Reviews

A cute fluffy drama

I'm going to be honest, the plot is paper thin and the characters are one-dimensional at best. Although I am giving this drama an 8 because it still gave what it needed to for it to be watchable. If you want a light fluffy drama to watch just to pass time this is what you're looking for. The main couple is is the stereotypical perfect couple and the second couple is so messy I would recommend skipping their episodes. I googled which episodes to skip and I think it helped improve the watching experience. Overall it was an okay drama and I would rewatch it if I was bored one day.

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Strange and Lovely

When you watch the first episode you will be confused. It’s bizarre and pretty. It doesn’t quite connect in the ways you think it should. It’s like a sentence with only a predicate. That’s how the first episode left me.

The second episode makes more sense but feels out of place contrasted with the first. You realize here that the story you’re watching isn’t going from point A to B. You may wonder, as I did, if there were unusual
parallels happening between the stories in the two episodes.

Depending how your mind works, how much you immerse yourself in the story being told and how much you ponder what you’re seeing, you may start to put together pieces and hypotheses as early as episode three (perhaps two but I think there’s a higher chance of you hitting on the truth in three - one and two almost feel like an adjustment period to me).

The episodes are short, roughly 25 mins, and there are only six of them. If you can stick it out through the puzzling confusion, the feeling like the ground is tilting under you when nothing looks like it’s moving, then you’ll be rewarded as the threads weave themselves into a tapestry you can begin to make out the picture of.

Rossi and Meen are phenomenal in this! They both show quite a bit of range in their skills and exhibit a subtly and nuance in their physical expressions you don’t get the pleasure of witnessing often. (It’s similar to the experience watching Pond and Nike in 180 Degrees Longitude, except that was a much heavier story so their work is on an entirely different level from what you see here.) There are a couple scenes where the emotions running across Rossi’s face, through his eyes and through his body speak louder than any dialogue ever could. Meen displays such tenderness in his gaze, the kind that makes you truly believe without a doubt that Tiew is in love.

As others have said, this is not for those looking for the sort of surface-level stories and fluffy, formulaic romance you get in the BL industry. There is nothing wrong with wanting that, I watch plenty of it myself. This series simply is not that. This is a thoughtful, quiet romance that happens to take place between two young men. Their genders and other works are all that coincide with the BL genre.

If you are up for it, however, you should come watch them fall in love. Experience their heartbreak and happiness. It’s genuinely beautiful.

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This sucks

This is possibly the only TV show in general that I've ever written and published a review for before finishing it but this show is just so hard to watch that I gotta take a break from watching (Not dropping, just it will take a while to finish, I will update the review when I do) but I need to get my words out there before I completely forget.
No need to summarise this show, read the synopsis and you'll understand (I'm probably stupid but I thought it was based off a real account, it isn't lol). Going into this I knew it would annoy me to some extent, but I figured Kazuma (ML) would get revenge, have development, or just something good would happen to him, but no, out of the 5 episodes I've seen Kazuma literally has zero wins, no development, and his "wife" is just getting worse and worse, like not ONCE has he stood up for himself, and his attempts at adultery (it's implied several times) never even comes close to fruition. As a western man I probably am missing some characteristics particular to Japanese families, but as a man with self pride it hurts me to see him being bullied so badly by his wife and despite all of his neighbours knowing, doing nothing to help him, and I really hate that one p***k that seemingly idolizes Sanae. I also do most certainly not like Sanae (FL) is raising their daughter, I don't think I need to explain why.
Like what someone said in the comments, it's not that funny that they wrote this drama about a very serious yet socially sensitive topic in a comedic way throughout the entire run. If you know me then you'd know I enjoy comedy as much as the next even in serious shows, but then they have to at the very least show development with said problem, in ~4 hours of TV, they've managed to not show any of that, not even accidentally.
Anyways, nothing is good about any part of this show but ironically the ONE thing most J-Drama from this period do wrong: the lighting.
The main 2 characters are bad for reasons above, everyone else is too minor to have real opinions on, though that Ryousuke guy seems to ALWAYS be the root of everyone failing their plans.
Don't watch this show, or at the very least don't binge it.


P.S. to dispel any of these comments:
1) I'm not suggesting for Kazuma to be overpowering and abusive and whatnot in return, I just want him to be more assertive and hold his ground like a man should. Marriage is a give and take relationship, not one or the other.
2) I although may be implying adultery is acceptable to do, i don't actually believe so. Just the other woman in Kazuma's life would be a lot more bearable for him than his current wife. The other 2 guys committing adultery is unacceptable considering their wives are what I'd say are common ideals in Japan.

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Not just A Drama

"Born to Run" presents a poignant narrative that delves into the complexities of familial relationships, particularly between mother and child. The standout performance of Zhong Chuxi as the paralyzed Chen Anxin is truly mesmerizing, capturing the audience with her emotive portrayal. However, it's not just Chuxi's performance that shines; the entire cast delivers stellar performances, creating a palpable chemistry on screen.

