Beautiful love story!

This xianxia revolves around a powerful "evil" lord, Dongfang Qingcang, and the little Orchid fairy who accidentally frees him from the prison he has been in for 30,000 years, and puts him under a spell in the process. The plot follows them as Dongfang Qingcang does all he can to take advantage of the situation and rise to power once more, and Orchid does her best to hide her new companion from the other immortals, and change him for the better.

What stands out immediately in the story is the characterization of the two protagonists, who couldn't be more different from each other: Dongfang Qingcang is practical, strict, always serious and straightforward, and has little to no care about what others might think or feel; Orchid, on the other hand, is very emotional and innocent and always tries her hardest to make sure that the people around her are happy and at ease, even at her own expense. The two of them grow to appreciate each other from the little things, and slowly grow and evolve emotionally as well. I really liked how the changes in their behavior and their attitude toward each other felt very natural; both protagonists are very different people in the second half of the drama, and I didn't question this change even for a moment. The story takes place in four different "arcs", so to say, each of them very relevant for the evolution of Orchid, Dongfang Qingcang, and their romance.
Overall the plot felt very solid to me. There were a couple of times when I felt like it was getting too slow, and also a moment when I actually wished the events had more time to unfold properly, but it didn't hinder the story.
All the characters were amazing. The two protagonists gave amazing performances and I was very impressed by their versatility to portray such complex characters in particular: the cast was just perfect for all the roles.

The quality of the production was pretty good, I really liked the props and the costumes and the CGI was pretty impressive in my eyes as well. The OST also has to be one of the best I've heard in a drama; I don't think I'll ever be over the opening theme in particular.

There are some elements that might stop people from watching (namely: Orchid's voice in the first half of the drama), but I feel like you should still give it a try if you like the genre. I did and I certainly didn't regret it!

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Stayed for the main couple

First of all, here's a recommendation: make sure to find good subtitles for this series. When I tried to watch the first episode with English subtitles, they were so bad that I seriously considered dropping the show altogether. I was lucky enough to find good subtitles in my native language, but if I hadn't, I don't think I would have watched anything past the second episode. Also, the first two episodes are very slow and the pace only picks up from the third episode, so that wouldn't have helped either.

The plot of the story is not very convincing. There are good tropes that could have made the story interesting, but all of them felt very superficial and inconsistent: some elements were introduced and then forgotten, some others stayed for the entire story but never felt as crucial as they were probably meant to be (like the rivalry between Dorm 2 and Dorm 3, which kept being brought up and then suddenly forgotten at every turn). I was under the impression that the writers came up with different ideas, then were indecisive about which one they could pick, and finally chose to include all of them. I felt like I was being swept left and right by the plot and its constant changes in direction, so after a while I just stopped questioning anything that was happening in the story, and focused on the romance.
The story of each couple isn't much less confusing than the overarching plot, but the chemistry of the main pair made up for it. Ai and Songkhram have to be one of the most adorable on-screen couples I've seen and all their moments together had me glued to the screen; the development of their relationship was also pretty good despite everything. The secondary couples didn't get the same care, unfortunately: I feel like Pipe and Meen could have shown much more, but the pacing was off and their story ended up feeling unsatisfying to me. As for Pluster and Nano, they didn't really have any sort of subplot of their own to begin with - either that or it was just so insignificant that it didn't even catch my eye.

Overall, I'm sure I will remember this series just because of Ai and Songkhram and not much else. I only recommend watching as long as you don't have high expectations for the story.

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Fun and thrilling adventure with an awful pace

This story is mainly about two young men, Huzi and Qi Xiaoxuan, who team up with each other and fight to overcome a crisis that threatens to destroy the world. The structure of the story and the way it develops in each episode reminded me a lot of certain action tv shows I watched as a kid, in a good way: I really felt like I was embarking in a great adventure and the setting was very charming to me. Despite this, the plot was not easy to follow because of its pacing, which is just terrible: the story seems to slow down or even come to a halt at the worst moments, it speeds up way too much right when it's supposed to take more time to let the events develop naturally, and so on. I felt confused multiple times as I wondered why were certain events in the story taking so long to finish, all while some very important parts of the story felt rushed for no good reason. If anyone dropped this drama because they were getting bored or they couldn't understand the plot, I wouldn't be surprised.

