I started this one in May this year (2012) and marathoned first eight episodes at one go. Then my laptop started to have issues and I was without a laptop for last 2 weeks of May. At the beginning of June I got new laptop and watched other dramas.
Then one day I decided to get back to this one and watched 1st part of ninth episode. I lost interest to this show EVERY time I tried to watch episode nine. I tried to watch that episode for so many times that I don't even remember.
And finally this week (in August) I picked this up again and continued from episode 9. Then 10 and 11. After that I knew I would finish this in no time. After episodes 12 and 13 I was really hooked. And today I finally watched episodes 14, 15 and 16.
This drama basically is a drama that has really amazing and strong start and it gets somewhat boring in the middle. Then after episode 10 it gets really good.
If it wasn't for the strong beginning and superb last 3 episodes I would have given this 6. But thanks to those 2 things I gave this 8.
In my opinion this had a perfect ending. It was a bit rushed but I think it was still perfect. It was different from your usual romantic drama.
Watch it and let me know your thoughts ~~
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There's nothing I didn't like. I wanted to dislike the abrupt way the episodes end, sometimes mid-conversation, just fading to the OTS out of nowhere. But after 5 episodes, I started to understand the concept and appreciate it in relation to the were presenting the story. It's like one continuous movie that doesn't lose the flow or momentum despite the episode ending. Each episidoe ending is merely a slice in the whole rather than a distinct sub-portion. It gave me the feeling of placing a bookmark in a book where I'm ready to end, then picking it right back up where I left off. It's unique and refreshing.
I wanted to hate the villains, but I couldn't. While I deeply felt they were evil, I couldn't help but have some pity for them. I wanted to dislike the other-wordly feel of the ambush flashbacks, but it gave merit to the intense emotions surrounding the event. I reeeeeeally wanted to dislike the intro, but soon found myself mesmerized by it and failing to skip it. For the first time ever in dramaland, I couldn't dislike a thing.
The sets were gorgeous. The costumes were splendid, especially the headdresses. The cinematography kept you engaged and evoked even more emotion. The actors were stellar. It will be hard for me see anyone of them as anybody else other than their characters here. All of them owned their roles.
My review is vague because I feel you should go into this one fresh and gradually be dazzled. It's a beautiful series that will captivate you and redefine "friendship" for you.
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This review may contain spoilers
The Cooks Who Moonlight As Assassins
Here is the sitch. Kant is a love bombing, manipulative snitch for the police. Bison is a cheeky, deadly, adorable hitman, Fadel is a moody, no nonsense hitman who loves cooking burgers, and Style is an annoying gremlin, stalker mechanic who is unknowingly dating an assassin to win an old car. Between the four of them, someone is about to get burn, and it's sure as hell ain't the hamburgers!Listen, this drama promised a recipe for disaster and chaos, and it cooked and delivered it perfectly. This was an emotional rollercoaster and I enjoyed the ride very very well. As someone who read the novel I had a lot of expectation and they were exceed to the maximum.
CHARACTERS
Both FirstKhao and JoongDunk delivered a wonderful performance. I'm one of those people who believed after watching Hidden Agenda that JoongDunk took their acting lessons from one of them red bricks, but this was their best role yet. Dunk embodied Style to perfection, making me like that annoying character so much. So kudos to all four main cast, great job, clap clap. FirstKhao and JoongDunk were the perfect cast for this role, and it was great seeing them bring the characters to life.
BISON
So like we all agree Bison is crazy right? Sure he dresses like a middle-age divorce woman from Santa Barbara, and his adorable face makes him looks like cute a plushie, but don't be fool, dude had the personality of a ticking bomb, you never know when he was gonna blow while giving you one of those adorable smiles. LMAO, the scene where he was imagining all the ways to off Kant after he found out he was a snitch had me going, 'Damn dude, yous is a cray-cray'. No, he had one solution for every problem he came across. 'Let's kill it.' Bison's character was the most intriguing to me, so of course he was my fav, and Khao as always was great in his role.
Also, I knew Bison was batshit crazy, but he's borderline psychotic, cuz who the hell eats their cupcake muffin from the centre? And when he took Kant to use that laundry line, out there in the open? In the prison when those men were bothering him, I shook my head like, 'Ah, so you want to die this morning.' They did eff around and found out. I don't know what it says about me that the psycho with the cute face is my fav, but Bison was my fav... so.
