Reviews

At times riveting

Admittedly, I was on the fence about starting this series because the pairing of Dilraba and Leo Wu seemed odd to me, and I wasn't wild about yet another cliche princess-disguised-as-boy-grows-up story. Generally, this couple pairing works fine with overall cohesiveness in production, whole cast acting, and plot. As in, whatever reservations I have about the main pair chemistry didn't really matter to my enjoyment of the show because the rest of it more than made up for a quality viewing.

Had this show focused more on the FL/ML romance, it would have been less successful. More intimate and romantic scenes would only serve to highlight the lack of... intensity? Passion? Sparks? The romance is very one-sided, with Leo Wu's character Sun obviously in love with Dilraba's more reserved character LCG, though she is gradually falling for him too. It's hard to tell how exactly she's in love with him, like a low level attraction that hums along but never raised above tepid. The slow burn in itself isn't the problem, it's just that there isn't enough energy between them to make me feel invested in their relationship **. These scenes - Sun suddenly grabs her in a tight hug and asked her to stay alive, or Sun fighting Shen to win her (as the slave) and then grabbing "his woman" in front of the entire tribe to haul his prize away - hot hot hot. No doubt they are incredibly beautiful people, so every scene is a feast to the eyes. However, the chemistry is less between the characters but more like chemistry between Leo Wu & the viewer, Dilraba & the viewer. All the long eye looks and close encounters are supposed to elicit "feels" but sorry, I don't feel it. There are no kissing scenes for them, with their eventual coupling inferred and left to imagination. That works better than potentially lukewarm kisses. After they have this understanding about their relationship, the romance went into a deep dive from some tension to zero.

Some of the reviews noted that Sun's character didn't really develop over the series. I agree to an extent, but would argue that Sun is already developed as a person. He's already got a good sense of self and gets the big picture. He's not still trying to find himself or stubbornly following a one track mission (unless it's perpetually saving LCG). He's a steady solid rock for LCG. As an imposing, charismatic general, Leo Wu's portrayal is totally believable. Leo Wu's only other series I've watched is Love like the Galaxy, which is a great show, but I couldn't help noticing that he was also an imposing, charismatic general there, whose injury on shirtless muscled bod had to be treated by love interest, and who also rolled down the roof with love interest and catching her. I would love to see him break out of mold.

LCG's character, in the meantime, does develop. LCG is learning what vulnerability is like, figuring out the big picture, and changing her worldview as a result. I love female characters who are strong, smart and not silly/whiny but the disparity between what she is supposed to be (strategic, decisive, smart) and her actions (naive, idealistic, unguarded) makes it hard for me to buy into her character (so far). Add to that impulsiveness, tunnel vision, and terrible choices. Possibly, my bias is due to not seeing how emotions translate into Dilraba's expressions. She has very defined modes - gentle (with the women and the weak), or serious/reserved/determined (with everyone else), or sad (on deaths).

This is one area where Zhao Lusi as the character LLY, has blown it out of the water with all the nuanced, highly expressive emotions on her face and in acting. Whether it's just her alone, of her and LCG, or her and HD, she provides a good counter foil to the other person or to her surroundings. It looks very natural. She's my favorite character so far going from a place of meekness and vulnerability to strength of spirit and mind. The 2nd pairing between the Liu Yuning's character HD and Zhao Lusi's character LLY is only emerging as of mid-series. LYN hasn't gone beyond the stoic, conflicted, stony face body guard yet, so we'll see how he transforms later with increasing proximity to LLY.

[** For superlative chemistry, see Bai Lu/Luo Yunxi (LiS, TTEOTM), Bai Yu/Ni Ni (PW), for e.g. Even Leo Wu/Zhao Lu Si (LLTG) has more sparks)

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Hmm…not as good as people claim

But I might change my mind. I started watching because of all the accolades this show has received including recent wins at the Weibo Awards 2024. Maybe my expectations were too high. The dancing of the white sparrows was mediocre. It was more about camera angles than actual dancing. I’ve seen better dancers in Chinese variety shows. It wouldn’t have mattered to me, but the director wanted the audience to be astounded by their dance. The music is all over the place. It ranges from hauntingly beautiful to soap opera bad sometimes within seconds of each other.

