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  • Dernière connexion: Il y a 9 heures
  • Genre: Femme
  • Lieu: Toronto, Canada and New York, USA
  • Contribution Points: 0 LV0
  • Anniversaire: January 07
  • Rôles:
  • Date d'inscription: janvier 2, 2023

dodoubleg1785

Toronto, Canada and New York, USA

dodoubleg1785

Toronto, Canada and New York, USA
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Ton Hon Chon Tee
1 personnes ont trouvé cette critique utile
nov. 14, 2023
10 épisodes vus sur 10
Complété 0
Globalement 8.0
Histoire 8.0
Acting/Cast 8.5
Musique 7.5
Degrés de Re-visionnage 8.0
Cette critique peut contenir des spoilers

Much better than I thought it would be

The reviews for this series made me put it on the back burner for a long time which is unfortunate because this was a good series in my opinion.

While I understand and can appreciate that it's not everyone's cup of tea, I don't think it deserves such negativity. Is the story groundbreakingly original? No. Is the acting stellar? Not really. Is it entertaining? One-thousand percent yes.

Story-wise, we've seen this a million times before: childhood friends where one harbors a secret crush on the other and they part ways only to meet again as young adults. Through a series of obstacles, they finally reveal their deepest feelings for each other and overcome all adversaries together.

Acting-wise, while it wasn't the best, I did very much enjoy the main cast's performances, especially where the comedy was concerned. Mike, Toptap and Khao all had fantastic facial expressions, especially when reacting to something someone else had said or done. Ton's parents and Amp were a bit over the top though I guess that was mainly done to emphasize their role as a hurdle in the main couple's relationship. Thankfully, they didn't have all that much screentime overall. Also, while I absolutely LOVE Jan, I wasn't a huge fan of her character here as I found her a bit annoying at times though still lovable in that way you love a good friend but can only take them in small doses.

Na was probably my favorite character after Ai and Nai as a couple. When he's first introduced, it seems like he will be yet another scheming bad guy who tried to get Chon but he ends up being the most selfless and best of friends to Chon and the group. (Side note: I watched this after watching Only Friends and it was super weird to see Neo like this after playing such a character as Boston but it was also a reminder at how talented Neo actually is.)

Speaking of comparing to other series, I'd seen Mama Gogo which had a lot of these actors in it and found it to have a similar form of hilarity to the characters. Especially Mike, Toptap and Pod and their interactions with each other. I also found it hilarious that when they went to the bar in the second episode and there was a dance competition, 3 out of the 4 of them will go on to play strippers and yet the 4th one is the one who dances and wins the competition. Then at the end, Mike and Toptap do a body roll and I'm like "Aaaaand there it is!"

Anyway, getting off topic..

Overall, this was a highly enjoyable watch and I would encourage more people to watch it, especially for the many laughs that I got out of it.

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Fhalanrak
1 personnes ont trouvé cette critique utile
sept. 5, 2023
12 épisodes vus sur 12
Complété 0
Globalement 7.0
Histoire 6.0
Acting/Cast 7.0
Musique 6.5
Degrés de Re-visionnage 6.5
Cette critique peut contenir des spoilers

Toxicity with self-awareness

I already know this review is going to sound like a b*tchfest but I need to get it off my chest.

First and foremost, it really is a shame that people have badmouthed this series so much. I highly doubt the writers, directors or actors would ever see all the negativity verbatim but an overall reception of a series could make it hard for them to find more work or even the motivation to try again. And, really, if you can't give "constructive" criticism, then just don't say anything at all.

That being said, this series certainly wasn't the best I've ever seen nor was the plot anything out of the standard drama of university students navigating adult life for the first time. I think a lot of people who were badmouthing this series forget that these characters are young adults who have never been in romantic relationships before. All they know is friendships and sex with no bridge in-between. Having feelings other than that is foreign to them and so of course they are going to botch it up royally.