KANT
Kant. Oh, Kant. What a giant red flag you were. Sure he did all he did so he could clear his grand theft auto charges. Which sure, who wouldn't wanna be free from the popo, but all that love-bombing in the beginning was just cruel. Plus he let his best-friend flirt with a gun firing, steak knife wielding assassin and didn't tell him. Sure, Style would have screamed 'hell no' but letting your friend flirt with someone you suspects murder people for a living is sucky. Homeboy sucks, but, snitches do get stitches, or in his case lungs full of water. He lucky Bison decided to save him in the end. Fadel would have let him be fish food.
I did like how all out Kant went when he finally realised his feelings for Bison. Homeboy even managed to find a pro-bono job in the prison just so he could be closer to Bison. Ah the things crazy people do when they are in love. I also liked how he cared for his brother, what he had to go through to give his brother the best life he could, which makes him like 16% less sucky for his snitching era, but I just remembered Bison and Fadel's heartbreak when they learned the truth, sooo taking back that percentage. I'll give him one thing though, he was brave and one lucky mfker, cuz he faced both Bison and Fadel's guns and lived to tell the tale.
KANT & BISON
Okay, but first question, did FirstKhao take a masterclass in kissing cuz... fam, those smooches were on a whole new level of eating. Now how this people go back to being co-workers/friends after these scenes? I can never be an actor cuz what do you mean, 'no we are not married, I shaved my tongue down your throat for work'. Na ah, yous is my husband now. Shit, after a kiss like the one in the empty pool or on the hammock swing, there's no way I'm leaving without a ring. Unless the police throw me for prison, I am stuck on you like glue.
Anyway, the moment Bison started doing his little inlove-ness-ness cute thing with the tissue like a disney maiden in a musical, I knew he was a goner. These two should not work, but they did, cuz they both had pasts the other understood. I'm glad they found each other, kinks and all. Cuz only two crazy people will do it in a prison courtyard behind sheets. No shame whatsoever. Oh, and that titanic empty pool scene. FirstKhao's chemistry is really one of the best in the bl industry.
I am so happy that they finally got to see the northern lights, in that episode when Kant showed a projection of it, as a way to spend one last day with him, so he could betray him the next day, I was so mad at him, like, why are you doing the most romantic stuff with the worse of intention?? Was so happy when Bison made him jump into the sea, he deserved it for that one scene alone. Though, with everything they've been through, I know they gonna last forever.
STYLE
Style can annoy a ghost back to life. Homeboy was so in love with himself and the sound of his voice, even his father found out his son has been dating a killer for the past years and he was like 'Honestly, good, only a hitman can handle your dramatic arse. Good luck Fadel, hope you can survive him.' No, but, that child was crazy. Him still taking that car he won for the bet made me love him more. Also, Fadel has the patient of a saint, cuz if I was the one who kidnapped style i'd have brought him back within the hour. Heck, I might have just turned over my weapon to him and asked him to put me out of my misery. LOL, that boy had me laughing and shaking my head. I've never met such a friendly, yet, annoying stalker like him. And I don't know what that says about me that I love him this much. No, he's so annoying, but like... he's the best. When Style showed up in his tank-top in ep1, I knew he was going to be annoying as hell, and immediately I went, yes, more please,
There were so many Style moments I love in this drama, but my fav might just be when he was kidnapped. Like he had demands, even had Fadel stop so he could purchase a better outfit to die in, cuz he couldn't die in an ugly shirt, which, sure, understandable, no one likes an ugly corpse. But he even had them attending, and officiating a wedding, wanting kisses and a good time, that bathtub scene. Nah, I'd definitely had un-kidnapped him. And like that scene at the bowling ally, boy literally forgot there was a crazy person with a weapon because Fadel said he was someone else's boyfriend. Child, this is not the time nor place. Oh, how I love his dramatic arse.