The characters are okay. The bad guy is the most compelling actor so far. I keep reading how the FL is so amazing. Ah…the best thing about her is that she’s 36 and it’s nice to see that a major production is giving an older woman a lead role, however her martial arts skills are miserable. Her fight scenes contain more cut away camera shots. The only closeups are of her vogueing as examples of her great style. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, it’s not. The cinematographapher loves the FL’s face and he gave her AMAZING lighting, but it’s also obvious that the lighting, and heavy pancake makeup, are being over used to make her look younger.

The story is…okay. It’s not awful. It’s not great. Same with the acting. My husband and I aren’t Chinese so the historical elements aren’t always easy for us to follow. We were hoping to get something as fascinating as Princess Weiyoung or The Story of Yanxi Palace. This is definitely no where near the quality of those, although the costumes are fantastic. The acting of the ML and FL isn’t bad, but isn’t interesting either. For ex., the acting of the FL comes off to us as one note. She’s great with an expressionless face during combat scenes. But, she has no other real expression either with her face or her eyes, mouth, etc. The expressions of emotion from her and the ML are completely confined to their voice. There’s 0 charm. At this point, I’ll watch a few more episodes, but I feel like one’s love of this show is cultural. I’ve read that many Chinese didn’t love Princess Weiyoung, but it is a major hit internationally. Similarly, I feel like this show will only be mildly successful internationally whereas it’s adored in China.

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A beautiful story, with humor, love and a whirlwind of emotions.

Romantic and fantastic series (TT), intriguing and beautifully performed.
The format is short (12 episodes) as the Koreans now like to do.

PLOT: FL, a noble seeking freedom in Joseon, ends up getting married, but her husband dies on the wedding night. She is parachuted into the 21st century facing a man who is her husband's double. She will conclude a marriage contract with him, and together they will try to unravel the intrigues of the present and the past.

PROS:
+ The CL is magical. I liked Lee Se Young, the FL, but I discovered Bae In Hyuk, the ML. The chemistry is palpable and the sweet/intimate scenes are numerous.
+ The story is well written and the production, without any length, keeps us in suspense until the end. Nothing is predictable.
+ The images are beautiful, the costumes magnificent (especially those of the FL) and the framing is very aesthetic.
+ The 2ary characters are well developed, and the 2ary romance (assistant/servant) is really cute.
+ The OSTs are well suited.

CONS:
- the Happy End is a little abrupt, I would have appreciated a few extensions.
*******************************************************************************************************
Série romantique et fantastique (TT), intrigante et magnifiquement interprétée.
Le format est court (12 épisodes) comme aiment désormais le faire les coréens.

PLOT: La FL, noble en quête de liberté à Joseon, finit par se marier, mais son époux meurt le soir des noces. Elle est parachutée au XXIe siècle face à un homme qui est le sosie de son mari. Elle va conclure un contrat de mariage avec lui, et ils vont ensemble tenter de dénouer les intrigues du présent et du passé.

PROS:
+ Le CL est magique. J'appréciais Lee Se Young, la FL, mais j'ai découvert Bae In Hyuk, le ML (que j'aimerai revoir en ML dans d'autres séries). L'alchimie est palpable et les scènes sweet/intimes sont nombreuses.
+ La story est bien écrite et la réalisation, sans aucune longueur, nous tient en haleine jusqu'au bout. Rien n'est prédictible.
+ Les images sont belles, les costumes magnifiques (particulièrement ceux de la FL) et le cadrage est très soigné.
+ Les personnages 2aires sont bien développés, et la romance 2aire (assistant/servante) très cute.
+ Les OST sont bien adaptés.

CONS:
- la Happy End est un peu abrupte, j'aurai apprécié quelques prolongations.

