Reviews

Everything I love in 1 show!

This long awaited series did not disappoint. It has so many elements to love, that the only thing that keeps it from being rated a 10/10 is the fact that it did not have double the amount of episodes, so some scenes could have been elaborated on an the last episode did not feel a bit rushed. So sad it ended!

Elements to love in this show: BL (obviously), chemistry, amazing storyline, supernatural, SFX, crime/mystery, good comedy, beautiful NC scenes, great cinematography, well outlined side characters, amazing score/ost.

Elements that could be better: ending felt a bit rushed, underexposed side couples, not enough episodes.

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Morally grey male lead in a palace setting

This mini drama is about a morally grey male lead who pretends to be Eunuch in order to take revenge, and in the process falls in love with his enemy's daughter (a high spirited female lead).

The drama packaged everything that I loved and delivered it to me perfectly.
- Morally grey male lead
- Sweet romance
- Engaging palace plot
- Great cinematography
- Beautiful OST

There are some silly scenes as per usual in a short cdrama but I found them very entertaining and fun to watch. Second female lead is a bit annoying at first but her unhinged behaviour gets funny and her ending is wrapped up well.

OVERALL:
If you love a historical romance with a morally grey male lead in a palace setting, watch this drama.

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Everything was fine, until...

Yes, I did enjoy the drama then, and I re-watched it today and decided that it was time for a review.
If you look at the story, it is not the first time traveling drama but it's usually in the past, here it's in the future.
It is cute as its about sexual discovery for a boy born in the 80s and a teenager, Kiao, of the 90s (at the end, we're from the same generation), so is reluctance to accept loving a boy is understandable. Yet, it's 2022 (in the drama), in Thailand and it's more acceptable (again, in the drama). So he fall in love with his best friend's son Bamee who had died years ago. At first, he just want to take care of him like a nephew, but his feelings towards him grew deeper. Some people may think it's creepy, but you need to remember that at the end, he's still a teenager and they're the same age. Plus, even if his real friends are now older, he is still young with no experience . However, he grow during the drama. He want to go back in time, not only to save his own mother, but also to save his best friend (Bamee's dad).
The trouble comes when Kiao tried to go back but got sucked back into the future and Bamee forgets him. To me, this is when Kiao should have tried to change his lover's future as he knew he had to go back soon. He should have make Bamee love someone else. THAT would have been the highlight of the drama. I would have loved for exemple that in the past, Bamees dad would have been in love with Kiao, and that why he got divorce instead of dying and they could have been together. Kioa not remembering his love for Bamee also would have been more logical as he changed the future. He would have been better if he only remembered missing is mother and his best friend.
So, by not doing something more mature and logical, the have chosen to make Bamee (20) meet the OLD Kiao (40) and remember him then AND KISS !!! Yep, that was what many people thought nope, that's wrong!!! First because Bamee has his dad back, second, what would he kiss a guy twice his age, and his dad's friend? And why is Kiao, who was very cute, still single and waiting for his best friend's son? So this was what made us think the ending was so wrong!
If they wanted to make it simpler, they could have chosen to send Bamee in the past and live with Kiao and his mum and make everyone forget about them! After all, his step-mum wasn't his mum and could have had his parents closer to him while growing close to them while loving the man of his dream!
But hey, they didn't ask us what we thought if they choose this ending, or if they should have done something else. For the reviews, they really f.cked up!!!

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Sometimes you have to look under rocks.

Sometimes it can be tough to find certain dramas that, due to the lack of votes, don't make it to the top-rated lists. This can cause many exceptional stories to go completely unnoticed. My personal way of discovering them is by recalling the names of my most beloved actors or actresses from certain dramas and exploring their filmography. I really enjoyed watching 'In This Corner of the World,' and I was particularly impressed by Machiko Ono's portrayal of Keiko, Suzu's sister-in-law. Despite her numerous awards and contributions to the Japanese film industry, Ono has often been overshadowed by her peers.

One of the most unnoticed Japanese dramas of the past year is starred by one of the most overlooked actresses in the industry and one of the most overlooked actors as well (Kenichi Takito). I'm referring, obviously, to 'Grace no Rireki' or Grace’s Tracks.

