Reviews

Responsibility for a Family

If you don’t have enough drama in your family, go and watch this movie. This is a lovely film even though it portrays various unpleasant aspects of family relationships, but every one of us knows that this is a realistic picture of family life. Because family life is not a fairy tale, and misunderstandings often arise among members, especially between generations. What this film particularly focuses on are secrets—hidden things we try to conceal from those closest to us—but is that even possible? Even if it were possible to hide something, would family relationships then truly be sincere?

The film also touches on other themes, one of the bigger ones being the break with tradition, the role of parents, and more. It approaches all these themes honestly and openly, without concealment or embellishment, and that is why it is also very interesting to watch. A dose of humour certainly helps as well. I like how the characters are distributed, and whenever it seems that the film is revealing the flaws and negative sides of one person, it quickly shows that the other person is not without sin either—and that is why in a family we need to know how to accept responsibility for one another, even in weaknesses and imperfections. Therefore, I consider this an especially instructive and inspiring drama about family life.

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Basic, but Good

This was a completely different vibe that what I feel I'm use to getting from these two. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed seeing them be jocular and just have fun creating and filming this. A Dog and A Plane is not some grandiose series, but it's fun, it's comedic, and, of course, it's sexy as hell.

Let's Dive In.

A basic series, but a basic series done right. Tay and New play their roles very nicely, and with the supporting cast, they have whipped up this hilarious rom-com with a few deep moments here and there, but mostly funny, mostly zanny, mostly "that would never happen" scenarios, but, nevertheless, and I'll repeat myself over and over again; fun.

Some things I loved: I enjoyed how sexy they were able to be here. It didn't hold back on the dirty jokes or witty banter, and that made the comedy land even better. The wardrobe team also deserves a lot of credit. Everyone looked fantastic, but Tay's styling stood out in particular. Performance-wise, the entire cast pulled their weight. I never felt like anyone was miscast or failed to deliver. Every character brought something entertaining to the table, and the chemistry between the ensemble made the comedy even stronger.

Some nit-picky things: This is less about this series specifically and more about GMMTV as a whole. Their production schedule is starting to show in the final product. The cycle of filming, immediately releasing the trailer, and airing episodes while they're still filming the rest of the series feels unsustainable, and I think it's beginning to affect the overall quality. One of the reasons series from other production companies tend to receive so much praise is because they have the time to develop the story, refine the editing, and polish the final product before it reaches viewers. Personally, I'd much rather wait an extra year for a series that's been carefully crafted than get one as quickly as possible at the expense of quality. I understand GMMTV has television slots to fill, but if they continue prioritizing speed over refinement, I worry the quality of their productions will continue to decline.

More on this series specifically: Mond and Ryu completely sold me on their pairing. Even though their storyline was underdeveloped, their chemistry still came through, and I'm excited to see what they do together in future projects.

The editing, however, was noticeably inconsistent. There were a few scenes that genuinely looked like they had been filmed on an iPhone, and I couldn't understand how they made it into the final cut. And finally, the airport scenes... I simply could not do it. Watching the characters film content so publicly gave me unbearable second-hand embarrassment. I skipped through those scenes because they were just too much for me.

Ratings:

Story: 8.5/10 - It's a really fun story! Some boring parts, but still good! I fall out with most series once the leads get together. So by the few last episodes, I was pretty bored.

Acting: 9/10 - Good!

Music: 6/10 - Didn't pay attention to it.

Recommendation Value: 5/10 - eh. Besides everyone being hot as hell, unless you're looking for comedy, then you're not missing much in this series.