The strongest point of this series is definitely in the characters. The main characters, the antagonists, even the secondary roles and a good chunk of the supporting cast were very captivating and well-detailed, most with a well developed story and personality that made for a very colourful cast.
Huzi and Qi Xiaoxuan are amazing as the main characters and make a very good pair: seeing their mutual dislike slowly turn into quiet acceptance, then respect, friendship, and even brotherhood was very satisfying. I'd go as far as calling it a bromance, because I feel like the chemistry they had with each other was unmatched. Seeing someone like Huzi as a main character was also a pleasant breath of fresh air to me, after seeing male protagonists who are always elegant and refined in all the Chinese fantasy dramas I've ever watched. Zhao Xintong and "Brick" Wang Yuqian completed the quartet very quickly, and their characters were explored to an extent that left me pleasantly surprised. I was afraid that their group would feel like "Huzi, Xiaoxuan, and friends" for the entire story, but that wasn't the case at all.

The production looked pretty good to me: the entire drama looks incredibly pretty to look at, and the fighting scenes are probably my favorite. I wasn't a huge fan of the CGI monsters, but that's something that I could overlook easily.

This series could have been a 10 out of 10 to me, if it wasn't for the bad pacing, which might easily discourage anyone from watching more than a handful of episodes. I still feel like Tiger and Crane deserves a chance despite this, because it's still a fun adventure and the characters are just too easy to love.

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A fun Xianxia adventure!

I started watching because I heard that there would be a dragon as a main character and I was curious to see what would the story be like. I can easily admit that I only watched a handful of Xianxia dramas in the past, so this review is only based on what I've learned to appreciate when watching dramas of several different genres, rather than watching other Xianxia stories.
I just finished watching the last episode and I can say that I enjoyed myself.

The story starts off as a quest to find Tianyao's missing body parts, with Yanhui as a fundamental part of the plan. The rhythm at the beginning of the story is lively and addictive, the setting also feels welcoming even when there are dangerous situations. The dynamic between characters, however, takes the crown for being the real show-stealer: Tianyao's cold and stubborn attitude seem to clash with Yanhui's just as stubborn and fiery character, but they immediately complement each other and they are quick to become reliable partners, even when there are no romantic feelings involved. The arrival of Bai Xiaosheng also contributes to make the story even more entertaining: he has to be one of the most charming characters in the entire drama!
I felt like the dynamics among characters got ruined around the middle of the story. I'm not saying that this was unjustified (there are valid plot reasons for that, I believe), but a big part of what made the show so compelling was reduced to almost nothing in the span of a couple of episodes. The arc in the middle was also not very interesting, so I'm not lying when I say that at that point I was just hoping for things to get better as soon as possible.
Luckily for me, things did get better later on. On the other hand, the worldbuilding started to look a little fragile, with powers and magical effects coming and going according to what the writers seemed to need at any given moment. While it was still fun and I felt like the story was saved toward its conclusion, I also couldn't help feeling a little unsatisfied for this reason.

As I said, the characters were definitely the best part. There's almost always some characters that I end up finding too annoying or boring, but that wasn't the case this time around: Tianyao, Yanhui, Xiaosheng, even antagonists such as Suying and Lingfei were all interesting and fascinating to see on the screen. Now that I watched all the episodes, I have the feeling that I'm going to miss them a lot.

The production was good enough. The special effects weren't very good, but I'm also not the kind of audience who is too picky about that.
The music was another great part of the drama. All the songs are amazing and touching, they give the story the right amount of dramatic and majestic energy it needs, making the important moments even better in terms of delivery.

This drama is definitely not perfect, but the story and the characters are all charming. They kept me looking forward to the next episode, which is the most important thing for me. I'm definitely recommending this series to whoever is looking for an epic fantasy adventure with themes revolving around trust, betrayal, obsession, and most importantly finding your own place and your own path in life.

