True Love Amidst Societal Pressure
I saw this one in the span of two days. It is bingable and only has 10 episodes. In this BL, Ji Hyeon and Jae Won fall in love at different stages and ages at college. Ji Hyeon is a country-bumpkin freshman, and Jae Won is a senior who has finished military service. Despite societal expectation and pressures, and Jae Won's past trauma, they become each other's true love. The name of the show is relevant to the story in that there is this sense that goes beyond the 5 senses that tells us who and what to choose in life. This sense is instinctual. Here's a breakdown of the pros and cons!Pros:
-The pacing and unconventional way they framed certain scenes shows regard for the production, it wasn’t haphazard
-The acting was stellar, by everyone, including the side characters.
-The intimacy scenes were well-done. They looked like they were actually falling in love and kissing.
-The lighting felt romantic at times and the tone of the drama is sentimental, which I liked.
-The music matched the scenes and I really liked when they used the Conan Gray song.
Cons:
-In the 2nd half Jae Won still felt like he hadn't found his peace. Adding more scenes could have helped with this. Or him being honest with his therapist could have also helped.
-While I love angst the tone could feel depressing after a while. Again, more scenes with a tonal shift could have helped with this.
-They redeemed two antagonists that I did not feel deserved redemption, after the gravity of what they did.
Overall, I loved the show and wish there were a 2nd season so that Ji Hyeon and Jae Won's relationship could be delved into deeper.
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School Trip: Joined a Group I’m Not Close To
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um clichê que funciona muito bem
Um romance clichê bem executado nunca é demais, ainda mais quando falamos sobre relações lgbt. Esse bl japonês, mesmo que tenha um enredo simples, consegue uma boa pontuação em todos os seus aspectos. A atuação é muito boa, os atores cumprem suas funções e mantém o estilo japonês de forma que não fica cansativo nem vergonhoso de se assistir, a fotografia é bonita e alterna muito bem nas cenas que são necessários os tons frios ou quentes e a história é um básico que funciona muito bem, um romance adolescente entre dois colegas que se gostam genuinamente e optam por se conhecerem melhor. Obra muito boa, pretendo rever!Was this review helpful to you?
Darker Themes
I love a lot about this drama. I do wish it was more like My Stand In only because I'm a sucker for hard emotional shows, I do love that they managed to somewhat water it down while still conveying the message. I can't wait for later episdoes, because that's when you know things are gonna take a turn probably for the worst if the trailer is to be believed. The acting is very amazing and you can tell that the actors grew together. It's a very good show overall. I can't wait for the next episode.Was this review helpful to you?
história muito criativa que te deixa querendo ver cada vez mais
sou uma pessoa que dificilmente consegue ficar presa em episódios de séries sem se entediar. além disso, quando começo um drama novo, involuntariamente, foco muito na parte do romance, pelo menos quando se trata de bls. mas esse aqui conseguiu me prender de forma que eu tinha que ver um capítulo após o outro e o enredo romântico acabou totalmente ofuscado pela criatividade do roteiro, a história é muito cativante e as atuações somam muito na boa experiência. me surpreendi bastante com o conjunto total da obra e como ela aborda a cultura tailandesa de forma tão interessante.Was this review helpful to you?
fantastic GIMMIE 14
my toes were curled, my butt was clenched, my teeth were chattering, my hand was over my mouth, I was gagging and looking away, I was crying then laughing then crying again, idk what was going on at times but that’s okay cause i rarely know what’s going on normally anyway, the cinematic aspect of it all was just one reason why i would re watch it for all the good bumps and tears it brought to my eyes at time, the cgi was amazing like again GAGGING at times for some of the scenes. all in all fantastic gimme 14.ps WHAT WAS THAT ENEDING?!?
