Reviews

Could have been better

I started this drama with pretty regular expectations and to my surprise I was actually quite enjoying it despite its cons until episode 27. From that point onward it became a complete mess.

First the pros:
> I liked the little friend group the main characters had going on. They could put social norms aside to protect each other unconditionally.
> The masters of Li Fei are great. They really do their best to let her live as a normal girl and stand up for her where necessary.
> A lot of side characters were pretty enjoyable to watch such as Deng Xi Guang and Ge Lin. Honestly, I think I enjoyed the side characters more in this show than the main leads.
> I mostly enjoyed the Chufeng Academy arc where the main cast were still students and spent time on learning, discovering, and bonding with each other.

Then the cons...
> Lei Xiu Yuan and Li Fei. While I dont dislike either of them, I found that Li Fei's character was overshadowing Xiu Yuan's character. There were moments where the ML had almost no dialogue going on while the FL took most of the screentime.
> Related to Xiu Yuan's story, I was surprised that they didnt get into his experiences in the past with the Gaolu clan at all. We know practically nothing of how he spent his life there besides being Ye Ye's double.
> Towards the end the story becomes very inconsistent and weird. I didnt like how Li Fei ditched Lei Xiu Yuan so easy considering he stood up for her MULTIPLE times. I hated Luo Sha as character but she was kinda right when she asked her what she did for Xiu Yuan.
> Watching Ji Tong Zhou become insufferable was hard to watch, but even harder was seeing his treatment towards Miao Qing and her still liking him EVEN WHEN SHE MISCARRIED BECAUSE HE PUSHED HER WTF. That made no sense to me, was Miao Qing really there just to be the scapegoat of Tong Zhou's insanity?
> A more minor con is the overall production quality. Battle scenes looked goofy most rather than cool most of the time and there is no memorable music track, unfortunately.

Overall, I still had a pretty good time watching most of the drama despite its flaws. I don't think its a must watch but it could be an option in case you wanna watch something that isn't complicated after a tiring work day.

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Masterfully done! 10/10!

I usually don't write reviews but I feel like I must, for everyone who may be debating if they should watch this show or not. Please DO! Trust me!

I must say I really do love politics in shows, but I acknowledge that is not for everyone. In this show it works because it depicts a real life historical event: The Siamese Revolution of 1932. This in fact, helps shape the world and the characters behavior, actions and ambitions masterfully throughout the whole 11 episodes. This show did a fantastic job at balancing everything out, I didn't find myself being bored, not even for a second!

I'm a sucker for complex shows with complex characters.

~spoilers ahead~

Firstly, the main couple's storyline and acting was a 10/10 in my book, so gut-wrenching and sweet at the same time.. I ugly cried at the end when I thought Phob may very well be dead for real, despite a part of me still being in denial the whole last 20 minutes or so while I kept checking how much of the episode was left. I wished to see though just one more tiny episode of them just living together, cooking, enjoying the little moments, hold hands next to the cotton rose bush/tree(?) one more time, stress-free. They really deserve it!🥺 Something like in episode 6 (which was my absolute favorite!), just at the end after that whole roller-coaster of a final act.

