Explaining Yu Zhen's Past with his Ex

This special should have been explained in the series and SHOULD NOT be a special episode.
While it's great to know their past I would have liked to see more Shin Lei and Yu Zhen's couple moments in this special.

STORY:

Yu Zhen gets a USB from his Ex explaining why he left 7 years ago, showing off their relationship in video clips.

This is a good explanation as to Yu Zhen's relationship with his Ex, but it should have been included in the actual series... Or not included at all. A lot of this explanation was really unnecessary. Judging by the fact that Yu Zhen couldn't get over his Ex most of us can assume that they had a decent relationship. We really didn't need to see it. Again, this makes me uncomfortable to watch because I'm supposed to be cheering for Yu Zhen and Shin Lei's relationship. Do you remenice about your Ex and all the good times and sexy times you had with your Ex while you are with your new partner? I don't, so neither should Yu Zhen or his Ex. It's just insane.

OVERALL:

While it's not a terrible watch, it's really unnecessary. They should have made a special episode focusing on Yu Zhen and Shin Lei, not Yu Zhen and his Ex. It's just really bad judgement on the production end. This episode made me really uncomfortable and I'm now going to cleanse my eyes and pretend I never saw this.

PLEASE RELEASE A NEW SPECIAL EPISODE WITH YU ZHEN AND SHIN LEI TOO!!!

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Best Skip This One

I'm not sure what it is about this drama, but it's just too dull.

It's strange to say this because both actors can act decently in other dramas, but in this one.... I'm not sure what it is.
They really lack chemistry... and their acting is dull.
Also, the story itself isn't the best story.
The manga was better.

•❅✧❅✦ Story ✦❅✧❅•

Shirasaki is trying to get his foot into the acting world. He gets cast in a BL drama where he plays lovers with Hayama, a popular model turned actor. Hayama is also Shirasaki's film clubmate from when they were in university, although they didn't interact with each other at the time.

Shirasaki, who's never been in love, hits a wall when trying to portray love, so Hayama suggests they become lovers. While pretending to date, Shirasaki starts to develop feelings for Hayama. Hayama, on the other hand, seems to have an unrequited love from his college days that he can't get over.

So.... The plot of the story isn't too bad. It's not anything special, but it's a decent watch.
However, there is some angst and major miscommunication.
Shirasaki and Hayama are both quiet and neither wear their hearts on their sleeve.
They both bottle up their emotions, thoughts, and everything, hiding their true colors, which is where the angst and miscommunication come in.
This is also where both actors struggle to portray the characters, which unfortunately dragged the drama down.

•❅✧❅✦ Acting ✦❅✧❅•

Both Shirasaki and Hayama's actors are decently talented.
Both actors aren't household names, but they have been in quite a few dramas and movies.
However, they are both still rookie actors, learning their craft.

As stated earlier, the characters of Shirasaki and Hayama are quiet and don't wear their hearts of their sleeves.
This types of character are difficult to portray due to their lack of dialogue, only using body language.

Shirasaki is naive, yet straight forward. His actor, Niihara Taisuke, has a hard time with both sides of Shirasaki. Both his naive side, and straight forward side, comes off as two different characters. It's due to this that it's hard to pinpoint what Shirasaki is thinking. Furthermore, since Shirasaki is quiet, he needs to express himself more with his body language, which is not Niihara's strongest suit. Shirasaki's innocence, jealousy, and longing just come off as indifference because of Niihara's lack of expression during the quiet scenes.

Next is Hayama. Hayama is the cool kid that can talk to everyone and anyone, but doesn't really say his true feelings. His actor, Komagine Kiita, tried his best and was able to portray Hayama's popular side quite well, but seemed to have a hard time acting out Hayama's "true personality," which is his vulnerable (and quiet) side. When Hayama is talking and being the popular kid, Komagine's acting is on point, however, when Hayama is lost in his thoughts, quietly thinking about Shirasaki and plotting his next course of action, or even being quietly jealous, Kogamine struggles. You can see that he's trying to act with his body, but his facial expressions sometimes fall flat.

Lastly, maybe it's because both actors struggle with acting without dialogue, that both Shirasaki and Hayama don't seem to be the perfect match made in heaven. We don't get to see the longing and jealousy that Shirasaki and Hayama hold for each other despite being told that they are pinning for each other. So yeah... no chemistry between the actors.

•❅✧❅✦ Overall ✦❅✧❅•

I didn't really hate the drama, but I could have gone without watching it.
The story is decent, but the acting isn't amazing, which pulls the plot down significantly.

This drama is about two actors that end up falling in love with each other and having really good chemistry that they end up becoming really popular after the drama is aired. Unfortunately, reality doesn't follow fiction, as I live in Japan and no one is talking about this drama. (Compared to My Beautiful Man, where it was everywhere and everyone was talking about the drama.)

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Too Short!

So this drama is a fictional reality show that is part of Bakayarou no Kiss... And I wish it were longer.

•❅✧❅✦ Story •❅✧❅✦

A fictional reality TV show were 6 contestants try to redo their first kiss with Sonomiya Ren, a celebrity.

Honestly, the synopsis sounded fun and when I did watch it I wanted more. Unlike a real reality show where they show you all of everything, this drama only shows the important scenes that are relevant to Bakayarou no Kiss. The days in the fictional show will skip from Day 2 to Day 10 to Day 20 in a span of a few minutes, so it is a little nauseating. However, because they only choose the juicy parts of the reality show to show us I got really invested. I kind of wish we got the full version of the show.

•❅✧❅✦ Overall •❅✧❅✦

I haven't seen Bakayarou no Kiss, so I can't really say how great of a tie-in this is to the drama, but I like the concept of being able to see the fictional reality show that the characters are watching/participating in. As a stand alone drama it is kind of fast paced since there is a lot of time skipping, but it's not bad. You do get invested in the characters and you are on the edge of your toes trying to guess who will redo their first kiss with Ren. There are a few characters and plots that I wish we could have seen in full, but even without it it's not too bad. However, I feel you do have to watch this with Bakayarou no Kiss in mind otherwise the time skips will drive you insane.

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Great Concept, Terrible Script

Decent one time watch but don't expect a good storyline.

Many of the episodes start off great or have a good premise, but fall flat by the end of the episode.
Honestly, only the BLs (1, 4, 6) and Perth's episode (7) are worth watching. The other straight couples are... meh... only average, nothing special. The GL... They royally messed up.

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STORY & SYNOPSIS:

Before I start talking about each individual episode, I just want to say that if you didn't know, each episode is a stand alone episode. The characters are very, very loosely connected to each other, so you can watch any episode you want without watching the rest. The only exception is Ep 1. This episode can be watched by itself, but you won't get closure on the episode until Ep 4, so I recommend watching Ep 1 and Ep 4 back-to-back.

Anyways, I think the director put too much emphasis on his actors, rather than the script. While the concept of using songs as inspirations were great, the plot of each episode was terrible. Not only were there so many plot holes, many of the episodes/stories seemed incomplete. It seemed like the episodes were made just to fulfill the fans need to see new projects from their favorite actor/ships, rather than to actually make a series with a great storyline. Every single episode had so much potential, but it was filled with unimportant scenes and characters that didn't push the story forward. Also having cliff hanger endings for more than one episode is a cheap way out. No one will be satisfied by the ending. And it's just annoying. It's sad because there was lots of potential for great storylines, but the endings killed most of it.

