Reviews

Great Until it Wasn't

Only Friends has a great beginning, but I can't lie that the incline to it being great crashed somewhere and just started getting rather tedious to watch. And don't get me wrong -- the plot, the acting, the romances -- everything worked like it was supposed to, except, still something just didn't work towards the end of this for me.

Let's Dive In.

Jojo knew what he was doing with this series, specifically with these pairings too. Putting a bunch of hot people in one frame and having them get into some heated mess -- okay yes, of course, I'm seated. I absolutely adore the concept of this BL, which I don't even know if I would label it a BL. This felt more like a genuine queer messy-gay series with no specific yes on a pairing and everybody was just kissing and sucking and fucking one another. It was about friendship and love and betrayal and hatred and loss and it worked perfectly with these actors. They put on a brilliant performance, and I can't wait to see what's lined up for them in the future from here on out.

Now, onto specific characters/pairings: I'll be honest, I would've loved a RayMew endgame. Of course, Ray and Sand worked well together too, but I'm a sucker for friends to lovers and we can't pretend like the moments that we did get between them weren't so fucking cute. Anyways, passed my wrecked ship, I'll start with Top and Mew. I absolutely hate that they ended up together. I really wish that Mew would've moved on, which might be my own bias because I can't imagine staying with someone that cheated on me, and even worse, cheated on me with my best friend. Also, yes, Boston is like a terrible human being, but if Mew can't find it in himself to forgive his friend but forgive his partner when they were both in the wrong, then Mew is being a bit of a hypocrite -- is he not? But skipping past before Top cheated with Boston, I was all aboard the Top Mew train. But initially Top only got with Mew to fill Boston's bet that he couldn't be the person Mew loses his virginity to, so now that I'm remembering that, I actually still didn't really like this pairing much. And I get it, he realized he actually did have feelings for Mew, but the intentions were still there. In reality, I give their relationship 5 months until they end for good.

Onto Sand and Ray, the only couple that I'm okay with. I liked Ray's character development a lot, which is why I can actually see this relationship lasting. They had a lot of ups and downs and honestly, the only real one I can recall is Ray still having feelings for Mew. I think they also complement each other so well that it just works. The rich with the poor, the spontaneous with the calculated, the party animal with the quiet musician, the boy who yearns for someone to love them with the boy who yearns to be loved. It was all so good. Again, I think Ray and Mew would've worked better for me, but I can see why this pairing does too, so I'm not mad about it at all.

Moving onto Nick and Boston -- thank god they didn't end up together. I hated seeing Nick just up and give Boston chance after chance, especially after they actually get together and Boston screws up again. He's just an all-around terrible person, who needed no redemption arc but was still given one (slightly). But again, Neo is so charming, so handsome, so perfect, so I can see why Nick would *shrugs in understanding*. But Nick deciding to work on himself to find the key to loving himself was a perfect ending for his character. Poor dude passed up Gumpa, so he really must've been hurting.

Mond being in this was so random and yet everything I needed and more. Dude is so pretty, so perfect, so everything. I couldn't even be mad that he was put in to add conflict at the last minute, because gosh, I mean just look at him. And the glasses too?? I'm no better than any of these characters tbh.

So what I think went wrong with this series: For me, there were a few times in which this just dragged on. Seeing Mark be hurt over and over again, Ray and Sand going back and forth, Top and Mew playing a game of cat and mouse -- and then it goes on for episodes and episodes. By the end, I was watching this at 2 times the speed. This is me being completely nit-picky and everyone else can disagree with me and that's fine, but how come we never see Ray/Sand and Top/Mew NC scenes as intensely as we saw Boston/any-boy-within-a-two-feet-radius-and-Mark? Maybe because they wanted to put an emphasis on Boston being sex crazy, but it felt weird to incorporate something for one character but not the others.

Ratings:

Story: 8/10 - Overall, it was good. Kind of repetitive and a little bit draggy, but it still worked well and was on theme throughout.

