Reviews

First Impression: 4 Minutes

Overall: impressive first episode. 8 episodes about 1 hour each. Airing on Viu in: Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Japan (not sure where because Viu isn't available in Japan), Hong Kong, Macau, Myanmar, Singapore, South Korea TBA. Some countries might have the cut version, I believe Thailand has the uncut version with English subtitles.

Content Warnings: multiple, see a comment with a spoiler for them

What I Liked
- mystery element
- grey characters
- intimate scene (see my note at the end)
- use of the number 4 or things adding up to 4
- production value

Room For Improvement
- not a fan of a flash forward (or back) as a hook for a series
- there are several main characters and only 7 episodes remaining to fully flesh them all out
- I can't comment on all of the medical things and their realism, but I highly doubt any surgeon would spin his medical implements before/during a surgery and that seemed to be a ton of papers for a small clipboard
- Be On Cloud decided to sell it to a company where it is only airing in 8 countries (and perhaps 2 more) and then had the gall to not respond anywhere to questions about the remaining 180+ countries but instead posted about how to only watch it via official channels, I don't mind companies needing money to get things made but they should have been clear about where and the why

Note About an Actor's Age (I didn't take off points for this but as an fyi 1 actor was likely 17 when he filmed (as of episode 1) a very explicit scene, age of majority in Thailand is 20)
Be On Cloud posted this https://x.com/beoncloud_th/status/1816775567569748355?t=Eq-6GcEnHNIpIe-W_NCMoA&s=19
What once again (because they posted this for Dead Friend Forever) strikes me as odd is the "all sex scenes has been approved by both the parents and all cast members". The age of majority in Thailand is 20. I personally think it's stupid for productions to have actors under 20 do steamy scenes because parents could later object (and there are instances of this happening) but I haven't taken off points in my review for it.

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Literally the most AMAZING Chinese Historical Martial Arts Drama ever made!!!

THE BEST CHINESE BL HISTORICAL DRAMA EVER!!! I wish I could give it 100000000 stars!!

First off, YOU MUST WATCH THE MINI EPILOGUE EPISODE (find it on Reddit!). I watched this drama and finished it in two days on Netflix and CRIED thinking that was the ending but then i found that mini episode 37 and the whole world felt peaceful once again aha

Second off, HOW IN THE I STILL CANT FKN BELIEVE IT did this drama past China's strict censorship? I'll tell you how... with genius scriptwriters, directors and talented actors, that's how! Everything about this drama was perfect, especially the fight scenes. I was mesmerized by each fight scene, it was like nothing I've ever seen before! I wish there were more dramas with such amazing cinematography and martial arts fight scenes!

I loved both the MC and ML, they are so talented and this drama was just everything I could ever imagine! Makes me want to read the novel now. I wish there was a season 2, but I don't think they'd be able to escape the strict censorship nowadays aha

This drama has everything: Romance, angst, revenge, deep bonds between characters, and every other good thing you could possibly imagine.

Obviously, even though the novel is a BL, this drama adaptation could not be BL because of China's censorship rules. BUT they did an excellent job in depicting the love between the MC and ML. Zhou Zishu and Wen Kexing could communicate their love through silent actions such as their eye contact, the concern they show for each other, the sacrifices they are willing to make in order to save the other person, it was beautiful. I wish I could find more dramas like this one, please let me know if you know of any dramas similar to WOH!

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Season 1 & 2 Review

It is the first time I have ever watched a series that is so lopsided. One half of the plot was shallow and without any substance while the other was delivered so well. I will discuss the shallow half first.