Also, I felt like the straight and lesbian couples were given terrible plots. The straight couples had very generic and bland plots, while the lesbian couple was just royally screwed over. It felt like their story wasn't even completed and we we should be getting a second episode. The ending couldn't even be considered a cliffhanger.

As for the BL storylines, while they were the most drama-filled and exciting, I personally felt that most of it was a cash-grab. All of the actors are established and great actors, so add that with the storylines that were just good enough to be eye-catching. None of the BLs ended with the couples actually getting together. Everything was implied. Only Ozone and Sun are established as a couple, but not in their respective episode. Also, while Mek and Balloon are a couple from the start, the ending is too ambiguous.

Thinking about it now, for a series representing equality and LGBTQ+ relationships this series is a fail. Only the straight couples are confirmed to be dating by the end of their respective episodes, while the BL and GL couples are all open endings. Yes, the BL and GL had more interesting storylines, but in terms of the confirmed couple count, the straight couples have 100% confirmed couples, but the LGBTQ+ couples only have... 1? Mek and Balloon got back together right? Also, I'm not including Ozone and Sun since they are confirmed in an episode that isn't their own.

Anyways, on to the episodic review!

•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

EP 1: Would You Be My Love

Ozone transfers to a boarding school the same day as Sun. He tries to befriend Sun since they are both new, but Sun seems to ignore him. On the first day of class two of their classmates decided to tease Ozone and Sun, accusing them of being a couple. Ozone and Sun's reactions results in them, particularly Ozone becoming a target of their bulling.

Story: 8/10
Acting: 10/10

Honestly, this was a great episode. The two actors were very good and their performance was amazing. I was left wanting more. This was one of the few episodes were I thought I could see it branching out into a series of it's own. The only downside to this was the ending. It ends on a cliff hanger and you need to watch Ep 4 to get a glimpse into how Ozone and Sun's story ends. Other than that, there were a few plot holes here and there, but none of them are too significant.

•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

EP 2: Rhythm's Heart

Rhythm runs a record rental store. One day he is visited by famous actress Pimdao. She enters the story looking for records of her father's band. While the band was popular in the past, now that they are disbanded their records are hard to find. Rhythm surprisingly in a fan of the band and keeps their records. He happily rents them out to her, and is smitten with her. Pimdao starts becoming a regular at the rental store and the two start flirting, but there is a small problem. Rhythm saw Pimdao in the arms of another man.

Story: 4/10
Acting: 4/10

To be fair, I got bored and skipped through most of it. The story is so bland and boring. There was no drama or conflict at all.
Like what's the point of the story if there is no conflict what-so-ever? You can a light-hearted story with some conflict to make it interesting, but there was none of that. Also, sorry but none of the actors had enough chemistry to keep me interested in watching.

•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

EP 3: Remember

Proud recently went through a bad break up with Tac cheating on her with another woman who has a puzzle piece tattoo on her shoulder. Proud tries to move on with her life befriending Jaidee. The two became friends quickly, with Jaidee beginning to see Proud as more than a friend. Meanwhile, Tac tries to make amends with Proud. One day he sees the two women together and recognizes Jaidee. He knows a secret that could destroy Jaidee and Proud's relationship.

Story: 2/10
Acting: 9/10

I feel so bad saying this, but this episode was the worst. The script was a mess. The plot started out great until we reached the climax. According to what I watched and understood, Jaidee got Tac drunk and slept with him... But why? Isn't she lesbian? Never through out the episode were we told she was bi. Also, why did she sleep with Tac? This is literally where we end the episode. Proud finds out this secret, kicks Tac and Jaidee out of her house and the end. I need a part 2 to explain everything because I am confused. Also, if she's still pining over Tac while with Jaidee is this really a GL?

•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

EP 4: Once Upon A Time

Balloon has been dating Mek since freshman year. While they aren't open about their relationship, they always tell each other everything. One day, Balloon comes to to find his homophobic father yelling at his younger brother, Ozone, for dating a man. As he comforts a crying Ozone, reality hits him. How can he continue dating Mek while still keeping a relationship with his family?

Story: 8/10
Acting: 10/10

My favorite episode. This episode was written the best compared to all the other episodes. There is still some issues here and there, but has a complete beginning, middle, and end all the other BLs, no cliffhanger. The plot was the most interesting and the two leads had the best chemistry. It was also the most dramatic episode. I cried a bit. The only downside to this episode was the ending was rushed and implied. We never saw Balloon apologize to Mek or them actually getting back together. We understood they got back together because there was a post credit scene which showed them together, however, we never physically got to see their resolution or see how they solved their issues.

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Ep 5: Breakup Zone

Ryu and Jinny have been friends since middle school, however, after getting into college Ryu has become a notorious playboy.
While dropping off one of his flings, Ryu sees famous actress and a student at their college, Pimdao, and is instantly attracted to her. He decides to drop his playboy ways for her, but is still rejected by her. Having his heart broken, he turns to Jinny, who also recently had her heart broken by Mek, Ryu decides that the two of them should take a trip to mend their broken hearts.

Story: 6/10
Acting: 8/10

I liked the concept of this episode, but the story was too cookie cutter for me. The episode itself wasn't bad. It was just very generic. There wasn't anything special about it. In fact, I was actually confused about why Jinny made Ryu promise they would never date, and why Ryu ran to being a playboy. If this were explained nicely I would have given it a slightly higher score. This is my favorite episode out of all the straight couple episodes.

•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

Ep 6: VS Love

Tonnam and his twin sister, Tonkhao, transfer schools since he just received a scholarship to the school. On the first day of their new school, Tonnam clashes with Phupha. Phupha, who once was top of his class, now suddenly has a bad reputation in school and is constantly sleeping in class. The teacher assigns Phupha to work with Tonnam and his group, much to Phupha's dismay. While waiting for his group to arrive for their study session, Tonnam sees Phupha fighting with Phi, the school director's nephew. Later he also sees Phi, throwing away an cheat sheet for a test.

Story: 9/10
Acting: 10/10

The best BL episode according to others on this site, and I will have to agree. The plot was well written and there was never a dull moment in the episode. There wasn't any unnecessary characters or scenes. Everything was straight forward. It was action packed and I loved it. However, the only downside to the episode is that this isn't a BL. This is a bromance. Tonnam says he likes Phupha, but we don't get a clear confirmation from him. Yes, they hug and all, but Phupha doesn't say it. When Phupha can say "I love you" to Tonnam without adding "as a friend," I'll accept this as a BL.

•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

Ep 7: My Puppy Love

Beam is a social outcast. He has no interest in anything other than drawing. He has two friends and he's content with that.
As senior in high school, he's never had a crush on anyone, that is until he met Tonkhao. Shy, he struggles to express his feelings towards her, but there is one problem. One of his friends also has taken a liking towards Tonkhao.

Story: 5/10
Acting: 10/10

Perth is an amazing actor, but even he couldn't save this shipwreck. The story wasn't terrible, but the way the plot was written made it impossible for me to enjoy the episode. Beam has a crush on Tonkhao, but doesn't act on it at all. He acts just like a stalker. He just stares at her, stalks her social media, draws her picture, and leaves snacks on her desk. He doesn't even try to talk to her. Then all of a sudden it's graduation, so his friends force him to confess to her. Throughout the whole episode he does nothing of his own accord except draw her picture. He's painfully shy to confess to her and it made me uncomfortable too. I was so tempted to skip ahead to the confession because he was too slow. Not a terrible episode to watch, but since I'm not in high school anymore this type of puppy love drives me insane. I need a man who can take action, not sit around and wait for his friends to help him confess his love.