Acting: 9/10 - I got to see Mond and Force shirtless (which has nothing to do with their acting, but they sure did show me a good performance so..). Anyways though, and for real, everyone did a phenomenal job. Again, I'll have to give most of the kudos to Khaotung who just hits it out of the park each and every time. But Mark also stood out and so did Neo too.

Music: 8.5/10: Like usual, I didn't pay much attention, but I would like the sudden shock on my face when I heard an English song playing. I don't know, it just shocks me sometimes. Also, the theme song is so very good.

Recommendation Value: 7.5/10: Watch this because the actors are gorgeous and they are kissing at least 1/2 of each episode -- and the plot is wonderful. I give it a low score because I think this would've actually worked out better had I binge-watched it. I just saw all the hype and had to watch, but having seen what I've seen, I could've definitely waited to binge-watch it.

Also, Mix coming in at the end almost felt like they were building up to a potential 2nd season?? I mean, just imagine it. And you know if Mix is there I'm also there. We shall see once the final GMMTV 2024 line-up comes out!

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need substance

It started off really well but eventually it felt repetitive (!!) and i never got the deep emotional moments that were needed for this to really hit.

There was scenes that I could see where supposed to be the emotional backdrop and depth for the show but it wasn't done well enough. There should've been more.

The relationships in the show were also not that great. Mother/son needed more depth and the romantic relationship wasn't good either. Both of them could've been explored more.

Perhaps its good for a mindless watch but I went in expecting a lot more.

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(Not really spoilers but a possible spoiler depending on what you count as a spoiler)

SO GOOD would a 10000% reccomend.

The series still isn't done airing yet, there's 12 episodes out now if I remember correctly and I'm on episode 4 right now, so far SO GOOD. It's 04:38 A.M. right now and I still haven't slept yet cause I really wanna watch more. I'm really loving it even though not a lot is happening yet. The acting is great as well, although not gonna lie **sometimes** Ryeoun's acting skills are a bit iffy, but it is quite alright it's not that noticeable if you're not analyzing too much, and as I said it happens only sometimes not often. His acting is still so good, I think it's just that he has some weak points that are hard to hide, and that's perfectly fine since they don't ruin the moment or anything. We barely got to see the young Cheongah but she's so lovable and so cute already ;___; . Can't wait to see more of her.
Please Eungyeol and Yichan's dynamic is killing me right now I'm always laughing. As for the OSTs I have no idea cause I never pay attention to them...lolss. I don't think I have anything else to say for now, I'll add on the more watch. But for now, it's looking really good, so my rating would be 9.5 or 10/10. FOR NOW ONLY. Who knows how this will develop?

Just finished episode 12 and I feel like I'm gonna explode, this is why I hate watching ongoing dramas cause waiting is pure torture. The next episode comes out in 3 days but it genuinely feels like 3000 years. My opinions on this still haven't changed, although I am getting frustrated, I a starting to grow grey hairs because I'm thinking too much about Yichan and Cheongha finding out Eungyeol is their son... And speaking of Cheongha, she's the most precious and adorable thing ever, she's my favorite character frfr. But nothing new to add, I'm just gonna wait for new episodes to drop.

Alright, the final episode was released earlier today so I finished it, and I still love it just as much, my rating is still the same as when I first started this review lols. Although ngl, I wish the ending was something else, it was still a good ending. I wish we had more insight into what happened during that time, especially with Segyeong and Eunyu. But I really loved it it feels so bittersweet tbh T-T

(I hate that we can't use emojis on this damn website bro I always have to improvise *crying emoji* )

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Not Sure Why - Follow up

I’m not sure why I am watching this drama. Same lines get repeated over and over again. No surprise that the evil father and evil daughter are alike; and the grandmother is just as bad. Only person worth anything is the son.

I’m FFing through most of it. All I can say is this is about 50 episodes too many. There’s definitely no intrigue. Even some of the people I should be rooting for are a pain to deal with.