FADEL
Mr. Cool assassin who comes off as cold, but is really soft at heart, and just wanna be in his kitchen all day cooking. Fadel had a heart of gold, and the will power of a mountain, cuz the strength it took for him to not kill Style needs to be studied. That scene when he took Style to the creepy forest place, I for sure thought Style was a goner.
Of the four characters, Fadel came off as the most broken. He didn't have expectation of anyone, and he kept everyone away so he wouldn't get hurt. The boy had his grave ready. Legit, was he just gonna go off one day, lie in it, and wait for someone to fill it with soil? Lol. He felt things the most, which is why I understood him when he was being difficult in the prison when Style didn't show up to teach. He was afraid of getting hurt again. Even after they found out Style and Kant betrayed them, and he wanted to get rid of Style, he still couldn't help but care for him. All it took was him thinking Style was gonna get hurt in the ocean for him to give in. So yeah, heart of gold, probably the best of the four.
Plus he really cared for Bison. He was his whole family and he took his job as brother/mother really seriously. Which good, cuz that mother of theirs was the devil.
Naaah, let my man cook in peace, he was born to be a lover not a hitman. The scene when he almost kill Kant but was talked down, and then then went back to his cooking had me laughing. Plus every time he looked at Style with such loving eyes, ahhh, no really, lover not a killer.
FADEL & STYLE
Fadel is like one of those people who are like: 'Dear dairy, I went out today, and the humans are still there. I hate everything.' And Style is one of those people who pets random dogs on the street and talk with everyone in the park. These two are so opposite they shouldn't even work as friends, yet their love story expand years. Fadel is someone who has been hurt so much from his last love, and now guards his heart, but here comes Styles, he walked right into his heart like a bulldozer, just forcing his way in and making a home there for himself until Fadel had no choice but to accept him. No, their love was really beautiful, and I enjoy every moment of it.
They drove each other insane, in a good way. JoongDunk have also grown in the kissing department. These two used to serve fish kisses, given us basically nothing, but look at them now. No, did the four cast take a masterclass in lips locking, where? when? who is teaching it? Boss? How can we sign up for it? Asking for a friend. Cuz... literally Fadel went from 30% to 60% with just a neck kiss. Anywho, personally, I wish Fadel all the best growing old with Style's dramatic arse. I mean it took years and he still couldn't teach him any mechanic's cuz all he did was yap. And yes, JoongDunk also did really well in their roles here, and I was very impressed by how well they brought their characters to life.
PLOT
As someone who read the novel while waiting to the series to air, I knew what was going to happen. I am so very grateful, that for the first time ever the screenwriters did more to the story than the novel. This was much more better than the novel. We got more plot, Style had more personality and wasn't two dimensional and the other three had more depth as well. So thank you khun director and khun screenwriter for this.
That being said, although the plot was interesting, made me laugh, cry, and laughed some more, there were a few things that had me question stuff. Like, what the hell was up with the episode where they tried to get dirt on the Mother? Are these two really sure they're professional hitman? How they stayed alive until now? Cuz Fadel went on a stakeout with Style who wore the brightest outfit he could find, homeboy might as well had gone with a neon sign that read, 'Yes, I'm following that one guy over there.' And of course he got caught, why won't he, in that hotel he and Fadel were literally just standing by the corner, like, three steps from Keen's vision. Also whoever put that hat on Fadel's head deserves prison or whatever powder they gave the mother. The moment I saw him in that hat, I said out loud to myself, 'See head, like bucket' and then laughed so hard I couldn't breathe.
The way I was rolling my eyes when Style was able to disarmed Keen, and then at one point the gun was basically pointing at nothing. And the Mother, she couldn't spot Bison there on that golf course? Bison was literally standing like one umbrella away from her, he wasn't even in disguised, and the mother still didn't recognise/see him? Like??? And and, did Style leave to change his outfit before he went out to comfort Fadel? Priorities, am I right?
Also, during that kidnap Style scene, like was Fadel serious? Homeboy had his gun out, pointing at Style, inside an opened window car, on a busy road, full of witnesses with eyes... like, hello Mr. Hitman are you new here? What in the sorry arse kidnapping is that? It was like he wanted to get caught.
