Until We Meet Again (2019)

It missed the mark on so many levels :(

The Bad:
The script was terrible!
Pharm cries too much!
Please don’t say P Dean again!
Team Win we’re definitely more interesting even though they didn’t have any lines!

The Good:
The cast was really good and I think they all acted very well.
I enjoyed the opening song.

Overall: I wouldn’t recommend this drama :(
I enjoyed the first episodes but from 7-17 they were painful to watch. First time I had to skip so many parts cause it was all too much of the same.

The ending was cute though.

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This show drives me crazy because there are moments of cuteness, sweetness, and fun scattered throughout one of the most poorly paced stories I have ever watched. UPDATE: As of episode 16, I've revised my rating way downward. Parm's motives and emotions make zero sense and come out of nowhere. Everything below still stands; just that as of this episode, the cons have tipped seriously over the pros.

The TL/DR is: There's a core of a good story and some fun characters here. Watch it if you love BL, if you love any of the actors or the novel, but if there was ever a show to make use of the fast speed or preview functions, it was this one.

Now for the full pacing rant:

It's mainly a directing issue. The director is in love with slow motion, to the point where sometimes I watch on double speed and the only way you can tell it's not normal speed is because of the music. There are long, long long long....
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pauses that don't make sense. There are scenes that have extended periods with no plot or character development, just people unpacking groceries or doing their regular stuff. Which *could* be used to great effect if we were getting insights into our characters or hints about the story, but no. They're just unpacking the porridge or walking into the room where the action is going to happen, or looking across the cafeteria before the action happens or whatever.

Other than the pacing, the biggest frustration is the character of Pharm. I'm not sure if it's partially an acting issue because I haven't seen him in other stuff, but it is definitely also a writing and directing issue.

Pharm starts out cute and sweet... he's shy but also a good friend, likes to cook, and is generous. He crushes on Dean and finds it confusing, and he has these scary dreams and memories.

So far, so good. Except as the show wears on, he's basically always either experiencing excruciating shyness or crying. He cries constantly, and the director is fond of slo-moing or holding those moments for horribly extended amounts of time without developing any actual feelings or plot.

By episode 15, the relationship with Dean has gone from cute and sweet to deeply uncomfortable, because Pharm never seems into it. Every time Dean touches him or flirts with him (moments that *ought* to be the lifeblood of the show), Pharm screetches and hits him and says "no!" or "p'Dean!!!!" It seems like we're supposed to be seeing him shy, but since we never see actual desire or much in the way of enjoyment, it at first is super confusing: like, does Pharm actually like Dean? Is he okay with Dean but confused about his sexuality? Does he like Dean but not want to be with Dean? Is he confused about the relationship between Dean and the guy in his dreams? None of these questions are answered because there's almost no dialog addressing them and the direction (or possibly acting) means we can't tell Pharm's feelings beyond "I'm scared!" "I'm sad!" "I'm uncomfortable!"

As the show goes on and the relationship becomes closer, the fact that none of these important questions about how Pharm feels makes it more and more uncomfortable when Pharm is pushing Dean away or asking him to stop. It feels like whatever his feelings are, he's clearly *not ready* for what Dean wants, and it's getting less and less fun to watch them.

There's a wealth of side characters who could be used to help round out the show and let the director rely less on agonizingly long shots where nothing happens and more on fun interactions. Pharm's friends Manow and Team are great; their interactions tend to be fun, the actors have a good chemistry. Manow's love line was hinted in an early episode but as of ep 15 hasn't been touched again. Team and Win have a tiny but sizzling secondary couple thing going on that could easily have been given a touch more time without having to have the relationship develop faster. The pace of their relationship is totally fine and wouldn't have been challenged by, say, an extra 4 minutes per episode taken out of all the non-development moments. Less time on Pharm and Dean might have pushed the writer and director to make more of their moments together as well (I think that Team/Win and Korn/In are both more interesting in part because they had less screen time and so more had to be done with their characters... although Korn/In's story does drag at points as well.)