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The good things turned bad and the bad things turned worse

[SPOILER-FREE PART]
I enjoyed watching the first part of the series (I wouldn't call it a masterpiece and it's not even a favorite, but definitely fun!) and I was hoping to see a somewhat worthy conclusion for this story in the second part.
Unfortunately, it looks like everything about the first part that I liked so much was nowhere to be found in the second part. On top of that, the writers somehow managed to worsen the aspects of the drama that were already bad to begin with. At some points while watching I started feeling like they were just making a fool of me.
For these simple reasons, this time around I don't have a list of things that I liked about the drama: the list of the things that I don't like just got horribly long.
[END OF SPOILER-FREE PART]

Starting with the things that were already bad that got even worse:
- The worldbuilding wasn't solid from the get-go, but I was at least hoping that things would stay relatively tame in that regard. Well, I was wrong! This Part 2 managed to produce a new magical artifact and create new magical powers at every turn, all while making the characters completely unable to use their magical means for no reason, all based on what the plot needed from them. The number of times I thought "wait, did that exist all along?!" and "why are you not using your powers/artifact?" might not be infinite, but it's still embarrassingly high.
- While P1 was not rich with fighting scenes, their number was still reasonably high. In P2 there's even less fighting. Also, while the FL used her sword in a couple of instances in P1, here in P2 she barely touches the sheath once and never again. I was looking forward to the rebirth of Naksu and hoping for some badass fights involving her, but I got nothing in the end.
- Introspection doesn't exist, which is amazing considering the amount of time that the characters spend talking about nothing in P2. Most dialogues are just a bunch of poetic lines thrown there for dramatic effect, which only made me feel more alienated. Even Naksu/Bu Yeon wasn't explored at all, which says a lot about how her potential was wasted entirely in the end. Overall, there was a lot of material that the writers could have used from P1, so I can't understand why they chose such a terrible plot for P2.
- I was hoping for the female characters to get better at the very least, but they didn't change for the most part; if they changed it was for the worse. Naksu/Bu Yeon turned from being mature, witty and a little grumpy to being the cardboard cutout of a sheltered princess who whines and pouts whenever things don't go her way: it was painful to watch because her character was actually the most interesting part of the entire series and P2 just ruined it completely. Jin Cho Yeon had the chance to grow from being a plain aspiring wife, but she didn't develop in the least. Heo Yoon Ok turned from being useless to just being annoying. So Yi also had the chance to be more interesting as a character, but her motives revolved entirely around Seo Yul and it got boring very quickly. There's no meaningful bond between women unless it's between a mother and her daughters or just pure hate, which was just sad.
- The love triangles made even less sense in P2. Seriously, WHY?!
- The writers seem not to have learned anything from the ending of P1, because the ending of P2 felt just as rushed and unsatisfying, other than being excessively over the top. I felt like I was watching an Alchemy of Souls parody of some kind.

I wish this was over, but no. The following are the good parts of P1 that were ruined in P2:
- Theme? What theme? This time around the plot is entirely about pointless romance and magic stuff being thrown here and there. If someone could put some fantasy and romance tropes in a blender to make a random plot, this would be the result.
- The dynamic between Bu Yeon and Jang Uk was terrible. Since their master/disciple relationship was nowhere to be found, it really felt like they stayed together all those episodes for the sake of the plot. Her moments with Jang Uk didn't catch my attention at all.
- Bu Yeon/Naksu's personality is nowhere to be found in P2. The fact that she's like that because she lost her memory made sense, but she felt like an entirely different character (a very frustrating and boring one!). The wit and the charm of her character are completely lost here, as well as her mature attitude that made a good contrast with Jang Uk. She turned into a spoiled lady who is obsessed with the idea of eloping for romance and it made me wish she just disappeared from the series for good multiple times.
- Jang Uk's training and rise to the top during P1 made his few fights and adventures very interesting, but in P2 he just became too OP and his fights became very boring. Even the final episodes weren't interesting, because I already knew he would win easily and save the world. The only result was that all the times he conveniently forgot about his powers for the sake of the plot were even more annoying.
- For some reason the props and the special effects looked worse this time around. I also hate how they decided to give Park Jin short hair out of nowhere.

In conclusion, I can't say that I was heartbroken over this (again, Alchemy of Souls isn't even a favorite), but I was definitely disappointed. I can't even recommend watching the series for fun at this point, because this Part 2 just ruined it all.

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Good enough...?

