Excellent series

From Me To You-2023 (12 episodes) version, adapted from a manga of the same name.

This is an understated ‘coming into yourself’ type of romantic drama. It is a high school story about a naive girl named Sawako learning to love and appreciate herself, and learning how to be loved and appreciated by others. It showcases the trust and communication of friends and family without being too heavy on the sadness, but enough to make you want to cheer for a good outcome for all of the characters. The pacing is just right, the cinematography was good, and the characters were well-acted.

I appreciate that there wasn't a bunch scenes where characters get flustered and start yelling in military fashion, as is common in many of the Japanese manga adaptations. The acting in this drama is much more natural than many Japanese dramas that I've seen. As a matter of fact, there are some characters and scenes in this that I want to label as 'not believable,' but in reality, there is nothing in this drama that couldn't actually happen in the right circumstances.

I gave episode 1 a rating of 10 stars when I started watching, and never had to change my rating for the subsequent episodes because they were all so good. It's not action packed, but the story consistently moves forward without letting you get bored if you are into the school romance genre.

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Young actors but mature themes

Warning: Although this is a BL with young actors, this drama contains mature themes such as manipulation, (attempted) suicide, and sex/BDSM/sexual preferences.

This 6-episode drama centers around 9 high schoolers and their struggles with friendships, relationships, sexual identities, social norms, and acceptance/self-acceptance. That's a lot to put into 6 episodes, but I think that it was done rather effectively. It's a shame that they left out some of the deleted scenes, as they would have fleshed out the story a little better. However, the story we are given is fairly representative of the secrets that people keep (including but not necessarily teenagers) in order to protect themselves and those they love or cherish. These secrets may or may not include various lifestyles/preferences and acts of violence/harm that are shown in this drama.

The main actors in this drama were obviously rookie actors, but their lack of experience didn't prevent them from showcasing their potential for future roles. The story had a lot of characters, but they were all tied together in various ways, so it made sense to me to see that many people. Navigating the day-to-day cast of characters in real life is no different than what was shown here, especially in a school or work setting. That being said, this is still a drama, and a lot of the situations were done in dramatic fashion. But the actions and emotions of the cast were appropriate for the roles they played.

I, for one, enjoyed this drama and I am looking forward to season 2.

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Final thoughts

Between Us is the offshoot story of Until We Meet Again that many have waited for. It's taken almost 3 years to get here, and I think that due to the build-up in people's minds, a lot are disappointed. I only watched UWMA about 9 months ago, so I didn't have as much of a wait as some. Despite that, I honestly liked UWMA more because of the action. Between Us was more introspective, didn't have the mystery elements, and was a much simpler story. And I liked it. Matter of fact, I loved it in many places. It made me laugh out loud. It made me cry. It broke my heart a time or two. Do I think it lived up to the hype? Eh...probably not, even for me. It still wasn't a bad story.

Since this story timeline occurred at the same time as UWMA, there were some scenes that overlapped. Within those scenes, there may or may not have been some minor changes. I didn't mind the changes within the scenes. What I did mind was the change in attitude. It would have been a little more exciting if Win had kept his bad-boy attitude. That didn't stop him from having some bad-boy moments, and I did appreciate his introspection at times. Still, there was somehow a difference in the way Win (or maybe Boun) projected his energy. Even then, I can chalk it up to this being a completely different drama. But I missed that energy.

There were things that people were annoyed with, such as Boun's hair. Due to shooting the scenes out of order, sometimes Boun's dark roots were showing through his blond hair more than other times. This didn't bother me. Santa's hair did bother me, as his then current blond was covered with colored hairspray or something similar, making his hair a distraction from his acting. Luckily it wasn't that way in every episode. And poor Benz needed less makeup and more treatment. Some of us are more naturally prone to acne, but trying to cover it with pancake makeup is not the solution. His skin just looked smothered.

Another thing that people complained about were the side characters. Sorry, but I loved the side characters. All of them. I was sorry to see Sammy's overacting though. She's a better actress than that. I know her character is OTT but I thought her directions should have been to tone it down rather than to ramp it up. But I loved that Pleum still loved her. I also loved the "ABC" gang so much! I'm in the minority in that, but I think they gave us a good break from Team's angst. And the Waan/Tul ending kinda left me with my mouth hanging open...

