Reviews

Don't do it. Just don't - no matter how cute you think it is.

No. Just no.
Please do yourself a favor. Do not watch this. You will be sucked in by the cute and the fluffy and the sweet! It will go on for about 13 and a half episodes and you will love it.

Then apparently the writer started smoking crack.

I've never been so angry about the ending of a drama in my life! The 5 stars is completely for the acting and the music and the 13.5 lovely episodes. (Although the writer still may have been a bit high writing all of it to be perfectly honest because at the end you realize how much nonsense is in this show. It was just hidden by the sweetness!)

And I couldn't even rage quit this show because by the time they have enraged you with what they've done --- boom! It's over. The last 3 minutes gave me a total rage fit. I was prepared for a sad ending - I sobbed for the SAD ending and then came to terms with it even though I hated the way it appeared they were going to end it. But this....this was just....wrong. So much wrong. They did those characters dirty. They did the audience dirty. They did those actors dirty.

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Hopeful Bond Against the Dark Odds

“It bothers me when one out of every seven of us is missing. I don’t know why, but I just don’t like it. I hope we can be all together. When we are all together, I don’t even think about wanting to die.”

This drama is an adaptation of BU and I'm glad it's really good. Despite some changes, they did an excellent job on the build up between the characters and their relationships, along with the actors' portrayal and chemistry. From the awkward first meetings to building trust with each other and getting closer together. I love watching their friendship and brotherhood despite their different backgrounds and problems. They unite to become each others' ray of light amidst the struggles they faced during the darkness of their separate lives. This drama is so heartwarming with the precious found family trope. But at the same time, the dark themes about their childhood traumas and family secrets are so emotional and intriguing.

This drama is so meaningful and deep while tackling various social issues about dysfunctional family, mental illness, discrimination, poverty, politics, education and more. The mystery regarding the past of their parents and connection to the principal shows how generational trauma starts and their children bearing the pain of their mistakes. Innocent teenagers are forced to suffer due to the evil adults that comes from each of their different environments. This drama is a reflection of reality that conveys important messages while providing consolation and angst to the youth who are beginning to face the world.

From the original BU storyline, this drama acts like a prequel that introduces the 7 protagonists while adding more details about their backgrounds and families. Eventually, this drama left with an open ending where the fantasy aspect of time travel only begins at the end. Hwan, the oldest of the group, carries the weight of responsibilities and guilt, so he goes back in time to save all his friends and prevent them from their tragic fates. He sacrifices himself while being stuck in time loops. This leads to suspicions and demands for Season 2. There's no official confirmation yet, but I hope they really make it happen so the boys' stories can continue.

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RUSTED SPOONS

The biggest flaw of the story is giving out way too many golden spoon, it kind of reduced the importance of an otherwise powerful selling point.

I will be honest. This is the first Yook Sung Jae series that I have completed (I tried his last show but i cant get past the second episode). This guy is handsome and has the acting chops to boot. Here, as Lee Seung Chun, he caught me in his trap from the very first episode. Something about his pain from being born poor felt effective and believable, and you want him to get out of his desperate situation even if it means somebody else will suffer in his place. As a viewer you'd want to give him the best too.

To be rich, he has to take the place of Hwang Tae Yong, who at first, seems like a despicable character. After a few episodes he managed to switch places, unfortunately for Seung Chun, it is not all greener on the other side as he found out that even the rich Tae Yong has his own personal challenges and demons of his own. Even more unfortunate for Seung Chun, Lee Jong Won's good performance as the new Seung Chun is even better than the original, that you cant help but root for him even more than Sung Jae.

Golden Spoon has managed to convey the rich versus poor comparison very well, albeit, they showed it in a way that poor is synonymous with good and rich is synonymous with evil.

We later found out that there was not only one but quite a few of these golden spoons, which, like I said in the beginning, kind of reduced the importance of the show's most powerful selling point. It felt like a lazy attempt to build the show's tension, to the point that when the last spoon user was revealed, it didnt have the imapct they hoped to create and my eyes just rolled up too high thought it left my skull. It was a waste of cameo from Na In Woo.

