Reviews

It’s a Small World ride…cute and memorable music

What happens when straight actors and idols play BL with a Disney-esque references? The mermaid. Dreams. The songs.

In a cancel-culture and scandal-averse South Korea, I’m genuinely impressed by actors and idols who are willing to step outside their comfort zones and take on roles that may not necessarily fit the image their fans have created for them. Whether an actor is straight, gay, or somewhere in between in real life is really none of our business. What matters is the character they are portraying.

And honestly, doing something different when you know a portion of your fandom may scrutinize every move takes guts. So I applaud these actors and idols for taking the chance. Idols especially, because let’s be honest, not every idol is naturally an actor.

The premise of Play Me is very simple and very direct: a love interest from our youth, a misunderstanding, and a reunion years later. No complicated plot twists, no tortured souls, no unnecessary angst. I only wish Korea could reunify as easily as these two did. Imagine what that country could accomplish!

I still remember how Brokeback Mountain changed our perception of straight actors playing gay roles forever.

This isn’t the kind of BL with NC scenes or even particularly graphic kissing. There are clearly limits to what their agencies and companies are comfortable allowing. Instead, Play Me caters more to the yaoi-loving female audience who can get giddy simply watching their favorite idols in a BL situation. And let’s be honest, this is also what sells merchandise.

And yes, I admit it: we’re here for the ride.

Personally, I enjoyed the ride. This wasn’t some rough-and-tumbling roller coaster. It was more like It’s a Small World at Disneyland…cute, colorful, uncomplicated, and over before you know it.

The production quality is good, the acting is decent, and the music is surprisingly memorable. But what really worked for me was the chemistry between the leads. You can tell they either genuinely get along, or they’re simply very good at making us believe they do. Either way, it works.

I wouldn’t mind seeing these two together again.

In fact, I think we should encourage idols and actors to take on more BL roles. Not because we need to speculate about their real lives or sexuality, but because it’s entertainment. That’s all it needs to be.

Sometimes we don’t need a complicated story, tortured characters, or a masterpiece.

Sometimes we just want two pretty boys, a cute story, good chemistry, memorable music, and a reason to smile.

And Play Me gave me exactly that.Cute. Sweet. Easy. And a fun little ride.I’m glad I got on.

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10/10 despite the flaws.

PAYBACK The Series has actually made me consider reading the novella and possibly even the manhwa – which, for me, is already a sign of just how much the series impressed me.

There are plenty of other reviews that go into the series in great detail, so I won’t repeat another in-depth breakdown of the plot here.

What makes PAYBACK so compelling for me is how well it works on so many levels: the plot, acting, setting, characters, and above all, the way all these elements come together. It manages to tell a dark romance with BL elements that has genuine depth while going beyond being merely a love story.

What I particularly appreciate is that the various subplots surrounding the central pairing contribute to the main story rather than competing with one another. They complement and strengthen each other. The occasional logical inconsistencies therefore fall more into the category of minor trivialities than genuine flaws in the plot.

And that is why I’m giving it a 10/10 despite its flaws.

PAYBACK is one of my favourites. The fact that I’m writing a review at all shows just how much of an effect the series had on me. I’m looking forward to more BL romances of this calibre.

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Un quadro poetico dedicato all’amore che fatica a trovare il coraggio di esistere

“Secrets happened on the Litchi Island” è una vera e propria chicca del genere BL cinese che merita ben più dell'attenzione che ha ricevuto. Drama molto breve – conta in tutto sette episodi da un quarto d’ora l’uno oltre a una serie di rapide scene extra che nel totale arrivano alla durata media di un film – si distingue per l’originalità e una semplicità di valore – non scade mai nella banalità - oltre a cimentarsi con un approccio innovativo, consapevole e coraggioso.

TRAMA - La storia è apparentemente semplice: un’estate, nel ruolo di supervisori di un campeggio estivo per bambini su un'isola chiamata "Litchi Island", due giovani si incontrano e si avvicinano lentamente. Xiao Zhi, aspirante artista dall'animo sensibile, arriva sull'isola per aiutare il fratello maggiore impegnato nel campo estivo. Qui conosce Chen Li, un ragazzo più grande, solare e gentile, amico del fratello. Quello che segue mostra sostanzialmente il lento, difficoltoso ma inesorabile avvicinamento tra i due, fatto di sguardi, silenzi e piccoli gesti che valgono più di mille parole.