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I started this series because of the whole reincarnation thingy which is absolutely intriguing. It was good though I must admit how Pharm and Dean got together is a bit too easy for me (I would imagine more confusion and denial would be more appropriate), I enjoyed their cuteness together. Their past selves, not so much but Korn is so hot I forget myself. It would also be great if they developed Team and Win's relationship more than just product endorsements. Overall, it was a great show though I found the ending a bit forced in the absence of a strong solid conflict.

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Amazing!!!

Story
The story was so good. It was so well thought out and I just absolutely loved it. The connection between them with the family and the emotion was so well written. I am so excited to see Between Us when it comes out with even more chemistry.

Acting/Cast
The acting especially from Fluke was...unable to put into words the first time and even when I really get into now I get emotional. It draws out so much sympathy and hurt from your heart. The cast also amazing I really feel that Ohm/Earth and Fluke/Cooheart give off the same vibe with each other. It was so great with the chemistry for each other. The was Ohm and Fluke looked at each other melted my heart.

Music
The OST gives me much sadness as it reminds me of the saddest parts in the show but at the same time I can almost feel encouragement from it. It so beautiful.

Overall
PLEASE WATCH

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Something different, I liked it, others may not.

I have watched most of the popular BL Thai Dramas and I must say this one is absolutely one of my favourites. Not only compared to other BL Dramas but Dramas in general.

The story/ plot was something new and every time I started to get a bit „bored“ the Drama delivered another twist right on time. This one hit me in the feelings at times so hard that I had to pause to get myself together before I could continue watching.

Also huge respect to all the actors who did a remarkable job conveying the feelings of the characters. The fact that the story doesn’t put all that much effort into ‘establishing’ the relationship between Dean and Farm, for me did not matter at all, since the backstory to me is enough reason to believe that they should be together.

You will definitely not regret watching this! However if you are bad at dealing with sadness in Dramas then maybe this one is not for you. I suggest trying the beginning of the first episode, which is already quite heavy. If that is too much for you maybe consider sitting this one out.

I edited this from 10 to 9 stars since I am currently rewatching it and there are some parts that on the second watch are not that convincing anymore. There are some scenes that are a little draggy, and Pharms personality or let’s say the way he acts around Dean becomes a bit annoying around the middle. However, I still stick with this being a Series worth the watch, especially since the first impression really got me hooked.

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Best BL every. Amazing love story, deep, sad, romantic and yes, a happy ending

I can't believe how much I've cried watching this series. Kinda reminds me of the tears I shed when watching Goblin (Korean drama).

From all the dramas recommended, I've never come across Until We Meet Again. I saw it during a random search of bl dramas on google and by far this is the best I've ever watched. Better than Manner of Death (who knew).

The story line alone is just captivating and it tackles what gay people go through everyday. It's high time the society becomes more welcoming. (Enough, I shouldn't go into this).

Pharm's role was the hardest. It involved a lot of emotional scenes and he was able to pull it off. I mean, I felt him and each time he cried I cried as well, or got really sad. The last episode when he met Korn's dad, his emotional turmoil, I died! I cannot imagine someone else acting this role. Plus his small body was in sync with Dean's ;)
Dean on the other hand, oh my! Gorgeous. gorgeous, gorgeous to begin with and great acting. Having to be tough and emotional is hard and he pulled it off and he was also a great support pillar for Pharm. I love how he would console him when he cried and how he was not freaked out by it (esp the first time they met at the supermarket) but would wipe his tears away.
These two had the best chemistry. The way they would stare at each other, the world froze for real. Just watching them together gave me goosebumps. Did I say I love Pharm's smile? There you go! It's contagious

Team and Win - (I love Win's tattoos (it's a pity if they're fake), his smile, his body, his hair, his face …) had amazing chemistry. It's not enough though for them to be the main leads in a drama but it blended well with this drama and kinda made us recover from Dean and Pharm's emotional torture (to me of course. Time to wipe my tears and blow my nose :))

Overall, I'm happy it had a happy ending. They deserved a happy ending and I'm happy their parents were not against their relationship. Korn's and In's dads were enough.

I'd give a 10/10 to this writer and also 10/10 to the cast. They did not disappoint.
The music made me cry even more. Well suited for this drama.

I would watch this drama repeatedly and not skip a single episode.

Ps. It had few raunchy scenes (God knows how much I love those) but what was there is enough.