Now to the reason why I wanted to write this review in the first place. POND! Pond's character was the cherry on top! Whoever thought to cast him for this role and whoever thought of the storyline for him, I just want to shake your hand omg you have the golden touch please teach me your ways!🙇🏻‍♀️ It was so simple, yet so impactful. I could see right through him from the beginning... I actually had to stop to have a monologue alone in my room at 3 am about him in the middle of episode 5. He just wanted his dad to acknowledge him and be proud of him! All of his actions stem from that. Yes, he is a bit slow and makes many poor decisions BUT, in his defense, NO ONE really stopped to show him/guide him in the right direction from what we've been shown. It was always implied his dad deemed him a lost cause from the beginning, since he wasn't as book smart as Tin was since an early age. Also, comparing 2 siblings is never a good idea, it could lead to unnecessary rivalry as well as bottled up resentment or hatred.
In the last episode we got a glimpse of what could've happened if Chat wasn't actually a good person deep deep down. What broke my heart is that in that moment, his father actually believed Chat could be capable of hurting Tin... (yes we could argue it was because he accidentally hurt him before, but still!)... when it was shown previously how much he cared for his little brother. Needless to say, if you'd ask me to pick which one of the 2 (Tin & Chat) resembles Vasin (the dad) more, I would without a doubt pick Chat. If anybody disagrees, you're wrong! There are so many parallels between the 2, starting at the ANGER MANAGEMENT ISSUE! I believe Chat was such a cruel person to others and so spoiled because that's all that he knew. If all your father does since you're little is to come and yell and tell you how incompetent and useless of a son you are, of course you would internalize that and think "oh so he'll like me if I just become more like him, acting angry and superior all the time". Since I doubt he was as quick to praise him for doing good as he was to harshly reprimand him for doing bad.
The end scene of them in prison broke my heart most.. Their storyline was so impressive and so fresh, it really shows you can do so much with so little.. Their past.. Chat's behavior and motivations from the first episode and up until the end made it fell like he actually had a life before the director yelled "roll the cameras". His pain was so real and the acting so raw. I related to him so much despite not experiencing almost anything of what he experienced.

Also, I loved Siri so muchhhhh!😍❤️

Hands down the best show of the year for me! 10/10

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Very early review, but really enjoying this series so far

First, I love the premise of a flight attendant deciding to become a pilot. What I like even more is that it's apparently inspired by real stories. Plus, I read that Liu Xie Ning actually learned how to fly a small aircraft for the role, which is impressive.

I'm really enjoying the playful tone. I was worried about Fu Ming Yu (the ML) in the first episode, but I warmed up to him quickly once the show transitions to the present timeline. The dynamic between him, Ruan Si Xian (the FL), and his assistant is fun to watch.

I also love the locations. I don't think I've seen Qingdao featured in a show before, but there are plenty of impressive and very distinctive shots of the city. I especially like the view from Fu Ming Yu's office.

My rating may change depending how the series unfolds, but so far I love it.

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why was this made?

the only way this show could have redeemed itself is by having a sad ending. you cant have such an angsty, predatory and just straight up horribly written character end up with the person they want. but even then, this was such a hard watch, the acting was fine but the dubbing made it really hard to follow. the mom and the brother, and all of that didnt really bother me, i appreciate when characters have to overcome obstacles and their lives arent rainbows and butterflies all of the time. but when the characters themselves dont seem like they want to survive and overcome these obstacles... it feels a bit repetitve and annoying. lu feng keeps fucking up and apologising and xiao chen just doesnt seem to want to be with lu feng ( not enough at least). not to forget how there was an SA scene between the mcs , that was glossed over and treated like a normal nc scene. i guess my question here is... what message is this trying to convey? what was the vision? the actors have great chemistry for sure, but you cant just take that and run with it. the story had potential it really did, it just keeps getting more and more meaningless, at some point while watching this, you will ask yourself, why am i still watching this? why do i want these two to end up together?
no hate to the actors nor the creators, the whole point of making art is to confuse people, not to be understood. however this story needs so much reshaping and rewriting to become at the very least confusing and less repelling.

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Perfect Opposites can make a Perfect Pair

I was really looking forward to watching this drama and overall I ended up enjoying it.

I will have to admit that while there were many things about this drama that I liked, there were also a few things I didn't.

One of the bigger things that I found lacking was the world building. The reason for that is because it's the foundation on which the story is built and if it's lacking or incomplete, it can easily ruin the whole story. In this drama what bothered me most was the lack of detail in explaining the immortal world. For example, by the end of the drama the whole world is in peril, but no other immortals even appear to help. The Heavenly Emissary constantly harps on the importance of the Infinite Stele, but no one lifts a finger to help protect it. But hey, they are always ready with their punishments. The only other immortals we get to see are the Four Venerables, but they are useless and a complete waste of screen time. Why were they even included? The problem I have with this is that we're never really given an explanation on the structure of the immortal world, it's rules, the hierarchy, ...