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ACTING:

Despite the terrible script, the actors were all amazing. No one gave a terrible performance. In fact, the actors were the only ones keeping this series alive. If this series has all newbie actors with less than stellar performances, I don't think I would even bother to write a review, let alone watch all the episodes.

Ep 1:
Ozone/Earth - He gave a stellar performance! He needs to be a lead in a series soon. My only issue is that he is typecast as the helpless, crying, feminine character. While he's great at it, I would like to see him in a series where he is not bullied.
Sun/Santa - A new face! I was surprised by his performance. I thought he was an established actor, but he doesn't have much credits to his name. I was surprised he kept up with Earth! Amazing performance. I can't wait to see him in more series.

Ep 2:
Rhythm/Yacht - I love Yacht, but I think he's not ready to be the main lead yet. He's the type of actor that feeds off the energy of the other actors and plays off them very well. Maya didn't really give him much to work with, so there was no chemistry. Also, I think this is the first time he's been cast in a role that isn't the comic-relief, so maybe it was a challenge for him.
Pimdao/Maya - I didn't really enjoy her performance. She's not a terrible actress, but she's easily forgettable compared to the other actors and actresses on this list.

Ep 3:
Proud/Samantha - I'm so proud of her! I've never seen her play a character that wasn't a comic-relief, so I was pleasantly surprised. I would love to see more of her as the lead. If possible, I would like a re-do of this pairing because they had good chemistry, but the script was terrible.
Jaidee/Pineare - I have never seen her work before, but I was stunned. Her performance blew me away. I would love to see more of her work. As I said with Samantha, I would love to see them again in a new GL because they had great chemistry.

Ep 4:
Balloon/Pream - It seems like his acting is getting better with each new series. I really enjoyed his acting here. It made me realize that he is indeed a great actor. His performance made me cry so hard, my eyes hurt after. I could feel his emotions, which was something I rarely feel while watching Thai BLs.
Mek/Boum - Another splendid performance. Mek's character was given a terrible and unnecessary crying scene with Jinny, but he made it work. Pream honestly, out performed him this time, but I did feel like it was the scripts' fault and not Boum's. The script was Balloon centric and Mek was a side piece, so I can't say too much.

Ep 5:
Ryu/Plan - His acting is slowly getting better. It wasn't perfect, but it's a lot better. I've never seen him play a character that wasn't a whiny brat, so this is a welcome change. I loved his performance here, rather than his performance in Love By Chance. I felt that he was more realistic and human. His kissing does need to be worked on though.
Jinny/Nink - She gave a nice performance. Plan did outshine her, but she was still able to hold her own. She is my favorite actress out of all the straight couples.

Ep 6:
Tonnam/Peak - He is an amazing actor. I haven't seen his other work since I was honestly put off by his picture on his MDL profile page, but I just realized I was missing out. After I'm done writing his review I'm going to watch his dramas because he is a great actor. I loved his performance here.
Phupha/Boom - He is also an amazing actor. I loved his performance. I'm also going to check out his other work because he's also got talent.

Ep 7:
Beam/Perth - Perth gave an amazing performance, but the script was so bad. I felt the plot was too light-hearted for Perth. I think he outgrew the high schooler role and needs to take on more mature roles. There was barely any conflict for him to show his talent. I wish they have him a better script.
Tonkhao/Fairy - She seems like a nice actress, but there was nothing for her to do here. She was just eye-candy. The script was Beam centric and she barely had any screen time. I don't want to judge her performance here because there was nothing to judge.

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OVERALL:

7 Project had all the potential, but all the acting talent was wasted on terrible scriptwriting. If there is any takeaway from this it would be to only watch the BL episodes and not waste your time on the others. Even then, just go watch an actual series with your favorite actors because you will be left disappointed and wanting more.

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This is Why Touken Ranbu Should Stay In Historical Japan and Out of Modern Japan

I just finished watching it in theaters for a second time! Okay, I honestly went more for the clear file than the movie, but it was still a good movie.

The directors of Touken Ranbu 2 took an leap of faith and dived into the lore of Touken Ranbu, so for die hard fans of Touken Ranbu this is a must watch! However, it honestly becomes a love it or hate it type of movie due to how they utilized Kotone, the female lead.

•❅✧❅✦ Story •❅✧❅✦

Mikazuki Munechika and his team are deployed to feudal Japan, year 995, to protect history once again. This time they are there to ensure that Minamoto Yorimitsu finishes his "Oni Hunt" on the Oe Mountains and kill the "oni" Shutendoji and his "oni" people. As usual the Touken Danshi encounter the Historical Revisionists (歴史修正主義者), but this time they latch on to a dying Shutendoji. Yamambagiri Kunihiro runs into Shutendoji. Moments later Mikazuki runs into the room only to find Shutendoji and Yamambagiri disappearing. He tries to save Yamambagiri, but is unable to move.

Alone, Mikazuki follows traces of Yamambagiri to the year 2012, however, having no master in the current year, he finds it hard to stay in his Touken Danshi form. High Schooler Kotone, who has the special ability to hear the voices of historical objects, accidentally stumbles upon Mikazuki fighting the Historical Revisionists. Mikazuki takes Kotone as his temporary master so he can maintain his Touken Danshi form. Meanwhile Ibuki, the reincarnation of Shutendoji, is working with the Historical Revisionists to steal people's memories.

So. . . That's all I'm going to say so I don't spoil the whole film. Just know that most of the film takes place in the year 2012.

•❅✧❅✦ Touken Danshi Lore •❅✧❅✦

Touken Danshi 2 really focuses on the lore of Touken Ranbu. The movie explains why most of the missions in Touken Ranbu take place in feudal Japan and not in modern Japan. As someone who's always wondered why the missions were only in feudal Japan, this movie answered my question on that.

•❅✧❅✦ Kotone •❅✧❅✦

Kotone is a love her or hate her type of character. However, it's not because of her personality. It's mostly because of how the directors chose to utilize her character. Some might see no problem with her, but I see many problems with her character. If she were just a saniwa stand-in and Mikazuki and the other Touken Danshi were the the ones to solve the problems and uncover secrets during the mission, then I would have no complaints about her. However, it felt like the directors were trying to give her a god complex. She was made out to be the the most important character and that the Touken Danshi would not have been able to complete the mission without her. As someone who enjoys watching the Touken Danshi solve and complete their own missions, it was frustrating to watch this random human girl solve it for them. It felt like I was watching a movie with Kotone as the main character, not Mikazuki or the other Touken Danshi. But if you don't care about the Touken Danshi actually being the main characters in their own movie, then I guess her character isn't that bad.

•❅✧❅✦ Touken Danshi •❅✧❅✦

There were a lot of Touken Danshi in his film. The climax does not disappoint. It was amazing.

Mikazuki Munechika, Heshikiri Hasebe, Yamambagiri Chougi, Higekiri, Hizamaru and Yamambagiri Kunihiro take up most of the screen time, but Kogarasumaru, Ichigo Hitofuri, Honebami Toushiro and Horikawa Kunihiro are there to protect the Honmaru. As for the other Touken Danshi, a lot of the actors from the stage play and previous movie make a cameo.

My favorite part was that they got both actors who played Tsurumaru Kuninaga to cameo, which works out since Heshikiri Hasebe, Yamambagiri Chougi, Higekiri and Hizamaru are all from different Honmarus. Another one of my favorite parts is when Mikazuki compares his Honmaru's Hasebe to the Hasebe he meets on the mission.

