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I have watched most of the BL dramas out there by now and this is on top of my list. I watched the entire drama multiple times and stand by my review every time I watch. What I loved 1. This is a unique story, there are only a handful of reincarnation stories out there. The chances of such a plot ending up sounding unbelievable and silly was high, but this drama handled it beautifully. 2. The actors. I have never seen a drama before where every actor did their best. Always there will be some side character who seem boring or unnecessary. Everyone was on point and delivered the right emotion every time. 3. Music - This single handily will win over the audience. The lyrics are deep, personal and resonates with the pain of the past and the hope for the future. What I did not like - There were editing issues in multiple episodes, some of them were corrected in youtube version and none of them were bad enough to put one off the series. Overall a must watch Cet avis était-il utile?
Pharm and Dean are MEANT TO BE so end up together despite the fact that Pharm does little but cook, cry and look incredibly conflicted for someone who's supposedly in love. Ohm is a plank of wood as Dean and Earth's acting, as usual, makes me want to punch him.
I mostly enjoy the show's tone of anti-climax in terms of its conflict. The reincarnation is the only point of conflict and, honestly, that is somewhat refreshing. But there comes a point at which the whole thing is just spinning its wheels. They could have spent that time establishing Pharm and Dean's relationship in the present but instead it's just shallow INSTA!love that quickly wears thin.
As the show progresses, Pharm's response to his so-called epic destined love gets more and more weird, until the whole thing starts to come off as non-consensual. It's deeply uncomfortable and doesn't get better but worse over time.
With the extension, the show got even slower and had to jettison screentime for several characters who were no doubt contracted only for the original run. This served to make the whole thing even more boring and forced the writers to take the show in a direction that completely undercut what was left of its own themes.
With the pacing off and an OTP you struggle to ship, this is not the show it could have been and is overall a boring disappointment.
As usual, this comment comes with a disclaimer that I am not the audience shows like this are aimed at.
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1Until I Rewatch This Again
UWMA is a flawed drama but when it comes to personal enjoyment I want to give it 11/10 and it wouldn’t be enough: An essay. Contains TL;DR. Perhaps light spoilers.Note: I haven’t read the novel yet so these are my opinions based solely on the drama. I’m also trying to be objective but know that I love the show a bit too much.
Do you ever watch a drama and think “man, I cannot believe this drama was made solely for me”? cause I felt like this while watching UWMA.
Admittedly, it is not a perfect drama – it would definitely benefit from having less episodes – 17 (basically 18) was indeed a bit too much. Making it 14/15 episodes would definitely please people who weren’t into the drama same way I am and it would make the storytelling more dynamic because the slowburn felt way too slow in the middle of the story. I personally don’t see it as a major flaw – considering this type of storytelling was present throughout the whole series it is obvious it was a deliberate choice and not accidental and I actually didn’t mind it at all (but I can see it why it could be annoying for others). The drama would also profit from having more dialogues and/or less “blank space” which seemed to occur in many scenes. Stuff was just not happening at all sometimes. On the other hand, this (little dialogues, slow pace) created a very calming and comfortable atmosphere.
= STORY =
The story itself has amazing premise but somehow, the execution on a scriptwriter’s/directors’s side seems lacking. In general, the story lacks big external conflict – I can imagine that in novel everything happens on the “inside” which leads to visually low-dynamic story that is hard to transfer to the tv show. There were not enough dialogues and actors can convey only this much emotions through their expressions. We know that characters are having great internal debates but inner speech is not shown though voiceover often enough which is a pity. Sometimes, the scenes were a bit too long. Storytelling was also sometimes a bit off – for example, based on what we have seen in the drama, KornIn had pretty comfy relationship with only few reasons to commit suicide – the drama showed them snuggling, kissing outside, playing outside… I’m aware that reality was different and they did experience hardship behind the scenes and what we saw were supposed to be a cherry-picked moments, but really, I think the suicide deserves stronger juxtaposition and build-up (even retrospectively).
