Reviews

Angst done well

Excellent on all fronts. Didn't expect to like this drama as much as I did but I did. This one's a bit of a slow burn -- lots of stretches of silence and meandering shots -- but it hits hard emotionally. Best of all, the angst completely makes sense.

Especially enjoyed the writing. Every character is a little bit annoying (some more than others) but also a little bit of a joy to have around on-screen. Everyone just feels very human. Really appreciate how the writer wrote every character's misery with care.

Also, really really love the fact Woojoo and Joon were completely platonic.

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Sadly disappointed horrible 3rd season

Sadly this season was horrible. Very disappointed with the storyline and the character development. The whole story felt like a waste and made no sense. The way the characters act made no sense to how we know them from 2nd season. I am so disappointed as Zeke and Fifth are one of my favorite couples but this made them look horrible. The characters had little development which made them look one-sided. So sad to call this an ending. I was not a fan of any of the side couples either, way too many new horrible characters. Too many love triangles and just sleeping around with no real purpose. Sad to call this the ending to a great series. I was highly disappointed with the characters and storyline.

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it's just the story that doesn't seems quite good tbh, the actors wise was totally fine

Dangerous Romance was an enjoyable series overall, though not without some uneven moments in the scriptwriting. The English title felt a bit misleading - "The Heart of the Wind" may have captured the essence better. While I loved seeing Perth and Chimon's chemistry blossom on screen, the plot sometimes felt rushed.

There were several highlights from the last episode! Guy's quick recovery was questionable, but his arguments with Nava, which gradually turned into romance, were enjoyable. More enemies-to-lovers relationships like this, please! However, Name and Saifah's dangerous connection intrigued me the most I think their story will fit "Dangerous Romance" title. Their dedication was beautifully portrayed during the emotional jail visit. However, the abandoned mafia plot overshadowed their exciting story.

Kanghan's graduation speech was a bold moment, which might not have been possible in certain societies. The emotional scene of Kang and Sailom under the rain portrayed their deep feelings in a subtle manner, and I found it quite moving. I also appreciated the normalized depiction of a lesbian relationship in the story. Lastly, the playful roleplay scene that appeared after the credits showed the lively chemistry between the characters.

Overall, Dangerous Romance was a great series that showcased the impressive talent of its cast. While the pacing and scripts could use a bit more polishing, Perth and Chimon proved to be a captivating duo. I personally hope that GMMTV will consider pairing them up again for a new project that fully showcases their potential!

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Some Things Never Change

It took me a while to get through this drama. I started months ago, and watched with interest the first few episodes, and then it became harder to digest. This scenario is not a new one, and it has not changed nor improved with time. I think the thing that really bothered me the most was the misplaced righteousness, justice, sensitivity, and regard for the rights of victims. There is no one way to handle injustice. So, the story itself held more than a few flaws for me; some loose ends and plot holes, and that 'what if' episode at the end was thrown in there as if to appease those of us who were hoping for a neater ending that made sense of some of the relationships in the story.

The shining star of this series is the ensemble cast. The actors did a superb job of bringing the characters to life. While I found the two FLs more unrealistic than I like my heroines to be, they put their all into these characters. The supporting group were also very believable and endearing - every one of them told their stories and drew the viewer in. And perhaps the most masterful performance of all was the villain Wu Lian. What a great piece of acting! It was easy to despise him, but then to feel a modicum of pity for the circumstances which brought him to his unfortunate situation.

I was not a fan of jumping back and forth in time - it got a little confusing for me if I wasn't paying attention. I was not happy with the demise of two of my favourite characters - the story could have been just as compelling without their needless deaths. The characters deserved for their stories to have a better conclusion than they did. In the end, it didn't feel like anything other than revenge was achieved. And as usual, that revenge came at a bitter cost. I think the heroine in this piece lost sight of the harm that her efforts to avenge her friend did to other victims. In the end, it begs the question, did she do more harm than good? Whatever one's personal opinion is in that regard, this was not an easy drama to watch - and for me, once was enough.