What was supposed to be a farewell trip from Kikuo to his wife Minako tragically ends in a road accident in the French Provence, leaving Kikuo coping with the loss of his beloved wife. In about fifteen minutes, we witness the protagonist's final moments. Devastated by what has happened, Kikuo receives an unexpected visit from a probate attorney who claims to be the representative of his late wife. This attorney, in addition to conveying certain sensitive information about Minako, unknown to Kikuo, also delivers her last will: her treasured Honda S-Hachi. Kikuo doesn’t know how to drive, so he invests his time after work to get a driving license.

With the license in hand and holidays ahead, Kikuo decides to visit his in-laws and spend a few days with them. Checking the GPS navigation history, Kikuo is surprised to see tracks corresponding to dates when his wife was supposed to be in France. The woman of his life, whose image was clear, becomes a mystery. Changing his plans, Kikuo decides to follow the same route his wife took two months earlier.

But, 'spoiler', the possible infidelity mentioned in the first two episodes is not the leitmotif of the plot, and it is necessary to make it clear (the series itself does it). Otherwise, the plot would be misunderstood, and I don't want to confuse you: Grace no Rireki is the life journey of Kikuo and Minako. The story interweaves Kikuo's present moment with Minako's past to slowly merge both stories into one. While for Kikuo it is the duel for the woman who won't be coming back for Minako is the gift of a life that is fading away. But again, don't confuse about this: Grace no Rireki is a heartwarming, mature and well-written story.

As Kikuo drives from one destination to another, he encounters his past and the people who are a part of it, and at the same time he makes friends with others who accompany him on part of the journey and who tell him things about his wife, her car and himself. The very slow-paced episodes help to create a rhythm of silences and conversations, allowing us to enjoy the rice fields of Nagano, the canals of Omihachiman or the vastness of Lake Biwa. The love between Kikuo and Minako transcends life and death, it is a solemn feeling that belongs only to the two of them and is remarkably realised.

Grace no Rireki, directed by the same author as the adapted novel, is a masterpiece and a story that I will return to whenever I need to. It is the gift that Kikuo and Minako have given me, and it will last forever.

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An Incoherent House of Potential

It’s difficult to give a coherent review on this one because the story was so disjointed. So in short the Fuma who are apparently an ancient Ninja group of Japan wants to remove those who are currently in power to install their own puppet master to do their bidding. What that bidding entails is never explained. But then in order to reach this goal, they kill a bunch of innocent people and are fixated on some ancient scroll that details the genealogy of the Hojo clan. The belief is that as long as they have the scroll they will succeed in their goal to rule Japan. Again, we are given no history on these clans and ninja groups. Some things are implied but never explained.

We spend several episodes on Haru and the reporter investigating all the mysterious deaths and disappearances only for the reporter to become irrelevant halfway through the series.

In the final battle the Tawaras are fighting the Fumas and are about to lose the battle when a group of ninjas whom we’ve not heard of or seen, show up to help them out. There were many story threads not fleshed out, that didn’t make sense or just there it seemed to fill time with no connection to the overall story.

The actors had strong performances in this, and there was the potential for a good story but it just wasn’t well, written.

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pretty well done complex series

Overall: they handled a taboo topic fairly well, though the flashback to when Yuan was a child during a certain scene in episode 11 was cringey. This was a Taiwanese adaptation of a Chinese danmei (Da Ge by Priest). I have not read the novel and reviewed the series on its own merits. 12 episodes about 30 minutes each. Aired on Youku's app, Youku's YouTube channel and Viki.

Content Warnings: non con kiss, punch, blood, past parental abuse, violence/beaten up, kidnapping, coercion, unwanted outing, homophobia, manhandling, vomiting, (some people may include another one, I didn't based on how everything played out)

What I Liked
- a few central characters, got to know their personalities
- how characters cared about each other
- a grittier/more realistic tone
- sweet moments
- a few funny moments
- We Best Love actor cameo as the doctor starting in ep 3
- a well done antagonist, I could see his reasoning but he meddled and was hypocritical though he did redeem himself at the end
- a non cliche female character in ep 6
- one of the few times I was happy for a years-long time jump (end of ep 7)
- sassier/more confident Yuan starting end of ep 7
- intimacy/tension
- production value