•❅✧❅✦ Overall •❅✧❅✦

While I'd like to give a higher score, I don't think I can. The movie was great, but as someone who enjoys the Touken Danshi solving their own missions I didn't enjoy it as much as I could have. Kotone really put a block on me enjoying more of the movie. Again, she's not a bad character, but she gave me a god complex vibe so I didn't enjoy her much. To me, the movie felt more like Kotone meets the Touken Danshi rather than Touken Ranbu, but that's just me. However, I did enjoy the movie other than her, and I loved the lore behind the movie. This is still a great movie to watch. I did watch it in theaters twice, so it's a good movie. Please watch it.

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Too short!

STORY:

Yoona comes home to an empty apartment. She checks her calendar to find that she's forgotten about her girlfriend Soohyun's birthday. Later when Soohyun comes home Yoona is surprised to see that Soohyun isn't upset about it. Yoona tries to argue with Soohyun, but the later doesn't want to argue. Instead Soohyun asks to break up. They've been dating for 7 years, but she's tired now. She doesn't even know if she's dating Yoona anymore because Yoona doesn't even wear their ring.

This short film, is a nice take on the workaholic/distant husband troupe, except it's between women here. I really liked that the film took that troupe and ran with it, but I honestly felt that the film was too short for me to have any emotions or opinions on this film. The film starts just before their break up and ends when Soohyun closes the door on Yoona. We don't see what their relationship was before this all took place. We are only greeted with a flashback scene of what happened earlier in that day when Yoona leaves Soohyun for work, but that's it. We don't see any of their happy days, or know when Yoona started to pull away from Soohyun, so it's hard to make judgements. All I could think throughout the film was that if they've been dating for 7 years and Yoona was like this for most of the relationship, why did Soohyun stick around for as long as she did? Why was Soohyun so hopeful in the flashbacks?

OVERALL:

Honestly it's a nice slice of life short film, but it did feel a little too short. I would have loved to see some flashbacks of the many times Yoona distanced herself from Soohyun, so that I could feel some sort of emotion for either girls.

It's something to watch if you have some time, but you can still just skip over this film and you won't be missing out on anything.

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Beautifully Relatable!!

Reminds me of my own life in so many ways!!
I met my first love via an app and we talked a lot before meeting.
Also that cigarette "kiss" reminds me of my friends back home. My friend and her boyfriend did the "kiss" all the time.
Anyways, I'll stop being nostalgic and get on to the review.

STORY:

A young barista takes a liking to one of his customers. He updates his online friend of his ideal type, while thinking of his customer. One day the customer comes in and the barista decides to take a chance. The customer goes out to take a smoke break and the barista follows. They talk for a bit before the customer leaves. Later when the barista finishes his shift he goes outside to find the customer waiting. They chat before the customer offers to take the barista home. On the way home he receives a message from his friend asking him to update his ideal type. The barista messages his friend that he and his ideal type are hanging out now. The customer turns to him and asks "Me?" before showing him their chat conversation.

This is a short, but beautiful story of love. From the "dating app" (or online friend. IDK what is the right term for this) to nervousness, it's very realistic and relatable. Even the "why didn't you tell me you were him," was realistic. It's literally like taking a peak into the life of another person.

Personally I wanted to see more. While it ended nicely, I thought it was too short. We only got the barista's side of the story, so I wanted to get bigger peak at the customer's side. We get the hint that he likes the barista, but we don't know what the customer was doing to feed his crush. In the short, when we see the flashes of the barista crushing on the customer via messages, I would have liked to see the customer's response back with flashes of the barista. Instead he just is there as eye candy until the end when we find out he is the person on the other end of the messages. If they wanted that to be a surprise, I feel like there should be another way to do it, but I could just be projecting because I want more info.

The cigarette "kiss" was unique and I love it. It was sexy to watch. I don't really see much of this on screen or in real life, but as I said earlier, my friends did this so it was nostalgic to me. I could just imagine his heart beating like crazy as his crush did this to him.

Lastly, yet most importantly, the confession. "Why didn't you tell me?" This is the question we often ask. It's hard to confess in general, but when you know that the person you're messaging has a crush on you yet doesn't know it's you... I can imagine the conflicting feelings. People will either take it two ways, one, I'm so embarrassed I couldn't figure out it was you. Or two, you betrayed me by not telling me. I'm glad the barista went with the first reaction. However, "Why didn't you tell me?" is such an important question and the title of this film is Please Tell Me So, so I wish they would have talked about it more. There is an implication that the barista may have spilled some embarrassing secrets, and also they both seemed to have a crush on each other for a while, so it would be great to see them discuss it more. I felt like they played the "first love" card to sweep everything away nicely to finish up the film quickly. It was a cheap way out, but I guess it works to wrap up the film in a kiss.

OVERALL:

This film is beautiful and realistic. Also very nostalgic for me. This is the first time a film has ever made me recall moments in my life. I really enjoyed the film because of it. While the ending was wrapped up a bit too quickly for my liking, the cards were played right, so no complaints there. I can't wait to see another film from Strongberry soon.

Lire davantage

Great Collaboration between Thai and Korean BL!

Starts off shaky, but from the second episode the drama starts to make sense.

Honestly, I wish there was more than 10 episodes because this left me wanting more.
I'll go into detail in a bit, but I would like to say that the other reviews about Peach of Time and it's plot holes are valid.
However, I feel like most of the issues could be resolved with a few more episodes rather than the 10 we were given.

Peach of Time is a good drama with too many ideas and too little episodes.


STORY:

Yoon Oh is a Korean boy who is retaking his college entrance exam for the 4th time. Yoon Oh's mother also seems to resent his birth. On his way home from his job an accident happens. Peach, Yoon Oh's Thai friend arrives in Korea two weeks later. Peach stays at Yoon Oh's home and catches up with Yoon Oh and his mother. A few days later Peach receives a box meant for Yoon Oh's mother. When he accidently drops the box the contents spill out revealing the freighting news that Yoon Oh had unfortunately passed away. Shocked and surprised Peach runs away from the ghost of Yoon Oh, who is also shocked and scared of this revelations. While running away from Yoon Oh, Peach finds Mario, a Thai man who he had bumped into at Yoon Oh's place. Mario reveals himself to be a ghost and tells Peach he must help Yoon Oh solve the deep sorrow in his heart, so he can rest in peace. If Peach cannot help Yoon Oh than he might turn into a bad spirit and never be able to rest in peace.

Peach of Time definitely has a unique concept in BL. While it's not the first to tackle the ghost boyfriend troupe, the troupe is still new in live action BLs. (Only manga and anime have done ghost boyfriends in the world of BL.) He's Coming to Me and Y Destiny are the only two BLs that have tried to tackle this troupe. (That I'm aware of.) While Peach of Time is similar to the others, with the human trying to help his ghost boyfriend solve his issues so he can rest in peace; Peach of Time is also different because Peach and Yoon Oh were friends before his death and Yoon Oh didn't even know he was dead. There is also the issue of Yoon Oh's relationship with his mother and whether or not his death was a suicide because of his mother. Yoon Oh's mother also has issues of her own, ranging from her guilt over Yoon Oh and the malpractice issue over the girl in the hospital. Mario also has a small side story of his own.

As amazing as Peach of Time is for tackling all of the drama, it only has 10 episodes, each being only 30 minutes long. As a result, there were quite a few plot holes and many important scenes were missing or brushed over. At a glance, the story wrapped up nicely and it's possible to over look the plot holes, but if you were really enjoying the drama, you would have many questions.