I started watching with no expectations other than "I'm probably going to hate this one", but after watching 20 episodes I can say that I actually enjoyed myself. There are also some things that I found really annoying about it as well, but I wouldn't say they ruined my experience entirely. I'll list what I didn't like first.
- The worldbuilding isn't very solid and it shows on multiple occasions. The magic systems of Daeho are never properly explained, which allows a lot of freedom for the writers to get creative with the events, but also lots of plot holes. There were multiple moments when I thought "wait, they could do that all along?!", and also moments when I wondered why didn't certain characters do anything.
- For a show that is supposed to be based on magical swordmasters, there's not many fights overall, especially for the main characters. It's even worse if we consider that the FMC is supposed to be one of the most powerful mages in the country AND an infamous assassin.
- The introspection of the characters was pretty awful. I could have ignored this if it was just for the secondary roles, but Naksu/Mu Deok herself is never explored as a character all that much. Since she's a protagonist I was expecting better for her.
- Some of the interesting ideas that were introduced during the first episodes were never used later on. One of them is the idea of the Four Seasons mages: I was looking forward to see them shine each in their own way, or at least to see an interesting synergy between the four of them in some fight, but none of that happened. It made me wonder why they got that introduction in the first place.
- The female characters are, for the most part, all imprisoned in the same old stereotypical roles. I was looking forward to see some beautifully written female characters, but they all resulted pretty flat. Mu Deok herself wasn't properly explored even though she's the main character, but she's also the only female character who is an actual swordswoman. Jin Cho Yeon's sole personality trait is her wish to be a wife, Kim Do Ju is just a parental figure, and I'm still trying to understand what was Heo Yoon Ok's reason to be in the story at all. So Yi seemed kind of interesting, but she got so little time on the screen that even her story turned out unsatisfying.
- I'm SO TIRED of love triangles, seriously. They weren't necessary at all. I'm starting to think that the writers include them in the plot just to get on everyone's nerves.
- I'm not mentioning anything specific here so that I don't spoil anything, but the resolution of many sides of the story were very unsatisfying in the end. I felt like some characters were given greatly important roles for no real reason, and also that some other crucial situations of the story got resolved very quickly and quietly. The last two episodes in particular felt extremely rushed compared to the rest.

On the other hand, there were multiple things that I liked.
- First of all, the themes of the story were portrayed pretty well: the struggle for power and for survival, life-or-death situation, the will to sacrifice something important in exchange for something else that is just as important... all these themes keep coming back in multiple situations of different characters and they were pretty consistent.
- The idea of a dangerous mage being stuck in a weak body and the son of a powerful mage who can't use his powers needing to team up was VERY compelling. The dynamic between the two of them was also amazing, with Mu Deok being a very strict, even cruel master and Jang Uk being a talented but also terribly spoiled disciple. They made a great duo and also complemented each other very well. I would have loved them even without their feelings being remotely romantic - I believe they worked just fine together as master and disciple. The way Jang Uk managed to develop his skills over time was also very entertaining, making me root for him all the way.
- Mu Deok is a merciless assassin, but she's also smart and good at acting as a certain role. The way she switched between being a meek and pandering servant to a strict and firm master was fascinating, I always looked forward to see her on the screen.
- The dynamics between other characters were also very good and endearing. The friendship between Jang Uk, Seo Yul, and Park Dang Gu was lovely to see in their interactions, and the tenderness between Park Jin and Kim Do Ju was another favorite of mine (along with their bickering). Jang Uk and Go Won were also a duo I didn't expect to love as much as I do.
- I believe that every single actor was chosen perfectly, really. Everyone did amazing. Jo Jae Yoon was the perfect antagonist, charismatic and scary at the same time. Props to Jung So Min as well for being amazing in her role, despite how difficult it was.
- Last but not least, this drama is visually amazing. The sets, the props, the costumes, and even the styling of the characters is varied and always beautiful. I really appreciated how characters had both long and short haircuts, even with different colors and accessories, instead of the usual period drama styles that can be seen everywhere else. I want to shake hands with whoever decided to give Yoo Joon Sang a beard: I kept thinking how handsome he looked every time he was on the screen.

My conclusion is that, while it's not a perfect drama nor a masterpiece in any way, it was a fun watch. If sword magic is your thing, you will have fun - if not, you might not find anything worth your time here. I'm looking forward to see if the second part of the story makes me change my opinion.

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Cute and pretty series

With "cute and pretty" I mean that it's a mostly fluffy series with a good production. It captured my attention from the very beginning and I didn't struggle to finish at any moment, so it's great for whoever wants to take a break from more dramatic and tense shows.