=> Une belle histoire, avec de l'humour, de l'amour et un tourbillon d'émotions.

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I don't get the positive reviews

Have I watched a different show than everyone else? (No, I haven't.) Or why are there so many high reviews of this? The story is shallow, super rushed and mediocre at best, the chemistry between the couple in my opinion non existent, Jin Won is super rude most of the time, Sang Ha gets treated badly but lets it happen anyway and continues to love Jin Won regardless of how many times he gets shouted at or gets treated poorly.

(a little bit of a spoiler for a scene follows)

One scene I found particularly weird was when Sang Ha refused the contract in Ep. 7 and Jin Won ran after him to convince him to take the contract after all. In the background, a loan shark shows up, Sang Ha runs away, the loan shark follows. Jin Won SEES all of this but doesn't find this suspicious, let alone reacts to it? If he already has feelings for Sang Ha at this point, then why in all the seven hells would he not react to a scary adult man chasing after the guy he loves / likes? Even if it was just friendship, it he should have checked what was happening there.

Apart from that, I found the milk motive that keeps on returning quite repetitive and boring at some point and the fact that Sang Ha keeps on kissing Jin Won without consent rubs me the wrong way too, even though it' portrayed as playful. No consent is still no consent.

All in all, I would not recommend this show and I really, really do not understand the overwhelmingly positive rating of this drama. I've watched a lot of BL drama and this might actually be the worst one for me personally.

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Good for the first 10-15 episodes.

I didn't read the reviews for this one before going into it, should have. I just wanted to see Garvey Jin in another romantic drama but it was for the naught. His story only got interesting in the last couple of episodes that was the only good part about those episodes.

The story is so bad halfway through. Why can't these people talk things out? What's with keeping the baby from the father? Its not like he is going to be crappy father, the ML was a green flag and honestly would have been a much better father than the mother. As a role model for the child, she should have at least considered how her decisions would affect the baby but no. Once you find out you are pregnant, reach out to the fellow. Stop making decision for the guy, if he said he didn't want to be a father once he found out, then that's another story. But that was not this guy at all.

Just felt like wasted 9 hours watching this. Had to skip most of the scenes since they were not very impactful.

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Resolution leaves something to be desired

I have two review versions.

Reply 1988 is

like a Michael Jackson song
like the youth you never had
like the youth you had
like a warm blanket

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There is not a lot that hasn’t been said about Reply 1988. That’s why rather than trying to simply rehash what others have written before I want to focus my attention on the love triangle, its resolution, on the last episodes and the ways in which they might be lacking.

It seems to me that there is some fluff during the last episodes and uncharacteristically the focus shifts from Deok Sun to Bo-ra, and from the young to the older generation. My theory for this is that Jung Hwan made up a huge amount of the drama, and when they finish the love triangle story arch with episode 18 it changes the dynamic very much.

Deok Sun and Taek, despite being really sweet together, have no real romantic chemistry and the moment Jung Hwan leaves the triangle their romance plot falls flat on its face. The writer/producers might have seen that and tried to stuff the episodes with other people's issues which is honestly fine, but it nevertheless leaves something to be desired. You can argue that even the writer/producers have not enough confidence in the Deok Sun/Taek storyline from the moment the love triangle is over to give them a proper ending. So did they make a mistake in choosing Taek over Jung Hwan?

I am sure Taek was supposed to be the one from the start, something many people in #teamJungHwan are doubting who say they switched the one Deok Sun ends up with midway. I don’t think that. But what couldn't and can't be accounted for, what nobody could anticipate, is the real-life chemistry between the actors on set, something that develops during filming, the chemistry which surely favores Jung Hwan over Taek. The other point is simply what an actor makes out of a role, and clearly Ryu Joon Yeol is an outstanding actor who gives depth and complexity to this character and is immensely charismatic. Everything he does is simply unmissable. This, too couldn’t be foreseen. Equally, Park Bo Gum is a terrific actor with a delicacy that is quite rare in Korean dramas.