While I have my comments on the execution of the story, I must admit that they are not actually deal-breaking flaws for me. Annoying – yes. Would I want to see some scenes done differently? – yes. Do I want to see something else? Also yes. But I still rewatched so many scenes. I think the case with the story is – the novel is a pretty standard soulmates AU which means there were not many reasons to go for some totally new plots and I don’t really see that as a flaw.
Ultimately, what I really loved is the focus on the main couple. Usually, in BL dramas we get a lots of struggles and only few snuggles but UWMA made it other way around. Also, the focus was solely on DeanPharm either in past or in present. No forced secondary couples you don’t care about which I loved as well.
Anyways, contrary to popular complaint – I liked the cooking scenes – it helped develop Pharms character besides the fact that hes In and also Deans BF.
What I also liked are the parallel/contrasting situations/scenes between KornIn and DeanPharm relationhips. And in general – I absolutely adored KornIn and DeanPharm. They were so soft, cute, loving, supportive, trusting, playful… I find it refreshing to see these healthy relationships being the main focus of the drama. DeanPharm do lack communication just like any other main couple in drama ever (this time one of possible excuses can be magic behind reincarnation) but when it comes to the physical stuff, they are actually consensual and have established boundaries.
Plus, the final episode was great – maybe it is a bit pity its story didn’t happen earlier – the ending felt a little rushed. But it solidified this drama on the top of my BL faves.
= ACTING/CHEMISTRY =
I see acting as the strongest aspect of the drama. Thanks to solid to great acting performances most of the flaws were evened out for me. Casting of main leads was done so well – both Ohm-Kao and Fluke-Earth are able to project similar energy while having their own personal color just like their characters do.
Fluke and Earth managed to carry this show with their performances to new heights. Ohm and Kao weren’t bad (actually, Ohm got better and better throughout the series and by the end I really enjoyed him. With Kao it was a bit obvious this is his debut role) but considering the nature of their characters, their job was mostly glare menacingly at everyone except their partners and be handsome. Fluke was great. No wonder he is one of the most acclaimed BL actors. That boy can cry and is not afraid to look ugly! And Earth is so damn sweet. Honestly my favourite BL actor atm. I also love the fact they got several accomplished veteran actors to act in this drama. I feel like thanks to them many tense scenes went so well and they made the story more multidimensional.
Personally, I don’t stand behind the decision of having casted LBC actors in minor roles, though. One or two maybe, but casting so many of them took my attention to things that werent really supposed to be noted. Oh and wth? I realized too late that Del is played by Pineare aka Yuri from Lovesick! She’s all grown up now!!
Anyways, back to the topic. The chemistry was on point. Personally I love KornIn scenes a bit more but it might be because their moments are so soft (and I like Earth. Did I mention that I like Earth?). Their beach scene (ep 8 – 4/4) is going to be one of the most legendary scenes in history of BLs and can be rivalled only by KornIn laying in bedroom (ep 10 – 1/5) and In being sick (15 – 2/4). (Okay, I might be overreacting a little now.) Of course, KaoEarth had as actors easier position considering their characters didn’t go through major trauma (yet) and you know… they didn’t have to portray some sort of split personalities like DeanPharm had to. But don’t get me wrong – I loved DeanPharm ship as well. I think they were extraordinary soft, loving and understanding and I loved them nearly as much as KornIn. (And since I named good scenes for previous couple, I should do the same here: Christmas lights scene 11 – 2/4; snuggles 11 – 4/4; Dean comes to terms with the past 9 - 4/4)
I didn’t care for WinTeam couple at all – I didn’t really feel their chemistry and they just felt forced in the grand scheme of things. I honestly don’t understand how someone managed to get attached to WinTeam couple to the point to only watch the drama for them. Same goes for PrukManaow. What was point of that. I get it – Sammy deserves a loveline with a Hot Hunk but honestly, couldn’t they make it feel a bit more organic?
Dick Energy aside – the cast overall had a nice chemistry. The friendships/families were so damn cute.