The heart of the drama lies in its touching depiction of the mother-child bond. It poignantly illustrates a mother's unwavering desire to provide the best for her child, juxtaposed with the challenges of acceptance and understanding from the child's perspective. Anxin's journey to overcome her obstacles is profoundly moving, tugging at the heartstrings of viewers.

Throughout the series, viewers are treated to heartfelt dialogues that resonate deeply, further enhancing the emotional impact of the story. "Born to Run" is not just a drama; it's a touching exploration of love, resilience, and the unbreakable bonds of family.

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THIS STRAYED ME FURTHER FROM god

Never in my life have two men ever looked so "scrumdiddlyumptious." The amount of mmmmmm's I uttered was worrying. I've never done drugs, but this is what I imagine they would feel like. Watching the way Mhok looked at Day had me kicking my feet so much, I almost flew. ON GOD! My camera roll is full of screenshots, I had to delete photos of my family to make space. I can remember what my niece looks like, I don't need that many photos of her.

If I had been born a boy, we would be in trouble.

The acting was giving "in my Oscar bag." I was more invested in their relationship than my own life :)

So, when is season 2? End note.

P.S. Night can get some. Day and Mhok, too. Respectfully--or not, whatever they're in to.

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Give it a try (despite the crazy plot)

I'm not a big fan of time travel in my media, and while it still isn't my favorite, I do think they worked it well into the show. The plot description sounds crazy, and it is, but you just have to give it a try and let it wash over you.

The show is definitely meant to be a bold statement on a wide swath of topics, and it handles those topics quite well. There's heavy themes of being pro choice, pro kink, sex positive, and educated about sex and consent that are consistently dealt with in different ways each episode. It does at times feel like it's trying to hit some major points as opposed to flowing naturally, but once you figure out what the style of the show is I don't think it detracts.

It's worth giving it a try even if it doesn't sound like your cup of tea!

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painting together is more romantic than flirting will ever be!

before i start i want to mention i have watched the movie version of this drama although i have heard that the scenes were the same and obviously people will read the reviews for the series rather than on the movie version so i will be writing my review here.

first off, as this is a 2021 kbl, dont expect a very high budget or show stopping cinematography. with the budget they had (which i assume isnt very big) they did a wonderful job. effects didnt look low quality enough to ruin any of the scenes, the drama was filmed nicely and i found the drama to be overall visually pleasing. the plot felt very new to me and i found it to be unique, though this was my first historical drama so there might be a bias here. the pacing and the development of their relationship felt a bit rushed/out of nowhere, but i cant complain too much since i absolutely adored them. in my completely honest opinion, the chemistry wasnt anything crazy at first and i was actually quite lost as to who the love interest is, but once it hit a certain point, i found their chemistry to be very good and i got very attached to them!

another thing is a lot of people say this drama is boring, which sure, it can be a bit boring or slow if ur looking for a lot of action or strong romance in the whole series. but i personally adored how light and cute this drama was and i didnt mind that not much was going on. especially in the second half of the show, i feel like their relationship was just so beautiful it totally made me forget about anything else happening. so yes, this might be a very light drama with not much going on, but their relationship, their words, and everything about them makes up for it!! and to me the drama was very interesting in the second half especially near the end but to avoid spoilers im gonna leave it at that!

if youre not looking for lot of action but a light romance with a very beautiful relationship between the characters this show is perfect for you!! it took me a while to get to it due to negative reviews, but now i regret not watching it earlier. genuinely a hidden gem!

tldr: real romance. super pretty. got me smiling. painting together is more romantic than flirting!

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It's Okay, That's Love (2014)

A veteran cast join together to present a very mature, authentic, and emotional experience that give viewers a look into lives that aren't all peaches and cream.

A sound script delivered by convincing characters. The presentation and production values are fine, though maybe a little dated--- such as the cinematography. Great OST. Story-wise, the only thing I would probably nitpick at is how the psychological plot is handled at times. It's a little too TV dramatized/convenient for my liking.

Regardless, I appreciate the show reflecting the many aspects of interpersonal relationships. The cast's relationships with one another is at the forefront with nothing to hide. The positives, the negatives, the ups and downs, the madness all around. A testament to the real world where we all have our secrets that we harbor yet still knowing that it's okay to ask for help from those around you because, well, that's love.

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female lead too stone cold male lead melting her heart?

The reviews gave me false hope! I hated this drama so boring! Not sure if its because the leads have no chemistry what so ever or the storyline. The storyline is the least interesting about in person translation verses AI translation.
The female lead had such a harsh childhood which makes her character pretty stone cold, logical and strive to perform her best. She is definitely not a super lovable character but she will get the work done. Male lead just seems to be not over the female lead, they broke up 8 years ago. The male lead is the CEO of a company thats working on AI translating devices.