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What we have here, is a failure to communicate*
Pushing Hands was director Ang Lee’s first full length film. It was also the first in what critics have affectionately termed the “Father Knows Best” trilogy. Lee’s first three films (unrelated) focused on conflicts between modern children and their traditional fathers, all three films starred Lung Sihung as a father in the middle of familial tension. While entertaining, I found this film to be the weakest of the three.The Chu family household has been set on edge ever since Alex’s seventy-year-old father moved into their home a month prior. Chu senior speaks no English and Alex’s wife, Martha, speaks no Mandarin. The young grandson, Jeremy, has been taking Chinese lessons after school and understands some of what his grandfather says. The wife and father-in-law are basically in a cold war. Mr Chu’s very presence disturbs Martha so much that she has developed writer’s block and has been unable to progress on her second book. One need not speak English to understand her irritated body language and hostile words. Alex ends up listening to both of their complaints at the dinner table, often at the same time, with English in one ear and Mandarin in the other. Mr. Chu is a tai chi master and teaches a class at the local continuing education facility while his grandson takes his Chinese class and Alex plays basketball. One evening, the Chinese cooking teacher, Mrs. Chen, purposefully moves her class into his large room in order to meet the older gentleman. Both discover that they are living in difficult family situations that are heading to a boil.
I struggled with the core conflict of this film with the open hostility Martha showed Mr. Chu. She mentioned that Alex barely spoke of his father for seven years and then “Boom! One month ago, this shows up on our doorstep.” Alex told his father it was his plan all along for him to come live with them. It sounds like he never brought that up with Martha. This is the type of conversation that needed to happen as the father’s arrival would have required some planning and cooperation. Martha’s work space could have been modified for more privacy and she could have taken evening classes with her son to better be able to speak with her FIL. Alex bringing his father over and hoping for the best left his father feeling alienated and his wife feeling resentful.
The film focused on a variety of gaps-language, cultural, generational, and modern vs traditional values. Mr. Chu might have been home and with family but it did not feel like home. Alex had videotaped Taiwanese movies for his father to watch, most of which he was uninterested in. Only the Chinese Opera appealed to him which decidedly did nothing for Martha’s frayed nerves. Mrs. Chen gave Mr. Chu someone he could relate to which both exasperated children used to try and manipulate to their advantage. The older people felt useless and isolated, unwanted in their children’s homes. In a land of material wealth, there was no room for them. As with his other father films, Ang Lee managed to salvage relationships even if they were still damaged. Parents and children grudgingly learned to adapt and find a way to balance their expectations and bonds. And there were those who learned the hard way to not mess with a seventy-year-old tai chi master. Not one of Ang Lee’s strongest films but still quite watchable.
4 June 2026
*Headline note: Quote from Cool Hand Luke
Golden note: 1991 Golden Horse Best Actor Award for Lung Sihung and Best Actress Award for Lai Wang. The acting for these two was significantly stronger than much of the rest of the cast.
Paternal Note: The three Ang Lee “Father Knows Best” films: Pushing Hands, The Wedding Banquet, and Eat Drink Man Woman.
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An eerie dark alley and a light shop which might lead you home
The opening episodes of are genuinely unsettling. For a while, I was convinced I was watching a full-blown horror series and wonder whether I could endure it to the end as I was watching it late at night by myself.Almost every scene is drenched in an eerie sense of dread. The story revolves around a narrow, dimly lit alley that seems trapped in perpetual night. At the very end stands a strangely bright light shop, its warm glow the only source of comfort in an otherwise oppressive darkness. The shop is run by a handsome but enigmatic owner whose presence raises more questions than answers.
As different characters pass through the alley, the atmosphere becomes increasingly disturbing.
There is a woman trapped inside a haunted house along the alley she cannot escape from, wandering its rooms like a prisoner in a nightmare.
A teenage boy desperately tries to leave the alley, only to find himself returning to the same spot over and over again, as though reality itself is bending around him. When he finally suffers a horrific injury that twists his leg into an unnatural position, the scene becomes even more disturbing.
A mysterious woman endlessly drags a large suitcase through the darkness. What is inside it? The drama keeps you wondering, and fearing, the answer.
