Reviews

Missed Opportunity

As a fan of ABO I was really excited for this. However, they don't explain the ABO dynamics and it feels like they don't have a world system in mind. They just throw around words like "alpha" with no real thought behind it. I also don't really care for race car driving plot. It didn’t hold my interest. Another thing that added to the disappointment was how the friends were one-dimensional and ignorant. It's a shame because the two MC's have chemistry and showed some good acting, but the lack of investment in the story and understanding of ABO led to lackluster results.

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It's Fine - That's the Highest Compliment I can Give It

You ever watched a story and found yourself thinking, 'had this aired at a different time, or perhaps if I were a different personI'd have liked (tolerated) it better?' When this started airing, I thought I'd love it. I left myself a note at the end of episode 2 stating how much I enjoyed how the plot and setting both reminded me of 'Business Proposal' & 'Welcome to Samdal-ri'. Dramas that, while I thoroughly enjoyed, had (and still get) scathing reviews.

The scathing comments kept coming in, and for the initial 5 episodes, I tuned them out. The show worked for me, and I like what I like, so whatever. Screw what the naysayers were peddling. However, after episode 6, I started slowly siding with the masses.😭

Let's start with what I liked
🍄‍🟫The comedy - They did have some funny bits. Did I find myself laughing to the point I lost my breath or had tears running down my face? No. But they did manage to get several chuckles out of me.

🍄‍🟫References to previous dramas - They had Anh Hyo Seop on the team, and they decided to milk that for all it was worth. They had multiple references to 'Business Proposal' -some obvious, some not-, as well as K-pop Demon Hunters. I also believe that the sprinkler kiss in the mushroom greenhouse was a little nod to 'King the Land.' That's my kind of fanservice and I was very happy about it.

🍄‍🟫The live selling aspect - This is purely based on the fact that it's a niche interest of mine. I kept wishing (and still do wish) that they gave us a deeper look into that. Because 2 reasons
a. It serves a particular interest of mine.
b. It showcases a much different career path than what we're used to in dramas

🍄‍🟫The villagers and Dam Ye Jin's 2 coworkers - The villagers' r/ship with Mechoori was quite endearing to watch - you know, b4 they turned on him. I liked that tsundere r/ship he had with them. I loved how Dam Ye Jin and her coworkers remained friends, and they had her back despite her being kicked out after the scandal. They worked well together

My Frustrations
🍄‍🟫Noble Idiocy - Ah! The Achilles heel of many a Kdrama (Cdramas and Jdramas included).
So both characters are struggling with things in their past. Ordinarily, I would be empathetic; however, I found myself struggling in this case. If you look objectively at both their past traumas, any reasonable person would at least suspect a setup. Even without damning evidence against the other party.

Based on that, the burden they chose to carry (because, yes, this was very much a choice, and a bad one at that) really made no sense to me. I understand when authors and screenwriters wanna write green flag, pure characters, who feel deeply, but it comes to a point that..... Nah man.

🍄‍🟫The therapy debate (or, rather, the lack thereof)
Our mains needed some serious therapy to help deal with the issues of the past. But, despite being well off enough to afford it, no one suggests, considers, or seeks it. She, abuses sleeping pills to the point of detrimental side effects and is a workaholic. He, on the other hand, hides, becoming a corporate life recluse in an idyllic farming village.

I would want to yell at this drama for this one, but this is an overarching Kdrama issue - not one specifically tied to this one show. Therapy is for the birds in dramas. Depression, suppressed trauma, and other mental health issues are fixed by copious amounts of alcohol (I'm looking at you, Doctor Slump), comeuppance, and the amazing power of love... sigh

🍄‍🟫How do time and distance work in this world?
In the 1st (?) ep when she has to go to the village to meet him, it takes the better part of the morning. She also mentioned that she needed to leave the village early as she had a broadcast later that night. When they started meeting daily so he could give her the meds, they showed on the navigation that he'd have to drive about 2, maybe 2.5 hrs to get back to Seoul. This is at around 1/2 am, when one would assume there's no traffic.

