Reviews

A little cheesy, A little corny, A little embarrassing but quite Addicting!

Subjective Gut Rating: 7.75

The general plot of “Romantic” aka “Love Strikes Back” is pretty simple. These mini dramas are getting quite popular. You can binge it all in less than 4 hours. YouTube (US) has the combined version for all 22 episodes, so that makes it easier to watch.

A few quick notes on the drama:

1. Good-looking leads - Pretty lady in pretty clothes + Handsome guy with hot abs (just too much make-up).
2. Good chemistry between the leads.
3. Kisses are a little awkward. I expected more from them.
4. Acting is pretty good for a mini drama since the main leads are experienced actors.
5. A lot of slapping each other's faces..
6. Second-hand embarrassment and a few funny scenes - 2ML’s dancing and 2FL’s bubbles from her mouth.
7. Many slow mo romantic scenes with songs playing at the right ‘romantic’ moments. Songs are quite overplayed.
8. Many accidental falling into ML’s arms.
9. Too many flashbacks, especially in the last third of the drama.
10. I enjoyed the first half more than the second half.
11. FL is being saved way too many times by her bodyguard.
12. I think the actors use their own voice, which I GREATLY appreciate.

This is not a bad watch if you enjoy mini dramas. A lot of the things I listed above are not enjoyable, but for some reason, I had a good time watching this drama and it’s quite addicting.



Completed: 11/11/2023 - Review #376

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Venus in Retrograde

It's always disappointing when a drama doesn't live up to expectations, but usually there's at least something redemptive about it. Venus in the Sky though just bombed and it bombed hard. It's glacially slow with episodes that are far too long with far too much repetition. And once the leads finally get together, we get multiple NSFW scenes that seem more about pushing the limits than showing that these guys are actually in love. I just did not feel the chemistry. It's a pity because it did have the potential for more.

The story is lacking severely. There's not much of a plot and the drama suffers because of that. Venus and Sky were college friends until Venus confessed that he had feelings for Sky which Sky didn't reciprocate. Venus's response was to block Sky and cut off all contact. Three years later they meet again by chance at which point Sky has realized that he actually does have feelings for Venus and sets off to win him back. The first episode isn't bad. It sets things up decently, though there's some confusion regarding time frame and what's past and what's present. From there though it becomes a slog of increasing repetition as Sky tries to win over Venus and Venus repeatedly rebuffs him. It would have helped if there was a bit more variation to how Sky goes about this, but there's not, and it's not until around Episode 7 that things start moving along which is far too little, too late. While Sky does eventually wear Venus down and they do get together, the story continues to drag as repetitive drama with the side couples is brought up and Venus and Sky act like horny teenagers. It's tedious to say the least. I suppose the ending could be considered cute, but I was so done with everything that frankly I was just relieved to be done with it.

I didn't find myself particularly interested or attached to any of the characters. I generally liked Day, Bom and Kla, but not to any real degree. They just served as the occasional pleasant diversion from the constant annoyance of Sky and Venus. The characters lacked depth and it made them feel quite superficial. Venus's anger towards Sky felt excessive. I get it, he broke your heart, he was giving mixed signals previously (they really did act like a couple, so I get that Venus thought Sky might reciprocate his feelings), but three years is a long time to hold onto that much anger. And even if he was hurt by Sky's rejection, it wasn't as if Sky deliberately led him on. Without a better reason for his anger, it created a disconnect for me as the viewer. Otherwise, I just did not find him to be a particularly compelling character because there was so little to him. He was boring to watch and his reactions felt repetitive. Even after he and Sky got together, I just could not bring myself to care about him. Sky spent most of the time acting like a whiny child. I was over him within the first couple of episodes. He had zero respect for Venus's boundaries, physical or emotional, and essentially stalked him. Maybe it's because I'm a woman, but I found his approach to be disturbing and deeply concerning. And his pushiness continued after they were together. There were times where it felt like he cared more about his physical needs than what Venus actually needed. The scene where he lets Venus initiate physical intimacy while he's sick and doesn't stop him is a prime example. There was also the element that his feelings for Venus were not well explored. The realization of his true feelings obviously came after Venus cut him off, but was that the catalyst for that recognition or was it later? I think that's something that should have been given time to look into. The communication between the two of them was alternatively decent and then completely lacking. Sky had a tendency to misinterpret situations and then go sulk about them without actually discussing anything with Venus. The side couples really didn't interest me much. I initially liked Janus, but eventually got tired of the repetition with him promising to tell Bom about things and then proceeding to tell him nothing. That inevitably led to a fight and Bom storming out the door. I did like Bom. I appreciated his patience and kindness. He was a sweet guy and I felt bad that he had to deal with Janus's determination to take everything on his shoulders. Tong and Kla were even less interesting. Again with the repetition of not communicating and then getting into fights. Kla was a cutie though and he did try so hard to make things up to Tong and make him happy. I will say that the side couples did have some good conversations and at least with Tong and Kla there felt like there was progress made in the relationship on that front. Janus and Bom also made some progress, but part of me wonders if Janus really learned his lesson.