EPISODI EXTRA: Al mini-drama sono seguiti una serie di brevi episodi extra – della durata di pochi minuti ciascuno – davvero ben fatti e che mostrano situazioni più o meno ordinarie della vita di coppia di Xiao Zhi e Chen Li. Negli ultimi due l’allegria lascia spazio a riflessioni più serie, l’ultimo in particolare va guardato con attenzione perché altrimenti si rischia di fraintenderlo.

TEMI PRINCIPALI:
Fondamentalmente l’intera serie è volta alla rappresentazione della difficoltà di essere sé stessi e di vivere un amore che la società ancora fatica ad accettare. La paura di essere giudicati, l'incapacità di dichiararsi, la sensazione di doversi nascondere sono tutti aspetti che vengono trattati con profondo rispetto e arricchiti da metafore calzanti.
Il quadro tagliuzzato che Xiao Zhi realizza dopo la serata trascorsa insieme davanti al fuoco crepitante diventa elemento ricorrente tra le mani di Chen Li ed esprime splendidamente la sua lotta interiore, combattuto nella scelta di quale deve essere lo sfondo della sua esistenza: il blu profondo del mare, un luogo protetto nel quale nascondere sé stessi, o il rosso vivo del fuoco notturno, quel cuore avvolto da strati di travestimenti che continua incessantemente a pulsare con forza, desiderando solo di poter battere liberamente.
Tra i vari riferimenti, vi è poi un palese richiamo al film “Chiamami col tuo nome” di Luca Guadagnino: in più scene (extra compresi) i due protagonisti leggono insieme l’omonimo romanzo, sottolineando un parallelismo di evidenti similitudini: l’ambientazione estiva, uno sviluppo graduale, l’esplorazione dell’orientamento sessuale in un contesto idilliaco, la natura come specchio delle emozioni.

CITAZIONE PREFERITA – “L’esistenza è solo esistere. Non c’è né giusto né sbagliato. Né ragionevolezza né illogicità.”

PERSONAGGI: Il personaggio di Chen Li è quello che mostra una maggiore evoluzione: un ragazzo che si scopre innamorato di un altro uomo e fatica ad accettarlo, oscillando tra attrazione e paura. Xiao Zhi, invece, è il più vulnerabile dei due, quello che soffre di più per il rifiuto e l'indecisione dell'altro. Il loro percorso, fatto di titubanti avvicinamenti e combattuti allontanamenti, è tanto realistico quanto doloroso.
Xiao Long, il fratello di Xiao Zhi, inizialmente sembra stare in disparte ma poi si dimostra consapevole dell’orientamento sessuale del fratello, aspetto che non condanna ma che gestisce con l’ipocrisia del buonismo, disincentivando il fratello “per il suo stesso bene”.
Non ci sono di fatto altri personaggi secondari, la ragazza che affianca Xiao Long al campo estivo è più che altro una comparsa, così come tutti i bambini che partecipano al camping, un gruppo volutamente anonimo dai vestiti uguali e che non partecipa praticamente a nessuna conversazione o situazione. L’unico pensiero che mi hanno sollevato è stato il seguente: ma mentre i due protagonisti si rilassano tra i frutteti, concedendosi qua e là uno spuntino o un tuffo in piscina… Chi li sorveglia i bambini? Mistero!

CAST – Tra i punti di forza del drama ci sono indubbiamente le performance dei due attori protagonisti, a me precedentemente sconosciuti. Hu Yi Chen appare credibilissimo come adolescente, sebbene nella realtà abbia ventun anni. Entrambi offrono una recitazione splendidamente naturale: non sembrano recitare, sembrano davvero vivere i loro personaggi, come se non stessero minimamente seguendo un copione in attesa del “Cut!” del regista. L’intesa, soprattutto nelle scene senza parole, è davvero notevole, tra giochi di sguardi, volti che si adombrano, posture che si irrigidiscono quando l’altro si avvicina. Una sintonia tale da promuovere un effetto sinergico nel risultato concreto.