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Exams, lots and lots of exams...

This is a drama about the failed 32 year old who is a pretty cool adult but way, way, way to obsessed with getting a guy with pink hair accepted to the University of Tokyo... Bringing new meaning to the idea of it takes a village to raise a child and apparently it takes half of them to try to get one delinquent to get accepted in to the University of Tokyo. Or just one obsessed lady with a pretty smile and a bunch of people who will do pretty much anything to see that smile of hers.

Unfortunately the plot gets both repetitive and draggy,...

The male leads are all interesting, the female lead is a blast and her bestie has a charm of her own. However it is just not enough to keep me interested trough out the endless ups and downs of exams...

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Only for Love has me in a chokehold!!!

I know this drama is not for everyone … BUT for me this drama is sooo amazing and addictive!!! Currently up to episode 10 and OMGGG I am obsessed!!!
- 1st of Bai Lu: I mean absolute Queen!!! Every drama of hers is a slay!! I have read the novel and Bai Lu really did a perfect job portraying ShuYi’s character in the novel!! the cheesy pick up lines, dramatic acting and everything to me was exactly as the novel!! perfection!!!
- 2nd is Dylan Wang: A lot of people are saying his stiff in the drama but I feel like he has definitely improved than he past drama!!! For example whenever his character ShiYan sees ShuYi he’s face brightens up liek a light bulb!! He is definitely a “he fell first and harder”
type of guy!!
Overall, this drama to me has been a masterpiece causing me to giggle like a psycho and blush like a tomato!!!

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Before the sunshine there will be darkness, after the sunshines there will be darkness...

Mental illness, the stigma people with it face, challenges of treating mental illness and so on are all very important issues. The creators of this drama seem to want to do it all tackle how it is to treat an illness, the perspective of family, friends, the patient and society all in one while still offering the viewers a dose of sunshine between all these very painful issues . Offering the viewers a whole palette of mental issues. To be honest I think they got pretty close but there is something that keeps me from giving this a full score.

I feel like I a m a bit undecided about the way they try to visualise the perspective of the patient experiencing an episode of mania, depression, anxiety and so on. And there are a few scenes that just feel forced and a bit to over the top healy for my liking. But they do manage to squeeze in a whole lot of great lines and important cases that need to be shouted out loud a lot more.

I could also relate to several parts of the story and perspectives, however as they took these to the extreme the relatability kind of subsided a bit (again lowering the score) .

Our female lead is amazing, Park Bo Young does a great job showing the whole spectrum of her character as well as how different she can be depending on the situation or who she is with. Playful with her bestie, child like with her mom, stand offish with the guy who acts weird on the bus and extremely patient with har patients while still showing us that nurses are human too. Probably one of the characters I could relate to the most from all the dramas I have watched so far.

Our male lead is so sweet and fun whenever the female lead was mentioned or on screen it felt feels like watching a child about to open presents on their birthday. Yet the guy still managed to seem competent and interesting.
So I would say Yeon Woo Jin nailed this role.

Jang Dong Yoon A.K. A the best friend is also adorable, interesting and a blast to watch, a great character versatile, helps forward the plot as well as made me feel bad for hi so many times it got ridiculous.

This is not a romance but it does have som romance and the second couple outshines the first couple with their screen time together as well as their story some of the best scenes in this drama where given to them and the way D.R Hwang adresses the mother in law issue was the cherry on top of this salty caramel sunday of a show.

The rest of the nurses, doctors, and patients where very well casted, some of the patients guardians or what they are called had me boiling but the acting was good.

All in all a drama I do recommend, just be were of the triggering elements

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Sweet Fluff That Lacks Substance

My School President is another BL from a long series of school feelgood BL fluffs to watch on a rainy day when you only want to sit down and watch something easy and teeth-rottingly fluffly.