For all that they had some very steamy scenes together, I really did not feel the chemistry between Tod and Cheque. Part of it could be that I simply did not like their characters, but I also found their acting lacking. Neither one showed much range. Cheque seemed to alternate between looks of condescension and scowling and maybe two other expressions. Tod was either overly perky, moping around, or sleepy and he just cycled through those expressions as needed. They were just boring to watch. Most of the other actors struggled with the same lack of variety of expression.

While there is a fair amount of product placement, it doesn't feel too in your face mostly because of the way it's promoted with Janus's business. It still took more of a priority than it should have though. One thing that really stood out to me and that was off-putting was the almost complete lack of background characters. Sky works in a hospital, Kla works in a hospital, Janus owns a 7-Eleven, and yet the hospital always looked practically empty, we never saw any other doctors or medical staff aside from the main cast and one or two nurses who were there and gone and there were rarely any customers show in the store. It made the world feel very isolated and unreal.

There is nothing about Venus in the Sky to recommend it. It's a long slog with very little reward. If NSFW scenes are your thing, I would recommend watching Episode 1, maybe 2, and then jumping to Episode 7 or 8 through to the end, you won't be missing anything by skipping the rest. Otherwise, I would say best to just avoid it.

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Confusing but interesting mythology

Pretty early on, I realized that I felt the same way about this drama the way I felt about Goblin. While I thought the lore was well thought-out and it was really cool to see Amis mythology translated into a Taiwanese drama, I felt it very difficult to emotionally connect to the characters.

The pacing is quite slow at the start — it feels like you're dropped into the middle of a situation that doesn't change or explain itself for a few episodes, and even when it did start to develop, it was difficult to understand where the story was headed and why. The dialogue feels kind of vague and abstract sometimes.

The side characters are also okay. There are some that have interesting stories that do tie into the main plot but I felt pretty apathetic about most of the characters as a whole. In a sense the female lead felt very isolated from the more down-to-earth characters who I wish were taught the myths; it might've helped explain the story in a more understandable way while also bringing the mundane and the fantasy worlds closer together.

I did like the environmental themes here but I don't think it was as prominent as I expected; the romance definitely took center stage and once again, I cared about the romance more as a concept and not really because I was genuinely emotionally invested in it.

The ending...is actually fine to me, but I think it would've been better if they'd dedicated more time to it because it felt very sudden. The ending is probably the biggest place where I could recognize that the writer of this drama is the same as that of Someday or One Day.

Overall, not really for me (hence the lower than average rating) because I found it difficult to emotionally connect with it, but I still think it was worth a watch for the mythology.

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The earlier episodes were great then it got worse

I don't have a lot to say about this series, but I did really enjoy the early episodes; it was just that it went downhill after that. I don't know what happened to the plot. It just got worse.

For Sailom's (Chimon) character, I didn't feel his chemistry with Kanghan's (Perth) character; it felt like he was too uncomfortable with him doing some of the romantic scenes. 

For the other two characters, MarcPawin (I forgot their name in the series), I really did enjoy their scenes and chemistry, and for me, they carried the show more than the main couple.

This is just my opinion based on what I've seen from the first - last episodes, so I hope you don't get mad at me.