Has anyone noticedbhow the seemingly good hearted granny selling these golden spoons is nothing but a creepy Rumpelstiltskin-like character. She just doesn't give a sh*t if the spoon destroys lives, just as long as you buy the spoon. I would have wanted to see her true evil colors, and that she gives all those who used the spoons get what they deserve in return, which comes to that ending that I hated - Seung Chun should have been punished (or at least got the karma he deserved) but instead he got out almost unscathed and looks like he will manage to win the girl after all.

Overall, im still giving it an 8 out of 10. Would i rewatch? Probably not, although Im looking forward to seeing more of Yook Sung Jae and Lee Jong Won's other works.

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A really fun and enjoyable watch, must watch for people who enjoy this genre!

First thing first, I did come here for the trope of marriage (of convenience?) and I wanted to see them explore that relationship with their work and life. Sure, they had a nice relationship (I'm a fan) but I feel somehow misled by the synopsis and the few beginning episodes here because there is no marriage. I get it, they were practically married only but they were not. I was looking forward to something complex like say a break up (just an example), etc. Honestly, maybe that's why this is not a perfect 10 for me because this is not what I expected going in.

But facts be facts, what we do get in actuality is absolutely beautiful and amazing. This show has given me three of the healthiest relationships or approaches to a relationship (with the best friend) I've seen in Cdramas for a very very long time. Nobody is perfect and neither were our characters here. I was pissed with Xiao Ning for the blind date, I have been mad at Yu Heng for his absolutely poor communication skills and Rao Jing came off as very offensive at first. But how the show slowly unpacks all these characters, their quirks and individualities is beyond amazing. I have enjoyed watching the relationship develop between our leads and how they've constantly supported one another, resolved their issues like mature adults and maintained their work-life balance. Similarly, Rao Jing and Zhao Fang have given me some of the most hilarious moments in this show and their banter is really fun to watch. They complement each other perfectly and it's nice to see how ZF helps RJ heal her wounds. Lastly, for the best friend, I loved the mature take on the relationship. I agreed 100% that neither of them was wrong and for them to acknowledge that and face reality needs strength. Sometimes you just need to prioritise yourself and your own morals/dreams/desires. All in all, we see three healthy relationships where they tackle issues instead of running from them.

The other aspect I quite enjoy is how they've not shown women as these pseudo-intellectuals. We finally have female friendships where their advice to one another is well thought out, practical and actually helpful - instead of being super toxic. Also how none of the women overstepped their boundaries and gave the leads (in their respective stories) the decision-making power without influencing them. I liked this mature and more realistic take on friendship. No one really has the time to gossip with friends every day after a tiring day at work and no, you do not let your friends dictate every single step you take in a relationship - good on them for portraying that!

Another thing - usually shows with 32 episodes become a drag. I did not feel that way with this one. The story flew very nicely and coherently and not much felt like it was out of place. I'm someone who likes business plots, so I've enjoyed the business aspect, team bonding, and how they worked together as well.

I also think all the actors have done really well in their roles. Xiao Han made me despise her character and the parents were entertaining to watch. Everyone has worked well!

Overall, this is a really great show with a good storyline (though misleading), a nice soundtrack, brilliant acting and a good pace. I've not seen Karlina's works before and I have to say, I've become a fan. She's so stunning and good at her work. You should definitely give this one a try, it'll be worth your time!

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A Fresh Breath of Air (no more c-drama cliches)

Rattan introduces not only a new type of genre (science fiction/fantasy) but completely new character dynamics. We truly have a strong female lead here, someone whose backstory and motive drives the whole plot. In fact, the male lead is more a side character who simply accompanies her on her journey after her revival. Some people might be put off by the foreignness of the drama, the fact that there are no old tropes, and I implore those people to spend a couple more episodes watching before coming to a conclusion. At least make it to the halfway point before giving a critical rating.

For those who are confused about what the plot is, or feel there is no plot, the drama is also of the mystery genre. Over half of the 30-episodes are focused around discovering who the female lead is and why she does what she does. When the audience finally does discover all the information, the second half of the drama leads the audience to a much faster paced plot where Si Teng meets her goal and deals with the obstacles (or rather people) that arise as well as her budding feelings for Qin Fang.