One thing that makes this drama in particular a bit different (but still not completely different, because we have already HAD dramas centered around music/arts) is the OST of the drama, with each episode having one central song. The connection to music was done seamlessly and clearly the actors have gone through some musical bootcamp to look at least somewhat competent with their instruments. This gave way to an episodic nature of initial episodes which felt very fun, cute, goofy and enjoyable.

But of course, the main highlight of this drama are the two leads - Gemini and Forth had amazing chemistry and they managed to carry this drama to its end without any big accidents. Their charm is legendary and it is hard to believe that MSP is their acting debut as they both understood their assignment very well.

The rest of the drama feels like a carbon copy of any other well made (!) Thai BL of recent years. In particular, it seems like the director and scriptwriters have gone very carefully through Bad Buddy and hand picked many things that worked there and tried to get it into this drama. The main lead dynamics felt similar, the story felt similar, the comedy felt similar, the setting was similar, but yes in the end there ARE many differences that do set these two dramas apart. But at the same time, I looked up my commentary/review on Bad Buddy and if I didn't know any better, I could use that text to describe MSP, as it describes my feelings for MSP to the dot.
Just like BB, My School President peaked around episode 6 (what a great episode!) but compared to BB, it managed to hold some semblance of shape and form for a little longer. Last 3 episodes, despite containing the climax of the whole story (that is competition and the main couple going public with their relationship to their families) were so boring, it took me 9 months (!!!) to finish these 3 episodes (despite binging larger part of episodes 1-9). It just felt unimportant, all over the place and unfocused.

Overall, I had most of the time great time watching MSP. It is a well-made drama. I dare to even say one of the best in the "fluffy school BL" genre out there. It is just a shame that the amazing lead duo was not utilized to make something more substantial as this particular type of story has very little to offer to this over-saturated market.

As for the rating, I am on a fence. It is somewhere between 8/10 and 8.5/10. I will definitely keep an eye on Gemini and Forth in their future ventures (be it as an acting couple or solo)

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I don't get the high rating.

I was really excited to watch this drama. I heard many good things about it and the rating was super, but I was quickly disappointed.
this drama is really boring! I skipped so many scenes I was almost tempted to leave the drama halfway into it.

we follow the main leader which is born super strong due to a curse. she tried all her life to help people without letting the world know about her powers.

it could be a good premise but the curse is almost never addressed, only briefly, there is no depth to it.

in the first episodes we get introduced to whom will be the main leader's romantic interest. at first the series tries to imply a "love triangle", but this plot line is abandoned shortly after. the "friend" never gets a real chance even though boon su has been "madly" In love with him for years. no trace of doubts, not for a second.

the president of the ainsoft is kind of a "quirky" character which sometimes Is endearing but many times appears as caricature. he is so over the top. I skipped so many scenes where he basically talks to himself about how sweet his girl is, how cute she acts, even though boon su does literally nothing.

the secondary characters lack in personalities. her best friend, which we know nothing about except that she's from Busan; her brother , which has no depth and a "out of the blue" relationship with another forgettable character.

the whole gangster plot lines was totally unnecessary and frankly boring.

the jokes were corny as hell.
the Indian monk.... I don't even know what to say about that...

the main point of the drama should be the kidnapping case... but that also falls flat. we never get a real motive. the culprit liked a play...and that's it? no backstory, no motives..

let's not forget the "video game" stuff. maybe once in the drama boon su plays a video game, but we are supposed to know that she LOVES games and has always dreamed of creating one...

I don't know why so many people liked it.

the actors are good but the story just isn't there.

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Drama Doesn't Suit Both Main Leads

Please beware of spoilers....

I'm a fan of both Bai Lu and Dylan Wang but there's just something missing in this drama. Both characters seems lacking. The writing and plot are just so-so. There isnt any real emotions coming from either actors because the storyline and writing is limited. The problem I think with Dylan and Bai Lu is that when we see them in other historical/costume dramas, including ones that either have the fantasy genre, wuxia or martial arts, these actors have action scenes and CGI to fall back on. Things like special effects and CGI, mystical powers, brillant costumes, cable wiring and martial art scenes all give the actors that extra flair. But take that all out and put Dylan or Bai Lu in a modern day drama, well, there's not much but their own acting to fall back on. And of course, shoddy writing is a killer too.