Too many obvious predictable scenes where you know the evil people keep being evil and not get caught. Does the evil daughter ever work? All I ever see her doing is lurking and eavesdropping. Why would the good people be so stupid as to discuss their plans where anyone can hear them.

Again not sure why I’m watching.

Episodes from about 40 - 70 were so unnecessary. For me the payback finally picks up about episode 70. I was relieved that the bad guys did get punished for their evil behavior.

I kept going back and forth about who I wanted with Ba Ram. In the end she ended up with the guy who loved and protected her from day one. It was as if they sensed that they weren’t siblings.

The one thing I hate and always ff through these scenes is the lengths a person is willing to go through for the person they think they’re in love with.

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scent of time is the most exciting yet calming drama of this year

Hua Qian, who is a spoiled brat get a second chance. to do everything she did wrong in the past that led to her and her family’s demise. therefore she changes her ways and starts anew, making good friends and relationships with the people she originally cast aside .
I truly enjoyed her character and how she changed completely to a good loving human. It was touching to see her growth. personally I feel Zhang Xiwu was the one for her from the beginning and I don’t see why they couldn’t just be together.
The ending a little frustrating but befitting in a way. I would’ve love to see them together atleast for a few minutes. However, atleast she left her dream so I guess that was an acceptable ending.
Zhang Xiwu was probably the best character in the show then second is Hua Qian. The fact that he loved despite her immaturity and cruelty was just astounding. I hope they’re story is beautiful even out of viewers eyes?
overall this is a touching drama with all the right elements needed to make you satisfied with the entire show

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This is a great fantasy romantic comedy miniseries. It is short and, although the acting of some of the supporting cast is actually silly and overacted, the leading couple did great bringing their characters to life and they have very good chemistry. Since it is a miniseries, the love story emerges quickly, the romance starts on episode one and it develops nicely with some keen twists that kept the viewer interested and expectant. Overall, this is a well done miniseries with an engrossing story, a nice romance between leads with great chemistry and rapport. Enjoy it!

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Tried It, Knocked It

I will be honest and say that I am still mystified by how high a rating this drama has. While certainly not the worst drama I've ever seen, it was far from one of the better ones. While it did gradually improve as it progressed, I didn't find anything noteworthy about it, other than I did very much like the dance sequence at the end of each episode. It's sort of cute at times, but more frustrating than anything, mostly due to Thi's character. I'll just say that I really don't get the hype.

The story is pretty basic. Gangster kid clashes with older nerd type college student and they eventually fall in love. That's it, that's the story. There's nothing particularly special or unique about it that I found which could be part of why I had a hard time getting into it. The pacing was also quite slow in the beginning and there was a feeling of repetitiveness at times. The pacing did improve as it progressed and I found myself more invested as the relationship also progressed, but it never fully captured me. This wasn't one where I was concerned that I was going to miss something if I was doing something else. There were plot lines that were left unresolved or just ignored. For example, Thi's parents were introduced as an obstacle to their relationship and Noey talks about winning them over, but they're never seen afterward or even really mentioned. Noey and Thi continue their relationship apparently without any further issues which begs the question of, what was the point then other than unnecessary drama. If you're going to create a problem, then stick with it and solve it, don't just leave it hanging. Noey's father is also left dangling tantalizingly. He's mentioned multiple times and you think that eventually someone is going to talk about him, but they never do to any real extent.

Character-wise, I liked Noey. He was interesting to watch as his character developed and his development felt relatively steady. His struggle with wanting to continue being a gangster and being a better person for his mother, sister, and Thi was well done. The polarity of his character was also interesting, the way he vacillated between the tough gangster and dreamy romantic. The uniqueness of his style and the way he viewed the world added layers to his character that really brought him to life and made him stand out. As much as I liked Noey, I couldn't stand Thi. His over the top reactions, awkwardness, and constant reluctance quickly became grating. His character felt far more stagnant in terms of growth and I just didn't find him to be particularly interesting. I honestly don't know what Noey saw in him. While the age gap between them is somewhat concerning, their relationship is very PG. Not that it makes it okay, but I'm also viewing things as a Westerner, and underage relationships are frowned upon on principle. That being said, neither one pushes things physically and the innocence of their interactions does make it more palatable.

