Reviews

Comedy crime gradevole: VOTO ASSURDO!

Seoul Busters è probabilmente una delle opere più "fake" che abbia mai incontrato su MyDramaList. Non perché sia una brutta serie ma perché il suo voto medio di 8,6 crea aspettative completamente sproporzionate rispetto a ciò che offre realmente. Se qualcuno mi chiedesse quale sia il drama più inutilmente sopravvalutato della piattaforma, non avrei dubbi.
Un voto del genere fa pensare a una serie eccezionale, a una sceneggiatura brillante, a personaggi memorabili o a una regia particolarmente ispirata. Invece ci si trova davanti a una commedia poliziesca leggera, simpatica, spesso assurda, talvolta divertente e capace persino di costruire alcuni casi interessanti, ma che difficilmente possiede le qualità necessarie per giustificare un entusiasmo così unanime.

🤥 Ma quando la smetteremo di dare 10 solo perché un’opera ci è piaciuta? Lo scopo di questo sito è aiutare altri utenti, anche con gusti diversi dai nostri, a capire se una serie o un film vale davvero il loro tempo. Per questo servono valutazioni più obiettive, non solo entusiasmi personali.

Non bisogna chiedersi soltanto se la musica ci è piaciuta, ma se ha creato atmosfera e se era coerente con ciò che la serie voleva trasmettere. Non basta dire che la regia è bella: va capito se è classica o sperimentale, se aggiunge qualcosa, se comunica informazioni o sottotesti. Lo stesso vale per la scrittura: è davvero brillante? L’umorismo coinvolge davvero? E soprattutto: lo riguarderemmo è in parte soggettivo. Si può amare un’opera senza avere voglia di rivederla. Però se vogliamo essere utili agli altri, oltre alle opinioni personali dovremmo cercare di dare un giudizio più equilibrato, più ragionato e più onesto. Altrimenti non stiamo consigliando: stiamo soltanto sfogandoci e parlando dei nostri gusti. NON E' QUESTO LO SPAZIO, FATEVI UN BLOG!!!

English:
When will we stop giving a 10 just because we liked something? The purpose of this site is to help other users, even those with different tastes, understand whether a show or movie is actually worth their time. That means ratings should be more balanced and thoughtful, not based only on personal excitement.
You should not ask only whether you liked the music, but whether it created atmosphere and supported what the story was trying to convey. You should not simply say the direction was good; you should consider whether it was classic or experimental, whether it added meaning, whether it carried information or subtext. The same goes for the writing: is it really brilliant? Is the humor genuinely engaging? And would you rewatch it?
IT is still partly subjective. You can love a work without wanting to rewatch it. But if we want to be helpful to others, we should combine our personal opinion with a more balanced, reasonable, and honest evaluation. Otherwise we are not really recommending anything, just cheering for our own taste.

📕 TORNANDO A NOI: Il genere è quello della crime-comedy. Una squadra di poliziotti considerata la peggiore dell'intero dipartimento viene affidata a un nuovo comandante dalle capacità straordinarie e dai metodi decisamente fuori dagli schemi. Da quel momento la serie costruisce il proprio equilibrio alternando indagini, dinamiche di gruppo e situazioni grottesche, spesso al limite col cartone animato.

Ed è proprio qui che si trova il pregio dell'opera. Seoul Busters non pretende mai di essere realistica. Non vuole essere un thriller investigativo rigoroso né una serie poliziesca credibile. La sua natura è quella di una commedia assurda che utilizza il contesto investigativo come pretesto per mettere in scena una squadra di personaggi improbabili, eccentrici e quasi sempre goffi. I membri della squadra rappresentano il vero cuore della serie. Ognuno possiede un talento particolare, una competenza specifica o una caratteristica distintiva che dovrebbe renderlo eccezionale. Tuttavia nessuno di loro viene rappresentato come un eroe impeccabile. Al contrario, quasi tutti sono caratterizzati da una forma di goffaggine, insicurezza o inadeguatezza che li rende più umani e accessibili.