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Here for my two leads

I won't go through the plot because it's obviously the most classic reincarnation plot. We are not inventing the wheel here. On the other hand, right from the start I regretted that this isn't longer drama but a mini because this had potential. If they had budget bigger than a peanut and longer episodes, I really believe this could've been a very good drama. The FL/Ml could've easily carry it. Instead we are flying through plot with breakneck speed. No time to waste, certainly not on the plot and character development.
Yes, personally, I watched it for Deng Kai and Zhu Lilan, let's be honest, if they weren't there, I'd pass this immediately. But they are here and once again, they are (I don't know how else to say it) wasting their good looks and acting skills on minis.
Deng Kai is playing the greenest flag, Xiao Yunting is a sweetheart. Zhu Lilan's Qi Yuan is clever and she can easily switch from cute to cunning and back. I have to praise their chemistry too, when they look at each other the feelings are believable.
So, is this good? If you are comparing this to big budget 40-50 minute 40 episodes long dramas then no, of course not. If you are comparing this other minis, I think it's fine. Not brilliant but fine. Perfectly passable for a long train ride or rainy evening. And you will have a much better time if you enjoy the lead actors.

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An entertaining genre-bending series

"My Sexy Shadow" is an entertaining series that follows a hyper-masculine boxer and his drag queen twin brother who are decided to swap lives dig into some risky family secrets. The plot blends the fast-paced family drama, mystery, and comedy. However, the abrupt tonal shifts between emotional family drama and slapstick comedy, especially in the middle of the series, can feel quite jarring. The Sahakitwiset family's hidden secrets take a few episodes to be unfolded and with a lack of suspense elements, it caused some episodes to feel a bit sluggish.

While story might not be super neat, Ken Phupoom's performance playing dual polar-opposite identities saves this series from being a flop. He skillfully balances the intensity of action-packed boxing scenes with the humor and flamboyance of the drag queen persona, showcasing impressive versatility. This dual role adds a compelling layer to the series. But I found that the shifting between Mek and Man can feel quite unrealistic given the distinct physical difference. And some of the supporting characters lack impact to really enhance the story-driving. In terms of production quality, Monomax yet again proved that they can excel in any genre.

Despite a few flaws, "My Sexy Shadow" remains an entertaining watch, offering a fresh take on identity and family dynamics. While the blend of mystery and comedy may not always be seamless, the series delivers enough intrigue and humor to keep me engaged. Its bold narrative choices give us something to reflect on the complexity of family bonds and personal growth. Overall, it's an entertaining series, but could've been done better.

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A bulgogi made with tropes and a dollop of feel-good sauce

This is going to be a weird review. Just saying.

I watched the first 9 eps when it was first released. I then lost track of it when I got swamped by other dramas. I only realised I never finished this series when I read that it has won the 2026 Blue Dragon award for Best Drama! Eh? What?!

Ummm, why am I lying on the floor?

Let's take a step back. This show looks like a light workplace sitcom set in a small Korean army border outpost. An unique location and a quirky fish out of water plot looks promising.

The ML felt directionless and joined the army after the passing of his father. There are some hazing and an undercurrent of corruption/embezzlement. Our indomitable ML must complete "quests" so that he can "level up" in his journey to become an army master chef(!).

Yes, you read that right. This show is gamified with a virtual AI assistant, power ups, interactive VR like display that only the ML can see and hear. He is rewarded with new recipes, abilities and level up his skills just like in a computer games.

There is no explanation why he is the Chosen One nor what is the purpose. There are no VR glasses, implant nor sign of divine intervention. After some initial hesitation, he jumps in like any keen gamer. It is a fresh take, but it is not without its pitfalls.

Even after I finished the series, I am still baffled. This drama is nicely done. Uplifting, funny, heartwarming and sentimental in roughly equal measures. It is a solid production with a large ensemble cast. I don't think their budget is particularly generous. Our ML is an idol, but he is not a top star, yet. I can't recall any OST.

There is also barely any romance. The ML is supposed to have a girlfriend, or should I say a girl claims to be his girlfriend while he looks on in shock during one early episode. She is doing all the chasing and heavy lifting. Yes, we did get confirmation in the dying minutes of the series, but that is so low key it barely registered. That's fine, it never claims to be a rom-com. It feels like a filler subplot.