= MUSIC =
At the beginning of the show I felt like the music – or its use, to be exact - was the major weakness. I remember complaining that background music was too loud and by the end of drama I am not sure if the volume got fixed or I just got used to it. The case still stands though because sometimes, the use of music was unlucky. There are scenes that are void of any dialogue and then, suddenly Boy Sompob or Dome Jaruwat start YELLING acapella to the scene. What a buzzkill.
Other then that, I actually like the ost. The score is beautiful and feels really grandiose at times – especially the orchestra parts where the string instruments join. And I also love Dome’s song. The fact is, however, that considering the length of the series and the fact that the music is used in every “mute” scene (so basically in every scene), there seems to me not enough songs/pieces to not feel repetitive.
= CONCLUSION/TL;DR =
Objectively, the issues of this show lie in the length/pacing of the drama and some storytelling choices while positives are in acting, chemistry, music and general storyline. The tipping point that depends largely on personal preference is the overall atmosphere of the drama which someone might name pretentiously artsy due to coloring choices and slow development while others might call it calming – either it works for you or not.
The drama is not perfect, as I tried to address in this jumbled mess of a text, but in my POV the positives weight much more than the negatives do. UWMA became my most favourite thai BL. Very wholesome, cute, soft and full of warm and fuzzy feelings together with interesting plot that is much different from any other mainstream thai BL and with fantastic acting performances and chemistry.
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Probably not what you're expecting
I have to say this before I start: This show is not for everyoneIt's slow-paced, which to some people may seem dragged out, so if you're someone who likes to get right into the action, this might not be for you.
As a love story centered around reincarnation, this concept was unique at least in the world of BL. Each episode takes you on a rollercoaster of emotions, switching between past to present. There are plenty of sweet and cute moments throughout the show, the characters are fun to watch, and I never felt bored. Like I said, it’s slow paced and probably not for everyone, but to me, it didn’t feel like it was dragging. Most BL dramas tend to get right to the point in order to make room for more romantic moments later in the story, but there are so many factors playing into the development of their relationship, that trying to skip through some of them just wouldn't work. It’s a beautiful story that focuses on not only Dean and Pharm, but every decision that was made in their past lives and them trying to fix all the pain that Korn and In's deaths left behind, and being able to see everything that they go through makes their relationship just extremely satisfying to watch until the end. I also appreciated that Dean and Pharm's relationship wasn't "toxic" like in other BLs. There’s a good sense of communication between the two of them, so most of the conflicts they have are external, which doesn't happen a lot. (I could honestly write about everything I love in this show but it'll be too much)
TLDR; This drama is unlike most BLs, not just because of the reincarnation aspect, but because it could be considered a "slow burn" but doesn't take away from the beauty of the story.
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Cette critique peut contenir des spoilers
I absolutely fell in love with this BL, I couldn't stop watching and was always so eager to watch the next episode straight away. I've been a fan of New's {the director} work since Love By Chance and he hasn't disappointed me with this one. I can now say that 'Until We Meet Again' is one of my top BL's I've seen. I've been reading a lot of reviews and I can see why some people don't like it, this type of drama isn't for everyone. This drama is more slow paced then other BL's out there, so if you want to see the couple together straight away, this drama isn't for you. Even though the two characters have the connection before meeting each other because of their former selves, In and Korn..... which could see them moving fast but they don't act on anything until like 6 episodes in. That is one out of many many I ave seen.THE STORY
I usually go into these drama's blind as I don't read the novels beforehand, but I thought the story was really unique and intrigued me straight away. There aren't that many reincarnation stories out there so I was really interested in what the cast, director and everyone else who worked on this drama could do with this plot and it turned out as I hoped. I absolutely loved the use of "The Red Thread Of Fate," it tied well with the concept of the story and helped build it up more. It gave the viewer more incite and knowledge that Dean and Pharm are supposed to be together..... by fate. It's another unique aspect of the story that kept me watching on to see how well they incorporated the red thread throughout the drama.