Questo è probabilmente l'aspetto che funziona meglio. Nel corso degli episodi si sviluppa una dinamica corale piacevole da seguire. I personaggi imparano a fidarsi gli uni degli altri, costruiscono legami e trasmettono un senso di appartenenza che finisce per coinvolgere anche lo spettatore.

Le interpretazioni sono generalmente buone. Il cast riesce a sostenere con convinzione un materiale che sulla carta avrebbe potuto facilmente scivolare nel ridicolo. Gli attori comprendono perfettamente il tono della serie e riescono a mantenere un equilibrio tra comicità e sincerità emotiva. Nessuno offre una performance memorabile ma tutti svolgono il proprio lavoro con professionalità e contribuiscono a rendere il gruppo affiatato e umanamente tenero. Una menzione speciale va all'attore che interpreta Jung Jung-hwan. Lo avevo già apprezzato in A Shop for Killers, ma anche qui conferma un talento non comune. Non si limita a interpretare un personaggio diverso: sembra trasformarsi completamente. Cambiano l'espressione del viso, la postura, il modo di muoversi, il ritmo delle battute, la prosodia e persino il tono della voce. È uno di quegli attori che non danno mai l'impressione di interpretare se stessi in contesti diversi, ma costruiscono davvero una persona nuova ogni volta. In una serie che punta molto sul lavoro di squadra, la sua prova è una delle più convincenti, e sarebbe bello se i drama asiatici dessero più spazio ai bravi piuttosto che ai belli.

Anche alcuni casi investigativi meritano una menzione positiva. Non tutti sono particolarmente complessi, ma alcuni riescono a stimolare la curiosità dello spettatore e a mantenere viva l'attenzione. Quando la serie si concentra maggiormente sull'indagine e meno sulla comicità forzata, mostra persino lampi di una qualità superiore rispetto alla media generale.
interessante la struttura da 20 episodi più brevi, 46 minuti circa. E' meno stancante e si segue meglio, personalmente parlando.

Purtroppo i limiti emergono con chiarezza:

La regia è funzionale ma raramente brillante. Non si ricordano sequenze particolarmente creative o soluzioni visive degne di nota. Tutto procede in modo corretto, senza errori evidenti ma anche senza momenti capaci di lasciare il segno.

Lo stesso discorso vale per la colonna sonora. Accompagna le immagini senza mai risultare fastidiosa, ma è difficile ricordare un singolo brano una volta terminata la visione. In una produzione che punta molto sull'atmosfera e sul coinvolgimento emotivo del gruppo, una componente musicale più incisiva avrebbe probabilmente contribuito ad elevarne il livello complessivo.

Il problema principale resta però la scrittura dell'umorismo.

Molte gag funzionano perché nascono dall'assurdità delle situazioni e dalla chimica tra i personaggi. Altre, invece, sembrano eccessivamente costruite e slapstick. Più volte si ha la sensazione che la serie si accontenti di essere strampalata senza cercare davvero di essere brillante.

Far ridere e risultare eccentrici non sono la stessa cosa. Seoul Busters sceglie spesso la seconda strada. Lo spettatore sorride, talvolta ride ma raramente si trova di fronte a battute particolarmente intelligenti o a una comicità destinata a essere ricordata.

Anche la sceneggiatura nel suo complesso soffre di una certa superficialità. Alcuni personaggi sembrano introdurre sviluppi che non vengono realmente approfonditi. Alcune situazioni sembrano promettere svolte più interessanti di quelle che poi effettivamente arrivano. La serie preferisce restare nella propria zona di comfort, senza correre rischi e senza tentare davvero di superare i limiti del genere.

Questo aspetto emerge anche nella gestione delle relazioni personali. Diverse dinamiche sembrano suggerire possibili sviluppi emotivi o sentimentali che poi vengono lasciati sullo sfondo o abbandonati del tutto. È una scelta legittima, ma contribuisce alla sensazione generale di trovarsi davanti a un'opera che evita sistematicamente qualsiasi approfondimento.