On top of that, most episodes follows a common structure. The ML is confronted with a problem/quest, he must overcome it thus earning EXP which allows him to level up. It works and this is how games hook a player. The feedback loop gives you little dopamine hits. The desire to get good smooths out gameplay humps and make mindless grinds bearable. Not sure if it works as well for a drama.

Here lies my conundrum. After finishing this drama, I can see its good points. The show has a strong Band of Brothers vibe. Enemies becomes friends, friends become buddies. The underdog facing off with the antagonist. Hwaiting! These are all good stuff, if somewhat cliché. There are just enough angst to add some spice. Nothing too dramatic or dangerous. Easy to watch, easy to digest.

On the other hand, you can't ignore the repetitiveness of the subplots, the one-dimensional characters and a fantasy world that is vaguely RL. All the archetypes are here. Mildly incompetent commander, earnest hardworking lieutenant, lazy career sergeant-major and the practice of jamming square blocks into round holes, army style.

Most of those characters are one dimensional. If they have a backstory, it is one sentence long. Of course, most of them have hearts of gold and they are just misunderstood. You get the picture.

OBTW, there are some nice food porn, but they feel staged. Some are beautifully shot. The AI assistant literally tells the ML when the water temperature is perfect and what ingredients to use and their quality/quantity. I want that assistant in my brain, now!

We do see the ML comes full circle in the end. It is a nice touch and is quite sentimentality. I appreciated that until the ML’s father popped up and gives him a thumbs up. It is so cheesy. Is it cringey or wacky?

I can see why the local audiences will give this series bonus points because it appeals to their national pride. It would be hard to believe many ajummas and ahjussis would be watching this religiously.

In the end, the series is entertaining and an easy watch. It is uplifting and heartwarming. It also have one dimensional characters, cringey storylines and a “fantasy” world the writer-nim refused to explain. Ask no questions, chingu!

Congratulations to all involved for winning the Blue Dragon. I shall reserve my judgement. Peace.

P.S. There is a strong hint of a second series. I can see it happening. I will be waiting, just not with bated breath. ;)

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Mid but not flat out awful. Just here for my babies, TutorYim

This might be the mediocre series I've watched this year, so far. The writing, the story and its pacing were not really at their best. The plot got thrown out of place. Scattered if u will call it that. Gotta be honest, TutorYim was just the saving grace of this series. The seriousness in scenes where their bar got burned and sabotaged was overlapped with loveydovey cheesy scenes and the sex scenes too. Hear me out, this is the series who first showed me TutorYim engage in sex scenes. Their previous series were just love but this one particularly branched their acting especially raking on mature roles and scenes. It's a comedic piece as a whole. I cant deny i was laughing at the absurd jokes and physical banter they have in this series. Need this if you're worn out of complicated storyline from other series. Not really their best so it wont be a rewatch series for me but i must say it kept me entertained for a long while. It never felt tiring for me to watch it. Neither this is a chore to watch. I know im not a fan of longer running time of each ep. Yes and that applies to series with episodes that exceeds 20 mins lol. They could've cut it down to like 25 mins and we're good. Nevertheless, this was a good entertaining watch for me. No hard feelings lol.

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An Unfortunate Case of Wasted Potential

It took me 10 weeks to watch this drama. It'll likely take less time than that to forget it. IMO, I believe the filming style was bad, and the script was worse. Here me out

In terms of script, this drama had 2 and a half excellent topics to work on, but failed them all

1. Classism
As Thai-speaking viewers online pointed out, the title is a literal metaphor: Toto is the dog barking at Kanit, the airplane. It's even shown in the credits where a simple ambulance chases a plane. Toto is reaching for a world completely out of his league.

The drama briefly touches on the stark differences in their lives, careers, and families, but it refuses to linger there. Instead of letting the audience sit in the uncomfortable reality of classism, the show immediately undercuts the tension with cheap comedy, a cute romantic moment, or some dirty jokes.