THE ACTING/CAST
I decided to check this drama out because I saw Fluke as one of the main leads, and instantly thought this must be good. In my opinion I thought he suited the role of Pharm, I believe he has a lot of things in common and have a similar personality with this character which could possibly help him know more about this role so he can act to his best abilities to portray this character to make him feel more real.
While I watched it for Fluke, I was also really impressed by everyone else as well but Earth and Nine caught my attention a lot. There acting seemed real and I could feel their chemistry oozing off them through the screen. It felt like they were actually a couple, those two overall impressed me. Especially the suicide scene, which would've been hard to act out as it's such an intense, series and important part of the story.
I also loved the side couple, Win and Team. I wished they showed more of their relationship being formed, I just needed more from them. Like this couple just happened out of nowhere, making it a bit confusing but still love them anyway. I would love for them to have a series like some other BLs are doing, I'd be first in line to watch.
OVERALL
Overall the drama was put together well. I enjoyed watching every minute of it and every episode kept me wanting more. I gave it a 9.5 rating instead of a 10 because I thought it needed to be more dramatic in some parts and that some scenes did drag on a little bit while others were cut short. Other then that I loved it. I do recommend this drama for people who love heartwarming sad dramas. I'd definitely rewatch again and again, not many dramas have this much of an impact on me.
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Cette critique peut contenir des spoilers
The Best of The Best Wrapped in a Red Ribbon
Watch this show. Let me repeat that again, WATCH THIS SHOW. Give it love, because it's amazing. I don't even know where to begin with this. I guess the plot? So "Until We Meet Again" has a really interesting premise, super sad and sweet rolled into 1. It comes from the same director of "Love by Chance" which totally makes sense. I thought this was literally an LBC reunion show for a second because we literally see 3 actors from it, like Perth whose acting in this was short but really really powerful. That guy has some major chops and had me heartbroken. Wanted to throw in BISEXUALITY VISIBILITY YES and its upfront, FINALLY! And a safe sex discussion, hell yeah!I loved the LBC series as well, but this one took the cake. I have never seen a drama series with 3 couples that I equally loved! First and foremost, this show deals with very dark themes. Like suicide, abuse, mourning and depression, etc. So be prepared for that, because it gets very heavy. I ugly cried many times throughout this, especially with the final 2 episodes. Going onto specificites, I loved the incorporation of the gun shot wounds on both Pharm and Dean. Also the other parallels with the cooking and confidence changes, we (the viewers) got to see two different perspectives and that was awesome. In and Korn's characters were just as interesting as Pharm and Dean. Both relationships were so healthy, no crap and all preciousness. Seriously I would die for In and Korn, ugh we love them and wanted better for them. In became my favorite character, he had this ferocity to him and tenderness too whenever he was on screen. I adore that actor (Earth). Korn (Kao) was a really interesting and tragic character. He actually was kind of the catalyst for all of the events to come and you feel for him deeply but also become frustrated with him. Not in a bad way, but in the way you should as a viewer intentionally! I was also shocked that the series dove into topics like Korn's depression and the repercussions of not only the families grieving over In and his death then and years later, but also In having to watch his love kill himself before him. That came up and I'm so glad it did, because it made for a damn heartbreaking scene with Pharm later on that had me ugly crying. Like that entire sequence with Pharm and the gun was one of the best tv emotional acting I've ever seen, bravo to the actor portraying Pharm (Fluke) because damn I was shook. Also doing things for the past selves of In and Korn while also trying to maintain Pharm and Deans self in the present and having individual identity, as well as the relationship between them being there's and not just influenced. Damn dude so many layers.