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Simple Sweet Story

- Genre –
Contract Relationship/Romance/TV Star/BL

- Brief Synopsis –
Protagonist A is a failed mangaka and B is a meteorologist. A and B have a contract where B gives A food and shelter for free and A has to do everything B tells him to do, even if it involves sex. At the beginning, A is visibly uncomfortable with the sex because he doesn’t feel anything for B, but slowly changes as he spends more time with B and starts falling in love. While the summary might initially suggest a potentially abusive relationship between the two, it is not like that as B is in love with A before A falls for him so he treats A pretty well. The only angst in this story comes from miscommunication or lack of communication as neither A or B likes to tell the other what they are really thinking. This however improves with time and the story ends with them finally begining to embrace the nuances of being true, loving partners.

- Plot and Storyline –
This plot does not contain any plot twists that would make the story memorable in any way. The core of the story revolves around the characters grappling with their emotions and navigating the process of learning how to becomes lovers. While formal confessions might not have taken place, the sweetness of their interactions, tinged with both affection and sensuality, serves as a compelling testament to the depth of their evolving connection.

- Character Development –
A learns with time to open his heart to B and both learns how to communicate.

- Acting -
The two actors delivered commendable performances, effectively conveying the nuanced emotions between the two characters. Their acting prowess was compelling enough to authentically capture the tension between the characters and convincingly depict the evolution of their emotional states throughout the narrative.

- Production Quality -
Decent production quality with somewhat realistic sets and props.

- Writing and Dialogue -
Writing is okay.

- Pacing -
Pacing is good.

- Themes and Message –
The biggest theme is miscommunication. For a healthy relationship, you need to communicate with your partner and not assume you know everything.

- Audience Appeal -
N/A

- Standout Moments -
N/A

- Criticisms -
N/A

- Conclusion -
While the story may not be particularly memorable, lacking the emotional impact of some other shows, it still manages to offer a sweet and succinct tale. Despite not leaving a lasting impression, the narrative holds its own charm, providing a brief and enjoyable viewing experience.

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A Binge-Worthy Feel Good Series!

Well, I don't think I need to elaborate much. It was surprisingly a good watch. I haven't seen the two leads before nor have I heard of them but for amateurs, they did a pretty convincing job.
The story of course isn't something new, I mean for a high school/college-themed BL I suppose you don't need to complicate it anyway. You will get the usual cliche BL tropes but everything balances out cz the two leads have amazing chemistry.
It's a short series that will make you smile ear to ear at the end.
Can be watched in one sitting cz the episodes are only around 15-20 minutes each. It'll surely boost your serotonin levels and will leave you wanting more.

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Interesting plot that could've been more in so many ways

The plot was actually good, you have the two Ml with a tragic backstory but messed up on the aftermath of reconnection cause of too much back and fourth-ing and some things doesn't make sense.

Mls chemistry was quite awkward but there are moments that are sweet. Both of them actually look good together but in a way seems forced cause of the way they act towards each other was in a way to not be seen as a couple which is like.. what's the point of the acting in a BL as a couple pair lol.

What I don't like about the series is too much recollection/flashbacks, the whole episode 6 was seriously just Kazuma reminiscing his memories with Ren. Also some scenarios where the emotion and facial expression doesn't fit and in a way did not deliver to the viewers like when ren was hyperventilating and kazuma on the coffee scene with yagami; additionally, I also find it odd that yagami was so close-minded with kazuma and talks to him with attitude, it wasn't explained well if he actually likes ren but it doesn't give him any reason to treat kazuma whom he only met once but maybe it's because of ren's experience but kazuma wasn't to blame but his lines says other wise. he's literally blaming a person for being hospitalized which is weird..
Including also the fact that when they were kids and almost a teenager, I know hormones are crazy but I don't see how they showed a consensual adult & kid going to a love hotel is right... the adult is clearly a pedophile. should've changed their age to be appropriate when it comes to consent. The antagonist co-worker guy, I forgot his name, there was not that much background of him other than being a rap... cant say it.

What I like, the kid actors, It really does feel like they were kids excluding them doing it at the age that is inappropriate.. I like their story, it was more in-depth and interesting than their story now being adults. The chemistry was nice as well, I felt the ride or die vibes, like they only matter to each other and the attraction.

See what I mean? It could've been more if they switched and added things to the story to make it understandable and not rush it! Both of the Ml are talented but maybe should've made them get closer to get rid of the awkwardness.

