Reviews

I am spellbound by their magic!!

"Cherry Magic" is a series that has captivated my heart from its opening scenes to the closing credits, weaving a spell that I simply can't resist. The characters, the office vibes, their chemistry, and that slight touch of magic – it's got everything that makes my heart skip a beat.

Warning: Spoilers ahead!!!

It is set up in an office premises. It starts with Achi talking about him turning 30 and how a standard life of 30 year old should be, only to confess that his life lacks all those elements. But to his surprise, he gains magical power of reading people's mind and that's where everything begins. Achi, he is clumsy, under confident and at the same time innocent, extremely adorable and kind but also relatable. Damn I can definitely see why Karan is so whipped for him- I mean who wouldn't be?

Then we have Karan, he is confident, achiever and has the standard 30 year old life according to Achi. But more than that he is whipped for Achi. He is a walking green flag. He has a secret crush on him and he finds everything that Achi does adorable and I don't blame him because I ain't any different. They both are adorable and so is their chemistry. Damn their interactions, subtle touches, glances, those inner monologues, those visions from Karan's imagination, those kisses, those moments, everything, I loved and enjoyed everything.

Let's talk about the real magic of "Cherry Magic" - those lines and moments that hit you right in the feels. Like the line, 'Sometimes I even feel relieved that in a world where I seem to fade into the background, Karan always sees me.' I mean, can we take a moment to appreciate the beauty of this!! And it's not just the words; it's the way they play it out. As Achi looks at Karan when Karan is passing by his seat in the bus, he remembers all the moments with Karan. More so the moment, in the retreat, when he thought no one would want to pair up with him and he just aimlessly, without looking backward, walks backward and collides with Karan's front. Their eyes lock, Karan smiles and the question, "Do you want to pair up with me?" unfolds like a fairytale. Sounds cliche I know but trust me, that moment felt so magical. I was legit smitten by this scene and it's not just a one time thing. I have so many favorite lines and moments- be it that rooftop moments or the beach moment or the pre Loi krathong festival moments or those read my mind moments or those absolutely heart melting video calls. This series is like my happy pill. I have so many favorite moments and whenever I go back to watching it, I am instantly happy.

Talking about the supporting characters, first and foremost I love Pai. She is so cute, charismatic and moreover I feel her. Aaaaahhhh my heart!!! Also, her chemistry with Rock is so adorable. Rock is kind of talkative, funny and cheerful guy and he is whipped for Pai and I am too. Moreover, their confession scene was so so cute. Moving on to Min and Jinta, I love them no less. Jinta, he is a really funny guy. He also gains the magical power of reading minds and the way he was freaking out about it and trying to avoid people's touch, it's hilarious. Moreover, the cat's thoughts really cracks me. And the confession scene of Min and Jinta, it had me rolling and blushing. They are so adorable.

Also, the ost Loudest love, oh my god I absolutely love it. I have been listening to it on loop. To top it, the ost 'Everything is magic' is Achi's pov and 'Voice within' is Karan's pov , both the mvs are connected and it's so adorable plus ear pleasing. I am absolutely smitten by them.

Highly Highly Highly Recommended!!!!

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Cliche Characters & Storyline

I had high hope on this, but I was greatly disappointed as from the beginning I was bombarded with all sorts of cliches, from the storytelling and down to the characters.

I could even predict what kind of characters would be introduced next and what they would do or behave. The plot was juvenile at best. It's a waste of promising talents.

The opening scene had been done countless times that every twist and turn is predictable. Every scene was borrowed from some other typical teenage horror shows, that it made me cringe.

These actors could've been given a better scripts and some of them might shine.

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Not a BL, but a remarkable story

I didn't know what to expect from this since it has been marketed as a BL (as far as I can remember) but didn't see that from the trailers. I would consider this more of a bromance with a small crush/budding romance that happened between 2 male classmates but couldn't be fulfilled. Kouki has messed up his life and would rather die than live. He gets stabbed and dies, but somehow turns back to life with an angel waiting in his apartment. The two start to get closer and familiar with each other. At the end of the drama we can really feel that Kouki loves the angel and feels very attached to him, I cannot tell if it is romantic or platonic. Either way, it is love for sure. Kouki is able to enjoy life more and see it through a brighter perspective. The actors did a great job at conveying the characters.

The small side story of the two classmates is confusing. I don't know how realistic it is to bully someone you like because you are jealous or confused with them, but it left a very bad taste in my mouth. This is probably the intention from the director though. The school trip scene is even more confusing and weird. It just felt spastic and icky. I don't know how else to describe it.

I do have other complaints and confusions, slight spoilers ahead.

