Reviews

Twists and turns

Twists and turns in this episode, but at least they are not getting a divorce! 😮‍💨​Huiju's brother did an amazing job with the press conference! 👏​It seems like PM Min is embracing the antagonist role completely now, but I don't understand if his goal is just to get Huiju for himself (which never will happen, might I add), or just get rid of Ian out of jealousy—or maybe other reasons... 🤷‍♀️ I really hope Ian wasn't inside that burning building after all. 🙏​As for the Queen Mother, I hope she sees now that she cannot continue the way she has and she needs to change—if not for herself, then at least for her son. The poor boy is suffering and living in constant stress and emotional misery. He needs to be protected not as a king, but as a child. 🥺🫂​And a joy for my eyes was the beautiful and passionate scene of our leads. 🤗❤

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Squashing a rebellion

Once the emperor died the city was under martial law. Fu had everything in place to frame the Marquis with the Senji Battalion. He wanted Chen to protect the crown prince even with his life. Chen knows what his mentor is and that he has to protect himself as well as crown prince. Ye Xian was still under house arrest but still communicated via his guard. JinZhao told her aunt that the only way to save the Marquis household from Xiao traitor was to use YeXian’s palace token to warn the Marquis. Unfortunately that didn’t happen and the Shenji Battalion used firearms to decimate the Marquis and his guards when they came in to try to save the new emperor. Chen had a plan to save the Marquis but it involved YeXian being willing to sacrifice himself for the crown prince. He planted a decoy that had the rebel prince think the crown prince was an easy target. Ye Xian protected him and used his needles to kill the rebel prince. Fu was not happy that YeXian’s actions made the charges against the Marquis look ridiculous. Chen managed to keep everyone alive. Ye Xian killed his mentor and then confronted Chen. He had no clue how fed up Chen is with his mentor. He was reminded that he and his father were still alive and that was the most Chen could do for them. Chen strongly suggested he find a way to make himself useful and build up his own house. Fu’s gleeful reaction to the injuries the Marquis sustained and how long he would need to heal was rather heinous. What was even more disgusting he received a huge promotion and is right at the top to get the new emperor’s ear. He is annoyed that YeXian is now in charge of the penal colony and close to the new emperor because that is a power source the emperor can be in charge of exclusively. This job is quite suitable for YeXian’s skills. Fu has even more plans by not letting the Marquis be a station given by birth. He is wanting control of the military. Fu is getting more and more brazen with his plans. Chen is fortunately a good counter balance. He pretends to be his most faithful disciple to stay in good graces, but it takes every effort he has not to choke the man he once considered mentor. YeXian greets JinZhao and almost collapses. He tells her the story of the mentor that took such good care of him when growing up. When he learned the truth he again used his needle crossbow to kill his mentor. With his dying breath Xiao told him to his face he was only a pawn. He asked JinZhao to share a drink with him. She ended up drinking for him. He thanked her for her help and when she passed out he tenderly covered her and left. He is slowly changing into a young man instead of staying the petulant noble determined to always get his own way. He is already making adjustments in the penal colony and has already made his first enemy — the one formerly in charge. Fu is now pushing for Chen to get married and his mother is more than happy to get onboard with that. She has three she likes the best and the Gu girls are not going to be anywhere close to acceptable. Chen has other plans and invites JinZhao over. This episode focused on the next stage of Fu’s ambitious plans. He has set up reforms to get the most taxes possible from the people and now he has achieved even more power with a very young emperor to ‘mentor’. This is one area where Chen and YeXian can agree to work together. Planning the downfall of Fu.

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A terrible life and a second chance

​The starting point of the drama is awful, to say the least... but to be fair, it's even worse than that. 😟​Our female lead, Jiwon, has stage 4 cancer and is hospitalized in a clinic for chemo, which has made her very weak. She is married, yet her husband doesn't care about her one bit, except for the insurance money he would get if she dies. 😠​On top of that, he doesn't even pay for her rehabilitation and is sleeping with Jiwon's "best friend," Soomin. It really looks like that romance has been going on for years, and both of them were just leeching off Jiwon's hard-earned money. 😤😠​It’s a terrible, terrible situation. I cannot even imagine how Jiwon let everything get that far... 🤷‍♀️​At least she got her chance to find it all out and confront her husband and friend, even though it didn't end well—resulting in her death. But thankfully, that wasn't the end of her story, but just the beginning of another chance to live her life! 👆​I am really enjoying the changes she has already made by using her knowledge of past events to distance herself from Minhwan and Soomin. 😏 Plus, the boss always conveniently being somewhere close to help or save her already makes me believe this life will be way better than the previous one. 😉​I am planning to enjoy the revenge Jiwon will take on Minhwan and Soomin! 🤭