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Last Twilight but Our First Twilight

"Last Twilight" emerges as an exceptional masterpiece, leaving an inerasible impact on us viewers. The year-long wait for this series was undoubtedly worth it, as it took time to craft its brilliance. My admiration for JimmySea, immersed by "Vice Versa," only deepened with "Last Twilight." Upon experiencing the series, I was left astounded. Jimmy and Sea surpassed my expectations for BL dramas, showcasing a well-developed chemistry not only on screen but also in real life. Sea's portrayal of a person with a visual disability demonstrated remarkable improvement, adding depth and authenticity to the narrative.

"Last Twilight" arrived at the perfect moment amidst a sea of hit-or-miss series. It concluded my 2023 on a high note and ushered in my 2024, infusing the transition with a renewed sense of optimism and possibility. What more is there to say? To truly understand the magic in "Last Twilight," one must embark on the journey themselves, engaging in its allure and experiencing its wonders firsthand.

Struggling under substantial debt, Mhok (Jimmy), a technical college student, seeks a well-paying job and lands a position as a caregiver for Day (Sea), a badminton player grappling with partial blindness caused by infectious keratitis. Mhok, in contrast to other candidates, shows no signs of pity for Day. As they spend more time together, a profound connection forms between them. However, when Day receives the news that he has approximately 180 days left until complete vision loss, the challenges ahead will test their bond's strength.

"And now here is my secret: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye." - Day (A reference from the Little Prince)

Read more here from LauLastWonderland. This is an excellent review to clear up the misconception, especially with the last few episodes. (Spoilers ahead) https://mydramalist.com/profile/LauLastWonderland/review/336399

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It was so good until the ending eps!

This is a completely fictional plot but with some realism: psychopathic genes. Should we abort babies with this gene or let them live? This ignores the nature vs nurture concept.

The beginning episodes starts off so strong, and so melo. We have a bunch of sad characters with a sad lore in this drama. I liked when it was focused on one case: the Moojin Serial Cases. I was into it, it was a little over the top alongside the broadcasting news show, but it was intense.

Then, it went downhill from there, when the writers started adding other cases and info on top, and the lines start to blur. There started being more harder to believe scenes. The show does a lot of cutting, and then going back to the scene later on to reveal a bigger picture, which is an unique directing style, but can be confusing for viewers like me.

Choi Hong Joo is the most unlikeable character in this show. She's literally in everyone's business and holds all the clues, but she doesn't reveal anything.

Despite the complicated plot that went a little all over the place in the rush to the end, the cast played an pivotal role in drawing me in to keep watching. And the kid actors!! There were so many.

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Do you love badly written, tropey toxic gay romance? Well this is the series for you!

Seriously, the main characters were both so poorly written it's not even funny. The main character can barely string a sentence together and has continuously talked about wanting to stay invisible and yet... he *checks notes* follows and actively seeks out the most popular person in their grade to take pictures of him..... sure, checks out. The main love interest is somehow able to abuse the protag both physically and verbally and yet decides to not even budge a little bit upon realizing his deep emotions? Both main characters so deeply unlikable I was actively rooting for them to hate each other because this took tsundere in the toxic sense and turned it up to 100. I gave it a 6 because I couldn't bare to finish this mess. TW for this show: abuse, bullying, IPV

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A beautiful short series about teenagers high school love; left me wanting more

The whole thing was very soothing to the eye, this be what reviewers say "realistic" cause it talks about the struggle of a gay teen in a society that is not open-minded then meeting a person who is open-minded cause not everyone is the same even if there's a majority, someone out there will understand. So refreshing to see a bl made in japan that is not about being in-doubt when in a same-gender attraction or relationship and wanting to become "normal", this series finally went out of their way to put this out and get the stereotypes away.

Whole cast & film was *chef's kiss* beautiful! it was not hard for the eyes to take, don't have scenarios that makes me wanna keep pausing to take a moment to either get my anger out or stay away from the second-hand embarrassment. lol the only thing that was bad is that it only consists of 5 episodes, I really wish for a continuation cause there's a lot of things that they haven't figured out yet!!