Throughout the drama, Kanit's and Toto's relationship is constantly fraught with the issues of money and class. However, because the series insists on staying happy and bubbly, it never gives the weight that this heavy topic deserved.

2. Lookism
This concerns Akki and Veha. The latter, after being ignored in school because of his looks, ventures into the real world, hits the gym for the gains and the plastic surgeon's table for the looks.

When he meets his former high school crush, he is plagued by insecurity: 'Does he only like me now because I'm hot? Why did the ugly duckling that I was back in high school not deserve the same attention and love that he's so willing to give now?'

If done right, this could have been a deeply profound exploration of insecurity, as well as the superficiality and shallow-mindedness of humanity.

Instead, the impact was ruined by Veha repetitively asking the same question 'do you only like me now coz I'm hot? 'aloud.

Also, rather than exploring both perspectives -i.e, Veha learning how to accept love as this new self (or something like that) and Akki confronting his own superficiality- the writers took the shallow way out. They tried to convince us that Akki never actually ignored Veha in high school. That kept his bracelet the whole time. *🙄🤦🏾‍♀️*

2a. Veha's Character Growth
This should've been handled better. He started as a side piece who didn't know his place. Rather than the audience walking with him through his journey of atonement and growth, we

⁕1st have to watch him be sorry for himself (back to the badly handled lookism topic above)
⁕2nd suddenly contend with the idea that he's a good guy now. He's changed and gets along with Kanit, the innocent party that he not only helped get cheated on, but also antagonized

The drama tells us that he's grown and changed. But it all happens off-screen. This, quite honestly, does not help his case whatsoever. Because his growth was completely invisible, I felt zero emotional connection to this second couple. Their conversations were repetitive and a total snoozefest.

There's also that sudden switch up by Akki; from calling Veha trash for his side-piece actions to caring for and falling in love with him.... *sense, out the window*

Final Thoughts
Had the creators fixed the script and used a moodier, darker cinematographic vibe—think Burnout Syndrome or Moonlight Chicken—A Dog and a Plane could have been a standout BL.

Instead, it reeks of wasted potential. The romantic comedy is cute, but the story as a whole is utterly forgettable.

But hey, I finally managed to finish a TayNew show (this is after dropping the Cherry Magic remake 3 episodes to the finale), so yaay me🥳🙌🏾

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Is reality truly what made us fall in love or was it the heat of the moment?

(⁠╭⁠☞⁠•́⁠⍛⁠•̀⁠)⁠╭⁠☞ Disclaimer:
This review is based on my personal thoughts and opinions, it's not meant to sway or change yours in any way, please feel free to agree/disagree with it.


See, I don't have much to say in this review (yes, this is going to be in the style of my recently preferred method of writing short comments instead of my in depth reviews, sue me) but I still wanted to add my two cents to the pile, because while it certainly wasn't perfect, and the ever present romanticism of non con and dub con is still an issue in these CBLs, I genuinely found myself overlooking these details because the series was truly done very well, again, I'm not excusing any of the problematic aspects of the plot, believe me some of the conversations in this script had me doing laps around my room, not to mention the toxicity both couples displayed one way or the other, but the author/actors truly gave it their all, and while it wasn't perfect, it was put very simply, very touching.
Regardless of my opinions and morals, all the efforts truly are worth the praise, and for the first time in a very long while, a series has earned a full 10/10 from me in the OST/BGM department, I don't think I've enjoyed the entirety of a series' playlist this much since TTEOTM, so it would be a crime on my part not to at least praise this work even if only briefly.
If you want deep analysis on the plot/acting, then I'm afraid this review isn't what you're looking for, I suggest browsing the other reviewers' opinions on it. Do I plan on going in depth on the plot? Honestly I don't know, but what I do know is that I definitely recommend checking it out, I don't think I've enjoyed watching any other BL as much as I have these past couple of weeks (with the exception of TPP and AWSWTWISHD), not because any of the newer releases are flawless or faultless, but something about this one feels very raw and sincere in a way not many shows have been for a while, it might be the novelty of having the Chinese industry in the race again, or it might be the break I've had from this genre still being in affect, whichever it is, I highly recommend giving the story of ZZ/GZ and ZX/FC a try, Ollie and Shuyuan gave a very compelling performance for being such young actors, I'm looking forward to their future endeavours in the acting scene, so yeah, I really encourage anyone reading my review to give it a watch, it might start slow and shaky but as I said, the sincerity is what really kept me engaged and coming back.
Hope everyone has a good day/afternoon/night 🤍🤍