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IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN WATCHING THIS DRAMA PLEASE BE CAREFUL OF TRIGGER WARNINGS!!

I love the idea of soulmates and re-incarnation, especially stuff with the red string of fate. The storyline has dark aspects but they add to the overall story, without becoming too over the top.
The mix of the main ship (Dean and Pharm) and the characters in their past life (Korn and Intouch) is executed really well. I never felt confused about which timeline we were in.
Five minutes in and I was already crying. It has a very dramatic but very interesting start which pulls you in.
The OST was amazing. Pharm and Dean's first face to face meeting with the music in the background made my cry. Then they started the flashbacks of Korn and Intouch and I completely lost it.
The side couple of Win and Team is also done really well, even with the limited screentime that they had. (So glad that they are getting their own series).
Fluke plays Pharm and is just amazing. He cries a bit in the series and all of these scenes are done really well. Earth (plays Intouch) was also amazing and the gun scene... made me feel things.
There was very blatant advertising throughout the series, but it wasn't that difficult to ignore it.
In terms of sexual scenes, there are not that many and they move away from them quite quickly, so if you are like me and are not very interested in those scenes, it's ok.
One final thing. The food. Thai desserts play a big role in the drama and just looking at them made me hungry so have snacks ready!

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I cried all the time, but it was worth it!

I was not convinced that I wanted to see this evening. The incipit seemed too dramatic to me and I prefer the more relaxing and romantic stories. But, hey, this series is so awesome! I couldn't get off the screen for two days. Each episode was really well written and I always wanted to know how the story unfolded.

The subject of reincarnation has been treated well. The theme of acceptance of homosexuality and love between two people of the same sex also had its space, from episode to episode. There was no shortage of funny and cheerful moments, but the dramatic ones ... I cried so much! This series got me excited in every single moment. The actors are really good and they manage to involve in every scene.

This series deserves to be seen!

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amazing

this is the first bl that I've finished and I love it. the story is consistently entertaining and I like how the main couple didn't hate each other at the beginning. its a very cute love story with a very dark and sad underlining.
(this is where spoilers)
I love how Pharm and Dean obviously understand that their relationship is a part of Korn and In's relationship, but they also want the relationship to be about them.
this show holds a special place in my heart for two reasons. 1. it was the first bl that I've finished and 2. the only drama that has given me a literal panic attack. I watched this show because my friend forced me to and im not mad. anyways, if you've read this far that means that you've probably already watched the show so I hope that you enjoyed the show as much as I did!

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Wowza

UWMA serves as the 4th BL that I've ever watched and had surpassed my expectations, quickly becoming my favorite. Even now when I'm on my 69th (haha) BL, UWMA still serves as one of my favorites and has a special place on my top 25 list. Although there are plenty of reviews, I'm dropping in my two cents for anyone willing to read.

Let's dive in.

Production: NIcely done. Not too much to praise them for, seeing as though they did not do much differently than other series, but I will say that the music was beautiful, and still stuck in my head to this day. (STAY WITH ME FOREVER, JUST YOU AND ME FOREVERRRRRRR< OOO OOOOOHHHH!!!) One thing I really truly hate about BLs is the number of ads that play. Usually, every BL has the same products to advertise (those drinks guys, I know you know what I'm talking about), but this one is the first to ever advertise Lays chips, so that was fun.

Story: Although I loved the premise of this series, it fell short in some areas. This is one of those series where you really have to sit down and get focused, cause if you don't, you will be highly confused about what's going on. I can't tell you the amount of times I had to go back and watch scenes to understand who was who's uncle, and who was related to who. Some things felt cringe and a little cliche, but it's a BL and I don't expect more or less.

Acting: beautiful acting done by Fluke. He continued to surpass my expectations each episode. He drove the series to be what it was and was so good at expressing those different emotions. Everyone else did a really good job, others that did an exceptionally good job were Earth, Kao, and Sammy.

COUPLES

Dean and Pharm: 9/10

I loved seeing their dynamic grow larger and larger as each episode went on. I'll tell you that the best thing about this couple is that they weren't forced together by those weird circumstances, and actually had chemistry and loved that was reciprocated, My absolute favorite scene between them was them in the grocery store together. I can never get over that scene. They just looked so in love. And they never dropped that expression that they had around each other. It was so intoxicating to see and I couldn't get enough of them. It was such a poetic romance between the two. There really just wasn't anything I hated about this couple.