Dove Seoul Busters riesce invece a colpire nel segno è nel messaggio umano che attraversa tutta la narrazione.

Sotto gli equivoci, le gag e le situazioni improbabili si nasconde infatti un'idea molto semplice ma efficace: le persone possono sbagliare, essere goffe, inadeguate, imperfette, eppure meritano comunque fiducia e rispetto. La serie parla continuamente di seconde possibilità, di collaborazione, di solidarietà e della capacità di trovare il proprio posto all'interno di una comunità.

Questo elemento dona una sincerità inattesa a un prodotto che altrimenti rischierebbe di apparire soltanto una lunga successione di sketch.

Alla fine della visione rimane quindi una sensazione particolare. Non si ha l'impressione di aver assistito a un brutto drama. Al contrario, Seoul Busters è una serie gradevole, scorrevole e spesso simpatica. Si guarda con facilità, intrattiene e riesce persino a strappare qualche risata genuina.

Non c'è una scrittura eccezionale. Non c'è una regia memorabile. Non c'è una colonna sonora destinata a restare nella memoria. Non c'è una comicità particolarmente raffinata. Non ci sono personaggi che rivoluzionano il genere.

C'è semplicemente una buona serie, realizzata con competenza, interpretata bene e sostenuta da un cast affiatato. Una serie da sufficienza piena, forse da sette per chi ama particolarmente il genere, ma certamente non il capolavoro che la valutazione media lascia immaginare.

Seoul Busters si lascia guardare con piacere, offre qualche caso interessante, trasmette un bel messaggio di umanità e regala alcune ore di intrattenimento leggero. Finita la visione, però, difficilmente rimane qualcosa.
È una compagnia gradevole per qualche sera. Niente di più. E soprattutto, niente di indimenticabile.

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A must watch if you liked prequel beat coin. But a great variety show in general

The reboot of Beat Coin is one where you can feel the original series while introducing a fresh spin that keeps it exciting and engaging. It might be a good idea to watch the original series BEAT COIN because they have infused numerous references and nods to the show's classic moments, making it a loving nostalgic experience for long-time fans. The show itself is super fun and chaotic as always. Their dynamic is great The reboot maintains a similar vibe to the earlier I will call it 'seasons', especially with its witty dialogues and also keeping some of the concept of "luck of the coin."
Why should you watch it I say?
Well. Not to spoil anything but, a funny moment in the first few episodes, there is a particularly memorable scene where the humour and absurdity the show is known for. The cast find themselves in a scenario where they must act as cold-blooded killers while simultaneously trying to keep their composure, all while a whistle is placed in their mouths. Watching them navigate this ridiculous situation is nothing short of hilarious, showcasing their comedic talents. My favourite of the performance comes from Wooyoung, well other than being a cast member on variety he is also a well-known member of the idol group 2PM. In these episodes, his character faces a situation where his dignity is humorously put to the test. This particular moment has become a talking point among fans in the Hottest fandom (2pm fandom name), who find it amusing . You can really feel that they do indeed have a screw loose sometimes when they film.

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WHAT A THRILLING ADVENTURE AND EMOTIONAL ROLLERCOASTER

First things first, I 100000% recommend watching.
This is what happens when you cast the Best Leads and supporting actors as well as have a great production team👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾YOU CREATE UNFORGETTABLE MASTERPIECES!!! As an audience member, I can tell everyone involved in this film loves their job!!! I’m dreading the next few days cuz I’m already miss Zhang Hailuo, Zhang Haixia and Shifu(Zhang Haiqi). The ending aside, the story was beautiful told and the process had me laughing and crying. My biggest flowers to Steven Zhang and Ding Yuxi, they are masters of their craft. Their expressions really brought the characters to life. I’m VERY SATISFIED with the drama, tbh it exceeded my expectations!!!!

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Sometimes low ratings make you miss hidden gems, and this series is definitely one of them

Just finished this series and I'm honestly confused by the low rating.

The concept is fresh, the actors are handsome, and their acting is really good. I only found it recently because the rating made me overlook it before, which is a shame.