Seriously, I'm getting so sick of people saying relationships in dramas are "toxic." It's a DRAMA, not a romantic comedy or an action or any other genre where you should expect anything else. But at least this drama recognizes and addresses the "toxic" traits. How many times did a character point out that jealousy is the driving factor and you should just ask the other party about the events instead of overthinking the worst? How many times did Sher remind Fah that their AGREEMENT was a friends with benefits situation? Sher was right to keep getting aggravated and fed up with Fah whenever he got jealous because there is no room for those feelings in a FWB dynamic. Them finding love through all the hurt and struggles is still believable because, again, they do not know why they acted the way they did since they never felt this way before. When they took some time to themselves to really think about it, that's when they realized the feelings involved were deeper than just physical intimacy.

It's also a shame that for such a heavy drama, pretty much every actor was brand new to the scene. This was a first role for 90% of the cast and yes, it shows. Would the series have been better or well received with a more seasoned cast? Honestly, I don't think so. In a way, their amateurism added to the fact that these characters were experiencing life lessons/feelings for the first time. In that regard, I think they handled it fairly well though there was certainly room for improvement which I hope they get the opportunity to try again.

Even if I personally don't think it has much of a rewatch value, I do think it is worth a shot. If nothing else, it was highly entertaining which is all I can hope for as well as the main purpose of these shows. The way some people criticize them with comments like "that is so unrealistic" or "that is such a bad way to handle that" make me think that those people thought they were watching a how-to video instead of a work of fiction meant to entertain.

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I Wanna Bite It
1 personnes ont trouvé cette critique utile
août 26, 2023
8 épisodes vus sur 8
Complété 0
Globalement 7.0
Histoire 7.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Musique 7.0
Degrés de Re-visionnage 6.0
Cette critique peut contenir des spoilers

I wasn't prepared..

Normally, I will look at reviews before watching a series, not necessarily to get spoilers but I do want to mentally prepare myself if a show will have a happy or sad ending. And, well, I didn't do that here and I'm kind of regretting it.

Overall, it was a beautiful story about the struggle between self preservation and self sacrifice. At first, Jin Ho is all about self preservation and willing to trick Min Hyun into feeling for him in order to turn human. Then, as Jin Ho himself starts to catch feelings, he questions whether his "life" is worth the risk to Min Hyun's life. Meanwhile, Min Hyun struggles with the idea of losing Jin Ho and is willing to take the risk to try and help him with little regard to his own safety.

It may be a short series but it is filled with deep themes and potent emotions that leave the viewer wanting more. That being said, I wish the ending had been a bit different but I sort of see what they were going for. But it doesn't make for a high re-watch value for me, unfortunately.

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Love Tractor
1 personnes ont trouvé cette critique utile
août 9, 2023
8 épisodes vus sur 8
Complété 0
Globalement 8.5
Histoire 8.5
Acting/Cast 9.0
Musique 8.5
Degrés de Re-visionnage 8.5
Cette critique peut contenir des spoilers

Cute short series

This was probably the 3rd or 4th k-drama I've seen that has the overall storyline of a big city boy goes to the countryside and meets a farm-boy. But even though the trope is becoming fairly popular, I can see the reason for it and still quite enjoy them.

This was no exception as I thought the story was cute, the acting was good and the pacing made sense. One thing that stood out to me in this one was that I found myself laughing so much more throughout, mostly because of Ye Chan's antics and bumbling nature. He is just so clueless and it's absolutely adorable. It made for some great chemistry between the two leads because Yul's reactions were just as comical.

While the series was nothing groundbreaking for me, I would still rewatch this for a feel good short engagement when I need a pick-me-up. Highly recommend.

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Our Skyy 2
1 personnes ont trouvé cette critique utile
juin 27, 2023
16 épisodes vus sur 16
Complété 0
Globalement 8.5
Histoire 8.5
Acting/Cast 9.0
Musique 8.0
Degrés de Re-visionnage 8.5
Cette critique peut contenir des spoilers

A collection of some really fun extras to beloved series

Unlike the first Our Sky series, I had made sure to watch all of the parent stories for this one in preparation for when it came out. Some, I watched a while ago so I'm glad each new story began with a recap to refresh my memory.

As a whole, I really enjoyed the series though some of the stories I liked way better than others. It's really impossible to rate the whole series as one thing with all the different casts and storylines going on so that's why I broke it down by series.