Jung Hwan is notably absent form large portions of the last episodes, but so are Deok Sun and Taek. Basically the makers seemed to go out of their way to leave Jung Hwan out of the plot, and whenever he wasn't around something was lacking. Reply 1988 being based on a real story means Jung Hwan's ending originally was different (he was supposed to die in a plane crash, being a fighter pilot), which luckily they changed. They could've changed it even more and changed Taek's role too, if they wanted to.

Both the chemistry and acting point toward Jung Hwan's role having a bigger ending than somehow fizzling out. But be that as it may, crucially, the makers seemed to also not have been very confident about the main couple, so they circumvented putting more time and effort into their storyline by embroidering other's. This goes above and beyond of the mechanisms of Second Lead Syndrome where it might be calculated that viewers favor the second lead getting the girl because it spices things up. There is a weird vacuum because these miscalculations are not properly addressed. There is no solution to the plot being somehow anticlimactic, but I am kind of glad they didn't add insult to injury by making up a happy-go-lucky ending for Jung Hwan.

Not having romantic or sexual chemistry is one thing but the writing has Deok Sun/Taek's relationship as more of a child/caretaker or sibling one. Taek maybe needs a mother or noona more than a girlfriend, and I don't think it's desirable to couple a young woman with a young man who is unable to "tie his own show laces" because she is so good at caring for him.

Of course the equally valid point can be made, and has been made, that no woman would want a man who continuously treats her badly and calls her ugly and stupid because he can not deal with his own feelings. He consistently chooses a negative, petty, mean approach, to protect himself from hurt, or because he is somewhat of an asshole. There is no good explanation why he can not even be different when he is alone: He wishes for Taek to be a jerk which would be bad for her too, and he secretly enjoys the fact that Sun Woo doesn’t like Deok Sun back. He resorts to negative thoughts and wants nobody else to have her instead of wishing the best for her.

Some people say Jung Hwan doesn't deserve her, yes, but the way he behaves until the end is a writing decision. Others say Jung Hwan is stronger and can deal with losing Deok Sun, but it would hurt Taek, maybe send him into even worse drug problems, which he would never recover from. While this is an intriguing point I don't think Taek should be coddled the way he always was coddled, well into his adulthood, just because he is supposedly weaker. Jung Hwan might be able to get over Deok Sun but to say he has to because he can deal with it is kind of cruel. The way he tends to bottle up his emotions is no sign of strength and I would have loved to see him open up and be vulnerable for once.

Of course, Jung Hwan as emotionally unavailable, distant love interest with an equally huge amount of meanspirited quips as well as wordless galantries is the kind of guy women easily fall for. He seems like a mixture of a Tsundere with a Kuudere type character. Mean, harsh, jealous, vengeful, unemotional, guarded who has a huge amount of belligerent sexual tension with Deok Sun. But the extent to which I would argue this is abused here makes Jung Hwan seem like a cheap plot device. He is good enough to provide heartfluttering moments, raise the tension and keep the love triangle alive but not good enough to be developed into something more. He deserves better.

Maybe, just maybe, this is not a bad plot device, and not bad writing, maybe this is intentional and what I am just writing proves just how great Jung Hwan is written and played, and just how they have succeeded in breaking our hearts. And the heartbreak, sorrow, even trauma wouldn't have happened if it were any other way.

With motherhood being such a huge part of Korean culture and even of this drama, I can see why the writers don't have a huge problem with choosing a partner who is essentially child-like in many ways, who needs mothering, and have this be a fundamental part of their relationship. I think it romanticizes motherhood and leaves Deuk Sun with the short end of the stick. From a Western perspective at least it seems strange, if not icky, to show marriage largely as one taking care of the other. From this perspective a romantic relationship is about two people meeting at eye level, not one looking down on the other. Maybe the flaw lies in the writing and Taek/Deuk Sun is never shown to evolve into a more equal kind of relationship. Taek has his moments and is mature in different ways, but he always stays a needy child in others. To be fair, Jung Hwan equally is never shown to fully evolve into someone who treats Deuk Sun well. So you have someone who looks down on her or someone who looks up to her, and of course you would want the latter for your female lead character.