Compared to so many dramas that are packed with unnecessary scenes and dragged-out storylines, this one felt refreshing and enjoyable from start to finish.

I genuinely don't understand why it's rated so low. It deserves a lot more love than it's getting.

"Don't let the rating stop you from giving it a chance—you might end up enjoying it as much as I did."

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Sweet Sweet Boys, Sweet Sweet Loving

I’ll admit the beginning felt a bit slow but DO NOT DROP IT!!!

This show has to be one of the sweetest and loveliest BL I’ve ever watched. It’s such a feel-good fluffy series with the right amount of spice.

The acting is perfect, storyline interesting, chemistry between the two actors is too cute, I’ve never seen anything like it!!!

If you love power bottom and sweet sweet cute BL romance shows, you better be watching this one!

There’s not so much to say than it’s a relaxing and amazing BL show to watch. Lol, made me want to fall in love!

10/10 for me!

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They could have done better

I honestly was looking forward to this drama, but it left me disappointed.
Heo Nam Jun's acting was excellent. I just didn't like that Lim Ji Yeon was speaking with a Joseon accent for the entire duration, even though she learned the technology and everything; otherwise, her acting was good as well.
The story just did them dirty. They could have finished it in 10 episodes, and a lot of things would have made sense then; I don't know why they had to drag it for 14 episodes. That's what ruined the whole plot.
Too many plot holes, things ignored, details missed out, the same scenario repeated in different scenes, and the drag was awful. I feel like towards the end, they just came up with random scenes to fill the number of episodes. Honestly, a waste of talent and time for the cast. Some scenes were so long for no good reason. And even though it is a fantasy drama, they just did not care about things that they should care about and put effort into making the drama make more sense.
Sad that this didn't meet the expectations of a lot of people. I feel bad for the cast as well. The writers should have done a better job.

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Action, adventure and a lot of unanswered questions

I watched the first half mostly in the background, because the story was a chaotic mess and the production lacked authenticity. Everything felt staged and over-directed, pushing for surface-level drama and leaving little space for genuine storytelling.

The story takes us on an erratic rollercoaster of emotions jumping from mystery to mystery with a lot of action and comedy on the way, but I wasn’t swept away. There’s very little word-building and contextual explanation, which made many of the dramatic twists seem avoidable and unconvincing (like how could a careless spilling of a single (fake) name lead to a complete destruction of a century-old secret organisation or why was one of the mains tricked to go to a deathtrap region and left to run wild with no supervision). I guess the writers thought the less we know, the better the mystery but it didn’t work for me. Instead, it made the story feel choppy, investigations unfinished and the character motivations very confusing.

The investigation part was peak unintentional comedy. The brotherly duo closed cases with awe-inspiring nonchalance. Why waste time solving puzzles, when you can just spectacularly blow shit up! If only they managed to actually kill someone… Why no one they killed ever stayed dead was the real big mystery of the drama;)

I also had a hard time grasping the emotional ties between the three main characters. On the surface, the two adopted brothers and fellow agents of the mysterious Zhang family are each other’s opposite. Zhang Hailou is a reckless brat who craves danger. Zhang Haixia is the reasonable and calculating brains behind the operation. However, his unwavering loyalty, indulgence towards Hailou (and danger), and self-sacrificing tendencies hint at codependency and emotional complexity that barely gets explored. Their mentor, a centenarian called Zhang Haiqi, loves to be cryptic and unhelpful. I had the hardest time understanding her actions and motivations, because she often seemed to hinder the two instead of aiding them …or more accurately she hindered one of them which seemed counterproductive. I questioned her leadership qualities a lot.

I wish the story included more details about their past, how they met and how their bond changed and grew over the years, with more natural interactions between them. The part of the story where Haixia and Hailou spend three years together cut off from the organisation begged for a deeper exploration of their emotional states - Hailou’s daily caring for Haixia while struggling with guilt and Haixia feeling like a burden to him. This was a huge turning point in their lives, yet it's treated very briefly and only skims the surface. The lack of detailed character arcs is another reason why I never got fully immersed in the story.