As I said earlier, this drama has too many ideas and too little episodes. This resulted in a very rushed first episode. There was no build up for Yoon Oh before bringing in the drama with his mother, so it was frustrating to get through the first episode. We didn't care enough for Yoon Oh to entertain his mommy issues. Peach also randomly showed up in Korea speaking Thai, confusing everyone about whether he was Yoon Oh's boyfriend or just a friend. It really wasn't until the last 5 minutes of the first episode that you learn about Yoon Oh and Peach. Personally, I wish they gave us some background into Yoon Oh and Peach's relationship before the present. I literally had to go back to rewatch the first episode again just to understand and care about Yoon Oh's issues. From the second episode, the drama continues on rather smoothly because we now have some background into the characters. However, I wish we had time to look into how Peach and Yoon Oh met, their relationship before Yoon Oh's death, Yoon Oh's childhood/background with his mother, Yoon Oh being bullied (since they show that as a reason he couldn't step out of the resort), what exactly happened with Yoon Oh's mother and father, as well as what happened with the malpractice issue, the actual conclusion to Yoon Oh's death since it wasn't a suicde, Mario's background with Soo Jin, what happened with Mario after he made up with Soo Jin/ did he rest in peace, and Peach moving on after Yoon Oh. All of these things were big plot points, but got skimmed over by the conclusion of the drama. It would have been great to see it, but the drama was still decent, even with the plot holes.


KOREA/ THAILAND CROSSOVER:

Peach of Time is a crossover drama between Korea and Thailand, so you do get the best of both worlds. The drama itself takes more inspiration from Korea. It has the stereotypical hateful mother, chebol doctors covering malpractice, police detectives that are inadequate at their jobs, and a beautiful love story between two very hot leads. The only thing Thailand seemed to contribute to the crossover was Jimmy and Tommy, two amazing Thai BL actors. However, there is no complaints in the crossover because Korea is known for better dramas, but Thailand does have a more prolific BL fanbase. It was great to see the two Thai actors stepping up their acting to match the high level of Korean dramas.

If there is any complaints about the crossover, it would be that it's a Korean drama. There is no juicy scenes... aside from Jimmy randomly being topless while Jaehyun is always clothed. I personally am okay without the bed scenes since they do sometimes make me uncomfortable, but the kissing is very Korean. It's not really a big problem, but it's a little unrealistic and stoic. Aside from that I loved the Korea/Thailand crossover. I would love to see more crossovers like this with more experienced actors. While Jimmy and Tommy are great actors, they did seem a but stiff compared to the Korean actors. It's not a big issue because they are still good actors, but what if we had great or amazing Thai actors along side the Korean actors. I could name a few that I would like to see in these Korea/Thailand crossovers, but since they aren't in this film, I won't mention them.


Peach & Yoon Oh

Peach and Yoon Oh were an odd couple in the beginning, but as the story goes on they grow onto you. Peach is constantly this ray of sunshine that is not only good looking, but also very kind. Yoon Oh is the polar opposite being more stoic and moody. He has a lot of issues to deal with and his home life isn't great, so it's understandable, but as he hangs out with Peach we see a different side of him. Around Peach, he is caring, attentive, and a bit clingy. All of his good qualities are reserved for Peach and he still has his shell around others, also he softens enough to understand his mother by the end of the series.

Peach and Yoon Oh are a cute couple. I wish we could have seen more of them having fun. The main focus of the series is Yoon Oh's issues and solving them, so they usually are having deep talks. It's only the last few episodes were Yoon Oh and Peach start acting like a couple because they actually have time to act like a couple. However, all the scenes the have together, cute or not, it really shows that Peach cares for Yoon Oh and Yoon Oh only has Peach. I wish Yoon Oh didn't die, but if Yoon Oh wasn't dead I'm not too sure how they would have ended up dating. Unless Peach grew a pair, Yoon Oh would have been oblivious for a while since he seemed to be stressed over his mother before his death.

Yoon Oh & His Mother

Oh, the drama. I really feel bad for the both of them as clearly his mother loves Yoon Oh, but she failed to show it. After his death she was living in so much guilt, she went the extra mile to prove his didn't commit suicide. Yoon Oh was the target of her emotional abuse and didn't have a great life because of it. His only moments of happiness seemed to be when he wasn't with her. It's sad that they couldn't make up with each other in life, but through Peach they come to understand each other. While his mother started off as the typical hateful mother in Kdramas, she actually was a complex character and I enjoyed watching her on screen.

Mario & Soo Jin

I was so curious about Mario since he was a random character that seemed to just show up out of nowhere. At first, I was confused by his appearance, but as he began to help Yoon Oh and Peach, I began to get curious about him. He had an interesting backstory of dying in a fire and waiting as a ghost for 20 years. Right when we thought we would get an answer to his storyline, nothing happened. He found his long lost love, Soo Jin, and they had a moment together, so shouldn't he have rested in peace? I'm so confused. I love that Mario found Soo Jin, but after she was introduced nothing happened. Even the ending with Mario is so strange. Mario deserves to rest in peace!


OVERALL:

Peach of Time is a nice drama. I wish there was more. While it's not perfect, it's definitely a good drama to watch. I honestly think if this drama was around 20 episodes or so and all of the plot holes could be fixed, it would have been the best BL of the year.

Lire davantage

Must Watch for Fluke Fans and Non-fans Alike!!

Scary Movie meets Ghost Ship (2002) meets the Sixth Sense

Ghost Ship is Comedic Horror Gold! It's not scary at all. Some jump scares here and there, but Fluke and the three stooges put all the horror in the back seat. I'm not a big horror fan, but I can definitely watch this with the lights off.

If you have some time definitely watch this because you'll enjoy it.


STORY:

Yorla, Kala, and Solui are working on a ship when they discover the dead body of Mia in the kitchen. They panic and wonder if they should tell the boat owner or not, but hey are disturbed by Nick, the boat owner's son. When the trio decide to get rid of her body, so they don't get blamed for her death. When they return to look for her body it's gone. Now Mia's spirit is loose on the ship wreaking havoc. Later they find a very much a live Mia and Nick together. They learn that Mia, Druglord Tao's wife, is having an affair with Nick and that he smuggled Mia on board so when they get to their destination they can leave and live a better life. The trio are relived at first, but if Mia is alive, then who are the spirits haunting the ship?

You must watch Ghost Ship! It's a amazing movie. There is so many twist and turns that it keeps you on your toes. The comedy is really slapstick and the trio, now referred to as the three stooges, are comedic gold! There is a smidge of romance between Mia and Nick, but of course we are here for the horror. The horror isn't really scary. It's a lot of jump scares more than anything. Still, it's a good watch.

Three Stooges

Yorla, Kala, and Solui are the heart of the movie. Yorla is a transgender woman who is working on the ship to save money for her surgeries. (So yes, aside from the heart, SHE is physically all HE at the moment.) A lot of the comedy centers around the three of them, although most are at Yorla's expense. (I should add that the scream queen of this film is Yorla, by the way.) Most of the film centers around them and how they handle the spirits aboard the ship. Some highlights include Yorla's hair pulling fight, Yorla and Kala's kiss, and the three stooges battling a spirit.

While most of the three stooges' screen time if filled with comedy when we hit the climax, the movie turns into a legit horror film and all the actors bring their A game. Gone is the slapstick, and here is the three men fighting for their lives. Kala, who later plays a bigger role towards the climax, gets a series action scene, while Yorla brings tears to our eyes after being shot. It's amazing how the actors can all go from making us laugh to worrying for their lives in a split second. That is talent.