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THE BEST Thai High School GL Series

Do you guys watch SHADES? If you do, you understand my giddy admiration for this series. If you don't, oh my goodness, WATCH IT like it's the last show you'd ever watch!! Binge-watch episodes 1-4 & you'll get it: Every aspect of this dang show is so dang great on every dang level! Every episode gets better and better and better.... The back-stories. The character development. The direction. The acting. The whole production is a testament to intelligent storytelling! It is never easy to balance things perfectly with an ensemble cast - SHADES makes it look like a walk in a park: A park with criss-crossed meandering roads that lead to a deviously delicious hodgepodge of complications and consequences! 11 stars out of 10.

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I was right this mf...

So Zhuo literally confirmed my suspicions, he literally said, "If I can't have her, neither can Yan Yun Zhi." He's so embarrassing. OMG wait so maybe this was part of the plan, or also maybe a coincidence, but the wedding was called off 🥳 Of course Zhuo is ruining the imperial college now. WAHH SANG QIIII I love that all her old classmates helped her get into the college since she's sick haha. I feel like because we don't see the King that often, we tend to forget about how major of a role he plays in all of this, and can I for one say he is a spineless, gullible, pushover, naive IDIOT. They should be usurping the throne atp because this King agrees with whatever anyone tells him. Okay, Miss Su finally apologized... my humble girl Sang Qi forgave her but tbh too little too late. Now that your family called off the marriage due to Yan Yun Zhi missing, you're gonna apologize now for trying to literally marry her BOYFRIEND????? Sang Qi is wayyy better than me. Also I have so many questions!!! Like if my hypothesis is true, and Yan Yun Zhi is purposefully staying away atm, why didn't he tell Sang Qi, where is he staying, is he getting evidence? Like idk maybe Sang Qi is acting again after they fooled us with the whole marriage swap, but like Sang Qi is really sick so like???? Or MAYBE she is acting sick because she somehow found out that Zhuo poisoned the pouch so she's doing this to trick him?? Ugh idk-- UMMMMMMMMM WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! HUHHHHH hehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehe i'm kicking my feet--- FLASHBACK TIME WOOOO!! Wow. That ending was a masterpiece. I love when Zhuo is wrong. I love that this was all planned. I love that they're fighting back. Scared for Sang Qi, but another great episode. Okay also ima say that Sang Qi didn't know about her sack being poisoned, and she's really sick. I think as they said it comes and goes, so she wasn't that sick around Yan Yun Zhi so he maybe didn't get to know either ab her sickness?

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Relationships

Lin and HeHan riding in the car was a nice change of pace. Since he isn’t drunk, she can just converse rather than hover. They are relaxed and just enjoying the time together. This changes when her mother is taken to the hospital for a growth in her stomach. The dynamics of her parents are unusual. They are married but live apart which is probably why Lin thinks shared space and contact so important. Her dad stays until half an hr before her mom will wake and he turns the watch over to her. This puts her back in a sad pattern of what ifs. What was different this time is that HeHan caught them visiting. Her father is finally moving back home and while she is happy another part questions why now? Why not earlier when they could have been a real family. He Han is helping her dad move back in. He and Lin have their squabbles but they understand taking care of each other’s parents. This is common ground for them. While in the past she might have resented his looking to Dai for specialists, today she understands he is coming from a good place and simply says thank you. I like the quieter more thoughtful Lin. Ok, the one leaving is not the mole. It better be glasses guy cause I already have enough issues with Cai. She could be the one if she thought she was helping HeHan, but she is not a good liar for when they were shuffling authors around and her efforts were the first gone. Fan is just greasy in his dealings. He is so slimy and fake that your skin kinda crawls. He is badgering GuYan and making contract complaints for Lin. She knows it’s not GuYan but getting a word with him with the hospital shuffling she is now doing is difficult. For his part GuYan is loyal. But it’s going to be tempted as far as it can reach. I don’t want him solely with Fan’s company because I think his company is on the downward slope and it’s going to get hit hard and fast when others get arranged. Dai is gonna be on the other side smiling because she may have a soft spot for her ex, but she doesn’t like the way he does business. Zhao is almost grisly with her Joker’s smile in Lin’s office. She has every reason to think she has the upper hand and willing to exploit it to the fullest. She admits it to Lin’s face unapologetically and points out that the business needs both of them for very different reasons. The bottom line with this is if GuYan chooses to speak up or stay silent and the jury is still out. Mei is traveling down poor choice paths with mother and Bei. He wants her to find accoutrements for his new apartment and calls her to handle it. She offers to get pots and pans delivered. I am not sure what the deal is with her bestie delivering paperwork to her mother, but until she can deal with her mother directly, that albatross is going to hang around her neck for all it’s worth. I like the sober He Han that is considerate and dressed like a grownup. He has a softer side that is much nicer to see than the indulgent side that catered to fans. He is not subject to public opinion nor pressured to meet anybody’s schedule but his own. This guy is likable and capable of acting responsibly. I don’t want Fan to get his way on any front. He caused this mess and hurt a lot of people and still only sees dollar signs. He would betray them all if the price was right and doesn’t deserve to be on top when reshuffling happens. Gu Yan would be better treated with Zhao, but she is not the one that’s mentor material. She gets you the best deal as long as she gets her percentage. I really don’t want to see Mei’s mom, but I do want a resolution between mother and daughter where Mei gets real independence. Hoping this story will manage that since they’ve trashed her character otherwise. 😝 Waiting to see who leads the platform reshuffle and how the players fall in line once it happens. Also curious how GuYan vs SanSan plays out…..which is the better writer?😂