I don’t want to go into too many details on this, but I really didn’t like the cinematography and chosen aesthetic. Special effects in the early episodes were bad and were probably responsible for the unnatural lighting that made a lot of scenes lack physical depth. I also didn’t like how the action scenes were filmed. I assume they were going for a stylized, comic book vibe with the speed ramping and freeze frames, but the effect was a disjointed mess.
And who's idea was it to give these beautiful men ghostly faces?! Heavy make-up and dramatic, blue-tinted lighting should never ever go together! It made them look like photoshoot models come haunting and kind of broke my immersion.

Comedy and acting were the two bright spots for me. Zhang Xincheng is brilliant. In goofiness or in sorrow, I always connect with his acting. If you liked him in Young Blood, then you’d like his role here too. Ding Yuxi’s stylish badass persona was really fun, complete with a rakish gaze and indestructible haircut;)
Their chemistry worked better in the explosive moments than in the quiet ones. The reunion in the temple was probably my favourite of their scenes together. I’d love to see them as adversaries in a future drama:)
Jiang Peiyao as Haiqi fit the other two leads with her playful stylized acting. I never warmed to her character, but that’s more on the writers than the actress.

After the first 10 episodes the plot gets more focused and engaging, the stakes heartbreakingly personal, and we finally get some explanations. As to whether those are convincing, you’d have to judge by yourself;) The comedy shines in the second half with verbal sparring between Hailou and Haiqi as they spend more time together, but some scenes are unbearably cringe (almost every moment with the phoenix lady really). The visual side also improved …or my tolerance for it did;)). In any case the sets and locations were more immersive and the costumes gorgeous!

Step by step the board gets set for the final showdown between two surprising opponents, which held a lot of promise. The tension was rising all the way till the finale… which turned out to be an utter disappointment with a lot of nonsense writing. The way the final confrontation went down was especially underwhelming after such a long build-up and all the heartbreak the writers put these characters through. The last thing I needed at the end was more off-camera secrets and cryptic statements:/

I’d only recommend this drama if you want something light to play in the background or are a fan of one of the actors. Maybe light isn’t the right word, because I saw people in the comments bothered by the amount of death and corpses. There’s definitely a fair amount of murder, tragedy and supernatural monsters, but the overall tone is more in line with adventure comedy than horror.

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It was one of a kind ~ we need more dramas like this

The plot is One of a Kind delicately captures the political nuances and shifting dynamics in China and its surrounding regions after World War I, particularly following the fall of Germany. Over the course of 48 episodes, we witness the profound influence of Russia, Japan (most prominently), the US, and the UK in North China. Given the historical context, I can't help but feel that this is the version that made it past the censorship filters of the CCP-affiliated board,... leaving me to wonder what the real cost of freedom must have been in those times.
If someone asks me to recommend a similar show i cant... Sure genres can be replicated but the plot was entirely unique .

The pacing is deliberately slow, as the story doesn't strictly begin or end.. it simply follows two years in the lives of AMA cadets during their graduation period. What surprises me, however, is just how much happens in that short span: military standoffs, shootouts, undercover operations, kidnappings, bombings, political intrigue, coups, and financial crises. The odds feel stacked, and at times it seems as though the writer mistook this small military academy for the only functioning institution in all of China. From something as pivotal as the Twenty-One Demands to something as trivial as an underground fight club, everything ties back to the academy and its cadets. It's a lot—even for fiction. That said, I was never bored, so I'll let it slide.

Where the writer truly shines is in character development. The first half is heavily dedicated to the parallel leads, especially Qu Manting. Wu Jiayi delivered a phenomenal performance, completely overshadowing Bai Lu in the first 20–25 episodes—something I never thought possible. Her character is written with immense care, and she plays it with savage precision. Every single-breath-dialogue-delivery, every expression, and her chemistry with Xu Kai? Chef's kiss.