Another big problem I had was that I couldn't warm up to a lot of the supporting characters. They just didn't get enough screen time to develop into much more than caricatures. Admittedly, I also never warmed up to Zhang Suan, who did get enough screen time, but remained bland throughout the drama.

If there were a few more episodes these things might have been executed better.

That being said, the saving grace of this drama for me was the main couple. The two main leads had great chemistry and portrayed the characters convincingly. The thing I liked about them the most though was their dynamic. The two are perfect opposites right from their birth. And from the beginning to almost the end we are shown just how different they really are from superficial things to core values. When together they both clash and stubbornly try to prove that they are right. The most beautiful thing is that they are both not wrong. They just see the world from a different perspective. They both value different things and they are both right. Eventually, we are also shown the things they have in common and they both learn to see things from the other's perspective and find a balance, because right from the beginning while they may be perfect opposites, they are also a perfect pair once they find that balance. They are stronger together. That part of the story is executed beautifully.

In relation to the development of the two main characters, I liked the moral and philosophical themes that were explored.

Another thing that I liked was how visually beautiful this drama is. Everything looked stunning.

All in all, I enjoyed this rollercoaster journey.

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Cultivate and don't love anyone is what I take from this story

This drama was actually delivering on the comedy part, I laughed out loud and the jokes were well written and executed. Meanwhile, the drama of it all was lackluster.

Plot conclusion - love suuuucks. Every bad thing happens because someone loves someone. Ofc, I'm exagerating to make a point, but many people are loving others to the point of unhealthy obsession. Story line was beautiful but either the translation wasn't that good or some plot points simply made no sense. Basically, love concurs all (but it also sucks).

Random slow motions in weird places for no reason.

Acting was good from the ML. The FL was so so with dramatic acting.

Visuals were really pretty, the sets were amazing, but camera work felt two dimensional (and there was this one 3 sec cut in in the one before last episode, from a high up angle, that was make from a different camera or something, worse quality and very weird that it was left in because it made no difference to the story) and not working to the full potential of the vibrant sets that the actors worked in.

Music was OK.

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A satisfied fan!

I found the story good and the actors great! The ML delivered exactky as I expected. I saw him first time in Fated Hearts and was captivated by his performance and he didn't disappoint me here. All of the actors were great. I've read negative comments about storyline getting lost in last epsiodes, but I watched regardless and in my opinion the storyline never deviated or got lost. Guess people wanted this written their way. I did hate that some beloved characters got killed and in my opion wasn't necesaay, but....it is what it is. These 2 lead actors are great and honestly all of the cast was great. Story didn't get stuck and flowed along at good pace. Watch it for yourself and be the judge. I doubt you will be disappointed 😁

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Wayyy beter than I expected.

I honestly didn't expect a lot from this series. I'm not sure why but I automatically assumed it wouldn't be amazing but all the reviews really proved my first impression wrong so I ended up watching it anyways. I am honestly surprised at how good it is!! I think that the representation is amazing. The plot is original and the characters make you really attached to them. Before you watch this a trigger warning is the

The acting was amazing in this series. Both Seto Toshiki and Nakata Keisuke are talented!! I already knew Seto Toshiki and I think he is an amazing actor in each BL that I've seen him play in. As for Keisuke, I didn't know him before but he really made me hate Kusakabe Ritsu during this whole show, and I think it's a good thing when actors make you hate a character. The side characters were amazing as well and I'm sooo happy they had Idegami Baku casted!! I'm not sure about their pronouns but from what I've read it seems to be just he/him. I love how he played a character that was struggling with their gender and during the last weeks finally got the confidence to wear clothes they feel comfortable in. Tomimoto Sousho looked sooo young and he was apparently 20/21 when they filmed??? That's insane.