Of course there were scenes I loved: Like the scene at the beach when Bison was crying and asked if Kant was trying to lie to him again. I was a mess. When Fadel showed Style his empty grave. I was crying into my popcorn and pointing at him on my screen like 'Child, why you making people emotional on a random Wednesday, huh? When Kant kept saying Penguin. Look, personally I had more ways to add to Bison's list on how to off Kant's snitching arse, but that scene made me go, 'please, forgive him, he said penguin. Penguin, that's your thing, you can't kill him now.' Then, when style worked so hard to buy back Fadel's restaurant back for him. Our boy grew up so fast from his days of stalking Fadel and going 'Fadew, Fadew, Fadew.' Oh and the scene when they got arrested and they were both crying but Kant was trying to be strong to comfort Style. And when they were taking their mugshot, I was throwing popcorn at my screen hiccuping like 'booooo, set them free, that ugly prison outfit ain't even their colour.'
Ah, this series was supposed to be a romantic comedy but really, only Style understood the genre, the rest of the time the characters were out there making me too emotional.
So like is the Mother dead or what? These two are professional hitman, and they just left that woman sitting there, looking perfectly alive. What if she has an antidote? What if it was powder and she was bluffing? Prison softened them.
That being said, I know Fadel and Bison were like the reddest flag, dudes killed people for a living, but Kant and Style were also red flags. Cuz we have Kant's arse love bombing poor Bison, ready to snitch on him so he'd be free of his crimes, and Style stalking and disturbing a quiet gentle soul all because he wants an old car. In the end, all four really dd deserve each other.
All-in-all a very good drama, one of my favs, and a good way to start the year of bl. I'd recommend it to all bl lovers looking for an entertaining show, you won't be disappointed. Looking forward to FirstKhao and JoongDunk's next work, I am very much seated.
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I will start from positive Side couples - they have such a beautiful story . Collage friends been together for years then one fall then another . The GL couple were highlight of the show . Their acting and character development Rating = 9/10
Here i start the main part O boy is it 2005 ? I am asking again is it 2005 why the main plot is so shitty why main couple are so shitty . A fboy with naive girl who is used by others and fboy act reckless - change for her . Like didnt we leave that shit in 2010 ? What was on writer mind No character development, No plot , No love stroy Nothing people want FL with with A guy because his face is handsome Really ? If i could really give this drama Rating for Main couples its -1 /10. Never watching love traigle again so much disappoiment . Worst Drama of 2021
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many people wrote the reviews already i am just adding some facts about this series :
1. this is Ruby Lin's first series as a producer. She is an investor as well and asking many other party to join the production including HunanTV which already bought this series before it filming (also as one of the inverstors)
2. Ruby is the one who keep asking Wallace Huo to acts in this series, she said she need asking 3 times to him till he accept it (according to Wallace in his interview he said that he only had 1 month to finish this series since he using his holiday time to accept ruby invitation). Ruby is keep say Wallace Huo is the one who fit in this character (although many other actors already in her waitlist to replace Wallace, but she keep asking to Wallace Huo until he accept it).
3. Liu Kuan is the first actor confirmed as man lead months before filming starts, he knows ruby from the other series which cooperate together.
4. HunanTv is the one who need to be blame of the ending parts. It keep changing the time schedule to this series. N suddenly HunanTV announce that this series airing right after Bu Bu Jing Xin (due to high rating of BBJX Hunantv take the chance to make this series had a good rating too). but the editing team dont have time to edit right away, with the 3 eps each day mon-fri, no time to do a good cutting for the last episodes.. thats why if u watch seriously, u will feel the different plot from the beginning and the ending, at beginning it quite slow introducing one and one characters, at the end kinda rushing to finish). PLUS, HunanTV also change the total episode (it just rumour that HunanTV is the one cutting those ending episodes from 48 to 42 ep so the original one is 48 episodes >.<)
5. this series makes Ruby Lin as Best Producer in TV Drama Award in China in that year.
6. Ruby was hurt by Wallace Huo's furry cloths, her eyes were allergic to furry so during filming she was go to doctor for few days to check her eyes.
7. this series is made from a high recommend online novel. about one woman who loved by 3 Kings but she can't be the Queen forever.
I know this series isnt perfect but i do know my idol, she doing her best to this series. i dont satisfied too much to this series, but i can understand why.