Even if you're not here for the mystery plot, there's still much to savor from the drama: the beautiful scenery, Si Teng's stunning wardrobe, and the adorable slow-burn romance. A lot of the scenery is very uncommon in Chinese dramas, where instead of the old traditional architecture or modern skyscrapers, they filmed in Xinjiang and remote places like Shangri-la City.

ACTING/PRODUCTION:

The main actors, Jing Tian (role Si Teng), Zhang Binbin (role Qin Fang) and Zhang Yichi (role Yan Furui) are all great at their craft and the interactions all feel very natural. Even the child actors for Wa Fang and young Si Teng act very well. If there are complaints about acting from second leads, I do want to remind that the production team for Rattan doesn't have the extensive budget of other dramas like Eternal Love or Ashes of Love, so please be more lenient. In fact, Bai Jin is even acted by the director himself. Even so, the team went through a lot to get good scenes i.e. for the first scene when Qin Fang revives Si Teng, they filmed at a very high altitude, where it's very cold and they had to bring oxygen tanks.

Not to mention, the two leads have great chemistry. Their off-screen interactions are absolutely adorable. When they first appeared in public together to promote the drama, they looked so happy together that the search Jing Tian and Zhang Binbin acting like newly-wed couple was one of the top 5 searches on Weibo that week. There's also a Happy Camp episode coming out soon if you want to see more of them together!

Interestingly, Rattan was a surprise drama, no one expecting the popularity that it currently has. On Douban (the Goodreads of Chinese cinematography), not only does it have a 7.8 rating, it boasts 140k reviewers (most dramas have around 60k and a 6.5 rating; anything over 7.5 is extremely impressive and rare). All of these are testimonies to the greatness Rattan is.

CONS:

Personally, the main issue I have is that the plot can be very confusing, which knocked down the overall rating from 10 stars to 9. The drama is based off of a novel written by Wei Yu and so sometimes knowledge on text doesn't translate well visually without narration. Especially near the end, where it picks up pace, it can get very confusing what is happening and why it has occurred. I feel like more time could've been taken to go over these scenes and the backstory. There are also some unanswered questions like: did Qin Fang ever realize who Shan Zhigang was? Why does Bai Jin hide the fact that he has powers and what exactly is even his role? etc. I didn't mind as much since I could get the general gist, but I can understand how that may be frustrating to others. The drama may have benefited from extra episodes or cutting out whole sections of plot, instead of following the novel religiously (like the last 2 episodes were kinda unnecessary and made me much more confused).

ENDING:

Finally, about the ending, some of you are worried about it having a sad ending. The director actually filmed two endings. The one in episode 30 is more "sad", i.e. Qin Fang and Si Teng don't end up together in the traditional sense (I still don't think its sad though, it has a nice cause and effect circular nature to it), but there's also a special, which provides another ending, which people have enjoyed much more, where Qin Fang and Si Teng do end up together, so no need to have qualms about that if you don't like tragedy.

CONCLUSION:

WATCH THE DRAMA. Whether or not it ends up following your preferences, I believe the freshness of the plot/setting/characters are all worth a try.

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UNDOUBTEDLY THE BEST BL OF 2023!

When you cast the right actors and put them with the right director and writers, YOU WILL GET A MASTERPIECE!

Highly recommend this show if you are looking for the following:
• Impeccable Period Drama.
• Impressive characters development.
• All types of couple (Has BL, GL, and even Straight).
• Complex and unpredictable storyline.
• Excellent acting of the cast.
• Amazing chemistry of the three couples and the whole cast.
• Realistic and un-sugarcoated life during the 1920's.
• Angsty and heavy drama.
• Right amount and right timing of comedy.
• Excellent songs and background music that fits a period drama.

Anyone who loves BL and Period Drama should watch this show. Nonkul and Bright are both spectacular in giving life to their characters.