Major spoilers:
First, when the FL's bf cheats on her, you don't get feel any emotion from her character. And she even allows herself to get shoved aside by the "mistress" and then she goes out and pouts like a little girl. Even when another colleague steals her interview, again, no real reaction from the FL. We're supposed to take her seriously as a reporter but at the same time, we see her crushing hard on the ML. For someone who was betrayed, the FL has no problem quickly trying to target a rich person. I expect highschoolers to act the way she does but she's supposed to be a professional, grown, mature woman. We have to repeatedly watch her stare at the ML and in slo-mo too. Her staring-while-awkwardly-smiling scenes are so much that it's giving off cringey, stalkery vibes. Also, too much dead space when she just stands there uncomfortably smiling and making no eye contact. Her inner dialogues are often immature and overdramatic. We don't need to hear everything she's thinking if it's just going to be about dumb assumptions. All annoying. It's doesn't make the FL look any better and doesn't complement nor highlight Bai Lu's acting skills at all. Also, her hair and makeup is all the same. Very bland.

As for Dylan Wang, he plays this no-nonsense CEO but he has his doubts. Instead of playing to that emotion, he just seems like he's boringly competitive and jealous. Like how do you make jealousy boring? Apparently the lack of compelling writing and direction can. I'm not sure who the stylist is but some of his suits and jackets don't look properly fitted to him. He sometimes looks like a kid in big clothes. Don't even get me started on his glasses. It's like instead of making him look "dashing" and model-like, his clothes look baggy and often makes him look "aged". He has a good physique so it's disappointing to see him in ill-fitting clothing. The only time he looked really good was when he wore riding clothes. Also, what's with all the camera angles always panning from under Dylan's chin when he make some kind of grand entrance? Not exactly flattering. There's always that low panning of the camera angle on Dylan and then a higher camera on Bai Lu. And is his character supposed to have some kind of "super hearing"? As for his acting, he's the typical Dylan Wang and his character is pretty basic.

I really don't understand the purpose of Dylan's niece. She's just another woman being made to play a dumbed down and immature character. Why do cdramas make women like this? Enough already. And even the FL's best friend just seems like she likes rich dudes too.

Anyways, I'm hoping that the storyline improves. It's a bit draggy. I'll update this later if necessary. (Ep 10.)

Updated:
I just realized I dropped this drama after Ep14.

Every time the two leads were in the car, the car trips are a waste of time. The FL is always avoiding eye contact but then she smiles and giggles when texting and their texts are even boring. So much texting because afterall, they can't have grown up, decent conversations. And then in one scene, the FL runs away and hides from her cheating ex. Why? Because it was the same restaurant they went to? Like who cares? She was sitting with a way better dude. And let's talk about her running away from the ML half the time especially after the FL kissed him... which was... meh.

Apparently the FL lead has no idea about relationships because she keeps calling her bestie for advice who gives the worst advice. She even gave advice when there was a guy in the room who actually knows the ML. Like every woman knows that's just ain't something women do. The bestie can't even get her own sh*t together either.

Then we have to watch the young niece pursuing one of her uncle's friends and she had the audacity to ask him if he was gay when they barely know each other. She's basically stalking him. Actually, everyone is stalking each other! Lol!

And lastly when we finally see the two leads holding hands, it bothered the hell outta me that her jacket belt was undone. Sounds ridiculous, but I telly ya', it was distracting.

Overall, the whole push and pull theme is just boring and unoriginal. There's only so much awkward smiling I can take from the FL.

I read some comments and everyone is complaining about the pace. I don't care how long it takes for the leads to get together, so long as the build up to get there is interesting. I understand that others are also saying that it does or doesn't mirror the book but a show should be able to stand on its own and make you want to read the book afterwards. That's just my opinion.

I'm passing on this for now and if I do pick it up again, I'll be fast-forwarding to only the leads' scenes together. Lowered my rating from a 6 to a 4.