What I like about the series:
1. True Love(?) - they say a lot that love at first sight is real but in here it definitely shows the cliche of it, showing Amane first seeing Ryuji as his type and someone to sleep with. No one can fall in love that fast, it's really quite the lustful thought that puts the interest first when it comes to "love at first sight". Progressively, him spending a lot of time together with Ryuji actually made his like turn to love, it was understandable cause I would also fall in love from the way Ryuji treats Amane, he was seriously just someone who understands and you can trust would be there for you till the end from the way he always reassures Amane to stop putting-on a fake smile that only hurts himself and not judging him cause he's gay. The same goes for the way Amane treats Ryuji, he lifted the pressure and pushes him to become a better person of himself when he made sure to not worry anymore about his dad and helping him with studying. They complimented each other well.
2. Nothing forced - The chemistry was very good but not that much, it's very understandable since they did give me friends vibes but not till the end, I think it was on purpose since Ryuji didn't see Amane the way Amane does at first until the end. Even without that much intimate scenes, their chemistry carried the show. No awkward interactions or second-hand embarrassment.
3. Relatable - Amane's struggles as a gay teenager is soo relatable! it's very hard to trust anyone cause of judgement so we put on something to hide it which amane does by joking about it all the time

What I don't like about the series:
1. Purpose - Some things that are there were there but like for what purpose? Amane's side guy who he sleeps with didn't become anything till the end other than being Amane's fulfillment when it comes to being lonely for being gay. Amane's grandmother is just his caretaker nothing else, shouldve shown what she and ryuji talked about while amane was sick and ryuji's family, which ik the purpose was because amane's family is broken it welcomed him to another home but like hello?? it's ryuji's first time bringing someone over and talking about them a lot but they had like 0 idea about the possibility that he might be liking amane but i guess if it's a girl then they would've. I wished these characters had like a role or play when it comes to their love life if there's a second season.
2. Ending - it really do just ended with their first day being together.. I wanted to see more like the shyness and first time going out and things to do as a a couple and maybe.. their way to become a stronger couple by getting through their judgemental society and to see if their family would accept their relationship.
3. Sexuality - One thing that didn't sit right with me is that Ryuji only accepted the confession cause he thinks it's okay if it's Amane, it's giving "I don't have interest in anyone but you" which is cringy lol. It's another reason why I want another season cause Ryuji hasn't fully looked to Amane as someone he would sleep with- not that it's important but yk it kinda is, it's like he hasn't fully "loved" him yet as much as Amane loves him. Also seems like he hasn't figured out his sexuality since he had no interest maybe on any guy or it's just amane at first then progressively liked him, there's no background about it which makes me question if he's willing to sacrifice everything for him.

I really love this series and really wishing for a continuation cause that was sooo short!!!!!

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It feels like a school project film

The story was cliche. Pretty much knew how the story was going to be like. I watched it because it was a new BL filipino drama. First episode I was going to drop it, but I give it a try to finish it because it was only 20 minutes so why not?

I think the actors were pretty funny. It was like out of context funny.

Acting was just not there. Everyone was just too bland. The only good acting was Nikko's frustration. Nikko smiled the whole time, Eli was just handsome, Justine always looked annoyed. I think the group friends had more personality than the individuals, like Eli's buddies and the 3 girls. The song title was so cheesy. The special effects was kind of interesting but eh not really necessary. It kills the emotions when I visually see how the characters are feelings with the emojis and heart shapes like okay I get it. I didn't understand why Eli liked Nikko. Justine deserved better even though he was kind of creepy cringey. Nikko's plot reveal was errrrr insensitive. The love triangle was annoying but whateva needed plot somehow.

Watch the series without expectations and it will be okay.

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If 2 + 2 is 4...

and 5 + 5 is 10... then wtf is this?

I stg. I'm normally in the minority of badly rated shows, I end up loving them, but my time has come to join the hate parade.

This gets a 1 star only bc of Long and Frank. JUSTICE FOR THESE MEN BC WTF WAS THIS SERIES?

The biggest sin of this show was that horrendous dubbing. I don't mind dubbing. I've watched plenty of dubbed shows, but this was TRASHOLA. The hmm, uhhhh, and hehehe's were so funny and not in a good way. Jail for whoever was responsible for this decision and editing. Jail.

By episode 3 I watched this muted so I could judge the show itself objectively without the horrendous dubbing tempting me to drop this show.

Unfortunately for me, the show still sucked. When we got to the big plot twist I was DYING laughing because it was so STUPID.

Also, where exactly was the romance????

If the show hadn't been dubbed its maybe a 3/10. With the dubbing it's a 1/10. Give these actors something better.

I'm so glad there are people who liked this though. At least this show wasn't a total waste.

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