Reviews

Don't be blinded by beauty

My Journey to You had the potential to be one of the Great dramas, because it had the technical aspects in the bag. It's amazing production. The cinematography is beautiful. The martial arts choreography is absolutely mesmerizing, arguably the best I've seen in a while. The camerawork and editing are almost flawless. The styling greatly enhanced the actors' visuals. Not only that, the performances from the cast were terrific, most notably Tian Jiarui as Gong Yuanzhi and Jolin Jin as Gong Zishang, who gave off different energies in the series, but both made the show very entertaining to watch.

The biggest downside of My Journey to You is the writing. It starts off fast-paced and exciting, pulling the audience into the dark and dangerous world of martial arts. But then the story becomes too convoluted, and significantly slows down in the middle, maybe because they're really trying to establish the romance subplots. But this causes the story to lose hold of some of the built-up tension and intrigue, and it's difficult to pick back up. The series belatedly ups the ante again only in the last couple of episodes.

Also, the way Gong Ziyu's character is written is off-putting. It's not consistent: he is someone who is kind and sympathetic even to suspected assassins, but somehow could not extend the same kindness and understanding to his (admittedly shady) brothers; he is a character who knows he is undeserving of the power given to him yet is strangely very protective of it and becomes self-important about it. This makes it difficult to follow any proper character development. I could have enjoyed watching Gong Ziyu rise to power if it was clearly shown what flaws he was working on to be more deserving of the Sword Wielder title. Rather, it's framed like he could do no wrong; it seems his character is hastily scrapped together based on the formula of the male lead most likely to gain the audience's sympathy and awe. It works, mostly because of Zhang Linghe's acting ability, and also because the other characters have unique personalities to make up for GZY's rather generic one.

Yu Shuxin as Yun Weishan could have been given the opportunity to shine more, to show more of her ferocity as a fighter, so I'm actually hoping for a second season to this series so it could happen. Her fighting scenes here are nothing short of art.

Special shout-out to Young Master Hua, whose character arc, even though brief, made me cry a lot, which does not happen often.

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Exciting series with interesting elements

Every week I looked forward to each episode as its exciting, sexy and brings new elements to BL dramas such as the Omegaverse/alpha/enigma powers etc. I would like to see more series like this with powers and unique abilities which adds interesting elements to the relationships and brings more excitement.

One element I did not enjoy was the non-consensual almost R**E scene which was difficult to watch and quite triggering. The actors did do a great job especially the actors for way and babe. The actor for Charlie us still new and improving so I cannot be to harsh on his performance which was lacking in some areas. I do want to see them all in other dramas as the cast was great and well rounded. There are some sweet moments as well as spicy moments and also some despair and tension.

Some elements of the plot are predictable but the producer being the main antagonist was a really great choice, he really suits his role. The soundtrack is great !

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Not for the faint hearted

I discovered BL at a relatively late point in life (one of the reasons being probably that the genre did not even exist when I was younger). What fascinates me is that the stories generally revolve around emotions and not just the clichéd Hollywood coming-out stories, which I find boring. To my delight, in the past few years, the genre has evolved to not just puppy love, but also includes adults going through everyday life. Probably, herein lies the charm of all HIStory seasons. Additionally, being european, romantically involved with an Asian for many years now, I feel like I am gaining some more insight into how Asians feel and act (clearly over-romanticized, but still), which I obviously couldn't not understand (at least not to this extent).

Having said this, let me come to the actual review. As is typical for HIStory, two stories are being told in parallel, the one of two colleagues and one of two stepbrothers. I really enjoyed the one, in which two grown up men realize for the first time their feelings for each other, and, although confident about themselves, they have to deal with them in an unprecedented for them manner. It is not a coming-out story, it has nothing to do with opening up to parents - it is the struggle to categorize one's own feelings and decide what to do with them. The acting from both characters is very convincing, and as a viewer I was taken along their journey (even reminding me of some instants of my own past). So far so good, for this half I would easily give out a 9/10.

The second story, however, left me angry, dissatisfied, and worst of all, quite disturbed. I have watched stepbrother affairs, but usually, it is about youngsters, who when they become stepbrothers they start to fall for each other. This I can accept (although it is probably a very difficult situation). However, when two stepbrothers grow up together, they call the other's parent mom and dad, respectively, for years, the situation changes. Even thought they are not biologically related, they still have lived for years as a family, which in my eyes makes them real brothers, hence I see their affair as truly incestuous, which I admit disturbs me a lot. Furthermore, several details of their story becomes both unbelievable and weird (for instance how they interact with their parents, and how their affair is finally accepted, since this is the only way presumably for the couple to live together). Last but not least, I find their acting not en par with the first story (I may of course be biased by the story too).