Now, based on those instances, can someone tell me how this man got from the village to Seoul and managed to save her from almost getting run over that one night? Can he teleport? Could his car achieve speeds of light speeds and they never told us? I hate it when seemingly turn off your brains shows make me turn my brain back on. You need to find a balance with the absurd, unbelievable nonsense. I can only gaslight myself so much

🍄‍🟫The sleepwalking and the sleep phone calls - Went on for too damn long

🍄‍🟫 I wish we had gotten her mother's side of the story.
Something more than 'I will sabotage and be rude to my daughter for years after the tabloids said that she took a bribe to sabotage my career - and she said she did in a heated moment.' I think the story about a woman choosing a career over being a mother is such an interesting one.

We rarely see these types of stories. It sucks that they never explored it. I would've liked to see her internal battle/struggle with this vs the trauma on the child, coz both sides are valid. We only get to see how Dam Ye Jin was hurt, but never quite the mom's side. But perhaps this particular drama wasn't the best vessel for such a deep and nuanced conversation

🍄‍🟫The romance/chemistry - I didn't get butterflies or swoon. Were they cute? Sure. But while they told me they were in love and they acted as people in love, I didn't buy into it. Into their chemistry.

This is in comparison to dramas like 'Filling for Love' and 'My Royal Nemesis'.

As I type this, the former is 2 episodes from the finale, and so far, I have loved the chemistry between the main characters. I bought into their journey to each other and the romance. They are swoonworthy and spicy. In the latter drama, both of them are crazy. We are halfway through airing, so they have every chance to fuck it up (fingers crossed they don't), but their journey so far is more on the giggle, kick your feet side.

Now having this show air in tandem with the other two... yeah, not a fair fight. The romance and chemistry in this were certainly and glaringly lacking.

🍄‍🟫Final Thoughts🍄‍🟫
While it did start with the potential to be good in my eyes, the plot, pacing, and absurdity of some choices and sequences put me off the show. IMO, skip it. But if you wanna try it, perhaps watch it as a background noise drama. It has some good, but they are overshadowed by the bad.

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She only has eyes for you

Cute and funny short series with a classic misunderstanding trope. Not bad, but definitely nothing special.

Things I liked:
1. Cute moments.
2. Supportive sister. She is a great sister and best friend.

Things I disliked:
1. Voiceover. No matter how many series I watch with voice-overs, I can never get used to them. I know why they are a thing, but I just personally dislike them.
Even though sometimes they are better and less noticeable than others, here the quality of voiceover is mediocre.
Not to sound disrespectful, but if I wanted a voiceover, I would watch series dubbed.
Also, from what I can remember, this is the first Taiwanese series that I've seen to have voiceovers, so I was quite surprised at first.
2. Acting was tense and awkward at times; their "romantic" moments felt quite unnatural.
3. Last episode is like a fever dream, a whole lot of nothing. Was that added drama really necessary?

Overall, I enjoyed watching it, but as I mentioned, it is really nothing special. Sweet little series, worth it if you just want something easy to watch.

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Great historical drama!

Definitely feels like one of those that should be a 9 at least in my opinion, but overall, one of the best recent historical dramas I've seen! Really a good watch for those interested in the history of China. It can be boring if you're not into history, may even be hard to follow if you're not good with Chinese names, and somewhat long and boring at parts (like discussions about politics if you're not into that stuff), but overall I still really enjoyed learning about the history of this time period between the end of the Tang and the beginning of the Song. It truly was such a messy period back then that I never knew about as I never saw any other historical dramas about that era!

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10/10 Everything is amazing!!

10/10 Everything is amazing!!
"The Secret of Us" is a captivating and heartwarming GL drama series that explores love and relationships in a beautiful way. The chemistry between the lead characters is electrifying, and the storyline is engaging, keeping viewers hooked from the first episode. With stunning cinematography, realistic character development, and a perfect blend of romance and drama, the series is a masterpiece in storytelling. It celebrates diversity, handles sensitive topics with care, and portrays themes of love and acceptance with grace and authenticity. The on-screen chemistry between the actors is palpable, and the emotional depth of the storyline will tug at your heartstrings. "The Secret of Us" is a must-watch for anyone who appreciates a good love story and values LGBTQ+ representation in media.