You can complain that Deok Sun has been forced into a caretaking role just because it is her nature, which is unfair. You can also look at it from another angle - Deok Sun is simply a stronger person. She can take care of Taek and be a grounding influence on him just because she is smart, pragmatic, realistic, tough and mentally strong. This makes her not stuck in an antiquated role but, quite the opposite, a very modern heroine.

Jung Hwan hurts himself as well as Deok Sun by pushing her away, hesitating, ruminating and giving major mixed signals. Taek never once deliberately hurts her. That in and of itself should be enough to give Taek the upper hand. But it also makes Jung Hwan so much more interesting, because you can never forget the people who hurt you and there will always be lingering questions like 'why....' and 'what if....?'.

There is a scene when Dong Ryung asks Deok Sun whom she likes more, Taek or him, and without hesitation she says Taek. But when he asks whom she likes more between Jung Hwan and Sun Woo, she answers evasively. This seems to mirror Taek's/Jung Hwan's feelings. I always felt that Deok Sun loves Taek, and isn't afraid to express it, and that she likes to take care of him and is very protective of him, but that she is in love with Jung Hwan. It is fitting that after being very vocal about her feelings for Sun Woo she would tread lightly and be cautious to not get burned again.

Mid-drama it is clear that both Taek and Jung Hwan have romantic interest in Deok Sun, but there is never an easy answer as to what she feels. If there is an imbalance of feelings the final episode unwisely exacerbates it: Once more we learn about Taek’s feelings which were never in doubt. This emphasizes even more that her feelings are still somewhat of a mistery, which leaves a bitter aftertaste. It makes me think of the cheesy male-written line from Titanic: “A woman’s heart is a deep ocean of secrets”. If that were the case the writer could’ve worked that into the script, they could’ve left room for doubt, longing, inner conflict – particularly in a drama centered around sentimentality. Instead the romance is resolved and everything else is simply left to be forgotten, which is offensively stupid.

In a way whom Deok Sun ends up with is very fitting to who she is as a person. She has always been a people pleaser and never had a dream of her own, she always reacts to being liked rather than liking someone herself. So she ends up with the one capable of consistently showing his affection towards her. We'll never know whether what she likes herself is actually different. Probably she doesn't know herself.

Deok Sun is also pragmatic, and her whole personality is grounded in reality. Despite what other characters say about him I believe Jung Hwan is romantic, and sensitive, and the fact that he is not capable of expressing his feelings adequately only makes him more so. Jung Hwan has the most romantic gestures of the two love interests, and quietly he is very perceptive, very sweet, and very idolizing. I don't really know whether this at all translates into a real-life relationship and maybe Jung Hwan feels that adoring Deuk Sun from afar is already the best part of it. Maybe he wants her to remain an idea in his mind, untouched by reality. Maybe, like he says, he isn't very courageous and hides his insecurity behind a mean facade. In this regard Taek is very confident, he doesn't need to hide behind anything. He also experiences many tough moments with Deuk Sun (the flasher, being in China, carrying her out of the stadium, giving her medicine) and his strength lies in being there and dealing with it all like a mature person. Taek is already real-life tried and tested.

I think Taek is a great guy and I'd have no problem with Deok Sun ending up with him, if it weren't for Jung Hwan. In fact, they are both tremendously intriguing, flawed, complicated characters whom I love from the bottom of my heart and choosing between them is literally like Sophie's Choice, only worse.

As it stands this might be one of the most traumatic, heartwrenching, tragic endings I have ever seen. Maybe the impossibility to find a perfect solution with everything wrapped up neatly is part of what makes Reply 1988 so good. When all is said and done, and reality sets in, the reality we see drawn out which seems not a bad place to be in, there is still that someone in your memory, there is still something unfulfilled, just one more reason to be sentimental for your youth.

