Cherry Magic Thailand (2023)

A show to be cherished, though it could have used more tension

When I heard there was going to be a Thai adaptation of Cherry Magic, I was wary. The Japanese drama is very dear to my heart.

I have to say I loved the first half of the show up to, and including, the airport episode. There was clearly an importance in contextualizing the overall themes of the show into Thai culture. The visuals were gorgeous, the pacing was excellent. The airport episode is, to me, an act of genius.

I was somewhat disappointed in the second half. To me, personally, it lacked tension. Everything was resolved too neatly, I think. There's a difference between overwrought drama and the lack of it.

The meeting with the parents lacked, to me, some tension, some friction. I know I'm comparing it in my mind to the Japanese version, and to me the movie is excellent at portraying the trials of accepting someone with their truth. That's the epitome of love, and I think the Japanese version did it better.

I do commend the series for going where the Japanese version didn't (or couldn't?): the overt signs of affection, the kisses, the love scene. Cherry Magic seems to be a type of series that doesn't rely on that - but it also doesn't avoid it. So good work on that.

Jinta and Min seemed to have been somewhat sidelined in these later episodes - but I loved their moment at the hotel in the finale. Very special and touching. I could see a special or a short spinoff with these two.

I loved Pai particularly. Rock was lovely, as well as Dujdao. They really nailed it on the casting.

All in all, this was a delight to watch. Kudos to everyone involved. Despite what seemed to me a disappointing second half, this was clearly done with heart and attention, and deserves much praise and needs to be cherished.

Lire davantage

loved this much better than the original

I was super excited to see that there was going to be a remake of Cherry Magic, because unfortunately the original didn't really live up to the hype for me. I hoped that this remake would fix at least some of my issues with the original, and thankfully, it did!

I absolutely love the additions and changes made to the story. The last few episodes especially were so, so sweet--and truly indicate how much this show, and this couple of Karan and Achi, care about communication. The main couple are so tender and kind with each other; their many hugs and moments of hand-holding were genuinely nice to see. Of course I'm glad they kissed as well (one way they deviated from the Japanese LA), but the way they clung to each other was one of my favorite aspects of their relationship. My only complaint I suppose is that sometimes Achi felt a bit too stiff; I couldn't always feel the same level of care and emotion in him that I felt in Karan.

For the second ship, well. I hated Tsuge lmao so I was very pleasantly surprised that Jinta was one of my favorite characters! While I did like Jinta and Min together a lot, I feel like Jinta really shone. He had a lot of character growth and was consistently really funny, really crazy, and a pretty good friend and boyfriend. I was really happy for Min by the end, they seem like a great couple who actually have something to bond over and it was fun to see!

And finally, for Rock and Pai. While their relationship was really cute, I honestly wish it would have stayed just a friendship. However, what we did get with them was adorable so I'm not too mad. I really enjoyed how it seemed like they truly got along well and made each other happy.

Fuck Tanaka though, terrible boss.

Anyway, this show was super fun and sweet, I would definitely suggest giving it a try!

Lire davantage

The chemistry is no joke!!

Meskipun saya adalah penggemar taynew, saya akan lebih merekomendasikan series ini daripada series mereka yang sebelumnya. Mengikuti alur cerita manganya, Adachi digambarkan sebagai sosok yang kikuk namun menggemaskan disaat yang sama, sedangkan Kurosawa digambarkan sebagai Mr. Perfect all rounder (setidaknya begitu saya menggambarkan mereka secara singkat). Kedua sosok yang saya pahami ini terealisasikan dengan baik oleh karakter Achi yang diperaankan oleh New Thitipoom dan Karan yang diperankan oleh Tay Tawan. Mereka berhasil membawakan kemistri yang sesuai untuk sosok yang mereka perankan. Menurut saya, mereka sangat berhasil menunjukkan bagaimana hubungan yang sehat dapatsaling membantu dan menopang satu sama lain beiringan. Di samping alur ceritanya yang memang ringan dan terselip unsur komedi di dalamnya, akting para aktor pendukung lainnya juga tidak kalah dengan pemeran utama. Saya sangat suka penggambaran karakter Jinta (teman Achi) yang menurut saya benar-benar sesuai dengan karakter dari manganya. Selain itu, karakter Pai (Fujisaki) yang ceria juga mencerminkan bagaimana agenda 'shipping' yang sangat manis. Seluruh aktor memiliki kemistri yang baik satu sama lainnya. Untuk lagu yang digunakan di series ini, saya telah mendengarnya berkali kali. Lagu yang dibuat benar-benar merepresentasikan bagaimana ini pikiran Achi dan Karan dari POV mereka masing-masing.