Episodes 1-2 (Never Let Me Go)
I liked the time travel aspect and how it felt like a true side story; taking these characters that we know and love and giving them a short "side quest" - if you will - that has a beginning, conflict, resolution and ending. It was well-paced for just a 2 episode storyline. It definitely felt lighter than the original series though that's to be expected with a format like this. There really isn't time to create a lasting, in-depth problem for them to overcome which I personally liked. Honestly, these two had gone through enough in their main story that they deserved a break and something a little more lighthearted.

Episodes 3-4 (Star In My Mind)
While Joong is very VERY nice to look at, these episodes were a bit of a disappointment for me. There was absolutely nothing new brought to the story. Not only that, but it was literally the same thing that happened in the main series with the group of them going to Prince's resort and the main couple being all cute together. There's nothing wrong with that, per say but if these are meant to be additional add-ons to the main story, at least do something different. I felt like I was rewatching the original series or was suffering from deja-vu. There are so many other couples in the GMMTV lineup that I would have rather seen have a continuation or even mini-story of. And, honestly, I don't really believe in their chemistry. Plus their delivery of lines is really distracting to me where it felt like they were just reading off the script instead of "acting" the script.

Episodes 5-6 (The Eclipse)
This was enjoyable and, even though the story wasn't all that original (the main lead being upset because he thinks his boyfriend forgot an important date) I liked how they executed it here. I especially liked when the characters were daydreaming and putting themselves into other classic movie roles which was a nice twist. It made for some funny moments, which was nice to see with these characters, especially when their parent series was more on the serious side of things.

Episodes 7-8 (Vice Versa)
These episodes had a lot going on as far as cramming 2 storylines into 2 episodes. The first half was a good peek into the future after we left off from the series. It was an honest portrayal of the struggles of a couple keeping things fresh and making time for one another after being in the workforce grind. Then the second half had the addition of the arrival of this unknown child on their doorstep. Personally, I thought it was an interesting idea, especially when thinking about the original series with Talay and Puen never truly knowing what Tun and Tess did while occupying their bodies while they were in the alternate universe. There were some really funny moments combined with some deep heartfelt ones that made it an enjoyable watch overall.

Episodes 9-10 (My School President)
While this was the exact same story as the original series, it was made completely different with the role swaps of all the actors. They even switched the mothers which I thought was hilarious. While some may consider it "lazy writing," I thought it was an interesting way to showcase the actors and how they can pull off the opposite roles from what they were originally cast. It also gave Gemini a chance to show his singing chops by playing the front man of the band instead of Fourth. The music video at the end was a funny and clever nod to some other popular BL series (He's Coming to Me, Bad Buddy, Tale of a Thousand Stars). The friends really made this for me as it was funny to see all the swapping there and their interactions together and not just between the couples.

Episodes 11-12 (Boss and a Babe)
At first I thought this was going to be another role swap kind of deal but it wasn't. Well, it was, but not like the episodes for MSP. In this case, it was within the context of the show and it was more of a "walk a mile in my shoes and then tell me it's easy" kind of thing. And it made sense within the story instead of being a completely out there concept. The only thing I wish they had addressed was how name-calling and insults are unacceptable, no matter how much stress a boss is under. And they never even brought up the fact that someone flat out quit because of his unreasonable attitude. But at least he redeems himself at the end... sort of. He says he'll be more mindful though we don't really see it.