The plot is not one of the most original, but its execution made it stand out a lot. The multiple parallels between Tawan and Mork made me very curious to see how would the two get closer over time and what would their dynamic look like, and I have to say I wasn't disappointed. Both Tawan and Mork are sweet souls, two men who are ready to help the people around them no matter what, even at the cost of neglecting themselves, and I really liked how they slowly became each other's safe space.
What I wish was done better is the overall message of the storyline. The material was right there for the writers to grasp and use, but they seemed to prefer cliché situations and tropes instead. While I didn't mind the cute and romantic moments, I couldn't help feeling like it was a waste of good material in the end.
The secondary couples were cute, but to be entirely honest they didn't stand out to me all that much. Boss and Toy's dynamic wasn't really my cup of tea (I felt like Boss was being forced to get out of his comfort zone for no real reason other than Toy's personal satisfaction, on top of the usual "being an introvert is bad" message), As for Nadia and Mayom, I felt like their story just sort of... happened? Nothing caught my eye about them.
Something that I really want to mention is how much I liked Yoon's performance here. The contrast with his character in Unforgotten Night is very strong, it made him stand out to me a lot as an actor. The same goes for Ging: this is the first series where I don't see her as the evil love rival/antagonist, so I was really happy to see her as a warm and supportive friend of the main character for once.

If you like fluff and cheesy romance and don't mind the lack of passionate love scenes and kisses, this is for you!

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This one was pretty cute!

I didn't know what to expect exactly from this drama, but I can say that it was a pleasant discovery!

In terms of story, the premise is actually not very exciting - it's about a man who decides to live a peaceful life as the sole owner of a coin laundromat, and about a high schooler who starts to hang out at said laundromat every day. What I believe makes this series much more interesting as it goes on lies in the character dynamics, their introspection and their slow but steady development.
Shin is at his last year of high school, and he's a delightful mix of mature and youthful personality traits: he's responsible with his duties and takes good care of the people surrounding him, even when he doesn't really like them, but he's also very passionate about what (and who) he likes and never afraid of being straightforward and honest with his feelings.
Akira is comfortable in his skin at first sight, but it's also a comfort that he created by building a wall around his feelings: he can be affectionate with other people, but he also makes sure to draw a clear line so that nobody crosses it, not even himself. For this same reason he'd rather hide what he actually feels and put on a facade.
As the story goes on, we can clearly see how both of them influence each other's attitudes in a positive way. Shin gradually learns to compromise and to accept things that he doesn't like for the sake of the people he loves, while Akira slowly comes out of his shell and comes to terms with the painful events of his past, as well as the feelings he has in the present. The feelings they have for each other take time to fully bloom, but the result couldn't be more satisfying in my opinion.
I was half expecting to hate the secondary characters, but I actually ended up loving most of them. Even the secondary couple, while not explored as much as I would've liked, was very cute. The only character I wouldn't say I liked was the fujoshi, as I saw both her and the events tied to her as pure fanservice.
I can't recommend this series if you're looking for steamy love scenes, as there isn't any. If you're looking for a cute slow burn romance, make sure to watch this one!

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Like a fix-it fanfic

If you watched Present Perfect (go watch it if you haven't yet), you'll know that it didn't have a very happy ending. I don't blame the fans of the first movie for wishing for Toey and Oat to have a chance to be happy together, or even just to be together again one more time, but I don't believe this sequel was necessary at all.

After watching for a few minutes, I immediately felt like I was watching the cinematic equivalent of a fix-it fanfiction. The director/screenwriter is the same as Present Perfect, but here in PSP it seems like a big fan of the series wrotetheir own fanfiction of the story, then somehow was able to gather back all the original actors of the first movie and turn it into a sequel.
I can't say it worked too well. The quiet and dream-like atmosphere of the first movie is completely lost here, and the pacing overall is a lot more lively. The writing also got a LOT more cheesy, with dialogues where the main characters put into words their feelings way more often - and this for some reason made the whole story feel less sincere and the characters' feelings less believable.
Present Still Perfect also tries to tie itself to its prequel with elements that have no reason to exist in its plot - Kenta himself being one of them. They also tried to explain multiple untold things to make the reunion of Toey and Oat "acceptable" or at least "understandable", but overall it felt more like the plot was doing somersaults in the attempt to let the two of them be together.

I gave this movie a 6 because despite everything I was able to finish it, but I was truly unsatisfied with all of it, and now I kinda wish I didn't watch it. I only recommend watching it in case you want to see Toey and Oat together again at all costs, and I really mean AT ALL COSTS, including plot and common sense.