A detective pursues a man with unsettling cat-like eyes who seems more creature than human.
A teenage girl repeatedly returns to buy light bulbs for her mother, despite the growing sense that something is terribly wrong.
And then there is a man who picks up a young woman at a bus stop, despite having no idea who she is or why she keeps appearing in his life.
The strangest part is that nobody seems to question the alley itself. Why must they keep walking through this terrifying place? Why not take another route? Why does dawn never come? Why does the darkness feel so alive? Why do all these strange people from different walks of life gather in this alley?
The deeper the story goes, the more you realise that the alley is not merely a location. It is a place that exists between answers and questions, life and death, memory and oblivion. The light shop itself seems to serve a purpose that only the truly dead understand, while the living stumble through it in confusion.
What makes the drama so effective is that it relies less on jump scares and more on an overwhelming sense of unease. Every character feels haunted. Every encounter feels wrong. Every shadow seems to conceal a secret waiting to emerge.
With only eight episodes, the mystery unfolds quickly, and before long you begin to uncover the truth behind the alley, the light shop, and the strange souls who wander through its endless night.
If you enjoy eerie mysteries filled with ghostly encounters, unsettling imagery, and a creeping sense of dread that lingers long after the episode ends, this drama is well worth watching.
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This review may contain spoilers
A Refreshing Feel-Good Drama
I love this show because it shows how opposites sometimes attract and how people with really high intelligence navigate falling in love. This drama is also really good at showing that relationships won’t go anywhere without communication and understanding of one another.I also love how this show has strong side characters, like their parents — both of the main leads’ parents were so funny! It was nice to watch a drama where both leads actually have good parents.
This drama is perfect when you don’t want anything heavy. You can laugh and enjoy the sweet moments. It’s a little cringe in a few areas, but I found the show absolutely adorable.
Though if you’re not into more laid-back dramas that focus on a nerd figuring out how to show love, this probably won’t be for you. I however loved it! didn't really enjoyed the side couple they were okay, there relationship was a bit rushed . Though I did love how they learned how to be there for each other.
I also did get a little annoyed with how the main couple would not communicate — especially when the FL would shut down and not tell the ML anything (and vice versa). But again, this show realistically shows how relationships aren’t perfect. They’re messy and kind of awkward, especially when your parents are forcing you to live together and making things weird… though that part was so funny!!!
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Cutest baby in the universe can't save this show
10/10 stars for the cutest baby in the universe, beloved Woo Joo.1/10 stars for everything else. The pacing was SO bad. In episode 10 out of 12, they were still having the second male lead romance the female lead. The main romance is NOT believable; I do not believe that she actually likes Tae Hyung back but w/eeeeeeeeeeeeee. Feels like the writers/directors could not figure out what they wanted the show to be about, but they should've just stuck with Woo Joo.
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Loved this chaotic show.
I watched this on my BL bestie's recommendation, and it was amazing.Yes, the plot and characters could be cheesy at times, but in my opinion, that made it even better, and it helped to lighten up the seriousness of the series. The pacing wasn't slow or rushed, and everything developed as it should have without feeling rushed or having filler episodes.
I have two new BL couples I will continue to watch, and that is First/Khaotung and Joong/Dunk. I loved the chemistry between both pairs. I will say, I feel like Joong/Dunk kinda stole the show for me. Watching their relationship blossom was both fun and cute. I mean, I am a sucker for an enemies-to-lovers.
The retro-ness of the series was something I hadn't seen before in a present-day BL. You can really see the retro effect in Kant's style.
The show doesn't just focus on drama, crime, and the relationships between the main pairs; we also see Kant's relationship with his little brother, and that lightness compared to Lily, Bison, and Fadel's strained and toxic relationship made the comparisons both sad and sweet.
I did feel like the ending was a bit rushed. I think it should have been split into 2 episodes. One of Bison and Fadel's time in prison, and that episode end of the cliffhanger of Lily kidnapping Babe and Jay. Then the last episode is the rescue and the continued reunion/ending for our main couples.
