You start good, mention the bad in the middle and then end good. That way, overall, it'll sound good and make people feel like they did good. I think this could have also applied to this drama. Give us some good, some bad in the center and then some more good at the end. But No. This drama didn't want to. From the beginning it was throwing stones at ya! BAM! BAM! BAM! One thing after the other. It seemed as though that things were just not meant to go the right way and things just went from bad to worse to 'worse-er' (if you'll allow me :D).
Of course it couldn't be all bad. We had an amazing ball of sunshine: Im Ha-Yoon. What a cupcake. We also had our side couples who would give us some laughs before we went back to the battle feel.
This drama really was a beast in some ways. But be not afraid, there is a nice pot of gold awaiting you at the end of the rainbow :). Satisfying!
P.S This drama will just make you fall head-over-heels for Gun-Woo. This man's devotion is no joke! *Faints* Perfectly perfect (too bad he only exists in a drama)
ACTING
Honestly, I don't think they could have picked a better cast for this drama. This is my first time meeting Lee Yoon Ji and I must say, she made me fall in love with her acting. She did a great job portraying the character. And boy! Can this girl cry or what? Her crying came so naturally for her - it was amazing. I'm sure after she was finished with this drama she had no tears to cry for a year. HAHA! As for our handsome man Son Seung Won - handsome indeed. Another oppa to be added to my already larger-than-life list! He's relatively new to acting and he hasn't had any main roles before this drama, but I think he did pretty good. And this was a long ass drama so yeah, 'pretty good' in an understatement. Kim Mi-Kyung, this ajumma that's everywhere tsk. I love her. I've only ever know her as a good person, so seeing her acting this evil was a punch to the gut for me. BUT she was so amazing in her role. I respect her. GO! Kim Mi-Kyung! This was also my first time seeing Lee Ha Yul in action very handsome. Not my first time with Ha Yun Joo; very pretty. They just had to play the bad role though, didn't they... Nevertheless, very convincing.
Shout out to the supporting roles. Honestly, without them this drama would have been as cheerful as a graveyard, if you get what I'm saying. They provided lots of laughs and peace to soothe the aching hearts of not only the main characters but the audience as well.
All in all, everyone did an amazing job. They made you feel all the suffering, anger and joy along with them.
MUSIC
Honestly, I don't know. Was there any music in this? Hmmm. There was?! Oh, my bad. I was a bit too indulged in the drama to notice it. Yes, that's how bad I was.
Other Notes
Honestly, I really wanted to see more of Myung-Sun and Gwang-Soo. They were my sunshine in this drama. Too funny. ALSO! HOW! How could they not show us Myung-Sun's daughter at the end?! WHY? Why did you do this to me. An interaction with Gwang-soo and his daughter was much need....for me at least. I was so looking forward to that. :(
Also I felt like there were a few loose ends in this drama. But nothing much to worry about. Overall, it was great! Now. On to my next drama. Bye~
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What's better than having Won Bin star in a film? Having him perform alongside Shin Ha Kyun. The two are chameleon actors with a lot of chemistry (no doubt from previously working together on Guns and Talks); they really seemed like brothers despite looking nothing alike. Many viewers will relate to Won Bin's Jong Hyun, especially if they've ever felt their parent has played favorites. He's the more human of the two brothers, delinquent, rude, and jealous...but also loving and inwardly kind. It's a complex part that I lost Won Bin in; I totally forgot it was him for the longest time despite his unique look.
Shin Ha Kyun's Sung Hyun is something of a saint in comparison; he's sweet, smart, perpetually patient, the beloved son. Despite the fact this is also how Jong Hyun jealously sees him, Sung Hyun suffers a lot too. He was born with a harelip and never has an easy time of anything, even establishing a good relationship with his younger brother. Shin is fresh-faced and subtle here, a perfect foil to Won Bin's dynamic performance.
Unfortunately, My Brother will not be to everyone's tastes. The music was nothing special and, as mentioned before, the story is slow. So this is not a re-watch friendly movie; once you've seen it, there's nothing to go back for unless the interaction between the leads impressed you. The one time you do see it is definitely worth it though.
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Perfect Summer Film
I was so happy when I heard about this film being part of the Nippon Connection line-up. Honestly, everything about this film is so much fun. I love the pace, the acting, the music and I adore the passion these kids have. The dialogues are natural and fun. This is the perfect summer film with quite an unconventional ending. I'm looking forward to the future projects of the director and the cast too. Something that really surprised me is how the director could mix a lot of genres without making it a chaotic mess. This is truly a film for everyone.Was this review helpful to you?
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Wholesome fluff, top-tier chemistry, and the destiny trope done right.
Let’s take a moment to appreciate the destiny trope Apple My Love gave us. Another unique GL trope in the bag.From Kris's horrendous self expression skills, the show dives into sweet, simple moments that do exactly what they’re supposed to: make you smile and feel warm.
Kris’s friends? Absolute gems. They’re supportive, adorable, and might just be the best friend group in any GL ever. And let’s give props to OrmFolk because they are straight-up masters of fluff. The sweet and flirty scenes were so good they carried the show, making the simple plot feel exciting and fun. Kris and Karn’s chemistry was top-tier in every soft moment. Even the love scenes were a pleasant surprise.
Kris’s character development was a slow burn, but it worked. You could see her putting in real effort to grow, not just for herself but for Karn too. And the guys in this show? Surprisingly great. Except for that one jerk (looking at you, Toy), the men were actually helpful and even funny, making the show even more entertaining. They represented healthy, supportive relationships which is refreshing.
At its core, this show isn’t about big, dramatic conflicts (except for the last episode). Instead, it’s about Kris and Karn facing hurdles in their relationship and helping each other grow, both as people and in their careers. The communication and understanding between them are what really stand out.
So, if you’re looking for a show with minimal drama, tons of fluff, cares about its side characters, and a genuinely healthy relationship, this is your go-to. It’s a feel-good, stress-free, easy watch that will leave you smiling.
The downside? Six episodes weren’t enough. Budget restrictions led to rushed pacing of the most interesting and lovable details in this series in the last two episodes. With more time, this could’ve been even better.
Trigger warnings: Hetero sex scenes.
2024 GL Ranking: https://mydramalist.com/list/Ln8MOBO4
My Top 10 GLs of All Time: https://mydramalist.com/list/4vGQqnb1
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