Episodes 13-16 (Bad Buddy, Tale of a Thousand Stars)
I'm reminded of how impressive these leading actors are. There's no "reciting lines and waiting for the next one" feel like there are in so many BLs. These guys truly feed off each other and give little nuances in response that make for some funny and more in-depth connections. Ohm and Nannon, while they don't have much romantic chemistry in my opinion, they have off the charts bickering and playful chemistry which is just as, if not more, entertaining. In episode 13, we are brought back to the time where Pat and Pran first "break up" and have to pretend to hate each other while dating in secret. I know a lot of people were upset with this as the original series ended with the families beginning to tolerate each other and the two boys being able to be open about their relationship. It's understandable that people now want to see these two dating for real in the open but honestly, for me, their best moments were the bickering and the flirting while having to hide their feelings from everyone else. That extra sense of taboo added a different type of thrill to the whole thing and it was highly entertaining.
Throw in the crossover with Earth and Mix in ToaTS and watch the amusing chaos unfold. The initial tie-in was interesting enough and I liked how they showed all of the characters interacting with each other. Having Tian and Chief watching Pat and Pran acting as them in the play was a bit of a surreal moment but I thought there was so much depth to it where perhaps they see something new by watching it happen to someone else.
And then we get a glimpse of a "fish out of water" reversal with Chief running loose in Bangkok which made for a fun montage. Then, their ending had me crying right along with them as it was a beautiful conclusion, wrapped up in a neat, lovely bow. Honestly, I'm sad it's over but I wouldn't have wanted it to end any other way.

I really do like this format of additional situations with already established characters and I certainly hope GMMTV continues to do it going forward.

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HIStory: Obsessed
1 personnes ont trouvé cette critique utile
juin 15, 2023
4 épisodes vus sur 4
Complété 0
Globalement 8.0
Histoire 8.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Musique 7.5
Degrés de Re-visionnage 8.0

Late to the game

I'm watching all of the History Series out of order though seeing as they are all self-contained short stories, it's not a big deal.

What is a big deal is that I wish I hadn't put this on the back burner for so long in favor of other series that ended up being mediocre. This was so good that I am sure to watch it again and again when I want a short, palate cleanser in-between the longer series out there.

The story was fast paced yet still had enough substance to it to keep the audience engaged and entertained. The idea of rebirth yet reliving the same life, as if given the chance to correct one single mistake is complex but handled well enough here. Sure, there's no real explanation as to why or how he was reborn except for maybe the hand movement that Cai Yi Jun did by the riverside though we don't know why it works. Is she a witch or something?

Anyway, if you don't overthink it too much and take it at face value, this was a great watch. The chemistry between the two leads will surely satisfy the more mature audience out there who are tired of the dead fish kisses and lack of connection between leads. I like the forceful ardor of the lead though I know it could be off-putting to the more sensitive viewer. I'd just say look at the title of the story and there shouldn't be any surprises.

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Ai Long Nai
1 personnes ont trouvé cette critique utile
avril 17, 2023
12 épisodes vus sur 12
Complété 0
Globalement 7.0
Histoire 7.0
Acting/Cast 7.0
Musique 7.0
Degrés de Re-visionnage 6.0
Cette critique peut contenir des spoilers

Another "Middle of the pack"

While this wasn't the best show I'd ever seen, it wasn't bad enough for me to drop it. To be honest though, I'm still trying to figure out why.

The show gets repetitive... like, SUPER repetitive. I feel like they had the same conversation in every episode. There were so many situations thrown into the show that just never got resolved or mentioned again after their initial introduction and the main couple's reaction to it. It was like the writing team sat around a table and just listed off a bunch of "cute moments that new couples have together" and they tried to squeeze them all in without any real context or purpose. Then when they try for some serious drama (mainly everything surrounding Ai's parents) it's even more frustrating because they STILL don't resolve the issues, meanwhile they were pretty big and vital to get some closure.

What I did like, however, was the honesty between the main couple throughout. As far as they were concerned, there wasn't a whole lot of the typical misunderstandings and miscommunication you normally find in these kinds of BL stories. Nhai was very honest and upfront about his confusion from the beginning, not wanting to give Ai hope while Ai constantly checked in to make sure Nhai was okay. For all of the reason and sense this show was lacking, they definitely made up for it with the MC's relationship.

I was kind of disappointed that they set up side stories with the rest of the group of friends but then they were just completely forgotten like everything else in the series except the MC. I realized after the fact that there was already a series centered around Ton's relationship though it looks like it is not quite the same seeing as it was made by a different studio and cast. To be honest, I don't know if I can watch it now having seen this first. Which is a shame because they were my favorite set up side couple. And who knows what ever happened to In and Nine's set-up because, again, they were just dropped out of no where. It's okay if they don't get a whole lot of screen time but, damn, if you're going to introduce their potential story-lines, then stick with it. Now, again, they may very well be planning to make side stories or separate series with these characters but I have no idea.