The romance between the lead couple (James & Ait) was without depth and proper writing. Their entire story just seemed arbitrary. In season 1 how their story started off seemed off. I had given season 1 an 8/10 because I had attributed the poor qualities to the fact it was obvious that they had a very limited budget as production was not the best. However the message was delivered in a very solid way (the good half of the plot). The romance for the second couple (Marco & Bas) that took place in season 2 seemed poorly constructed but there were some good scenes especially in episode 5. The poor writing for one half of the plot and the poor production eventually could not be ignored and blamed on just a limited budget hence why I rated it 5/10 for season 2. This was the bad half now lets talk about how well the message was delivered and it was all thanks to one actor who carried the whole series on his back from beginning to ending; Michael Kiettisak Vatanavitsakul who played Bas. I will be using the spoiler feature from here on because topics such as rape, sexual harassment, sexual abuse, suicidal thoughts, suicidal attempt, depression, manipulation, emotional abuse and abuse of an actor will be discussed, so if you are triggered by any of these you may want to stop reading now.

Do you want to be the bird in the cage or in the sky? - Marco

In season 1 we learn that Bas is forced to drink protein milkshakes and is banned from eating anything else by the production company owner; P'Tee. This is done for him to keep his muscular appearance that fits the stereotypical image of a BL top. Bas and Ait are also forced as actors to sign abusive contracts that holds them hostage and takes away some of their basic human rights such as a right to privacy, a right to freedom, a right to movement, a right against inhumane treatment, etc. The protein milkshakes Bas is forced to consume makes him sick and causes him to perpetually vomit and feel weak. Even though Ait was not abused to the same extent as Bas he was too forced to conform to a certain image by Tee. Ait was made to do plastic surgery because he was told some of his facial features (nose) was a facial defect. The more serious abuse took place between Bas and Tee.

It is revealed that Tee has been raping and sexually abusing and harassing Bas, and he gave himself ample opportunity to do so by restricting the actors to only living with him and setting a curfew. He forced Bas into submission by emotionally manipulating him and holding him hostage emotionally. Bas is from a humble family and he sees himself as the failure in the family as his brother is going to university and is the star brother while he goes in chase of his dream of acting. His father does not waste any opportunity to belittle him and compare him with his brother. Tee uses this against Bas; trapping him as he craves his father's acceptance and approval. When this was revealed I realised that his vomiting was not just because of the milkshakes but because he was suffering from anxiety attacks. There is a scene in season 1 where they go to the beach and Bas just spontaneously runs towards the sea wall and stands on it. That scene struck me because the sea and horizon is often associated with freedom, hope and possibility. Seeing him just stand there staring blankly out at the sea is like watching his freedom before him but like the horizon he can never reach out and touch it.

In season two the writers double down on his torture. He becomes suicidal and attempts to hang himself but luckily he is stopped by Marco just as he jumps off the bed. Now Marco was in love with James (Ait's boyfriend and his best friend) but he eventually falls for Bas; again the love story-lines are not great so that is not my focus here. My focus is how Marco showed Bas that someone cared for him and that his life was worth living and his happiness matters so he should not let his father or Tee withhold his happiness. Furthermore we see how Bas' upbringing is also toxic. There is a scene where his brother tells him that men do not cry, so we see how trapped Bas truly his psychologically; he is being raped, cannot cry out due to intimidation and manipulation; he was dying in silence.

I did not like how they handle his situation by Marco standing by and hiding while filming Tee sexual assault Bas for the purpose of evidence. This irked me. I also hated how James threatened Tee to only take action against him if he continues to rape Bas; that is wrong on many levels.

Another issue was the one of actors' privacy. James and Ait are forced to hide their relationship because of what BL fans will think and fear of their negative reactions.

The message and purpose of this series is to highlight and expose the atrocities of the BL industry that cause the suffering and abuse of actors. It is to protest against the stereotypes that actors must force their bodies to conform to in order to please audiences. It is to call out production companies that have employees taking advantage of actors sexually. It is a rallying cry to all actors who were abused and forced into suicidal tendencies that there is hope, there is a reason to live, their happiness is paramount. It points a heavy finger at fans who lambaste actors for having a private life in which they have a romantic relationship outside of their ship. This series was an ultimate protest against these disgusting realities, and the effects were vividly displayed to cause empathy, sympathy , shame, and anger among fans.