P.S: me and some of the viewers have been constantly updating the "Deep in OST" discussion thread, so if anyone is interested in specific tracks, you might find them in the ones we've found and listed.

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As someone who has read the webtoon, I think this is a solid live-action adaptation. In fact, one thing the drama does even better is the comedy. The interactions between Manager Kim and the other ahjussi's feel much more natural and entertaining here than they did in the original webtoon. Their chemistry adds a lot of charm, and many of the funniest moments landed better in live action.

My biggest disappointment is how little they showcased Manager Kim's signature weapon, the eun-sa (silver thread). It's one of the most unique aspects of his fighting style in the webtoon, so I was hoping to see it used much more often. Instead, the action focuses on other combat scenes, which are still enjoyable but don't fully highlight what makes Manager Kim so special.

The ending clearly leaves room for a second season. If they continue following the webtoon, I just hope they improve the pacing. Personally, I think the strongest part of the original story was the opening arc, where Manager Kim rescues his daughter. After that, the story became less engaging as the world expanded, introducing more organizations, more characters, and eventually connecting to other webtoon universes. It started to lose the grounded emotional focus that made the beginning so compelling.

The only later arcs that I genuinely enjoyed were the ones exploring the past of the ahjussi's. Those stories added emotional depth and made the characters much more interesting than the endless expansion of the shared universe.

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Legal

Eu já conhecia o Up e o Poom por My Stand-In, um BL que considero bem discutível e bastante tóxico. Então, quando comecei Love of Silom, já esperava uma vibe completamente diferente.

Preciso dizer que os primeiros episódios me chamaram muito a atenção. Ri e muito por causa do Wayu. Nossa, que personagem carismático e fofo! Na verdade, achei ele um personagem muito bom e, em alguns aspectos, até me lembrou o personagem anterior do Poom.

Já o Krit, personagem do Up, acabou me decepcionando um pouco. Ele é meio sem vida e inexpressivo na maior parte do tempo. Não era esse tipo de papel que eu queria ver o Up fazendo depois do Ming, de My Stand-In. Acho que eu esperava um personagem mais marcante.

Apesar disso, acho que os papéis exigiram bastante dos dois atores. O Up, por conta do treinamento necessário para interpretar um policial. Já o Poom também deve ter treinado bastante para executar todas as coreografias das apresentações no bar onde o Wayu trabalhava como acompanhante.

A trama do tráfico humano acabou se estendendo praticamente até o final da série. Apesar de eu entender que era o principal conflito da história, ainda assim senti que esse é um tema muito mais profundo e pesado do que a forma como foi tratado. É contraditório que a trama tenha tomado um tempo relativo da história e ainda assim não foi suficiente para aprofundar esse tema.

Mais uma vez tivemos o clichê de alguém levar um tiro e ficar em coma, dessa vez com o Krit. Também tivemos outro clichê: o Krit terminar com o Wayu por causa dos pais e os dois sofrerem horrores por conta disso. Particularmente, achei esse tipo de conflito um pouco batido.