Mia & Nick

Mia and Nick are the romantic couple of the story. They remind me a lot of Jack and Rose from the Titanic. They have a forbidden romance, and they give just enough romance to keep us cheering for the couple without taking away from the horror or comedy. Mia, as a spirit, is frightening, yet once we find out she is a live she is as innocent and helpless as every other female in a horror movie. Nick and the other "men" (since we have to include Yorla) are constantly saving her. My one concern is that the three stooges are the main characters for most of the movie, yet as soon as we hit the climax, the main character is now Mia and Nick. The ending with Nick really gets to me. It's so heartbreaking, yet heartwarming.

Tao & The Spirits

While Mia's spirit is set up to be the antagonist, the real antagonist is Tao and the spirits haunting the boat. I won't say too much since I don't want to spoil it, but just keep your eye out on Tao. He only has a few minutes of screen time, but that doesn't mean he's innocent.


ACTING:

The acting in Ghost Ship is superb, especially the three stooges. Yorla, Kala, and Solui are amazing with their slap stick comedy, but when it's time to act they are amazing. They can make you go from laughing your eyes out to crying your heart out in a split second. Especially Fluke, who plays Yorla. If you've seen his other roles, and you watched this movie without knowing he was in it, you wouldn't be able to tell it's him. Such an amazing actor.

This film incorporates comedy, horror, romance, action, and everything in between and all the actors are able to pull each scene spectacularly. This is really underrated gold!


OVERALL:

Definitely watch this film because it's amazing. At a glance it doesn't seem like much, but it has cult-classic potential to the max. It's really underrated and I wish more people would watch it.

Lire davantage

Better than the Novel! It's 100% Chemistry between the Actors!!

Love in the Air is a must watch, but only because of the chemistry between the actors!
The story itself is cliché and has been told numerous times, but the reason I have this series on repeat is simply because of Phayu and Prapai breaking toxic BL standards of consent and because of the chemistry between all of the couples. I want the love that Phayu and Prapai give to their lovers! I'm so jealous!

~~ STORY ~~

Phayu and Prapai are best friends who enjoy underground racing. Phayu works as an architect while also running his own luxury auto repair shop. He is also mafia-boss Pakin's most trusted car mechanic. Prapai is not only runs his own company, but is Pakin's most fasted racer. They meet college freshmen Rain and Sky after a series of unfortunate events for Rain, including his car breaking down in the middle of the road. Phayu is love-struck by Rain's naivety and innocence, while Prapai can't get enough of the duality between Sky's hot and cold persona. Both couples end up in a game of cat and mouse which leads to lots of love in the air.

Love is the Air is based off of two novels written by Mame; Love Storm (Phayu/Rain) and Love Sky (Prapai/Sky).
The series doesn't really take much liberty in changing much from the novels. What you read in the novels is exactly what you get in the series. The story itself isn't the best or the most unique, but it is different compared to other BLs currently being produced into TV series... Meaning it isn't another high school or college themed drama.

While Love in the Air features college students, most of the setting takes place outside of the college, making it different from most Thai BLs being produced. Phayu and Prapai are men who have already graduated college and are already quite advanced in their careers, while Rain and Sky are freshmen in college. Due to Phayu and Prapai being working members of society, the way they act and treasure their lovers is very mature leading to both couples having the most healthiest relationship out of all BL couples. Phayu and Prapai had multiple occasions where they could have taken advantage of their lovers, but always told them "I'll wait for when you're ready." Phayu and Prapai also encouraged their lovers to take responsibility for their actions and correct any errors their lovers made even if it put them in an unfavorable position.

PHAYU & RAIN

Phayu is your stereotypical rich bad boy that everyone wants to date. Meanwhile Rain is your typical naïve to the point of stupidity freshman. Phayu is lovestruck from the moment he met Rain, but instead of approaching Rain like the usual suitor, Phayu choses to tease Rain and bring him into a game of cat and mouse with a surprise twist.... Phayu is the mouse.

I personally like how Phayu treats Rain. I'm not a big fan of the game Phayu sets up for Rain, but Phayu has never been malicious or mean to Rain, so it's tolerable. Phayu really treats Rain like royalty and his entire life revolves around Rain, so I think Rain is the luckiest guy on the planet. I really like how Phayu respects Rain and his boundaries, only pushing the boundary as far as Rain will let him, without ever crossing the line. He never really touched Rain unless Rain was the one to initiate it, which was a pleasant surprise from our bad boy. I hope to find myself a man like Phayu one day.

Rain... He's not the post memorable character out there, but Phayu loves him. Throughout the story everyone calls him Phayu's boy and that's honestly how I remember him. Sorry Rain!

PRAPAI & SKY

Prapai is another stereotypical rich bad boy, while Sky is a quiet nerd that actually has a dark past. Prapai saves Sky from a situation that Rain gets them in, and gets hooked on Sky after they have a one night stand. At first Prapai chases after Sky for the sex, but before he knew it, it was less about sex and more about wanting to be with Sky. On the other hand, Sky hated Prapai from the moment he met because Prapai reminded him about his ex. However, after getting to know Prapai he learns to love and respect himself, as well as learn that Prapai and the love he has is better than his ex in every way, shape and form.

While a bit extreme in his methods, Prapai gives out all his love in ways that everyone should aspire to give out and receive. Prapai never really had a hidden agenda and was open with Sky about his love from day one. The loving looks and helping hands he gave Sky regardless of whether it was reciprocated or not, was beautiful to watch. It made me want a man like Prapai.

Sky... He joins the ranks of characters that have a dark past that he overcomes with the help of love. His dark past was rushed through and used as the climax of their storyline, but it wasn't really memorable. It's his past that defines his current actions, so more emphasis should have been placed on it if they wanted to make that the climax, but instead they focused on Prapai's love. Focusing on Prapai's love for him, made the climax lose it's meaning since his past wasn't explained well and rushed through in less than one episode. I guess want to see Prapai and Sky is their own series, so they can focus on Sky's past and not rush though it.

~~ ACTING ~~

This drama is 100% chemistry between the actors and honestly, it's really the actors that are keeping this show alive. Boss and Fort, who play Phayu and Prapai respectively, really know how to act with body language. They don't need to speak any lines to know what their characters are thinking. Noeul and Peat, playing Rain and Sky respectively, are also able to keep up with Boss and Fort.

I don't know what else to say but watch it.

~~ BOOK vs DRAMA ~~

So I watched the series and read both books. What you saw in the series is almost exactly what you get in the novel, however, there are some small differences. Also, t's not really worth it to read the novels, so I'll talk about it below.

Love Storm:
The main storyline is almost exactly the same in both the series (ep 1-7) and the novel. There are some small differences here and there, but the plot is basically the same. Though, if you are interested in listening to Phayu and Rain's thoughts, the novel does go into more detail.

The biggest change the series made was replacing Oat with Prapai. In Love Storm, Prapai makes a few appearances as Phayu's friend and does ask for Sky's number, but it's unknown if he is a racer. The best racer in the novel is Oat, who is also the protagonist of another of Mame's novels OatShin's Diary. Oat is the one who races Stop. Other than that everything else is almost exactly as you see on screen.

Love Sky:
The second half of the series (ep 8-13) is based on Love Sky. This is where most of the changes occur between the novel and series. Love Sky deals with darker subjects like sleeping around, trust, abuse, rape, and trauma, so the series did make a few changes.