FIRST KISS RATING: 13/10 - best first kiss ever. period. There is truly nothing like Pharm and Dean's first kiss, the music, the anticipation, the love, the longevity. ABSOLUTE PERFECTION. Couldn't have asked for anything more. All romance scenes to go from there were just so good.

Win and Team: 7/10

I really did like this couple, but to be completely honest, I can't remember really any of the moments with them. It's been a while since I've seen UWMA and I never rewatch, but from what I can remember, I enjoyed them. They did the Lays chip advertisement which is what I really remember most.

FIRST KISS RATING: 7/10 - Their kiss was cute. Just a quick little peck under the mistletoe. It happened pretty fast, and if you blink you would miss it, but I still haven't seen a mistletoe kiss since then, so it serves as the best mistletoe kiss for now. I don't know how I really feel about the drunken kiss that happened between them during the trip. I didn't love it, but it was whatever I guess.

In and Korn: 9/10

Their relationship was so devastating, but it was real and Earth and Kao did an amazing job. My heart felt so full every time they popped up on the screen. Somewhere in me, I wanted way more of them than we got to see.

FIRST KISS RATING: 10/10 - Beach kisses are the best. It was a beautiful mix between the music, and their story, and their chemistry. Absolutely loved it. All other scenes after was just as magnificent.

RECOMMEND? Mmmm, I wouldn't recommend this BL to first-timers since it is VERY heavy, but if someone wanted a recommendation I would definitely recommend this one.

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When the past is much more interesting that the present

I might be in the minority here, but I really didn’t enjoy the series that much. I did make it through the whole thing, yes, but it was far from being a favorite of mine. I have never been a huge fan of the whole reincarnation concept. The soulmates trope is one I do enjoy though.

Korn & Intouch: Their story is absolutely heartbreaking. Korn seems to be cold and distant, someone who doesn’t really connect with anyone. Which is probably due to his family background. Intouch, on the other hand, is very outgoing and sweet, he tries to befriend everyone around him. Including Korn. The two lived in the time when gay relationships were not accepted, and their family reactions do show that. The two planned to be in each other’s lives forever. And they achieved that in the only way they thought it was possible. I cried so much during the suicide scene. Korn took the lead, but Intouch crying over him and asking him why he did this to him is what broke me. Kao and Earth did incredibly! The cute moments were adorable, and their chemistry is amazing. But it was the heavy and emotional scenes that really made the two of them shine. They really showed so much through their eyes.

Dean & Pharm: I don’t know why, but I didn’t really like the pairing. Dean is either very cold towards everyone or too pushy. There were a few scenes in which his advances were not really appreciated or well paced, and it was obvious they made Pharm uncomfortable. Kudos to Pharm for speaking out about it at some point. I found Pharm too naïve and too childish most of the time. Yeah, it can be cute, but I think it was overdone. I just didn’t really think the two characters are well suited for each other. Dean is someone who can easily trample over Pharm who is too enamored to react. Ohm and Fluke did great in portraying the characters, it’s not them I don’t like, it’s the characters. I do think they had great potential chemistry wise, but I don’t think it was fully shown in the show. The end of their story was very rushed, especially considering the length of the series. I do think that Fluke really shined in the last episode, the emotions he showed were amazing.

The part that I found the messiest was the whole family situation. Dean and Pharm are the reincarnated versions of Korn and Intouch, but they kind of switch the families. So, Dean is born into Intouch’s family while Pharm is born into Korn’s family. I can understand the idea behind it – giving the two families a chance to change the past in the present – but the switch is something I don’t fully get. I think I would prefer if there was not family connection between the past and present lovers. Or if they were born into their original families. That would still give the families a chance to, in a way, undo the past.

To be honest, I really loved Korn and Intouch and I would really love a full series just about them. Even with the ending they had. I found their story much more interesting and intriguing than the story of Dean and Pharm. I don’t blame the actors, it’s the way the series was written and directed, I know that. I just really wasn’t feeling Dean and Pharm as a couple.

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