Of the actors, the two that stood out to me were Tar and Mild. Tar was just so suave in the role. He was engaging and his acting didn't feel forced at all. Considering his age, I was very impressed. Mild nailed Nid Nhoi's deadpan delivery, but also showed her range in the more emotional scenes. As much as I was not a fan of Thi, Bom actually did a decent job with the character, especially given this was his first role. He was expressive, though a bit limited, but it didn't feel forced. His chemistry with Tar was subtle, but present. It worked given the characters they were portraying.

All in all, it's not a bad drama, it just didn't live up to my expectations given its rating. I was expecting more from it and it simply didn't deliver. The acting is the one strong point of this drama, as is the music, which grew on me over the course of the series. The one part that I really enjoyed, like I mentioned before, was the dance scene at the end of each episode and the way it mirrored the tone of each episode. Unfortunately it was one of the only things I liked. Not salty like Noey's cooking, not delicious like Auntie Tim's, just bland. This isn't a drama that I would recommend.

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Childish, annoying, no chemistry, plot all over the place… complete disappointment!

I have to be honest, the show I watched was a complete disaster. The plot was unclear until mid-season, there was no chemistry between the lead characters, and the love story didn't even show up until episode 33. The flashbacks became nauseating, and the point of view was used to justify a love that had no foundation. The show had ghosts that were not even ghosts, and zombies that were not even zombies, making it a big mess TV drama created for teenagers. The main heroine's acting was annoying and childish, and her childhood friend was no better. The heroine was almost on the verge of death, and a sip of tea was enough to bring her back to normal within minutes.

The only saving grace of the show was Allen and HanDong. Allen's character was annoyingly poker-faced until mid-season, but he had depth, and the actress who played him did a great job. The show was also saved by a few secondary character performances, but HanDong was exceptional in his sadistic villain role.

The leads in that match were terrible. It's unacceptable to portray a 12-year-old love story with a 30-year-old man, and even if the character claims he is 22 and she is 17, it's clear that he looks way older while she looks like a spoiled brat teenager. Such teen romance dramas should be avoided by Allen. The casting was a complete miss, and individually, the actors were good (except Seven Tan in my opinion). However, it's evident that they had to work with a terrible script and directors. It's beyond me why this show is popular, and I have no clue about it.

I cannot help but think chemistry with the main characters would have been way different with Zhao Lusi… such “Love a Thousand Years”.

The amateurish play from the female lead, abysmal editing, poor casting choices, substandard makeup, gratuitous close-ups to force-feed us the supposed romance, misplaced props, glaring plot holes, lack of on-screen chemistry... One measly kiss accompanied by a one-sided love confession, countless flashbacks, and hand-holding? Are you kidding me? And don't even get me started on the anachronistic music cues that make no sense. Oh, and let's not forget the characters wearing summer clothes in the middle of a snowstorm. This is unacceptable.

After reading some top reviews, I can't help but shake my head in disbelief. The childish play between the two main characters completely ruined any chance of enjoyment for me. If you're looking for a teenage drama, be my guest, but if you're an adult, save your time and move on to something better. I won't make the mistake of watching any dramas directed by Yin Tao and Liu Guo Tong again. Did they write the script based on fan feedback? The show was poorly executed, yet somehow it received praise from the public. It seems I must be living in a parallel C-drama world where quality and substance still matter.

The female lead did not make it any better. If the same actress is cast as a main character again, I will make it a priority to remove her from my list. It was an excruciating experience to endure, and I only continued watching to see the HanDong villain's final moment.