Some of the major changes include, but are not limited to:
1. Sig in the series Sig is Rain and Sky's friend, who isn't that handsome and is there for comedic purposes. In the novel, Sig is just Rain and Sky's handsome classmate who houses Sky after he breaks up with Prapai.
2. Prapai's mom, brother and sister meet Sky as soon as they become official. Sky also visits Prapai's house and becomes close with the family.
3. Prapai's actor uncle makes more physical appearances in the novel.
4. Sky's past with his ex is explained in more detail and is a lot more graphic and traumatic.
5. The scene where Prapai confronts Sky's ex is slightly different and more graphic. The aftercare scene is also extended.
6. P'Chai makes an appearance during the confrontation scene as well.
7. Phayu is barely in the novel, appearing only a few times, while he is mentioned a lot in dialogue.
8. Rain a better friend in the novel than in the series.

Overall, while there are some changes between the novel and series. I think that once you've watched the series, there is no need to read the novel. I thought the series improved most of the flaws of both novels. While in the novels you can read and understand the character's thoughts, I found that their thoughts were a lot more immature and made their actions less wholesome. As mentioned earlier, in the series Phayu and Prapai are portrayed as mature adults, but when reading their thoughts in the novels, their thoughts contradicted the way mature adults think and ruined what could have been amazing mature characters. Even Sky was written as more selfish and less sympathetic in the novel. The only character who was written slightly better than their series counterpart was Rain, but only in Love Sky. During the series which covers Love Sky, Rain is portrayed more as stupid rather than naïve. In Love Sky, Rain is naïve, but takes better care of Sky than in the series. When Sky is sick, he doesn't just throw Prapai the keys to Sky's house. He actually didn't want to even call Prapai.

The series greatly improved the novel. However, as mentioned earlier, the climax for Prapai and Sky's love story was rushed in the series and its also very different. If you're curious or want more details about what happened between Sky and his ex, as well as how Prapai actually deals with it in the novel, I would read Love Sky... At least the last few chapters because the ending is a little different as well. However, if you are planning to read the novels, be warned that you may not like how the characters are portrayed in the novel.

~~ OVERALL ~~

Love in the Air is a series that I have on repeat. While the storyline isn't unique, the way Prapai and Phayu show their love for Sky and Rain is really something to watch. Also their chemistry is amazing. Don't worry too much about the storyline and just watch for their chemistry. I swear you won't be disappointed. Also don't worry about reading the novels. It's not worth it.

Lire davantage

Short and Beautiful

Tinted with You is very short, but the landscapes are beautiful!

~~ STORY ~~

Tinted with You is a short series about time travel. A student named Eun Ho gets sucked into a historical painting where he meets exiled Crown Prince Lee Heon and Geum, his loyal servant. From there the plot gets a little messy. Tinted with You is very short with 8 episodes, each around 12 minutes. It's hard to tell a story about love, time travel, and a messy kingdom takeover in such a short amount of time, however Tinted with You tries it's best.

Despite the plot sounding dramatic, the series is very fluffy and adorable. The characters are in their small little bubble and are content staying in their bubble.

My only gripe about this series is that the ending was too confusing. Prince Heon and Eun Ho suddenly fall in love and Eun Ho decides to take him to the future... Which miraculously works... I think... The only confirmation we get is that they are together in the future 2 years later. There is no confirmation that the Heon we see in the end is the same Prince Heon from the past. Even that weird meeting with Geum in the future was weird. Are they themselves or reincarnations? I'm con fused. Other than that it was nice to watch.


LEE HEON x EUN HO

They fell in love rather quickly... and I'm surprised Heon didn't go through gay panic since historically two men together was a taboo. Aside from that, they were cute together. They just naturally got together and it wasn't strange or weird. I did feel that they were a bit rushed, but it didn't bother me too much. What bothered me was the ending... Are they dating or just friend?

~~ OVERALL ~~

Tinted with You was cute and fluffy. The landscapes were beautiful too! That being said, this series is a good filler series to watch when you want to watch something, but are short on time. It's not something that I will be rewatching anytime soon though... The OST, however, I need to stick into my itunes asap.

Lire davantage

Just a Cute Filler Until Covid-19 Ends and They can Film Between US the Series

Between Us Special is just a filler until they can film the series that was pushed back due to Covid-19.

~~ STORY ~~

There is no real story. It is only cute clips between Team and Win showing off some aspects of their daily lives.
I would go as far as saying that this is more for Boun and Prem fans than anything else. They try to keep with the UWMA characters, but it's just fan service episodes more than anything. There is no plot to it.

Also, since I just came to watch the specials after rewatching UWMA, I noticed that Win and Team are a little different from their UWMA counter parts. Yes, they don't have any big changes to their characters, but I found that the specials really made Team look stupid when in UWMA he wasn't really stupid. I don't remember Team being stupid, he was very intelligent and awkward more than anything. Win wasn't too different, but he did have some changes. I noticed Win's teasing of Team was a little too playful and maybe even mean compared to UWMA. Win's style of teasing was very flirty in UWMA and he was never mean to Team.

On a side note, I read other reviews going on about Win kicking Team off the bed, and about him teasing Team for gaining weight... Just stop. We don't need the moral police here. Yes, Win shouldn't have done either, but who hasn't been pushed off the bed or teased about their weight by their friends or family? It's very realistic. Also, it's just a one-off thing that Win does, so stop going on about it as if he's abusing Team or something.

~~ Overall ~~

Between Us Special was a fun watch. It does the job of making us want to see more of Team and Win while their series is delayed. That being said, I don't think I will rewatch this any time soon. I prefer plot driven storylines and since this is more fanservice than plot, I wasn't a fan. It's very cute and a great one time watch between UWMA and Between Us the series. I can't wait to watch them together again soon.

Lire davantage

Cutie Pie? More like a Hot Mess!!

First of all, whoever named the series "Cutie Pie" needs to be fired. This was not cute. It was a literal Hot Mess! Cute, is not knowing how to confess and running in circles because you just had your first kiss. Steamy is when you have sexy half-naked men hugging, kissing, and getting way too close to each other for more than half of all of the episodes that it's impossible for me to watch this series in front of my parents.

Now that I'd done making fun of the series, Cutie Pie wasn't too bad... If you don't really care for plot and are just looking for two hot guys that really need to get a room. The plot was all over the place, but it comes together by the end of the series. Until then though, it does feel like a slow burn with the characters always pushing each others buttons in a constant game of tug-of-war that lasts all 12 episodes.


~~ STORY ~~

Hia Lian and Kuea Keerati have been engaged with each other since they were children. Kuea come from a very old, prestigious and wealthy household while Hia Lian's family recently gained their wealth through their water bottle business. Both families have agreed that the two boys will marry when Kuea graduated college. Until then they have been going on weekly dates. Kuea is head over heels for Hia Lian. He loves playing drums, singing, and super cars, but in front of Hia Lian, he plays the good boy card.

One day Kuea asks Hia Lian if he loves him. The later replies "No," which saddens and angers Kuea to the point he calls off the engagement. Hia Lian says they cannot cancel their engagement and begins to pester Kuea.

Meanwhile, Kuea's best friend Khondiao, and Hia Lian's best friend Hia Yi also have problems of their own. Khondiao has been living at Hia Yi's mansion at the later's request, but lately Hia Yi is starting to get too over protective. They aren't even dating, yet Hia Yi's setting curfews for Khondiao to come home.

First of all, the premise of the story isn't bad. However, the first episode was hard to watch. It was really all over the place. It was like the director had so many ideas that were hastily crammed into the first episode. I promise, once you get through that first episode the rest of the series is a little more easy to watch.