ASPETTI TECNICI
Qui una premessa è doverosa: il numero di persone che hanno lavorato a questo prodotto è incredibilmente esiguo, con un budget irrisorio. Basti pensare che la regista ha anche scritto la sceneggiatura, curato la fotografia, il montaggio, la scenografia e persino composto le oltre venti tracce audio della colonna sonora. E’ un’opera di nicchia che, pur non avendo accesso a tutti gli strumenti tipici delle maestose produzioni commerciali, risulta paradossalmente di livello superiore a molte, a dimostrazione che il talento e l’originalità alla fine contano più dei grandi nomi, dei budget cospicui e dei mille eventi promozionali.
La narrazione propone una particolare struttura frammentaria: la storia non viene "raccontata", ma "mostrata" attraverso immagini, simboli e atmosfere. La regia non spiega, non interviene, sembra limitarsi a osservare, facendo del “non detto” quasi un ulteriore protagonista (in tal senso richiede uno spettatore attivo, disposto a leggere tra le righe).
La fotografia è straordinaria, con colori vividi e inquadrature che sembrano quadri e che ricordano ripetutamente le opere dell’artista David Hockney (citato dallo stesso Xiao Zhi mentre tratteggia degli schizzi a bordo piscina, creando una correlazione a dir poco geniale, lui che disegna in un ambiente che è al tempo stesso un richiamo ai famosi quadri dell'artista).
L’ambientazione prevalentemente esterna e ariosa, caratterizzata da una vegetazione lussureggiante e da improvvisi acquazzoni estivi, conferisce un senso di luminosa leggerezza – in certi momenti un’atmosfera di vera e propria placida pigrizia – che contrasta splendidamente con i dubbi e i timori che si annidano nei pensieri – e nei cuori – dei due protagonisti. E’ il ritratto di un’estate apparentemente spensierata, ma che cela un significato più profondo e importante.
La colonna sonora supporta questa scelta con dei brani strumentali – perlopiù a pianoforte - che sembrano dei veri e propri stacchetti allegri. Al contrario, nei momenti più seri, la musica si eclissa lasciando posto a ciò che di più semplice ma efficace può esserci: il solo silenzio.
L’unica mia perplessità riguarda più che altro il montaggio: i cambi di scena sono frequenti, spesso un po’ troppo bruschi, e non aiutano in alcuni momenti a percepire i salti temporali riferiti all’arco narrativo. Complessivamente però si parla di piccole incertezze e imperfezioni, che non vanno a inficiare la bontà dell’opera.

IN CONCLUSIONE – Un drama creativo, originale, poetico e sincero, che ha il coraggio di liberarsi di tutto ciò che è lo standard abitudinario e, varcati questi confini, esplorare territori nuovi, diventando così unico nel suo genere. E’ un capolavoro perfetto? Onestamente no. Ma, nella moltitudine delle BL in circolazione, è capace di lasciare il segno come pochi altri. A me è davvero rimasto nel cuore, non posso che consigliarlo a tutti gli amanti del genere.

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Pat Chayanit is phenomenal.

“Out of the frying pan into the fire” - that’s the most accurate way to sum up Muifei’s fate in this series. And this series stands out as one of the heaviest and angstiest revenge drama I've watched to date.

This series has been making waves among viewers for its intense storyline, highlighting a story of a woman who endures both physical and emotional devastation before launching into a quest for revenge. At its core, the series delves into profound themes of suffering, betrayal, and supernatural retribution. Unlike typical horror shows that rely on jump scares, this series uses its 1980s Thailand setting, and cultural context to build a deeply unsettling atmosphere by showing the raw cultural rituals, emphasizing a sense of isolation. This backdrop creates a haunting mood, enhancing the supernatural elements without overshadowing the human drama.

The standout aspect of this series is Pat Chayanit's phenomenal performance. Her portrayal as Muifei, a tribal scapegoat, is heartbreakingly convincing, drawing viewers into the depths of her character's pain and suffering. She gives such nuance to the character that I couldn't find a single episode where her acting was lacking. She definitely deserves a Nataraja or Suphannahong nomination for this series. And Fresh Arisara as Sao is a supporting character you would root for. The men in this series? They are either evil, disgusting, or just weak and useless.