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living for ourselves or others

Overall: I liked how it touched on several topics we rarely see in fictional media, but it felt overall incomplete. 6 episodes about 24 minutes each. Aired on GagaOOLala https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/7585/the-boy-and-i-who-will-break-up-in-100-days-2026 (not in Japan or Korea).

Content Warnings: sexism, sexual harassment, homophobia, discrimination, postpartum depression, micro aggressions, vomiting, punches, past severe child abuse mentioned

What I Liked
- the documentary/mockumentary style in episode 1
- touched on postpartum depression which is rarely shown in fictional media as well as other topics
- character growth of not putting up with bs from other people

Room For Improvement
- wish we had had their backgrounds earlier
- I was happy with the ending because Itsuki is too selfish to be in a romantic relationship, the gall to do what he did instead of having 1 mature conversation
- ending felt a bit too open ended

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Looses the plot

Yue breaks up with Wei because he’s poor and she’s all about that rich girl life. She ends up trying to get Cheng, a cold blooded gang member that loves snakes, to like her. When Wei discovers this he decides to steal her man, period.

I’ve said it a million times I love it when shows have a character with a secret and this premise was so good. This drama actually was ruining my life a bit, I only wanted to watch it. Their love story including the frisky scenes are so well executed I was in love.

This show however forgets bisexuality exists and it loses the plot completely when Yue’s plots are all tied up (she’s severely underdeveloped too) and then Cheng’s ex shows up around episode 13. There’s a few good episodes later on, especially with the father in law, but it feels like the show is just continuing for nothing and to develop the second couple. I almost stopped watching it completely after the ex kept showing up.

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7/10 Better than Reverse 4 You in some areas

7/10 Better than Reverse 4 You in some areas
Reverse with Me felt, was a better story than Reverse 4 You, in my opinion, and this translated to a slightly better series
The positive
The time jumps and flashbacks were well annotated, so you knew your location in the timeline For the budget, the special effects were good The last episode was good, after so many rushed or boring last episodes in recent Thai GL's, this one got it right.
I felt the emotions of various tensions and sad scenes; maybe the chemistry was not fully felt, but I believed the romance enough.
The not so positives
The acting felt clunky at times, maybe more to do with the script than actresses The build-up to the romance needed more depth Gaps with side characters when they could have expanded other, more important stories around the main characters more
Overall its was enjoyed.
I'm going to give the same rating as Reverse 4 You, better in places, worse in others.
(7 star or above 7 means I think the series is worth watching)

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7/10 Better than Reverse 4 You in some areas

7/10 Better than Reverse 4 You in some areas
Reverse with Me felt, was a better story than Reverse 4 You, in my opinion, and this translated to a slightly better series
The positive
The time jumps and flashbacks were well annotated, so you knew your location in the timeline For the budget, the special effects were good The last episode was good, after so many rushed or boring last episodes in recent Thai GL's, this one got it right.
I felt the emotions of various tensions and sad scenes; maybe the chemistry was not fully felt, but I believed the romance enough.
The not so positives
The acting felt clunky at times, maybe more to do with the script than actresses The build-up to the romance needed more depth Gaps with side characters when they could have expanded other, more important stories around the main characters more
Overall its was enjoyed.
I'm going to give the same rating as Reverse 4 You, better in places, worse in others.
(7 star or above 7 means I think the series is worth watching)

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10/10 Amazing story

Namtan Tipnaree Weerawatnodom her acting skills is amazing to the point that you start to feel like there's two different actors playing that role from her facial expressions to the way they angle the camera is just amazing. I can honestly say this is one of my favorite GL series just because of the acting skills and an amazing story. The chemistry between the two leads I can't wait to see what they play in next together from the unspoken words of just a quick glance of their eyes together is amazing. The main story how it entwines with all the sub stories which leads to this incredible friendship and bond between all of the characters is so strong.