Apesar desses clichês, gostei bastante do Wayu e do Krit como casal. Acho que eles têm química e torci pelos dois durante a história. A fase de namoro deles também foi bem melosa, do jeito que eu gosto. O problema é que os BLs parecem seguir sempre um de dois caminhos: os protagonistas começam a namorar relativamente cedo e algum problema aparece para separá-los, só voltando a ficar juntos no final, ou eles só ficam juntos nos últimos episódios e quase não vemos nada da relação. Eu, particularmente, gosto de acompanhar a fase de namoro por vários episódios, vendo o casal simplesmente sendo um casal.

O neném da história é uma graça. Dá para sentir muito o instinto paternal do Wayu e do Krit em relação a ele, e achei muito bonito acompanhar esse lado mais cuidadoso dos dois. Foi um dos núcleos de que mais gostei.

Agora, a mãe do Wayu... para mim, ela não deveria ter sido perdoada. Nunca que uma pessoa daquela mudaria tão facilmente. Também não é novidade que muitos BLs acabam forçando a barra nessa questão de perdoar os mais velhos, sejam pais, mães ou avós. Imagino que isso tenha uma influência cultural, porque raramente vejo o contrário acontecer.

Eu até simpatizei com a irmã do Wayu, mas, sinceramente, também acho que não teria perdoado. Pqp, ela largou o filho à própria sorte e, depois de tanto tempo, voltou como o próprio cão arrependido, provavelmente porque as coisas não deram certo para ela. Achei difícil comprar as duas redenções, principalmente a da mãe, por ser uma personagem que me irritou muito mais ao longo da história.

No geral, gostei de Love of Silom. Apesar de alguns clichês, de sentir que certos temas poderiam ter sido tratados com mais profundidade e de algumas decisões do roteiro não terem funcionado tão bem para mim, foi uma série que consegui aproveitar. Acho que Wayu carregou boa parte da história nas costas com o carisma dele, torci pelo casal do começo ao fim. Acharia interessante para um próximo projeto deles, que o Up interpretasse um personagem mais engraçadinho e carismático e o contrário para o Poom.

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꒐꓄ ꅐꋬꇙ ꋬ ꒦ꏂꋪꋪꌦ ꍌꄲꄲ꒯ ꋬꁝꄲꅐ ꅐ꒐꒒꒒ ꂵꄲꇙ꓄ ꒯ꏂꊰ꒐ꋊ꒐꓄ꏂ꒒ꌦ ꋪꏂꅐꋬ꓄ꉔꍌ
ꋬꋊ꒯ ꓄ꁝꏂ ꉔꋬꇙ꓄ ꒯꒐꒯ ꇙ꒤ꉔꁝ ꋬ ꍌꄲꄲ꒯ ꋬꉔ꓄꒐ꋊꍌ ꓄ꁝꋬ꓄ ꒐ ꏂ꒦ꏂꋊ ꉔꋪ꒐ꏂ꒯ ꋬꉔ꓄꒤ꋬ꒒ ꓄ꏂꋬꋪꇙ ꒐꓄ꇙ ꒻꒤ꇙ꓄ ꋬ 10/10 ꒐ꋊ ꓄ꁝꏂ ꇙꋬꂵꏂ ꉔꋬ꓄ꏂꍌꄲꋪꌦ ꄲꊰ ꅐꏂꋬꀘ ꁝꏂꋪꄲ ꃳ꒒ꄲꄲ꒯ꁝꄲ꒤ꋊ꒯ꇙ ꇙꋬ꒐ꀘ꒐ ꋬꋊ꒯ ꋬꉣꄲ꓄ꁝꏂꉔꋬꋪꌦ ꒯꒐ꋬꋪ꒐ꏂꇙ ꊰꄲꋪ ꂵꏂ ꋬꋊ꒯ ꒐ꊰ ꒤ ꀘꋊꄲꅐ ꂵꏂ ꒤ ꀘꋊꄲꅐ ꓄ꁝꏂꌦꋪꏂ ꂵꌦ ꊰꋬ꒦ ꇙꁝꄲꇙ ꄲꊰ ꋬ꒒꒒ ꓄꒐ꂵꏂ

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