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Alright,
This is my first review of a series in months and boy, am I happy that it is with Bad Buddy, that was the perfect reintroduction into the world of BLs I took an unexpected break after Manner of Death. I felt a lot of things while I watched Bad Buddy, so I would break down my review into parts. To the best of my abilities, I would avoid giving you any spoilers in this review.
1. Introduction
2. General Review, Themes, Specific Issues
3. Story arc and Storylines
4. Characters and Casting
5. Acting
6. Misses
7. Production
8. Rewatch Value

INTRODUCTION
When I heard about Bad Buddy, I was excited because of Ohm and Nannon, I mean you could give them the most basic story possible, and I would still love the show because I like that much. But however Bad Buddy really came from west field to become one of GMM’s best BLs ever, competing with the best of them all (they for certain have one of the best GMM kisses hands down, I mean episode 5 kiss was top tier). In a lot of places, the storyline stayed safe and a little bit basic, but this did not take away from the overall enjoyability of the series in the least bit, heck I think it enhanced it further.
Coming into Bad Buddy, expect a lighthearted series, with a lot of fluffiness and cute flirting, a little bit of irritation from side characters (Wai walks in) and surprisingly, girls love side theme, which I very much loved about the show. But what stuck with me the most was how this series tackled stereotypes, I would handle this more under my general review, but I would just say this is what you get when a queer person directs a show, you get actual good content not based on exaggerated stereotypes. An example of this is the fact that Pran was the top in this relationship, I mean even I as a gay person lowkey started to fall into that stereotype of what a top should look like or be like.
So Bad Buddy really is that series that hit a lot of the right cords with me. Into the review we move now.

GENERAL REVIEW, THEMES, SPECIFIC ISSUES
1. Tackling Stereotype: I absolutely loved how bad buddy came for Thai BLs necks in this series, like they brought all their legs over fire, and I think that was one of the major themes of this series that it tackles so many stereotypes.
a. “I AM NOT GAY, I LIKE ONLY YOU”: You know in previous Thai BL series, it has always somehow seemed like they were scared to say the words “I am gay”, which Pat and Pa make fun of it in the episode where it became public that they were together. Not only did they acknowledge Bisexuality as a legit orientation, not that you just randomly fall in love with that one guy and no one else. They also introduced the possibility of Pran being gay, simple, and short. I love that because that is something GMM has lost me on for the past few years, like YOU CAN JUST SAY THEY ARE GAY OR BISEXUAL, IT WOULDN’T HURT YOU
b. “HUSBAND AND WIFE”: I love that they also addressed how weird it is that Thai BLs over the past few years have insisted on having this tag this is my “wife”, to refer to the person who is more likely to be the bottom (TharnType, I see you). When Pran called out Pat to realize how stupid it was to say “wife” and “husband” in a gay relationship, try to make a gay relationship heteronormative doesn’t make sense.
c. Another stereotype they handled, that ironically, I felt into this too, was the concept of a clear identified bottom and top in a gay relationship based on some physical traits and qualities. I wouldn’t lie it reminded me that we cannot just assume who the top in relationship and we fall into a dangerous pattern of profiling the LGBT+ community should be against as a community
2. The kisses and Fluffiness: if you have watched Bad Buddy then you would know that they now hold the crown for the best GMMTV kiss and now ranks in the upper echelon of BL kisses alongside MaxTul, TharnType, KinnPorsche, The History Franchise and My Day. I mean so many things about the series was right, but nothing gets me better than a kiss well executed, not disgusting, not looking like they were afraid to kiss or anything like that. So, they got me there
3. Shoving Ohm’s/Pat’s Package in our faces: why did I make this more than once😂😂😂😂😂 and at that point it was becoming a pattern and thus a theme. Like I am a hundred percent certain that someone in production intentionally did this, probably thought to themselves to rile up the fans a little bit. And I mean we are ever grateful for it, in the most non-perverted way possible
4. Social Media: So, this was not so much a major theme, but I loved a part of the series where Pat kept posting secret pictures of him and Pran, when Pran asked him, he was like “social media is for bragging”, I liked this because it kind off addresses a lot of the flaws that our society has come to be especially in the era of social media. But like I said this wasn’t a major theme, just something I noted on the side.
5. FRIENDSHIP: You know I got two contrasts of friendship in this show. The first were Pat’s friendship in this show, I mean there were Pat’s friends, especially Korn who were the ideal idea of what a friend should be, he was cool when everything came out about Pat and Pran, supported them and everything. Wai on the other hand is a plain b*tch about it, I mean outing your friend, I don’t care how angry you are, you don’t just do somethings.
On a closure of general review, I liked all the components that came together to make this show, I don’t think it could have been any better this.