So, mostly I watched only one part, fast-forwarding the other one. Perhaps due to my age, I am still to conservative for it.

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Physically wanted to end myself after watching

Though I don't find myself to be sensitive to any topic no matter how gory or disturbing it is, i still found myself traumatized after watching, even though I have seen worse things.

I have never wanted to end myself more from any other series, even big dragon. This has scarred me for life and I will never ever want to see it again ( rewatching this would be pure self-harm.)

Though I like to admit that the story was good it just felt off especially the last scene, like Miss Girl was there really a point to pan at the dead guys face, while they were making out. Another point is what even are their names? All this and I don't even know their names!

This will be permanently stuck with me, every time I see anyone remotely close looking to the Policeman my eyes tear up and I am ready to run and lock myself in my room, go through the pain of remembering the movie and questioning why I am even alive.

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The drama itself is very slow-paced, yet it absorbs with its narrative

I started watching ASSOL without any background information. At the beginning of the first episode, I thought that the blizzard city could be from Finland (by default, some place in China). After a while, I realized that the series was partly filmed in Finland. The cities of Helsin and Hel(l) in the story is Helsinki. Thus, as a Finn, the interest in drama rose all at once.

The drama itself is very slow-paced, yet it absorbs with its narrative. The male lead in his role is very convincing. The female lead is certainly a talented actress, but the image of women in Chinese dramas is annoying, to say the least, from such a European perspective. This time, shyness has been taken to extremes. Extra points for the following points: Due to Arctic conditions, this time there has been no need to look at the microskirts of female actors. In addition, the number of soft toys is kept to a minimum.

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Dont look for logic !! Just watch with open mind !!

Man ..this has been a wild ride. I seriously thought this was well cast. Pavel as Babe literally lived the character and you could feel his inner feelings almost in every frame. I liked him as Forth in 2moons2..but here I just loveee him. The other cast members did their roles well with what screenspace given to them. I liked all the couples here..they all had chemistry and NC scenes werent cringey.

The main issue was the loophole filled plot, with halfassed execution of the script..not enough screenspace for the large cast and short running time. Either they could have gone with 10EP with longer running time or go for 15 EP..it felt rushed and incomplete towards the end. The fight sequences could have been better..editing was random at the best. For these kinda stories a tighter editing is half work done, along with some great action scenes and some solid car race sequences. Even if the script was fantasy/fanfic type it still could have been enjoyable if v know the characters in depth and get into the story more. Pavel's was the only fleshed out character along with Sailub's which sorta made sense and made them utilise their acting prowess.

Overall can watch if you wanna watch something new with a lot of great actors and specially for Pavel ??❤️

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Before a reWatch

Writing this here because it's still fresh in my mind and it's worth a try.

There are movies with plots that don't require real attention, you're able to forsee the expected actions and development. Then, there are the award winning movies, they have something more to tell to the audience, even their silence is speaking.

To have a smooth watch, some knowledge about '20s in Eastern Asia is required, I'd say comprehension of politics and international situation plus cultural traits specific to the timeframe. I can't say I know nothing but also not much, so the session definitely made me more analytical (might not be the case for everyone, it's subjective here!). Though at the end the dots do connect, I still have at least one scene "the ribs order scene "that I cannot connect to anything and I feel I am missing a cultural background, because you don't add a scene for the sake of it in this type of movies.

I liked the cinematography a lot! It's enjoyable. You get glimpses of scenes that only get explained towards the end. I can't recall something similar elsewhere, only an anime series comes to mind. And then these complete 2-3 seconds of black screen!

About the silence, there are a handful of scenes- I find this trick wholesome, you don't just fill in the audience with content, you also let them wonder (here comes the knowledge in hand!), question, maybe digest even? You might face some gaps with no vivid coherency, but it's there if both details and bigger picture are understood.

I didn't pay much attention to the music tbh but one scene I remember well because music was too loud, unnecessarily so.

I am not familiar with this genre, especially in the asian cinematography so it's hard for me to compare it to anything. Acting is solid, solider than I expected. I watched it because of Wang Yibo and the fact that both him and the movie are nominated for AFA.

I do plan to rewatch it for a better comprehension, if I do I will come back to update.

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Highly ambitious, but faltered along the way

The Sign has everything I adore in a series: romance, mystery, action and that infallible touch of mythology, which is my weakness. Under these circumstances, my rating should be higher, also considering the story is interesting, the plot is airtight (plot holes are one of my peeves), and the chemistry genuinely chemistry - fies.