As for the leads, Xie Xiang (or Xie Liangchen) felt lackluster, and Bai Lu struggled to bring much depth to the role. For most of the show, she wore the same dull expression. Even Gu Yanzhen wasn't given much to work with, but Xu Kai's effort and expressive acting made his character worth watching. The type chemistry (in-organic) between the leads wasn't my cup of tea, for most of the series they were not involved with each other so that romantic aspect was very much missing.
On a side note, Bai Lu must have been injured multiple times during filming—her hands were visibly wounded even in scenes with no prior action.


The OST is just okay. I wasn't particularly fond of the "Romeo and Juliet" track, so I won't rate the music highly.

However, the costumes, weapons, set design, and impressive casting all reflect the high production value of the show.

Overall, I truly enjoyed this drama. It could have been improved if the writer had involved other institutions or cadets in filler plots—centralizing everything around AMA felt a bit forced. Still, One of a Kind is absolutely worth watching.

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This is one of my favorite dramas, even though I initially started watching it because it stars Bailu, who is my favorite Chinese actress. But after I started watching it, I found myself eagerly awaiting the release of each new episode, and it became a source of inspiration for me. Maybe it’s because I really love romance and angst-filled dramas, which made me enjoy this one even more. The plot is full of twists, so it’s hard to predict and keeps you on the edge of your seat. The soundtrack is pleasant to listen to, and the acting by the cast is excellent. ˃͈◡˂͈

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some of the best written thai gl characters

this is less of a review and more of a very long think piece read at ur own discretion lol

honestly, i didn't particularly care for the storyline during the first half of the series. one of the main reasons i kept watching was because of how brilliantly the characters were written. right from the start they felt incredibly real, flawed, and three-dimensional, even when i wasn't fully invested in what was happening around them. but then episodes 7-8 happened and from then through to the end of episode 10 (which i think is the strongest-and my favorite-episode of the series) i was completely hooked and that is easily my favorite stretch of the show. the final two episodes were slightly weaker in comparison, and the mafia plotline completely threw me for a loop ?? lmao, but by that point i was already very emotionally invested in the characters that it didn't take away from how much i ended up loving the series.

what i think the series excels at more than anything else is character writing. these are some of the most believable protagonists i've seen in a thai gl ever. the show never tries to force them into neat categories of "good" or "bad". it allows them to be contradictory, selfish, caring, impulsive, immature, 3 dimensional characters. they make bad decisions, and hurt each other, then they regret those decisions, and continue making mistakes because that's literally what real people do. the biggest strength of the writing is the show understanding and showing you that flawed people are still deserving of love.

the push-and-pull dynamic between pun and ploy works so SO well. from the get go, the relationship is complicated by pun's plan to get close to ploy because of her brother, (something we later learn ploy already knew about, which adds even more layers to the conversation), but there's a much more interesting emotional layer underneath that, ploy. she completely shuts down the moment she senses abandonment, betrayal, or emotional pain. she refuses to communicate, lashes out, she is avoidant and becomes intentionally hurtful, she hides behind an emotionally cold exterior. the series makes it clear that it stems directly from the way she was raised. i loved that they allowed her upbringing to have lasting consequences on the way she navigates relationships and how that seeps into her every day life, they don't treat childhood trauma as something people just "get over."

and then, pun. her characterization might be truly one of the most realistic i've seen in a thai gl. almost everything she does is so so believable to me, down to the smallest details and quirks. her artistic side especially resonated with me specifically. the fact that she writes down her thoughts, folds them into little paper butterflies, and creates an entire butterfly wall out of them is such a beautiful piece of characterization!! small stuff like that to tell you what kind of character and person she is. i think her choices throughout the series are so incredibly grounded and realistic as well (count how many times i use the word realistic or real lol). sometimes she acts selfishly, (ex. using ploy to get closer to her brother, using bee, and kissing her just to make ploy jealous.) other times she makes impulsive decisions without thinking (and still the series does not reduce her to a dumb character whatsoever!), or keeps very important things to herself, like refusing to tell her family about the money she lost because she's worried, because she doesn't want to disappoint them, especially when she constantly compares herself to prang in her parents' eyes. i don't view her as a bad person because of these choices, but i dont think they automatically make her a 100% good "pure" character either, i loved that!!! that's good!!!! the series consistently refuses to moralize ALL of its characters (but esp pun and ploy), you are forced to sit with the choices they make and the consequences of them and you are forced to think about them and spend time trying to understand.