I got a huge attachment to the side characters. For most of the series they felt like a sort of family. Like Masumi and Ritsu adopted Yuma and then Meguru just being there. Honestly I would've put her as Yuma's crush if they didn't make it feel so weird through the show. I'm not complaining about their feelings or Meguru being trans girl/crossdresser, but rather by the way they portrayed the teenager but that is just my viewpoint as a teenager myself. I don't like how the series made him seem more stupid and stuff. Masumi was 100% correct to Ritsu when they were having an argument about the boy. Why did fucking Ritsu give a child PILLS to KHS?? Ritsu really pissed me off. Aside from Ritsu being an absolute dick, I do really like the found family vibes it had.

The plot is reallyyy original. It would've been a bit nicer if they slightly took more effort to make it look real. I do really love the message behind it though. Like spending your last week on earth and who you would pick. I think that if it wasn't their last week that they would've never ended up together. I wonder if Masumi would regret choosing to spent time with Ritsu in his last week. Ritsu is an absolute asshole. He almost killed a younger person, cheated and totally played Masumi. He was sooo toxic but from Masumi's point of view I get why he came back to him. I know many people don't understand I but I feel like Masumi just wants to have someone by his side who he feels familiarity with.

Overall this was amazing, I am extremely surprised by the quality and the amazing story. I wouldn't call this very romantic though... May this type of love never find me.

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I was only here for FirstKhao

What can I even say about Only Friends other than the fact that they absolutely do NOT live up to their title? If only they had stopped at being friends.

What kind of friend group even is this? Are you guys sure you’re friends?

ARGGHH, this drama is one continuous concentration of problems with absolutely NO BREAKS. At least we were spared the usual episode 11 trauma that stays with you for the rest of your life. Because honestly? The entire drama traumatized us instead.

I’m going to start with Mew and Top.

Their relationship actually had a pretty good foundation. I absolutely love the whole “I have a complicated past, but you’re the reason I want to leave it behind” trope. Mew, with his dearly missed little glasses and his adorable teasing, immediately won me over. And Top was just undeniably sexy.

The problem is that once the trust was broken, the way they found their way back to each other didn’t feel natural at all. Their relationship went from being something shared between two people to something much more selfish, where the only goal seemed to be hurting the other person as deeply as possible.

Can cheating be forgiven? This drama definitely gives us a pretty clear answer.

Ever since Mew started wearing those absolutely horrible shirts, his entire existence has revolved around revenge. Meanwhile, Top lives in guilt, and as a result, their dynamic becomes absolutely unbearable. Can you really spend your entire life trying to make up for your mistakes to someone who is no longer open to trusting you again? At some point, Top, have a little self-respect.

What annoys me the most is that until the very end, Mew never really apologizes for all the horrible things he did, even though they were very clearly just as bad, if not worse.

So ultimately, my conclusion is that once trust has been broken, sometimes the healthiest thing to do is simply let each other go. Because here, the only thing pushing these two people back toward each other is a deeply selfish desire to make things work.


Now obviously, I have to talk about Boston. Because for all the asshole behavior this man displayed, his character still has a surprising amount of depth.

Obviously, Boston is deeply selfish. But he’s also the only person in this friend group who gets blamed and rejected for mistakes that everyone else has already made. Cheating? Mew did it too. Exposing your friends publicly? Ray has done that. Being incapable of committing to a relationship? Please, don’t even get me started, I can name at least Mew and Ray.

And yet, Boston is the only one who truly ends up paying for his mistakes. Of course, Nick absolutely broke my heart. Poor baby, it was obvious that he loved Boston deeply. But as he said himself, he couldn’t force him to become someone he simply wasn’t.

Don’t get me wrong, Boston remains incredibly frustrating. But I think that through his character, the show is also trying to explore the impact of loneliness on a person, because at the end of the day, Boston is incredibly alone. He spends his time taking pictures of his hookups, almost as if keeping them at a distance through a camera allows him to preserve them on film while keeping them away from his heart.