Not that this is a bad rating, but again, I would generally rate something like this much higher. So let me explain my thought process, starting with the mystery/action aspect. It's solid, it truly is. Albeit slightly predictable and simple, it was consistent. I genuinely loved that they solved multiple cases that umbrella - ed as one big case, and as far as I took note, there were no loose ends or plot holes. Every case they worked seamlessly tied up with the major case through the players, and it even seemed like they would link the mythological aspect to this plotline.

That's where I was wrong. Let's clear this up first: I know it's difficult to incorporate mythology/history into a fictional account. It requires tons of research, poring over books, journals, documents, and so much more. I also understand that when you're working with mythology and history, it's a difficult situation to maneuver, (especially when you're talking about two major characters who's stories have wide and varying interpretations). But there's still room to work with. Without giving away too much, let's just say I expected more. They promised grandeur and complexity, but what we got was absolutely none of that. The entire mythological plotline was tied up to the romance between the leads and not much more.

Which then leads us to.. the romance. I'm going to be completely honest, Billy and Babe, they have chemistry. I did say the chemistry chemistry - fied, and I wasn't lying. They have a hot and cold relationship in the beginning, which I'm going to chalk up to a genuine plot point, it was understandable. Even when you felt they were being bratty, frustrating or just a teensy bit hypocritical, they turned the situation around pretty smoothly and soon. It's really too bad we didn't get to see enough though. This is a totally subjective opinion, but they spent so much time focusing on solving the cases, and the mystery of their past that there was barely any romance. At least for me. And I know it's ironic because I said I appreciated the well developed story, but I wanted romance as well. That's more of a me thing, but I just wanted to mention it.

Let me segue back to my rating now, because despite the positives, I did kind of end up saying they could have improved upon it. That is the reason for my rating.
The truth is, I genuinely enjoyed watching the series. The plot was innovative, the characters were endearing and you all know that I already have a slight bias because of the mythology plot they used. When you watch the series, you can tell they put a ton of effort into this. The cast, the crew, everyone. But I just wanted that little bit more. Again, that's a me thing.

While I do wish they had changed a few things, tied up the loose ends that inevitably cropped up, it was a decent series, and truly one of a kind: I don't see a lot of mythological BLs and it was a rare treat in that sense.

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Epic love in just 6 eps!?

Please make sure you watch "The Boy Foretold By The Stars" movie before you dive into this series. The movie tells you the start of the romance between Dominic and Luke.

The series is a very welcome and well executed addition/elaboration to the movie. I watched it all in one sitting on YouTube. Every time I watch a Philippine BL I remind myself to watch more of these, but because they are not widely available I don't get around to watching them often enough, which is a shame shame shame.

This one is another example of how good these can be in their simplicity. No distracting side-stories, just the main couple and their love story. But it's evactly that storytelling that is so good. We get swept in their world and we live every moment with them. The love, the fear, the parents, the teachers, the friends... perfect. So real.

HIGHLY recommend!

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It had potential

I watched the trailer and pilot when it came out and was imediately hooked by the fwb idea and very exited.
I only wanted to watch it after middlemans love came out, but i saw a lot of clips on tiktok etc. which made me even more exited!
<
My conclusion after finishing it, is that i'm pretty disappointed.

Positives first:

The quality was pretty nice, and the acting for thai BL standarts was really good (esp. James crying scenes)
Another thing i would like to praise is the styling. It was just perfect!
I personally liked that Uea didnt have these typical loud monologes many main characters have (the only example i can think of right now is Rain from LITA), but thats also why i never really understood his thought process and reactions (ex. when Krit came, Uea seemed to have a bad feeling about him, but the audience never got to know that directly and why)

The characters were distinguishable and creative and suited the story.
I also think Ueas past was really sad and i could really feel his pain. I hated his mother and uncle so much haha
Moreover, there were actual consequences for the bad guys (not like in Tharntype >:c)

The story had a lot of sexy scenes (obviously, the title is bed friends after all) but also a lot of soft and sweet interactions between the main couple, with their friends and with Ueas sister.
And OMG JamesNets chemistry is off the charts!!!
And the kinks were new (very interesting and very cute kitten ears)

Now negatives:

I feel like the idea was great but the _whole_ story wasnt really thought through.
There were some scenes that felt very random or should have been showed in another context.

We also never got to know why Uea and King didnt like each other or how they met in the first place. That whole chunk of the story was missing.
Same with their decision to become fwb in the first place.
In my opinion, the timeline in general was partly hard to follow. The flow of the story got really disrupted.

Also there was only the main couple. That made it onesided, with no other couple/story to balance KingUea out. I understand that Jade and Mai got their own drama but still.

All in all, I think its a pity. James and Net have so much potential but the writing was just not it.
I am excited for their projects in the future.
I doubt I will rewatch this anytime soon.