The mother... really, just.. that's all I can say. Like.. WTF was the point of that whole mess?

A part of me thinks that a lot of the issues I had with this series could have been due to lack-luster translations because even the best ones I could find were not great. That's the catch with these kinds of shows that the dialogue could really either save it or hinder it and, unfortunately, I think it was more the latter in this series.

All that being said, I enjoyed it enough to finish it. Mostly because I was waiting for some resolutions which never came, but there is still the special episode to watch so maybe there will be some loose ends tied up there. Fingers crossed though I won't hold my breath.

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Tu me fais danser
1 personnes ont trouvé cette critique utile
avril 4, 2023
8 épisodes vus sur 8
Complété 0
Globalement 9.0
Histoire 9.0
Acting/Cast 9.5
Musique 9.0
Degrés de Re-visionnage 9.0
Cette critique peut contenir des spoilers

Absolutely beautiful

On the surface, this was a very basic story but there are multiple layers to it that make it a stunning piece. There are so many little nuances that are woven throughout that all tie it together in a neat, red-thread-of-fate bow.

A lot of people have said they'd preferred this to be a longer series rather than movie-length, but I think it was effective just as it is. I wouldn't have wanted more drawn out drama which would likely have come from the boss on Jin Hong's side and the senior on Song Shi's side. They gave enough to those characters to establish motive, action and resolution that they didn't need to do the typical "rinse and repeat" for more episodes. Sure, we don't really know what happens to either the senior or the boss but personally, I didn't think it mattered. What we do know is that the senior didn't get the lead that he coveted and the boss was left without her hold over her employee. That's good enough for me and, honestly, it's still more than other series have given.

I liked how the podcast kind of acted like the red thread that brought them together in the beginning and the end. We see Song Shi trying to get his comments read throughout the series and when it finally happens, it's when it's needed the most. It was his last ditch effort to reach Jin Hong because he couldn't contact him otherwise. I know this might be overthinking things a bit but.. to me, it brought to mind the question of "how much do we want to leave to fate?" Sometimes, you need to take action instead of hoping that Fate takes an interest in you again. "She's got a lot to do, sometimes you must give her hand."

Besides the storytelling aspect, everything else was pretty good. Nothing really stood out for me as far as the acting went though I think everyone did a great job in their respective roles. Song Shi's dancing was beautifully done though I wish they didn't cut to different camera angles all the time so we could see the routine at least once from start to finish in one viewpoint.

All in all, this was a lovely story and I can see coming back to watch it when I need a short pick-me-up kind of watch. Highly recommend.

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Choco Milk Shake
1 personnes ont trouvé cette critique utile
mars 30, 2023
11 épisodes vus sur 11
Complété 0
Globalement 9.5
Histoire 9.5
Acting/Cast 9.5
Musique 9.0
Degrés de Re-visionnage 10
Cette critique peut contenir des spoilers

All the feels

Honestly, I don't know why this isn't rated higher. This was such a great series. Really, there's no downside to this except that I wish it were longer. If they had a little more time to work with, they could have explained a bit more on the "deal" Choco and Milk got in order to come back as humans. That part is still a little foggy to me except that they had to risk their lives to do it.
And if they continue to do so, do they get to keep coming back for stretches of time?

But regardless, I thought the concept was pretty unique and well executed, especially in the personalities of Choco and Milk.
You can really tell one has the excited nature of a dog while the other is the overlord cat. I enjoyed the little nuances like how Milk shies away from Uncle when he sits down and only tentatively eats the whipped cream until Uncle leaves the table. I was waiting for Milk to bat at a glass on a table and was so ridiculously happy when he finally did. The actors did such a great job and had me grinning and laughing the whole way through.

Except for those serious moments that really pulled at the heart and caused a few tears to fall. The story really had lot of heart and especially episode 3 broke me.. and surely will anyone who has ever lost a pet. Absolutely heartbreaking in a beautiful way.