Many of actors(actress) who come this series because of her. Like Wang LIn (who played as Ruby Mom in other series) said she thanks to Ruby who give her a chance to play her character so she can change her image and do have change to act with Kara Hui (both are well known actress)
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This revenge is perpetrated using an endless amount of subterfuges, traps, deceptions and secret exploiting the palace policy. Also this whole conspiracies fits perfectly in a way that is all too convincing, sometimes ridiculous, and repeats itself in a continuous loop that led me to exhaustion. The plot is therefore extremely repetitive and many times my intellect has been insulted by the author. Don't get me wrong, I love revenge and I don't dislike makjangs, so the problem here is not my personal tastes but the way this drama was written and performed. The more the plot progressed, the more I realized that it was failing in the three elements that I consider fundamental to the success of a drama: plot, characterization of characters and love story.
As I said before the political scheming is endless and it steals all the screentime, each character is used as a pawn and moved at convenience. There is no space to tell their personal story much less for character development, and this also affects the main leads. Each character stays in the same way it was at the beginning, for this reason not only I had an hard time to ship for any of them but I could easily predict their next move, taking away all the drama suspense.
Wang Yoo is often sent to deal with futile tasks, created ad hoc to keep him away from the main plot but at the same time all his actions always end up creating a favorable situation for his beloved lady ki.
Ta Hwan was the biggest disappointed, heir to the throne of Yuan is actually a puppet that is manipulated by everyone, including his beloved lady ki, too childish and afraid to react, he spends his time drinking, fainting or in bed sick, his character has no evolution whatsoever.
Empress Ki is the only true protagonist, her character is perhaps the only one to have some development, transforming from a tomboy to a conspirator. But the writer's obstinacy to portray her as the absolute "good girl"prevented me to appreciating her. She is always good, super intelligent and very good in any field and discipline, she is the heroine of the story while all the others are all bad people. Sorry but not sorry, this kind of role is not what I associate with revenge.
If all this is not enough for you, the love story is almost non-existent, the distance between this three characters, physics in the case of Wang Yoo and Platonic in the case of Ta Hwan prevented me from feeling strong emotions for this supposed love triangle and on the whole I didn't like nor support any of the two couples.
Overall Empress Ki was unable to take advantage of the excellent cards it had in his hands, a stellar cast wasted to make way for an infinite political plot that steals screentime from various interesting characters, a historical period exploited to a minimum to make room for so much fiction . And finally a revenge that leaves a bitter taste in the mouth as it is fought with ridiculous subterfuges.
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Strong beginning, flat over most the time and ridicilous story...
First let me say, I liked the second season more than the first season, even if the story did sometimes not make sense. Most of the actors improved a lot and especially the newcomer "Milk" was really great in his role.The story arc of "Alan" was a bit of a WTF moment. And the biggest minus was the pacing. There was a lot of lost time with incosequential story but not enough focus on the other couples. NorthSonic should have started much much earlier and KimKenta should have much more dialogue and not just some kisses in the finale.
So was it bad? Not really. I don't really like the script, but I like most of the acting. While "Pooh" is a nice "boy", he will never be a great actor as sofar I see it. The rest of the cast were good or even very good. Alan felt not like Alan because of his story. Don't know what the script-writers thought, but it does not work for me. The races were as lame as in the first season - I have more fun watching Formula 1. But of course the finale left some things to be desired. It was all rushed in the last two episodes and before it was partly boring and the characters "run in circles" and nothing really happenend. While Charlie is nearly dead he wakes up some time later, but we don't know when, because they cut that out completely. It's one year later and because he drives he remembers every thing... OMG, what a cliché and a point of lazy writing! And they get paid for this!
I'm not a fan of the Omegaverse and to call themselves Mama and Papa still feels cringe - and why did Mama not get pregnant, they could do that too!. The script was the mess I expected it to be (because I never had much hope for that), but overall it was an ok series compared to every other crap series Thailand produced in the last two years. So it's not good, it's above average because of the acting and the cinematography, but it's not bad either even when the script is the worst part of this show.