THIS!! is how you write toxicity🙏🙏🙏🙏😭😭😭😭😭. both pun and ploy are deeply flawed, but the narrative refuses to romanticize or excuses the ways they hurt each other. their actions have consequences, they're forced to confront those consequences, and their character development feels gradual and earned. so many thai gls are guilty of introducing conflict simply for the sake of creating angst before resolving everything an episode later with a quick apology or confession. this series does not fall into this pattern. i think every conflict pushes the characters forward, and every reconciliation feels like something they have to work for.

despite dealing with heavier emotional themes, the series also has an incredibly fun personality. i loved how quirky and unique so much of its execution was, esp in the 1st half. the "angel" persona on pun's shoulder that's actually the devil in disguise (literally lmao) , alongside the pun-in-a-mustace man / sherlock persona (?) that acts as the sensible voice of reason, were such funny additions that made her internal conflicts much more entertaining to watch.

im not one to be thrilled for romcoms usually, but i need to admit that the series does comedy so, very well. at the same time, i think the show is at its absolute best during its quieter, and more vulnerable scenes where the writing and performances shine the brightest, and where i find myself able to emphasize most with the characters and join in on this vulnerable space that the actresses manage to create.

another small aspect that i think is worth mentioning is the friend group. it felt like an ACTUAL group of queer friends living their lives. it's such a small thing, but it made the world feel so much more lived in. one other creative decision i absolutely loved was episode 10's choice to never actually show pun in the present. we only experience her presence through a video, or flashbacks and memories other characters have of her after she's disappeared to the other side of the world. very deliberate choice to heighten the emptiness her absence leaves behind, and i 100% think that episode wouldn't have hit the same if the audience had been able to see her normally.

i legitimately stood up and started clapping when pun chose new york despite ploy still being in thailand. i loved that the writers allowed her to choose herself. new york is her dream. it is one more reminder on top of tens of others the writers sprinkle throughout the story that these women are individuals before they're partners. they have their own ambitions, identities, and agency outside of each other. media so often strips female protagonists of that agency by having them sacrifice their dreams, careers, or education ect.. for love because everything magically works itself out in the finale. the series doesn't exactly do that. it frames pun as her own person first and foremost, and i was seriously glad to see that thank you player

one could argue though that ploy leaving thailand is maybe in itself a sacrifice , but i also think the series addresses that through their conversation where she admits that acting was never truly her dream, pun was, she made a deliberate choice that her character does not suffer from or 'lose' something from.
regardless, it is a deliberate writing choice that feels like a breath of fresh air.

pacing is another thing i thought the series handled exceptionally well. i might have mentioned above how the show took their time with conflict resolution. i also just found the story itself coherent. outside of the mafia subplot, which felt almost completely disconnected tonally 💀, i don't think i found myself questioning the internal logic of the narrative and i dont think there were any plot holes that were left unresolved. i also have to mention the supporting cast because i seriously enjoyed jay and prang just as much as pun and ploy, and at certain times even more than them. they work beautifully as a couple, but they're compelling as individuals too, especially prang.

to further highlight just how strong i think the character writing is, ying's character has what i think is like less than thirty minutes of total screentime (if even) and STILL comes across as a fully realized interesting person. the same can be said for most of the other minor supporting characters. that is something i find a lot of thai gls struggle with, with their side characters usually ending up feeling very flat, but this is absolutely not the case here. and this to me is another testament to just how much care went into the writing.