Room For Improvement
- (neutral) I generally don't like series that start with flash forwards but I understood why they did this
- confused in the beginning as to who was biological siblings, adopted siblings and friends (Iikely compounded by the use of brother as a term of endearment/closeness and not reserved for biological siblings)
- the timeline/character ages took some effort to piece together
- Li Li was supposed to be in high school before the time jump in episode 7 but she acted like a middle schooler (went into a random guy's car as an example, also she outed another character), even at the end when she was 23 she felt like a high schooler
- should not have done the flashback montage in a scene in episode 11
- cringey the coworkers talked about their sexual positions at work
- introduced a very serious plot point only to never resolve it, also didn't feel that the gang issue was clearly resolved either

Timeline Notes (the series wasn't clear where we were in the timeline/ages, feel free to correct me)
2008 (eps 1/2 flashbacks) - they first met in 2008 because that was the first date on the wall with the heights, Yuan age 7, Qian age 14, Li Li age 8
2016 (eps 1/2 present) Qian graduated university at the end of ep 2, Yuan age 15, Qian age 22, Li Li age 16
2018 (ep 3) Yuan is age 17 & Qian is 24, note that Yuan skipped a year or two so he's in university already at age 17, Li Li age 18
2019 (eps 4-7) Yuan turned 18 in episode 4, Yuan age 18, Qian age 25, Li Li age 19
the series eventually mentions that the gap was 4 years as I guessed
2023 (end of ep 7 up to the end of ep 12) Yuan age 22, Qian age 29, Li Li age 23
2024? (end of ep 12) Yuan age 23, Qian age 30, Li Li age 24

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Connecting two different timelines into a well-blended fantasy-action-romance BL

A palatable combination of history and modern set-up merging a few distinct genres into one supernatural series. At first, it never crossed my mind that it would be a fantasy genre as I was so hooked up with the vigorous appearances of the characters during their training days. It always showered with manliness and well-packed action scenes that I remembered getting excited for Yai’s role. This man always emits hot boyfriend vibes with his muscles screaming throughout his body.

Phaya and Tharn are interesting MCs yet, I get tired of watching their intimate scenes that have little to no connection with the storyline and and are just there for the sake of feeding the fandom. On the other hand, Khem and Thongthai’s love-making scene was a real comedy with an essence part to their love story.

I would also like to congratulate the creative and production crew for a realistic outcome of the celestial being such as the Naga the Dragon and the Mighty Birds featured as the MCs' past appearances. I also love the idea that Phaya dreamed about the past while Tharn can oversee the future by implicating his so-called ‘signs.’ It was a clever approach to the depth of their roles and allowed it to be the eye-opener in their relationship from the past.

The casting was all good from the main and supporting roles to even the guests from the show. They also have several side stories that are entertaining and serve as the stepping stone in revealing the main antagonist from the story, which turned out to be the political leader himself and not the divine being as the couple’s love interest.

Nicely done and executed but have more room for growth. I missed the charm and excitement from the first half after watching the last few episodes. I am demanding more unique progress of the story but the show itself keeps giving me sex scenes and prolonging the unnecessary drama from the love triangle. Nevertheless, despite its flaws, The Sign is a good BL with the show being memorable all because of its rarity in having the concept of supernatural creatures living in the modern era.

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Monotonous

Having watched numerous dramas of similar genre, my anticipation for this one was fueled, perhaps in part by the esteemed lead actors. Initially, the drama's start and the introduction of the lead characters showed promise. However, around the 3rd or 4th episodes, it began to lose its charm, particularly as I struggled to reconcile the protagonist's swift release from jail and seamless return to his former practices. While he garnered respect, one would expect a more cautious approach after such an ordeal. Additionally, his battle with a debilitating illness added depth, though the eventual healing allowed both lead characters to continue their work with unwavering dignity. The subtle romance between them served as a welcomed balance amidst the drama's complexities.

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Focus on medical stuff ruined it

Disclaimers first: 1. I'm not a fan of medical drama's 2. I am a fan of Luo Yunxi, which is why I watched this drama.

Yunxi is the only thing worth watching in this drama. Well, no that's not entirely true. the other actors give it their best effort with the material at hand, but that material is bad.
In itself, the story has potential: Brilliant medical student getas devastating diagnose of huntington's disease and drops out, going travelling to make money at odd jobs. Meets her brilliant professor on other end of the world and they fall in love. She holds off due to diagnose but love will be love. Simple enough, right? you could do so much building off of that. But what happens in this drama is emphasizing the medical side. Research for a cure. Ok, that's one way to go with this and even that can turn into a good drama. But not with lengthy dialogue on medical stuff, competing researchers, full explanations of experiments and such. I fell asleep more than I watched.