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Story/Plot: 2.0 The overall plot of the childhood friends falling in love is what initially got me to watch this film. But with how it was directed and portrayed, it felt like a recipe of everything a relationship wasn’t supposed to be. The fact that she is taught not to like nice boys, and that he is trying to portray that in order to get her, is slightly disturbing and shouldn’t be really celebrated.
The story is a romantic comedy, but the comedy parts with their heads adult heads being transported on a child’s body, made me think it was a horror flick. There is many questions, I have over this, and I think this is one Manga that was best left alone as it was.
Acting: 3.0
This was not executed well. The acting was over the top and it was cringe to watch. I give them points for trying, because there were moments that they portrayed emotions well. But overall I think this production was just a mess from start to finish.
Music: 2.0
There was a lack of music throughout, it felt unnatural. Sometimes, the lack of music is the point, but with the music either being too soft in the background where you can’t hear it or it just not being there, it created a weird suspense kind of feeling, that didn’t mix well with the comedy that was trying to be portrayed on screen.
Re-watch Value: 1.00
This drama is insanely awkward, portrayal. I would find great difficulty in rewatching it or even recommending this film to anyone.
Overall Score: 2.00
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The acting was great, don't have any complaints about it. This was the first movie I've watched with Jang Hyuk in it, I had to laugh at some of his expressions in the beginning. His acting is good, though.
There was some music in this movie, but I'm not sure what they were. The only song that stuck out to me was the song "Stay" that they played in the first half of the movie. The other songs went along with the movie, though.
I think I might rewatch this movie again sometime, it was a good movie.
Overall - I think this movie is worth watching. Also, make sure to watch "My Sassy Girl" (: You'll find out why people see this as a prequel.
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DEF worth the watch!! the plotwist GOT ME GRIPPIN MY SEAT
bro this movie was like so slow at the beginning, and i was so fooled cuz i was like lol this sucks. I was also comparing it to better days so i was like damn this shit bad. BUT THEN IT ALL LIKE STARTED MAKING SENSE AND I WAS LIKE OOOOOO OKOK AND BRUH. The acting is FIRE, but i personally don't think the main couple had much chemistry but it was bareable cus hs romance is usually not super like intense ykwim. I could really feel the emotion through their acting and honestly had to tear up. The story is kinda slow and doesn't make much sense at the beginning which makes it kinda cringey to watch but later on it progresses and ur able to assemble the pieces together in ur head. Also, im like not even gonna lie, the romance was not the star of the show, but rather the friendship. However, the movie focused so heavily on the romance that it did not live up to its potential. THE CINEMATICS ON THE OTHER HAND, OMFG THEY WERE BEAUTIUFL. I felt like each second of the movie could be paused and would be so beautiful and perfect that it could be like my computer wallpaper. It really helped immerse the audience in the young and youthful typa vibe. But overall, I would say its a great experience and def worth the watch if ur into coming of age films.Was this review helpful to you?
The acting was really good but i didn't give 10 because the main actor didn't really catch me as much as the second main, i hope that he in season 2 can get me into the love line a little more since he is main. The main actress really portrayed the generation difference, and really showed her 'old age generation' side. Overall, all the other actor's and actresses were really good, made me fall in love with some.
There wasn't as much music as i had thought, most of the music came in when two actor/ actresses lock eyes or some 'kinky' things was about to happen.
I would love to rewatch it again cause the story line, and acting was really good.
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A beautiful secret love story!
I know an unrequited love story is a normal concept. But this one somehow plays out in a very interesting and beautiful way that will catch your attention.Story:
Zhou Shu Yi is a very handsome and talented guy, he is a great member of the swimming team and does well in school. He can come off as quite arrogant and grumpy to the people around him but in the end, is a very caring and sweet person when it comes down to it.
Shu Yi have always been in rivalry with his childhood rival, Gao Shi De. They have known each other for over 10 years (18 years I believe?) and his whole life Shu yi have been competing with Shi de ever since they were kids, because no matter how hard he tries, beating Shi de seems to be an impossible task. As they grew up as rivals, and Shu Yi being quite competetive while Shi de did not actually seem to care much, they did not get on each other's best sides.
However, as the competitions goes on and Shu Yi experiences heartbreak from the girl he likes it will soon become clear that Shi De's intentions to come in 1st place are not what we thought. He never cared about the winning itself, but all Shi de ever wanted was the chance of getting just a little bit of attention from Shu yi.