I would watch this again and again, just to see the acting from Choco and Milk. Definitely recommend!

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Theory of Love
1 personnes ont trouvé cette critique utile
mars 30, 2023
12 épisodes vus sur 12
Complété 0
Globalement 8.0
Histoire 7.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Musique 8.0
Degrés de Re-visionnage 7.0
Cette critique peut contenir des spoilers

Prepare to be frustrated

Part of me wishes I'd seen this before Not Me because I loved that series and Off and Gun were so great in it. On the other hand, I hate to compare series to each other, especially when they aren't even remotely similar. But I went into this series knowing they were both great actors and excited to see what they did earlier on.

I know practically everyone is saying it but it's true... this series is frustrating as hell. Seriously, I don't understand why Third was so infatuated with Khai. From the moment they met, Khai didn't hide his selfish nature or his usage of Third to handle his dirty work without so much as a "thank you." It's hard to believe that someone would be so in love with that kind of person but let's suspend our belief for a moment. (or, in this case, 11 out of 12 episodes.)

Even the moments that were supposed to be considered "sweet" were cringeworthy. "Having you here has made my life so much easier.." Is that supposed to be romantic? Third certainly thinks so. Then, halfway through, they basically switch roles and we're supposed to feel sorry for Khai while thinking Third is actually capable of not feeling anything? Then the big fight at the end, Third actually asks, "Why didn't you tell me?" regarding the kiss with Ching Ching when he spent that whole time cutting Khai off. I just wanted Khai to say, "I was trying to but you were shouting at me and throwing shit at me and wouldn't give me a chance to get two words in!"

And yet, somehow, I found I could not stop watching.. which I'm still trying to figure out how they did it. I mean, the acting was great, even if they were working with a bad plot.

I do like how every episode is the title of a movie and the episode poster is a recreation of said movie poster. There were other artistic touches that stood out to me that were neat, like how most flashbacks began with a film reel.

The only side characters I really cared about were Two, Un and Shane. There was nothing wrong with everyone else, per say, but I could take or leave them.

Overall, it's not the best series I've seen but it was still enough to keep me watching and entertained, even if it was in a frustrated state.

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Never Let Me Go
1 personnes ont trouvé cette critique utile
mars 20, 2023
12 épisodes vus sur 12
Complété 0
Globalement 8.5
Histoire 7.5
Acting/Cast 9.0
Musique 9.0
Degrés de Re-visionnage 8.0
Cette critique peut contenir des spoilers

Conflicting emotions

This series is probably the hardest for me to rate as of yet. It was really good at times and then it takes multiple turns into "shaking my head" territory that was really the main reason a few stars got knocked off.

First off, for a series called Never Let Me Go, there was a whole lot of letting go. It's one of my least favorite tropes where one lead claims they don't love the other anymore because they think they are doing them a favor. That happens here at one point. Another time, Neung leaves Palm by leaving a note and saying "don't follow me." Of course, Palm follows and they reconcile, only for Palm to turn around and do the EXACT same thing, leaving a note and saying "don't follow me." And this is after he knows how much it hurt him to be on the receiving end. There were just so many episodes centered around one of them leaving, the two of them sulking and then getting back together. Really, once in a series is enough.

Besides which, there was a whole lot of interesting plot going on otherwise that I felt like the writers could have easily done without the constant push and pull dance. The family business and side characters (mainly Ben and Chopper) could have had more going on which would have been perfectly fine as filler. I found them interesting even with the small amount of screen time they got and would have preferred to see other sides of the feud through their eyes instead of the same old same old with the main couple.

Even the uncle was fairly well written and used effectively. Although in the beginning of the series, he's bitching about running a casino instead of the hotels then when he's in change, he's trying to turn the hotel into a casino. And a lot of the conflicts (other than the main couple's romance) is resolved with an off-the-cuff remark or short discussion after spending the entire series as the main plot.

With all that being said, I still really enjoyed the series and thought there was a lot of good in it. The acting was great and I, personally, noticed a huge improvement in Phuwin and Pond's performances. I'd just finished Fish Upon The Sky before this and so it was super noticeable how much further they'd come in just one year. I have yet to see a series where Perth doesn't give a great performance. Whether he's a main character or side character, he fits the roles well.