STORY ARC AND STORYLINES
I liked the trajectory of this show, they didn’t waste time on some areas in terms giving us unnecessary scenes. What we basically get is two boys who have been trained to hate each other right from birth, overcome tons of obstacles and find their way towards each other. They show us that love is something you can control, it could be towards even your worst of enemies. The story is one of love, fluffiness, overcoming obstacles to be together.
The story had a few lessons like
1. We don’t and we can never control who we love, either in terms of sexual orientation or the person themselves. It really is an uncontrollable phenomenon of nature
2. The way we interact with our friends really matters. Because it can really make or break a person. An example is the fact no one in their friend group picked up that they were dating
I loved the story overall

CHARACTERS, CASTING AND ACTING
I love the characters, while they were core characters that make up the entire story, I love how they tried their best to give each character a little bit of something, they did not always succeed but it was great though, I love that they had 3D characters, no caricatures of characters though I wish they did more with some characters.
Alright I would take this character by character and how well I believe the casting fit and I would start in order of how well I liked the character.
The character I love the most was Korn, that man gave me so much joy, like he was so stupid and supportive, I loved him every bit for it. If we are being honest, we all know that Korn was the Captain of PranPat ship and no one will take it from him. Like I love that Drake was casted for this because I have come to realize it seems Drake always kills it as a side character. In this show he particularly brought out the essence of Korn. He was simply my overall favorite character, the part he particularly sold me was after he was an ass to Pat for dating Pran and didn’t allow Pat stay with them, when he brought food for Pat, I thought to myself, what a loveable fool😂❤️😂❤️😂❤️
Then Pat was next. I absolutely loved Ohm as Pat, I mean Pat is somehow dense and foolish, he moves with the flow (case in point how fast he accepted that he was in love with Pran) but he always had good intentions (him willing to pretend he broke with Pran so that Wai would talk to Wai again, I mean if that is not the epitome of love). Pat’s character was executed so well I absolutely loved it,
Then there was Pran, I don’t think I need to say much under Pran, except he gave us all the perfect vibes of Tsundere, a tsundere that was always in love with the other person. You know I loved that Nannon could capture all the emotions Pran was feeling in his eyes, which basically made his acting and character all the much better for me. He gave me the conflict of love but understanding the societal position they had and trying to create a balance between the two.
PaInk, it was nice to get a girls love theme in this. I mean I came to this for the BL, but who am I to say no to a good GL side story.
WAI…. NEVER IN MY HISTORY OF WATCHING BL HAS A CHARACTER MADE ME AS MAD ABOUT THEIR EXISTENCE LIKE WAI… LIKE DUDE WAS SO ANNOYING AND HE KEPT OVERDOING IT. I ABSOLUTELY LOST IT WHEN HE OUTED THEM, LIKE WHAT???????????????? I DON’T CARE WHAT PRAN DID TO YOU, EXCEPT HE KILLED YOUR ENTIRE FAMILY, YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO OUT HIM, HOW CAN YOU EVEN CALL YOURSELF HIS BESTFRIEND???? You know what, I don’t want to say anything further on Wai.
The friends and Parents, honestly, I was lowkey indifferent about them. I just felt they were all childish.
I think overall, the core 5 or 6 characters showed a little bit of depth, that they were thought out to some extents and to make us understand that humans are complex 3 dimensional people, we dong just fit into a one for all box... Though I wish they did more with side characters sometimes but it's fine

MISSES
I want to say Bad Buddy had no misses but one thing I was confused about, was the concept that their seniors in Architecture and Engineering asked them to boycott their friends just because they were dating someone from a different faculty. I mean the math was not mathing for me.
But there was no miss to this show that was detrimental though.