Besides the medical, we have the familial. One dad passed on the same disease, one dad is a cheating bully. The stepbrother is the main rival and many issues have not been spoken about on both sides. This is potential fireworks, but it's not. Or it's too far into te second half of the story and it leaves us empty-handed. Unfinished.

The main couples chemistry is non-existent. Luo Yunxi gives it his best effort and you can see him digging deep, but theres no reciprocation, I did not feel anything. No butterflies. It even looks like they don't really want to kiss eachother. No lipmovements . Horrible.

The last 2 episodes were the best. Where we moved away from the medical jargon and could focus on the relationships. That should have been done sooner, and shows what could have been, but will never be.

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a solid 9.5

Bravo Saint!!
Overall this was every well done. I do have a couple of things that annoyed me though. They had the
Tharn character explain why he was brought back and I guess explained it well enough but they didn't show it. I think that the viewers needed to see that even if they watered it down. I think having him just pop up while
Phaya was out walking was a let down. The way his grandma suffered because she thought that he was lost forever and they didn't show them reuniting was also a let down. I could've done without the part of the story about what happened to his parents as well. I personally would've liked it if they had some other story for that part of the show but I could live with it I guess. I loved seeing Saint at the end of the final ep. They got everyone wondering in a wtf moment as to what that was all about. I'd say its a 9.5 just because we didn't get to see Tharn make Chalothon understand finally what all he has done.

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I would Strongly recommend this Bl to anyone ????

As a long-time fan of Thai dramas, I was excited to watch “The Sigh.” Right from the beginning, I was captivated by the main characters, Tharn and Phaya. Tharn, portrayed by Babe Tanatat Phanviriyakool, has always had premonitions about people, sensing their good and bad qualities. His abilities make him a valuable asset to a team of special investigators. Tharn’s bright and cheerful personality drew me in immediately. I felt a connection to him, even though our circumstances were worlds apart.

Phaya, played by Billy Patchanon Ounsa-ard, is Tharn’s partner in the special investigation team. He is clever and charming, and his chemistry with Tharn is undeniable. Their partnership starts off focused on solving cases, but as the series progresses, it becomes clear that there’s something more between them. Their romance is a key aspect of the series, adding an extra layer of depth to the story.

Throughout the series, Tharn and Phaya face many challenges, both in their personal lives and in their investigations. But their love for each other never wavers. It’s clear that they make each other stronger, and their romance adds an extra layer of depth to the story.

Overall, “The Sigh” is a fantastic Thai series that I highly recommend. The supernatural elements combined with the engaging mystery plot make for an exciting watch. The characters, especially Tharn and Phaya, are well-developed and likable, and their romantic relationship is a highlight of the series. Whether you’re a fan of Thai dramas or just looking for something new to watch, “The Sigh” is definitely worth checking out!

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So happy I stuck with it!

This series' theme is one of my favorite: Time Travel, so I was very excited to start watching. It was soon clear that not all time travel is created equal, however and the slow pace turned me off. It took me ages to watch the first 3 episodes and I left the series in my CW list for a longgggg time after that, reluctant to get back into it while it was still airing. I found the adult SuanSoon a cry baby with toxic behavior, and the slow pace bored me. I got back to it though after a few months after it finished airing and BOYYY AM I GLAD I DID.

The pace does not pick up speed, but the slow telling of the story appears to actually have purpose. It is to help us keep our sanity wit so much back and forth. We need breathing and thinking room to understand what is going on. theres still enough crying to fill an ocean, but the way the actors portray and express the characters and emotions is fabulous. I don't really get why SuanSoon goes back as an adult, and SongSa as a highschooler (although I have my theories), but we can feel how much they love each other right to their souls.

The soundtrack by the wonderful Boy Sompob does it's job and we get a huge tearjerker with a beautiful happy ending.

Honestly I do understand some of the critical reviews, but if you stick with it and go with the flow (of tears), you'll love it. Or maybe, it's just me who was in a fragile state while watching. Whatever, it will go on my re-watch list for sure!

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