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Watched it for Pavel, ended up falling in love with Nut; overall entertaining watch

I will start with what I didn't liked :

1. My first complaint I'd why promote the other couples when we are going to have basically nothing of them in the series. I was soo invested to see the developement of other couples.. but not only there was barely anything, but we also didn't get the backstory of the characters. That Would have made the series really interesting.
2. The plot in the mid felt a bit boring; I was really uninterested in Babe and Charlie. I was really bored of Babe being disappointed in Charlie, them immediately making up and a love scene and the same thing repeating again and again.... Some of the love scenes between them could just had been edited out and gave room for the other aspects of the story.
3. Charlie's acting felt a bit weaker than the other cast, or maybe the other cast's acting was better so they just outshined him.
4. Sponsorships of toothpaste etc in the story , took most of the time and made me feel a bit disconnected somehow. (I know they are important, but there were just too many of them taking too much time)
5. The storytelling was also not the best( the Omegaverse concept was not properly introduced, it was hard to follow for someone as me who has no idea of that multiverse)
6. Shitty, ending!!! They had one chance to wrap the story up with a fantastic ending but damn !! They ruined it. They could have ended it up in a way that promotes the series for potential spin-off with other couples, but no!!! They really ended it.

What I liked:
1. Offcourse the acting, all the cast did a good job. The ones that stood out the most were Pavel and Nut. I just can't praise enough of how good their acting was. Specially, the the emotional moments. I was crying my heart out.
2. Good production value.
3. Engaging characters and new concept
4. The songs are also good.

Overall, i wouldn't say it's an excellent series. But definitely is an entertaining watch. I enjoyed the series.

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Fluffy and light feelgood

This movie is a great watch. It's well-paced, with humorous notes and some emotional scenes at exactly the right timing. The chemistry between the two leads is very present, and you can really feel their falling in love through the screen.
Representation is usually done well in Phillipine BL, and this one is no different. It's scenery is a typical high school environment, where competition, bullying and teen-angst are omnipresent. Furthermre, this is a catholic high school, with actual clergymen as teachers and headmaster. It's a delight to see that there is no condemnation from the faculty towards the openly gay community in the school, they are even welcomed as organisers of some kind of bible-camp where the students learn about the love of Chist.

The feel of this movie is very fresh and light, with some more serious notes here and there. Above all, it's a movie about falling in love for the first time and what that does to a person.

Highly recommend that if you watch this movie, you watch "Love Beneath The Stars" the series right after, where the story between Dominic and Luke is explored more deeply.

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it was a fun ride

Overall: I enjoyed this series, though I watched most scenes at a faster speed. 13 episodes about 45 minutes each. Aired on iQIYI uncut & YouTube cut which reduced NSFW scenes. Note: this was based on an omegaverse novel which I read but reviewed the series on its own.

Content Warnings: murders, sexual assault, blood, kidnapping, parental abuse, punch/slap, beaten up, stalking, manipulation, stalking, non con recording/sharing, violence, child trafficking

What I Liked
- supportive friends
- sweet moments
- Jeff & Alan
- excellent truth about how family isn't always the best
- pretty good NSFW scenes
- visuals

Room For Improvement
- quite a few characters were introduced at once and it took awhile to figure out who was who, there ended up being too many characters and not enough time to fully develop the relationships
- I realized they wanted mystery but it made it difficult to really support the Charlie/Babe relationship and the fact that they changed that plan from Jeff's idea to Charlie's was a mistake
- total nonsense/huge plot holes, many characters shared 1 brain cell
- cliche ghosting trope, Babe also shoved Charlie a bit too much/frequently
- the NSFW needed to be a longer (even in the uncut version) and were choppy at times
- cartoonish villains (and stupid)
- I wish they had either leaned into the omegaverse and explained it more or just omitted it entirely
- not sure how I feel about a certain character's redemption arc

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Great actors but boring story

The film starts with very poor character introductions. Starting with Rawi's relationship with the monk, it was really too short. Then there was no urgency that was so important that Rawi had to live with Pharit's family. So it's a little difficult to feel the emotions the character is feeling at that moment.

The storyline was so fast that I felt the script was too to the point. Especially when transitioning from day to night, or from one day to the next. They only use the same scene, namely the house scene when it is light and when it is dark.

Even though there are so many black notes, there are several things that I still like about this film. Phloeng's acting is still better, although not the best. And the ghosts or spirits here are scary, I admit it makes me scared.

Unfortunately, in the middle of the film I started to feel bored. Especially considering that their dialogue was too to the point earlier. There was no drama spice presented so I didn't feel any emotions except fear when I met a ghost. I think this film would be better made into a series. So that the audience can understand the characters more deeply.

Maybe that's all from me, more or less sorry. Regards

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