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A successful artwork

This short film is very interesting: three couples of actors were given the same script and setting. According to a member of the production team, there were also three different directors. I recommend watching the complete version of this short film as I believe leaves a bigger impression overall.

The message "love and attraction can happen and exist between two people regardless of their gender" was portrayed very well, probably in the best way I've seen in any film or show. All the characters also had the exact same gender-neutral names in each version.
The actions of their characters, their attitudes and their interactions with their partner also change in each version, and I really appreciated that as opposed to them being exactly the same. After all, people are never the exact same as someone else: our gender identity, our life and our feelings have an impact on our personalities and even our identities, so it made sense for each couple to live the same event slightly differently. I believe this expresses even better how feelings might differ depending on the person, but that doesn't make them any less real for the people who experience them.

I don't want to talk more in detail about this short film simply because I believe it deserves to be watched at least once. It's less than 20 minutes long overall, so I highly recommend giving it a try!

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Lacks substance

At first I dropped this series after watching the first half of the first episode, because it didn't grab my attention at all. Later on I chose to pick it back up to see if I could give it another chance.
Here is what I believe saves the series:
- The characters are cute enough. Not only Dee and Knight, I'm talking about the secondary characters as well. The atmosphere of chaos that lives in the office starts to feel like home in a short while and while there's lack of depth for everyone, they're all somewhat endearing.
- There's some solid LGBTQ+ representation, with a trans woman who isn't used as a comic relief (and even gets her own romance) and characters who actually identify as gay rather than going for the "I only like you" route.
- The story seems to carry a message overall, which would be to respect other people and their wishes, and not try to get in their way, even when you believe you have good intentions.
- Gameplay and Folk are cute enough to deserve the attention of anyone who wants to watch a BL even just for the mlm ship.

This being said, this series suffers from pretty big flaws that might make many viewers give up: the terrible plot, terrible characterization/introspection, and awful pacing.
The plot is... there, I believe, but it's pretty confusing. Some problems that are introduced in the beginning don't seem to be a big deal in the long run; on the other hand there are other problems that are only introduced toward the end and then quickly resolved. The whole time I had no idea what did I have to worry about.
The characters are all flat, main characters included. There is some personality sprinkled here and there, but the final result looks more like a bunch of caricatures than actual characters with a decent depth. For the same reason I wasn't able to enjoy the romance as much as I wished to: the feelings of their characters, their thoughts and their background are all too foggy or shown too little for me to actually get into it.
Finally, the pacing: it was unbearably slow most of the time and I had trouble keeping up with what was happening because I got distracted multiple times. Some endless scenes could have taken much less screentime and still work, some others would have used more time to be properly shown.

Can't bring myself to recommend this series unless you have nothing better to do.

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The romance saved the series for me

I finished the series in the span of 3 days. While the plot was very disappointing, the romance was what kept me watching until the very end. The love story between the two main characters also takes up the majority of the series, way more than the plot, so I believe it's enough to make the rating higher overall.

Starting from the plot: it's definitely the weakest part of the series. It's supposed to be about the son of a mafia boss, but to be honest I kept forgetting about it - the characters only seemed a bunch of rich people who use guns from time to time. It's never clear what are Nuengdiao or Palm's feelings about this "business" either, whether they don't believe it's a big deal or they're just convinced that they're "the good mafia". Another reason why it was hard to keep in mind the "mafia" aspect of the story was the complete lack of organization and proper use of resources in the group: where are the bodyguards? Where are the security systems? This sloppy depiction and lack of care for the theme forced me to suspend my disbelief in front of several situations.
The plot itself suffers from a similar problem: it was neglected to the point that it looks more like a draft. There were many situations that could have been easily solved or avoided based on the premises, but they just happen anyway, which made the story frustrating to keep up with. There are even instances where the characters seem to actively avoid solving the problems just to let the story last longer. The events were extremely predictable, so the lack of proper action and the plot holes did nothing but annoy me even more.