I love the fact that, although there was a 3-ish year wait, they still went through with the production. Boun and Prem were kept relevant with stages and interviews, v-lives, and even some adorable short (5-8min) Between Us Special episodes that you can catch on YouTube. Those special episodes were the best marketing ploys ever!

Boun and Prem, having been together for so long, have no problems acting together. I think they did a great job with the script. Actually, the only one I who's acting I was actually truly unhappy with was Win's father. I still wish they'd kept the same energy as in UWMA, but overall this wasn't a bad drama. I'm glad to have watched it.

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In response to the low ratings....

I really wish there was an emotional involvement rating on these dramas. This was super cute and I loved it, because it was exactly what I was looking for. Sometimes you just want to see something sweet, and you don't always want to be half into a box of tissues by the time it's done. Some kind of rating system for that would be great.

I watched this special episode at the end of Sky In Your Heart, and it was the perfect ending imho. Many people seem to not like it because it's not all in your face with dramatic scenes. Most of us know what we are getting into with BL dramas, and yes, they are full of the same old tropes, and no, most of them won't be masterpieces. So if that's what you're looking for, this is the wrong genre. For some of us, a little bit of romance and something to make us smile is enough, especially if we don't get to experience that irl and just want a little fantasy to enjoy.

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Pretty good drama

This was a pretty good drama. It wasn't my favorite, but it was different and evoked more emotion that I expected. The few kisses were clumsy, and I'm not sure if it was the lack of acting experience or the height difference (or even the lack of kissing experience) but it just wasn't good. The second lead couple was really good in their acting, but the story lacked the passion that I thought would be coming and never did. The third couple (the college couple) was adorable but didn't get enough screen time in my opinion. Also....I had a love/hate relationship with the mother.

And why did they think it was a good idea to introduce Xiao Wu Di as Mao Xiao Jun to the audience? Did they change his name for identity purposes? Were the "real" parts of the drama also part of the novel? That last few minutes of the drama were so confusing to me. I thought they did a good job with explaining a lot of the story, but that part made me question the whole thing.

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Good story but tired clichés

Great acting, great set design and production. Good story. But tired clichés.

I can accept the gangsters being good guys, the cowards being brave, and the geniuses instinctively knowing how to solve the puzzles and technical problems. But the flawed characters suddenly being understanding and accepting after a short morality speech, especially when the actual problems aren't addressed, is so frustrating. Add a few plot holes and a cliffhanger for a second season that's probably never going to be made, and.... Smh Sometimes I really wonder what the writers are doing.

Honestly, other than that, I really liked the story. It was easier to suspend belief and accept the situations due to the majority of the story being within a virtual game. So things didn't have to make sense. Unfortunately, the story/mini-games made more sense than "reality" a lot of the time. But I'd say more than half of the story was in-game, and the actors did everything they could to pull off believable characters, and I appreciated that.

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Noteworthy Acting

Moonlight Chicken is an eight-episode drama that includes some incredible actors doing the most amazing acting. Gemini and Fourth, being new actors at the time, did a great job pulling off the teenage angst and problems that so many go through. Earth and Mix know each other so well already that they played these characters with ease. Khaotung, First, and Mark were shining examples of how actors should play roles.

I want to especially praise a few of the actors, although all of them did a wonderful job. Khaotung did a fantastic job portraying the grief of Gaipa losing his mother right after having his heart broken. I wonder if his scenes didn't cause some real tears while filming. First is such a versatile actor, and he impresses me more with every drama. Mark, however, really stood out to me for the first time, although I've seen him act before. He pulled off different types of scenes without making them cringey. Mark's character Leng was comic relief at times and serious at other times. While he played a smaller role within this drama, his role was very important in preventing the show from taking itself too seriously. At the same time, Leng was also dealing with his own personal drama that many will be able to relate to, and I personally was proud of the character's growth and maturity within the situation. I doubt that many other actors could have portrayed the complexity of this character as well as Mark did.