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My biggest issue with the drama is the ending. It is simply confusing and does not bring closure at all. Kouki did not get closure, and the last part where he looks in the camera and the angel starts talking is even more confusing. Did Kouki see the angel? Did Kouki decide to unalive? I really don't expect a season 2 so this feels even more frustrating. What is also confusing is the message that the film is trying to convey. Is it about making life better? Or about making deep bonds? Kouki picked his life up but his attachment to the angel really hit him.

Overall, while the effort is good and this was a very intriguing drama, I personally don't understand the enjoyment one would get out of this manga or drama. Perhaps it is not quite my cup of tea and I simply prefer less supernatural and obvious romance stories. I don't know who to recommend this to, I can't even explain why someone should see it. If we consider this drama for the first 5 episodes, it is quite strong and leaves a unique impression. With the inclusion of episode 6, it becomes more meaningful but also more murky. If you are interested in the setting, give it a try, but don't expect romance other than the two hugging.

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this drama was so good , the family felt so real .. the frendship between qinyue and yang ruwei are epic tho .. all over it this drama was amazing .. even a lil cheesy tho at some part but still i love it .. hope they can corporating again ... miles and xuan had the best chemistry ever .. all with xiabao too .. i can even describe with words
i really hope they had project together again in the future ..
like xuan and miles ever said , on action genres maybe lol .. please i need them had corporation again ..
some pd please make my dream come true 🤧

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adorable adaptation

Overall: the first episodes really wowed me with honoring the source material/Japanese series but putting its own Thai touch on it. There were a few items I wish had been done differently but a solid romcom that I enjoyed. 12 episodes about 45 minutes each. Airing on VIU with English subtitles (you need a VPN first set to Thailand and then click on the link) https://www.viu.com/ott/th/en/vod/2281332/Cherry-Magic-30-ยังซิง

Content Warnings: harassment, manhandling, body shaming, non con recording, vomiting, homophobia

What I Liked
- good reference to the manga
- sweet/cute moments
- funny parts
- good kissing/intimacy
- Achi and Karan had some solid communication and cleared up misunderstandings relatively quickly
- Achi's parents
- Karan's sister talking to their parents
- production value

Room For Improvement
- though I looked forward to the increased runtime, it ended up dragging a little at certain points
- happy they avoided the episode 11 curse but that was a stupid "plan"
- similar to the manga (but dissimilar to the Japanese live action) Karan was too grabby a few times with Achi
- space sound they sometimes had when Achi heard inner thoughts
- cat looked very well fed/taken care of for a stray cat
- did the dancer's hair change color at times? (continuity error?)
- disappointed with Pai's character, she gave an awesome empowerment speech towards the beginning of the series and then they had her go a very familiar route
- the m/m couple needed more screentime/development shown
- overt product placement is a negative as compared to the Japanese series but I didn't take off points for product placements as it funds series
- GMMTV should have released that statement right when they removed the first 2 episodes from YouTube at the end of December instead of 3 months later admitting that it was their fault for the lack of international release (did not take off points from my review)

(updated April 6th 2024 after GMMTV's official statement) https://twitter.com/GMMTV/status/1776414522393391494
International Release: on December 20th 2023 after 2 episodes aired on YouTube internationally, GMMTV stated that it could no longer air Cherry Magic internationally. It then aired on VIU to those in Thailand (had English subtitles). Finally 3 months later GMMTV release an official statement saying that due to their mistake with the contract they cannot air the series outside of Thailand and are working on copyright and licensing for every country. Let this be a lesson to all production companies to clearly state in your contract international streaming rights.

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Only the good die young.

The second instalment of Sima Yi's story opens with his uncomfortable return to the capital to serve under the most unworthy Cao Rui, the ingrate he saved as a boy and put on the throne. Cao Rui grew up to be a monster and what he did to Empress Gao was a great historical injustice. The symbolism of Cao Rui being carried by Sima Yi is strong, suggesting their dynasty was held up by Sima Yi and most of this drama makes the case that the treacherous Cao family was unworthy and deserved to be toppled. I usually like Liu Han but did not enjoy how he portrayed Cao Rui. I was unmoved by his childhood trauma over being the product of an indifferent father who executed his mother and just drummed my fingers impatiently through his theatrics and unseemly antics with his vile eunuch. I did appreciate some aspects of his acting - he seemed cunning and slightly unhinged in the most dangerous of ways that made me feel fear for the Sima family.