The only plot devices that I would've tweaked or changed was saving the reveal of the Romeo-Juliet esque suicide until more towards the end instead of right at the beginning. Have it be more of a twist and knife to the heart revelation! We could've learned with Pharm and Dean by piecing it together with the flashbacks and the red-string reveal. Also I wish the past time was signified more with the clothing choices (since its set in the 70s) and even the film gradient so we can tell immediately when were in the past other than seeing certain characters. The switching of the families in the next lives was a little confusing and concerning at first, but since we're dealing with reincarnation it's not that deep I guess. The best parts of this series are the first half and last half, some of the middle episodes dragged on too long and the scenes didn't need to be as long as they were. But I also understand that the director wanted to capture more genuine emotions. I also wanted Alyx's character to stick around longer, he kinda disappears and though I didn't want him to continue trying to get Pharm I wanted to see his relationship with Del blossom. Also Mean is just gorgeous so...there's that. Finally, I wanted more screen time with Win (whose also really attractive btw, those tats and piercings though) and Team. I loved them too as a pairing, though apparently they are getting their own series so....there's that!
This review is long I know, but there's so much to discuss. First of all, any scene with In & Korn was perfectly done in pacing, acting and emotion period. Moving on lol, some of the other things/scenes that I really loved were the first face-to-face meeting of Pharm and Dean's. Pharms crying got me though, Many emotions all around from his overly expressive eyes. The scene with Pharm struggling to breathe in bed after a dream, very well acted and heartbreaking. As well as the aforementioned gun scene towards the end. Also the first kiss was AMAZING with the cute curtain moment. Dean's actor (Ohm) did a good job with portraying softness around Pharm, while maining a distance from others. The swimming side of Dean was cool to watch, made me think of the anime "Free!" lol. One random thing I noticed was the choice of having the actors (ie. Pharm and Dean) in the same room basically acting out the text message exchange early on rather than just showing them on the screen with voiceover like normally done. I really really liked that and it was smart and way more interesting to watch as a first legit interaction. Cool artistic choice! The show also has a really nice orchestral soundtrack which I fell in love with and downloaded.
Well shot. Really well acted. Heartbreaking while also endearing, wrapped up in a red bow. Slam dunk that hit different than other series I've watched. I'll leave off with 2 quotes from the show that I enjoyed.
"You might like something that is not similar to others. But that doesn't make you different from everyone else. Your life belongs to you."
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"If the past memories come back to me. I will choose to remember the good ones. So there will be only the beauty of tomorrow."
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Each week I found myself getting so wrapped up in the warmth and genuine devotion of these love stories, finding myself getting lost in the small, quiet moments where everything the characters felt was being conveyed simply through eye contact or expressions, and feeling my heart either beating faster or breaking a little with each declaration of love, or display of affection, and now that its over, my heart aches a little in its absence.
This series has received more than its fair share of criticisms, primarily for its pacing or its characterisation, and whilst I understand those criticisms to a very small degree, I think a show that gives itself room to breathe is something that should be celebrated. I felt that I could live in each moment with these characters, that I could imagine every thought running through their heads, and those moments of silence made my heart soar, simply because they felt real.
This is less of a review and more of my personal love letter to Until We Meet Again, because I am so thankful that this show exists, and thankful to each and every cast and crew member that put their all in to bringing something so beautiful and heartfelt to our screens. Please, give this show a chance.
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Cette critique peut contenir des spoilers
Honest review and why I gave it a 10/10
Honestly, at first I didn’t know why people were talking so much about this.. crying about this show and talking so much about the cast. At first I was very confused, as soon as I continued watching the show I understood everything and clearly got obsessed with it. The drama is well written and it’s genius !! Even if I cried a lot this is definitely in my top 3 favorite shows, ohmfluke had an amazing chemistry along the whole show and so did kaoearth. I enjoyed every second of this show and clearly got obsessed with the whole cast. If anyone is new too bl I would clearly recommend this show as it shows different styles in one show. Let’s not forget bounprem I would wish too see more moments with them but I’m not mad !! I really enjoyed this show, the ost is amazing and everything is perfect.Cet avis était-il utile?
Unique story concept and a casual watch!