And he’s also the only one who doesn’t really get a happy ending. He ends up without friends, in another country, and when he finally opens his heart by sharing that photograph, the timing is simply wrong.

So, in the end, isn’t Boston actually the most human and realistic character of them all? He throws himself into pleasure and distractions so he doesn’t have to think too much about his own existence.

And Nick, my sweet baby, also has a really interesting journey. Obviously, there couldn’t have been a better ending for their relationship. He learned that loving himself is far more important than giving everything he has just to be loved through someone else’s eyes.


And finally, I have to talk about my oxygen.My everything. The only reason I kept watching this show.

Ray and Sand.

Not only do they form a couple that completely takes my breath away, but their characters are incredibly interesting too. Sand introduces us to the theme of money and that endless race that can drown us in a world where everything is measured by what we own.
He also has no father and a very close relationship with his mother. Even though the whole storyline involving his father is somewhat pushed aside, Sand is, above all, a carer. And on top of that, he loves Arctic Monkeys. (PUT A RING ON HIS FINGER.)

As for Ray, even though he was significantly more unbearable, I actually found him to be the more interesting character. He doesn’t believe he deserves love. He has spent his entire life loving things that were always out of his reach, his mother, but also Mew.
He falls into alcoholism, which obviously has everything to do with his past, and spends his time convincing himself that he will eventually end up alone.

The whole storyline where Khao was kissing Book? Honestly, I took that as a personal betrayal.

But beyond all the problems constantly falling on them, this couple was the only reason I felt genuine excitement every time I watched this series. Ray and Sand are actually the complete opposite of selfish. Ray is incapable of moving on and is willing to accept a love that isn’t real. Sand, meanwhile, is incapable of truly opening up about what he feels. In reality, their entire relationship is built on countless misunderstandings.

But for those eye contacts? I would go through it all again as many times as necessary.

Thank you to FirstKhao for the acting and the chemistry because, honestly, they saved the show for me.


Finally, I want to talk about Cheum and April. Because yes. This couple exists. And I have a complaint. I’m tired of GL couples being introduced as extremely secondary relationships in BLs, only for them to contribute absolutely nothing and have storylines flatter than a pancake.
I’m sorry, but there was NO chemistry between this pairing. Even though I initially felt like Cheum had an important place in the story during the first episodes, she gradually faded into the background until she became almost completely unnecessary.


So, in conclusion: I recommend Only Friends if you enjoy problems. Because bon appétit. You will be served. Overall, this show disappointed me quite a lot because absolutely none of these characters were particularly healthy. In a way, it’s refreshing to see human characters with flaws and complicated pasts.
But here? It was too much.
Especially when Boeing suddenly appeared out of nowhere. At that point, I genuinely started wondering if this show ever planned on taking a break from creating problems.

I also don’t think this was ForceBook’s best performance. Or maybe their characters were simply too unbearable for me to care.

However, I did learn several things from this series, and I invite you all to apply them to your daily lives.
Thank you for the catharsis.

-> Forgiving cheating is probably a bad idea.

->You do NOT touch your friends’ exes or boyfriends. That's Illegal.

->A one-night stand has a relatively low chance of becoming the love of your life.

->Watch out for your friends, especially if those little demons are willing to publicly expose your mistakes.

->Get yourself a rich boyfriend. It can apparently get you out of poverty surprisingly quickly.

->If someone tells you that you are Only Friends, maybe don’t go looking for anything beyond the friendzone.

Thank you, SandRay. To everyone else, I appreciate your participation. But honestly? I could have done without it.

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This is getting the rating it deserves

This isnt the worst but it's not the best by any means.

The concept is fine, but the execution is off. Part of the issue is the short format, but that's not the whole problem. The acting is very stiff. The lack of emotion, even in the NC scene, is incredible. It just lacked expression. Everything was very flat.

And the ending is weird, not bad just weird. I want a cross between this one and the Vietnamese BL My Little Ghost. A little more time with the story here and a little less ridiculousness there. A little more emotion here and a little less campy there. It would be perfection!

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