The actor who played Bas did an excellent job. His acting was awesome as you could feel and see every emotion associated with abuse and trauma through his performance. I hope that he gets to act in a proper series with a good production company that has resources because he is too good for a low budget series, but he seems to already be getting this as he stared in PitBabe (North) and This Love Doesn't Have Long Beans (Nubnueng). He deserves a lead role.

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A realistic movie about love!

I wouldn't say it's a romantic movie, even tho you could interpret the story in two different ways, the message remains the same. Two women love each other till the end! It doesn't matter if they're only friends or lovers, these are just labels. This movie basically perfect, because it shows that relationships are not easy and simple, it's complex, and you have to work hard to maintain it.

What I love about this movie is that it's not about the guy, it's 100% about the girls' POV. As much as they love each other, they're always messing up something, but they never leave each other.

In the end, they're basically become the same person. It was like Miso not only finished her art, but Ha Eun's life as well.

The story isn't finished, you have to guess what happened with Jin Woo and his daughter. Who knows, maybe he will raise her with Miso, or just meet the girl once in a while. But I don't think that matters.

At the end of the day, this is about Miso and Ha Eun, and how much they love each other.

Like the title says: They're soulmates.

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a new favorite

i really don't know what to say/do after finishing this.
this is just one of those dramas that will change my life and that i will remember forever.
this gender bender trope is one of my absolute favorites so i had no doubts i would love this, and i was right.
while there are a few things i wish happened differently, you still can't deny that the cast was just absolutely perfect and made every hard to get through moment worth it.
i have so many things to say about this drama, but since i don't have enough energy to write it all out, i will simply leave a vent of my emotions after watching
i think i truly won't get over this, i finished watching one hour ago and i already want to rewatch everything. also, i cried so much in the last few episodes, because of the story, because i didn't want it to end, because Eun Chan and Han Gyeol love each other so much...
one thing i really loved, was that Han Gyeol always stayed loyal, never did anything toxic like sometimes we see in dramas, even when they had arguments, his love for her always shined through in the end. i love their love <3

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Looking for the next door to open.

This was such a heartwarming and inspirational series. The main theme for me was don’t give up when your life plans go off course. The is also a recurring underline theme about second chances. This series really knew how to grab you attention in the beginning and had a nice pacing. The script did a great job balancing out the main character’s storyline with the supporting characters personal storylines. I loved the individual athletes/clients stories and how they tied into the main character’s story. There were some romance elements between some of the supporting characters, but none of them were overpowering. The cast was excellent and did a great job with their characters.

Random Note:

This is listed as The Old Dog, New Tricks? on Netflix.

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Lackluster at best

What could have been a great movie ended up being disappointing.

The premise was good, the trailer looked okay and seeing the cast made me feel hyped for the movie.
Acting was well done by the cast and the music was good as well. That is where the amazing points end for me.

The idea of AI as a replacement for people we have lost or cannot meet seems to hit close to home. Especially if you think about all the AI-advancements that have been made as lof late. The fact that this raises many ethical questions is also very true. At first, it seemed like the movie would touch on those ethical questions, but sadly it didn't.

At some points it even seemed like the movie was trying to make us feel 'sorry' for the AI. Completely disregarding that it is AI, not a real person.

I don't know how to explain properly, but it felt like the movie briefly touched on something that could have been good, but was afraid to properly touch those subjects. It left us with a beautiful lackluster surface level movie, without diving deep into anything at all.

Perhaps if this had been a 12 or 16 episodes series, they would have been able to write a more in-depth script.

I would say you can watch it if you are a fan of the cast, but don't expect anything great. Even if you would put this at the back while doing something else, you wouldn't miss much.

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Multiple- watch value stuff

This drama is not my fav let's take it from here but I have watched it more times than any of my fav dramas. If my my fav drama is my boyfriend than this one has to be my bestie I might not give it a ten star rating yet I can not get enough of it .. and moreover it was one of the very first korean shows I watched so there is a feeling of nostalgia attached to it ...