PRODUCTION
The production and direction of this was awesome to me, the fact that it didn’t feel rushed or forced at any point in time. I loved that about the show . The Pacing was generally okay, so I do not seriously have any issues with them.


REWATCH VALUE
I WOULD ABSOULTELY REWATCH THIS… EVEN TODAY


OVERALL
This was a series that was made with a purpose and they executed perfectly I am so grateful to everyone who was a part of this movement because you truly took us on a beautiful journey, one I would never forget, you made me care for people, made me happy, made me laugh, cry with someone in their pain if that is not arts at its best I don’t know what is.

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Must watch film!

"The Paradise of Thorns" is a powerful depiction of Thai society's deep-seated issues, with a particular focus on marriage inequality. The film excels in its storytelling, blending intense drama with cultural commentary. The acting is superb, bringing the characters' struggles and emotions to life in a way that feels both genuine and compelling. Coupled with some of the best cinematography in recent Thai cinema, the film creates a visually stunning yet thought-provoking experience. The film's original soundtrack beautifully complements the emotional depth of the story, enhancing the overall impact of the narrative. It's an exceptional piece of filmmaking that resonates on multiple levels, making it the best Thai film for me.

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Despite Flaws, How Many Minis Actually SHOW The ML Slowly Falling In Love?

This is NOT a perfect show. There absolutely are some editing issues and "mostly" minor plot holes but on the whole this show left me thinking "who cares".

Why?

❤️ Because there was an almost entire episode SHOWING the ML falling in love with the FL.

❤️ Because there are scenes where they do NOTHING and yet you're holding your breath, not blinking your eyes and left feeling like you just watching the most intimate thing in the world.

❤️ Because she doesn't back down from his dark side and embraces his "visciousness and cruelty".

❤️ Because instead of hiding behind him like a weak-willed nobody she rises up as an equal, giving better than she gets.

❤️ Because they take no prisoners and leave no quarters when it comes to the other's life. Not even the MLs guard is exempt from punishment for messing up.

❤️ Because she tells him a story about a prince discovering his rose was an "ordinary" rose so he later turnsn it into telling her a story about a prince and his one and only Iris.

❤️ Because after an "attempted" scene against her he helps her process the trauma together.

❤️ Because even the antagonists, who had their own despicable and unforgivable actions, had their own love stories and were able to serve as a contrast to our leads choices.

❤️ Because even though this is a "simple mini" the Palace politics felt like some of the most real out there with EVERYONE double speaking and double plotting... BUT they actually EXPLAIN it all and break it down with inner thoughts and other character discussion cut-aways.

❤️ Because chemistry 🔥🔥🔥🔥🤣

SO...

This show is HONESTLY not perfect but it is going to stay with me for a while and I will absolutely be revisiting it in clips.

I already talked myself down from a 10...

Rating breakdown:
Full unobjective rating based SOLELY on plot and execution: 7

Dialog: 9.5

Chemistry: 9.5

Set and Clothing Design: 9
(I will defend the leads eye makeup as being that way for a REASON 🤣 "Evil eyes vs innocent/protagonist clothes")

Final Rating (still biased but lowered): 9/10

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This darn tear-jerker.

If you're looking for a real horror, this isn't it.
If you hate crying, this definitely isn't it.
I'd say for this movie, it's tragedy before horror. Sure, there are some horror elements, however- it's really more sad than scary.

The story is subtle. It's not deep. I have to remind you that this show's literal title is TRAIN TO BUSAN. It's a whole show about characters doing their utmost best to reach the safe zone- Busan. On a train. It lived up to its title, i'll give it that.

The acting and characters were great. Gong Yoo's acting is excellent, as expected. His character's development was amazing. He went from a selfish to selfless man that learned to truly care for others more.
Ma Dong Seok's character is as likeable here as his character in Bad Guys. You'll get fixated with his character for sure. This actor deserves more recognition.
And the most unexpected- Kim Soo An. She's an adorable and talented little actress. Then again, most Korean child actors and actresses raise the international standard for acting capabilities amongst children.
Kim Eui Seong's character is extremely unlikeable, proving that he played his role well.