This type of drama is hard to make interesting.... The character's story was all pretty boring. The background music is pretty good but the rest is skip. I dont ship the leads at all , just no chemistry or passion. I'm not sure if its the actress itself. I've seen her so many times just looking cold.

I would love to see Victoria look more feminine of even with a different hairstyle or make up . In her recent drama she looks pretty much the same.

Not to mention I couldnt stand the male lead side burns they are way too long

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I binged! So glad I decided to wait until all eps were out!

I had so much fun with this story! It was really cute. It made my short list of bingeable series. It would have benefitted from airing without momentum breaks I’m pretty sure. I thought the main couple was just too cute for words. I also thought the dogs were SO CUTE, especially FL’s dog form. I’m a millenial and grew up on a show called Wishbone where a jack russel terrier solves cases and has the cutest little outfits. This series gave me shades of that. 14 eps was just the right length for this story. Maybe it could have even been 13 or 12 but definitely 16 would have overdone it. I really enjoyed the overall cast and their side stories. Eunwoo is as swoonworthy as ever and delivers some of the best kdrama kisses I’ve ever seen OMG *fans self*. Spoiler alert ***HE USES TONGUE***. He’s coming along nicely in his development and I’m looking forward to his future projects.

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My new favorite Thai BL

This show was amazing. An absolute beautiful masterpiece storyline and concept. I feel like the ending was a little rushed, but I think the rest of the story makes up for it. The progress from the beginning to the end of the story is very good. The way Jimmy perfectly depicted P’Mhok changing for his love for Day. Day also acted well as being disabled. Although the series had some depressing parts, it really contributed to the storyline. JimmySea underrated kings rise again! I definitely recommend this series to people who are looking for series with many emotions engraved in it!

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funny and well acted

I had a lot of fun watching this show. The story was nice, the script interesting as weightlifting is not sucha a popular sport dyscypline. Background knowledge on sports is sth I am curious about and it Goes for many other like soccer or baseball. the main plus is for the FL and ML very well chemistry and good acting. The comedy scenes were so good and they are the hardest to act well. I am jot suprised that both actors were to be set in new main cast roles in new dramas. Both deserved the investment in their talent to grow in new projects. Wish the can meeting on another show together.

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Good if it had half the episodes - Saengthian is the reason I'm giving it a 7

I won't waste much time doing a lengthy review, I'm just here sharing my 2 cents.

Saengthian and the brothers relationship is the only thing that made me unable to give it lower than a 7/10 (actually a 6.8 but oh well). Saengthian turned out to be my favorite character in this series, even if I found him a bit childish in the beginning.

Good start but what happened in the last few episodes??? characters changing personality completely, tons of stuff left unexplained, bad choice of narrative - what directing was that?

I actually really liked it at the beginning and questioned the rating in here but I get it now. So much potential lost!? There were some beautiful shots along the way but overall I could blame the directing for most of my issues with this show. The random cuts here and there, the amount of plot holes/missing scenes, the weirdest camera angles at times, the instructions given to the actors during certain scenes (episode 10 I'm looking at you), etc.

Oh and don't even get me started on the writing. What the hell was this universe? Setting rules and set truths just to break them with no explanation? I started watching this show because it has the same screenwriters as My Ride The Series - which is a very beloved series of mine, especially when it comes to character likeability. However, I feel disappointed.

Also, the Saengtai in the show synopsis, "the man who dislikes strangers and talking to people unnecessarily" is advertised at the beginning but never makes an appearance. If he dislikes strangers and talking to people unnecessarily so much, how come everyone and their mother becomes his friend? How come he immediately gets along with Lomfon or Nara? With Nara, they even comment on it, as if that didn't happen with every single one of the other characters. If you're going to try and create an introverted character with leftover trauma and rarely goes out - then make it believable. Saengtai, who dislikes strangers, doesn't like working at the office but spends his day in a bustling coffee shop instead? He, who dislikes going out, is rarely seen at home during the day? Come on T-T

When finishing episode 6 I was wondering what they would do to fill up 12 episodes - for me the series could've ended with 6 or 7. If the show ended without the amount of things happening starting from ep 7, I would've given it a higher rating.
I'm sorry, but I can't make myself forgive the mess the last 5 episodes were. 6.8 is already too high for this show if I were to focus on those - but I'm focusing on the good moments this series actually has - like Saengtai and Saengthian's brotherhood, Dream's friendship, Nara's maturity, Bow's concern, etc. I'm not gonna lie, though reluctant to keep watching in between ep 8 and 9, then after ep 10, I still kept coming back and I was hooked every single time.

Overall, if you don't know what to watch to pass time, you can watch this one. But if you have a ton of better things to watch, I would not make this a priority.

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