The highlight of the second season is without doubt Sima Yi's rivalry with Zhuge Liang, the greatest strategist of Three Kingdoms lore. It was heart wrenching to see two soulmates with such profound mutual understanding, respect and admiration locked in a ferocious life and death battle. Both bound by oathes they swore to dead emperors, one is handicapped by a strong master and the other by a weak one. It was just war brutal and simple; there was no right, or wrong, or good or evil; just opposite sides. The writer does a commendable job making the sophisticated military strategies exciting and accessible to viewers. This version of Zhuge Liang's famous Empty City Ruse/Kōngchéngjì/ 空城计 suggests Sima Yi was not really fooled, he just had a very strong sense of self preservation. Their encounters capture the essence of a resting dragon/wò lóng/ 卧龙 reclaiming the central plains from a hidden tiger 冢虎 (zhǒng hǔ), a rising talent. Alas, time was not on Zhuge Liang's side or history may have been different. Nonetheless, his trick from the grave on Wuzhang Plains left no doubt in peoples minds that " a dead Zhuge scares away a living Zhongda". It is remarkable that till this day, Zhuge Liang is the most revered strategist of Three Kingdoms lore and it remains almost a footnote in history that Sima Yi actually "won" Three Kingdoms. This arc broke my heart; I couldn't bear how Sima Yi exhausted Zhuge Liang and how unworthy both their emperors were.

The narrative inevitably peaks at the Zhuge Liang arc; their battles were the pinnacle of Sima Yi's accomplishments. After that, the drama really dragged. It wasn't necessary to dive into so much detail into the Cao Shuang arc. We really didn't need another long and boring example of what imbeciles Cao Cao's descendants turned out to be. The arc was incredibly predictable with repetitive ploys to try to indict the much older Sima Yi only to see him deftly turn the tables on his enemies yet again. The only highlight of that arc was the wild speculation around Sima Zhao's role in the death of Sima Shi's wife's death but that sub-plot didn't get wrapped up in a satisfying way. The only thing that kept me watching was Tan Jianci and Xiao Shunyao's excellent portrayals of the Sima brothers. I also found it quite cool that they cast an actress to play the treacherous and effeminate He Yan.

After the Zhuge Liang arc, it struck me that even though I was fascinated by Sima Yi and often empathised with him, I just didn't liked him. I was not surprised that he became darker in his later years; this is foreshadowed from the beginning and was an insidious process throughout. The second half of this drama seemed to go on for an eternity. That ruthless, cowardly, cunning, wicked old tortoise Sima Yi just would not die! It offends my sense of justice that he lived to such a ripe old age. I guess it must be true that only the good die young.

This drama had at least 10-12 episodes too many. We really didn't need such a detailed the blow by blow of Sima Yi's much less interesting later years. Up to the Zhuge Liang arc, I rate this 8.0/8.5 but after that it's a 6.0/7.0 so overall this a 7.5 for me.

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Nothing special

Too much focusing one particular charecter. Like football match everyone running after football. But in this case they don't know why they running after football. Because name football.
Main female lead protect him from childhood . This indicates like his parents or mother. Relationships with her is nonsense.
A lot of main characters but it only focusing one charecter. Story name should be changed like bodyguard of a nonsense idiot
It os like tiger and crane. But that Story is 1000 times better than that . At least Story present in it.
I don't like the main lead .
Disappointed with the Story specifically morality.
Story should be at least morality little story. action.. romantic etc.. means all in balance
As dr Strang full movie is based on protecting of that girl
In here all series with focusing nonsense act of the main lead
I don't like the drama

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It had potential

In the first 9 episodes this series was addicting. After that, it became a little bit boring and I really lost any interest in Mews and Tops story.I think the last three episodes could been shorten into two or even one. Or they could written a better storyline with Boeing.

First of all, I didn't forgive Top and I don't feel like he actually redeemed himself enough, but maybe it realistic that Mew forgave him anyways. But I still felt really annoyed watching their cute scenes after they became a couple again.

Secondly, the Boeing storyline was really weird. It would have been interesting if he actually had wanted to date Mew, but instead he was a one-dimensional bag guy. Also, It was really unnecessary that he tried to get together with Sand. And why did Sand just accept it? I feel like this should have been resolved better, as it seemed like sand wasn't sure if he should pick Ray over Boieng.


Anyways, I still like Sand and Ray together, even though it was unrealistic that Ray suddenly became a better person and suddenly forgot his trauma. To be fair though it makes sense, as Ray is very impulsive and changes his mind easily, I still feel like him improving this quickly should have backfired.
Another "couple" was Boston and Nick. In my opinion, they were the best written couple, even though they broke up, which was the perfect end for them. Boston couldn't have changed that quickly and he didn't. Also, I liked watching Nick's character development!

Would I recommend watching it? Actually, I would, if you like messy drama. It may not be the best written story, but it sure was entertaining.

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One Suspenseful Ride

Warning: If you are looking for an average and fluffy BL storyline, this series is not for you.

Overall, this was an awesome series. Then again, I am a sucker for suspense filled paranormal storylines. I also loved this series because it was a paranormal/mystery drama first with underlining gay storylines incorporated into it. The script was excellent and had me immediately hooked by the first episode. This had so many twists and turns that will keep you guessing what’s going to happen next. However, I’m not a fan of how the series ended. All of the actors did an amazing job with portraying their characters. The cinematography and special effects were outstanding. They also did a great job using different screen formats to establish the changing time lines to reduce possible confusion.