Jadi, kesimpulannya adalah series ini sangat saya rekomendasikan untuk ditonton, terlepas dari apakah Anda adalah seorang penggemar dari aktor yang terlibat atau bukan. Selamat menyaksikan, semoga Anda mendapatkan pengalaman menonton yang menyenangkan melalui series ini seperti yang saya rasakan 🥰

Lire davantage

The best magic series

Sebuah penantian karya taynew yang di tunggu-tunggu fans nya, setelah 4 tahun rehat tanpa series bl bersama, taynew kembali memain series bl dengan genre fiksi
Series ini bercerita tentang achi yg berulang tahun ke 30, dengan umurnya yg 30 dan masih perjaka dia tiba-tiba memiliki kekuatan yg bisa mendengar pikiran orang yang di sentuhnya
Dari kekuatan ini dia mengetahui karan teman sekantornya yang terkenal perfect dan di senangi banyak wanita itu menaruh hati padanya
Series ini termasuk series yang ringan dan dapat di nikmati banyak orang, cerita nya yg di kemas manis dan pemilihan tepat untuk karakter-karakter pemainnya, akan membawa penonton dapat ikut merasakan rasa senang,sedih,bahagia

Selain itu untuk series ini soundtrack ost akan di isi oleh tay new, ada 3 lagu, love is magic by new thitipoom, love within by tay tawan, loudest of love by taynew

Series ini juga memiliki 2 couple lain yaitu singjanhae dan markjunior yang memiliki scene tidak kalah manis dengan taynew

Silahkan mencoba untuk menonton series terbaru taynew yg di jamin akan membuat anda senyum-senyum sendiri melihat peran mereka

Lire davantage

Thoughts

I LOVED the original cherry magic so it’s no surprise that this version is amazing too!! However as much as i like this series the second couple are just so boring (this was the same in the original) so I normally skip them BUT the actors are really good it’s just there story line is kinda cringe..
THE FIRST LEADS ON THE OTHER HAND OMG WHAT A COMEBACK ON THIS SHIP🥹🙏
I love the chemistry and omg when the pen said achis heart rate I literally screamed THEIR SO CUTE TOGETHER! I like how it’s different from the Japanese series’s too because it makes it more interesting and still a new concept rather then just copying

Lire davantage

pure romance with a heart of gold

I don't usually pick up titles like this, preferring my dramas to have a little bit more bite than Cherry Magic. That said, I'm glad I didn't give up on this one when it got dropped from YouTube. In the midst of a very dark seasonal line up of BLs, Cherry Magic was perfectly posed to offer a sweet, charming romance that makes you smile.

-The Full Review-

STORY:
At it's strongest, Cherry Magic is a wonderful exploration of stable, adult characters facing a multitude of insecurities, lost dreams, and mundane problems. The warmth with which this show explored these themes and allowed the cast to earnestly support each other through their problems was (despite being a little bit soap-boxy) a really wonderful thing to hear. The romances were sweet and genuine, and built lasting relationships that felt earned. It is, for once, easy to know exactly why these character fell for each other.
That said, it was also just a *hair* too long. Some episodes, especially the finale, tended to drag on so long they dipped from warm and romantic to saccharine. Not *every* lesson needed a long narrated monologue about what was learned, as it really cut up the pacing in some episodes. This show really shined when it kept it simple, and I would have appreciated more moments that were allowed to end before reaching that point.

ACTING:
I wasn't familiar with TayNew before the show, but I was pleasantly surprised with their performances! It's not necessarily a secret that the GMMTV style of acting is not one that I find particularly appealing, but I felt that these two actors managed to reign in the facade to present some pretty relatable characters with delightfully understated performances. There was a wonderful push and pull between their "best behavior" when they are trying to impress each other, and their real personalities when they become more vulnerable and honest. I was particularly impressed with any moment that Achi was given a decently long monologue opening up to Karan (such as confessing he is afraid of heights).
My stand out actor from this show is actually Jan, who gave Pai such a wonderful and exciting warmth and humor. Though her personal character arc was fairly short and largely resolved by the time they returned from the retreat, I always looked forward to her scenes. She brought a really necessary energy to the show, especially when Achi and Karan were dealing with more somber arcs.

PRODUCTION:
All production departments did a wonderful job here. With such a simple framing, focusing on mundane realities, there is not much to say (and that's a good thing)! I did see a post pointing out the costuming departments attempts to make New look smaller through the costuming, and truly it was an admirable quest and I'm surprised how well they did. As always, I wish these productions were willing to put a *little* bit more funds into their idol story lines to make them a bit more believable but, I suppose that's a lot to ask for a side plot of a secondary couple. In general, this show was lovely to watch with well designed scenes and production that subtly enhanced the story without taking on life of their own.

NC SCENES:
Not truly applicable, but no dead fish either! A nice balance between an inherently romance-based plot without falling into sexless bromance tropes.

In all, I'd highly recommend this show to anyone looking for something sweet and romantic, or a pick-me-up when they're really feeling their late 20s/early 30s.

Lire davantage

Amazingly emotionally mature bl

I'm on episode 7 and so far I'm completely spellbound by the writing and the depth of the characters. I love everything so far, (except for the side male love story, too awkward). But I'm really feeling Pai's story. so often in BL dramas the women feel like they're made of cardboard or dismissed or just there to be a love interest with no regard for chemistry. But Pai is an incredible character that I feel a connection to. The writing is showcasing her independence and strength while also allowing a very natural romance to blossom. That's really the only reason I'm making this review. I've never felt like my own experience has been so amazingly well captured in media before.

Lire davantage