My favorite character, however, was Wen. I think that Mix's ability to emote love, care, affection, pain, confusion, determination, etc. makes Wen a truly lovable character. Adding his skills with, in my opinion, his beautiful eyes and outstanding visuals, Mix is the one that I came back for with each episode release. There is true affection between him and Earth already, but he made Wen a beacon of light in a serious drama.

I wasn't sure if I would like this when the trailers first came out, but by the end of the drama I was 100% invested.

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Worth watching

I waited to watch this, fully intending on skipping it altogether because I wasn't a fan of EarthMix. My mistake. When I ran out of dramas that I wanted to watch, I decided to give it a try. And I'll be honest, the one thing that drew me in was Earth's concern when Mix actually fainted while trying to do a heavy scene. (You can see this in the behind-the-scenes or as I originally did, in a YouTube short.) Earth stayed in character for a second, calling out "Tian?" and then immediately started calling out Mix's name, which alerted the crew that something was actually wrong. Mix is so understated that I never would have thought he'd put so much pressure on himself, but that pressure, along with the elements, exhaustion, and other things caused his body to simply give up for a few minutes. It all goes to show how hard Earth and Mix tried while making this series. I applaud them and the director/cast/crew for all the effort that went into making this a worthwhile series to watch.

It was a little frustrating that neither one of the lead characters ever made any confessions, so when Tian had a 'what about us' moment, I wondered the same thing. What about them?? Is there a them? Also, if you're going to have a lack of intimate contact throughout the entire drama....which I was completely fine with as it wasn't needed....why are you going to put a nude Earth on the screen??? It was great camera angling, and with the mirror, showed just enough for you to know that he was probably completely naked, but simply being shirtless would have sufficed. I didn't see the reasoning behind putting the actor through that.

I think that all of the side characters and supporting cast did a fabulous job. Especially the kids. And probably my favorite character was Dr. Nam, being such a supportive friend and not-so lowkey matchmaker. LOL.

This was a very good drama, and I'm glad I finally got around to watching it.

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I've just finished the series and come to the comments to find.....this is a remake of "Something In The Rain"????? No. Maybe it started that way, but this is completely different, imho.

Mainly, what I want to say is that the acting was phenomenal! And wasn't I surprised to find out that the ML was a former member of Wanna One??!! I never paid attention to the members of that group, except for Kang Daniel, one of my fav K-pop idols....but I just watched 2 of Park Jihoon's 2022 dramas (Worth it!) and I was like, cool, now I am familiar with 2 of the members! But now I'm watching a C-drama....and oooh, isn't he such a good actor, let's find out more about him......uh huh, Produce 101....season 2....hey, that's when Wanna One was created......OMG how did I happen upon another member??? And how is he ALSO such a great actor?? LOL. (Yeah, I know. My kids also call me a dork. It's fine. Haha) (Edit: I totally forgot about Daehwi! Oops! So Lai Kuan Lin makes my FOURTH Wanna One member! ROFL! I'm learning, slowly but surely!)

But I digress...

Seriously, I looked and looked for the leads to be out of character or awkward with their lines and acting and NEVER found it. That's especially interesting since they are so far apart in actual age. But honestly, I give props to all of the actors. They all did such a fantastic job. And, though this wasn't the most exciting of shows, it was good. Funny at times, heartwarming at times, unbelievably sweet....

My only complaint was the end. It just ended. I was watching the episode, then I was watching the actor interviews. I kept waiting for a final scene. And maybe they planned it that way, to say that this love doesn't end....but that's corny even for me. (Much as I hate that word, it is what it is.) Regardless, I enjoyed this drama and I fell in love with quite a few of the characters.

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Things to consider

I spent more time debating on whether to write the review than I will on the actual review. But I didn't see a whole lot of things that would have helped me, if I'd looked, so this is a heads up.

There are 3(?) different timelines going on here. I can only see 3, anyway. Knowing this prevents confusion later on.

Rei talks to Nana like he does for multiple reasons, the main one being that she would totally not be responsive to him if he talked to her any other way. It gives her someone to express her negativity with, without shutting down. It was their own personal "love language" to the point that it was almost uncomfortable to watch him smile at her. So while it may seem abusive or like bullying, its actually his way of connecting to her.