That being said, the plot was still all over the place and the game of cat and mouse was really annoying because the couples didn't resolve anything until the last episode. Every time you think they would get together, they don't. Even that beautiful proposal was ruined because Kuea overthinks every little thing. These two have major communication issues!!

Also, as I said earlier, this series has a lot of steamy scenes.... Way too many if you consider that they are having steamy scenes yet they haven't even gotten together for more than half of the scenes.


HIA LIAN X KUEA

Kuea seems like a good boy that's trying to be a bad boy. Why is he hiding everything from Hia Lian? Hia Lian... I don't know what game he's playing. Both boys got along well as kids, yet as adults they suddenly are hiding secrets from each other? I don't buy it, especially if they have been going on dates every friday.

P.S. I really like Kuea and Hia Lian together towards the end of the series. They are cute together... But I think they really need to work on communication and not hiding secrets.


HIA YI X KHONDIAO

Hia Yi and Khondiao are... interesting. At first, I thought they were already dating, but it turns out they are not. Also, midway though the series Hia Yi and Khondiao start having issues with their living arrangement. It was sudden, but I wish it started more towards the beginning of the series. And again, like their best friends, this couple also has major communication issues.


NUER X SYN

These two need their own series. They were my favorite couple. They really brought out the "cutie pie" aspect of this series, where they rest of the couples fail at it. They couple also has my favorite kiss scene... possibly out of all the BLs I've seen. So cute and sweet.

Anyways, Nuer was brought in to seemly become Hia Lian's rival for Kuea's heart, but Nuer doesn't really act on it. Which I wish he did because it would have made the plot more interesting. However, I am content with Nuer immediately taking an interest in Syn's protectiveness of Kuea. I really liked Nuer from the moment he showed up on screen. Syn, however.... He made no real impact when he was first introduced, so it was surprising that he was also a minor lead.


~~ ACTING ~~
** Scratch that. The steamy scenes. **

Everything, including the acting, was overshadowed by the steamy scenes.

I already knew that since Zee was cast, he was going to have some steamy scenes, but I think they gave him too many. It really overshadowed the acting because once the steamy scenes start, it starts to feel like an adult video because Zee is that good at it. I really don't remember much of the acting because of it. Who was acting opposite of Zee again?

Also, another reason I really think Zee had too many steamy scenes, because when it was time for Max and Nat to have their steamy scene, I found myself comparing it to Zee's when I shouldn't be.


~~ OVERALL ~~

Cutie Pie isn't a bad watch. It's very steamy with little a chaotic plot, but it's fun to watch.

My favorites were the cameos in episode 7 and 12. The cameos were so random, but they were interesting. Episode 7 was funny since Prem and Boun suddenly show up and start playing Never Have I Ever with the couple with every little background on who these two are.

Anyways, I recommend watching Cutie Pie just for Nuer and Syn's kiss, Zee's steamy scenes, and Prem and Boun's cameo. The other parts of the series I couldn't care for.

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Would have been an amazing drama if it didn't have a Semantic Error!

Semantic Error is a very good light-hearted BL drama. However, the semantic error in this drama is that it's a drama... The definition of drama is a movie or television production with characteristics (such as conflict) of a serious play... Semantic Error doesn't really have any real conflict or drama that raises the stakes for any of the characters, so while a great one time watch, if you sit back and think, do I want to watch this again, the answer is no. It's a good one time watch, but because the last episode is rushed the "drama" in this drama is missing, which led to the downfall of this drama.

STORY:

Chu Sangwoo is a junior college student with a robotic sense of rules. He makes a presentation about his group work and decides to by name drop everyone who didn't help him with the project. This name dropping results in the university dropping the grades of everyone who didn't help, including Jang Jaeyoung. Jaeyoung's graduation and plans to study abroad are put on hold. so he decides to seek out Sangwoo. Soon Sangwoo learns that the designer he was interested in working with is actually Jaeyoung. Sangwoo tries to ignore Jaeyoung's retaliation of childish pranks, but they soon end up getting a little too comfortable with each other's presence.

Okay... So where to start....

The plot seems interesting as a web novel, but it's very elementary when is comes to live action drama. As the audience, we are suddenly dropped into Sangwoo's presentation where he throws lots of people under the bus, but we don't actually get to see him get frustrated, see him get assigned the project, or anything. We just are shown the end result of the project, so we don't have any sense of understanding as to why Sangwoo name dropped these people. Similarly, we don't get to see Jaeyoung be very upset about his plans being cancelled. so we don't understand why he retaliated against Sangwoo. Also, how could Sangwoo and Jaeyoung not know each other if they were supposed to be working on the same group project? I don't understand... And this is the first episode of the drama.

Once you get past the first episode the plot is actually decent. It's a light-hearted and fun story. The real error of this drama is that that producers decided to put the climax in the last episode. Since the episode is only about 30 minutes long, the entire issue of Jaeyoung's acceptance into a French program putting a strain on Sangwoo's response as to whether or not they should date is really rushed. Because of this, I felt that Sangwoo really didn't love Jaeyoung as he claimed. I also felt that Jaeyoung didn't really care for Sangwoo much either, which is very unfortunate.

Sangwoo x Jaeyoung

Sangwoo is awkward, robotic and doesn't believe in people or love. Jaeyoung is popular, outgoing, and always goes with the flow. It's supposed to be an opposites attract type of love, and they both are cute together. However, due to the rushed ending, I'm questioning how long they will last as a couple. As I said earlier, they due to the pacing of the last episode, they don't seem to be as in love with each other as I hoped they would be... Which is a bummer because they are adorable together.

OVERALL:

I had high hopes for this drama, but the last episode really ruined it for me. A nice one time watch, but I can live without watching it again.

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Great Music and Great Acting!!!

Back is more of an extended music video than a short film, but it's perfect excellent either way.

STORY:

Net has a fight with his girlfriend. His co-worker Jame comes to cheer him up. Net and Jame slowly start to develop strange feelings for each other. One day Jame walks in on Net giving a break up hug to his now ex-girlfriend. Jame misunderstands and quits his job. Net yearns for Jame, and can't contact him until Jame suddenly returns.

It's a very odd synopsis, I know, but go watch it now! Words don't do this film justice!

It's a great film and the music is superb. The music yearns for love, just like the characters on the screen. I can't really speak too much about the plot because it's more of a watch and feel film. There is very little dialogue, but the acting really carries the film. The actors were amazing in showing us how they slowly fell in love with each other. The actors have great chemistry and their acting is really the cherry on top.

Net X Jame

Net and Jame start off as co-workers, but you can see how they fall for each other. I really enjoyed how there was no prejudice against Jame for getting a little too comfy with Net. He was completely okay with it as if boys falling in love with boys is a common thing. I wish more people would be open minded like that. I'm confused as to why Jame returned because I didn't see Net chasing him or explaining anything to him. Maybe Jame just wanted to see Net one last time and got lucky? That's the only thing that bugs me about the film... Aside from the lack of a hug or kiss... or actual confirmation that they got together in the end... But I can just assume so judging by the way they look at each other.

MUSIC:

I hardly do a music review because it's usually the last thing on people's mind, but because this is an extended music video I will talk about it.

The music is amazing and the vocalist is amazing. He has a really good voice and there is so much emotion in the song. I can't help but put it on repeat. I'm definitely going to download the song after this. You should too!!

Overall:

Back is a great film. The music and the acting really make up for the basic storyline, but who cares. Net and James really have great chemistry and it really sold the music and film. Definitely recommend watching it. You won't regret it!

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