Despite its outstanding performances and atmospheric storytelling, this series does have its drawbacks. The storyline’s intense portrayal of ongoing abuse, deception, and cruelty can be emotionally taxing and potentially triggering for some viewers. Plus, the middle episodes of the series suffer from slow pacing as they focus heavily on Muifei's misfortunes, which can feel repetitive and overwhelmingly bleak until the supernatural revenge arc breathes new energy into the story. But, in my opinion, the ending feels pretty weak too. Hence, 8.5 is the best ratings I can give.

Overall, "Muifei" may not be for everyone, but it's a noteworthy addition to the Thai drama landscape that offers a unique blend of horror, psychological depth, and exceptional performances. It's a series that pushes boundaries and explores the darker corners of human nature, leaving a lasting impact on those who dare to delve into its unsettling world.

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From bully to lover...

That was an unusual JBL. While we know how bullies are, our protagonist (Naoya) is not the bully in a normal way. Of course the victim (Takaaki) is also unusual because he has fallen for him since before we see. It's not a violent bullying btw, but they did not show us how it all started.

The reason of course was his dominant father. Over time their relationsship changes. Our bully recognizes his faults and changes for the better, improving himself and his life while the victim who would like to keep him in a golden cage recognizes that a strong partner is not bad either.

As usual the finale disappoints. It felt rushed, the "revenge" arc was handled in 2 minutes by just telling what happened and that left me a bit disappointed. This series would have needed two more episodes to make that struggle more visible and while there were flashbacks to explain their relationship, there was none which showed how it all began. This is a let down in my book. To let change the dad in his final scene was of course a fairy tale, because someone like him would not change in a heartbeat. At least we will get a special but that's of course just a nice end for this show.

Highlight of the show was the strong companionship in the restaurant where everyone supports everyone, that was a nice touch. And of course the development of the main couple which gradually changed in a mature way without pressure or drama. Naoya also manages to encourage his brother Yuma who looked very weak in the beginning and grew up during the show. Of course this series is not a fluffy feel-well series, it started with a strange couple but over time it is easy to understand their motivations. A show worth watching imho.

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It had SOOO much potential esp with Seo Yea Ji's acting.

It started off STRONG yet it lead to nothing..... and the fact that its 16 eps is diabolical.

At the start, the FL had a strong motive driving her actions yet I wasn't sure what she was trying to do.
Yes, she had to get close with the ML to get evidence and basically infiltrate his family but at one point it didn't make any sense, all she got was illegally obtained evidence that couldn't even be permissible in court.

In the middle, the FL just went crazy after ditching the plan.
Yes, her fake mother tried to throw her under the bus, but she wasn't helping the FL instead the FL was meant to help her yet she started to act towards her own accord.

Seo Yea Ji's acting was amazing, she truly gave the impression of being blood thirsty for revenge and the only thing driving her was her strong desire to get vengeance. Her mood shifting quickly, laughing while she got stabbed really made her look psychotic. Not sure if she had any character development but we could see her slowly going insane, where she started to become what she hated, a monster but towards the end, it just faded.

The romance between the 2 main characters (if we can call it that) was barely even lust, it didn't make any sense to me.
Yes perhaps the ML would be intrigued due to her mysterious aura or smh but it was confusing when She (FL) actually started to fall for him as well. Also when they kept replaying that one scene where perhaps they could have coincidently met each other before this whole facade started was extremely weird, especially when we saw later she was just stalking him.

Their story should have been just about lust but it tried to do WAYYY more then that.
"I see myself in you"
"Don't ever leave my side"
"I want to love as much as my heart desires"
or some nonsense like that. They attempted to make an impression of having instant forbidden attraction towards each other but instead it seemed like a cheap excuse to commit adultery.

Han So Ra (the wife) was truly the definition of insanity, where one does not know when to give up, taking things WAYY too far.
However I do not understand what she saw in her husband, especially when his previous affairs were hinted at.

Their marriage was forced upon him, the one where she tried everything to have him, hinting at her murderous crimes, but for what? He didn't even love her or feel anything, perhaps only pity for the way she was acting.