I hate childish play, voices and actresses. Watching her break up with just two sentences was painful and unconvincing. It was nothing but a juvenile play, lacking the depth and maturity required to evolve a character through dramatic events. In my opinion, there is a clear difference between youth and innocence and the kind of character development that truly captivates an audience.

The movie failed to deliver any romantic moments. Just one kiss on the lips amidst all the drama. It felt like watching a grown man holding a child in his arms, which was quite disturbing. The use of eye drops to show emotions on screen felt fake and forced. Overall, the drama was painful to watch.

Therefore, I cannot recommend this show to anyone looking for quality storytelling.

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BL to Thriller or Vice Versa?

At first, my fujoshi heart was all aflutter for some fresh BL content, but six episodes down the line, I found myself spiraling into a rabbit hole of thrills and chills instead.

Not a moment of fast-forward was needed through the saga: it's a wild ride through the eerie and the unknown, with narratives that grip you, suspense that keeps you on the edge, and a raw delve into the realm of mental health. It's a murder mystery adorned with a rich blend of folkloric whimsy and literary allegory, each scene more captivating than the last. This series is where the tender allure of BL meets the pulse-racing thrill of a mystery, all wrapped up in a cloak of cultural and literary elegance.

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Toxic, Not Naughty

I am still wondering why I bothered to watch this drama. I wasn't a fan of Cutie Pie, toxic relationships made to look cute are not my thing, but the trailer made me wonder if this drama would put some of that in the past. I should have known better. Naughty Babe, quite simply, is a disaster. I'm not sure what was worse: changing the original story, the lack of plot, the complete lack of character development despite years having gone by, or the acting. Honestly take your pick.

So let's start with the story. There really wasn't one. Honestly it felt like a toddler throwing anything and everything at a piece of paper and calling it a masterpiece. With only 8 episodes, they needed to stick to a central story line and they just didn't. The mystery of who messed with Diao's car and caused Yi to crash is probably the most consistent story line, but even it falls flat. The choice to change the childhood attack Diao suffered from a dog to a tiger was absurd. The CGI tiger was awful and the change didn't serve any purpose other than creating inconsistencies and erasing some of the development in their relationship from Cutie Pie. Because it was so disjointed, the pacing felt off. It never got a good rhythm going and I struggled to stay invested. Things like their plan for the wedding was just so nonsensical and out of the box, and not in a good way. They were in on the plan together, so why Diao kept going on about being afraid he was going to hurt Yi and break his heart and blah blah blah just didn't make sense. And the ending, maybe it was just me, but it felt like there was a level of favoritism for their son over their daughter. They interacted far more with him than they did with her, especially considering it was her birthday. Again, could just be me reading into it too much.

One of the biggest issues though truly was the complete lack of character development. It's supposed to have been what, 6 years or something since Cutie Pie and three since Cutie Pie 2 You and literally nothing has changed in their relationship. In fact, they've taken steps backward. I didn't watch it, but my understanding is that a lack of development was present in Cutie Pie 2 You as well. Relationships change over time, that's just a fact. That Diao and Yi's relationship remained so stagnant shows that the writers and production had no clue what they were doing. Because of the foolish decision to change the attack to a tiger, some of the issues between them that had been dealt with or at least acknowledged were rendered pointless and they were right back where they started. And you would think, after all the time they'd been together, that they would have figured some things out. But no, they are still unable to communicate effectively, they make assumptions, there's a clear lack of trust and understanding between them, oh, but they're madly in love. Cue eye roll. The imbalance in their relationship is still very present. There are times that Yi comes across almost as more of a father with his controlling ways than as a fiancé. And Diao, for all that he does stand up for himself on occasion, it never seems to be when it matters or when it would do the most good. Frankly, they're just frustrating to watch. And a bit disturbing, because, all joking aside, at the heart, their relationship is not one built on love, but rather years of manipulation and Diao being conditioned to rely on Yi. And that is simply not addressed. It just points back to the fact that nothing has changed since Cutie Pie and their relationship is just as toxic and discordant as it was then.