I watched Until We Meet Again (UWMA) last year, and I remember how emotionally invested I was in this show. It was sad, heartwarming, cute and funny. Compared to other BL's released during the same year as this series, this show was undoubtedly the best of the best BL series productions in decades. The character development and the story development are slow-paced yet very intriguing! Some people might hate this aspect, but others might enjoy the thrill of it! I loved how the story unwrapped itself perfectly by the end. The casting selection, chemistry and acting were excellent. Must watch and give it a try! If you don't like the fantasy, soulmate and destiny genres, maybe this show is not for you! But for those who do, watch it! Highly recommend. (Also, I teared up so much watching this show).Cet avis était-il utile?
Their dynamic as a couple is so darn cute and refreshing. Dean’s overwhelming and unfaltering love for Pharm leaves you giggling into your hands while Pharm’s gentle and shy persona makes you want to root for him every step of the way. They showcased such a healthy and well-balanced relationship that is so rare to see in dramas these days. This drama is a true gem and totally worth watching if you want a sweet & slow-burn romance.
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But for me what really let this drama down was the script. The story ended up being quite repetitive and there was so so much crying that I started to feel nothing when Pharm cried, Fluke can cry really well, but it loses its power if it happens constantly. The story started to get a little too ridiculous and soap operaish that I had to roll my eyes a couple times. And the pacing in the final episode was a bit too slow, for example we had their families crying for 7 whole minutes, just crying FOR 7 MINUTES!
That being said I do think this drama is special , the majority of the time it was a lovely relaxing watch and early on I did really connect and care about the characters, I just lost that connection the more repetitive and out there the story got. It is really similar to what I read of the book which I couldn't finish though, so maybe this story was never one I was going to love. But I think certain aspects of this show were lovely and it’s definitely a move in the right direction for BL dramas, they’re getting more money, creativity and time put into them.
So as I said I do think New is getting better and better and it’s so cool to see his journey as a creator from Make It Right, to Love By Chance and now this, it makes me excited to see what he’ll do next because I know it’ll be even better than this, just please not so much crying next time...
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In reverse of Studio Wabi Sabi's other longer web drama Love By Chance, I found the main plot of this show almost unbearable. The chemistry between Fluke and Ohm was almost non existent. I don't know if they were instructed to act that awkward or if they really didn't have chemistry, but it was really not enjoyable. They have that bland BL couple vibe where one is the strong cool one and the other is a weak flower who cooks. It made it really hard for me to enjoy the biggest part of the show because I didn't really want to root for the main couple. Also, the insta-love that they had was boring and bland! I understand they had a "connection" because of the reincarnation but it was so unbelievable.
I found that the side plot of this show was the best part of the whole thing. The dynamic between Team and Win is fantastic! They have a playful flirty dynamic that is almost never seen in BL (they're always so serious). Their chemistry is really good and natural. In real life Prem and Boun spend a lot of time together and will actually act in another drama together this year, but you can tell that they have a good relationship in real life because it translates really well over to their story. Their pacing was more realistic and allowed them to really build a relationship. Unfortunately their plot line was mainly used for advertising and comedic relief. I'm really hoping for a season 2 where we focus on Team and Win's storyline now that Dean and Pharm's story has wrapped up.
In terms of production and everything, I'm kinda disappointed. First off the music and sound team should be fired. Why the fuck did half the scenes have repetitive, loud music blaring over top the dialogue. I could barely understand what they were saying at some points because the music was so obnoxious. The terrible music almost made me drop the show. On top of the atrocious soundtrack, we had an oppressive amount of ads in the show. From product placement, to name dropping this show was like the damn shopping channel. It honestly took away from the show at some points. I understand you gotta pay for this shit somehow but please, this was ridiculous.
After watching the last episode I was so disappointed because this was such a good idea and it could have been done really well but the insta-love between the characters and the way the show dragged on crushed any momentum they had in the beginning of the story. Their best plots were between two dead characters and the side pairing so it made for a fairly tedious watch. I recommend it to anyone who just likes fluffy BL stuff that sounds like its straight off of wattpad. If you loved this drama hell yeah, speak your truth. It just was not my cup of tea.
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