Now let's discuss the story a divorce woman becoming a doctor and the behaviour of her ex husband and in laws around her was very realistic .. there was this old spark thing .. jealousy that the ex wife is getting attention from other man ...
But the main thing that I felt was quite heart warming is he still fell for his ex wife though he had an option to marry a girl so young and more beautiful .. This is the type of love that our society has forgotten long ago ... Very heart touching

I loved the character of senior lady surgeon as well she was one of my favs ...the entire show, the story the cast evrything was so well put together ..I don't know what else can you ask for ..the trauma cases were interesting as well ...

PS ... I liked Dr romantic(only season 1) as well it has little similarities to this one

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Pee Nak 4 - The Wait Is Over, & The Wait for Pee Nak 5 Begins

The 4th installment in the Pee Nak franchise takes Tho Min Jun back to the countryside home of his childhood. His mother has asked him to restore the local temple, and his friends Balloon, First, and Noht travel with him. What awaits him though is, of course, complicated by a ghost and childhood promises.

Mike Phontharis Chotkijsadarsopon has once more delivered a fabulous blend of horror, comedy, and gay cattiness. Once again, wholesome messages and both Buddhist folklore and beliefs are woven in beautifully.

TW: Bullying, Self-Deletion, Vengefulness, Death, Jump-scares, Ableism

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My thoughts after dwelling on comments and eventually watching...

My hesitancy to watch this drama started with a quick look at the comment section. Many people weren't happy with the plot, screen time, and characters. I commented on my uncertainty and received replies that were fighting each other. So, I logged off to watch in peace and came back to write a review after completing it.

MY ADVICE: If the synopsis interests you even a little bit, give the drama a try without dwelling on the comments. It seems like a hit-or-miss drama. Yes, it has flaws, but it is not as bad as some people may say.

First, I have some remarks about Rong and Wenxuan's relationship. Their misunderstandings were solved quickly, and I liked how their relationship changed for the better, compared to their past. What got me rolling my eyes most of the time was how Wenxuan could not stand up for himself when it came to Rong, and how Rong was not communicating her trust and love for Wenxuan. Yes, their arguments were solved quickly, but it felt so unnecessary to begin with at such late episodes.

However, my biggest concern reading the comments was Rongqing.
- Does Rongqing have a lot of screen time (compared to Wenxuan)? No, **IN GENERAL**, I wouldn't say so. Wenxuan has plenty of screen time, especially in the first half of the drama. The only part of Rongqing's screen time that confused me was the last couple episodes, especially his scene in the last episode.
- Did Rong love Rongqing? Hard question to answer, but I'd say maybe at some point in her past life, she did. HOWEVER, in their current life, she always worries for Wenxuan, cares for Wenxuan, and loves Wenxuan. What I can collect from watching her interactions with Rongqing, she definitely has lingering sentiments for him. Probably because he stayed by her side during the days leading up to her death in the past. But that is really it. She loves Wenxuan, and I never doubted her love for him. Did I get annoyed because of her soft spots for Rongqing? Yeah, it was annoying, but I guess it's understandable if you consider her past.

I personally thought the drama started out really strong—I was captivated up until maybe episode 20. I almost completely lost interest after episode 30, but kept watching for the main couple. They started bringing up the past (which I could care less about), and Rongqing's story (which I had no sympathy for), so I was just trying my best to watch until the end.

This drama has flaws, which is disappointing since the budget seems to be so high. There are things I wish they could have added, changed, or removed. Despite that, there were a lot of moments that I liked.. I can list some below:
- Wenxuan said, "If I admitted I liked you, it would feel like a form of surrender."
- Wenxuan confronts Rong when she assumes he still likes ZhenZhen, and Rong runs after him to clear up the misunderstanding even more
- Rong offended the whole Pei family because they hurt Wenxuan
- Rong writing countless letters to Wenxuan while everyone is telling her he's dead
- Wenxuan picking up Rong with the umbrella in this life (Rongqing did it in the previous life)
- Rong worries over Wenxuan in many instances

I'll stop here. Even if the drama isn't perfect, I'll still give it a 9/10. Stop hating on the drama; it scares potential watchers. The hate almost scared me away, but I'm glad I gave it a try. And you should too.. if you ended up reading this before watching :)

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