The romance, on the other hand, was very fun and sweet. I liked how Nuengdiao and Palm started off with a rather cold relationship forced by their circumstances, but then gradually warmed up to each other. The main conflict for them was about their feelings getting in the way of their duty and vice-versa, and seeing this theme being used so thoroughly was a joy for me! I really like the bodyguard trope and I was hoping for something like this. Both Palm and Nuengdiao are far from being perfect: they make mistakes and hurt each other, but it's all backed up by their inner conflicts, fears, and desires, so nothing ever felt out of place for either of them.
The relationships between characters overall were well detailed too. Ben and Chopper in particular have their own inner conflicts and desires and they're all portrayed properly on the screen, but Nueng and Palm's parents were also great characters in their own right. The acting was pretty good, but I especially enjoyed the performances from Phuwin and Perth.

In conclusion, I believe that one might like or dislike this series based on what do they look for in a BL. If you're looking for an interesting and well-written plot, then this is absolutely not for you. If you're looking for a romantic love story with some action sprinkled in, then this might be just right!

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One of the best sequels, possibly...?

Most sequels usually have a main flaw. They either try to replicate the exact same elements as their prequel (and they end up becoming a worse version of the exact same story), or they let go of the elements in the prequel too much, to the point that both the setting and the characters are completely unrecognizable.
I believe that Utsukushii Kare/My Beautiful Man found the perfect middle ground: it didn't forget about its origins, but at the same time it's able to bring the story forward naturally. I know that this sounds like the bare minimum, but it's so unusual I couldn't help being amazed by it.
Kiyoi and Hira's story continues from where it was left and we're allowed to see them adjusting to their life together, among many doubts, attempts and even failures, all while they explore their individual ambitions and dreams. I loved the fact that while this is a sequel where the two are finally a couple, it doesn't mean that their relationship has magically become perfect, but at the same time the change between this show and its prequel is visible.
The acting was as great as before, if not even better, and both the music and the silence were used well. I also liked how the story alternated different sides of the life of the two protagonists.

A must-watch for anyone who loved the original "My Beautiful Man" series. I recommend watching that first if you haven't yet!

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A victory is a victory

I watched this movie for the first time a couple years ago. I remember liking it a lot, but I wasn't sure if it was just because it's one of the first BLs I watched, or because it was actually good.
Now that I watched it again I can confirm that, yes, I loved it.

- First of all, the story mainly revolves around marathons and I appreciated the fact that they didn't just use it as an aesthetic. It might sound obvious, but I've seen way too many movies and dramas where they start with a theme, only to put it aside and turn the story into something entirely different. Here the characters run all the time, make plans about marathons, worry about training and taking proper care of their bodies, all without neglecting the romance.
- Secondly, the main characters were great. Both the actors did a very good job portraying them - Han Se Jin in particular shines at all times, he did amazing and he made me want to watch other productions where he's part of the cast. Since Sang Ha and Jin Won are so different I was worried that the romance between the two would feel forced in some way, but instead I believe it was paced pretty well. Seeing Jin Won slowly but steadily warming up to Sang Ha and then caring for him and wanting him by his side was very satisfying. The problems they had were not the usual annoying couple misunderstandings or lack of communication either.
- There was no time wasted, at ANY time. Every single scene felt important for the sake of the plot or the character introspection. One could argue that the ending could use some more screen time, but to be honest I'm satisfied.

This one will stay in my heart and I'll probably end up considering it a classic as time goes by.

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Cute and uneventful

The main charm of this BL was the fact that the relationship between the two main characters develops in a very organic way, which is something that can't be found easily in this genre.
The story is about a young man who becomes a new intern in a company and slowly gets to know his team manager. There's no pre-existing hate or love between the two, no incredible connection or inconvenient situation that forces the two of them together other than them being in the same workplace. It's common, I could even say it's realistic, and I loved it. I also greatly appreciated the fact that they're both interested in men from the get-go and there's no trace of the annoying "I don't like men, I only like you" trope that can be easily found in many BLs. Seung Hyun and Jong Chan get close to each other slowly but steadily, make clumsy mistakes and learn to communicate their feelings, but most importantly they aren't just satisfied with being together: they actually put some effort in getting to know each other and letting themselves be known.

The story mainly revolves around their job and little more than that, so I wouldn't call this a slice-of-life exactly, although the overall vibe definitely fits that label. It's also mostly uneventful, so whoever is looking for an intense and dramatic love story might want to watch something else.
It's a short series (each episode is about 15 minutes long if we don't count the opening and the ending themes, so you can easily finish watching in a couple of hours) and it might be a good choice if you're in the mood for binge-watch something cute and light.

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