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Changes and contracts

Mei and the Mrs have their meeting and the Mrs is handing leftovers to Mei. Whether it’s to save face or reality doesn’t really matter. I think she just wanted the satisfaction of seeing Mei’s reaction to her gift. Mei will neither embrace nor cut ties with Bei. Lin had this right, her dating preferences are a direct reflection of her relationship with her mother. Where Cai brought up the argument that her mother couldn’t tell her who to date, Lin brought up dating to spite her wasn’t necessary either. The assistant lawyer was visiting to review GuYan’s contract and be ready for countering if he opted to break or leave company. With firm denials, Gu Yan is safe for now. Fan is getting directly involved and showing Gu Yan the dream team of mentors while encouraging him to sign with Zhao. It is assured he will be treated better, but not clear if this change would really be in his best interest long term. Mei’s wannabe bf has overstepped his hand and is now on the s list. He should have never made such a comment about her mom because he saw her in action and knows what a self righteous tyrant she is. That was unforgivable for one wanting to gain Mei’s affection. Lin and Gu Yan’s argument was rather forced. She knew something was up when the two friends ran into her married. She has a point but she never really had him go with a story of his choosing. Whether the phantom knight book or the one with her they were both following up other authors. Neither story was his in spite of his feelings on the matter. He should never have expected her to hunt him down if he left, but her easy refusal that she wouldn’t will give him the gumption to make different choices just to spite her. Leaving won’t be the worst thing for him as it might help curb his creepy obsession with her. He still wants to be HeHan 2.0 but his ties with her are diminishing. I would like Dai to handle him. She would cut through the crap and point him in the right direction. Her comments to HeHan are interesting. She wants him out while the online platforms reshuffle. She pays better attention than her arrogant ex who doesn’t bother noticing the little guy. But, if the little guys team up, they are no longer little. Fan is set in his ways and sees money as the end all of negotiations. This is what will trip him up when things start pivoting. Lin meets with He Han about selling the rights of his book to a game. He really doesn’t give a free flying about it and tells her to do whatever she wants and close the door on her way out. She thinks He Han is in a bad place. I don’t agree. For the first time in decades he is sober by choice. His busy brain is getting slice of life scenarios and he’s getting paid to get them. He is dressed nicer and more manicured than he’s bothered to be for decades as well. I would like to see him venture in children’s stories with the boy in his building. That would be a nice change of pace—to really be the king of stories rather than the pinnacle of an industry that could really care less for him as a person. Lin rejected Kun’s offer which almost succeeded in shutting him up. He asked for info from staff to hire when her company folded. Cai and one other are loyal, but it’s sure that the mole is leaving. No big loss since she was hurting as much as helping anyways. 😝 This episode sees everybody heading for change and still to be determined if that is a good or bad thing.

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First 1/3 was 0-100 mph, but took its foot off the gas pedal.

The beginning of this episode went from 0-100 mph real fast, but then took its foot off the gas pedal by 1/3 of the episode. I really wanted to like The Water, the storyline had much intrigue throughout, but I felt that the ending was quite abrupt and choppy. With only a total of 8 episodes, there was much focus on the family dynamics and competition that it left only 1 long final episode to go from barely dating to married within minutes. I have never read the books, but have heard great things about them. As someone who is still quite new to Thai GL, this is the first series I've watched with EngLot as I have lots [of shows] to catch up on.

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