But as we know, feelings can be uncontrollable and we will all take even the smallest chance if it comes to us right?
Shi de wanted nothing more than for Shu yi to always and only focus on him. And what is a better way to get that attention than to always make sure your name is right above his, exactly where you know that he will look?
Acting and cast:
Shu Yi is acted by Yu while Shi De is acted by Sam. They both have an amazing chemistry, it's honestly so rarely good and it is hard to tell they recently started acting together. Their chemistry is absolutely on point with right amount of comfort, tension and sweetness, both on and off set.
Their acting is so well performed, I am shook. It never felt stiff or weird. What amazes me is how everything they do look so natural, yes Taiwan has done it again. It doesn't feel like I'm watching a serie anymore but like I am in the story for real. I think it is very clear everyone involved in the series were so passionated about it and the actors delivers the emotions so nicely. There are also scenes where they are not even speaking but you will still be able to see the unspoken feelings and words just by looking into their eyes and their face expressions, especially Sam, this guy can act with his face expressions only.
Main actors:
The main couple had all the spotlight. Wow they were just so amazing, and the actors on top of it!
Sam have acted in series before and there is no disappointment here. He acts as the calm and observant Shi de perfectly, delivers emotion and face expressions super well and on top, he is very handsome and his voice is absolutely gorgeous. I loved just watching him on screen and I even felt this myself, but Sam, as well as his character Shi de clearly has a very charming effect with that personality, looks and voice, all in one.
Yu is new in the acting industry but there is no way to tell. I was personally very surprised when I heard he was a newbie. He captures his character perfectly and I cannot even imagine anyone else acting as Shu yi. He also seems to be a quite hard character to play considering the mixed feeling he has to give off and the moody but powerful temperament. But Yu managed it all. If you've seen Yu in real life you know he is nothing like his character which just proves how well he can give life to his character. He delivered it all, anger, frustration, happiness, sadness and more. I could personally spend all day just staring at him on screen because oh god...I don't actually care about looks but I don't complain either. And Yu takes my breath away. He has a quite unique apperance and wow, such a gorgeous and pretty boy he is. As his character Shu yi he is perfectly suited both in acting and in looks. He delivers every emotion and side of his character perfectly, way better than many well experienced actors I've seen. Yu is also half japanese, half taiwanese so in his acting style he randomly throws out japanese lines every now and then and it is honestly the most adorable and nicest thing I've seen. It feels so unique and personal but also refreshing and realistic since he does speak two languages after all.
OST:
The OST "will you be my love" is so cute. It's definitely a song that will get stuck in my head eventually and will make me think of the serie. WBL have two other OST's as well, "Hard to let go" and "Aqua blue". They are both very beautiful and well suited for the serie, "Aqua blue" is even sung by Yu himelf and he sounds gorgeous. I'm gonna be honest, I especially have a weak spot for "Hard to let go". So well done with all the OST's, they are all catchy and very well suited to the series.
More:
I personally love this story. Yes it does seem a bit basic with another unnrequited love story but I would say, give it a try. I believe it might be to surprise.
The story is very interesting to follow and the characters are very lovable. Also the way Shi De loves Shu Yi is just... it's very interesing but delicately and beautifully done. It is very clear he cherishes this cute and grumpy boy he's known for so long. And that winning or competing is not what he cares about, but just simply to get Shu Yi's attention and to spend time with him. The feelings this story gives me is undescribable. I feel like this story and these characters sticks out from the crowd somehow, and the emotion it carries is special, for me at least.
These two boys were definitely born to be rivals, but destined to be lovers.
EDIT:
I recently finished the series and WOW. I am in love. That's it, I love it. I love all the characters, Sam and Yu are two of my most favorite actors. Thier chemistry and acting talent is just insane. I won't spoil anymore in this edited version so I'm just gonna say this, I haven't been this excited for a season 2 in a long while and I can't wait to see them again.
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When the credits are longer than the story...