Overall, I enjoyed this series so much, and I can't wait to watch more of Joong/Dunk and Khaotung/First.
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✨ A BL Drama That Stays With You
Sammy’s Children’s Day is a beautifully written and emotionally engaging BL drama that leaves a lasting impression. The story balances heartfelt moments, character growth, and meaningful relationships in a natural and touching way. The cast delivers strong performances, bringing depth and authenticity to their characters, while the chemistry between the leads makes every scene feel genuine. The drama captures both the joys and struggles of growing up, creating an experience that is relatable and memorable. With its warm atmosphere, emotional storytelling, and lovable characters, Sammy’s Children’s Day stands out as a charming adaptation that is well worth watching. Highly recommended for BL fans and anyone who enjoys sincere, character-driven stories.Was this review helpful to you?
Story
Well Im mixed about my feelings watching this series.I didnt think the two actors suited each other. Tuo looked more mature in height and build whereas junxi came across as gullible .. over trustful and easily led. I didnt like the way Tuo latched onto him and wanted it his way or noway. He was jealous and ignored junxi if he spoke to anyone besides him.I loved the young girl Lam but she didnt help the situation. At times she pushed Tuo and junxi together. The trope of growing up together and ending up together later on in life ..having a bad childhood is part and parcel of bls now so you know the ending more or less. Cant complain about the acting as both MLs were really goodwith great visual I loved the theme song sung by chance.Amazing voice.I did watch the whole series because I enjoyed the storyline..
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A generic romance about time travel.
I went to watch it without knowing what it was about, and I'm finding the series "average." Neither bad nor good. The main couple didn't charm me, the secondary characters are nonexistent, there's no comic relief, the romance is reasonable, a little boring at times, so far I haven't found a "dramatic charge" in the series, and I found the acting to be mediocre. In addition, I didn't like Ran's personality; she cries too much. I understand that she lost someone she loved many years ago, but the series didn't give time to "show" how much she loved Lene. I can't empathize with her because I didn't see that love on screen. It lacked better development.The good part: The series had good production, the script also seems to be good (I haven't reached the end yet, but I feel there will be a big surprise event in the series), and the plot and depth of the characters is the best part of the series. For now, that's it.
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Can't anyone be original?
I saw a recommendation for this in the reviews for another show. So far it's pretty solid.But, I swear, if I see another drowning scene, I'm going to flip out. First of all, it's been overdone. Seems like 90% of old China dramas have a drowning scene. And it's never realistic. How are their hair and clothing dry, wrinkle free, and perfectly styled five minutes after coming out of the water? Why does the hero not remove his cape and shoes, both hazardous when attempting a rescue? Anyone can tell it's done on dry land and the "water" is added later.
And, of course, three or four men swoon over the FL. Also an overdone trope. Honestly, aren't we sick of the same 3 or 4 scenes considering recycled?
However, I was pleasantly surprised by the leads. I was unfamiliar with them. I especially enjoyed aren't Min, she's cute without being nauseating. I will be checking out her other work. Ci Asha in another great addition to my library of actors. These two are the reason i put up with the nonsense scenes.
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Pretty Good Drama
I had forgotten that the leads had been in the drama The Rise Of Ning which I am currently rewatching. The FL and ML in this drama ended up having one of the best CP's I have watched this year. I really enjoyed their interactions and felt they were truly immersed in their characters. I enjoyed all the support cast as well. All of them played their parts to perfection. My low rating is due to the production team and how it was a let down in the end. Too many people died in the last confrontation that it made me upset. I had wished for a better ending and was disappointed by all the lives lost and felt it unnecessary. I'm not a script writer, but this could have had a much nicer and thoughtful ending. It almost made me wish I hadn't wasted all my time watching this drama. The overall ratings would have been higher if the production team had thought it through more. Losing ONE or TWO is enough to startle watchers, but the overall devastation was too over-the-top. I won't rewatch with an ending so horrendous.Was this review helpful to you?