Personally, I don't know if I would watch the series again, seeing as it's frustrating for a good portion of it and there weren't any surprise twists or anything unexpected that would tempt me to watch again for signs of it. You know right off the bat who the bad guy is so there's the satisfaction every time someone calls him an "asshole" (of which there are a lot).

I'd still say it's worth a watch, even if not a re-watch.

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Moonlight Chicken
1 personnes ont trouvé cette critique utile
mars 7, 2023
8 épisodes vus sur 8
Complété 0
Globalement 9.0
Histoire 9.0
Acting/Cast 9.5
Musique 8.5
Degrés de Re-visionnage 9.5
Cette critique peut contenir des spoilers

One word summary: Beautiful

Really, everything in this show was simply beautiful. The story, the relationships, cinematography and the acting and everything in between. Even the imperfections in each character were beautiful because of the history behind them. They were realistic portrayals of flawed human beings. Even so, the show had so much heart, and not the soft, superficial kind.

Speaking of Heart, right off the bat I have to say Gemini did a phenomenal job in his role. Like, mindblowingly so. For a young, relatively new actor, he gave the best performance in this show in my opinion. I was more invested in Heart and Li Ming's development as both a couple and as individuals than anyone else in the series. Without having seen any trailers or info about the show beforehand, I didn't even know Gemini and Fourth were in it so when they first showed up on screen, I was a little worried it would be the same as My School President, but it was anything but. Honestly, these actors get a better chance to shine when they are taken out of the school setting and placed in more realistic and mature scenarios.

Speaking of casting, while I loved Earth and his character, I had a hard time reminding myself that he's supposed to be near 40 in this. Like, he's not even 30 yet, nor does he look it, so why would they constantly try to make him seem as such? They did the same thing in Tale of Thousand Stars where he was supposed to be near 40 and I just call "bullsh*t." I mean, realistically, in the BL drama category, the actors have a very short lifespan as they start to approach 30, now the writers/casting directors want us to believe these guys in their 20s are actually 40? I'm torn because I loved Earth's performance and I like him as an actor overall, but I think the story would have been just as good if they said Jim was, say, 30-32. It still provides the age difference storyline without taking it too far out of the realm of possibility.

All of the relationships, not just romantic, were complicated and some were strained while others were so tight knit giving a balance throughout the show. The friendship between the diner staff had me feeling envious while the less than perfect relationship Li Ming had with his mother was very raw and, honestly, refreshing. I know some see Li Ming as just a moody teenager but he was just so very REAL. When he was having the conversation with Jim about his feelings toward his mom and whether he actually loved her when she's essentially a stranger, I wanted to applaud the writers. So many times, the characters just blindly love and follow their parents even when they don't deserve it. Just because someone gave birth, doesn't make them a true "parent." It's a messy and complicated type of relationship that is sometimes considered even more taboo to bring up in conversation than talking about sexuality but they handled it really well here.

I know a lot of people would have liked a longer series and honestly, I get it. It was so good that instinctually, we just want more of it. But as far as the overall plot, I think 8 episodes was perfect. It didn't need any filler with silly storylines like miscommunication or misunderstandings that tend to go on for multiple episodes.

This is a good series to have on hand when you need a pick-me-up from the weight of the world. It will definitely get a rewatch from me, that's for sure.

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A Tale of a Thousand Stars
1 personnes ont trouvé cette critique utile
févr. 24, 2023
10 épisodes vus sur 10
Complété 0
Globalement 9.0
Histoire 9.0
Acting/Cast 9.5
Musique 8.5
Degrés de Re-visionnage 9.0
Cette critique peut contenir des spoilers

Orchestra of heartstrings

Honestly, it's no surprise that a story that began with a heart transplant would tug at the viewer's so much. I don't think I've ever gotten more teary eyed in any other series I've watched to date but I don't regret a single moment of it. This show was outstanding from beginning to end. Quite frankly, I'm rather speechless to be able to point out any specifics. Suffice it to say, this was beautifully done from the storytelling to the cinematography to the acting and everything in between.