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Cute and forgettable

I enjoyed this, and I would recommend it, but it's a bit of a missed opportunity. There is no character work at all - and before anyone says it, it had the same run-time as The Godfather, so don't tell me there wasn't time for character arcs.

Its started off brilliantly, with the tsundere character actually being an insane fanboy barely repressing himself, which was genuinely funny - I even laughed out loud, which is unusual for me. The main character is surly, but in an interestingly masculine way even inside his cute boyish body.

But the entire plot is driven by misunderstanding, including implausible easily cleared up ones. A misunderstanding needs to be driven by the nature of the character, not just thrown in and not explained or dealt with, and the resolution also needs to be consistent with the characters. None of that is the case - the ending is just... the end. It happens suddenly and without any character progression or processing of anything, including the state of someone's apartment.

The chemistry between the leads was so-so - it wasn't unbelievable, but it also wasn't palpable.

This was cute and enjoyable, but I don't think I'll remember any of it in a month except for how delightfully weird Akafuji is and how it did things to me whenever Aoyanagi was angry.

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This is a drama that I rewatch often. Suzuki Jin, with his beautiful caramel-colored skin and doe-eyes, is like a precious little puppy and I was particularly drawn to the significant vulnerability that he portrayed in every episode. This drama ultimately shows that LOVE, no matter the ages of the characters, wins in the end.

And I love so much about this. Japanese dramas often get right to the point and sometimes that's a refreshing change of pace from an endless slow burn.

The music is haunting and lends itself perfectly to the background. (I wish I could find what the one song is!)
The acting is flawless. This was my first Suzuki Jin drama and I went right out searching for others of his to watch. He's got quite a talent at only 24 years old (at this writing, and between 20-21 when this drama came out!)

So free your mind from often-rigid societal expectations and enjoy this celebration of love between two unlikely people who simply found what they needed in the other person.

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total bs

This was my least favorite kdrame ever. The story was exceptionally boring and repetitive. Overall, this was a total injustice to the both ML and FL actors, who I both love. I really did try my best to keep an open mind, but had to really push myself to finish it. The storyline just got worse and worse. It's literally the same thing over and OVER again.

A huge pain point for me was the flirting and then the sickly coy response to said flirting. By EVERYONE. They all seemed so detached from one another it was REALLY hard to believe anyone loved their partner. And when I say every one, I mean it! Like Onew's mini meltdown and then ghosting his pregnant gf? Who just brushes it off like it's nothing? Just...wtf?

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If you don't want to watch 14 episodes of Sandee's sisters, watch this compilation instead

Only after I finished the whole KMA series, I found out that there exists a PeteKao cut on YouTube. Oh well.

However, some scenes aren’t complete in the cut. Whoever cut it, left out a few seconds before a scene sometimes.

Well, on to the story: Finally some kiss scenes between them.
Tho I felt bad for Kao most of the time. The way Pete treated him at the beginning was really hurtful. And then after he made a move on him, he gave him a cold shoulder again. Like, dude, you can’t just play with someone’s feelings like that?? Honestly I just wanted to hug Kao.
Well, I’m happy they could resolve this though. I’m also glad that Kao made it clear that he doesn’t want Pete to fool around with him.

Also, the parents of Pete and Kao were amazing.

I love how realistic they kept it, but the amount of times Pete got beaten or participated in a fight, was at some point kinda annoying. Literally the only reason why Kao and Pete got closer, which bugs me a lot.

-19.11.21

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This is your average CEO sits in his office for 30 episodes. The show does not look as good as it portrays. There were several scenes that made me very mad because of how the characters acted and the show itself is pretty boring. It's all about companies having problems and the main leads trying to fix it.

Shi Yan's personality makes me mad. I just can't stand his arrogant person. He thinks that he everyone's deal and is super self centered. I understand that he is a CEO but not everything comes to you. Zheng Shuyi is the complete opposite, when Shi Yan and Shuyi are dating, I feel like it's Shuyi who does all the work in their relationship. It just feels like Shi Yan doesn't care and he puts in no effort at all.