Do not plan to get out of this movie without tissues. When I got to the "Oh GOD!" part of the movie, I thought that I could breathe my way through it without tears. But I literally felt like something was pulling the tears/emotions out of me as the rest of the movie played.

The emergency line is built into the phone irl. Please use it if needed. That said, the character would not have been happy living in a state that required dependence on others.

Finally.....there needs to be a trigger warning on this movie, as it deals with some real-life problems. There are kids dealing with depression, bullying, low self-esteem, cutting, etc.

I thought I was in for an afternoon movie. I didn't expect to be traumatized. It was 100% worth it though.

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Adorable!

That was adorable!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTa92oDTLqA
for anyone looking for it.

And why do I need 500 characters when I just want to say that it was adorable???

Anyhow....I loved it. It was such a cute "short." My numbers do not average a 10, but I gave it a 10 anyway, because "music" is not really much needed in something this short, and it doesn't really have much "rewatch" value, but it was worth it. And, who knows, I might actually rewatch this for the feel-good value. I loved that the actors portrayed their characters so well that there was no cringe, at least for me.

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Good acting and good characters

I never really connected with the characters in this rom-com, so it wasn't my favorite. However, I do think that the actors displayed their talents by making the 1-dimensional, over-the-top characters come to life. So for that, I give them props. And the story itself wasn't bad, and the ridiculousness wasn't so great that I ever thought about dropping it.

I think my favorite character was probably Gam Oh Jung, the firefighting partner of Jung Kook Hee. This character was written and portrayed well, and was often pivotal in the decisions of the other characters. He was silly but insightful, responsible yet care-free, and supportive without stepping on toes. I admired his tenacity, but also his ability to let go when needed. I also enjoyed his comic relief, which was delivered without resorting to slapstick actions or reactions.

The show did have many elements that I didn't expect, such as suspense, hidden agendas, and mild mystery and danger, without losing the comedy and romance portions of the rom-com. Also, I think the writers did well wrapping up the show, as it felt "finished" but not rushed at the end. I would definitely recommend this as a show to pass the time, and if someone were to watch this without any expectations, I think they would enjoy it.

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Once again, Honda Kyoya plays his role to perfection.

I love watching Honda Kyoya's acting. I started watching this for the plot because it sounded interesting. But I am finding more and more that Honda-san can pull off (seemingly) any role, and can (in my opinion) outperform his co-stars. It is a common Japanese trait that people seem on edge, regardless of the situation. But Honda always seems comfortable in his skin, whether he be in character or as himself.

As for the other actors: Some of them were really good in their roles. Others, including the married couple, just never seemed comfortable. Granted, their roles required them to feel uncomfortable in a good portion of the program, but it just seemed to me like they had put on full-body costumes (like a Hello Kitty costume at a birthday party) and never really clicked with the personality of the character. But maybe that's just me.

I was really interested in a good portion of the series, but I was disappointed with the ending. In my head, there were a multitude of ways that the writers would take this, but the way it ended was unsatisfying to me. It didn't seem to me that the mains ever really understood poly relationships and were just looking to be roommates. To be fair, everyone has their own definition of happiness and relationships, but Shuhei just seemed to put his aside.....idk. It feels like I need to talk this one out to others and get their opinions in order to formulate a conclusion. So, while I did feel like the story is worth watching, I feel like it's not finished. If I had friends who would be interested in something like this, I would definitely throw a watch party and go through this drama again.

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Love conquers all

Full disclosure, I think I may be in love with Ki Do Hoon.

Fan-girling aside, the amount of sympathy and other emotions coming from emotionless gods, entities willing to die for their humans, had me swooning as I watched this. It's not perfect. It's not intriguing. It has plot holes and a lot of fill-in-the-blanks with your own imagination as to how we got here. But it is self-reflective. It's sweet, and a little bit romantic. A lot of people compare it to Goblin, and I can see the similarities (Goblin being one of my favorite dramas of all time), but at the same time I never once thought to make that comparison while I was watching. Scripting Your Destiny is a sweet little drama all on it's own, and worth watching.

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