This is an odd one. The story could have been very interesting, but the execution was soooooooo bad. Even the murder of the uncle was comical using a butter knife... which does not even have a pointy end... As always I'm not a fan of the dubbing especially because it felt off. They had a big house, expensive car, but could not invest the money and time to tell the story more comprehensible.And why did the credits run longer than the episodes? To split it in five epsiodes was a waste of time, especially if you have to wait for the next episode for a week. So, the execution lacked a bunch, the story should be much much longer, even a short movie of around 45minutes would have been better than this.
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This was not just another BL
It was obvious from the beginning that this was going to be in another level. But, it still exceeded all of my expetations. Gun nailed it in playing two characters, you could really see the difference between White and Black, you could actually think they were two different people. One complain I have is that I really wish we had seen more of Black, maybe more flashbacks or having him come back two episodes earlier, he pretty much only showed up to be hot and kick ass, but he did those two things VERY WELL.Off, Papi really went off with this role, everytime I see the scene when they break in Tawi's factory and they have to act only witb their eyes, I still have chills, his voice breaking when he called Black's name while he was beating his ass up...
Now, the story, the polical satire, pushing for diversity, and the fact that they were doing that through art is what really got me. The show ended with a reminder that things can't and won't change over night, but as long theres people willing to fight, there will be hope. The van scene, the people saving them gave me teary eye, because it show how much power the people have if they unite in one cause.
The relationships:
White and Sean. Chemistry on point as we would expect from OffGun, well devoloped, cute, hot and the right ammout of angst. They were surprisenly good at communication even with the secret identity between them
Yok and Dan: the acting was on point, they were so emotional and cute. Yok's pain of being betrayed by Dan really hit me, and I loved that by the end Yok fargave Dan without knowing why he did what he did, It was like saying that all he needed to know is that he was sorry and was ready to change and that punch was weirdely satisfying
Gram and Eugene: NOOOO. That made absolutely no sense, we were led to believe Gram was in love with Black and I understand not having time to develop something between Gram and Black wich Im convinced was the initial plan, I know they had to reshoot most scenes from the last episodes so ... I understand, but I was fine with Gram having a one sided crush, why stuck him with Eugene ? Also, who does that to a friend? To me it just doesn't fit Gram's character to go after his friend's ex. It doesn't fit Eugene either, she was obviously not over Black, it also bothered me when Eugene is having her flashbacks remenbering her relationship with Black, most scenes was the ones with White. They did had chemistry, it just didn't make sense.
White and Black: weirdely enough, it actually work, never mind that we had a scene with the twins where Gun actually got naked but had to be cut from the waist down. They had amazing brotherhood, their supernatural connection played it well on the story without being cringey. I dont know what else to say, they were very good together despite the fact that it was only one actor playing both roles.
The Gang: so, this is where the story gets me, the trio Gram, Yok and Sean were awsome together. The rooftop scene, the banter when they were making plans, especially the hug when Sean gets shot, everything was well scripted and the loyalty and brotherhood was there, but, White felt out of place in it which made sense in the first episodes, but towards the end it felt like he still wasn't part of the gang despite telling them the truth, it was like he was just taging along. While Black was barely part of the group, at the beginning we were told that he was their leader but when he comes back and they learn the truth about White nobody stops to ask where the hell have Black went.
PS: those parkour jumps were awful.
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I write this review, while having seen both of the movies, at the end I will write a little comparison between the two.
The story is quite attractive and unique if it is your first time to see it. I loved how they could come up with tiny twitst and turns. The story overall was good but not great, it had some flaws.
The oscar should go to the dog. Seriously, Chong Chong was a amazing actor in this movie and so cute too! I liked the two main leads, it is so hard to portray a blind person, so she did a amazing job on this one. But I so didn't feel the connection between the two main leads, and that killed it for me because it could have been so much better. What I eventually really liked was that there was no romance involved, yay!
I liked the music, because.. well we all know why :P.
There sadly was much promotion during the movie for certein brands, that also what I really disliked.
In comparison to the korean movie Blind, I was less involved with this movie. With Blind I really felt with the main leads and dog. Also Blind was wrapped up way better than witness, but I could understand where they were coming from. Overall I didn't disliked witness, but I just liked Blind better for the overall story and character development.
Watch this is you like action, drama, thriller and dogs.
Skip this movie if you are looking for romance.
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