Lian and Kuea reappear and while Lian does have his useful moments serving as a sounding board for Yi and actually giving solid advice at times, Kuea causes some issues by sticking his nose where it doesn't belong and making incorrect assumptions that he then feeds back to Diao. Together they're alternately vaguely amusing and mildly cute. While their relationship in Cutie Pie displayed the same imbalance as seen with Diao and Yi, they seem to be on more equal footing here. Nuea and Syn also pop up briefly and bring a few moments of levity. The only other character that I actually liked was Yi's father. He had a decent balance of comedy and seriousness that worked fairly well.

Nat and Max are not the strongest of actors and expecting them to carry their own show was asking a lot. Of the two, Nat was the more compelling to watch. His expressions are limited and there's really no nuance to his acting, but it feels more authentic. Max is just wooden and his emotions always felt very surface level. It looked like he was acting.

The production value was meh. There was nothing special about it. The product placement was incredibly annoying and distracting. It's been a minute since I saw a drama that was so in your face with it. And the music felt pretty generic. Nothing like Cutie Pie which had some decent and catchy songs.

Naughty Babe is simply a continuation of the toxic relationship first shown in Cutie Pie and a further romanticization of it. I don't generally totally regret watching a drama, but I fully regret taking the time to watch this one. There is frankly nothing positive about it and unless you are a die hard Cutie Pie or Diao/Yi fan, I would avoid it like the plague. You'll never get those hours back.

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FAILED TO MATCH IT'S PREDECESSOR, BUT GOOD ON IT'S OWN

The 1st Season was impeccable in every aspect, from the production, acting, storyline, cinematography, music, and etc. I think one should treat this as a separate show away from it's masterpiece predecessor.

There are still good things about the show that might interest you:
• Polished and excellent production.
• Great soundtrack.
• Stunning cinematography and camerawork.
• Impeccable acting.
• Hyper realistic plot.

In my personal perspective, Teh became so unlikeable to the point that what he did is no longer tolerable. I can appreciate a flawed and complex character, but his action is exasperating as the show goes on. I would say, his character is irredeemable. However, objectively speaking, if we dig-deep into his character from Season 1, Teh is just being Teh. Messing things up, messing Oh-Aew, messing his life and other people's life as well. Still pretty accurate to his character right? I have to commend the writer for in that one.

Oh-Aew I must say has the a better character development. He was able to figure things out in his life and where he really wants to go. I just don't agree with his decision on the finale, but then, objectively, I think that decision that he made is what is always true to his heart.

Overall a decent BL Drama, still better than most series.

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It's on the 2023 best list without a doubt.

Well well well! This drama should be renamed Love yourself really,
Never have I been worried about a drama ending so bad that I was willing to go looking for spoilers on the internet ??.
I think I cried a little watching the last episode. And I'm glad ZXW is here for our Hua Qian. I would have appreciated another episode where they're back at home with a few kids being spoilt by ZXW's mother, but I'll take what I'm given and move on. Show had a good run. It has my stamp of approval, hard to receive in my 15 years of gluing my eyes to tv screens in the name of worshiping the drama gods ?

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CINEMATIC TOUR DE FORCE

A thrilling masterpiece that fully absorb your emotions in every episode.

Highly recommend this show if you are looking for the following:
• A well-written coming of age drama.
• Impeccable acting of the whole cast.
• Roller-coaster of emotions throughout the show.
• Stunning production with great amount of effort into details.
• A 2nd lead that you might want to end-up with the lead "heroine".
• Drama, angst, and a character that you want to punch in the face.
• A series that feels like a movie quality.
• Music that is captivating and poetic.

I can't give a 10/10 Rewatch Value because even though this is one of Thai BL masterpiece, I don't have the energy to go through mental and emotional breakdown in watching this again. Regardless, it is undeniably a beautiful series.

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