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Some episodes show superb direction. A very gritty, hard-hitting thriller, ruthless, even. You can feel the Ringo Lam influence, with its raw, unflinching violence ; this isn't meant to be a feel-good watch. It's deliberately infuriating. It really gets under your skin. Everything is rotten to the core. A very good series, but one that leaves you seething with rage by the time it's over.

"You're just a thug with a badge." We call that a cop, yes.

The story of a sadistic serial killer, set toward the end of the military dictatorship in 1988. We see despicable cops and a prosecutor acting with complete impunity. (Those cowards) We see men behaving as a patriarchal society naturally encourages and rewards them to do. We see female victims who are considered guilty in the eyes of others. We see high-ranking officials who are full of themselves and never take responsibility for anything. We see police repression of pro-democracy demonstrations.

"The public no longer trusts the police." I think that's a sign of good health.

The acting is incredibly intense. Serious stuff. A cop protagonist who's been through the worst and is forced to work against his will with one of his former tormentors. He thinks the police protect people, he believes they bring the guilty to justice… A constant in this kind of crime series : the cops are terrible at their investigations and ruin people's lives by wrongly accusing innocent people left and right. I don't know to what extent this is intentional. It comes up so often !

Not to brag, but I figured out who the killer was right from the start. My only flaw : too good. It's a fact. (Everything screams him, right there !) The solution doesn't come at the end but along the way, so it doesn't matter and doesn't ruin anything. It's the kind of series you can still enjoy even if someone with bad intentions spoiled it for you beforehand.
The culprit is every bit as cunning as those who claimed to be hunting him down. The theme is the rot at the heart of the social order. The back-and-forth between 1988 and 2019 confirms that nothing ever changes. The killer bears as much blame as the police and the justice system.

"Admitting your mistakes and asking for forgiveness takes even more courage." And that's how we move forward. That's why people in positions of power never admit their mistakes. They don't want things to get better for others.

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My first GL

Oboom asks her twin sister Aioon to breakup with her other partner so she can go on her honeymoon with her new husband (she owes her a favour), she refuses but since Oboom gets into a coma she decides to do it. Her other partner turns out to be a rich blind woman.

I love the representation of blindness I feel like the actress did a very good job. This series was really try not to feel bad for everyone challenge. Like no one is a villian, I have sympathy for all of them. Unemployed main lead with bad jobs that constantly thinks they’re bad at everything and wants to be a writer… wait is she me? These characters are so complex it’s crazy.

I feel like the runtime is too long. The pacing is weird asf it’s too long and then some parts I want more of but never get.

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Us is worth all the fuss

10/10 'Us' is worth all the fuss
I've yet to find a Thai GL that disappoints me, and 'Us' is certainly no exception. Emi and Bonnie are both very talented actresses with clear chemistry, their connection comes across so naturally. I'll continue to support each of them in future projects for sure.
Following this further, the production team clearly works hard and the cinematography is as good as any big budgeted American film, but with better writing! Mim also deserves recognition for her role as the antagonist, and I'm really looking forward to learning the reasoning behind her ambitions; it's hard to root against her given that Rak's father needs to get Luigi'd, and I give Pam props for not going that route as I'd much rather see the two of them get their happy ending in Ratchaburi where nobody can come between them. In conclusion, 'Us' is an A-plus you absolutely won't want to miss.

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10/10 'Us' is worth all the fuss

10/10 'Us' is worth all the fuss
I've yet to find a Thai GL that disappoints me, and 'Us' is certainly no exception. Emi and Bonnie are both very talented actresses with clear chemistry, their connection comes across so naturally. I'll continue to support each of them in future projects for sure.
Following this further, the production team clearly works hard and the cinematography is as good as any big budgeted American film, but with better writing! Mim also deserves recognition for her role as the antagonist, and I'm really looking forward to learning the reasoning behind her ambitions; it's hard to root against her given that Rak's father needs to get Luigi'd, and I give Pam props for not going that route as I'd much rather see the two of them get their happy ending in Ratchaburi where nobody can come between them. In conclusion, 'Us' is an A-plus you absolutely won't want to miss.

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