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Sorry but not sorry!!!... It's my totally Biased rating

Well, being honest... Does this series deserve a 9.5 ? No ... Did I enjoy it? Hell yeah.... Why am I rating this 9.5? Because this series got me hooked and invested in every single episode soo much, that none other series has done yet.

The charm of this series lies mostly of this series being able to create different human perspective and opinion. It was so fun and intresting to analyse the stories and characters after every episode and talk about it with our peers. This made the series even more entertaining that one would not feel of binge-watched.

At first my impression of the series after the trailer was that its just going to be another hot BL series with lot of explicit content(that most of the series are doing just for the sake of popularity). But right after the first few episode, i was proven wrong. I was so invested in the story that the hot NC scenes didn't matter anymore. What mattered was the story, the characters , the trauma the flaws and the judgement. There were definitely some parts of the story which i believe could have been manipulated, but I am not complaining for what it is now as well.

The casting director did a amazing on by casting ForceBook, FirstKhao, NeoMark and Lookjun. I cannot say more to them for their exceptional acting. They gave their best to their roles. We as viewers got to love, hate, resonate and emotionally get invested in all the characters. That means the actors did a really good job.

FirstKhao: What more should I even say
ForceBook: We really need more of ForceBook projects in future. When you watch them, it feels like they are really serious about their work and are hardworking actors. They are kind of actors who grow more and more after every project. Personally I would like to see them in some agressive and bad boy roles.
NeoMark: who would have thought that this pairing would become one of the most incredible pairing in the history. I am just speechless. I hope they better not ignore this one.

Also nonetheless the special appearance cast Papang, Drake, Mond and Mix were so amazing too.
They delivered soo much in such a little screentime.

Gmmtv should make more series like this... !!

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historical masterpiece

Overall: I applaud the writers for giving us this series. I read the book but reviewed the series on its own merits. The cut version is 45 minutes and uncut episodes were over an hour. Aired on YouKu app, GagaOOLala (uncut), YYDS YT channel https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLoqdmwJPCU35AqHWHKLdr5RWqQhBiVl61 (depending on your country) Check out these 2 official movie cuts which center on Yai & Jom
Part 1 of Jom & Yai’s Epic Love Story https://youtu.be/Tt5-Wa5z3RE
Part 2 of Jom & Yai’s Epic Love Story https://youtu.be/vT-HG57Nt7w

Content Warnings: (there were major content warnings that I put under a spoiler)

What I Liked
- sweet moments and excellent chemistry
- finally we had well written female characters instead of cliche stereotypes, these women acted/felt/reacted how real women would
- strong messages without being corny, they showed the unfairness of wealth disparities, they addressed something that happened in episode 3 as traumatic and not romantic, we almost never see this between a married couple in fiction though it sadly happens in real life and then they showed the trauma of what can result from that circumstance
- unique premise
- that Jom had agency
- intimate scenes were done extremely well
- production value

Room For Improvement
- Jom was a bit frustrating in the first half though he really went thru a lot, I blame the editing for unnecessary long pauses
- the ending was extremely rushed and not really clear of what exactly happened, they could have condensed some of the side plots/scenes in the first half of the series to more fully show the ending
- that mustache was awful and not needed in ep 1
- Jom should have said quietly what the year was when he learned who that ruler was as international fans don't know the date (but it's in the series summary)

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Silent like snow.

It’s 2023 and I only just watched this series and I am so glad that I did. I didn’t get the hype when this was airing in 2022. But now I understand.

The cast. I know Kawaguchi Haruna (Aoba Tsumugi) from her previous dramas and movies and I like her. She has a subtle way of acting that comes out of her naturally. I think she is a great actress. I know Suzuka Ouji as well from his past works. I would say that I like his character here (Togawa Minato) the best among his works that I have seen. I didn’t know Meguro Ren (Sakura So) other than the fact that he is an idol. But he was wonderful in this series and now, I am glad to know of the actor Meguro Ren. He had very little lines given his character’s disability. And yet, he was able to express the emotions through his facial expression, his eyes and his gestures (not necessarily the sign language). This series has a wonderful, solid main cast and supporting cast (loved Kaho here!!!).