Random Notes:
My only criticism is the ending was too ambiguous which left too many questions unanswered.

Don’t stop watching after the ending credits in episode 14 because there are additional scenes after it.

Although there are no standardized directions on giving it, the way Brother Anurak used the Rorschach inkblot test was very random.

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Therapeutic dating show

I'm not a fan of dating shows, but I loved this one. I started watching it because it was compared to His Man. In my opinion, this one is much better. It may not have such a spectacular love story, but it has so much more.
The participants were surprising. They were completely different from the first impression they gave.
One who looked boring and rough, but was actually hiding so much emotion.
One who seemed confident and sociable, but actually felt inferior to the others.
One who seemed so perfect that others didn't dare enter into a relationship with him.
One who acted friendly and like a big kid, but looked after others all the time.
One who seemed to have nothing to hide from other people, but was in fact shy.
One who seemed too direct to others, but deep down was lost.
One who was still very young, but surpassed everyone else in maturity and put too much pressure on himself.
One who seemed carefree and sociable to everyone, but experienced loneliness in such a way that others did not notice.
Watching each episode, I felt like I was attending a therapy session where I was taught to love myself.
At one point in my viewing, I noticed that I stopped caring at all about who would form a couple with whom. I only cared about how the bond between the participants developed. Watching the friendship form between them was the most important part of the show.
It was therapeutic, relaxing and brought me peace of mind.

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Couldn't shine, remained mad and crazy!

Ignore the ending, the prologue itself was appalling and distasteful enough to eliminate my expectations despite the drama having Jang Hyuk on deck. Speaking of which, once again, Jang Hyuk is playing the same character from The Slave Hunters (2010), if you've seen that one then you know what's up. Characters, while initially intriguing, suffered from inconsistent development. The pacing felt uneven, with moments of rushed storytelling followed by prolonged and uneventful sequences, disrupting the overall momentum of the show. The whole poison plot was painful to tolerate and sit through. The story was so terrible it just kept getting worse with every episode. The last 4 episodes in particular were poorly planed, marking them as the worst part of the drama. Once again, Jang Hyuk wasn't enough to save this drama although he was the only highlight.

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I'm your father

It's the usually daily format so temper your expectations accordingly before proceeding any further. Both Seo Hyun Jin and her character contributed a lot to the drama to keep it decent enough. Her interactions were the most memorable. On the other hand, the writer robbed off Seo Woo from making her a decent character, writing wise. Meanwhile, Jo Hyun Jae was as static as always throughout his entire career, the man would rather die than changing his expression. There's no justification for the long runtime other than they were contractually obligated to follow the template dedicated to this time slot. At least give the high moments more time to sink in. Especially the ending, there was no need to make it this short, they had the time to take a more relaxed approach.

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Storytelling that takes risks

Exquisitely directed with sumptuous and poetic writing. Watch to the end of episode 4 to understand the real dilemma at play for these characters. This drama shows such maturity about two adults falling in love. I was left breathless by the confession scene. All the romance gently unfurls from the yearning by the FL and subsequent grovelling/ chasing by ML (he’s such a dummy over her). The one fail was early kiss scenes are clumsy (for romance reasons) but I hope it doesn’t send too many away from watching on. Although, when will cdrama writers discover that intimacy co-ordinators exist and unsolicited kisses can move the conflict forward without being semi-violent?! Nevertheless, this drama has shot to the top of my ‘best of 2023’ list with a bullet. I feel the pay off will be in last eps when we see what reaching ‘10/10 level’ love really means. Can’t wait!

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The cursed, the remake

A slightly different take on Jang Hee Bin. The drama suffers from the exact same problems any profession focused historical drama attempt. Very similar to Goddess of Fire with its storytelling, transformation, progress and conclusion. The drama didn't deserve to be longer than 16 episodes at best for the amount of material it had to offer. Quickly enough, they deviated from fashion design in favor of typical bland drama antics. They kept all the details of fashion design to minimum. Looking at the cast it seemed promising but it turned out to be quite disappointing. This drama and its other remakes were all equally as problematic and disappointing. Maybe Jang Hee Bin as a historical character is cursed to be portrayed in media.

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Kidsters

Literal kids playing mafia. Anyway, the drama was full of cardboard characters and you may expect an amateur level of performance, editing and writing to match it. The plot felt convoluted and disjointed, struggling to maintain a coherent narrative throughout the show. Characters lacked depth and development, making it challenging to emotionally invest in their arcs or connect with their journeys. Their personal relationships didn't intertwine well with the story either. I was looking forward to see Uhm Tae Goo but the drama wasn't worth it. I find this period and setting of Japan/Korea to be the worst to watch through any media. They "almost" don't know how to go on about it. I could count a few rare exceptions on one hand.

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