If I really had to nitpick, there were a couple of things I could have done without which is the only reason it's not a 10 rating for me. Some silly little things like how the rangers are always in camo but then when they are out in the sunny daytime hunting down guys in the forest, they are in black so they stand out like a sore thumb... like, that's the whole point of having camo, guys. And the fact that the mom wants Tian to go to the US to get a teaching degree when he'll be coming back to Thailand to teach and they have completely different curriculums. The whole thing doesn't make sense and it just prolongs his future even further. I'm also not a fan of the kids-having-to-live-their-lives-for-their-parents trope though I know that's "a thing." But when Chief is literally telling Tian to live for himself and do whatever his heart wants and yet throwing him back to his parents to fulfill their wishes, that is one heavy oxymoron in a single breath.

But, like I said, this is really pulling at threads here because the show had so much good to it that the bad is easily forgiven/forgotten.

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Cupid's Last Wish
1 personnes ont trouvé cette critique utile
févr. 22, 2023
10 épisodes vus sur 10
Complété 0
Globalement 9.0
Histoire 8.5
Acting/Cast 10
Musique 8.5
Degrés de Re-visionnage 9.0
Cette critique peut contenir des spoilers

A round of applause for this cast

Going into this series, I was a little worried I'd get confused with the body swap but I was glad that Korn and Non knew right off the bat that Win was in Lin's body so there was no hidden identity between the mains. It was portrayed really well and some of the panning shots where one moment it's Lin's body and then it's Win's body were done really well. They did it just enough times to remind us of the situation but it was also used really well to bring out comedic sides of the story. (Like when Lin locks herself in the bathroom and then just after when Win is experiencing PMS in the car by arguing and getting emotional, all the while Korn is sitting there like "WTF is happening right now?" Yet every woman watching the show is in stitches because, well, you know... some of the best comedy comes from the truth.)

Speaking of which, I know this is a BL, but I was so incredibly impressed by Jan's performance. She was two completely opposite sides of the spectrum.. the hot-headed Win and then the mild, meek Lin. By the time Lin woke up in Win's body, we really didn't see much of Mix's ability to play that side of Lin before they fixed everything back to normal. But honestly, I don't think it was needed since Jan did a stellar job that really no one needed to compete with.

I'd read reviews and comments before starting where everyone was badmouthing the Aunt, Uncle and Mother. The Aunt and Uncle were obviously horrible people from the moment you meet them but I found I watched the series waiting to see what was wrong with the mom to make everyone hate her. Just know, you don't find out until the very last episode and don't bother trying to pick apart or overthink her actions throughout the show because it barely hints at her mistake. And that's the thing.. it was a mistake which she regretted almost immediately. Win also made a mistake by jumping to conclusions instead of simply asking and listening. Korn made a mistake by not telling him the truth sooner. Everyone makes mistakes.

This was a great blend of drama, comedy with a hint of adventure going on. I especially liked how it was set out in the country instead of in the middle of a city. The cinematography was beautiful and it makes me want to go see it in person. BL lovers should definitely give this a shot, it was so good.

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Bad Buddy
1 personnes ont trouvé cette critique utile
févr. 14, 2023
12 épisodes vus sur 12
Complété 0
Globalement 8.5
Histoire 8.5
Acting/Cast 9.0
Musique 8.5
Degrés de Re-visionnage 8.5

Good, light-hearted fun.

From the synopsis, I thought this series would be heavier than it was but I found myself laughing along with their banter and antics and thoroughly enjoyed the series from start to finish. The plot is nothing groundbreaking, by any means, but I enjoyed watching this cast interacting with each other which was the main thing that stood out to me. Most sub-plot issues were resolved fairly quickly while there was still the underlying main issue of the families not getting along to help drive the story forward.

The chemistry between the main leads held my attention, no matter what they were doing (fighting, scheming, being cutesy, etc) and even the chemistry between the friends was a lot of fun to watch as well.

Overall, the show was on the lighter side of the drama spectrum. I'd definitely watch it again whenever I'm looking for something fluffy without being juvenile.

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