Huge potential, poor execution and disappointing ending

Let me preface this by saying this was one of my most anticipated dramas of 2021. From the trailer, it looked like we were finally getting a good sapphic love story with an actual, intriguing plot. I was so, so wrong.

The story revolves around Beth and Cindy, an online couple with thousands of followers. They seem to be the perfect couple in their fans, the Umamis, eyes. But unbeknownst to others, every thing they post is a facade of what they want other to see, with one cheating and the other exploiting their relationship for likes/subscribers. When Beth finally snaps and demands they call it quits so she can move in with the person's she's been cheating with, Cindy reluctantly agrees. Right before they can announce their breakup, fate sends them a message that could change everything. They could earn millions — only if they can convince others they are head-over-heels in love, and therefore deserving of the cash prize in a relationship goals contest.

They only have to pretend for 10 days to achieve this. What could go wrong? A lot, as this drama properly showcased. What could've possibly gone right? A lot, as this drama didn't showcase at all.

This was one of the most toxic relationships I've seen in a series. There wasn't a single moment in the show where I wished they'd end up together. All I wanted to do was put them on opposite sides of the Earth and wish they never interacted with each other again. Cindy was extremely manipulative and never really expressed remorse for her actions. Making bad decisions without thinking was Beth's strong point, as she proved continuously over the span of 8 episodes. At the penultimate episode, there was a small glimmer of hope — maybe they were about to do right thing for once. But the ending completely crushed my hopes. It felt unsatisfying and abrupt. In a way, it also filled me with dread. Every lesson they had learnt was suddenly un-learnt. There was no point in this drama at all.

They tried to distract us from the weak plot and irritating characters with a dash of humour every now and then. Unfortunately, it didn't work. I didn't really notice the music in the show because I was too busy seething with rage. Rewatch value is 1.0 only because MDL doesn't allow a lower rating than that. I wouldn't touch this drama again with a 10-foot pole.

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A PLEASANT SURPRISE

Until We Meet Again is the best BL series created till date. In this 10-page essay I shall...

Just kidding, I'm not going to write 10 pages even though my mind is clouded with an overbearing number of emotions right now. This review isn't even going to be coherent but it's going to act as an archive for my thoughts for when I want to convince friends to watch this.

Story - 10/10 for a great plot, amazing writing and for connecting loose ends perfectly. Every character had a part to play and helped the story progress in their own way. What started out (to me) as a cute little fluffy show with cooking interludes turned into a full fledged character development journey showcasing the healthiest relationship in BL I've ever seen.

Their relationship impressed me so much. P'Dean is not your typical "top" BL lead. He respected the boundaries set by Pharm, is communicative and shows how much he cares for Pharm through his words and actions. He respected him when he said he needed a break. Same goes for Pharm. After nearly a decade of being plagued by nightmares, they became each others' safe place. I pray that I have a relationship that's as healthy as DeanPharm.

I would like to thank the writers for acknowledging the existence of homophobia and the effect it has on teenagers. All the other shows either don't focus on it at all or brush it aside after talking about it for a few minutes. But the way it was portrayed in this show was relatable to be in so many ways and as a queer person, it made me happy to see a BL drama which was more than fanservice-filled moments catering to a fujoshi/fudanshi audience. A gay relationship isn't going to be sunshine and rainbows. Thank you for showing that.

I would also like to thank the writers for not portraying female characters as a tool for making the MCs jealous or as their crazy exes or merely people who fetishise gay couples and so on. Positive light on all female characters? Who would have thought this day would come?

Pacing - 9.5/10. When I first heard that this series had flashbacks and present time scenes shown back to back, I didn't want to watch it and this is the only reason I postponed watching this for so long. I expected it to be messy and confusing but it wasn't. The time skips were shown in a very clear manner and didn't leave me bored.

Acting - 9/10. I'm not sure why I'm rating this as 9/10 instead of 10/10. Perhaps it's because Dean had three expressions most of the time - anger, shocked grief and whipped (Honestly same.) Not saying his acting was bad or anything though. Most of the scenes required him to act whipped anyway. Pharm's acting was great too. The sub cast's acting was so-so but Dean's grandma stole the show even though she didn't have that much screen time. Her acting skills were phenomenal. The emotions, the pain, the longing; it was all evident in her eyes. I cried with her every second she was on screen.

Music- 10/10. I don't have much to say expect they did a good job. Loved the OST :'0

I usually don't give high rewatch values because I'm the type of person who prefers to binge a lot of shows and never touch a series for a second time. But this one, I will make an exception for this show. I would definitely rewatch it and like the experience the emotions all over again. Forgive me for repeating myself, but this show really kept the fanservice to the minimum possible (almost negligible) level. I was seeing a gay real relationship and it's progress here.


(SPOILERS START)

A complaint most people had against this was that they didn't understand why Pharm said they needed to stay apart in the last episode. In my opinion, that was a very crucial part of the show. Until then, Pharm had trouble seeing Intouch and himself as two separate people. He wondered if the love he felt for P'Dean was only because In and Korn were in love in their past life. The nightmare he had about P'Dean cutting off the red thread of fate and moving on was a very valid and understandable fear on his part. After suggesting time apart, Pharm dreamt about In and Korn again. But this time, it was not from the perspective of In; he was watching it from the side because he was Pharm. He was a different person, not the Intouch from the past. That realisation was important for him to put aside the insecurities he had about his relationship with P'Dean and confess his feelings once again.

(SPOILERS END)

That's all I have to say. Of course, our tastes might not be similar but please give this series a chance. The chances of you regretting it are very less. And towards the beginning you might feel like dropping it but please stick till the end.

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