The side casts are not really any better. Shan Shan makes me really mad, it's like she loves Guan Ji, but idk there like toys to each other to play around with. She doesn't care about his feelings at all and pretends she doesn't want him or love when she does everything she can to meet up with him.

This show took me almost half a year to finish because it was just boring and I didn't want to continue to watch it. If it wasn't because the main leads were Bai Lu and Wang Hedi, I would have dropped it a long time ago.

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The sister's relationships weren't as interesting as Sandee & Thada, but PeteKao was

Ahh yes, now we’re talking!
I did love the scenes with TayNew a lot. Tho they could’ve made the series just for Pete & Kao.

The sisters’ story felt a bit misplaced here, but lol nvm. I skipped most of the other stories anyway. At first I thought I’d watch it like in “Kiss: The Series”, but then I became bored pretty quickly. The sisters’ boyfriends are pretty much just like in KTS; toxic jealousy and cliche triangles.

Where was Sandee the whole time tho? She was there at the beginning, but after they got drunk together, she was absent every episode.

Also i would’ve really like to know how Sandee and Sankra end up living with P’Chacha in a different shop. Why did they move?
Ah man, it feels like so much is yet unanswered...

-18.11.21

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The heteros were toxic, but the BL was nice

I only watched this bc of TayNew.

Tbh in the middle of it I got pretty hooked, tho it really bugs me how this is kinda like TharnType, except it’s hetero and without sexual assault. Just the jealousy and possessiveness is the same. So toxic! Idk if that’s a thing in Thailand but the guys keep treating the girls as if they’re gonna be raped, if they don’t have a bodyguard. Seriously, it’s so annoying.

I’m wondering how Pete & Kao fell in love tho? It was a bit implied by Sandee that they liked each other since the freshmen year, but still... I hope we get more of their story in “Kiss Me Again”.

-16.11.21

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Discontinuous from the other 2 seasons but at least more BL

The intro song is giving me anxiety, ngl. It’s really beautiful and makes me wanna dance but at the same time feels like it’s written for a funeral. Tho it’s definitely the best intro ever, in the whole BL universe. Props for the director & editor.
Generally throughout the episodes, the editors did such an amazing job. Some scenes are really outstanding.

Now for the story, Pete reminded me a lot of TharnType. He’s possessive af and would kill anyone who comes too close to Kao. While this might be sweet to some point, it’s also really tiring to see the top not trusting the bottom enough. This toxic possessiveness is a common issue in BL couples, apparently bc they’re men, and it’s so damn exhausting. I could barely enjoy their romantic moments together bc I really feared that they’d breakup. I had such anxiety throughout most episodes.

Well, I really love how GmmTV is keeping things relatively realistic (tho the drama can be a bit exaggerating sometimes). Like Kao’s fear to come out to his mom, Pete getting jealous bc Kao liked a guy’s picture on Instagram, Kao unable to stop tutoring that kid bc of his mom, etc.
And I loved seeing Pete be nervous for his job, slowly but gradually getting better and less nervous.

Also awards for: Pete’s dad for being the best father, Pete’s mom for being the best mother and Rain for being the best brother.

Though, what confused me a lot: why they changed so many shooting places. Like, Pete’s and Kao’s house is different, the school also... literally everything?

Ps: Non is definitely my most-hated character in the BL universe so far.

-20.11.21

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Good Enough

Korean Drama '' The Kidnapping Day '' is an intense thriller with a sensitive side.

The drama starts off quite strongly, with the pair of kidnapper-child being enjoyable to follow, as they start bonding and forming a somewhat family. Their relationship was also what kept things going when the drama started flaking as well.

Actually, towards the ending, the drama's twists were a bit over the top and, again, the strong duo were there to save the day, even if the rest of the characters were frustrating to follow.

The performances, finally, were all great.

So, overall, six out of ten.

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