The music is good. It's suitable when it's suitable.

Rewatch value: 10
Heck yeah i'd watch it again.
I can tell you that I am definitely not a fan of zombie movies but as I said earlier, it's more of a tragedy than horror. So if you're a major zombie-apocalypse-kind-of-movie fan that finds value in the horror aspect and expects this movie to fulfil it to its best, don't expect too much. The makeup is realistic and well-done.

Even if I cry my eyes out again, it's worth the watch.
If you enjoy a little bit of horror, action, thrill, a little wincey bit of comedy and quite a bit of tragedy, give this movie a go. It's one hell of a ride.

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I think this drama started off strong, but lost steam as it went along. The ending episode was meandering and pointless, honestly. It had a happy ending, but was lackluster and bland. I think that if they had cut this show to 16/32 episodes instead of 20/40, they could have written a tighter story. There were some things that got lost in the story, some things that were never explained, and some things that dragged on way too long. The romance sizzled in the beginning and then flickered and died, and then when it rekindled, it was barely an ember. One thing that some people liked, but kind of annoyed me was the lighting in the show. Every time the main characters were about to have a real kiss - there was always this bright light shining between them. I guess it was supposed to be artistic? Once would have been plenty for that and it might have been ok, but it happened at least 3 or 4 times.

Most of the actors did a good job. Ji Chang Wook and Nam Ji Hyun are both fantastic actors and I love to watch the play of emotions on JCW's face. NJH is so earnest and sincere in her acting. Choi Tae Joon as Eun Hyuk was such a cutie pie and his awkwardness and his boyish charm and enthusiasm were fun to watch (this was my first show with him.) I wasn't really impressed with Nara or her character. She was bland and we didn't learn much about her. I thought Kim Ye Won was a scene stealer though! KYW as Ji Hye started off as an unlikable bully and a cheater, but she quickly became one of my favorite supporting actors in this show, and I kind of wished she had been the second female lead instead. I loved her snarky comebacks to Yoo Jung - she made me laugh a lot. And Dong Ha, as the villain Hyun Soo, did an amazing job. It's the first time I've seen him in anything that I recall, but he nailed his role.

The music was decent, nothing stand out, but appropriate.

I won't re-watch this. It was ok, but not one of the best I've seen. I think the longer run time severely hurt the pacing.

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Iconic Cult Classic

I will start out by saying this series will not be for everyone, in fact it won't be for most people but what it will be is memorable!

Playboyy is NOT your typical run of the mill predictable Thai BL. If you are looking for Boy meets Boy, Boy falls in love with Boy, Boy (maybe) kisses Boy, There is a miscommunication and then they make up and live happily ever after.....this IS NOT the series for you. There is nothing wrong with those types of series but Playboyy is not that!

Playboyy is unhinged, camp, satirical, hilarious, sex positive, fashion forward and unapologetic.

If you scratch just below the surface of the iconic one liners and murder mystery plot you will find that Playboyy celebrates gay sex in all its forms. Playboyy shows you that their isn't just one way to be in a relationship with someone and that none of those relationships are less than just because they are not traditional BL relationships. They are complex and messy and are unique to each couple rather than being cookie cutter.

The series also doesn't shy away from some of the very realistic issues that come from being a gay person or worse yet a gay sex worker in Thailand. How this community is marginalized, abused and struggling to live let alone be accepted. The show also reminds you that money is power and that we can all end up doing things we are not proud of just to survive.

Now lets address the NC scenes. Let me say it one more time because everyone seems to be taken aback or surprised by this....The series is 18+ and it is sex positive! Yes there are a lot more NC compared to normal Thai BL. They are also far more explicit and unhinged. They are not your dead fish kiss, squeal because someone touched me, we are dating and kissing is all we will ever do NC. As I mentioned before Playboyy celebrates all forms of gay sex so you will have crazy unhinged make you scream in shock scenes, you will have sweet romantic scenes, you will have BDSM, role play and the list could go on. This isnt a porn so no you aren't going to see full frontal nudity but you will be asked to use your imagination and think about what the shot would be like if the underwear weren't there!