Her emotional turmoil she undergoes after losing control was really well executed but all she did was have a few crash outs especially when she was capable on ending someone's life.
I expected her to do a lot more at least in desperation then to just have a failed attempt at kidnapping the FL at the end and to almost die doing so. (her mirror scenes were also funny to watch for no reason)

Her fear towards her father wasn't well developed, and her half forgotten memories of her mother were just looming in the back, with no actual importance.

I literally prayed and waited for Moon Do Wan (wife's bodyguard) redemption arc but was utterly disappointed, especially when he was a triple agent (wife, the grandpa, and the prosecutor).

I do have to say his acting was brilliant yet he was so shameless when trying to apologize after accidently stabbing someone, hitting them with the "my moms kinda homeless" card.
Also near the end, he had no reason to whack the grandpa's head with the golf club, especially when everyone treated him the same, with disrespect.
I was hoping for him to turn his back on them, and he did that at the end, when he was forced to and had no other choice.

The Chief Prosecutor Seo and his so called love bombing drama was disappointing to watch, he was meant to be a character where he supported the FL's action no matter what, presenting smh more than platonic love but the way he was written was doomed to fail. He kept saying "I'll be the last person to stay by your side when everyone else leaves" which had a negative implication for sureee.

He was coming on TOO strong for no absolute reason, he was meant to be the "last person on her side" especially when her fake mom died (I cried so much btw) but he was expecting too much out of it.

His actions and his "love" confession doesn't make any sense when u realize he still thinks of her as a "kid" he wishes to protect and yet he emphasizes his romantic feelings for her. His acting was also caught lacking, I didn't feel sincerity in his gaze.

In the end it was useless since almost everyone died.
She aimed for only 4 "perpetrators" yet so many other employees were involved, forcefully or at their own will.

13 years were wasted just to collect so called evidence that meant nothing at all. The big back lawsuit a whole organization was created for?? What happened to that? The ML was like I'm sorry, I verify these claims as real and acts like he would commit suicide, yet it was all a lie. He played the victim "bystander" card after he found out everything, and tried to act guilty although he knew about his wife's crimes and how extreme she could be yet kept his mouth shut.

This was the first time I was so disappointed especially with the amazing acting we got.
This show put on a whole facade to keep us trapped, to watch 16 hrs of nothing, just for everyone to die and for the viewer to feel nothing. Not even satisfaction, let alone disappointment.
It promised a lot yet delivered none.
In conclusion, I do not recommend this drama.

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THE BEST EVER DRAMA CHINA HAS GIVEN FOR US

I suggest who nd all hasn't watched this drama js bcoz it gives slow vibes or wt ever the reason was, plzzz do watch it u won't regret. this drama is one of the best drama i have ever watched since i started watching bl dramas. the story like, acting music everything is perfect. the characters are totally green forest. if u skip nd watch u won't understand the storyline. there is also the BS of this drama u can watch the uncut scenes there. the main leads acting is on another level. it gives soo fresh vibe coz recently every drama has either toxic troupe or red flag type but this is fully different. even though i have an important exam coming on i watched this drama while it was ongoing only it is tht much good.......

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Great Cast, Extraordinary Park Eun-bin

Comecei a ver porque queria ver algo mais simples, sem melodrama e que fosse divertido, e realmente valeu a pena ver. Surpresa muito agradável. Boa química. Personagens muitos bem explorados e desempenhados. Diverti-me muito a ver... Um quarteto "fantástico" :-) Este drama soube não abusar no número de episódios, o que é refrescante (os k-drama sempre gostaram de ter 16 ou mais episódios, sendo que nos últimos dramas já apareceram muitos com 12 ou até 10 episódios), detesto quando tentam encher episódios, como quem quer "dar palha ao burro". E não desmerecendo os outros, Park Eun-bin é um astro na representação, os seus desempenhos deixam-me maravilhado (destacando os papéis em: The King's Affection, Hyper Knife, Extraordinary Attorney Woo (talvez o melhor desempenho), entre outros). O personagem que ela desempenha neste drama foi simplesmente fantástico!!!

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