one of the very first things that caught my attention, and something that continued to impress me throughout the entire series, was the cinematography, post-production and overall editing style. the framing is i think unlike anything i've seen in a thai gl before (ik i still have a lot to watch ok). the camera lens choices, the barrel distortion, chromatic aberration, vignetting, color grading, and lighting all come together to create a really distinct visual identity for both parts of the show. and past episode 7 (i think?), the series undergoes a very deliberate shift in its color grading that mirrors the emotional shift in the story.

i also really appreciated that the soundtrack wasn't just the same ost playing over and over again. the sound design is some of the strongest i've heard in a thai gl i think?, i dont think i can remember even a single moment where the audio felt awkward or poorly mixed

i think my criticisms are fairly straightforward? the abusive parent redemption arc strikes again... we're tired......... i'm always put off when stories decide to go in that direction. the mafia plotline was actually so random that i'm choosing not to even unpack it because... what the f*ck was that?

while some of the romantic dialogue felt a little clunky during the earlier episodes, that completely disappeared for me in the second half. the 2nd half honestly feels like a completely different series. i absolutely LOVED how the tone gradually shifted from something quirky and fun and very classically romcom-y into this much heavier, angsty and emotional almost melodrama. that's also where i think the actresses really shine. icememi are fantastic in the quieter, and more emotionally demanding scenes. that’s also where the acting feels most natural i think. the acting was absolutely phenomenal all throughout the second half and the slight doubt i had completely vanished.

overall! i can very obviously tell just how much love, care and hardwork was poured into this series. i can only hope more writers and directors look at shows like player for inspiration because this is the kind of character writing i want to see more of!!

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Watch for Heo Nam Jun and Supporting Cast - NOT for Storytelling ⏳☄️✨

Let’s start with our leads and the foundation of our story, its romantic arc. First, I gained so much respect for Heo Nam Jun through this series! I have seen him do decent work in the past, but this character gave him an opportunity to shine, which he did brightly 🌟 His character went from two dimensional chaebol, to emotionally complicated prince, to a love stricken, heart driven man - fluidly - with a clear evolution that we could follow and get behind. He very much carried the romance, particularly when our comedic time slipping aspects needed to mellow so we may connect to the heart of this love story. If you are a fan, i would watch the entire series for him, easily.

Im Ji Yeon, on the other hand, doesn’t exhibit the same fluidity between comedy and melodrama. Through this series, i am noticing that I have a preference for her realistic characters, which of course this one was not. She tends to rely on outside/in personality development in comedy, which works for short pieces, like a comedic film, or the theatre. This character, however, was complex. The script didn’t fully sell it, so in the end it landed on her to make us believe it. For my taste, her farcical/comedic approach to her astronomical time slipping character was very appealing at the top, but needed to melt at some point to support the romantic arc, which was the absolute core of this world. Further, she needed to be able to meet the emotional development of her co-actor / romantic interest. Unfortunately, for my oreference, she opted to stay with the personality driven character that was relevant at the top of the series, but not toward its more heart wrenching aspects toward the end. The director is ALSO very much responsible for this. Although I enjoyed her plant whipping 🌿 chasing antics when it was appropriate, we needed to FEEL this life altering, time bending kind of Love.

As for our supporting cast, it was mostly A list actors, and i truly celebrate them. It would have been a blast to be part of this set, with this group of diverse and talented actors. They also carried the piece in the places where our directing and screenwriting disintegrated. I laughed a lot and cursed them often (as appropriate for the narrative 🫰🏽).

The directing was decent and mostly supported the story, minus the already mentioned lack of support of the romantic unfolding. Unfortunately, It was a mediocre script. They took a crazy risk with this concept, and it had potential to be great, but it needed to be fully developed in order for us to suspend disbelief and simply enjoy it at face value. Dramaturgy (script development) needs a home in Kdrama land. In this case, aspects of the story seemed added part way, while others fell away, leaving holes in its stead. In general, our script lacked coherence. Yet! It was entertaining, at that superficial level.

All in all, i enjoyed the ride ⏳☄️✨ even with the disappointment of the script and imbalanced depth of our romance.

(Initially a comment, but thought it might be helpful to others later 🤓)

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