Yes the show is low budget, yes some of the acting is questionable, yes some times the plot takes a back seat to the NC, Yes there is a lot of broken English being spoken, Yes the NC can get crazy and/or uncomfortable or down right funny. It's for all of these reasons that I say Playboyy is not for everyone. But if you are someone who likes something different, who loves to laugh and scream some times at the same scene, if you want subversive and unique then Playboyy is absolutely for you.

I recommend finding a friend just as unhinged as you are to watch the show with. I will admit that the comment section and the members of the Chaos Train who all watch it as it aired added the icing on top of the cake for me. You will absolutely need someone to talk to about this show with so don't be shy in finding a watch buddy!

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MLSHR is among a small number of k-dramas that have left a deep impression on me, yet it's also a drama I'd hesitate to recommend to people at large. There are a couple of reasons:

(1) The extent to which you'll enjoy this drama depends on whether you value IDEAS or EXECUTION. If you're the second kind of viewer, this show may drive you mad. The general consensus is that Scarlet Heart: Ryeo had a great story that was screwed up by messy editing/directing/pacing etc. and not enough space to tell it (20 episodes compared to the original 35-ep C-drama). I'm very sympathetic to this assessment.

However, I'm also the kind of viewer who will forgive a lot of flubbed execution for a really good idea, which this drama has in spades.

Scarlet Heart Ryeo is above all an *ambitious* drama, probably excessively so. The upshot is that it has possibly the most uneven execution and post-production editing ever committed... but at the same time some of the most complex and compelling character arcs I've come across in kdrama. It's not for nothing that the show has drawn such an unusual amount of discussion and fannish activity, especially internationally. (MLSHR was poorly received in Korea, but it is/was a certified international sensation, the first ever kdrama to make Tumblr trends, etc.)

(2) My other "disclaimer" for MLSHR is that it has a deeply cynical and subversive approach to romance. If you're looking for a fairytale where love conquers all, this is not the show for you. If you're looking for a classic tale of star-crossed lovers foiled by evil external forces... this is still not the show for you.

If, on the other hand, you're the sort to appreciate tragic missed opportunities of love driven by bad timing and fatal ***character flaws***, then Scarlet Heart: Ryeo is the Greek tragedy of your dreams (and/or nightmares). In a market saturated with wannabe Pride & Prejudices, Scarlet Heart Ryeo is out here being a totally unapologetic Wuthering Heights, which is pretty gutsy for a YA reverse-harem premise. (To be fair, they were working off of the Chinese novel, but they *could* have made it more public-friendly.)


Here's the bottom line: This drama is an acquired taste. If you're not a fan of tragedy or bloodbaths, if you need your female characters to be ~empowered~ and save the day, if you prefer people in love to be functional and communicate well — look elsewhere.

However, if you enjoy nonstop political scheming and backstabbing, majority-villain ensembles (including both male leads, arguably), and romantic narratives that reject relationship = identity myths, Scarlet Heart Ryeo is probably up your dark and twisted alley.

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im not sure how some of the reviews rated this show with a 10. Its not the worst series, but it definitely doesnt deserve a 10.

First and for the love of god, why is Type's character written like the biggest asshole in town. If ever id meet someone like Type in real life id definitely run the other way. Yes there was a traumatic experience but its not an excuse to be an arse.

My advise to my fellow LGBTQ memebers here, dont ever date someone like Type in real life. He will make your life a living hell, this guy is so toxic and you deserve better. And also when your roommate tells you he hates gays like you, you go away as fast as you can, not secretly touch him when he is sleeping. That's called sexual harassment. And all the more reason for him to hate gay guys. And also, when somebody sexually harasses you, you dont open the cave to let them in, you go to police. The show is just not sending the right message.

One of the most annoying character ever is Tar. He was annoying in Love by Chance and he was as equally annoying here. (i dont hate the actors just the character). He was introduced so early in the show only to really matter in the last 2 or 3 episodes - and a bit creepy almost incestious onesided relationship with the stepbrother.

When i reviewed SOTUS, i said there was almost no intimate moments - this one is the exact opposite.

Hard to rewatch. I give it an overall rating of 6.

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