Story and characters. I was skeptical at first. I was worried how they were going to treat the disability and those with the disability. But hats off the scriptwriter and director for giving them justice. There are no villains in this series. There is no build-up and then an eventual climax. It’s simply a story of the journey of a man who started to lost his hearing at 18 years old, and how that affected his life trajectory, his relationship with his family, his friends and everyone round him. There are no villains here, just normal people with normal feelings like insecurity and jealousy. There is character growth (specially Minato and Nana). There is a most wonderful friendship (So and Minato). There are relationship break-ups, including one that is most heart-warming and heart-breaking at the same time. There is tension within a family trying to grasp a new reality for a son and brother. This is a journey of self-acceptance, that they are enough and that they are worthy of love.

Other than the story, the main thing that made me so attached to this series are the characters. All of them.

Aoba Tsumugi is such a strong woman who knows what she wants, is honest with her emotions and can look someone in the eye and reveal herself without shame. You see this with how she just jumped head on learning sign language just so she can talk to Sou again face to face. You see this with how she handled her break-up with Minato. You see this as she fights for her and Sou’s relationship.

Sakura Sou is a man who had to go through a difficult process of accepting his disability, his new reality and that he is worthy of Aoba’s acceptance. When he finally met Tsumugi and Minato again after 8 years, he has already somewhat become a man who has faced his demons. But it was different for his family. They had to watch him suffer from the very beginning of his illness until his hearing was finally gone and that definitely changed the family dynamics. In a sense, when Sou broke off all his relationships and connections from high school, in a sense, he spared them this kind of pain that he and his family went through. And so when they met again, all they could see was the Sou who seemed to have stayed the same.

Togawa Minato is the kindest, most amazing friend and boyfriend, who is human enough to feel insecure, but is strong enough to accept that and face it head on. [Spoiler!!!] I was shocked when he suddenly broke up with Tsumugi. Then I rewatched that episode again, and the one before that. And then realized that it was not so sudden. There was always some degree of insecurity that Minato felt in his relationship with Tsumugi. It was this insecurity that made him blind to how much Tsumugi loved him. It wasn’t because of Sou that he broke up with Tsumugi. It was just that meeting Sou again made him realize that he could no longer live with that kind of insecurity. He knew that staying in that relationship would make him start to resent Tsumugi and So, and when that happens, he can no longer be kind to them. And he would be hated, and he would hate himself more. The beauty in Minato’s character is not just his kindness (because really, he is the sweetest, kindest man), but also his honesty about his own feelings and shortcomings. And did I mention how wonderful his relationship is with Sou?

A supporting character that I really liked is Momono Nana (played by Kaho). Oh, I saw her feelings for Sou from the very first shot of them together. I understood how she thought herself and those who are Deaf are different from the rest who can hear. The experience is not the same and it is something that cannot be fully understood by those who can hear (and this was so wonderfully expressed by Masaki Haruo). I understood her jealousy and the always-present-under-the-surface desire to be able to hear and have “normal” conversations and relationships. And I loved watching her subtly change her point of view and grow into this happier woman.

This is a warm and comforting drama that would make you smile and feel all fuzzy. Definitely give it a try.

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Real Life Experience in a Show

Except for certain scenes and the ending: This was a series with the perfect depiction of real life and relationships. It showed raw emotion and how messy those early twenties can be. You think you are grown-up and know who you are. Its a show with no good-guy and no villain, just regular messy human-beings.

I was a little disappointed in how the series was tied up at the end, and it felt a little like a cop out. However, I understand why they chose to do as they did. We could have had the same ending, but written better.

I love the characters, the cinematography, the sets, the feelings and the plot. All in all this is one of the best BL shows I have ever watched. And I have already rewtched it in parts and will definitivly do a full rewatch later on.

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